A wheel provided with a tire sensor unit having a sensor and a radio transmitter. The sensor detects a pressure and temperature of a tire, and generates a tire pressure data signal and a tire temperature data signal based on the pressure and temperature of the tire. The radio transmitter generates a data signal including the tire pressure data signal and the tire temperature data signal, and transmits the data signal by wireless.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire pressure detection system, and a wheel used in this system.
2. Description of Relevant Art
Parameter data detection systems (tire pressure detection systems) that detect parameter data, such as pressure and temperature of tire, have been known. As an example of these parameter data detection systems, the system disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent publication JP H09-509488 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,930) has been discovered.
The parameter data detection system, disclosed in this patent publication, is composed of a sensor, a transponder, and a receiver. The sensor is attached to a tire when being used, and outputs parameter data obtained in accordance with a pressure and temperature of tire. The transponder transmits the parameter data by wireless. The receiver, provided at a place separate from the sensor, receives the parameter data transmitted from the transponder.
The parameter data detection system transmits the parameter data, such as pressure and temperature of tire, to the receiver by wireless when tire has punctured. Then, the receiver detects the occurrence of a puncture of tire based on the received parameter data.
As shown in FIG. 14, the transponder 70 is directly attached to a tire 71, and is discarded together with the tire 71 when replacing the tire 71 with new one.
The transponder 70, however, includes a radio frequency identification unit (RFID) that requires the excess manufacturing cost. Thus, higher running costs have been required for providing the parameter data detection apparatus.
Therefore, a tire pressure detection system that can be provided with low running costs and a wheel that can be used in this system have been required.

Tire pressure detection system and a wheel used therein


When a memory card is inserted into a slot, the control circuit of a color printer obtains image output control information from a memory card and analyzes it. When auto light source is not set as the light source, the CPU references the reference values and coefficients for the characteristics parameters except for color balance and performs correction, and then adjusts the image data image quality to reflect the post-correction characteristics parameters. As a result, it is possible to automatically adjust the image quality of image data without losing the selectively set output conditions.

The image quality of image data generated by devices such as digital still cameras (DSC), digital video cameras (DVC), and scanners can be adjusted at will by using an image retouch application on a personal computer. Image retouch applications generally are equipped with an image adjustment function that automatically adjusts the image quality of image data, and if this image adjustment function is used, it is possible to easily improve the image quality of image data output from an output device. Devices such as CRTs, LCDs, printers, projectors, and television receivers are known as image file output device.
The printer driver that controls the operation of a printer, which is one output device, is also equipped with a function that automatically adjusts the image quality of image data, and it is also possible to easily improve the image quality of printed image data by using this kind of printer driver.
However, with the automatic image adjustment functions provided by the image retouch application and printer driver, image quality corrections are executed with image data having typical image quality characteristics as a standard. In comparison to this, it is possible to generate image data which is the target of image processing under a variety of conditions, so there are cases when it is not possible to improve image quality even when the automatic image adjustment function is uniformly executed and the image quality parameter values of the image data are changed using a stipulated value.
Also, among the image data generating devices such as DSCs, there are devices with which the image quality of the image data can be adjusted freely at the time the image data is generated, and the user can intentionally generate image data that has a specific image quality. In comparison to this kind of image data, when the automatic image quality adjustment function is executed, there was the problem that the adjustment would be automatically done based on image quality that uses as a standard even the intentional image quality that the image data has, so that there are cases when it was not possible to execute automatic image adjustment that reflected that intentions of the user. Note that this type of problem is not limited to DSCs, but is a common problem to other image data generating devices such as DVCs as well.

Adjustment for output image of image data


A device, apparatus and method for producing a body or platform interfaced with a wideband antenna system. The antenna interfaces to the body or platform so as to comprise a synergistic radiating system.

The subject matter presented herein relates generally to radio and wireless communication systems. To those skilled in the art it is well understood that the radiated signal pattern is adversely affected by ground plane imperfections, near field objects and the resultant ground currents due to overall platform composition. In reality and function, if an antenna is mounted on a platform such as a vehicle the antenna must be installed with sufficient height above the platform in order to overcome these effects. Similar adverse conditions exist with cellular and mobile phones. Signal coverage is affected by the user. RF radiation is absorbed into the body, specifically the head and arm of the user. This absorption affects the overall signal pattern due to azimuthal attenuation. Additionally, conventional or standard antenna are in close proximity to the user's head. The conventional antenna commonly used will interface to the head to some degree and the jaw, ear, eye, and brain will be subjected to electromagnetic radiation when the cellular phone or radio is transmitting. The conventional antenna configuration is thus considered a point source radiator, and therefore the energy emitted is from a concentrated source. The need exists for an antenna system that is constructed in a manner in which signal radiation is not absorbed by the platform or user and the azimuthal attenuation is reduced thus increasing signal coverage. Such a device and antenna system is the subject matter of the present invention.

Device, apparatus and method for producing a body or platform interfaced with a wideband antenna system


Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods of knee rehabilitation. Embodiments generally include the use of viscosupplementation delivered intra-articularly in conjunction with rehabilitative therapy and an unloading knee brace. The injection of the viscosupplementation is guided such that the entire dose is delivered to the joint and can flow tricompartmentally.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to joint rehabilitation. More specifically, embodiments generally relate to methods of using a combination therapy including a viscosupplementation and physical therapy for joint rehabilitation in a patient.
2. Description of the Related Art
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is among the most common causes of musculoskeletal pain and disability in the United States. Since there is no cure for OA at present, the primary aims of treatment are to reduce pain, maintain or improve function and mobility, and prevent or slow the progression of adverse changes to the joint tissues, while keeping potential therapeutic toxicities to a minimum. Current treatment guidelines begin with non-pharmacologic protocols, such as patient education, weight loss, and physical therapy.
Non-pharmacologic approaches frequently provide insufficient pain relief and restoration of function and mobility, and pharmacologic modalities become necessary. Although simple analgesics such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provide relief for many OA patients with mild to moderate pain, alternatives should be considered for patients who fail to obtain adequate symptomatic relief with these measures. Although NSAIDs and/or cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors are frequently effective for the relief of moderate to severe OA pain, these options are not always effective, and may be inappropriate in patients with gastrointestinal or cardiovascular risk factors. Furthermore, analgesics are designed to prevent the sensation of pain and thus will not prevent or delay further degradation of the joint.
For patients who do not get adequate pain relief from simple analgesics, like acetaminophen or from exercise and physical therapy, intra-articular injections of hyaluronate provide another treatment option to address symptomatic pain and delay the need for a total joint replacement surgery. It is known that the concentration of native hyaluronate is deficient in individuals suffering from OA and, therefore, joint injections of exogenous hyaluronate is believed to replenish these molecules and restore the viscoelastic properties of synovial fluid. It is this property that is responsible for lubricating and cushioning the joints. Independent of the mechanism of action, pain relief can be observed for about six months following a treatment course of hyaluronate. A treatment course for hyaluronate products on the US market can range from single injection product to others that require 3 to 5 once a week injections to attain this durability of pain relief.
However, as stated previously, pain relief does not solve the problem. Analgesics mitigate the pain but provide minimal benefit to stemming the progression of OA in the knee. Hyaluronate or physical therapy as currently provided also reduce pain to some extent, but overall degradation of the joint is not significantly affected. As such, there is a need in the art for better methods of treatment for OA.

Combinatorial therapy for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee


A method of analyzing customer behavior, where customers are engaged in customer-to-customer transactions in the third-party network, includes the transformation of data representing the customer-to-customer transactions from a data representation to a network representation, and then analyzing the network representation. The network representation includes a set of nodes and a set of links where each node represents a customer and each link represents a transaction between two of the customers.

In financial industries such as the banking industry or the brokerage industry, a bank or broker provides business opportunities to its customers. In banking, the main business includes financial transactions between the bank as a banking business provider and its customers. However, there may be financial transactions conducted between customers themselves. These customer-to-customer (C2C) transactions may be called third party business activities because the provider bank is not financially involved in such activities. A group of customers connected through C2C business activities may be called a third party network. Better methods of understanding C2C transactions in groups and third party networks could help financial institutions identify new business opportunities and solve C2C business problems due to illegal group activities, such as money laundering activities and other group related frauds.
One approach to solve such financial problems in a database is data mining. There are two conventional approaches to study or understand transactions using data mining. One is an individual approach, in which each transaction and each customer are analyzed, and patterns associated with individual customers may be found. However, this approach does not provide any analysis of group patterns. Another approach is a group approach such as link analysis. Link analysis is a visual data-mining algorithm that helps to visualize connections between entities linked through transactions or other types of business activities. In comparison with the individual approach, link analysis shows the relationships and connections between individual entities within a linked group or network.
However, conventional link analysis approaches present several disadvantages. A third party network, i.e., one defined by a group of customers connected through C2C business activities, typically has at least two types of network properties. One is an internal property describing interactions and connections between member customers in a network. Link analysis is an adequate technique for analyzing and understanding the internal property of a link network. Another type of network property is an external property describing interactions and connections between a network (as a group object just like an individual customer) and other external entities such as a banking business provider. Under the existing link analysis techniques, external properties or characteristics of a link network are not apparent. Thus, the prior art presents no reliable way to understand and solve third party business problems, such as money laundering, thus allowing group patterns to become evident.
To understand the external property of a link network in solution space, it is desirable to extend link analysis to third-party or customer-to-customer network analysis in which business transactions between individual customers within a network and the business provider may be treated as transactions between a network object and the business provider. For example, financial transactions between individual members of a money laundering network and a bank should be treated as transactions between the network and the bank.


