A cellular telephone with a pointing device that facilitates operations for line scrolling and page scrolling, in which the moving speed of a pointer can be controlled with respect to each on-screen display. The pointing device includes a pointer-operating button having a range of sliding movement. The pointer-operating button can be pressed down and slide within the sliding movement range by single finger operation, and is located in the center of the sliding movement range when not being operated. The pointer-operating button returns to the center position when released in sliding operation, and returns to its former condition when released from the pressed state in pressing operation. Besides, the sliding movement range defines a pointer movement frame. A switch to line scrolling mode or page scrolling mode is made by bringing a pointer into contact with the top edge or the bottom edge of the pointer movement frame. The moving speed of the pointer can be controlled with respect to each on-screen display.

Operationality in inputting, displaying, outputting and processing information is a main factor to decide the utility value of a cellular telephone. Accordingly, cellular telephones with pointing devices have been developed in recent years. The pointing device is an input unit used for specifying the cursor position on the display to input characters or control the cellular telephone. It is required to improve the operationality or usability of the pointing device while aiming at smaller and lighter cellular telephones.
There is found an example of equipment having the pointing device in Japanese Patent Application laid open No. HEI9-134248, "Pointing input unit and electronic equipment provided with the same". In accordance with the prior art, a tabular operation button is slidably supported on the equipment so that plural processing objects can be handled by manipulating the button with a finger. In other words, a user can operate the equipment without shifting the operating position of his/her finger widely since it is unnecessary to use plural operation keys and buttons. Thus, the enhancement of operationality and the miniaturization of equipment can be achieved.
Besides, Japanese Patent Application laid open No. HEI9-282091 discloses a pointing device, in which a user can easily operate operation buttons by his/her thumb that works smoothly with forefinger while controlling the pointer position by the forefinger of his/her dominant hand.
However, there are some problems in the application of the above-mentioned pointing device to cellular telephones. First, the conventional pointing device does not have a function for facilitating line scrolling and page scrolling which are highly used on cellular telephones to select an item from a list or the like. Second, the moving speed of the pointer is too fast for the small screen of a cellular telephone.


A method for forming triple polysilicon split gate electrodes in a EEPROM flash memory array providing a first gate structure; blanket depositing a first polysilicon layer over the first gate structure; etching back the first polysilicon layer according to a first dry etching process; blanket depositing a second dielectric insulating layer over the first polysilicon layer; blanket depositing a second polysilicon layer over the second dielectric insulating layer; and, lithographically patterning and dry etching according to a respective third and fourth dry etching process through a thickness portion of the respective second and first polysilicon layers to respectively form third and second polysilicon gate electrodes.

In the flash EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memories) including split gate FET devices, the level of voltage in the respective gate electrodes and tunneling current through respective insulating layers is frequently dependent on gate electrode profiles. For example, Fowler-Nordheim tunneling has an exponential field dependence and the electric field produced at electrode interfaces can be strongly affected by electrode profiles.
A recurring processing problem in forming EEPROM devices, is the tendency for polysilicon residual material to form in undesired areas of the memory cell, including non-active areas during Reactive ion etch (RIE) processes. RIE etch processes are increasingly used for etching the various polysilicon electrodes in EEPROM flash memory devices for example in self-aligned stacked configurations.
For example, in a particular type of EEPROM flash memory cell, a triple poly split gate configuration is utilized where each memory cell has four terminals including source, drain, select gate, and control gate. The selection of a particular memory cell for programming is dependent only on the voltage applied to the particular select gate and the particular source. Consequently, this permits a variable amount of voltage to be applied to the control gate during programming, which controls the amount of electrons injected onto the floating gate. Thus, more than one level of charge may be stored on the floating gate of each memory cell.
In the formation of polysilicon floating gate and control electrodes in a triple poly split gate configuration, a consistent and predictable profile of the polysilicon structure including the absence of residual polysilicon is critical to proper electrical functioning of the device. As design rules have decreased, achieving acceptable etching profiles of the polysilicon structures has become increasingly difficult due to several hard to control RIE etching phenomena including polysilicon residue formation and micro-trenching as a result of secondary plasma ion bombardment. In addition, problems are presented in RIE etching processes where different doping levels of polysilicon layers and polysilicon layer surface topography cause variable etching rates. In particular in the triple poly split gate configuration, using three layers of polysilicon, the variable topography of the polysilicon layers tends to cause undesirable etching phenomenon due to etching at different rates through different materials at particular points in the etching process thereby contributing to the undesired deposition of etching residues. The undesired etching residues including polysilicon residues tend to form on gate profiles thereby altering electric fields and consequent electron tunneling behavior as well as forming on active and non-active areas of a memory cell matrix thereby reducing yield and reliability of the memory cell matrix.
There is therefore a need in the EEPROM device processing art to develop improved etching processes to improve the etching profiles of gate electrode structures while reducing etching residues including triple-poly split gate configuration memory cells to thereby improve the yield and reliable operation of split gate flash memory devices.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide improved etching profiles of gate electrode structures while reducing etching residues including triple-poly split gate configuration memory cells to thereby improve the yield and reliable operation of split gate flash memory devices, while overcoming other deficiencies and shortcomings of the prior art.

Poly-etching method for split gate flash memory cell

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A mobile communications device initiates a handoff from its current base station (BS) sector network attachment point to a new BS sector. The mobile sends a handoff request over its current wireless link to the current BS sector, which forwards the request to the new BS sector, e.g., via a network link. The new BS sector processes the request assigning dedicated resources, e.g., an identifier and dedicated uplink segments information identifying the allocated resources is conveyed from the new BS sector via the current BS sector to the mobile. The mobile determines the time of the allocated dedicated segments based upon a received beacon signal from the new BS sector with known timing relationships to dedicated segments. The mobile breaks the original wireless link just prior to the time of the first assigned dedicated segment. The mobile communicates information on the assigned dedicated segments to perform registration operations, e.g., timing synchronization and power control, establishing a new wireless link.

