In an MRT method and apparatus with oversampling in at least one phase coding direction of a first region of interest to be visualized, an overview slice image is acquired across the entire subject to be examined in a selected slice, a marking input of the first image region of interest to be measured is detected in the overview slice image, and the first image region is expanded in at least one phase coding direction, dependent on the geometry of the first image region, the overview slice image, as well as the relative position of both image regions relative to one another, such that an expanded, oversampled second image region is obtained that completely contains the first image region and is foldover-free in this first image region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention in general concerns magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) as employed in medicine for examination of patients. The present invention in particular concerns an MRT method with over-sampling in at least one phase coding direction of an image region to be visualized.
2. Description of the Prior Art
MRT is based on the physical phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance and has been successfully used as an imaging method for over 15 years in medicine and biophysics. In this modality, the subject is exposed to a strong, constant magnetic field. The nuclear spins of the atoms in the subject, which were previously randomly oriented, thereby align. Radio-frequency energy can now excite these ordered nuclear spins to a specific oscillation. This oscillation generates the actual measurement signal, which is acquired by appropriate reception coils. By the use of non-homogeneous magnetic fields generated by gradient coils, the measurement subject can be spatially coded in all three spatial directions, generally known as "spatial coding".
The acquisition of the data ensues in MRT in k-space (frequency domain). The MRT image in the image domain is linked with the MRT data in k-space by means of Fourier transformation. The spatial coding of the subject, which spans k-space, ensues in all three spatial directions by means of gradients. Differentiation is made between the slice selection (establishes an acquisition slice in the subject, typically the z-axis), the frequency coding (establishes a direction in the slice, typically the x-axis) and the phase coding (determines the second dimension within the slice, typically the y-axis). Moreover, the selected slice can be sub-divided into further slices by an additional second phase coding along the z-axis.
A slice is thus first selectively excited (for example in the z-direction) and a phase coding in the z-direction is possibly conducted. The coding of the spatial information in the slice ensues with a combined phase and frequency coding by means of both of these aforementioned orthogonal gradient fields, that in the example of a slice excited in the z-direction are generated by the gradient coils in the x-direction and the y-direction, respectively.
A possible pulse sequence to acquire the data in an MRT experiment is shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The sequence is a spin-echo sequence. In this, the magnetization of the spin is tilted in the x-y plane by a 90° excitation pulse. In the course of time (½ TE; TE is the echo time) a dephasing occurs of the magnetization components that mutually form the transverse magnetization in the x-y plane Mxy. After a certain time (for example, ½ TE), a 180° pulse is radiated in the x-y plane such that the dephased magnetization components are reflected without the precession direction and precession speed of the individual magnetization portions being changed. After a further time duration TD, which may be ½ TE, the magnetization components again point in the same direction, i.e. a regeneration of the transverse magnetization occurs, designated as a "rephasing". The complete regeneration of the transverse magnetization is designated as a spin-echo.
In order to measure an entire slice of the subject to be examined, the imaging sequence is repeated N-times for different values of the phase coding gradient, for example Gy. The temporal separation of the respectively excited RF pulses is designated as a repetition time TR. The magnetic resonance signal (spin-echo signal) is likewise sampled, digitized, and stored N times in every sequence repetition via the Δt-clocked ADO (analog-digital converter) in equidistant time steps Δt in the presence of the read-out gradient Gx. In this manner, a numerical matrix is created row by row (matrix in k-space, or k-matrix) with N×N data points, as shown in FIG. 2B. An MR image of the slice in question with a resolution of N×N pixels can be directly reconstructed from this data set via a Fourier transformation (a symmetric matrix with N×N points is only one example, asymmetrical matrices can be generated as well).
The measured MRT signal, which defines a value of the k-matrix is described by the amplitude, the frequency and the phase of the signal. In MR tomography, the amplitude contains the information about the spin density, while frequency and phase of the signal are used for spatial coding of the respective spatial directions.
In contrast to the frequency coding, the phase coding gradient (for example Gy is only between excitation and acquisition for a fixed duration. All spins do in fact precess again with the same resonance frequency after the switching of the phase coding gradient, but they now possess a spatially-dependent phase. As can be seen in FIG. 2A, the duration of the phase coding gradient is kept constant so that the phase depends only on the spatial direction (for example y-direction) to be coded as well as on the respective gradient amplitude Gy. The phase of the signal changes linearly with the spatial direction (y-direction). A defined phase modulation of the nuclear magnetic resonance signals thus ensues for every gradient amplitude.
So that the association of the phase modulation is unambiguous for each phase coding step, and thus for the entirety of all phase coding steps, the region of interest to be measured of the subject to be examined cannot exceed a delimited range in the phase coding direction. The range in which signals can be unambiguously associated with a position is designated as a field of view (FOV). When the region of interest (ROI) or the subject itself lies within the FOV, all subject positions are unambiguously determined via the phase modulation of a plurality of phase coding steps. If the region of interest lies partially outside of the FOV, it leads to ambiguities. In the image the portion of the ROI or the subject that is beyond an edge of the FOV is projected over the other side of the portion within the FOV. This is known as a foldover artifact (also called aliasing or backfolding or phase wrapping or wrap around artifacts).
Foldovers thus arise in subject structures that lie in the measurement slice but outside of the image field (FOV; normally rectangular) marked by the user in the measurement slice in the phase coding direction. This is due to the fact that the phase coding gradient exhibits a periodicity and is only distinct from 0° to 360°. This fact is illustrated using FIGS. 3A and 3B: the MRT apparatus cannot differentiate between 370° and 10°, which is why the part 33 of the subject 32 (which, for example, protrudes to the right from the image region (FOV) 31 in FIG. 3A in the phase coding direction at 370°) is folded (wrapped around) into the image region again at 10° on the left side 33′ of the reconstructed image 31′ that contains the subject 32′, as shown in FIG. 3B. In reverse, the part 34 of the subject 32 (that, for example, likewise protrudes to the left from the image region 31 in FIG. 3A in the phase coding direction at −5°) folds into the image region 31′ (at 355°) again on the right side 34′ of the reconstructed image 31′.
The subject structure 32′ completely located in the FOV, however, is unambiguously imaged in the reconstructed image.
The simplest manner to prevent or avoid these foldovers is to align the phase coding direction such that subject structures no longer protrude into this from the image region. In the most common case—see FIG. 4A, in which the image region (the FOV) is surrounded on all sides by subject structures—this is not possible.
In this case, a method according to the prior art proceeds as follows:
After an overview slice image of the entire subject in the measurement plane of interest has been acquired in an initial "scout image" procedure, and the image region of interest FOVa of the width "a" has been indicated by the user in the phase coding direction, both sides of the initial FOVa are expanded from its center point so far that a Fovb old is created which completely contains the subject.
In terms of calculation, the expansion in the phase coding direction bold is determined from the overall width of the subject in the phase coding direction s as well as the distance d of the center point of the starting image region FOVa to the center point of the subject in the phase coding direction according to the equation
                              b          old                =                              s            2                    +                      s            2                    +                      2                                                    d                                                                            =                  s          +                      2                                                    d              
In order to not commit to a specific phase coding direction, an image enlargement in the frequency coding directly (vertical in FIGS. 4A, 4B) is likewise effected according to the same method (i.e., replacing s with z and replacing d with the vertical offset of the center of FOVa from the center of the subject region 32), such that ultimately the image region is expanded so far that a subject region 32 no longer protrudes from the new FOVb old. This has the consequence that foldovers are not generated anymore given a scan of the widened FOVb old parallel or perpendicular to a in the initial image region FOVa.
A significant disadvantage of this method is the fact that an oversampling of the current image region of interest FOVa of width "a" occurs (4B), that not only lengthens the scan duration by multiple times, but also demands multiple times the memory storage space.