A system is provided for processing matrices of data on an accelerted basis by iterative procedures that significantly reduce the number of steps required to access, move and computationally process the data, achieving significant improvements in operational efficiency. Such acceleration is applicable to, and useful in conjunction with assembly of the data, in performing both spatial filtration and temporal filtration (24) of the assembled data, and in processing the data, once acquired. In general, this is accomplished through optimization of the procedures (i.e. routines) used to handle the data so that significant increases in signal-to-noise ratio and overall processing speed are achieved. Such optimization is accomplished by replacing procedurally intensive routines (in terms of memory movements and computational steps) with more efficient routines for achieving a similar result.

The present invention relates generally to the processing of data matrices of various kinds, including the processing of data matrices to perform any of a variety of practical applications.
To implement any of a variety of practical applications, matrices of assembled data must be processed on an ongoing basis. For the purpose of the discussion which is to follow, a data-receiving "matrix" is defined to include any established array for receiving data input from an appropriate source, either for storage in memory or for further processing. Primarily, the improvements of the present invention will be discussed in conjunction with the processing of video images in matrix form. However, it is to be understood that other matrices that are similarly handled will equally benefit from, and should be considered part of the improvements of the present invention.
In assembling such images, signals are conventionally derived from an appropriate transducer (e.g., a CCD, infrared or other camera) and the acquired images are converted to matrices of data which are generally defined as a regular array of points or elements (i.e., pixels). Some form of processing is then required to display the acquired images in a format that is useful to a particular endeavor. Traditionally, this requires significant amounts of memory, to store the acquired images so that they can be processed, as well as a significant amount of processing (including accessing, moving and manipulating the data), to yield perceptible images useful in conveying the information that is desired. As an example, an image displayed on a relatively basic black-and-white monitor can be represented as a matrix consisting of 10,240 (128.times.80) pixels, where each pixel can exhibit one of 256 available brightness levels. Additional complexity can result when using larger matrices, or an increased number of brightness levels (or representations of color).
An intrinsic part of images acquired with available equipment is a certain degree of "noise" (i.e., a spurious signal in the image being processed). As the intensity (brightness) of an image diminishes, such noise can take on significance relative to the useful image to be acquired. The sensitivity of the resulting system, i.e., its ability to differentiate between signal and noise, therefore becomes an important and often limiting factor. A variety of steps have therefore been taken to increase the sensitivity of available image acquisition systems by increasing the ratio of the received signal to the background noise (i.e., the signal-to-noise ratio). The result is an improved image, for purposes of analysis and display, but usually at the cost of capacity (either memory and/or time).
To improve sensitivity, it is common practice to digitally process the images that are acquired, to improve their signal-to-noise ratio. This is accomplished by performing various mathematical operations on each pixel of each acquired image. Generally speaking, two such methods are employed including spatial filtration and temporal filtration. Spatial filtration is accomplished by replacing each pixel with a mean value derived from a selected number of adjacent (nearest) elements of the defined matrix. Temporal filtration is accomplished by replacing each pixel with a time average derived for a given pixel (with the same coordinates). In either case, the averaging that is performed operates to preserve data and reduce the effects of noise, increasing the system's signal-to-noise ratio, and accordingly, increasing the system's sensitivity.
However, as previously indicated, such processing is subject to limitation in terms of memory (including both storage and movements of the acquired data) and the amount of time that is required to perform the averaging that is necessary (including a variety of mathematical operations). As the number of sampling points (N) increases, in order to increase the sensitivity of the system, the number of processing steps required to access, move and computationally process the data rapidly becomes prohibitive. Often, this constitutes a limiting factor in the processing of such matrices of data.
For this reason, and as practical applications became more and more demanding, the systems developed to accommodate such data became correspondingly complex, both in terms of their size and their dedicated processing capabilities. This has proceeded to the extent that present demands can often limit desirable applications to all but the most complex, and therefore expensive, of apparatus. The alternative was often a sacrifice in either speed or sensitivity, and at times in both. As a result, many applications became prohibitive in terms of equipment and cost, limiting their potential for broad-based use. In some cases, this even prevented potentially useful applications from being implemented on any reasonable scale. It therefore remained to devise a system less subject to such limitations.

Apparatus and method for accelerating the processing of data matrices


A pressure indicating structure comprising (1) a translucent or transparent sheet including reflective structure defining at least a portion of a second surface of that sheet for reflecting back through a first opposite surface of the sheet light entering the sheet through its first surface, that reflective structure comprising a multiplicity of peak portions and recessed portions having recessed surface portions of the second surface that define recesses from the peak portions; and (2) a deformable layer comprising pressure sensitive adhesive having a major surface along the second surface of the sheet over the peak portions of the reflective structure. A predetermined pressure between the first surface of the sheet and the surface of the deformable material opposite the reflective structure can deform the pressure sensitive adhesive into the recesses to wet part or all of the recessed surface portions of the reflective structure thereby causing light to pass through the second surface along the wetted recessed surface portions instead of being reflected, which is visually observable to indicate that the predetermined pressure has been applied.

There are many situations in which it is useful to know whether or not a predetermined amount of pressure has been applied to a surface. One such situation is when a base plate of a structure adapted to support an item such as a hook, a soap dish, or a basket is to be adhered to a surface by a layer of stretch release pressure sensitive adhesive. The layer of stretch release pressure sensitive adhesive can firmly adhere a surface of the base plate to a surface (typically a vertical surface), and after the item is no longer needed, can be stretched from between the base plate and that surface to release its adhesion to the base plate and that surface. Several assemblies including such structures are commercially available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn., including an assembly commercially designated "Command™ Adhesive large hook #17003". It is important in adhering such a structure to a surface that a suitable amount of pressure is applied for a suitable amount of time to press the adhesive against the surface to which the structure is to be adhered (e.g., at least about 10 pounds per square inch of pressure or 0.7 kilograms per square centimeter should be applied for a few seconds) so that the adhesive will completely wet out that surface together with a surface of the base plate that will typically be wet out at a somewhat lower pressure (i.e., the surface to which the structure is to be adhered typically is rougher and harder to wet than the surface of the base plate). If the adhesive does not fully wet out the surface to which the structure is to be adhered, the bond strength of the adhesive with that surface can be reduced by over 50 percent. Persons applying the pressure typically do so for an adequate amount of time (i.e., about 5 to 10 seconds), however, adequate pressure is sometimes not applied. This is particularly so on base plates that are adapted to support large items such as jumbo hooks, which base plates have large surface areas that must be adhered to the surface by a large area of pressure sensitive adhesive (e.g., 4 square inches of adhesive) that requires a large application force (e.g., over about 40 pounds) to wet out that surface so that the full bond strength of the pressure sensitive adhesive can be developed. The pressure required to develop full bond strength of that large area of pressure sensitive adhesive can be applied by sequentially pressing on top, bottom and side portions of the base plate, however, the person applying such pressure is never quite sure that enough pressure has been applied to each of those portions. For example, the bottom and side portions may have had a sufficient amount of pressure applied, but insufficient pressure may have been applied to the top portion.
Another situation in which it is useful to know whether or not at least a predetermined amount of pressure or force has been applied to a surface is when an object is being shipped by commercial carrier, and the application of pressure or force above a predetermined amount during shipment could cause damage to that object.


A Rangefinder capable of long and short distance measurement in company with compass measurement. The rangefinder includes distance measurement unit, a compass sensing unit and a processor. The rangefinder can selectively execute a comparison mode or a gain mode. The comparison mode is executed during short-distance measurement and the gain mode is executed during long-distance measurement. The compass measurement unit senses a terrestrial magnetism to obtain first and second magnetic sensing signals. The processor estimates a distance between the target and the rangefinder according to the measurement signal from the distance measurement unit and determines a compass orientation of the target according to the first and second magnetic sensing signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rangefinder, and more particularly, to a rangefinder capable of both short-distance, long-distance, and compass measurements, and measuring method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional pulse laser rangefinders, noise of current is produced while processing the measurement. After converting the noise of current to time domain, the noise of current usually results 7˜10 meters error or so from the incorrect measurement of rangefinders such that noise and true signals cannot be differentiated within 10 meters. To solve this problem, small signal noise can be eliminated using a high reference voltage level provided by a single comparator. However, this method also eliminates the small signal pulse needed for long-distance measurement, hence a distant target cannot be measured. Further, users usually be interested in obtaining other measurement parameters, such as compass orientation or others when measuring the distance between the target and the rangefinder.


The invention relates to benzoquinone ansamycin analogs useful for the treatment of cancer and other diseases or conditions characterized by undesired cellular proliferation or hyperproliferation. Therapies involving the administration of such benzoquinone ansamycin analogs, optionally in combination with an inhibitor of an HSP90 client protein, are useful to treat cancer and non-cancerous disease conditions.

