A vacuum conveyor apparatus stabilizes multiple single file lanes of objects conveyed on a conveying surface of the apparatus by directing vacuum pressure through multiple slots beneath the conveying surface where the multiple slots are aligned with the multiple lanes of objects on the conveying surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a vacuum conveyor apparatus that stabilizes multiple single file lanes of objects conveyed on a conveying surface of the apparatus by directing vacuum pressure through multiple slots beneath the conveying surface where the multiple slots are aligned with the multiple lanes of objects on the conveying surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conveying systems for conveying multiple objects, for example lightweight blow-molded plastic bottles being manufactured at a manufacturing facility, typically include portions of the conveying system that quickly convey multiple side-by-side lanes or streams of the bottles on a belt conveyor from one station of the conveying system to another station. For example, multiple side-by-side lanes of bottles may be conveyed on a conveying belt surface from a blow molding station where the bottles are formed to a downstream palletizing station where the bottles are arranged on pallets. Conveying the bottles in multiple side-by-side lanes or streams increases the overall efficiency of the conveying system as opposed to conveying a single lane of bottles. The multiple lanes of bottles are maintained in their side-by-side positions on the conveying belt surface by guide rails positioned over the belt surface. The guide rails extend along the belt surface length and along the opposite sides of each lane of bottles.
The multiple lanes of bottles on a first conveyor are often conveyed to a row former. The row former separates a set number of bottles from each of the lanes and forms them into parallel rows that then are moved by the row former to a second conveyor. A typical row former includes a plurality of straight, parallel bars. The spaces between adjacent pairs of bars receive the set number of bottles when forming them into a row. The row former bars generally align with the guide rails of the first conveyor when the row former bars are lowered as the row former area receives the bottles from the conveyor. The row former also has a conveying belt surface that is aligned with and moves in the same direction as the first conveyor belt surface.
The first conveyor typically has gates positioned at the ends of the conveyor guide rails and adjacent the row former bars. The gates are controlled to move between opened and closed positions. In the closed positions the conveying belt surface of the first conveyor continues to move and the gates prevent the multiple lanes of bottles between the guide rails from moving into the row former area. When the gates are operated to move to their opened positions they allow a set number of bottles from each of the selected multiple lanes of bottles on the first conveyor to pass the gates and move into the row former area. As the gates become opened, the first conveyor and the second conveyor are then accelerated to quickly move the desired number of bottles or containers in the selected lanes past the gates and are then decelerated as the predetermined numbers of bottles in the lanes near completion. Once the set number of bottles has passed the gates, the gates are then operated to move to their closed positions where the gates again hold back the multiple lanes of bottles as the conveying belt surface continues to move.
The end of the row former has stop surfaces between each pair of adjacent row former bars. The stop surfaces stop the movement of the released bottles as the conveying belt surface of the row former continues to move. With the desired number of bottles per rows having been achieved in the row former area and with the row former simultaneously arriving downwardly on opposite sides of the rows, the row former, with the arrayed rows of bottles, then moves in a direction perpendicular to the rows of bottles and sweeps the rows of bottles across the row former belt surface and onto a conveying surface of the second conveyor. The bars of the row former while moving forward also simultaneously move upward from the second conveyor surface, leaving the numbers of bottles in the first arranged rows of bottles on the second conveyor surface. The row former is then moved in the opposite direction back to its position where the row former bars are again aligned with the/first conveyor guide rails. The row former then moves downwardly, aligning the spacings between the row former bars with the multiple lanes of bottles that have been released by the gates of the first conveyor. When the set number of bottles passes the gates, the gates are again moved to their closed positions where the gates hold back the multiple lanes of bottles on the first conveyor. The row former reaches its lowered position over the row former area conveying belt surface just prior to the released numbers of bottles reaching the stop surfaces of the row former. The movement of the row former described earlier is then again repeated, leaving the numbers of bottles in the second arranged rows on the second conveyor surface. This movement of the row former is repeated in forming two dimensional arrays of bottles on the second conveyor.
In prior art conveyor systems, the configurations of some plastic blow molded bottles have presented problems. Bottles having a much larger height dimension relative to their width dimension tend to be unstable. Additionally many blow molded bottles are formed with bottom surfaces having recessed center areas or some other configurations that reduces the contact areas of the bottom surfaces with the conveyor belt surface. These make the bottles unstable.
When the lanes of bottles are released from the gates of the first conveyor and move onto the conveying surface of the row former, the row former conveying surface at first accelerates to quickly load the multiple lanes of bottles into the row former area and then quickly decelerates just before the multiple lanes of bottles come into contact with the stop surfaces at the end of the row former. This quick acceleration and deceleration of the multiple lanes of bottles on the row former conveying surface can result in bottles conveyed into the row former area falling over before the row former bars are lowered over the lanes of bottles.
Still further, when the multiple lanes of bottles moved into the area of the row former on the row former conveying surface contact the stop surfaces at the end of the row former, the contact can result in bottles at the ends of the multiple lanes of bottles being knocked over.

Vacuum conveyor apparatus for stabilizing multiple lanes of objects conveyed on a conveying surface of the apparatus


A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture which provides for synchronizing classes, objects, attributes, object properties, etc., in an object-oriented system. The method comprises the steps of identifying target classes, objects, attributes, object properties, etc., verifying whether the synchronization of each of the targets can proceed, and modifying the targets, wherein the target classes, objects, attributes, etc. are synchronized across the object-oriented system. The identifying step further comprises the steps of navigating the object-oriented system based on definitional relationships and ownership relationships, generating target identifiers that uniquely identify the targets, and recording the target identifiers in a linear data structure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to object-oriented environments, and in particular to a method for synchronizing classes, objects, attributes, and object properties across an object-oriented system.
2. Description of Related Art
In object-oriented systems, there is often a need to modify classes, objects, attributes and object properties across an object-oriented system. Current methods for modifying definitions are not necessarily structured and are often complex. Such complex methods often result in numerous errors and inefficiencies throughout the object-oriented system, and are overly inflexible. What is needed, then, is a straightforward, efficient method for synchronizing definitions across an object-oriented system. There is a further need in the art for a method that allows a user to know the scope of actions before they are taken, and to selectively apply the modifications.

Method for synchronizing classes, objects, attributes and object properties across an object-oriented system

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention improves a method of forming a surface unevenness using a difference in etching rates, and relaxes limitations on substrates in this method. In a method of the present invention, an uneven surface is formed by a method including applying pressure to a predetermined region in a surface of a thin film formed on a substrate, and etching a region including at least a portion of the predetermined region and at least a portion of the reminder of the surface that excludes the predetermined region. An etching rate difference within the thin film increases freedom in selecting a substrate material.

There has been proposed a method of forming a surface having an unevenness by pressing parts of a surface of a glass substrate to form a compressed layer and subsequently etching the surface (JP 2002-160943A). With this method, depressions and projections are formed on the surface of the glass substrate due to an etching rate difference between the compressed portion (layer) and the remaining portion within the glass substrate. Use of this method makes it possible to impart minute projections and depressions over a wide surface area far more easily and more efficiently than using a photolithography technique.
However, there is a limitation on the types of substrates to which this method can be applied. The reason is that it is necessary for this method to form within a substrate a compressed layer whose etching rate is reduced to such a degree that projections can be formed. In JP 2002-160943A, a glass substrate containing SiO2 and Al2O3 is disclosed as a substrate suitable for the above-mentioned method.

Method of manufacturing article having uneven surface


A method is disclosed for functionalizing biosensors. The biosensors are based on semiconductor chips mounted on a finished processed wafer. They are provided with sensor fields placed thereupon, which are arranged in any array, and, to be precise, for carrying out a functionalization, for example, with organic molecules such as nucleic acids like DNA, RNA and PNA or with their derivatives, proteins, sugar molecules, or antibodies.

