The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of an epoxyethyl carboxylate or glycidyl carboxylate, including reacting a vinyl carboxylate or an allyl carboxylate using an oxidant and a water-soluble manganese complex in an aqueous reaction medium, and the water-soluble manganese complex comprises an oxidation catalyst, characterized in that the water-soluble manganese complex is a mononuclear species of the general formula (I) [LMnX3]Y (I), or a binuclear species of the general formula (II): [LMn(μ-X)3MnL]Yn (II), wherein Mn is a manganese; L is a ligand and each L is independently a polydentate ligand, each X is independently a coordinating species and each μ-X is independently a bridging coordinating species, Y is a non-coordinating counter ion, and wherein the epoxidation is carried out at a pH in the range of from 1.0 to 7.0.

Glycidyl esters are an important starting material in the chemical industry. The glycidyl esters are typically prepared by reaction of epichlorohydrin with a carboxylic acid in the presence of catalyst and subsequent dehydrochlorination of the resulting mixture of chlorohydrin esters followed by their separation. In particular the glycidyl esters of branched carboxylic acids and epoxy specialties are of commercial importance, which find use in the production of high-grade alkyd resins, polyester resins, acrylic resins, and a variety of other resins, and also as reactive diluent. Of particular interest are the glycidyl esters commercialized under the CARDURA™ trademark, which have been used for decades as a building block for automotive OEM, Refinish and CED coatings. The Glycidyl Ester of Versatic™ acid exhibits UV stability, acid etch resistance and a unique ability to create high solids low viscosity polymers with good substrate wetting.
Of similar interest is the 1,2-epoxyethyl carboxylate, for instance the product of the epoxidation of vinyl pivalate and in particular the product of the epoxidation of a vinyl ester of a branched carboxylic acid. Such esters are commercially available under the VEOVA™ trademark.
Epoxidation of vinyl esters or allyl esters is uncommon. According to the literature it is possible to epoxidize vinyl acetate by using a Ti-MWW/H2O2 catalytic system ("Epoxidation of Various Functionalized Olefins by a Ti-MWW/H2O2 Catalytic System", by LI Ningnin et al in Chin J Catal, 2008, 29(2): 102-104). From this reference it is known that the epoxidation of a C═C bond is more difficult when the C═C bond is connected to groups having a high electron drawing group. The epoxidation of vinyl esters is even more difficult than the epoxidation of allyl esters. This is because the C═C bond in the vinyl group is conjugated with the C═O bond or adjacent to the C—O bond, which makes it electronically more deficient than the C═O bond in the allyl group. The conversion and product selectivity of, for example, allyl acetate epoxidation were higher than that of vinyl acetate epoxidation.
In "Synthesis of some epoxy vinyl monomers by epoxidation with peracetic acid" by F. C. Frostick et al, JACS, 81 (1958) 3350, the epoxidation of vinylpent-4-enoate is described, resulting in the production of vinyl 4,5-epoxypentanoate. The vinyl group is not epoxidized. In the same report reaction constants are given for reaction esters (vinyl acetate, ethyl acrylate, allyl acetate, allyl ether). As can be concluded from the reaction constants, epoxidation of esters is very slow (in some cases does not happen like vinyl acetate and ethyl acrylate).
In EP0618202 various olefins such as 4-vinylbenzoic acid, styrylacetic acid, trans-3-hexenoic acid, trans-2-hexenoic acid and allyl alcohol are epoxidized by contact with a source of oxygen and a Mn complex, such as a binuclear manganese complex, in which the Mn is co-ordinated to an N-containing ligand such that there is a ratio of Mn to co-ordinated N atoms of 1:3. Suitable olefins include compounds with from 2 to 50 carbon atoms, such as those having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms. They may be selected from mono- or multi-substituted and unsubstituted, branched or unbranched alkenes and arylalkenes. Substitution of the alkenes may be in the form of hetero atom functional groups including those of halo, cyano, carboxylate, sulphate, phosphate, amino, hydroxyl, nitro, alkoxy, acyloxy and combinations thereof. When the epoxidation process is conducted in an aqueous media, best results are obtained on olefins with water-soluble groups such as those with carboxylate and hydroxyl units, e.g. vinylbenzoic acid, styrylacetic acid and hexenoic acid. This reference does not disclose the epoxidation of vinyl carboxylates or allyl carboxylates.
The inventors set out to find an alternative route to glycidyl esters of carboxylic acids that does not rely on epichlorohydrin. Such an alternative route has been found. Moreover, this new route also opens the possibility of preparing epoxyethyl esters of carboxylic acids which will find use in the same applications where the glycidyl esters are used.
The present invention provides an attractive route to such products.

Manufacture of an epoxyethyl carboxylate or glycidyl carboxylate


A system and method for processing content access rights and/or entitlement rights are disclosed. A method, in one aspect, provides for receiving a selection of a content option, requesting access information associated with the selected content option, receiving access information comprising location information relating to a compatible format, requesting access rights from a first service associated with the location information, wherein the first service requests an access decision relating to the selected content option from a second service based upon the access rights, and receiving the access rights.

Content can be provided to a user though many different devices. Content providers, publishers, and device manufacturers often rely on digital rights management (DRM) and other access control technologies to manage the use of content and content devices. Various DRM solutions such as Windows Media DRM, Adobe FlashAccess, PlayReady, Widevine, and Marlin require distinct license decision logic and license generation logic. Accordingly, providing diverse support for multiple DRM solutions requires an architecture capable of supporting the disparate requirements that each DRM solution imposes. Current systems and methods for managing content rights such as DRM do not provide a sufficient solution over multiple distinct devices and/or content players.

Methods and systems for processing content rights


An image processing apparatus is provided. The image processing apparatus includes an image quality processor and a controller. The image quality processor performs a detail enhancement function on an image frame. The controller calculates blur information and/or gray information of the image frame and controls the image quality processor to perform the detail enhancement function on the image frame based on the calculated information.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to an image processing apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to an image processing apparatus and a control method thereof which are capable of reducing power consumption using an image quality processing function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to the development of electronic technology, ultra-high performance electronic apparatuses are emerging. In recent years, with the needs of users for viewing realistic images in various types of display apparatuses such as televisions (TVs), high definition display apparatuses capable of displaying images with high resolution of ultra-high definition (UHD) or greater resolution have been developed.
However, there is a disadvantage in that considerable power is consumed to display a high definition image in a high definition display apparatus.

Image processing apparatus and control method thereof


Compartments of a medication storage device are fitted with sensors to detect the presence of medication and the opening of compartment lids or doors. A controller monitors the sensor signals and sounds an alarm if medication is not removed from a compartment within a variance range about a target time.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The subject disclosure relates to a self-learning medication dispenser device that will remind the user with an alarm in case the user has not taken medication within a certain block of time around a target time for taking the medication.
2. Related Art
Medication storage boxes for storing pills have been devised in the past.