Cells may include one or more sectors. A cell without multiple sectors is a single sector cell, i.e., it includes a single sector. Signals are normally transmitted by a sector transmitter using a carrier frequency and the corresponding bandwidth, e.g., one or more tones surrounding the carrier frequency. Different cells and/or sectors of a cell often use different frequency bands centered around a carrier frequency used by the sector or cell. The carrier frequency of adjacent cells and/or sectors are often different. To receive signals corresponding to a carrier frequency, a wireless terminal normally has to adjust its receiver, e.g., receiver filters, to correspond to the frequency band associated with the carrier frequency to be used. Switching a receiver between carrier frequencies may take time. Thus, in receivers with a single filter chain, transitioning between different carriers may cause the receiver to encounter intervals during which information can not be received due to the switching process.
Wireless terminals, e.g., mobile nodes, communicating with a base station on a given carrier frequency and moving through a multi-carrier system need to decide when to make a handoff and transition to a new carrier frequency e.g., corresponding to a new cell and/or sector. As discussed above, an adjacent sector and/or cell may use a different carrier frequency, and as a sector or cell boundary is crossed, a wireless terminal will normally have to identify and switch to the new carrier frequency.
Typically a mobile node includes a single receiver chain and listens to one carrier frequency band at a given time due to constraints in the hardware and cost associated with the receiver. This is because, for cost reasons, multiple parallel receiver filter chains are often too expensive to be practical. In some known systems a mobile node waits until communications are lost or significantly degraded on the operating carrier band being used before switching to another carrier. In some systems, a wireless terminal periodically switches its receiver to a different carrier band to check for signal presence and/or strength. Unfortunately, while switched to search for another carrier, the receiver can not receive signals from the carrier that is currently in use. The known methods of determining what carriers are available to switch to and when to switch to a new carrier may result in interrupted communications, gaps during the hand-off process, and/or wasted resources in monitoring and determining the appropriate carrier frequency band.
In addition to the problem of determining which carriers/frequency bands are available and should be used at any given time, handoffs between sectors and/or cells using different carriers present problems associated with adjusting receiver and/or transmitter circuitry to switch between carrier frequencies. Problems associated with switching between carrier frequencies occur when a switch between carriers occurs whether or not a change in location occurs and are generally encountered when handoffs occur between carrier frequencies. For cost reasons, it is often desirable to implement a communications device with a single receiver and transmitter.
When switching between carrier frequencies, an analog filter used by the receiver and an analog filter used by the transmitter normally has to be changed to match the new frequency band. This normally involves adjusting the filter as a function of the carrier frequency of the new sector or cell. The transitional period required to implement this filter change, in the case of a device with a single receiver/transmitter results in an interval during which the communications device is unable to receive and/or transmit information to a base station.
In systems where each cell/sector uses the same frequency, e.g., in systems with a frequency reuse rate of 1, handoffs between sectors and/or cells do not require such filter switching operations since the frequency band used in each of the sectors/cells is the same. In such systems "make before break" handoffs are relatively easy to implement. In a make before break handoff the communications device directly communicates with the new sector and/or cell before breaking, e.g., terminating, the connection with the old base station. Given that the carrier frequencies are the same before and after handoff in such systems, there is normally no need to alter the filters in the receiver and/or transmitter circuitry making the time required to switch between the two sectors and/or cells relatively minor.
Regardless of whether a handoff operation involves a change in carrier frequency or not, in many systems when handing off from one base station or sector to another before a mobile device is permitted to transmit user data, e.g., application layer data such as voice, text, etc., the mobile node performs timing and/or power control synchronization operations. Registration in the sector or cell being entered is normally also required before transmission of user data to the new base station or sector is permitted. Such signal level synchronization operations can be important to prevent transmission by the mobile device entering the cell and/or sector interfering with the transmissions from other mobile devices already in the cell/sector being entered. In some systems, a particular period of time is set aside on a periodic basis for use by mobile devices entering the system to transmit signals used to register and/or perform initial timing and/or power control synchronization operations. During such periods of time, devices entering the cell/sector can contact the base station to perform timing and/or power control synchronization operations without interfering with devices already in the system, e.g., because registered devices know not to transmit signals during this particular period of time. Signaling during this dedicated period of time is often contention based, e.g., one or more new devices may attempt to register using the same communications resource, e.g., set of tones. In such cases, signals may collide and the registration by the devices attempting to use the same set of tones may fail requiring them to retry during a later dedicated registration period, e.g., using another set of tones. As part of the registration process, physical layer signaling issues are resolved such as physical signal timing used to control symbol transmission and/or transmission power control is achieved, e.g., based on control signals received from the new base station. In addition, one or more device identifiers used to identify the device while in the new cell may be assigned to the device seeking to register in the new cell/sector. Once synchronization and ID assignment issues are resolved in regard to the new cell/sector, higher level signaling, e.g., IP packet transmission and reception may begin to occur between the mobile device entering the new sector and/or cell and the base station in that sector/cell.
In the case where the frequency bands of the old and new sector and/or cell are the same, it is often possible to maintain communications with the old base station while simultaneously communicating in the same frequency band with new base station to perform the above discussed registration operations, e.g., timing control, power control and cell/sector ID specific assignment operations. This is possible since the frequency of the filter used in the receiver and/or transmitter need not be changed when communicating with base stations in cases where the old and new carrier frequencies are the same. Thus, in systems where the old and new frequency bands are the same a mobile device can complete physical layer signaling operations which need to be completed before IP packets can be received/transmitted in the new cell while still being able to receive IP packets from the old base station. Once the physical layer, e.g., timing synchronization, etc., with the new base station, and other registration operations are completed in the new sector/cell a signal may be sent to trigger re-routing of IP packets to the mobile device by way of the new sector/cell and to stop the routing of packets intended for the mobile to the old sector/cell. In this way, in various known systems, the connection with the old cell is broken after a connection, sufficient to communicate IP packets, with a new cell or sector, is established.
While using a single carrier which is the same in each sector and cell of a system simplifies handoff operations, it has drawbacks due to the relatively high degree of interference at sector and cell boundaries. At such boundaries, given signal fading, mobile nodes may experience signal conditions considerably worse than 0 dB for extended periods of time.
When different sets of frequencies are used in adjoining sectors/cells, e.g., a frequency reuse pattern greater than 1 is employed, signal conditions at sector and cell boundaries are usually considerably better than in cases where there is full reuse of all frequencies. Thus, signal interference at cell/sector boundaries provides a reason to avoid a frequency reuse scheme of 1 despite the handoff benefits it provides.
Delays associated with adjusting a transmitter and/or receiver's filter to operate at a new frequency band makes switching receiver and transmitter circuitry between an old and a new carrier frequency at a rate that is quick enough to support the above discussed make before break handoff procedure difficult to implement. Accordingly, in handoffs between sectors and/or cells using different frequency bands, a break before make handoff operation is often used where radio signaling with the old base station is terminated before it is established with a new base station. Unfortunately, this normally leaves the mobile device unable to receive IP packets not only during the duration that it is switching its filter circuitry to the new carrier frequency but for the additional time period it needs to register with the new cell/sector and to perform the required timing and/or power synchronization operation(s) and any IP packet redirection operations that may be needed.
The need to wait, in some systems, for a periodically occurring time period during which registrations are permitted to occur within a sector or cell, combined with the uncertainty that resources will be available in the cell or sector for the mobile device to register during a particular registration period, can lead to both unpredictable and sometimes excessive delays before a mobile device can receive IP packets in a new cell or sector after terminating a connection with an old base station.
In view of the above discussion, it should be apparent that there is a need for methods and apparatus for reducing the amount of time required to complete a handoff in a system which uses different frequency bands. It is desirable that at least one or more methods be provided which avoid the need for a mobile device to terminate a connection with a current base station and/or cell before it can commence communication with a new base station or cell in regard to handoff related matters, e.g., registration signaling, assignment of airlink related resources such as local identifier assignments, etc. It is also desirable, that in at least some embodiments, that a mobile device be able to expect with a reasonably high degree of certainty the communications resources needed to complete a registration process will be available at or near the time it terminates communication with a previous base station.

Base station based methods and apparatus for supporting break before make handoffs in a multi-carrier system


A method of determining a structure parameter of a target. Illuminating a first region of the target with a first beam and measuring a diffraction pattern. Shifting the position between the target and the projection system to offset a second region to be illuminated from the first region. Illuminating the second region and measuring a diffraction pattern. Retrieving phase information from the measured first and second diffraction patterns. Modeling the target using an estimated structure parameter to calculate a modeled diffraction pattern and modeled phase information. Determining the structure parameter of the target by comparing the measured diffraction patterns and the retrieved phase to the calculated modeled diffraction intensity pattern and the modeled phase information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for determining structure parameters, such as critical dimension and side wall angle, of microstructures. The present invention is usable, for example, in the manufacture of devices by lithographic techniques.
2. Related Art
A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that instance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g., comprising part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g., a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at one time, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
In order to monitor the lithographic process, parameters of the patterned substrate are measured. Parameters may include, for example, the overlay error between successive layers formed in or on the patterned substrate and critical linewidth of developed photosensitive resist. This measurement may be performed on a product substrate and/or on a dedicated metrology target. There are various techniques for making measurements of the microscopic structures formed in lithographic processes, including the use of scanning electron microscopes and various specialized tools. A fast and non-invasive form of specialized inspection tool is a scatterometer in which a beam of radiation is directed onto a target on the surface of the substrate and properties of the scattered or reflected beam are measured. By comparing the properties of the beam before and after it has been reflected or scattered by the substrate, the properties of the substrate can be determined. This can be done, for example, by comparing the reflected beam with data stored in a library of known measurements associated with known substrate properties. Two main types of scatterometer are known. Spectroscopic scatterometers direct a broadband radiation beam onto the substrate and measure the spectrum (intensity as a function of wavelength) of the radiation scattered into a particular narrow angular range. Angularly resolved scatterometers use a monochromatic radiation beam and measure the intensity of the scattered radiation as a function of angle.
With reduction of the physical dimensions in lithographic processing, the current scatterometer measurement techniques cannot provide the required performance in terms of accuracy and other solutions are required. In other words, the scatterometer measurement techniques, as implemented so far, are not sensitive enough to "see" small variations in the target's shape. If such measurements do not see such small variations, they cannot measure them with the required accuracy. Once the detector, the wavelength of the light source, and the optical system are chosen, this is a limitation which is difficult to overcome.

Method and apparatus for determining structure parameters of microstructures


A method for amperometric detection of proteins, especially haemoglobin in faeces, using an electrochemical sensor. The electrochemical sensor includes: a working electrode having an electrically conductive matrix holding a first reagent and/or a second reagent, the second reagent being an oxidizing agent, or a precursor thereof, for the first reagent; a counter electrode and optionally a reference electrode; wherein a reaction between the first reagent and the oxidizing agent is catalyzed by the protein to provide a detectable signal at the working electrode. The electrically conductive matrix is an electrically conductive carbon- or graphite-containing matrix or an electrically conductive porous matrix.

