In a computer-implemented method, an artificial neural network is trained to identify conversation segments, and/or segment portions, within electronic communication documents (e.g., emails). An input layer of the neural network includes input parameters corresponding to different characteristics of text-based content. A first electronic communication document is received, and its text-based content is processed using the trained neural network to generate one or more position indicators for the document. The position indicators include one or more segment indicators denoting positions of one or more conversation segments within the document, and/or one or more segment portion indicators denoting positions of one or more portions of one or more conversation segments within the document. An ordered relationship between the first electronic communication document and one or more other electronic communication documents is determined using the position indicators.

In various applications, a need exists to extract meaningful information from a corpus of electronic documents. In the discovery process commonly associated with litigation, for example, attorneys are commonly provided a large corpus of electronic documents, including electronic communication documents (e.g., emails) that were received from, or may be sent to, an opposing party. Given the potentially enormous number of such documents (e.g., in the millions), analyzing each and every electronic communication document can be an extremely time-consuming process. Typically, many of these electronic communication documents convey redundant information. In an email context, for example, the corpus of emails may include a copy of a particular email from the sender's outbox, and another copy from the inbox of each recipient. In such instances, a reviewer does not need to review each copy of the email to determine whether the email is relevant to the discovery process. As another example, an email message may include information from previous emails within an email chain (e.g., as can be seen by scrolling down while viewing the email), with the final email of a chain typically containing all of the information conveyed by prior emails within the same "conversation." In such instances, these prior emails can be safely discarded or ignored without losing any meaningful information.
"Threading" (e.g., "email threading") is a process that reduces the number of documents in a corpus of electronic communication documents by removing electronic communication documents that fail (or very likely fail) to convey new information. An email may convey new information, if, for example, the email includes a new recipient or attachment, the subject and/or the body of the email is not included in any other emails in the same chain or conversation, and/or the email is a final email in the chain or conversation. Electronic document review tools that organize electronic communication documents according to thread can provide great efficiencies in the user review process. For example, a user reviewing documents may be able to quickly identify which emails within a particular corpus of emails share a common thread (or share a common group of related threads that branch off of each other), and focus solely on that set of emails before moving on to the next thread or thread group.
To arrange electronic communication documents into conversation threads, the documents are generally pre-processed (i.e., processed prior to user review of the documents) to generate metadata indicating the ordered relationship among the documents within each thread. In one technique for determining such ordered relationships, the threading process requires identifying a number of different "conversation segments" in each document, where each conversation segment corresponds to a single communication from a single person. In a given email, for example, earlier conversation segments can usually be seen by scrolling down to look at previous messages in the same email chain, with each segment including a header, a message body, and possibly a signature block. The ordered relationships may then be determined by comparing the conversation segments (or segment portions) of one electronic communication document to the conversation segments (or segment portions) of other electronic communication documents, with any matching segments or segment portions generally indicating that two different documents belong to the same thread or the same thread group (i.e., a set of threads all sharing the same root document).
Unfortunately, various issues can make it difficult to accurately reconstruct a thread. Accurate thread reconstruction typically requires accurate identification of conversation segments, segment sections (e.g., headers), and/or segment fields (e.g., header fields such as sender, recipient, and/or date/time). The task of identifying segments, segment sections, and/or segment fields can be complicated by the fact that, at least in certain scenarios, characteristics that might otherwise be reliable indicators of these elements can vary. For example, different software clients (e.g., Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, etc.) may use different names/keywords for the same field (e.g., "From:" versus "Sender:" or "By:" or "Author:"), and/or may place the same field at different positions within a header or other segment section. Moreover, the field keywords and/or positions may vary over time even for a single software client, as new versions of the client come into widespread use. As a result, software developers for threading tools may need to continually play "catch up" as new formats (e.g., new header formats) appear, by writing code that is able to properly parse fields according to each new format. Furthermore, certain field keywords may change even among subsequent conversation segments within a single electronic communication document, depending on the language of the sender and/or recipient at each stage of the conversation.
Typically, if even a single conversation segment or segment portion (e.g., header field) of a particular electronic communication document cannot be identified, the entire document is discarded or ignored for purposes of thread reconstruction. Thus, the above-noted difficulties associated with conventional parsing of electronic communication documents can lead to a significant loss of information for reviewing users.

Identifying portions of electronic communication documents using machine vision


An ion solution concentration-detecting device includes a working electrode, a reference electrode, and a link element. The working electrode and the reference electrode are inserted into the link element. The working electrode, inserted into the link element, is replaceable, for the better sensitivity to the different ion solution. The working electrode being a contact-detecting electrode can be replaced by another contact-detecting electrode with different sensing membrane. The reference electrode includes a polymeric membrane with ion material covering silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) electrode to provide a fixed and stable electrical potential. The working electrode may be a contact-detecting electrode having a sensing membrane. The sensing membrane may be a metal oxide or a polymer with ion material for measuring different ion solution effectively.

In generally, a contact-detecting device includes a reference electrode and a working electrode immersed into a solution and electrically connected to the electric meter to form a circuit. The reference and working electrodes interact chemically with ions in the solution to generate a potential difference (potentiometric sensor) or an electrical current difference (amperometric sensor) in the circuit, and the electric meter measures the potential difference or the electrical current difference to detect the ion concentration.
The reference electrode is usually a silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) electrode coated with a polymeric membrane having ionized material, like ionized chloride material. When the reference electrode is immersed in a test solution, the polymeric membrane and the test solution exchange the ions, and then exchange the ions with the Ag/AgCl electrode, like that, the polymeric membrane protects the Ag/AgCl electrode and the process provides a stable and fixed reference potential. The working electrode is coated with a sensing membrane, and the sensing membrane detects the ion concentration of the test solution to generate an electric current, and the electric current intensity represents the ion concentration. A different ion concentration generates a different current, that is, to measure the current to obtain the ion concentration.
USPTO issued a patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,894), referred to FIG. 1, using a polymeric membrane 20 having cross-linking polymer of heterocyclic nitrogen to detect the glucose concentration. The polymeric membrane 20 covers a working electrode 14, a reference electrode 16 and a sensing layer 18. A substrate 12 separates the working electrode 14 and the reference electrode 16, and the sensing layer 18 is on the working electrode 14. The device has a high stability, high efficiency and a wider sensing range, but the device is only suitable to the glucose concentration and not suitable to the ion concentration.
The traditional ion solution concentration-detecting device with separating reference electrode and the working electrode is not convenient, and the integrated device, like U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,894, is not suitable to the various ion concentrations. There still needs to improve the convenience and efficiency of the ion solution concentration-detecting device.

Ion solution concentration-detecting device


A wheel brake for a vehicle including a brake disc unit adapted to brake the rotation of a rotation element, which is adapted to be drivingly connected to the wheel. The brake disc unit includes a first set of discs and a second set of discs arranged in an alternating manner in an axial direction. The discs in the first disc set are adapted to be rotationally rigidly connected to the rotation element. The brake disc unit includes at least one separator element, which is adapted to keep a sufficient distance between two adjacent discs of one of the disc sets for an intermediate disc from the other disc set to rotate at least substantially freely relative to the spaced discs when the brake disc unit is in a deactivated condition.

