The present invention provides an organic electroluminescent element which is superior in luminance, reliability, and thermal stability and is capable of selectively emitting light with comparative long wavelengths such as red and good color purity and a light-emitting device or display device incorporated therewith. The organic electroluminescent element consists of a glass substrate (1), an anode (2), a hole transporting layer (10), an emitting layer (11), an electron transporting layer (12), and a cathode (3), which are sequentially laminated on top of the other. The emitting layer (11) is formed from a mixture composed of at least one species of the styryl compound represented by the general formula [I] below and a material with charge transporting capability.Y—CH═CH—X   General formula [I](where X denotes an aryl group (such as phenyl group) which has a substituent group (such as cyano group and methyl group), and Y denotes a group having a skeleton of aminophenyl group or the like.)

Enormous efforts are being directed to research and development of light-weight high-efficiency flat-panel displays for use as computer screens or television screens.
One reason for this is that the conventional CRT now in general use as the display device is bulky, heavy, and power-consumptive despite its high luminance and good color reproduction.
Among the light-weight high-efficiency flat-panel displays which have recently been commercialized is, for example, a liquid-crystal display of active matrix drive type. Unfortunately, it has a narrow viewing angle and needs back light (which consumes a large amount of electric power) for use in a dark place because it does not emit light by itself. Moreover, it cannot quickly respond to high-definition high-speed video signals to be put to practical use in near future. Another problem is high production cost and technical difficulties involved in production of large-sized display.
A possible substitute for liquid-crystal display is a display with light-emitting diodes. However, it also has a problem with high production cost and technical difficulties in forming light-emitting diodes in matrix structure on a single substrate. It is not an inexpensive display to replace CTRs in near future.
There has recently appeared a flat panel display which is expected to solve the above-mentioned problems. It is an organic electroluminescent element (organic EL element) made with an organic luminescent material. It is expected that a specific organic compound as a luminescent material will help realize a flat display panel which emits light by itself, responds quickly, and ensures good visibility free from viewing angles.
The organic EL element is composed of a transparent anode and a metal cathode and an organic thin film interposed between the anode and the cathode which contains a luminescent material which emits light upon injection of electric current. That of single hetero structure, which was developed by C. W. Tang and S. A. VanSlyke, is reported in Applied Physics Letters, vol. 51, No. 12, pp. 913 to 915 (1987). It has an organic thin film of double-layer structure, which is composed of a thin film of hole transporting material and a thin film of electron transporting material, so that luminescence takes place upon recombination of holes and electrons injected into the organic thin film from each electrode.
The organic EL element of this structure permits either the hole transfer material or the electron transfer material to function as a luminescent material. Luminescence takes place in the wavelength region corresponding to the energy gap between the ground state and the excited state which are assumed by the luminescent material. The double-layer structure brings about a considerable reduction in driving voltage and a great improvement in luminescence efficiency.
At a later time, an organic EL element of double hetero structure was reported by C. Adachi, S. Tokita, T. Tsutsui, and S. Saito in Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 27, No. 2, pp. L269 to L271 (1988). The structure is composed of three layers of hole transporting material, luminescent material, and electron transporting material. Further, another organic EL element was reported by C. W. Tang, S. A. VanSlyke, and C. H. Chen in Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 65, No. 9, pp. 3610 to 3616 (1989). The structure has a luminescent material contained in the electron transporting material. These researches have proved the feasibility of intensive luminescence at a low voltage. Active research and development works in this field are going on.
The fact that there exists a large variety of organic compounds used as luminescent materials suggests that it would be possible, at least theoretically, to produce light of any desired color if their molecular structure is properly modified. In other words, properly designed organic compounds would give three pure colors (red, green, and blue) necessary for full color display more easily than inorganic compounds used for thin-film EL elements.
It is reported in non-patent literature (1) listed below that the emission of red color is possible with an electron transporting material which is tris(8-quinolyl)aluminum (Alq3 for short hereinafter) doped with 4-dicyanomethylene-6-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)-2-methyl-4H-pyran (DCM for short hereinafter).
It is also reported in non-patent literature (2) listed below that BSB-BCN gives a luminescence of 1000 cd/m2 or above.
It is proposed in patent literature (1) listed below that a specific styryl compound be used as the electroluminescent material.                Non-patent literature (1): Chem. Funct. Dyes, Proc. Int. Symp., 2nd. p.536 (1993)        Non-patent literature (2): T. Tsutsui, D. U. Kim, Inorganic and Organic Electroluminescence Conference (1996, Berlin)        Patent literature (1): Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 7-188649 (Claim, from p. 5, right column, line 8, to p. 22, right column, line 5, and FIGS. 1 to 3)
Despite these prior art technologies, the actual organic electroluminescent element still have problems to be solved. Difficulties are involved in development of an element capable of stably emitting red light with a high luminance. The electron transporting material (DCM-doped Alq3) reported in the non-patent literature (1) above does not exhibit satisfactory luminance and reliability required of the display material.
The BSB-BCN reported in the non-patent literature (2) above gives a luminance of 1000 cd/m2 or above but does not give a complete red chromaticity necessary for full color display.
There is a need for development of an electroluminescent element capable of stably emitting red light with a high purity and a high luminance.
The specific styryl compound, which proposed for use as the organic electroluminescent material in the patent literature (1) above, is intended only for blue light emission. It is not intended for emission of light with wavelengths of red or other colors.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an organic electroluminescent element and a light-emitting device or display device incorporated therewith. The organic electroluminescent element is formed from a compound which has a high fluorescence yield and a good thermal stability. Moreover, it stably and selectively emits light of red and other colors (in the region of comparatively long wavelengths) with a high color purity and a high luminance.

Organic electroluminescent element and light-emitting device or display device incorporated therewith


A wireless device is equipped with multiple (e.g., two) antennas, which may be of different designs. Each antenna interacts with the wireless environment in a different manner and achieves different scattering effect. The wireless device has one transmit signal path for each antenna. Each transmit signal path generates an RF output signal for transmission from the associated antenna. The wireless device controls the operation of one or more transmit signal paths to achieve a larger received signal level at a receiving base station. The wireless device may (1) autonomously adjust the transmit signal path(s) without relying on any feedback from the base station or (2) adjust the transmit signal path(s) based on transmit power control (TPC) commands received from the base station. The wireless device may selectively enable and disable each transmit signal path, vary the phase and/or gain of each transmit signal path, and so on.

I. Field
The present invention relates generally to communication, and more specifically to techniques for transmitting data by a wireless device.
II. Background
In a wireless communication system, a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted by a wireless device (e.g., a cellular phone) may reach a base station via multiple signal paths. These signal paths may include a line-of-sight path and reflected paths, which are created by reflections of radio waves in the environment. The base station may thus receive multiple instances of the transmitted RF signal. Each received signal instance is obtained via a different signal path and has a complex gain and a propagation delay determined by that signal path. The received signal instances may add constructively at the base station and produce a received signal having a larger magnitude. Conversely, the received signal instances may add destructively and produce a received signal having a smaller magnitude. Different received signal levels may thus be obtained depending on reinforcement or cancellation of the received signal instances. Reinforcement is usually not problematic. However, cancellation may cause the received signal level to drop by a large amount, e.g., by up to 40 decibels (dB). The received signal is said to be in a "fade" when attenuated by a large amount due to cancellation.
Some wireless communication systems, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, utilize power control to mitigate the deleterious effects of fading. With power control, the transmit power of the wireless device is adjusted either up or down as needed to achieve a target signal-to-total-noise ratio (SNR) at the base station. If the base station detects that the received SNR for the wireless device drops below the target SNR, e.g., due to changes in the wireless environment, then the base station sends transmit power control (TPC) commands to direct the wireless device to increase its transmit power. The wireless device may vary its transmit power over a wide range in order to maintain the received SNR at or near the target SNR. For example, if a fade causes the received signal at the base station to drop by 20 dB, then the wireless device would be instructed to increase its transmit power by approximately 20 dB (or 100 times higher) in order to maintain the desired SNR at the base station.
Many wireless devices are portable and powered by internal batteries. The use of high transmit power to combat fading depletes battery power, which shortens talk time. There is therefore a need in the art for techniques to reduce transmit power and extend talk time for such a portable wireless device.

Transmit power reduction for a wireless device with multiple transmit signal paths


A tube for directing fluid along a path that includes a bend. The tube comprising a conduit having a first aperture, a second aperture, and a bend portion adjacent the second aperture. An outer bend surface is integrally formed as part of the conduit to at least partially define the second aperture. An insert includes at least a portion of an inner bend surface and is disposed at least partially within the second aperture such that the outer bend surface and the inner bend surface cooperate to at least partially define the bend.

