The invention involves methods of regulating cell growth and division to control disease processes by manipulating mitochondrial metabolism and the expression of cell surface immune proteins. The invention also involves related compositions and screening assays.

Normal tissue develops and is maintained by normal processes of cell division and cell death. In many diseases, such as cancer, diabetes mellitus Type I, and autoimmune disease, the normal balance between cell division and cell death is disrupted causing either a rapid growth of unwanted and potentially dangerous cells or a loss of cells which are essential to maintaining the functions of tissue.
Cell division occurs by a process known as mitosis. During mitosis dividing cells use glucose cytolytically at an increased rate as the primary source for energy (ATP) production in a process referred to as glycolysis (Brand, K. A., and U. Hermfisse. 1997. Aerobic glycolysis by proliferating cells: a protective strategy against reactive oxygen species. Faseb J 11, no. 5:388-95). Glycolysis occurs in the cytosol and is required for mitochondrial energy production. An increased rate of glycolysis occurs when cells divide, providing more of the ATP from cytosolic glycolysis. Mitochondrial synthesis of ATP proceeds through coupling of electron transport-dependent oxido-reductive reactions to ATP synthetase (oxidative phosphorylation) (Harper, M. E. 1997. Obesity research continues to spring leaks. Clinical Investigations in Medicine 20, no. 4:239-244). During this process, a proton gradient is generated by the pumping of protons out of the mitochondria (Himms-Hagen, J. 1992. Brown Adipose Tissue. Obesity, eds. P. Bjorntorp and B. N. Brodoff. 1 vols. J. B. Lippincott, Philadelphia. 1 pp), increasing mitochondrial membrane potential. Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) reversibly uncouple oxidative phosphorylation from electron transport and thereby can decrease mitochondrial membrane potential (Harper, M. E. 1997. Obesity research continues to spring leaks. Clinical Investigations in Medicine 20, no. 4:239-244). Elevating glucose concentrations can increase mitochondrial membrane potential (Harper, M. E. 1997. Obesity research continues to spring leaks. Clinical Investigations in Medicine 20, no. 4:239-244).
Cell death is a physiologic process that ensures homeostasis is maintained between cell production and cell turnover in self-renewing tissues and is essential to the proper functioning of the immune system. Physiological cell death occurs through the processes of apoptosis and necrosis. The boundaries between these processes, once thought to be distinct, have blurred with the explosion of information on the role of cell death in development, tissue modeling, regenerative processes, and in the immune system. However, it is widely accepted that necrotic cell death (sometimes called oncosis) typically results in the osmotic rupture of a cell, followed by an inflammatory response, while apoptotic death involves cell shrinkage, fragmentation of the cell, and phagocytosis of the fragments often without inflammation. Most cells die in a form of suicide characteristically apoptotic and tightly regulated by complex signals (Zakeri, Z., W. Bursch, M. Tenniswood, and R. A. Lockshin. 1995. Cell Death: Programmed, apoptosis, necrosis, or other. Cell Death and Differentiation 2:87-96). Apoptotic cell death is particularly important in the reticulo-endothelial system where the balance between mitosis and cell death may determine the effectiveness and the nature of an immune response (Zakeri, Z., W. Bursch, M. Tenniswood, and R. A. Lockshin. 1995. Cell Death: Programmed, apoptosis, necrosis, or other. Cell Death and Differentiation 2:87-96). Failure results in autoimmune disease or in a lack of immune surveillance.
Inappropriate cell division or cell death results in serious life-threatening diseases. Diseases associated with increased cell division include cancer and atherosclerosis. Disease resulting from increased cell death include AIDS, neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, retinitis pigmentosa), aplastic anemia, atherosclerosis (e.g., myocardial infarction, stroke, reperfusion injury), and toxin induced liver disease. Many methods for treating these disorders have been proposed Although these diseases share the common physiological trait of either excess cell division or premature cell death, strategies for identifying potential therapeutic treatments have been individualized rather than searching for a common mechanism. It would be desirable to identify a common mechanism by which cell division could be interrupted or cell death could be promoted to treat all of these diseases.
PC12 cells, a cell line derived from rat pheochromocytoma (Greene and Tischler, 1976) have been extensively used as a model for the study of nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neuronal differentiation and dependency (Mills et al., 1997), and of neuronal cell apoptosis resulting from serum and/or trophic factor withdrawal (Mesner et al., 1995, Fulle et al., 1997), oxidative stress (Vinard et al., 1996) and, the addition of calcium ionophores (Fulle et al, 1997). NGF promotes differentiation, neurite outgrowth and the acquisition of a mature sympathetic neuronal morphology on PC12 cells. Withdrawal of NGF, however, results in apoptosis of the PC12 cells which is characterized by prototypic changes, i.e., chromatin degradation, nuclear fragmentation, acidification, alterations of surface lipids, cell fragmentation, blebbing and nucleosome formation (Gottlieb et al, 1997).
PC12 transfected variants such as TrkA have been developed to elucidate the role of NGF and signal transduction in neuronal function. Nerve growth factor (NGF) binds to two synergistic receptors, tyrosine kinase A (TrkA) and p75NGRF (Canossa et al., 1996). The PC12 TrkA cell line overexpresses TrkA, a 140 kDa protein with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity (Kaplan et al., 1991) and responds more vigorously than native PC12 cells to NGF stimulation. It is believed that the NGF-TrkA complex acts as a messenger that delivers the growth signal from axon terminals to sympathetic neuronal cell bodies (Riccio et al., 1997).
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has different effects on PC12 cells than NGF. When tenative PC12 cells are treated with EGF they are induced to undergo proliferation rather than differentiation. In contrast, EGF stimulation of the v-Crk and TrkA cell lines induce neuronal differentiation (Teng et al., 1995).
Fas, a member of the tumor necrosis receptor family that includes the nerve growth factor receptor, mediates apoptotic cell death in several instances, including TCR (T cell receptor)/CD3-induced T cell activation (Nagata et. Al., Science). When the Fas molecule interacts with Fas ligand or an appropriate anti-Fas antibody, cellular death can ensue (Gottlieb et al., 1997). Fas was originally described on the membrane surface of hematopoietic lineage cells (Itoh et al., 1991), but its presence has been documented on endothelial cells (Richardson et al., 1994), hepatocytes (Tanaka et al., 1998) and oligodendrocytes in multiple sclerosis lesions (Bonetti and Raine, 1997).
The B7 molecules, B7.1 (CD80) and B7.2 (CD86) are known for their ability to co-stimulate T cell proliferation (Linsley et al., 1991), the production of interleukin-2 (Freeman et al., 1992) and the expression of interleukin-2 receptors (Razi-Wolf et al., 1996). Expression of these co-stimulatory molecules on immune cells also may play an important role in the pathogenesis and response to several bacterial, parasitic and viral infections as well as autoimmune disease (Reiser and Stadecker, 1996) such as systemic lupus erythematosus (Folzenlogen et al., 1997), experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (Perrin et al., 1996) and in the rejection phase of alloimmune responses (Akalin et al., 1997).
B7.1 and B7.2 are members of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily and include a V-like and a C2-like extracellular domain. Although originally described on B cells, B7.1 and B7.2 have also been described on monocytes, dendritic cells and activated T cells (June et al., 1994). B7.1 (CD80) and particularly B7.2 (CD86) are upregulated on the B lymphocyte surface of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (Folzenlogen at al., 1997).

Methods and products related to metabolic interactions in disease

University of Vermont and State Agricultural College


A truck is disclosed including a stock cab, a stock truck bed and a stock truck frame with these components mismatched to provide a space between the cab and the bed for a enclosed storage assembly extending as a box laterally across the truck and enclosed to the frame. The box includes doors to either side and neither the box nor the doors extend above the top of the sidewalls of the truck bed. The box may include a pivotally mounted top. A mounting assembly enclosely attaches the box to each longitudinal beam of the truck frame. The assembly includes a tab to mount to a mounting point on the truck frame. A J-bolt is associated with a bracket on the assembly and extends to a hole in the truck frame to engage the hole in tension. A locating tab is on the other side of the assembly from the J-bolt to cooperate with the J-bolt to laterally locate the mounting assembly on the frame.

The field of the present invention is enclosed storage boxes employed with trucks.
Trucks having an open bed are typically employed for hauling a great variety of things. In this they offer substantial utility and convenience. However, it is often desirable to carry tools and other valuable or vulnerable items which are easily conveyed by the truck but which are inconvenient or impossible to store in the cab of the truck. Consequently, a need has long existed for enclosed storage on such trucks.
Enclosed storage modules have long been available for such trucks in at least partial satisfaction of that need. The locations have varied for placement of the modules. Such enclosed storage has been positioned between the cab and the bed such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,358, in the bed such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,414, and in externally accessible portions of the cab such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,430. The disclosures of these patents are incorporated herein by reference.
There is a great diversity of need regarding such enclosed storage. Some uses would admit of a large cavity while others would suggest drawers, for example. Vehicle manufacturers provide a limited number of stock items to insure low cost vehicle production. With regard to pickup trucks, there are stock cab sizes available for a given vehicle frame. Such would include a regular cab, a crew cab and a cab with a small utility seat behind the driver. The same is true for stock pickup truck beds. Effectively, they come in different lengths to match the cab on the stock vehicle frame. Further, stock vehicle frames of different lengths are also available.
Enclosed storage on pickup trucks typically requires compatibility with the truck. For example, enclosed storage outside the cab can take up space otherwise available in the truck bed. Camper shells and covers designed to mate with such pickup beds are also typically incompatible with the provision of enclosed storage such as providing drawers within the truck bed.