Biosensor arrays are used to detect molecules in an analyte that is to be tested. Arrays of this type are increasingly realized on chips, with a view to miniaturization. The sensors are often arranged in large numbers on a substrate. The high degree of parallelism allows different tests to be carried out in parallel at the same time, for example tests for the presence of different substances (e.g. molecules) in a predetermined analyte. This property indicates that sensor arrangements of this type, including a corresponding evaluation system, have numerous possible applications in medical diagnostics, such as for example in the point-of-care or home-care sector, in the pharmaceutical industry (e.g. for pharmaceutical screening, pharmacogenomics, high throughput screening HTS)), in the chemical industry, in food analysis, in general scientific research, such as for example gene sequencing, and in environmental and food technology.
To functionalize such biosensors or biochips, it is customary for a small quantity of binding-ready capture molecules, also referred to as probes, for example a specific nucleic acid sequence, to be immobilized on the surface of a specifically configured substrate (biochip base module). This immobilization, according to the coupling chemistry used, is usually implemented at the substrate surface in such a manner that the capture molecules remain thereon even in the event of washing processes. Therefore, the basic principle of many known sensors is based on first of all capture molecules of this type being applied to a chip in a position-specific manner, for example using micro-dispensing techniques, and being immobilized using a corresponding binding chemistry. The application is preferably in an array format, in which case, by way of example, different oligonucleotide sequences can be immobilized at different array positions.
By minimizing the dimensions of the individual positions of an array, it is possible on the one hand to increase the array density and on the other hand to improve the sensitivity of detection. Then, by way of example, highly parallel DNA analyses can be carried out by means of a DNA microarray formed in this way. The analyte molecules to be tested, such as for example nucleic acids, are usually marked and hybridized with the capture molecules such as for example nucleic acids, on the chip. Hybridization generally takes place only between exactly complementary nucleic acid molecules. The intensity of the signal measured is usually proportional to the quantity of hybridized sample.
The abovementioned arrays have in recent years also been realized on an industrial scale in a biochip with integrated electronic evaluation technology. A biochip of this type allows fast, simple and inexpensive analysis of biomolecules, such as for example the abovementioned nucleic acids or proteins, in clinical diagnostics and patient-individual medicine. A biochip of this type or its base module may, for example, contain a multiplicity of miniaturized sample holders or sensor elements with metal electrodes, such as for example gold electrodes, which are arranged in an interdigital structure and to which biomolecules can in each case be applied. The evaluation is then effected using extremely small current profiles. Biochips of this type are based on a standard CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) semiconductor fabrication process with additional gold electrodes.
However, one drawback of the fabrication of biosensors of this type is that to date functionalization of semiconductor chips, for example with organic molecules, such as DNA or proteins, has not been possible at wafer level, since the functional layer, i.e. the layer which comprises the capture molecules, cannot be preserved for a prolonged period of time and is often destroyed during singulation, i.e. when the chips are being sawn out. Moreover, the application of a defined quantity of functional molecules for functionalizing the sensor fields is problematic, in that divergent flow on the part of the liquid quantity reduces the concentration, and if the liquid quantities flow into one another sensor signal crosstalk occurs.
A further drawback is that a complex but ultimately inadequate cleaning procedure has to be carried out prior to the functionalization. Another problem of the biosensors available in the prior art is the occurrence of offset currents, caused by unspecific reactions, during electrochemical reading.
To overcome the abovementioned problems, at present, after singulation, the chips are cleaned and functionalized individually by hand, which is expensive. However, such handling cannot be implemented on a large industrial scale.

Method for functionalizing biosensor chips


A test circuit includes: a register circuit, into which data is written after data is cleared in compliance with a reset instruction, the register circuit holding the written data until a subsequent reset instruction is input; a TAP controller which receives a signal for selecting a test mode, and writes the data into the register circuit in accordance with the signal for selecting a test mode in synchronization with a first clock; a pattern generation circuit which generates a test pattern in accordance with the data held in the register circuit, and outputs data based on the test pattern to the circuit to be tested in synchronization with a second clock; and a data comparator which receives data output from the circuit to be tested in synchronization with the second clock, and makes an evaluation of performance in accordance with the test pattern and the data output from the circuit to be tested.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a test circuit such as a built-in self test (BIST) circuit and method for testing a high-speed semiconductor memory or other circuits to be tested, and a semiconductor integrated circuit device including a test circuit and a logic circuit (a CPU, for instance) disposed in the same semiconductor substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of test circuits for testing the performance of a semiconductor integrated circuit such as a semiconductor memory have been proposed. For instance, Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) Publication No. 2004-93421 discloses a BIST circuit for testing a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). The BIST circuit receives a test input pattern (a test clock tck, a test mode signal tms, and a test data input signal tdi) which is a standard serial interface signal conforming to the JTAG standard, for instance, generates a test pattern based on a test mode selection signal ctrl determined in accordance with the test mode signal tms and the test data input signal tdi, and tests an SDRAM as a circuit to be tested using the generated test pattern.
However, the conventional BIST circuit described above is configured to test the SDRAM while a test input pattern (a test clock tck, a test mode signal tms, and a test data input signal tdi) is being supplied. Therefore, if the input test pattern is interrupted or modified while the SDRAM is being tested, the test may be aborted or may be disabled.

Circuit and method for testing semiconductor device


A seatbelt retractor for winding a seatbelt includes a spool for winding the seatbelt, a motor for generating rotational torque to rotate the spool, and a clutch mechanism. The clutch mechanism connects a power transmission path to transmit the rotational torque of the motor to the spool in a connected mode, and disconnects the power transmission path in a disconnected mode. A noise preventing device prevents noise when the clutch mechanism is in the disconnected mode.

The present invention relates to a seatbelt retractor to be installed in a vehicle such as an automobile or the like for retracting a seatbelt with a motor to restrain and protect a passenger and, more specifically, relates to a seatbelt retractor including a clutch mechanism for connecting and disconnecting a power transmission path. The present invention also relates to a seatbelt device provided with the seatbelt retractor.
Conventionally, a seatbelt device is installed in a vehicle such as an automobile or the like, and in case of emergency when great deceleration acts upon a vehicle in a collision or the like, a seatbelt restrains a passenger so as to prevent the passenger from being thrown out of the seat, thereby protecting the passenger. Such a seatbelt device includes a seatbelt retractor for retracting the seatbelt. The seatbelt retractor includes forcing means such as a spiral spring or the like for forcing a spool to rotate in a belt-retracting direction all the times for winding the seatbelt thereon. That is, the seatbelt is wound onto the spool due to the force of the forcing means when the passenger does not wear the seatbelt.
On the other hand, the seatbelt is extracted against the force of the forcing means when the passenger wears the seatbelt. The seatbelt retractor has lock means for prohibiting rotation of the spool in a belt-extracting direction in case of emergency such as the aforementioned examples, thereby prohibiting extraction of the seatbelt in case of emergency. Thus, with the seatbelt, the passenger is restrained and protected in a sure manner in case of emergency.
In such a conventional seatbelt device, a generally constant belt tension is applied to the seatbelt with the forcing means at the time of wearing the seatbelt. Accordingly, the seatbelt retractor operates generally in a single mode regardless of a situation of the vehicle including the seatbelt device and the surroundings thereof. In this case, while the conventional seatbelt device restrains and protects the passenger in a sure manner in case of emergency as described above, the seatbelt is not controlled so as to provide comfortable wearing for the passenger in situations other than emergency. Furthermore, there is increased demand for a seatbelt wherein the passenger is more stably restrained so as to be protected in a surer manner in case of emergency.
Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-104135 has disclosed a passenger restraining/protecting system in which a motor is provided for controlling rotation of the spool of the seatbelt retractor corresponding to a situation of the vehicle including the seatbelt device and the surroundings thereof so as to adjust belt tension, thereby more efficiently restraining and protecting the passenger, and providing more comfortable wearing for the passenger.
In the seatbelt retractor disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-104135, when the motor is not driven, a power transmission path for transmitting the driving force of the motor to the spool is disconnected so that the driving force is not transmitted to the spool, and both the motor and the spool rotate freely. When the motor is driven in the belt-retracting direction (referred to as forward rotational direction) for retracting the seatbelt, the power transmission path is connected through the forward rotation of the motor, thereby transmitting the driving force of the motor to the spool. Accordingly, the seatbelt retractor is controlled so that the spool rotates in the belt-retracting direction so as to retract the seatbelt by the driving force of the motor, thereby increasing the belt tension. Furthermore, in this case, when the motor rotates in the reverse direction for releasing the seatbelt, the power transmission path is disconnected. As a result, both the motor and the spool rotate freely, i.e., the spool is not affected by the driving force of the motor.
As described above, in the seatbelt retractor disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-104135, when the motor rotates, the clutch for controlling the power transmission path is connected so as to connect the power transmission path. On the other hand, when the motor rotates in reverse, the clutch is disconnected so as to shut off the power transmission path.
In the seatbelt retractor disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-104135, it is necessary to stop the motor after the power transmission path is disconnected and the clutch of the power transmission path turns off. Accordingly, in a conventional seatbelt retractor, a period of time for reverse rotation is set based on a period of time from the start of the reverse rotation of the motor to completion of disconnecting the clutch. In this case, the period of time required for disconnecting the clutch varies according to an operating situation of the retractor. Accordingly, the period of time for the reverse rotation is set to be a maximum period of time required for disconnecting the clutch in every situation. As a result, in every situation, the motor stops driving after completion of disconnecting the clutch in a sure manner.
However, when a fixed period of time for the reverse rotation of the motor for disconnecting the clutch is set, the motor rotates in reverse for a relatively long time in most ordinary situations, thereby always generating mechanical noise. While the mechanical noise caused no particular problem in the seatbelt retractor disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-104135, the mechanical noise is preferably suppressed as much as possible.
In view of the problems described above, the present invention has been made, and an object of the invention is to provide a seatbelt retractor having a configuration wherein a mechanical noise is suppressed when the clutch is disconnected.
Another object of the invention is to provide a seatbelt device provided with the seatbelt retractor.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.