The present invention relates generally to internal combustion engines. More particularly, the present invention relates to manifolds or other passageways for directing fluids within internal combustion engines.
Internal combustion engines are commonly used to provide power for lawn care and gardening implements such as rototillers, lawnmowers, edgers, and the like. These internal combustion engines generally include a carburetor that feeds an air/fuel mixture to one or more cylinders.
It is sometimes desirable to position the carburetor or other air/fuel mixing device on one side of the engine, while the cylinder intake valve(s) is located on the opposite side. In this type of arrangement, an intake crossover manifold or tube is employed to provide a flow path for the air/fuel mixture. To provide the best air/fuel mixture by reducing turbulent fluid flow, it is desirable to provide the smoothest flow path possible between the carburetor and the cylinder intake. Thus, straight tubes or tubes with smooth bends are preferred over typical tubes with relatively sharp or small inner radius bends.
Some prior art tubes were manufactured out of metal. These metal tubes were typically manufactured from two separate pieces. Specifically, a tube portion attached to a die cast portion. However, these tubes included a sharp inner radius and were relatively expensive to manufacture.
Other tubes were manufactured from thermoplastic materials. However, the high temperatures generated by the engine can soften the thermoplastic. This softening necessitates the use of more rigid tubes that include shoulder inserts, stiffening ribs, or other stiffening features. In addition, an o-ring or gasket must be used to assure a seal and to thermally insulate the tube from the hottest engine components. Other items, such as metal threaded inserts may also be required, thereby increasing the cost of thermoplastic tubes. These additional costs increase the cost of the engine.
Tubes having the desired inner radius can be manufactured using multi-piece or rotating cores. However, the methods of manufacture used are costly. In addition, the thermoset plastic tends to cause wear and sticking problems when used in conjunction with rotating cores. This makes it difficult to form a smooth-walled part including the desired inner radius using thermoset plastics.
FIG. 1 illustrates one prior art tube 1 in section. As can be seen, the inner corner of the tube 2 is not radiused. This sharp corner creates turbulence and other flow losses that are undesirable.


Methods and related apparatus for conducting shear slowness logging are set forth. The methods broadly comprise: detecting dispersive waves such as flexural or Stoneley waves; Fourier transforming the received signals; backpropagating the Fourier transformed signals according to equations using different dispersion curves; stacking the backpropagated signals; and finding semblances in order to choose the dispersion curve of maximum semblance and thereby identifying the shear slowness of the formation. Formation shear slowness may be plotted over borehole depth. Different embodiments are set forth. In one preferred embodiment (QDSTC), prior to Fourier transforming, the signals are stacked according to a previous estimation of slowness (S.sub.0), and are windowed for maximum energy. The reduced set of data in the window are then extracted for Fourier transformation, and prior to backpropagation, multiplied by S.sub.0 to reset them for backpropagation and stacking. In another preferred embodiment (DSTC), after the signals are backpropagated, the backpropagated signals are inverse fourier transformed and windowed. In DSTC, semblance values may be plotted as a function of slowness and time. Regardless of embodiment, the methods of the invention account for non-dispersive waves by using dispersion curves of constant value during backpropagation.

This invention relates generally to sonic well logging. More particularly, this invention relates to sonic well logging techniques useful in quantifying subsurface parameters which are helpful in searching for and exploiting hydrocarbons and other valuable resources. The invention has particular application to determining the shear slowness of a slow formation via utilization and processing of dispersive wave information such as flexural or Stoneley waves.
Sonic well logs are typically derived from tools suspended in a mud-filled borehole by a cable. The tools typically include a sonic source (transmitter) and a plurality of receivers which are spaced apart by several inches or feet. Typically, a sonic signal is transmitted from one longitudinal end of the tool and received at the other, and measurements are made every few inches as the tool is slowly drawn up the borehole. The sonic signal from the transmitter or source enters the formation adjacent the borehole, and the arrival times and perhaps other characteristics of the receiver responses are used to find formation parameters. In most formations, the sonic speeds in the tool and in the drilling mud are less than in the formation. In this situation, the compressional (P-wave), shear (S-wave) and Stoneley arrivals and waves are detected by the receivers and are processed. Sometimes, the sonic speed in the formation is slower than the drilling mud; i.e., the formation is a "slow" formation. In this situation, there is no refraction path available for the shear waves, and the shear waves are typically not measurable at the receivers. However, the shear slowness of the formation is still a desirable formation parameter to obtain.
One sonic log of the art which has proved to be useful is the slowness-time coherence (STC) log. Details of the techniques utilized in producing an STC log are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,691 to Kimball et al., as well as in Kimball, et al., "Semblance Processing of Borehole Acoustic Array Data"; Geophysics, Vol. 49, No. 3, (March 1984) pp. 274-281 which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties herein. Briefly, the slowness-time coherence log utilizes the compressional, shear, and Stoneley waves detected by the receivers. A set of time windows is applied to the received waveforms with the window positions determined by two parameters: the assumed arrival time at the first receiver, and an assumed slowness. For a range of values of arrival time and slowness, a scalar semblance is computed for the windowed waveform segments by backpropagating and stacking the waveforms and comparing the stacked energies to the unstacked energies. The semblance may be plotted as a contour plot with slowness and arrival times as axes, with maximum semblance values indicating the determined formation slowness value. In addition, local maxima of the semblance function are identified by a peak-finding algorithm, and the corresponding slowness values may be plotted as gray-scale marks on a graph whose axes are slowness and borehole depth. The intensity of the gray-scale marks is proportional to the height of the semblance peak.
As indicated in the aforementioned article and U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,691 to Kimball et al., the same backpropagation and stacking techniques are used regardless of whether the wave being analyzed is a P-wave, S-wave or a Stoneley wave; i.e., regardless of whether the wave is non-dispersive (P- or S- wave) or dispersive (e.g., Stoneley). However, while such backpropagation and stacking techniques may be optimal for non-dispersive waves, they are not optimal for dispersive waves. In response to this problem, at least two different approaches have been utilized. A first approach, such as disclosed in Esmersoy et al., "P and SV Inversion from Multicomponent Offset VSPs", Geophysics, Vol. 55; (1990) utilizes parametric inversion of the total waveform. However, this approach is not preferred because it is unreliable and computationally time consuming.
A second approach which is the currently commercial approach to solving the non-optimal results of using the STC techniques for dispersive waves, which is disclosed in A. R. Harrison, et al., "Acquisition and Analysis of Sonic Waveforms From a Borehole Monopole and Dipole Source . . . ", SPE 20557, pp. 267-282, (Society of Petroleum Engineers, Inc. 1990), and U.S. Ser. No. 07/862,821, which are both hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties, is to process the flexural waveform as before, but to correct the non-dispersive processing results by a factor relating to the measured slowness; i.e., to post-process the STC results. In particular, correction values are obtained by processing model waveforms with the STC techniques and comparing the measured slowness with the formation shear slowness of the model. The model waveforms assume a particular source and are bandlimited to a prescribed band (typically 1 to 3 KHz) before STC processing. Tables of corrections are designated by a particular source and processing bandwidth, and contain corrections as percentage-of-measured-value factors functions of measured value and hole diameter. The percentage correction required decreases with hole diameter and increasing formation slowness, and ranges from less than one percent to as much as fifteen percent. This approach, as did the parametric inversion approach, has its own drawbacks. In particular, the waveform spectra often disagree with those of the model. Further, the analysis band may exclude the majority of the flexural mode energy as well as reducing sensitivity to environmental parameters.
Other approaches such as first motion detection of flexural mode onset, and non-dispersive processing over a low frequency band, have also been considered by the applicant and others. Each of these approaches, however, has its own drawbacks. The flexural mode onset approach is driven by the realization that the fastest parts of the flexural mode dispersion curve approaches the formation shear slowness, and that the calculated moveout can be taken as the estimate of formation shear slowness. Problems with this technique include, among others, that: the flexural mode onset can be preceded by the compressional arrival; the early onset of the flexural wave may not propagate at the formation shear slowness because the flexural wave does not have energy at low frequencies; early time portions of arrivals have low energy content; measured flexural mode onsets practically never line up exactly in arrays with several receivers. The non-dispersive processing over a low frequency band approach is driven by the realization that the low frequency limit of the flexural mode dispersion curve is the formation shear slowness. Among the problems with the low frequency processing are that: with fixed array lengths, the resolution of the slowness measurement diminishes with frequency; generating significant flexural mode energy at low frequencies is extremely difficult; and road noise increases as the frequency decreases.

