A display apparatus including a TFT array substrate on which TFTs are formed in an array, a counter substrate disposed so as to face the TFT array substrate, and a sealing pattern for adhering the TFT array substrate and the counter substrate to each other, wherein the counter substrate has a counter electrode, and the TFT array substrate has a first conductive layer, a first insulating film formed on the first conductive layer, a second conductive layer disposed so as to intersect the first conductive layer via the first insulating film, a second insulating film formed on the second conductive layer and having at least two layers, and common electrode wiring provided below the sealing pattern and electrically connected to the counter electrode by the sealing pattern, and the sealing pattern overlaps the second conductive layer via the second insulating film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof, in which defects caused by a short circuit between conductive layers sandwiching an insulating film can be prevented, enabling an improvement in yield.
2. Description of Related Art
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-254712, in active matrix type liquid crystal display apparatuses of recent years, a lateral electric field method, in which the direction for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal is set parallel to the substrate, has been used principally as a method for obtaining an ultra-wide viewing angle. It is known that by employing this method, contrast variation and gradation inversion, occurring when the viewing angle direction is varied, can be substantially eliminated.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-254712, a pair of counter electrodes are disposed at a remove from each other on either side of lower layer source wiring. Thus, when a voltage is applied to the source wiring, an electric field is generated by the voltage, and as a result, the orientation of liquid crystal provided between a thin film transistor (to be abbreviated to TFT hereafter) array substrate and a color filter substrate is varied. To prevent this, the width of the pair of counter electrodes must be increased, thereby limiting light transmission, and as a result, the aperture ratio of a display area decreases.
To solve this problem, a device structure employing a lateral electric field method has been disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-307748, for example. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-307748, a counter electrode covers the source wiring such that the two overlap. According to this constitution, the electric field generated by the source wiring is blocked by the counter electrode, and therefore the electric field does not affect the liquid crystal, enabling a reduction in variation of the liquid crystal orientation. As a result, the width of the counter electrode which limits light transmission can be reduced, enabling an increase in the aperture ratio.
This technique of overlapping the source wiring and the electrode thereabove to increase the aperture ratio is applied similarly in a conventional method, where the electric field is applied to the liquid crystal in a perpendicular direction to the substrate, and is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-325358, for example. In this method, a counter electrode opposing a pixel electrode is formed on a color filter substrate which is adhered to a TFT array substrate on which the pixel electrode is formed.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-249345 discloses a liquid crystal display apparatus in which a TFT array substrate and a color filter substrate are adhered to each other via a conductive sealing pattern serving as an adhesive layer. Common electrode wiring formed on the TFT array substrate and a common electrode formed on the color filter substrate are electrically connected via the conductive sealing pattern. The common electrode serves as a counter electrode opposing a pixel electrode.
However, in the case of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-307748, the upper layer counter electrode covers the lower layer source wiring via an interlayer insulating film such that the two overlap. Hence, when pin holes, fractures, and so on occur in the overlapping region of the interlayer insulating film, an electrical short circuit occurs between the upper layer counter electrode and lower layer source wiring, leading to a display defect which causes problems such as a reduction in yield and a decrease in reliability.
Further, in the case of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-325358, the upper layer pixel electrode and the lower layer source wiring overlap partially via an interlayer insulating film, and hence similar problems to those described above occur.
In the case of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-249345, the conductive sealing pattern for adhering the TFT array substrate to the color filter substrate is applied so as to surround an display area of the liquid crystal display apparatus formed on the TFT array substrate. Hence, when pin holes, fractures, and so on occur in a region of the interlayer insulating film where the conductive sealing pattern and the lower layer source wiring overlap, an electrical short-circuit occurs between the lower layer source wiring and the common electrode formed on the counter substrate via the conductive sealing pattern, leading to a display defect which causes problems such as a reduction in yield and a decrease in reliability.
Defects in the interlayer insulating film such as pin holes and fractures may be caused by air bubbles in resist used to form a resist pattern during patterning, air bubbles contained in a liquid developer used during resist development, or foreign matter infiltrating the interlayer insulating film during film deposition, for example. Therefore, it is difficult in practice to eliminate these defects completely.
An object of the present invention is to obtain a display apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof with which inter-electrode short circuits caused by pin holes and other defects in an interlayer insulating film can be prevented, enabling improvements in yield and reliability.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Thin film transistor for a liquid crystal device in which a sealing pattern is electrically connected to a common electrode wiring


The color digital image composing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a memory for storing therein data concerning connection between devices each constituting said apparatus and parameters specific to each device, a registration device for registering the data concerning connection between devices each constituting said apparatus and the parameters specific to each device as system parameters, and a controller for transaction of the system parameters stored in said memory prior to start of facsimile communication, so that image data most suited to capability of the receiving side can be transmitted.

In recent years, in association with reduction of a space for installation of OA equipment as well as technological advance in minimizing various types of equipment and digital image technology, digital equipment has become more and more versatile, and a color digital image composing apparatus with multiple functions including a copy function, a facsimile function and a printer function has been developed and diffused.
However, in communications between systems treating images using the facsimile functions in the conventional type of color digital image composing apparatus as described above, what functions a partner system has can not be known before a communication line is established between two systems and communication is actually started. Even if the functions of the partner system has are known, a given document can be checked only by the sending side. For this reason, how the image is actually sent can not be checked by the sending side, and for instance, whether the image is printed by an image output device in the receiving side with ink or toner can not be checked, and thus transaction of image data most suited to capability of the receiving system is not executed.
In addition, for instance, when a color digital image composing apparatus is a stand-alone system, if any abnormality occurs in an image reading device, a portion thereof and the image reading device is exchanged with a new one, there would be no problem on the condition that the new one has the completely same functions as those of the previous one, but if there are any difference in specifications between the two devices, also characteristics of the entire apparatus become different, but actually communication by the facsimile function is executed without taking the change into considerations only by modifying the image data, transaction of image subjected to best correction is not always executed.
Especially, when a color digital image composing apparatus is constructed by assembling individual devices, change of each device is, different from a stand-alone system, very easy, and it is required to know characteristics and capability of each device each time component device is exchanged, which makes it furthermore difficult to execute best correction.


The objective of this invention is to perform high-precision tracking error detection and tracking control using digital circuitry at relatively low speed and with a small circuit scale. Tracking servo circuit is formed as a single-chip circuit. Low-pass filters (LPF) and gain control amplifiers (GCA) of the input portion are analog circuits, while the circuits after analog-digital (A/D) converters, that is, offset cancellation circuits, equalizers (EQ), first and second phase difference detectors, adder, low-pass filter (LPF), gain control amplifier (GCA), and servo DSP are all digital circuits.