Optimized method for prevention of foldover artifacts in magnetic resonance tomography


A semiconductor fabrication apparatus includes a plurality of processing stations for film formation or etching, concurrently or continuously. The semiconductor fabrication apparatus is capable of supplying a process gas for film formation or etching from a single gas header to each processing station and provides uniform wafer processing at each processing station. The apparatus includes a process gas supply source; a plurality of branch pipes branched from the common header which, in turn, is connected to a process gas supply source; a plurality of outlet pipes connecting the branch pipes with the processing stations through first flow rate controllers; exhaust pipes also connected to the branch pipes; plural switching valves for switching the flow of process gas between the outlet pipes and the exhaust pipes; and plural second flow rate controllers in the exhaust pipes.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 5, in formation of insulating films or conductive films on wafers using CVD equipment and RIE (Reactive Ion Etching) equipment in a plurality of processing stations, such as multiple chambers, a processing gas is uniformly supplied to gas dispersing devices 2a to 2e respectively provided at the processing stations for equalized film formation rates, etching rates and the like in the respective processing stations. Specifically, processing gas supply sources 1a to 1e are respectively provided for the gas dispersing devices 2a to 2e, and sets of automatic flow rate controllers (AFC) 3a/4a/5a/6a to 3e/4e/5e/6e for automatically controlling the supply amounts of the processing gases are respectively provided for the processing gas supply sources 1a to 1e.
However, if the number of the gas dispersing devices 2a to 2e is increased, the number of processing gas supply sources 1a to 1e, the AFCs 3a/4a/5a/6a to 3e/4e/5e/6e and the like must be increased to a number corresponding to the number of the gas dispersing devices 2a to 2e, and consequently, the above construction has the disadvantages of increasing the cost and of complicating the maintenance of the equipment.
In analyzing the above problem, it may be considered that the processing gas supply sources 1a to 1e are united and also that the processing gas is branched into the gas dispersing devices 2a to 2e; however, since the conductances of respective branch pipings including the gas dispersing devices 2a to 2e are usually different from each other, it is difficult to uniformly supply the processing gas into each of the gas dispersing devices 2a to 2e. Also, even if the conductances of the branch pipings including the gas dispersing devices 2a to 2e are similar to each other, in the case of continuously executing the processing, it often occurs at the initial and final stages that the processing gas is supplied only to a portion of the gas dispersing devices and the supply of the processing gas to the remaining portion of the gas dispersing devices is stopped, which also affects the total amount of the processing gas to the gas dispersing devices. Namely, in the above case, the total amount of the processing gas will fluctuate more than where the processing gas is supplied to all of the gas dispersing devices 2a to 2e. Therefore, the film formation rate and the like are changed, thereby making it impossible to maintain uniformity of the thickness of the formed film.
Taking the above problems into consideration, the present invention has as its object provision of a semiconductor fabrication system capable of supplying equal amounts of a processing gas, for film formation or etching, from one gas supply source to the various processing stations, and thereby achieve uniform wafer processing at each processing station.

Semiconductor Process Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A pile driver assembly consisting of a plurality of pile driver units interconnected together to a rigid base frame that uses the push and pull method to drive a group of raked piles. The pile driver units progressively push one pile at a time for a short distance into the ground while being pull down by the rest of the stationary driven piles in a repeated cyclical driving sequence until the required pile driving force is reached for every pile in the group. The pile driver assembly consists a plurality of interconnected pile driver units, a pile driver base adaptor, a pile clamping system and strong base frame to drive the piles in a two dimensional array of variously raked pile group from 1V:1H to true vertical in the z-axis and rotated to any angle in the x-y plane at a minimum pile's spacing of three times the pile's diameter.

By comparing existing moveable pile drivers, the advantage of the present invention is that the pile driver can drive all the piles within a pile group and yet selectively raked them to various degrees in any two axes. Whereas the existing prior arts using the push pull method used for driving sheet and tube piles in an alignment has drawbacks in that cannot raked piles in one or even two axes nor drive adjacent piles perpendicular to the alignment.
This present invention consists of a cluster of modular pile driver units with each overall cross-sectional dimension less than three times the pile diameter so that the driven pile's centre to centre spacing is at a minimum of three times the pile's diameter to reduce the pile cap size.
Further, unlike the common bulky heavy counter-reaction loads used in the prior arts like the hydraulic static pile driver, the present invention is very small and compact, therefore suited to drive piles in confined urban areas like in the road median with minimum traffic diversion, etc.
US20070144360A1 specifies a multiple press with adjustable spacing in a common horizontal rail; therefore it cannot drive raked piles in one or even two axes nor drive adjacent piles perpendicular to the alignment.
JP6-193065 teaches the common push pull pile driver in an alignment that comprises of at three pulling clamps held together in a rigid base frame to support and push the front pile; therefore it cannot drive raked piles in one or even two axes nor drive adjacent piles perpendicular to the alignment
JP2002-129566 teaches the use of a single pull resistant pile assisting a push pile driver in addition to the push down force of the excavator. This method without more than two pull clamps to provide resistance against driving reaction force is limited by the maximum friction of the single pile which is insufficient if it encounters an obstruction or hard driving.
Korean patent 10-0792130 shows a pile being driven downwards with four resisting tension rods anchored into a common heavy slab. The four hold down tension rods is fixed and cannot be further driven. This prior art can only drive one central pile into the ground instead advancing a group of piles in a sequence into the ground as in push and pull method which theoretically gains increased combined frictional resistance as the piles penetrates into the ground.
JP2004-1562219A teaches the use of four driven stakes that is used as a reaction piles to provide resistance against the driving of a centrally located pile. These four exterior stakes may be screw piles which is usually large but shallowly embedded into the ground. There is no intention to use these shallow screw reaction piles as permanent piles as the centre permanent tabular piles must be driven deeper into more competent strata below.
JP63-23218 and JP02-030809 teaches pile driving using auxiliary anchor set in the position to the frame. As in the prior arts mentioned above, this method can only drive the central pile and cannot drive by advancing all the piles progressively into the ground like the push and pull method.
Korean patent 10-2008-0004222 teaches of an adjustable top and bottom pile guide that can slide along a frame in plane therefore raking the pile. However as compared to the present invention, it can only rake in one axis.
Russian patent 2273694C1 teaches of a method of stabbing the pile using four funnel piling guides positioned in subsea piling. The funnel piling guides are fixed in-line with the exterior axis of the legs of the jacket structure, but it did not teach that the four funnel piling guides can be further variably adjusted by rotating about the x-axis and y-axis as compared to the present invention.
PCT/MY2011/000054 teaches a pile swivelling clamp but faces the problem of the heavy clamps dropping downwards in relation to the centre of the clamp housing. The present invention overcomes this problem by providing a centralising plate that holds all the clamps centrally in relation to the top and bottom clamp housing by vertically compressed springs.
Therefore, in addition to overcoming the problems faced by the fore-mentioned prior arts, the present invention has the following advantageous features; compact pile driver units using powerful clamping system contained inside a compact body with peripheral lugs to be closely inter-connected by steel pins in dowel action to the modular base frame. In addition, the base of the frame can also be attached with a movable sliding base or powered track wheels to make the pile driver self-mobile.
To reduce the pile cap size, it is necessary that the group piles be driven at an optimum pile's centre to centre spacing of 3d (three times the pile's diameter or cross-section dimension). This is only possible if the pile driver unit has dimensions smaller than 3d so that the multiple pile driver units can be placed next to each other.
Conventionally, huge side pile clamps must be required to deliver a side clamping force of exceeding 5-7 times the driving force to avoid the pile/clamp interface slippage. With this present invention, the pile driver units does not require huge side pile clamps as in the prior arts because it can convert the vertical driving force directly through the sliding mechanisms of the wedges into a side horizontal clamping force.
Furthermore, it is the salient feature of this invention that through the use of a pile driver base adaptor, the pile driver units can be connected to the base frame raked from 1V:1H to a true vertical in the z-axis and be rotated to any angle in the x-y plane. This is particularly important for foundations that require lateral stability like piers and tall cantilever structures.
The modular frame based can also be configured to contain pile driver units arranged in a matrix of 1×3, 2×2, 3×2, 3×4, etc groups. The attachment of the modular base frame is held together by means of fasteners sufficient to cope with the bending of the base frame during pile driving.
The use of a circular or tabular housing to provide the transfer of jacking loads on to the clamping system and interconnected by a base frame is advantageous as is it is compact and sturdy system.

Adjustable raked pile driver using the push pull method


A process for enabling the detection of an entry of fuel into the lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine can be implemented relatively simply. The process measures a value representative of the volume of lubricating oil in the internal combustion engine and detects an entry of fuel into the lubricating oil on the basis of an evaluation of results of the measurement which were obtained for different points in time.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method as well as to a device for detecting the entry of fuel into the lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine.
The lubricating oil ("engine oil") of an internal combustion engine primarily serves to reduce the friction which causes energy losses and wear between parts of the internal combustion engine moving against each other. In addition the lubricating oil plays a not insignificant role in the cooling of specific engine components, the sealing between engine components which move against one another, the damping of noise as well as with regard to corrosion protection. For these purposes a specific quantity of lubricating oil is kept within the internal combustion engine, with this volume of lubricating oil usually being actively circulated (pressurized recirculating lubrication).
It is well known that the fuel, or non-volatile components of the fuel, can get into the lubricating oil over a period of time with a certain leakage rate.
This entry of fuel into the lubricating oil adversely affects its performance characteristics. In addition with numerous constructions of an internal combustion engine it is possible that the fuel which got into the lubricating oil is eventually added as additional fuel of the combustion.
With the internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle this additional fuel in the combustion mixture, especially when the engine is under part load or idling, can give a higher engine power than is required by the driver. This can lead to a critical or hazardous situation.

