A power supply detection circuit biased by at least two power supply voltages for controlling a signal driver circuit. Upstream and downstream amplifiers, powered by upstream and downstream power supply voltages, respectively, process an original control signal to produce a differential signal via output signal electrodes. Capacitances coupling respective ones of the output signal electrodes to the downstream power supply voltage and the circuit reference potential discharge and charge respective ones of the output signal electrodes in relation to initial receptions of the upstream and downstream power supply voltages and original control signal, following which voltage clamp circuitry maintains such discharged and charged states pending reception of the original control signal in a predetermined state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to interface circuits for translating voltage levels of signals between circuits biased by unequal power supply voltages, and in particular, to such interface circuits with minimum power consumption during initial application of the power supply voltages.
2. Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a power supply detection circuit has become an essential part of the input/output (I/O) interface in digital and mixed signal integrated circuits, or "chips", having multiple, e.g., two, power supplies. For example, a typical example of such a chip 10 includes, at a minimum, core circuitry 12 biased by a core power supply voltage VDD, and I/O interface circuitry 14 powered by another power supply voltage VDDIO. Typically, the core circuit 12 operates at a lower power supply voltage to minimize power consumption, while the I/O circuit 14 operates, at least in part, at a higher power supply voltage so as to provide appropriate signal levels to and receive higher level signals from circuitry outside the chip 10 which often operates at such higher power supply voltage. Additionally, the core circuit 12 is often primarily, if not exclusively, digital circuitry using insulated gate field effect transistors (IGFETs, often still referred to as metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, or MOSFETs) having thin gate oxides, while the I/O circuit 14 uses transistors having thicker gate oxides. Accordingly, the core power supply voltage VDD is less than the I/O power supply voltage VDDIO.
Depending upon the functions to be performed by the chip 10, various signals 15 are conveyed between the core 12 and I/O 14 circuits. Some signals 15a may flow exclusively from the core 12 to the I/O 14 circuit while other signals 15b may flow exclusively in the opposite direction. Additionally, some signals 15c may be bi-directional between the circuits 12, 14. Similarly, the I/O circuit 14 provides outgoing signals 11a and receives incoming signals 11b, and may also exchange bi-directional signals 11c.
During initial application of the power supply voltages VDD, VDDIO, a power supply detection circuit monitors the actual reception of the voltages. In many instances, the I/O power supply voltage VDDIO is applied, or asserted, prior to application of the core power supply voltage VDD. This is done to establish the appropriate interfaces between the I/O circuit 14 and the core circuit 12. Moreover, there should be virtually no current consumption by the I/O driver output circuit. During this interval, however, the output interfaces, i.e., those electrodes responsible for providing communication between the chip 10 and other external circuits (not shown) must remain disabled. This is often problematic since the output enable signal is typically generated by the core circuit 12 which is powered by the core power supply voltage VDD, which has not yet been applied.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide circuitry for detecting the core power supply voltage VDD while still disabling the output interfaces within the I/O circuit 14. More importantly, it would be desirable to provide this capability while consuming minimal, if any, power, consistent with the goals of low power consumption achieved during normal circuit operation due to the lower core power supply voltage VDD.

Power supply detection circuit biased by multiple power supply voltages for controlling a signal driver circuit


Systems and methods for dynamically changing displayed content of a tag. The methods comprise: performing operations by sensors of the tag to detect when an individual is interacting with a first item to which the tag is coupled; determining a type of interaction between the individual and the first item; selecting at least one first accessory from a plurality of accessories for the first item based on the type of interaction; obtaining information for the selected at least one first accessory that is to be presented to the individual; and dynamically changing the displayed content of the tag to include the obtained information while the individual is still in proximity to the tag or interacting with the first item.

Retailers would like to leverage predictive analytics to detect customer interaction with certain types of merchandise, and thus "extract" customer preferences thereby "customizing" store merchandize to suit customer preferences/demographics. In order to accomplish this, retailers are constantly relying on data obtained from multi-functional sensors to identify and categorize customer preferences.