FIG. 19 illustrates an example of a prior art tracking servo mechanism using the DPD (Differential Phase Detection) system. This tracking servo mechanism is often adopted for optical discs, such as DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs or Digital Video Discs).
A laser beam LB, focused on a signal recording surface of an optical disc 102, is reflected from the signal recording surface. The reflected beam is detected and photoelectrically converted by optical pickup 100 to produce a radio frequency (RF) electric signal, whose waveform corresponds to the embossed pattern of the bit sequence. Here, photoelectric conversion part 104 of optical pickup 100 has, for example, four light-receiving regions A, B, C, D made up of photodiodes. Although not shown in the figure, the light-receiving regions A, B, C, D are divided and arranged so that they fit together obliquely from the four sides. RF signals A, C obtained from light-receiving regions A, C positioned on a diagonal have nearly the same phase as do RF signals B, D obtained from light-receiving regions B, D positioned on the other diagonal. The variation in the phase difference between RF signals A, C and RF signals B, D corresponds to the tracking error. Also, although photoelectric conversion parts 104 are actually within optical pickup 100, for the sake of clarity, photoelectric conversion parts 104 in FIG. 19 are shown individually extracted from optical pickup 100.
The tracking servo circuit comprises analog circuits including analog front end part 106, the first stage, and digital circuits comprising digital front end part 108, the second stage. The two front end parts 106, 108 are usually formed on different semiconductor chips.
In analog front end part 106, gain control amplifiers (GCA) 110, 112, 114, 116 adjust the amplitudes of RF signals A, B, C, D from photoelectric conversion part 104 of optical pickup 100, respectively. Equalizers (EQ) 118, 120, 122, 124 perform wave-shaping and noise reduction functions by emphasizing the high frequencies of RF signals A, B, C, D. Offset cancellation circuits 126, 128, 130, 132 eliminate offsets so that the central levels (zero levels) of RF signals A, B, C, D are aligned. Zero crossing detectors (ZRC) 134, 136, 138, 140 are made up of comparators comprised of op amps. As shown in FIG. 20, the times at which the voltage levels of RF signals A, B, C, D cross the reference level are detected, and a binary signal is output that has rising edges and falling edges corresponding to the zero-crossing times.
Binary signal (A) from comparator 134 (corresponding to RF signal A) and binary signal (B) from comparator 136 (corresponding to RF signal B) are input to phase difference detector 142. And, and, as shown in FIG. 21, a pulse signal with a variable pulse width that corresponds to the phase difference between the two binary signals (A) and (B) is output as a first phase difference signal φAB. This first phase difference signal φAB is output with a positive polarity when binary signal (A) leads binary signal (B), and is output with a negative polarity when binary signal (A) lags binary signal (B).
Binary signal (C) from comparator 138 (corresponding to RF signal C) and binary signal (D) from comparator 140 (corresponding to RF signal D) are input to phase difference detector 144. And, a pulse signal with a variable pulse width that corresponds to the phase difference between the two binary signals (C) and (D) is output as a second phase difference signal φCD. This second phase difference signal φCD is output with a positive polarity when binary signal (C) leads binary signal (D), and is output with a negative polarity when binary signal (C) lags binary signal (D).
First and second phase difference signals φAB and φCD output from the two phase difference detectors 142, 144 are added by an adder 146 which is made up of op amps. Basically, the summation signal φ AB/CD output from adder 146 can be regarded as the tracking error signal of the DPD system. Usually, in order to retrieve the necessary error component for the tracking servo, output signal φ AB/CD of adder 146 is averaged as it passes through low-pass filter (LPF) 148 (FIG. 21), and then passes through gain control amplifier (GCA) 150 for gain adjustment to obtain the tracking error signal sent to digital front end part 108.
Digital front end part 108 is comprised of analog-digital (A/D) converter 152 that converts the analog tracking error signal from analog front end part 106 to a digital tracking error signal, and servo processor (such as DSP: Digital Signal Processor) 154 that outputs a control signal for controlling the position of optical pickup 100 in the radial direction of optical disc 102 to actuator 156 as the feeding mechanism in response to the tracking error signal.
When the beam spot of laser beam LB deviates from the center of the track in the radial direction on the signal recording surface of optical disc 102, the phase difference between RF signals A, B and the phase difference between RF signals C, D will vary corresponding to the tracking deviation magnitude. The phase difference information, that is, the tracking error information, that is contained in output signals φAB, φCD of two phase difference detectors 142, 144, in output signal φ AB/CD of adder 146, and, finally, in the output signal of low-pass filter (LPF) 148, is fed back to servo DSP 154. Corresponding to the fed back tracking error information, servo DSP 154 controls the position of optical pickup 100 in the radial direction through feed mechanism 156, so that the tracking servo circuit locks the beam spot of laser beam LB to a given track. Also, a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter (not shown in the figure) is placed between servo DSP 154 and feed mechanism 156.
As explained above, in the prior art, the tracking servo circuit is comprised of two chips 106, 108, where the size of equalizers (EQ) 118-124 and low-pass filter (LPF) 148 is particularly large. Consequently, the scale of the circuit of analog front end part 106 is large, which is undesirable. Thus, there is a demand that the circuit scale be reduced by integrating the entire tracking servo circuit onto a single chip by digitizing analog front end part 106. However, the zero crossing time obtained from the output of zero crossing detectors (ZRC) 134-140 made up of comparators is a continuous time value. Consequently, if zero crossing detectors (ZRC) 134-140 and phase difference detectors 142, 144 are made up of synchronized digital circuits as is, the measurement precision of the zero crossing time will depend on the clock frequency. Thus, there is a demand for an ultra-high-speed digital circuit that can operate at a clock frequency of tens of thousand of GHz in order to realize the same precision as that of the analog circuit, which is almost impossible to realize with the current digital technology. Because the zero crossing detectors (ZRC) 134-140 and phase difference detectors 142, 144 cannot be realized with synchronized digital circuits, even if only equalizers (EQ) 118-124 and low-pass filter (LPF) 148 are digitized, it is still difficult to connect the first- and second-stage circuits digitally. As a result, in the prior art, it is necessary that all of the functions of the first-stage analog front end part 106 be realized with analog circuits.
An object of the invention is to solve the aforementioned problems of the prior art by providing a tracking error detection method and circuit that enables high-precision detection of tracking errors with a digital circuit at a relatively low speed and with a small circuit scale.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tracking servo method and circuit that can perform high-precision tracking control with a digital circuit at a relatively low speed and with a small circuit scale.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method for high-precision detection of the phase difference of digital signals with a digital circuit at a relatively low speed and with a small circuit scale.

Tracking error detection and correction methods and apparatus


Techniques related to designating golden frames and to determining frame sizes and/or quantization parameters golden and non-golden frames for video coding are discussed. Such techniques may include designating an frame as a golden frame or a non-golden frame based on whether the frame is a scene change frame, a distance of the frame to a previous golden frame, and an average temporal distortion of the frame and determining a frame size and/or quantization parameter for the frame based on the designation and a temporal distortion of the frame.

In compression/decompression (codec) systems, compression efficiency and video quality are important performance criteria. For example, visual quality is an important aspect of the user experience in many video applications and compression efficiency impacts the amount of memory storage needed to store video files and/or the amount of bandwidth needed to transmit and/or stream video content. For example, a video encoder compresses video information so that more information can be sent over a given bandwidth or stored in a given memory space or the like. The compressed signal or data may then be decoded via a decoder that decodes or decompresses the signal or data for display to a user. In most implementations, higher visual quality with greater compression is desirable.
In some approaches, frame type selections may be made for video frames that are being compressed. For example, the frame types may include intra frames (I-frames) predicted without reference to another frame or frames, predicted frames (P-frames) predicted with reference to another frame or frames and available for use in prediction of other frames, and/or bi-directional frames (B-frames) predicted with reference to another frame or frames but not available for use in prediction of other frames. Other frame types may be available. Furthermore, in some approaches, a video frame may be designated as a golden frame. For example, for a current frame, one or more recent past frames and/or temporally close future frames may typically be made available for coding the current frame (e.g., using motion compensation techniques or the like). In addition, in some implementations, a golden frame such as a more distant past frame, for example, may be made available for coding the current frame. For example, in the VP8 and VP9 video compression formats, which may be particularly advantageous for video streaming, the use of a golden frame is a feature that may be enabled. In such contexts, the selection of which frames are golden frames and the rate control of such golden frames may be important decisions in the resultant video quality and compression. However, current techniques for selecting and providing rate control for golden frame may not provide for high quality video and/or high compression gains.
As such, existing techniques may not provide high visual quality video for users and/or effective compression. Such problems may become critical as the transmission of video at ever higher quality becomes more widespread.


An impact sensor includes: a board; detecting means for detecting the deformation of said board; a connection member which extends from said board obliquely with respect to the surface of said board; and a weight mounted in the end portion of said connection member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an impact sensor and, more particularly, to an impact sensor for detecting, for example, the impact of a car accident.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various acceleration sensors or the like have been used as impact sensors. One use of such impact sensors is to unlock a car door when a car accident occurs, making it easier to save the persons trapped within the car.
However, conventional acceleration sensors have directivity, and can detect an impact in only one direction. For this reason, acceleration sensors must be disposed in the three intersecting axial directions, if impacts in all directions are to be detected. This is disadvantageous for several reasons, the impact sensor becomes enlarged, the manufacturing costs increase, and there is a directional aspect in mounting the impact sensor.


The brewing device comprises a brewing cylinder (9) with a cylindrical bore (10), in which a lower piston (8) is disposed freely moveable and longitudinally displaceable. An upper piston (7) is rigidly connected to a frame (1). Parallel to the vertically disposed brewing cylinder (9) there is a drive spindle (6) which has guide means (23). A drive element (24) connected to the brewing cylinder has further guide means (25) which engage with those of the drive spindle (6). By rotating the drive spindle (6) in one or the other direction, the brewing cylinder is displaced upwards or downwards. Through a pivotable hopper (12), the coffee powder is filled into the brewing cylinder. In order to establish the quantity of coffee powder inserted, the brewing cylinder is displaced upwards under time control at least until a counter force created by the upper piston (7) via the pressed coffee powder is equivalent to the drive force of the spindle In order to permit the preferred loose brewing of the coffee powder, the brewing chamber between the two pistons (7, 8) is slightly enlarged again prior to the actual brewing process. The device is characterized in particular by its simple construction with few parts subject to wear and tear, and this simple construction is aided by the omission of end switches due to the complete time control of the drive spindle.

