Precharge circuits comprises PMOS transistors Q6 and Q7 each connected between a bit line and a power source potential VDD, PMOS transistors Q2, Q5, Q8 and Q11 connected between respective bit line pairs, and PMOS transistors Q21 and Q23 connected between respective adjacent bit lines of adjacent bit line pairs, wherein the gate electrodes of the PMOS transistors are each connected to a precharge control signal line PCG. The defect caused by omission of transistors from the prior art circuits is compensated by the PMOS transistors Q21 and Q23, each of which is required to be provided for two bit line pairs. With this and transistors of adjacent unit precharge circuits are arranged in plain symmetry, there is no need to provide transistors to be directly connected between bit lines *B2 and B3, and an average number of PMOS transistors for each bit line pair is less than 2.5.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a precharge circuit for charging a pair of complementary signal lines to the same potential prior to generation of a potential difference between the pair of complementary signal lines by a given potential, more particularly, to a precharge circuit for charging a bit line pair in an static random access memory (SRAM) circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 6(B) shows part of a precharge circuit and a memory cell array of a prior art SRAM circuit. Hereinafter, symbols X and *X generally denote complementary signal lines. In order to precharge bit lines B1 and *B1 by a power source potential VDD prior to read from and write to a 4 transistor memory cell MC1, a PMOS transistor Q2 is connected between the bit lines B1 and *B1, a PMOS transistor Q1 is connected between the bit line B1 and the power source potential VDD, and a PMOS transistor Q3 is connected between the bit line *B1 and the power source potential PCG.
For example, in a case where the bit lines B1 and *B1 are at high and low potential levels, respectively, and when a precharge control signal line PCG is driven high, currents flow from the power source potential VDD through the PMOS transistor Q3 to the bit line *B1, from the bit line B1 through the PMOS transistor Q2 to the bit line *B1, from the power source potential VDD through the PMOS transistor Q1 to the bit line B1, and from the power source potential VDD through the PMOS transistors Q1 and Q2 to the bit line *B1 such that the bit lines B1 and *B1 goes to the power source potential VDD. This applies to precharge operation on other bit line pairs in similar manner.
FIG. 6(A) shows a layout of transistors and contacts thereto of the precharge circuit of FIG. 6(B).
The bit lines B1 and *B1 formed in a metal wiring layer above the transistors are connected through contacts BIC and *BIC to P type regions 11 and 12, respectively, each in common to adjacent PMOS transistors. The power supply line VDD formed in a power supply line layer above the transistors is connected through respective contacts Cl and C2 to P type regions 13 and 14 each in common to adjacent PMOS transistors.
The gate electrodes 15 to 17 of the respective PMOS transistors Q1 to Q3 are parallel to each other, so the P type regions of sufficient spaces can be ensured between the gate electrodes to realize high speed precharge with decreasing in resistance of each transistor which is on. Further, short circuits between the gate electrodes in device fabrication can be prevented.
In recent memory devices, a memory cell pitch has been narrowed in company with a high storage density, and design rules adopted in a memory cell array have been stricter in comparison with those of peripheral circuitry. Hence a three transistor width W1=3d, where d is a transistor pitch, of a precharge circuit cannot be confined within the memory cell pitch, with the result that realization of higher storage density in memory circuit is hindered.
When such a problem arose before the quarter micron technology, the three transistor width W1 of the precharge circuit was able to be narrowed by the use of bent gate electrodes in transistors of the precharge circuit. After the quarter micron technology, however, such a layout has been practically impossible since a space between adjacent bent gate electrodes is narrower with not only increasing resistance of transistors which are on, but also decreasing a product yield due to short circuits generated in device fabrication.
A precharge circuit with two transistors is disclosed in JP 3-209690 A, which is obtained by omitting a transistor connected between one bit line of a bit line pair and the power source potential VDD in the above described precharge circuit with three transistors.
However, by omitting the transistor, when a bit line on the omitted transistor side is at a low level, a precharge speed with driving this bit line to a high level is reduced, resulting in a longer memory access time.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a precharge circuit capable of suppressing a reduction in a precharge speed with a smaller width thereof.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a precharge circuit for precharging first and second signal lines to a given potential, comprising: first and second switching transistors connected between a first end side of the first signal line and the given potential and between a second end side of the second signal line and the given potential, respectively; and third and fourth switching transistors connected between the first and second signal lines at the first end side and at the second end side, respectively.
According to this configuration, since the number of switching transistors in each of precharge circuits at first and second end sides of one signal line pair is two, a width in a direction perpendicular to the signal lines can be narrower than that of the prior art precharge circuit having three switching transistors at one side of the signal line pair, thereby enabling higher storage density in memory circuit.
Further, although a switching transistor between a second signal line and a given potential is omitted at a first end side of the second signal line, a switching transistor is not omitted at a second end side of the second signal line and likewise, although a switching transistor between a first signal line and the predetermined potential is omitted at the second end side of the first signal line, a switching transistor is not omitted at the first end side of the first signal line; therefore, a reduction in precharge speed due to omission of the switching transistors can be suppressed.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a precharge circuit for precharging a plurality of signal line pairs to a given potential, comprising: a first switching transistor connected between one signal line of each of the signal line pairs and the given potential; a second switching transistor connected between signal lines of each of the signal line pairs; and a third switching transistor connected between adjacent signal lines of adjacent pairs of the signal line pairs.
According to this configuration, since the defect caused by omitting the above-described transistors is compensated by the third switching transistors for causing all the bit lines to be conductive therebetween, reduction in precharge speed is suppressed. Further, since one third transistor is added between each adjacent signal line pairs, an average number of switching transistors for each signal line pair is 2.5 and therefore, a width in a direction perpendicular to the signal lines can be narrower than that of the prior art having three switching transistors for each signal line pair, thereby enabling a higher storage density in memory circuit.
Other aspects, objects, and the advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.


Performance matching devices in SOI are improved by thermally isolating matched devices within a continuous body of active material. Matched devices are isolated by an insulating wall of silicon dioxide (which surrounds the devices) and the oxide layer beneath, and are arranged to minimize effects from external thermal sources.

The present invention relates to semiconductor-on-insulator integrated circuit structures and fabrication methods.
Background
Semiconductor on Insulator (SOI) material is being used for digital applications, where it is able to produce material that has significantly improved performance over the conventional (bulk) material. SOI has two disadvantages when attempts are made to do analog design. These disadvantages are impaired thermal dissipation due to the oxide under the active components, and the fact that the transistor body is typically left floating.
Power is dissipated in the MOS channel as a result of the current through the channel and the voltage across it. Due to the poor thermal conductivity of SOI compared to bulk, the temperature of the layer above the buried oxide may increase significantly just in the power-dissipating device. This affects the characteristics of the device. The most typical effects of self-heating within a device are for the device to exhibit reduced threshold voltage and drive current, and to show increased leakage.
Self-heating effects are of highest significance in devices where continuous current flows through a device that is biased with the source and drain at a significant voltage separation (e.g., Vds=1v). This occurs most often in analog designs. One of the simplest analog circuits in which this is important is the current mirror.
For analog circuitry where there is a matching requirement, the floating body can be an issue because of its history effect, which can leave adjacent devices with different body voltages. Body voltage variation directly causes Vt variation. Body voltage is the voltage on the parasitic base of the SOI transistor. As body voltage increases, the threshold voltage of the device decreases due to body biasing effects.
Typically, body ties are used to alleviate the problems of a floating body. The layout is modified so that a body connection can be brought out from the device. Though this method can solve some of the problems, it does not address thermal mismatch, and takes additional silicon area to bring out the body tie.
Using SOI, the oxide layer alleviates the need for a body tie. However, the insulator used in SOI devices can have as much as 100 times the thermal resistance as the semiconductor material, which causes the devices to heat up when turned on.
Misalignments of poly on the gates of coupled devices can cause process variations between them as well. Though a slight misalignment of the poly will not affect threshold voltage, it will affect the drive currents, because of the difference between the source and drain widths caused by the misalignment.
Thermal Coupling of Matched SOI Device Bodies
The present inventor has realized that SOI implementation of analog circuits presents a possible problem of thermal differences between devices which are supposed to be matched. This problem is caused by the great difference in thermal conductivity between the insulating and semiconductor materials typically used for SOI. This problem can be solved by ensuring that the bodies of supposedly matched devices are thermally coupled by at least some continuous route of non-insulating material. In the preferred embodiment this material is a semiconductor material.
In another embodiment, coupling is instead achieved by use of metal interconnects to thermally couple different devices. This variation has the advantage of thermally coupling devices in different silicon tanks, though the coupling is typically of lower quality.
Advantages of the disclosed methods and structures, in various embodiments, can include one or more of the following:    good thermal and electrical coupling between linked devices;    thermal and electrical isolation from external sources