Method and device for detecting the entry of fuel into the lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine


In the wafer-bonding method of fabricating an SOI (silicon-on-insulator) substrate, even if there exists thickness variation in the silicon layer, devices fabricated onto the silicon layer, in accordance with the present invention, have a decreased threshold voltage variation. According to the present invention, after bonding two wafers, the thickness of the thinned silicon layer atop the SOI substrate is measured to precisely determine the local thickness distribution. However, the fabricated devices' threshold voltage depends upon the doping concentration as well as the thickness of the silicon layer. Shielding masks of photoresist are thereafter formed selectively on a portion of the silicon that are thicker. Then, through the masks as shielding, impurities are implanted into the silicon layer to adjust the doping concentration therein. Accordingly, the doping concentration is varied corresponding to the thickness, with the result that the threshold voltage variation nearly approaches zero.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an SOI substrate and its fabrication method suitable for forming a silicon layer, having a thickness of about 1000 .ANG., atop the SOI substrate, on which a completely depletion-mode device can be fabricated.
2. Description of the Related Art
As compared with the method for fabricating integrated circuits on a bulk semiconductor substrate, the method of fabricating integrated circuits on a thin semiconductor layer which is deposited on an insulating layer has several advantages, such as superior device characteristics, and complete isolation between the devices. From this point of view, a structure called silicon-on-insulator (SOI) is, for example, configured with a single crystalline silicon layer formed on an insulating layer of SiO.sub.2, which overlies a single crystalline silicon substrate. By a silicon-wafer bonding method, the silicon layer provided with high-crystallization and any thickness at will can be achievable.
However, with respect to the SOI substrates formed by the wafer-bonding method, a key issue problem is how to form a silicon layer of uniform thickness by combining polishing with etching. A silicon layer having a thickness of about 0.1 .mu.m is used to fabricate completely depletion-mode metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET) thereon. Clearly, to decrease the threshold voltage V.sub.th variation among such MOSFET devices, it is important to precisely control the thickness of the silicon layer. Conventionally, plasma etching process has been utilized to control the uniformity of the silicon layer to a thickness of about 1000 .ANG. with a precision of .+-.50 .ANG.. However, if a decrease in the variation distribution of the threshold voltage V.sub.th in surfaces of the fabricated devices is required, it is necessary to further improve the planarization of the silicon layer. Therefore, the amount of time consumed and manufacturing cost of processing the silicon layer are greatly increased.


In a four-stroke reciprocating-piston internal combustion engine, a method is carried out for operating the latter with a homogeneous lean basic mixture of air, fuel and retained exhaust gas and with compression ignition and direct fuel injection into a combustion space. In order to avoid ignition problems during compression ignition and in the case of a low load, in an activation phase, the retained exhaust gas is compressed in the region of the gas-exchange dead center and is subsequently expanded, and, in this phase of the work cycle, activation fuel is injected into the combustion space in order to stabilize main combustion.

The invention relates to a method for operating a four-stroke reciprocating-piston internal combustion engine of the generic type.
Reciprocating-piston internal combustion engines afford the possibility, during the compression ignition of homogeneous lean mixtures, of the formation of only small amounts of nitrogen oxides, along with high efficiency, when throttle control and a rich mixture are avoided. Compression ignition functions only with exhaust-gas retention in the case of compression ratios which are customary in engines. At a low engine load and low engine speed, and also when the engine is cold, however, even the rise in temperature due to exhaust-gas retention is not sufficient for the reliable ignition of the fresh charge.
DE-A 195 19 663 describes a method for operating an internal combustion engine with compression ignition. Here, in a first step, a homogeneous and lean air/fuel mixture generated as a result of external mixture formation is compressed to near the ignition limit. In a second step, an additional quantity of the same fuel is finely atomized and, with wall contact being avoided, is injected into the combustion space. The fuel injected late forms a mixture cloud which ignites, since, because of the higher fuel content, its ignition limit is below the compression temperature reached in the first step. These conditions apply to a higher engine load and higher engine speed and to an engine which is running hot.
The object on which the invention is based is to provide a method of the generic type which allows reliable ignition and low-consumption and low-pollutant combustion even at a low load and a low engine speed and when the engine is running cold.
By virtue of the method according to the invention, the reciprocating-piston internal combustion engine ignites the mixture of air and fuel by virtue of the rise in temperature of the mixture. The rise in temperature of the fresh mixture is brought about by mixing with retained exhaust gas from the previous cycle and due to the subsequent geometric compression of the closed-off maximum initial volume to a remaining residual volume. In the compressed volume, a temperature is established which brings the mixture to ignition. The combustion process which follows the compression ignition of the homogeneous lean mixture is a process which is self-maintained maintained due to the energy released.
The exhaust gas occurs in the combustion space as a result of the combustion of the fresh mixture. The energy released during combustion is dissipated as a result of expansion up to the maximum combustion-space volume. Subsequently, an outlet member is opened and exhaust gas is expelled as a result of the reduction in the combustion-space volume. While the expulsion operation is taking place, during the reduction in the combustion-space volume, the outlet member closes and retains the exhaust gas. The latter is compressed to the minimum combustion-space volume. The retained exhaust gas has occurred during combustion with air excess. The combustion phase is in the region of maximum geometric compression between the compression phase and the expansion phase. The number of thermodynamic phases of the four-stroke engine therefore amounts to five phases.
In order to broaden the operating range of an engine with the compression ignition of homogeneous lean mixtures, a sixth thermodynamic phase, the activation phase, is interposed. During the compression of the retained exhaust gas, an activation fuel quantity is injected into the air/exhaust-gas mixture and is distributed as homogeneously as possible, together with the remaining air fractions, in the combustion space. Thermal energy is supplied to the fuel by conduction and compression, so that a chemical reaction and/or ignition is initiated. As a result of complete combustion of the activation fuel, the thermal energy of the exhaust gas which has remained is increased in order to ensure ignition in the next cycle. If combustion is incomplete, at least the chemical activity of the retained exhaust gas quantity is increased (the formation of radicals), without the temperature being raised appreciably at the same time. In both cases, and in a situation where there is a mixture of these, it is possible to speak of activation. A greater fresh-charge mass can be ignited by means of a smaller mass of the retained exhaust gas due to the activation of the latter.
In the case of combustion during exhaust-gas compression, there is a rise in the state of pressure and temperature of the retained exhaust gas in the combustion space. This type of activation is also referred to cascadic combustion, since combustion takes place over two cycles. This has to be taken into account in a later inlet trigger time, in order to ensure a negative pressure difference of the inlet valve due to a longer expansion of the activated exhaust gas. There is no provision for an accumulation of exhaust gas or for pushing the charge back into the suction pipe, since the exhaust-gas quantity necessary for initiating a reaction loses its specific enthalpy due to flow movements and mixing movements.
At low engine speeds, that is to say with high heat losses at the wall, the aim is to achieve maximum activation of the exhaust gas. There is the risk, in this case, that, during exhaust-gas compression, complete combustion will raise the pressure level in the combustion space in such a way that the pressure difference between the surroundings and the combustion space is subsequently not sufficient to suck in a sufficient quantity of fresh gas in the time which has remained when the inlet valves are open. In order to control the pressure and temperature of the retained exhaust gas in the combustion space, the injection point of the activation fuel is varied. If injection is early, that is to say takes place even during the reduction in the combustion-space volume, the temperature of the mixture is increased due to compression, with the result that a reaction is initiated, along with subsequent combustion. If injection of the activation fuel takes place in the region of the minimum combustion-space volume, the increase in this volume delays chemical activity (the formation of radicals), without a pronounced temperature rise being capable of being established in the exhaust gas as a result of self-maintaining reactivity.
The evaporation energy of the fuel injected late extracts thermal energy from the compressed retained exhaust gas. The evaporation energy may also be used to prevent uncontrolled after-ignition of the incompletely burnt mixture mass during the compression of the retained exhaust gas. The chemical activation of the exhaust gas brings about an early initiation of the main reaction in the subsequent complete compression phase and combustion phase. The ignition point of the fresh charge during main combustion can be controlled by means of the point and quantity of activation injection.
In this way, an incomplete reaction during main combustion can be prevented by means of the control action exerted by a cooling ignition injection of activation fuel. The effects of integral influences due to the transmission of wall heat on combustion can be seen over several cycles. The influence of the transmission of wall heat within a cycle can be compensated for a number of subsequent cycles by means of a controlled action involving the variation in activation. This control for combustion stabilization requires its own control loop.
Incomplete combustion does not increase the emission of exhaust gas from the entire engine system, since the inlet control times are always selected in such a way that only fresh gas is sucked in. A possibly incomplete chemical reaction during exhaust-gas compression or expansion is implemented completely as a result of subsequent compression with a high effective compression ratio and subsequent conversion. Activation is used when cyclic combustion can no longer be maintained in the event of a further increase in the fuel fraction in the fresh mixture or when there is exhaust-gas retention. This is recognized by erratic running or a load drop when the engine is in operation.
The logics in the control of ignition injection attempt to keep the ignition injection quantity minimal with a view to a combustion configuration with optimum consumption. The control limits the maximum injection quantity by means of the signal for air deficiency of the exhaust gas (air/fuel ratio xe2x89xa61) from the lambda probe in the exhaust-gas tract.
Effective compression of the residual gas is dependent on the exhaust-gas fraction retained. It is, in most cases, at or below half the geometric compression. On account of the low fuel quantities for activation and of the still relatively high exhaust-gas fraction, during ignition combustions the peak pressures and peak temperatures in the exhaust gas are also so low that nitrogen oxides cannot occur in any appreciable quantity.