The present invention concerns a brewing device for a coffee machine comprising a vertically disposed brewing cylinder having a cylindrical bore and upper and lower pistons mounted within and closing the cylindrical bore to form a brewing chamber, the brewing cylinder and the lower piston being displaceable relative to one another and the upper piston and a process for producing coffee with the brewing device.
Coffee is prepared in automatic coffee machines according to various processes which can be divided into two basic groups. One can distinguish between a first process, in which the hot water passes through the coffee powder located in a filter solely by the force of gravity, and a second process in which the hot water is forced through the coffee powder under pressure (espresso or pressure brewing). The present invention relates in particular to last-mentioned pressure brewing process. Various devices are known in the art for carrying out this process automatically. Depending upon their area of use, e.g. in the household or in the catering industry, these prior art coffee machines differ in construction, particularly with regard to robustness, flexiblility of process steps, and ease of operation and maintenance, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,216 describes an automatic coffee machine having two pistons driven independently of each other to carry out various operations on the coffee powder inserted in the brewing chamber. These independently driven pistons make it possible to vary the order of the process steps and adapt the volume of the brewing chamber to an amount of coffee powder being processed in each instance. Hydraulic energy is used to drive the two pistons as well as other auxiliary parts, such as a device for automatically removing the leachedout coffee grinds after brewing. While the use of hydraulic drive means does allow a relatively free selection of relative motion among the individual parts, and thus a relatively free selection of the order of the process steps, the construction of the drive means is relatively time-consuming and expensive. Production of the coffee machine can be profitable only with a high rate of utilization, which is the reason why, as a rule, machines of this type remain reserved for commercial use only.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,472 discloses a coffee preparation device having a brewing cylinder with a cylindrical bore and two pistons, by means of which the cylindrical bore can be closed off to form a brewing chamber. The brewing cylinder and the pistons are displaceable relative to each other along the brewing cylinder axis. The brewing device is intended for horizontal operation. The outer surface of the brewing cylinder has an opening for the supply of coffee powder. The powder first falls on the inner surface of the brewing cylinder. It is only when the latter is displaced, a first piston being dragged along, past a second piston, that the previously inserted coffee powder in the reducing chamber is gradually distributed more or less uniformly over the entire cross-section. In order to obtain a layer of coffee powder with a distribution as uniform as possible between the two pistons, the coffee powder is initially pressed at a certain pressure. To this end, the second piston, acting against a spring, is disposed displaceably with respect to a fixed machine frame. The desired initial pressing pressure is reached when the second piston has compressed the spring a fixed amount. At this point the advance of the brewing cylinder is stopped and the brewing process is started. When the brewing process is finished, the brewing cylinder is driven back toward its original position. The second piston releases one end of the brewing cylinder. Depending on how the brewing cylinder moves relative to the first piston as a result of the effects of friction, the leached-out coffee powder then falls out of the brewing cylinder when the first piston has reached the brewing cylinder end released by the second piston. At the latest, this will happen when the brewing cylinder has reached the completely driven back position, after the first piston has been halted previously by a stop. The stop is designed so that when the brewing cylinder moves forward again into the filling position, the first piston is held immobile until released by the advancing brewing cylinder.
Although the coffee preparation device disclosed here is of simple construction, it does have some disadvantages. Because of the horizontal arrangement, the coffee powder must be brewed with pressing pressure so that a more or less uniform distribution over the cross-section of the brewing chamber is guaranteed and even brewing of the coffee powder is obtained. However, experience has shown that the quality of coffee brewed in loose powder form is better.

Brewing device for a coffee machine and method of producing coffee


A top-down tiered process establishes an objective measure of the functional capacity of an asset to address a specified use. The process comprises: developing Issue Categories and lists of functional impact Sub-issue Types and specific issues under each type that may impact functionality of the asset for a specified use; providing the list to evaluators; employing evaluators to evaluate functionality, evaluators assigning a numerical Severity measure to each Sub-issue Type present during the evaluation; recording occurrences of issues under each Sub-issue Type discovered, summing occurrences to determine a Density of each Sub-issue Type; recording the evaluation in one or more engineering management systems (EMS); and using the recorded evaluation, calculating a value to be inserted on a numerical scale as a functionality index, FI. In select embodiments of the present invention, a numerical scale is used with values from 0-100.

In the United States, the Department of Defense is responsible for nearly 380,000 facilities estimated at a plant replacement value of $435 billion. These facilities play an important role in support of the military's mission. The sustainment, restoration, modernization (SRM) and eventual demolition and reconstruction of this infrastructure portfolio are of great interest to facility planners and policy makers.
Building investments are made and buildings are constructed to support some specified mission or purpose. The building design process yields the optimal building location, materials, and configuration to best serve that purpose. As the building operates in service and ages, building materials, components, and systems deteriorate, leading to some less than optimal ability to support its mission. This loss is determined through a condition assessment process and may be measured by a condition index, CI, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,058,544 B2, Knowledge-Based Condition Survey Inspection (KBCSI) Framework and Procedure, to Uzarski et al., 6 Jun. 2006, incorporated herein by reference. Building performance, i.e., ability to support a specified mission, is also impacted by general obsolescence, e.g., inability to support a new mission.
This obsolescence may be due to change in user requirements, technological obsolescence and changes in building codes and regulations. For example, as user requirements change or the mission changes, as is likely to happen during the lifespan of a permanent building, the "functional capability" of the building to support a current mission has decreased some amount. This loss may be determined objectively and quantitatively through a functionality assessment and measured by a functionality index (FI). Building condition is improved through repair, restoration, or both. However, a gain in functionality generally requires facility modernization.
"Building Performance" is measured at a specific point in time and defined as the "in service" suitability of a building for a specified mission. Among other indicators, it refers to how well, how safe, and how efficient a building supports a given mission. A building's "performance state" may be defined to be dependent on two attributes of the building, the "physical condition state" and the "functionality state."
The physical condition state provides a measure of the "general health" of the building. Physical deterioration of the building due to normal aging, excessive or abusive use, or poor maintenance reduces ability to support its initially established mission. For example, a leaking roof reduces the building's ability to provide a comfortable, safe environment. Research has focused on quantifying the condition state of a building in a consistent, objective, and repeatable fashion. In the BUILDER® Engineering Management System (EMS) the physical condition state is quantified using a Condition Index (CI).
The functionality state relates to the facility's ability to support a specific mission, whether it be the designed mission, a present mission or a proposed mission. It is an estimate of the capability of a facility or building to support performance of a current mission in the absence of physical deterioration. An impact to functionality, e.g., loss or degradation due to an inefficient building layout, improper choice of materials or equipment, building code violations, and the like, affects mission performance even though the condition of the building is new. Changes to functionality may arise independently after the building has been put in service, e.g., changes in user requirements, building codes, materials, technology, and the like. For example, an existing maintenance facility without the proper size and configuration to handle current military equipment has reduced capability to support a mission of vehicle maintenance. Impact to functionality may be qualitatively described by identifying those constraints inherent in the building design that lead to less than optimal mission support when compared to a new "purpose-built" building designed to support that specified mission at the highest level.
Conventionally, facility or building assessments or evaluations are performed to determine the scope and estimate of required SRM work. These conventionally undertaken assessments involve the identification and recording of deficiencies or issues that lead to a less than optimal facility. Issues or deficiencies may be defined with respect to both condition and functionality. During an assessment process based on identifying issues or deficiencies, an assessor or evaluator identifies what building deficiencies or issues are to be recorded and may categorize, i.e., prioritize, identified issues. Further, an estimator may determine the cost of corrective action for each prioritized issue or deficiency, if any. At no point during this conventional procedure is any metric produced which quantitatively and objectively describes the functional capability of the building to support a given mission.
Some metrics developed from the manipulation of "backlog data," are based on the cost of corrective action. The use of backlog data does not provide an acceptable basis for describing mission readiness. In addition, resources spent estimating the cost of corrective action for a functional issue or deficiency is wasted if the SRM budget does not allow the corrective action to be performed. This leads to an assessment process that may not yield the expected results in terms of the resources that have been expended to complete the assessment. Thus, what is needed is a process that addresses data requirements in a cost effective and timely manner to quantify the capability of a facility to support a specific mission at any point in the lifecycle of a facility, including design, construction, utilization and modification.