The present disclosure relates to a question generating method and apparatus, an inquiring diagnosis system, and a computer readable storage medium. The question generating apparatus includes at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to: acquire a candidate question set Q; calculate an information value of each candidate question in the candidate question set Q; and generate at least one question according to the information value of each candidate question.

With the rapid development of human-computer interaction technology, intelligent inquiring diagnosis has become one of the important research fields of artificial intelligence. An intelligent inquiring diagnosis system collects a patient's symptoms and signs information through human-computer interactions with the patient.
In related technology, many times of interaction with patients are needed to collect comprehensive symptoms and signs information so as to make an accurate diagnosis.

Question generating method and apparatus, inquiring diagnosis system, and computer readable storage medium


An antenna device is attached to an outer face of a plate member having a through hole connecting the outer face and inner face of the plate member. A cover defines a space for covering an antenna element. A tubular projection extends from the cover so as to communicate with the space and has a first locking member. The projection is inserted into the through hole from the outside to the inside of the plate member in a first direction. A cap member has a second locking member and is adapted to be fitted with the projection from the inside of the plate member such that the second locking member is engaged with the first locking member to lock the cap member in contact with the inner face of the plate member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a mounting structure of an antenna device with respect to a roof of an automobile, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
An on-vehicle antenna device can be installed by mounting an antenna module to a desired position of a vehicle body, for example, a roof or a neighboring place. A helical antenna element is an omni-directional antenna element, and suitable for receiving various signals such as satellite radio broadcasting signals, broadcasting global positioning system (GPS) signals, cellular telephone signals, etc.
The related art is Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-A-10-22718.
In the above described on-vehicle antenna device, in order to remove an output of the antenna element, it is necessary to draw a lead cable into the vehicle and connect it to a receiving apparatus or the like. For this purpose, a hollow base projection is integrally provided on a bottom cover which contains the antenna element. This base projection is inserted into an opening formed in the roof so that the lead cable can be drawn into the vehicle by way of the base projection.
As in the conventional mounting structure described above, it is known that the above described base projection is in a form of a bolt which is integral with the bottom cover, and this bolt is fixed to the roof by tightening it with nuts by way of a washer. In this case, it is necessary to insert the base projection of the bottom cover into the opening formed in the roof from the outside of the vehicle, and to tighten it with nuts by way of the washer from the inside of the vehicle room.
According to such conventional mounting structure, it is necessary to contemporaneously insert the base projection into the opening formed in the roof, and tighten the nuts from the inside of the vehicle room. Therefore, the mounting work has become cumbersome, not only because at least two workers are required, but because a number of steps are required for the mounting work.


An information processing apparatus which communicates with an image capturing apparatus and reproduces video data obtained by the image capturing apparatus, comprises a unit which requests a segment list in which information of segments of video data is written; a unit which acquires the requested segment list; a unit which decides which segment, from the segments in the acquired segment list to request; a unit which requests the decided segment from the image capturing apparatus; and a unit which acquires the requested segment, in the case where a number of segments in the acquired segment list is greater than a first threshold, a predetermined segment from the segments in the segment list is requested and the predetermined segment is neither the latest segment nor the earliest segment in the segment list.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the transmission of data between two devices via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method for executing streaming data transfer using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)/Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which have conventionally been used for file transfer, is known as a conventional technique for streaming. Depending on the state of the network, delay may occur due to congestion when streaming using this method. Accordingly, there is a technique that calculates a normal reproduction time of video packets held in a client buffer based on a frame number and a framerate and furthermore computes a total reproduction time for the contents of the buffer, and determines a video reproduction speed in accordance with the lengths of the times (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-244097). Meanwhile, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-164537 discloses deleting all of the data within a terminal buffer in order to reduce delay when performing remote operations from the terminal.
However, although Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-244097 does lengthen the reproduction time in the case where a worsening in the network state makes data transfer difficult, the client-side buffer nevertheless will ultimately overflow. In addition, although Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-164537 reduces delay time and improves operability by deleting all of the server-side buffer data, a large amount of data held in the client-side buffer will be deleted entirely, and thus long, continuous videos will be deleted.

Information processing apparatus and control method thereof


A portable information handling system (IHS) includes an external module which derives its power from the internal unregulated DC power rail of the IHS. An IHS power subsystem includes a multiple threshold current protection circuit which continuously monitors power usage by the external module. The multiple threshold current limit protection circuit dynamically adjusts the current limit depending on whether the IHS is powered by an AC source or a DC battery source.

The disclosures herein relate generally to information handling systems and more particularly to a portable information handling system providing power to an external module and employing a current limit protection circuit for the external module.
As the value and use of information continue to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Portable information handling systems (IHS's) often include external modules such as CD Read, CD Read/Write, DVD Drives and floppy disk drives, for example. The external modules typically derive their power from the unregulated DC power circuitry within the IHS, thereby placing a power drain on the resources of the IHS power subsystem. It is desirable that the IHS provide protection from an over-current state by placing a limit on the amount of power which the external modules draw.
Prior information handling systems have relied on current interrupting devices such as constant current fuses to limit the amount of power to external modules and to protect the critical power levels within the IHS. This method has been shown to be inadequate do to the large variation in current drain associated with the wide variety of external modules and the associated unpredictable power usages of these external modules. In addition, the current drain associated with each external module is affected by the voltage of the supply within the IHS. The power source of the IHS may be the AC mains or a battery powered DC source. One AC source that is used for IHS power in a fixed location is an AC adapter which provides an unregulated DC source to the internal main DC unregulated power rail of the IHS. Typical DC power sources that are used for an IHS to operate in a portable mode are nickel metal hydride batteries and lithium ion batteries. When an IHS is powered by batteries, variations in voltage occur at the main DC unregulated power rail due to the variable voltage associated with DC batteries conditional upon the level of charge.
One additional problem with the above constant current fuse approach is that selecting a single current value for the current limit does not allow the IHS to function over a full range of AC adapter output DC voltages and battery DC voltages as well as the wide range of external module power requirements. The portable IHS is left vulnerable to excessive current drain by the external module and subsequent external module faults (shorts) which could potentially cause system shutdowns and data loss.
What is needed is an information handling system which is capable of supplying power to an external module while accommodating a wide range of AC adapter output DC voltages and battery DC voltages.

Information handling system interrupting current to external module if current exceeds different current limits when handling system receives current from battery and alternating current source