Some disorders of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are difficult to detect and present detection systems having a camera sensor incorporated into a swallowable pill are often not sufficiently accurate to allow early identification of a problem. Bleeding in the GI tract is a common symptom of several diseases such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, ulcers and cancer. Bleeding in the GI tract can go unnoticed until it reaches a scale where other symptoms appear, e.g. anaemia, or if fresh blood appears in the stool. By this time, the disease has usually reached an advanced stage. In the case of bowel cancer, polyps often bleed before they become cancerous. Consequently, if they can be detected early, the polyps can be safely removed and the cancer treated successfully. There are known faecal occult blood (FOB) tests, for testing for the presence of blood in stool. These are generally based on the peroxidase-like behaviour of haemoglobin or are based on immunoassays.
One known FOB test uses a guaiac resin impregnated card. Guaiac resin (extracted from trees) changes colour in the presence of oxidising agents. Such tests utilise the fact that haemoglobin catalyses the oxidation of the phenolic compound in guaiac resin (alpha guaiaconic acid) by hydrogen peroxide to form a highly conjugated blue quinone compound. In guaiac-based FOB tests samples of stool are spread by the patient on a card impregnated with guaiac resin. Two samples from each of three stools are typically required to be collected before the card is sent for analysis. In the analysis laboratory, a hydrogen peroxide developer solution is applied to the card and, if blood is present in the sample, a blue-green colour is the result.
The FOB test described above is of use in screening tests, where patients receive the test through the mail, or from their local doctor, take and apply their own samples to the card, and return the card to the laboratory for analysis. The take-up of such tests is variable, particularly amongst the elderly, and amongst people from certain ethnic or social backgrounds, probably due to the unpleasant nature of taking the samples and applying them to the cards.
As an alternative to the screening cards described above, WO 2006/085087 discloses a sensing apparatus, which includes a swallowable pill, having an array of sensor elements, where each element is a biological sensor for detecting the presence of the same analyte in the environment in which the sensor array is to be deployed. Activation of a sensor element in the array allows analyte present in the environment of the sensor element, such as haemoglobin, to catalyse a chemical reaction between a first reagent, such as alpha guaiaconic acid, and a second reagent, and the detection of the chemical reaction by the sensor element determines the sensor element output. The first reagent is typically contained within a reagent space of the sensor, which is covered, and may be made available, as required, by removal of that cover to expose the reagent to the local environment.
The provision of a sensor having a reagent space with a removable cover complicates the design of the swallowable pill. There is need for an alternative sensor having a design that is easier to operate and easier to fabricate.
The present invention is particularly useful in systems where a swallowable capsule with a sensor is swallowed by a patient and transmits gathered data from inside the body to a base station outside the body via a radio or other communication link. However it is not limited to this application and may also be used on a sensing device designed for implantation into the human body. It may also be used in topical application, e.g. in wound dressings. It may also be used with animals, especially but not limited to agricultural livestock, such as cattle sheep and pigs. Application not only to mammals, but also to non-mammals, e.g. fish at fish farms, would also be possible.
The present invention also finds use in the analysis of samples taken from a subject. An analytical device with a sensor may be used for rapid, qualitative measurements of a sample, especially with a view to determining the presence of a protein, such as haemoglobin, at physiological or clinical levels.
Whilst some aspects of the present invention relate to apparatus such as swallowable pills, other aspects provide improved sensors for use in the analysis of biological samples. These sensors may be used as alternatives to those sensors, such as the cards discussed above, that are currently on the market. The sensors of the invention provide faster results without the need for a suitably experienced analytical technician.

Electrode, electrochemical sensor and apparatus, and methods for operating the same


A securing device (30) is used for securing a heat sink (10) to a printed circuit board (40) with a heat-generating electronic component (41) mounted thereon. The securing device includes a V-shaped elongated main body (31), a first locking leg (34), a second locking leg (332) and a resilient member (32). The first locking leg and second locking leg are connected to two opposite ends of the main body respectively for engaging with a retention frame (20) on the printed circuit board. The resilient member includes a planar-shaped supporting plate (321) engaging with a bottom portion of the main body and at least one resilient foot (322) extending downwardly from the supporting plate. The resilient foot deforms to exert a resilient force on the heat sink when the heat sink is assembled to the electronic component by the securing device.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure generally relates to securing devices, and particularly to a securing device for assembling a heat dissipation module onto a heat-generating electronic component.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known that heat is generated during operations of a variety of electronic components, such as central processing units (CPUs). To ensure normal and safe operations, heat dissipation modules such as heat sinks are often employed to dissipate the generated heat away from these electronic components, and securing devices are often employed to assemble the heat dissipation modules onto these electronic components.
A conventional way to secure the heat dissipation module onto the electronic component is to screw a base of the heat dissipation module onto a printed circuit board (PCB) on which the electronic component is mounted. However, a force exerted on the electronic component is hard to control. If the force is greater than a predetermined value, the electronic component will be damaged. If the force is smaller than the predetermined value, an intimate contact between the heat sink and the electronic component will not be kept.
What is needed, therefore, is a securing device for assembling a heat dissipation module to an electronic component which overcomes the described limitations.

Securing device for assembling heat dissipation module onto electronic component

Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd.


A transistor device having a graphene base for the transport of electrons into a collector is provided. The transistor consists of a heterostructure comprising an electron emitter, an electron collector, and a graphene material base layer consisting of one or more sheets of graphene situated between the emitter and the collector. The transistor also can further include an emitter transition layer at the emitter interface with the base and/or a collector transition layer at the base interface with the collector. The electrons injected into the graphene material base layer can be “hot electrons” having an energy E substantially greater than EF, the Fermi energy in the graphene material base layer or can be “non-hot electrons” having an energy E approximately equal to than EF. The electrons can have the properties of ballistic transit through the base layer.

Three-terminal junction transistors have application to numerous electronic devices, including digital circuits, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, mixed-signal circuit, fiber-optic receivers, and microwave amplifiers.
A three-terminal transistor has an emitter, a base, and a collector with the base controlling the current transport from the emitter to the collector. Such a transistor can operate as a unipolar transistor having one predominant carrier transport type or as a bipolar transistor having two carrier transport types.
A unipolar transistor is typically designed to have electrons as the predominant carrier type. In addition, unipolar transistor device structure can be designed so that the carriers are hot electrons within the base of the transistor. If the base is thin, the carriers can have ballistic transport through the base. The unipolar transistor is typically operated primarily in the voltage-control mode with the injection of electrons from the emitter into the base controlled by varying the voltage difference applied between the emitter and base electrodes, with some portion of the electrons injected into the base transporting through the base and being collected by the collector.
The three-terminal transistor can also operate in a bipolar-mode where the injection of one carrier type (holes) into the base modulates the injection of a second carrier type (electrons) from the emitter into the base with some portion of the electron injected into the base transporting through the base and being collected in the collector. The bipolar transistor is typically operated primarily in the current-control mode.
The capabilities of these circuits are often rated by the speed of operation of the circuits. The speed of operation of the circuit type that utilizes three-terminal transistors is often dominated by the transit time of carriers through the base layer of the three-terminal transistor. Thus, it is often useful to use a thin base layer to achieve a fast carrier transit through the base layer.
One measure of the frequency performance capability of a three-terminal transistor is the transition frequency (cutoff frequency), fT, which is strongly dependent on the transit time of carrier through the base of a transistor. The maximum oscillation frequency Fmax for a bipolar transistor is approximately described by the equation
      F          m                                      ax        =            (              fT                  8                    π                                                              RbCcb                    )              1      /      2      where Rb is the base resistance, Ccb is the collector base capacitance, and fT is the cutoff frequency. Thus, the maximum frequency of oscillation is inversely proportional to the base resistance Rb. See Bart Van Zeghbroeck, "Chapter 5: Bipolar Junction Transistors," Principles of Semiconductor Devices, available online at http://ecee.colorado.edu/˜bart/book/book/content5.htm (downloaded Jun. 15, 2011).
It has been known for some time that a hot electron transistor (HET), and especially a ballistic transistor, can potentially be operated at frequencies in excess of those achievable with conventional (diffusive) transistors. T. E. Bell, "The Quest for Ballistic Action," IEEE Spectrum, February 1986, pp. 36-38. Various types of hot electron transistors (HET) have been proposed. See L. F. Eastman, "Ballistic Electrons in Compound Semiconductors," IEEE Spectrum, February 1986, pp. 42-45; A. F. J. Levi et al., "Injected-Hot-Electron Transport in GaAs," Phys. Rev. Lett. 55(19), pp. 2071-2073 (1985); M. Heiblum et al., "Direct Observation of Ballistic Transport in GaAs," Phys. Rev. Lett. 55(19), pp. 2200-2203 (1985); and M. I. Nathan et al., "A Gallium Arsenide Ballistic Transistor," IEEE Spectrum, February 1986, pp. 45-47.
One type of HET transistor has a thin P-type doped emitter material layer in the emitter transition layer at the emitter/base interface that implements a thermionic emission injection structure, also known as a planar doped barrier or a camel barrier, and a thin P-type collector material layer in the collector transition layer at the collector/base interface that implements a collector barrier, see J. R. Hayes et al., "Hot Electron Spectroscopy," Electron. Lett. 20(21), pp. 851-852 (1984); J. M. Shannon, "Calculated performance of monolithic hot-electron transistors," IEE Proceedings 128(4), pp. 134-140 (1981).
Another type of transistor uses tunnel injection and comprises emitter, base, and collector, with an appropriately shaped potential barrier between emitter and base, and a second barrier between base and collector. This second type, which is referred to as a tunneling hot electron transfer amplifier (THETA), differs from the first type in having tunnel injection into the base. See M. Heiblum, "Tunneling Hot Electron Transfer Amplifiers (Theta): Amplifiers Operating Up To The Infrared," Solid-State Electronics 24, pp. 343-366 (1981).
Both of the above types are unipolar, although bipolar HETs have also been proposed.
Other types of bipolar transistors with thin base layers include a Bipolar Quantum Resonant Tunneling Transistor. See A. C. Seabaugh et al., "Pseudomorphic Bipolar Quantum Resonant-Tunneling Transistor," IEEE Transaction on Electron Devices, Vol. 36, pp. 2328-2333; and S. Mil'shtein et al., "Bipolar Transistor with Quantum Well Base," Microelectronics Journal 39, pp. 631-634 (2008). This device structure utilizes tunneling potential barriers at the emitter/base interface and the collector/base interface to establish a potential well with distinct allowed energy levels in the base layer. Electrons tunnel through the tunnel barrier at the emitter/base interface, enter allowed energy levels in the base, transit through the base, and then tunnel through the tunnel barrier at the collector/base interface and then enter the collector.
The flow of electrons from emitter to base is controlled in both types by varying the emitter/base barrier potential by means of an applied voltage Veb. The flow of electrons from the base to the collector can is made favorable by means of an externally applied voltage Vbc between base and collector. Under normal operating conditions, Vbc reverse biases the base/collector junction. Electrons injected from the emitter into the base have energy substantially greater than the thermal energy of the ambient electrons in the base. These "hot" electrons ideally traverse the base without undergoing significant scattering. If the barrier at the base/collector interface is lower than the hot electron energy, then some of the hot electrons can cross the barrier, be transmitted through the depletion region of the collector, and enter the sea of conduction electrons in the collector.
One of the critical parameters for transistors is the base resistance. A low base resistance is important to achieve a high maximum frequency of oscillation, fmax.
Graphene is a monolayer of conjugated sp2 bonded carbon atoms tightly packed into a two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal lattice. One of the primary advantages of graphene is that it has extremely high intrinsic carrier (electron and hole) mobility and thus has extremely high electric conductivity. Graphene has the potential to have the highest conductivity and lowest resistivity of any material, with a conductivity even higher than that of silver. See Chen et al., "Intrinsic and extrinsic performance limits of graphene devices on SiO2," Nature Nanotechnology 3, 206-209 (2008).
For example, experimental results indicate that the resistivity of a single sheet of graphene approximately 3 angstrom thick grown on the silicon face of SiC has a sheet resistance on the order of 750 ohm/square to 1000 ohms/square, while a graphene sheet grown on the surface of copper can have a sheet resistance of approximately 1200 to 1500 ohms/square. In some cases, the sheet resistance of few sheets of graphene can be even less, as little as 100 ohms/square. Chen et al., supra.
The high electrical conductivity of graphene allows the use of a extremely thin graphene material base layer, even one comprising only a single graphene sheets and having a thickness of approximately 0.28 nm for a single sheet of graphene.
Use of such a thin graphene base layer reduces the transit time of electrons through the base layer and also reduces the energy loss of hot electrons in transiting the thin graphene base material. In addition, the high velocity of electrons in the graphene material can lower the base transit time. Thus, the semiconductor device with a graphene material base layer can have high fT and high fmax.