The invention is related to a wheel brake for a vehicle comprising a brake disc unit adapted to brake the rotation of a rotation element, which is adapted to be drivingly connected to the wheel, wherein the brake disc unit comprises a first set of discs and a second set of discs arranged in an alternating manner in an axial direction, wherein the discs in said first disc set are adapted to be rotationally rigidly connected to said rotation element. The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising the wheel brake.
This type of disc brake is commonly used at each wheel of a work vehicle. The term "work vehicle" comprises different types of material handling vehicles like construction machines, such as a wheel loader, an articulated hauler, a backhoe loader, a motor grader and an excavator. Further terms frequently used for work vehicles are "earth-moving machinery" and "off-road work machines". The work vehicles are for example utilized for construction and excavation work, in mines etc. The invention will be described below in a case in which it is applied in an articulated hauler. This is to be regarded only as an example of a preferred application. The invention may, for example, also be used in other heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses.
The discs in the first disc set are rotationally rigidly-connected to the rotation element and displaceable along their centre axis. The discs in the second disc set may be stationary, e.g. by being connected to the housing of the brake. More precisely the discs in the second disc set are prevented from rotation around their centre axis but are also displaceable along said centre axis. Upon activation of the brake disc unit the stationary discs are forced towards each other by means of an activation means, such as a piston, or the like, wherein the intermediate discs of the first disc set are clamped. The free distance between two adjacent discs from different sets of discs, or from the same set of discs, is not definite when the brake disc unit is deactivated. The discs are solely allowed to diverge upon deactivation by retracting the activation means, but the diversion of the discs is not controlled.
When the brake disc unit is deactivated (retraction of the activation means) after a braking operation, the discs may in some situations not be totally separated from each other, but may instead stay in contact with each other. Further, when the vehicle is operated on a sloping ground, the brake disc unit will be tilted and the discs may be displaced towards each other due to gravity and come into contact with each other. A work vehicle is frequently used to transport heavy loads from one location to another, often encountering varying grade slopes on the route between two or more locations. If the discs are in contact during propulsion they are subject to considerable wear, at the same time as the generation of heat is increased. This leads to a higher need of cooling by lubricating oil, a higher fuel consumption and a more frequent maintenance.
It is desirable to achieve a wheel brake which creates conditions for a more efficient energy consumption of the vehicle during operation. The invention especially aims for a wheel brake, in which the discs are efficiently separated when the wheel brake is in the deactivated condition.
According to an aspect of the invention, the brake disc unit comprises at least one separator element, which is adapted to keep a sufficient distance between two adjacent discs of one of the disc sets for an intermediate disc from the other disc set to rotate at least substantially freely relative to the spaced discs when the brake disc unit is in a deactivated condition. In other words, the intermediate disc is at least substantially free from frictional contact with the adjacent, spaced discs when the brake disc unit is in the deactivated condition. In other words, two adjacent discs from different disc sets may rotate freely relative to one another. The separator element is preferably adapted for keeping a predetermined distance between the adjacent discs when the brake disc unit is in the deactivated condition. The separator element may either be adapted for spacing stationary brake discs or rotation brake discs (friction discs) and the intermediate disc may either be a stationary disc or a rotation disc.
According to a preferred embodiment, said separator element is variable between a first state, in which the intermediate disc may rotate at least substantially freely relative to the adjacent spaced discs, and a second state, in which the intermediate disc is clamped between the adjacent discs of the other disc set. Thus, the separator element is in the first state when the brake disc unit is in the deactivated condition and in the second state when the brake disc unit is in the activated condition.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the separator element has a larger axial extension than the intermediate disc in the first state, and at least as small axial extension as the intermediate disc in the second state. Preferably, the separator element is resilient in order to adopt the first and second state, wherein the separator element is adapted to have a larger potential energy in the second state than in the first state.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the separator element extends from one of the discs. In this way, no additional device is required for the separation, which creates conditions for reducing the material cost and the assembly work needed. Preferably, the separator element forms a unitary part with one of the discs.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the separator element is positioned at the outer periphery of the associated disc. Thus, the separator element is adapted to bridge the gap between the two adjacent discs in the same disc set and abut the neighbouring disc in a space efficient way.
According to a further preferred embodiment, a plurality of separator elements are circuxnferentially spaced along the associated disc. An efficient separation of the two adjacent discs is achieved in this way.
Further preferred embodiments and advantages will be apparent from the following description and drawings.

Wheel brake for a vehicle and a vehicle comprising the wheel brake


This invention provides a multi-color light emission apparatus wherein a transparent inorganic oxide substrate (4) is disposed between an organic EL device (1) and a fluorescent layer (3) in such a manner as to arrange the fluorescent layer (3) with a gap with the organic EL device (1), and the organic EL device (1) is sealed by sealing means (5) between the transparent inorganic oxide substrate (4) and a support substrate (2). The invention provides also a multi-color light emission apparatus wherein a transparent insulating inorganic oxide layer (12) having a thickness of 0.01 to 200 .mu.m is interposed between the fluorescent layer (3) and the organic EL device (1). In this way, light emission life and angle-of-view characteristics can be improved.

An electroluminescence device (hereinafter called "EL device") is characterized in exhibiting high visibility due to self-emission and in having excellent impact resistance because of being completely solid. At present, variable EL devices using an inorganic or an organic compound as the emitting layer are proposed and attempts have been made to put them to practical use. One of the EL devices which has been realized is applied as a multi-color light emission apparatus.
Such a multi-color light emission apparatus includes an apparatus produced by combining a color filter of three primary colors (red, green, and blue) with a white-light emitting inorganic EL device and an apparatus produced by patterning inorganic EL devices of three primary colors in order to position the EL devices of three primary colors separately on the same plane and thereby to emit light (Semicond. Sci. Technol. 6 (1991) 305-323) However, there is the problem that the effect of emitting light of each color is limited to 33% of the white light at most if the white color is resolved by the color filter of three primary colors. Further, EL devices which themselves can efficiently emit white light have still not been attained at present.
On the other hand, a photolithography process is used for patterning EL devices. However, it is known that the efficiency and stability of EL devices are greatly reduced in such a wet process.
It is common knowledge that, among EL devices, organic EL devices are promising as highly intense and efficient light emitting devices. In particular, because the light emitting layer is an organic layer, it is highly probable that various emitting colors are produced by the molecular design of organic compounds. Such an organic EL device is expected to be one device which can be used in practice in a multi-color light emitting apparatus.
However, these organic EL devices have the drawback that chemical factors such as external steam, oxygen, organic compound gas, and the like cause deterioration of the EL devices such as reduction in luminance accompanied by the occurrence of dark spots and the like and these devices tend to be destroyed from physical (mechanical) factors such as heat, impact, or the like since the EL devices are composed of a laminate of low molecular organic compounds.
Therefore, the method for separately disposing each of the organic EL devices, which emit lights of three primary colors (RGB), on the same plane can be used in a wet process or a process including heat treatment such as a photolithography process only with difficulty.
In order to solve such a problem, disclosed is a color EL display apparatus (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 40888/1989). This apparatus is, as shown in FIG. 8, characterized in that an EL emitting layer 1b sandwiched between a lower electrode 1c and a light transmitting upper electrode la is disposed on a substrate 2, the EL light which is output via the light transmitting electrode la is externally output from a transmitting substrate 8 via a color filter 9 installed on the transmitting substrate 8, the color filter 9 facing the transmitting electrode 1a.
This apparatus has, however, the disadvantage that the luminance of the light of each color is reduced to one third of the EL light by the color filter. Also, because the EL device faces the color filter, the light emission life of the EL device is invariably reduced by aqueous vapor, oxygen, gas from organic monomers, low molecular components, and the like generated by the color filter.
To solve these problems, lately disclosed is a technique in which a fluorescent layer absorbing light emitted from an organic EL device and emitting visible fluorescent light is installed in the position (laminated or in parallel) corresponding to the emitting portion of the organic EL device (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 152897/1991). This technique ensures that the light of a blue or blue-green color emitted from the organic EL device is converted into a fluorescent light which is visible light of a longer wave length. This technique is utilized in a multi-color (three primary colors) light emission apparatus in which fluorescent layers capable of converting the blue or blue-green color into a green or red color are separately disposed on a flat plane (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 258860/1993).
The installation of the fluorescent layer has the advantage that multi-color light emission which is higher in efficiency than in the case of installing a color filter is expected. Specifically, if the fluorescent layer especially for converting into a green color is expected to absorb 80% or more of the blue color light emitted from the organic EL device, a variety of fluorescent materials capable of emitting fluorescent light at an efficiency of 80% or more are known. Assuming both the light absorbing efficiency and light emitting efficiency of the fluorescent layer to be 80%, it is estimated that the blue light of the organic EL device can be converted into visible light with a long wave length at a yield of 64%.
A multi-color light emission apparatus can be realized using an organic EL device and a fluorescent layer in the above manner. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 258860/1993 proposes the following structure for the multi-color light emission apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 15, fluorescent layers 3R, 3G absorbing the light emitted from an organic EL device and emitting a green color and red color respectively are separately disposed on a transparent substrate 11 on the same plane. A polymer and/or cross-linking compound of an organic monomer or oligomer and a transparent insulating rigid plane layer (protective layer) 7 produced by a sol-gel glass method are laminated on the transparent substrate 11 including the fluorescent layers 3R, 3G by spin casting. A transparent electrode 1a of the organic EL device is disposed on the plane layer 7.
Disclosed as other structures are a structure in which the transparent and insulating flat rigid elements is simply placed on the surface of the fluorescent layer instead of being laminating on the fluorescent layer by spin casting and a structure in which the fluorescent layer is affixed to the back face of the hard element exhibiting the functions of a flat plane layer instead of affixing the fluorescent layer to the surface of the substrate. However, it is reported that the structure shown in FIG. 15 is preferable.
The structure shown in FIG. 15, however, has the problem that the light emission life of the organic EL device is reduced by aqueous vapor, oxygen, gas from monomers and the like which are adsorbed to or included in the organic compound of the flat plane layer in a slight amount whereby the emission is indispensably non-uniform, because the transparent electrode of the organic EL device is only disposed on the same flat layer composed of the polymer and/or cross-linking compound of an organic monomer or oligomer.
Also, a high temperature treatment at 400.degree. C. or more is generally required for the production of the flat plane layer in the sol-gel glass method. This causes the deterioration of the organic fluorescent layer. If the sol-gel glass flat plane is produced by heat treatment (up to the maximum temperature of around 250.degree. C.) which never causes the fluorescent member to deteriorate, there is the problem that the light emission life of the organic EL device is greatly reduced for the same reason as above because water or organic compounds remain.
Also, clear explanations about the hard member in the other structures are not necessarily sufficient.
On the other hand, disclosed is a method in which a glass plate with a color filter formed by printing is disposed under the back face of a glass substrate of an inorganic EL device (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 119494/1982).
However, a reduction in the emitting efficiency caused by the color filter is easily predicted in this method. Also, since the organic EL device is produced independently of the color filter, camber and distortion of the substrate occur so that the EL device cannot be manufactured in a stable manner, if, for example, the thickness of the substrate of the organic EL device is not increased (around 700 .mu.m or more). As a result of the increase in the thickness of the substrate, the gap between the color filter and the EL device increases, whereby emitted light of a color other than the desired emitted colors leaks to remarkably narrow the angle of view when multi-color light is emitted.
This invention has been achieved in view of this situation and has an object of providing a multi-color light emission apparatus using an organic EL device having superior light emission life and excellent characteristics in the angle of view and a method for manufacturing the multi-color light emission apparatus in a stable and efficient manner.