An air purifier is provided, including a box body and a filter screen inside the box body, an air suction device, a water mist generator, the water mist generator being disposed at one side of the filter screen, the air suction device being configured to inhale outdoor air into an interior of the box body, and the water mist generator being configured to form an ionized water layer.

At present, a wet dust-removal technology using water to remove fine particles from an atmosphere can effectively remove particles of 0.1-20 μm. However, when the air passes through the vapor mist, due to protection of bubbles, an area where the water contacts the particles is smaller, and thus an efficiency of the water vapor removing PM2.5 will be reduced. In addition, since there are hydrophilic dust and hydrophobic dust existed in the dust, a simple filtration of removing the dust by use of water mist will cause penetration of the hydrophobic dust, which cannot clean various dust efficiently.


A lighting device includes at least one first light-emitting element configured to emit a first light of a first wavelength range; and a light guide having axially opposite first and second base surfaces, and a plurality of segments, each with a first light in-coupling surface formed on a lateral surface of the light guide, each of the segments configured to convert at least a part of input light into second light having a selected wavelength range. At least a portion of the first base surface includes a second light in-coupling surface and at least a portion of the second base surface includes a light out-coupling surface. The lighting device is optically coupled to the second light in-coupling surface such that the first light is coupled into the light guide, and the first light emitting element is configured to reflect at least part of the second light thereon having a wavelength within at least one of the selected wavelength ranges back into the light guide.

Lighting devices that are capable of providing light having a relatively high intensity, and in particular white light, are interesting in a number of applications such as, for example, spot lighting, headlamps, stage-lighting and digital light projection. For example, relatively high brightness and relatively high color rendering index (CRI) spot lighting applications are interesting for, e.g., lighting in retail and in museums. In applications such as mentioned above, solid state based light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are often used as light sources. Compared to incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, gas discharge lamps, etc., solid state based light sources may provide numerous advantages such as, inter alia, longer operational life, reduced power consumption, higher efficacy, less heat generation, less infrared (IR) light in the light beam, and allowing or facilitating for providing 'green', environmentally friendly products (e.g., not including mercury). For example in retail applications it may be desirable to be able to obtain a luminous flux of between about 3 klm and 5 klm from a relatively small light source in order to make a compact, narrow-beam spot lighting module. Chip on Board (COB) LED sources may for example be used as light sources. In order to generate a luminous flux between about 3 klm and 5 klm, a light emitting surface (LES) with a surface area between about 100 mm2 to 200 mm2 might be needed.
WO 2015/113979 A1 discloses a light emitting device with a light guide being adapted for converting at least a part of in-coupled light to converted light with a different spectral distribution, whereby a large amount of the converted light will stay in the light guide and which can subsequently be extracted from a light exit surface of the light guide, leading to a high intensity gain. However, there is still need in the art for improved lighting devices capable of providing light, and in particular white light, having a relatively high intensity.
WO 2008/042703 A1 discloses a projection system which contains an illumination system having at least a first source of incoherent light capable of generating light in a first wavelength range. The illumination system also includes a body containing a fluorescent material that emits light in a second wavelength range, different from the first wavelength range, when illuminated by light in the first wavelength range. The system further includes at least a second fluorescent material that absorbs light in at least one of the first and second wavelength ranges, and emits light in a third wavelength range. The body has an extraction area, and at least some of the light in either the second or third wavelength ranges is internally reflected within the body to the extraction area.
US 2007/0018559 A1 discloses a device and method for emitting output light utilizing multiple light sources to produce original light having different peak wavelengths. A first light source of the device is configured to generate first light having a peak wavelength in the blue wavelength range, while a second light source of the device is configured to generate second light having a peak wavelength in the red wavelength range. Some of the original light emitted from at least the first light source is converted into light having a peak wavelength longer than the peak wavelength of the original light using a photoluminescent material to produce the output light.

Spot lighting device having light guide with plurality of light converting segments


The output data storage unit 126 allocates a memory area and stores cipher text and plain text; the input data size calculation unit 127 calculates the sizes of cipher text and plain text; the type storage unit 128 stores a cryptographic processing type and an algorithm type; the type providing unit 129 outputs the cryptographic processing type and the algorithm type to the type information storage unit 113; the type information storage unit 113 stores an output size table, cryptographic processing type information, and algorithm type information; the output data size judgement unit 114 calculates an output data size according to an input data size, the cryptographic processing type, and the algorithm type.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cryptographic processing apparatus and a user apparatus for the cryptographic processing apparatus, a cryptographic processing method and a user method for the cryptographic processing method, and a recording medium for recording a program, used as a means for secure communications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cryptographic methods are used for protecting important information from being intercepted by third parties. various privacy communication apparatuses that use cryptographic methods have been developed.
PKCS#11 (Cryptographic Token Interface Standard) proposed by RSA Data Security, Inc. defines an interface linking a cryptographic processing apparatus and a user apparatus for the cryptographic processing apparatus, where a system that uses cryptographic methods is divided into a cryptographic processing apparatus and a user apparatus.
According to this standard, the cryptographic processing apparatus first receives (1) text data, such as plain text and cipher text, (2) a specification of a cryptographic processing type, such as encryption, decryption, digital signature generation, digital signature verification, and message digesting, and (3) a specification of an algorithm type that includes information relating to the computation/calculation method and a key size. The cryptographic processing apparatus then generates cryptographically processed data, such as cipher text (encrypted plain text) and plain text (decrypted cipher text), by processing the received text data according to the cryptographic method that corresponds to the received cryptographic processing type specification and algorithm type specification. Finally, the cryptographic processing apparatus outputs the generated cryptographically processed data to the user apparatus. The user apparatus (1) outputs the plain text, the cipher text, the cryptographic processing type specification, and the algorithm type specification to the cryptographic processing apparatus, (2) receives the cryptographically processed data from the cryptographic processing apparatus, and (3) may send the received cryptographically processed data to other user apparatuses.
It should be noted here that the cryptographic processing type and the algorithm type are together hereinafter referred to as the cryptographic algorithm.
The interface defined by PKCS#11 offers a number of advantages. For instance, when the cryptographic processing apparatus supports a plurality of cryptographic algorithms, the user apparatus can use any of these cryptographic algorithms by merely specifying the desired cryptographic algorithm. Also, when a new cryptographic method is devised, only the design of the cryptographic processing apparatus needs to be changed. Therefore, the design of the user apparatus does not need to be changed. Furthermore, when a new application of a existing cryptographic method is devised, only the design of the user apparatus needs to be changed. Therefore, the design of the cryptographic processing apparatus does not need to be changed.
In general, every cryptographic method corresponding to a cryptographic processing type and an algorithm type processes data in the same way. That is, plain text or cipher text is processed according to the cryptographic method and encrypted plain text or decrypted cipher text is output. The relation between the sizes of the input data and the output data differs depending on the cryptographic algorithm used. Consequently, the memory area for storing the output data is allocated in advance according to prestored information as to the output data sizes which correspond to respective cryptographic processing types and algorithm types.
Cryptographic processing methods can be classified into stream cipher and block cipher. With the stream cipher, the cryptographic processing is performed on each character in character strings to be processed. With the block cipher, character strings to be processed are divided into blocks of a certain size and each of the blocks is processed according to the block cipher. For instance, when input data, such as plain text, is processed according to the block cipher, the user apparatus divides the input data into blocks according to a block size and outputs the blocks to the cryptographic processing apparatus. The cryptographic processing apparatus processes each block output from the user apparatus according to the block cipher. Therefore, the cryptographic processing apparatus does not need to perform a buffering process or a padding process to make the input data a multiple of the block size. As a result, the cryptographic processing apparatus can perform the cryptographic processing efficiently when a block cipher is used. Because the suitable block size differs depending on the cryptographic algorithm and key size used, the user apparatus determines the size of each input data block for the cryptographic processing apparatus according to a pre-registered list of input data block sizes for respective cryptographic processing types and algorithm types.
As described above, when a cryptographic system where the user apparatus and the cryptographic processing apparatus are linked by an interface is developed, the cryptographic processing apparatus stores algorithms for a plurality of cryptographic methods. Therefore, the user apparatus only needs to specify a cryptographic algorithm to the cryptographic processing apparatus to use the cryptographic algorithm. However, because the user apparatus stores output data sizes and input data block sizes for respective cryptographic processing types and algorithm types, the design of the user apparatus needs to be changed when a new cryptographic processing type or a new algorithm type is devised.
In view of the stated problems, it is the object of the present invention to provide a cryptographic processing apparatus and a user apparatus, a cryptographic processing system including the cryptographic processing apparatus and the user apparatus, a cryptographic processing method and a user method, and a recording medium for recording a program of these methods, where the design of the user apparatus does not need to be changed, even when a new cryptographic processing type or a new algorithm type is devised.
To achieve the stated object, the cryptographic system of the present invention includes a user apparatus and a cryptographic processing apparatus, the user apparatus sending a size of first data to the cryptographic processing apparatus and receiving a size of second data from the cryptographic processing apparatus, the cryptographic processing apparatus calculating the size of the second data according to the sent size of the first data and sending the calculated size of the second data to the user apparatus, the second data being generated by processing the first data according to a cryptographic algorithm, where the user apparatus includes a data storage unit, an input size calculation unit, an algorithm specifying unit, and a size receiving unit, and the cryptographic processing apparatus includes an arithmetic expression storage unit, an information receiving unit, an arithmetic expression fetching unit, and an output size calculation unit, where the data storage unit stores the first data, the input size calculation unit reads the first data from the data storage unit, calculates a size of the read first data as a first size, and outputs first size information showing the first size to the information receiving unit, the algorithm specifying unit outputs type information showing an algorithm type that corresponds to a cryptographic algorithm to the information receiving unit, the arithmetic expression storage unit stores at least one pair of an algorithm type and an arithmetic expression, the arithmetic expression being used to calculate an output size from an input size, the output size showing a size of data that would be generated if data of the input size were processed according to a cryptographic algorithm that corresponds to the algorithm type in a same pair as the arithmetic expression, the information receiving unit receives the outputted first size information and the outputted type information, the arithmetic expression fetching unit fetches an arithmetic expression in a same pair as the algorithm type shown by the type information from the arithmetic expression storage unit, the output size calculation unit calculates the output size according to the fetched arithmetic expression with the first size shown by the first size information as the input size, and outputs second size information showing the calculated output size as a second size to the size receiving unit, and the size receiving unit receives the outputted second size information.
With the stated construction, even when the user apparatus does not prestore relations between cryptographic algorithms and sizes of encrypted data, such as cipher text, which is generated by processing non-encrypted data, such as plain text, according to the cryptographic algorithms, the cryptographic processing apparatus outputs the sizes of encrypted data to the user apparatus. As a result, the design of the user apparatus does not need to be changed even when a new cryptographic processing type or a new algorithm type is devised. Also, the user apparatus allocates a memory according to the outputted sizes before the non-encrypted data is processed.
To achieve the stated object, the cryptographic system of the present invention includes a user apparatus and a cryptographic processing apparatus, the user apparatus dividing first data into a plurality of first blocks according to a block size used by a cryptographic algorithm and is sent from the cryptographic processing apparatus and sending the plurality of first blocks to the cryptographic processing apparatus, the cryptographic processing apparatus sending the block size to the user apparatus and processing the plurality of first blocks sent from the user apparatus according to the cryptographic algorithm, every cryptographic algorithm used by the cryptographic processing apparatus being a block cryptographic algorithm, where the user apparatus includes a data storage unit, an algorithm specifying unit, a block size receiving unit, a data output unit, and a block receiving unit, and the cryptographic processing apparatus includes a block size storage unit, a receiving unit, a block size fetching unit, a block size output unit, and a cryptographic processing unit, where the data storage unit stores the first data, the algorithm specifying unit outputs type information showing an algorithm type that corresponds to a cryptographic algorithm to the receiving unit, the block size storage unit stores at least one pair of an algorithm type and a block size, the block size being used by a cryptographic algorithm that corresponds to the algorithm type in a same pair as the block size, the receiving unit receives the outputted type information, the block size fetching unit fetches a block size in a same pair as the algorithm type shown by the received type information from the block size storage unit, the block size output unit outputs block size information showing the fetched block size to the block size receiving unit, the block size receiving unit receives the outputted block size information, the data output unit reads the first data from the data storage unit, divides the read first data according to the block size shown by the received block size information to generate the plurality of first blocks, and outputs the plurality of first blocks to the cryptographic processing unit, the cryptographic processing unit receives the outputted plurality of first blocks, processes each of the received plurality of first blocks according to the cryptographic algorithm that corresponds to the algorithm type shown by the type information to generate a plurality of second blocks, and outputs each of the plurality of second blocks to the block receiving unit, and the block receiving unit receives the outputted plurality of second blocks.
With the stated construction, in the case where a block cipher is used, even when the user apparatus does not store relations between cryptographic algorithms and block sizes, the cryptographic processing apparatus outputs the block sizes to the user apparatus and the user apparatus divides non-encrypted data into a plurality of blocks according to the outputted block sizes and outputs the plurality of blocks. As a result, even when a new cryptographic processing type or a new algorithm type is devised, the design of the user apparatus does not need to be changed so that the user apparatus calculates the block size corresponding to the new cryptographic processing type or the new algorithm type.