Thermal coupling of matched SOI device bodies


A device for ventilating chairs which has an air-permeable covering portion (13, 14) which is applied over the filling (7) of the chair, an insert (15; 59) located between the covering portion and the filling and a suction device (26) which through a system of suction openings in the covering (57, 60) and the insert (40, 56) evacuates the ventilating air. The insert (15) is joined with the covering (9) of the chair to an integrated unit, which is tightened against the filling (7), and from the insert (15) there extends a duct connection (40, 25) tightly separated from the filling, which leads the air to the suction device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for ventilating a chair, which is of the kind comprising a cushion with a shaping filling that carries up and supports a person sitting in the chair and preferably consists of moulded plastic foam or similar material, a covering which is applied over the filling and over an insert located under the covering, the insert comprising a material which is permeable to air and preferably elastic and fibrous and being limited by a layer of airtight material. The ventilating device comprises a covering portion which at least partly is permeable to air and has such a surface extension that it is touched and loaded by the body of the person sitting in the chair, and a suction device which communicates with the inside of the covering portion and through a system of suction openings ventilates away the air that is drawn inwards through the cushion. The system of suction openings together with the air-permeable material of the insert, distributes the negative pressure produced by the suction device and thereby the ventilating flow of air.
The invention is specially intended for vehicle chairs, but shall not be limited hereto but can be applied generally in all kinds of sitting furniture.
2. Description of the Related Art
A ventilating device of the above-stated embodiment is known through Swedish patent 8703176-1 (Publ-No. 459.389). A layer of fibrous, air-permeable material located between the covering and the filling of the chair cushion is, according to the patent, inserted into an airtight bag which also encloses the plastic foam filling of the chair cushion. The bag is also shown containing a second fibrous layer located on the underside of the filling, where the bag has a connection for a suction duct.


A control system is for a vehicle. The control system includes an electronic control unit configured to perform a coast downshift, and execute blipping control during performance of the coast downshift. The electronic control unit is configured to determine whether blipping abnormality occurs. The electronic control unit is configured to disengage an engagement element on an engagement side when the blipping abnormality occurs during the performance of the coast downshift. The electronic control unit is configured to increase a speed of the engine in the blipping control. The blipping abnormality is a state that the blipping control is not executed normally during the performance of the coast downshift. The engagement element on the engagement side is an engagement element that is changed from a disengaged state to an engaged state in the coast downshift.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control system for a vehicle that includes an engine and an automatic transmission gear device.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-218670 (JP 2012-218670 A) discloses control for increasing an engine speed during a coast downshift such that a rotational speed of an input shaft of an automatic transmission gear device is changed to a synchronous rotational speed after shifting at an early stage during the coast downshift in a vehicle including an engine and the automatic transmission gear device. With this control, control for increasing the rotational speed of the input shaft of the automatic transmission gear device (hereinafter also referred to as "blipping control") can be executed. Engine inertia (so-called engine brake) that acts on the input shaft of the automatic transmission gear device by downshifting can be reduced by this blipping control. Thus, a significant reduction of a vehicle speed during the coast downshift can be suppressed. The coast downshift is downshifting that is performed during coasting. The synchronous rotational speed after shifting is the rotational speed of the input shaft of the automatic transmission gear device after shifting and is determined from a transmission gear ratio after shifting and a rotational speed of an output shaft of the automatic transmission gear device.
However, in the case where the blipping control is not executed during the coast downshift due to some reason in the vehicle disclosed in JP 2012-218670 A, the engine inertia reduction action by the blipping control cannot be obtained. As a result, the vehicle speed is possibly reduced significantly during the coast downshift.


A chip package including a carrier, a chip, a stiffener and a molding compound is provided. A producing method of the chip package includes the steps of disposing a bottom surface of the chip on the carrier; covering an edge of a top surface of the chip with the stiffener for protecting the edge; then wire bonding the top surface of the chip with the carrier; and forming the molding compound for encapsulating the chip, the stiffener and parts of the carrier.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general toga chip package and a producing method thereof, and more particularly to a chip package with a stiffener and the producing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional chip package, the chip, particular the low dielectric constant (low-K) chip, is fragile due to the mismatch of coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of the materials inside the chip package, so the edges of the top surface of the chip crack easily. Due to the excellent telecommunication performance and fast transmission speed of signals, the low dielectric constant chip has been widely used nowadays. Therefore, the fragmentation on the edges of the chip has become an imminent issue to be resolved.

Chip package and producing method thereof

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc.


The present invention provides plasmonic crystals comprising three-dimensional and quasi comprising three-dimensional distributions of metallic or semiconducting films, including multi-layered crystal structures comprising nanostructured films and film arrays. Plasmonic crystals of the present invention include precisely registered and deterministically selected nonplanar crystal geometries and spatial distributions providing highly coupled, localized plasmonic responses in thin film elements and/or nanostructures of the crystal. Coupling of plasmonic responses provided by three-dimensional and quasi-three dimensional plasmonic crystal geometries and structures of the present invention generates enhanced local plasmonic field distributions useful for detecting small changes in the composition of an external dielectric environment proximate to a sensing surface of the plasmonic crystal. Plasmonic crystal structures of the present invention are also useful for providing highly localized excitation and/or imaging of fluorophores proximate to the crystal surface.