Sonic well logging methods and apparatus utilizing dispersive wave processing


Particular embodiments described herein can offer a method that includes powering down a root port; initiating a first downstream cycle by a central processing unit (CPU) to the root port; identifying a power up activity for the CPU; and triggering an exit flow for a power state in conjunction with sending a second downstream cycle to the root port. In more particular embodiments, the triggering of the exit flow for the power state and the sending of the second downstream cycle to the root port occurs in a substantially parallel fashion. In addition, a prewake indicator can be sent to the root port to trigger the exit flow before the CPU is powered up and the second downstream cycle is sent.

Platform controller hubs (PCHs) represent a family of successful microchips. I/O functions have been reassigned between a new central hub and the central processing unit (CPU). Certain Northbridge functions, the memory controller, and Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) lanes have been integrated into the CPU, while the PCH has taken over the remaining functions. As is the case with most processor environments, their Idle Power should be minimized to meet certain requirements. In many cases, there can be multiple high-speed Serial input/output (I/O) ports (including the universal serial bus (USB)) to accommodate. Hence, it becomes significant to bring down the expenditure for the PCI Express root port Idle Power by several factors.
The FIGURES of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale or proportion, as their dimensions, arrangements, and specifications can be varied considerably without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Processor hiding its power-up latency with activation of a root port and quickly sending a downstream cycle


A child's pacifier comprises an elongated member having a nipple portion protruding from a peripheral surface proximate to one end. The elongated member includes a flexible body having an oblong cross-section and a cloth covering wrapped around the flexible body. The nipple portion of a standard baby bottle nipple protrudes through a hole in the cloth covering.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a child's pacifier and in particular to a child's pacifier adapted for promoting the child's fine motor skills at an early age. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a child's pacifier designed to be easily retrievable by the child and to promote the child's fine motor skills by such retrieval.
2. Description of the Related Art
Children's pacifiers have long been used to sooth crying children, particularly infants and toddlers, and to provide the child with an alternative activity to crying. Contemporary children's pacifiers are also designed to promote the child's development. On example is orthodontic pacifiers, which are designed to provide the child with an oral exercise, thereby promoting healthy dental development.
An inevitable--and typically frequent--occurrence attending use of a pacifier is loss of the pacifier by the child. Conventional children's pacifiers are generally unsuitable for retrieval by the child unless the child has already achieved a level of development, including development of fine motor skills, which is inconsistent with the need for having a pacifier. Simply stated, by the time a child is capable of retrieving a lost pacifier by itself, the child is normally old enough to no longer need a pacifier. Typically it is the small size of conventional pacifiers which precludes self-retrieval by the child. Thus, at a minimum, loss of a conventional pacifier by the child requires the child's caregiver to retrieve the pacifier for the child.
Self-retrieval of a lost pacifier by the child is of particular importance for premature infants which must be kept in an incubator or other protective enclosure. While the enclosure usually includes portals allowing a caregiver to reach inside and retrieve the pacifier for the child, intrusions into the enclosure are undesirable due to the dangers of biological or bacterial contamination.
A secondary effect of a child losing a conventional pacifier is that such loss may go unnoticed by the child's caregiver, resulting in failure to retrieve the pacifier. For this reason, experienced caregivers will normally keep several pacifiers on hand and periodically replenish their stock as pacifiers are lost. Prior art solutions to this problem have generally been directed attaching the pacifier to the child in some manner, whether by a string around the child's neck or to a fastener attached to the child's clothing, or by employing a bib designed to retain the pacifier. In addition to the obvious disadvantages of such attachments, particularly employing strings around an infant's neck, these solutions do nothing to facilitate self-retrieval of the pacifier by the child.
Studies indicate that the United States is experiencing a baby-boom echo, a trend of increased birth rates as women born in 1957 and 1958 (the peak years of the post-war baby boom) approach the end of their child bearing years. Simultaneously, the average age of primary caregivers has increased an the manner in which children are cared for has changed, particularly in the area of daycare where each caregiver is responsible for attending a larger number of children. Therefore it is increasingly important to promote development in the child as early as possible.
It would be desirable, therefore, for a child's pacifier to facilitate self-retrieval by the child. It would further be desirable for such a pacifier to simultaneously promote development of fine motor skills in the child, such as grasping, manipulating, and carrying objects, locating particular portions of objects, and shifting objects from one hand to the other. It would advantageous if such a pacifier could be easily constructed from readily available materials without special manufacturing and were easy to maintain.

Child's pacifier with nipple base secured between a fabric covering and an elongated member


Metal silicide is removed at a faster rate than polysilicon in dry etching of metal silicide/polysilicon composites with an etching gas made from HCl and Cl.sub.2 at a volumetric flowrate ratio of HCl:Cl.sub.2 within the range of 3:1 to 5:1.

Semiconductor devices have been forced to become smaller and thinner without loss of speed or performance. Frequently, the smaller devices must perform at even higher levels. These competing demands, size v. performance, challenge manufacturers to advance their art. Usually, a metal silicide (e.g., TiSi.sub.x, TaSi.sub.x, MoSi.sub.x, or WSi.sub.x) of 50-300 nm is applied over a polysilicon surface layer of 50-400 nm that is insulated from the immediately preceding layer by a layer of silica (SiO.sub.2) that is relatively thin, e.g., about 10-30 nm. One area of importance is in the field of etching such surfaces to impart a pattern to the surface. Importantly, etching should: (a) form the desired pattern with an anisotropic profile (i.e., generate a clean, perpendicular etched surface); (b) without contaminating the etched layers; (c) without damaging the film such as might occur by over-etching into the silica layer; and (d) with a uniform etching rate across the etched surface.
There are several types of etching systems and a plurality of etching chemistry schemes. The two most common dry etching processes are plasma etching and reactive ion etching. Of these, reactive ion etching is generally preferred for high resolution replication of photoresist patterns in electrically conductive materials. The charged nature of the ions permits a greater degree of control over an impingement pattern that is perpendicular to the mask surface. Reactive ion etching is generally performed with conditions that include: an etching gas pressure of 30-200 mTorr, an etching gas flow rate of 20-100 sccm, and either a low temperature within the range of -10.degree. C. and -120.degree. C. (see, U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,923) or a relatively high temperature within the range of 50.degree. C. to 130.degree. C. (see, U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,416).
The etching gas compositions used in the art have varied but are generally based on fluorine or chlorine chemistry. U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,408 describes a plasma etching process with a plasma made from gas of SF.sub.6, CH.sub.2 F.sub.2, and Cl.sub.2. It is said that the chlorine helps to remove deposits made from the reaction by-products and protects the silica layer by increasing the selectivity of the etching process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,028 uses a similar gas composition, but with differing ratios of HBr:F* ratios, for etching the silicide layer and the polysilicon layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,485 etches the silicide layer with a mixture of HCl, BCl.sub.3, and Cl.sub.2. The volumetric flowrate ratios of HCl:BCl.sub.3 :Cl.sub.2 are within 75:(30-40):(25-40). It is taught that the ratio of BCl.sub.3 :Cl.sub.2 is at least 1:1. The polysilicon layer is etched without the BCl.sub.3. If desired, NF.sub.3 may be added to increase the etching rate. Overall, it is taught that the process should be operated to achieve an etching rate ratio (R) of silicide: polysilicon of (1-2):1, preferably about 2:1. The specification refers to removal rates on the order of 90-110 nm/min. (e.g., col. 8, line 8).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,085 employs plasma etching with HCl and Cl.sub.2 at a flowrate of 30-200 sccm, a pressure of 0.1-1 Pa, and 50-500 W of microwave power. The Cl.sub.2 :HCl ratio is 2:1 (i.e., a ratio of HCl:Cl.sub.2 of 0.5).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,923 describes the use of two, and possibly three, etching gases. The first gas is selected from F, SF.sub.6, or NF.sub.3. The optional second gas is selected from HCl, HBr, Cl.sub.2, Br, or CCl.sub.4. The third gas is a combination of the second gas and an inert gas, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon tetrachloride, or carbon monoxide. The ratio of SF.sub.6 :Cl.sub.2 is within 4:6 to 7:3 at a flowrate of 20-150 sccm, a temperature of -10.degree. C. to -120.degree. C., and a pressure of 50-150 mTorr. The etching rate with 100% chlorine gas on silica was reported as 12 nm/min. Use of 20% SF.sub.6 and 80% Cl.sub.2 increased the silica etch rate to 36 nm/min. Etching rates for WSi.sub.x was 350 nm/min at 25.degree. C. with a corresponding silica etch rate of 70 nm/min. When the temperature was reduced to -30.degree. C., the silicide etch rate dropped to 300 nm/min, and the silica etch rate fell slightly to 60 nm/min.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,416 similarly describes the use of fluorine, chlorine, SF.sub.6, or NF.sub.3 as etching gases that reduce reaction byproduct deposits during the etching process. Removal rates are about 300 nm/min at temperatures of -60.degree. C. to -150.degree. C. and gas pressures of 1-10 mTorr.
Unfortunately, the conventional etching gas compositions and processes seek to increase the rate of etching in order to accelerate the manufacturing process. Typical chlorine-based etch systems have an etching rate of about 500 nm/min. Such processes may have had their place when metal silicide layers were relatively thick so there was time to control the etching duration. The newer films are, however, significantly thinner. The newer metal silicide layers have a thickness of about 30-75 nm. Conventional etching processes are too fast with a low degree of selectivity for etching the silicide layer in preference to the polysilicon layer. The etch duration is too short to control with the high degree of accuracy required for devices made from modern films.
It would be useful to have a process for etching metal silicide that was selective to silicide relative to polysilicon and more controllable.