Cryptographic processing apparatus cryptographic processing method and recording medium for recording a cryptographic processing program

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A flipflop having a clock input for applying a clock signal, a data input for applying a data signal, a noninverting output and an inverting output, where the flipflop has a first holding element with a first feedback loop and a second holding element with a second feedback loop, where the first and second feedback loops each have a first node and a second node, where the first holding element is designed such that upon a first clock edge of the clock signal the logic value of the data signal is transferred to the first holding element and the logic value of the data signal is made available on the first node in the first feedback loop, where the first node in the first feedback loop is coupled to the first node in the second feedback loop in order to transfer the signal value which is on the first node in the first feedback loop to the second holding element upon a second clock edge of the clock signal and to output the signal value on the noninverting output, wherein the second node in the first feedback loop is coupled to the second node in the second feedback loop in order to transfer the inverted signal value which is on the second node in the first feedback loop to the second holding element upon the second clock edge of the clock signal, where the second node in the second feedback loop corresponds to the noninverting output and the first node in the second feedback loop corresponds to the inverting output.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a flipflop, particularly a D-type flipflop, having two complementary outputs, particularly for radio frequency applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
D-type flipflops have a data input to which a data signal is applied which is transferred using a clock edge of a clock signal applied to a clock input. They also frequently have two mutually complementary data outputs, a noninverting data output and an inverting data output. After a determined period of time, the noninverting data output produces the data item transferred from the data input. The inverting data output produces the inverted data item.
Conventional D-type flipflops are of two part design, comprising the master latch and the slave latch. Both latches have feedback loops which form a holding element in which a data item can be stored. While the data item at the data input is transferred to the master latch at a first clock level, a second, subsequent clock level prompts the data item to be transferred to the slave latch from the master latch and stored therein in the same way. A signal which is output from the slave latch's feedback loop is used as output signal which is applied to one of the data outputs, the signal which is complementary thereto being produced by inversion from the output signal using an inverter circuit.
Both output signals are thus generated from the same internal signal within the slave latch, with a path length which differs by an inverter being obtained for the output signal. The output signal generated using the additional inverter requires an increased propagation time, which means that the complementary output signals are applied with a time offset, as a result of which the maximum clock frequency at which the D-type flipflop can be operated is limited by the slowest output signal.
Particularly in the case of D-type flipflops having a reset function, the total propagation time is greater on account of the gates used in the slave latch.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a D-type flipflop for radio frequency applications in which the output signals are produced by the complementary outputs in a very short time and essentially simultaneously.
This object is achieved by the flipflop in accordance with patent claim 1. Other advantageous refinements of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.


A system for calculating the distance to empty available from the remaining fuel in a motor vehicle, wherein an average value of the distance traveled per unit of fuel consumed is multiplied by the quantity of fuel remaining, thereby producing an intermediate distance-to-empty value. Responsive to a first type signal being in a first state, a displayed value of DTE is allowed only to decrement. When the first type signal is in a second state, the displayed value of DTE is allowed to both increment and decrement. When the first type signal is in the first state, the updating of the calculation of the DTE value is recalculated as a function of the distance traveled by the vehicle and as a function of the fuel consumed by the vehicle. If the first type signal is in a second state, then the recalculation is controlled as a function of time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for indicating the distance to empty corresponding to the fuel remaining in a motorized vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Systems for calculating and displaying the Distance To Empty (DTE) for the remaining fuel in a motorized vehicle have become more popular as the cost of these systems decreases through the use of highly integrated and accurate electronic systems. Further economies of scale can be achieved if a single distance to empty system can be designed and manufactured so that the system can be operated in several modes, each mode being specifically suited for operation in a different geographical area. For example, in the North American market consumers may prefer that the DTE display should not increment to a higher value at a time when the average fuel economy increases over the value for fuel economy used in previous calculations. On the other hand, European customers may prefer that the displayed DTE be capable of incrementing to a higher value if the average fuel economy increases over the value previously used.
It is also desirable that the displayed value of DTE be updated as a function of different independent variables as preferred by customers in different geographical regions. For example, in North American systems the drivers may prefer that the DTE display value be updated as a function of distance traveled and fuel consumed. On the other hand, European drivers may prefer that the DTE display values be updated periodically even if fuel consumed or distance traveled do not change during the interval.

