A semi-conductor handling equipment cleaning method and apparatus are configured for use with wafer carriers. The cleaning apparatus comprises a base portion having first and second apertures and configured to support the wafer carrier in sealing contact about the first aperture. A first fluidic circuit introduces a first cleaning fluid to the inner surface of the carrier and a second fluidic circuit introduces a second cleaning fluid to the outer surface of the carrier. The carrier forms a barrier with the base so that the cleaning media is isolated so as to substantially prevent the second fluid from communicating with the first fluid. An optional door cleaning assembly comprises a rotational housing, a shaft disposed in the housing and a door receiving assembly rotatably disposed on the shaft and within the housing and securably receives the door and forms a fluid-tight seal between the door and the door receiving assembly.

This invention relates to carriers used in clean room type environments, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for cleaning carriers used in the semiconductor fabrication industry.
The process of forming semi-conductor wafers or other delicate electronic components into useful articles requires high levels of precision and cleanliness. As these article become increasingly complex and miniaturized, contamination concerns increase. Contamination may be introduced to the substrates through the air as well as though handling devices and equipment. Contamination causes lower yield of circuit components and correspondingly increases manufacturing costs.
Airborne contamination is often significantly reduced by providing controlled fabrication environments known as clean rooms. While clean rooms effectively remove airborne contaminants found in ambient air, it is often not possible or advisable to completely process wafers in the same clean room environment. Moreover, not all contaminants are eliminated. For that and other reasons, semi-conductor wafers are transported, stored, and fabricated in bulk with the assistance specialized handling equipment such as protective carriers or pods. These carriers generally include closures that enable the carriers or pods to maintain their own micro-environment. This further reduces the potential contamination from some airborne particles.
Contamination and contaminants can be generated and introduced to wafers or substrates through the handling equipment. For example, particulates can be generated mechanically by wafers as they are inserted into and removed from wafer carriers, and as doors are attached and removed from the carriers, or they can be generated chemically in reaction to different processing fluids. Contamination can also be the result of out-gassing on the carrier, biological sources due to human activity, or even the result of improper or incomplete washing of the carrier. Contamination can also accumulate on the exterior of a carrier as the carrier is transported from station to station during processing.
Contamination of the specialized handling equipment can be reduced by periodically washing and/or cleaning of said equipment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,113 to Thompson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,867 to Kawano et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,340 to Ballard each disclose wafer carrier cleaning apparatuses. Thompson, Kawano and Ballard each employ a single fluid circuit. The fluid used to clean the outer surface of the carrier and the fluid used to clean the inner surface of the carrier are sourced from a common reservoir and drain off the equipment into a common drain.
In operation, the outer surface of the carrier accumulates more contaminants because it is exposed to the environment. The spent cleaning fluids may be recycled during the washing process. However, it is not desirable to introduce such recycled fluids to the interior of the carrier because suspended contaminants from the exterior may contaminate the interior.
The use of a common fluid duct also does not allow the washing apparatus to use different cleaning fluids on the inner and the outer surfaces of the carrier. Different washing fluids are often desired because the outside and inside surface of the wafer container have different cleaning properties. Cleaning apparatuses of the prior art that are capable of using separate fluids for the interior and exterior cannot recycle because the commonly collected spent fluid is a mixture and no longer appropriate for cleaning.
There are several problems associated with the prior art cleaning apparatuses. They use large amounts of cleaning fluids because they do not provide for recycling. Cleaning apparatuses that do recycle are unable to tailor the fluids to the specialized needs of both the exterior and interior surfaces. They also do not provide for the cleaning of accessory items, such as doors or closures.
Therefore, there is a need for a wafer carrier cleaner with minimal cross-contamination between exterior and interior surface cleaning fluids, a wafer carrier cleaner that conserves valuable resources, a wafer carrier cleaner with a door cleaning capability, and a wafer carrier cleaner that can operate in a moderately controlled environment.


A top is provided with a conical body having a soft porous parabolic point at the top's conical apex which simultaneously grips and tracks a writing surface over which the top travels. When the top is spun, the point at the apex grips the writing surface and allows the top to travel over the writing surface leaving an ink imprint in its path. During spinning, the top precesses with the rotating angular velocity characteristic of a top spinning down about a fixed point. However, the tip of the top at the conical apex does not remain fixed with respect to the writing surface; rather, the tip travels on its own course over the writing surface as a function both the angle of the tip with respect to the writing surface and the angular spin velocity of the top. As a consequence, the travel of the tip interacts with the forces of top precession to produce a group of characteristic traced spirals on the writing surface. In one embodiment of the invention, provision is made to vertically adjust the tip of the top in elevation with respect to the remaining mass of the top to adjustable vary the resultant spirals. A serendipitous result of the combination is that ink filled writing instrument in the top experiences a complete exhaustion of its contained ink supply before ceasing to write--a condition not experienced by most such pens during there in service life.

Rotating or spinning tops are well known. Conventional tops are typically symmetrical and spin rapidly about their symmetrical axis, also referred to as the spin axis. The top typically spins at a lean relative the vertical. The amount of lean is referred to as the precession angle. When the bottom point of the top is substantially fixed in position relative to the surface or table, the top will move about the vertical axis and sweep out a cone-shaped area as a result of this lean. This motion is called precession. When the bottom point is allowed to move or travel, the spin and precession of the top causes the top to move across the supporting surface.
The characteristic movement of a top can be traced if the bottom point is constructed to leave a legible trail. The general concept of forming a top using a writing instrument as the bottom point is not new. Many toy tops use this principle to provide amusement to the user by producing a graphic of the path of the top. For example, the prior art contains many examples of toy tops having writing points. This general concept is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,618,891 which uses a ball point pen top, U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,632 for an amusement apparatus and U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,077 which uses a pencil or ball point pen as part of the top.
To facilitate a legible mark traced by the top, prior art devices commonly use a ball point pen structure. Tops rotating upon ball points trace a resulting path which may be described as a chain of interconnected loops. Ball points, due to the roller surface, cannot directly transfer all the top's rotational and precession forces to the supporting surface. Writing tops using ball point pens do not naturally precess, as the precession phenomena of rapidly rotating tops is traditionally observed, due to the ball point's natural tendency to roll with respect to the writing surface. A ball point top tends to wander and fall over as the top acquires a precession angle sufficient to cause the roller point to roll out from under the axis of spin.
Writing tops have not been limited to ball point writing tips, however. Alternative tips on writing tops have been used. For example, lead pencils and chalk tips have been used to more accurately trace a top's full precession. These types of instruments are unfavorable because they require a top with excessive weight to provide the necessary force to cause the lead or chalk to inscribe the writing surface. Therefore, there are disadvantages associated with the use of ball points or pencil lead writing tops. To provide a writing top which can be inexpensively produced, however, conventional and low cost writing devices must be employed.
Soft porous tipped writing instruments are known and can be inexpensively produced. Typical soft porous tips, sometimes referred to as "felt" tip pens, have a fibrous nib which includes a writing tip and a shaft. The shaft is in communication with an ink reservoir. The ink reservoir contains a supply of liquid ink which is absorbed into the nib and thereby feeds ink to the writing point. When the ink laden writing point is placed in contact with a writing surface such as paper, the ink flows onto the writing surface leaving a mark. Due to this free flow of ink, however, if there is no relative movement between the writing tip and the writing surface, the ink may continue to flow onto the writing surface and create an undesirable blot or spot at the point of contact with the paper or surface.
Discovery
A soft porous tip writing instrument has an interesting and unique feature which distinguishes it over alternative writing devices, especially ball point pens. The present inventors have discovered that when a soft porous tip pen is inclined at an angle on a writing surface and rotated, writing also occurs. The reader may easily demonstrate this effect.
Place a piece of paper on a smooth surface. The paper and the surface should have a relatively low coefficient friction so that the paper readily slides relative to the supporting surface. Then position the writing point of a soft porous tip pen on the paper at an angle of inclination. The pen may have a point or may be of a squared, rounded or angled shape. While holding the pen in a stationary location relative to the surface supporting the paper, rotate the pen along its longitudinal axis.
Two effects will be observed.
First, the paper will slowly rotate propelled by the friction of the soft porous tip as it is rotated. Second, the soft porous tip pen at its point will gradually trace a path--a spiral path--on the paper as the paper slowly rotates. Neither ball point pens nor pencils offer this unique characteristic.
In the disclosure that follows, I use the characteristic spiral pattern that I have discovered with respect to a rotating soft porous tip pen to interact with the natural forces of precession existing when a top rapidly spins. As a result, I obtain a unique spiral pattern not achieved by prior art tops having writing tips. There results beautiful, almost three dimensional traced pattern by the toy top of my invention. The spiral produced will always be unique, never exactly duplicated. My invention combines a soft porous tip writing instrument with a conical shaped top body portion to provide a device which can be adjusted.

Top with precession tracing point for tracing unique spirals


In some embodiments, a process comprises applying an adhesive layer to a substrate having a developable shape. The process further comprises initially applying a force to press a thin glass layer against the adhesive layer along a generation line. The generation line moves across the substrate to cold-form the thin glass layer into the shape of the substrate, while maintaining the application of force on areas of the substrate over which the generation line has passed. The application of force is maintained on areas of the substrate over which the generation line has passed until the adhesive cures.