Functionality index (FI) for use with an engineering management system (EMS)

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


This invention provides a coffee maker having: an upper structure with a filter (1) and a measurement chamber (2); the measurement chamber (2) has TDS sensor (8), a temperature sensor (9) and a fluid transfer system (7); a lower structure with a weight sensor (52); a plurality of connecting elements (4) enacting the upper structure above the lower structure; and carafe (6) to be placed between the upper structure and lower structure; and a display panel (51) showing data from the TDS sensor, temperature sensor, or weight sensor.

Currently, there is no coffee makers that could produce different batches of coffee having the same quality. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is a measure of the combined content of all substances contained in a liquid in suspended form. Accordingly, measuring TDS of coffee is reflective of the level of extraction of coffee. The most common way to measure coffee TDS value is by TDS sensor such as those offered by VST. These usually require a sample of brewed coffee to be removed and placed into a well in the system. As such, a small device, e.g. syringe or dropper, must be dipped into a cup of brewed coffee which may lead to a user's bad perception e.g. contamination of the coffee. Extra effort must be spent in washing as the TDS sensor will have to be washed separately from the coffee brewer. In order for TDS value to be correlated with the level of extraction, the weight of both water and coffee ground used must be measured by a separate device and recorded.
To overcome the limitations of the existing TDS sensors, this invention provides a single pour over coffee maker having weight, temperature and TDS measuring functions.

Pour over coffee maker with TDS measurement


In one embodiment, an electronic switch selectively passes an input signal from an input node to an output node based on a switch-control signal. The bulk of at least one transistor in the switch is connected to either the input node or the output node. The switch has two series-connected PMOS transistors connected in parallel with an NMOS transistor. The bulk and source of the first PMOS transistor are connected to the input node, while the bulk and source of the second PMOS transistor are connected to the output node. First and second level shifters ensure that the gates of the first and second PMOS transistors track the voltages at the input and output nodes, respectively. This configuration improves the ability of the switch to receive input voltages outside of the switch's power supply range without adversely affecting operations of the switch.

A conventional CMOS switch comprises one or more CMOS transistors, each with its bulk (e.g., substrate or well) connected to one of the power supply rails (i.e., Vdd or Vss). For example, a single N-type CMOS (NMOS) transistor, with its drain connected to the input node Vin, its source connected to the output node Vout, its gate connected to receive a switch-control signal, and its bulk connected to Vss, can function as a CMOS switch that selectively presents an input voltage appearing at node Vin as an output voltage at node Vout, where the value of the switch-control signal applied to the transistor gate determines whether the switch passes or holds off the input signal.
Another example of a conventional CMOS switch is formed from an NMOS transistor connected in parallel to a P-type CMOS (i.e., PMOS) transistor, where the NMOS transistor is configured as before, and the PMOS transistor has its source connected to node Vin, its drain connected to node Vout, its gate connected to receive an inverted version of the switch-control signal, and its bulk connected to Vdd.
The ranges of voltages that can be applied to such conventional CMOS switches are often limited due to finite N-channel and/or P-channel thresholds. In some situations, the allowable input range spans only a portion of the available supply voltage range (e.g., Vdd-Vss). Moreover, any voltage beyond the supply voltage range is usually not allowed, since it may interfere with the proper operation of the switch in its open (i.e., off) mode.
To accommodate an input voltage range beyond the supply voltage range, some prior-art implementations rely on a boosted supply. This more-positive and/or more-negative supply is often locally generated and used instead of the PC board power supply, in effect operating the switch from a new power supply that now includes the desired expanded range.
Another prior-art implementation relies on attenuation of all input voltages to ensure that the input voltage levels remain within the allowable range.

Electronic switch having extended voltage range


A planimeter includes a movable housing in which are mounted orthogonally aimed x- and y-position sensors. Each position sensor comprises a piezoelectric ultrasound transmitter and receiver for sending ultrasound to a reflector disposed on a drawing and sensing resultant echoes. Circuitry in the housing computes from the sensor outputs the housing's position for each of a sequence of locations on a drawing at which a user positions the housing, and from those it computes scaled distances between those positions as well as quantities that can be derived from those distances. The transmitter's and receiver's respective positions with respect to positioning crosshairs are such as to suppress the results of orientation errors. The planimeter's handle is angled at 45° to the directions in which the sensors are aimed so that it lends itself to both right- and left-handed operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns planimeters. It has particular, although not exclusive, application to planimeters based on transmission of ultrasound or other radiation.
2. Background Information
Many applications arise in which lengths, areas, and other quantities need to be inferred from scale-model drawings of buildings, plots of land, mechanical devices, etc. Even when the drawing features are single straight lines, determining the length of the real-world feature thereby represented takes time. So planimeters have been developed to make that task easier. Planimeters usually comprise some kind of wheel that gets rolled along the drawing feature to be measured and infers the feature's length from the number of rotations. Some additionally have provisions for entering the drawing scale, and the output produced by the planimeter is the result of multiplying the measured length by the scale.
Some planimeters have pairs of wheels that, due to differences in the wheels' rotations, enable them to infer not only one-dimensional length but also relative directions. Such planimeters often calculate and produce derived quantities such as areas. So planimeters contribute greatly to the ease of determining from drawings quantities such as how much carpet a room requires or how long a fence it would take to enclose a yard.


A shallow water anchor to anchor a water craft in a shallow body of water comprising an anchor positioning assembly mounted on or to the water craft and an anchor member, the anchor position assembly comprises at least one anchor engaging member coupled to an anchor positioning device to raise and lower the anchor member between an elevated position and an anchored position and a system control to control the operation of the anchor position assembly in raising and lowering the anchor member such that the anchor member is lowered to engage the bottom of the shallow body of water to anchor the water craft and the anchor member disengages the bottom of the shallow body of water when the anchor member is raised to permit the water craft to move about the shallow body of water.

1. Field of the Invention
A shallow water anchor to selectively anchor a water craft in a shallow body of water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fishing from a boat or other water craft in shallow water is common where there are extensive shallow, grassy-bottomed areas known as "flats". Conventional anchors and poles forced into the bottom are used to secure the boat in place.
Danforth or spud types used by flats fishermen has several shortcomings. Often the boat's position is not firmly fixed allowing the boat to drift at the end of the anchor line. In addition both setting and retrieving an anchor, the anchor's flukes tear sea grass from the bottom causing significant ecological damage. In addition, when the anchor is retrieved, mud and sea grass from the anchor often foul the inside of the boat.
Poles are often used to propel a boat through flats when attempting to approach fish without the sound of an engine. In some cases, the fisherman may provide some sort of pole-retaining hardware such as a vertically disposed pipe having two open ends and a diameter substantially greater than that of the pole may be fastened to the boat hull to hold the boat to the pole after the pole is thrust more or less vertically into the bottom. Such arrangements fix the position of the boat more securely and cause substantially less damage to sea grass beds than does anchoring. This approach is not widely used, as poling is slow and laborious, and the great majority of flats fishermen do not carry or use poles.
US 2013/0036961 discloses a shallow water anchoring device that attaches to the outside hull of a boat. The device drives a sharpened rod into the floor of the body of water. The device uses an electric motor to drive the driving wheel that drives the rod into the floor. The rod is housed within a tube that connects to the housing of the driving wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,092,011 shows an anchoring device for watercraft comprising an extensible spud including a plurality of multiplicity of telescopically sections adapted for slidable movement through a well operating means including a rotatable pinion and means in connection with the spud including a longitudinally extending rack adapted to engage the pinion to move the spud through the spud well.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,662 relates to a motorized push pole device having a standard mounted to a raised poling platform on a boat. A housing is mounted to the standard removably clamp around a push pole. A drive wheel is mounted under the housing in contact with the push pole to rotate in a first direction causing push pole to move in an extendable motion and to rotate in the opposite direction causing push pole to move in a retractable motion. An electrical switch is connected to a motor for controlling operation of the motor for rotating the drive wheel. The motor includes a rotating motor shaft terminating in a worm gear. The drive wheel further comprising a cog wheel for engaging the worm gear of the motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,921,794 describes a rod-shaped anchor and collar to slidably receive the anchor. A drive mechanisms selectively raises and lowers the anchor.
U.S. Pat. No. 16,704 discloses a device for pushing boats through the water comprising a pole or rod and piston combination.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,047 relates to an anchor comprising a first part engageable within an anchoring medium ground along an insertion axis; a second part to which loads are attached; and linking means interconnecting the first and second parts while permitting displacement of the second part relating to the insertion axis so that when a load is applied to the second part after the first part has been inserted into the anchoring medium the second part can alter position without moving the first part thus reducing the effective loading on the first part.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,064 teaches a land anchor comprising a hammer element that permits the anchor to be driven into the soil including a stabilizing assembly that increases the anchoring force of the anchor for loose soils. The stabilizing assembly includes a wing section that is expanded from a stored, ground-entering configuration to a ground-gripping configuration by operation of a screw extending within a central rod of the anchor.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,122,401 is an additional example of the prior art.
While various elements, in part, similar to some components of the instant invention are known, the combination of structural elements are neither thought nor suggested.