The target for the transparent conductive thin film having indium oxide as its major component and containing tungsten and/or molybdenum, obtained by forming a body of indium oxide powder, and tungsten oxide power and/or molybdenum oxide powder and then heating or sintering the formed body such that the thin film after sputtering has indium oxide as the main component and contains tungsten and/or molybdenum with an atomic ratio (W+Mo)/In of 0.0040 to 0.0470, whereby a transparent conductive thin film having excellent surface smoothness and low specific resistance of 6.0×10−4 Ω·cm or less, and whose surface smoothness and specific resistance properties do not change even when heated at 170° C. is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transparent conductive thin film that is used as a liquid-crystal display (LCD) element, organic electroluminescence (EL) element or solar cell display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Transparent conductive thin film has a high level of conductivity (for example, specific resistance of 1×10−3Ω·cm or less) and a high transmission factor in the visible light range, so in addition to being used in the terminals of solar batteries, liquid-crystal display elements and other light-receiving elements, it is also used as; heat-reflective film for the window glass of automobiles and buildings; anti-static film; and as the transparent anti-fog heating clement in refrigerated showcases.
Tin oxide (SnO2) film doped with antimony or fluorine, zinc oxide (ZnO) film doped with aluminum or gallium, or indium oxide (In2O3) doped with tin have been widely used for transparent conductive thin film. Particularly, iridium oxide doped with tin, or in other words, In2O3—Sn type film, called ITO (Indium tin oxide), is often used because it can be easily made into a film having low resistance.
A sputtering method is often used as the method for manufacturing these transparent conductive thin films. The sputtering method is an effective method when using a material with low vapor pressure to form a film on an object hereafter called the 'substrate'), or when the thickness of the film must be precisely controlled, and it is widely used because operation is very simple.
The sputtering method is usually performed under conditions of argon gas at a pressure of 10 Pa or less and using the substrate as the anode and target as the cathode, between which a glow discharge occurs to generate argon plasma such that the positive argon ions in the plasma collide with the cathode target and break off the particles of The target and to deposit those particles on the substrate to form a film.
The sputtering method is classified by the method used to generate argon plasma, so a method that uses high-frequency plasma is called a high-frequency sputtering method, and a method that uses direct-current plasma is called a direct-current sputtering method Also, a method in which a magnet is placed behind the target to form a film by concentrating the argon plasma directly onto the target to improve the collision rate of the argon ions even under low gas pressure is called a magnetron sputter method. Normally, a direct-current magnetron sputter method is used as the method for manufacturing transparent conductive thin film.
A smooth transparent conductive film is necessary for the surface of the electrodes of an LCD or organic EL display Particularly, in the case of the electrodes for an organic EL display, an ultra-thin film made from organic compounds is formed on top, so a very smooth surface is necessary. Generally, surface smoothness is largely influenced by the crystallinity of the film. Even for film with the same composition, an amorphous film with no grain boundaries has very good surface smoothness.
In the case of the prior ITO structure, an amorphous ITO film that is formed by lowering the substrate temperature and performing sputtering at low temperature (150° C. or lower) and high pressure (1 Pa or greater) has excellent surface smoothness. However, the specific resistance of an amorphous ITO film is limited to 6×10−4Ω·cm, and in order to form an electrode film having low surface resistance, the film itself must be made to be thick. When the film thickness of the ITO film is tick, a problem of film coloration occurs.
Also, in the case of an ITO film that is formed at room temperature without heating The substrate, when the sputter gas pressure is low, the kinetic energy of the sputter particles input to the substrate is high, so a localized temperature rise occurs, and a film is formed having a minute crystal phase and amorphous phase. In addition to X-ray diffraction, the existence of a minute crystal phase can be confirmed by using a transmission electron microscope or by electron beam diffraction. When this kind of minute crystal phase is formed in part of the film, the surface smoothness of the film is greatly affected. Moreover, when using a weak acid to perform etching removal to form the prescribed shape of the film, there is a problem in that it is not possible to remove just the crystal phase and some may remain.
Besides the problem with specific resistance, amorphous ITO film has a problem with stability. When an amorphous ITO film is used for the electrodes of an LCD or organic EL display, crystallization of the electrode film occurs when heating is performed at 150° C. or greater by thermal hysteresis during the manufacturing process after the electrode has been formed. This is because the amorphous phase is a metastable phase. When crystallization occurs, crystal grains are formed, and there is a problem in that the surface smoothness becomes poor and specific resistance varies greatly.
Next, the organic electroluminescence element will be explained. An electroluminescence element (hereafter abbreviated as EL element) employs electroluminescence, and since it is self emitting and so high in visibility and since it is a completely solid-state element, it is very impact resistant, therefore its use has gain much attention as a light-emitting element for all kinds of display devices. There are inorganic EL elements that use inorganic compounds as the light-emitting material, and there are organic EL elements that use organic compounds which includes polymertype organic compounds. Of these, it is easy to make organic EL elements that are small in size and have a greatly lowered drive voltage, so research for application in next-generation display elements is actively being pursued. Organic EL elements are basically constructed with an anode, light-emitting layer and cathode, and are normally used for forming a transparent anode on a glass substrate or the like. In this case, light emission is performed on the substrate side.
Recently, for the reasons explained below, attempts have been made to make the anode transparent and to perform light emission from the anode side. First, by making the cathode transparent along with the anode, a totally transparent light-emitting element is possible. Any arbitrary color can be used as the background color of the transparent light-emitting element, which makes it possible to have a colorful display even when light is not emitted and thus improves appearance. Using black as the background color improves contrast during light emission. Next, when using a color filter or color transformation layer, it is possible to place it on top of the light-emitting element. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture the element without having to consider these layers. One advantage of this, for example, is that it is possible to raise the temperature of the substrate when forming the anode, and this makes it possible to lower the resistance of the anode.
Also, the advantage described above can also be obtained by making the cathode transparent, so attempts are being made to manufacture organic EL elements that use transparent cathodes. For example, the organic EL element disclosed in Japanese patent publication Tokukai Hei 10-162959 comprises an organic layer that includes an organic light-emitting layer located between an anode and cathode, and the cathode has a metal layer that is injected with electrons and an amorphous transparent conductive layer such that the electron-injection metal layer comes in contact with the organic layer. Also, in Japanese patent publication Tokukai 2001-43980, an organic EL element is disclosed in which the cathode is made to be transparent and a light-reflecting metal film is used for the anode, and light is effectively obtained from the cathode.
Next, the electron-injection metal layer will be explained. The electron-injection metal layer is a metal layer in which electrons can be injected in an organic layer that includes the light-emitting layer, and in order to obtain a transparent light-emitting element, it is preferable that the light transmittance be 50% or greater, and therefore it is preferable that the film thickness be ultra thin or about 0.5 to 20 nm. A metal (electron-injection metal) such as Mg, Ca, Ba, Sr, Li, Yb, Eu, Y or Sc having a work function of 3.8 cV or less and a thickness of 1 nm to 20 nm can be used as the electron-injection metal layer. In this case, it is preferred that the light transmittance be 50% or greater, and more preferably 60% or greater.
The organic layer between the anode and cathode includes at least a light-emitting layer. The organic layer can also be just a light-emitting layer, or together with the light-emitting layer it is possible to have multi-layer construction with layers such as an electron-hole transport layer. In the organic EL element, the organic layer can (1) have the function of injecting electron holes by the anode or electron-hole transport layer when an electric field is applied and the function of injecting electrons by an electron-injection layer; (2) have a transport function that moves the injected electric charge (electron and electron hole) by the force of the electric field; (3) provide a place inside the light-emitting layer for recombining the electrons and electron holes, and have a light-emitting function. The electron-hole injected transport layer is a layer made from an electron-hole transfer compound and has the function of transferring electron-holes that were injected by the anode to the light-emitting layer, and by placing this electron-hole injected transport layer between the anode and light-emitting layer, many electron holes can be injected into the light-emitting layer with a weaker electric field. In addition, the electrons that are injected into the light-emitting layer by the electron-injection layer are obstructed by an electron barrier that exists at the boundary between the light-emitting layer and the electron-hole transport layer and accumulate near the boundary in the light-emitting layer and improve the light-emitting efficiency of the EL element to make for an EL element with excellent light-emitting capability.
The anode is not particularly limited as long as the work function indicates conductivity of 4.4 eV or greater, more preferably 4.8 eV or greater. A metal, transparent conductive film (conductive oxide film) or a combination of these having a work function of 4.8 eV or greater is preferred. The anode does not necessarily have to be transparent, and can be coated with a black carbon layer or the like. Suitable metals include, for example, Au, Pt, Ni and Pd, and the conductive oxide can be, In—Zn—O, In—Sn—O, ZnO—Al or Zn—Sn—O. Also, combinations could include laminated layers of Au and In—Zn—O, Pt arid In—Zn—O, or In—Sn—O and Pt. Moreover, since the anode is suitable as long as the boundary with the organic layer has a work function of 4.4 eV or greater, the anode can be two layered, and a conductive layer having a work function of 4.4 eV or less can be used on the side that does not come in contact with the organic layer. In this case, a metal such as Al, Ta or W, or an alloy such as Al alloy or Ta—W alloy can be used. Also, it is possible to use a conductive polymer such as doped polyaniline or doped polyphenylenevinylene, or an amorphous semiconductor such as a-Si, a-SiC, or a-C, furthermore, a black semiconductive oxide such as Cr2O3, Pr2O3, NiO, Mn2O5 or MnO2 etc.
It is preferable that the transparent conductive layer of the cathode in the organic EL element be an amorphous transparent conductive layer with low film stress and good smoothness. Also, in order to eliminate voltage drops and the unevenness in light emission that is caused by it, it is preferred that the specific resistance be 6×10−4Ω·cm or less.
Indium oxide film containing tungsten and/or molybdenum is well known. For example, Japanese patent publication Tokuko Sho 50-19125 discloses a technique of manufacturing an indium oxide film containing tungsten or molybdenum on a glass substrate heated to 350° C. by the electron-beam evaporation method. However, the aim of the indium oxide film containing tungsten or molybdenum of this disclosure is an indium oxide film with low resistance, and not that of improving the surface smoothness of the film or raising the crystallization temperature In this disclosure, nothing is mentioned about making an amorphous film or improving the surface smoothness of the film and it is not stated that the crystallization temperature of the film is raised by adding tungsten and/or molybdenum.
An amorphous film is not obtained by simply adding tungsten and/or molybdenum as in the case of the indium oxide film containing tungsten and/or molybdenum described in the disclosure mentioned above, and it is not possible to obtain an amorphous indium oxide film containing tungsten and/or molybdenum when the film is formed at 350° C. as described above. It is not possible to obtain an amorphous film by simply adding tungsten in this way, and neither is it possible to obtain a film with excellent surface smoothness as well as low resistance and high trasmissivity.
Obtaining a transparent conductive film with excellent surface smoothness and that is stable even in the thermal hysteresis of the manufacturing process was impossible using conventional ITO material, and thus it was difficult to use the film in the transparent electrodes of display elements such as an organic EL display or LCD.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Target for transparent conductive thin film, transparent conductive thin film and manufacturing method thereof, electrode material for display, organic electroluminescence element and solar cell