Over the last decade, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) microscopy has emerged as a broadly applicable analytical tool for detecting and characterizing chemical and physical changes occurring in a highly localized probed region. Compatible with a wide range of condensed phase and gas phase environments, SPR is a virtually universally applicable sensing platform. In addition, SPR methods provide high detection sensitivities and excellent temporal resolution, and are compatible with a number of high throughput screening systems, such as microfluidic, nanofluidic and microarray systems. As a result of these beneficial attributes, a great deal of attention has been directed over the last several decade at developing SPR-based sensors capable of real time characterization of the composition, physical properties and optical properties (e.g., index of refraction) of a range of materials in a variety of media.
Surface plasmons (SPs), also know as surface plasmon waves and plasmon polaritons, are charge density waves, which propagate parallel to an interface between a conducting or semiconducting thin film and a dielectric layer. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) microscopy uses resonant excitation of SPs to detect and characterize chemical and physical changes occurring in a probed region proximate to the sensing surface of thin metal or semiconductor films. In these systems, SPs are generated by coupling radiant energy from incident photons into the oscillating modes of free electrons present in a conducting material. Conventional SPR sensors achieve photon to SP coupling by interaction of evanescent electromagnetic waves generated via total internal reflection with a thin metallic or semiconducting layer. SPs are localized at the surface of the conducting (including semiconducting) layer and the intensity of the electric field of a SP decays exponentially in directions perpendicular to the plane in which it propagates. The highly localized nature of SP's excited by evanescent electromagnetic waves makes this technique ideally suited for sensing changes in a spatially localized probe region proximate to (<about 500 nanometer) the SPR sensing surface.
In recent years, SP sensors have been used extensively to characterize chemical and physical properties of a variety of biological materials. For example, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) instruments are widely used to study macromolecular biological interactions. Important applications of this technology include proteomics, virology, cell signaling, DNA hybridization, antibody-antigen interactions, DNA-protein interactions, and drug discovery. Commonly, these SPR applications involve sensing specific and/or nonspecific protein interactions with surface immobilized target species by detecting them on the basis of the sensitivity of SPR to even minute changes in refractive index occurring near the surface of a conducting material. Accordingly, SPR provides a virtually universally applicable form of chemical sensing, that can be effected without the need for prior spectroscopic (e.g., fluorescent) labeling. SPs have also been used, however, as a means of locally exciting fluorescent materials, such as fluorescently labeled probes. In these systems, energy from SPs is coupled to electron transitions in a fluorescent species in a manner providing highly localized excitation and emission.
Sensors based on SPR utilize the dependence of the SPR resonance condition on changes in the refractive index of a lower refractive index dielectric sample layer positioned adjacent to the thin electrically conducting film that supports SP generation. In typical sensing applications, changes in the resonance condition for formation of SPs are monitored in real time and directly related to chemical or physical changes occurring at an interface between the thin metal (or semiconductor) film and the media undergoing analysis. Sensors based on SPR may provide selective detection of materials and compounds by manipulating the chemical or physical properties of the sensing surface. In some applications, for example, the sensing surface of the SPR sensor is coated with a material exhibiting selective binding characteristics such that the refractive index varies in the presence of a specific material to be sensed. For example, the sensing surface may be made sensitive to a particular antibody by coating it with an antigen to that antibody. Using these principles, SPR detection has been successfully incorporated into a number of commercially available biological sensing devices including the sensors and screening devices manufactured by BIAcore, Inc.
Most commercial SPR systems use the Kretschmann configuration where a prism couples light, under total internal reflection, into surface plasmons (SPs) on flat, continuous gold films. In the Kretschmann geometry, evanescent electromagnetic waves penetrate the thin (≈50 nm) gold film(s) positioned between higher and lower refractive index dielectric layers and excite SPs, which propagate parallel to the outer surface of the metal film adjacent to a lower refractive index layer. The prism is needed in this configuration to achieve a wavevector matching condition between the incident polarized excitation light and the surface plasmons. For a given dielectric sample, photons of a certain wavelength and incident at a certain angle generate evanescent waves that penetrate the metal layer and excite surface plasmons at the metal-dielectric sample interface. Upon exciting SPs, the intensity of reflected light is reduced and, therefore, monitoring changes in the intensity of the reflected beam or measurement of the wavelength corresponding to the minimum intensity of reflected light can be used to detect change in refractive index in the localized probe region.
The Kretschmann SPR optical configuration, while highly sensitive (a Figure of Merit, FOM, of greater than about 1000 nm/RI is typical), is subject to several practical limitations. First, it is difficult to integrate theses optical configurations into complex form factor devices useful for high throughput fluidic screening applications, including microfluidic (μFl) and nanofluidic (nFl) systems for bioanalytical measurement. Kretschmann geometry based sensors assemblies using angle of incidence modulation require complex and spatially restrictive rotation assembles that are prohibitive for some applications and require frequent realignment and optimization. Second, the mechanical integrity of these systems may not be robust enough for important large-area, array-based screening applications. To address such limitations and extend the sensitivity of conventional SPR systems, specifically tailored nanoscale materials structures capable of generating plasmonic responses have attracted considerable attention for implementation in the next generation of SPR sensors.
Nanoparticle arrays, for example, can provide extremely sensitive and tunable plasmonic responses. These architectures require, however, external optical systems through which the array/nanoparticles can be spectroscopically interrogated, and therefore are less attractive for large-area, array-based screening applications. Further, significant deviations in nanoparticle positions and sizes provide practical limitations on the use of nanoparticle arrays for SPR sensing.
An alternative method of coupling incident electromagnetic radiation into plasmon modes involves the use of periodically structured metal thin films, such as nanohole arrays, where the coupling is dictated by the matching of photon and grating momenta, with the latter acting as its own optical device. Such plasmonic crystal structures, for example structures exhibiting enhanced transmission of light through their subwavelength apertures, appear promising for application in a range of optical technology areas, including sensing involving plasmonic responses. The nature and specific mechanisms of plasmon generation in these structures are subjects of substantial interest in research and, while incompletely understood, are known to involve the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) with contributions arising from surface plasmon resonances localized at the edges of the holes (LSPRs). The transmission spectra of these devices depend strongly on the properties of the fabricated holes (shape, size, period, structure) as well as the thickness of the metal and the index of the underlying and external media. While surface plasmon responses accessed using metal thin films is well established, application of these structures for SPR sensing has not yet been fully explored.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that a clear need exists for methods and systems for generating plasmonic responses in thin electrically conducting films for use in sensing applications. SPR sensors are needed that are compatible with direct integration into complex device architectures such as microfluidic Lab on Chip (LOC) systems. SPR sensors are needed having form factors, sensitivities and time resolutions that are suitable for high throughput screening applications including implementation in fluidic and microarray systems. In addition, low cost, high precision and commercially practicable methods are required for fabricating SPR sensors, particularly SPR sensors based on plasmonic crystals.

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois


A method includes mechanically correcting for a keystone effect on an x-ray detector.

This invention relates generally to imaging methods and apparatus, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus that provide for reduction or elimination of keystone effect.
During an x-ray tomosynthesis exam, the relationship of the x-ray tube to the detector can vary causing tube angulation as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,734,694 and 5,572,567. This tube angulation causes a keystone effect for the projected x-ray field. Typically, mathematical corrections are performed to compensate for the keystone effect. The x-ray field also exhibits a keystone effect whenever the collimator and tube is not perpendicular to the detector.
It would be desirable to, instead of using mathematical corrections to attempt to compensate for the keystone effect, but rather, to eliminate or reduce the keystone effect in the first place.

Methods and apparatus for keystone effect


Subject to user's setting in PoC group communication, the user address of that user is set to non notification against other users. In case of starting PoC group communication, a PoC subscriber selects non notification subjects and transmits a PoC session commencement request. At that time, the caller sets his own address and/or address/addresses of all or a part of users to non notification. On a user designated as a non notification subject due to the caller's setting, PoC terminal apparatuses in receipt of a PoC session commencement request or PoC communication service controlling apparatuses undergo non notification setting processing. On a called party not selected as non notification subject users, if he/she sets his/her own user address to non notification in advance, likewise non notification processing is implemented. Even after a PoC session is established, each user can set his/her own user address to non notification and non notification service complying with user's intention is providable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a PoC communication server apparatus, a terminal apparatus and a PoC communication method, and in particular relates to a PoC communication server apparatus, a terminal apparatus and a PoC communication method for realizing PoC communication in utilization of a terminal apparatus like a transceiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
There planned is realization of PoC (Push-to-Talk over Cellular) communication of enabling use of a terminal apparatus such as a cellular phone and the like a transceiver to realize communication just by touching buttons.
PoC communication is rapid one-to-one or intergroup communication and with PoC communication a terminal apparatus can be utilized like a transceiver. An operation for starting conversation is a simple operation of not pushing dial buttons but pushing a particular button.
Currently, in OMA (Open Mobile Alliance) being an industry organization of promoting standardization of mobile application technologies, standardization is under way (OMA-RD_PoC-V1—0-20041115-C) based on the PoC Charter (OMA-CHARTER_PoC-V1—0-20031014-A).
However, in the specification stipulated at the present stage, no method of setting a destination address, that is, a user address of a user called by a caller as non notification and no technology for processing in accordance with non notification setting is present. Accordingly, there is a concern that a user address that does not want to be disclosed might be disclosed and nevertheless there are no means to protect user's privacy.
The present invention is attained in order to solve the above described problems of the prior arts and an object hereof is to provide a PoC communication server apparatus, a terminal apparatus and a PoC communication method capable of hiding a user's address from another user (employing non notification) subject to user's setting in PoC group communication.

PoC communication server apparatus, terminal apparatus and PoC communication method