Dynamically changing a tag's displayed content based on the type of customer interaction with an item


An electron beam exposure apparatus which minimizes the influence of the space charge effect and aberrations of a reduction electron optical system, and simultaneously, increases the exposure area which can be exposed at once, thereby increasing the throughput. An electron beam exposure apparatus having a source for emitting an electron beam and a reduction electron optical system for reducing and projecting, on a target exposure surface, an image of the source, includes a correction electron optical system which is arranged between the source and the reduction electron optical system to form a plurality of intermediate images of the source along a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the reduction electron optical system, and corrects in advance aberrations generated when the intermediate images are reduced and projected on the target exposure surface by the reduction electron optical system.

The present invention relates to an electron beam exposure apparatus and method, and a device manufacturing method and, more particularly, to an electron beam exposure apparatus and method in which exposure is performed by making a source emit an electron beam to form an image by the electron beam, and reducing and projecting the image on a target exposure surface by a reduction electron optical system, a stencil mask type electron beam exposure apparatus, and a device manufacturing method to which the above apparatus or method is applied.
Examples of electron beam exposure apparatuses are apparatuses of a point beam type which uses a spot-like beam, a variable rectangular beam type which uses a beam variable in its size and having a rectangular section, and a stencil mask type which uses a stencil to form a beam having a desired sectional shape.
The point beam type electron beam exposure apparatus is exclusively used for research and development purposes because of low throughput. The variable rectangular beam type electron beam exposure apparatus has a throughput higher than that of the point beam type apparatus by one to two orders, though the problem of throughput is still serious in forming an exposure pattern wneh which about 0.1 .mu.m fine patterns are highly integrated. The stencil mask type electron beam exposure apparatus uses a stencil mask having a portion corresponding to a variable rectangular aperture in which a plurality of repeated-pattern-through-holes are formed. The stencil mask type electron beam exposure apparatus can advantageously form repeated patterns by exposure, and its throughput is higher than that of the variable rectangular type electron beam exposure apparatus.
FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of an electron beam exposure apparatus having a stencil mask. An electron beam from an electron gun 501 is irradiated on a first aperture 502 for defining the electron beam irradiation area of the stencil mask. The illumination electron beam defined by the first aperture irradiates the stencil mask on a second aperture 504 through a projection electron lens 503 so that the electron beam passing through repeated-pattern-through-holes which are formed in the stencil mask is reduced and projected on a wafer 506 by a reduction electron optical system 505. The images of the repeated-pattern-through-holes are moved on the wafer by a deflector 507 to sequentially expose the wafer.
The stencil mask type electron beam exposure apparatus can form repeated patterns by a single exposure operation, so the exposure speed can be increased. However, although the stencil mask type electron beam exposure apparatus has a plurality of pattern through-holes, as shown in FIG. 3, the patterns must be formed in advance as the stencil mask in accordance with the exposure pattern.
Because of the space charge effect and the aberrations of the reduction electron optical system, the exposure area which can be exposed at once is limited. If a semiconductor circuit needs so many transfer patterns that they cannot be formed in one stencil mask, a plurality of stencil masks must be prepared and used one by one. Time for exchanging the mask is required, resulting in a large decrease in throughput.
When the stencil mask has patterns with different sizes, or when the pattern is a combination of patterns with different sizes, the blur of the exposure pattern caused by the space charge effect changes depending on the size of the pattern. Since the refocus amount changes depending on the size of the pattern accordingly, the blur cannot be corrected by refocusing. Therefore, such a pattern cannot be used as a stencil mask pattern.
An apparatus for solving this problem is a multi-electron beam exposure apparatus which irradiates a plurality of electron beams on the sample surface along designed coordinates, deflects the plurality of electron beams along the designed coordinates to scan the sample surface, and at the same time, independently turns on/off the plurality of electron beams in correspondence with the pattern to be drawn, thereby drawing the pattern. The multi-electron beam exposure apparatus can draw an arbitrary pattern without using any stencil mask, so the throughput can be increased.
FIG. 38A shows the arrangement of the multi-electron beam exposure apparatus. Reference numerals 501a, 501b, and 501c denote electron guns capable of independently turning on/off electron beams; 502, a reduction electron optical system for reducing and projecting the plurality of electron beams from the electron guns 501a, 501b, and 501c on a wafer 503; and 504, a deflector for deflecting the plurality of electron beams reduced and projected on the wafer 503.
The plurality of electron beams from the electron guns 501a, 501b, and 501c are deflected by the same amount by the deflector 504. With reference to the beam reference position, each electron beam sequentially sets its position on the wafer and moves in accordance with an array defined by the deflector 504. The electron beams expose different exposure areas in exposure patterns to be formed.
FIGS. 38B to 38D show a state in which the electron beams from the electron guns 501a, 501b, and 501c expose the corresponding exposure areas in exposure patterns to be formed in accordance with the same array. While setting and shifting the positions on the array in the order of (1,1), (1,2), . . . , (1,16), (2,1), (2,2), . . . , (2,16), (3,1), each electron beam is turned on at a position where an exposure pattern (P1, P2, P3) to be formed is present to expose the corresponding exposure area in the exposure pattern (P1, P2, P3) to be formed (i.e., a so-called raster scan is performed).
However, in the multi-electron beam exposure apparatus using raster scan, when the size of the exposure pattern to be formed becomes small, each electron beam must be turned on at a position defined by further finely dividing the exposure region of the electron beam (the array interval of the array defined by the deflector 504 decreases). As a result, with the same exposure area, the number of times of setting the position of the electron beam and exposing the area increases, resulting in a large decrease in throughput.
FIG. 43 shows the main part of the multi-electron beam exposure apparatus. Reference numerals 501a, 501b, and 501c denote electron guns capable of independently turning on/off electron beams; 502, a reduction electron optical system for reducing and projecting the plurality of electron beams from the electron guns 501a, 501b, and 501c on a wafer 503; 504, a deflector for scanning the plurality of electron beams reduced and projected on the wafer 503; 505, a dynamic focus coil for correcting the focus position of the electron beam in accordance with any deflection errors generated in the electron beam passing through the reduction electron optical system 502 when the deflector 504 is actuated; and 506, a dynamic stigmatic coil for correcting the astigmatism of the electron beam in accordance with the deflection errors.
With the above arrangement, the plurality of electron beams are scanned on the wafer to expose the wafer in which the exposure areas of the electron beams are adjacent to each other.
However, the deflection errors generated in the plurality of electron beams passing through the reduction electron optical system 502 when the deflector 504 is actuated are different from each other. For this reason, even when the focus position and astigmatism of each electron beam are corrected by a dynamic focus coil and a dynamic stigmatic coil, optimum correction for each electron beam can hardly be performed.