Electronic system and method for calculating distance to empty for motorized vehicles


A system for automatically generating a dictionary from full text articles extracts <term, definition> pairs from full text articles and stores the <term, definition> pairs as dictionary entries. The system includes a computer readable corpus having a plurality of documents therein. A pattern processing module (120) and a grammar processing module (125) are provided for extracting <term, definition> pairs from the corpus and storing the <term, definition> pairs in a dictionary database (145). A routing processing module selectively routes sentences in the corpus to at least one of the pattern processing module or grammar processing module. In one embodiment, the routing module is incorporated into the pattern processing module which then selectively routes a portion of the sentences to the grammar processing module. A bootstrapping processing module (150) can be used to apply <term, definition> entries against the corpus to identify and extract additional <terms, definition> entries.

The internet has enjoyed tremendous growth over recent years. As a result, vast quantities of information are readily available to millions of users. Among the vast content available on the internet are technical papers, which are of interest to a large number of people, but may be written for a technical audience and assume a baseline understanding of terms used in the particular field. Since now, more than ever, this assumption is not necessarily true, the importance of on-line dictionaries of technical terms is of growing importance.
On-line dictionaries of technical terms have been difficult to build and are often lacking in completeness. For example, technical dictionaries such as the Online Medical Dictionary (OMD, http://www.graylab.ac.uk/omd/index.html), are often missing common terms which are assumed to be understood by those practicing in the particular field. In addition, the definitions in such dictionaries are often too technical for use by a lay person. Accordingly, it would be desirable to automatically generate on-line glossaries of technical terms that are comprehensive and generally useful to the technically oriented user as well as the lay person.

System and method of generating dictionary entries

The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York


A method of removing Ge particles precipitated in an Al/Ge alloy film formed over the surface of a substrate in fabricating a semiconductor device forms a Cu film over the surface of the Al/Ge alloy film in a laminate structure, subjects the laminate structure to heat treatment to make the Ge particles migrate toward the Cu film and to make the Ge particles and the Cu film interact to produce a Ge/Cu compound layer. Thus, the Ge particles precipitated in the Al/Ge alloy film are removed from the Al/Ge alloy film and, consequently, the contact resistance of the Al/Ge alloy film is reduced and the migration resistance of the Al/Ge alloy film is enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a semiconductor device having an aluminum/germanium alloy film (Al/Ge alloy film) forming a wiring layer in the semiconductor device and, more particularly, to a method of removing germanium (Ge) particles precipitated in an Al/Ge alloy film in fabricating a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Miniaturization of a semiconductor integrated circuit requires a wiring conductive film to be formed flat on a layer insulating film and to perfectly fill up contact holes formed in the layer of insulating film. It is important that the wiring conductive film is formed at a relatively low temperature.
A method of forming such a wiring conductive film employs a sputtering process in which a substrate is heated at a relatively low temperature on the order of 300.degree. C. and which deposits an aluminum/germanium alloy (Al/Ge alloy) of a Ge concentration on the order of 5%. During the sputtering process, particles of the Al/Ge alloy deposited on the layer of insulating film melt and the molten Al/Ge alloy flows and fills up the contact holes formed in the layer of insulating film, and the surface tension makes the molten Al/Ge alloy form an Al/Ge alloy film having a flat surface. Since the Al/Ge alloy film is formed at a relatively low film forming temperature, aluminum (Al) does not permeate the substrate during the Al/Ge alloy film forming process and hence junction breakdown does not occur. Accordingly, any barrier metal film, such as a titanium film or a titanium nitride film, need not be formed before forming the Al/Ge alloy film.
In forming the Al/Ge alloy film by the foregoing method, surplus Ge precipitates in the Al/Ge alloy film because the solid solubility of Ge in an Al/Ge alloy is as small as 1.5%. The particle size of the precipitated Ge particles is on the order of 1 .mu.m at a maximum, which causes the following problems in submicron processes.
Submicron contact holes are clogged with the precipitated Ge particles of a particle size on the order of 1 .mu.m, thereby increasing the resistance of the contacts and, in the worst case, no contact is formed in the contact holes. The current flow passage area of the wiring lines of a width less than 1 .mu.m is reduced by Ge particles (nonconducting particles) having a particle size nearly equal to the width of the wiring lines to deteriorate migration resistance. Ge particles precipitated during the formation of an Al/Ge alloy film cause problems in patterning the Al/Ge alloy film in a wiring pattern. Although it is possible to reduce the Ge concentration to 1.5%, the reduction of the Ge concentration is unable to solve fundamental problems because Ge particles precipitate while the temperature of the Al/Ge alloy film drops from the film forming temperature of 300.degree. C.

Method of removing germanium particles precipitated in an aluminum/germanium alloy film


A method for measuring a tangential tightness of a stator coil within an armature slot of a stator assembly in an electric generator. The stator coil is excited to produce a vibratory response therein. The vibratory response of the stator coil is detected and a frequency response function of the vibratory response is determined. A tangential tightness of the stator coil within the armature slot is estimated based on the frequency response function of the vibratory response of the stator coil.

In large electric generators, a stator assembly includes stator coils which are retained within an armature slot. The stator coils may be held in place by stator wedges, which are typically inserted within a pair of opposed parallel grooves on either side of the armature slot. Top ripple springs can be inserted between the stator wedges and the stator coils to maintain a positive load on the stator coils and to thereby maintain a consistent pressure or preload on the stator coil. In addition, side ripple springs may be inserted along the side of the stator coils in engagement with the armature slot walls to reduce vibration of the stator coils in the tangential direction.
A common problem associated with stator coils is that they can become loose within the armature slots. It has been found that loosening of the stator coils within the armature slots may lead to relative movement between the stator coils and the armature slot and an increase of levels of vibration of the stator coils. These conditions may cause deterioration and failure of stator coil insulation and stator core laminations. Further, it is possible that tangential vibration of the stator coils within the armature slot may cause electrical discharges between the stator coils and the stator core, which may result in spark erosion of those components. These undesirable results may necessitate replacement or time consuming and difficult repair procedures, such as a stator coil rewinding process.
Tests have been developed to estimate the tightness of stator wedges and top ripple springs within the stator assemblies. One such test, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,335, involves exciting a vibration in a stator wedge of a stator assembly, which includes the stator wedge, one or more stator coils, and optionally ripple springs, which is disposed in an armature slot. The vibratory response of the stator assembly is measured and compared to previously saved vibratory responses of stator assemblies to estimate the tightness of the stator assembly within the armature slot.
Another such test, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,684, discloses a wedge block having a hydraulic cylinder, wherein the wedge block is installed within an upper groove of a pair of parallel grooves in an armature slot or a stator slot, The hydraulic cylinder is activated to press down on a load plate, which in turn contacts a slot wedge within the other of the parallel grooves. This in turn compresses a top ripple spring between the slot wedge and the stator windings. A load cell measures the force required to compress the top ripple spring, while four linear variable differential transformers measure the amount of displacement of the slot wedge. These two measurements are then used to derive a measurement for the tightness for the combined structure of the slot wedge and the top ripple spring.
Tests such as these are performed with the stator wedges in place, and may be effective at determining the tightness of stator wedges and top ripple springs within a slot. However these types of tests can be inconclusive with respect to side-to-side or tangential stator coil tightness, and do not provide a measurement specific to vibration of the stator coils themselves within the armature slots. Moreover, as stator coils implemented in current generator designs become increasingly thinner with an associated increase in flexibility in the tangential direction, testing based on a vibratory response of the stator wedge and ripple spring structure installed in the slot may become less precise when estimating component tightness within the slots.
Current methods of determining a relative tangential tightness of stator coils within stator slots include the use of "feeler gauges" that are probed into the space between the stator coil and a wall that defines the armature slot. The feeler gauge provides the tester with a feel for the approximate width of the space. Since no direct reading of the tangential tightness of the stator coil within the armature slot is measured, the precision of the readings supplied by the feeler gauges is low.

Method of in slot tightness measuring of stator coil


In an internal combustion engine, natural gas is injected through a nozzle (17) into a curved feeding pipe (13), tangentially and in opposite direction to the flow of combustion air. Two nozzles (17) that are spaced apart in the flow direction and that alternately inject the natural gas are preferably used in order to achieve a homogenous distribution of fuel in the fuel-air mixture. A conical stream (21) ensures an impeccable mixture of gas with the totality of supplied air.