A process for manufacturing a headliner for the interior of an automobile comprise the steps of: introducing at least one layer intended for constituting a support and one lining layer (200) in a press (300); applying pressure and heat on the layers and thus obtaining an assembly of layers joined to one another; cutting the support (100) such that a surplus portion (102) of the support is separated from a main portion (101) of the support; applying a hot fluid on the lining layer in the area in which it is adhered to the surplus portion of the support; separating the surplus portion (102) of the support from the lining layer (200); and covering a trimmed edge (101a) with the lining layer (200).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the obtainment of headliners for the interior of automobiles, specifically, edged headliners of the type having a lined side.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many processes of obtaining lined stratified products are currently known, and are constituted of:                a stratified support (made up of several layers, together forming the support); and        a lining applied on the visible side of the support, which lining also covers some or all of the edges of said support.
The support can also be obtained in a mold by means of applying heat and pressure on an assembly of layers or sheets, such that said layers are adhered to one another and adopt a configuration predetermined by the contact surfaces of the press. In the same press or in a subsequent phase, the support is trimmed, for example, to obtain the desired outline of the product and/or to arrange openings in the product. In a subsequent phase, a lining layer is applied on a visible surface or side (that corresponding to the portion seen by the user) of the support and on (at least some of) the trimmed edges of the support. The main reason for applying the lining in a phase subsequent to the support formation phase is that the lining must also cover the trimmed edges, or at least some of them; for that reason, the lining should not be trimmed together with the support.
An example of a process of this type is the process of obtaining a roof headliner for automotive vehicles. FIG. 1 schematically shows the different layers which can constitute a roof headliner for an automobile:
In the first place, there is a support 10 formed by the following layers:                a non-fabric lining 11, for example, of paper, of the non-visible side of the product;        a first reinforcement layer 12;        a first thermosetting resin layer 13 serving to join the first reinforcement layer to a central layer 14;        the central layer 14, which can be constituted of a polyurethane foam; said layer can have a semi-rigid consistency;        a second thermosetting resin layer 15 intended for joining the central layer 14 to a second reinforcement layer 16;        the second reinforcement layer 16; and        a layer of light non-fabric material 17 (serving to prevent the support from sticking to the mold in the support pressing phase).
In the second place, joined to the layer of light non-fabric material 17, there is a lining 20 of the visible surface or side of the product (i.e., it is a lining seen by the end user) and which is normally joined to the support 10 by means of an adhesive (not shown in the figure). Many times, said lining must cover not only the main side of the support, but also different edges of the support, arranged by means of a support trimming process, this for the purpose of obtaining an end product with a better finish.
Currently, according to a standard method, the obtainment of roof headliners with edging of the lining (i.e., with the application of the lining on the edges of the support) is carried out in at least two separate pressing phases, by means of the use of two presses: one for obtaining the support and another one for applying the lining.
In the first phase, corresponding to obtaining the support, the different sheets or layers which will constitute the support are introduced in a press, one on top of the other. Then, pressure and heat are applied for the purpose of, on one hand, joining the layers (by means of polymerization of the thermosetting resins—13, 15—), and, on the other hand, giving the desired shape (curvatures, etc.) to the support. The support is also trimmed, i.e., portions of the material are eliminated for the purpose of establishing the desired outline of the support, through openings (for example, an opening corresponding to the sunroof window of the vehicle), etc. This trimming of the support can be carried out in the same press, as an integral part of the support obtainment phase, or separately, in a subsequent trimming phase carried out in another machine. As the result of the trimming and of the corresponding elimination of the portion of the laminar material, trimmed edges are formed, at least some of which must be lined with the same lining as the main visible side of the support.
In the second phase, an adhesive is applied (usually, an adhesive activated by means of pressure) on the layer of light non-fabric material of the support obtained as a result of the process described above. The support is placed in a second press, together with the visible side lining, and by means of applying pressure, the support is lined; the lining is adhered to the support by means of the adhesive applied.
The dimensions of the visible side lining somewhat exceed (in the areas which will be edged) those of the support, such that in a subsequent operation, the edging can be carried out by folding the surplus portions of the visible side lining, encircling the support.
This process is schematically shown in FIGS. 2A–2C:
In FIG. 2A, it can be observed how several layers, which will constitute a support 10, are introduced in a first press 50. The support is formed by means of applying pressure and heat. Furthermore, in the first press 50, peripheral portions of the support are also eliminated, such that edges 10a, 10b, which can be observed in FIG. 2B, are formed. In said FIG. 2B, It can be observed how the support 10 obtained in the first press 50, and with its edges 10a and 10b trimmed, has, been introduced in a second press 60, together with a lining layer 20, the ends 20a and 20b of which project with regard to the upper surface of the support. An adhesive (not shown) has previously been applied on the surface of the support 10 to which the lining 20 is to be adhered. In the second press, by applying pressure and heat, the lining 20 is adhered to the upper surface of the support, with the ends 20a and 20b of the lining free. The possibility also exists to carry out, in the second press, trimmings of the lining, for example, so that its ends or outline have the desired configuration and/or to eliminate the material corresponding to, for example, a sunroof window (in which case the trimmed portion of the lining must be less than the surface of the window, for the purpose of allowing for the edging of the visible edges of the support delimiting the window).
Then in a subsequent step, adhesive is applied on the edges 10a, 10b of the support (and/or on the free ends 20a, 20b of the lining), and said edges are covered with the surplus free ends 20a, 20b of the lining (the adhesive is usually applied on the surpluses of the lining). FIG. 2C schematically shows how the lining 20 covers the visible side of the support 10 and how the free ends 20a, 20b of the lining cover the trimmed edges of the support.
In theory, the process described requires the use of two different presses:
i) a first press for obtaining the support by means of applying pressure and heat to an assembly of layers constituting the support; optionally, the trimming of the support can also be carried out in this first press for the purpose of defining the outline of the support and possible openings (for example, for a sunroof window), with the edges which subsequently must be lined: alternatively, the support can be trimmed in a subsequent phase; and
ii) a second press in which the lining is applied on the support; optionally, possible trimmings of the lining layer can also be carried out in this second press (for example, to form the opening corresponding to a sunroof window).
With this process, it is necessary to use two presses since, if the lining is joined to the support in the first press, in the same process in which pressure and heat are applied for joining the different layers constituting the support, then when "trimming" the support, the lining layer is also trimmed, whereby there are no surplus free ends of the lining which can serve to cover the edges formed upon trimming the support, i.e., there is no surplus portion of the lining which can be used for lining said edges.
Therefore, in the standard process described, it is necessary to use a first press for shaping the support, which is then trimmed, to then pass to a second press in which the lining is applied.
To reduce expenses, it would be desirable to be able to carry out the entire process in a single press.
On the other hand, the standard process, based on the use of two presses, entails a large number of operations and usually requires several operators, for example: one operator for applying the adhesive to areas localized as the deep-drawings for the handles, sunshades etc., members requiring a large amount of adhesive so that the lining is completely adhered; another operator for applying adhesive to the entire surface of the support which must be lined; another operator for introducing the lining in the second press; another operator for positioning the support in the second press; and another operator for withdrawing the formed headliner from the second press.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,865 discloses a substantially known system according to that described above.
A manner of enabling the obtainment of the stratified product in a single press could be by introducing, between the layers (11–17) which will constitute the support 10 and the portions of the lining layer 20 which will constitute the surplus free ends (20a, 20b), once the support is trimmed, sheets of a material—for example, Teflon®—preventing said portions of the lining layer 20 from adhering to the support. In this manner, once the assembly integrated by support 10 and lining 20 has been obtained, the free ends (20a, 20b) of the lining are not joined/adhered to the support; then the support can be cut, and then said free ends of the lining can be folded over the trimmed ends. However, this manner of proceeding, namely, the use of Teflon® sheets or the like for preventing adhesion between the support 10 and lining 20 in certain areas (those which must be cut for the subsequent edging of the trimmed edges) can be laborious (for example, since it requires the step of introducing the Teflon® sheets), and the Teflon® sheets (or the like) can leave marks in the lining (as a result of the assembly pressing process), something which can negatively affect the final appearance of the obtained product.

Process for manufacturing a headliner for the interior of an automobile and installation for use in the process


An apparatus is provided for receiving a wheelchair and its seated occupant and tilting the wheelchair rearwardly into a position in which the seated occupant is disposed in a substantially reclined, supported condition for therapeutic and other advantageous reasons. To accomplish this, the wheelchair tilting apparatus utilizes a base frame arranged for placement on a ground surface, the base frame pivotally mounting the rear end of a wheelchair supporting tilt frame assembly having an upstanding backrest member arranged to support the chair and occupant reclined thereagainst when the apparatus is in operative, tilted condition.

The present invention relates to wheelchair tilting devices, and more particularly to an improved and fully patient-operable, therapeutic and patient care wheelchair tilting apparatus arranged to receive an occupied wheelchair and safely move it and its occupant into a desired, tilted, substantially reclining position for purposes which will be explained and become clear herein, and thence to return the wheelchair and its occupant to its upright, original condition afterwards.
As is well known and understood by medical experts and by those who are for a wide variety of reasons, wheelchair bound, the human body is simply not designed for prolonged and continuous periods in a sedentary, sitting position. Proper blood circulation and "pooling" problems throughout the legs and abdomen below the heart are inherent consequences, as well as are pressure sores and restriction of blood supply to the soft tissues of the posterior and undersides of the thighs, and skin breakdown due to sweating combined with a lack of air circulation. Added to these and other medical issues, simple but significant discomfort is an additional and unavoidable consequence for the wheelchair-bound whose condition does not involve the loss of sensation in the lower body and yet are confined to extended periods of time sitting in a wheelchair throughout their waking, active hours.
Proper, basic care of wheelchair-bound patients requires at least the periodic unweighting of the seated body to allow free circulation of blood through the aforementioned soft tissues and necessary, albeit periodic air ventilation of the skin. It is also of medical importance that the patient receives some periodic periods of time in a substantially reclining position such that, since exertive activity is often not possible, the lower body is elevated relative to heart level, usually by transfer to a bed, to enhance circulation issues.
In addition, routine and basic care services to the wheelchair bound are typically encumbered by their disabilities and encumber care providers in even common situations. As examples, dealing with the wheelchair-bound at dentist offices and even hair salons invariably involves awkward patient transfers, often requiring the patient's attendant, from his or her wheelchair to the provider's reclining chair apparatus for dental work, shampoos or other types of procedures.
A need therefore exists for an apparatus particularly adapted for use in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, dentist offices, doctor's offices, patient homes and other locations which is arranged to safely and reliably position a wheelchair-bound patient in desired, reclined positions while in his or her wheelchair, while at the same time providing a simplified and more convenient and improved construction over the closest prior art device (U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,549 issued 11 Mar., 1980). This prior art teaches a simple cradle unit that is configured to effectively "rock" on an underlying floor surface between first and second positions, moved by a complex roller arm assembly that operates against the floor surface itself, rendering the device inoperable on soft or uneven surfaces such as lawns and such, and undesirable for use on carpeted surfaces and such due to wear damage that results from repeated operation of the device on such surfaces. The present invention is also conveniently collapsible into a more compact condition for easy storage and transport, and also has been examined and approved by insurance and government safety regulatory agencies for provision to and use by the public as a wheelchair tilting device that is specifically arranged for assisted and unassisted operation for or by wheelchair-bound persons for the purpose and in the manner which will be described herein.