The clinical utility of many potential anti-cancer compounds is limited by undesired toxicity against non-target cells. Undesired toxicity in a drug is typically due to a lack of specificity, either in target tissue or in mechanism of action. If the drug target is present in normal as well as diseased tissues, then normal tissue as well as diseased tissue may be affected by the drug. The drug may also have multiple mechanisms of toxicity, one specific for diseased cells and the other non-specific. In either instance, there is often a dose-dependent difference in the actions of drugs against normal and diseased tissues, with the effects on diseased tissues being observed at lower concentrations than the effects on normal tissues. A major task of anti-cancer therapy is thus to determine the dosage at which the drug is therapeutically effective with minimal effects on normal tissues.
Phase I clinical trials are typically used to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of a potential anti-cancer compound, i.e., the maximum dose that can be safely administered without incurring toxicity. The difference between the MTD and the therapeutically effective dose is known as the therapeutic window. For a large number of anti-cancer agents, the MTD is very close to the therapeutically effective dose, i.e., the therapeutic window is very small. The MTD may even be lower than the therapeutically effective dose, making the agent unusable in the clinic.
Clinical anti-cancer therapy often involves attempting to achieve a delicate balance between effectiveness and undesired toxicity. Agents which synergize the action of a drug against diseased tissues while not affecting the toxicity against normal tissues could allow the effective use of doses of drug well below the MTD, thus increasing the therapeutic window and enhancing the safety and effectiveness of the therapy.
Geldanamycin (FIG. 1) is a benzoquinone ansamycin polyketide isolated from Streptomyces geldanus. Although originally discovered by screening microbial extracts for antibacterial and antiviral activity, geldanamycin was later found to be cytotoxic to certain tumor cells in vitro and to reverse the morphology of cells transformed by the Rous sarcoma virus to a normal state.
Geldanamycin's nanomolar potency and apparent specificity for aberrant protein kinase dependent tumor cells, as well as the discovery that its primary target in mammalian cells is the ubiquitous Hsp90 protein chaperone, has stimulated interest in the development of this anti-cancer drug. However, the association of hepatotoxicity with the administration of geldanamycin led to its withdrawal from Phase I clinical trials. As with several other promising anticancer agents, geldanamycin also has poor water solubility that makes it difficult to deliver in therapeutically effective doses.
More recently, attention has focused on 17-amino derivatives of geldanamycin, in particular 17-(allylamino)-17-desmethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG; FIG. 1), that show reduced hepatotoxicity while maintaining Hsp90 binding. Certain 17-amino derivatives of geldanamycin, 11-oxogeldanamycin, and 5,6-dihydrogeldanamycin, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,261,989; 5,387,584; and 5,932,566, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Like geldanamycin, 17-AAG has limited aqueous solubility. This property requires the use of a solubilizing carrier, most commonly Cremophore® (BASF Aktiengesellschaft), a polyethoxylated castor oil which can result in serious side reactions in some patients.
Treatment of cancer cells with geldanamycin or 17-AAG causes a retinoblastoma protein-dependent G1 block, mediated by down-regulation of the induction pathways for cyclin D-cyclin dependent cdk4 and cdk6 protein kinase activity. Cell cycle arrest is followed by differentiation and apoptosis. G1 progression is unaffected by geldanamycin or 17-AAG in cells with mutated retinoblastoma protein; these cells undergo cell cycle arrest after mitosis, again followed by apoptosis.
The mechanism of action of benzoquinone ansamycins appears to be via binding to Hsp90 and subsequent degradation of Hsp90-associated client proteins. Among the most sensitive client protein targets of the benzoquinone ansamycins are the Her kinases (also known as ErbB), Raf, Met tyrosine kinase, and the steroid receptors. Hsp90 is also involved in the cellular response to stress, including heat, radiation, and toxins. Certain benzoquinone ansamycins, such as 17-AAG, have thus been studied to determine their interaction with cytotoxins that do not target Hsp90 client proteins.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,245,759; 6,306,874; and 6,313,138, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, disclose compositions comprising certain tyrosine kinase inhibitors together with 17-AAG and methods for treating cancer with such compositions. Münster et al., "Modulation of Hsp90 function by ansamycins sensitizes breast cancer cells to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in an RB- and schedule-dependent manner," Clinical Cancer Research (2001) 7: 2228-2236, discloses that 17-AAG sensitizes cells in culture to the cytotoxic effects of paclitaxel and doxorubicin. The Münster reference further discloses that the sensitization towards paclitaxel by 17-AAG is schedule-dependent in retinoblastoma protein-producing cells due to the action of these two drugs at different stages of the cell cycle: treatment of cells with a combination of paclitaxel and 17-AAG is reported to give synergistic apoptosis, while pretreatment of cells with 17-AAG followed by treatment with paclitaxel is reported to result in abrogation of apoptosis. Treatment of cells with paclitaxel followed by treatment with 17-AAG 4 hours later is reported to show a synergistic effect similar to coincident treatment.
Citri et al., "Drug-induced ubiquitylation and degradation of ErbB receptor tyrosine kinases: implications for cancer chemotherapy," EMBO Journal (2002) 21: 2407-2417, discloses an additive effect upon co-administration of geldanamycin and an irreversible protein kinase inhibitor, CI-1033, on growth of ErbB2-expressing cancer cells in vitro. In contrast, an antagonistic effect of CI-1033 and an anti-ErbB2 antibody, Herceptin, is disclosed.
Thus, while there has been a great deal of research interest in the benzoquinone ansamycins, particularly geldanamycin and 17-AAG, there remains a need for effective therapeutic regimens to treat cancer or other diseases or conditions characterized by undesired cellular hyperproliferation using such compounds, whether alone or in combination with other agents. If water-soluble benzoquinone ansamycins were available, such compounds might be more readily formulated and more effective in clinical treatment without dangerous hepatotoxicity. If effective therapeutic treatment regimens were available for administering the benzoquinone ansamycins with other proven anti-cancer compounds, there could be new and more effective means of treating cancer. If the potential of using a benzoquinone ansamycin to lower the effective dose of another anti-cancer agent could be realized, then not only could less expensive therapies be made available (since less drug would need to be administered) but also, and more importantly, one could use drugs that have previously not been useful in chemotherapy due to their narrow therapeutic window. Thus, there is an unmet need for synergists of anti-cancer compounds that allow for administration of doses significantly below the maximum tolerated dose while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness, along with appropriate dosing schedules for combination therapy. The present invention meets such needs in that it provides novel benzoquinone ansamycins and provides methods for using these novel compounds as well as known compounds in single-agent and combination therapies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases or conditions characterized by undesired cellular hyperproliferation.


A magnetic motion sensor has: two magnetic sensors aligned in a direction along which changes in a magnetic field shift for detecting an appearance of the changes; a differential means for taking out a differential signal of output signals from these two magnetic sensors; and a timing detection means for generating a pulse, indicating a timing at which the changes in a magnetic field pass through either of the magnetic sensors, when an output signal of the magnetic sensor in question strides over a threshold value, while generating a pulse, indicating a timing at which the changes in a magnetic field pass through in between the magnetic sensors, when the differential signal strides over the threshold value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic motion sensor used as a rotation sensor in combination with a rotor and, more particularly, to a magnetic motion sensor with enhanced reliability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a noncontact rotation sensor to detect rotation of a rotor is known in which a change in magnetic field generated when a magnetic material rotates together with the rotor is detected by a magnetic sensor to output a pulse signal relating to the rotation.
Rotation sensors as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 are used to detect a rotation of tire in ABS (=antilock brake system), which is a brake control system for automobiles.
The rotation sensor as shown in FIG. 19 is constructed such that a gear (rotor) 201 made of a magnetic material is attached to a rotating shaft (no shown) of tires, and a Hall IC 203 with a Hall element 202 mounted thereon is disposed radially outside of the rotor 201 wherein the Hall IC 203 is disposed such that the single-sided Hall element 202 is opposed to each tooth of the rotor 201 (rotor tooth 204), and a magnet 205 (hereinafter referred to as "back magnet") is disposed on the opposite side of the Hall IC 203.
A magnetic flux formed in a direction from the back magnet 205 to the rotor 201 passes densely through the Hall element 202 when the Hall IC is right in front of a rotor tooth 204. It disperses when the Hall IC 203 is faced to a valley between rotor teeth. Thereby, the Hall element 202 can detect strong and weak changes in a magnetic field. The Hall IC 203 converts the changes in the magnetic field (output signals of the Hall element) into pulses being binary signals in a circuit inside the Hall IC to output the signals. When a passage speed of rotor teeth is detected from widths or cycles of these pulses, a turning angle velocity or number of rotations of the rotating shaft can be determined.
The rotation sensor as shown in FIG. 20 is constructed such that a rotation disk (rotor) 212 with plural magnets 211 each of which has a polarity alternated is attached to a rotating shaft of tires, and a Hall IC 214 with a Hall element 213 is opposed to the rotor 212. The Hall IC 214 is disposed such that the single-sided Hall element 213 is opposed to magnets (hereinafter conveniently referred to as "rotor teeth") 211. When the Hall IC 214 is right in front of the rotor teeth, a magnetic flux from the rotor teeth passes through the Hall element 213, while when the Hall IC 214 is right in front of an area between teeth, the magnetic flux from the rotor teeth 211 does not pass through the Hall element 213, so that magnetic field change signals are obtained from the Hall element as in the case of the rotation sensor of FIG. 19, whereby outputs of pulses can be taken out from the Hall IC.
According to the art disclosed in Japanese Patent. Application Laid-Open No. 7-209311, three Hall elements facing to a rotor are aligned, magnetic field change wave forms wherein phases thereof deviate from the respective Hall elements are detected, and binary signals obtained from the respective magnetic field change wave forms are synthesized, whereby pulses each having a short period of time are obtained even in case of a low speed rotation.
Incidentally, in case of manufacturing the rotation sensor of FIG. 19, the Hall IC is provided as a part prepared by incorporating the Hall element, the back magnet, and a circuit with each other, while the rotor is provided as an assembly of a bearing called usually a hub, and a combination of the Hall IC with the rotor is completed in an assembly line of the hub for the first time. In case of the rotation sensor of FIG. 20 also, the Hall IC and the rotor are provided as separate parts, and a combination of them is completed in an assembly line of a hub for the first time. Moreover, the hub is assembled with respect to a rotation shaft of tires in an automobile assembly line.
In the present specification, a part of the Hall IC among these rotation sensors is treated as a magnetic motion sensor for detecting changes in a magnetic field appearing as a result of spatial movement.
The rotation sensors of the prior art involves the following problems.
(1) In rotor teeth, there are dispersions in dimensions (height, circumferential width, thickness, pitch) dependent upon its forming accuracy. For this reason, outputs of pulses from a Hall IC involve dispersions in a pulse width and a pulse cycle even when a rotor rotates at a constant speed. Hence, a passage speed of an individual rotor tooth cannot be detected with a high degree of accuracy.
(2) Irrespective of a rotating direction of a rotor, the Hall IC outputs pulses in common with both the directions, and thus, its real rotating direction cannot be detected.
(3) Although the Hall IC detects a magnitude of a magnetic field, such magnitude of a magnetic filed depends on a size of a gap between a rotor tooth and the Hall IC. Accordingly, there is a case where changes in a magnetic field cannot be detected dependent on a size of the gap by means of rotor teeth. In this respect, however, there is no effective means for judging the fact that the gap has a suitable size at the time of installing the Hall IC.
(4) In the manner of FIG. 19, there are differences among intensities in a magnetic field detected by the Hall IC dependent upon differences in installing positions or characteristics of a magnet. In this respect, however, there is no means for determining differences in intensities of the magnetic field at the time of installing the magnet.
(5) As to a pulse width of pulses output from the Hall IC, binarization is made by applying a threshold value to an intensity of a magnetic field detected by the Hall IC, so that it depends on a size of a gap between a rotor tooth and the Hall IC. In other words, even if a rotational velocity exhibits the same value, there is a case where a pulse width becomes narrow or wide dependent upon an installed position of the Hall IC. It makes a processing for rotating velocity and accelerated velocity in a device in the subsequent stage by which outputs from the Hall IC are received difficult.
(6) Concerning not only automobiles, but also objects to which a detection of rotation is applied, there is a case where noises due to electromagnetic factors (ignition, motor driving and the like) or mechanical factors (blurring in a gap) arise. A detection of rotation or a communication with superior machinery is adversely affected by these noises.
(7) When output signals from the Hall element are simply binarized, pulse strings similar to a concavo-convex profile of the rotor teeth are obtained. However, a pulse width or a pulse interval becomes broadened in case of a comparatively low-speed rotation, so that a waiting time for detecting rotations in the subsequent device is lengthened. Moreover, in either a case of a remarkably low-speed rotation or a case of stopping rotation, no pulse is obtained, and in such case, it cannot be discriminated even whether the Hall element is active or inactive in the subsequent device.
In addition, a part of the Hall IC (magnetic motion sensor) is provided as a separate part from a rotor as mentioned above, so that it is difficult to decide that where is a cause for the above enumerated problems and failures accompanied therewith in an assembled rotation sensor. As a result, a reliability of a rotation sensor cannot be assured.