International Business Machines Corporation


The disclosure relates to transfer of a user equipment from a network to another network. In the method a user equipment communicating with a first network is transferred from the first network to a second network providing resources to a plurality of operators. After initiation of the transfer, an operator is selected for the user equipment amongst the plurality of operators. A controller of the second network is then provided with information regarding the identity of the selected operator, and the user equipment is transferred to the second network. Information regarding the identity of the selected operator is also sent to the user equipment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a communication system, and in particular, but not exclusively, to transferring a user equipment from a network to another network in a communication system, said other network providing sharable network resources.
2. Description of the Related Art
A communication system can be seen as a facility that enables communication sessions between two or more entities such as user equipment and/or other nodes associated with the communication system. The communication may comprise, for example, communication of voice, data, multimedia and so on. A user equipment connected to a communication system may, for example, be provided with a two-way telephone call or multi-way conference call or with a data connection. A user equipment may communicate packet data to and from a server entity, or between two or more user equipments.
A communication system typically operates in accordance with a given standard or specification which sets out what the various entities associated with the system are permitted to do and how that should be achieved. For example, the standard or specification may define if a user equipment is provided with a circuit switched service or a packet switched service or both. Communication protocols and/or parameters which shall be used for the connection are also typically defined. For example, the manner how the user equipment can access the communication system and how communication shall be implemented between the user equipment and the elements of the communication network is typically based on predefined communication protocols. In other words, a specific set of "rules" on which the communication can be based on needs to be defined to enable the user equipment to communicate via the communication system.
Communication systems proving wireless communication for user equipment are known. These systems are commonly referred to as mobile systems, although in certain systems the mobility may be restricted to substantially small areas. An example of the mobile systems is the public land mobile network (PLMN). A PLMN is commonly based on cellular architecture. Another example is a mobile system that is based, at least partially, on use of communication satellites. Mobile communications may also be provided by means of other mobile systems, such as by means of wireless local area networks (WLAN).
In a common wireless system a base station servers a plurality of user equipment. A user equipment may also be in wireless communication with two or more base stations at the same time. Communication on the wireless interface between the user equipment and the base station can be based on an appropriate communication protocol. A base station is understood to be a part of an access network (AN) that enables the mobile station to access the core part of the communication network, referred to as the core network (CN).
The skilled person knows the basic operational principles and elements required for the wireless access. Examples of these include access systems such as the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wide-band CDMA), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access), or SDMA (Space Division Multiple Access) and hybrids thereof.
Each base station and/or access network is controlled by an appropriate control arrangement. The operation of a base station and other apparatus of the access network can be controlled by one or several control entities. Two or more base stations may be controlled by a controller. For example, the third generation (3G) Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) networks employ control entities known as radio network controllers (RNC) for controlling the operation of the wireless access network. In the second generation (2G) GSM (Global System for mobile) the access network is understood to be controlled by a base station controller (BSC). A radio network controller may control a number of stations, or all stations, of an access network.
The access network controllers are connected to appropriate core network entities. One or more gateway nodes may also be provided for connecting a core network to other networks. For example, a mobile core network may be connected to other mobile or fixed line communication networks or communication networks such as an IP (Internet Protocol) and/or other packet data networks.
A communication network is commonly run and operated by a network operator. The operation environment of network operators has changed and is becoming more dynamic in its nature. For example, partnerships, acquisitions, creative agreements among operators and so on have forced the operators to rethink the way they use the resources of their networks. The changes have opened the minds for the possibility of sharing the networks resources. However, there are some technical obstacles before more dynamic operation and sharing of the resources could become reality, not least because of the way the technical aspects of the networks are standardised.
The concept of "network sharing" shall be understood broadly, and includes various scenarios, for example, but not limiting to these, a common radio access network connected to a multiple core networks, multiple radio access networks sharing one core network, or multiple radio access networks connected to a multiple of core networks.
Conventionally telecommunications service providers have operated and owned their networks. Use of a network by a party other that the owner of the network has been enabled by means of roaming agreements or the like. For example, when the GSM and then the UMTS systems were specified, the possibility of sharing part or the entire network by two or more separate commercial entities was not considered at all. GSM was designed under the principle "one operator, one radio access network". Although the GSM network has some possibilities of infrastructure sharing, it does not properly support sharing of resources at the radio access network level. The initial design of third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) systems has followed the same principle. As a result the standards lack functionalities that could enable the realization of such commercial agreements, and more efficient use of the resources.
Proposals for network-sharing include the scenarios such as the Gateway Core Network (GWCN) and the Multiple Operator Core Network (MOCN). The GWCN scenario is intended for legacy-shared networks, and defines how a gateway core network can be deployed for shared-network architecture where, besides the radio access network, mobile switching centres (MSCs) and serving GPRS (general packet radio service) support nodes (SGSNs) are also shared. The GWCN scenario also describes how the scenario might be deployed with functionalities of older networks. It also allows the radio access network operator to be or not to be one of the core network operators.
One recent improvement for the GWCN scenario is the possibility to select a network by a user equipment. In this scenario the user equipments can be made aware of the operators providing services in the shared network. A supporting user equipment for use in this scenario may be any equipment which is capable of understanding information about available operators as provided by the shared network, selecting one of the available operators, and indicating the selected operator to the network.
User equipments that are supporting shared networks are a fairly recent proposal. Therefore a number of non-supporting user equipment will be in use for the foreseeable future. When a user equipment that is not supporting network sharing is being transferred from an access network to another, the target shared access network controller should include a commonly used operator identity that is understood by such a user equipment. In certain systems, for example those based on 3G standards, radio access network provides a globally unique location information to a user equipment when it is transferred from an access network to another. Thus, the location information contains a PLMN identity as part of the location information. In a communication system employing sharing of network resources a question is which PLMN identity is provided to the user equipment, since there are a multiple of choices, due to a multiple of operators providing service in the same physical network. It has been proposed that for a non-supporting user equipment, the PLMN identity should be the identity of the radio access network (Common-PLMN-ID), and not the identity of any of the possible operators.
However, the access network controller does not necessarily know if a user equipment is configured such that it can support sharing of network resources. Thus the controller may not know to which user equipments it should include information regarding the identity of the possible serving network.
In addition to this, when handing over or relocating a user equipment from a non-shared network to a shared network with GWCN configuration, the target shared access network controller may not necessarily know which one of the PLMNs of the network should be serving the user equipment.
It shall be appreciate that the problem is not limited to transfer from a non-shared to shared network. Similar problem may occur within a shared network.
A user equipment may be transferred from an access system to another, for example in handover or relocation. It is technically possible that a user equipment that supports network sharing registers to a different core network operator for packet switched domain than the one serving the user equipment for an ongoing circuit switched connection. This may not always be desirable.
A user equipment is RRC-connected after a handover, and thus it may not have to include a core network identity in a message such as the 'INTIAL DIRECT TRANSFER' message to access network controller, because the access network should already know what is the identity of the selected PLMN. However, the access network controller needs to know in that case the selected PLMN for the user equipment, because it may need to indicate it to the user equipment and also because it may need to store it so that the access network controller is able to indicate the identity to the shared SGSN in the case of GWCN, when NAS-RAU has to be sent via RANAP:INTIAL UE MESSAGE (after reception from user equipment of the RRC:INTIAL DIRECT TRANSFER message, which does not include the identity because the user equipment is RRC-connected). Furthermore, after circuit switched handover from non shared network or another shared access controller, the access network controller is mandated, in order to allow the user equipment to register on a packet switched domain, to send the RRC:UTRAN MOBILITY INFORMATION to the user equipment, which includes the core network Information Info that indicates the current Selected PLMN to the user equipment. The supporting user equipment may need to get the right PLMN identity because it may need to use it later on when the circuit switched call is released and the user equipment goes back to idle. In that case the user equipment may perform background scan and check whether its current selected PLMN is the right high priority PLMN. If not the user equipment may perform another routing area update (RAU). If the access network controller sends to user equipment a Common PLMN-ID instead of a selected CN-PLMN-ID in the core network information info in UTRAN MOBILITY INFORMATION, the user equipment will almost always performs a RAU after the circuit switched call is released, leading to significant increase in signaling.
Therefore there is a need for an improved solution for the handling of handovers or other relocations of user equipment in communications systems including at least one shared network.