A method for modeling geological structures includes identifying fault planes in a geologic structure, and creating a set of substantially vertically oriented pillars along the fault plane. The pillar grids are then combined into a common three-dimensional grid pillar network, and a two-dimensional plane is defined that intersects the middle node of the pillars. Planes are identified that are oriented in the substantially horizontal direction and horizontal node points are created, and such a process is repeated for other node levels. A skeleton grid is then created by drawing a substantially vertically oriented pillar through each corresponding grid intersection, and then primary horizons as defined by interpretation of seismic data are inserted into the skeleton grid. And, a final scale resolution is created by dividing the spaces bounded between actual horizons and fault planes, and eventual actual part of the outer boundary into one or more horizontally oriented fine layers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and systems for use in constructing three-dimensional geological models. In particular, the invention provides methods, apparatuses and systems for more effectively and efficiently creating such models using a grid of pillars in three dimensions.
2. Discussion of the Background
The energy industry is continuously involved in the location of underground deposits of hydrocarbons, such as oil, in earth formations. In order to locate such hydrocarbons, "computer modeling" is a technique that is used for the purpose of simulating the earth formation in which the underground deposits of hydrocarbons are located. The earth formation includes a plurality of horizons and a multitude of faults which intersect the horizons.

Three dimensional geological model construction


A high-frequency composite part includes a high-frequency switch and an amplifier in a transmission circuit side among high-frequency parts constituting a PHS portable telephone. In the telephone, the high-frequency switch is used for switching between the connection of the transmission circuit Tx and an antenna, and the connection of a receiving circuit Rx and the antenna. The amplifier at the Tx side amplifies a signal to be transmitted which has been converted into an RF signal and passes through a filter at the Tx side, and sends it to the high-frequency switch. A high-frequency composite part may comprise: a multilayer board formed by laminating a plurality of dielectric layers; a high-frequency switch formed of a diode mounted on said multilayer board and a transmission line and a capacitor comprising interconnected electrodes formed on respective layers within said multilayer board; and an amplifier formed of a transistor mounted on said multilayer board and a transmission line and a capacitor comprising interconnected electrodes formed on respective layers within said multilayer board. In the high-frequency composite part, the amplifier may be comprised in a transmission circuit. The high-frequency composite part further may comprise a filter formed of a transmission line and a capacitor comprising interconnected electrodes formed on respective layers within said multilayer board. The multilayer board may comprise low-temperature baked ceramic material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to high-frequency composite parts used in a high-frequency circuit section of a portable telephone of a personal handy-phone system (PHS) type or a personal digital cellular (PDC) type.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are block diagrams of known PHS portable telephones. In a PHS portable telephone shown in FIG. 10, when transmitting, a signal to be transmitted is converted to an RF signal, passes through a filter F1 in a transmission circuit (Tx), is amplified by an amplifier AMP1 in the Tx side, passes through a high-frequency switch SW and a top filter F2, and is transmitted from an antenna ANT. On the other hand, when receiving, a signal is received from the antenna ANT, passes through the top filter F2, passes through the switch SW, and is amplified by an amplifier AMP2 in a receiving circuit (Rx). Then, signals in frequency bands other than that of the signal to be received are removed by a filter F3 in the Rx side.
In a PHS portable telephone shown in FIG. 11, when transmitting, a signal to be transmitted is converted to an RF signal, passes through a filter F1 in the Tx side, is amplified by an amplifier AMP1 in the Tx side, passes through a second filter F4 in the Tx side and a high-frequency switch SW, and is transmitted from an antenna ANT. On the other hand, when receiving, a signal received from the antenna ANT passes through the switch SW, and is amplified by an amplifier AMP2 in a receiving circuit (Rx). Then, signals in frequency bands other than that of the signal to be received are removed by a filter F3 in the Rx side.
These PHS portable telephones have been made compact and lightweight by highly dense mounting of compact, surface-mounting, high-frequency parts, such as the parts in FIGS. 10 and 11, on a printed circuit board.
It is expected that portable telephones will be made more compact and lightweight in the future while having more advanced functions. Therefore, high-frequency parts to be mounted on a board, such as those mentioned above, need to be made further compact and lightweight.
In a conventional portable telephone, however, since a discrete high-frequency switch and a discrete amplifier are mounted on a printed circuit board, it is difficult to make the telephone more compact and lightweight. Another restriction in the design phase of the conventional portable telephone is that characteristic-impedance matching is required for each of the high-frequency switch and the amplifier, which requires a matching circuit.


The present disclosure describes a hot-fill container for use with a hot-filling process. The container includes vacuum absorption sections that resist partial collapse and uncontrolled deformation of the container's walls during the hot-filling process. The vacuum absorption sections are asymmetrically-formed and include respective edge portions and panel portions configured to deform and pivot about a linear part of the edge portions when a vacuum is created inside the container. The edge portions have a curvilinear part that is adapted to comfortably receive and engage a user's fingers during use of the container, making the container more user friendly. The vacuum absorption sections are arranged about the container's central longitudinal axis such that their respective panel portions substantially form the sides of a polygon when viewed in top plan view. The polygon appears to be inscribed within an otherwise circular container periphery.

Today, many beverages are delivered to consumers in containers that are filled with the beverages via a hot-fill process. In a typical hot-fill process, the beverage is pasteurized and heated up to a hot-fill temperature in the range of 190° F. to 203° F. in a heat exchanger for at least 15 to 30 seconds in order to kill any microorganisms present in the beverage. The beverage is then cooled to a temperature in the range of 180° F. to 185° F. immediately prior to filling of the containers. After filling, the containers are closed with respective closures and are tilted over onto their sides before immersion in a cooling bath or spraying with cooling water, thereby exposing the internal structure of the closures to the beverage and sterilizing the closures. By virtue of the heating and cooling of the beverage prior to filling and tilting of the containers, the beverage, containers and closures are all sterilized. Cooling of the containers and beverage helps preserve the beverage's taste and nutritional properties. The cooling of the containers and beverage also creates a vacuum inside the containers, further preventing microbial growth.
Advantageously, due to the sterilization, hot-filling is a good option for many fruit and vegetable juices, enhanced water, and tea beverages as the process eliminates the need to add preservatives and provides an ambient temperature shelf life for the beverage of 6 to 12 months. Additionally, hot-fill compatible containers (also referred to herein as "hot-fill containers") are readily available in a number of relatively inexpensive plastic materials such as, but not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Unfortunately, the vacuum created inside the containers during cooling of the containers and beverage produces a pressure differential across the containers' walls which can cause "paneling"—partial collapse of the containers' walls in an inward direction. The partial collapse of the containers' walls can leave the containers permanently deformed and distorted from their original shape. Such deformation and distortion may make the containers aesthetically unappealing and can render the subsequent application of labels to the containers difficult, if not impossible.
There is, therefore, a need in the industry for a container compatible for use in hot-fill processes which resists or eliminates paneling and which solves other related or unrelated problems, difficulties, or shortcomings of present hot-fill containers.

Hot-fill container having vacuum absorption sections


Improved methods for detecting microorganisms, such as yeast and bacteria in mixtures, are disclosed. Methods include passing a sample mixture through a filter device, which has been pretreated with a detergent, resuspending the filtrand in the filter membranes and detecting the presence of microorganisms in the filtrand.