An interconnected precast module refractory leveling assembly for a metallurgical vessel is disclosed. The precast modules of the instant invention compensate for the sloping bottom of a metallurgical vessel. At least one precast module is disposed in each of two partial rings each of which is essentially a mirror image of the other so that the height of the leveling assembly varies substantially uniformly from a high point where the two mirror image portions join to a low point 180 degrees of arc displaced therefrom where the two portions again join. Each of the refractory precast modules has a slight taper in height so that the ends of each precast module are the same height as the juxtaposed ends of the adjoining precast module.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to high temperature refractories and more particularly to a precast module or a plurality of precast modules of refractories for use as a leveling assembly in metallurgical vessels with sloping bottoms.
2. Brief Description
As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, in high temperature vessels such as molten steel ladles, one problem heretofore encountered relates to preventing slag from contaminating or otherwise being mixed with the relatively pure steel when it is being withdrawn from the vessel. Since slag is less dense than the molten steel, the slag tends to rise and accumulate on top of the underlying steel. If a pouring orifice is provided in the bottom of the vessel, relatively uncontaminated molten steel can be withdrawn simply by opening the orifice to permit the liquid steel to exit therethrough. However, when the liquid surface falls until it is near the bottom of the vessel, pouring must stop before slag exits along with the remaining steel; and thus a quantity of steel remains in the vessel and is unusable. In order to keep this unusable quantity as small as practicable, it has become customary to provide sloping bottoms with a low point at or near the edge of the vessel where a pouring orifice is positioned. However, this has brought about a relative inefficiency in refractory brick installation and utilization.
The harsh and erosive properties of slag are well known; and in order to protect walls of a vessel in the vicinity of slag locations, a refractory brick that is more slag-resistant (and more expensive) than refractory bricks for contact with molten steel has been required. Thus, less expensive refractory bricks that are acceptable for use in contact with molten steel do not adequately withstand the rigors of on-going contact with slag. Accordingly, it has been customary to line the interior of a metallurgical vessel designed for use with molten steel (e.g., a ladle) with lesser cost refractory bricks in regions normally encountering mostly liquid steel, while installing the more costly bricks in regions expected to normally encounter slag. Since slag normally resides on the surface of the molten steel, such more costly bricks are used to line the upper region of the interior which usually is adjacent the mouth of the vessel.
For simplicity and cost effectiveness, it is customary to line the interior of a high temperature vessel with refractory bricks beginning at the bottom; and, after installing bricks overlying the bottom, to work upward to cover the interior walls with successive courses until the entire interior has been covered. It will thus be observed that if the bottom slopes, the successive rings of side wall bricks will also slope, forming rings that are tilted to follow the slope of the bottom. However, the surface of the liquid contents of the vessel will be horizontal, generally parallel to the plane containing the earth's natural surface at that location; and so the plane containing the liquid surface will lie at an angle to the planes of the successive rings of refractories. Accordingly, in order to ensure that normal contact between slag and refractories is in a region of the lining in which the more expensive bricks are installed, it has been necessary to provide several full or partial extra courses of such more expensive bricks.
Recognizing that sloped bottoms can increase the yield of metal recovered, it has been desired to modify essentially flat bottomed vessels to give them an effective sloped bottom to obtain larger recovery of uncontaminated metal.
Heretofore, the use of refractory castables or ramming mixes to compensate for the slope was generally unsatisfactory since cast or rammed fillers require extended, and hence costly, installation time.

precast module leveling assembly for a metallurgical vessel


A voltage regulator circuit includes a transistor and a capacitor. The transistor includes a gate, a source, and a drain, a first signal is inputted to one of the source and the drain, a second signal which is a clock signal is inputted to the gate, an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation layer, and an off-state current is less than or equal to 10 aA/μm. The capacitor includes a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the transistor, and a high power source voltage and a low power source voltage are alternately applied to the second electrode.

A technique for forming a thin film transistor (TFT) by using a thin semiconductor film formed over a substrate having an insulating surface has attracted attention. A thin film transistor is used for a display device typified by a liquid crystal television. A silicon-based semiconductor material is known as a material for a thin semiconductor film which can be applied to a thin film transistor. Other than a silicon-based semiconductor material, an oxide semiconductor has attracted attention.
As a material for the oxide semiconductor, zinc oxide and a material containing zinc oxide as its component are known. Further, a thin film transistor formed using an amorphous oxide (oxide semiconductor) having an electron carrier concentration of less than 1018 /cm3 is disclosed (Patent Documents 1 to 3).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A hand deviation correction apparatus of a simplified construction for correcting hand deviation effects over a wide frequency range in a hand-held video camera unit includes an oscillation quantity detection unit for detecting an oscillation quantity of a picture caused by wobbling of the video camera unit, a characteristics compensation unit for variably setting compensating frequency characteristics of an output signal of the oscillation quantity detection unit, a correction unit for correcting oscillations in the picture based upon an output signal of the characteristics compensation unit, a temperature detection unit for detecting the ambient temperature of the correction unit, and a compensation quantity calculating unit for calculating a quantity of compensation to be provided by the characteristics compensation unit based upon a detection signal from the temperature detection unit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus and method employed with advantage in a handy type video camera apparatus and, more specifically, to a vibration compensation system for such a camera.
2. Description of Background
At present, hand held or so-called handy type video cameras having a CCD image sensor are in widespread use. The handy type video camera apparatus is small-sized and lightweight. For this very reason, however, it has a drawback that it is susceptible to hand deviation or hand wobbling during photographing. If such hand wobbling occurs, "fine wobbling" or oscillations are produced in the picture obtained on reproduction in the case of a picture photographed with, for example, zoom-up. The result of this is that the reproduced picture becomes blurred and difficult to view.
As a means for compensating such oscillations in order to render the reproduced picture easy to view, there is known a technique of compensating hand deviation by using a correction device provided in the video camera apparatus. Among the techniques for correcting hand deviation in the correction device, there is a correction means for correcting the hand deviation by picture processing and a correction means for correcting the hand deviation by optical processing. Among the correction means for correcting hand deviation by picture processing, there are a memory control system and a CCD driving control system.
The memory control system is a system in which, if hand deviation is detected, part of the picture signal obtained upon photographing an object is taken out as a picture frame, and a picture frame of the previous field and the picture frame of the current field are moved into registration with each other. The picture in the picture field portion can be enlarged for improving the range of correction, however, if this picture is enlarged, the reproduced picture is deteriorated in quality because the picture signals are enlarged to more than the resolution of the CCD image sensor. Such deterioration in picture quality becomes all the more conspicuous as the range of correction is widened. Thus, with this previously proposed system the picture quality is lowered, while the range of correction cannot be adequately widened. Nevertheless, the correction means according to this system is constructed using only ICs and, hence, is well suited for use with a small-sized inexpensive video camera apparatus.
With the above-mentioned CCD driving control system, correction is realized by varying the timing of the reading out of the picture signals obtained upon photographing an object from the CCD image sensor when hand deviation is detected. With this system, since the range of compensation is obtained by increasing the number of pixels of the CCD image sensor, it is necessary to increase the number of pixels if hand deviation correction is to be performed, even in those cases where "oscillations" appeared to be enlarged, as in the case of the object photographed with a high magnification ratio described above. If the number of pixels is increased for assuring sufficient correction of hand deviation caused by magnified "oscillations", however, the CCD image sensor and its peripheral circuit become bulky and impractical. With the correction means employing this system, a sufficient number of pixels to correct the hand deviation caused by the magnified "oscillations" is not always assured, so that an image in the reproduced picture corresponding to the hand deviation responsible for such magnified oscillations becomes discrete. The hand deviation correction according to this system can be achieved, however, without any inconvenience with the usual photographic multiplication ratio. Nevertheless, the system is also made up only of ICs and, hence, is suited for use with a small-sized inexpensive video camera apparatus.
Among correction means for correcting hand deviation by optical processing, there have been proposed a gimbal camera system and an active camera system.
The gimbal camera system is a system in which, if hand deviation is detected, the lens unit in its entirety is moved in a direction of canceling the hand deviation, thereby correcting for the hand deviation. With this system, resolution is not deteriorated, and the range of correction may be broader than the above-described electronic techniques. Since the lens unit is moved in its entirety, however, the mechanism becomes bulky and power consumption is increased. Consequently, the correction means employing this system is suited to the case in which it is desired to achieve high resolution at the cost of size and power consumption.
The active prism system is a system in which, when performing correction of hand deviation, only a part of the lens unit is moved in the direction of canceling the hand deviation. With this system, power consumption is small and the device may be easily reduced in size, while resolution is not deteriorated and the range of compensation may be broader. If the hand deviation is compensated using the above-described active prism system, there are produced no "oscillations" in the reproduced picture, so that a handy type video camera apparatus may be achieved which is small-sized and lightweight and which is capable of achieving high picture quality.
The active prism employed in the active prism system described above is produced by interconnecting two glass plates with an expandable bellows formed by a special film and by charging the interior space formed thereby with a liquid having substantially the same optical refractive index as that of the glass plates. The active prism is arranged intermediate between the objective lens provided on the front side of the video camera unit for conducting the image from an object to the video camera unit and the CCD image sensor. The active prism is part of the lens unit for conducting the image of the object to the CCD image sensor from the objective lens. The hand deviation is corrected by varying the angles of inclination, referred to herein as apex angles, of the two glass plates in respective different longitudinal and transverse directions of the video camera unit.
These above-described correction means perform correction of hand deviation based upon detecting an amount of hand deviation and among such previously proposed deviation amount detection means, there are a motion vector detection system and an angular velocity detection system.
The motion vector detection system detects the amount and the direction of the object movement by deriving the difference between the picture signal of the current field and the picture signal of the previous field, which has been stored in a semiconductor memory. This system has the drawback that mistaken operations tend to be produced during a time of low-level illumination. The oscillation amount detection means employing this system, however, is made up using only ICs and, hence, is well suited to a small-sized inexpensive video camera apparatus.
The hand deviation correction device, employed in the above-described handy type video camera apparatus, includes an oscillation amount detection unit for detecting hand deviation of a picture caused by oscillations of the video camera unit using a motion vector detection system or an angular velocity detection system, a correction signal generator for generating a correction signal based upon an output signal of the oscillation amount detection system, and a correction system for correcting hand deviation based upon a correction signal generated by the correction signal generator by a picture processing method employing, for example, a memory control system or a CCD driving control system, or by an optical processing method employing, for example, a mechanical gimbal system or an active prism system.
Meanwhile, the angle of the video camera apparatus is changed not only by hand deviation but also due to the actual, active camera work, for example, by panning, which is a technique of horizontally moving the camera during photographing, or by tilting, which is a technique of vertically moving the camera during photographing.
Active camera work includes, in general, slow camera work and quick camera work. In addition, the camera movement velocity is changed most significantly at the initial and terminal phases of the camera work, so that frequency components from 0.5 Hz to 15 Hz are produced a result of the camera work. This range of frequencies of the camera work differs from user to user.
On the other hand, the frequency components of hand deviation in the case where the user shoots a still object without performing any camera work are 5 to 15 Hz. If the user shoots from a moving object, for example, from a moving car, the main frequency components of the hand deviation are shifted to 15 to 20 Hz, that is, toward the high-frequency side. Also, the frequency range of the hand deviation is different from person to person.
With the above-described hand deviation correction device, hand deviation is corrected by servo control for canceling picture oscillations caused by hand deviation without correcting oscillations by the camera work in the frequency range of 2 to 30 Hz, in order to take into account the hand deviation produced when the user performs the above-mentioned camera work from a moving object. Thus, the reproduced picture by the video camera apparatus is easy to view since the "oscillations" due to hand deviation are not produced.
Meanwhile, in a feedback servo loop system of a servo control circuit performing the above-described servo control, a low-pass filter is provided for prohibiting natural frequency oscillations of the feedback system due to loop disturbances.
The natural frequency of the feedback loop system in the active prism system, for example, is raised in peak gain at elevated temperature conditions and hence is shifted toward the low-frequency side. Thus, the cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter is pre-set to the low-frequency side for prohibiting oscillations at elevated temperatures.
Under conditions other than high temperatures, the natural frequency of the feedback system is restored to the higher frequency, with a decrease in temperature due to lowered peak gain. The cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter, however, is pre-set to a lower frequency. Thus, a problem is presented that the high-frequency region of the feedback loop system is cut off, such that sufficient hand deviation correction cannot be achieved.
As one previously proposed system for overcoming the above problem, there is a method in which one of the plural feedback loops having different natural frequencies is selected depending upon the temperature of the video camera unit for variably setting the natural frequency of the feedback loop systems in order to correct hand deviation, despite changes in temperature of the video camera unit so that oscillations at the natural frequency will be avoided at all times.
The hand deviation correction device, designed for carrying out the above method has a drawback in that the construction becomes complex due to the provision of plural feedback loop systems. This method also has another drawback in that limitations are imposed by the feedback loop such that it becomes difficult to increase the frequency range of the hand deviation correction system.