Method for operating a four-stroke reciprocating internal combustion engine


An apparatus for irrigating plants such as shrubs, flowers, and trees is disclosed. Water can be provided to the apparatus through an externally connected hose. The apparatus may be employed as part of an overall landscape irrigation system. The apparatus prevents leaves, bugs, and debris from entering an interior chamber of the apparatus, while allowing air into the interior chamber. Apertures are provided along the length of a downward projecting cylindrical stem. Water flows from within the stem, through the apertures, and into soil surrounding the stem. Soil and stones are prevented from entering the stem interior. Further, a food basket or an in-line metering system may be integrated into the apparatus to provide for the controlled feeding of plants.

At present, a variety of irrigation apparatus are available for use in the watering of ornamental or farmed plants. Many of these apparatus are simply variations of traditional sprinklers, which have differing mechanisms for establishing spray patterns and flow rates which are appropriate to the type of plant for which the sprinkler is employed.
For certain shrubs, flowers (such as roses, etc.) and trees, it is important to be able to control both the amount of water which is supplied, but also in some cases, the supply of plant food or fertilizer and other chemical agents which are necessary for the sustained health and beauty of the plant.
The reader's attention is directed to several U.S. patents which disclose a more sophisticated apparatus for distributing water to plants. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,352, issued Aug. 28, 1973, to Bates discloses an above-ground, sealed water receptacle which distributes water to the soil underneath and allows the receptacle to be replenished when the water level dips below a certain elevation. In this case, the water receptacle is above ground, where it is susceptible to damage, or may impede the other landscaping activities which may be required near (in this instance) the tree which is being irrigated. In Bates, an air pipe is provided in the receptacle to allow the equalization of pressure so that water may flow.
In September of 1973, U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,966 was issued to Smith, disclosing a Deep Root Feeder and Tree Irrigator. The Smith apparatus teaches an elongated cannister which has a plurality of apertures at both ends and is filled with gravel and fertilizer pellets for the controlled feeding of the tree. The Smith apparatus relies on rainwater for its source of moisture, and by virtue of the construction at the top, is susceptible to clogging by debris such as leaves or other natural matter which may rest upon the device by the normal forces of nature. While similar to Bates in that moisture is introduced sub-surface, further improvements were made in the art with the issuance of U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,143, issued to Steinbeck on Feb. 23, 1988. Steinbeck was the first of these references to disclose a filter for the top of the canister for keeping out foreign debris, and a cylinder with more than one space or compartment for preventing the waste of fertilizer by exiting the top of the device in the event of, for example, flooding. Again, relying on rainwater rather than a certain source of moisture, the Steinbeck apparatus was the first reference found which began to address the practical problem of clogging of the upper end by debris, which is inherent in such devices.
The first reference found which disclosed an apparatus which also functioned to facilitate the introduction of oxygen into the plant root area was U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,863, issued Jul. 2, 1974 to Chan, and which provided compartments void of anything which would obstruct the ventilation of the lower section of the tapered container portion.
On May 25, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,905 was issued to Philoctete for a Plant Watering Device disclosing a self-contained reservoir placed around a seedling plant, and which distributes water in two ways. When the water reservoir is full, a plurality of apertures at the upper end of the device releases water. Once the water level falls below the apertures, a drip nozzle continues to allow water to be distributed to the plant. In the Philoctete apparatus, after a plant reaches a certain size, the apparatus is no longer useful, making the device applicable only to seedling plants. Application for larger plants requires a different scheme in order to justify the expense of dedication of irrigation parts to a certain plant.
Consequently, the prior art which pertains to irrigating shrubs and trees has centered around food, oxygen and deep watering, but only in a piecemeal fashion. It is clear that the introduction of water, food, and oxygen at the proper depth is key, but the prior art has not met the whole of these needs to any great extent. Further, where nutrients are introduced, as in Smith or Steinbeck, significant time and labor is required to "re-charge" the device with fertilizer, taking away from the potential ease of automatic watering and feeding.
What is needed is an irrigation apparatus that efficiently distributes measured amounts of nutrients and water at the proper depth, is unobtrusive to the surface to resist damage, prevents clogging while allowing the free exchange of air and moisture, and which is easily maintained for rapid "re-charging" with plant food.


An exemplary liquid crystal display panel includes a substrate, parallel gate lines disposed on the substrate, parallel source lines disposed on the substrate and crossing the gate lines insultingly, and first protection elements and second protection elements electrically connected to the gate lines and the source lines respectively. The first and second protection elements are capacitors, which can break down to discharge electrostatic buildup therein.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and more particularly to an LCD having a protection element. The protection element can be used for protecting a driver of the LCD when an electrostatic discharge (ESD) takes place in the LCD.
2. Description of Related Art
LCDs are commonly used as display devices for compact electronic apparatuses, because they not only are very thin but also provide good quality images with little power consumption.
During an LCD manufacturing process, static charge may be generated and build up in the LCD. Static charge may enter the LCD from exterior objects or operators when they contact the LCD. For example, static charge in a human operator may be transmitted to the LCD via a so-called human body mode (HBM) when the operator handles the LCD. If too much static charge builds up at any one location on the LCD, the static charge is liable to discharge suddenly. This phenomenon is known as ESD. The ESD may damage or destroy internal components of the LCD such as metal signal lines, thin film transistors (TFTs), and the like. Thus a means for safely discharging electrostatic buildup in an LCD is desired.

Liquid crystal display having capacitors as protection elements


A method for applying accuracy compensation to a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine can compensate control program that controls the CNC machine. The method recognizes an actual outline of the product using an image of product produced by the CNC machine controlled by the control program, and further obtains an ideal outline of the product. The method obtains compensation values by computing coordinate differences between points of the actual outline and points on the ideal outline, and compensates the control program using the compensation values.

A three-axis CNC milling machine can be controlled by control processes to allow a cutting tool of the CNC machine for movement in three directions, X, Y, and Z. By moving the cutting tool, material is removed from a block of material, e.g., metal or plastic, until a desired product is produced.
For achieving high quality products, the control processes and/or a position of the cutting tool on the CNC machine should be accurate.

Accuracy compensation method, system, and device

Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


A connector with an audio playing module provided for being electrically coupled to a main board of an electronic device includes an insulating base, an audio playing module and a jack. The insulating base has a containing space and a containing groove, and the containing space has an opening, and the containing groove has a port. The audio playing module is contained in the containing space and disposed at a position corresponding to the opening and includes a speaker unit and a plurality of pins, and the speaker unit is electrically coupled to each pin. The jack is contained in the containing groove and disposed at a position corresponding to the port. Therefore, the connector can provide an audio playing effect.

In general, a connector is used for conversions or transmissions between signals or between signals and a power source, and its applications cover a relatively large number of products related to our daily life, military, and aviation. For example, a connection between a mobile phone and a charger, or a connection between a music player and an earphone requires connectors. As science and technology advance, electronic devices usually come with a multifunctional design or require connecting other electronic products to expand its functions. For example, a computer host is connected to a plurality of electronic products such as a mouse, a keyboard, an earphone, a microphone, a Bluetooth device, a screen and a printer at the same time. Obviously, connectors have become a necessary component in our daily life.
A conventional connector comprises an insulating base and a jack, and the insulating base has a containing groove, and the containing groove has a port, wherein the jack is contained in the containing groove and disposed at a position corresponding to the port, and there may be one jack or a plurality of jacks stacked on top of one another or arranged in a row, and the jack can be a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a DisplayJack port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, a TRS terminal port, a FireWire (IEEE) port, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) port, a phono connector (RCA) port or a category 5 cable port provided for connecting various different types of connectors or terminals of the expanded electronic product, so that the electronic device and the electronic product can be connected with each other by the connector to provide transmissions between signals or between signals and a power source, so as to achieve the expanded functions.
However, the conventional connector has the following problems. If it is necessary to connect a large number of expanded electronic products, the host of the electronic device must have many connectors to connect the various desired electronic products to achieve the effects of using and expanding the functions. For example, a computer host requires a large number of connectors to connect other expanded electronic products to achieve the effect of using the computer host fully and successfully. In addition, there is an issue of having too many transmission lines between the expanded electronic products and the computer host, and the transmission lines may be tangled with each other that may give rise to a fire accident. Obviously, the conventional connector requires improvements.


An accelerator pedal operated braking system for an automatic transmission vehicle; said braking system including monitoring of angular data and angular rate of change data of an accelerator pedal of said vehicle; said system further including a control module and an actuator acting on the brake pedal of said vehicle; said braking system responsive to said angular data and angular rate of change data.