The object of the invention is a process for admixing fuel gas with the combustion air in an internal combustion engine in which ambient air is introduced into the cylinder head of the engine through a feed pipe and is enriched with fuel gas before introduction into the piston chamber, and wherein the fuel gas is introduced into the feed pipe counter to the flow direction of the combustion air. The object of the invention is furthermore a device for admixing fuel gas with the combustion air in an internal combustion engine, having a feed pipe for combustion air sucked in from the surroundings and having at least one injection nozzle for fuel gas, wherein the injection nozzle is installed counter to the flow direction of the combustion air in the feed pipe.
It has been known for many years, in particular, to operate stationary motors of heat coupling facilities with natural gas. There are also already motor vehicles in operation which are driven by natural gas. The operation of stationary internal combustion engines with natural gas is comparatively unproblematic, because sufficient time is available for an optimal adjustment of the parameters, and once the optimal setting has been reached, it delivers constant values for a long time. The situation appears otherwise with vehicle motors with changing load operation. Most known gas-driven engines are driven in dual fuel operation, that is, natural gas as well as gasoline can be used for operation. Such dual fuel engines fail by far to meet current and future requirements of air quality regulations.
The reason for poor exhaust gas values lies especially in the composition of the natural gas. The natural gas has a quite different chemical composition depending on its origin. The composition can also change within very short intervals of time even with the same origin. The major European distributor organizations for natural gas, which supply their product into the connection conduits of the individual states, admix additional components with the gases arriving from their countries of origin, which accumulate elsewhere as by-products. These are butanes, propanes and/or others.
The standards which are imposed on an admixture of natural gas in combustion air, i.e., air sucked in from the surroundings, necessary for combustion in the motor, are numerous and must be capable of continuous adaptation during the operation of the motor independently of its load status. Consequently, exact maintenance of a stoichiometric proportion does not by itself suffice for attaining a clean, exhaust-gas poor combustion.
In contrast to liquified gases used in a pure state, such as butane and propane, which are already in use in many places for the operation of vehicles, especially for stacker trucks and street cleaning vehicles, a trouble-free admixture of natural gas with combustion air is extremely difficult. Problems also arise, among other reasons, on account of the various densities of the components contained in natural gas. If the admixture of fuel gas/air has not already taken place without difficulty prior to introduction into the piston chamber of the internal combustion engine, then no combustion can take place there, which results in poor exhaust gas values. Without a trouble-free combustion, the use, and especially the expenditure for the use, of natural gas as a fuel for motor vehicles is not justified.
In contrast to the liquified gasses and even to liquid fuels, such as benzene and diesel fuel, additional higher investments are necessary for the storage of natural gas. This namely can only be transported and stored under high pressure or at very low temperatures in the liquid state. This means that not only at gas stations, but also especially in the vehicle as well, the natural gas must be stored in a pressure reservoir. Likewise, pressure lines and/or compressors for liquefaction or cooling tanks for a cooling to minus 176.degree. C. must be continuously available in the entire natural gas transportation chain.
A gas-air admixture device for an internal combustion engine is known from JP-A-61070161, to which the fuel gas is fed in a direction counter to the flow direction of the combustion air and is distributed in the combustion air by means of a conical valve.
Furthermore, a fuel gas feed with a valve, which feeds the fuel gas in a direction counter to the flow direction of the combustion air flow direction, is known from JP-A-60233359. No fuel/air mixture adapted to the number of cylinders to be charged with fuel gas can be generated with the two known devices.


A piezoelectric thin film resonator having a stabilized temperature characteristic of resonant frequency, a method for manufacturing the same, and a communication apparatus using the piezoelectric thin film resonator are provided. The piezoelectric thin film resonator is provided with a substrate having an opening, first and second insulation films which are provided on one surface of the substrate while covering the opening and which primarily include SiO2 and Al2O3, respectively, Al2O3 having oxygen defect and being in an amorphous state, and a piezoelectric thin film which is provided on the second insulation film and is sandwiched between electrodes and which primarily includes ZnO.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a piezoelectric resonator, a piezoelectric filter including a piezoelectric resonator, a duplexer, a communication apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a piezoelectric resonator.
2. Description of the Related Art
A piezoelectric resonator provided with a piezoelectric thin film on a substrate has been used as a filter for a communication device.
Some piezoelectric resonators include piezoelectric vibration portions in which a piezoelectric thin film is sandwiched between opposed upper and lower electrodes, and a high-frequency signal is applied to the sandwiched piezoelectric thin film via the electrodes such that the piezoelectric thin film vibrates in a thickness vibration mode. Examples of such piezoelectric resonators include a diaphragm type piezoelectric resonator having an opening in a substrate which is covered with a diaphragm made of laminated thin films, and the piezoelectric vibration portion is supported by this diaphragm.
FIG. 42 is a sectional view showing the structure of a conventional piezoelectric resonator (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-279438).
This piezoelectric resonator includes a substrate 201, a plurality of substrate films 202 and 203, a pair of electrodes 204 and 206, and a piezoelectric thin film 205. Since the substrate film is defined by a plurality of layers as described above, each substrate film shares functions, for example, chemical stability and adhesiveness, and as a result, improvement of the performance and reliability of the piezoelectric resonator are achieved.
Furthermore, some piezoelectric resonators include piezoelectric vibration portions in which a piezoelectric thin film is sandwiched between opposed upper and lower electrodes, and a high-frequency signal is applied to the sandwiched piezoelectric thin film via the electrodes and, therefore, the piezoelectric thin film vibrates in a thickness vibration mode. Examples of such piezoelectric resonators include a diaphragm type piezoelectric resonator having a structure in which an opening of a substrate is covered with a diaphragm made of laminated thin films, and the piezoelectric vibration portion is supported by this diaphragm.
In some piezoelectric resonators having a diaphragm structure, the residual stress during diaphragm formation is adjusted to be nearly zero and, thereby, the resonant characteristics are improved, or the diaphragm surface is flattened with high precision and, thereby, the resonant characteristics are improved (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-244030).
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-279438 discloses an example of a piezoelectric resonator in which the lower substrate film 202 of a plurality of substrate films is made of SiNx, the upper substrate film is made of Al2O3, and the piezoelectric thin film is made of ZnO.
However, regarding the configuration of such a conventional piezoelectric resonator, since each of the temperature coefficient of resonant frequencies (TCF) of SiNx, Al2O3, and ZnO has a negative value, when the substrate films 202 and 203 made of SiNx and Al2O3 are combined with the piezoelectric thin film 205, the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency in the basic mode is deteriorated.
Furthermore, regarding the piezoelectric resonator in which the residual stress during diaphragm formation is adjusted to be nearly zero, when the diaphragm surface is not flat, the crystallinity and orientation property of the piezoelectric vibration portion are reduced and, therefore, the resonant characteristics cannot be sufficiently improved. Regarding the piezoelectric resonator in which the diaphragm surface is flattened, when the stress remains, the resonant characteristics cannot be sufficiently improved.

Method for manufacturing a piezoelectric resonator


A nonlinear response function of a loudspeaker is determined by an iterative process during which the nonlinear response function and a linear response associated with an echo and microphone are alternately revised.

Mobile speaker phones for use within automobiles and other vehicles are subject to echo generation within the vehicle. That is, sounds generated by a loudspeaker of the phone can reverberate within the vehicle and be sensed by a microphone of the phone as an echo. To prevent the return of such echos to the far end user, echo cancellation techniques are often employed. To perform echo cancellation, a response function of the entire channel from the input of the loudspeaker to the output of the microphone is often generated. This channel is typically characterized as a series of three filters; namely, a loudspeaker filter, an echo filter, and a microphone filter. Knowing the input signal of the loudspeaker, the response function can be used to estimate the echos that will be present in the output signal of the microphone. These estimated echos can then be subtracted from the output signal of the microphone to significantly reduce the level of the echos therein.
In the past, the loudspeaker filter, the echo filter, and the microphone filter were all modeled as linear filters. It has since been found that loudspeakers, particularly small, less expensive loudspeakers, are more accurately modeled as nonlinear filters. During speaker phone operation within a vehicle, the echo response of the vehicle chamber will be continuously changing. Thus, it is necessary to adapt the response function used by the echo cancellation functionality on line (i.e., during communication operations). It is difficult, however, to adapt a nonlinear filter response on line. For this reason, the nonlinear response function of the loudspeaker, which does not change much during system operation, can be determined offline and then combined with the adapting linear response function of the echo and microphone on line. Past methods for determining the nonlinear response function of a loudspeaker have been complicated and have required expensive test set ups (e.g., an anechoic chamber set up) to perform. There is therefore a need for relatively simple and inexpensive methods and structures for determining nonlinear loudspeaker response functions.

Method and apparatus for determining a nonlinear response function for a loudspeaker


A steering which reduces vibration and is shock absorbing and deformable. The steering wheel comprises a rim and a boss with a plurality of spokes, the rim, boss and spokes having a core metal. A reinforced spoke-core metal has a spoke deformation region which is a part of the reinforced portion and is thinner than the remaining part of the reinforced portion. A raised portion is included on the driver-side of each spoke deformation region which increases the strength of core metals and restricts vibration of the core metals. The configuration creates a weak point for collapsing the steering wheel in a collision and impact with the steering wheel by the driver, that is, the raised portions receives tensile forces and break, thereby smoothly bending core metal bodies.

An example of conventional steering wheels is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 193503/1993, which comprises an annular rim portion, a boss portion located inside the ring defined by the rim portion and attached to a steering shaft, and a plurality of spokes connecting the rim portion and the boss portion, wherein the two ends of the core metal of each spoke are respectively enveloped in a die-cast metal by means of die casting and connected to the boss-core metal of the boss portion and the rim-core metal of the rim portion. However, the lower portion of the boss-side end of each spoke-core metal is not covered by the die-cast metal. The exposed part faces downward. With the configuration as above, in the event where a shock is delivered from above to the rim portion, the spoke-core metals bend, in a peeling off manner from the die-cast metal, thereby absorbing the shock.
However, the conventional configuration described above, wherein the lower part of the end of each spoke-core metal adjacent to the boss portion is exposed from the die-cast metal, causes a decrease in the resonance frequency of a steering wheel. This makes it difficult to reduce vibration of the steering wheel which results from vibration of the engine or other sources. In other words, the conventional configuration presents a problem in that it is difficult to make a steering wheel more comfortable to operate.
In order to prevent the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel which has superior shock absorbing characteristics and is comfortable to operate due to reduced vibration.