Temperature-dependant, frequency-compensated hand deviation correction device for video camera


A method and apparatus for inspecting a wafer during a semiconductor device fabrication process. The apparatus performs, only via observation from the wafer's top surface, inspection and quantitative evaluation of a portion that is in the shadow of an incident electron beam and a buried structure in the wafer. To this end, the electron beam is emitted so that it partially penetrates a wafer surface and reaches an unexposed pattern portion to the beam. When a stereoscopic structure is constructed from the scan image based on a secondarily generated signal, generate a stereoscopic model of a pattern being tested. The secondary signal is used to detect position information of a pattern edge(s) and signal intensity. Then, use the information to calculate more than one feature quantity of the test pattern. From the calculated feature quantities, the stereoscopic structure is constructed for displaying a 3D structure of the pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to substrate inspection technologies using scanning electron microscope equipment and electron rays. More particularly, this invention relates to an inspection technique for performing, on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a reticle having a fine pattern, metrology of such fine pattern which is formed at a reverse tapered shape or within a substrate surface and for detecting defects, if any.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a scanning electron microscope (SEM), there is widely used a method for scanning an electron beam to permit it fall onto a workpiece and for detecting secondarily obtainable secondary electrons and reflected or "back-scattered" electrons to thereby obtain a scan image (also known as SEM image). Traditionally, the size measurement of an ultrafine pattern such as a semiconductor device or the like has been performed while using as an incident electron ray an electron beam with its energy ranging from several hundred of eV to several keV.
However, in such the low-acceleration SEM, while it is possible to observe those portions being directly irradiated with the electron beam, it is unable to observe shadow portions that are created by the presence of step-like differences of a workpiece surface, resulting in the lack of an ability to perform the size measurement. For example, in the prior art low-acceleration SEM, in case where an upper face 23 of an opening is less in dimension than its bottom portion 24 as shown in FIG. 2A, what can be done is merely to perform observation and measurement of the shape of the opening's upper face 23 as in a scan image shown in FIG. 2B. Accordingly, in order to measure the size of the opening bottom face 24, it was required to cut the workpiece into portions for formation of a cross-section and then observe a shape from the cross-section. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3A, even when an attempt is made to measure an inter-wire distance size 28 between an electrical wiring line or lead 26 on a substrate surface and a wire lead 27 buried within the substrate, what can be measured by the low-acceleration SEM is only the wire 26 on the substrate surface so that it has been impossible to measure the distance between the wires.
A method for solving this problem and for observing/measuring an internal structure of a workpiece without having to cut the workpiece is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-7-27549. A technique as taught thereby is designed to emit an electron beam 6 which has its energy capable of penetrating part of a workpiece and reaching a portion that is not exposed with respect to the incident electron beam, and then use a scan image obtained from a secondarily generated signal to perform size measurement. Using this scheme makes it possible, at the opening such as shown in FIG. 2A, to perform size measurement of the structure of the opening bottom face 22—this face becomes a shadow of the incident electron beam and, for this reason, cannot be measured by the low-acceleration SEM—and observation of the structure of the intra-substrate wiring lead 27 and its size 28 without forming a cross-section of the workpiece.
With noticeable advances in miniaturization of semiconductor devices in recent years, ultra-fine or "micro" structure measurement increases in importance. Especially, gate shapes are becoming finer and more complicated. Depending upon whether they are manufactured successfully or not, device performance and production yield are affectable significantly. Consequently, a three-dimensional measurement technique for use with such gate structures is becoming more important. For instance, in order to lessen a gate length, there is used a structure which has a gate electrode 29 with its bottom portion 30 being narrower than an upper portion 31 as shown in FIG. 4. As the low-acceleration SEM is such that only the shape of a top surface is obtainable, a size 32 of the bottom portion is not measurable.
For example, when observing the gate electrode 29 with its cross-sectional structure shown in FIG. 4 by use of the prior art low-acceleration SEM, what can be observed is merely the shape of the upper part 31 of the gate electrode as shown in a scan image of FIG. 5. Also note that in the prior art low-acceleration SEM, there was a method of performing observation by emitting an electron beam from an oblique direction to permit the electron beam to fall onto a "shadowed" portion. Unfortunately, the method for obliquely emitting the electron beam requires the image processing for recreation or reconstruction of a stereoscopic structure from the scan image thus obtained, resulting in occurrence of a problem as to deterioration of accuracy. Alternatively, in the case of a high-density pattern, it is no longer possible to irradiate the electron beam to the bottom 30 of the gate electrode due to the fact that it lies in a shadow of its neighboring pattern. This makes it impossible to perform any intended observation.
Additionally with the prior art low-acceleration SEM, it was merely possible, in a gate having an inverted taper shape, to observe only the shape of the gate electrode upper portion 31. Thus it was unable to measure the width 32 and taper angle 33 of the gate electrode.
Regarding semiconductor device manufacturing methodology, there is known a semiconductor fabrication method having the steps of forming a spacer 35 on a gate electrode 34 as shown in FIG. 6D, and thereafter performing ion implantation (referred to as implantation hereinafter) to thereby form a junction(s) in a substrate. For example, after having formed a pattern of the gate electrode 34 as shown in FIG. 6A, implantation 36 is performed with the gate electrode 34 being as a mask, thereby forming a junction 37 in the substrate as shown in FIG. 6B. Thereafter, a spacer 35 is formed on the gate electrode 34 as shown in FIG. 6C. Then, as shown in FIG. 6C, implantation 38 is carried out with the spacer 35 as a mask, thereby forming a junction 39 as shown in FIG. 6D. In a device with such the structure, precise measurement of the structure of the gate electrode 34 and spacer 35 enables judgment of whether the device is good or bad and also prediction of the performance thereof.
However, in the prior art low-acceleration SEM, as shown in FIG. 7, only the spacer 35 and the substrate 25 are observable, and what is knowable is merely the shape of a top surface of the device. It was unable to observe any relative structure of the gate electrode 34 and the spacer 35. In the prior art, in order to observe both the gate electrode 34 and the spacer 35 at a time, it was necessary to destroy part of a workpiece for formation of a cross-section and then observe it. With this method, destruction of the workpiece was inevitable. Another problem faced with this method is an inability to measure any feature quantity that determines the device performance.
On the other hand, with the technique disclosed in JP-A-7-27549, a hole-like shape with the presence of a portion that becomes the shadow of an incoming electron beam is measured. However, the invention disclosed in JP-A-7-27549 suffers from a problem which follows: it fails to offer the capability of measuring those feature quantities required for three-dimensional (3D) measurement. The feature quantities required for the 3D measurement refer to certain information necessary for the prediction of a stereoscopic structure, such as pattern height information or the like, by way of example. Accordingly, in the invention recited in the JP-A-7-27549 document, when performing 3D measurement, the hole shape is obtained, for example, by acquiring a scan image while rotating a workpiece support stage and letting an incident beam fall along an oblique direction onto a target pattern as mounted thereon. This is because any 3D structure could not be accurately calculated from the information of secondary signal intensity, although those sizes being displayed in the scan image are measurable in the prior art.
Although it is also possible to tilt the incident beam by means of a technique for slanting the stage, this raises a need for acquiring a scan image while slanting or sloping the stage. This causes a problem as to the necessity of varying the stage angle in a way pursuant to the shape of a pattern to be inspected. In addition, in case the inspection pattern is complicate in shape, the resulting scan image becomes complicated. This leads to a problem that the image analysis for obtaining a stereoscopic structure becomes more difficult.