The present invention relates to control systems for motor vehicles and, more particularly to the interaction of acceleration and braking of a vehicle and even more particularly to a modular electronic device for implementing same.
It is well known that the distance required to bring a moving vehicle to a standstill from the instant a driver perceives a potentially hazardous situation to the vehicle coming to rest, is a combination of the reaction distance and the braking distance.
The reaction distance is that distance covered during the delay between which the mind of the driver perceives the situation and decides to act, to the actual activating of the vehicles braking system. The braking distance is that distance actually required to bring the vehicle to a standstill from the speed at which it was travelling under the application of the optimum braking force.
Both the reaction distance and the braking distance are clearly functions of the initial speed of the vehicle, while the braking distance is additionally affected by road and weather conditions as well as the efficiency of the braking system.
Improvements in braking systems have significantly reduced the braking distance in emergency situations, while the reaction distance has tended to remain relatively stable. A disadvantage in conventional vehicle control systems in an emergency situation is that the reaction distance is partly made up of the time taken to physically lift the driver's foot from the accelerator pedal, transfer it to the brake pedal and depress that pedal.
Conventional control systems also are inconvenient in non-emergency braking situations. For example in "stop start" traffic situations, the need to repeatedly transfer the driver's foot from one pedal to the other can become very tiring.
The applicant's earlier filed International Patent Application number PCT/AU01/00582 and prior art U.S. Pat. No. 3,082,851 to Sheriff disclose substantially mechanical arrangements. However such arrangements are prone to failure and are difficult to calibrate. They can also be difficult to retrofit. They can also be difficult to customise "on the fly" to suit the preferences of the individual driver.
It is an object of the present invention to address or ameliorate some of the above disadvantages.
Notes
    1. The term "comprising" (and grammatical variations thereof) is used in this specification in the inclusive sense of "having" or "including", and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of".    2. The above discussion of the prior art in the Background of the invention, is not an admission that any information discussed therein is citable prior art or part of the common general knowledge of persons skilled in the art in any country.


Buffing of a footwear component allows for an alteration of the component surface to achieve an intended surface for aesthetics and/or manufacturing purposes. The buffing is performed in a system having a vision module, a sidewall buffing module, an up surface buffing module, and a down surface buffing module. Each of the buffing modules are adapted for the unique shape and sizes of a footwear component to effectively and automatically buff the footwear component.

Buffing is a process that adjusts a surface of an article through mechanical engagement with the surface. Components forming at least a portion of an article of footwear, such as a shoe, are buffed to adjust a surface for appearances, future manufacturing processes (e.g., better adhesion of paint, dye, materials, adhesives), and/or refinement of sizing. Buffing has traditionally been a labor-intensive process


A transport apparatus for elongate objects, primarily so-called snow-boards or monoskis, is provided with a load strut which extends transversely across a vehicle roof and is secured in the side edges thereof. The load strut has a holder device with at least one accommodation space for objects, with the longitudinal direction of the space in the direction of travel of the vehicle and with the lateral direction of the space inclining in relation to the vertical. In order to provide reliable retention and superior transport capacity without the risk of projecting parts of the objects coming into contact with the vehicle roof, the holder device is provided with a rigid anchorage arrangement which, with a lower portion, straddles and is secured on the strut. The holder device is further provided with three fingers inclining in relation to the vertical and obliquely upwardly directed, the fingers being provided with soft gripping members which define the accommodation spaces. The holder device is also provided with a strap which retains the objects in the accommodation spaces and is secured in the two outermost fingers, in one of these by means of an adjustable fastener.

A plurality of different types of holders intended for the transport of skis are previously known in this Art. Such prior Art ski-racks or ski-holders also include such apparatuses in which the skis lie in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and with the lateral direction of the skis inclining in relation to a vertical line.
For example, DE 2 830 676 discloses a ski-holder in which the skis have the above-mentioned orientation. The holder according to this publication is complex and expensive to manufacture, circumstantial to use and designed in such a way that, in the transport of large and heavy objects, it must be considered as of doubtful reliability in terms of mechanical strength.

Apparatus for pairwise transport of elongate objects


A clutch mechanism for a screw tightening machine having a clutchment and a main shaft, the clutchment interlocking with a screw tightening machine driving mechanism, the main shaft holding a screw tightening driver bit, the clutchment and the main shaft opposing each other along the center of the driver bit with the main shaft being urged with a spring to move away from the clutchment, so that the main shaft is engaged with or released from the clutchment, the clutch mechanism includes: a plurality of first clutch claws around the circumference subtending the center of the shaft, the first clutch claws being projecting on an end of the main shaft; second clutch claws meshable with the first clutch claws, the second clutch claws being arranged on the clutchment to make a predetermined amount of pivotting about an axis from such a position as to squarely oppose the first clutch claws, the axis being perpendicular to the center of the shaft, the second clutch claws being always urged in the squarely opposed position, wherein the clutchment is engaged with the main shaft by having the first clutch claws meshed with the second clutch claws, and the clutchment is released from the main shaft by causing the first clutch claws to move away from the second clutch claws.

The invention relates to a clutch mechanism for a screw tightening machine in which improvement is made to prevent noise and reduce shock at the time the clutch is engaged and released.
As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), a clutch mechanism for a screw tightening machine such as an electric screwdriver of this type is generally constructed so that trapezoidal clutch claws 30 are formed on the surface of a screw tightening machine main body a and the surface of a driver bit b, both surfaces opposing each other. These clutch claws 30 are meshed with each other so that the clutch mechanism is engaged to transmit motive power and are disengaged from each other so that the clutch mechanism is released to stop the transmission of the motive power.
Each clutch claw 30 has such a section as shown in FIG. 9(b). That is, the mating surfaces are sloped. Therefore, to maintain the meshed condition, the screw tightening machine main body must be urged in the screwing direction.
However, the conventional clutch mechanism has following difficulties. That is, if, e.g., a poor scaffolding does not allow the operator to continuously apply strong urging load to the screw tightening machine and the clutch claws are therefore disengaged from each other in the course of screw tightening operation, then the clutch claws collide against each other to make noise continuously or to wear the corners of the clutch claws. Moreover, when the clutch engaging operation alternates with the clutch releasing operation, shock against the screw tightening machine before and after such operations increases, thereby impairing operating and handling ease.

Clutch mechanism for screw tightening machine


Metal pigment particles which are treated with a heteropoly anion compound show increased stability against attack by water. The particles are especially useful in aqueous coating compositions.

Within this application several publications are referenced by arabic numerals within parentheses. Full citations for these references may be found at the end of the specification immediately preceding the claims. The disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into this application.
In the area of coating systems utilizing metal pigment particles, aqueous systems present rather formidable difficulties. This is particularly true with respect to aluminum and zinc pigments. Thus, the metal pigment can readily react with water to generate hydrogen gas. The amount of gas generated can produce a safety hazard, creating high pressures within the composition containers. Also, the water reaction substantially diminishes the aesthetic value of metal pigments. The reaction of aluminum pigments with water can be depicted as follows: EQU 2Al+6H.sub.2 O.dbd.2Al(OH).sub.3 +3H.sub.2 (g)
Due to the increasing demand for aqueous systems, a number of techniques have been proposed for inhibiting the attack on the pigment particles by water. Unfortunately, most of these techniques have not provided sufficient protection.
One technique that provides inhibiting properties is the passivation of the metal pigment particles with an ionic organic phosphate as disclosed by Williams et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,716, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Another technique involves the use of compounds containing hexavalent chromium or pentavalent vanadium compounds as disclosed in Kondis U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,754, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other techniques include the use of organic phosphites as disclosed in Kondis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,231, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, or the use of nitroparaffin solvents. Still another technique includes the use of either (a) an ionic organic phosphate compound, for example as taught in Williams et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,716, or (b) a pentavalent vanadium compound, for example as taught in Kondis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,754, or (c) an organic phosphite compound, for example as taught in Kondis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,231, in combination with a nitro-containing solvent such as a nitroparaffin as disclosed in Keemer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,579, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The treated metal pigment particles can be used to form a metal pigment paste. The treatment produces a metal pigment paste which has improved gassing stability over conventionally treated products.

Aqueous resistant metal pigment-containing paste and method for making


Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for wireless interference diagnostic hearing assistance device systems. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method for assessing and mitigating wireless interference for hearing assistance device programmers. The method includes measuring wireless interference over wireless communication channels using a wireless programmer configured to communicate with a hearing assistance device. A graphical display in communication with the wireless programmer is used to assist or direct a user to physically move the wireless programmer or the hearing assistance device to minimize the measured wireless interference. In various embodiments, the measured wireless interference is used to identify a source of the wireless interference, and an identity of the source of the wireless interference is displayed on the graphical display.