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A hydraulic control rod drive for a nuclear reactor, with a a reactor plenum enclosing the drive, comprises first and second hollow bodies together forming a cylinder and a hollow piston. Working fluid is supplied through one of the hollow bodies. The first hollow body is stationary and the second hollow body is disposed coaxially around the first hollow body. The two hollow bodies define an annular gap therebetween so as to allow axial reciprocating movement of the second hollow body, which forms a carrier body for control elements of the control rod. The second hollow body can be lifted, lowered or suspended by feeding working fluid. A portion of the fluid is removed from the inner space via a throttle passage. A positional measurement system determines the relative displacement of the second hollow body by measuring an ultrasonic measurement path. The system includes an ultrasound reflector and an ultrasonic transducer rigidly mounted remote from the ultrasound reflector. Provisions are made for venting the inner space through venting channels which open into the reactor plenum at a security distance from the measurement path so as not to adversely affect the ultrasonic measurement.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hydraulic control rod drive for a nuclear reactor, in particular for a heating reactor, with a piston/cylinder drive for a respective control rod and a reactor plenum enclosing the drive.
Heating reactors are designed for a relatively low primary pressure of, for instance, 15 bar; the primary medium or working fluid circulates in the reactor pressure vessel by the natural circulation principle. The fuel element bundle of such a heating reactor and the flow box are preferably embodied mechanically separate from one another, whereby the flow box is as long as dictated by the stack height necessary for natural circulation. Four fuel element bundles respectively are combined within such a box, the core box, including the associated control rod with drive. The control rods are moved within cross-like guides, which are disposed in the box of the reactor core. The integration of the control rod drives in the primary system necessitates a drive system which is compatible with the primary coolant, i.e. with water. The low nuclear power density due to the natural circulation principle and the corresponding control requirements make it possible to use a hydraulic drive which is operated with primary water as the working fluid. The fuel element bundle and the actual control rod are thereby preferably embodied as they are known from boiling water reactors. In general, a heating reactor has characteristics of a boiling water reactor as well as of a pressurized water reactor.
A hydraulic control rod drive for a nuclear reactor is known from German Published, Non-Prosecuted application 34 30 929, entitled "Boiling Water Reactor Control Rod Drive Using Coolant as Hydraulic Fluid With Ultrasonic Locating Probe for Rod Position". In that device, the position of the control rods is determined by way of an ultrasonic measurement device with a supersonic transducer, which serves as an ultrasonic sender and receiver. The transducer is disposed in a linear channel between the control rod drive and the upper fill level of the reactor coolant.
The invention starts out with the appreciation that gas bubbles in the drive system can under certain circumstances lead to oscillations of the control element and thus to undesireable reactivity fluctuations. The above-mentioned prior art teaching does not provide for venting any gas bubbles from the drive system.
Regarding a venting opening provided in the context of this invention, working fluid leaks through the opening which corresponds approximately to the core inlet temperature. Due to heat conduction and heating by gamma radiation absorption, the working medium temperature in the guide shaft of the associated fuel element may be up to about 30.degree. C. above the temperature of the partial fluid currents through the venting opening. Accordingly, eddies with varying water density can form in the opening region of the venting openings, which eddies impair the ultrasonic distance measurement.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a hydraulic control rod drive for a nuclear reactor, and particularly for a heating reactor, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and taking the afore-mentioned dangers into account. The invention is based on the object to improve the control rod drive of the above-mentioned kind in its operational functionality in a sense that, on the one hand, the piston-cylinder drive is effectively vented of gas bubbles and that, on the other hand, the partial fluid flows exiting from the venting opening cannot impair the ultrasonic distance measurement.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, in a nulcear reactor having a fuel assembly with a control rod and a reactor plenum enclosing the fuel assembly, a hydraulic control rod drive, comprising a movable cylinder having control rod elements disposed thereon; a stationary piston rigidly mounted in the fuel assembly, the piston having a bottom, an open top, and an axial opening formed therein for allowing communication between the bottom and the open top; the cylinder being disposed coaxially around the piston and defining a gap therebetween so as to allow axial movement of the cylinder; means for supplying a working fluid to the piston for lifting, lowering or suspending the cylinder; means for measuring a vertical displacement of the cylinder; and means for venting the gap between the piston and the cylinder.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the control rod drive measuring means include an ultrasonic reflector disposed on the cylinder, and an ultrasonic transducer rigidly mounted above the cylinder in alignment with a longitudinal axis of the cylinder.
In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the venting means are in the form of a venting channel formed in an upper end of the cylinder for allowing working fluid with gas bubbles to escape from the cylinder.
The invention is embodied in a hydraulic control rod drive for a nuclear reactor, in particular a heating reactor, of the above-mentioned structure, which provides the following further features, in accordance with the invention, for solving the object as presented:
a) besides a cylinder, a piston is also formed as a hollow body,
b) a first one of the two hollow bodies is stationary and serves to supply the working fluid,
c) the second one of the two hollow bodies is coaxially mounted around the first hollow body with an annular gap in between and is movable upward and downward and forms a carrier body for control elements of the control rod,
d) the working fluid can be supplied into the two hollow bodies via a supply channel in the lower region of the first hollow body for mass flow-dependent lifting, lowering or suspending the second hollow body and can be removed from the inner space of the two hollow bodies via a throttle passage, preferably an annular gap,
e) an ultrasound reflector is attached at the upper, head end of the second hollow body, which reflector forms a positional measurement system with an ultrasonic measurement path together with an ultrasonic transducer rigidly mounted above and remote from the second hollow body,
f) the second hollow body has a venting channel configuration in the region of its upper end for venting the second hollow body, which configuration opens into the reactor plenum at a security distance a1, a2 from the ultrasonic measurement path which is great enough such that the ultrasonic measurement remains virtually unaffected by density fluctuations in the working fluid.
The advantages attained with the invention are mainly seen in the fact that, on the one hand, an effective venting of the inner space of the control element, or hollow cylinder/hollow piston is provided and, on the other hand, the partial venting currents associated with this venting can have no or virtually no disadvantageous effect on the ultrasonic distance measurement of the control element.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the first of the two hollow bodies is preferably a hollow piston open on the top and, correspondingly, the second hollow body is a hollow cylinder, which covers the hollow piston coaxially and with an annular gap, whereby the axial position of the hollow cylinder relative to the hollow piston can be determined by the amount of working fluid supplied through the hollow piston into the interior of the hollow cylinder.
According to an advantageous further development of the invention and in the case when the control elements are embodied as cross-shaped absorber plates, a cross-shaped attachment part for forming the venting channel configuration is attached at the head end of the hollow cylinder. Radial channels of the venting configuration originate from a central channel part communicating with the hollow cylinder interior, extend through the cross legs of the attachment part, and open into the reactor plenum approximately in the region of the absorber plate tips.
According to another advantageous embodiment of the hydraulic drive, whereby cross-shaped absorber plates are likewise assumed, there is provided for the venting channel configuration to be formed by a head plate whose diameter corresponds approximately to that of the hollow cylinder and which has a venting channel configuration disposed therein which is approximately T-shaped in axial section. The outlet pipes with outlet openings are inserted into the channels and the outlet openings are disposed at a security distance from the ultrasonic measurement path.
When the pressure of the hydraulic working fluid within the piston/cylinder drive relative to the reactor plenum is not more than about 1.5 bar, it is suggested that the channels of the venting channel configuration opening into the reactor plenum extend at a slight rise of, for instance, 5.degree. to 10.degree. with the horizontal.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the control rod drive is embodied such that the first hollow body on its outer circumference and the second hollow body on its inner periphery are provided with first annular protrusions and recesses and with cooperating second annular recesses and protrusions, wherein an annular gap is defined between the first protrusions and recesses and the second recesses and protrusions. The annular gap forms a throttle passage for the working fluid from the inner space of the two hollow bodies into the reactor plenum.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a hydraulic control rod drive for a nuclear reactor, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Hydraulic control rod drive for a nuclear reactor