Method and apparatus for inspecting semiconductor device


In a radio wave lens antenna, a lens cover for covering the surface of the lens is stably fixed to the reflector. The antenna has a semispherical Luneberg lens, a semispherical shell-shaped lens cover for covering the surface of the lens, a radio wave reflector, a ring-shaped plate placed along the outer circumference of the lens, a primary feed placed at the focal point of the lens, and a holding part for the primary feed. A flange provided at the opening edge of the lens cover is clamped by the reflector and the plate to fix the lens cover to the reflector, and more preferably, the lens cover is caused to be in contact with the lens, and the lens is pressed also in the radial direction by the plate via the lens cover.

As a radio wave lens for an antenna device, there is known one that uses a Luneberg lens. The Luneberg lens is a spherical lens made of dielectric material, wherein the relative dielectric constant varies within a range from 2 to 1 or its approximate value from the center of the sphere to the outer periphery. Further, there is another type of Luneberg lens that achieves the function equivalent to that of the spherical lens by combining a hemispherical lens with a radio wave reflector having a greater size than the hemispherical lens (see, e.g., Patent Document 1).
Since the radio wave lens antenna disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a hemispherical lens, and therefore, the size can be reduced and the cost can be saved compared to the case of using a spherical lens. However, since it is configured such that its entire parts are covered with a radome for protection, the size becomes large. Further, and the radome of a hollow structure must have a large thickness to secure a sufficient strength, which causes problems in electric characteristics and an increase in cost.
Regarding this, in the radio wave lens antenna of the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, a lens cover of a hemispherical shell shape may be used such that the lens is sealed by the lens cover and a reflector. Since the lens cover is in contact with the surface of the lens, the size and the thickness can be made smaller. Thus, a further reduction in size can be achieved, and desirable electric characteristics can be acquired more easily compared to the antenna that uses a radome.
However, Patent Document 1 does not mention anything about the fixing and liquid sealing of the lens. The lens is usually fixed to the reflector by using an adhesive. However, the adhesive may be deteriorated after a long period of use, and thus the lens may be detached therefrom. Also, the lens may be removed due to an impact, wind pressure, bending of the reflector by vibration, or the like. In this case, a gap in which the dielectric constant differs from that of the lens may be formed between the lens and the reflector, thereby greatly degrading the electrical performance of the antenna device. Furthermore, when the adhered portion is peeled off while the lens cover is misaligned or damaged, there is a risk of the lens falling down.
Further, if the reflector is not properly sealed to the lens cover, rainwater, moisture or the like may penetrate the inside of the lens cover. Since water has a high dielectric constant (∈r) and a high dielectric loss (tan δ), merely a slight amount of moisture that has seeped into the lens may sharply degrade the electrical performance of the antenna device. However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose any solution to these problems.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-232230


A riding crop for controlling a horse by striking its flank or hindquarters includes a slender, elongated shaft with a handle at its proximal end and a popper at its distal end. To ensure that the popper is normally the first part of the riding crop that strikes the horse, the popper has a thicker or larger cross-sectional dimension than the mid-length portion of the shaft that supports the popper. The popper can have a relatively resilient or pliable characteristic with respect to the more rigid shaft. When the pliable popper contacts the horse prior to any other portion of the riding crop, it deforms to soften or cushion the impact from the riding crop reducing the chance of injury or harm to the horse.

Riding crops are a type of whip that are typically used by horse riders, trainers and others to control and encourage a horse to act, run or gallop in a certain manner such as during a horse race or other equestrian event. A riding crop typically has an elongated, slender shaft that can be held at one end by the rider and terminates with a popper disposed at the other end that is intended to make contact with the horse. A rider straddling a horse's back can accelerate the riding crop by flicking their wrist so that the popper contacts the horse's rump, side or hindquarters. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the horse typically responds to contact with the riding crop by changing or maintaining direction or speed in a manner intended by the rider.
If striking the horse with the riding crop is done incorrectly or excessively, that action may be considered abusive or cruel and may harm the horse. Therefore, the popper is typically designed to reduce or minimize the amount of pain and injury inflicted upon the horse. For example, a common type of popper is made from a rectangular strap or loop of leather or similar material that is folded over on itself and extends axially from the distal end of the shaft of the riding crop. The folded-over strap provides a relatively wide, flat and highly flexible surface that actually makes contact and thereby distributes the striking force over a larger area and allows the popper to bend or flex against the horse upon impact so as to reduce the perceived impact felt by the horse and hopefully reduce trauma and the chance of breaking skin. However, the riding crop may unintentionally rotate or twist in the rider's hand so that the popper does not contact the horse squarely along the flat surface but rather along an edge of the folded-over strap. Additionally, even when used correctly, a flexible leather strap may still harm or injure the horse. Accordingly, there is a desire for an improved and more humane riding crop.


A payment administration system includes a system administrator, customer and merchant interfaces, and a database. The payment administrative system also includes bank interfaces, credit agency interfaces to facilitate automatic, paperless transactions rapidly. The customer is permitted to set a number of purchase and payment parameters, such as hours of use, goods or services category, and daily limits. The payment administration system generates real-time notification of any action occurring on the customer's account and permits continuous monitoring of the status of each transaction in real time.

I. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an administration system and method for directing payment for financial obligations, and more particularly, to a system and method for electronic payment for purchases using electronic communication.
II. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to make purchases from merchants electronically over the Internet using conventional credit cards. The consumer provides a credit card number to the merchant electronically. The merchant then seeks approval from the credit card company for payment for the purchase. If the consumer is within the credit limits of his account, the credit card company will give the merchant approval for payment and the merchant then completes the transaction with the consumer. The credit card company then pays the merchant and periodically issues a written statement seeking payment from the consumer.
However, there are security and privacy problems with such a system. Anyone having the consumer's credit card number can make a purchase so long as it is within the credit limit of the card. Additionally, conventional charge cards are obtained by using paper forms which often must be delivered by the postal service before a plastic charge card is delivered to the customer. The consumer does not receive notification of the credit transaction or payments to the account until the monthly statement is issued. Because of the multitude of steps and paper documentation required to complete a transaction using either a paper check or conventional charge card, financial institutions, customers and merchants all incur high costs for the convenience of using a check or credit card. Transaction summaries are provided only once a month, thereby creating a substantial time gap if a transaction has been improperly made or improperly entered into the system.
Thus, it would be desirable to have a payment system which is easily usable, secure and provides great flexibility in payment and additional security for the consumer. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide real-time notification of changes in the customers credit account.