Electron beam exposure method, and device manufacturing method using same


A patient record gateway of an electronic health record system can be validated using a conformance statement that defines capabilities and characteristics of patient record servers associated with the gateway. Part of validating the patient record gateway includes performing a configuration test of the patient record gateway using the conformance statement.

Users typically visit more than one health institution (e.g., medical providers) to obtain medical treatment. For example, a user may periodically visit a neighborhood clinic for annual physical evaluations and for minor medical procedures. An electronic health record (EHR) is a computer-stored and transferrable copy of a user's physical health record. The neighborhood clinic may maintain an instance of the user's electronic health record (e.g., using an EHR system, sometimes referred to as an electronic medical record (EMR) system). When the user visits a provider, a medical professional may update the electronic health record. However, different instances of the user's electronic health record may be maintained by other health institutions that are unaffiliated with the neighborhood clinic, which may use different versions of the same EHR system or may even use completely different EHR systems (e.g., developed by a competing company). Thus, instances of the user's health record may be distributed among multiple health institutions, and depending on which type and version of EHR systems used by the health institutions, their records may be stored using multiple different EHR types and versions.
A health record sharing system can include functionality for patients to download these disparate instances of their health records to their user devices. For a health institution to have its records available on the health record sharing system, the health institution may be required to participate in an onboarding process defined by an operator of the health record sharing system. During the onboarding process, an administrator or other user of the health institution inputs information that describes many technical aspects of the health institution's EHR system. Existing onboarding processes can be time-consuming and error prone.