In a finite state machine (FSMverify) a set of goal states, to be searched for their reachability from a start state, is defined.

To tackle the increasing complexity of digital electronic circuits, designers need faster and more accurate methods for verifying the functionality of such circuits, particularly in light of ever shrinking product development times.
The complexity of designing such circuits is often handled by expressing the design in a high-level hardware description language (HLHDL), such as Verilog HDL. The detailed syntax and semantics of Verilog HDL is specified in the following publication that is herein incorporated by reference: "IEEE Standard Hardware Description Language Based on the Verilog Hardware Description Language," IEEE Standard 1364-1995, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Oct. 1996.
HLHDLs allow the designer to save design time by permitting him or her to express the desired functionality at the register transfer level (RTL) of abstraction or higher. The high-level HDL description is then converted into an actual circuit through a process, well known to those of ordinary skill in the art as "synthesis," involving translation and optimization. An HLHDL description can be verified without translating the HLHDL to a lower-level description.
Verification of the HLHDL description is important since detecting a circuit problem early prevents the expenditure of valuable designer time on achieving an efficient circuit implementation for a design which, at a higher level, will not achieve its intended purpose. Such an HLHDL design, whose correctness is to be determined, shall be referred to as the "design under test" or DUT. In addition, testing of the DUT can be accomplished much more quickly in an HLHDL than after the DUT has been translated into a lower-level, more circuit oriented, description.
HLHDLs describe, directly or indirectly, the two main kinds of circuit entities of an RTL circuit description: i) state devices or sequential logic which store data upon application of a clock signal, and ii) combinational logic. The state devices typically act as either: i) an interface between conceptually distinct circuit systems, or ii) storage for the intermediate or final results of functional evaluation performed by the combinational logic.
Conventionally, such a DUT would be tested by simulating it and applying a test stimulus to the simulation. The test stimulus often consists of multiple "stimulus vectors," each stimulus vector being applied at a succeeding time increment. Each stimulus vector is typically a collection of binary bits, each of which is applied to a corresponding input of the design under test (DUT). The response of the DUT to the test stimulus is collected and analyzed. If the collected response agrees with the expected response then, to some degree of certainty, the DUT is believed by the circuit designer to be expressing the desired functionality. While simulation provides for relatively "deep" penetration of the space of possible states for the DUT (i.e., can transition the DUT through a long sequence of time steps), it often does not provide acceptably broad coverage—i.e., the circuit designer does not know the extent to which the test stimulus has exercised the DUT.
Another approach is the use of exhaustive formal search methods. One application of formal methods involves the definition of a set of erroneous states for the DUT and the determination, by formal methods, as to whether an erroneous state is reachable from an initial state of the DUT. Such methods provide potentially complete (i.e., broad) coverage of the state space of the DUT, but for even moderately complex DUTs the state space is so large that time and resource limits preclude a deep exploration. Therefore, erroneous conditions that require a greater number of state transitions of the DUT before they can be reached will not be identified.
It would therefore be desirable to combine the depth coverage capabilities of simulation with the breadth coverage of formal methods to achieve a verification technique that can more thoroughly test large DUTs.

Method and apparatus for formally constraining random simulation

Abstract: An overapproximated path is found from a start state to a goal state by a forward approximation technique. The overapproximated path representation relies upon a partitioning of the state and input bits of FSMverify. A state matrix of the overapproximated path is organized by time-steps of FSMverify along a first dimension and by partitions of FSMverify state bits along a second dimension.

Abstract: An underapproximated path, along the path of the stepping stone matrix, is determined. Underapproximation is typically accomplished by simulation.

Abstract: A sequence of states to be output is updated with the underapproximated path.

Abstract: If a start to goal state sequence has been found, the procedure ends. Otherwise, the above steps of over and under approximation are repeated, using the results of the last underapproximation as a start state.


A self-supporting acoustic insulation panel (1) comprising a visible wall (3) that is not self-supporting and an invisible wall (2) that is not self-supporting facing a source (50) of soundwaves. A porous core (20) is arranged between the visible wall (3) and the invisible wall (2), a plurality of link elements (5) each extending from the invisible wall (2) towards the visible wall (3), each link element (5) passing through an orifice (21) in said core (20) and being connected to the visible wall (3) and to the invisible wall (2), each link element (5) separating the visible wall (3) from the invisible wall (2) and mechanically linking the visible wall (3) with the invisible wall (2) while acoustically decoupling the visible wall (3) from the invisible wall (2).