The present disclosure discloses a speech recognition method and a terminal, which belong to the field of communications. The method comprises: receiving speech information inputted by a user; acquiring the current environment information, and judging whether the speech information needs to be played according to the current environment information; and recognizing the speech information as text information, when it is judged that the speech information needs not to be played. The terminal comprises an acquisition module, a judgment module and a recognition module. The present disclosure provides the speech receiver with a speech recognition function, when the speech information of the instant messaging is received by the terminal, it can help the receiver to normally acquire the content to be expressed by the speech sender under an inconvenient situation.

With the development of network, more and more people gradually depend on mobile devices for time killing, chatting with friends and entertainment, wherein almost ¾ of users of the mobile terminals communicate with their friends through the chat tools. Currently, the speech input is increasingly popular among the dominant chat tools, which avoids the operation of repeated clicking in the conventional virtual keyboard input, and the users can communicate with each other more quickly and smoothly.
At present, most of the instant communication tools of the terminal provide the function of speech input, such as QQ setup in PC, Wechat of the mobile terminal, speech input of QQ setup in mobile, MiTalk, etc. However in many scenarios (e.g., in the meeting room or a noisy environment, or the receiver has no earphone or player, or the speech content is private, etc.), it is inconvenient for the receiver to play the speech directly when the speech is input based on the instant communication. In that case, how to enable the receiver to directly acquire the speech content is a problem always concerned by a person skilled in the art.

Instant communication voice recognition method and terminal

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


An apparatus and method are provided for continuously injecting molten solder into a plurality of molds for transfer of the formed solder mounds to electronic devices such as multilayer ceramic packages. A conventional injection molding apparatus is employed with a specially designed apparatus for forming the molds and preferably with a specially designed mold to provide a continuous molding process. The apparatus is preferably of a U-shaped configuration whereby molds are advanced under the molten solder reservoir and injection head by a preceding mold in the apparatus. The urging action of the preceding mold on the succeeding mold and, preferably in conjunction with the preferred mold design, enables a continuous method and apparatus for injecting molten solder into a plurality of molds. The preferred mold design utilizes an upper plate having mold opening, and a lower substrate or backing plate, with the length and width of the upper plate being slightly longer than the length and width of the lower substrate or late.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for continuous casting solder onto discrete parts and to solder containing parts formed thereby and, in particular, to a continuous process for injecting molten solder into molds to form solder mounds and wherein the molds may be disposed against a substrate such as a multilayer ceramic package or other electronic substrate and the solder mounds then transferred from the mold to the substrate or the molds disposed against a backing plate with the molded solder mounds transferred from the mold to another electronic substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
Forming an electronic package whereby an electrical component such as a multilayer ceramic package is electrically connected to a substrate such as a card, a board, another connector and any other electronic part is well-known in the art. Surface mount technology (SMT) has gained acceptance as the preferred means of joining electronic devices together, particularly in high end computers. As circuit densities increase there is an increased demand for more I/O and the interconnections which are solder bonded must be smaller and more closely spaced. Additionally, the height of each interconnection must be distributed within a relatively small height tolerance to insure that all of the multilayer ceramic package locations will be electrically interconnected to a corresponding substrate contact location through the solder interconnections.
A myriad of solder structures have been proposed for surface mounting of one electronic structure to another. A typical surface mount process is performed by screening solder paste on conductive, generally metallic pads exposed on a surface of a first electronic structure or substrate. Other known surface mount technology uses solder balls rather than solder paste to provide the solder connecting structures. This technology is known as C-4 and by using solder balls, a more exact and somewhat greater quantity of solder can be applied then through screening. These type solder structures are used mainly to connect a chip to a multilayer ceramic package.
Another type of solder interconnection is a cast solder column which is mainly used to connect a multilayer ceramic package to a boar. Cast columns (CGA) are preferred over pin grid arrays (PGA) in that the nature of the joint (solder connection) offers a better electrical connection over the PGA, is less expensive to manufacture and compensates for thermal expansion differences between the ceramic package and the board. In general, pins are prefabricated and then attached to the bottom side of the package substrate. Sockets are attached to the board where the PGA is plugged in. The PGA process is costly compared to the IMS cast column process.
In the present wire column grid array process a eutectic paste is screened on the substrate pads, typically the bottom surface metallurgy (BSM) pads. The solder columns are loaded separately into a mold or formed in the mold and then aligned to the substrate BSM pads and reflowed. This two-step procedure leads to increased manufacturing cost and possible misalignment of columns to the BSM pads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,143, to Ference et al. and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses an apparatus and method for injection molding solder mounds onto electronic devices. In general, the apparatus has a reservoir for molten solder which is disposed over a cavity in an injection plate. The injection plate is disposed over a mold having an array of cavities therein into which solder is injection molded. The mold is typically disposed over a workpiece such as a multilayer ceramic substrate and the cavities in the mold are aligned with electrical contact locations on the chip or substrate. The workpiece is heated and the molten solder is forced under gas pressure into the cavity in the injection plate disposed above the array of cavities in the mold and the molten solder is forced into the cavities. In one embodiment, the injection plate is advanced to slide over the stationary mold to wipe away the excess solder above the mold at a plurality of wiping apertures in the injection plate. The injection plate is then further advanced to a location having a nonsoldered wettable surface at which location the injection plate is removed. The mold is then removed to leave solder mounds disposed on the workpiece.
The above apparatus and method can also be used with a fixed injection molding apparatus and injection plate and moving the mold and workpiece. The apparatus and method of the patent can also be used in an automated manufacturing system for depositing an array of solder mounds onto substrates. For an automated system the patent describes using intermeshing conveyer belt loops to provide a completely automated apparatus and process for disposing solder mounds onto electronic devices. A more advanced embodiment is a reel to reel apparatus and process for Tape Automated Soldering.
In the injection molded solder process (IMS), molds such as column grid array (CGA) molds are passed under an injection head or plate which fills the mold with molten solder. The injection head must make direct contact with the surface of the mold while the solder is in a molten state to force solder into the mold cavities and to prevent solder which is in a reservoir on top of the injection head from spilling out. This is a problem when the injection head is lifted to injection mold additional parts moved under the head and it has been proposed that before the injection head is lifted that the molten solder in the reservoir be allowed to solidify. A second proposal utilizes a vacuum on the reservoir to lift and hold the molten solder prior to lifting the injection head. Both solutions are impractical in a manufacturing environment where continuous processing is highly desirable. In alternative processes where the injection head is not raised during the process to mold additional parts it has been found that conveyor belts and the like are not satisfactory because of the competing thermal (cooling and heating) forces inherent in the process which provide gaps between the molds being sequentially processed and/or other problems in feeding and injecting molten solder into the mold.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is an object of the invention to provide a continuous process for injecting molten solder into a plurality of molds sequentially using such processes as the injection molded solder (IMS) process.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which may be operated continuously to fill a plurality of molds sequentially with molten solder using processes such as the injection molded solder (IMS) process.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide substrates and in particular electronic substrates such as multilayer ceramic packages with injection molded solder mounds thereon prepared by the process and method of the invention.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description.

Apparatus and method for continuous casting solder onto discrete parts

International Business Machines Corporation


In a mobile telephone system including a mobile telephone base station (20) connected to a telephone network (40) and a mobile telephone apparatus (10) which includes a first GPS unit for receiving a GPS wave as a first received GPS signal to obtain position data of the mobile telephone apparatus by information processing with reference to the first received GPS signal and a radio section for transmitting, by radio communication, the position data of the mobile telephone apparatus to the mobile telephone base station to make the mobile telephone base station inform the telephone network of the position data of the mobile telephone apparatus, the mobile telephone base station includes a mobile telephone base section for transmitting, by radio communication, position information of the mobile telephone base station to the mobile telephone apparatus to enable the mobile telephone apparatus to use the position information of the mobile telephone base station instead of the position data of the mobile telephone apparatus. Preferably, the mobile telephone base station further includes a second GPS unit for receiving the GPS wave as a second received GPS signal to obtain the position information of the mobile telephone base station by information processing with reference to the second received GPS signal. The mobile telephone base section is connected to the second GPS unit to be supplied with the position information of the mobile telephone base station from the second GPS unit.