In accordance with the invention, an internal combustion engine having reciprocating piston sleeves is realized comprising an engine block with a pair of cylinders, each cylinder having an intake port, an exhaust port and two linearly opposing pistons connected to two opposing crankshafts. A pair of piston sleeves are reciprocatingly mounted in each cylinder, one piston sleeve around each piston. Each piston sleeve is connected to one of two eccentric shafts that run parallel and adjacent to each crankshaft. The piston sleeves have ported slots in communication with either the intake ports or the exhaust ports of each cylinder. The eccentric shafts are mechanically connected to the crankshafts such that they move in unison.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and is particularly concerned with two-cycle engines of the opposed piston type wherein a pair of pistons operate oppositely in cylinders that are in communication with each other and reciprocating ported sleeves surround each piston. It is a general object of this invention to provide an internal combustion engine of higher horsepower rating per pound of engine weight and particularly a two-cycle engine that is capable of being supercharged.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,084,678 ("the '678 patent") discloses an internal combustion engine of the type described above having opposed pistons and reciprocating sleeves to alter the porting characteristics of the engine. The disclosure of the '678 patent is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.
The engine of the '678 patent comprises opposed pistons having reciprocating sleeves around each piston, wherein related pistons and sleeves are connected to the same crankshaft. This resulted in a configuration that does not permit for adjustment of the timing of the sleeves with respect to the pistons to maximize efficiency and power. Thus, once an engine is constructed pursuant to the '678 patent, the timing of the movement of the reciprocating sleeves is fixed with respect to the movement of the related pistons.
Accordingly, it is an object of present invention to provide an engine having reciprocating sleeves wherein the reciprocating sleeves are connected to a shaft separate and distinct from the crankshaft that moves the related pistons. It is another object of this invention to provide a means to advance or retard the timing of the motion of the reciprocating sleeve shaft with respect to the motion of the piston crankshaft.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a piston connecting rod that is streamlined to generate less resistance and windage during operation of the engine.
It is still another object of this invention to provide for an engine that is entirely of flat plate and tube construction using only tools found in a machine shop, i.e., a lathe, a mill, a drill press, and a power saw.
The present invention fulfills these objects and provides other related advantages.


This invention relates to a synthetic bone replacement material impregnated with drugs such as antibiotics and growth hormones, which facilitate and promote the regeneration of bone and/or soft tissue. Methods for making the impregnated material and its medical use are also taught.