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a soundproofing cladding panel, and to an aircraft including such a panel.
The invention is thus situated in the field of treating acoustic nuisance on board an aircraft.
(2) Description of Related Art
The present invention relates more particularly to systems for treating noise. Reducing the sound level of noise is a problem that is increasing because of the impacts of noise on people's comfort and health. This problem is encountered, particularly but not exclusively, in the technical field of aircraft, and in particular of rotary wing aircraft.
A rotary wing aircraft comprises at least one lift rotor that is driven in rotation by a drive train. The drive train may include at least one engine and at least one main gearbox (MGB) interposed between the engine and the lift rotor.
Furthermore, an aircraft may include movable mechanical member for cooling equipment on board the aircraft, and in particular the main gearbox and also electronic equipment. Movable mechanical members can also be used for delivering air to a cabin. Conventionally, a fan is used for cooling equipment and/or for moving a mass of air.
Thus, an aircraft generally has multiple sources of noise, e.g. including one or more rotors, a main gearbox, and blades of turboshaft engines or indeed of fans.
Under such circumstances, these noise sources on a rotorcraft can cover the entire spectrum of frequencies that are audible to humans. This frequency spectrum conventionally extends from audible noise having a frequency component of about 20 hertz (Hz) to audible noise having a frequency component of about 20 kilohertz (kHz).
Consequently, an aircraft may be fitted with active and/or passive devices for performing sound reduction.
In particular, a structural panel of an aircraft and/or a cladding panel of the aircraft can be designed to optimize the acoustic comfort of occupants of the aircraft. An aircraft panel can then specifically have the function of providing acoustic insulation or acoustic damping depending on the strategy followed, while also having the requisite mechanical strength.
In a first known embodiment, a cladding panel is provided with at least one wall made of composite materials. For example, it is possible to use an epoxy matrix reinforced by woven fibers.
In a first variant, the panel may comprise a monolithic wall.
In a second variant, the panel may comprise two walls sandwiching a core, e.g. a honeycomb core.
That first known embodiment thus seeks to provide a cladding panel made of composite materials.
That first known embodiment presents the advantage of making it possible to obtain a panel presenting stiffness and strength that are sufficient to comply with aircraft certification regulations, e.g. being capable of withstanding the loads to which they might be subjected in flight or during a crash.
The panel can then be a self-supporting panel suitable for carrying equipment.
The term "self-supporting" when used with a panel or a wall designates a panel or a wall presenting some minimum amount of stiffness so as to be capable of generally retaining its shape under levels of stress as predetermined by the manufacturer, such as the levels of stress to which a cladding panel is usually subjected on board an aircraft (vibration, supporting passengers, small impacts), or indeed for carrying small pieces of equipment with as few fastener points as possible.
Furthermore, the panels that are obtained are relatively light in weight, given that weight is usually an important parameter for an aircraft.
An aircraft manufacturer is then inclined towards fabricating cladding panels out of composite materials. Nevertheless, such a cladding panel made of composite materials may present a fabrication cost that is relatively high.
In a second known embodiment, a panel may have a single wall obtained using relatively inexpensive methods, such as forming or molding methods that use small amounts of polymer without any woven fibers. By way of example, the wall of a panel may be made using a component made of thermoformed polymer, or a stamped sheet, or indeed made of plastics material that has been injected into a mold.
Nevertheless, for equal weight, a panel of the second known embodiment presents stiffness that is less than that of a panel of the first known embodiment.
Making a panel of the second known embodiment that is self-supporting therefore leads to a panel that is relatively heavy. The thickness of a panel of the second known embodiment needs to be maximized in order to impart a self-supporting nature to the panel.
From an acoustic insulation point of view, a panel presents a capacity for acoustic insulation that generally complies with a "mass" relationship in the range of frequencies that have an impact on an individual's hearing comfort. Such a mass relationship specifies that the ability of a panel to provide insulation as measured in decibels varies in proportion to the logarithm of the mass per unit area of the panel.
For equal stiffness, a panel of the second known embodiment thus presents better capacity for acoustic insulation than does a panel of the first known embodiment.
In addition, the insulation capacity of a cladding panel also depends on its critical vibration frequency.
At that critical frequency, the acoustic insulation of a panel becomes smaller. It is known that the critical frequency decreases with increasing stiffness of the panel. Under such circumstances, for equal weight, a panel made of polycarbonate presents a critical frequency that is higher than the critical frequency of a panel made of composite materials.
The critical frequency of a polycarbonate panel may then lie outside the audible frequency range.
A manufacturer is then confronted with a difficult choice for optimizing the sound comfort of an occupant of an aircraft. It would be advantageous to make a cladding panel of the second known embodiment in order to move the critical frequency of the panel away from the audible frequency range. Nevertheless, such a panel runs the risk of not having sufficient mechanical strength to be self-supporting.
If the manufacturer selects the first known embodiment for the purpose of stiffening the panel, the manufacturer then obtains a panel that is more expensive and that runs the risk of having a critical frequency that is troublesome.
Fabricating a cladding panel can thus involve a compromise that is difficult to resolve in satisfactory manner.
It can be understood that an acoustic insulation panel cannot be considered as being a mere assembly of one or more conventional walls.
In order to improve acoustic insulation, and in particular in order to treat noise present at high frequencies, i.e. frequencies higher than 1000 Hz, for example, a panel may have two walls that are decoupled.
Document FR 2 939 406 suggests interposing a foam between two walls in order to decouple those two walls. The decoupling seeks to avoid transmitting vibration from a first wall that is excited by noise to a second wall.
The foam may optionally include inserts to prevent it from sagging.
The acoustic performance of the panel is then not necessarily associated with a mass relationship.
Nevertheless, it can be difficult to implement panels of the same type as the above-described second known embodiment. Decoupling the walls requires the use of walls that are thick in order to impart acceptable mechanical strength to the panel, with the corollary of being too heavy.
The first wall may comprise a sandwich structure of composite materials for imparting a self-supporting nature to the panel, with the second wall possibly being a flexible wall. Given the mass relationship, the panel must nevertheless be of considerable thickness in order to present sufficient mass to obtain good insulation.
The cost of producing such a panel may also be relatively high.
In a first strategy, a manufacturer may decide to treat noise by using an insulating panel in order to prevent the panel transmitting noise that has been transmitted thereto.
The invention seeks to provide such an insulating panel.
In a second strategy, the panel acts by damping rather than insulating, seeking to dissipate noise that has been transmitted to the panel.
Documents FR 2 894 539 and EP 0 894 617 appear to relate to damping panels.
Document FR 2 894 539 describes a panel having a porous top shell and a leakproof bottom shell provided with at least one housing. The panel then presents at least one cavity defined by the wall of a housing and the facing zone of the top shell. Noise can then pass through the top shell so as to be damped in the cavity.
Document EP 0 894 617 describes a panel having covering and/or decorative layers covering two opposite sides of a non-woven support. That support is penetrated by prism-shaped zones connected to the covering and/or decoration layers. A covering layer may be porous.
Furthermore, Document US 2011/091673 describes a body having two walls and a foam shaped in a mold. The mold thus deforms at least one of the walls and the foam.
Document GB 2 462 373 describes a covering for an automobile.

Soundproofing cladding panel, and an aircraft


Implementations of the present disclosure involve a system and method for load balancing a string of jars. The temperature and voltage of each jar is measured and a target voltage for the jar is set based on the measured temperature. A current is supplied to the jar in order to maintain, increase, or decrease the jar's voltage.

Battery chargers put energy into batteries by forcing electric current through the battery. Typically, battery voltage is monitored to assess the state of charge. In such a system, some nominal battery voltage is associated with 100% or "full" state of charge. Hence, when a charger is connected to a battery, the charger compares the voltage of the battery to the nominal voltage and supplies a charge current to raise the battery voltage until the battery voltage meets the nominal voltage. In the case of a battery having multiple cells, also referred to as "jars," the total voltage of the battery is measured and individual jar voltages are not. Moreover, battery charge, measured voltage, and other factors are affected by temperature, and many chargers do not account for or adequately compensate for temperature issues.
It is with these concerns in mind, among others, that aspects of the present disclosure were conceived.

Apparatus, system and method for charge balancing of individual batteries in a string of batteries using battery voltage and temperature, and detecting and preventing thermal runaway


The present devices apply resistance force to a user's body in close simulation of the impact and resistive forces experienced in martial arts techniques and interactions to provides more effective muscle and neurological training of the user. The devices include a conformable grip that accepts a user's fist for directing resistive force in a distributed manner to the outside surface of the user's fist. Flexible straps extend from the side of the grip to be positioned, in use, on the sides of a user's arm. The straps are connected by additional cross-straps to allow for transfer of force to the user's forearm. The configuration of straps allows transfer of varying proportions of the resistive force to the fist, and separately, the forearm. A system for physical training includes a resistance device.

The present invention pertains to devices for human muscle and neurological training using external mechanical resistance. Particularly, the invention pertains to devices for resistance training for martial art and other combative techniques.
Herein, "martial art" means the group of various combative and defensive body strikes and blocks that are defined in the forms of Oriental based physical and self-defense arts commonly referred to as karate, kung-fu, tae kwon do and the like. A feature distinction of the martial arts over what may be termed "Western" combative modes is the varied and more complex motions of the human body in martial arts. In general, the entire body is moved in integrated modes with one or more points of interaction with an opponent. Importantly, in each mode or action, the relative angular orientations, angular motions, and linear motions of the individual's body parts may change during a single action. Each mode or action requires a different combination or sequence of relative body orientations and motions. To successfully learn and employ the actions and methods of the martial arts requires more than strength and speed. These modes must be not only understood, but also developed into the muscle and neural patterns of the body. This requires highly repetitive and precise muscular and neural training. The precise movements of the body must be patterned and repeated many times to develop an individual's body to respond and act in the necessary and desired manner.
Prior art resistance strengthening devices and systems are generally one-dimensional and linear in that, during training, the particular muscles and muscle groups that are enervated in an exercise do not change during the exercise and their relative interactions do not change. The only change is the level of effort and the extent of motion along a single axis or line of action. This is in part, due to the objective of most prior art devices, which is simple strength training or simple muscle development with the expected outcome of strength development carrying over to performance of the sport or other subject activity. But this type of training is inadequate to simulate the complex motions of the martial arts. What is needed is a device to provide resistance training while allowing a user to repeat the precise muscle patterns used in martial arts actions.


A sensor for detecting material degradation may include an optical fiber and a housing through which the optical fiber extends. An end cap may be affixed to an end of the housing. Light provided through the optical fiber may be reflected off of the end cap back through the optical fiber. The end cap may be made of a material of interest, and may be situated in an environment wherein the material of interest is present. A light source may provide input light through the optical fiber. A portion of the input light may be reflected off of the end cap. A light receptor may receive the reflected light via the optical fiber. A processing unit may be adapted to compare a measured intensity of the reflected light to a threshold, and to initiate an alarm condition if the measured intensity is below the threshold.

In some applications, it may be desirable to detect the degradation of certain materials. For example, it may be desirable to detect corrosion of rebar in concrete to determine structural integrity, such as in roadways and bridges, for example. Rebar may be defined as a metal rod or bar used for reinforcement in concrete or asphalt pourings.
Near-infrared (NIR) analysis detects and measures the concentration of chloride ions or other corrosion-causing substances in concrete, but it does not report whether the corrosion of rebar actually took place and to what extent. The presence of chloride, or other substances, such as sulphates or carbonates, for example, may cause corrosion, but other factors also play a role, e.g., moisture, pH, the nature of the concrete and rebar, traffic-caused stress, etc.
It may be desirable, therefore, if there were available a simple, low-cost sensor that is capable of detecting and reporting the occurrence and extent of material degradation, such as the corrosion of rebar in bridge decks, for example.