Modern hearing assistance devices, such as hearing aids, are electronic instruments worn in or around the ear that compensate for hearing losses by specially amplifying sound. Wearers of hearing aids undergo a process called "fitting" to adjust hearing aid settings to their particular hearing and use. In such fitting sessions the wearer may select one setting over another, much like selecting one setting over another setting in an eye test. After the initial fitting process, the wearer may desire further adjustments of hearing aid settings to further tune the device and/or to match different acoustic environments.
Hearing aid settings are adjusted through a programmer that is attached to a personal computer (PC) and that allows a hearing professional, such as an audiologist, to make changes via a software graphical user interface. The programmer communicates from the PC to the hearing aids through either a wired or wireless communication protocol. A wireless programmer is unable to properly communicate with hearing aids when wireless interference is present. Using a spectrum analyzer can help measure and identify wireless interference, but such devices are expensive and most hearing professionals do not have spectrum analyzers available in their offices.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved systems and methods for assessing and mitigating wireless interference for hearing assistance device programmers.

Wireless environment interference diagnostic hearing assistance device system


A system is disclosed and includes an adapter, an activation apparatus and a sensor apparatus. The adapter is for use with a mechanical key. The adapter comprises a body which includes an RFID assembly and which, in use, is securely coupled to the head of said key. The activation apparatus is for use with a key to which a body is securely coupled and comprises an RFID writer operable to encode said RFID assembly to form an RFID-tagged mechanical key. The sensor apparatus is for use with an RFID-tagged mechanical key and comprises an RFID reader adapted to output data in standard Wiegand format in the presence of said RFID-tagged mechanical key. Methods for use with the system are also disclosed.

Mechanical key lock sets have been widely utilized throughout the world for access control purposes for many years. The tumbler style is a very common mechanical key lock style. In recent years, electronic locks have become more common. These can be implemented in at least combination, magnetic strip and proximity form. The combination form typically involves a keypad, into which a series of digits and/or letters is entered. The series is relayed electronically to a security panel which looks for the same series in a database it maintains, and, in the event of match, actuates a lock through, for example, a solenoid. In the magnetic strip version, a card bearing a magnetic strip is swiped through a card reader for actuation of the lock. The proximity version, which is increasing in popularity, often includes a passive RFID tag included in a card or fob.
In commercial, industrial and institutional settings, electronic locks are attractive, since the security panel can be programmed for differentiated access, i.e. the card/code/fob assigned to one person may provide access to areas to which the cards/codes/fobs assigned to other persons do not permit access. As well, in the event of termination, the panel can be updated to deny access to the assigned card/code/fob. Additionally, the panel can be programmed to record access activity to a controlled access area, which further enhances security.
A drawback associated with electronic lock technology is substantially increased incremental installation cost in comparison to mechanical key lock sets, especially in retrofit situations. Accordingly, especially in retrofit situations, it is commonplace to employ a combination of mechanical and electrical access control. This often results in the need for employees to be issued a mechanical key, an identification badge and an electronic credential, which can become cumbersome.


In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of, at a computer system, receiving an image recorded at and transmitted from a remote source, at the computer system, processing the transmitted image, for segregation of the transmitted image into a corresponding intrinsic image and, at the computer system, processing the corresponding intrinsic image to perform a preselected task, for a result. As a further feature of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the remote source comprises a cell phone or remote computer system.

A modern cellular telephone is equipped with significant functionality that extends well beyond telephonic communication. For example, an IPHONE brand cellular telephone (cell phone) includes connectivity to the Internet, and the capability to record and store digital images. Advantage is taken of the multiple functions, in unique ways, to enhance the desirability of cell phone use. For example, a service is provided whereby a user can utilize a cell phone to record the image of an object of interest to the user, and send the digital image, for example, via the Internet, to a remote service that proceeds to identify the object, and return information regarding the object to the user. A problem associated with such a service is that varying conditions that may exist at the time the digital image was taken can interfere with an accurate performance of an object recognition task. For example, varying illumination conditions existing at the time an image is recorded, can result in shadows cast across an object depicted in the image. Such shadows can prevent a computer system from performing an accurate analysis of object features depicted in the image, and thus, cause a failure to properly identify the object.
Other services available today involve, for example, a scanning of paper documents such as credit card receipts and other invoices received for expenses incurred, and either the transmission of the scanned documents to a central service that implements an optical character recognition algorithm, or downloading to a laptop or desk top computer by the user, for optical character recognition, to obtain a machine readable and editable version of the information of the original document, and to record and process that information from the scanned documents. These services also encounter problems such as the inconvenience of traveling with a scanning device, and inaccuracies due to folds, creases or other distortions of the original, scanned paper documents.

Method and system for processing an image received from a remote source


A communication apparatus includes: a pulse generation unit configured to alternately generate a positive pulse and a negative pulse indicating presence or absence of a pulse in accordance with a value of a data signal; a band-pass filter configured to filter the pulse generated by the pulse generator; and a transmission amplifier configured to amplify a signal filtered by the band-pass filter, and to output the signal as a transmission signal.

Impulse radio communication is radio communication using a short pulse, and is expected to be applied to broadband radio communication systems.
Also, a U/B conversion circuit, which is a U/B conversion circuit that converts a unipolar signal into a bipolar signal, and when a signal produced by performing NRZ/RZ conversion on an input NRZ signal is given, a bipolar signal produced by converting an NRZ signal is obtained as an emitter output of a transistor, is known.
Also, a pulse-polarity modulation circuit in which pairs of differential transistors are stacked in two-stages, and a unipolar pulse is converted into a bipolar pulse in accordance with a value of the input data, is known.    [Patent Document] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 3-27622    [Patent Document] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-157649


A technique is provided for creating an autonomous network entity that stores sensitive information in a cryptographically secure manner. The autonomous entity comprises a data structure that encapsulates cryptographically-transformed information along with the inputs of a secret key used to reverse the transformation. Cryptographic storage of the sensitive information and its reversable key within the encapsulated entity makes the entity autonomous and capable of transfer among computer platforms and their processes without compromising the security of the information.

The Internet is a system of geographically distributed computer networks interconnected by computers executing networking protocols that allow users to interact and share information over the networks. Because of such wide-spread information sharing, the Internet has generally evolved into an "open" system for which developers can design software for performing specialized operations, or services, essentially without restriction. These services are typically implemented in accordance with a client/server architecture, wherein the clients, e.g., personal computers or workstations, are responsible for interacting with the users and the servers are computers configured to perform the services as directed by the clients. However, the network services may additionally be implemented in accordance with general network-centric computing operations.
Not surprisingly, each of the services available over the Internet is generally defined by its own networking protocol. A protocol is a set of rules governing the format and meaning of messages or "packets" exchanged over the networks. By implementing services in accordance with the protocols, computers cooperate to perform various operations, or similar operations in various ways, for users wishing to "interact" with the networks. The services typically range from browsing or searching for information having a particular data format using a particular protocol to actually acquiring information of a different format in accordance with a different protocol.
For example, the file transfer protocol (FTP) service facilitates the transfer and sharing of files across the Internet. The Telnet service allows users to log onto computers coupled to the networks, while the netnews protocol provides a bulletin-board service to its subscribers. Furthermore, the various data formats of the information available on the Internet include JPEG images, MPEG movies and .mu.-law sound files.
Two fashionable services for accessing information over the Internet are Gopher and the World-Wide Web ("Web"). Gopher consists of a series of Internet servers that provide a "list-oriented" interface to information available on the networks; the information is displayed as menu items in a hierarchical manner. Included in the hierarchy of menus are documents, which can be displayed or saved, and searchable indexes, which allow users to type keywords and perform searches.
Some of the menu items displayed by Gopher are links to information available on other servers located on the networks. In this case, the user is presented with a list of available information documents that can be opened. The opened documents may display additional lists or they may contain various data-types, such as pictures or text; occasionally, the opened documents may "transport" the user to another computer on the Internet.
The other popular information service on the Internet is the Web. Instead of providing a user with a hierarchical list-oriented view of information, the Web provides the user with a "linked-hypertext" view. Metaphorically, the Web perceives the Internet as a vast book of pages, each of which may contain pictures, text, sound, movies or various other types of data in the form of documents. Web documents are written in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Web servers transfer HTML documents to each other through the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
The Web service is essentially a means for naming sources of information on the Internet. Armed with such a general naming convention that spans the entire network system, developers are able to build information servers that potentially any user can access. Accordingly, Gopher servers, HTTP servers, FTP servers, and E-mail servers have been developed for the Web. Moreover, the naming convention enables users to identify resources (such as documents) on any of these servers connected to the Internet and allow access to those resources.
Netscape Navigator.TM. ("Netscape") is an example of a monolithic Web browser application that is configured to interact with many of the previously-described protocols, including HTTP, Gopher and FTP. When instructed to invoke an application that uses one of these protocols, Netscape "translates" the protocol to hypertext. This translation places the user farther away from the protocol designed to run the application and, in some cases, actually thwarts the user's Internet experience. For example, a discussion system requiring an interactive exchange between participants may be bogged down by hypertext translations.
The Gopher and Web services may further require additional applications to perform specific functions, such as playing sound or viewing movies, with respect to the data types contained in the documents. For example, Netscape employs helper applications for executing applications having data formats it does not "understand". Execution of these functions on a computer generally requires interruption of processing and context switching (i.e., saving of state) prior to invoking tile appropriate application. Thus, if a user operating within the Netscape application "opens" a MPEG movie, that browsing application must be saved (e.g., to disk) prior to opening an appropriate MPEG application, e.g., Sparkle, to view the image. Such an arrangement is inefficient and rather disruptive to processing operations of the computer.
Typically, a computer includes an operating system and application software which, collectively, control the operations of the computer. The applications are preferably task-specific and independent, e.g., a word processor application edits words, a drawing application edits drawings and a database application interacts with information stored on a database storage unit. Although a user can move data from one application to the other, such as by copying a drawing into a word processing file, the independent applications must be invoked to thereafter manipulate that data.
Generally, the application program presents information to a user through a window of a graphical user interface by drawing images, graphics or text within the window region. The user, in turn, communicates with the application by "pointing" at graphical objects in the window with a pointer that is controlled by a hand-operated pointing device, such as a mouse, or by pressing keys of a keyboard.
In contrast to this typical application-based computing environment, a software component architecture provides a modular document-based computing arrangement using tools such as viewing editors. The key to document-based computing is the compound document, i.e., a document composed of many different types of data sharing the same file. The types of data contained in a compound document may range from text, tables and graphics to video and sound. Several editors, each designed to handle a particular data type or format, can work on the contents of the document at the same time, unlike the application-based computing environment.
Since many editors may work together on the same document, the compound document is apportioned into individual modules of content for manipulation by the editors. The compound-nature of the document is realized by embedding these modules within each other to create a document having a mixture of data types. The software component architecture provides the foundation for assembling documents of differing contents and the present invention is directed to a system for extending this capability to network-oriented services.
To remotely access information stored on a resource of the network, the user typically invokes a service configured to operate in accordance with a protocol for accessing the resource. For example, the user may type an explicit destination address command that includes a uniform resource locator (URL). The URL is a rather long (approximately 50 character) address pointer that identifies both a network resource and a means for accessing that resource. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/435,880, filed May 5, 1995 now abandoned, identified above discloses a network-oriented component system for efficiently accessing information from a network resource located on a computer network by creating an encapsulated network entity that contains a reference to that resource. The reference to the network resource is preferably a "pointer", such as a URL, that identifies the network address of the resource.
It may be desirable to associate information securely with the encapsulated network entity in a persistent or temporal fashion. Such information may comprise a user's password, a network address or anything that may be considered sensitive if easily discovered by another party. The present invention is directed to securely associating information with the encapsulated network entity.
In addition, an object of the present invention is to simplify a user's experience on computer networks without sacrificing the flexibility afforded the user by employing existing protocols and data types available on those networks.
Another object of the invention is to provide users with a simple, but secure means for remotely accessing information stored on resources connected to computer networks.