An optical element is adapted for implantation into a vitreous chamber of an eye, and a suspension system is configured to position a portion of the optical element to intersect a visual axis of an eye.

In the course of daily life, one typically regards objects located at different distances from the eye. To selectively focus on such objects, the focal length of the eye's lens must change. In a healthy eye, this is achieved through the contraction of a ciliary muscle that is mechanically coupled to the lens. To the extent that the ciliary muscle contracts, it deforms the lens. This deformation changes the focal length of the lens. By selectively deforming the lens in this manner, it becomes possible to focus on objects that are at different distances from the eye. This process of selectively focusing on objects at different distances is referred to as "accommodation."
As a person ages, the lens loses plasticity. As a result, it becomes increasingly difficult to deform the lens sufficiently to focus on objects at different distances. This condition is known as presbyopia. Refractive errors caused by such conditions as hyperopia, myopia, as well as aberrations due to irregularities in the eye (e.g., in the cornea or in the natural crystalline lens) can also cause problems in one's ability to focus on an object. To compensate for this loss of function, it is useful to provide different optical corrections for focusing on objects at different distances. Some restoration of focusing ability for some distances can be provided by spectacles or contact lenses. There are also a variety of disorders that degrade the ability of the eye to function properly. These include vitreoretinal disorders, lenticular disorders, corneal disorders, and glaucomatous states. Some treatments to some of these types of disorders involve surgical intervention. For example, a common disorder involves progressive clouding of the natural crystalline lens resulting in the formation of what is referred to as a cataract. A common practice used to treat a cataract is surgically removing the cataractous natural crystalline lens and implanting (in the "aphakic" patient) an artificial intraocular lens into the empty lensbag to replace the natural crystalline lens. After cataract surgery, the corneal incision (and/or limbal and scleral incisions) can potentially induce optical aberrations due to altered corneal curvature and topography. Intraocular lenses can also be used for a "phakic" patient who still has a natural crystalline lens. One or more lenses are placed in front of the natural crystalline lens (e.g., in the anterior or posterior chamber) to provide added focusing power.


The present application provides a display substrate, the display substrate including a plurality of sub-pixel units, the plurality of sub-pixel units arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, wherein the plurality of columns of the sub-pixel units include alternatingly disposed solid color sub-pixel unit columns and mixed color sub-pixel unit columns, the solid color sub-pixel unit columns including a plurality of sub-pixel units corresponding to the same color, and in the mixed color sub-pixel unit columns, adjacent two sub-pixel units correspond to different colors. In the same row of sub-pixel units, the sub-pixel units on both sides of the sub-pixel unit in the solid color sub-pixel unit column have different colors. The utility model also provides a display device. The display device does not appear jagged or blurred when displaying an image.

A large percentage of modern electronic devices are fitted with an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. OLEDs have gained popularity based on advantageous properties including small thickness, wide viewing angle, fast response speed, and high luminous efficiency. A display device, such as an OLED display device, includes a plurality of sub-pixel units arranged in an array, and different images are displayed by controlling the illumination of the respective sub-pixel units. The sub-pixels are the fundamental sub-systems (such as a building blocks) for constituting the pixels in the display. Each sub pixel may correspond to a single color, such as blue, red, or green. A plurality of sub-pixel units may form a pixel. As an example, a red sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel, and a green sub-pixel may together form a single pixel (RBG). In alternate systems, other color combinations are also possible.
However, when an edge of an image is displayed by the display device, simultaneous illumination of a plurality of sub-pixel units may cause a pixel unit outside the edge of the image to emit light, or a pixel unit in the edge may not emit light, thereby causing an undesired image boundary module. In one example, it may be proposed to increase the pixels per inch (PPI) of a display substrate (the number of sub-pixel units per inch). However PPI can only be increased up to a certain limit. Also, the PPI of a display device is often limited by process conditions, and altering the process conditions may involve higher cost.
Manufacturing a display device with a desirable display effect under the existing process conditions is a technical challenge to be solved in the art.
It is an object of the present application to provide a display substrate and a display device including a display substrate. An embodiment of a display device including the display substrate can achieve a desirable display effect while also reducing manufacturing cost. A display substrate may be the layer in the display device on which the image is displayed. A plurality of pixels formed of sub-pixels are arranged on the substrate. Electronic components of the device are coupled to the substrate. In one example, the substrate may be a flexible substrate made of a polymeric material. Display substrates may also be a glass substrate.
In order to achieve the above object, as one aspect of the present application, a display substrate is provided, the display substrate including a plurality of sub-pixel units, the plurality of sub-pixel units are arranged in an array of a plurality of rows and columns. The array of sub-pixel units includes an alternatingly arranged solid color sub-pixel unit column and a mixed color sub-pixel unit column, the solid color sub-pixel unit column including a plurality of sub-pixel units corresponding to the same color, adjacent to the mixed color sub-pixel unit column. The color corresponding to any two adjacent sub-pixel units is different, and in the same row of sub-pixel units, the mixed color sub-pixel units on both sides of a pure color sub-pixel unit may have different colors.
As an example system, the solid color sub-pixel unit columns comprise green sub-pixel units corresponding to green color, and the mixed color sub-pixel unit columns comprise alternating red sub-pixel units corresponding to red color and blue sub-pixel units corresponding to blue color. In any preceding example, additionally or optionally, an area of a green sub-pixel unit is smaller than an area of a red sub-pixel unit, and an area of a green sub-pixel unit is smaller than an area of a blue sub-pixel unit area. In any or all of the preceding examples, additionally or optionally, an opening shape of the green sub-pixel unit is a rectangle or an ellipse, an angle formed between a long axis of the ellipse and a column direction, and a direction of a long axis of any one of the green sub-pixel units is opposite to a direction of a long axis of an adjacent green sub-pixel unit. In any or all of the preceding examples, additionally or optionally, the area of the red sub-pixel unit is smaller than the area of the blue sub-pixel unit, and wherein each of an opening shape of the red sub-pixel unit and an opening shape of the blue sub-pixel unit are rectangular. In any or all of the preceding examples, additionally or optionally, the display substrate comprises a pixel defining layer having a plurality of sub-pixel openings, the plurality of the sub-pixel openings being in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of sub-pixel units, wherein each of the sub-pixel units comprise an organic light emitting diode and at least a portion of the organic light emitting diode is located in the corresponding sub-pixel opening. In any or all of the preceding examples, additionally or optionally, the organic light emitting diode includes one or more functional layers deposited on each of a bottom wall and a sidewall of the sub-pixel opening. In any or all of the preceding examples, additionally or optionally, an opening area of a lower portion of the sub-pixel opening does not exceed an opening area of an upper portion of the sub-pixel opening. In any or all of the preceding examples, additionally or optionally, the sidewall of the sub-pixel opening has a slope angle of between 200 and 40° with the bottom wall of the sub-pixel opening. In any or all of the preceding examples, additionally or optionally, the sidewall of the sub-pixel opening has a slope angle of between 26° and 27° with the bottom wall of the sub-pixel opening. In any or all of the preceding examples, additionally or optionally, a ratio of the opening area of the upper portion of the sub-pixel opening to the opening area of the lower portion of the sub-pixel opening is between 1 and 1.6. In any or all of the preceding examples, additionally or optionally, the organic light emitting diode includes a red organic light emitting diode, a green organic light emitting diode, and a blue organic light emitting diode, wherein a ratio of an opening area of an upper portion of a sub-pixel opening corresponding to the red organic light-emitting diode to an opening area of a lower portion of the sub-pixel opening corresponding to the red organic light emitting diode is between 1.45 and 1.55, wherein a ratio of an opening area of an upper portion of a sub-pixel opening corresponding to the blue organic light-emitting diode to an opening area of a lower portion of the sub-pixel opening corresponding to the blue organic light emitting diode is between 1.45 and 1.55; and wherein a ratio of an opening area of an upper portion of a sub-pixel opening corresponding to the green organic light-emitting diode to an opening area of a lower portion of the sub-pixel opening corresponding to the green organic light emitting diode is between 1.2 and 1.3. In any or all of the preceding examples, additionally or optionally, in a pixel unit, at least one sub-pixel units has a relationship with at least one sub-pixel unit of a different color of an adjacent row, the relationship including a pitch of two sub-pixel units in a row direction being smaller than a pitch of the two sub-pixel units in a column direction and wherein in the pixel unit, at least one sub-pixel unit is a green sub-pixel unit, and the at least one sub-pixel unit of a different color is a blue sub-pixel unit or a red sub-pixel unit. In any or all of the preceding examples, additionally or optionally, the pixel unit includes the green sub-pixel unit, the red sub-pixel unit, and the blue sub-pixel unit, and the green sub-pixel unit has the relationship with each of the red sub-pixel unit and the blue sub-pixel unit.
Another example method for fabricating a display for a display device, comprises: disposing each of a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and a cathode of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) within a sub-pixel opening on a pixel defining layer of a substrate; and disposing an anode of the OLED below the pixel defining layer, the cathode electrically connected to the anode at the pixel defining layer; wherein deposition within the sub-pixel opening includes deposition on a bottom wall of the sub-pixel opening and a sidewall of the sub-pixel opening, the sidewall being at an angle with the bottom wall.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure. Additionally, the summary above does not constitute an admission that the technical problems and challenges discussed were known to anyone other than the inventors.