A device and method for providing a control arm integral to a portable electronic device are disclosed. An exemplary device comprises a portable electronic device having a processor communicably coupled with a memory and a control arm, and an enclosure housing the memory and processor and defining a reference surface that defines a reference axis. The control arm has a deployed and a stowed configuration where the control arm length, as measured along the reference axis, is reduced in the stowed configuration.

Portable electronic devices such as wireless communication devices (e.g., mobile cellular phones) typically have input keys, such as buttons and navigation keys, for allowing a user to enter data and issue commands. For certain applications, such as for video games for example, it is desirable to provide controls that allow the user to rapidly issue commands and to provide greater dexterity in controlling the input keys. Control arms (e.g., joysticks) are used for such purposes.
Several challenges are presented in any design that integrates a control arm with a portable electronic device. As discussed below, these challenges are even greater where the device is a wireless communication device due to certain design constraints. One common problem is the interference created by the control arm when not in use. For example, in the case of a portable gaming device, a protruding control arm may necessitate an oversized protective shell for transport. In the case of a personal digital assistant ("PDA"), a protruding control arm may preclude carrying the PDA in one's pocket. In the case of a laptop computer, a protruding control arm may interfere with keyboard entry. Finally, in the case of a mobile phone, a protruding control arm may interfere with the user's positioning of the phone while making a call, or may be a liability to being damaged during normal phone use, i.e. a dropped phone.
One known implementation is to provide a control arm that is detachable from (i.e., non-integral with) the device. However, this approach disadvantageously requires the user to mount and dismount the control arm as needed, and further requires means for securing or stowing the control arm when detached from the device. Such an implementation allows the control arm to easily become lost.
Another known implementation is to provide a control arm that is recessed into the device. A number of computer laptops use this type of control arm as a alternative to the computer mouse. However, this approach disadvantageously limits the user's ability to manipulate the control arm. For example, in this configuration the user typically cannot grasp the control arm and is limited to one-finger operation.
Another known implementation is to provide a control arm that can be pushed down into the device. Similar to the recessed implementation, prior approaches have sacrificed other desirable attributes of the device in order to include this functionality. For example, with respect to devices having an integrated, retractable control arm, prior approaches include lowering the control arm into a cavity within the device. In order to accommodate this linear motion, valuable space (typically along device's smallest dimension) must be compromised. In many cases, a portable electronic device will include a printed circuit board ("PCB") that intersects the travel path of the stowed control arm. Accordingly, a hole in the PCB must be created in order to provide a path for the control arm. In addition to loss of valuable space within the device, a number of drawbacks are presented by requiring holes to be present in PCBs, as is known in the art.
Some existing implementations involving foldable mobile cellular phones call for cumbersome mechanisms that automatically extend and retract the control arm, depending on whether the foldable device is opened or closed. This arrangement is of limited utility since it requires additional components, increases device complexity and costs, requires additional occupation of valuable space, and does not permit a user to retract the control arm while the foldable device is open.
Accordingly, there exists a strong need in the art for a retractable control arm for a portable electronic device which addresses and resolves one or more of the above mentioned problems.

Portable electronic device control arm and related method


The present invention relates to an electric power saving apparatus wherein light energy is irradiated to a semiconductor device, with the light energy emitted when a voltage is supplied to a transmission line, such that the wavelengths of the electrons on the transmission line, along which a load-driving current flows are elongated, and the spin motions and vibration states of the electrons are stabilized, thereby reducing the collision of electrons in order to reduce the loss of energy, and wherein the light energy irradiated to the semiconductor device is continuously supplied thereto, by the use of an infrared ray emitting diode during operation, thereby maintaining the power saving effects with stability and continuity.