Method and apparatus for creating a secure autonomous network entity of a network component system


There is provided a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device which has a floating gate electrode and writes data by injecting electrons into the floating gate electrode by applying a voltage to a control gate electrode and erases the data by extracting the electrons from the floating gate electrode. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device which includes a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines intersecting with the plurality of word lines, and a plurality of memory elements each of which is connected to a word line and a bit line at a location where the word line and the bit line are intersected with each other, comprises at least one monitor bit line which intersects with the word lines, and a plurality of monitor elements which are connected to the monitor bit line and the plurality of word lines at locations where the monitor bit line and the plurality of word lines are intersected with each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device which has a floating gate electrode and can write data by injecting electrons into the floating gate electrode by applying a voltage to a control gate electrode and erase the data by extracting the electrons from the floating gate electrode.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a view showing a circuit configuration of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in the prior art.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, a plurality of memory elements are arranged in a matrix fashion to form columns and rows. Each of the memory elements consists of an insulated gate field effect transistor which has a floating gate electrode and a control gate electrode. The control gate electrodes of the memory elements in the row direction are connected to a common word line (WL). Drain diffusion regions of the memory elements in the column direction are connected to a common bit line (BL).
In writing data into the memory element, write signals are supplied to a certain word line and a certain bit line to write data into the memory element located at the intersecting point of the word line and the bit line. In contrast, in reading data from the memory element, read signals are supplied to the certain word line and the certain bit line to read the write data from the memory element located at the intersecting point of the word line and the bit line.
FIG. 2A is a plan view showing arrangement of the memory elements and wirings of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, which is wired as shown in FIG. 1, on the semiconductor substrate. FIG. 2B is a sectional view showing the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, taken along a line A--A in FIG. 2A.
As shown in FIG. 2A, a plurality of memory elements are arranged in a matrix fashion. Each of the memory elements is formed of the insulated gate field effect transistor which has the floating gate electrode and the control gate electrode. A common word line (WL) 6b which is connected to the control gate electrodes of the memory elements in the row direction is formed to extend along the row direction. A common bit line (BL) 8 which is connected the drain regions of respective 3 memory elements in the column direction is formed to extend along the column direction.
As shown in FIG. 2B, each of the memory elements has a floating gate electrode (FG) 4 formed on a semiconductor substrate 1 via a tunnel insulating film 3, and a control gate electrode (CG) 6a formed on the floating gate electrode 4 via a gate insulating film 5. The control gate electrodes (CG) 6a of respective transistors are connected to each other by the common word line 6b. The common word lines 6b are formed to extend along the row direction row after row.
As shown in FIG. 2B, field insulating film 2 which acts as isolation regions to isolate respective memory elements is formed on the semiconductor substrate 1.
In the above nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, writing of data into the memory element is carried out as follows. More particularly, an electric field is applied to the semiconductor substrate 1 via the control gate electrode 6a and the floating gate electrode 4 by applying the high voltage to the word line 6b. Accordingly, hot electrons are induced in the semiconductor substrate 1 and are then injected into the floating gate electrode 4 via the tunnel insulating film 3. As a result, a threshold value is increased higher to such extent that a channel cannot be created by the normal reading voltage.
Reading of data from respective memory elements is executed as follows. That is, a voltage which is smaller than that applied when writing of data into the word line 6b is executed is applied. Accordingly, the channels are shut off as they are in the transistors into which the data have been written, but the channels can be formed in the transistors into which the data have not been written yet and then currents flowing through such channels are detected.
By the way, in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in the prior art, it has been requested that the data write/read should be carried out at a higher rate. Nevertheless, there has been the problem that the tunnel insulating film through which the hot electrons are passed in writing the data or erasing the data cannot be made thinner since the data being written into the memory elements must be held over the term of guarantee.
In other words, the electrons which have been injected into the floating gate electrode 4 are easier to leak as a thickness of the insulating film around the tunnel insulating film 3 and the floating gate electrode 4 is thinner. Accordingly, in order to hold the charges over the term of guarantee of the memory element, the thickness of the insulating film in the periphery of the floating gate electrode 4 cannot be so made thin. As a result, in the prior art, there has been the problem that high speed writing/reading is disturbed.

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and method of reproducing data of nonvolatile semiconductor memory device