Display substrates, display devices and methods of forming display substrates and devices

Beijing BOE Technology Development Co., Ltd.


An adjunct processor for a wireless telephone system utilizes object-oriented software for providing a common air-interface protocol for each cell site's base station, so that, regardless of the specific cellular system. it may be coupled to the central, adjunct node-processor of the invention, so that multifarious-operating cellular systems may be linked by the central personal computer adjunct node-processor into one holistic system comprised of many different cellular operating systems and of many node-processors. A network of many adjunct node-processors allows hand-off between adjunct processors, to that if one adjunct processor fails or is down, another adjunct processor in the network may take over its functions. Each adjunct processor also has an alarm-management system and a billing and accounts-management system, which may take over the same systems another, down adjunct processor. Each component is comprised of an objects-oriented software and a state table, with the objects-oriented software creating a pointer for the state table. The billing function is continuous during the processing of the call, so that, if the available credit for a user has expired while a call is in progress, that call is automatically terminated.

The present invention is directed to a central call-processing system for a cellular or cellular-like telephone system.
The increasing availability of mobile and portable communications over the past decade has freed business and residential users from the physical constraints of a wholly wired telecommunications network. Cellular communications systems, together with paging and other complementary services, has brought mobility to telecommunications services for the first time. Significant technical advances in mobile and portable technologies, as well as in new technologies such as digital transmission with respect to wireless telecommunications, have substantially expanded the number and types of wireless telecommunications services using the cellular spectrum that can be made available to the user. These prospective services include, but are not limited to, advanced forms of cellular telephone service, advanced digital cordless telephone service, portable facsimile services, wireless private branch exchange services, and wireless local area network services, and may be used through the existing public switched network or through alternative local wired networks (such as cable television systems). As such, digital personal communications systems can exist independently of local wired networks, filling gaps that are existing in current communications systems, and also in creating new markets many yet to be defined. Accordingly, providers of cellular systems, including Personal Communication Systems (PCS), will have the ability to reach and serve existing and new markets, both nationally and globally, in an economic and responsive manner. According to the invention, it is advantageous to construct a hybrid cellular system, that may include a PCS, that is fully compatible with any and all open network interface requirements that may currently exist, or are expected to exist in the future, such that a number of different, hithertofore incompatible cellular systems may be linked together by means of one central processor using multiple common air-interface protocols. Thus, for example, a provider of an Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) analog cellular phone system, with its one or more base stations and local cellular customers, may be directly and wirelessly linked, for example, to a provider of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) digital cellular system, or, either or both of the above may be linked to a provider of the Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) 450 Mhz.-frequency cellular system, or to a provider of the Extended Total Access Cellular System (E-TACS).
Each of the above-mentioned cellular systems has its own specifications and protocols that have hithertofore prevented ready and easy coupling of one system with another system, which has prevented a cellular call from one type of system to be made to another type of system without having to be first routed through the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
Traditional, wireless communication systems, such as those named above, typically implement the call-control and real-time operational activities in the actual switching exchange equipment connected to the PSTN, while all other activities are handled in an external, dedicated, adjunct platform computer. Such systems must route their calls through the PSTN, if a call is being made to another type of cellular system, as above-described. Since the call-control and real-time operational activities are embedded in the actual switching exchange equipment, any upgrade or change to the system is considerably time-consuming and costly, often necessitating replacement of switching equipment hardware.
Owing to the fact that conventional cellular systems require such switching-equipment control, such systems require very complicated and decentralized billing schemes. These prior-art systems rely on external billing computer platforms to process call detailing information. This information is typically downloaded only once or twice a month to the cellular provider. Therefore, the time period between a placement of a call and the time that the call is billed may be a month or so, often allowing a subscriber to surpass his prescribed monthly call-limit.
Traditional cellular systems require separate and specific processing platforms to support the mobility and network administration functions of the system, and thus require duplication of such platforms to provide back-up capability.

Cellular-telephone central call-processing system utilizing object-oriented software in adjunct personal computer for generating billing records


The present invention relates to a versatile apparatus for securely storing and retrieving a variety of tools. A tool holding rack according to the present invention has a plurality of tool-holding clamping units. The tool-holding clamping units are mounted in a horizontal array, and a robot arm can access the units from below for retrieving and storing tools on the units. Consequently, the rack can be mounted above a work area, thereby increasing the working space available on the work area for manufacturing operations. In one embodiment of the present invention, each tool holding unit has a first jaw and a second jaw, with at least the second jaw being open at the bottom. The second jaw is movable relative to the first jaw. The tool-holding clamping units have a clamped mode in which the unit is adapted to clamp a tool in place on the rack, and an open mode in which the first jaw is spaced from the second jaw such that the unit is adapted to permit removal of a tool from the rack.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tool racks for use in conjunction with robotic arms, and specifically to a tool rack that is mounted off of the floor so as to maximize available floor space.
2. Description of Related Art
Manufacturing companies use robotic arms to perform a variety of tasks. In metal stamping operations, for example, a robotic arm can be employed to perform a sequence of tasks, each requiring the arm to use a particular tool. The tools can be quite heavy, typically in the 200-300 pound range, and the robotic arm must rapidly store and retrieve the tools to facilitate high volume production.
The tools must be stored in some organized fashion, so that the robotic arm can retrieve and replace tools as necessary. One approach to storing tools is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,372, which relates to storing and exchanging measuring tools. The system of the '372 patent utilizes a tool rack that sits on the work floor. Consequently, the device takes up valuable floor space that could otherwise be used for manufacturing operations. Furthermore, the rack is designed merely to hold lightweight measuring tools and must be oriented vertically. Because the orientation of the rack is only vertical, a robotic arm must grasp the tool from the side of the rack, even if it would be more efficient to grasp the tool from above or beneath in a particular operation.
U.S Pat. No. 4,486,298 discloses another tool storage apparatus from which a robotic arm stores and retrieves small, lightweight tools. The robotic arm inserts the tools into openings formed at each of the storage locations. The robotic arm twists the tools in one direction to lock them into place on the storage apparatus, then twists them in the opposite direction at a later time to unlock them. Unfortunately, like the device of the '372 patent, the apparatus of the '298 patent sits on the work surface where the robotic arm is performing the manufacturing steps. Consequently, valuable work space is lost in storing the tools.