Reflective sensor for detection of material degradation


A reaction of azacyclopropane derivative with elemental selenium and TMSCN to construct a selenium-containing heterocycle under metal-free and additive-free conditions is provided. The new strategy features no metal participation, no additive promotion, a wide substrate selection range and a good functional group compatibility, and provides an efficient and green approach to constructing a variety of selenium-containing heterocyclic compounds in a highly concise way.

Selenium-containing heterocyclic derivatives have great application value (see V P Litvinov et al., "Selenium-containing heterocycles", Russian Chemical Reviews, 1997, pp. 923-951, vol. 66, No. 11; Masayuki Ninomiya et al., "Biologically significant selenium-containing heterocycles", Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 2011, pp. 2968-2990, vol. 255; Mohamed Elsherbini et al., "Recent advances in the chemistry of selenium-containing heterocycles: Six-membered ring systems", Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 2017, pp. 110-126, vol. 330). These compounds can be used as a very useful pharmaceutical activity intermediate in synthesis of a series of selenium-containing heterocycles and other products with great application value (see Young-Joon PARK et al., "1,3-Selenazol-4-one Derivatives Inhibit Inducible Nitric Oxide-Mediated Nitric Oxide Production in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced BV-2 Cells", Biol. Pharm. Bull., 2003, pp. 1657-1660, vol. 26, No. 12; Kaname Tsuchii et al., "Highly Selective Sequential Addition and Cyclization Reactions Involving Diphenyl Diselenide, an Alkyne, and Alkenes under Visible-Light Irradiation", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2003, pp. 3490-3493, vol. 42). The selenium-containing heterocycles become privileged structural scaffolds due to their interesting biological and medical properties (see Veronica De Silva et al., "Selenium Redox Cycling in the Protective Effects of Organoselenides against Oxidant-Induced DNA Damage", J. AM. CHEM. SOC., 2004, pp. 2409-2413, vol. 126, No. 8; Philip R. Taylor et al., "Science Peels the Onion of Selenium Effects on Prostate Carcinogenesis", Journal of the National Cancer Institute, May 5, 2004, pp. 645-647, vol. 96, No. 9). For example, they are used as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor. After referring to the previous work/study and our research group's similar in-depth research on the efficient insertion of elemental selenium, we envisage that the three-component ring-opening reaction of azacyclopropane derivatives, elemental selenium and TMSCN provides a series of selenium-containing heterocycles in good yields under mild conditions. Finally, a convenient, feasible, easy-to-operate, high-yield, environmentally-friendly and efficient method for constructing such selenium-containing heterocyclic molecules in one step is obtained.

Preparation method of selenium-containing heterocyclic compounds


A system for using compatible point-of-service (POS) applications to access and control devices of a POS unit. A server runs a POS application and a set of peripheral drivers (or device controls). A networked POS unit communicates with the host server via a communication network, and the networked POS unit includes peripherals connected locally to its I/O ports. The POS unit further includes a device communications management module processing output received from the host server that is generated by the POS application and is targeted at one of the connected peripheral ports. The device communications management module transfers POS device input from the peripherals over the communication network to the host server for processing by the POS application. The POS application interfaces with the peripheral drivers, and the output is provided by one of the peripheral drivers that corresponds to the target peripheral of the networked POS unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to remote and/or networked point-of-service (POS) terminals and handheld units (herein referred to as "POS") containing collections of devices such as those used in retail, distribution, and the like, and, more particularly, to software, hardware, systems, and methods for operating remote and/or networked POS in a networked manner such that the devices are compatible with each other and with desktop devices within the network.
2. Relevant Background.
In many industries, there has been significant growth in the use of handheld, mobile computing units that communicate wirelessly with a computer network or system. These units are used in a variety of ways including tracking inventory, issuing traffic and parking tickets, processing patient information at a hospital, and processing customer and product information in retail environments. For example, the retail industry uses such networked remote units for customer interaction, such as kiosks or mobile hand held POS. Each of these units typically is configured with hardware and software to allow it to communicate with a central or host server and to control or operate a number of devices. For example, a networked retail POS unit may have attached devices that it controls such as a magnetic strip reader (e.g., credit card reader), a touch screen, a keyboard or keypad, a mouse, a bar code scanner, and a printer (e.g., a receipt printer). In the retail setting, these devices provided as part of a POS are used to efficiently and reliably process sales or service transactions at or near a checkout counter or aisle and also are often used to perform a number of other key retail functions including managing inventory, tracking sales, understanding customer buying patterns, delivering customer loyalty programs, supporting coupon and store card redemption, and other activities to increase customer service levels and sales associate productivity.
With the increase in the number and variety of POS and their attached POS devices, a growing concern is how to cost effectively maintain and manage POS within the overall distributed network. Presently, remotely accessing networked devices requires that applications be specifically modified to support such network access and specific network-aware drivers for each of the attached devices be installed on the remote or mobile POS (or POS unit). As a result, it has been difficult to manage a combined network of standalone, networked and remote POS units since even the same device (such as a scanner or the like) often requires software that is incompatible or at least different depending on whether it is accessed remotely even within the same store or business. Maintenance is made difficult because each POS unit must have its own code written and installed to run, for example, a custom POS package along with the device-resident drivers for the particular peripherals attached to the POS unit. This causes multiple problems including a proliferation of software packages to be maintained by a company's information technology (IT) personnel and also, numerous interfaces to learn by the IT personnel and users of the POS units. Also, the dynamic nature of retail and other industries requires successful businesses to be able to react quickly and adopt new POS devices (such as a smart card reader or the like) and customer service software. This leads to more and more upgrading and changes of the POS unit and its devices and included software, which can be time consuming and costly. As a result, there is an ongoing demand for more compatible and easier to maintain and use remote or mobile POS units for in-store or business networks.
To address the need for standardization in the retail industry, the Association of Retail Standards (ARTS) has developed and administers further development of the UnifiedPOS standard for retail POS devices. The UnifiedPOS provides an architectural definition for each type of POS device in terms of a unique set of properties, methods, and events, e.g., UML APIs defining such properties, methods, and events, so that any POS application that complies with the UnifiedPOS standard can potentially execute independently of the set of peripherals or POS devices connected to the POS (i.e., the terminal or unit containing the POS devices) upon which the POS software or application is deployed or run. In other words, the UnifiedPOS standard defines a model for how devices such as scanners and printers interface with the POS and the POS application software, which potentially allows retail stores to employ peripherals from numerous manufacturers without affecting their POS application. As such the UnifiedPOS standard is a guide for how applications should be written to interact with POS peripherals and the POS system, but for its full value to be realized, UnifiedPOS must be mapped to a specific deployment platform. Currently, there are two such platform mappings: JavaPOS and OPOS, with the JavaPOS being based on the Java programming language and OPOS using the Windows operating system platform. When deployed, JavaPOS applications run on all operating systems including Windows, Linux, and UNIX, while OPOS applications run only on the Windows operating system, but JavaPOS and OPOS applications both comply with UnifiedPOS and provide an improved level of interoperability to allow nearly any local peripheral or POS device to be accessed and controlled by a POS application.
UnifiedPOS in the retail market has seen significant success as evidenced by the number of independent software vendors who have developed applications that are in conformation with UnifiedPOS. The number of customers deploying applications which use UnifiedPOS has grown year over year. This large installed base of customers and applications that are compliant with UnifiedPOS is evidence of the benefits of the standardized device interface abstraction approach to device access by software applications. Similar standardized approaches could be developed for markets other than retail.
Even with the adoption of POS applications complying with UnifiedPOS, the IT infrastructure for existing POS systems can be complex and hinder maintenance and upgrades. A typical POS system includes in-store servers that are installed to handle functions such as managing, recording, and storing transaction data and communicating such data to systems outside the store. The POS units or terminals are typically "fat" in that they contain the entire POS stack. For example, a typical POS system 100 that includes a POS terminal or client POS (or POS unit or terminal) 120 that is configured using JavaPOS is shown in FIG. 1. As shown, a host server 110 is provided that runs a variety of host retail applications 114, such as for tracking and processing data collected by the POS 120. The POS 120 communicates in a wired or wireless fashion with the host server 110 to provide data, such as sales data, to the host POS applications 114. The POS 120 is "fat" because it is basically a standalone computer or computing device that includes a processor 122, an operating system (OS) 124, memory 128, and the entire POS stack. The POS stack includes in this JavaPOS embodiment (with a similar stack provided for OPOS embodiments) a JavaPOS application 130, JavaPOS device controls 132, JavaPOS device services 134, and a javax.comm module 136 that provides the communication interface with a set of locally connected peripherals or POS devices 138. The JavaPOS device controls 132 and JavaPOS device services 134 are used to map the JavaPOS application 130 to the POS devices 138 and are the drivers for the POS devices 138. As can be seen, the POS footprint on the POS 120 is relatively large requiring processing power and other hardware to support the POS stack and application. Additionally, upgrading the POS 120 requires the POS 120 to be reconfigured such as by replacing the JavaPOS application 130 or drivers/services 132, 134, and such maintenance must be performed on each such POS 120.
Some attempts have been made to simplify POS or to make these units or terminals "thinner" to reduce the complexity and cost of each POS and to reduce maintenance and coding issues. For example, ARTS is developing a WamPOS architecture in which a POS application is run on a web server rather than on the local POS terminal. While this architecture separates the devices from the POS application, the POS terminal remains relatively "fat" as it runs a web browser and the complete HTML protocol stack that is used to communicate with the POS application using a device specific markup language and web communication technology (e.g., JavaScript and HTTP). A further drawback of this approach is that the JavaScript alters with each browser variant and the markup language used by the web server requires separate definitions for each POS device or peripheral, and additionally, the POS terminal must be configured with special link code to allow the browser to communicate with the POS stack on the POS terminal, i.e., for the browser to interface with the local device service code. The POS terminal typically also includes a virtual machine and an operating system that considerably increase the footprint on the POS terminal. This approach is also undesirable because it provides a completely different POS application interface than is found in existing POS terminals and system, e.g., different than provided in the system 100 of FIG. 1. This means that under WamPOS and similar approaches that any existing POS application and device service modules have to be rewritten.
While significant steps have been made in the area of remote or mobile POS, there continues to be a need for improved methods of operating and configuring their attached devices such that the applications controlling them are compatible with each other and with existing POS applications running on checkout-lane POS controlling locally connected peripherals or POS devices. This goal is to allow the same POS applications to service any POS and allow the remote or mobile POS and attached POS devices to be more easily be maintained and upgraded with new controlling applications and retail peripheral device servers without requiring corresponding changes to the POS applications.

