A semiconductor device is disclosed that comprises a board, a ground terminal disposed on the board, a connection terminal disposed on the board, a semiconductor chip mounted on the board, and a shield member electrically connected to the ground terminal. The semiconductor chip, the ground terminal, and the connection terminal are disposed on one side of the board, and the shield member is disposed directly on and covers the other side of the board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a semiconductor device, and particularly relates to a semiconductor device including a shield member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices including shield cases for protecting electronic components mounted on boards from electromagnetic waves have been known in the art. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a related-art semiconductor device 10 including a shield case 40, wherein H1 represents the height of a potting resin section 35 (hereinafter referred to as "height H1"), H2 represents the height of the semiconductor device 10 (hereinafter referred to as "height H2"), and A represents a clearance between the potting resin section 35 and the shield case 40 (hereinafter referred to as "clearance A").
With reference to FIG. 1, the semiconductor device 10 generally comprises a board 11, electronic components 26, a semiconductor chip 31, the potting resin section 35, connection terminals 38, ground terminals 39, and the shield case 40. The board 11 generally comprises a substrate 12, through vias 13, connection portions 14 and 15, seal rings 16, solder resists 17 and 24, wiring portions 21, and ground terminal pads 23. The through via 13 extend through the substrate 12 to allow electrical connections between the connection portions 14, 15 and the wiring portions 21 and between the seal rings 16 and ground terminal pads 23.
The connection portions 14 and 15 are formed on an upper face 12A of the substrate 12 and are electrically connected to the corresponding through vias 13. The connection portions 14 are electrically connected to the semiconductor chip 31 through metal wires 34. The connection portions 15 are electrically connected to the electronic components 26. The seal rings 16 are disposed outside an area of the substrate 12 where the electronic components 26 and the semiconductor chip 31 are mounted. The seal rings 16 are electrically connected to the shield case 40. The solder resist 17 is formed on the upper face 12A of the substrate 12 so as to provide insulation between the connection portions 14 and 15.
The wiring portions 21 include connection pads 22 on which the connection terminals 38 are disposed. The wiring portions 21 are formed on a lower face 12B of the substrate 12 and electrically connected to the corresponding through vias 13. The ground terminal pads 23, on which the ground terminals 39 are disposed, are formed on the lower face 12B of the substrate 12 and electrically connected to the seal rings 16 through the corresponding through vias 13. The solder resist 24 is formed across the lower face 12B of the substrate 12, covering the wiring portions 21 but exposing the connection pads 22 of wiring portions 21 and the ground terminal pads 23.
Each electronic component 26 has one function of basic electric elements such as transistors, diodes, resistors, and capacitors. The electronic components 26 are electrically connected to the connection portions 15 through application of solder paste 27.
The semiconductor chip 31 is mounted on the upper face 12A of the substrate 12 through an adhesive 25. The semiconductor chip 31 includes electrode pads 33 that are electrically connected to the connection portions 14 through the metal wires 34. The semiconductor chip 31 is covered with the potting resin section 35, which is formed by potting resin, for protecting the metal wires 34.
The connection terminals 38 are external connection terminals to be connected to another board such as a motherboard. The connection terminals 38 are disposed on the corresponding connection pads 22. The ground terminals 39 have ground potential and are disposed on the corresponding ground terminal pads 23.
The shield case 40 covers the electronic components 26 and the semiconductor chip 31 and has an electrical connection to the seal rings 16 through application of solder paste 37 (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The electronic component 26 and the semiconductor chip 31 are protected from electromagnetic waves by having the shield case 40 in the manner described above.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-267628
A problem with the semiconductor device 10 is that it is not easy to locate the shield case 40 on the board 11. This is because since the semiconductor chip 31 is encapsulated by the potting resin section 35 formed by potting resin, the shield case 40 needs to be located so as to provide a clearance between the potting resin section 35 and the shield case 40 in order to prevent the shield case 40 from pressing a projecting part of the potting resin section 35. Another problem with the semiconductor device 10 is that the size thereof cannot be reduced because the shield case 40 is disposed on the board 11 with the clearance A.


A method of manufacturing a silicon layer includes pretreating a surface of a silicon nitride layer formed on a substrate through a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method using a first reaction gas including at least one of silicone tetrafluoride (SiF4) gas, a nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) gas, SiF4—H2 gas and a mixture thereof. Then, a silicon layer is formed on the pretreated silicon nitride layer through the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method using a second reaction gas including a mixture of gas including silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4), hydrogen (H2) and argon (Ar).

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method of forming a silicon layer and a method of manufacturing a display substrate using the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method of forming a silicon layer, which is capable of improving crystalline fraction and uniform grain distribution of a silicon crystal, and a method of manufacturing a display substrate using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The technology for electronic display apparatuses and liquid crystal display apparatuses including a thin film transistor have been significantly improved. For example, a liquid crystal display (LOD) apparatus having an all color display has been devised, so that the LCD apparatus has substantially the same color reproducibility as a cathode ray tube (ORT) display apparatus. A large-screen display substrate includes a thin film transistor using an amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) as a semiconductor layer. The amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) is relatively inexpensive and provides improved electric characteristics for the LCD device, and thus a thin film transistor utilizing the amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) is typically used for an active matrix LCD apparatus as a pixel charge device.
Moreover, to increase contrast ratio, uniformity of color, high brightness viewing angle, and resolution, a display device including an organic light emitting diode and a light emitting diode including a polymer material has been developed.
As a result, the material characteristics of the semiconductor layer used in the thin film transistor for an active matrix display apparatus have been improved. Thus, higher stability and faster charge characteristics than those obtained from a amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) are now needed.
Microcrystalline silicon is a semiconductor material used to form a semiconductor layer. A semiconductor layer formed using microcrystalline cellulose has various characteristics such as high mobility and high stability.
The microcrystalline silicon layer is typically formed through a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process (PECVD) using a mixed gas. However, to use a microcrystalline silicon layer to form the semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor, the silicon crystals of the microcrystalline layer should have increased size, improved uniformity of distribution and improved fraction. Moreover, a larger silicon crystal size is also preferred. However, the size uniformity of the crystals is more significant than the size of the crystals.
The plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process used for forming a microcrystalline silicon layer should be an optimized process condition such that a silicon layer having improved electric characteristics compared to an amorphous silicon layer of a thin film transistor is formed. For example, the process conditions of a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process may include a plasma power, a chamber pressure, a temperature of a substrate, an amount of reaction gas, a gap between an electrode and the substrate, a deposition time and so on.
Thus, there is a need for a method of forming a silicon layer, which is capable of improving crystalline fraction and uniform grain distribution of a silicon crystal, and to a method of manufacturing a display substrate using the same.

Method of forming a silicon layer and method of manufacturing a display substrate by using the same


The present application discloses a method for segmenting a search query. A server receives a search query including an ordered sequence of Chinese characters. For each Chinese character, one or more predetermined search terms are identified and then combined to form concatenated search queries, each concatenated search query including at least one segmentation identifier that separates the Chinese characters of the ordered sequence of Chinese characters. A specific concatenated search query is identified based on search probabilities of the concatenated search queries. The specific concatenated search query is further segmented into two or more search terms according to one or more locations of the at least one segmentation identifier in the specific concatenated search query. Finally, at least one new search term is identified from the two or more search terms such that one of the ordered sequence of Chinese characters occupies the first position of the new search term.

As search technology and users' search requests get sophisticated, state-of-the-art search engines are oftentimes faced with challenges to search in accordance with complicated search queries that include many key words. The search engines can only deliver a low success rate, when the search queries are directly used for search. Rather, the search engines may choose to segment a search query to some key words, and search with the segmented key words. The search engines then combine search results of the segmented key words to obtain a list of search results for the search query that includes the segmented words.
For example, a search query inputted in Chinese is segmented based on a statistics-based machine learning method. This machine learning method specifically includes the following steps: (1) collecting a set of texts from publically issued data sources, such as a media source; (2) manually selecting and segmenting a subset of the text set; (3) obtaining segmentation rules by statistically analyzing the results of the manual text segmentation; and (4) segmenting the search query inputted in Chinese to a set of key words according to the statistics-based learning segmentation rules.
Despite its acceptable performance for segmenting search queries, the above statistics-based machine learning method demands a huge amount of computational resources and computational time. The accuracy of query segmentation highly relies on the results of manual text segmentation. Errors in the manual query segmentation results propagate to the segmentation rules and subsequent search query segmentation. Moreover, the statistically based machine-learning method does not recognize new key words that have not appeared in manual text segmentation, and therefore, the error rate increases for search queries that involve many specialized key words.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and systems for query segmentation in a search

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


An aromatic polyimide crystalline article and a thin amorphous aromatic polyimide film having a thickness of not more than 1.5 .mu.m are inseparably combined to each other to give an aromatic polyimide article having a high mechanical strength and an active surface which is favorably employable for receiving a metal vapor deposition, sputtered metal, or an adhesive.