The present disclosure relates to curved cold-formed glass substrates, articles including such glass substrates, and related processes.
Curved glass substrates are desirable in many contexts. One such context is for use as a cover glass for a curved display, which may be incorporated into an appliance, an architectural element (e.g., wall, window, modular furniture, shower door, mirrors etc.), a vehicle (e.g., automobiles, aircraft, sea craft and the like). Existing methods of forming such curved glass substrates, such as thermal forming, have drawbacks including optical distortion and surface marking.

Cold formed 3D cover glass articles and forming process to make the same


A method for establishing VoIP connection between a caller and a called party. Upon receipt of a first dial tone, the caller enters only the access code of the called party's central office. Then, VoIP call setup and a speech path are established between a remote gateway and the caller via a local gateway. A second dial tone is generated by the central office of the PSTN of the called party and this dial tone is relayed to the caller which prompts the caller to enter the telephone number of the called party to thereby establish communication between the caller and the called party.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voice over Internet protocol (hereinafter, referred to as "VoIP") system, and more particularly to an improved method for providing VoIP call service.
2. Description of the Related Art
A VoIP system provides a new scheme of communication service, which performs a voice data communication over the Internet rather than a public switch telephone network (PSTN) as an existing communication network. Unlike an existing scheme, since the voice data communication over the Internet employs a packet-based network and therefore charges for using domestic/international telephone lines are not incurred, the VoIP system can inexpensively carry out the voice data communication. The VoIP system is capable of transmitting video information as well as audio information using an ITU-T standard H.323 protocol.
An H.323-based packet network, which provides VoIP service, is made up of a gatekeeper, an H.323 terminal being an endpoint and a gateway, and also includes a multipoint control unit (MCU) for conference service. The gatekeeper, which is the most important component in the H.323-based packet network, performs major functions relative to a registration of the terminal and the gateway within a zone, an address management, a call connection control, a resource management, etc. The zone is an area in which one gatekeeper manages the terminal, the gateway, the MCU, etc.
The gateway acts to transmit audio and facsimile data, incoming into the PSTN, to the Internet after a real-time compression and protocol conversion. The gateway can be divided into several types according to a built-in and use form. For example, there are a built-in type, a server type, a stand-alone type and the like. A built-in type gateway is embedded into a key telephone system or a private branch exchange (PBX) in the form of a card. A server type gateway is mounted on a platform such as a window network terminal (NT). A stand-alone type gateway is structured independently with terminals. The stand-alone type gateway is divided into a stand-alone mode and a TANDEM (trunk and ENM (ear & mouth)) mode according to an operating mode. The stand-alone type gateway of the stand-alone mode is the gateway, which is directly connected to a plurality of telephone terminals and the stand-alone type gateway of the TANDEM mode is the gateway, which supports an interworking between heterogeneous office lines. The stand-alone type gateway of the TANDEM mode is connected to the PBX and/or the key telephone system over an inner T1/E1 interface, a loop (loop start trunk) interface and a subscriber line circuit (SLC) interface.
However, in order for a caller to make a VoIP call, the caller must submit, often in DTMF, a central office access code along with the telephone number of the called party before a VoIP speech path can be set up between the caller, a local gateway and a remote gateway. After the speech path is set up, the calling party receives a second dial tone indicating that the call can go through. However, the above method is inefficient in that the calling party must wait a substantial period of time for the call to be set up. What is needed is a more efficient method of placing a VoIP call to a called party connected to a PSTN.

Method for providing voice over internet protocol call service


A composition of a compound or derivative thereof in which at least one carbon atom of 5-aminolevulinic acid is a carbon isotope and/or a nitrogen atom in its amino group is a nitrogen isotope, and where said derivative is an ester, amide, salt, hydrate or solvate of the compound, and a diagnostically acceptable carrier. A method for detecting malignant tumors, by administering a tumor detecting effective amount to a host in need of tumor detection of a compound or derivative thereof in which at least one carbon atom of 5-aminolevulinic acid is a carbon isotope and/or a nitrogen atom in its amino group is a nitrogen isotope, and where said derivative is an ester, amide, salt, hydrate or solvate of said compound and detecting the malignant tumors using NMR.

Even in the present day when a large number of infectious diseases are conquered, malignant tumors are one of the most serious diseases with which human beings are now confronted. Although treatment methods for malignant tumors have been proposed one after another and the therapeutic ratio has been increased, early stage diagnosis of malignant tumors is the most important factor in treating malignant tumors. Accordingly, various types of tumor markers have been proposed for diagnosing malignant tumors at an early stage and various diagnostic agents have already been on the market, but they have problems still remained unsolved in terms of their efficacy. Although a higher value of a tumor marker indicates higher possibility of a malignant tumor, no information can be obtained on the site where the malignant tumor is present.
It has been found recently that hematoporphyrin and derivatives thereof (so called porphyrins) accumulate in malignant tumors specifically, and methods for diagnosing malignant tumors have been developed using the property of these compounds to generate fluorescence by light irradiation. It is known that photophrin® as a typical compound of porphyrins generates an active oxygen by light irradiation to destroy malignant tumors, so that it has been approved as a therapeutic drug for malignant tumors, and a therapeutic method using this compound has been drawing attention as a photokinetically therapy (Life Science of Porphyrin and Heme, edited by Porphyrin Research Society, Tokyo Kagaku Dojin (1995)).
It was found in 1994 that protoporphyrin IX which is induced by administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid accumulates in tumors and shows similar effects to porphyrins, and this compound has been drawing attention due to its low toxicity and phototoxicity and quick metabolism in the body in comparison with those of the above-described porphyrins. It is disclosed that by applying this effect, 5-aminolevulinic acid is used as a contrast medium for MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) by replacing a portion of its hydrogen atoms with deuterium (D) (WO 97/03042).
However, the sensitivity of MRI using this contrast medium is not always satisfactory.
In consequence, an object of the present invention is to provide a diagnostic agent which accumulates properly in malignant tumors and can specify the site of tumor with high sensitivity using nuclear magnetic resonance and an agent for photokinetically treating malignant tumors.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Agent for diagnosing and treating malignant tumors


A leaf seal for effecting a seal between two, coaxial, relatively rotating components. The leaf seal has an annular pack of stacked leaves. The pack is mountable to a first one of the components with interleaf gaps formed between working portions of neighbouring leaves. The leaves extend towards the other component such that end edges of leaf working portions are presented for wiping contact with the other component. At least adjacent its end leaf edge, each leaf has a rear section at or adjacent the low pressure side of the pack and a front section which extends from the rear section to the high pressure side of the pack. The rear sections of the leaves are thicker than their respective front sections to reduce the interleaf gaps at the rear sections such that most of the pressure drop across the pack is over the rear sections.

Leaf seals may be used to form a seal between two relatively rotating components in order to maintain a relatively high pressure on one side of the seal and a relatively low pressure on the other. A leaf seal is arranged with a large number of typically rectangular leaves which are held at a defined angle to the radial all the way round the seal circumference. The leaves give the seal a low stiffness, and are packed together such that the total leakage through the seal is reduced. Nonetheless, interleaf gaps do provide the seal with a porous aerodynamic working section. Such seals may be used, for example, in gas turbine engines.
FIG. 1 shows schematically a cut-away perspective view of a portion of a leaf seal 31 comprising a pack of leaves 32. FIG. 2 shows (a) a view along the axial direction of an arc segment of the pack to better show some of the leaves 32 edge-on, and (b) a plan view of a single leaf 32.
The leaves 32 each have a root portion 40 and a working portion 41, and have a width w in the axial direction and a thickness t. The leaves alternate with spacer elements 33 at their root portions 40, and are secured thereat to a backing ring 34 of a housing, which typically also comprises front 35a (high pressure side) and rear (low pressure side) 35b rigid coverplates. The working portions 41 of the leaves 32 present end edges 36 towards a surface 37 of a rotating component generally rotating in the direction depicted by arrowhead 38. The leaves 32, and in particular the end edges 36 of the leaves 32, act against the surface 37 in order to create a seal across the assembly 31. Each leaf 32 is sufficiently compliant in order to adjust with rotation of the surface 37, so that a good sealing effect is created. The spacers 33 ensure that flexibility is available to appropriately present the leaves 32 towards the surface 37 which, as illustrated, is generally with an inclined angle between them. The spacers 33 also help to form interleaf gaps 39 between adjacent working portions 41 of the leaves 32. A leakage flow through these gaps 39 is induced by the pressure differential across the seal.


A method for determining a power sustainability status of a device having one or more solar panels and a battery includes receiving a request to indicate the power sustainability status, measuring a voltage of the battery, and determining a usage level of the device and a low power sustainability threshold. The method further includes computing a remaining capacity of the battery using the voltage of the battery and usage level of the device and computing a light exposure level associated with the one or more solar panels. Additionally, the method includes determining a power sustainability index using at least one of the remaining capacity of the battery or the light exposure level and comparing the power sustainability index to the low power sustainability threshold.