A battery capable of improving cycle characteristics is provided. An anode contains Si as an element. Where the Li insertion amount per unit area when the anode is fully charged is A, the Li amount capable of being electronically inserted per unit area of the anode is B, and the maximum utilization ratio C % is (A/B)×100, the maximum utilization ratio C % is in the range from 35% to 85%. The surface roughness Ra value of the anode current collector is 0.2 μm or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery having an anode active material layer containing silicon (Si) as an element.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as mobile devices have been sophisticated and multi-functionalized, a higher capacity of secondary batteries as a power source for the mobile devices has been demanded. As a secondary battery to meet such a demand, there are a lithium ion secondary batteries. In the lithium ion secondary batteries currently in practical use, graphite is used for the anode. Therefore, the battery capacity thereof is in a saturated state, and attaining a greatly high capacity thereof is difficult. Therefore, it has been considered to use silicon or the like for the anode. In these years, forming an anode active material layer on an anode current collector by vapor-phase deposition method or the like has been reported (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. H08-50922 and H11-135115, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2948205). Since silicon or the like is largely expanded and shrunk due to charge and discharge, lowering of the cycle characteristics due to pulverization of silicon has been a disadvantage. However, by using vapor-phase deposition method or the like, pulverization can be prevented, and the anode current collector and the anode active material layer can be integrated. Therefore, electron conductivity in the anode becomes greatly favorable, and attaining high performance both in the capacity and the cycle life is expected.


Methods and systems for applying material onto a work piece. In one described method, path storing path data for a predetermined path for applying a material to a work piece is stored in an electronic database. Length data length data for the length of the material to applied to the work piece is stored in an electronic database. A controller determines when to cut the material. Using a material applicator apparatus, the material is applied to the work piece along the predetermined path. Using a cutting component in the material applicator apparatus, the material is cut.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of sealing, adhesives, and applying structural enhancements. In one specific aspect, the invention relates to the field of applying tape onto a work piece using a robot and software.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the art to employ mastics, foams and expandable materials for sealing cavities and joints between components, such as metal, glass, plastic, and composites. Examples of metal components comprise metal panels such as those used in metal buildings, roofing, pipelines, aircraft, medical instruments, marine, non-automotive equipment and vehicles such as tractors, tractor trailers, golf cars, construction equipment, recreational vehicles, etc, and automotive components, among other applications wherein robot assembly is desirable. In the case of automotive components, metal is typically stamped into a desired configuration and the joint between the stamped metal components, or over/under the metal seam, is sealed (e.g., to control wind, dust, noise, water intrusion, metal bonding, structural reinforcement, and function as an adhesion promoter).
In a typical manufacturing operation, a worker seals (including adding an adhesive, or a structural material or sound abatement material) a work piece (e.g., stamped automotive part) by applying tape onto the work piece. The worker is required to maneuver the tape (e.g., a sealant) along a linear or non-linear path, and to apply sufficient pressure on the tape in order to adhere the tape to the work piece. The work piece can have contours which can complicate the tape application. This requires a significant amount of manual dexterity on the part of the worker at various stages, laying down the tape and applying appropriate pressure to the tape in order to ensure that the tape will be fastened securely and function adequately. In addition, when applying two-sided adhesive tape, it is important to cut the tape cleanly and to avoid the paper or backing from sticking to the adhesive after the tape has been cut.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to reduce the time required to perform these taping operations while retaining, or improving the level of precision of a skilled worker. In addition, it would be advantagous to provide a method of applying tape that is uniform, predictable and reproducible, using an apparatus which is cost-effective. U.S. patent application Ser. No. U.S. 2002/0124967A1 (published Sep. 12, 2002) discloses an applicator and method for applying two-sided adhesive tape between two work pieces; the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Systems and methods for a robotic tape applicator


A frequency-stabilized laser source that is adapted for use as a frequency standard. The frequency of the laser source is locked and the laser beam delivered by the laser source on a transition of an absorber chemical element. The technique combines both operation with saturated absorption and synchronous detection, based on modulating said transition being saturated by the beam passing through the absorber chemical element. This produces a single frequency laser beam whose output frequency is stationary. The frequency is not continuously modulated and is more precise than that which would be obtained operating with single-pass absorption only. The laser source is thus adapted for making a frequency standard.