An aromatic polyimide article such as an aromatic polyimide film is known to have high heat resistance and high mechanical strength and therefore is widely employed, for instance, as a substrate of electronic device for incorporation into camera, personal computer, or liquid crystal display. The aromatic polyimide article has, however, such disadvantageous features that a conventional adhesive is not well fixed to its surface and further a spattered or vacuum deposited metal layer is not formed on its surface with enough bonding strength.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publications No. 59-86634 and No. H2-134241 describe that a surface of an aromatic polyimide film can be treated with plasma discharge to increase its adhesion to other material. The plasma discharge treatment is disadvantageous for industrial use because its gives poor productivity. Moreover, the increase of the adhesion property is not satisfactory.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,304 describes that the surface of a substrate made of substantially crystalline polyimide is converted to form a layer of substantially amorphous polyimide by treating the crystalline polyimide surface wit a base followed by treatment with an acid to form polyamic acid layer, which is reimidized to form a substantially amorphous layer by a low temperature heat cycle, and metals or polyimides can be deposited onto this amorphous layer, which is then cured to convert the amorphous layer to substantially crystalline polyimide. The United States Patent further describes that the process enhances the adhesion of the metal or polyimide layer. In the working examples, it is disclosed that a film of an aromatic polyimide having a pyromellitic acid unit as aromatic tetracarboxylic acid unit is satisfactorily treated in that manner to give an enhanced adhesion to other aromatic polyimide.
According to studies by the present inventors, the above treatments to form an amorphous polyimide surface are not applicable for forming an amorphous polyimide surface on an aromatic polyimide film having a biphenyltetracarboxylic acid unit as aromatic tetracarboxylic acid unit. Moreover, the curing for converting the amorphous polyimide surface to a crystalline polyimide surface after metals or other polyimides are deposited sometimes lowers the quality of the resultant composite film.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,227 describes an aromatic polyimide composite comprising two different kinds of aromatic polyimides arranged in united layers by simultaneous extrusion. One aromatic polyimide layer is derived from an aromatic polyamide acid comprising a tetracarboxylic acid unit and a phenylene diamine unit, while another aromatic polyimide layer is derived from an aromatic polyamide acid comprising a tetracarboxylic acid unit and an aromatic diamine unit having plural benzene rings. The surface of the latter polyimide layer is stated to show good adhesion to a metal film when they are combined under pressure at 280.degree.-550.degree. C.
The copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/690,107, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,598, describes a polyimide/metal composite sheet in which the polyimide sheet generally comprises an aromatic polyimide substrate having a thickness of 15 to 150 .mu.m and an aromatic polyimide coat having a thickness of 2 to 10 .mu.m. The aromatic polyimide of the substrate comprises 3,3',4,4'-beiphenyltetracarboxylic acid unit, and the aromatic polyimide of the polyimide coat comprises 2,3,3',4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid unit.

Aromatic polyimide article having amorphous layer


A system and method for processing electronic mail status rendezvous. A system for processing electronic mail status rendezvous includes an object for receiving a status message having incomplete reported recipient information; an object for initiating a candidate list of a plurality of candidates, the candidates being selected according to an identification in the status message; an object for preparing a search list of object identifiers; an object for eliminating non-matching candidates; and an object for selecting a matching candidate. A method for processing electronic mail status rendezvous includes the steps of receiving a status message having incomplete reported recipient information; preparing a candidate list of a plurality of candidates; the candidates selected according to an identification in the status message, preparing a search list of object identifiers; eliminating non-matching candidates; and selecting a matching candidate.

Over the past few years, there has been an explosive increase in the use of the Internet for communication, data transfer, research and recreation. As usage increases, the types of user activities become more varied. Businesses, educational institutions, individuals, and governments are beginning to use the Internet for everything from personal communication to mission-critical commercial negotiations and transactions. Indeed, electronic mail (e-mail) is developing into a preferred alternative to the telephone, conventional paper mail service and facsimile transmission as a means to communicate.
One of the conveniences that electronic mail provides is the ability to distribute an electronic message to a group of recipients simply by adding destination addresses. It is not necessary for a user to print out and mail copies of the same letter to multiple parties, or to transmit the same letter by facsimile to multiple parties. Further, a user can define distribution groups of multiple recipients and simply enter the group name to send an electronic message to all group members. The savings in time, resources, and money makes this an efficient and effective way to transmit messages to multiple recipients.
As more and more users join the electronic messaging community, difficulties arise in the transfer of messages within and among the various e-mail protocols. There are several e-mail protocols in operation today, including SNADS, SNAPI, PROFS, X.400, and SMTP, all of which operate in different ways. In order to communicate between systems that operate on different protocols, messages must be converted form one protocol to another. During this conversion, the originator and recipient information may be mutated or lost. Converted messages may never reach their intended recipients. Moreover, when messages cross protocols, message tracking and status monitoring becomes even more difficult as information originally included with the message may no longer exist.
Accurate electronic mail status reporting may be a critical feature for e-mail subscribers. This feedback may be provided in the form of a return status message, which will normally be generated in two situations. In the first situation, called positive status, a message indicating a successful delivery is sent to the orginator upon delivery to or receipt by the intended recipient. This is typically only done at the request of the originator. It is analogous to requesting a return receipt from the post office for conventional mail delivery. The second situation, called negative status, occurs when a message is not successfully delivered to one or more intended recipients for a myriad of reasons. The originator is typically provided with the original message and a reason why the message was not successfully delivered. Negative status is typically automatic regardless of whether the originator has requested feedback.
Problems in providing feedback to the originator across different e-mail systems occurs due to the potential mutation and/or truncation of originator and recipient information, typically by external gateways. In most situations the originator information is not affected, resulting in a return status being delivered to the originator with no clear indication of whom the intended recipient for the message was.
Existing systems have other shortcomings. For example, many message storage facilities maintain the message data in shared memory. The use of shared memory inherently creates capacity problems. Such systems are also inefficient because they often store and manage redundant information. Moreover, due to the ability of a plurality of sharing processes to access the information, the integrity of the shared data is at risk.
Depending on the particular hardware architecture, the amount of shared memory is typically limited to a theoretical maximum of 2048 megabytes. With the observed growth in e-mail traffic, this would provide a maximum capacity of approximately 5,000 to 20,000 documents, depending on document sizes.
Many electronic messaging systems today use fourth generation databases to store distributions. This is inherently too slow and inefficient for the demands of high volume messaging switches.
Another shortcoming of using shared memory for the storage of e-mail is the relatively high expense and low capacity of RAM memory versus that of disk storage.
Another shortcoming of using shared memory is that unless expensive battery-backed-up static RAM is used, the data will be lost in the event of a power failure. Hard disk technology does not have this limitation, as information stored on hard disk is no longer volatile.
To meet the demands of modem electronic messaging, there is a need for a system and method that efficiently stores, tracks, manages, monitors, and transfers e-mail across a plurality of protocols.

System and method for processing electronic mail status rendezvous


Various embodiments relate to intelligently activating and deactivating a trading tool element of a trading tool to improve a user's confidence in the trading tool. By dynamically activating and deactivating elements on the trading screen, the trading tool effectively increases a user's confidence in placing a trading order, canceling a trade order, or both, for example, by eliminating or reducing undesirable options. Undesirable options might include those that are risky, contrary to a particular trading strategy, would result in a loss of money, and so on. Such an embodiment can improve the overall speed at which a user places or cancels a trade order by, among other things, effectively increasing the user's overall confidence in the trading tool.

The present patent document relates to an electronic trading system.
An electronic trading system generally includes client devices in communication with one or more electronic exchanges. An electronic exchange receives trade orders from the client devices. Upon receiving a trade order, the electronic exchange enters the trade order into an exchange order book and attempts to match quantity of the trade order with quantity of one or more contra-side orders. By way of example, a sell order is contra-side to a buy order with the same price. Similarly, a buy order is contra-side to a sell order with the same price. Unmatched quantity of a trade order is held in the exchange order book until quantity of a trade order is matched by the electronic exchange. Unmatched quantity of a trade order may also be removed from the exchange order book when a trade order is cancelled, either by the client device or the electronic exchange. Upon matching quantity of the trade order, the electronic exchange may send a confirmation to the client device that the quantity of the trade order was matched.
In addition to receiving trade orders and matching them, an electronic exchange may transmit market data in one or more data feeds to the client devices. Market data may include, for example, price data, market depth data, last traded quantity data, trade order data, order fill data, and so on. For example, the electronic exchange might send a price data feed to the client devices to provide a current inside market (e.g., a highest bid price and a lowest ask price). In another example, the electronic exchange might send a market depth data feed to the client devices to provide the quantities available to be bought or sold at various price levels. Of course, the electronic exchange might send the data to the client devices together in one feed or multiple feeds.
In some situations, a client device receives and processes market data without displaying the market data on a display device. However, in other situations, the client device displays market data on a display device. Accordingly, the client device may include software that creates a trading screen. In general, a trading screen is an interface that activates a user to participate in an electronic trading session. For example, a trading screen may activate a user to view market data, submit a trade order to the electronic exchange, obtain a market quote, monitor a position, or any combination thereof. Example trading tools that activate this kind of functionality include X_TRADER® and MD Trader®, which are offered by Trading Technologies International, Inc., located at 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Ill., 60606.
In some situations, the client device sends one or more trade orders to the electronic exchange. However, in other situations, another device, such as server side device physically located at or near the exchange system, may be responsible for sending the one or more trade orders to the electronic exchange. Either way, it is often important to send the one or more trade orders as quick as possible to the electronic exchange to get a match, obtain a better queue position (e.g., queue position is often based on the price of the trade order and the time arrival of the trade order at the exchange), or take advantage of some other opportunity.