A drug may be administered to a patient systemically or locally. When a drug is administered systemically, it enters the circulatory system, i.e., the blood stream, travels throughout the body, and hopefully, an effective amount of the drug will reach the part of the patient's body in need of treatment before the drug is degraded by metabolism and excreted. Typically, a drug is taken orally in the form of a syrup, tablet, capsule and the like, passes through the stomach then into the intestines where it passes through the intestine walls into the blood stream. Alternatively, the drug may be injected directly into the blood stream or into soft tissue where it diffuses into the blood stream.
In recent years, drugs have also been administered systemically by transdermal delivery. That is, the drug is placed on the skin (typically the drug is incorporated into a patch) and allowed to diffuse through the skin to enter the blood stream. In a variation of this form of administration, a drug formulation in a metabolizable matrix or a container is implanted under the skin where the drug is slowly released and finds its way into the patient's blood stream. This form of drug delivery is particularly advantageous when a continuous, constant, low level of drug is desirable. For example, this method is currently being used to administer small amounts of nicotine to help patients stop smoking, and to deliver a birth control drug over several weeks.
Topical administration is the most common form of local drug delivery. Typically a drug containing formulation is placed directly on the area of the body needing the drug. For example, an antibiotic in the form of a cream or ointment may be spread onto an injured area of the skin, or a drug in the form of an aerosol may be sprayed onto an inflamed mucus membrane. Drugs may also be locally administered by injection. For example, a dentist may inject an anesthetic into a patient's gums to deaden the pain of a tooth extraction.
Often systemic delivery of a drug is inefficient because only a small amount of the administered dose reaches its site of therapeutic action. In many cases, especially where the toxicity of the drug is low, this inefficiency may be off set by giving the patient a large enough dose of the drug to compensate for its loss while it travels through the patient's body. In some cases, local drug delivery is very difficult, if not impossible, leaving systemic administration as the only viable alternative. For example, if the patient is in need of an antipsychotic drug, injection directly into the brain would not be considered. Perhaps the biggest problem with systemic delivery is that a drug can enter parts of the body where it can actually do harm or produce a noxious side effect.
Since the early days of modern medicine, physicians have sought to replace damaged bone tissue with an artificial material. In many cases the goal has been not merely to replace the bone with a prothesis, but to provide a matrix upon which new bone tissue could grow. Of course, such a replacement material must be essentially nontoxic and nonallergenic, relatively stable in physiologic environments, and mechanically strong, but it should also bind to living tissue. Many polymeric and noble metal materials have been used as bone replacement materials with limited success rates. Generally, living tissue does not bind well, if at all, with these relatively inert materials, which has limited their successful use.
In recent years, more biologically active, "bioactive," materials have been developed to which living bone tissue binds well. In particular, certain inorganic, that is, ceramic, glass and ceramic-glass, materials with relatively high bioactivity are now available. These inorganic materials can be made with a porous structure which supports new bone tissue. Ideally, the living tissue grows on and into the replacement material to ultimately incorporate the material into a new bone structure. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,159,358; 4,234,972; 4,103,002; 4,189,325; 34,171,544; 4,775,646; 4,857,046; and 5,074,916 (all incorporated herein by reference) for information on ceramic-glass bioactive materials.
These bioactive materials have been shown to develop a strong bond with hard tissue because of a series of ion exchange reactions between the implant surface and body fluids that result in the formation of a biologically active calcium phosphate film at the implant tissue interface. See Hench et al, J. Biomed. Mater. Res., Vol. 5, pp. 117-141 (1971), and Hench et al, J. Biomed. Mater. Res., Vol. 7, pp. 25-42 (1973). Bio-active glasses have also been shown to form firm bonds with soft tissue. See Wilson, et al, J. Biomed. Mater. Res., Vol. 15, pp. 805-817 (1981); Wilson and Merwin, J. Biomed. Mater. Res.: Applied Biomaterials, Vol. 22, No. A2, pp. 159-177 (1988); and Wilson, Low et al, Biomaterials and Clinical Applications, Ed. By Pizzoferrato et al, Elsevier Science Publishers B. V., Amsterdam (1987). Many of these inorganic materials are biodegraded at a slow rate, so that in time, the replacement material disappears leaving natural bone structure in its place.
In conjunction with implantation of biologically active materials, parenteral or oral administration of beneficial drugs, e.g., antibiotics, hormones, and hormone-like material, have been demonstrated to enhance formation of new bone and to prevent infection, with varying degrees of success. However, the systemic delivery of such drugs results in distribution of the drugs to sites where their effects are not required and where they may do harm. Further, local administration has been difficult and not practical.
The physical mixing of antibiotic drugs either in free drug form (Otsuka, et al. Bioceramics, 5, 241 (1992)) or in the form of pulverized binder containing antibiotic tablets with the bone substitute, results in uneven biological activity and nonuniform release (Otsuka, et al. Chem. Pharm. Bull., 40, 3346 (1992)). In particular, in cases where a drug has been uniformly mixed with ceramic-glass and implanted to form a matrix onto which new bone can grow (for example see, U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,453), the concentration of the drug rapidly rises to a therapeutic range. Unfortunately, the concentration of the drug continues to rise, exceeding the therapeutic range and entering the potentially toxic range. As metabolism and diffusion take effect, the concentration of the drug drops back into the therapeutic range but continues to drop. The concentration of the drug rapidly becomes sub-optimal and its therapeutic benefit is lost. Although there are no reports of a hormone being mixed directly with ceramic glass in lieu of an antibiotic drug, it is logical that the changes in hormone level would follow a similar pattern.
The object of the present invention is to provide a particulate, biologically active ceramic-glass impregnated with one or more therapeutically beneficial drugs in a microencapsulated form and capable of releasing the drugs at a controlled, predetermined rate. The ceramic-glass may act as a bone substitute or a depot for the therapeutically beneficial drugs to be released for systemic or local treatment.

Use of biologically active glass as a drug delivery system


Disclosed is a select class of liquid crystalline polyesters and molding compositions comprising the polyesters and glass fiber. The liquid crystalline polyesters consist essentially of (1) diacid residues consisting essentially of (i) cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid residues and (ii) other diacid residues selected from terephthalic acid residues, 2,6-naphthalene-dicarboxylic acid residues, or a mixture thereof; (2) diol residues consisting essentially of hydroquinone residues, 4,4'-biphenol residues or a mixture thereof; and, optionally, (3) p-hydroxybenzoic acid residues. In the above definition, the moles of diol residues are equal to the moles of diacid residues and the total of the (1), (2) and (3) mole percentages is equal to 100. The liquid crystalline polyesters have melting points determined by differential scanning calorimetry equal to or less than 360.degree. C.