This invention relates to a mobile telephone system in which a mobile telephone apparatus comprises not only a radio section mainly serving as a mobile telephone set adapted to carry out radio communication but also a GPS unit adapted to receive GPS (Global Positioning System) information so that position data of the mobile telephone apparatus itself is acquired by information processing of the GPS information and reported, via radio communication to a mobile telephone base station, to a telephone network connected to the base station and, in particular, to a mobile telephone system which has a backup function in case where the mobile telephone apparatus is used in an environment such that the GPS unit thereof can not appropriately receive the GPS information and which achieves low power consumption and saving of a memory capacity in the mobile telephone apparatus.
Recently, in the field of mobile telephone communication, it is considered to use in a mobile telephone system a GPS unit capable of receiving GPS information transmitted from a GPS satellite and including time information, position information, and map information. This arises from a demand for applications in case where a user of a mobile telephone apparatus sends an emergency report via radio communication and another party involved in communication desires to identify a user's position or in case where another party searches the position of a possessor of a mobile telephone apparatus. In addition, there is also a demand for an application such that a user of a mobile telephone apparatus desires to acquire map information of his neighborhood for the sake of convenience.
As a known technique using the GPS unit in the field of mobile telephone communication, proposals have been made of a structure in which a mobile telephone base station comprises a GPS unit as in a radio telephone controller with GPS disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. H06-213998, and another structure in which a mobile telephone apparatus comprises a, GPS unit as in a mobile telephone set with a GPS receiver disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. H09-98475 and a mobile telephone with a GPS unit disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. H11-18159.
Generally, a mobile telephone apparatus containing a GPS unit is not always used in a place where the GPS information from the GPS satellite can be received in a good condition but is often used in an unreceivable place, typically, an underground mall. In addition, in an automobile where the mobile telephone apparatus is frequently used, the GPS information is often impossible to receive. In order to effectively utilize the GPS information in such cases, the underground mall or a tunnel is provided with a GPS communication mobile telephone base station which covers a local region as a communication area. In the automobile, a GPS unit used as car navigation is mounted. In this manner, in case where the GPS information is difficult to be directly used by the GPS unit contained in the mobile telephone apparatus, the GPS information obtained by the GPS communication mobile telephone base station or the GPS unit mounted in the automobile is used instead.
As other known techniques related to data communication, including the GPS information, applicable to the mobile telephone apparatus, proposals have been made of a mobile information apparatus and a communication IC card used in the information apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. H08-153075, a position information service system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. H09-68566, a method of providing information to a mobile terminal, an information providing system, and a mobile terminal disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. H09-130861, a mobile object position detecting apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. H09-281212, a mobile radio communication terminal position display apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. H10-79971, and a data communication method, a mobile data communication apparatus, and a recording medium disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. H11-113066.
In the mobile telephone system utilizing the GPS unit described above, countermeasures are taken to prepare for the circumstance where the GPS unit contained in the mobile telephone apparatus can not directly receive the GPS information in a good condition. Specifically, the GPS communication mobile telephone base station is arranged at the place where the reception of the GPS information is difficult. Alternatively, in case of the automobile, the GPS unit used as the car navigation is mounted. Thus, the GPS information obtained by the GPS communication mobile telephone base station or the GPS unit mounted in the automobile is used as a substitute. Nevertheless, if the reception state of the GPS information by the GPS unit contained in the mobile telephone apparatus is inferior, it is difficult to effectively utilize the GPS information.
Furthermore, in the mobile telephone apparatus containing the GPS unit, a large current consumption is required upon using the GPS unit as compared with a current consumption in a standby state of the mobile telephone apparatus itself. Therefore, it is difficult for the mobile telephone apparatus energized by an ordinary battery to desiredly use the GPS unit requiring a large power consumption. As a result, the GPS unit can not effectively be utilized.
Furthermore, in the mobile telephone apparatus provided with the GPS unit, a memory medium such as a semiconductor memory capable of memorizing an enormously large quantity of information is required in order to use map information contained in the GPS information directly obtained by the GPS unit contained therein. For example, in case where a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM having a large memory capacity is used and utilized like in the car navigation, no problem will arise. However, in case where the map information is used only by the GPS unit contained in the mobile telephone apparatus, a special memory medium having a large memory capacity is required so that the reduction in size and weight required for the mobile telephone apparatus can not be assured and the increase in cost is inevitable. Thus, at present, it is not easy to obtain and use the map information by the GPS unit contained in the mobile telephone apparatus.
In addition, the mobile telephone apparatus is typically provided with a clock section indicative of a current time instant. However, the time instant in the clock section is much less accurate than the time instant information given by a frequency of a quartz oscillator and contained in the GPS information transmitted from the GPS satellite. Thus, the clock section presently used can not indicate an accurate time instant.

Mobile telephone system capable of effectively utilizing GPS information even if direct reception by a mobile telephone apparatus is difficult


A single pole antenna array architecture provides an azimuth variable beamwidth. The array includes a number of driven radiating elements that are spatially arranged having a pivoting actuator so as to provide a controlled variation of the antenna array's radiation pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to communication systems and components. More particularly the present invention is directed to antennas for wireless networks.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Related Background Information
Modern wireless antenna implementations, generally include a plurality of radiating elements that may be arranged over a ground plane defining a radiated (and received) signal beamwidth and azimuth scan angle. Azimuth antenna beamwidth can be advantageously modified by varying amplitude and phase of a Radio Frequency (RF) signal applied to respective radiating elements. Azimuth antenna beamwidth has been conventionally defined by Half Power Beam Width (HPBW) of the azimuth beam relative to a bore sight of an antenna array. In such an antenna array structure, radiating element positioning is critical to the overall beamwidth control as such antenna systems rely on accuracy of amplitude and phase angle of an RF signal supplied to each radiating element. This places a great deal of tolerance and accuracy on a mechanical phase shifter to provide required signal division between various radiating elements over various azimuth beamwidth settings.
Real world applications often call for an antenna array with beam down tilt and azimuth beamwidth control that may incorporate a plurality of mechanical phase shifters to achieve such functionality. Such highly functional antenna arrays are typically retrofitted in place of simpler, lighter and less functional antenna arrays while weight and wind loading of the newly installed antenna array can not be significantly increased. Accuracy of a mechanical phase shifter generally depends on its construction materials. Generally, highly accurate mechanical phase shifter implementations require substantial amounts of relatively expensive dielectric materials and rigid mechanical support. Such construction techniques result in additional size and weight, not to mention being relatively expensive. Additionally, mechanical phase shifter configurations that utilize lower cost materials may fail to provide adequate passive intermodulation suppression under high power RF signal levels.
Consequently, there is a need to provide a simpler method to adjust antenna beamwidth control.

Single pole vertically polarized variable azimuth beamwidth antenna for wireless network


An ocular optical system for a viewfinder in a camera for observing object image which is formed on focusing glass or its vicinity via eye point. The ocular optical system includes, in order from the focusing glass side, a negative meniscus lens, which has its convex surface facing the focusing glass side, and a positive lens. Visibility compensation is performed by moving the positive lens along the optical axis without moving the negative meniscus lens.

Conventionally, ocular optical systems for cameras which include two lens groups containing a negative lens and a positive lens arranged in order from the focusing glass side with one of the lenses moved along the optical axis for focusing are known as ocular optical systems for viewfinders used in single-lens reflex cameras.
In a conventional ocular optical system for a viewfinder which is formed of two groups containing two lenses including a negative lens and a positive lens, optical materials with relatively low refractive indexes are used; however, magnification and eye relief (hereafter defined as a distance on the optical axis between the surface closest to the eye point and the eye point) are the main focus when one considers that the refractive power of each lens tends to be increased. As a result, such an optical system is required to have a structure such that the distance between the focusing glass and the ocular optical system along the optical axis, that is the optical distance occupied by an erecting optical system formed of a pentaprism or pentamirror, is shortened.
Shortening of the optical distance of the erecting optical system is effective for minimizing the size of a camera. However, when the optical distance of the erecting optical system is set extremely short, a sufficient field of view is not obtained. Additionally, if the optical distance is set too short it tends to result in an unexpected crossing between optical members for display within the field of view of the viewfinder and the observation light beam. On the other hand, when the optical distance of the erecting optical system is set too long with the objective of obtaining a sufficient field of view and to avoid the unexpected crossing between the optical members for display and the observation light beam, the range of visibility compensation (eyesight correction factor, in diopters) of the ocular optical system for a viewfinder is extremely deviated to the positive side such that it is difficult to maintain sufficient range of visibility including negative visibility on the near vision side.
In a conventional ocular optical system, large coma aberrations are caused in the vicinity of an image plane due to the strong refractive power of each lens. As a result, an objective lens makes it difficult to observe the periphery of an object image formed on the focusing glass or its vicinity.