Solar-powered electronic devices are currently available for purchase and use. An example of such a device is a solar-powered calculator. Some solar-powered calculators do not have a battery for providing an alternate source of power in the absence of light. As a result, if the light is not sufficient, these solar-powered calculators may not work.
Despite the progress made in solar-powered electronic devices, there is a need in the art for improved methods and systems related to these solar-powered electronic devices.

System and method for solar keyboard power management


An artificial turf that includes a first face yarn, a second face yarn, and a stitch-in yarn. The second face yarn is textured in some embodiments, for at least the reason of creating a zone such as a textured zone. A knot is formed by knitting the first face yarn, the second face yarn, and the stitch-in yarn together. A row of knots is also formed in this manner. A backing is formed when a lay-in yarn is extended between at least two rows of the knots and knitted to hold the at least two rows of knots together. A coating is coupled to the backing to prevent, among other things, detachment of the yarns after extended use of the artificial turf. An underlayment is positioned beneath the backing such that a stable base is provided for the artificial turf.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to artificial turf, and more particularly to a knitted artificial turf system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various artificial turf systems have been developed that provide a synthetic turf playing surface for various sports and recreational activities. One example of an artificial turf involves a system wherein fibers are tufted into a primary backing. Various combinations of yarns/fibers are used in the tufted embodiments.
One playing surface is known that includes a subsurface, a pile fabric resembling grass and a compacted top-dressing comprising a mixture of from 25 to 95 volume percent resilient particles and from 5 to 75 volume percent fine sand. The playing surface includes a multi-filament yarn tufted into a woven fabric backing to form a pile fabric with pile elements that resemble grass. A suitable subsurface may consist of concrete or asphalt pavement, compacted clay, or gravel rolled into ordinary dirt.
At least due to tufting, prior art turf systems, among other things, tend to be of a loose construction and may be undesirable for certain applications. Many other problems and disadvantages of the prior art will become apparent to one skilled in the art after comparing such prior art with the present invention as described herein.
An artificial turf is provided that is not tufted. The artificial turf has two face yams, one of which is non-textured, and one of which is textured. The artificial turf is preferably knitted, and the non-textured face yarn or pile has a pile height exceeding about 0.6 inch, preferably having a height of at least about 1.0 inch. In use, the textured pile has a height significantly lower than the pile height of the non-textured pile, preferably a pile height of at least 25% less than the pile height of the non-textured pile. The textured and non-textured pile yarns are knotted together with a stitch-in yarn to form rows of knots in the machine direction of the artificial turf thus made, and lay-in yarns are interlocked with the rows of knots to form a base for the pile yarns. A seal is preferably applied to the backing for additional dimensional stability.
Turf that is constructed according to principles of the present invention has been known to use a knitting machine that may contain over 1,000 needles to produce a width of artificial turf of about 15 feet. The assembly process is more complex than tufting. The pile yarn and stitch-in yarn are inserted into a knitting needle. Lay-in yarn is interlocked with the pile and stitch-in yarn through a separate feed mechanism for the machine. Loops of pile fabric are formed and cut by a slitter. The knitted turf is subjected to a finishing operation in which a suitable seal material is applied to penetrate the contact points in the backing and to stabilize the structure. This process is usually accompanied by a heat treatment that stabilizes the fabric and conditions the pile.
Turf according to principles of the present invention is made using a knitting process. The artificial turf thus formed is preferably mounted on a subsurface, and preferably the subsurface includes concrete or asphalt pavement, compacted clay, gravel, gravel mixed with soil, and then more soil or a foamed product is laid on the subsurface. A fill material such as sand and/or rubber particles is preferably filled in and around the textured and non-textured pile to about the height of the textured pile.
Various aspects of the present invention may be realized through an artificial turf that includes a first face yarn, a second face yarn, a lay-in yarn, and a stitch-in yarn. The second face yarn is textured, for at least the reason of creating a textured zone. A knot is formed by knitting the first face yarn, the second face yarn, the lay-in yarn, and the stitch-in yarn together. A row of knots is also formed in this manner. A backing is formed when the lay-in yarn is extended between at least two rows of the knots and knitted to hold the at least two rows of knots together. A fill material is also placed on top of the backing.
Numerous variations exist with respect to the type of material that is used to create the first face yarn, the second face yarn, the stitch-in yarn, and the lay-in yarn. Of particular interest are the different types of physical shapes and feel that may be given to the first face yarn depending upon factors such as the spinneret that is used to produce the first face yarn and the pellet that is produced for the extrusion with the spinneret.
Various aspects of the present invention may also be found in a method for creating an artificial turf. The method includes, not necessarily in this order, the following steps: extruding a pellet through a spinneret to form an extended ribbon; knitting the extended ribbon into a blend of other ribbon, that has been textured, and stitch-in yarn to form knots; cutting the extended ribbon to create a flat face yarn that has a length of approximately one inch; forming rows of knots from the extended ribbon, the other ribbon, and the stitch-in yarn; and knitting a lay-in yarn into the rows of knots to combine the rows of knots and create a backing for the artificial turf while the combination also creates a textured zone on top of the backing and the flat face yarn extends upwardly from the textured zone.
Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent with further reference to the drawings and specification which follow.


A display device which accurately detects and corrects only a facial region contained in an image and thereby prevents an error in which a background or neighboring object having a similar color to a skin color is corrected together with the facial region, and a method of controlling the same are provided. The display device includes an image processor configured to detect a face candidate region from an input image, based on information associated with at least one face color region, to detect a face region by applying a face detection algorithm to the detected face candidate region and to perform skin color correction on the detected face region, and a display configured to display the corrected input content.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a display device which corrects a skin color of the face contained in an image and displays the skin color, and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A display device processes and outputs image signals in a variety of forms and representative examples of the display devices include TVs, monitors, cellular phones, navigation systems and the like.
The face of a human contained in an image displayed on a display device is one of the first elements to catch the eye of viewers who view the display device. Accordingly, naturally correcting the face color of the human contained in the image without distortion is an essential function required for the display device.

Display device and method of controlling the same


An endotracheal tape for adhesively securing an endotracheal tube in position is disclosed. The tape consists of a single piece of 1 inch wide tape having first and second opposite ends split into two identical sections. A single short, non-stick piece is centered along the length of the tape and the tape is rolled onto two plastic tubes from each of the first and second ends. To dispense the device, the tape is unrolled slightly from the tubes to expose the short non-stick piece and the piece is placed against the back of the patient's neck. The tape is then completely unrolled and the upper halves of the split ends are affixed above the patient's nose or mouth and the lower halves of the split ends are wrapped around an endotracheal tube.

The placement of an endotracheal tube is crucial to the bilateral ventilation of a patient's lungs. Endotracheal tape, when used in conjunction with an endotracheal tube, assures proper placement of an endotracheal tube by securing the tube to the facial and/or neck area of a patient. Thus, endotracheal tape prevents endotracheal tube slippage or inadvertent extubation (inadvertent removal of the tube delivering life sustaining medical gases).
In current practice, caregivers utilize either cloth adhesive tape or a cloth fabric material having a Velcro securing device for securement of an endotracheal tube. However, several problems arise when using either of these arrangements. First, in using the cloth tape, as the need arises, caregivers locate a roll of cloth adhesive tape, tear a strip off, lay the strip on a table top and proceed to fabricate the securing tape (the end product) by cutting or tearing the tape to suit the situation. A problem with this "on the spot" fabrication is the loss of valuable time as a result of having to locate a roll of suitable tape. Furthermore, the tape will occasionally stick to itself resulting in an additional loss of time as another strip is cut and subsequently fabricated to suit the situation. Second, in using the cloth fabric having a Velcro securing device, the fabric often becomes saturated with secretions. Furthermore, the Velcro securing device often fails to adhere in both initial application and in reapplication following repositioning. Replacement of this type of device is not cost effective since the apparatus, due to the Velcro securing device, must be specially manufactured and ordered in quantities. Finally, the packaging makes the apparatus bulky such that caregivers do not consistently carry the device and consequently, a device may not be available in the event of emergency intubation.