The present invention relates to a frequency-stabilized laser source using a solid state laser adapted to be used as a frequency standard, in particular in the field of telecommunications.
The very rapid expansion of local telecommunications networks of the local area network (LAN) type, and of greater-distance telecommunications networks of the wide area network (WAN) type is leading to an ever-increasing requirement for bandwidth. In order to satisfy this requirement for bandwidth in telecommunications networks, one technique that is commonly implemented at present lies in developing networks that are wavelength division multiplexed (WDM). With such wavelength division multiplexing, a plurality of signals (or channels) are transported simultaneously in a single optical fiber, but at different wavelengths.
Multichannel light transmission (WDM) raises two major difficulties. The first lies in creating and extracting each channel at reasonable cost without losing information. The second difficulty is associated with optically amplifying all of the channels without distortion and/or loss of information. These difficulties increase with an increase in the number of channels used.
A first technique commonly implemented for selecting channels (multiplexing or demultiplexing) is a passive frequency-filtering method based on using Bragg gratings. At present, although Bragg grating technology is quite well mastered, and of reasonable cost, certain physical limitations (long-term stability in Bragg wavelength, sensitivity to external media, in particular temperature, . . . ) are leading to several problems, particularly when channel density becomes high.
A second technique that can be used for avoiding problems associated with using Bragg gratings is a method in which information is processed actively, based on heterodyne detection. However, implementing that method to discriminate precisely between channels requires frequency standards to be available in the form of longitudinal monomode laser sources having very high spectral purity, small size, and suitable for being integrated in telecommunications racks, which sources must be accurately stabilized in frequency, must emit at frequencies that are known with precision, and must be located on the various different sites of the telecommunications network (both for transmission and for reception). In practice, given the wavelengths presently used in the field of telecommunications, these standard laser sources must enable a coherent light beam to be emitted at a wavelength of 1.56 micrometers (μm). The greater the precision of the standard source, the closer the wavelengths of the various channels can be to one another, thus making it possible to increase overall bandwidth significantly.
At present, in the field of telecommunications by optical fibers, the laser sources most commonly used use a laser of the semiconductor type as means for emitting the light beam, and more particularly they use a laser diode. A very wide range of laser diodes can be found on the market. The advantages of such diodes are their simplicity of use and their compactness. In contrast, a drawback of such laser diodes is the poor definition of their emission wavelength (wavelength fluctuates over time under the influence of external parameters such as temperature, mechanical deformation, aging, . . . ).
Proposals have also recently been made for a laser source to be provided using a solid state erbium-ytterbium laser stabilized in frequency at about 1.5 μm. That laser source is described in the article entitled:
"Frequency stabilization of a novel 1.5 Er-Yb bulk laser to a 39K sub-Doppler line at 770.1 nm" by Sveltco et al., published in IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, April 2001, IEEE, USA, Vol. 37, No. 4, pp. 505–510.
Frequency stabilization of the laser source as described in that article is implemented by locking the frequency of the laser beam on a transition T of an absorber chemical element (specifically rubidium). More precisely, it is recommended to perform such lock by implementing synchronous detection based on frequency modulation of the laser beam delivered by the solid state laser (see paragraph V.: "Wavelength-modulation spectroscopy and frequency-locking experiment"). As a result, the frequency of the laser beam delivered by the solid state laser oscillates continuously and is therefore not accurately stationary. Although the laser source described is indeed frequency stabilized, it is nevertheless not adapted to constituting a frequency standard because of the continuous fluctuation in its frequency.
In the field of solid state lasers, the main object of the present invention is to propose a novel frequency-stabilized laser source that is adapted for use as a frequency standard.
Another object of the invention is to propose a novel frequency-stabilized laser source that is adapted for use as a frequency standard in the field of telecommunications.
Another object of the invention is to propose a novel frequency-stabilized laser source that enables transverse monomode radiation to be emitted so as to facilitate coupling the electromagnetic waves with optical fibers and planar waveguides.
Another object of the invention is to propose a novel frequency-stabilized laser source that enables longitudinal monomode radiation to be emitted and good spectral fineness to be obtained.
The solution of the invention consists in providing a laser source that combines the technical characteristics of claim 1. The solution of the invention is thus based on locking the frequency of the laser beam delivered by a solid state laser on a transition of an absorber chemical element, which lock advantageously combines both operation with saturated absorption (said transition being saturated by the beam passing through the absorber chemical element) and synchronous detection based on modulating said saturated transition. This produces a single frequency laser beam whose output frequency is stationary compared with that of the above-mentioned laser source of Sveltco et al., i.e. its frequency is not continuously modulated, and its frequency is much more precise than that which would be obtained operating with single-pass absorption only. The laser source is thus perfectly adapted for making a frequency standard.

Frequency-stabilized laser source adapted for use as a frequency standard, in particular in the field of telecommunications

Universite des Sciences et Technologies de Lille


An apparatus (10) includes a latch mechanism (26) that releasably interlocks with a seat belt tongue (16), and further includes a safety apparatus (50) for the latch mechanism (26). The latch mechanism (26) includes a pushbutton (24) which is movable manually from a rest position to a release position. The safety apparatus (50) includes a retarder device (52) that is switchable into and out of an actuated condition in which the retarder device (52) resists movement of the pushbutton (24) during movement of the pushbutton (24) to the release position.

A seat belt system for restraining a vehicle occupant typically includes seat belt webbing, a seat belt locking tongue on the webbing, and a seat belt buckle. The tongue on the webbing is inserted in the buckle when the webbing has been placed about a vehicle occupant. A latch mechanism in the buckle interlocks with the tongue to secure the webbing about the occupant. The latch mechanism includes a pushbutton for releasing the tongue from the buckle. It may be possible for a small child to depress the pushbutton to release the tongue from the buckle without the assistance of an adult.

Child safety apparatus for a seat belt buckle


A head carriage device for use in a disk recording/reproducing unit of the type in which a head mounted on a head carriage is positionable to read or write data on a recording medium accommodated in a disk case which is placed into the unit at a recording/reproducing position thereof. The head carriage device includes an arm on which a first head is mounted, the first head being positionable on top of the recording medium, a head carriage on which a second head is mounted such that the second head is positionable on bottom of the recording medium, the first and second heads being opposed to each other and being formed such that a height of the first head above the recording medium is different from a height of the second head below the recording medium, thereby reducing a height of the disk recording/reproducing unit in which the head carriage device is installed.

The present invention generally relates to a head carriage device, and more particularly to a head carriage device for use in a disk recording/reproducing unit, which provides greater flexibility to the design of a thin-type, small-sized disk recording/reproducing unit.
In a disk recording/reproducing unit which uses a flexible disk as a recording medium, a magnetic head mounted on a head carriage device is arranged such that the magnetic head is slidably movable in a radial direction of the flexible disk and positionable to read or write data on the flexible disk. An example of a dual side recording type head carriage device is shown in FIGS.8 and 9. This head carriage device 10 is mounted within a disk recording/reproducing unit which uses as the recording medium a 3.5-inch flexible disk accommodated in a disk case with head access windows formed therein. The head carriage device 10 generally has a carriage member 11 and an arm 12 and can be moved relative to the disk recording/reproducing unit by means of a drive means (not shown) in a direction as indicated by an arrow A.sub.1 -A.sub.2 in FIG. 8. The head drive part may be, for example, a steel belt connected to a drive motor provided in the disk drive unit.
The arm 12 is connected to the carriage member 11 by a flexible member 12a, this flexible member 12a resiliently biasing the arm 12 so that the arm is movable or rotatable in a direction as indicated by an arrow B.sub.1 -B.sub.2 in FIG. 8. An upper magnetic head 13 is mounted on bottom of the arm 12 and a lower magnetic head 14 is mounted on top of the carriage member 11. These magnetic heads 13, 14 are arranged at end portions of the arm 12 and the carriage member 11 in the direction A.sub.1 such that the two heads 13, 14 are opposed to each other when a disk case 15 in which a flexible disk 16 is accommodated is inserted into the disk recording/reproducing unit. The disk case 15 has disk access windows 15a formed in top and bottom surfaces of the disk case 15, respectively. The magnetic heads 13, 14 during operation are placed onto the flexible disk 16 through the disk access windows 15a so that the magnetic heads 13, 14 slidably contact the top and bottom surfaces of the flexible disk 16 to read or write data.
Conventionally, the magnetic heads 13, 14 which are opposed to each other in the head carriage device 10 are formed with the same size and shape, and a height of the magnetic head 13 from a top surface of the flexible disk 16 to the arm 12, as indicated by a letter H in FIG. 8, which is also called a slider height, is substantially equal to a height of the magnetic head 14 from the carrier member 11 to a bottom surface of the disk 16, as indicated by a letter H in FIG. 8. In recent years, there is the demand for small-sized personal computers in which a disk recording/reproducing unit is installed, and a thin-type, small-sized disk recording/reproducing unit is desired by manufacturers for the use in personal computers.
In the conventional head carriage device 10, the magnetic heads 13, 14 are formed with the same height, and therefore a predetermined height of each of the magnetic heads 13, 14 is required for making the magnetic heads positionable to read or write data on the flexible disk 16 accommodated in the disk case 15. For example, the disk case 15 for use in the conventional head carriage device 10 is 3.3+/-0.2 mm thick, and therefore the minimum heights of the magnetic heads 13, 14 in total must be greater than 3.5 mm. Moreover, a clearance in vertical direction between the carriage member 11 and the disk case 15 and a clearance in vertical direction between the arm 12 and the disk case 15 are needed, and therefore the actual height of each of the magnetic heads 13, 14 used for the head carriage device is usually between 2.5 mm and 2.7 mm.
On the other hand, in the head carriage device, the arm 12 is arranged such that it is movable or rotatable relative to the carriage member 11 in a direction as indicated by an arrow B.sub.1 in FIG. 8 by means of a suitable moving mechanism (not shown). When the disk case 15 is inserted into or demounted from the disk recording/reproducing unit, the arm 12 must be moved upwardly for preventing the magnetic heads 13, 14 from interfering with the disk case 15. In a case where the magnetic heads 13, 14 have a predetermined height, it is necessary to move the arm 12 upwardly from the carriage member 11 so that the magnetic heads 13, 14 are safely released from the positions thereof where the magnetic heads 13, 14 slidably contact the flexible disk 16 through the disk access windows 15a of the disk case 15. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the disk recording/reproducing unit in which the above mentioned head carriage device requiring such an arm movement space at an upper location is provided has an unnecessarily great height and becomes bulky, the arm movement space allowing the arm 12 to move upwardly as described above.
Moreover, because the magnetic heads 13, 14 in the conventional head carriage device have the same height from the flexible disk 16, the location of the head carriage device 10 to be arranged in the disk recording/reproducing unit is restricted. A feasible design of the disk recording/reproducing unit which is located in the vicinity of the head carriage device is limited, and there is no flexibility in selecting the design owing to the specified height of the magnetic heads.