Reduced vibration shock absorbing deformable steering wheel


An apparatus and method for scanning a pattern. The method includes: (i) directing a charged particle beam such as to interact with the pattern along a first scan path, and (ii) directing a beam such as to interact with the pattern along a second scan path. The pattern changes one of its characteristics as a result of an interaction with the beam. The distance between the first and the second scan paths may be bigger than the diameter of the charged electron beam. Each of the first and second scan paths may include a plurality of consecutive samples and the distance between the first and second scan paths may be bigger than a distance between adjacent samples. The location of scan paths may be changed between measurements and especially between measurement sessions. The charged particle beam may have an ellipsoid cross section.

Integrated circuits are very complex devices that include multiple layers. Each layer may include conductive material and/or isolating material while other layers may include semi-conductive materials. These various materials are arranged in patterns, usually in accordance with the expected functionality of the integrated circuit. The patterns also reflect the manufacturing process of the integrated circuits.
Integrated circuits are manufactured by complex multi-staged manufacturing processes. During these multi-staged processes, resistive material is (i) deposited on a substrate/layer, (ii) exposed by a photolithographic process, and (iii) developed to produce a pattern which defines some areas to be later etched.
Resistive materials are usually selected such as to be responsive to a light at a predefined narrow range of frequencies (wavelengths). A commonly utilized resistive material is responsive to 193 nm light emitted from ArF light sources. This resistive material is referred to as 193 nm resist.
Various inspection and failure analysis techniques evolved for inspecting integrated circuits both during the fabrication stages and between consecutive manufacturing stages, either in combination with the manufacturing process (also termed "in line" inspection techniques) or not (also termed "off line" inspection techniques). Various optical as well as charged particle beam inspection tools and review tools are known in the art, such as the VeraSEM™, Compluss™ and SEMVision™ tools of Applied Materials Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif.
Manufacturing failures may affect the electrical characteristics of the integrated circuits. Some of these failures result from unwanted deviations from the required dimensions of the patterns. A "critical dimension" is the width of a patterned line or the distance between two patterned lines.
One of the goals of the inspection process is to determine whether the inspected wafer includes deviations from these critical dimensions. This inspection is usually done by charged particles beam imaging that provides the high resolution required to measure said deviations.
Various resistive materials are also responsive to charged particle beams, such as electrical beams emitted during scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging. For example, the 193 nm resist shrinks as result of an interaction with the electron beam. The shrinkage is due to both quantum effects (breaking of chemical bonds) and localized heating effects. Thus, SEM imaging causes an unwanted change in the pattern imprinted upon a semiconductor.

System and method for inspecting charged particle responsive resist


In a method, at a draw frame for fibre slivers, of adjusting the nip line spacing of a drawing mechanism, which has at least two drawing mechanism roller combinations, of which at least one is so mounted that it can be adjusted, each drawing mechanism roller combination consists of at least one driven lower roller and at least one upper roller (press roller) lying, in operation, on top of the lower roller and so mounted that it can be lifted off.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method, at a draw frame for fibre slivers, of adjusting the nip line spacing of a drawing mechanism, which has at least two drawing mechanism roller combinations, of which at least one is so mounted that it can be adjusted, wherein each drawing mechanism roller combination consists of at least one driven lower roller and at least one upper roller (press roller) lying on top of the lower roller and so mounted that it can be lifted off, and encompasses an apparatus for carrying out the method.
2. Description of Related Art
In practice, adjustment of the nip line spacings carried out without fibre slivers in the drawing mechanism, that is to say the fibre slivers are drawn off from the drawing mechanism completely and, subsequently, the nip line spacings are adjusted. It is not possible, by that means, to optimise existing drawing mechanism settings whilst using the same fibre material.
In a known appartus (DE-OS 20 44 996), the mountings of the intake and middle lower rollers are displaceable on the frame of the machine so that the extent of the drawing zone can be matched to the particular fibre staple. A tensioning pulley wheel, which is displaceable in a guideway in the frame of the machine, allows the length of the toothed belt to be modified in accordance with the changed spacing between the axes of the middle roller and a guide pulley wheel, brought about by displacement of the intake roller. The middle roller is driven by a further toothed belt. The latter toothed belt is tensioned by a tensioning pulley wheel which is fastened to the machine frame and which can pivot about one axis; as a result, it can also be matched to changed spacings between the axes of the intake roller and middle roller. It is disadvantageous that displacing devices for displacement of the intake roller and the middle roller and additional tensioning devices for re-tensioning of the toothed belts after the displacement operations are necessary, requiring a considerable outlay in terms of construction. In addition, it is disadvant-ageous that a number of work steps are required for the displacement operations and the subsequent re-tensioning operations. The belt tension is destroyed by the displacement process. Where the displacement is carried out manually, spacers are inserted between the mountings, the mountings being pushed against the spacers so that, in this case too, the amount of set-up work is considerable. Finally, the displacement and re-tensioning operations result in a doubling of potential error sources when setting the spacings and belt tensions.

Method and apparatus at a draw frame for fibre slivers, for adjusting the nip line spacing of a drawing mechanism

Abstract: In order to allow optimisation of specific drawing mechanism settings using the same fibre material, with fibre slivers inserted, a) the upper rollers are unloaded or lifted off, b) the mountings of at least one lower roller are unlocked, c) the mountings are adjusted to the desired nip line spacing using a displacement device, d) the mountings are subsequently re-locked.


An adjusting method measures a wavefront aberration in a first direction of a target optical system and a wavefront aberration in a second direction different from the first direction of the target optical system, and calculates a first correction value and a second correction value based on a determinant assuming that a matrix that is made by adding a first correction value to each column of the first matrix is equal to a matrix that is made by adding a second correction value to each row of the second matrix. The first correction value is different every column, and the second correction value is different every row. The first matrix represents the wavefront aberration in the first direction, and the second matrix represents the wavefront aberration in the second direction. The adjusting method obtains a two-dimensional wavefront aberration of the target optical system by calculating the matrix that is made by adding the first correction value that has been calculated to the first matrix and/or the matrix that is made by adding the second correction value that has been calculated to the second matrix, and adjusts the target optical system based on the obtained two-dimensional wavefront aberration.

The present invention relates generally to a measurement of optical performance of an optical element, and more particularly to a calculation of two-dimensional optical performance of a target optical system, such as a projection optical system that transfers a mask pattern onto an object to be exposed.
A projection exposure apparatus has conventionally been used to transfer a mask (or reticle) pattern onto an object to be exposed in manufacturing devices, such as semiconductor devices, image pickup devices, display devices and magnetic heads, in the photolithography process. This exposure apparatus is required to transfer the pattern on the reticle onto the object precisely at a predetermined magnification. For this purpose, it is important to use a projection optical system having excellent imaging performance and sufficiently reduced aberration. In particular, due to the recent demands for finer processing to the semiconductor devices, a transferred pattern is more sensitive to the aberration of the optical system. Therefore, there is a demand to measure the optical performance, such as a wavefront aberration, of the projection optical system with high precision.
One conventional method that actually exposes a mask pattern onto a wafer, and observes and inspects the resist image using a scanning electron microscope ("SEM") or another means has a problem in a long inspection time due to the exposure and development, difficult SEM operations, and bad inspection reproducibility due to errors caused by resist applications and developments. Accordingly, as a solution for these problems, various measuring devicees have conventionally been proposed, such as a shearing interferometer, such as a lateral shearing interferometer ("LSI"), or a Talbot interferometer that utilizes the shearing interferometry. More recently, a line diffraction interferometry ("LDI") that has a slit used to form an ideal cylindrical or elliptical wave. See, for example, Japanese Patent Applications, Publication Nos. 2000-146705, and 2000-97666.
The LSI and LDI utilize a one-directional slit or diffraction grating. Therefore, the wavefront aberration of the target optical system obtained by analyzing the measured interference fringe is the wavefront aberration that provides a correct relative relationship in only one direction. Therefore, in order to obtain the wavefront aberration that provides a correct two-dimensional relative relationship, it is necessary, for example, to obtain one-dimensional wavefront aberration information in each of two different, e.g., orthogonal directions and to synthesize them with each other. Yet, no concrete synthesizing method has been proposed. Without correctly calculated two-dimensional wavefront aberration, a correct adjustment for eliminating the aberration is unavailable, or a high-quality exposure cannot be obtained.