A flight control system according to the present invention includes a vertical acceleration control device for calculating a pitch axis steering angle command to make a difference between a vertical acceleration of an airplane and a target turn acceleration to zero, and transmitting it as a variable to a pitch axis control device, a reference bank angle device for calculating a reference bank angle from the target turn acceleration, an altitude control device for calculating a bank angle correcting quantity from a difference between an altitude of the airplane and a target altitude and obtaining a bank angle command by correcting the reference bank angle, and a roll axis control device for calculating a roll axis steering angle command for make a difference between a real bank angle and the bank angle command to zero and for transmitting it as a variable to a roll axis control device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flight control system for an airplane, particularly to a drone that is capable of holding a fixed radius, a fixed altitude and a fixed speed when making a steep turn for use of an unmanned target plane to confirm and evaluate a target tracking capability of a missile or other system.
2. Related Background Art
An altitude, a vertical flight path angle and a speed are controlled through changing the flight path angle by typically operating a pitch axis control device such as an elevator, etc. enough to cause rotation about a pitch axis, thus changing an elevator angle, increasing or decreasing a lift along with the change and thereby obtaining an acceleration in a perpendicular direction of the airplane. For example, JP-A-61-196896 discloses a flight control under which a turn is carried out by holding a designated bank angle while holding the altitude by this system. FIG. 8 shows this known system.
Referring to FIG. 8, an attitude sensor 12 detects an attitude of an airplane 10 to be controlled. An altitude sensor 14 detects an altitude thereof. Outputs of these detections are input to a flight control apparatus 16. The attitude sensor 12 detects a bank angle .phi. and a pitch angle .theta. of the airplane 10. The bank angle .phi. is given as a feedback quantity to a bank angle control system, and the latter pitch angle .theta. is given as a pitch angle correction quantity to an altitude control system. The flight control apparatus 16 includes a roll axis control device 18 and a pitch axis control device 20. The roll axis control device 18 obtains a roll axis steering angle command as a manipulated variable to reduce a deviation .DELTA..phi. (=.phi.*-.phi.) of the bank angle .phi. from a target bank angle .phi.* obtained by a comparing unit 22 to zero. A roll axis is controlled in dependency on the roll axis steering angle command through a roll axis maneuvering device 26, e.g., an aileron. The pitch axis control device 20 obtains a pitch axis steering angle command as a manipulated variable to reduce a deviation .DELTA.H (=H*-H) of a real altitude H from a target altitude H* obtained by a comparing unit 24 to zero with reference to the pitch angle .theta.. A pitch axis is controlled in dependency on the pitch axis steering angle command through a pitch axis maneuvering device 28 with reference to the pitch angle .theta., e.g., an elevator.
The above publication further discloses the system, wherein a feedback gain of the bank angle control system is increased when the real altitude decreases under the target altitude which might happen during a steep turn while controlling the altitude by controlling the pitch axis as well as controlling the bank angle by controlling the roll axis. The bank angle is thereby decreased to enhance the lift in the perpendicular direction, and an altitude recovery function is thus enhanced.
The vertical direction of the airplane 10, i.e., a lift axis Q is close to a perpendicular axis, i.e., an altitude direction Z as illustrated in FIG. 9 in a wing level straight flight of the airplane and a gentle turn at a small bank angle .phi.. It is therefore possible in the prior art to obtain a perpendicular component .DELTA.Lz for acquiring an acceleration with respect to a perpendicular lift component Lz to sustain an airplane weight, i.e., a lift component in the altitude direction Z by increasing and decreasing a lift increment .DELTA.L for a lift L in the direction of the lift axis Q.
The lift axis Q is inclined to close as horizontal as illustrated in FIG. 10 on the occasion of high maneuvering as in case of a steep turn taking a large bank angle .phi.. Hence, there must be largely increased and decreased lift increment .DELTA.L in the direction of the lift axis Q corresponding to the perpendicular lift component .DELTA.Lz for obtaining the acceleration in the altitude direction Z to control the altitude. Note that a horizontal component Lh of the lift L acts as a centripetal force, and a horizontal component .DELTA.Lh of the lift increment .DELTA.L acts as an increment of the centripetal force to change a turn radius in FIG. 10.
First, when the control device has to be operated larger than in the straight flight or the gentle turn when performing the high maneuvering as in case of the steep turn, e.g., taking the large bank angle .phi., the same control effects can not be obtained. Further, a high control accuracy is not necessarily required only for the altitude and the speed control in case of the turn. The turn acceleration of an unmanned plane is required to be held precisely to a predetermined value when turning and evading the unmanned target plane for the purpose of evaluating a target tracking capability of, e.g., for evading a missile pursuit. It is also required that the turn around a ground target object must be carried out while keeping the turn radius constant in the flight control of the airplane observing the ground target object.
The turn acceleration proportional to the lift largely changes, and further the turn radius is liable to change because of the turn centripetal force defined as a horizontal component of the lift being largely varying in the prior art system requiring largely increasing and decreasing the lift to control the altitude. Accordingly, second, it is difficult to make holding the altitude and the flight path angle compatible to holding the turn acceleration and the turn radius in the prior art system.
Next, there will be considered the control accuracy in a steady state of being stabilized at a fixed bank angle, altitude and speed.
For the purpose of attaining the steady turn at the turn acceleration set by the prior art control system as shown in FIG. 8, a desired turn acceleration is attained by inputting the bank angle command determined by the following relational formula: EQU N=1/cos.phi. (1)
where N is the turn acceleration in the steady turn, and .phi. is the bank angle. In this case, if the attitude sensor 12 has a detection error, the bank angle to be realized is different from the command value, corresponding to this error, and it follows that the turn acceleration to be realized has an error for the set value. If there is an angular error on the order of 2.0.degree. when making a 2 G turn wherein N=2.0, and .phi.=60.0.degree., what is in fact realized is: .phi.=62.0.degree., and N=2.13. In this case, the error in the turn acceleration N is not so large. If the target is: N=5.0, and .phi.=78.46.degree., however, what is in fact realized is: .phi.=80.46.degree., and N=6.04. The error in the turn acceleration N exceeds 1 G, and a large error in the turn acceleration is caused for a slight error in the bank angle as the turn gets steeper.
Accordingly, third, it is difficult to carry out the steep turn at a high accuracy according to the prior art system, wherein the turn acceleration is designated.
Furthermore, it is known that the altitude control by the pitch axis control device becomes hard in a region called a backside in which the speed of the airplane is slow enough to be under about 1.5 times the stalling speed although there is some latitude depending on the characteristics of each airplane. It is assumed that the airplane enters the backside at a higher speed especially in the steep turn than in the straight flight and the gentle turn. Accordingly, fourth, there is such a problem that the steep turn is hard to carry out at a low speeds with difficulty controlling the altitude in the prior art control system.
The recovery function lowering with only the increase and decrease in the lift when the altitude goes down in the conventional manner, is enhanced by reducing the inclination of the lift axis as a bank angle decreased and by incrementing the perpendicular component of the lift in JP-A-61-196896. According to this system however, the two kinds of control functions through the pitch axis and the roll axis and are applied to holding the altitude, and therefore can not correspond to other control purposes such as holding the turn acceleration and the turn radius. Further, the altitude is controlled by controlling the pitch axis, and hence the difficulty for use in the backside remains unchanged.
That is, the prior art cited herein gives a solution for the first problem described above but can not provide any solutions for the second, third and fourth problems.


Surfactant mixtures containing acyloxyalkanesulfonates, which are prepared by mixing different acyloxyalkanesulfonates, the total quantity of acyloxyalkanesulfonates comprising a mixture of ammonium and alkali metal and/or alkaline-earth metal cations.

Acyloxyalkanesulfonates are anionic surfactants which are used as starting material for syndet soaps, cosmetics and cleaning formulations. They are notable for good foaming properties, good hard water stability and good skin compatibility.
A disadvantage of using these surfactants is the fact that most of them are brittle solids which melt or are stirrable only at high temperatures. At these high temperatures, which are necessary in order to render the acyloxyalkanesulfonate at all processable, the latter is very sensitive to oxidation, thermal decomposition begins and discolorations appear.
Accordingly, it is advantageous to lower the melting point or the temperature at which acyloxyalkanesulfonates are stirrable and thus processable. To solve this problem, it is already known to prepare acyloxyalkanesulfonates which are mixed salts, in which the cation is a mixture of two different cations, for example sodium and potassium ions (U.S. Pat. No. 3,029,264). These acyloxyalkanesulfonates, preferably acyl-isethionates, are prepared by esterification of fatty acids using mixtures of salts of isethionic acid, these salts having different cations. In this way, the formation of discolorations is avoided.

Surfactant mixtures comprising acyloxyalkanesulfonates


A system and method provides secure access over public communication lines using encrypted information on a removable, portable storage medium. Information relating to a customer's financial account is encrypted and stored to a disk. When a customer desires to purchase goods and/or services on-line or access his financial account, he inserts the CD into a disk drive of a personal computer. The encrypted information is retrieved from the disk and transmitted, via public communications lines, to a computer maintaining a Web site for providing the requested goods and/or services. The computer then forwards the encrypted information to a secure network. A processor on the secure network processes the customer's request, and denies or approves the transaction based on the received information. The results of such processing are returned to the computer maintaining the Web site for completing or aborting the transaction.