Dynamically activating and deactivating one or more elements of a trading tool


Seal arrangement (48) comprising a plug member (46) configured to seal a through opening (12) in a wall (10); a pressing section (74); and a cover member (70) configured to be connected to the plug member (46) and configured to force the pressing section (74) to press a sealing element (72), arranged laterally outside the plug member (46), towards the wall (10). A kit of parts and a method for sealing a through opening (12) in a wall (10) and for painting the wall (10) are also provided.

Oil plugs are used in a wide range of applications. In a gearbox for example, several oil plugs may be provided to make it possible to replace the gearbox oil. Standard oil plugs are typically mounted to the gearbox in the final assembly before the gearbox is painted. There is therefore a risk that paint flakes come off when a plug is loosened. Many prior art oil plugs also contain several potential dust pockets and do therefore not fulfill hygienic design requirements.
One solution to provide a hygienic oil plug is to use an oil plug in the form of a screw having a hexagonal screw head and a gasket pressed by the screw head. However, in order to mount this oil plug, the surface below the gasket needs to be painted before the hygienic oil plug is mounted. This may be done by mounting a smaller temporary oil plug for masking in a through opening in a wall, painting the wall, removing the smaller temporary oil plug and mounting the larger hygienic oil plug. The larger oil plug then overlaps the paint layer. However, when the smaller temporary oil plug is removed, there is a risk for oil leakage. The replacement of the temporary oil plug with the hygienic oil plug is also time consuming. It is therefore not desirable to remove an oil plug after painting.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,443,942 B2 discloses a seal arrangement for sealing a through opening in a wall of an engine component. The seal arrangement comprises an insert element for insertion into a through opening, wherein the insert element has a through channel that is closable by means of a closure element, and a sealing element for sealing between the insert element and the engine component.

Seal arrangement, kit of parts and method


A patient chair for use in a dental operatory or the like generally comprises a base, a chair frame supported by the base, and a seatback support coupled to the chair frame. The seatback support is slidably movable relative to the chair frame. To provide a desired connection or fit between components, a locking assembly is configured to apply a clamping force between the seatback support and the chair frame.

Conventional dental operatories generally include an articulating dental chair for supporting a patient in a variety of positions to facilitate the performance of dental procedures and operations. For example, dental chairs are generally adapted to be raised and lowered relative to a floor surface, and to be moved between a first orientation where a back cushion is inclined relative to a seat cushion to support the patient in a seated position, and a second orientation where the seat cushion is reclined to support the patient in a generally supine position.
In some dental chairs, the seat cushion is supported by a chair frame and the back cushion is coupled to an upright support that moves relative to the chair frame along a predetermined path or track (i.e., the support does more than merely pivot with respect to the chair frame). This upright support is sometimes referred to as a "carriage." A lower portion of the carriage is typically received between sidewalls of the chair frame. The carriage slides relative to the chair frame between the sidewalls and along the predetermined path to move the dental chair between the first and second orientations mentioned above.
One of the challenges associated with this type of dental chair relates to coupling the carriage to the chair frame. The carriage should be coupled (i.e., connected) to the chair frame in a manner that allows movement between the first and second orientations without a significant amount of "slop" or "play" between the components. In other words, the carriage should remain relative stable relative to the chair frame as the seatback is moved through its range of motion (both from the first orientation to the second orientation and vice-versa).
To address this concern, manufacturers may design the carriage, chair frame, and various other associated components to have relatively tight tolerances. For example, the lower portion of the carriage may be received between the sidewalls of the chair frame with little clearance. However, designing components with relatively tight tolerances increases the potential for poor fits or mismatches between the components.
Therefore, a dental chair that provides an improved fit between a carriage and a chair frame without requiring relatively small tolerances is highly desirable.


An object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily attach a sound producing mechanism to a spool of a spinning reel and to compactly dispose the spool. An annular attachment member to which a hitting member of a sound producing mechanism is attached is detachably/reattachably mounted and fixed in an attachment recess that is formed to be annularly concaved in an inner peripheral portion of a bobbin trunk. Here, the annular attachment member is completely mounted in the attachment recess that is formed to be annularly concaved. Accordingly, it is possible to easily attach the attachment member to the attachment recess, and it is also possible to uniformly maintain the weight balance of a spool in the peripheral direction. In addition, here, the attachment member is mounted in the attachment recess. Thus, the attachment member is not likely to protrude backward from a rear end portion of the bobbin trunk, compared to the conventional configuration. Accordingly, it is possible to compactly dispose the spool.

In general, a spinning reel includes a reel unit, a rotor that is rotatably supported on the reel unit, and a spool that is disposed in front of the rotor and fishing line is wound on the outer periphery thereof.
This type of spool includes a bobbin trunk that fishing line is wound around the outer periphery thereof, a front flange portion that is mounted to the front end portion of the bobbin trunk and the diameter thereof is formed to be larger than the maximum outer diameter of the bobbin trunk, and a skirt portion that is mounted to the rear end portion of the bobbin trunk and is formed in a tubular shape with a diameter larger than the maximum outer diameter of the bobbin trunk. Also, as to a front drag spinning reel, a variety of mechanisms such as a drag mechanism including a plurality of drag plates and a sound producing mechanism for producing sounds during an operation of the drag mechanism are accommodated in the interior of the bobbin trunk. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-81097 discloses such reel as an example.
This type of sound producing mechanism includes a plate-shaped member that is made of a synthetic resin and is mounted to the rear end portion of the bobbin trunk through a separate attachment base, and a disk-shaped member that is disposed to make contact with the plate-shaped member and accordingly produces sounds. The attachment base is a circular arc-shaped member that is formed to fit the inner periphery of the rear end portion of the bobbin trunk, and is fastened onto the rear end of the bobbin trunk by a screw. A spool shaft is engaged with the inner periphery of the disk-shaped member such that it is not allowed to rotate and move in a front-to-rear direction. Thus, the disk-shaped member functions as a spool receiving member for restricting the backward movement of the spool. In addition, a concave-convex portion is formed on the outer periphery of the disk-shaped member. The disk-shaped member is configured to makes contact with the concave-convex portion when the disk-shaped member and the plate-shaped member relatively rotate, and thus produces sounds.


An apparatus for transferring rod-shaped articles from a longitudinal conveyor transporting the articles in a longitudinal axial direction onto a transverse conveyor transporting the articles in a transverse axial direction, in which the directions of transport of the longitudinal conveyor and the transverse conveyor are oriented transversely to each other. The apparatus includes a conveying device having receptacles, and the receptacles are structured and arranged to receive a plurality of articles transported adjacent each other on a track of the longitudinal conveyor and to discharge the articles as a plurality of groups of articles onto different tracks of the transverse conveyor.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an apparatus for the transfer of rod-shaped articles, in particular cigarettes, from a longitudinal conveyor for longitudinal axial conveying of the articles onto a transverse conveyor for transverse axial conveying of the articles. The directions of transport for the longitudinal conveyor and for the transverse conveyor run transversely to each other. The apparatus includes a conveying device with receptacles for receiving several articles from the longitudinal conveyor and for discharging the received articles onto the transverse conveyor.
Furthermore, the invention concerns a method for the transfer of rod-shaped articles, in particular cigarettes, from a longitudinal conveyor for longitudinal axial conveying of the articles onto a transverse conveyor for transverse axial conveying of the articles, in which the directions of transport for the longitudinal conveyor and for the transverse conveyor run transversely to each other. The method includes receiving several rod-shaped articles from the longitudinal conveyor via a conveying device, rotating the conveying device and so moving the articles through a predetermined angle, and discharging the articles onto the transverse conveyor.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Apparatuses and methods of this kind are used in particular in the tobacco-processing industry. In a continuous cigarette rod-making machine, continuous rods of tobacco are made and usually divided into single or double-length tobacco sticks. The tobacco sticks are conveyed in their longitudinal direction and must be transferred for further processing, e.g. for attaching a filter, to a filter-attaching machine. For this purpose the tobacco sticks must usually be transferred from their longitudinal axial transport direction to a transverse axial transport direction, wherein the directions of transport also run transversely to each other.
There are numerous apparatuses and methods for transfer of the rod-shaped articles from a longitudinal conveyor onto a transverse conveyor. Known apparatuses have a conveying device which receives several articles arranged adjacent to each other on a curved track, and discharges them successively to a drum forming a track. Apparatuses and methods of this kind, however, have inadequate productivity, as the speed of transport of the conveying device and drum must be adapted to the transfer of single articles. In other words, only one article can be discharged to the transverse conveyor at a time. Furthermore, the known apparatuses and methods have only limited flexibility, as discharge can be made only to a single track.