Low-melt viscosity, polymeric materials are generally preferred over higher melt viscosity materials because of their better processability during injection molding, melt extrusion, etc. This is particularly true for polymeric materials having relatively high melting points (Tm's), i.e., more than about 300.degree. C. Advantages realized by the use of such lower melt viscosity polymeric materials include (1) less energy consumption, (2) fewer safety and handling hazards, (3) less polymer degradation problems during processing, (4) faster mold filling in constrained geometries, (5) improved compounding with fillers, such as glass, talc, etc., and (6) greater ease to stir/pump/manufacture the material.
Essentially all thermoplastic resins are required to undergo flow in the molten state during the course of manufacture and fabrication into products. Thus, such important processing operations as extrusion, molding, calendering, etc., all involve the flow of molten, or relatively fluid, polymer. In such systems, the crystalline regions undergo melting in a fixed temperature range, and the polymer, above the melting temperature, behaves as a fluid rather than as a solid. As described herein, the melt viscosity of thermoplastic polymer systems is a measure of the flow characteristics of the material in the fluid or molten state under certain temperature and shear conditions. For liquid crystalline polymer systems above the temperature at which they become molten, a certain amount of order remains in the molten material which can lead to improved processing characteristics, especially low melt viscosity at high shear rates, such as during extrusion or injection molding. The melt viscosity of a thermoplastic polymer is affected by many variables, among which are such variables as temperature, rate of flow, polymer molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, branching, and chemical structure. It is generally agreed that lower melt viscosities are a distinct advantage during processing (extrusion, injection molding, etc.) of thermoplastic materials.
Another very important property of injection-molded polymeric materials is the tensile elongation (strain) at break. This is especially true for glass-filled, injection-molded liquid-crystalline polyesters that have at best relatively low tensile elongations (usually 2% or less). Since tensile strength and tensile elongation at break are very closely related to `toughness` of an injection-molded material and high `toughness` is highly desirable, it is very desirable to have the highest tensile elongation (strain) possible.
In addition to low melt viscosity and high tensile elongation, a relatively low polymer melting point is a very desirable property for thermoplastic materials, especially when the polymer melting point is greater than 300.degree. C. Lower melting points lead to lower processing temperatures that lead to better processability and less polymer degradation during processing.
Another desirable property for injection-molded, glass-filled LCP materials is a high heat distortion temperature, e.g., 265.degree. C. or higher. This is especially true for glass-filled, injection-molded liquid crystalline materials that are most often used in applications requiring resistance to very high temperatures, such as in circuit boards and electrical connectors that are often `soldered` by immersing in a molten solder bath.
Liquid crystalline polyesters (LCPs) are unique among polymers because they have very high tensile, flexural, and temperature resistance properties which are very desirable properties for high performance applications, such as in structural applications and in electronic applications. U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,933 discloses a group of liquid crystalline polyesters which consist essentially of residues of terephthalic acid, 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, hydroquinone, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid.
There is a need in the art for LCPs to exhibit a very desirable and surprising combination of a relatively low melting point, a relatively low melt viscosity, a relatively high tensile elongation (strain) at break, and a relatively high heat distortion temperature. Properties that facilitate the injection molding of tougher, more heat resistant, intricate and thin cross-sectional designs, such as electrical connectors, used in computers and other electrical components are desirable. In fact, some of these intricate and thin cross-sectional designs are very difficult or impossible to injection mold using non-liquid crystalline polymers. This is especially true for mold designs containing numerous very small, thin-walled cavities and/or those mold designs that require the polymer to flow through relatively thin cross sections over a considerable distance. Therefore, LCP compositions that enable the molding of such relatively tough, complex/intricate designs are very useful.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a range of LCP compositions derived from terephthalic acid (T), 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (N), hydroquinone (HQ), and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHB) that exhibit a very desirable combination of properties, i.e., a relatively low melt viscosity at typical processing temperatures, a relatively low melting point, and a relatively high tensile elongation (strain) and heat distortion temperature, when compounded with 30 glass fibers and injection molded.