Transfer of a user equipment in a communication system


A dynamic service network creation apparatus includes a resource lookup and registration unit configured to look up and register network resource information of each of a plurality of network resource providers which are managed by a netstore apparatus; and a service network topology configuration unit configured to, in response to a service reservation request being received from each of a plurality of service providers through a service management system, dynamically configure a service network for providing a network-based service from the service provider to a service user that is to use the service of the service provider, wherein the dynamic service network creation apparatus is connected to the service management system that manages the network-based service provided by a plurality of the service providers and the netstore apparatus.

1. Field
The following description relates to a smart device resource management and service transmission control system based on a netstore and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Spearheaded by the proliferation of smartphones, personal media environment is following a ubiquity of the smart platforms. Running on an inbuilt CPU and dedicated OS, the platform is increasingly intelligent and personalized, gaining momentum in the communications and broadcasting sector.
A smart TV, as a broadcast and communication convergence media incorporating a central processing unit (CPU), an operating system (OS) and a platform with a TV set, aims to provide an intelligent service beyond the integration of the Internet and broadcasting. In addition, the smart TV receives terrestrial, cable and Internet broadcasts, and simultaneously provides a service being specialized or tailored to the user's needs or conditions, offering Internet access and various applications.
An overlay network is a layer of a virtual network having a service routing function on an existing physical network as a transmission network. That is, the overlay network is a virtual network of nodes and logical links that is built on a top of an existing network. Since nodes in the overlay network are connected by logical links, not physical links, the existing network can be utilized at much as possible, thereby providing more efficient network services. The overlay network topology enhances service performance and efficiency and provides a variety of functions by reconfiguring a logical topology on a top of existing physical and logical topology.

System and method for configuring dynamic service network based on netstore

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A remote controller includes a holder having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a first positioning boss and a second positioning boss protruding from the first surface and the second surface of the holder, respectively, a first wiring board provided over the first surface of the holder and having a first positioning hole formed therein, a second wiring board provided under the second surface of the holder and having a second positioning hole formed therein, an operation portion provided on at least one of the first wiring board and the second wiring board, a control circuit for transmitting a remote control signal according to an activation of the operation portion, and a case accommodating the first wiring board and the holder and having a third positioning hole formed therein.

Remote control of various electronic equipment, such as televisions, video cassette recorders, and air conditioners, with remote controllers, remote controllers are required to operate reliably.
A conventional remote controller disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 3-173198 will be described with referring to FIGS. 4 and 5.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional remote controller. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the remote controller. The conventional remote controller includes upper wiring board 1 having wiring patterns (not shown) on upper and lower surfaces thereof, lower wiring board 2 having wiring patterns (not shown) on upper and lower surfaces thereof, and holder 3 made of insulating resin. Holder 3 has plural hooks 3A projecting from upper and lower surfaces thereof. Upper wiring board 1 and lower wiring board 2 are mounted on the upper and lower surfaces of holder 3 with hooks 3A, respectively. Operation member 4 made of rubber is laid on the upper surface of upper wiring board 1 and has plural operation sections 4A having substantially dome shapes. Movable contact 4B formed on a lower surface of operation sections 4A face plural fixed contacts 1A by a predetermined space between them, providing switch contacts. Electronic components, such as light emitting diode 5A and microprocessor 5B, are mounted on upper wiring board 1 and lower wiring board 2, and provides control circuit 5 for transmitting a remote control signal. Connector 6 is mounted on upper wiring board 1. Multi-directional control switch 7 operable in upper, lower, left, and right directions is mounted on lower wiring board 2. Upper wiring board 1, holder 3, and operation member 4 are accommodated in case 8 made of insulating resin having substantially a box-shape. Lower wiring board 2 is fixed to case 8 with screws 9. Knob 7A mounted on multi-directional control switch 7 and control sections 4A of operation member 4 protrude upward from openings 8B provided in the upper surface of case 8. Positioning boss 3B protruding from the lower surface of holder 3 is inserted into positioning hole 2A of lower wiring board 2.
Positioning boss 8A protruding from the lower surface of case 8 is inserted into positioning hole 1B of the upper wiring board 1 as to positioning upper wiring board 1 with reference to case 8. Boss 3B is and positioning hole 2A positions lower wiring board 2 and holder 3, thus providing the remote controller.
This remote controller is directed to electronic equipment, and a predetermined operation section 4A for, e.g., turning on/off or volume control, is pressed, thus allowing movable contact 4B on the lower surface of control section 4A to contact fixed contact 1A as to executing an electrical connection and disconnection of the switch contacts. Then, infrared ray remote control signal corresponding to it is transmitted from control circuit 5 to the electronic equipment, and turns on and off a power supply or increases/decreases of volume of the electronic equipment remotely.
The remote controller is directed to electronic equipment while plural menu selections or a cursor is displayed, for example, on a screen of a television receiver. Knob 7A is activated in the upper, lower, left, and right directions to activate multi-directional control switch 7. Then, infrared ray remote control signal corresponding to it is transmitted from control circuit 5, and moves the cursor in the directions on the menu on the screen to perform menu selection.
In the conventional remote controller, holder 3 and lower wiring board 2 are positioned with positioning boss 3B and positioning hole 2A, and case 8 and upper wiring board 1 are positioned with positioning boss 8A and positioning hole 1B. However, case 8 and lower wiring board 2 are not positioned. When screws 9 is fastened to secure lower wiring board 2 to case 8, board 2 may be displaced. In such case, components mounted on lower wiring board 2, e.g., knob 7A mounted on multi-directional control switch 7 may be displaced. When knob 7A is displaced at a large amount, a rim of knob 7A may contact an opening in the upper surface of case 8, hence preventing switching operation.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A sheet compression apparatus includes a pair of nipping members configured to be movable so as to contact and separate from each other and to compress a sheet while the sheet is nipped, and a contact/separation mechanism configured to perform a contact/separation operation of the pair of nipping members, and the contact/separation mechanism separates the nipping members from each other until a leading edge of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding unit passes between the nipping members, and then relatively moves the pair of nipping members closer to each other to start the nipping of the sheet so the sheet is compressed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a sheet compression apparatus configured to compress an edge of a sheet and an image forming apparatus including the sheet compression apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic method forms an electrostatic latent image based on image information formed on a photosensitive drum as an image carrier, develops the electrostatic latent image, and visualizes the image as a toner image. The visualized toner image is transferred onto a sheet using electrostatic force and the transferred toner image is fixed to the sheet by applying heat. In this manner, an image is recorded on the sheet.
A toner image which has been formed but not yet fixed to the sheet is fixed to the sheet by applying heat and pressure by a fixing apparatus. As a fixing apparatus that fixes a toner image, a heat roller type fixing apparatus is used. The heat roller type fixing apparatus fixes the image transferred onto the sheet while the sheet is nipped at a nip portion formed by a pressure roller pressing a fixing roller which internally includes a heater.
More specifically, the fixing roller which is pressed by the pressure roller has an internal heat source such as a halogen heater and its temperature is maintained at a predetermined temperature. Further, the pressure roller that presses the fixing roller has elasticity. While the sheet conveyed to the heat roller type fixing apparatus is nipped at the fixing nip portion formed by these rollers, the unfixed toner image formed on the surface of the sheet is melted. Then, the image is fixed to the sheet surface.
The base material of the fixing roller is a metal such as aluminum. Further, an elastic layer is formed on the surface of the base material using, for example, silicon rubber. Additionally, the surface of the elastic layer is coated with fluorine resin as a non-adhesive layer. The fluorine resin aids in the separation of the fixing roller from the toner. The pressure, which is applied to the fixing roller by the pressure roller to form the fixing nip portion, is generated, for example, by a spring. A great deformation in the elastic layer and the non-adhesive layer of the fixing roller is generated when the nip portion is formed due to the pressure.
In recent years, with the increase in the media types, improved durability is required with respect to image forming apparatuses, such as copying machines and printers, capable of processing various types of media. Since the fixing roller and the pressure roller are damaged by fine chipping of the surface, surface layer flaking, and rough surface layer when thick paper passes between them, although the damage may be extremely light, it becomes noticeable when the rollers are used for along time and hampers the durability of the fixing apparatus.
Under such circumstances, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-298925 discusses an image forming apparatus which is capable of reducing the fine chipping of the surface and surface layer flaking of the fixing roller and the pressure roller by reducing the thickness of the sheet by applying pressure to the sheet. According to the image forming apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-298925, the sheet conveyed to the fixing apparatus is made thinner by a compression apparatus arranged upstream of the fixing apparatus. Thus, the damage of the surface layer due to fine chipping and elongation of the elastic layer of the fixing roller and the pressure roller when thick paper passes the fixing apparatus can be reduced.
If the sheet is too thick, the leading edge of the sheet may not be nipped by the roller pair when the leading edge of the sheet is conveyed to the roller pair of the compression apparatus.
Although such a problem can be solved, for example, by increasing the diameter of the roller pair of the compression apparatus, if the diameter of the roller pair is increased, the whole apparatus will be larger. This is against the trend for downsizing. Further, if a metal roller pair is used, the apparatus will be heavier and handling will be more difficult.