Multi-color light emission apparatus with organic electroluminescent device


An adapter for retrofitting a fuel control system. The adapter has an outlet port and an inlet port for connecting to an external fuel system. The adapter replaces a standard fuel filter and fuel filter bowl.

The present application is directed to fuel control systems and more particularly to a fuel filter adapter.
Fuel control systems for vehicles, such as aircraft, often include a two stage pump in order to provide pressurized, filtered fuel to a combustor. The first pump stage pressurizes the fuel prior to a fuel filter, and ensures adequate pressure for the fuel to pass through the filter. The second stage re-pressurizes the filtered fuel for use in the combustor. In certain applications, regulatory agencies require that fuel control systems include a fuel oil heat exchanger within the fuel control system in order to prevent fuel icing conditions that block fuel flow through the fuel filter.
It is known in the art to retrofit existing fuel control systems by interrupting the fuel path and placing a fuel oil heat exchanger upstream of the first pump stage. Introduction of a fuel oil heat exchanger prior to the first pump stage, however, also introduces a pressure drop that can render the two stage pump incapable of providing adequate fuel pressure.


A machine tool is provided with at least one tool spindle which is travelling in a work space (11) and on which a tool receptacle for clamping tools is provided. The machine tool also contains a magazine for tools which can be introduced into the tool receptacle in the tool spindle, the magazine having a transport chain which can be moved back and forth in a transport direction and on which carriers are arranged for receiving tools. The carriers extend from the transport chain essentially transversely to the transport direction. At least one carrier has at least two storage spaces for tools.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine tool having at least one tool spindle which is travelling in a work space and on which a tool receptacle for clamping tools is provided, and having a magazine for tools which can be introduced into the tool receptacle in the tool spindle, the magazine having a transport chain which can be moved back and forth in a transport direction and on which carriers are arranged for receiving tools.
2. Related Prior Art
Such machine tools are frequently known from the prior art.
The known machine tools serve to produce workpieces, on which various operations have to be carried out with different tools in one set-up. For this purpose, the workpiece is mounted in place in a fixture on a workpiece table which is arranged in the work space of the machine tool.
The machine tool has a tool spindle which is travelling relative to the workpiece table in three coordinate directions and on the end face of which a tool receptacle is provided, in which the tools can be clamped in place for machining the mounted workpiece. In order to permit rapid machining of the workpiece, the tools are changed automatically, for which purpose a magazine is provided on the machine tool, in which magazine the various tools required during the machining of the workpiece are kept available.
In particular when the number of tools required is very high, so-called chain magazines are used, in which the individual chain links are designed as carriers for the tools. The carriers thus form a transport chain, which can be designed as an endless chain and is moved back and forth in a transport direction. In this way, it is possible to bring the tool required next in each case into its transfer position relative to the spindle by moving the transport chain either in or against the transport direction. This movement of the transport chain is also referred to as indexing.
During a tool change, first of all an empty storage space is moved up to the transfer position, whereupon the tool used last is deposited in this empty storage space. The transfer between the tool receptacle in the tool spindle and the storage space in the transport chain is effected, for example, by means of a tool changer, which has a gripping arm for gripping the tool at a collar specially provided for this purpose, whereupon the tool is then ejected from the tool spindle. The gripper deposits the tool in the storage space, where it is held by spring pressure.
On the other hand, it is also possible to dispense with the tool change and to approach the storage spaces directly with the spindle. To this end, the front end of the magazine is moved into the work space, or the spindle is moved out of the normal working region and above of the chain magazine, so that the spindle can be positioned above the storage space. This type of tool change is also referred to as "pick-up".
After the tool which has been in use beforehand has been deposited in an empty storage space in this way, the magazine is indexed, so that the storage space having the tool which is to be introduced next is moved into the transfer position. This transfer position is provided at the front end at the chain magazine, which is moved in an arc into the work space and out of the work space again.
When the new tool has been inserted into the spindle either by the pick-up method or by means of a tool changer, the chain magazine is retracted out of the work space or is provided with an appropriate protective cover. In this way, chips which are produced during the machining of the workpiece are prevented from contaminating the magazine and/or the tools mounted in the magazine.
In the known machine tools, it is therefore always necessary to index the magazine for the tool change. In the most unfavourable case, the tool to be used next is located at the opposite end of the transport chain, so that the storage space with the tool which is next to be introduced as replacement has to move along half the possible traverse path until it reaches the transfer position. Provided the storage space with the new tool is further away from the transfer position in the transport direction than half the traverse path, the transport chain is moved against the transport direction, as a result of which a distance shorter than half the transport path has to be covered.
In the machine tools and magazines described in this respect, it is disadvantageous that the average tool change time depends on the length of the transport chain and thus on the maximum number of tools to be stored. The more storage spaces such a transport chain has, the longer it is and the more time is required for a tool change from the most unfavorable storage position.
The known arrangement is in particular disadvantageous when tools having extremely different dimensions are to be used. This is because the tool having the maximum dimensions then determines the size of a chain link which has to be designed as a carrier and thus as a storage space for the tools. Since all the chain links have the same dimensions for reasons of drive technology, guidance and other kinematics, the storage density for tools is extremely small in the known chain magazines. In other words, there is a lot of empty space between individual storage spaces in order to take into account the possible dimensions of extremely large tools.
On account of the high travelling speed of the tool spindle relative to the workpiece, the machining operations to be carried out with a tool can be performed in an extremely short time. Compared with these short machining times, the tool change time is relatively long for the abovementioned reasons, which is regarded on the whole as a disadvantage.
This long tool change time results in particular from the small storage density of the known chain magazines.
However, such chain magazines are used not only in single-spindle machines but also in so-called two-spindle machines in which two workpieces are machined simultaneously with two tool spindles which are arranged on a common carrier. The two tool spindles are at a defined distance from one another, the workpieces being mounted on the workpiece table at precisely this defined distance apart. In this way, it is possible to machine two workpieces simultaneously if the same tool is clamped in place in each tool spindle.
If it is desired to keep a large number of available tools in such two-spindle machines, the chain magazines discussed above are also used in two-spindle machines. In this case, it is possible, on the other hand, to assign a separate tool magazine to each tool spindle, which is complicate in terms of design and is accordingly costly. Furthermore, the disadvantages discussed above also then arise for two-spindle machines.
On the other hand, it is also possible to jointly assign one chain magazine to both tool spindles. If the tool change is to be effected by the pick-up method in this case, the individual storage spaces must be at a distance apart which corresponds to the center distance of the two tool spindles. This means that the turn around arc of the magazine in the work space must be designed to be of corresponding width, as a result of which the contour of the magazine gets in the way in the work space or can only be moved into the work space and out of the latter again in a complicated manner. Furthermore, the distance between the two tool spindles, which is around 250 mm for example, determines the storage density of the chain magazine. Due to the large distances between the individual storage spaces on the one hand, and because storage spaces now have to be provided in each case for a tool change on the other hand, the overall length of the magazine is considerably increased once again, which has the described adverse effects on the tool change time.


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device on a substrate. The method may include forming a non-volatile memory in a memory area of the substrate. The forming non-volatile memory on a substrate may include formation in the memory area of a floating gate structure and of a control gate structure which is in a stacked configuration with the floating gate structure. One or more gate material layer may be formed in a logic area of the substrate. After forming the control gate structure and the gate material layer, a filling material layer may be deposited over the logic area and the memory area. The filling material layer may be partially removed by reducing the thickness of the filling material in the logic area and the memory area, at least until a top surface of the one or more gate material layer is exposed. Logic devices may be formed in the logic area, the formation may include forming a logic gate structure from the gate material layer.