Ocular optical system for a viewfinder with variable visibility


A system and a method for implementing remote procedure calls in a distributed computer system provide a base object class from which all distributed objects can be derived. A program extracting all classes derived from the base class provides an inheritance tree to allow down casting from a root class to a base class and to allow passing high level data structure between participants of a remote procedure call. An Unix script provides stub routines for implementing a client-server model communicating processes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to distributed computer systems, and in particular, relates to the use of remote procedure call mechanisms in distributed computer systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a distributed computer system, efficiency can be enhanced by sharing of resources (e.g. a file system) among numerous computers in the system. In addition, multiple computers can be used cooperatively in such a system to perform a common task. A number of communication paradigms have been developed to structure a network of computers to allow these computers to work cooperatively or to share resources. Among these paradigms is the "client-server" model. In the client-server model, one or more computers (the "servers") are assigned to provide services which other computers (the "clients") in the distributed computer system may request, either by passing messages to the servers or by invoking remote procedure calls. In the client-server paradigm, the client initiates a service request, and the server responds to such service request.
A remote procedure call is a mechanism by which a program executing in a process space of one computer causes a procedure to be executed in a process space of another computer ("remote computer"). One implementation of the client-server paradigm has a client process invoke a remote procedure call to activate the requested service in a server process. A convenient implementation of the server process is a daemon process. A daemon process is a computer process which receives messages from other processes, and which, once started, is resident in the computer until a "kill" message is received from another process, a timer times out, or when the all expected messages are received. Such a daemon process is often used to manage a shared resource. For example, a daemon process for a print queue receives messages from processes which require the use of one or more printers associated with the print queue. To effectuate a print operation, a requesting process sends a print request to the daemon process which, if appropriate, would set up and schedule the necessary print processes to satisfy the print request. The daemon process provides efficiency, since tasks requiring printer-specific information are assigned to the daemon process and off-loaded from the requesting processes. A daemon process is said to be "sleeping" while waiting for a message from a requesting process, and is said to be "awaken" when performing its assigned task.
Modern software programs are designed to exploit the advantages of modularization and data abstraction. Modularization allows a complex system to be partitioned at defined functional interfaces into interrelated subsystems. Each subsystem's implementation complexity is thus shielded from ("transparent to") other subsystems, and can therefore be developed and modified to a large extent independently from other subsystems.
Data abstraction simplifies the task of programming by the use of high level data structures, which are logical or conceptual representation of the objects the data represent. Thus, data abstraction allows the programmer to manage data at a conceptual level, rather than managing data as a collection of primitive data types.
Ideally, suitable modularization should allow an application programmer to invoke services of the operating system, e.g. to request status of a print job, without knowledge of the intricacies as to how the service is procured or where the service provider is located. In addition, high level data structures support should be provided to allow an application program to interface with another program without dismantling the application program's high level data structure to lower level primitives.
Contrary to the goals of data abstraction and modularization, even though distributed computer systems have been used widely, remote procedure calls are implemented in language-dependent frameworks. Consequently, only relatively low level data structures can be passed between the computer processes involved in the remote procedure call, thereby requiring the application programmer to treat a distributed object specially. Such requirement defeats modularization.
Further, because a suitable mechanism for communicating high level data structures is unavailable, the data structure of an application program is often dismantled explicitly in the application program code to create the low level data structure necessary for communicating data across machine boundaries. The portability and reliability of such application programs are affected.
Thus, a mechanism of a high level of abstraction is desired to insulate application programs from having to set up for remote procedure calls. For example, remote procedure calls should be made transparent to the application programmer. That is, the mechanism should allow an application program to be written without knowledge or requirement that certain data structures of the application program are to be implemented on or be dependent upon resources controlled by a remote machine.

Method and system for implementing remote procedure calls in a distributed computer system

DIG.
1
MS
File;DIG.
2
MS
File
FSS 650;600;725


A laser gain medium includes an optical medium configured to transmit a laser beam and having an incident face, a first face, a second face opposing to the first face; and gain media configured to amplify the laser beam while reflecting the laser beam. At least one of the gain media is joined on a first face of the optical medium as a first face gain medium, and at least one of the remaining gain media is joined on a second face of the optical medium as a second face gain medium. The laser beam is incident into the optical medium, and is amplified by the first face gain medium and the second face gain medium while being alternately reflected by the first face gain medium and the second face gain medium.

In recent years, a laser apparatus which has a small size but high output power and high beam quality is demanded in a laser machining field and so on. Conventionally, a gas laser has been widely used for a high output power laser, from the viewpoint of the output and the beam quality. However, recently, a laser diode (LD) pumping solid-state laser which uses laser diodes as excitation light sources has spread rapidly.
In order to realize a high output power laser by using the solid-state laser, discharge of heat generated in the laser gain medium is important.
FIG. 1 shows a rod-type solid-state laser system. Pumping light beams 102 are irradiated on the cylindrical side face of a rod-type laser gain medium 101 and an amplified laser beam 103 is outputted from one of the rod ends. In the laser system of this type, a temperature gradient is generated inside the laser gain material rod 101 in a radial direction. This temperature gradient causes degradation of the quality of the laser beam and a laser output drop. Also, it is necessary to consider the durability of laser gain medium to the temperature gradient and to restrain the output power. Moreover, it is difficult to realize the laser gain medium of a large diameter rod from the viewpoint of crystal growth and there is a limit in realization of high output power.
A slab laser system using a plate-type laser gain medium has been devised to reduce the above-mentioned temperature gradient in the rod-type laser gain medium. In this type of laser system, laser light beam propagates in a zigzag manner while being fully reflected in the laser gain medium and is amplified. In this slab laser system, even if the temperature gradient is generated in the laser gain medium, the influence of the temperature gradient on the laser beam can be canceled since the laser beam propagates in the zigzag manner in the temperature gradient.
A method using a disk-type laser gain medium is known in order to solve a heat problem peculiar to the solid-state laser system. FIG. 2 shows a laser system of a transmission type as an example of the disk-type laser system. A pumping light beam 112 is irradiated to a thin disk-type laser gain medium 111 from outside. A laser beam 114 is supplied from one of the faces of the laser gain medium 111 and a laser beam 113 which has been amplified is outputted from the other face. In this laser system, by employing the laser gain medium of thin disk type, the area of a reception face of the pumping light beam can be made large. Moreover, it is possible to uniformly cool the whole disk face, and generation of the temperature gradient of the laser gain medium can be suppressed.
The disk-type laser systems are mainly divided into a transmission type laser system shown in FIG. 2 and a reflection type (an active mirror type) laser system shown in FIG. 3, depending on a method of amplifying the laser beam.
In the transmission-type solid-state laser system, the temperature in the disk rises with irradiation of the pumping beam 112 to the disk-type laser gain medium 111 so that the temperature gradient is generated. In order to eliminate the temperature rising and the temperature gradient, coolant is supplied to the front and back faces of the disk for heat radiation 115. In the transmission-type solid-state laser system, the laser beam which has passed through the coolant is outputted. For this reason, problems such as warp of the outputted laser beam and limitation on operation (for example, stop the supply of the coolant during the laser oscillation) are caused.
On the other hand, in the active mirror type solid-state laser system shown in FIG. 3, one of the faces of a disk-type laser gain medium 121 is covered with a reflection film, a laser beam 123 is inputted from the face opposite to the reflection film and is outputted. By providing a heat discharging mechanism on the whole face covered with the reflection film, the heat accumulated in the laser gain medium can be efficiently discharged as radiation 125. It is possible to output the amplified laser beam without undergoing influence of the heat discharging mechanism. Also, comparing with the transmission-type laser system, since an optical path of the laser beam is folded, the laser beam can be amplified additionally for one return path. Therefore, when disks with the same shape are used, there is an advantage in larger amplification of the laser beam in the reflection type than in the transmission type.
In conjunction with the above description, the following references are known: Japanese Patent Application Publications (JP-A-Heisei 9-312430 and JP-P2006-237170).
In above-mentioned solid-state laser system, a great deal of heat is generated in the laser gain medium with the optical excitation and the temperature of the laser gain medium rises. Therefore, in order to operate the laser system continuously, it is necessary to cool the laser gain medium to discharge the generated heat.
However, since the thermal conductivity of the solid-state laser gain medium is generally low, the large temperature gradient is caused between the hot inside portion and the cooled surface portion. For this reason, phenomena such as inclination of refractive index, mechanical stress, depolarization, and detuning could happen. As a result, it easily causes the degradation of beam quality, reduction of laser output, and the break-down of the solid-state laser medium. This would cause a large problem when extending the solid-state laser to the high output power.
In the large output power laser, a great deal of energy has to be amassed in the laser gain medium. On the other hand, a technique is known in which multi-stage amplification is applied to attain a large gain. In this case, because laser gain media are independent, the light axis of an input laser beam to be amplified is easily shifted due to mechanical vibration of the laser.
In order to obtain a laser beam of high beam quality, it is required that the laser beam is amplified uniformly in a region of the laser gain medium through which the laser beam propagates. In addition, it is required that a temperature is uniform among gain media, since a temperature gradient is generated as the whole laser gain medium so that adverse influence is given on laser oscillation when the temperature of the laser gain medium largely varies due to the heat through absorption of a pumping light beam.