The production of foodstuff and beverages such as beer is accompanied by testing for the presence of certain micro-organisms in order to ensure the quality of the end-product. The brewing process may for example require in-line testing every few hours of a sample having a volume of at least 25 ml, and preferably sample volumes of for example 250 ml. Particulate matter which may include microorganisms, namely yeast and bacteria, must then be separated from the sample and then tested to determine the presence or absence of specific micro-organisms. Devices used to achieve this include the Bibby disposable vacuum filter unit having a flat filter with an average pore diameter of 0.45 μm and the Nalgene filter holders with receivers, having a flat filter with an average pore diameter of 0.45 μm or 0.2 μm (see for example Merck Laboratory Supplies Catalogue 1998, p. 482). Such devices allow the filtration of maximum sample volumes of only 100 ml, have a flat surface area of 50 cm2 and can take up to 30 minutes to test a sample due to their complexity of use. Once their maximum volume has been filtered, they become blocked by particulate matter such as proteins present in the sample fluid (e.g. lager) and any subsequent filtration would require pressures so high as to cause cell lysis, preventing the detection of the microorganisms and giving false results.
As is demonstrated by the results of the experiments detailed below, the prior art devices take substantially more time to separate and detect micro-organisms from a sample than is required using the devices and methods of the present invention. In addition, subsequent recovery of, and thus testing for, micro-organisms is relatively simple and easy with the present invention since the micro-organisms are presented as a readily moveable "cake" (a relatively uncompressed low-density block of particulate matter) on the surface of membranes, with minimum incursion into membrane interstices. In comparison, other devices present particulate matter as a hard "biscuit" (a relatively highly compressed high density block of particulate matter) on a membrane surface, micro-organisms and other particulate matter blocking and being trapped in membrane interstices. This biscuit is difficult to remove and difficult to process to enable it to be tested for the presence of micro-organisms. In addition, by preventing the formation of a dense biscuit, the devices of the present invention are able to operate at a lower pressure. If operated at higher pressures, lysis of bacteria can occur, in turn giving incorrect results. High pressure can also cause distortion of bacteria, allowing them to pass through the membrane and giving incorrect results.


A method for detecting the direction and displacement of a rod member of a hydraulic cylinder assembly is provided. The hydraulic cylinder assembly includes a plurality of magnetic sensors for outputting a magnetic field variation signal disposed adjacent a hydraulic cylinder. The plurality of magnetic sensors cooperate with a plurality of magnetic projections equally spaced along a rod member for producing the magnetic field variation signal. The signal is converted from a sine wave into a square wave by using a microprocessor. The edges of the converted square wave are counted to accurately detect a direction and displacement amount. The method further includes the steps of ignoring a square wave edge caused by disturbance, if the square wave edge occurs prior to a pre-set time, wherein the pre-set time is based on the average time interval for previous edges. The method further includes the step of generating a correction edge when no edge is detected during the pre-set time interval. The method still further includes the step of detecting successive correction edges for determining an absolute position of the hydraulic stroke.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for detecting the stroke position of a cylinder and, more particularly to an improved method of detecting the stroke position of a cylinder, wherein the method is capable of detecting the absolute position and direction movement of the rod member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, construction equipment, such as excavators, have a hydraulic cylinder for driving a working apparatus, such as a boom, an arm, or a bucket. Upon receiving a control command from an operator, pressurized fluid is supplied into the cylinder or discharged to a storing tank, thereby driving the working apparatus.
Due to automation of construction equipment control systems, detection of information relating to position of the working apparatus becomes increasingly important.
As a means for detecting the displacement of the working apparatus, conventional methods have employed a cylinder, as shown in FIG. 1, and a displacement detection circuit, as shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 1. is a schematic view illustrating a conventional stroke sensing cylinder. As shown in this figure, a piston 120 is disposed within a cylinder 110. Piston 120 is movable either vertically or horizontally depending upon the specific application. A rod member 130 is integrally formed with piston 120 to support movement thereof. Rod member 130 includes a plurality of magnetic scales or projections 140. Each of the plurality of magnetic projections 140 are equally spaced and formed between the top dead point and the bottom dead point of the piston 120. A magnetic sensor 150 is provided for cooperating with the plurality of magnetic projections 140. The magnetic sensor 150 detects magnetic field variation caused by movement of the plurality of magnetic projections 140.
In operation, the piston 120 moves forward and backward between the top dead point and the bottom dead point within the cylinder 110, thereby similarly displacing rod member 130. Movement of the plurality of magnetic projections 140 formed on the rod member 130 is detected by the magnetic sensor 150. The magnetic sensor 150 then outputs a sine wave representing movement of the rod member 130. The sine wave is then converted into a square wave in order to calculate the displacement of piston 120.
In other words, as the piston 120 moves, a magnetic field variation is detected by the magnetic sensor 150 and converted into a square wave. The number of edges of the square wave can be determined and the displacement of the piston 120 can be calculated.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a displacement detection circuit for a hydraulic cylinder. The circuit includes a magnetic sensor and a microprocessor. As shown in this figure, when an actuating signal is directed to a cylinder driving unit 210, an output signal of the cylinder driving unit 210 actuates a cylinder 220. The cylinder 220 includes a plurality of magnetic projections and causes the magnetic sensor to output a sine wave representative of the magnetic field variation. The sine wave is applied to a microprocessor 240. The microprocessor 240 receives necessary information from an inner memory unit or an additional memory unit 250, and/or stores information that it has processed in the inner memory unit.
In operation, an operator inputs a driving signal into the cylinder driving unit 210, thereby actuating the cylinder 220. A pair of magnetic sensors 231, such as hall-effect sensors, within the magnetic sensor unit 230 detect a magnetic field variation in the plurality of magnetic projections (see reference numeral 140 in FIG. 1). More particularly, the pair of magnetic sensors 231 output a sine wave representative of the magnetic field variation. The sine wave is then directed to the signal processing unit 232.
The signal processing unit 232 amplifies and filters the sine wave outputted from the magnetic sensors 231. The signal processing unit 232 then converts the sine wave into signals which are recognizable by the microprocessor 240 and outputs them to the microprocessor 240.
The microprocessor 240 converts the sine wave signal inputted from the signal processing unit 232 into a square wave. The microprocessor 240 then counts the number of pulses or edges and computes the displacement and the direction of motion of the cylinder. The microprocessor then stores the value at a memory unit 250 and outputs the results to a predetermined display unit (not shown).
The two magnetic sensors 231 are orientated such that they have a phase difference of 90.degree.. A phase difference of 90.degree. enables the magnetic sensors 231 to detect direction and displacement of the rod member 130.
However, due to problems in manufacturing, it is difficult to accurately place the magnetic sensors 231 to achieve the proper 90.degree. phase difference. Furthermore, due to external variations such as shake or impact, the sine wave itself frequently fails to achieve the 90.degree. phase difference.
As best seen in FIG. 3, ideal waveforms having the 90.degree. phase difference are shown. Specifically, FIG. 3A shows a cross section of the plurality of magnetic projections being equally spaced along the rod member of the piston. FIGS. 3B and 3C shown output sine wave forms of the magnetic sensors A and B with the aforementioned 90.degree. phase difference. FIGS. 3D and 3E show square waveforms corresponding to the sine waveform shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C.
However in a practical application, at least one magnetic projection edge may not be detected as shown in FIG. 4 or a single projection edge may produce a signal fluctuation as shown in FIG. 5.
More particularly, FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram showing a magnetic projection edge not being detected, while FIG. 5 is a waveform diagram showing multiple signal detections for a single magnetic projection edge. FIGS. 4A and 5A, similar to FIG. 3, show a cross section of the plurality of magnetic projections being equally spaced along the rod member of the piston. FIGS. 4B, 5B, 4C, and 5C respectively show output sine waveforms of the magnetic sensors A and B. FIGS. 4D, 5D, 4E, and 5E respectively show square wave forms corresponding to the aforementioned output sine waveforms.
It should be appreciated that the conventional method described above may not afford accurate calculation of rod displacement or direction.

Absolute position detection method for stroke sensing cylinder

Volvo Construction Equipment Korea Co., Ltd


A disclosed method allows service subscribers to modify service subscriptions online. Operations within the method may include receiving an order for a service package from a subscriber, wherein the service package includes multiple features. In response to the order, the features in the service package may automatically be cross referenced with a list of existing features for the subscriber to detect any overlap between the features in the service package and the existing features. In response to detecting an overlap, a subscription change request may automatically be computed, wherein subscription change request includes only the features in the service package that do not overlap the existing features. The subscription change request may then be submitted for implementation by a service provider, possibly after receiving confirmation of the change request from the subscriber.

With the widespread deployment of the Internet and the World Wide Web, the online ordering of products has become commonplace. Consumers frequently find it more convenient to order products such as books from Internet retailers than from traditional, "brick-and-mortar" establishments. For example, the online sales system of a typical Internet retailer allows the customer to shop at any time of the day from the convenience of the customer's home or office. If the customer is simply ordering goods, the online sales system typically need not be very complicated to provide an effective and efficient sales channel. However, not all business transactions are as simple as ordering a book from a vendor. For instance, when services are the subject matter of a transaction, an automated system may not be sophisticated enough to effectively process orders.
What is needed is an online sales system that more fully accommodates the needs of customers and merchants who deal with complicate transactions such as orders for services.