United states patent application publication US 2005/0185446 describes a method for reducing non-uniformity or topography variation between an array and circuitry in a process for manufacturing semiconductor integrated non-volatile memory devices. This prior art document discloses a method in which an intermediate stack of multiple layers is provided during the manufacturing steps of gates structures in both the memory cell array and peripheral circuitry areas which contain logic circuitry. A thin stack comprising at least a thin dielectric layer and a third conductive layer is provided over a second conductive layer before the step of defining the control gate structures in the array and the single gates in the peripheral circuitry. This intermediate stack of multiple layers is used in order to compensate for thickness differences between the dual gate structures in the array and the single gate transistors in the peripheral circuitry.
However, a disadvantage of the method disclosed in this prior art document is that the intermediate stack requires a large amount of additional processing steps.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and semiconductor device obtainable therewith


A memory device is described, including a command decoder configured to receive a copy command to copy data stored in a first memory location to a second memory location without transmitting the data to an external controller, a memory array electrically connected to the command decoder and including a plurality of memory locations including the first memory location and the second memory location, a data line electrically connected to the memory array and configured to receive, from the first memory location, the data to be transmitted to the second memory location through the same data line, and an output buffer configured to store the data received from the first memory location through the data line to be written into the second memory location without transmitting the data to the external controller.

In general, for a volatile memory device which stores binary data temporarily such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a resistive random access memory (RRAM), and the like, copying a block of data from a first location of the memory device to a second location of the memory device would consume a significant amount of time and energy to complete. Typically, a copy operation to copy a block of data from one part of the memory device to another part of the memory device or a move operation to move the block of data from one part of the memory device to another part of the memory device would involve performing a read operation in the first location of the memory device to obtain the data stored in the first location, transferring the data out of the memory device to a central processing unit (CPU) or a memory controller, and subsequently transferring the data from the CPU back to the memory device in order to be written into the second memory. Such operation could consume a significant amount of time as multiple iterations of read operations and write operations could be performed, and such operation could also consume a significant amount of energy as blocks of data could be moved outside of the memory device and be received back inside the memory device.
In order to perform a move operation or a copy operation without transferring the data to a memory controller or a CPU, several approaches could be taken. One approach is to first copy the data from a first memory location to a sense amplifier which is typically connected to multiple cells and then to copy the data from the sense amplifier to a second memory location. Even though this technique does not require additional hardware, such approach is limited to copying data within the same memory bank but is unable to copy the data beyond the same memory bank. Another approach is to add additional hardware such as a temporarily memory storage location commonly known as "dummy row" techniques which may involve copying data from a first memory location to the temporary memory storage and then copy from the temporary memory storage to the second memory location. However, such technique would involve additional hardware. Other currently known techniques involve modifying the internal circuitry of the memory device to create the required data paths as well as to generate the needed signals. These techniques may involve significant hardware addition to internal circuitry and also require additional energies for the additional signals.
Since minimizing the use of additional hardware and energy consumption has been the trend of the design of the memory device, a future design of the memory device which does not require transferring the data outside of the memory device and does not require a significant amount of hardware additions for performing the copy or move operation could be helpful for improving the efficiency of the memory device as well as the overall performance of the electronic device which uses the memory device.

Method for copying data within memory device, memory device, and electronic device thereof

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


Apparatus for providing heat energy to a process chamber are provided herein. The apparatus may include a process chamber body of the process chamber, a solid state source array having a plurality of solid state sources, disposed on a first substrate, to provide heat energy to the process chamber to heat a target component disposed in the process chamber body, and at least one reflector disposed on the first substrate proximate to one or more of the plurality of solid state sources to direct heat energy provided by the one or more of the plurality of solid state sources towards the target component.

Several applications that involve the thermal processing of substrates such as semiconductor wafers and other materials involve the process steps of rapidly heating and cooling a substrate. One example of such processing is rapid thermal processing (RTP), which is used for a number of semiconductor fabrication processes.
Rapid thermal processing (RTP) radiate heat energy from lamps into the process chamber and onto a semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber. In this manner, the wafer is heated to a required processing temperature. During semiconductor processing operations, the lamps operate at extremely high temperatures. Not all of the heat energy provided by the RTP chamber lamps end up actually heating the wafer. Some of the radiant energy is absorbed by chamber components, especially the reflective components in the radiation field. This is particularly true for emitted energy from point sources which emit light in all directions.
In addition, in the semiconductor industry, it is often desirable to obtain temperature uniformity in the substrate during temperature cycling of substrate. Temperature uniformity provides uniform process variables on the substrate (e.g. layer thickness, resistivity, etch depth) for temperature activated steps such as film deposition, oxide growth, and etching. Furthermore, temperature uniformity in the substrate is necessary to prevent thermal stress-induced substrate damage such as warpage, defect generation, and substrate slip.
Accordingly, the inventors have provided improved heat energy sources, reflectors, and reflector materials for improved reflection of radiation for semiconductor substrate processing.

Apparatus for providing and directing heat energy in a process chamber


A process and circuit for the bipolar pulse-shaped feeding of energy into low-pressure plasmas is provided. Within an average time period, a power which is to be as high as possible is to be fed into the low pressure discharge. In each polarization, the same power is to be fed although the impedance differs considerably. In a system for plasma and surface treatment techniques having at least two electrodes and one power supply, the outputs of at least two potential-free direct current supplies are switched such that an output of one direct current supply is conductively connected with an output of the same polarity of the other direct current supply. By means of a switch which is connected with each feed line to the electrodes and whose other outputs are led in a combined manner to the other outputs of the direct current source, these switches are operated via a timing generator in synchronism with the pole changing frequency. The switches are opened up in the event of the occurrence of an arcing. The process is used for the bipolar pulse sputtering for depositing electrically insulating layers on workpieces. Preferably, such layers are used for a mechanical protection, protection against wear and the improvement of sliding characteristics.