Laser gain medium and laser oscillator using the same


A power meter includes a plurality of terminals for receiving a measure of power consumption of each of one or more phases of power that is delivered to a load and a controller that is operatively coupled to the plurality of terminals. The controller is configured to determine a number of power monitor parameters based on the measure of power consumption of each of one or more phases of power that is delivered to the load. The controller is further configured to operate an interactive menu. The power meter includes a user interface that is configured to display the number of power monitor parameters based on the measure of power consumption of each of one or more phases of power that is delivered to the load and to enable a user to navigate the interactive menu using via one or more screens displayed on the user interface.

Power systems are used to provide necessary power to a wide variety of building systems such as but not limited to lighting systems, security systems, HVAC systems and general power requirements. In some cases, power meters are used to monitor a power system in order to detect potential problems with the power system. Power meters are also used to measure power consumption for billing purposes. A variety of power meters are known. Improvements in the use and functionality of power meters would be desirable.

Power meter with fixed segment interactive menu


A battery simulation circuit simulates a rechargeable battery. The battery simulation circuit includes an integrated amplifier, a voltage adjustment unit, a current limitation unit, and a feedback unit. The voltage adjustment unit provides a reference voltage for the integrated amplifier; the current limitation unit provides a reference current for the integrated amplifier and the feedback unit provides a negative feedback signal for the integrated amplifier to control the integrated amplifier working in a linear state. The integrated amplifier outputs an output signal according to the reference voltage and the reference current; the battery simulation circuit supplies power for an electronic device. When the output terminal is connected to a DC power source and a voltage of the DC power source is greater than the output voltage of the output terminal, the battery simulation circuit simulates a battery being recharged by the DC power source via the output terminal.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a battery simulation circuit, and particularly to a circuit simulating a rechargeable battery.
2. Description of Related Art
An electronic device may include a lithium-ion battery as a power source. A manufacturing company needs to test a plurality of functions of the electronic device. However, the functions test takes long time, thus it could reduce the battery life of the battery in the electronic device.
Therefore, what is needed is a means to overcome the above described shortcoming.


A fluorescent adapter having a housing including a tip contact compatible with an electrical socket, a threaded ring contact compatible with the electrical socket, the ring contact surrounding the housing and rotatable with the housing when the housing is rotated in a first direction and not rotatable with the housing when the housing is rotated in an opposite direction, and a fluorescent ballast supported by the housing and having input electrodes in electrical contact with the tip contact and the ring contact, respectively, and output electrodes for removably receiving the contact pins of a fluorescent lamp. The adapter is easily inserted into the socket but is not removable after insertion.

Incandescent lamps have been in use for over a hundred years, and remain in widespread use. They are relatively inexpensive to purchase and easy to replace. Fluorescent lamps use less energy than incandescent lamps. They are, however, initially more expensive to purchase than incandescent bulbs and more expensive to replace, and may not be as readily available as incandescent bulbs, which can be found at many retail locations.
Although fluorescent lamps are more energy-efficient, many light fixtures are designed only for standard incandescent light bulbs. To use a fluorescent lamp in such fixtures requires an adapter. Adapters for allowing fluorescent lamps to be used in place of incandescent lamps in such fixtures are known. Typically, such adapters include a housing that contains or can receive a fluorescent ballast, a socket for receiving the contact pins of a fluorescent lamp, and a threaded ring contact and a tip contact similar or identical to those on the base of a standard incandescent bulb, which allows the adapter to be simply screwed into a standard incandescent socket.
Typically, known fluorescent adapters can be removed from a standard incandescent socket just as easily as they can be installed. That is not normally a problem, but in some cases it is desirable to prevent the adapter from being removed after installation. For example, some manufacturers of fluorescent lamps are partners in ENERGY STAR®, a program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to promote energy efficiency. Many manufacturers of electrical appliances are ENERGY STAR® partners, and many of the ENERGY STAR® partners offer rebates on qualified products. In those cases, it would defeat the purpose of the ENERGY STAR® program, and subject manufacturers to payment of unnecessary rebates, if the fluorescent adapter could be removed and the consumer could revert to incandescent bulbs.
There is a need for a fluorescent adapter that can be installed as easily as an incandescent light bulb but that cannot be removed after installation. The present invention meets that need.

Non-defeatable fluorescent adapter for incandescent fixture


A sound/vibration resonance separating device for resonance-separating and instantly visualizing sound and vibration having one of various frequencies by fixing vibrators such as a plurality of piano wires to a rigid body. In other words, the device is an auditory model for executing Fourier transform instantly. In FIG. 2, numerals 1–20 designate vibrators having various natural vibrations. When a sound is inputted from a microphone for converting it into an electric signal to a device body, as shown in FIG. 4, the electric signal is amplified/controlled by an electronic circuit (28) and outputted to a speaker (24) acting as a vibration converting device, and the sound becomes amplified longitudinal vibration to vibrate a rigid body (21) longitudinally. The vibration is transmitted to the vibrators (I–20) fixed to the rigid body and having the natural vibration, and only the vibrator corresponding to the frequency vibrates. A volume knob (25) is provided for adjusting the amplitude of the vibration. A frequency control knob is for controlling the vibration frequency of sine wave.

"The cantilever" resonants with vibration, and it has been completed as a basic theory in physics and engineering. This equipment is used to apply this theory. It has many kinds of resonance vibrators such as 100–1300 Hz frequency which correspond to the human voice range. It separates human voice, music, noise and so on in the resonance directly, it can divide them into the vibration ingredients.
A computer can separate "sound" into frequency by computation of the Fourier transform. Also, it is possible to divide into every ingredient with the electronic circuit of the resonant circuit and the filter circuit, too. Then, it displays "sound" with a display and an indicator. However, it is a way of computation or with an electronic circuit.
With this invention, a person can feel vibration directly. This equipment separates "sound" and "vibration" real time into the frequency components and can show them directly. The effect of the separation is same as the effect in the hearing of a human being. It is possible to use as an auditory organ when changed into a digital signal. Since our life is surrounded by "sound" and "vibration," this equipment, which can see the state of the receiver of vibration directly, will be able to carry the field of indoor and educational activities in new directions.
The theory of the vibration resonator has been clarified in the field of physics and vibration engineering as vibration theory of the so-called "cantilever". As the theory states, I created and measured a vibration resonator which makes us able to see the phenomenon of sound frequency separation with our own eyes directly. It becomes a straight line in accordance with the theory when the relation between the length of piano wire and the actual measurement of the resonance vibration is analyzed by regression analysis and graphed. A piano wire is fixed on the rigid body and then the speaker of this equipment emits vibration and a resonance frequency is recorded. When this basic data is analyzed, relation to the resonance frequency of the oscillator according to the material and the length of the oscillator is computed by regression analysis.
The result is shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is the computed data of (1) piano wire of 0.3 mm in diameter, (2) piano wire of 0.5 mm in diameter, (3) piano wire of 1.0 mm in diameter. Moreover, according to 0.3 mm piano wire, the frequency data of the scale of the pure temperament and the data of calculated results with the length of the oscillator to (4) from FIG. 1 is added. The piano wire used is JISG3522. Also, when the piano wire is changed into a stainless line of 0.008 mm in diameter, a resonance frequency of equal to or more than 1300 Hz can be measured. The actual measurement with the length of the resonance frequency and the oscillator is computated by regression computation.

Sound/vibration resonance separating device