Apparatus and method for the transfer of rod-shaped articles


A device for detaching a drum from a printer cartridge, the drum including a drum flange that attaches the drum to the printer cartridge, the device including a pressure transmitting device; and a rod operatively connected to the pressure transmitting device, wherein the pressure transmitting device and the rod are configured to apply pressure to the drum flange and cause the drum to be detached from the printer cartridge.

Generally, printers embed toner on paper by relying on electrical charges occurring within the printer cartridges. Printer cartridges typically include a toner hopper, a primary charge roller, and a drum. The toner is typically stored in the toner hopper and carries a negative charge. The drum is typically given a charge by a primary charge roller or PCR. The charge of the drum is typically more positive than the charge of the toner, and thus the drum is able to attract the toner. Once the drum is given a charge by the PCR and a print pattern is set, the drum gets coated with toner. The drum that is coated with toner then rolls over a sheet of paper, which is usually given a negative charge by the PCR. The charge of the paper is less negative than the charge of the toner, and thus the paper attracts the toner. The toner is embedded on the paper according to the print pattern.
Used printer cartridges of fax machines, copiers, inkjet printers, and laser printers are often remanufactured. The drum is usually one of the components that wears out from usage and gets replaced during remanufacturing. In some printer cartridges, such as those manufactured by Hewlett Packard company having model numbers HP 1600, HP 2600, and HP 2605, the drum 2 may be attached to one end of the printer cartridge 4 by a drum flange 6 (FIG. 1). The drum flange 6 may be positioned in between the drum 2 and the cartridge end cap 8. Referring to FIG. 2, a drum portion 10 of the drum flange 6 may be inserted through the drum 2 and an end cap portion 12 of the drum flange 6 may be inserted through the cartridge end cap 8. The drum flange 6 attaches the drum 2 to the printer cartridge 4 by being connected to both the drum 2 and the cartridge end cap 8. It can be realized that the drums are attached to the cartridges in a manner that may require breaking the cartridges.
It is desirable to be able to detach the drums from printer cartridges without having to break parts of the cartridges. This helps preserve the appearance of the cartridges and minimizes remanufacturing steps. Methods and apparatus for efficiently and quickly detaching the drums from the cartridges are desired and are addressed by the present invention.


A solution for preservation and/or storage of a cell or tissue is described. This simple nonaqueous composition can have 10% polyethylene glycol and 90% methanol. It can be used at room temperature. Special chemicals, equipment, and techniques are not needed. Tissue preserved with and/or stored in the solution can be processed for cytology or histology, including chemical staining and/or antibody binding, by a variety of methods; antigen, DNA, and RNA can be extracted from processed tissue in high yield and with minimal or no degradation. Advantages of the solution include: economy and safety, easy access to archival material, and compatibility with both cellular and genetic analyses. The use and manufacture of the solution are also described.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition containing polyethylene glycol (PEG) and methanol for preservation of a cell or tissue, especially at ambient temperature. It may also be used for cell or tissue storage. A cell or tissue preserved with and/or stored in compositions of the present invention maintains its morphological characteristics, the recognition of its antigens by cognate antibodies, and the integrity of its nucleic acids (e.g., DNA and RNA) without requiring refrigeration or freezing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cytological and histological processing prevents autolysis of cells and tissue, respectively, after their removal from a living body. Moreover, the structure of individual cells and their organization within the tissue are stabilized by such processing. There is a requirement, however, for sophisticated procedures and dedicated instruments in most cases to process cells and tissues in a clinical setting. Therefore, specimens are usually collected in physician offices or surgical suites, and transported to a centralized pathology service. Suitable compositions for the preservation and/or storage of a cell or tissue are needed to ensure that autolysis is prevented and that cellular morphology, antigen, and nucleic acid are maintained until processing.
Furthermore, genetic analysis is becoming more important by itself or complementary to cell staining, enzyme assays, and immunological techniques in pathology. Expression of mutant genes or the over-expression of normal genes can be examined by analyzing nucleic acid. In situ detection of RNA can localize transcripts within tissue containing different types of cells; this can also be accomplished by detecting RNA that has been extracted from different portions of sorted cells or sectioned tissue. Mutations may be seen in DNA or RNA. Alternating cytologic/histologic and genetic analyses of sorted cells or sectioned tissue can be used to correlate pathological events at cellular and molecular levels. Genetic analysis will be possible only if degradation is prevented and macromolecular structures are stabilized. But many preservative compositions and fixatives cause irreversible damage (e.g., activity of the ubiquitous nuclease enzymes, hydrolysis of phosphodiester bonds, and/or deamidation of bases) to the structure of nucleic acids (e.g., DNA, and especially RNA) and reduce their yield, thereby limiting the usefulness of genetic techniques for diagnosis and research applications. Consequently, preservation of nucleic acids in a fresh cell or tissue usually requires special handling, such as immediate processing or freezing, to allow examination by a combination of cytologic, histologic, immunologic, and genetic techniques.
The composition disclosed herein may be used to advantage in conventional tissue processing or other processing methods such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,408; WO 01/44783; and WO 01/44784. Conventional techniques are described in general references such as Thompson (Selected Histochemical and Histopathological Methods, Springfield, Ill.: Thomas, 1966), Sheehan & Hrapchak (Theory and Practice of Histotechnology, St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby, 1973), Bancroft & Stevens (Theory and Practice of Histological Techniques, New York, N.Y.: Churchill Livingstone, 1982); Boon & Kok (Microwave Cookbook of Pathology, Leiden, NL: Coulomb, 1989); Woods & Ellis (Laboratory Histopathology, New York, N.Y.: Churchill Livingstone, 1994).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,389,052; 3,546,334; 5,104,640; 5,256,571; 5,849,517; and 6,204,375; Florell et al. (Mod. Pathol., 14:116–128, 2001); Bostwick et al. (Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med., 118:298–302, 1994); Dimulescu et al. (Mol. Diagnosis, 3:67–71, 1998); Maxwell et al. (J. Clin. Pathol., 52:141–144, 1999) Shibutani et al. (Lab. Invest., 80:199–208, 2000); and Gillespie et al. (Am. J. Pathol., 160:449–457, 2002) describe preservative and fixative solutions.
Compositions of the present invention are novel and nonobvious. They are nonaqueous solutions comprising PEG and methanol, which preserve morphological characteristics, recognition of antigen by cognate antibody, and integrity of nucleic acid (e.g., DNA and RNA) in an isolated cell or solid tissue without the inconvenience of cooling or freezing the specimen to prevent degradation. Thus, an isolated cell or solid tissue can be stored for long times at ambient temperature. Further advantages of and improvements due to the invention are discussed below.

Preservation of RNA and morphology in cells and tissues


A modified poker card game allows a player to sequentially build a card hand after each round of play. The rules of play for the card game including dealing a first pair of cards to the player. The player then selects one of the pair of cards for the card hand, and discards the other card. The player repeats this process until the player has selected a predetermined number of cards that form the card hand. The resulting card hand is then compared to a predetermined winning schedule and/or to other players playing the modified poker game.