System and method for modifying package service subscriptions online


Provided herein is an apparatus, including a mapping means for generating a map of locations of surface features of an article based on photon-detector signals corresponding to photons scattered from the surface features of the article, and a surface feature manager. The surface manager is configured to locate a predetermined surface feature of the surface features of the article based, at least in part, on the map of the surface features locations, irradiate photons of a first power onto the location of the predetermined surface feature to analyze the predetermined surface feature, and irradiate photons of a second power onto the location of the predetermined surface feature to remove the predetermined surface feature.

An article fabricated on a production line may be inspected for certain features, including defects that might degrade the performance of the article or a system including the article. For example, a hard disk for a hard disk drive may be fabricated on a production line and inspected for certain surface features, including surface and subsurface defects that might degrade the performance of the disk or the hard disk drive. When a surface defect is detected, the article may be deemed unusable and discarded, irrespective of how superficial the defect. In some other instances, articles identified with defects may be salvaged by removing the article from the production line to a separate specialized removal device, to remove defects from the article. However, utilizing a separate specialized removal device may be time intensive. That is, it may take up to half a day to remove defects from a single article, and cause further net production delays.


A manufacturing of a package carrier includes the following steps. Two base metal layers are bonded together. Two supporting layers are laminated onto the base metal layers respectively. Two release metal films are disposed on the supporting layers respectively. Each release metal film includes a first metal film and a second metal film separable from each other. Two first patterned metal layers are formed on the release metal films respectively. Each first patterned metal layer includes a pad pattern. Two dielectric layers are formed on the release metal films respectively and cover the corresponding first patterned metal layers. Each dielectric layer has a conductive via connecting to the corresponding pad pattern. Two second patterned metal layers are formed on the dielectric layers respectively. Each second patterned metal layer at least covers the conductive via. The base metal layers are separated from each other to form two independent package carriers.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a package structure and a manufacturing method thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to a package carrier and a manufacturing method thereof.
Description of Related Art
Chip package is used for the purpose of protecting an exposed chip, reducing the density of chip contacts, and providing better heat dissipation for the chip. Common methods for disposing a chip to a package carrier include wire bonding and flip chip bonding, etc., by which contacts of the chip can be electrically connected to the package carrier. Therefore, the distribution of the chip contacts can be reconfigured by the package carrier to conform to the contact distribution of an external device at the next level.
Generally speaking, fabrication of the package carrier is to use a core dielectric layer as core material and then alternately stack patterned circuit layers and patterned dielectric layers on the core dielectric layer by means of a fully additive process, a semi-additive process, a subtractive process, or other processes. Consequently, the core dielectric layer is a large proportion in the whole thickness of the package carrier. Naturally, if the thickness of the core dielectric layer cannot be significantly reduced, it will be difficult to reduce the thickness of the package structure.

Package carrier and manufacturing method thereof


A substrate treatment apparatus is disclosed. The substrate treatment apparatus includes: a cassette loading portion on which a cassette for containing a substrate is loaded when the cassette is carried to/from outside of the substrate treatment apparatus; a substrate treatment portion for performing a treatment on the substrate; a substrate carrying portion for carrying the substrate in the cassette loaded on the cassette loading portion to the substrate treatment portion, and carrying the substrate that has been subjected to the treatment by the substrate treatment portion to the cassette on the cassette loading portion; a vacant cassette loading portion on which the cassette caused to be vacant by carrying the substrate to the substrate treatment portion is temporarily loaded; and a vacant cassette transfer mechanism for transferring the vacant cassette between the vacant cassette loading portion and the cassette loading portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate treatment apparatus for performing treatment on a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a photolithography process in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a series of treatments including a resist coating treatment, an exposing treatment, and a developing treatment are performed, for example. In the resist coating treatment, a resist solution is applied to a wafer to form a resist film. In the exposing treatment, the resist film is exposed to have a predetermined circuit pattern. In the developing treatment, the exposed resist film is developed. Thus, a predetermined resist pattern is formed on the wafer. The series of treatments are performed in a coating/developing apparatus to which various kinds of treatment units for performing treatments on a wafer, a carrying apparatus for carrying the wafer, and the like are provided.
Generally, the coating/developing apparatus includes a cassette station, a treatment station, and an interface station. The cassette station is used for carrying a cassette into/from outside. To the treatment station, a plurality of treatment units for performing various kinds of treatments such as the resist coating treatment, the developing treatment, and a heat treatment are provided. Through the interface station, a wafer is delivered/received between an adjacent exposing apparatus and the treatment station.
On the cassette station, a cassette loading table on which a cassette externally carried in is loaded, a wafer carrying apparatus for carrying a wafer between the cassette on the cassette loading table and the treatment station, and the like are provided (see, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-54438).
In performing a treatment on a wafer in the coating/developing apparatus, first, a cassette that contains a plurality of wafers of one lot is loaded on the cassette loading table by an external cassette carrying apparatus. Next, the wafers in the cassette are sequentially carried to the treatment station by the wafer carrying apparatus. In the treatment station, the wafers are sequentially carried to the plurality of treatment units such as the resist coating unit and the heat treatment unit to be subjected to predetermined treatments. After that, the wafers are carried to the exposing apparatus and subjected to exposure. Then, the wafers are returned to the treatment station and sequentially carried to the developing treatment unit, the heat treatment unit, and the like to be subjected to predetermined treatments. The wafers that have been subjected to the series of treatments in the treatment station are sequentially returned to the original cassette on the cassette loading table by the wafer carrying apparatus. When all the wafers of one lot are returned to the cassette on the cassette loading table, the cassette is carried out of the coating/developing apparatus by the external cassette carrying apparatus.
Incidentally, these days, the coating/developing apparatus is being required to deal with a so-called small-lot treatment in response to a change to a low-volume production of diversified products. In the case of the small-lot treatment, the number of wafers contained in one cassette is reduced. For this reason, when wafer treatments are started, the wafers in the cassette on the cassette loading table are immediately ejected in many cases. However, the cassette stands by on the cassette loading table until the wafers are returned from the treatment station, so an additional cassette cannot be loaded on the cassette loading table, although there is an open space for the wafer treatment in the treatment station. As a result, a throughput in the coating/developing apparatus is lowered.
In this case, as a simple countermeasure, the number of cassettes that can be loaded on the loading table may be increased. However, this results in an increase in occupied floor area of the coating/developing apparatus, and requires a structure of the cassette station to be significantly changed.