The invention relates to a process for the bipolar pulse-shaped feeding of energy into an electric low-pressure discharge as well as to the pertaining circuit for implementing the process. It is preferably used in systems and apparatuses of plasma and surface treatment technology which operate with pole changing frequencies of up to 200 kHz. A typical application is the process of reactive bipolar pulse sputtering for depositing electrically insulating thin layers on workpieces; for example, for the purpose of providing a mechanical protection, the reduction of wear or the improvement of sliding characteristics.
It is known to operate low-pressure discharges with a high frequency of 1 MHz to 100 MHz (German Patent document DE 39 42 560 A1). A disadvantage of using such high frequencies is that they present great technical difficulties in coupling the high frequency onto large surfaces (electrodes), and the coating rate is lower by a factor of from 10 to 100 than using frequencies in the kHz range.
It is known to operate electric low-pressure discharges in a bipolar manner by means of a pole change frequency of up to 100 kHz. When such discharges, for example, by means of two magnetron sources, are used for reactive sputtering, the required stability of the discharge can also be reached in this manner when electrically highly insulating layers are deposited. By cyclically changing the polarity, the discharge of surfaces is caused. The surfaces are completely or partially covered with insulating layers and are connected with the plasma when the pole changing frequency is sufficiently high (German Patent Documents DD 252 205 A1; DE 40 42 287; DE 41 06 770 A1).
From the above references, it is also known to feed energy into such discharges by means of alternating-current generators, particularly sine wave generators. This form of energy feeding has the following significant disadvantages. (1) It is very difficult or even impossible to feed the same power at both polarities because the impedance of the electric low-pressure discharge is unequal in the two pole directions. This is particularly true when, for example, the electrodes are formed by sputtering cathodes made of a different material or are covered with oxides in a different manner. As a result, the stable operation of the discharge at an operating point required for implementing the plasma process is impossible. (2) Furthermore, by means of sine wave generators, it is not possible to feed a predetermined ratio of the power for both pole directions, as required, for example, for magnetron sources with several galvanically separated electrodes.
It was suggested to control the feeding time of the energy as the operating time for the glow process for the generator during the positive and/or negative half-wave such that no energy is fed at least for the period of time of the half-wave (German Patent document P 43 24 683.4). This process for adapting the sine wave generator was tested only in the lab operation and has not yet been used. One disadvantage when feeding the discharge by means of a sine wave generator is the occurrence of arcing. It is not possible to lower the residual energy of the pertaining transformer or oscillating circuit, which is unintentionally converted in such an arcing, below a specific value.
Furthermore, a circuit is known which improves the switch-off action (German Patent document DE 41 27 505). However, its expenditures are too high in the required frequency range. The main disadvantage during the feeding of a low-pressure gas discharge by means of a sine wave generator is the considerable increase of the impedance of the gas discharge during each pole change which, on the whole, results in a faulty adaptation of the generator. In addition to a deterioration of the efficiency, this leads to high discharge voltages with the known danger of spark-overs.
It is also known to feed low-pressure gas discharges by means of bipolar rectangular pulse generators (European Patent document EP 0 534 068 A2; Thin Layers, Volume 4/1992, Pages 13-15). This permits the adaptation of the generator to the polarity-dependent different impedance. A given power ratio for both polarizations can also be adjusted by the dimensioning of the so-called "pulse-off" and "pulse-on" time. The circuit-caused equality of the pulse voltage for both polarizations is a disadvantage. Furthermore, as the result of limits of the technical parameters of the switching circuit elements, an upper frequency limit occurs for the pole change. Currently, frequencies above 50 kHz cannot be reached. Another significant disadvantage is the low value of the energy which can be fed into the plasma in an average time period. The cause is the limited current rising rate which can be observed after each pole change. Because this circuit has the characteristic of a pulsed voltage source, it, on the other hand, has advantageous self-stabilizing characteristics.
In addition, for the unipolar energy feeding in low-pressure gas discharges, in addition to devices for switching off the energy with a very low time constant when arcing occurs, processes are also known for the unipolar, pulse-shaped feeding of the energy by means of so-called chopper circuits (see German Patent documents 41 27 317, DE 37 00 633; DE 41 36 665; DE 42 02 425; DE 41 27 504; DE 42 39 218 A1; DE 42 30 779 Al) Partly, the periodic short-circuiting of the gas discharge is suggested for the purpose of discharging surfaces which are in contact with the plasma. However, all these solutions are not suitable for the bipolar feeding of the energy in accordance with the invention.
A device for generating low-pressure plasmas is also known into which the energy is fed in a bipolar pulse-shaped manner. The pole changing frequency amounts to less than 200 kHz. The device consists of a controllable direct current (DC) power supply with a bridge circuit. The output of the bridge circuit is connected with a current detection circuit (German Patent document DE-G 91 09 503 U1). This device operates by means of only one voltage source independently of the number of electrodes making up the device. This device has the disadvantage that it is not possible by means of it to feed the same powers in the case of each polarization if the impedances of the gas discharges are considerably different.
The invention is based on the object of providing an improved process and a pertaining circuit for the bipolar pulse-shaped feeding of energy with pole change frequencies of up to 200 kHz in low-pressure discharges. In an average time period, a power which is as high as possible is to be fed into the low-pressure discharge. The same power is to be fed into each polarization although the impedance of the gas discharge differs considerably in the two polarizations.
According to the invention, the object is achieved by a circuit for the bipolar pulse-shaped feeding of energy into low pressure plasmas with a pole changing frequency of up to 200 kHz for systems of the plasma and surface treatment technology having at least two electrodes (E.sub.1 to E.sub.n) which are in contact with the plasma, a current supply, an inductance (L.sub.1 to L.sub.n) and at least one switch (S.sub.1 to S.sub.n). One group of outputs of the same polarity of at least two potential-free direct current supplies, consisting of direct voltage sources (DC.sub.1 to DC.sub.n) and inductances (L.sub.1 to L.sub.n) connected in series with the latter, are electrically conductively connected with a same number of electrodes (E.sub.1 to E.sub.n) of a plasma device with a low pressure discharge. The respective other outputs of the direct current supplies are connected with one another. Between the resulting common pole and the connection lines of the electrodes (E.sub.1 to E.sub.n) with the one group of outputs of the direct current supplies, one switch (S.sub.1 to S.sub.n) respectively is arranged which has a common timing generator (T) for the pole change and a common trigger (A) for the switching in the case of the occurrence of an arcing. The inductances (L.sub.1 to L.sub.n) are dimensioned such that the entire energy supplied by the respective assigned direct voltage source (DC.sub.1 to DC.sub.n) can be taken up in the time interval between two pole changes. Additional advantageous further developments are also described herein. The circuit for implementing the process is further described.
A decisive advantage of the process according to the invention consists of the characteristic of the unexpectedly high current rising rate after each pole change coupled with a stable defined line feeding in each pole direction. It is obviously based on the effect of the energy accumulators divided in the form of the inductances L.sub.1 . . . L.sub.n and their influence on the dynamic behavior of the plasma impedance after each pole change. This effect is disclosed in a comparison of the process according to the invention with a process which is obvious to a person skilled in the art according to the state of the art and which uses the circuit illustrated in FIG. 1 (German Patent document DE 35 38 494 A1) . In this circuit, a direct voltage source DC is connected by way of an inductance L with a switch S. The switch S acts as a pole changing circuit which is known per se and to which the electrodes E.sub.1 and E.sub.2 of a low-pressure discharge are connected. This circuit has the character of a bipolar pulsed current source. The high current rising rate which can be achieved by means of it is very advantageous. However, it does not provide a possibility for the controlled power feeding in the case of a polarization-dependent different impedance of the discharge. The effect that the polarization-dependent differences of the impedance are critically increased which is observed, for example, in the case of the bipolar reactive sputtering of aluminum oxide, is particularly critical.
In contrast, the process according to the invention represents a pulse-shaped feeding of energy with a characteristic which, viewed over one pulse period, is that of a current source and thus permits a very high current rising rate. However, when viewed for the duration of several pulse periods, it acts as a voltage source and therefore has self-stabilizing characteristics in the above-described sense. By means of this process, the power for each polarization can be adjusted, even at a different impedance of the low-pressure discharge of the two polarizations to a given value in that the power of each of the direct voltage sources is given independently of the other.
Advantageously, in the case of the process according to the invention, the switching operations on the switches are in each case triggered simultaneously. However, it may also be expedient to close the switches for a fraction of the pulse length and thus short-circuit the low-pressure discharge. In addition, this switching condition exists during the occurrence of an arcing if a pole change is not carried out immediately. However, the simultaneous opening of the switches is not expedient.
When, for reasons of carrying out the process, a pulse length is set which is unequal for the two polarizations, that is, an unequal opening duration of the switches, the dimensioning of the direct voltage sources must take this condition into account. When two direct voltage sources are used, the voltage of one is increased by as much as the other is decreased.
A particularly precise, polarization-dependent feeding of the power into the low-pressure discharge is achieved when the power for the two polarizations is measured separately and is utilized as an actual value of at least one controlled system.
The dimensioning of the inductances must ensure that the entire energy of the assigned direct voltage source supplied in the time between two pulse changes is taken up. However, it is expedient to dimension the inductances larger in order to reduce the energy load of the switches. The dimensioning of the inductances also influences the time sequence of the current fed into the low pressure discharge. As a result, the form of the resulting current curve can be adapted to the requirements of the plasma process or the surface treatment process.
The invention will be explained in detail on several embodiments.

Process and circuit for the bipolar pulse-shaped feeding of energy into low-pressure plasmas

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zup Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


A housing (10), (54) defines a well which holds a diaphragm assembly (12). The diaphragm assembly has a stud portion (14) that extends through an aperture in the housing and is biased into the housing by a spring (16). The stud portion defines a channel (18) which is received in a slot between arms of a calibration plate (20). Movement of the calibration plate transverse to the axis of the stud portion engages a cam surface (24) to position the diaphragm, more particularly a dielectric button (34) which engages a switch control member (50). As a fluid in a bulb (32) expands, it causes the diaphragm to expand, moving the control member (50) and one end of control spring portion (48) causing contacts (46, 52) to open. When the temperature of the bulb reaches the temperature set by the calibration plate, the control spring portion flexes opening the contacts. To reset the switch and close the contacts, a reset member (92) is depressed. A coil spring (94) limits the reset pressure such that the switch can only be reset or closed when the sensed temperature drops sufficiently. An emergency shut off member (100) engages the spring blade member (44) directly opening the contacts without regard to the sensed temperature. In a fixed temperature embodiment (FIG. 5), a pivot member (110) defines the flex point of spring blade member to determine whether the switch works in a snap acting mode or a slow make/break mode.