The present invention relates generally to electronic commerce and financial transactions. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for providing secure environment to carry out electronic payments or other financial transactions over the Internet or other open network using the existing secure network, such as the automated teller machine (ATM) or point-of-sale (POS) network maintained by NYCE®, CIRRUS®, etc.
According to a recent article of a major business newspaper, electronic commerce via the Internet has seen a significant increase over the last year. As more and more people are attracted by the convenience and advantages of on-line shopping and to attract even greater number of customers, Web merchants need to address several issues concerning e-commerce.
First and foremost is the issue of security. Fraud in transactions may cost Web merchants many thousands of dollars in lost revenues. Furthermore, to do on-line purchases without any reservations, customers need to feel safe and assured that their confidential information will not be intercepted and misused by fraudulent users or by an unscrupulous merchant.
Also quite important is the second issue relating to on-line purchases, which is ease and convenience. Web merchants need Web sites that are user-friendly for e-commerce transactions, allowing even a novice computer user to purchase goods and/or services with minimum of experience and knowledge. In addition, the amount of effort expended on transactions is likely to be directly proportional to the customer's attention span and time. Customers have to be enabled to do a transaction quickly on a Web site because of today's fast paced environment, or the Web merchant risks losing that customer.
Currently, to make a purchase over the Internet, Web merchants' sites require purchasers to complete a long form by providing personal information on-line. It is not uncommon for customers to fill in a form consisting of several pages. To enter all the requested information, the customers must scroll down to see the entire form or go to another page for continuation. In addition, if one of the requested items of information, such as name, address, e-mail address, phone numbers, etc., is accidentally skipped by the customer, he is required to return to the form to add the missing information. Furthermore, entering information on-line is subject to typographical errors causing problems for Web merchants and customers alike.
Furthermore, the conventional Web merchant site offers an option of phoning in the card information if the customer does not feel safe in providing his/her credit card or debit card information. Such option, however, partially defeats the advantages enjoyed by the merchant in selling goods and/or services via the Internet. Attending to customer information supplied over the phone is not only time-consuming but it requires the Web merchant to have staff for manning the phones and to maintain a sufficient number of lines. The additional expenses for the Web merchant and other attendant problems, such as forgetting to phone in the credit card information for example, present additional disadvantages of the current systems and techniques for performing electronic transactions over the Internet.
A need therefore exists for a system and method that addresses the above concerns and overcomes the disadvantages of conventional on-line payment systems.

System and method for providing secure services over public and private networks using a removable portable computer-readable storage


A method of changing a transporting configuration of a workpiece of an absorbent article includes: for the workpiece having a shape in which a longitudinal central section is narrower in the lateral direction than longitudinal end sections, transporting a plurality of workpieces in longitudinal-direction flowing, the plurality of workpieces being transported in a state where the longitudinal end sections of each workpiece are adjacent to the central section of another workpiece and the plurality of workpieces form N workpiece lines (N is an integer of 2 or more) arranged in a lateral direction; forming each workpiece group including N workpieces by correlating, based on a predetermined correlation pattern; and changing a transporting configuration of the workpieces of the workpiece group from the longitudinal-direction flowing to the lateral-direction flowing. The forming of the workpiece group is performed by correlating workpieces arranged side by side in the lateral direction.

As examples of an absorbent article that absorbs liquid such as menstrual blood, known are sanitary napkins, panty liners, and the like. The planar shape of the main body (hereinafter referred to as a workpiece) of such absorbent articles is generally one in which the longitudinal central section 1c of the workpiece 1 is narrower in the lateral direction than the longitudinal end sections 1e and 1e of the workpiece 1 (i.e., FIG. 1A).
As a method for manufacturing such workpieces 1, 1 . . . , [PTL 1] describes that workpieces 1, 1 . . . are produced by die-cutting a continuous sheet by using a die-cutter roll device while the continuous sheet are being transported in a transporting direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the workpiece 1. Also, [PTL 1] describes that these workpieces 1, 1 . . . are die-cut in a certain die-cutting pattern which is for reducing die-cut chips (chips).
The die-cutting pattern is a so-called zig zag arrangement pattern (i.e., FIG. 2A). That is, in the pattern, a plurality of workpiece lines 1L, 1L . . . (5 lines in FIG. 2A) are arranged in the lateral direction, each of the workpiece lines 1L including a plurality of workpieces 1, 1 . . . arranged along the longitudinal direction. In addition, in the pattern, the longitudinal end sections 1e and 1e of each workpiece 1 are adjacent to the longitudinal central section 1c of another workpiece 1 that is adjacent to the workpiece 1 in the lateral direction.
After the die-cutting, the workpieces 1, 1 . . . are transported along the longitudinal direction of the workpieces 1 while remaining being arranged in the foregoing die-cutting pattern. That is, the workpieces 1, 1 . . . are transported in longitudinal-direction flowing, in which the napkins 1 is transported along the longitudinal direction thereof.
On the other hand, though, at the time of individual wrapping of such a workpiece 1, workpiece 1 is tri-folded usually by being folded at two longitudinal positions, [PTL 2] discloses a method for tri-folding as follows: workpieces 1, 1 . . . are transported in lateral-direction flowing (transported along the lateral direction of the workpieces 1, 1 . . . ), and the longitudinal end sections 1e and 1e of each workpiece 1 are tri-folded together with a wrapping sheet 7 by passing sequentially the workpieces 1, 1 . . . through the position of a folding-guide member (i.e., FIG. 2B).

Method for changing a transporting configuration of a workpiece of an absorbent article


Methods, apparatuses and systems directed, in one implementation, to a system of dynamically spawned, virtual, three-dimensional (3D) viewports which render transparently within the elements of, or on top of, an existing desktop display environment, allowing rendered objects to seamlessly interact and move between different 3-dimensional viewport spaces and the two-dimensional (2D) screen space of the desktop environment. The present invention, in one implementation, renders multiple 3-dimensional viewports and free floating 3-dimensional objects on the client desktop, seamlessly mixed into the normal event and rendering pipeline of the computing device's 2-dimensional screen aligned desktop and windowed environment.

The paradigm of the modern GUI operating system on computing devices, such as a PC, has remained largely unchanged from the basic framework introduced 20 years ago. That is, the graphical representation of data, functions and references within sorted, layered and clipped regions are projected orthogonally onto 2-dimensional screen space. Similarly, cursor location, dragging, clicking, resizing, layering and scrolling are fixed within the 2-dimensional coordinate plane. Accordingly, when a user ordinarily observes or works in 3-dimensional virtual space executed on a computing device, it is almost ubiquitously in the context of something completely separate from the above functions of the operating system and desktop, and limited within the window of an application, such as a game or 3-dimensional modeling program, with no established interoperability between the 3-dimensional space of such an application and the two-dimensional, screen-aligned elements of the desktop. Three-dimensional file browsers and shells currently exist (for example, win3-dimensional, Microsoft Task Library, Sphere3-dimensional). These prior efforts, however, have sacrificed the simplicity and natural intuitiveness of flat 2-dimensional screen space as well as interoperability with legacy 2-dimensional applications and system elements (Microsoft Task Library, for example, required a special version of Windows 2000 to be built in order to render running applications and desktop windows).
In light of the foregoing, a need in the art exists for methods, apparatuses and systems directed to 3-dimensional imaging and computing applications, such as gaming, computer-assisted modeling, and advertising, with enhanced rendering of three-dimensional objects, and integration with desktop display environments, including 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional display environments.


An assembly structured to be used primarily, but not exclusively, with a toothbrush and cooperatively structured therewith to selectively orient the bristles of bristle tufts of the brush between a neutral position, an angularly oriented forward position and/or a angularly oriented rearward direction. A position assembly is connected to the body of the toothbrush and reciprocally moveable along the length thereof in a manner which substantially maintains the longitudinal axises of both the body of the toothbrush and the positioning assembly in parallel relation to one another. The position assembly including a bristle engaging portion with may be mounted either exteriorly or interiorly of the head portion of the toothbrush body and cooperatively structured therewith to selectively orient the plurality of bristles in any of the above noted positions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a toothbrush or other type brush incorporating a positioning assembly for selectively disposing the bristles of the brush in a neutral position or, alternatively, in a plurality of angular orientations more specifically described as being angularly oriented in a forward direction or in a rearward direction relative to the length of the toothbrush. Positioning of the bristles in the manner described thereby further facilitates reaching all parts of the interior of the mouth including the gums, teeth, and other exposed areas.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of the toothbrush in various forms, structures, and configurations, has been a widely accepted practice throughout the world for many years. In modern times an emphasis on dental care has led to numerous structural and functional modifications of the toothbrush in order to better facilitate dental hygiene.
Some of the more sophisticated and complex modifications of toothbrush structures include "fountain" type devices, wherein a supply of toothpaste or like dentifrice is contained within and dispensed from interior portions of the brush. More practical and commercially successful modifications have been directed to the structure, texture, location, and orientation of the plurality of bristles or bristle tufts secured to the head portion of the toothbrush. Somewhat recent advances of toothbrush technology include the collective shaping or configuration of the plurality of bristles so they may better reach all areas of the oral cavity including the individual teeth, as well as the gums.
Another factor commonly considered in the design and structuring of a toothbrush is the hardness of the plurality of bristles. Previously, bristle hardness was at least partially based on the material from with the bristles were formed. Alternatively, bristle hardness was regulated by the dimensioning of the individual bristles and/or the quantity of bristles secured to the toothbrush head. However, in these latter structures the array of bristles were permanently secured to the head portion of the toothbrush in a non-variable position and/or orientation. The practical result of such modified structure was the manufacturing and selling of a variety of different toothbrush categories, wherein each category was represented by a specific bristle hardness. Once chosen by a consumer, the realization of unsatisfactory hardness could only be overcome by purchasing a new toothbrush with a different degree of bristle hardness.
More recent developments intended to overcome the above set forth problems were directed to toothbrush structures which enabled the selective adjustment of bristle hardness by regulating the length of the bristle. It was soon apparent that devices could be cooperatively structured with a toothbrush, as well as the bristles secured there too, which were capable of varying the length of the bristle array and a change in the bristle hardness. More specifically, the shorter the bristle being applied to the teeth and/or gums of the user, the greater the intensity added to the cleaning procedure. The hardness and thus the cleaning power of the bristles were therefore directly attributed to their length. The selective controlling of the bristle length of the user added to the versatility of the toothbrush. Also the manufacturing of a larger number of toothbrushes segregated into various categories of hardness would no longer be required.
While structural modification and design intended to accomplish adjustable operative features of the toothbrush were accepted in theory, the development of a practical structure to be incorporated into a toothbrush was soon found to be more problematic. Further, structural and operational modifications were infrequently directed to the problem of developing a more efficient toothbrush specifically intended to facilitate the reaching of virtually all areas of the teeth, gums, and other exposed surfaces of the oral cavity.
Accordingly, there is a need in the industry related to toothbrush manufacture and design for an assembly structured to selectively vary the orientation of the plurality of bristles into a variety of different positions which enable the user to better reach and engage the various teeth, gums, and other exposed surfaces of the mouth in order to better maintain superior dental hygiene. Such an improved modification, while being clearly distinguishable from prior structures would allow for the selective and variable orientation of the plurality of bristles in a quick and easy manner. Such a preferred toothbrush structure incorporating a bristle positioning assembly would be relatively uncomplicated and therefore inexpensive to produce. The costs thereof could be maintained well within the parameters of the average consumer. Moreover, the preferred combined toothbrush and positioning assembly should be durable, long-lasting and sufficiently simply from an operational standpoint to be used by consumers of all ages.