Various types of electric power saving apparatus have been proposed and used for an electric circuit, actuating the load of an electric motor, an electric heater, an illuminating device, or the like, by the supply of electric energy from a power source.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram and a pulse waveform illustrating an inverter for converting direct current power into alternating current power, as one of the conventional types of electric power saving apparatus. During the first half of a half-cycle, where thyristors 1 and 2 are triggered, the energy accumulated on a load is returned to a power source through respective diodes 3 and 4 and; in the case of an advancing power factor, during the latter half of the half cycle, conversely, diodes 3 and 4 are conductive. This is implementation may be referred to as a power inverter. Thus, frequencies are converted by using the power inverter to control the revolutions per minute, thereby obtaining electric power saving effects.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating a conventional cyclo-converter used as a power converter conducting the frequency conversion of alternating current power, wherein during the frequency converting process, the third and fifth harmonic waves are generated such that a precision machine may malfunction, a motor may suffer a reduced life period or a malfunction, or wave forms may be distorted. In particular, the conventional cycle-converter is not available at the high voltage of approximately 660 volts.
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating a series resonant circuit (e.g., but not limited to, a serial resonator) that uses an electronic ballast (or an electronic stabilizer), wherein a series/parallel (or a serial/parallel) resonant type inverter, as embodied in conventional lamps, is adopted. As shown in FIG. 3, Capacitor 5 and Inductor 6 serve to implement the stable lighting of a load lamp, with Capacitor 7 constituting the series resonant circuit and serving to activate the load lamp.
Referring to the functions of the series resonant circuit, a plurality of lamps with properties the same as or different from one another are attached to the single electronic ballast, thereby achieving lighting on the plurality of lamps, and a self-protection function is added to respond appropriately to variations in input voltage and high temperature and moisture levels, thereby preventing the electronic ballast from being destroyed. Further, a back light function is added to provide for the further enhancement of functions. As a result, the formation of an electronic ballast enables the removal of magnetic ballast defects, providing improved electric power saving effects. This allows the size of a magnetic device to be reduced such that a small, light ballast is adopted, and with the recent development of semiconductor devices and switching technologies, a high efficiency of power conversion is made possible at the time of high frequency switching. However, conventional power conversion causes variations in input voltages of DC-DC converters to be suppressed such that, so as to reduce the load of the device, large capacitance is required. Because a relatively large quantity of energy needs to be charged during a short period of time as a result, the current flow becomes greater, and the input current to a rectifier becomes intermittent, thereby causing negative effects on the peripheral devices due to distortion of the input current and the high frequency of the input.
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating a conventional power-factor correction (or improvement) circuit, wherein a high efficiency of power conversion is made possible at the time of high frequency switching, and in this case, total high frequency distortion factors (i.e., total harmonics distortion (THD)) are lowered such that a switching power source/supply is operated (or activated) like a resistive load at an input terminal of a rectifier.
Thus, the power-factor correction circuit sets an input current according to the input voltage thereto, in order to make the voltage/current ratios constant, thereby achieving a power factor value of 1; however, when the voltage/current ratios are not constant, displacement of phases or distortion of high frequencies occurs, thus decreasing the power factor value. The reactance of the input impedance of the power factor correction circuit causes the displacement of phases of input currents with respect to the input voltages, decreasing the power factor value, and the distortion of high frequencies means a degree of non-linearity of the input impedance of the power factor correction circuit. Therefore, the variation of the input impedance, as a function of input voltages, causes the distortion of input currents, resulting in a decrement of the power factor, thereby providing a relatively weak power saving effect.
There is provided a transformer type linear pressure device with a capacity of 1/10 as a power saving product for complex loads, which has a first voltage coil and a second current coil, each being wound on a toroidal core. In this case, the first voltage coil is wound with the voltage regulation in five steps and, using a cooperative induction reactor where the first voltage coil and the second current coil are connected in series with each other at the ends thereof in order to provide a series reactor function, AC power is not distorted or damaged at all, controlling the appropriate voltage, current, and input/output quantity. Therefore, the conventional transformer type linear pressure device adopts an improved control means, greatly enhancing the economical advantages and reliability thereof. However, this device is not available for a high capacity and for a high voltage. In addition, the waveforms are distorted by the artificial control of voltages, such that the conventional device is inadequate for precision machinery, and as large-sized machines are adopted, the installation area becomes restricted. On the other hand, in the case of an electric heater, there has not been an effective power saving apparatus until now.
Generally, the loss of energy generated on an electric motor, electric heater, or illuminating lamp operated using electric energy and the loss of energy generated on conductor resistance on a transmission line are caused by the irregular motions of electrons as a result of the application of heat or vibration.
As previously discussed, in the case of conventional types of electric power saving apparatus, there has thus far been no method proposed for controlling the irregular motions of electrons caused by heat or vibration that act as the fundamental cause of energy loss in electric motors, electric heaters, or illuminating lamps powered by electric energy, as well as the energy loss by conductor resistance on a transmission line, such that the conventional types of power saving apparatus provide only somewhat limited power saving effects.
Therefore, the inventor of this invention has provided a novel power saving apparatus and method that solves the problems of conventional types of power saving apparatus, which is disclosed in International Patent Publication Laid-Open No. WO 03/015249 A1, as filed by the inventor of this invention, and which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For the purpose of developing an understanding of the basic technical spirit of the prior art as filed by the inventor of this invention and of the present invention, an explanation of their basic principles will be supplied, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9.
FIG. 5 is a plane view illustrating the charge distribution in a metal. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 1 denotes electrons that are strongly coupled to the positive charges of an atomic nucleus and to the atomic nucleus, and reference numeral 2 denotes valence electrons, or free electrons, that are moving along the outermost orbit of an atom. Free electrons 2 move freely, and are not coupled to specific atoms. According to electron gas theory, free electrons 2 in the metal collide with relatively heavy ions that are, generally, at a halted state, such that they conduct continuous movements, while changing their advancing direction; at this time, the mean distance moving between the collisions is referred to as a mean free path.
If a constant electric field E (V/m) is applied to the metal, the motions of the free electrons are accelerated, without any collision with the ions, such that as time passes, the accelerated speed is increased enormously; however, due to the collision, free electrons lose their energy and change their advancing directions. At the instant when the free electrons collide against the ions, the accelerating speed is reduced to a value of 0. During normal operation, they have a mean speed, which is referred to as a drift speed.
The energy obtained by the free electrons in the electric field is transmitted to the ions colliding with the free electrons, such that when they are moving in the metal, power consumption results. Also, as the current flows via the movements of the electrons, a number of electrons collide against each other during these movements, such that the energy of the electrons generates heat.
If photons, with the light energy of a specific wavelength range, are poured in (or perhaps more accurately, injected into) the electrons forming a current on a metal conduction line (e.g., but not limited to, a metal wire), the electron wavelengths become long, and their spinning motions or vibrations become stable, thereby reducing the number of collisions among the electrons and eliminating the loss of energy generated by the irregular movements of the electrons, such that a system related to electricity may be stabilized, and electric power saving efficiency can be optimized, based on the inventor's prior patent publication no. WO 03/015249 A1.
For the purposes of developing an understanding of the effects obtained by pouring the photons with the light energy into the electrons moving in to form the electric field that generates the current, an explanation of the various effects caused by the coupling of light and electrons will be provided first. That is to say, a photoelectric effect, or a Compton effect, is to be hereby related.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, if light is irradiated to a metal, electrons are emitted from the surface of electrode A and then enter electrode B, thereby causing a current (I). This is known as the photoelectric effect, and the electrons emitted after the irradiation of light are referred to as photoelectrons. If the kinetic energy T of the photoelectrons is denoted by the function of the frequency ν of incident light, kinetic energy T has a value of 0 when the incident light has a frequency having a given limiting value or less, as outlined in the graph of FIG. 7, with its values increasing linearly in proportion to the frequencies of incident light when the incident light has a frequency of the given limiting value or more.
Furthermore, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, a phenomenon referred to as the Compton effect occurs between the electrons and the photons. The figures illustrate a phenomenon wherein as X-rays (photons) are irradiated to a material, they radiate by virtue of their colliding against halting electrons (v=0) such that the energy is partially absorbed by the electrons to cause a change to the movement of electrons, as well as a phenomenon wherein the wavelength of the waves of X-rays changes from λ to λ′, based upon Einstein's corpuscular theory. Generally, the electrons of an atom occupy the positions with possibly the lowest energy level. When the electrons are arranged on such positions, the atom is at a ground state. However, if one or more electrons are moved to a higher energy level by a given cause (by the application of an electric field, for example, as outlined in the present invention), the atom is in an excited state. The photons can induce the transition between different electron energy levels. If the photons colliding with the electrons have sufficient energy levels, the electrons absorb the energy of the photons to move to a higher energy level. On the other hand, electrons in the excited state collide with the photons to move to a lower energy level, and if the electrons that form the stream of current in the electric field already applied to the transmission line of a power circuit have the light energy (photons) provided by the infrared ray synthetic wavelengths supplied from a semiconductor device, they will have substantially longer wavelengths, meaning their vibration state will be stable, an important basic principle of this invention.
However, according to the inventor's prior patent publication no. WO 03/015249 A1, light energy having the infrared ray synthetic wavelength of a band between 780 mm and 900 mm is irradiated to the semiconductor device constituting the circuit board of the electric power saving apparatus while the circuit board is being assembled, such that the electrons in the valence band absorb the photons and move to the conduction band, thereby forming holes in the valence band. Thus, at a state where the electrical state in the crystal interior of the semiconductor device is varied, the formation of the electric power saving apparatus is completed, and after that, the micro current, which is generated by the application of the low constant voltage rectified from alternating current power to the semiconductor device, is supplied again to the power circuit. According to the inventor's prior patent publication no. WO 03/015249 A1, however, prior to the circuit board of the electric power saving apparatus being finished as one system, the light energy having the infrared ray synthetic wavelength of a specific band range is irradiated to the semiconductor device during the manufacturing process of the semiconductor device, such that until the apparatus is finally able to be used at the state of being connected to the power circuit by a user's manipulation, it is difficult to maintain a good energy state of the semiconductor device. Therefore, the electric power saving effect is not appropriate, and when a given period of time has elapsed, the saving effect may be reduced. Furthermore, the electric power saving apparatus according to the inventor's prior patent publication no. WO 03/015249 A1 does not recognize the reduction of the electric power saving effect well, and as there is no circuit absorbing the surge voltage contained in the alternating current power supplied from a power source, the stability of the electric power saving apparatus while it is in use cannot be ensured. As a result, the inventor of this invention provides herein a novel power saving apparatus that overcomes the problems as described with the prior art.

Electric power saving apparatus comprising semi-conductor device to pass energy of infrared ray synthetic wavelength into electric cable using output pulse signal, electric circuit board structure for implementing the apparatus, and electric power saving method


An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body and an original reading device disposed on top of the apparatus main body. A sheet supply cassette, a sheet discharge tray, an original feed tray, and the original discharge tray are oriented such that their lengthwise directions are aligned with the first horizontal direction, and are arranged to overlap with one another in the vertical direction. A pair of side walls is disposed at both widthwise ends of the sheet supply cassette, the sheet discharge tray, the original feed tray, and the original discharge tray. The both widthwise ends of these components are formed as edge portions. The pair of side walls covers an entire length of each of the edge portions, thereby supporting all of the sheet supply cassette, the sheet discharge tray, the original feed tray, and the original discharge tray.

Conventionally, various image forming apparatuses having the image reading function have been proposed. For example, in an image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-200399, an original reading unit has a casing which accommodates an imaging device such as an image sensor therein, and an original tray and an original discharge tray are fixed to a side wall of the casing so that ends thereof contact the side wall. When an original is sent from the original tray, an image on the original is read in the casing. Then, the original is discharged onto the original discharge tray.