Liquid crystalline polyesters having a surprisingly good combination of a low melting point, a high heat distortion temperature, a low melt viscosity, and a high tensile elongation


This invention pertains to a curable composition comprising a N-substituted 4-(o-nitrophenyl)dihydropyridine (a compound that generates base under the action of ultraviolet radiation) and a silanol-containing polymer that condenses under the action of the base generated to form a siloxane bond. The compositions of the instant invention cure by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Cured patterns may be formed from the curable composition by interposing a mask between a film of the said composition and the radiation source during UV exposure, then dissolving and removing the uncured composition to form a pattern, and thereafter heating the residual material. The compositions can be cured by low-strength ultraviolet radiation and produce a highly heat-resistant cured product.

This invention relates to an ultraviolet-curing silicon-containing resin composition that can be used to fabricate dielectric films in semiconductor devices, to a method for curing said composition, and to a patterning method using said composition.
It is well known that hydroxyl groups directly bonded to silicon (silanol) can be easily condensed in the presence of acid or base to form siloxane bonds (Chemistry and Technology of Silicones, pp. 211-216).
One method for curing siloxane polymers employs an acid generator, that is, a compound that generates acid upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation ("UV acid generator"). Silanol condensation is catalyzed by the generated acid and the siloxane polymer undergoes curing as a result. Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Kokai or Unexamined! Number Hei 6-80879 80,879/1994! and Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 32 (1993), pp. 6052-6058, teach the fabrication of silicate glass thin films using the combination of a UV acid generator and special siloxane.
Another technology recently under active investigation attempts to use a compound that generates a base upon exposure to UV radiation ("UV base generator"), to accelerate silanol condensation and thereby effect the curing reaction.
Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Kokai! Number Hei 6-148887 148,887/1994!), discloses the cure of a composition comprising poly(silsesquioxane) or poly(silsesquioxane) and tetraphenoxysilane. In the first example of JP'887 the sensitivity (D50=radiation dose at which 50% of the film remains after development) is 25 mJ/cm.sup.2 for the polysilsesquioxane curing reaction by a photogenerated amine compound and is 60 mJ/cm.sup.2 even when the tetrafunctional silane monomer has been added to the system (all values measured at 254 nm).
Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Kokai! Number Hei 6-273936 273,936/1994!) discloses a curable composition comprising siloxane polymer and a base generator. JP'936 does not report sensitivity (D50) values, but does report 100 to 300 mJ/cm.sup.2 (365 nm) as the dose required for curing.
Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Kokai! Number Hei 6-148895 148,895/1994!) discloses the use of alkali-soluble siloxane polymer and a photobase generator. JP'895 reports a cure catalyzed by the organic amine generated by the decomposition of organic carbamate by from 600 to 1,500 mJ/cm.sup.2 UV radiation (365 nm).
Cured regions in which crosslinking has been induced by the above-described methods as a general rule have a substantially lower solvent solubility than the uncured regions, and the exploitation of this feature makes imaging possible.
The methods for curing siloxane polymer using a UV base generator can suffer from the following problems:
(1) long UV exposure times can be required due to a low sensitivity by the photobase generator; PA1 (2) the low catalytic activity of the generated base in the curing reaction can lead to a very poor cure in many silanol-functional silicone resins, or, when this is not the case, a lengthy post-bake at high temperatures can be required.
It is therefore an object of the instant invention to provide a UV-curable composition that can be cured by low-strength UV radiation while using mild post-bake conditions.
It is further an object of the instant invention to provide a method for curing the said composition and a patterning method that uses said composition.

Ultraviolet-curable composition and method for patterning the cured product therefrom


The present invention relates to the prevention of restenosis of vascular passages following surgical removal of obstructions, by means of local administration of farnesyl transferase inhibitors to the vascular wall. This allows effective use of particularly low dosages with minimal side effects.