The present provides methods and compositions that enable effective delivery of nucleic acids to desired cells, including to a solid organ such as a mammalian heart. The methods and compositions enable effective gene transfer and subsequent expression to a majority of cells throughout a solid organ such as the heart. Methods and compositions of the invention preferably provide enhanced vascular permeability that enables increased gene transfer to targeted cells, but without significant degradation or injury to endothelial cell layers. Global delivery of nucleic acid to an intact heart has been achieved with as little as 2 minutes of intracoronary exposure to the administered nucleic acid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved gene transfer methods and, more particularly, methods that enable highly efficient and widespread delivery of selected nucleic acids, to solid organs such as the heart or liver as well as to other solid cell masses such as a solid tumor.
2. Background
Effective delivery of nucleic acid to cells or tissue with high levels of expression are continued goals of gene transfer technology. As a consequence of the general inability to achieve those goals to date, however, clinical use of gene transfer methods has been limited.
Thus, for example, several delivery schemes have been explored for in vivo myocardial gene transfer, but none has proven capable of modifying a majority of cardiac myocytes in a homogeneous fashion. Techniques involving injection directly into the myocardium are considered of limited use because gene expression does not extend significantly beyond the needle track. R. J. Guzman et al. Circ Res 1993; 73:1202-1207; A. Kass-Eisler Proc Natl Acad Sci 1993; 90:11498-11502. In one study, percutaneous intracoronary delivery of 1010 pfu of adenovirus caused infection in only about one-third of the myocytes in the region served by the target artery. E. Barr et al. Gene Therapy 1994, 1:51-58.
Other coronary delivery models, either in situ or ex vivo, have produced a very small percentage of infected cells spread throughout the heart. J. Muhlhauser et al. Gene Therapy 1996; 3:145-153; J. Wang et al. Transplantation 1996; 61:1726-1729. To date, no in vivo delivery system has been able to infect a majority of cells in an intact heart.
Certain gene delivery procedures also have been quite invasive and hence undesirable. For example, one report describes essentially complete loss of endothelium by mechanical or proteolytic means to enable gene transfer from blood vessels to cells positioned across interposing endothelial layers. See WO 93/00051.
Certain gene transfer applications also have been explored in other organs such as the liver. In particular, ex vivo strategies have included surgical removal of selected liver cells, genetic transfer to the cells in culture and then reimplantion of the transformed cells. See M. Grossman et al., Nat Genet 1994, 6:335-341. Such an ex vivo approach, however, suffers from a number of drawbacks including, for example, the required hepatocyte transplantation. M. A. Kay et al., Science 1993, 262:117-119; and S. E. Raper et al., Cell Transplant 1993, 2:381-400. In vivo strategies for gene transfer to the liver also have been investigated, but have suffered from low delivery efficiencies as well as low specificity to the targeted tissue. N. Ferry et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1991, 88:8377-8391; A. Lieber et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1995, 6:6230-6214; A. L. Vahrneijer et al., Reg Cancer Treat 1995, 8:25-31. See also P. Heikkilia et al., Gene Ther 1996, 3(1):21-27.
Gene transfer has been generally unsuccessful in additional applications. For example, gene transfer therapies for treatment of cystic fibrosis have largely failed because transduction of insufficient numbers of cells.
It thus would be desirable to have improved methods and systems to effectively deliver nucleic acid to targeted cells and tissue. It would be particularly desirable to have new methods and systems for effective delivery of nucleic acids into solid organs, especially the heart, liver, lung and the like, as well as other solid cell masses such as a solid tumor.


A low-voltage luminaire assembly is provided with a transformer and a lamp holder, one or more of which have quick-release connections. Methods for installing and servicing the luminaire assembly are also provided. The luminaire assembly may also have a plurality of lamp holders, a plurality of input and output electrical wires, a rotary dimmer switch, and an electrical plug component. The transformer and lamp holders are mounted to an object and the electrical wires are tailored to the necessary installation dimensions, thereby providing a luminaire assembly that is easily and neatly installable to any object in any desired configuration.

Light fixtures are used in homes and buildings to provide various forms of illumination. Some light fixtures serve both functional and aesthetic purposes, such as for illumination of work surfaces below cabinets and in cabinetry and furniture in constricted areas.
In one form, strings of low-voltage accent lights are provided as part of an under-cabinet installation kit to be used by builders or by after-market consumers. These under-cabinet lights are typically mounted to surfaces under kitchen cabinetry or recessed into shelf portions of cabinets to provide additional lighting for countertops. Such under-cabinet lights often use tracks or "raceways" that are used to mount individual lamp assemblies. Electrical wires are routed in the raceways. The lamp assemblies typically pierce the electrical wires when the lamp assemblies are mounted to the raceways.
Conventional under-cabinet lights suffer from various drawbacks. For instance, their raceways are usually made of a rigid material with a fixed orientation such as a straight line, which limits orientation of the under-cabinet lights. Since the raceways must be measured and cut to fit specific surfaces, installation of known under-cabinet lights can be time-consuming. Also, if a raceway is measured incorrectly, additional time and materials are wasted. Furthermore, if an electrical wire is pierced incorrectly when installing individual lamp assemblies on the raceway, the entire under-cabinet light may have to be replaced. Moreover, failure of a transformer supplied with some under-cabinet lights to convert 120 volts to 12 volts usually requires replacement of the entire under-cabinet light.
A modular, quick-release, under-cabinet luminaire assembly is desirable that is easily installed and serviced.


Disclosed are a method of determining the components of a fluoroolefin composition, a method of recharging a fluid system in which the composition is used, and sensors used therefor. In particular, the composition may be a fluoroolefin refrigerant composition used within a vapor compression system, where the refrigerant composition is useful in cooling systems as replacements for existing refrigerants with higher global warming potential. Such fluoroolefin refrigerant compositions have double bond structures which make them particularly well suited with sensing technologies, including: infrared sensors, UV/vis sensors, NIR sensors, ion mobility or plasma chromatographs, gas chromatography, refractometry, mass spectroscopy, high temperature thick film sensors, thin film field effect sensors, pellistor sensors, Taguchi sensors and quartz microbalance sensors.

New environmental regulations on refrigerants have forced the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry to look for new refrigerants with low global warming potential (GWP).
Replacement refrigerants are being sought that have low GWP, no toxicity, non-flammability, reasonable cost and excellent refrigeration performance.
Fluoroolefins have been proposed as refrigerants alone or in mixtures. When used in a vapor compression system, any refrigerant has a tendency to leak from the system over time, as holes develop in the system. Especially where the refrigerant is a blend of different components, it would be desirable to know the composition of the refrigerant which remains in the system, in order to understand how much of each blend component would be needed to recharge the system. While systems are available for recharging systems which use known refrigerants which are not fluoroolefin based compositions, for instance, as disclosed in US 2004/0055317, to date, no system exists which is particularly useful in identifying the components of fluoroolefin compositions, which may be blends, and in determining the amount of the fluoroolefin components or other components in the blend which need to be added.

Method of determining the components of a fluoroolefin composition, method of recharging a fluid system in response thereto, and sensors used therefor


A subrack having a front side and a rear side, wherein the subrack is coupled to receive an Advanced Mezzanine Card module, the subrack includes a monolithic backplane having a first portion and second portion, where the first portion runs substantially along the front side and the second portion runs substantially along the rear side. A first slot is to receive the Advanced Mezzanine Card module inserted via the front side and connect the Advanced Mezzanine Card module directly to the second portion of the monolithic backplane. A second slot is to receive the Advanced Mezzanine Card module inserted via the rear side and connect the Advanced Mezzanine Card module directly to the first portion of the monolithic backplane. A virtual carrier manager, where the virtual carrier manager provides a control management function for the Advanced Mezzanine Card module, where the virtual carrier manager provides a central switching function for the Advanced Mezzanine Card module, and where the virtual carrier manager provides a power control function for the Advanced Mezzanine Card module.

The PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG®) Micro Telecommunications Architecture (MicroTCA™) defines the requirements for a system that uses PICMG Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) modules directly on a backplane (PICMG® MicroTCA.0 Draft 0.6—Micro Telecom Compute Architecture Base Specification). MicroTCA may serve as a platform for telecommunications and enterprise computer network equipment as well as consumer premises equipment. MicroTCA is complimentary to PICMG3 Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (AdvancedTCA®, or PICMG3). While ATCA is optimized for high capacity, high performance applications, MicroTCA addresses cost-sensitive and physically smaller applications with lower capacity, performance and less-stringent availability requirements.
In the prior art MicroTCA systems, all modules are inserted from one side of the subrack or chassis (i.e. the front of the subrack), resulting in all input/output (I/O) forced to be from the front of the subrack. This has the disadvantage in that all I/O cabling is in the front of the subrack, which blocks maintenance personnel from easily accessing the subrack and creates a hazardous and cluttered area where many subracks are present.
There is a need, not met in the prior art, to have a MicroTCA subrack where modules may be inserted from the front and the rear and where rear I/O is available to allow better access and more efficient routing of external cables. Accordingly, there is a significant need for an apparatus that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art outlined above.
Elements in the Figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the Figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first", "second", and the like herein, if any, are used inter alia for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. Moreover, the terms "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "over", "under", and the like in the Description and/or in the Claims, if any, are generally employed for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for comprehensively describing exclusive relative position. Any of the preceding terms so used may be interchanged under appropriate circumstances such that various embodiments of the invention described herein may be capable of operation in other configurations and/or orientations than those explicitly illustrated or otherwise described.

Monolithic backplane having a first and second portion

Emerson Network Power - Embedded Computing, Inc.