Image forming apparatus having image reading function


A lubricating composition comprising an oil of lubricating viscosity, 1 to 1000 parts per million by weight of titanium in the form of an oil-soluble titanium-containing material, and at least one additional lubricant additive provides beneficial effects on properties such as deposit control, oxidation, and filterability in engine oils.

The present invention relates to lubricant compositions containing a soluble titanium-containing material, having beneficial effects on properties such as deposit control, oxidation, and filterability in, for instance, engine oils.
Current and proposed specifications for crankcase lubricants, such as GF-4 for passenger car motor oils, and PC-10 for heavy duty diesel engines specify increasingly stringent standards to meet government specifications. Of particular concern are sulfur and phosphorus limits. It is widely believed that lowering these limits may have a serious impact on engine performance, engine wear, and oxidation of engine oils. This is because historically a major contributor to phosphorus content in engine oils has been zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDP), and ZDP has long been used to impart antiwear and antioxidancy performance to engine oils. Thus, as reduced amounts of ZDP are anticipated in engine oils, there is a need for alternatives to impart protection against deterioration in one or more of the properties of engine performance, engine wear, and oxidation of engine oils. Such improved protection is desirable whether or not ZDP and related materials are included in the lubricant. Desirable lubricants may be low in one or more of phosphorus, sulfur, and ash, that is, sulfated ash according to ASTM D-874 (a measure of the metal content of the sample).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,624,187, Schwind et al., Nov. 4, 2003, discloses lubricating compositions, concentrates, and greases containing the combination of an organic polysulfide and an overbased composition or a phosphorus or boron compound. Metals which can be used in the basic metal compound include (among others) titanium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,880, Mathur et al., Oct. 19, 1999, discloses lubricating composition, functional fluids and greases containing certain thiophosphorus esters. Boron antiwear or extreme pressure agents can be present, which can be a borated overbased metal salt. Examples of the metals of the basic metal compound include (among others) titanium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,378, Lange, Sep. 22, 1998, discloses metal containing dispersant viscosity improvers for lubricating oils, comprising the reaction product of a hydrocarbon polymer grafted with an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and a nitrogen and metal containing derivative of a hydrocarbon substituted polycarboxylic acid. The metal can be selected from (among others) titanium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,480, Salomon et al., Mar. 25, 1997, discloses lubricating compositions and concentrates including an oil of lubricating viscosity, a carboxylic derivative, and an alkali metal overbased salt. Also disclosed are antioxidants which can be an oil-soluble transition metal-containing composition. The transition metal can be selected from (among others) titanium.
Titanium in the form of surface-modified TiO2 particles has also been disclosed as an additive in liquid paraffin for imparting friction and wear properties. See, for instance, Q. Xue et al., Wear 213, 29-32, 1997.
It has now been discovered that the presence of titanium, supplied, for instance, in the form of certain titanium compounds, provides a beneficial effect on one or more of the above properties. In particular, such materials as titanium isopropoxide impart a beneficial effect in one or more of the Komatsu Hot Tube Deposits screen test (KHT), the KES Filterability test, the Dispersant Panel Coker test (a test used to evaluate the deposit-forming tendency of an engine oil) and the Cat 1M-PC test.

Titanium compounds and complexes as additives in lubricants


A technique for checking a layout design of an integrated circuit is disclosed. The technique has application to converting the design of a circuit from schematic to layout form. Instances where multiple pwell isolation tanks are coupled to the same node and where one or more pwell isolation tanks are shorted to a substrate are detected. Node breakers are inserted in the layout between pwell isolation tanks coupled to the same node and between the substrate and isolated pwell tanks coupled to the substrate. The node breakers are inserted in the circuit schematic as well to satisfy a layout versus schematic comparison. Inserting the node breakers highlights circuit component groupings as well as which tanks contain certain elements, if any. This allows designers to make a conscious decision as to the location and groupings of elements in a layout design.

It will be appreciated that integrated circuits (IC's) and/or semiconductor chips can be represented in both schematic and layout form. In schematic form, electrical elements or components of the circuit are represented as known symbols, and the symbols are interconnected to one another according the circuit design. It will also be appreciated, however, that the symbols bear little to no resemblance to the actual elements because the elements are implemented in and on a semiconductor substrate, such as a silicon wafer or one or more die on the wafer as regions of silicon are treated in one or more manners and/or as one or more layers formed upon the silicon are treated in one or more manners, such as by being doped with dopant atoms and/or etched to comprise a certain pattern, for example. As such, the circuit can also be depicted in layout form where the elements and particular arrangement thereof correspond more closely to their actual implementation in silicon.
It will be appreciated that integrated circuits are generally designed by drawing a schematic of the circuit such that electrical elements are interconnected to achieve a desired result. The circuit schematic is then converted to a layout form so that the circuit can be fabricated in silicon. A layout versus schematic (LVS) comparison can then be performed (e.g., in computer software) to verify that everything in the schematic is in fact in the physical implementation, or rather that the physical implementation of the circuit matches its logical (schematic) definition.
Nevertheless, some issues may persist in transferring the design from a circuit schematic to layout form, and such issues may not be detectable by LVS comparisons and/or other conventional verification techniques. By way of example, it can be appreciated that certain elements or groupings of elements are commonly isolated from other elements in integrated circuits. The elements are generally isolated from one another by isolated pwells within which the elements are formed. The tanks or isolated pwells are defined above one or more buried layers within the semiconductor substrate and are surrounded by a substantially circular wall of dopant atoms implanted into the substrate, called an nwell. However, multiple isolated pwell tanks may, in certain instances, be coupled to the same potential or bias voltage (which may also be referred to as being coupled to the same node). Additionally, this potential may, at times, correspond to the potential of the substrate where one or more tanks are shorted or otherwise coupled to the substrate.
Having isolation pwells at the same potential and/or at the potential of the substrate can, however, lead to problems that are undetectable by LVS comparisons and/or other conventional verification techniques. For example, where two tanks are coupled to the same node, conventional verification programs would not be able to detect a situation where one or more elements are formed within the wrong tank and/or where multiple elements are not grouped together in a desired manner, for example. An LVS program would not detect these problems, for example, because the number of elements in the schematic would match the number of elements in the layout diagram and all of the elements would be subject to the appropriate node voltage (e.g., in accordance with the circuit design). Similarly, where a tank is shorted to a substrate, an LVS program would not detect a situation where devices are inadvertently formed outside (or inside) of the tank, but are supposed to be in (or out of) the tank since the number of elements in the schematic would match up with the number of elements in the layout diagram and the elements would be subject to the appropriate bias (e.g., substrate) voltage.
Accordingly, a scheme that facilitates isolated pwell tank verification would be desirable.

Isolated pwell tank verification using node breakers


A method for verifying interoperability of an implementation of a communication standard includes monitoring a symbol comprising a set of subcarrier symbols in a communication stream, in which some of the subcarrier symbols of the symbol are generated from pilot symbols, transmitted on subcarriers in accordance with the standard. For a given implementation and a given symbol, it is known which subcarriers will be pilot symbols, and what their pilot symbol values will be. A communication stream, generated by an implementation that is interoperable with the standard, will contain expected pilot information. Using the implementation to be verified, a communication stream is generated, containing pilot information. The generated pilot information is compared with the expected pilot information, and interoperability is determined based on the result of the comparing.