In repeated processes (steps 201 to 213) of lot processing, an analytical apparatus detects abnormality of overlay, that is, deterioration of overlay accuracy in step 211 and optimizes an apparatus parameter of an exposure apparatus so that the abnormality is solved (so that the overlay accuracy is improved), and then the optimization result is promptly reflected in the exposure apparatus and a measurement/inspection instrument. Since such optimization is performed without stopping the lot processing, the productivity of devices is not lowered.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to overlay management methods and apparatuses, processing apparatuses, measurement apparatuses and exposure apparatuses, device manufacturing systems and device manufacturing methods, and programs and information recording media, and more particularly, to a an overlay management method and an overlay management apparatus that manage overlay of patterns that are formed by transfer so as to be overlaid on an object, a processing apparatus, the measurement apparatus and the exposure apparatus that are equipped with the overlay management apparatus, a device manufacturing system that is equipped with the overlay management apparatus and a device manufacturing method that uses the overlay management method, and a program that makes a computer execute the overlay management method and an information recording medium that records the program.
2. Description of the Background Art
In manufacturing processes of electronic devices (microdevices) such as semiconductor devices and liquid crystal display devices, circuit patterns on a reticle (a mask) are transferred so as to be overlaid to each of a plurality of areas on a semiconductor substrate (a wafer) or a liquid crystal substrate (a glass plate). On this operation, in order to accurately overlay the device patterns with each area on the substrate, images of the device patterns to be transferred and the substrate need to be positioned with high accuracy. Therefore, positioning of a wafer before exposure, which is a so-called wafer alignment, is conventionally performed (e.g. refer to Kokai (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications) No. 61-044429).
In the wafer alignment, for example, wafer marks arranged with each of a plurality of areas that have already been formed on the substrate are photoelectrically detected, and positional information of the marks are detected using a predetermined waveform processing algorithm based on detected mark waveform. Then, based on the detection result of the positional information, a pattern arrangement on the substrate is obtained by a statistical computation, and the pattern positions that are estimated from the pattern arrangement are assumed to be the overlay transfer positions of new patterns. In the wafer alignment, various types of waveform detection processing and computation processing are performed under the processing parameters that set the various types of processing, which are from the measurement of the wafer marks on the substrate up to the computation of the overlay transfer positions of patterns.
In the various types of processing, if the setting value of the processing parameter is not appropriately set, lowering of overlay accuracy is induced as a consequence, and therefore, the setting value of the processing parameter is changed when necessary. In conventional methods, each time when the setting value is changed, the manufacturing process of devices is suspended, and overlay error of the patterns (e.g. resist images) formed on the substrate is measured by performing test exposure and development with a test wafer, and whether or not the parameter thereof is appropriately set is confirmed. Such confirmation takes a lot of time and consumes a lot of costs.

Overlay management method and apparatus, processing apparatus, measurement apparatus and exposure apparatus, device manufacturing system and device manufacturing method, and program and information recording medium


A system and method for estimating a location of a vehicle, including, using a processor: measuring, via an inertial sensor attached to a vehicle, at least one of an acceleration or angular velocity of the vehicle; determining, via the processor, in the at least one of the acceleration or the angular velocity a signal signature based on a pattern recognition algorithm, wherein the signal signature is associated with a particular mark located at a particular location; determining, via the processor, that the vehicle is located at the particular location based on the predetermined association between the particular mark and the particular location; and providing, via the processor, the particular location to a human user or to a computerized application.

The need for high-accuracy localization, positioning and mapping solutions in real-time exists in many domains and applications. Current outdoor localization technology typically utilizes a satellite navigation device, also referred to as global navigation satellite system (GNSS) including for example, global positioning system (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou and other satellite navigation systems. Drivers use GNSS systems routinely for localization and navigation. In addition, autonomous vehicle companies integrate localization and/or mapping sensors and algorithms to achieve high-accuracy localization solutions for driver safety.
However, GNSS cannot be used for indoor navigation, localization and/or positioning applications. Indoor navigation, localization and/or positioning applications may include, for example, navigating robots or vehicles in storage warehouses that are used to monitor and provide equipment efficiently, and/or navigating a vehicle in an indoor parking lot. Today, indoor localization is typically performed by applying sensor fusion schemes, where data acquired by many types of sensors is integrated to provide an estimation of the location of the vehicle.
In addition, GNSS may not provide adequate accuracy for some outdoor localization applications as well. For example, localization systems for autonomous vehicles may require higher accuracy than is provided by GNSS. Thus, localization systems for autonomous vehicles may also use sensor fusion to achieve high-accuracy localization solutions.
Sensor fusion for performing indoor navigation, localization and/or position applications typically includes fusing measurements from a camera, LiDAR, and inertial sensors. Camera and/or LiDAR sensors can be expensive. The quality of the data they provide may depend on various physical conditions, such as whether it is day or night, light or dark, and/or whether the camera or LiDAR measurement are taken in an urban canyon. The varying quality of the measurements cameras and LiDAR provide under the various physical conditions can cause data fusion to be inaccurate such that navigation and localization are erroneous. Therefore, it can be desirable to a high-accuracy localization and mapping solution for vehicles, for both indoor and outdoor, under various physical conditions with a reduced cost

System and method for estimating a location of a vehicle using inertial sensors


A semiconductor device has a pair of impurity regions in a semiconductor substrate. A silicon layer is formed on the impurity region. A gate insulating film is formed between the impurity regions. A gate electrode is formed on the gate insulating film. A first silicon nitride film is formed on the gate electrode. A silicon oxide film is formed on a side surface of the gate electrode. A second silicon nitride film is partially formed on the silicon layer and on a side surface of the silicon oxide film. A conductive layer is formed on the silicon layer.

This invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same. More specifically, this invention relates to transistors arranged with high-density by the use of silicon selective growth technique and contact formation technique based on self-alignment, and a method of manufacturing the same.
In order to achieve high-density in the semiconductor device, the recent trend is directed to the miniaturization technique of the devices. For achieving the device with a greater scale of high-density, a mask alignment margin between a contact and an underlayer wiring pattern has been reduced.
As a method of reducing such mask alignment margin, a technique for forming the contact by the use of the self-alignment is exemplified.
In the technique, the underlayer wiring pattern is covered with a silicon nitride film and the contact is opened by etching having a high-etching selective ratio between the silicon oxide film as an interlayer insulating film and the silicon nitride film for protecting the underlayer wiring pattern. Such conventional technique is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. Hei. 9-213949.
Referring now to FIGS. 1A through 1E, the conventional technique will be described below.
At first, a gate oxide film 2 is deposited on a semiconductor substrate 1 as illustrated in FIG. 1A. Thereafter, a polysilicon film 3 and a silicon nitride film 24 are sequentially deposited thereon, and an unnecessary portion is removed by the use of photolithography and anisotropic dry etching. Thereby a gate electrode made of the polysilicon film 3 is formed such that the silicon nitride film 24 is laminated or stacked thereon. Next, a low-concentration impurity region 10 is formed on the semiconductor substrate 1 by using ion implantation.
Successively, a silicon nitride film 5 is deposited on a whole surface, as illustrated in FIG. 1B.
Then the silicon nitride film 5 is partially etched-back by the use of the anisotropic dry-etching such that a sidewall film 6 is left only on a sidewall portion of the gate electrode, as illustrated in FIG. 1C. Thereafter, a high-concentration impurity region 11 is formed by the ion implantation.
Successively, an interlayer insulating film 7 as the silicon oxide film is entirely deposited thereon, and a contact hole 8 is opened by removing an unnecessary portion by the use of the photolithography and the anisotropic dry-etching, as illustrated in FIG. 1D.
In such anisotropic dry-etching, an etching rate of the silicon nitride film is lower than that of the silicon oxide film so that an etching selective ratio becomes higher.
As a consequence, even when an upper opening dimension of the contact hole 8 is larger than a space between the sidewall films 6 of adjacent gate electrodes, the gate electrode is protected by the silicon nitride film 24 and the sidewall film 6 so that the gate electrode is not electrically shorted with a wiring layer 9 which will be formed later.
Next, a conductive film is deposited on the whole surface, and the wiring layer 9 is formed by removing an unnecessary portion by the photolithography as well as the anisotropic dry-etching, as illustrated in FIG. 1E.
In the above-described conventional technique, however, the silicon nitride film, which readily traps a hot electron, is used as the sidewall film 6 of the gate electrode. Consequently, a transistor characteristic is easily deteriorated. The above-mentioned conventional publication also discloses a method of solving such a problem, and this method will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2A through 2G.
At first, the gate oxide film 2 is deposited on the semiconductor substrate 1, as illustrated in FIG. 2A. Thereafter, the polysilicon film 3 and the silicon nitride film 4 are sequentially deposited thereon, and an unnecessary portion is removed by the photolithography and the anisotropic dry etching. Thus, the gate electrode as the polysilicon film 3, on which the silicon nitride film 4 is laminated, is formed.
Next, the low-concentration impurity region 10 is formed in the semiconductor substrate 1 by the ion implantation.
Subsequently, the silicon oxide film 12 is deposited on the whole surface, as illustrated in FIG. 2B.
Successively, the silicon oxide film 12 is partially etched-back by the use of the anisotropic dry-etching so that a first sidewall film 13 is left only on the sidewall portion of the polysilicon film 3 as the gate electrode, as illustrated in FIG. 2C.
In such anisotropic dry-etching, the etching selective ratio between the silicon oxide film and the silicon nitride film becomes high. As a result, while the first sidewall film 13 has the substantially same height as that of the polysilicon film 3 by adjusting etching time, a film thickness of the silicon nitride film 4 on the polysilicon film 3 is not largely reduced. Thereafter, the high-concentration impurity region 11 is formed by using the ion implantation.
Subsequently, the silicon nitride film 15 is deposited on the whole surface with the substantially same film thickness as that of the sidewall film 13, as illustrated in FIG. 2D.
Next, the silicon nitride film 15 is partially etched-back by using the anisotropic dry-etching so that a second sidewall film 16 is left only on the sidewall portion of the silicon nitride film 4 on the gate electrode and the polysilicon film 3 as the gate electrode, as illustrated in FIG. 2E. In this event, the etching time is adjusted such that the silicon nitride film 15 is not left on the side surface of the first sidewall film 13.
Successively, the interlayer insulating film 7 as the silicon oxide film is deposited on the whole surface, and the contact hole 8 is opened by removing an unnecessary portion by the use of the photolithography and the dry-etching, as illustrated in FIG. 2F.
In such anisotropic dry-etching, the etching selective ratio between the silicon oxide film and the silicon nitride film is selected to a high value. Thereby, even if the upper opening of the contact hole 8 has the dimension larger than the space between the sidewall films 6 of the adjacent gate electrodes, the gate electrode is protected by the silicon nitride film 4, the first sidewall film 13 and the second sidewall film 16. As a consequence, the gate electrode is not electrically shorted with the wiring film which will be formed later.
Next, the conductive film is deposited on the whole surface, and the wiring layer 9 is formed by removing an unnecessary portion by using the photolithography and the anisotropic dry-etching, as illustrated in FIG. 2G.
By employing the above-described technique, both the first sidewall film 13 and the second sidewall film 16 are placed between the polysilicon film 3 as the gate electrode and the wiring layer 9. In consequence, even when the dimension of the upper opening of the contact hole 8 is larger than the space between the sidewall films of the adjacent gate electrodes, the gate electrode is not electrically shorted with the wiring layer 9.
Further, the lower portion of the sidewall film of the gate electrode is formed of the silicon oxide film. Thereby, the hot carrier can not be readily trapped as compared with the case of the silicon nitride film. Therefore, the transistor characteristic is not easily deteriorated.
Upon formation of the second sidewall film 16, the etch-back must be carried out so that the silicon nitride film 15 formed on the side surface of the first sidewall film 13 is completely removed.
However, the silicon nitride film 15 may be partially left on the side surface of the first sidewall film 13 in the practical use in the cause of variation of the film thickness of the silicon nitride film 15 and variation of the anisotropic dry-etching rate upon etch-back.
Under such circumstances, the bottom portion of the contact hole 8 becomes smaller in dimension than the predetermined value, so that contact resistance is increased inevitably.
Upon the etch-back of the silicon nitride film 15, the surface of the high-concentration impurity region 11 is subjected to etch-back atmosphere during long time, resulting in etching damage. As a consequence, the transistor characteristic is degraded.
In addition, the first sidewall film 13 is formed of the silicon oxide film. Therefore, the first sidewall film 13 is also etched in a step of processing hydrofluoric acid chemical liquid for removing a natural oxide film on the bottom portion of the contact before forming the wiring layer. Consequently, the polysilicon film 3 may be electrically shorted with the wiring layer 6
Depending upon the kinds of products, only the low concentration impurity regions 10 are used as source/drain regions of the transistor but the high concentration impurity regions may be not formed.
For example, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) adopts such a structure in order to reduce a leak current in a reverse direction at a PN junction between an N-type low concentration impurity regions 10 as source/drain regions and a P-well region in many cases.
With this structure, it is difficult to employ metal material for the wiring layer 9. This reason will be explained below. Namely, in case where a silicide layer as compound of metal and silicon is formed between the wiring layer 9 and the low concentration impurity region 10, a depletion layer formed at the PN junction is widely extended towards an N-side so that the silicide layer is entrapped inside the depletion layer.
The silicide layer can serves as a generation recombination center, that is, a GR center, and therefore, the leak current in the reverse direction is increased. The wiring layer 9 is often made of the polysilicon such that no silicide layer is formed between the wiring layer 9 and the low concentration impurity region 10. In this case, the contact resistance is increased in comparison with the metal wiring layer.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