The growth of the gaming industry, in particular, gambling casinos has been very significant over the last decade. The industry has come to recognize the need for new games and new gambling concepts. It also recognizes that the new technologies available need to be integrated in order to improve their gaming environment. It also recognizes the need to become a more efficient gaming provider.
The state gaming control boards of Nevada and New Jersey (which have traditionally been slow to approve any new games or gambling concepts) have changed their philosophy so dramatically that today they actively encourage the trial and acceptance of new games and gambling concepts. The problem with introducing new games has always been the basic criteria for mass-market gambling:
Easy-to-learn game rules. PA1 Strategies must be easy to master and not favor "the expert" disproportionately. PA1 Games must have a short duration between the start (the bet) and the finish (the payoff). PA1 The payoff structure, that is, what can be won by a lucky player must be enticing. PA1 The game must be fair, that is, the casino should not have an unreasonable advantage. PA1 The game must be "secure", that is, protected from cheating and tampering. PA1 The casino's "win" must be demonstrated to be worthwhile., that is, the "win per machine per month" must at least compare favorably to that of the "slots".
Over the years, there have been many different types of games that have attempted to satisfy the demands of the gaming industry. These games have ranged the gamut from those involving great mental prowess to games involving merely chance. Nevertheless, there is still a strong interest in game concepts that create real excitement.
More specifically, with many games the players are placed in the position of passive observers. This is actually most true of the more expensive games that employ electronic components and the like which may or may not involve any skill on the part of the player. Still further, the game development or play is almost always viewed as unrealistic (e.g., only involving luck) at best.
Because of this fact, such expensive games are often difficult to market and discarded after minimal play even when purchased by the consumer. Moreover, even when use continues, such games have consistently lacked any relationship to the excitement as well as the strategy and planning that should be the characteristic of any game. While it is generally recognized that decision making in game play is of paramount importance, there has yet to be a game that places players in a realistic decision making capacity.
One game of interest over the years is poker. Various attempts have been made to enhance play of poker over the years. Examples of such attempts are described in the following U.S. patent references, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference:
U.S. Pat No. 4,743,022, Wood, second chance poker method; U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,134, Suttle et al., electronic five card poker game where cards are given to the players one at a time; U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,049, Tomaszewski, five card poker game where up to two cards are drawn; U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,109 Gumina, instant poker game card; U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,915, Miller, six card, two hand video poker game; U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,128, Marquez, six cards, three hand poker game; U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,025, Sklansky et al., three hands, two card poker game where each player chooses one hand and five communal cards are dealt face up; U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,199, Gumina, interactive video/casino poker game-drawpoker, hold'em poker; U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,404, Joshi et al., multiplay video poker game in which the player's sub-hands are compensated to increase the payoff level of the winning hands; U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,407, Hofberg et al., casino poker game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,451 to Fulton involves a modified poker game where the player is dealt pairs of cards, where one card is optional and the other mandatory. The player is permitted to exchange at each round the optional card until five cards are selected. The resulting five card hand is then evaluated for payoff against a fairly standard payoff table.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,194 to Wolf deals the player seven cards. The player then forms two hands: a five card hand (e.g., a front hand), and a two card hand (e.g., a back hand). The rules for playing this game are quite elaborate, including requiring each player to arrange the hand so that the rank of the back hand is greater than the rank of the front hand.
Unfortunately, all these prior art attempts at making poker interesting and challenging have not been successful. That is, the prior art has been unable to successfully provide a poker game that combines the attributes of skill, luck, excitement and simplicity with rapid play. For example, none of the prior art references cited above relate to dealing a player two exposed cards each round from which the player selects one card and discards the other card, or builds two simultaneous five card hands. Further, none of the above prior art references relate to building a poker-type hand one card at a time, at the selection/control of the player.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a modified poker game that provides a player the opportunity to exercise their skill. It is also desirable to provide a modified poker game that includes luck to make the game exciting, unpredictable and enjoyable for people of all levels of intelligence.
It is further desirable to provide a modified poker game that has simple rules so that new players may learn the game easily, including learning the appropriate strategy for the game.
It is also desirable to provide a modified poker game that can be played rapidly so that multiple games can be played between two or more players in a short period of time.
It is also desirable to provide a modified poker game that can be played between two players, or multiple players in a tournament manner.
It is further desirable to provide a modified poker game that incorporates the feature of providing bets of varying amounts the game value to further enhance the excitement of the game.


A design concept for foot orthotics having several different optional features and sub-features is disclosed. The design is useful for supporting and correcting abnormal foot posture. The disclosure contemplates different types of footwear in addition to user's gender, age, weight, foot size, activity level and medical condition. Varying types of midfoot sections and heel portions are employed having specific arch support. The design further provides the benefits of custom foot casting while having mass producible parts. Also disclosed are design choices for thickness and width of the orthotics and preferred materials for a wide range of applications. Additionally, a method is disclosed for choosing particular orthotics for a particular person from a set of total possible orthotics available. The set of orthotics will contain sub-sets of specific arch heights, widths and thicknesses of orthotics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to shoe inserts. More particularly, the present invention pertains to orthotics useful for accommodating and treating foot abnormalities and methods thereof for mass producing orthotics in a manner choosing specific orthotics for a specific person. The preferred embodiments of the present invention are particularly, but not exclusively, useful as custom-made orthotics having selectable support portions, the orthotics being mass-producible.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Biomechanics relating to the human foot and potential abnormalities thereof are well known. FIG. 1 illustrates a skeletal bone structure of a human foot 10 composed of twenty-six bones that articulate with respect to one other by means of joints. The skeletal arrangement of the foot 10 provides for flexible support for the weight of the entire body. There are seven tarsal bones 2, the largest and the strongest of which is the calcaneus 4 (or heel bone), and serves to transmit the weight of the body to the ground and forms a strong lever for the calf muscle. The metatarsals 6, or sole and instep of the foot 10, is formed by five bones, each articulating with the tarsal bones 2 by one extremity, and by the other with the first row of phalanges 8.
The tarsal 2 and metatarsal 6 bones each form two distinct arches. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the first is the longitudinal or the plantar arch 11 that runs from the heel 4 to the ball 12 on the inner (medial) side and underside aspect of the foot 10. The other arch is a transverse arch across the forefoot in the metatarsal region 6.
Over-pronation, or flatfeet, is a common biomechanical problem that occurs in the walking process when a person's plantar arch 11a collapses upon weight bearing, as illustrated in FIG. 3A. Such over-pronation is a very common structural deformity in which there is outward rotation of the heel 4 (as shown in FIG. 3C) lowering the longitudinal arch 11a, displacing of the head of the first metatarsal dorsally, pronating and abducting of the distal part of the foot 10, resulting in an everted position of the heel. This movement can cause extreme stress or inflammation on the plantar fascia, potentially further causing severe discomfort and leading to other foot problems. Pain may be present in the plantar arch 11a or frequently localized in the area behind the medial malleolus. This results in the radiation of pain to the Achilles tendon, medial and posterior calf muscles, or up to the shin, knee, hip, and lower back.
As viewed from the bottom of the foot 10, FIG. 3B illustrates a height of a longitudinal arch 11 by comparing the position of an arch line AR or AR′ of the footprint with respect to the position of the reference line X, which is a straight line extending from the center of the second toe 13 to the center of the heel end 15. When the arch line of a footprint is above the reference line X as shown by the dotted line AR′, the foot arch 10 is estimated to be relatively low. On the other hand, when the arch line of a footprint is below the reference line X as shown by the solid line AR, the foot arch 10 is estimated to be relatively high. Line X is used as a base line in the estimation due to the weight of a person being typically concentrated near the second toe 13 and near the outer portion of the heel end 15 during walking or running.
The body's kinetic chain of imbalance starts with abnormally low arched feet meeting the ground, followed by a cascade of interdependent physical reactions involving twisting, pulling and compressing of predictable muscle groups, tendons, ligaments, and bones from the bottom of the feet to the top of the skull. The abnormal position of the feet (low arch height AR′) does not allow physical stress to travel vertically from the feet upwards towards the hip sockets. Therefore, as is illustrated in FIG. 3C viewing from the rear of a user's feet, the vertical stress line 14 of heel 4 for a flatfoot forms an acute angle to the ground, and is not at a perpendicular thereto.
Flatfeet can potentially lead to a variety of diseases including for example, plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, sesamoiditis, Morton's neuroma, heel spurs, achilles tendinitis, posterior tibial tendinitis, shin splints, bunions, knee, leg, hip, lower and upper back, shoulder, and neck pains, including headaches, and others. Heretofore, shoe inserts or insoles have been used to alleviate some of the pain caused by flatfeet. However, the prior art insoles are not a corrective measure, but merely an accommodating one. In other words, the insoles do not correct arch deformities; but rather merely accommodate to help alleviate some of the pain caused by the deformity.
Generally in the orthotic art, in order to make custom-made shoes or insoles for flatfeet, a cast is first taken of a foot using a plaster bandage. Next, custom-made orthotics or insoles are made by molding over the plaster foot cast with synthetic resins or other materials. Of concern, some of the materials used for the construction of the prior art orthotics are not suitable for insoles; they may include leather, graphite, cork, steel, aluminum, and even wood. Furthermore, the prior art orthotics require too much time and often-complicated procedures to make, and are costly. Moreover, it is impossible to mass-produce plaster casted orthotics.
Other processes contemplated in the art include analyzing the foot's individual pressure points with respect to the ground to make an insole with a structure (or shape) that accommodates those measured pressure points. Accordingly, pre-molded insoles are produced that comprise individual pads for each of these pressure points. These may include a pair of flat insole plates that have a convex shape corresponding to the arch of the sole, a pair of forefoot pads accompanying each of the insole plates, a pair of rear-foot pads, a pair of longitudinal pads, and further a pair of auxiliary pads. All are to be attached on the insole plates to compensate the uneven contact of the foot with the ground. Although mass producible, the pad accompanying plates have problems fitting certain feet. Many parameters are required to be considered when these pads are attached on the insole plate, such as structural or anatomical foot variances, or the almost impossible task to control the foot angle to the ground surface with semi-pronating or hyper-pronating feet. Therefore, there is a strong need for advancement in shoe insoles (i.e. orthotics) that are easily employed inside shoes, and a means of foot correction and underfoot comfort for the abnormal foot.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a design of orthotics that is able to be custom made and adaptable to a particular user's needs based on factors such as type of footwear in addition to user's age, weight, foot size, activity level and foot abnormality.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an orthotic having design choices for thickness of and rigidity of material.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system of assembling custom made, mass producible orthotics that is easy to manufacture, relatively simple to use and comparatively cost effective.