A method for converting an IBIS (Input/output Buffer Information Specification) model to a SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis) behavioral model by RC (resistor/capacitor) extraction is provided. In the method, when the SPICE behavioral models of pull-up and pull-down transistors being switching components of the output IBIS model is embodied, a resistance is extracted from voltage-current tables of the pull-up and pull-down transistors and a capacitance is extracted from voltage-time tables of the pull-up and pull-down transistors so that a static characteristic is modeled as a resistor and a dynamic characteristic is modeled as a capacitor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for converting an IBIS model to a SPICE behavioral model by extracting a resistor and a capacitor, and more particularly, to a method for converting an IBIS model to a SPICE behavioral model by extracting a resistor and a capacitor, for converting an Input/output Buffer Information Specification (IBIS) model provided as a behavioral model of an input/output pin of an integrated circuit, to a SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis) behavioral model.
2. Description of the Related Art
IBIS model refers to a digital input/output (I/O) model for fast signal integrity analysis of such as a transmission line effect, a crosstalk phenomenon, and a ringing phenomenon on printed circuit boards resulting from a high frequency signal as a clock speed of a digital integrated circuit is increased.
The IBIS model provides voltage-current (VI) and voltage-time (VT) information of a digital input/output pin in a format of table, and describes characteristics of a packaging parasitic component and an electrostatic discharge (ESD) prevention circuit. The IBIS behavioral model has a greater speed of simulation execution, owing to its VI and VT information provided in the format of table, than a SPICE model where a current value and a voltage value should be extracted at each node. The IBIS behavioral model is useful for a system level designer owing to its advantage of keeping a secret of an intellectual property (IP) of a circuit. However, it is required to convert the IBIS model to the SPICE behavioral model since the IBIS model has a limitation of various load simulation execution.
Then, a conventional technology for converting the IBIS model to the SPICE behavioral model will be described.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a sequence of extracting a SPICE behavioral model from an IBIS model, for verification.
The IBIS model is largely divided into an input pin model and an output pin model. As shown in FIG. 1, an input pin SPICE model 105 can be simply provided using only DC VI table information 103 provided from the IBIS model 102, but an output pin SPICE model 106 needs a process of extracting a switching time coefficient 104 due to a switching characteristic. In this case, a VT table value 103 provided from the IBIS model 102 is used. The SPICE behavioral model generated from the IBIS model performs simulation 107 in the substantially same load condition as the SPICE model 101, and determines its simulation accuracy depending on whether two simulation results have a similar characteristic to any degree.
FIG. 2A illustrates the SPICE behavioral model of the IBIS model for an input pin. In the IBIS model, packaging components (C_pkg 201, L_pkg 202, and R_pkg 203) and a pad capacitor (C_comp 206) are provided as values, and a power clamp (POWER_clamp) and a ground clamp (GND_clamp) being ESD diodes 204 and 205 are provided as DC VI tables. The SPICE behavioral model of the IBIS model for the input pin is expressed as shown in FIG. 2B. The VI tables of the ESD diodes 204 and 205 are expressed as voltage controlled current sources (VCCS) 207 and 208 of the SPICE behavioral model.
The SPICE behavioral model of the IBIS model for an output pin is shown in FIG. 3. Packaging parasitic components (L_pkg 306, R_pkg 307, and C_pkg 308) and a pad capacitor (C_comp 305), and a power clamp (POWER_clamp) and a ground clamp (GND_clamp) being ESD diodes 303 and 304 are the same as those of the input model, and pull-up and pull-down transistors 301 and 302 are additionally provided. The IBIS model includes VI tables 310, 311 and 312 being static characteristics of the pull-up and pull-down transistors 301 and 302; and a VT table 313 being a dynamic characteristic. Reference numerals 314 and 315 denote a fixture resistance (R_fix) and a fixture voltage (V_fix), respectively.
In order to embody an accurate output SPICE behavioral model, an accurate model of a switching component is required. A conventional technology adopts a method for obtaining a switching time coefficient using a circuit equation, as a switching component modeling method. According to this method, the SPICE behavioral model of the output pin is expressed as in FIG. 3C. The pull-up transistor is expressed by a multiplication 320 of a switching time coefficient (Ku(t)) and a static current (Ipu(V)), and the pull-down transistor is expressed by a multiplication 321 of a switching time coefficient (Kd(t)) and a static current (Ipd(V)). Reference numerals 322 and 323 denote DC VI tables of the diodes 303 and 304. Accordingly, a total transition current Iout(t) is expressed as follows:Iout(t)=Kux(t)×Ipu(Vdie)+Kdx(t)×Ipd(Vdie)+Ipc(Vdie)+Igc(Vdie)  [Equation 1]
FIG. 3B illustrates an IBIS VT table measurement circuit. A transition current Iout(t) is expressed by the circuit equation as in the following Equation 2:
                                          I            out                                          (            t            )                          =                  -                      (                                                            C                  comp                                                                  ⅆ                                      ⅆ                    t                                                                                V                    die                                                                          (                    t                    )                                                              +                                                                                V                      die                                                                                (                      t                      )                                                        -                                      V                    fix                                                                    R                  fix                                                      )                                              [                  Equation                                                              2                ]
The switching time coefficients Ku(t) and Kd(t) are obtained by combining the Equations 1 and 2.
The above conventional technology requires two pieces of VT table information in order to obtain two switching time coefficients, and has a drawback of inaccuracy of the SPICE model including the time information in FIG. 3C. That is, the conventional art has a limitation of being capable of extraction only in an environment where two or more VT tables are given in an IBIS version 2. 1 or above.

Method for converting IBIS model to SPICE behavioral model by extracting resistor and capacitor

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


An accelerator assist module for carburetors includes two housing halves, a diaphragm and means for biasing the diaphragm. Each housing half includes a peripheral flange, a cavity and a pipe extension. The peripheral flange of each housing half preferably includes means for securing thereof to the opposing housing half. The diaphragm creates a vacuum chamber and a fuel chamber. The means for biasing forces the diaphragm into the fuel chamber. The vacuum chamber communicates with an intake chamber of a carburetor and the fuel chamber communicates with a fuel metering chamber of the carburetor. A vacuum is applied to the diaphragm at engine idle, which overcomes the means for biasing. When a butterfly valve of the carburetor is opened, the vacuum collapses and air inside the fuel cavity is displaced into the fuel metering chamber and fuel into the intake chamber to increase engine speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to carburetors and more specifically to a vacuum accelerator assist module for carburetors, which provides extra fuel to the intake port of an internal combustion engine, when the engine is throttled.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Small internal combustion engines used on trimmers and the like are run with lean fuel mixtures to comply with government pollution regulations. In order for a small engine to accelerate with a lean fuel mixture, there must be some type of device to provide the added fuel to instantly achieve full throttle. The most common method of providing the extra fuel to a diaphragm butterfly type carburetor is an accelerator pump. However, accelerator pumps are very complicated and very expensive relative to the cost of a small internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,699 to Aihara et al. discloses an acceleration device for a two-cycle engine. The Aihara et al. patent includes an acceleration device of a carburetor for a two cycle engine with a rotary valve, which controls air flow through both a scavenging passage and a separate air intake passage each extending through a carburetor body. However, the acceleration device is connected to an air reference chamber located below a metering fuel chamber. The air reference chamber is separated from the metering fuel chamber by a diaphragm.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for a vacuum accelerator assist module for carburetors, which works with either two cycle or four cycle internal combustion engines; does not require an extra diaphragm in a fuel meter chamber; and costs less to implement in a carburetor than of the prior art.

Vacuum accelerator assist module for carburetors


Ink jet printing apparatus accommodating printing mode control for printing an output image on a receiver medium in response to an input image file having a plurality of pixel values. The printing mode is selected in such a manner that image artifacts are eliminated without excessively increasing printing time or ink laydown. The apparatus comprises a printhead and at least one nozzle integrally connected to the printhead, which nozzle is capable of ejecting an ink droplet therefrom. The apparatus also comprises a waveform generator associated with the nozzle for generating an electronic waveform to be supplied to the nozzle, so that the nozzle ejects the ink droplet in response to the waveform supplied thereto. In addition, a printer mode look-up table is also provided for storing a printing mode assigned to the waveform. A calibrator is connected to the first calibrator and is also associated with the waveform generator for adjusting the electronic waveform. An image halftoning unit is connected to the second calibrator for halftoning the calibrated image file in order to generate a halftoned image file having the pixel value defined by the waveform serial number. All the pixels are obtained without increasing the number of printing passes.

An ink jet printer produces images on a receiver medium by ejecting ink droplets onto the receiver medium in an imagewise fashion. The advantages of non-impact, low-noise, low-energy use, low cost and the capability to print on plain paper are largely responsible for the wide acceptance of ink jet printers in the marketplace.
The quality of images printed by ink jet printers is related to the absorption of inks into an ink receiver which can be plain paper, coated paper, transparent film and the like. Ink absorption capability of the ink receiver is characterized by properties of the receiver, such as the amount and the rate of the ink absorption. These properties are determined by the type of receiver. For example, it may be desirable to select specialty receivers coated with ink absorption layers which can absorb more ink at a faster rate (i.e., shorter "drying" time) than plain paper.
However, a problem associated with ink jet printing is excessive laydown of inks on the ink receiver. That is, when inks are placed on the receiver at an amount or rate higher than the receiver can accept, image defects can occur. For example, image artifacts can occur when neighboring ink pixels come in contact with each other and coalesce. This type of image artifact is commonly referred as "ink beading". Coalescence of ink pixels on the receiver causes inks to diffuse or flow among ink pixels and results in a non-uniform or mottled appearance of the printed image. This ink diffusion problem is most visible at the boundaries of printed areas comprising different colors, where the ink of one color diffuses into the adjacent area of a different color ink to form a finger-shaped pattern. This latter image defect is commonly referred to as "color bleeding".
Prior art techniques attempt to overcome ink beading and color bleeding by reducing the number of ink pixels printed in each printing pass. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,453 discloses a technique involving printing an image area with at least two passes. In each pass, the ink pixels are printed in a checkerboard pattern of diagonally adjacent pixels. The final image is formed by the sum of the complimentary checkerboard patterns in different printing passes. A disadvantage of this technique is the increased printing time caused by multiple printing passes.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,012,257 and 5,602,572 disclose techniques which define a spatial cell (or superpixel) of multiple pixels. A subset of the pixels within the cell are not printed (or "turned off") to reduce the coalescence of neighboring ink spots. These techniques have the disadvantage of reduced spatial resolution in the printed images.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,662 disclosed computation techniques that converts the pixel values in the source image file, that requires higher amount of ink laydown on the ink receiver, to a new image file that corresponds to reduced ink laydown. This method address the above described problem for ink jet printing that prints a two density levels (single-bit) for each color.
Therefore, there has been a long-felt need to provide an ink jet printing apparatus and method accommodating printing mode control for printing multiple-density levels on a receiver medium in a manner solving the problems of ink beading and color bleeding while avoiding excessive printing time and excessive ink laydown.

Ink jet printing apparatus and method accommodating printing mode control