Techniques and solutions are described for storing and processing metadata, including to instantiate database artefacts at a target system based on metadata for database artefacts maintained at a source system. The target system can query the source system for metadata associated with database artefacts of the source system. The target system can instantiate database artefacts based on such metadata. The database artefacts of the target system are linked to corresponding database artefacts of the source system, such as by associating a database artefact of the target system with an API useable to obtain data or metadata from the source system for a corresponding database artefact of the source system. The target system obtains additional data or metadata for a database artefact of the target system using a corresponding API.

Ever increasing amounts of data are becoming available, from an increasing variety of sources. Data associated with a specific purpose, such as a specific analog-world entity, is typically associated with metadata that describes that data. For example, a ten-digit integer might be data, but without metadata, it may be difficult to know what that ten-digit integer represents—a phone number, a driver's license number, a password, etc. Thus, using and making "sense" of data can be highly dependent on having the correct metadata to provide context to the data.
A database or other data source associated with a complex endeavor, such as the operation of a business entity, can involve thousands of table types, and billions of records. Adding to the complexity, tables or other database objects can reference each other. In some cases, metadata from one system may be useful in another system. For example, it may be desirable to replicate or transfer data from one system to another, such as when migrating from an on-premise database solution to a cloud-based solution. Or, it may be desirable to make data available to another platform, such as through data federation. However, without access to the metadata, use or interpretation of the replicated or federated data may be difficult or impossible. Manually recreating the metadata in a new system can be extraordinarily time consuming, given the vast amount of metadata that may exist in a source system. Accordingly, room for improvement exists.

System and method for facilitating metadata identification and import


Disclosed herein is a charging system for electric vehicles while in motion. A retractable power charger coupled to an electric vehicle has a blade extendable between a retracted and extended position. The tapered sides of the blade contact rails in a trench when the blade is in the extended position and provide power for charging the electric vehicle while in motion. The blade can be automatically extended by a sensing system (e.g., magnetic) or by user actuation.

Large city mass transit systems use a third rail to supply power for electric motors to drive the trains. Early, and current, electric transportation systems employ overhead wires to provide motive power via a long arm reaching from the top of the trolley or bus to the power cable above. However, none of these systems for powering a vehicle while in motion is suitable for an electric vehicle on a road.
Additionally, despite the recent surge in the popularity of electric vehicles, charging stations are often located in dense urban centers, making trips beyond the range of the electric vehicles difficult and cumbersome. This makes electric vehicles unsuitable for long trips and requires careful planning by the driver. Accordingly, there exists a need for a system for charging electric vehicles while in motion that can easily be introduced to existing roads and highways. Further, the system must also be robust and able to interface with existing electric vehicles as well as be adaptable to new designs.

Charging system for electric vehicles in motion


An environmentally favorable method is described for treating an incandescent lamp with a heat curable substantially organic solvent free silicone composition to improve the shatter resistance of the lamp.