Mass producible custom-made shoe inserts


A method and system for non-invasive measurements in a patient's body in which several measurement sessions are performed on a measurement location. Each measurement session includes applying an external electromagnetic field to the measurement location, detecting at least two responses of the measurement location, and generating data indicative of the detected response. These responses are characterized by at least two different values of a controllable parameter. The measurement sessions include at least two measurement sessions carried out at a normal blood flow in the measurement location and at least two measurement sessions carried out at a condition of artificial kinetics in the measurement location. The first and second measured data are processed to determine a first relation between the first time variations and a second relation between the second time variations for the different parameter. that can be used to determine the at least one blood related parameter.

Various non-invasive techniques have been developed for determining blood-related parameters such as hemoglobin, hematocrit, oxygen saturation, etc. These techniques are disclosed for example in the following publications:
A pulse oxymetry based hemoglobin measurement technique is described in the article "Noninvasive total hemoglobin measurement", by Kye Jin Jeon et al., Journal of Biomedical Optics 7(1), 45-50, January 2002. This technique consists of a wavelength selection and prediction algorithm for determining total hemoglobin concentration. A model has been developed, based on the difference in optical density induced by the pulsation of the heart beat, by taking an approximation of Twersky's theory on the assumption that the variation of blood vessel size is small during arterial pulsing. The device utilizes a five wavelength light emitting diode array as the light source. The selected wavelengths are two isobestic points and three in compensation for tissue scattering. Data are collected from 129 outpatients who are randomly grouped as calibration and prediction sets. The ratio of the variations of optical density between systole and diastole at two different wavelengths is used as a variable. Several such variables have been selected that show high reproducibility among all variables. Multiple linear regression analysis has been made in order to predict total hemoglobin concentration. The correlation coefficient is 0.804 and the standard deviation is 0.864 g/dL for the calibration set. The relative percent error and standard deviation of the prediction set are 8.5% and 1.142 g/dL, respectively. These investigations demonstrate the possibility of noninvasive hemoglobin measurement, particularly, using the wavelengths below 1000 nm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,181 discloses noninvasive measurement of hematocrit and hemoglobin content by differential optical analysis. This technique utilizes differential optical absorption of two or more wavelengths of light during blood volume changes. The method is also useful for noninvasive measurements of other blood analytes, such as glucose, where variations in hematocrit or blood hemoglobin concentration cause errors in the measurement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,264 discloses a non-invasive measuring method and apparatus of blood constituents. Here, in order to measure the oxygen saturation in venous blood, a venous blood stream is made time-variant by applying pressure with a peak value of the minimum blood pressure to a proximal portion from a measuring part. Light beams with different wavelengths are transmitted from the measuring part and detected by photodiodes. Photodetected signals are logarithm-converted and venous signal components are separated from logarithm-converted signals with a filter circuit. The oxygen saturation of venous blood is calculated on the basis of separated venous signal components.
U.S. Patent No. 5,827,181 describes a noninvasive blood chemistry measurement method and system that isolate measurement contributions due to a patient's blood to accurately measure blood chemistry. According to one embodiment, a noninvasive blood chemistry measurement method decreases the blood volume within a patient's body part relative to the normal blood volume in the body part and performs a baseline measurement. Blood volume is then increased and a second measurement is performed. Comparison of the second measurement to the baseline measurement isolates the measurement attributes of the patient's blood. In accordance with another embodiment, a noninvasive blood chemistry measurement system decreases blood volume by applying mechanical pressure to a body part. According to yet another embodiment, blood volume in the body part is decreased using a pressure cuff. In a further embodiment, a noninvasive probe accurately measures blood chemistry and uses a suction cup to increase blood volume at the blood chemistry measurement site.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,509 discloses a method and apparatus for improving the accuracy of noninvasive hematocrit measurements. According to this technique, the changes in the intensities of light of multiple wavelengths transmitted through or reflected light from the tissue location are recorded immediately before and after occluding the flow of venous blood from the tissue location with an occlusion device positioned near the tissue location. As the venous return stops and the incoming arterial blood expands the blood vessels, the light intensities measured within a particular band of near-infrared wavelengths decrease in proportion to the volume of hemoglobin in the tissue location; those intensities measured within a separate band of wavelengths in which water absorbs respond to the difference between the water fractions within the blood and the displaced tissue volume. A mathematical algorithm applied to the time-varying intensities yields a quantitative estimate of the absolute concentration of hemoglobin in the blood. To compensate for the effect of the unknown fraction of water in the extravascular tissue on the hematocrit measurement, the tissue water fraction is determined before the occlusion cycle begins by measuring the diffuse transmittance or reflectance spectra of the tissue at selected wavelengths.
A different approach is disclosed in various patents assigned to the assignee of the present application, such as for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,400,972; U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,704; U.S. Pat. No. 6,711,424; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,804,002. These techniques provide for measurement of various parameters of the patient's blood, based on the creation of a condition of artificial kinetics at a measurement location, and maintaining this condition during a certain time. Measurements are carried out during a time period including this certain time by applying an external electromagnetic field to the measurement location and detecting a response to the applied field. Measured data is in the form of time evolutions of the responses of the medium corresponding to the different parameters of the applied field. By analyzing the measured data, at least one blood parameter is extracted.

Method and device for non-invasive measurements of blood parameters


There is disclosed herein a method for adhering metallizations to a substrate, comprising the steps of: (1) providing a substrate having a first surface; (2) applying a coating atop the first surface, such that the coating has a second surface bonded to the first surface, and a third surface generally conforming with the second surface; (3) etching away material from the third surface, so as to roughen and form pits in the third surface; and (4) attaching a metallization to the pits in the third surface by plating, sputtering, or similar means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to printed circuit board substrates. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for adhering a metallization to a printed circuit board substrate.
2. Disclosure Information
Traditional printed circuit boards (PCBs) generally consist of a flat, planar non-conducting substrate which carries conductive circuit traces thereon. The method for producing such PCBs typically involves (1) providing a laminate of epoxy-impregnated fiberglass, (2) placing a copper foil metallization on the laminate, (3) pressing and heating the laminate/foil until the epoxy is cured, and then (4) etching away some of the copper metallization until only the desired circuit traces of copper remain attached to the laminate.
Some applications require that the substrate have a contoured, curved surface, rather than being flat. An example of this might be a device which has a contoured plastic housing, wherein the housing itself is to serve as the substrate for circuit traces, mounting pads, and connectors. However, it is often difficult to adhere metallizations onto non-planar substrates, because of the non-planarity of such substrates, the poor platability of and/or adhesion to the substrate materials, etc.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a method for adhering a metallization to a non-planar and/or poorly platable substrate such that good adhesive strength would be provided therebetween.