The present invention relates to controllable switches. It finds particular application in conjunction with capillary thermostat controlled switches for electric and gas ovens, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present invention will also find application in other thermostatic and pressure controls for use not only in home appliances, but also in industrial applications and the like.
Heretofore, range controls, i.e. thermostatic controls for the oven of a range, included a shaft adapted to receive the knob with which the consumer set the temperature of the oven. The shaft was commonly threadedly received in a metal mounting bracket such that rotation of the knob caused the shaft to travel longitudinally. Longitudinal movement of the shaft changed the bias, the mechanical advantage, or a neutral position of a lever arrangement. A bulb was positioned in the oven and connected by a capillary tube with a diaphragm that was also mounted to the bracket of the range control. As the bulb changed temperature, its contained air or other fluid expanded extending the diaphragm. The diaphragm extension interacted with the lever arrangement pivoting the lever to cause an electrical switch to change states. The electrical switch for an electric range was snap acting to permit higher current flows; whereas, for a gas oven, the switch was slow acting for more accurate temperature response at the expense of lower current carrying capacity.
One of the drawbacks of the prior art range controls resided in the difficulty and expense for calibration mechanisms. Temperature calibration was commonly adjusted by turning a threaded member in a threaded bore to adjust the rest position of the diaphragm. First, the pressure of the screwdriver or other tool on the threaded member added a temperature offset to the final calibration. Moreover, even with as many as 80 threads per inch, the amount of movement of the diaphragm assembly for calibration purposes was so small that a lever ratio of about 1:1 or at best 1.5:1 could be achieved. This low lever ratio limited the accuracy of the calibration.
Additional calibrations to the electrical switch, the shaft, and other parts of the control were also done with threaded members received in threaded bores. The cost of the threaded adjustment mechanisms was relatively high.
Another disadvantage of these prior art range controllers was that the threaded engagement of the shaft and bracket fixed the temperature adjustment. Each model required a different threaded shaft and bracket arrangement to accommodate different amounts of travel for different temperature ranges.
Another disadvantage of the prior art range controllers resided in the differing requirements for electric and gas ranges. A different electrical switch and actuator lever arrangement was required for the snap action of the electric range than for the slow acting switch of the gas range. This increased the necessary parts, inventory, and tooling requirements.
Another drawback of the prior art range controls resided in their cost. The prior art controls required numerous threaded members and mating threaded bores for temperature adjustment and calibration, all relatively expensive parts. The prior art range controllers also included numerous elements, such as the actuator lever assembly, which increased complexity and manufacturing cost. The additional parts, complexity, and calibration complexity required additional assembly operations, calibration checks, and the like.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved thermostatically or pressure actuated controller which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.


Pacemakers have been known to be provided with a lower rate hysteresis mode in which a range of cardiac activity is supported in a hysteresis loop by a pacemaker. The present invention describes a programmable single or dual chamber pacemaker comprising a sensor device which provides signals indicating a level of cardiac activity. The pacemaker has a standard lower rate hysteresis mode available, but is also provided with a sensor rate hysteresis which may be programmable. The signals from the sensor can cause the pacemaker to operate within a hysteresis loop in which at least one of the A-sense Rate and the V-sense Rate in the sensor rate hysteresis is higher than the similar rate in the lower rate hysteresis.

A wide variety of cardiac pacemakers are known and commercially available. Pacemakers are generally characterized by a number of different aspects of their construction or use, such as which chambers of the heart they are capable of sensing, the chambers to which they deliver pacing stimuli, and their responses, if any, to sensed intrinsic electrical cardiac activity. Some pacemakers delivery pacing stimuli at fixed, regular intervals without regard to naturally occurring cardiac activity. More commonly, however, pacemakers sense electrical cardiac activity in one or both of the chambers of the heart, and inhibit or trigger delivery of pacing stimuli to the heart based on the occurrence and recognition of sensed intrinsic electrical events. One such pacemaker, for example, senses electrical cardiac activity in the ventricle of the patient's heart, and delivers pacing stimuli to the ventricle only in the absence of electrical signals indicative of natural ventricular contractions. Another type of pacemaker, on the other hand, senses electrical signals in both the atrium and ventricle of the patient's heart, and delivers atrial pacing stimuli in the absence of signals indicative of natural atrial contractions, and ventricular pacing stimuli in the absence of signals indicative of natural ventricular contractions. The delivery of each pacing stimulus by the second type of pacemaker is synchronized with prior sensed or paced events.
Pacemakers are also known which respond to other types of physiologically-based signals, such as signals from sensors for measuring the pressure inside the patient's ventricle or for measuring the level of the patient's physical activity. In recent years, pacemakers which measure the metabolic demand for oxygen and vary the pacing rate in response thereto have become widely available. Another method for measuring the need for oxygenated blood is to measure the physical activity of the patient by means of a piezoelectric transducer. Such a pacemaker is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,428,378; and 4,485,813 issued to Anderson et al.
In typical prior art rate-responsive pacemakers, the pacing rate is determined according to the output from an activity sensor. The pacing rate is variable between a predetermined maximum and minimum level, which may be selectable from among a plurality of programmable upper and lower rate limit settings. When the activity sensor output indicates that the patient's activity level has increased, the pacing rate is increased from the programmed lower rate by an incremental amount which is determined as a function of the output of the activity sensor. That is, the rate-responsive or "target" pacing rate in a rate-responsive pacemaker is determined as follows: EQU Target Rate=Programmed Lower Rate+.function.(sensor output)
where f is typically a linear or monotonic function of the sensor output. As long as patient activity continues to be indicated, the pacing rate is periodically increased by incremental amounts calculated according to the above formula, until the programmed upper rate limit is reached. When patient activity decreases, the pacing rate is gradually reduced, until the programmed lower rate limit is reached.
In an effort to minimize patient problems and to prolong or extend the useful life of an implanted pacemaker, it has become common practice to provide numerous programmable parameters to permit a physical examination to select and/or periodically adjust the desired parameters or to match or optimize the pacing system to the patient's physiologic requirements. The physician may adjust the output energy settings to maximize pacemaker battery longevity while ensuring an adequate patient safety margin. Additionally, the physician may adjust the sensing threshold to ensure adequate sensing of intrinsic depolarization of cardiac tissue, while preventing oversensing of unwanted events such as myopotential interferences or electromagnetic interference (EMI). Also, programmable parameters are typically required to enable and to optimize the rate response function of a pacemaker. For example, certain commercial embodiments of pacemakers are multiprogrammable, rate-responsive pacemakers having the following programmable parameters: pacing mode, sensitivity, refractory period, pulse amplitude, pulse width, lower and upper rate limits, rate response gain, and activity threshold.
For any of the known rate-responsive pacemakers, it is clearly desirable that the sensor output correlate to as high a degree as possible with the actual metabolic and physiologic needs of the patient, so that the resulting rate-responsive pacing rate may be adjusted to appropriate levels. A piezoelectric activity sensor can only be used to indirectly determine the metabolic need. The physical activity sensed can be influenced by upper body motion. Therefore, an exercise that involves arm motion may provide signals that are inappropriately greater than the metabolic need. Conversely, exercises that stimulate the lower body only, such as bicycle riding, may provide a low indication of metabolic need while the actual requirement is very high.
Minute ventilation (V.sub.6) has been demonstrated clinically to be a parameter that correlates directly to the actual metabolic and physiologic needs of the patient. Minute ventilation is defined by the equation: EQU V.sub.c =RR.times.VT
where RR=respiration rate in breaths per minute (bpm), and VT=tidal volume in liters. Clinically, the measurement of V.sub.c is performed by having the patient breathe directly into a device that measures the exchange of air and computes the total volume per minute. The direct measurement of V.sub.c is not possible with an implanted device. However, measurement of the impedance changes across the thorax can be implemented with an implanted pacemaker. Such a pacemaker is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,253 issued to Nappholz et al. The magnitude of the change of the impedance signal corresponds to the tidal volume and the frequency of change corresponds to respiration rate.
The use of transthoracic impedance to indicate V.sub.c has a significant spurious false positive due to upper body myopotential interference and postural changes. Further, slow-acting physiologic parameters such as transitory blood chemistry changes also impact the impedance amplitude. Therefore, it may be desirable to define a rate response function f which minimizes the effects of spurious or transitory changes in impedance sensor output which do not accurately indicate the patient's metabolic needs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,395 (Wahlstrand et al.) describes a pacemaker having an impedance-based minute ventilation sensor and another type of sensor (e.g., energy, pressure or other activity sensor), and the pacemaker computes a target rate-responsive pacing rate based upon a function of the two sensors' output.
Wahlstrand et al. additionally determined that basing the pacing rate solely on V.sub.c does not provide the optimum pacing rate increase at the onset of exercise. The VT and RR have an inherent physiologic time delay due to the response of the CO.sub.2 receptors and the automatic nervous system. The increase in V.sub.c lags behind the need for the increased cardiac output. Therefore, it was desirable to implement a rate response function .function. that is based on a combination of a fast responding sensor such as an activity sensor and a physiologically delayed metabolic sensor such as V.sub.c.
The combination of the activity and V.sub.c sensor outputs for a rate response function in a manner where the faster of the two independently derived target pacing rates would be utilized as the actual pacing rate is believed to be effective. Such an "OR" combination of sensor signals is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,927 issued to Webb et al. Provisions in the rate response function .function. of Wahlstrand included lower and upper rate limits, along with a mapping function from impedance to pacing rate that could be adjusted by a physician to optimize the function for each patient.
The pacemaker function which is most important and which is almost universally programmed is rate. Most pacemakers are preset by the manufacturers at about 65 beats per minute, but may be programmable for rates between 30 and 120 beats per minute. Because the increase in cardiac output that occurs normally with exercise or stress involves not only an increase in heart rate, but also may involve increases in stroke volume, rate alone is not the only applicable measurement for the needs and supply to the patient.
It is known that pacemaker rate is commonly decreased to allow the emergence of a patient's spontaneous rhythm (A Practical Guide to Cardiac Pacing, H. Weston Moses et al., Second Ed., Little Brown and Co., 1983, pp. 60-61). There is no specific detail on the relationship of intrinsic heart rate efficiency and target rates in the selection of specific sensing rates for initiation of paced target rates.