Point-of-service (POS) and POS application compatability


The present invention provides methods, devices, and kits to improve procedures for reducing carbohydrates, such as glycans released from glycoconjugates, or for labeling carbohydrates by reductive amination.

This invention relates to the field of improving the efficiency, ease, and speed of labeling carbohydrates, such as oligosaccharides, by reductive amination.
It is necessary to determine the nature and amount of carbohydrates present in a sample in a variety of commercial and regulatory contexts. This is particularly true in the case of the glycans attached to glycoproteins, and particularly for glycoproteins used as therapeutic agents. Since the glycans attached to the glycoprotein can affect characteristics critical to the glycoprotein's function, including its pharmacokinetics, stability, bioactivity, and immunogenicity, it is important to determine which glycans are present on the glycoprotein. Characterization of carbohydrates attached to biologics (such as therapeutic glycoproteins and vaccines) is required by the Food and Drug Administration to show composition of matter and consistency of manufacture, resulting in a need for extensive characterization of the product. Analysis of the profile of the carbohydrates is also important for quality control in the production of both therapeutic and non-therapeutic recombinant proteins, in which a change in carbohydrate profile may indicate stress in the system, signaling conditions that may require the contents of a commercial-scale fermenter to be discarded. There is therefore considerable interest by biochemists, clinical chemists, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and protein producers in determining the distribution profiles of glycans in biological samples, such as therapeutic glycoproteins.
One common method of analyzing carbohydrates, and particularly of analyzing glycans released from a glycoprotein by enzymatic digestion, is labeling with an appropriate dye or label using reductive amination. For example, reductive amination of N-glycans released from a glycoprotein by the common deglycosylation enzyme PNGase F is typically accomplished by conjugating the free-reducing ends of the glycans to the free amino groups of a label, such as a fluorescent dye or a moiety with an electrical charge. One common label used for reductive amination is 2-aminobenzamide, or "2-AB." Reductive amination and labeling with 2-AB is disclosed in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,747,347. Depending on the label used, the labeled glycans can then be analyzed by any of a variety of analytical methods, such as high performance liquid chromatography ("HPLC"), capillary electrophoresis ("CE", including capillary zone electrophoresis, capillary gel electrophoresis, capillary isoelectric focusing, capillary isotachophoresis, and micellar electrokinetic chromatography), or microfluidic separation. Labeling and analysis of N-glycans is further taught in, for example, co-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,124,792 and 8,445,292. International Publication No. WO 2015/166399 discloses the use of magnetic beads derivatized with carboxyl groups in deglycosylation and labeling procedures.
There remains a need in the art for methods that improve the speed and efficiency of labeling of carbohydrates, such as glycans, and, in particular, the speed and efficiency of labeling of carbohydrates, such as glycans, by reductive amination. Surprisingly, the present invention meets these and other needs.

Methods to improve reduction or labeling of carbohydrates


To provide a base station apparatus, a terminal apparatus and a communication method which enable improvements in throughput and communication quality while suppressing an increase in complexity even in a case that the accuracy of a CSI report is improved. A terminal apparatus is provide with: a receiver configured to receive a CSI-RS and configuration information of a CSI report; and a transmitter configured to transmit CSI relating to the CSI-RS, wherein the CSI includes a first PMI and a second PMI, the first PMI is an indicator indicating multiple vectors, the second PMI includes either or both of a first indicator and a second indicator, the first indicator is an indicator indicating one or more complex weights of a first dimension for the multiple vectors, the second indicator is an indicator indicating one or more complex weights of a second dimension for the multiple vectors, and configuration information of the CSI report includes information indicating whether or not the second PMI includes the first indicator.

In a communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) standardized by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the communication area can be widened by taking a cellular configuration in which areas covered by base station apparatuses (base stations, transmission stations, transmission points, downlink transmission apparatuses, uplink reception apparatuses, a group of transmit antennas, a group of transmit antenna ports, component carriers, eNodeB) or transmission stations equivalent to the base station apparatuses are arranged in the form of multiple cells (Cells) being linked together. In such a cellular configuration, frequency efficiency can be improved by using the same frequency among neighboring cells or sectors.
The Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technique using multiple transmit antennas and receive antennas is effective for improvements in frequency efficiency. Frequency efficiency provided by MIMO technology is generally proportional to the number of antennas used. Therefore, in LTE-Advanced, it is specified that up to 16 transmit antenna ports are supported (NPL 1).
Next-generation mobile communication systems have been studied recently. In the next-generation mobile communication systems, techniques called Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) including a large number of antennas and Full Dimension (FD) MIMO have been studied as described in NPL 2. In Massive MIMO and FD MIMO, improvements in high capacity transmission and throughput by beamforming are expected. For improvements in frequency efficiency of a MIMO technique, improvements in precision of Channel state information (CSI) that a base station apparatus can identify are effective. For example, improvements in precision of a CSI report that a terminal apparatus feeds back to a base station apparatus are effective.

Base station apparatus, terminal apparatus, and communication method


A memory device, such as a DRAM, includes a memory array that is accessible for writing data in and reading data out, and a command decoder that decodes input control signals to produce commands for accessing the memory array. The set of commands for controlling access to the memory device can include a first memory access command for accessing the memory array using a first burst length, a second memory access command for accessing the memory array using a second burst length, and a terminate command that terminates a current memory access. The memory device can include a mode register that stores memory access parameters associated with accessing the memory array, including the burst lengths. Access to the memory array is switchable between the first burst length and the second burst length without altering the memory access parameters in the mode register.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to implementation of burst mode operation in a memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In electronic memory devices, burst mode generally refers to the operation of accessing multiple memory addresses within a memory array with a single command and address identifier in order to read or write a considerable amount of data rapidly. The amount of data accessed with each read or write command sent to the memory device is determined by the burst length, which corresponds to the number of data words to be read or written in a continuous stream, with one data word being accessed per successive clock edge. Without any burst mode capability, the burst length has a fixed value, and only a certain amount of data (e.g., a predetermined number of data words) is accessible with each read or write command. If each read or write command accesses only one or a few memory addresses, a lengthy sequence of commands would be necessary to read or write a large block of data, making memory access unacceptably cumbersome and slow.
Modern memory devices permit the burst length to be adjusted during operation to accommodate a range of memory access modes. For example, the burst length can be set to a small number where one or a few memory addresses need to be accessed and can be set to a larger number where a significant block of data, such as the entire contents of the memory array, must be accessed quickly. In typical memory devices, a mode register or comparable device maintains the current set of parameters by which data is written to and read from the memory array, including a burst length setting. To program the burst length to a particular value, a command must be sent to the memory device to adjust the mode register burst length setting to the appropriate value. This mode register set command must be sent to the memory device each time the burst length is changed, and with each change, access to the memory array must be temporarily halted to send the command and re-write the mode register burst mode setting. The need to program the mode register with each change of the burst length adds complexity to the controller responsible for generating and sending commands to the memory device. It would be desirable to implement a flexible burst mode capability in a memory device while minimizing the complexity of the memory access scheme and delays associated with changing the burst length.

Burst mode implementation in a memory device