Sheet compression apparatus and image forming apparatus


A system provides an oxygen-bearing gas and gaseous reactant stream to a fluidized bed reactor using a sparger to entrain the oxygen-bearing gas into the reactant gas stream. A feed line couples the sparger to the reactor's fluidized bed and introduces the reactant gas stream and entrained oxygen-bearing gas directly into contact with the fluidized bed. A controller controls and maintains both the amount of oxygen-bearing gas and the gaseous reactant above an upper flammability limit, preferably with a safety margin of at least 10%.

The production of anhydrides involves partial oxidation of an appropriate hydrocarbon in the presence of a suitable catalyst. Commercial maleic anhydride production employs feeds of an appropriate gaseous reactant stream such as butane, butene or benzene into a partial oxidation reactor where, in the presence of air/oxygen and a suitable catalyst, maleic anhydride is produced with lower amounts of other oxygenates and carbon oxides. In most cases, butane is the preferred feedstock. When butane is used as the starting raw material, the reactor is often a fluidized bed reactor which includes a separate air injection conduit for introduction of air into the fluidized bed.
To provide oxygen for the conversion of butane to maleic anhydride, the prior art has suggested the addition of oxygen or oxygen-containing gas directly to the feed flow or as a separate feed to the reactor. Such teachings can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,516 to Dickason, U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,802 to Contractor, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,987,239 and 5,126,463 to Ramachandran et al. None of the aforesaid patents provides any teaching that an oxygen deficiency can occur in a fluidized bed reactor at the point of reactant feed introduction. Dickason teaches adding substantially pure oxygen directly to the reactor at high butane concentrations. Contractor teaches the use of a transport bed with air, oxygen enriched air, or oxygen in the regeneration zone. Both Ramachandran patents teach that when pure oxygen feed is present in the partial oxidation reactor, that a gaseous flame suppressor mixture be utilized, e.g., carbon dioxide or a substantially unreacted hydrocarbon. As a result, both Ramachandran patents provide further apparatus downstream from the partial oxidation reactor to recover and recycle the carbon dioxide and unreacted hydrocarbon feed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,165 to Rainbird et al. discloses a sparger valve for mixing oxygen with gaseous hydrocarbons in a process stream. The Rainbird et al. sparger valve includes a number of jets facing downstream within the hydrocarbon gas flow. The jets introduce oxygen at a jet velocity that is substantially higher than the velocity of the hydrocarbon gas. Variations in oxygen mass flow are achieved by varying the area of the jet orifices, while maintaining a predetermined pressure drop across the orifices.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,619 to Son discloses a process and apparatus for dispensing an gaseous stream into another gaseous stream in an inline mixing apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,213 to Arpentinier describes a further sparger design which is positioned coaxially with respect to the axis of a channel containing a feed stream. Radial vanes are employed in the sparger to inject gas in a substantially radial direction towards the outside of the feed flow so as to enable a mixing of the injected gas with the feed flow gas.
The above noted prior art includes no teaching of fluidized bed reactor performance penalties which occur as a result of oxygen deficiencies at points of feed stream introduction. Further, the prior art, while including teachings regarding the introduction of oxygen-bearing gases at various points in a process, includes no teachings of how such an introduction can be accomplished in a manner to assure process safety.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved system for enabling an oxygen bearing gas to be combined with a gaseous reactant feed flow to a fluidized bed reactor.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved system and method for combining an oxygen-bearing gas and gaseous reactants in a manner to avoid explosions, deflagration or other anomalous effects in the process.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved method and system for addition of oxygen to butane in a fluidized bed reactor wherein oxygen deficiencies at feed flow entries are voided.

Method and apparatus for direct oxygen injection with a reactant stream into a fluidized bed reactor


A high-performance, long-focal length macrolens system is provided which is easy-to-operate and is capable of photographing an object at an infinitely far distance and an object at a close distance without changing the overall length of the macrolens system. The system is configured in order from the object side, having:. a first lens group G1, which includes a negative lens and has a positive overall refractive power, PA1 a second lens group G2, which includes a compound lens and has a negative overall refractive power, PA1 a third lens group G3, which includes a compound lens and has a negative overall refractive power, and PA1 a fourth lens group G4, which has a positive refractive power, and the system fulfills at least three preselected conditions.

The present invention relates to a macrolens system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a macrolens system having a long focal length. More specifically, it relates to a macrolens system which can photograph an object from an infinitely far distance to a close distance without substantially changing its overall length.
In photographing an object which has a magnification of about 1.times., it is well known to use a technique of moving the focusing lens group using a bellows. However, it is difficult to operate a bellows and it is not compact. Such method also decreases image quality at a short taking distance significantly, providing poor imaging performance.
In recent years, along with the popularity of the auto focus (AF) camera, demands have been made that the amount of work be reduced; that is the work is defined as the weight of a focusing lens group multiplied by the amount of movement. There are some proposals which work with auto focusing operations and, at the same time, prevent the focusing lens group from deteriorating its imaging performance by working on the focusing method in various ways.
Particularly, in a macrolens system which has a long focal length, the amount which the focusing lens group moves from focusing on an infinitely far object to focusing on a close object tends to be undesirably large. Therefore, an optical system having a configuration which does not impede the AF operation and the method of focusing needs to be developed. Such a macrolens system, which is able to photograph an object at an infinitely far distance and also photograph an object at a close distance, such as at 1.times. is disclosed for example in Japanese Patent Publication No. S62-42252 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Aplication No. H2-81014, S55-140810, S61-132916 and H5-32319.
Also, in Japanese Patent Publication No. S55-78326, H5-42643, and H 6-46259, etc., for example, is disclosed a "long focal length lens system" in which the distance between the end of the lens closest to the object and the image plane of the lens system, that is the overall length, does not change. However, the long focal length lens disclosed in these patent publications is able to photograph at 1/7.times., 1/10.times., and 1/4.times. only. This does not fully achieve the desirable functions of a long focal length macrolens system.
In the long focal length macrolens system disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. S62-42252, the first lens group is fixed. This patent publication is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. This arrangement provides an attractive advantage that the overall length of the system does not change. However the astigmatism fluctuates greatly along with the change in focal length from infinitely far distances to 1.times.. Also, a great degree of aberration is generated at a mid-range objective focal length state.
In the same manner, in the long focal length macrolens system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application H2-81014 by the same assignee as this invention, almost all of the problems S62-42252 had are resolved including the fact that the overall length of the macrolens system does not change. However, the overall macrolens system is long. Its spherical aberration fluctuates and its distortion at the 1.times. focal state is undesirably large.
On the other hand, in the long focal length macrolens system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. S55-140810, the change of total length is large, and the work of the focusing lens group is large. The fluctuation of spherical aberration is unfavorably large as well.
In the long focal length macrolens system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. S61-132916, the aberration fluctuation along with the change in the object distance is small. However, the number of lenses which constitute this system is large. This system also moves the first lens group which is heavy and bulky. This increases the overall length during focusing from infinitely far to a near distance. The center of gravity of the lens system moves a large distance and the amount of work used in moving the focusing lens group is unfavorably large.
Also, in the long focal length macrolens system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H5-323191 by the same assignee as the present invention, the large amount of movement of the center of gravity of the lens system due to the change in objective distance can be suppressed. The aberration fluctuation is best suppressed, of all the above related arts. However the first lens group is moved in this technique, thus poorly suppressing the spherical aberration.
The long focal length macrolens system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. H5-323191 resolved some problems such as:
a fluctuation of astigmatism and overcompensation of the spherical aberration. These problems were corrected by moving the first lens group to the object-side. However, moving the first lens group, which is the bulkiest, is undesirable regardless of the amount of movement, in terms of operability and manufacturability. In other words, if the first lens group is fixed and yet the overall aberration can be balanced, an easy-to-operate, easy-to-manufacture, long focal length macrolens system of consistent quality can be obtained for reduced cost.