An apparatus and a method for the control of a display screen, especially a plasma panel screen. The screen has cells that can be either in an erased state or in a "recorded" state in which they can be activated by alternating signals called sustaining signals. According to one characteristic, the method consists in dividing the cells into at least two groups, such as an upper group and a lower group, these two groups receiving sustaining signals alternately, and in applying to the cells, during the time when they do not receive the sustaining signals, memory signal enabling them to preserve their "recorded" state or their "erased" state. This results in a reduction of the pulsed discharge current.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for the control of an image display screen of the "memory effect" type. It is aimed in particular at reducing a so-called "pulsed discharge current" in order to reduce or even eliminate its harmful effects. The invention relates especially (but not exclusively) to screens whose picture elements are cells having two stable states, namely the "lit" state and the "extinguished" state.
The term "memory effect" is understood to mean the effect that enables cells to preserve the "lit" or "extinguished" state when the signal that has produced this state has already disappeared.
2. Discussion of the Background
Taking for example the case of an alternating plasma panel (PP) with two crossed electrodes to define a cell, this type of screen has cells with two stable states and benefits from a "memory effect" as described especially in the patent FR 2 417 848. A PP of this kind is described here below with reference to FIG. 1.
The PP has an array of electrodes Y1 to Y4 called "row electrodes" intersected with a second array of electrodes called "column electrodes" X1 to X4. To each intersection of row and column electrodes there corresponds a cell C1 to C16. These cells are thus arranged in rows L1 to L4 and in columns CL1 to CL4.
Each row electrode Y1 to Y4 is connected to an output stage SY1 to SY4 of a row control device 1 and each column electrode X1 to X4 is connected to an output stage SX1 to SX4 of a column control device 2.
The working of these two control devices 1, 2 is controlled by an image management circuit 3.
For each cell, the voltage applied at a given time to a given cell C1 to C16 is the one resulting from the difference in potential, at this given instant, between the signals applied to the row electrode Y1 to Y4 and the column electrode X1 to X4 which define this cell.
Each output of the row control device 1 delivers voltage square-wave signals called "sustaining signals" SS on which addressing signals may be superimposed.
In a PP, each cell comprises a space occupied by a gas. By applying sufficient voltage between the two electrodes that define a given cell, there is prompted an electrical discharge in the gas and an emission of light by this cell.
In an alternating PP, the electrodes Y1 to Y4 and X1 to X4 are covered with a dielectric material and are therefore not in direct contact with the gas or with the discharge. Consequently, whenever there is a discharge in the gas, electrical charges collect in the dielectric at the two electrodes that define a cell in which a discharge occurs. These charges persist after the end of the discharge and enable the constitution of a "memory effect" for their presence at the level of a cell C1 to C16 enables the prompting of a discharge in this cell with the application of a voltage lower than that which will be necessary when these charges are absent.
The cells C1 to C16 which have such charges are said to be in the "recorded" or "lit" state. The other cells which require a higher voltage to produce a discharge are said to be in the "erased" or "extinguished" state. This effect is used by means of the sustaining signals SS to activate the cells C1 to C16 which are in the "recorded" state, namely to prompt discharges in these cells without modifying their state or modifying the state of the cells which are in the "erased" state.
The cells C1 to C16 are put into the "recorded" state or the "erased" state by means of addressing operations that are often performed row by row, namely for all the cells belonging to one and the same row L1 to L4 (in other words, for all the cells C1 to C16 defined by one and the same row electrode Y1 to Y4) and then for all the cells of another row.
FIG. 2 gives a simplified view, in the rows a, b, c, d, of the sustaining signals applied simultaneously to all the row electrodes Y1 to Y4 of a PP. It illustrates the addressing operations performed on these row electrodes: the rows a, b, c, d represent respectively the signals applied to the row electrodes Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4.
The sustaining signals are constituted by a succession of voltage square-wave signals set up on either side of a reference potential Vo which is often the ground potential. These square-waves vary between a negative potential V1 where they have a plateau or steady level and a positive potential V2 where they have another steady level. These positive and negative potentials V2, V1 with respect to Vo may each have for example a value of 150 volts. The reference potential Vo is applied to the column electrodes X1 to X4 in such a way that the application of the sustaining signals develops alternately positive and negative voltages of 150 volts, in the example, at the terminals of the cells. These voltages generate discharges in all the cells in the "recorded" state at each reversal of polarity, namely at each positive or negative transition tp, tn of the sustaining signals.
The sustaining signals have a period P which is currently in the range of 20 microseconds. This is a period during which the addressing of all the cells defined by a selected row electrode is done.
The addressing operations are managed by the image management device 3. They consist, for example, of the superimposition of the specific addressing signals on the square-waves that form the sustaining signals. Each row output stage SY1 to SY4 comprises, for example, to this effect a mixing circuit (not shown) by means of which it receives the sustaining signals and the addressing signals that come from different channels.
Assuming that the addressing operation performed on the row electrode Y1 starts at an instant to, the signal applied at this instant solely to this row electrode is an erasure pulse tne (shown in dashes) with a voltage lower than that of a square-wave, which prompts the placing of all the cells connected to this row electrode Y1 in the "erased" state. Then, at an instant t1 where the signal has its positive steady level, a so-called recording square-wave CI (shown in dashes) is superimposed (positively) on this stage. This recording square-wave has the effect of placing all the cells connected to this row electrode in the "recorded" state, except for those whose column electrodes X1 to X4 deliver a so-called "masking" signal (not shown) that has the effect of inhibiting the effects of the recording square-wave CI.
This operation may be repeated for each of the following periods, at the instants t2 and t3, t4 and t5, t6 and t7 where the addressing operations are thus performed on the row electrodes Y2, Y3 and Y4. During an image cycle period or frame period, these operations are performed at least once. In fact they are performed several times to obtain half-shades in the image. In view of the large number possible of row electrodes such as the electrodes Y1 to Y4, a number which may be far greater than one thousand, the time needed to perform the addressing may lead to the addressing of several rows during one and the same period P.
During the period when a row is addressed, the sustaining signals applied to the other row electrodes generate discharges in the cells in the "recorded" state. These discharges are in phase with the transitions tp, tn. These discharges constitute currents Id set up in the cells which are in phase with the transitions tp, tn as shown in the row e of FIG. 2.
The sustaining signals are applied synchronously to all the row electrodes Y1 to Y4. The result thereof is a simultaneity of the discharges which may lead to substantial drawing of current which could have a deleterious effect on the quality of the image.
Indeed, PP may have more than a thousand row electrodes and more than a thousand column electrodes, which define more than a million parallel-supplied cells. Thus, the total discharge current produced by all the cells in the "recorded" state may attain considerable values that are difficult to provide by the electronic means, all the more so as this current must be built up in a very short time so as not to hinder the physical phenomenon of the discharge in the gas of the cells.
The total discharge current, called the pulsed current, may vary very greatly from one instant to another as a function of the contents of the image. Consequently, the quantities of current drawn, to which there has to be a response from the voltage sources or amplifiers or generators used to prepare the signals and voltages applied to the row and column electrodes, vary greatly in themselves.
Given the non-zero source impedances of the voltage sources and amplifiers as well as the access impedances to the cells (related in particular to the inductors and resistors of the connections), the voltage actually applied to a given cell depends on the total content of the image as does the quantity of light produced by this cell.
This may result in a major deterioration in the quality of the image.
It may even result in a deterioration of certain elements such as, for example, power transistors used at output of the column output stages X1 to X4 which, owing to this fact, have to be greatly oversized despite the technical drawbacks (increase in the space requirement, capacitance, etc.).
The problems raised by the high value of the pulsed discharge current tend to acquire all the greater importance as, at the present time, there is a development of matrix screens and especially alternating color PPs towards large sizes.
In order to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, it has been proposed in the prior art to reduce the frequency of the sustaining signals. This leads to a reduction of the average discharge current but not to a reduction of the pulsed discharge current because, for all the rows, the discharges occur simultaneously. Furthermore, this approach leads to a reduction of the addressing speed.
One known approach consists of the multiplication or oversizing of all or part of the elements used to supply the cells with voltage. This approach has the drawback, inter alia, of being costly.

Method for the control of a display screen and display device implementing this method


Aqueous solutions of halogenides (oxyhalides) of zirconium and hafnium (M) with values of α=X/M near one, for X=Cl, Br and I form amorphous solids or glasses, designated as M,X, in contrast to important crystalline oxyhalide end members with α=2 (designated as MOX). The present disclosure describes methods for producing amorphous thin films comprising halogenides upon evaporation, and provides some measured physical properties, with attention to compositions for α<2. The value of a below which only glasses are formed is about one for oxychlorides and oxybromides of both Zr and Hf. The chemical formulas for all the halogenide thin films prepared as noted above can be written as a function of the single parameter α, according to M(OH)4-αXα.(4α-1)H2O. This is valid for e.g., crystalline zirconium oxychloride octahydrate, and for the glassy solids found for α<2 and down to the onset of hydrolysis, α≈0.5. Thin films made by the disclosed methods are highly dense (90% of theoretical crystal density), extremely smooth (rms<0.4 nm), and highly transparent in the visible spectrum, >90%. Such thin films are useful as alkali diffusion barriers.

Zirconium oxychloride (ZOC, ZrOCl2.8H2O) is the basis of essentially all practical chemistry concerning zirconium-based materials. Zirconium oxychloride is extracted from zircon sand, ZrSiO4, either by carbochlorination or caustic fusion. It may be used as a feedstock for separation of hafnium from zirconium by liquid-liquid extraction, from which hafnium oxychloride (HOC) may be obtained by processes well known to those skilled in the art. Both ZOC and HOC have Cl/M ratios, α, equal to two. Similar formulas and properties are found for corresponding oxybromides and oxyiodides, collectively referred to as halogenides. Zirconium halogenides with α near one for Cl, Br and I are only sparsely described in the literature, mainly as unpublished results by Blumenthal, resulting in a considerable and surprising gap with respect to basic synthesis methods and property investigations for these materials.
Thin films of halogenides of zirconium and hafnium can be used in a number of applications that require uniform coverage of a high surface area substrate. For example, some embodiments can be used in electrochromic windows or photovoltaic panels. Currently, coating large surface areas on glass substrates is done by physical vapor deposition, which require a high vacuum environment, which substantially increases the process expense.
Physical vapor deposition techniques are also conformal, amplifying any imperfection or blemish in the deposition substrate with each successive deposition layer while simultaneously necessitating thicker films to compensate for those imperfections, again adding cost and reducing performance. Further, the post-annealing typically employed by physical vapor deposition techniques often results in crystallization of the deposited thin film. In some applications, crystallization is desired, but for other applications, an amorphous or glassy material is preferred.
Therefore, a need remains for deposition methods that are less expensive, robust to substrate imperfections, and which allow for the deposition of amorphous thin films.

Amorphous thin films and method of making