Bristle orientation assembly for a toothbrush


A semiconductor device for suppressing a variation in characteristics caused by a current flowing at the time of breakdown is disclosed. The first power MOS transistor Q 1 and the column CLM are formed in the first element region FCM defined in the epitaxial layer NEL, and the second power MOS transistor Q 2 is formed in the second element region RCM. The first power MOS transistor Q 1 includes a first trench gate electrode TGE1, and the second power MOS transistor Q 2 includes a second trench gate electrode TGE2. The depth GDP1 of the first trench gate electrode TGE1 is shallower than the depth GDP2 of the second trench gate electrode TGE2.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof, and the present invention can be suitably applied to, for example, a vehicle-mounted semiconductor device including a power MOS semiconductor device.
For example, it is assumed that the positive electrode and the negative electrode of a power source such as a battery are connected to poles opposite to the original polarity (reverse connection) when maintenance or the like of a vehicle is performed. In order to protect loads and the like when the power supply is reversely connected, a semiconductor device including a power MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) transistor has been applied. As a semiconductor device of this type, for example, a semiconductor device having two power MOS transistors connected in series and having the same characteristics is proposed in Japanese Lead-open Patent Application No. 2002-368219 (Patent Document 1)
However, when two power MOS transistors having the same characteristics are connected in series, on-resistance of the semiconductor device becomes about twice the on-resistance of one power MOS transistor. For this reason, in order to reduce the on-resistance of the semiconductor device, a semiconductor device in which two power MOS transistors having different characteristics and the like are connected in series is proposed in Japanese Lead-open Patent Application No. 2016-207716 (Patent Document 2).
One of the two power MOS transistors is designed so that the maximum rating of the power supply as the withstand voltage is ensured for protection when the power supply is reversely connected. The other of the two power MOS transistors adopts a super junction structure with columns in order to reduce the on-resistance in case of that the power supply is properly connected, such a structure is proposed in Japanese Lead-open Patent Application No. 2005-19558 (Patent Document 3).

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A contact hole forming method uses a negative resist film having an absorptivity of 0.5 .mu.m.sup.-1 or above to suppress standing-wave effect in forming contact holes in a silicon dioxide film or the like underlying the negative resist film by anisotropic etching. The contact hole forming method comprises steps of: applying a negative resist having an absorptivity of 0.5 .mu.m.sup.-1 or above to the stepped surface of a stepped film formed on a substrate to form a negative resist film having a flat surface; exposing the negative resist film through a photomask to laser light emitted by a krypton fluoride excimer laser; developing the exposed negative resist film; and etching the silicon dioxide film or the like by anisotropic etching using the developed negative resist film as an etching mask and an etching gas containing a fluorocarbon or a mixture of a fluorocarbon and hydrogen to form contact holes. The negative resist film suppresses standing-wave effect, so that the contact holes can be formed in diameters accurately corresponding to the diameters of corresponding patterns of the photomask.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of forming contact holes when fabricating a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A photolithographic process uses a KrF excimer laser that emits a KrF laser beam of 248 nm in wavelength as a light source for exposure, and a resist film of a resist which is relatively highly transmissive to a KrF laser beam in forming a pattern consisting of lines of a thickness in the range of 0.3 .mu.m to 0.4 .mu.m. Therefore, the dimensions of a pattern formed on the resist film are caused to deviate by the local variation of the thickness of the resist film due to steps formed in the base layer underlying the resist film and by a standing-wave effect resulting from the interaction of the transmissivity of the resist film and the reflectance of the base layer. Such deviation is more significant than that in g-line exposure or i-line exposure. To solve such a problem, a multilayer resist film is used or the resist film is formed over an antireflection film formed over the base layer. The photolithographic process uses a positive resist film highly absorptive to the exposure light to suppress the standing-wav e effect.
However, the use of a multilayer resist film or an antireflection film increases the number of steps of the photolithographic process. When the photolithographic process employs a positive resist film which is highly absorptive to the exposure light, pattern controllability is deteriorated greatly by the bulk effect.
For example referring to FIG. 1, if a positive resist film 11 which is highly absorptive to the exposure light is formed in a pattern having holes 12 and 13 on a stepped base layer 21, the holes 12 and 13 are tapered downward. Therefore, the respective diameters of the respective upper ends 14 and 15 of the holes 12 and 13 are greater than the respective diameters of the respective bottom ends 16 and 17 of the same holes. Accordingly, when the hole 12 is formed in a portion of the resist film 11 having a relatively small thickness and the hole 13 is formed in a portion of the resist film 11 having a relatively large thickness, the diameter of the bottom end 16 of the hole 12 is greater than that of the bottom end 17 of the hole 13. Thus, the diameter of the bottom end of a hole formed in the resist film is dependent on the thickness of the portion of the resist film in which the hole is formed. Hence it is difficult to adjust the sizes of holes formed in portions of the resist film formed over a stepped base layer and differing from each other in thickness.
If contact holes 23 and 24 are formed in the base layer 21 by using the resist film 11 having the holes 12 and 13 of such tapered shapes, the contact hole 23 corresponding to the hole 12, and the contact hole 24 corresponding to the hole 13 differ greatly from each other in diameter.


A heat sink with a twist lock mounting mechanism. An electronic device may be mounted to the heat sink without the use of external fasteners, such as screws or rivets. Instead of using external fasteners, the heat sink includes resilient mounting flanges for securing an electronic device. Rotating an electronic device on the heat sink secures the electronic device in a friction fit with the resilient mounting flanges. Multiple electronic devices may be mounted to the heat sink, either manually or through an automated process.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to heat sinks. More particularly, the invention relates to heat sinks with mechanisms for mounting an electronic device.
2. Related Art
Electronic devices generate heat during operation. If the heat is not properly dissipated, the electronic device may, over time, malfunction or fail. The thermal energy generated by an electronic device may also affect the operation of nearby components, particularly given the confined spaces in which many electronic devices are installed. Thus, proper thermal management can have a significant impact on the reliability and longevity of electronic devices.
The use of a heat sink is a common technique for dissipating heat generated by an electronic device. The heat sink may be placed in thermal contact with an electronic device, and typically includes fins that extend from the body of the heat sink. The fins give the heat sink a larger surface area so that a greater amount of thermal energy dissipates from the electronic device into the surrounding environment. Heat sinks are typically fabricated from materials with high thermal conductivity to efficiently transfer thermal energy from the electronic device. However, mounting an electronic device to a heat sink can be a difficult proposition.
Electronic devices are commonly mounted to heat sinks using screws or rivets. Such methods of mounting a heat sink suffer from several disadvantages. For example, valuable space above the electronic device is generally left open to provide tool clearance in case the electronic device needs to be repaired or removed. Since screw mounting is difficult to automate, mounting the electronic device can be a time consuming and costly process. Mounting costs are also increased due to component costs, not only for the screws or rivets themselves, but also for the components typically associated with such fasteners, such as nuts and washers.
Moreover, the use of screws or rivets to mount an electronic device often degrades thermal performance. If the electronic device is of the TO-3 package type, for example, a pair of mounting tabs extend from the body of the electronic device. To mount such an electronic device, one tab is fastened to the heat sink and then the other tab is secured. Attachment of the first tab to the heat sink, however, typically deforms the tab such that a portion of the electronic device is raised above the heat sink. This is also exacerbated by the bowed base typical of TO-3 packages. Even after the second tab is fastened, the deformation of the first tab may increase thermal resistance between the heat sink and the electronic device. Screws may also be subject to loosening due to vibration, which also increases thermal resistance.
Another technique for mounting an electronic device to a heat sink is the use of spring clips. For example, Ross (U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,344), Hellinga et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,304) and Meng (U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,608) each disclose the use of spring clips for clamping an electronic device to a heat sink. These designs may work well with electronic devices having a single mounting point, such as TO-220 type packaging. However, these designs are not suitable for electronic devices with two or more mounting tabs, such as TO-3 type packaging.
Therefore, a need exists for a heat sink that overcomes the aforementioned difficulties.