A method for partitioning a magnetic hard disk is disclosed which comprises obtaining an ending position of the file allocation table area by using information stored in the boot sector of the hard disk, detecting contents of the file allocation table (FAT) to obtain a starting position of areas, where data is not stored, of the data storage area, and setting the starting position as a starting position of a second of the at least two partition blocks. With the disk partitioning method, the second partition block is overlapped with a part of a first of the at least two partition blocks. Even though program files including a testing program of the computer system are erased from the second partition block (i.e., overlapped region), the computer system can recognize the whole area of the hard disk as an available limit storage region.

A hard disk is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy plate also known as a "platter". Coated on the aluminum alloy plate is a magnetic film on which carbon is deposited so as to store data thereon. Once a hard disk drive has been produced, a user cannot immediately use the produced hard disk drive. This is because the magnetic film on the platter is not formatted. Thus the hard disk drive is formatted and thereafter can be used.
A formatting process utilizes a first step of physical formatting, which is called a "low level format", so that the configuration of data patterns is defined to form a number of sectors. A partitioning step is then carried out so that the whole region of the physically formatted hard disk is partitioned into more than one partition block. Then a logical formatting step, called a "high level format", is carried out according to a disk operating system which is loaded on the host personal computer. After that time, the hard disk drive can be used. Each of the partition blocks has an individual address. This individual address is represented by information concerning the head, sector and cylinder. A plurality of consecutive sectors are divided by cylinders.
In the event that a single hard disk is partitioned according to a prior art disk partitioning method, the entire region of the disk can be divided into consecutive partition blocks. As illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,711 to James M. Hugard, et al. and entitled System For Multiple Access Hard Disk Partitioning, wherein multiple hard disk partitions for installing multiple incompatible absolute zero sector operating systems are provided. It can be seen that there are no overlapped partitions.
After partitioning the hard disk according to the prior art method, the second region of the hard disk is deleted, the partition block defined by the second region is not included in the first region. Thus, in order to utilize the entire region of the hard disk, a disk partitioning process step must be performed again.
The complexity of personal computers has increased dramatically in recent years. Complex computer systems require similarly complex disk operating systems to support the wide variety of possible system hardware and software configurations available today. During fabrication of such complex personal computers, a testing step must be performed in order to check whether each of the produced computers is normally operated and whether specific program files are normally executed. After termination of the testing, when the complex personal computers are powered off, they may become damaged.
Also, when a computer system is initially operated by the complex operating system, a maker must input some information such as product number, etc. Since a complex operating system, however, has a different product number, it takes a maker a long time to input the specific product information to all the produced computer systems.
To overcome the above described disadvantages, another prior art method is proposed which has the process steps for partitioning a hard disk of produced computer system into two partition blocks, i.e., first and second regions, by a disk duplicating apparatus, duplicating a complex operating system for testing the computer system on the second region of the hard disk, and erasing the operating system duplicated on the second region after testing the computer system using the duplicated operating system. However, the above described method requires a long time in duplicating the complex operating system on the second region of the hard disk. And, even though a maker erases the operating system duplicated on the second region after testing the computer system, a user cannot use the entire region of the hard disk because the hard disk remains partitioned into two partition blocks. This is because an operating system installed in the computer system by a user can recognize only the first region as the entire region of hard disk.
Thus, at least one operating system maker has provided a program capable of booting the complex operating system using a floppy disk without key entry of specific product information to the computer system. In this case, however, the computer system must be booted by a different operating system so as to duplicate operating system files from the floppy disk to the hard disk.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,840 to John J. Pearce, et al. entitled Automatic Adjustment Of Disk Space Required For Suspend-To-Disk Operation performs system-to-disk processes utilizing an extended partition form from a part of a native operating system (OS) partition, that is, the extended partition overlaps the OS partition. Additionally, the native partition can be deleted, thereby returning the data blocks to the native OS partition.

Method for partitioning storage regions on hard disk and computer system adapted to the same


A valved drain plug apparatus having a valve body with a bore extending therethrough and an opening along a surface extending into the bore, and an insert element rotatably mounted within the bore of the valve body. The insert element has a hole along one surface. The insert element is movable between a first position in which the hole is aligned with the opening and a second position in which the insert element closes the bore of the valve body. The insert element has a generally tubular configuration being open at one end and closed at another end. A key member is detachably received by the insert element. The key member serves to rotate the insert element between the first and second positions. The key member includes a body member having an interior passageway extending therethrough and in communication with the bore of the valve body. The key member also includes a key extending upwardly from the body member so as to engage a key slot formed on a surface of the insert element.

In virtually all motor vehicles, an oil drip pan is provided at the bottom of the engine. The purpose of the oil drip pan is to receive the accumulation of motor oils. Periodically, it is necessary to change this engine oil. The oil change is accomplished by the removal of a drain plug on the oil drip pan. The removal of the drain plug allows the oil to flow from the oil drip pan. After the accumulation of oil has been removed from the oil drip pan, then the drain plug is threadedly fastened in its original position on the oil drip pan. A new supply of oil can then be introduced into the vehicle engine.
One of the common sources of pollution is the oil which has been removed from the oil drip pan of a motor vehicle. In many locations, the oil is simply drained into municipal sewage systems. Although such activities are illegal, they often go on, much to the detriment of the water supply of the municipality. Other times, the oil is removed and poured into containers. Often, these containers are disposed of in a haphazard manner so that oil pollution is the result. These occurrences of oil pollution are not always intentional. Often these activities are simply the result of carelessness and accident.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a drain plug that facilitates the automatic disposal of engine oils.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a valved drain plug that operates without removal of the drain plug itself.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a valved drain plug that is easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and easy to manufacture.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.


A semiconductor device may include interlayer insulating patterns and local word lines which are alternately stacked to form a stepped structure, and a first insulating layer formed on a surface of the stepped structure. The semiconductor device may also include a word line selection gate formed along a surface of the first insulating layer, and active patterns passing through the word line selection gate and the first insulating layer, and connected to the local word lines, respectively.

1. Technical Field
The invention generally relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a memory device and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Related Art
A semiconductor device includes a memory device capable of storing data. The memory device may include memory blocks, a word line decoder, and local word line selection units.
Each of the memory blocks includes memory strings. Each of the memory string includes serially connected memory cells. Gates of the memory cells are connected to local word lines.
The word line decoder applies operation voltages to global word lines in response to a row address signal.
The local word line selection units are connected to the memory blocks, respectively. Each of the local word line selection units transmits the operation voltages applied to the global word lines in response to a block selection signal to the local word lines of the memory blocks.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


The formation on the surface of Mg-containing metal of a highly corrosion-resistant, highly rust-inhibiting, and strongly paint-adherent conversion coating, using a chromic acid free treatment bath, is achieved by treatment with a pH 2.0-5.0 aqueous bath that contains phosphoric acid, manganese ion, and amine, thereby forming a conversion coating that contains P--Mn and Mn--N and/or other nitrogen compounds.