Method of calculating two-dimensional wavefront aberration


A method and apparatus for drying a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte through the non-contact use of a desiccant includes a closed system having separate containers for the electrolyte and the desiccant. The closed system is charged with an inert gas, and a means is provided to circulate the gas between the containers. A stirring means is provided to stir the electrolyte to facilitate the release of water from the electrolyte.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the preparation of electrolytes for batteries, and more particularly, relates to the preparation of non-aqueous liquid polymer host network electrolytes for batteries.
2. State of the Art
In recent years workers in the battery art have begun to understand the advantages of manufacturing batteries that have polymer electrolytes and sheet-like cathodes and anodes. The advantages include lower battery weights than batteries that employ liquid electrolytes, longer service life, relatively high power densities, relatively high specific energies, and elimination of the danger of acid spillage.
Batteries of the type having polymer electrolytes and sheet like cathodes and anodes are generally formed of laminated sheets comprising thin layers of a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, which may be adapted into different configurations for various applications. The anode in such batteries is preferably lithium. Because lithium is highly reactive, its use as a sheet-like layer in contact with the electrolyte requires that the battery construction, and the electrolyte in particular, be free of contaminates, especially water.
The polymer is initially formed in a liquid state, and is later polymerized and formed into a solid sheet which is then incorporated into the battery. Removal of water from the electrolyte is best accomplished while the electrolyte is in liquid state, before the water becomes entrapped in the solid form and while the water is still substantially free to be removed. An electrolyte of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,751 to Shackle et al.
Most conventional methods for removing water from non-aqueous liquids involve passing the liquid through a column packed with a suitable desiccant agent. As the liquid flows through the column, it contacts the desiccant agent, which is selected to have a high affinity for water over the other components of the liquid. The water in the liquid which contacts the desiccant agent is thereby removed. One example of an apparatus for such a method is a column packed with a molecular sieve material.
This method of removing water from a non-aqueous liquid by contact with a desiccant agent has several disadvantages, however. The liquid may become contaminated by particulate matter or soluble material present in the desiccant agent. The desiccant may have some affinity for the liquid, or some component of the liquid, which may cause some of the material to be lost in the desiccant column. Furthermore, material other than water trapped in the desiccant makes drying and cleaning of the desiccant for reuse difficult. In addition, if the liquid contains hazardous materials, disposal of contaminated desiccant may require special handling and entail extra costs for disposal.

Method and apparatus for drying a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte


An article of manufacture for improving an RSA cryptosystem, includes computer readable storage medium with computer programming stored thereon. The stored computer programming is configured to be readable from the computer readable storage medium by a computer and thereby cause the computer to operate so as to generate a private exponent key, having an associated modulus N of a predetermined bit length and a bit length of no greater than fifteen percent of the bit length of the associated modulus N but not less than 56 bits, and a corresponding public exponent key, to divide the private exponent key into a first private key portion and a second private key portion, to direct said first private key portion to a first user, and to direct the second private key portion to one or more other users of the RSA system.

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to Rivest, Shamir and Adleman (RSA) public cryptosystems and more particularly to a computer and computer programming for identity verification, forming joint signatures, and session key agreement in an RSA type system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Encryption systems have been developed for maintaining the privacy of information transmitted across a communications channel. Typically, a symmetric cryptosystem is used for this purpose. Symmetric cryptosystems, which utilize electronic keys, can be likened to a physical security system where a box has a single locking mechanism with a single key hole. One key holder uses his/her key to open the box, place a message in the box and relock the box. Only a second holder of the identical copy of the key can unlock the box and retrieve the message. The term symmetric reflects the fact that both users must have identical copies of the key.
In more technical terms, a symmetric cryptosystem uses an encryption function E, a decryption function D, and a shared secret-key, K. The secret-key is a unique string of data bits to which the functions are applied. Two examples of encipherment/deencipherment functions are the National Bureau of Standards Data Encryption Standard (DES) and the more recent Fast Encipherment Algorithm (FEAL). To transmit a message, M, in privacy, the sender computes M=E (C,K), where C is referred to as the ciphertext. Upon receipt of C, the recipient computes M=D (C,K), to recover the message M. An eavesdropper who copies C, but does not know K, will find it practically impossible to recover M. Typically, all details of the enciphering and deciphering functions, E and D, are well known, and the security of the system depends solely on maintaining the secrecy of key, K. Conventional symmetric cryptosystems are fairly efficient and can be used for encryption at fairly high data rates, especially if appropriate hardware implementations are used.
Asymmetric cryptosystems, often referred to as public key cryptosystems, provide another means of encrypting information. Such systems differ from symmetric systems in that, in terms of physical analogue, the box has one lock which accepts different keys. One key can be used to unlock the box to retrieve a message which has been locked in the box by the other key.
In public key electronic cryptosystems, each entity, for example, x and y, has a private key, d, which is known only to the entity, and a public key, e, which is publicly known. Once a message is transformed with a user's public-key, it can only be inverted using that user's private-key, and conversely, if a message is transformed with a user's private-key, it can only be inverted using that user's public-key. So, if sender x wishes to send a message to receiver y, then x, "looks-up" y's public key e, and computes M=E (C, e.sub.y) and sends it to y. User y can recover M using its private-key d.sub.y, by computing M=D(C, d.sub.y). An adversary who makes a copy of C, but does not have d.sub.y, cannot recover M. However, public-key cryptosystems are inefficient for large messages.
Public-key cryptosystems are quite useful for digital signatures. The signer, x, computes S=D(M, d.sub.x) and sends M,S! to y. User y "looks-up" x's public-key e.sub.x, and then checks to see if M=D (S, e.sub.x). If it does, then y can be confident that x signed the message, since computing S, such that M=D (S, e.sub.x), requires knowledge of d.sub.x, x's private key which only x knows.
Public-key cryptography also provide a convenient way of performing session key agreement, after which the key that was agreed upon can be used for symmetric encryption. Typically, the key being exchanged is used during the course of a particular communication session and then destroyed, though this can vary depending on the application.
One public key cryptographic system is the Rivest, Shamir, Adleman (RSA) system, as described in Rivest, Shamir and Adleman, "A Method of Obtaining Digital Signatures and Public Key Cryptosystems, CACM, Vol 21, pp 120-126, February 1978. RSA is a public-key based cryptosystem that is believed to be very difficult to break. In the RSA system the pair (e.sub.i N.sub.i), is user i's public-key and d.sub.i is the user's private key. Here N.sub.i =pq, where p and q are large properly chosen primes. Here also ed=1 mod .phi.(N.sub.i) , where .phi.(N.sub.i)=(p-1) (q-1) which is the Euler Totient function which returns the number of positive integers less than N.sub.i, that are relatively prime to N.sub.i. A Carmichael function is sometimes used in lieu of a Euler Totient function.
To send a message to user j, user i can compute C=M.sup.(e.sbsp.j.sup.) modN.sub.j and send C to user j. User j will then perform M=C.sup.(d.sbsp.j.sup.) modN.sub.j to recover M. Alternatively, user i could sign the message using his private key. The RSA based signature of user i on the message, M, is M.sup.d.sbsp.i modN.sub.i. The recipient of the message, user j, can perform .sup.(M (d.sbsp.i.sup.) modN.sub.i) .sup.(e.sbsp.i.sup.) modN.sub.i, to verify the signature of i on M.
In a typical mode of operation, i sends j, M.sup.(d.sbsp.i.sup.) modN.sub.i along with M and a certificate C=(i,e.sub.i N.sub.i).sup.d.sbsp.CA modN.sub.CA, where C is generated by a Certification Authority (CA) which serves as a trusted off-line intermediary. User j can recover i's public key from C, by performing C.sup.(e.sbsp.CA.sup.) modN.sub.CA, as e.sub.CA and N.sub.CA are universally known. It should also be noted that in an RSA system the encryption and signatures can be combined.
Modifications to RSA systems have been proposed to enable multi-signatures to be implemented in a manner which only requires a single RSA transformation. The proposed approach extends the RSA system by dividing the user private key d into two portions, say d.sub.i and d.sub.j, where d.sub.i *d.sub.j =dmod .phi.(N). Such a proposal is described in Digital Multisignature, C. Boyd, Proceedings of the Inst. of Math, and its Appl. on Cryptography and Coding, 15-17 December 1986.
However the problem remains that conventional RSA systems, including those modified as proposed, require that the secret exponent key d of a user be quite long. In the case where the secret exponent d is less than a quarter of the length of the modulus N, RSA is insecure, because it is too easy to invert the public operation without the secret key. Such a conclusion is discussed in M. J. Wiener "Cryptoanalysis of short RSA Secret Exponents, IEEE Trans. on IT, May 1990, Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 553-558. Thus, according to Wiener, if the modulus N is 512 bits long, the secret exponent should have at least 128 bits. Accordingly, conventional RSA systems are not suitable for use in systems that do not provide a way to store the secret exponent key d. e.g. in situations where the user has to memorize the secret exponent. This, for example, is the case when smart cards for storing the secret exponent are not widely available or when the user accesses the distributed system via a dumb terminal that does not have a disk drive for storing the secret exponent. Additionally, conventional RSA systems do not provide a way to establish and distribute session keys using split private keys.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a programmable computer and computer programming instructions for improving conventional RSA public cryptosystems so that the user is only required to use a short secret key while the system provides security as high as that of conventional RSA systems.
It is another object of the invention to provide a programmable computer and computer programming instructions for improving conventional RSA cryptosystems it such that the identity of the user can be verified when the user is using a short secret key.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a programmable computer and computer programming instructions for improving conventional RSA cryptosystems such that joint signature of documents by two or more users is facilitated using a short secret key of a user.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a programmable computer and computer programming instructions to improve conventional RSA cryptosystems so that session key agreement can be accomplished using split private keys.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed, as well as by practice of the invention. While the invention is described below with reference to preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those of ordinary skill in the art having access to the teachings herein will recognize additional implementations, modifications and embodiments which are within the scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed herein and with respect to which the invention could be of significant utility.