Fouling in the scrubber section of a fluid coker unit is reduced by providing perforated baffles to improve the uniformity of the gas flow profile in the scrubber by reducing the gas velocity of the cyclone outlet gases in the scrubber section of the unit. These baffles are located with the objective of reducing the rotational component of the gas flow in the scrubber created by the alignment of the gas outlets of the cyclones. The baffles are preferably located in the shed section of the scrubber and comprise upstanding perforated plates located at the periphery of the scrubber section to disrupt high velocity gas jets in the region of the interior wall of the scrubber.

Fluidized bed coking (fluid coking), including its variant, the Flexicoking™ process, is a pyrolysis process used in the petroleum refining industry in which heavy petroleum fractions, typically the non-distillable residue (resid) from vacuum fractionation, are converted to lighter, more useful products by pyrolysis (coking) at elevated reaction temperatures, typically about 500 to 600° C. (approximately 900 to 1100° F.). In fluid coking, the heated heavy oil feed, mixed with atomizing steam, is admitted through a number of feed nozzles to a large vessel containing coke particles fluidized with steam and maintained at a temperature high enough to carry out the desired cracking reactions in the reactor section of the vessel. The feed components not immediately vaporized coat the coke particles and are subsequently decomposed into layers of solid coke and lighter products which evolve as gas or vaporized liquids which mix with the fluidizing steam and pass upwardly through the dense fluidized bed of coke particles, through a phase transition zone into a dilute phase zone above. The solid coke consists mainly of carbon with lesser amounts of hydrogen, sulfur, nitrogen, and traces of vanadium, nickel, iron, and other elements derived from the feed material. The fluidized coke is continuously withdrawn from the reactor vessel, steam-stripped and circulated through a burner, where part of the coke is burned with air to raise its temperature from about 500 to about 700° C. (about 900 to 1300° F.), after which it is returned to the reactor vessel to provide heat for the coking reaction.
The mixture of vaporized hydrocarbon products and steam continues to flow upwardly through the dilute phase at superficial velocities of about 1 to 2 metres per second (about 3 to 6 feet per second), entraining some fine solid coke particles. The gases then pass upwards out of the reactor section of the vessel through separator cyclones into a scrubber section. Most of the entrained solids are separated from the gas phase by centrifugal force in the cyclones and are returned through the cyclone diplegs to the dense fluidized bed by gravity. The mixture of steam and hydrocarbon vapor is discharged from the cyclone outlet and quenched to about 370-400° C. (about 700-750° F.) by contact with circulating oil in the scrubber section of the fluid coker vessel. The scrubber is equipped with internal sheds normally in the form of inverted U- or V-shaped elements, to facilitate contact between the ascending vapors and the oil passing down from a distributor above the sheds. The contact between the high boiling circulating oil and the ascending vapors provides cooling of the hot vapors and promotes condensation of the heaviest fraction of the vaporized product. A de-entrainment section is also conventionally provided above the sheds with additional wash oil provided from a distributor located above the de-entrainment device. The de-entrainment device acts to remove entrained heavy oil droplets from the vapors and to cool the vapors further; it is important to the quality of the final coker gas oil product that the de-entrainment device should not accumulate coke particles and other impurities which can be entrained by the passing vapors. Heavy oil and solids and liquids separated in the scrubber section pass out at the bottom of the scrubber section to a pumparound loop which circulates condensed liquid to an external cooler and back to the top of the sheds in the scrubber section. This heavy fraction is typically recycled to extinction by feeding back to the fluidized bed reaction zone, but may be present for several hours in the pool at the bottom of the scrubber section.
Fluid coking is an established process and is described briefly, for example, in Modern Petroleum Technology, Hobson, G. D. (Ed.), 4th Edition, Applied Science Publ. Ltd., Barking, 1973, ISBN 085334 487 6.
The gas phase undergoes a pressure drop and cooling as it passes through the cyclones, primarily at the inlet and outlet passages where gas velocity increases. The cooling which accompanies the pressure decrease causes condensation of some liquid which deposits on surfaces of the cyclone inlet and outlet. Because the temperature of the liquid so condensed and deposited is higher than about 500° C. (about 900° F.), coking reactions occur there, leaving solid deposits of coke. Coke deposits also form on the scrubber sheds, the de-entrainment device and other surfaces. In particular, fouling of the de-entrainment device, normally a grid, restricts the open flow paths in the grid and eventually leads to flooding and black oil entrainment. A poorly operating scrubber can readily lead to poor product quality since this is determined in part by scrubber operation: heavy ends which contain metals, Conradson Carbon Residue (CCR) and, in the case of tar sand operations, fine clay solids, can enter the coker products, leading to problems in downstream units, particularly catalytic units such as hydrotreaters in which metals such as vanadium and nickel can poison the catalyst and entrained clay solids plug catalyst beds and cause high pressure drop.
One pathway by which fouling of the scrubber sheds and of the de-entrainment device is believed to arise is coking of heavy oil entrained in the scrubber section by the high velocity gas flow from the cyclone outlets. The heavy components in the oil carried up from the sheds impact the de-entrainment device and then become coked as a result of high temperatures prevailing in the scrubber. At the end of a run, this fouling can be so bad that the de-entrainment device loses its effectiveness as a contact device: it floods, and allows heavy components from the circulating oil into the product stream. This problem, moreover, becomes more severe as the degree of fouling increases and the gas flow passages become progressively smaller, the gas flow in the de-entrainment device then becomes correspondingly faster and entrainment into the product from the unit sent to downstream units, in turn, increases yet further.

ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company


Compaction of the response signals produced by separate sets of sub-circuits (12.sub.i) within a digital circuit (10) under test is accomplished by first analyzing each response signal produced by a corresponding set of sub-circuits (by way of a logic analyzer (16,18)) to determine if the response signal has a particular pattern. A pattern bit is then set in accordance with the response signal which has the particular pattern. The pattern bits are then compacted by a set of daisy-chained time compactors (20), each compactor serving to exclusively OR the pattern bit from a corresponding logic analyzer (16,18) with a compacted bit generated previously by an upstream compactor.

There is currently much interest in providing digital electronic circuits with an internal capability of testing themselves (built-in self-test). One built-in self-test technique which has shown much promise for digital electronic circuits is that of pseudo-exhaustive self-testing, which is described and claimed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 484,336, filed on Feb. 26, 1990, in the names of J. A. Malleo-Roach et al. and assigned to AT&T Bell Laboratories (herein incorporated by reference). As described in the Malleo-Roach application, pseudo-exhaustive testing of an electronic circuit is carried out by first partitioning the circuit into individual sub-circuits, hereinafter referred to as "cones," each having only one output and no more than a predetermined number of inputs.
In addition to partitioning the circuit, a test generator is added to the circuit under test for generating a set of vertical canonical vectors at its output. A separate subset of the canonical vectors is then assigned to the inputs of each cone such that the vectors in each subset are independent of each other to assure exhaustive testing of the cone.
Upon receipt of a test vector at its inputs, each cone generates a response signal bit. The response signal bits from the cones are compacted (compressed) to yield a reduced length stream of bits indicative of the response of the cones, which is determinative of whether the circuit contains any faults. For a further description of the above-described pseudo-exhaustive self-testing technique, reference should be had to the Malleo-Roach et al. application, Ser. No. 484,336.
Compaction of the response data has traditionally been accomplished by exclusively OR'ing the response bit produced at each observation point (the output of a cone) with the response bit produced by an upstream cone at an earlier interval. To carry out compaction of the response signals in this manner, Multiple Input Shift Registers (MISRs) have been employed. A typical MISR comprises a plurality of MISR cells daisy-chained together to form a circle, with each cell containing an exclusive OR (XOR) gate having a first input supplied with the response bit from an observation point, such as the output of a cone, and a second input supplied with the output of an upstream MISR cell. Each MISR cell also comprises a flip-flop whose input is supplied with the output of the XOR gate of the cell and whose output is supplied to an input of the XOR gate of a downstream MISR cell. At the completion of testing, the pattern of bits (referred to as a "signature") stored by the MISR will be indicative of the operation of the circuit. By comparing the MISR signature to that obtained when the circuit is fault-free, a determination can be made as to whether the circuit under test has any defects (faults).
The disadvantage associated with the use of MISRs for compacting response signals from a circuit under test is that such devices are not "cost-effective" from the standpoint that each MISR cell generally requires a large number of grids (gates) for its implementation. In the case of a large circuit comprised of many cones, the number of MISR cells will correspondingly be high, imposing a large, undesirable overhead penalty.
Thus, there is a need for a technique for compacting response data which is efficient in terms of the number of elements required for the task.

Space compression technique for pseudo-exhaustive self-testing of digital electronic circuits