Heat sink with twist lock mounting mechanism

Harman International Industries, Incorporated


A digital license plate with an associated payment and information handling system allowing for automated payment for pumped fuel is disclosed. The system receives data through a short-range receiver connected to a digital license plate attached to a vehicle, with the data including a defined identifier provided by a short-range beacon associated with a fuel pump.

Transportation vehicles are heavily regulated by governments, requiring license plates, registration stickers, and payment of a many types of usage of regulatory fees.
One potential apparatus for creating, storing, and processing vehicle data is available in conjunction with dynamic display that presents vehicle identification and registration information and can be arranged on the exterior of a vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,007,193, and pending published US Patent application US20130006775, both assigned to ReviverMX, describe a dynamic display that improves updateability of vehicle identification and registration information by use of a digital license plate.
Such digital license plates can be used to deliver information, and with suitable software and supporting hardware, make digital payments covering license and registration fees. Typically, such payments are made via a 3G, 4G, WiFi, or other wireless interface.

Digital license plate with payment and information handling system


There is provided an aqueous coating composition which contains about 2 to 60% by weight of non-carbonized desulphurized rubber crumb having a mesh size of about 2 to 100. The composition contains about 20 to 60% of a binder and other optional ingredients. The coating composition is particularly useful as a roof mastic.

Coatings which protect roofing substrates that are based on specifically designed elastomeric polymers are referred to as roof mastics. These coatings to be effective should be able to pass the tests for (1) water ponding (2) water vapor transmission (3) cold temperature flex (4) flame retardancy and (5) reflectance.
Coatings which are corrosion resistant and can adhere to a large variety of substrates including rubber, foam, metal and the like are useful for many applications depending on the type of binder or fillers that are used.
Having a basic coating composition with good mechanical and chemical properties will reduce the cost of manufacture and market price of the products. The compositions would be environmentally advantages if there can be used recycled waste material. Disposal of used tires has become an environmental problem. The reclamation of tires for other uses would be helpful in solving some of the environmental problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,759 to Hunt et al, which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses rubber crumb obtained by heat treating used rubber under reduced pressure with microwave energy. The rubber crumb of this patent is particularly useful in the present invention. According to the method taught in Hunt et al., the curd rubber is stirred while being simultaneously subjected to microwave energy, as a result, uniform heating is carried out throughout the charge to desulfurize the rubber and to vaporize any process oil entrapped in the rubber. The vulcanized rubber is heated by microwave to a temperature of about 50.degree. to 100.degree. C., preferably about 78.degree. C. The heating time is generally about 15 minutes. The temperature is controlled by a temperature sensor and automatically controls the operation of the microwave vacuum reactor cell. The vapors emanating from the process oil entrapped in the rubber and the gases generated by the desulfurization reaction are vented through the vapor outlet means.

Coating compositions and coatings thereof


Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method and an apparatus for configuring a data center. The method comprises obtaining a function call corresponding to data to be configured based on a template for configuring the data center; obtaining a vendor driver corresponding to the data based on the template for configuring the data center. The method further comprises configuring the data by the vendor driver executing the function call. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, the way of automatically configuring the data center based on the template may improve the efficiency and security for configuration of the data center.

In recent times, data centers are becoming bigger and bigger in its physical size. A typical enterprise data center could contain hundreds to thousands of hardware devices, including servers, network devices, storage arrays, etc. Furthermore, these hardware devices may be provided by different vendors. However, different kinds of hardware devices and different vendors of hardware devices bring in a high degree of complexity and inefficiency especially in configuring and provisioning the data center.
For example, provisioning or configuration of the data center may involve a stack from software to hardware and from virtual machine (VM) to Storage. FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a typical application stack, and multiple hardware devices or software programs, including Storage, Physical Network, NIC, Server, CPU, Mem, Disk, Virtual Switch, VM, Operating Systems (OS), and Application. Since provisioning or configuring the application stack in a virtual environment requires highly professionalized skills, it will typically involve different IT roles, like a server administrator, a network administrator and a storage administrator, and each of these will only be responsible for one specialized hardware or software.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) system, like OpenStack, is targeted to resolve the complexity and inefficiency while managing the underlying infrastructure by providing a centralized management interface. However, it only provides the basic capabilities and puts them in one perspective, but can't provide an efficient and secure way to provision or configure a stack of resource. For example, when integrating a storage product into an IaaS environment and making it ready to use, a number of preparation steps need to be performed. When provisioning block storage from EMC® VNX in OpenStack, the typical steps are:                1. Storage admin sets-up VNX and physically connects VNX to OpenStack.        2. Storage admin sets-up a solution enabler and adds VNX to the solution enabler.        3. System admin needs to install Pywbem, which is a python library used by EMC® iSCSI driver on OpenStack block storage nodes.        4. System admin needs to configure Cinder driver to connect to the VNX.        5. VM admin needs to install open iSCSI library on VM.        6. Storage admin needs to register host and iSCSI initiator through VNX Unisphere.        7. Storage Admin creates a volume and attaches it to the VM.        8. VM admin needs to discover the exposed VNX iSCSI target and perform login.        9. VM user could use the new attached disks.        Since these kinds of provisioning and configuration processes contain a number of steps and involve different IT roles, it becomes quite inefficient and error-prone, and for example may bring security leak during the entire process of provisioning and configuring.


The present invention provides a server device for net games which can improve the excitement of watching net games. The lobby server 13 transmits the game watching information to watch a game which a user to be a player plays using the client computer 2A to the client computer 2B of another member to be a spectator of this game, and receives a message transmitted from the client computer 2B of one spectator, and transmits the received message to the client computer 2B of the other spectator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a server device for net games (or network games) which is communicably connected to a plurality of terminal devices used by users via a network for managing a game played in a game space by the users using the terminal devices, a network game management method, and a net game management program used for this device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today as the Internet becomes popular and data transfer speeds increase, net games using server devices for net games (or network games), and terminal devices used by users, which are connected via the Internet, are commonly played. With such net games, various matching games, including sports and physical combat, are played.
In the case of the above mentioned matching games, an unspecified number of general users can participate in a game since the Internet is used. When unknown users match in this way, the capability of an opponent in a game is unknown, so unexpectedness is added to the progress of a game, and some excitement can be added to a game compared with normal games which use a standalone game machine, where a game is played with the game machine as the opponent.
In such a board game as Go and Chess, a game played by users to be the players is watched by other users so that not only the players but also the other spectators can enjoy the net game.
However, by merely watching a game played by the users to be players as mentioned above, users to be the spectators cannot communicate with one another, and the spectators cannot sufficiently receive the excitement of the games watched. In other words, in a net game, a plurality of users can watch the game of other users and enjoy the game without locational restriction, but the relationship among spectators remains as simply watching the same game. So even though there are a plurality of spectators, the spectators cannot interchange with one another by exchanging opinions about the game, which is the common subject of interest. Therefore, the excitement of watching a game based on the interchange of spectators cannot be given to the spectators, and the excitement of watching net games cannot be improved.

Server device for net game, net game management method, net game management program and recording medium which stores net game management program


A connector includes a first housing section carrying a first conductor element and a second housing section carrying a second conductor element. The first housing section and the second housing section are coupled to each other about a pivot axis such that the first housing section and the second housing section are moveable relative to each other. The first housing section and the second housing section are intended to be moved from a first position to a second position in which the first conductor element of the first housing section and the second conductor element of the second housing section are positioned to make contact with the electrical conductors of a bus bar. In the second position the first housing section and the second housing section are further adapted to engage with each other to thereby inhibit the first housing section and the second housing section from being moved relative to each other back towards the first position.

Bus bar systems and electrical connectors for use in coupling devices to a bus bar system are generally known in the art.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,062,042 describes an electrified, framework system for bringing power and/or signals to devices. The electrified, framework system includes at least one longitudinally extending, electrified bus bar. The bus bar has a housing which includes a pair of conductors positioned thereon. Each conductor has a surface which provides a continuous conductive path for attachment of devices. Meanwhile, U.S. Pat. No. 7,997,910 describes connectors for use with the electrified, framework system described in the '042 patent. In particular, the '910 patent describes an electrical connector for coupling the electrical connections of the bus bar to a source device, such as a power supply, and/or a connector for coupling the electrical conductors of the bus bar to a sink device, such as a lamp.
While the devices described in these publications, which publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, generally work for their intended purpose, the following describes an improved connector for use with a bus bar system.

Electrical connector for use with a bus bar system


In one aspect, a system for controlling the position of an agricultural implement being towed by an agricultural vehicle may include first and second wheels and first and second non-contact-based braking devices. As such, the first braking device may be configured to apply a braking force to the first wheel, and the second braking device may be configured to apply a braking force to the second wheel. Furthermore, the system may include a controller configured to control an operation of the first braking device or the second braking device when it is determined that the position of the implement differs from a predetermined position for the implement such that the braking force is applied to the corresponding wheel in a manner that adjusts the position of the implement towards the predetermined position.