Method and apparatus for rate-responsive cardiac pacing


A system and drive arrangement for using fuser temperature cycling to change rotational position of a fuser roller wiper includes a frame, a hot roll, a fuser roller, and a drive arrangement. The frame of the fuser unit has side panels spaced apart from one another and positioned alongside a media path through the fuser unit. The hot roll on the fuser unit is rotatably mounted to the side panels of the frame and extends between the side panels across the media path. The fuser roller wiper is rotatably mounted between the side panels of the frame and performs a wiping action on the hot roll to remove foreign matter therefrom and supply of lubricant thereto. The drive arrangement is coupled to the fuser roller wiper and is operable in response to decrease in temperature of the fuser unit to rotate the fuser roller wiper.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fuser roller wiper and, more particularly, to a system and drive arrangement for using fuser temperature cycling to change rotational position of the fuser roller wiper.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuser unit is a common part of a printer, copier, or other printing device that melts and adheres toner onto print media. The print media passes between components in the fuser unit where heat and pressure bond the toner to the print media. The fuser unit typically includes a hot roll and a backup roller that form a fuser nip. The fuser nip is where one roll touches another and print media pass between them through driving contact with them. The hot roll is typically driven, along with several in-feed and out-feed rolls, by a drive system of the fuser unit to transport the print media to and from the nip. The drive system typically includes a fuser motor mounted to a frame of the fuser unit and operatively connected to the hot roll and other rolls by a drive train which includes gears, belts and the like.
Heretofore, a replaceable wiper bar has been provided in the fuser unit above the hot roll to both clean and lubricate the hot roll and thereby to help extend the life of the fuser unit. Especially when a printer is running labels, the wiper bar is needed to wipe contaminants from the hot roll and to apply oil (or wax) to the hot roll to keep it lubricated to help protect it against top coats and adhesives used in label construction. Since only a limited amount of oil (or wax) can be loaded into the felt wiper bar, it is recommended that users change the wiper bar twice during the life of a fuser unit. Users often neglect to do this, shortening the useful life of the fuser unit.
The provision of a permanent or non-replaceable fuser roller wiper in place of the replaceable wiper bar has been proposed to provide an effective means to both clean and lubricate the hot roll throughout its useful life and thus obviate the problem created by users not following the recommendation for periodic replacement of the wiper bar. One such fuser roller wiper is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,875,164 to Lebhold et al. The Lebhold patent discusses the importance to meter a precise amount of release agent per revolution of the hot roll. One of the factors mentioned is the speed of the fuser roller wiper relative to the hot roll. However, this patent does not provide any guidance of how to rotate the fuser roller wiper.
Consequently, there is a need for an innovation that will provide an effective way to rotate the fuser roller wiper so that it will be effective in both cleaning and lubricating the hot roll of a fuser unit.

System and drive arrangement for using fuser temperature cycling to change rotational position of a fuser roller wiper


Methods and systems for reshaping the beam intensity distribution of an illumination light supplied to a specimen under inspection are presented. A scanning surface inspection system includes a beam shaping element that flattens the beam intensity distribution of a beam of light generated by an illumination source. The reshaped illumination light is directed to the wafer surface over an illumination spot. With a flattened beam intensity distribution, the incident beam power can be increased without the beam intensity exceeding the damage threshold of the wafer at any particular location. In addition, the illumination spot is shaped by the beam shaping element to have a variable beam width in a direction parallel to the inspection track. The location of a defect within an inspection area having a variable beam width is estimated based on an analysis of the output of the detector.

Semiconductor devices such as logic and memory devices are typically fabricated by a sequence of processing steps applied to a substrate or wafer. The various features and multiple structural levels of the semiconductor devices are formed by these processing steps. For example, lithography among others is one semiconductor fabrication process that involves generating a pattern on a semiconductor wafer. Additional examples of semiconductor fabrication processes include, but are not limited to, chemical-mechanical polishing, etch, deposition, and ion implantation. Multiple semiconductor devices may be fabricated on a single semiconductor wafer and then separated into individual semiconductor devices.
Inspection processes are used at various steps during a semiconductor manufacturing process to detect defects on wafers to promote higher yield. As design rules and process windows continue to shrink in size, inspection systems are required to capture a wider range of physical defects on wafer surfaces while maintaining high throughput.
One such inspection system is a scanning surface inspection system that illuminates and inspects an unpatterned wafer surface. The wafer is scanned under an illumination spot until the desired portion of the wafer surface is inspected. Typically, a laser based illumination source generates illumination light with a Gaussian beam intensity profile. In high-power, laser-based inspection systems, the power density of the incident laser beam is capable of damaging the wafer surface. For inspection systems employing a short-pulsed laser illumination source, substrate damage is primarily related to peak power density. An excessive amount of heat is generated by the interaction of the incident optical radiation with the wafer surface, particularly in areas of incidence subject to incident light with peak power density.
Typically, overall incident beam power is reduced by dumping a portion of the illumination light generated by the illumination source to avoid reaching the thermal damage threshold. In some examples, up to 85% of the beam power generated by the illumination source is dumped to avoid damaging the wafer. In typical bare wafer applications that are shot noise limited, the loss of overall beam power results in a loss of defect detection sensitivity.
Improvements to scanning surface inspection systems are desired to detect defects in the inspection path of an illumination spot on a wafer surface with greater sensitivity while avoiding thermal damage to the wafer surface.

Inspection beam shaping for improved detection sensitivity


A drive circuit may be configured to switch on an MOS transistor by precharging an input capacitance of the MOS transistor with a substantially constant amount of charge in a precharging phase, and charging the input capacitance with a controlled charging current after the precharging phase.

An MOS transistor, such as a MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) or an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), is a voltage controlled device that includes an input capacitance. The MOS transistor can be switched on and off by controlling the voltage across the input capacitance. This input capacitance is formed by a gate electrode, a gate dielectric, and doped semiconductor regions that adjoins the gate dielectric, and includes a gate-source capacitance (in case of a MOSFET), or gate-emitter capacitance (in case of an IGBT). A normally-off MOS transistor switches on when a drive voltage across the gate-source capacitance reaches a threshold voltage, and switches off when the drive voltage falls below the threshold voltage.
In many applications it is desirable to switch on the MOS transistor as fast as possible, but to prevent steep switching edges. "Switching edges" are edges of a load current through the MOS transistor, and of a voltage across a load path (the drain-source path in a MOSFET, and the collector-emitter path in an IGBT) of the MOS transistor in the switching process.
According to a known concept of switching on an MOS transistor, the input capacitance is charged with a relatively high charging current in a precharging phase until the voltage across the input capacitance reaches the threshold voltage, and is charged with a lower current afterwards. In the precharging phase, the MOS transistor is in an off-state, so that a high precharging current helps to obtain a high switching speed but does not result in steep switching edges. The lower charging current after the precharging phase helps to prevent steep switching edges and further charges the input capacitance until the voltage across the input capacitance reaches a voltage level where the MOS transistor has a minimum on-resistance.
However, this concept requires to detect when the voltage across the input capacitance reaches the threshold voltage. This may include detecting at least one of the drive voltage across the input capacitance, detecting the load current (that starts to increase as the drive voltage reaches the threshold voltage), and the load-path voltage (that starts to decrease as the drive voltage reaches the threshold voltage). However, parasitic effects, such as voltages across line inductances, may make it difficult to precisely measure these parameters. Further, propagation delays may cause the input capacitance to be charged with the high precharging current between the time of detecting the threshold voltage and the time when the charging current is reduced to the lower charging current.
There is therefore a need for an improved method for switching an MOS transistor.

Driving an MOS transistor with constant precharging


Embodiments of multicarrier receiver and method for beamforming using rate-dependent feedback in a wireless network are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, decimated beamforming matrices are generated for groups of two or more subcarriers and provided to a multicarrier transmitter. The number of subcarriers in a group may be based on a receive data rate. The multicarrier transmitter uses the decimated beamforming matrices to beamform signals for transmission to the multicarrier receiver.

Beamforming is used in many conventional wireless communication systems to help improve the signal-to-noise ratio of received signals and increase system throughput. Some types of beamforming use feedback from a receiver to compensate for the effects of the channel. The feedback required for these beamforming techniques may consume channel bandwidth which in turn, may reduce system throughput. This feedback also consumes energy.
Thus, there are general needs for systems and methods for beamforming that consume less channel bandwidth and reduce energy consumption. There are also general needs for systems and methods for beamforming that consume less channel bandwidth and reduce energy consumption while maintaining acceptable throughput levels.