Programmed computer for identity verification, forming joint signatures and session key agreement in an RSA public cryptosystem


A database query governor determines when a query cannot be executed within a defined time threshold, but still executes the query or some variant of the query so partial results for the query may be returned to the user after executing for less than the defined time threshold, instead of an error message indicating the query was not executed at all. The partial results provide information to the user that may be sufficient for some applications, or may indicate to the user how the query could be modified to run in less time.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to database systems, and more specifically relates to executing queries in database systems.
2. Background Art
Databases are computerized information storage and retrieval systems. A database system is structured to accept commands to store, retrieve and delete data using, for example, high-level query languages such as the Structured Query Language (SQL). The term "query" denotes a command for retrieving data from a stored database. The query language requires the return of a particular result set in response to a particular query.
Optimization and execution of a database query can be a resource-intensive and time-consuming process. Further, the larger the database, the longer the time needed to execute the query. In order to prevent an excessive drain on resources, many databases are configured with query governors. A query governor prevents the execution of large and resource-intensive queries by referencing a defined time threshold. If the cost of executing a query exceeds the time threshold, known query governors prevent execution of the query. A simple example will illustrate. Let's assume a query governor has a defined time threshold of two seconds. If the best access plan generated by a query optimizer takes over two seconds for the query to execute, the query governor will prevent execution of the query, and will typically return a message to the user that attempted to run the query indicating the query would take too long to execute. The user can then attempt to modify the query and execute the modified query in the hopes the modified query will run in under two seconds. However, this is a manual trial-and-error approach that is inefficient and error-prone.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Obtaining partial results from a database query

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate with gate structures. A sacrificial insulating layer is formed between the gate structures at a height lower than that of the gate structures such that a portion of each gate structure is exposed above the sacrificial insulating layer. Spacers are formed on sidewalls of the exposed portions of the gate structures. A portion of the sacrificial insulating layer between the spacers is exposed. The sacrificial insulating layer is removed, thereby forming spaces below the spacers. An insulating layer is formed to fill the spaces between the spacers such that air pockets are formed between the gate structures and below the spacers.

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which can reduce interference capacitance between gates.
In a NAND flash memory fabrication method, space in which unit active regions and unit field regions are formed is reduced as the level of integration of devices is increased. As a dielectric layer (including a floating gate, a control gate and so on) is formed in a narrow active space, the distance between the gates is reduced. Accordingly, interference capacitance becomes problematic.
An equation to calculate an interference capacitance value between conductors is C=∈×A/d (where ∈ denotes the dielectric constant, A denotes the area, and d denotes the distance). From the equation, it can be seen that the smaller the distance, the larger the area, and the higher the dielectric constant, the higher the interference capacitance value C.
Furthermore, if the distance between the gates is reduced, the interference capacitance between the gates increases, so that the read speed of a device decreases.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device


A display system for a vehicle comprises a display mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle and at least one camera mounted to the vehicle and facing at least partially in a rear direction. The display shows the images recorded by the camera(s) to provide a rear view for the driver of the vehicle. An ECU is controllably connected to the display screen and the at least one camera to analyze an image from the at least one camera to detect when an object in the image is an emergency vehicle; and to activate an alert on the display when an emergency vehicle is detected.

Rear view mirrors are used to assist a driver in backing up a vehicle and to view vehicles located behind them. Rear view mirrors are typically secured to the top-center of the windshield area for convenience of the driver. However, the mirror may be partially or fully obstructed by window pillars, passengers, luggage, headrests, video monitors or other objects located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Additionally, objects such as bike or tire racks may block the rear window of the vehicle also partially or fully obstructing the rear view mirror. A new trend in automotive technology is using a rear facing camera and display monitor in place or in addition to a rear view mirror.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

Emergency vehicle detection with digital image sensor


This invention provides a polycrystalline oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) array substrate and a method of manufacturing the same. As the polycrystalline oxide thin film layer of the polycrystalline oxide TFT array substrate is formed by a two-step process according to the present invention, the ultra-high temperature annealing process required in the prior art is obviated, and the object of producing a polycrystalline oxide TFT array substrate by the existing manufacturing facilities of the amorphous oxide TFT array substrates is achieved without adding any special equipment or special operation, and it is easy to implement; meanwhile, the energy consumption is reduced as the high temperature annealing is no longer needed.

Polycrystalline oxide channels have the properties of high mobility, resistance to acid etching, excellent stability and the like, and the manufacturing techniques thereof are highly concerned in the display panel industry.
Crystal growth takes place in two manners, i.e., homogeneous growth, and heterogeneous growth. The homogeneous growth requires a high degree of undercooling, and it is relatively difficult to grow a crystal in this manner. The heterogeneous growth takes place with the aid of foreign particles or existing nuclei. As less energy is required, the heterogeneous growth takes place quickly. Moreover, according to the theory of crystal growth, atoms are less prone to pack on a smooth interface, in which case crystal growth takes place slowly. In contrast, atoms are liable to pack on a coarse interface, in which case crystal growth takes place quickly.
In2O3, ZnO, Ga2O3, SnO2 and composites thereof which are used in the current oxide channels have an extremely high melting point (above 1000° C.) and crystallization point respectively, the processes of film forming of polycrystalline oxide channels generally take place at a faster film forming rate, and the substrates for film forming are mostly in amorphous state. Therefore, the oxide thin films formed by conventional processes, e.g., magnetron sputtering deposition, pulsed laser deposition, and solution process for preparation of amorphous film, are generally in amorphous state. High energy is required to convert such amorphous thin films into polycrystalline state, for example, by ultra-high temperature annealing (greater than 450° C., usually about 600° C.), which will consume much energy.
In the existing production line of TFT array substrates, the annealing equipment typically has an upper temperature limit of 450° C. When the temperature exceeds 450° C., the annealing equipment will face great challenges in the heater and the homogeneity of heating. Consequently, it is relatively difficult to perform the ultra-high temperature heat treatment on the production line after film forming. Moreover, the high temperature annealing treatment has drawbacks including high requirement on the performance of the glass substrate, high energy consumption and the like.
Therefore, development of a process for manufacturing a TFT array substrate having polycrystalline oxide channels on the existing production line has become the focus of research.

Polycrystalline oxide thin-film transistor array substrate and method of manufacturing same


A circuit breaker includes: at least one switching path of a first terminal of the circuit breaker to a second terminal of the circuit breaker; at least one semiconductor switch arranged in the switching path; a semiconductor version switch for predefinably interrupting the switching path upon actuation by a release of the circuit breaker; a characteristic variable unit connected to the release; and a current measuring arrangement for ascertaining a current profile through the at least one semiconductor switch, the current measuring arrangement being connected with the characteristic variable unit. The characteristic variable unit correlates a characteristic variable with a junction temperature of the at least one semiconductor switch that is ascertained from the current profile through the at least one semiconductor switch.

Circuit breakers, which switch off a downstream circuit in the event of an excess current or a short-circuit, are known. In the case of electronic switchgear, it is additionally known to determine the current profile as well as its derivative with respect to time, i.e. its slope, and to evaluate both of these characteristic variables jointly so as to determine whether the present situation warrants a shutdown of the circuit.
However, this known procedure, which is easy to implement, leads to unnecessary circuit releases and shutoffs, particularly in the event of rapid, momentary and low power current increases, so-called transient processes, such as those that may arise in switching operations. These methods therefore have substantial disadvantages in practice and, depending upon the operational environment, can lead to numerous disconnections not required for safety-related reasons.
Known alternative methods with the objective of avoiding false releases are considerably more complex and more laborious in their implementation.


A spring for a suspension is described. The spring includes: a spring chamber divided into at least a primary portion and a secondary portion, and a fluid flow path coupled with and between the primary portion and the secondary portion. The fluid flow path includes a bypass mechanism, wherein the bypass mechanism is configured for automatically providing resistance within the fluid flow path in response to a compressed condition of the suspension.

Vehicle suspension systems typically include a spring component or components and a dampening component or components. Typically, mechanical springs, such as helical springs are used with some type of viscous fluid-based dampening mechanism and the two are mounted functionally in parallel. In its basic form, the damper controls the speed of movement, such as telescopic compression, of the suspension by metering substantially incompressible fluid from one side of a piston to the other, and/or from a main chamber to a reservoir, during a compression stroke.
While various refinements have been made to shock absorbers to enhance their performance, one continuing problem is that of a "bottom out" condition due to high compressive forces brought about by terrain and the weight of a rider. What is needed is a bottom out buffering system that provides a complete and user-adjustable secondary cushion arrangement.
The drawings referred to in this description should not be understood as being drawn to scale unless specifically noted.

Compression sensitive suspension dampening