The conversion treatment of magnesium-containing metals is already known, for example, from JIS H-8651, MIL-M-3171, and so forth, and these conversion treatments have found practical application as underpaint coating treatments for magnesium-containing metals. However, all of these conversion treatment baths contain hexavalent chromium ions. Since hexavalent chromium ions are a pollution source, their presence is accompanied by a number of problems, for example, processing of the effluent from conversion treatment, management of the working environment, and the like.
These conversion treatments are also subject to other problems; for example, they require high treatment temperatures and long treatment times, and their treatment baths are very concentrated. Moreover, the conversion films produced by these conversion treatments have a strong tendency to be nonuniform.
Japanese Patent Publication Number Hei 3-6994 6,994/1991! discloses a conversion treatment for magnesium-containing metals that does not use hexavalent chromium ions. This conversion treatment takes the form of a Cr.sup.6+ -free phosphate conversion treatment, which, however, is not sufficient to provide magnesium-containing metals with corrosion resistance. Specifically, after the phosphate treatment step, the overall treatment method of Japanese Patent Publication Number Hei 3-6994 teaches treatment with silicate and then silicone. The phosphate conversion coating by itself provides only a poor corrosion resistance and adherence when applied to the surface of magnesium-containing metals as an underpaint coating treatment. This treatment method also suffers from other problems; for example, it requires a multistep treatment process, high treatment temperatures, and long treatment times.
The use of treatment baths based on zinc phosphate, iron phosphate, zirconium phosphate, and so forth, is already known within the realm of phosphate-based conversion treatment methods, but these methods essentially can not provide the surface of magnesium-containing metals with a corrosion resistance satisfactory for practical applications.
A manganese phosphate treatment is reported in Section 7 of Japanese Industrial Standards ("JIS") H-8651, but this treatment bath is unsuitable for practical applications because it uses chromium, requires high treatment temperatures of 80.degree. C. to 90.degree. C., and requires long treatment times of 30 to 60 minutes.

Composition and process for treating magnesium-containing metals and product therefrom


A filter element that is provided with automatic air bleeding features to efficiently bleed air from a fuel filter module containing the filter element. The filter element has an upper end cap with one or two air vents. One of the vents provides a bypass for air through wet filter media through which air from the fuel supply may not be able to pass through easily. The inner air vent is located on the inside of a circle formed by attachment clips that attach the respective filter element to a removable cover. The inner air vent allows for air inside the filter module to be easily purged out via a drain hole on the fuel filter module, while providing resistance to fuel. The drain hole is provided on the filter module which is internally connected to the fuel outlet and therefore to the fuel tank.

For heavy-duty diesel engines where achieving maximum fuel pressure is desired, any trapped air within large fuel housings can pose a great engineering challenge. Air can become trapped within the fuel housing in a number of ways, including as a result of a new filter element being installed in the housing and air entrained in fuel entering the fuel filter housing.
Manual external or internal air-bleed valves have been developed to purge air outside of the filter housing. Various automatic air bleeding fuel filter designs are also known. The use of external air-bleed valves can present additional possibilities of functional failure where fuel-leaks could occur. Moreover, to manually bleed air out, some amount of fuel can spill out of the housing posing safety risks to the operator. The same safety risks apply to draining the fuel manually out of the housing during filter replacement.
In addition, fuel supply to a high pressure fuel pump typically utilizes part of the returned fuel from an in-built reservoir of the fuel filter housing which could contain air that's already vented out from the fuel filter housing. Some of this air can make it back into the Stage-1 filter through the standpipe which is on the upstream or dirty side of the filter media. If the media air-vent is located on the downstream or "clean-side" of the filter media, then the air-vent functionality will be reduced or eliminated altogether and air from the fuel supply could cause engine performance issues if it does not get vented out.

Filter element with automatic air bleeding


A quantum cryptography system [100] may include a transmitter [110] configured to generate entangled first and second photons, modulate and detect the first photon, and transmit detection information and the second photon. The system [100] may also include a receiver [160] configured to modulate the second photon. The receiver [160] may also be configured to detect the second photon based on the detection information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cryptography and, more particularly, to quantum cryptography systems and methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
The worldwide proliferation of digital communication fuels an ongoing quest for more secure and efficient modes of conveying information. In the context of the Internet, for example, digital exchanges between geographically separated parties may pass through any number of non-secure intermediate devices and thus invite a wide variety of unwanted third party interference, including eavesdropping, tampering and impersonation. Such interference in turn drives development and use of an equally wide variety of preventative measures.
The art of cryptography represents one such measure. In cryptography-based systems, a sending party encrypts a message to produce a corresponding cipher message, or cryptogram, and transmits the cipher message to an intended recipient via a potentially non-secure communication channel. The intended recipient then decrypts the cipher message to recover the original message. Since the cipher message is, at least in theory, unintelligible to anyone other than the sender and the intended recipient, a potentially malicious third party with access to the communication channel cannot readily eavesdrop or otherwise interfere.
Quantum cryptography (i.e., cryptography using applied quantum mechanics) is one type of cryptography that has certain advantages. In single-photon quantum cryptography, for example, cipher symbols (also known as "values") may be encoded via non-commuting observables of individual photons conveyed from a sender to an intended recipient (e.g., via an optical fiber). Because quantum mechanics guarantees that a third party cannot divide a single photon, or simultaneously discern precise values for non-commuting observables of a single photon, the sender and the intended recipient may work together to develop secure and mutually agreed upon ciphers for use in subsequent cryptographic exchanges.
Quantum cryptography based on highly attenuated laser sources ("Weak Coherent" quantum cryptography) may be vulnerable to advanced forms of eavesdropping. In particular, one attack may be termed a Photon Number Splitting (PNS) attack. This attack exploits the fact that attenuated sources are not true single-photon sources, but rather produce photons by a Poissonian process. Thus sometimes multiple photons may be emitted instead of a single photon. The attack determines which emitted pulses in fact contain multiple photons. It suppresses all other pulses, extracts one or more photons from the multi-photon pulses and then analyzes them, and then delivers the remaining photon (or its synthesized surrogates) to the intended receiver. In this manner, the eavesdropper can reliably learn the contents of the supposedly secure transmission of raw key material, and hence may be able to intercept, read, and fabricate messages. Several other such attacks have been proposed in the specialist literature, based on the emission characteristics of attenuated Weak Coherent laser sources.
To remedy these shortcomings, some research teams have proposed and occasionally built forms of quantum cryptographic systems based on the production and detection of pairs of entangled photons, such as the process of Spontaneous Parametric Downconversion. Such systems appear to overcome some weaknesses of Weak Coherent systems. However, existing systems based on entanglement do not provide any means for performing Path Length Control which is the process of continually readjusting two widely separated interferometers (one at the transmitter and the other at the receiver) to maintain an exact relationship between their lengths, even as temperatures of the interferometers rise and fall, etc. Nor do they provide any facility for generating numbered frames of entangled photons rather than a single, long, unnumbered series of such photons. In addition these systems lack convenient facilities for debugging and trouble-shooting. Consequently, a need exists for improved forms of quantum cryptography based on entanglement of photons.

Quantum cryptography based on phase entangled photons


The distribution connecting module for telecommunications and data systems technology, comprises a housing inside of which input and output contacts for connecting lines and wires are placed, said contacts being accessible from the exterior. The housing is provided with a cavity inside of which at least one printed circuit board is placed. The input and output contacts are situated on the opposing faces of the housing. The input contacts are provided in the form of at least one connector strip with insulation displacement contacts. The input and output contacts can be detachably connected to the printed circuit board. The connector strip supporting the input contacts is detachably connected to the housing via a front part. The insulation displacement contacts are connected to the printed circuit board via fork contacts. The connection between the front part and the housing is such that when the connection is released, the connector strip, which is connected to the front part, is, together with the fork contacts, moved away from the printed circuit board.

Distribution board connection modules are used in main distribution boards or collocation distribution boards, for example, for telecommunications and data technology, and are used for connection and jumpering of incoming and outgoing cable conductors.
DE 100 29 649 A1 discloses a distribution board connection module for telecommunications and data technology, having a housing in which externally accessible input and output contacts are arranged for connection of lines or conductors, with the housing having a cavity in which functional elements are arranged between the input and output contacts. The input and output contacts are arranged on opposite end faces of the housing. The functional elements are arranged on at least one printed circuit board, which is supported in the housing. The input contacts are in the form of insulation-displacement terminal contacts, with the output contacts likewise being in the form of insulation-displacement terminal contacts, or an electrical plug connector. The insulation-displacement terminal contacts preferably have a fork-shaped contact, by means of which a force-fitting electrical connection can be produced with the functional elements. In this case, it has already been proposed for defective printed circuit boards to be replaced by pulling the fork-shaped contacts off the printed circuit board. The known embodiment has the disadvantage that this pulling-off process is rather difficult, since the fork-shaped contacts are connected to the printed circuit board by a force fit. Furthermore, the conductors must be removed for the pulling-off process, and must be reconnected again after replacement.