System and method for beamforming using rate-dependent feedback in a wireless network


Novel N-phenylacetamide compounds of formula (I):

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel N-phenylacetamide compound inhibitors of the enzyme SOAT-1 (Sterol-O-Acyl Transferase-1), likewise named ACAT-1 (Acylcoenzyme A Cholesterol Acyl Transferase). It also relates to their formulation into pharmaceutical compositions useful in human or veterinary medicine, or else into cosmetic compositions and, likewise, their non-therapeutic applications.
2. Description of Background and/or Related and/or Prior Art
The compounds having an activity of the type inhibiting SOAT-1 are widely described in the literature as having activities in the regulation of biological processes involving cholesterol and its derivatives. These properties confer to this class of compounds a great potential in the treatment or the prevention of numerous pathologies, and more particularly in dermatology and in cardiovascular diseases or complaints of the central nervous system. The majority of the biological effects of the inhibitors of SOAT-1 are mediated by the prevention of the synthesis of esters of cholesterol by the enzyme SOAT-1. Among the documents of the prior art describing molecules inhibiting SOAT-1, exemplary are WO 96/10559, EP-0370740, EP-0424194, U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,663, EP-0557171, U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,106, EP-0293880, EP-0433662 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,873, which describe compounds for treating arteriosclerosis or hypercholesterolaemia to be treated. The therapeutic potential of inhibitors of SOAT-1 in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and, in particular, of hypercholesterolaemia and of arteriosclerosis is likewise described by Kharbanda R. K. et al., in Circulation, 2005, 11, 804. The potential of inhibitors of SOAT-1 for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease has likewise been reported in the literature, for example, by Puglielli, L. et al., in Nature Neurosciences 2003, 6 (4), 345.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,133,326, 6,271,268 and WO 2005/034931 describe compounds which are inhibitors of SOAT-1 for inhibiting the production of sebum. In the field of dermatology in particular, it is particularly advantageous to prevent the excessive production of sebum and all the associated conditions. Sebum is produced by the sebaceous gland. The greater concentration of sebaceous glands is situated on the face, the shoulders, the back and the scalp. The sebum is secreted on the surface of the skin, where it plays a major physiological role, associated with the maintenance of the cutaneous barrier and of a microenvironment allowing the regulation of the bacterial flora and cutaneous fungus.
The hyperproduction of sebum is, most often, associated with a skin or a scalp of greasy appearance, a cause of discomfort and a degraded appearance. In addition, the hyperproduction of sebum can breed seborrhoeic dermatitis and is associated with an increased incidence or severity of acne. The esters of cholesterol produced in the sebaceous gland by SOAT-1 are one of the components of sebum, among several classes of lipids including the triglycerides, the esters of waxes and the squalenes, as described by Nikkari, T., in J Invest Derm 1974, 62, 257. The inhibition of this enzyme or other acyltransferases can thus allow the production of sebum to be inhibited. U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,326 describes, in particular, the inhibition of the sebum by inhibitors of ACAT-1 (likewise named SOAT-1). Nevertheless, to date, no treatment utilizing such inhibitors is available commercially. The only treatments for the disorders linked to hyperseborrhoea to be remedied or relieved are systemic hormonal treatments or systemic treatment with 13-cis-retinoic acid, treatments whose secondary effects considerably limit their field of application. There thus exists a clear cosmetic and medical need for the treatment of disorders and pathologies linked to the hyperproduction of sebum.

N-phenylacetamide inhibitors of the enzyme SOAT-1 and pharmaceutical/cosmetic compositions comprised thereof

Abstract: and cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions containing same are useful for treating disorders of the sebaceous gland, e.g., acne, or have cosmetic applications.


Techniques are shown for installing third-party applications onto a network system in appropriate containers on the network system. The containers store data and content of the same internet media type or MIME-type as the third-party applications.

Cloud storage is networked online storage where data is stored or hosted on one or more remote servers communicatively coupled to clients over one or more networks. This data may take the form of database content, user files, or other data content generally shared over a network. Hosting of the network storage typically occurs in large data centers and customers may lease storage capacity from these hosts. The data center operators, in the background, virtualize the resources according to the requirements of the customer and expose them as storage pools, which the customers can themselves use to store files or data objects. Physically, the resource may span across multiple servers at multiple locations and may be replicated in various data centers proximate to the customers or their end users. These cloud storage services may be accessed through a web service application programming interface (API), or through a Web-based user interface.

Installation of third-party web applications into a container


The present invention makes it possible to distribute digital content managed under copyright to a large number of users through a communications network while ensuring copyright protection. The web server 12 distributes images requested by the user through the Internet to the user PC 6. The image data distributed from the web server 12 is encrypted and can only be decrypted by the special image editor 22 on the user PC 6. Control data indicating the usage restrictions according to copyright are included in the image data distributed from the web server 12. The image editor 22 controls the edit operations and print specifications that can be used with the images downloaded from the web server 12 according to that control data. The image editor 22 carries out image printing only in the case where a settlement process for image fees is completed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for distributing different types of digital content, such as digital still images, digital movies, digital music, computer programs, digital literature, or decrypted versions of those, from a server through a communications network to a user's computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A large number of servers for distributing different types of digital content are present on the Internet. Digital images are taken as the example for this explanation, but the situation is the same for other types of digital content as well.
Currently, digital images distributed through the Internet from web sites are copyright-free images or images under the copyright of the webmaster of each web site. At this time, there are no servers that can legally distribute digital images which are strictly controlled under a third party's copyright, through the network to a large number of users. Because it is not technologically possible at this time to control copyrighted digital content scattered throughout the communications network, no one cares to transmit his or her own high-value works through the communications network.
Meanwhile, demand is very high for many of the images strictly controlled under copyright and the prices are accordingly high. Typical examples include photographs of popular performers, posters of popular movies, designs of popular characters, and the works of popular artists. At this time, such copyrighted images can only be acquired in printed form through the stores of authorized distributors.
There is, however, a very large number of users who would be delighted to be able to acquire these types of copyrighted images easily using their own computers, through the Internet and without having to go to a store. Many copyright holders would also like to sell their work through the Internet to a large number of users and get high profits if copyright protection could be insured.
Furthermore, prints of copyrighted images provided to the market at this time do not necessarily satisfy user requirements because the designs and layouts are already established. For example, a calendar including photographs of a performer or a postcard including images of an animation character may in many cases not be purchased, even if the user is interested in the artist or character itself, because the user is not interested in the paper size, calendar design, or printed text.
Also, it is common knowledge that machines, with which people and their friends can take their picture and print it out in the form of a sticker including decorative designs, are very popular with young people. Demand for copyrighted images can be expected to increase even more if copyrighted images could be easily acquired for the purpose of creating private photographs or images. However, at this time there is no technology that can make possible easy use of copyrighted images for this purpose, while ensuring copyright protection.
Also, a large number of image-distributing servers is present on the Internet. Conventionally, images distributed from an Internet server were displayed with small quantities of data appropriate for the narrow bandwidth of the communication path and therefore user systems that downloaded those images could only print out low-quality images.
Also, conventional image servers use a mechanism of initially displaying the images that can be provided in the form of small thumbnail images and sending the real image data to the user's computer when the user clicks on the thumbnail. However, even looking at the small thumbnail image, the user cannot correctly determine whether he or she really wants that image. It is therefore often the case that the user realizes that he or she does not want the image after starting to download the real image. For this reason, the user wastes download time and communication costs, as well as image fees if it is a chargeable image.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to make possible the distribution of digital content managed under copyright to a large number of users through a communications network, while ensuring copyright protection.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the digital content managed under copyright in a form that can be used by the user as the user desires, while ensuring copyright protection.
It is another object of the present invention to provide images, provided by a server on a communications network, in the form of a high image quality print to a user.
It is another object of the present invention to have images, provided by a server on a communications network, such that the user can properly determine whether he or she really wants these, before these are actually in the possession of the user.

System and method for digital content distribution


A vehicle occupant protection system includes: a seat belt apparatus including a shoulder belt (11) and a lap belt (13); an upper air bag (27, 113); a lower air bag (29, 67, 73, 83); and an inflation limiting structure (37, 53, 55, 57, 75, 85) which is provided in the lower air bag and limits inflation of a part of the lower air bag in a vehicle back-and-forth direction when the lower air bag is inflated. When the vehicle collision is detected or predicted, the upper and lower air bags are inflated and vertically come into contact with each other. Further, an upper part (41, 71, 79, 91) of the inflated lower air bag positioned above the inflation limiting structure is pressed by the upper air bag and bends toward the front of the vehicle at the inflation limiting structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection system protecting a vehicle occupant when a vehicle detects or predicts a collision.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a conventionally known vehicle occupant protection system in which an air bag is equipped in a seat belt and inflated and extended in the case of a frontal collision of a vehicle for protecting a vehicle occupant (see Japanese Patent Translation Publication No. 2003-519040).
In this conventional art, the air bag is equipped in a lap belt constituting the seat belt. The air bag is inflated and extended both in front of the occupant's chest and abdominal and above the occupant's thighs at a collision of the vehicle.