The present invention relates to an environmentally safe method for applying a single coating of an optically clear transparent silicone containment composition onto the surface of an incandescent lamp bulb. More particularly, the present invention relates to a silicone coating composition useful for imparting shatter resistance to incandescent lamps and to shatter resistant lamps made thereby.
As shown by Robertson et al, Canadian Patent 914265, an incandescent lamp bulb is coated by dipping it into a silicone dispersion consisting of 75% of xylene and 25% silicone rubber. After treating the lamp, removal of excess solvent is necessary. In a related patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,232, to Audesse et al, a method is described to make a shatter-resistant incandescent lamp, by initially coating the lamp bulb with an organic solvent silicone composition as shown by Robertson et al, followed by treating the coated lamp bulb surface with a solvent containing silicone overcoat.
Gagnon et al, Canadian Patent 1,243,723 is directed to an electric lamp having a pressurized light source capsule in a glass, light transmissive bulb. A containment coating is described for the bulb in the form of a fluoropolymer, such as Teflon resin of E. I. duPont de Nemours, or a multi-layer silicone rubber. It is reported that the silicone rubber multi-layer is applied by dip coating.
Lamoreaux U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,035, relates to high strength silicone elastomers. These silicone elastomers are formed by reacting a copolymer of SiO2 units and (CH3)2SiO units, in a toluene solvent, with a silanol end stopped polydimethylsiloxane in toluene. Reaction is effected with a catalyst in the form of an organic carboxylic acid salt of a metal, such as tin. Coating of an incandescent lamp bulb was achieved by dipping the lamp in the solvent blend, and upon lamp removal, allowing the solvent to evaporate from the treated bulb surface overnight. The silicone coating on the lamp""s surface was then oven cured for 1 hour.
A transparent shatter-resistant platinum catalyzed silicone coating composition suitable for use on a glass surface is described by Maguire et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,061. An example of the Maguire et al composition includes the use of a 60% by weight in toluene solution of a benzene soluble copolymer of SiO2 units and (CH3)3SiO0.05 units, in combination with a siloxane hydride fluid and vinyldimethylsiloxane fluid.
While various silicone coating compositions are described in the prior art for treating the bulbs of incandescent lights to enhance their shatter resistance, significant environmental concerns have often been advanced as a result of the necessity of organic solvent disposal during the cure of the silicone coating composition. Alternative silicone coating compositions and methods for incandescent lamp treatment are therefore needed to offset such environmental concerns while continuing to maintain the physical properties of the applied silicone coating of interest to the incandescent lamp industry.
The present invention is based on the discovery that a substantially organic solvent-free, platinum catalyzed heat curable silicone mixture, comprising by weight (a) a blend of a low molecular weight, and a high molecular weight vinyl containing polydimethylsiloxane fluid, (b) a siloxane hydride, and (c), a vinyl resin comprising chemically combined trimethylsiloxy units and SiO2 units, can be used in an environmentally safe manner as an effective incandescent lamp bulb containment coating composition. The heat curable silicone composition has an extended shelf life, and can be applied as a single coating onto the surface of a lamp bulb by dip coating or spraying. Upon application and curing on the lamp bulb""s surface, of the platinum catalyzed heat curable silicone mixture of the present invention, the lamp shows improved shatter resistance, weather resistance, and optical clarity.
In addition, if desired, a second substantially organic solvent-free heat curable platinum catalyzed silicone coating composition can optionally be applied at thicknesses up to about a mil onto the cured silicone treated lamp surface as a dust repellent. The dust repellent composition can comprise a platinum group metal catalyzed mixture of a vinyl resin comprising chemically combined dimethylvinylsiloxy units and SiO2 units, a low molecular weight vinyl containing polydimethylsiloxane fluid, and a silicon hydride cross-linker.
In a further aspect of the present invention, there is included an incandescent lamp exhibiting improved containment of glass shards resulting from external impact. The incandescent lamp exhibiting improved impact resistance can be made by applying a single coating of the aforementioned heat curable platinum catalyzed silicone coating composition onto the incandescent lamp""s glass bulb surface, extending beyond the hermetic seal between the glass bulb and the metallic base. Preferably, application of the silicone composition onto the surface of the incandescent lamp""s metallic base can extend up to the threaded portion.
A substantially volatile organic solvent-free, platinum group metal catalyzed, heat curable silicone coating composition comprising by weight,
(a) 100 parts of an alkenyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane mixture consisting essentially of a (i) a low molecular weight alkenyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane having a viscosity of about 500 centipoise to about 15000 centipoise at 25xc2x0 C. and (ii) a high molecular weight alkenyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane having a viscosity of about 40,000 centipoise to about 220,000 centipoise at 25xc2x0 C., where there can be present by in the alkenyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane mixture, from about 0.02 to 0.5 part of (i), per part of (ii),
(b) 5 to 50 parts of a silicone resin, referred to hereinafter sometimes as MQ, or MQD, having ratio of organo radicals to silicon which has a value of about 0.5 to 2, where the organo radicals are selected from the group consisting of C(1-6) organo radicals, C(2-6) alkenyl radicals, and a mixture thereof, and the silicone resin comprises xe2x80x9cQxe2x80x9d units having the formula,
SiO2,
chemically combined with a member selected from the group consisting of xe2x80x9cMxe2x80x9d units having the formula,
(R)a(R1)bSiO0.5,
and a mixture of M units and xe2x80x9cDxe2x80x9d units having the formula,
(R2)2SiO,
where R is a C(1-6) organo radical, R1 is a C(2-6) alkenyl radical, R2 is selected from R, R1, and a mixture thereof, xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d is an integer having a value of 2 or 3, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d is a whole number having a value of 0 or 1, and the sum of a+b is equal to 3, referred to hereinafter sometimes as an xe2x80x9cMQxe2x80x9d, or xe2x80x9cMQDxe2x80x9d resin,
(c) 0.1 to 10 parts of a silicon hydride cross-linking agent, and,
(d) an effective amount of an inhibited platinum group metal catalyst.
An environmentally favorable method for making a shatter resistant incandescent lamp having a substantially transparent tack-free silicone coating on the incandescent lamp bulb, comprising the steps of:
(1) treating the surface of the bulb of the incandescent lamp with the above described substantially volatile organic solvent-free, platinum group metal catalyzed, heat curable silicone coating composition comprising (a),(b), (c) and (d) above, and
(2) heating the treated incandescent lamp at a temperature in the range of about 100xc2x0 C. to about 180xc2x0 C. until the silicone treated incandescent lamp bulb surface is substantially tack-free.
An environmentally favorable method for making a shatter resistant incandescent lamp having a substantially transparent dust repellent tack-free silicone coating on the surface of its bulb, comprising the steps of:
(1) treating the surface of the incandescent lamp bulb with the substantially volatile organic solvent-free, platinum group metal catalyzed, heat curable silicone coating composition comprising (a),(b), (c) and (d) above,
(2) heating the treated incandescent lamp at a temperature in the range of about 100xc2x0 C. to about 200xc2x0 C. until the silicone treated incandescent lamp bulb surface is substantially tack-free,
(3) applying to the resulting substantially tack-free silicone coated shatter resistant bulb surface, a substantially volatile organic solvent-free, platinum group metal catalyzed, heat curable silicone coating composition comprising by weight,
(e) an alkenyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane mixture consisting essentially of a low molecular weight alkenyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane having a viscosity of about 20 centipoise to about 500 centipoise at 25xc2x0 C.,
(f) 0.5 to about 2 parts, per part of (e), of an MQ, or MQD resin,
(g) 0.005 part to 0.1 part, per part of (e), of a silicon hydride cross linker, and
(h) an effective amount of an inhibited platinum group metal catalyst, and,
(4) heating the silicone treated incandescent lamp at a temperature in the range of 100xc2x0 C. to 180xc2x0 C., and preferably, 130xc2x0 C. to 150xc2x0 C., until the surface of the silicone treated incandescent lamp bulb is substantially tack-free.
An incandescent lamp having improved shatter resistance comprising a glass envelope and a metallic base, where the glass envelope and a portion of the metallic base is coated with a cured tack-free substantially transparent homogenous silicone coating composition comprising the heat cured reaction product of a mixture comprising a substantially volatile organic solvent-free, platinum group metal catalyzed, heat curable silicone coating composition comprising by weight, (a),(b), (c) and (d) above.
The substantially volatile organic solvent-free platinum group metal catalyzed heat curable silicone composition, or xe2x80x9csilicone coating compositionxe2x80x9d of the present invention can be made by blending together in a suitable mixer, the alkenyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane fluids with the MQ or MQD resin dissolved in an organic solvent, for example xylene, or toluene. The silicone blend is then stripped of organic solvent in a suitable manner.
The resulting silicone mixture can then be divided into two parts, for example A and B. In part A, there can be added an effective amount of the platinum group metal catalyst, and thereafter the mixture can be homogenized in a suitable manner. In part B, there can be added the silicon hydride cross-linker. An effective amount of a suitable platinum group metal inhibitor and a heat stabilizer also can be added to either mixture A or B. Prior to lamp application, parts A and B are thoroughly mixed.
The alkenyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane fluids consist essentially of chemically combined diorganosiloxy units having terminal R1(R)2SiO units, where R, and R1 are as previously defined. Preferably, the alkenyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane fluids or xe2x80x9cvinylsiloxanesxe2x80x9d of the present invention have terminal siloxy units of the formula,
C2H3(CH3)2SiO2,
and consist essentially of chemically combined dimethylsiloxy units. The vinylsiloxane fluids can have a vinyl content of about 0.05 to about 3.5 mole percent, and preferably 0.14 to about 2 mole percent based on the total siloxy units having one or more organo radicals as defined hereinafter attached to silicon by carbon-silicon bonds. Alkenyl substitution also can occur on the polymer backbone. Organo radicals include methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, perfluoropropyl, phenyl, and cyanoethyl.
The alkenyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane fluids can be made by equilibrating a cyclotetrasiloxane with a low molecular weight alkenyl terminated chain-stopper. A mild acid catalyst such as a sulfuric acid activated clay can be used. The resulting silicone fluid can be neutralized with a base catalyst such as sodium hydroxide. By varying the level of chain-stopper, the viscosity of the alkenyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane fluid can be adjusted to the desired range.
The silicon hydride cross-linker, or xe2x80x9csiloxane hydridexe2x80x9d can have about 0.04% to about 1.4% by weight of chemically combined hydrogen attached to silicon based on total weight of siloxane hydride. A preferred variety of siloxane hydride can be made by a hydrolysis process or an acid catalyzed equilibration process. In the equilibration process, the appropriate cyclotetrasiloxane is equilibrated with a low molecular weight hydrogen terminated chain-stopper, such as a 1,3-dihydrogentetraorganodisiloxane. In the hydrolysis process, an appropriate hydrogendiorganochlorosilane is hydrolyzed with the desired level of diorganodichlorosilane. Undesirable cyclics can be removed by stripping.
The MQ, or MQD resin which is included within the present invention, are organic solvent dispersible, organic solvent hydrolyzates. A sodium silicate solution can be reacted under acidic conditions with a source of triorganosiloxy units, such as a hexaorganodisiloxane, for example hexamethyldisiloxane, or bis(dimethyl-vinyl)disiloxane, followed by recovering an organic solvent dispersible siloxane hydrolyzate. A suitable procedure for making the MQ, or MQD resin is further shown in Daudt, U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,182.
Various complexes can be used as the platinum group metal catalyst for the thermally-activated addition reaction between the vinyl siloxane and the silicon hydride cross-linker. Some of the platinum group metal complexes which can be used as catalysts include complexes of rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, and platinum. Some of these platinum group metal catalysts are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,159,601, 3,159,662 to Ashby; platinum alcoholate catalysts described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,972 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,730 to Karstedt. An effective amount of platinum catalyst is an amount which is sufficient to provide from about 5 ppm to about 200 ppm of platinum, and preferably, 10 ppm to 100 ppm, based on the total weight of the substantially volatile organic solvent-free platinum group metal catalyzed heat curable silicone composition.
In addition to platinum group metal catalysts, catalyst inhibitors can be used at about 100 ppm to about 1000 ppm to extend the pot-life of the heat curable substantially volatile organic solvent-free platinum group metal catalyzed composition. Some of these inhibitors include acetylenic compounds, for example alcohols, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,168; dicarboxylate in U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,601 and maleates, for example, bis-3,trimethoxysilylpropylmaleate, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,552. Further, the silicone coating composition of the present invention can have a heat stabilizer, such as a copper salt of naphthenic acid.

Shatter-resistant incandescent lamp, silicone coating composition, and method