The invention relates to communications, and has applicability to Metropolitan Area Networks according to the IEEE 802.16 WirelessMAN standard.
In a typical communication system architecture, users are coupled for communication to one or more nodes, such as base stations, which, in turn, are coupled for communication to public communication networks such as the Internet. Communication streams between such users pass through their respective base stations, and across the public networks.
Such communication streams are multiplexed within distinct frequency bands through techniques such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). For instance, implementations of OFDMA include a physical (PHY) layer, and employ subcarriers having complex symbols (that is, symbols that include both real and imaginary components, and therefore can be characterized as having a phase). The complex symbols are modulated using a PseudoRandom Bit Sequence (PRBS), which is generated from a seed value using PRBS generator register circuitry.
A user will employ an implementation of PRBS generator register circuitry, and of seed values. The user may develop the implementation him/herself, or may obtain it from a vendor. For instance, as the 802.16 standard becomes more accepted and commonplace, different implementations will become available from different vendors. Most such implementations will be in the form of 802.16e-OFDMA PHY chip designs. Such designs typically are highly integrated; that is, the PRBS function is integrated with the rest of the modulator, so it is probably done independently by each chip manufacturer.
In order for communication to take place between different users, their respective implementations of the seed value and the PRBS generator register circuitry should be interoperable. Failure to communicate can be due to lack of such interoperability. Therefore, it is desirable that, for a given implementation of an OFDMA transmitter, interoperability with other implementations can be verified.
Conventionally, interoperability verification of PRBS generator implementations (in particular, implementations of the PRBS generator register circuitry and the seed values) has been done ad-hoc and manually. The ad-hoc check has been done when interoperability problems or questions arise. A comparison is done between two implementations (usually the symbol bit output generated from a given PRBS seed) and then differences between them are identified (either in the filling of the PRBS register, or in the sequence output). This manual approach required working across implementations for comparison without independent verification. It also has required cooperation between different service provider companies, or between different hardware vendors.
Such conventional verification has been disadvantageous, among other reasons because the necessary cooperation between different companies may not always be available, and because the lack of independent verification makes it difficult to ensure interoperability proactively. Rather, interoperability problems can only be solved reactively, in response to observed communication problems.

Interoperability verification for implementation according to communication standard


An asset model import connector includes an interface to receive asset data from a data source and a normalize module. The normalize module determines an operation to be performed at a system based on the received asset data and determines code to perform the determined operation. The schema may be populated with attributes from the asset data, and sent to the system.

Many systems nay be used concurrently to manage a network. For example, Active Directory stores information about network devices and network security. Network administrators also typically use information technology (IT) management software to configure, deploy and manage devices in the network. The IT management software may include a configuration management database to store information about the network. Typically, these systems do not follow a common standard for interfacing with other systems and providing data to other systems.

HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP


An objective lens holder that holds an objective lens that directs a laser beam onto a disk is formed of a permanent magnet. Yokes are arranged at the periphery of the objective lens holder, with a focus coil and tracking coil fixed to them. One end of a wire-shaped flexible body is connected to one side face of the objective lens holder, the objective lens holder being thereby suspended and supported. Since the objective lens holder has applied to it displacement components with five degrees of freedom, excluding the axial direction of the flexible body, tilting of the optical axis of the objective lens can be generated. Consequently, coma aberration of the objective lens is reduced and high density recording and reproducing can be achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an objective lens driving apparatus used for recording and reproducing data in respect of an information recording medium such as an optical disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, optical disk devices are widely employed in which data is stored and retrieved using a laser beam. Typical examples are compact disk device (CD) and laser disk device (LD). Recently, optical disk devices have come to be employed as storage devices for computers.
When information is recorded onto or reproduced from an optical disk, a laser beam is focused onto the optical disk surface by an objective lens to form a spot. The smaller the size of this spot, the greater the recording density of the optical disk that can be achieved. As technology advances, recording density increases. Therefore, new technology such as DVD, requires ever smaller spot sizes.
Furthermore, to maintain the size of the spot as small as possible, it is important to exercise control such that the optical axis of the objective lens is as near as possible perpendicular to the optical disk surface, so as to produce a condition in which little coma aberration can occur. Coma aberration may occur if the objective lens is out of alignment, for example, or if the optical disk is out of alignment because of, for example, warping.
A known objective lens drive construction whereby such control can be achieved involves supporting the objective lens for example by means of four wires. Such an objective lens driving device is constructed so as to make possible not only displacement of the focusing direction and the tracking direction but also axial rotary displacement for correcting a tilt of the optical axis of the objective lens, by means of focusing coils and tracking coils arranged at the periphery of the objective lens.
However, in order to correct a tilt of the optical axis of the objective lens in high accuracy, desired biaxial rotary displacement should occur. Furthermore, large variations in wire shape result in imbalance of the drive characteristic, making it very difficult to achieve the desired operating characteristic. Thus the device ends up becoming impracticable.


As a curing catalyst of epoxy resins, superacid salts of an N,N'-di- or N,N',N'-trisubstitued urea, the urea component of which is produced by reacting an organic isocyanate and a primary or secondary amine, at least one of which is monofunctional, are soluble in conventional organic solvents compatible with epoxy resins and catalyze the cationic polymerization reaction of epoxy resins at room temperature.

Epoxy resins are known to have excellent heat-resistant, adhesive, antichemical, electrical, mechanical and other properties and, therefore, have extensively been used in various fields as adhesives, coatings, sealants, insulating materials, castings and molding materials and the like.
Two systems are known employed to harden or cure the epoxy resin; one using a polyamine or polycarboxylic acid or anhydride hardener and the other being a self-polymerization system containing a cationic or anionic polymerization initiator generally referred to as "curing catalyst".
A variety of curing catalyst are known including Bronsted acids, Lewis acid, tertiary aminesuperacid salts and the like. These known curing catalysts have certain defects in that they are solid or not soluble in conventional solvents such as toluene or are xylene or not fully compatible with the epoxy resin so that they can be uniformly dispersed in the epoxy resin only with difficulty. This can result in incomplete or localized curing of the resin. Furthermore, the prior art curing catalyst are generally capable of curing of alicyclic epoxy compounds or resins at room temperature but not non-alicyclic epoxy compounds or resins which are less reactive than the alicyclic epoxy resins.
A need exists, therefore, for a curing catalyst of epoxy resins which is soluble in conventional organic solvents such as toluene and xylene, highly compatible with epoxy resins and capable of curing non-alicyclic epoxy compounds or resins at room temperature. Also, a need exists for a resinous composition containing a polyfuctional epoxy compound or resin and such a hardening catalyst.

Urea-superacid salts and their use as a curing catalyst of epoxy resins


A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of modifying a damaged layer containing carbon and formed at a semiconductor surface by exposing the damaged layer to oxygen radicals to form a modified layer, and removing the modified layer by a wet etching process, wherein the modifying step is conducted by adding an active specie of an element that would obstruct formation of double bond between a Si atom and an oxygen atom by causing a chemical bond with Si atoms on the semiconductor surface.

The present invention generally relates to fabrication of semiconductor devices and more particularly to a fabrication method of a semiconductor device having a very shallow junction.
With recent highly miniaturized, ultra-fast semiconductor devices, having a gate length of typically 90 nm or less, such as the one having the gate length of 50 nm or 40 nm, the diffusion regions constituting the source and drain regions of the transistor have a very shallow depth of about 20 nm or less.
When fabricating such a semiconductor device having a very shallow junction, particular caution has to be taken in the dry etching process that exposes the diffusion region.
With regard to the dry etching process used in the fabrication process of a MOS transistor, there can be two situations in which the dry etching process causes exposure of the diffusion regions, the first being the one used for forming a contact hole in an insulation film, and the other being the one used for forming sidewall insulation films on the sidewall surfaces of the gate electrode. In any of these processes, it is generally practiced to carry out the etching process of the insulation film by using a fluorocarbon (CF) family gas or hydrofluorocarbon (CHF) family gas for the etching gas.
At the time of the dry etching of an insulation film with an etching gas of the CF or CHF family gas, plasma is used for causing dissociation in the etching gas to form radicals or ions of active species such as F (fluorine) contained in the etching gas, and the ions of the active species thus formed are caused to react upon the substrate to be processed by accelerating the same by using a substrate bias electric field. Further, at the time of such an etching process, it is generally practiced to carry out so-called overetching, in view of possible variation of the film thickness or variation of the etching rate, in which the etching is continued for a predetermined duration after the silicon substrate surface is exposed, such that the silicon surface constituting the diffusion region is exposed completely.
On the other hand, with such an overetching process, it is generally unavoidable that the silicon surface is etched more or less as a result of the action of the etching gas to the exposed silicon surface. Particularly, the silicon surface tends to be etched by F.
In view of the situation noted above, there is an increasing tendency to use gases of high C (carbon) proportion such as C4F8 or C4F6, for the CF or CHF family etching gas, for suppressing the etching of the silicon surface and thus increasing the etching selectivity at the time of the overetching process. By using such an etching gas of high C proportion, there is caused deposition of C on the silicon surface exposed by the etching, and the undesirable etching of the silicon surface at the time of the overetching is suppressed.    (Patent Reference 1) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 8-78352    (Patent Reference 2) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 9-129602    (Non-Patent Reference 1) K. Hashimi et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. vol. 35, (1996), pp. 2494

Semiconductor device and fabrication process thereof