Method for adhering a metallization to a substrate


A liquid crystal display includes an array substrate which includes scanning lines, signal lines, pixel circuits each including a pixel switch and a pixel electrode, a first circuit switching a state of the scanning lines between a first state that they are electrically connected to one another and a second state that they are electrically disconnected from one another, and a second circuit switching a state of the signal lines between a third state that they are electrically connected to one another and a fourth state that they are electrically disconnected from one another, a counter substrate which includes a counter electrode, and a liquid crystal layer which is interposed between the array and counter substrates and contains a high-molecular weight material and a low-molecular weight liquid crystal material, the low-molecular weight liquid crystal material forming a bend configuration before energizing the display.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an active matrix liquid crystal display in which a liquid crystal material forms bend configuration, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A π cell mode and an optically compensated bend (OCB) mode are liquid crystal display modes capable of realizing a wide viewing angle and a high response speed. When an image is displayed on a liquid crystal display employing one of these display modes, the tilt angle of liquid crystal molecules near the back and front electrodes is changed while bend configuration is maintained. An image is displayed by using a retardation change of a liquid crystal layer caused by this tilt angle change.
Liquid crystal displays employing the π cell mode or OCB mode, however, have a disadvantage that a configurational transition of a liquid crystal material from splay configuration to bend configuration is necessary every time energizing the displays, and this initial transition process requires applying a voltage of a few volts or more between the back and front electrodes for from a few seconds to a few minutes. Such an initial transition process hinders applications of the n cell mode and OCB mode.
A technique which makes the initial transition process unnecessary is described by T. Konno et al. in "OCB-Cell Using Polymer Stabilized Bend Alignment", ASIA DISPLAY '95, pp. 581-583. More specifically, a transition from splay configuration to bend configuration is caused by applying the initialization voltage to a nematic-phase mixture of an ultraviolet curing monomer and liquid crystal material. In this state, a polymer network is formed by irradiating the mixture with ultraviolet light.
In a liquid crystal cell obtained by this method, the liquid crystal material forms twisted configuration before energizing. At a certain voltage or more, the optical characteristics of twisted configuration and bend configuration are substantially equal, and a transition from twisted configuration to bend configuration is very fast. Accordingly, this liquid crystal cell requires no initial transition process.
Many liquid crystal displays which are required to have high image quality, however, use the active matrix driving method. When achieving the present invention, the present inventors have found that active matrix liquid crystal displays using the technique of T. Konno et al. readily cause display unevenness.

Liquid crystal display and method of manufacturing the same


Provided are a first detecting unit having a singular first light-receiving element disposed to face a direction of normal reflection of light, the light having been emitted from a first light-emitting element toward a first detection image formed on the rotary member and reflected thereat, and a second detecting unit having a singular second light-receiving element disposed to face a direction different from a direction of normal reflection of light, the light having been emitted from a second light-emitting element toward a second detection image formed on the rotary member and reflected thereat. A value relating to toner density is obtained based on a first detection result detected by the first detecting unit and a second detection result detected by the second detecting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to primarily an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotography type or electrostatic storage type image forming apparatus such as a copier or printer, which performs density correction of images. The present invention also relates to a density detecting device and density detecting method for detecting density of images.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been demand for improved stability of image quality in image forming apparatuses which form color images. To deal with this demand, density correction control is performed to correct change in density due to various factors. These factors include secular change in driving members and image forming members of the image forming apparatus from continuous use, change in the environment where the image forming apparatus is installed, change in temperature within the image forming apparatus, and so forth.
An example of density control is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-145679, where a toner image for density control (hereinafter referred to as "test image") is formed on a rotation member such as an intermediate transfer belt. The formed test image is detected by a detecting device, configured including a light emitting portion, a light receiving portion which receives normal reflection light that has been irradiated from the light emitting portion, and a light receiving portion which receives diffused reflection light that has been irradiated from the light emitting portion. The detection results detected at the detecting device are used to correct density, by controlling the amount of exposure at the time of forming a latent image, the area ratio when forming the latent image, charging voltage, developing voltage, and so forth, so that the density will be appropriate when forming an image.
However, depending on the state of the image forming apparatus, there may be difference in density according to the position in the main scanning direction of image formation (the longitudinal direction orthogonal to the rotational (circumferential) direction of an image bearing member). This is due to, for example, difference in contact pressure between the developing roller and developer blade in the main scanning direction, variance in photosensitivity and/or surface potential of the photosensitive drum in the main scanning direction, and so forth. Such variance might be able to be handled by forming test images of the same tone at multiple positions in the main scanning direction for example, and averaging the detection results.
However, suppressing variance in this way necessitates sensors to serve as multiple detecting devices to form multiple test images. While the precision of density correction control can be improved by averaging the detection results of the multiple test images, the number of sensors increases as the number of test images increases, so there has been a problem of increased costs.

Image forming apparatus, density detecting apparatus, and density detecting method


Dental compositions based on an bifunctional or polyfunctional acrylic-acid and/or methacrylic-acid esters, which contain an initiator system for radical polymerization and which additionally contain a compound of the general formula ##STR1## in which: Ar represents aryl or substituted aryl,. R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 represent hydrogen, aryl or substituted aryl, straight-chain or branched chain C.sub.1-18 -alkyl, C.sub.1-18 -alkoxyl or C.sub.1-17 -alkoxycarbonyl, in which alkyl and alkoxyl can be substituted by halogen or aryl, PA1 in which, R.sup.1 or R.sup.2, when represented by aryl or substituted aryl, C.sub.1-18 -alkyl or C.sub.1-18 -alkoxyl, can be linked with Ar by a single-bond and PA1 in which, Ar, when represented by phenyl, C.sub.1-18 -alkylphenyl, C.sub.1-18 -alkoxylphenyl, carboxyl-C.sub.1-17 -alkylphenyl or halogenphenyl, R.sup.2 can be represented by --O--, which is linked with the phenyl or phenyl moiety of Ar to a benzofuran, and PA1 in which at least one of R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 represents H, and at least one of R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 represents aryl or aryl substituted by a straight-chain or branched-chain C.sub.1-18 -alkyl, C.sub.1-18 -alkoxyl, carboxyl-C.sub.1-17 -alkyl or halogen.. As a result of the content of a compound (I) the setting phase of the dental compositions is lengthened.

The invention relates to a dental composition comprising
(a) 10-99.999% by weight of a bi-functional or polyfunctional acrylic-acid and/or methacrylic-acid ester dental compound, PA1 (b) 0.001 to 5% by weight of an initiator system capable of initiating radical polymerization, and PA1 (c) 0 to 89.999% by weight of auxiliary agents, such as fillers, thixotropic agents and the like, wherein the % by weight is based on the total weight of (a)+(b)+(c). PA1 (a) 10-99.999% by weight of a bifunctional, or polyfunctional, e.g., trifunctional, acrylic-acid and/or methacrylic-acid ester dental compound, PA1 (b) 0.001 to 5% by weight of an initiator system capable of initiating radical polymerization, and PA1 (c) 0 to 89.999% by weight of auxiliary agents, such as fillers, thixotropic agents and the like, wherein the % by weight is based on the total weight of (a)+(b)+(c), and PA1 (d) 0.001 to 10% by weight, based on the weight % of (a), of a dental compound of the general formula ##STR3## in which: Ar represents aryl or substituted aryl, which is substituted by straight-chain or branched-chain C.sub.1-18 -alkyl, C.sub.1-18 -alkoxyl, carboxyl-C.sub.1-17 -alkyl or halogen, PA1 R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3, which are the same or different, represent hydrogen, aryl or substituted aryl, which is substituted by straight-chain or branched-chain C.sub.1-18 -alkyl, C.sub.1-18 -alkoxyl, carboxyl-C.sub.1-17 -alkyl or halogen, or represent a straight-chain or branched-chain C.sub.1-18 -alkyl, C.sub.1-18 -alkoxyl, or C.sub.1-17 -alkoxycarbonyl, in which alkyl and alkoxyl can be substituted by halogen or aryl, PA1 in which, R.sup.1 or R.sup.2, when represented by aryl or substituted aryl, which is substituted by straight-chain or branched-chain C.sub.1-18 -alkyl, C.sub.1-18 -alkoxyl, carboxyl-C.sub.1-17 -alkyl or halogen, or when represented by C.sub.1-18 -alkyl or C.sub.1-18 -alkoxyl, can be linked with Ar by a single bond and PA1 in which, Ar, when represented by phenyl, C.sub.1-18 alkylphenyl, C.sub.1-18 alkoxyphenyl, carboxyl-C.sub.1-17 -alkylphenyl or halophenyl, R.sup.2 can be represented by --O--, which is linked with the phenyl or phenyl moiety of Ar to a benzofuran and PA1 in which, at least one of R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 represents H and at least one of R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 represents aryl or aryl substituted by straight-chain or branched-chain C.sub.1-18 -alkyl, C.sub.1-18 -alkoxyl, carboxyl-C.sub.1-17 -alkyl or halogen.
Dental compositions containing polymerizable dental compounds, e.g. tooth-filling materials, temporary crown and bridge materials or cementing materials, consist of plastics which are provided with organic or inorganic fillers. Depending on the intended application these can be highly liquid to highly viscous compositions. Temporary crown and bridge materials, for example, must on one hand show a good rheology so that they flow throughout the mold in question, on the other hand they must not be so fluid that they would flow out of the mold during a fitting in the jaw. These temporary crown and bridge materials are usually systems having a relatively low amount of fillers, which contain approximately 10 to 70% by weight of inorganic filler. The fillers used generally have an average particle size of 1 to 15 .mu.m. In addition, considerably finer fillers having a particle size of from 0.02 to 0.05 .mu.m are also used with the above fillers to make the compounds sufficiently plastic and thixotropic. The use of organic fillers, such as polymethacrylate, has also proved useful as temporary crown and bridge materials.
When producing such dental composition the object in the past has always been to not only allow the dentist sufficient time for processing, but also to keep the setting phase (that is the amount of time from the start of gelation to the time at which the hardening of the composition is complete), as short as possible, thus keeping the time in which a patient is being treated to a minimum. To achieve this objective, it was necessary to use systems which were as reactive as possible, such systems as photoinitiators or redox catalysts, which initiate the radical polymerization of acrylic-acid and methacrylic-acid esters in a short period of time. For example, European Patent Application 0 059 451 describes the use of certain malonyl sulphamides as activators for the peroxidic polymerization of polymerizable dental compounds. One of the advantages mentioned therein is the short setting phase despite the long processing time. In a similar manner the German laid open print 14 95 520 describes a process for the polymerization of acrylic-acid esters in which a catalyst system, consisting of organic peroxide, ionogenic halogen, a copper compound and a barbituric acid is used as the activator.
Even when photoinitiators were used the object was to employ the most reactive possible systems for the polymerizable dental compounds. This made possible a rapid polymerization in the short irradiation phase. For example, European Patent Specification 1 84 095 describes particularly reactive bis-acylphosphine oxides as photoinitiators for dental compounds.
The use of the most reactive possible initiator systems for the polymerization of the dental compounds based on acrylic-acid or methacrylic-acid esters has admittedly brought the advantage that hard plastic materials can be obtained in very short periods of time, for the dentist. However, because of the extremely rapid setting phase the problem arose that for some applications the time for preparing and processing the dental materials was too short, particularly for removing temporary crown and bridge materials.
Adhesive compositions are known from European Patent Application 211 104 which contain vinyl compounds and a compound of the general formula ##STR2## in which R.sub.1 represents hydrogen or methyl and R.sub.2 represents hydrogen or an optionally substituted alkyl radical with 1 to 5 carbon atoms. Bifunctional methacrylic-acid esters are mentioned among others as the vinyl compounds. Moreover, hardened resins and their use for the production of optical lenses are known from the German laid open print 31 20 965, which have been manufactured from bifunctional acrylic-acid or methacrylic-acid esters and a further unsaturated compound, in which the further unsaturated compound can be styrene, alpha-(C.sub.1-3)-alkylstyrene, vinyl naphthalene, etc. Tests have however shown that unsaturated compounds with only one aromatic radical such as described in the two above publications do not have a satisfactory effect with regard to the lengthening of the setting phase. Such additives are in any case only effective in very high concentrations and even then not to a satisfactory degree. It could therefore be established that the alpha-methylstyrene mentioned by way of example in the above published application is unable to effect any useful lengthening of the setting phase. Moreover, this type of compound has problems with regard to storage-stability and processing due to its low volatility, and in many areas of application, e.g., in dental compositions, the addition of readily volatile compounds is undesirable.