Modern farming practices strive to increase yields of agricultural fields. In this respect, agricultural implements, such as planters, cultivators, pull-type sprayers, and/or the like, are configured to be towed across a field by a suitable agricultural vehicle, such as an agricultural tractor. While traversing the field, implements are configured to perform one or more operations on the field, such as planting seeds, cultivating the soil, and/or applying pesticides or other agricultural inputs.
To maximize the efficiency of the operation(s) being performed by an implement, it may be necessary that the implement and the associated agricultural vehicle follow a prescribed path across the field as closely as possible. As such, some agricultural vehicles include a guidance system configured to adjust the lateral position of the agricultural vehicle relative to the prescribed path such that the direction of travel of the vehicle is maintained within a suitable maximum lateral distance (e.g., two to four centimeters) from the prescribed path. However, in many instances, the implement is coupled to the agricultural vehicle by a vertical hitch pin that allows the implement to move laterally in a horizontal plane relative to the vehicle without restriction and in response to variable terrain. In this respect, as the implement is pulled through the field, its position may deviate from an acceptable range of lateral positions relative to the prescribed path even when the vehicle is positioned within the acceptable range of lateral positions. As such, subsequent use (e.g., during spraying operations) of the vehicle path using following planting operations may damage the emerged plants.
Accordingly, an improved system and method for controlling the position of an agricultural implement would be welcomed in the technology.

System and method for controlling the position of an agricultural implement by applying a braking force to a wheel of the implement


The present invention relates to a dendrite elongation inhibitor for melanocytes consisting of a compound represented by the following general formula (1):

Keeping skins fair and beautiful is what many women hope, and many whitening cosmetics have therefore been developed. For example, whitening cosmetics can be exemplified by cosmetics containing ascorbic acid or a derivative thereof, kojic acid or a derivative thereof, tranexamic acid or a derivative thereof, hydroquinone glycoside, or the like. However, most of the cosmetics have a mechanism utilizing the action of inhibiting tyrosinase and inhibiting the biosynthesis of melanin, and we had to say that there is a limit on its effect. That is, even though the whitening cosmetics containing those ingredients as active ingredients are effective for symptoms such as age spots, freckles, and dark complexion that result from the abnormally accelerated production of melanin, we had to say that such whitening cosmetics do not have much effect on dyschromatosis to which the amount of melanin produced less contributes. In other words, there exists dyschromatosis for which tyrosinase inhibitors are not or less effective, and it has been desired that means for alleviating such dyschromatosis is developed.
On the other hand, examples of dyschromatosis to which the amount of melanin produced less contributes include those resulting from the accelerated migration of melanin granules from melanocytic dendrites. Although it is considered for such dyschromatosis to treat by inhibiting the elongation of dendrites that occurs when melanocytes allows melanin granules to migrate, not so many whitening agents utilizing such a mechanism have been known. That is, it can be said that there has been a demand for the development of whitening agents utilizing such a mechanism.
On the other hand, Ophiopogon Tuber (Bakumondo) has widely been used in Chinese herbal medicines for the purpose of improving body fluids (JP-A 2000-103718). Although it has been also already known that Ophiopogon Tuber is incorporated as an active ingredient having moisture retention (JP-A 11-79968), as a melanin production inhibitor (JP-A 08-133949), and as a lipid-degrading agent (JP-A 2000-103718) in the field of skin preparations for external use such as cosmetics, a compound represented by the following general formula (1) and/or a salt thereof, which is an ingredient incorporated in the Ophiopogon Tuber such as methylophiopogonanone B (2,3-dihydro-3-[(4-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-5,7-dihydroxy-6,8-dimethyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-on; hereinafter, also referred to as "Compound 1") have (has) not been known in the least to inhibit the elongation of melanocytic dendrites, nor known to be useful for alleviating, by this action, dyschromatosis on which melanin production inhibitors utilizing usual tyrosinase inhibitory action are not or less effective.
Moreover, a compound represented by the general formula (1) and/or a salt thereof such as methylophiopogonanone B have (has) been known to be incorporated in Ophiopogon Tuber or the like (Watanabe Yoshiaki el. al., Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulltin, (1985), 33(12), 5358–5363), and separation methods thereof have also already been known.

Dendrite elongation inhibitor for melanocyte and skin preparation for external use containing the same

Abstract: and/or a salt thereof,                wherein R1, R2, and R3 each independently represent a C1-4 alkyl group or hydrogen atom,        and a skin preparation for external use comprising the dendrite elongation inhibitor for melanocytes as an active ingredient.


According to the invention, a plurality of semiconductor devices which are required to have conformance are formed from crystalline semiconductor films having uniform crystallinity on the same line, and a semiconductor circuit in which variation between semiconductor devices is small can be provided, and a semiconductor integrated circuit having high conformance can be provided. The invention is characterized in that, in a part or whole of thin film transistors which configure an analog circuit such as a current mirror circuit, a differential amplifier circuit, or an operational amplifier, in which high conformance is required for semiconductor devices included therein, channel forming regions have crystalline semiconductor films on the same line. High conformance can be expected for an analog circuit which has the crystalline semiconductor films on the same line formed using the invention as the channel forming regions of the thin film transistors. That is, the invention is characterized in that, among the thin film transistors which configures the analog circuit, the channel forming regions of the thin film transistors having at least the same polarity are formed on the same line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device which is formed by using a semiconductor film having a crystal structure (also referred to as a crystalline semiconductor film) and a method for manufacturing the same, as well as a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a circuit integrating the semiconductor devices and a method for manufacturing the same. Further, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device comprising a plurality of the semiconductor integrated circuits. And, the present invention especially relates to a semiconductor device included in a thin film transistor whose channel region is formed in a crystalline semiconductor formed on an insulating surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technique for forming a semiconductor device such as a thin film transistor and the like using a crystalline semiconductor film formed on an insulation substrate such as glass, has been developed. The thin film transistor formed by using the crystalline semiconductor film is integrated in a semiconductor integrated circuit, and the semiconductor integrated circuit is used in a flat panel display typified by a liquid crystal display device and an EL (electro luminescence) display device.
A current mirror circuit is a basic circuit of a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a thin film transistor. The principle of the current mirror circuit is to have two thin film transistors with same electric characteristics. Such a circuit structure also can be given as an operational amplifier, a differential amplifier and the like.
As a method for forming a crystalline semiconductor film on an insulating substrate, a technique using laser beams to crystallize an amorphous semiconductor film has been developed. In a semiconductor manufacturing process, such as the technique for crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor film by using laser beams, a gas laser such as an excimer laser, and a solid laser such as a YAG laser are generally used as the laser beam source. An example for crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor film by laser beam irradiation is disclosed in JP-A-62-104117, in which is described a poly-crystallization of the amorphous semiconductor film by high-speed laser beam scan with the scanning speed set to more than 5000 times a diameter of the laser beam spot per second, without totally melting the amorphous semiconductor film. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,330,363 discloses a technique to form a substantially single crystal region by irradiating an extended laser beam on an island-shaped semiconductor film. As another example, a method of irradiating a laser beam formed into a linear-like shape by an optical system, such as a laser processing apparatus, is disclosed in JP-A-8-195357.
Further, JP-A-2001-144027 discloses a technique such that crystalline semiconductor films with large grain size are formed by irradiating laser beams of a second harmonic onto the amorphous semiconductor films using solid laser oscillation apparatus such as Nd: YVO4 laser. A transistor is thereby constituted.
However, when crystallization is made by irradiating the laser beams onto the amorphous semiconductor film, the crystal includes polycrystals which are formed at random and induce the formation of defects such as grain boundaries. Therefore, it becomes difficult to obtain uniform crystallinity and crystal orientations. As a result, current values may vary even when semiconductor devices of the same size are made and the same voltages are applied to the semiconductor devices.
Crystal defects such as grain boundaries result in carrier traps. This may be considered as a causative factor for mobility reduction of electrons or holes. Also, it is impossible to form a semiconductor film with neither distortion nor crystal defects due to factors such as a volume shrinkage of the semiconductor films, a thermal stress occurring between the semiconductor film and a base film, or a lattice mismatching which accompany crystallization. Consequently, the distortion and crystal defects are not only at the origin of inhomogeneous electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device, but are also the cause of inferior electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device.
Especially when crystalline semiconductor films are formed by using laser beams on a non-alkali glass substrate used abundantly and industrially, the focuses of the laser beams vary in response to the influence of the surge of the non-alkali glass substrate itself, causing undesired variations in the crystalline characteristics as a result. Furthermore, in order for a non-alkali glass substrate to avoid contamination by an alkaline metal, it is necessary to prepare protection films such as insulating films, as base films. Yet, it is almost impossible to form thereon crystalline semiconductor films free of grain boundaries and crystal defects.
The semiconductor integrated circuit and the like have semiconductor films formed on cheap glass substrates to constitute transistors, therefore, it is almost impossible to arrange transistors so as to avoid randomly located grain boundaries. That is, the grain boundaries or crystal defects hinder a strict control of the crystallinity of the channel forming regions of transistors. This is a causative factor of variation in the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device, which make it difficult to form a circuit which requires high conformity (for example, a current mirror circuit).

Semiconductor circuit and method of fabricating the same

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.