Dental compositions comprising bifunctional or polyfunctional acrylic-acid esters or methacrylic-acid esters

ESPE Stiftung & Co. Produktions-und Vertriebs KG


The display device includes at least one pixel having a first capacitive element having a first terminal and a transistor connected to the first terminal and having a second terminal and a gate electrode. A driving method of the display device including in a first frame, a signal with a first pulse width is supplied to the gate electrode of the transistor, and a first voltage is written from the second terminal to the first terminal. In the second frame after the first frame, a signal with a second pulse width is supplied to the gate electrode, and the first terminal holds the first voltage. In the third frame after the second frame, a signal with a third pulse width is supplied to the gate electrode, and the second voltage is written from the second terminal to the first terminal.

An electrophoresis display device is known as one example of a display device. An electrophoresis display device is called, for example, an electronic paper, and is widely used as a portable electronic book. An electrophoresis display device has a plurality of pixels. Each of the plurality of pixels includes, for example, a first electrode, a second electrode, an electrophoretic layer sandwiched between the first electrode and second electrode, a microcapsule included in the electrophoretic layer, and a switching element for supplying a voltage to one of the first electrode and the second electrode. When a voltage is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode of each of the plurality of pixels, particles in the microcapsule move between the first electrode and the second electrode. As a result, the electrophoresis display device can display images. Changing the time during which the voltage is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode of each of the plurality of pixels changes the distance that the microcapsule travels between the first electrode and the second electrode. Consequently, the electrophoresis display device can display so-called halftones (e.g., gray).
For example, when the switching element is unable to stably apply a voltage corresponding to halftones to one of either the first electrode or the second electrode, the electrophoresis display device displays uneven halftones. As a result, the display quality of the electrophoresis display device is impaired. For example, Japanese Laid Open Patent No. 2011-185989 discloses driving a driving method of an electrophoresis display device that reduce noises when displaying halftones and suppress deterioration of display quality.


A semiconductor device includes a substrate with contact pads. A mask is disposed over the substrate. Aluminum-wettable conductive paste is printed over the contact pads of the substrate. A semiconductor die is disposed over the aluminum-wettable conductive paste. The aluminum-wettable conductive paste is reflowed to form an interconnect structure over the contact pads of the substrate. The contact pads include aluminum. Contact pads of the semiconductor die are disposed over the aluminum-wettable conductive paste. The aluminum-wettable conductive paste is reflowed to form an interconnect structure between the contact pads of the semiconductor die and the contact pads of the substrate. The interconnect structure is formed directly on the contact pads of the substrate and semiconductor die. The contact pads of the semiconductor die are etched prior to reflowing the aluminum-wettable conductive paste. An epoxy pre-dot to maintain a separation between the semiconductor die and substrate.

Semiconductor devices are commonly found in modern electronic products. Semiconductor devices vary in the number and density of electrical components. Discrete semiconductor devices generally contain one type of electrical component, e.g., light emitting diode (LED), small signal transistor, resistor, capacitor, inductor, and power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). Integrated semiconductor devices typically contain hundreds to millions of electrical components. Examples of integrated semiconductor devices include microcontrollers, microprocessors, charged-coupled devices (CCDs), solar cells, and digital micro-mirror devices (DMDs).
Semiconductor devices perform a wide range of functions such as signal processing, high-speed calculations, transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals, controlling electronic devices, transforming sunlight to electricity, and creating visual projections for television displays. Semiconductor devices are found in the fields of entertainment, communications, power conversion, networks, computers, and consumer products. Semiconductor devices are also found in military applications, aviation, automotive, industrial controllers, and office equipment.
Semiconductor devices exploit the electrical properties of semiconductor materials. The structure of semiconductor material allows its electrical conductivity to be manipulated by the application of an electric field or base current or through the process of doping. Doping introduces impurities into the semiconductor material to manipulate and control the conductivity of the semiconductor device.
A semiconductor device contains active and passive electrical structures. Active structures, including bipolar and field effect transistors, control the flow of electrical current. By varying levels of doping and application of an electric field or base current, the transistor either promotes or restricts the flow of electrical current. Passive structures, including resistors, capacitors, and inductors, create a relationship between voltage and current necessary to perform a variety of electrical functions. The passive and active structures are electrically connected to form circuits, which enable the semiconductor device to perform high-speed calculations and other useful functions.
Semiconductor devices are generally manufactured using two complex manufacturing processes, i.e., front-end manufacturing, and back-end manufacturing, each involving potentially hundreds of steps. Front-end manufacturing involves the formation of a plurality of die on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. Each semiconductor die is typically identical and contains circuits formed by electrically connecting active and passive components. Back-end manufacturing involves singulating individual semiconductor die from the finished wafer and packaging the die to provide structural support and environmental isolation. The term "semiconductor die" as used herein refers to both the singular and plural form of the words, and accordingly can refer to both a single semiconductor device and multiple semiconductor devices.
One goal of semiconductor manufacturing is to produce smaller semiconductor devices. Smaller devices typically consume less power, have higher performance, and can be produced more efficiently. In addition, smaller semiconductor devices have a smaller footprint, which is desirable for smaller end products. A smaller semiconductor die size can be achieved by improvements in the front-end process resulting in semiconductor die with smaller, higher density active and passive components. Back-end processes may result in semiconductor device packages with a smaller footprint by improvements in electrical interconnection and packaging materials.
Semiconductor manufacturers also seek to reduce the cost of producing semiconductor devices while decreasing the time required to produce the devices. Semiconductor manufacturing requires many processing steps, including some steps simply to establish interconnection between semiconductor die and other electronic devices. Each additional process step increases both the cost and time required to produce a semiconductor device. Each processing step also introduces an opportunity for abnormalities to occur in the formation process. The process of forming flipchip interconnections, for example, is relatively time consuming and expensive.

Semiconductor device and method of making bumpless flipchip interconnect structures