This is a 371 of PCT/GB99/01266 filed May 11, 1999,
The present invention relates to the treatment and prevention of vascular proliferative disorders such as restenosis following coronary angioplasty.
A major cause of cardiovascular disease is blockage of an artery as a result of atherosclerosis. This is especially serious in the coronary artery, but also affects arteries in other parts of the body including the head and limbs. Balloon angioplasty is a highly effective treatment for restoring blood flow through an atherosclerotic artery. It involves feeding a balloon to the affected artery and then inflating it to create an enlarged channel. However there is a relatively high rate of relapse following balloon angioplasty: 30-50% of patients experience a re-growth of tissue within the angioplastied artery that can re-occlude the lumen (a vascular proliferative condition known as restenosis), necessitating further surgery. Restenosis is due to the growth of smooth muscle-like cells within the lumen to form an abnormal lining (the neointima) that occludes the lumen of the artery.
The cell signalling molecule ras is a key molecule in the regulation of cell proliferation through the MAP kinase pathway. Correct function of ras depends upon its location at the cell membrane, which is achieved by linking it to a farnesyl moiety, that inserts specifically in the membrane. This farnesylation step is carried out by the enzyme farnesyl transferase, and thus inhibitors of farnesyl transferase will prevent ras function.
It has previously been proposed in WO97/00252 that certain tricyclic inhibitors of farnesyl transferase enzyme (FTIs) can be used in the treatment of a wide variety of proliferative diseases such as cancer, psoriasis, and restenosis. The treatments disclosed simply comprise conventional treatment regimens using oral or parenteral administration of various formulations such as tablets, capsules, liquids, pastes, gels etc and including sustained release formulations. Such treatments of proliferative diseases are normally used over extended periods of weeks or months. Given the fundamental importance of cell growth and maintenance to good health, it is not at all surprising that such treatments are normally associated with serious side effects which have an important effect on restricting the use thereof.
It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimize one or more of the above disadvantages.
It has now very surprisingly and unexpectedly been found that a single brief local application of a farnesyl transferase inhibitor, for example, a farnesyl analogue, to the vascular wall substantially contemporaneously with a surgical procedure for removing a vascular occlusion, can substantially prevent restenosis of the vascular passage without the need for further subsequent treatments.
Without in any way wishing to restrict the scope of the present invention it is believed that the use of the farnesyl transferase inhibitors in this way inhibits the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells due to blocking of the MAP kinase pathway by preventing membrane incorporation of ras.
Thus in one aspect the present invention provides a farnesyl transferase inhibitor for use in the preparation of a medicament for local application to the vascular wall so as to substantially prevent restenosis of the vascular passage.
In another aspect the present invention provides a method of prophylaxis of restenosis comprising administration of an effective dosage of a farnesyl transferase inhibitor to the vascular wall substantially contemporaneously with a surgical procedure for removing a vascular occlusion, for example angioplasty.
It is a particular advantage of the present invention that restenosis can be substantially prevented, at least for extended periods of time of several weeks or months, if not indefinitely, following a single treatment, which is moreover localised to the affected area. Thus the risk of any possible side effects is substantially avoided or at least very substantially reduced when compared with conventional treatments of proliferative diseases.
Suitable farnesyl transferase inhibitors known in the art include the known Farnesyl Transferase Inhibitors FPTII and FPTIII which are commercially available from Calbiochemxe2x80x94Nova Biochem UK of Beeston, Nottingham, England (Manne V, et al (1995) xe2x80x9cRas farnesylation as a target for anti-tumour agents: potent and selective farnesyl diphosphate analogue inhibitors of farnesyltransferaseoxe2x80x9d, Drug Development Research 34, 121-137) and which have the following formulae:
Other compounds which may be used in accordance with the present invention include arglabin which is 1,10-Epoxy- 3,11(13)-guaiadien-12,6-olide including stereoisomers thereof and especially the naturally occuring stereoisomer which is believed to have the structural formula
and perillol, also known as Perillyl alcohol which is 1-Hydroxymethyl-4-isopropenylcyclohexene (including both R- and S- enantiomeric forms of this compound), as well as glycosidic compounds such as those disclosed in WO97/04788, the contents of which disclosure are incorporated herein by reference to said publication. In more detail, said glycosidic compounds are compounds of formula (I):
wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from H, OH,
and related esters thereto;
R3 is selected from OH,
xe2x80x83and related esters thereto;
R1 is selected from C6-C12 saturated or unsaturated monocyclic or polycyclic aliphatic ring systems optionally substituted by C1-C6 alkyl, H, OH, xe2x95x90CH2 or C1-C3 alkyl carboxyloxy or R1 represents a C1-C6 straight- or branched-chain alkalene group substituted with such a ring system;
R5 is selected from xe2x80x94CH3, xe2x80x94CHO, xe2x80x94COOH and xe2x80x94CH2 OH and related esters and ethers derived therefrom;
R6 is selected from xe2x80x94OH,
In accordance with the present invention, the farnesyl transferase inhibitors are administered substantially contemporaneously with the surgical procedures including immediately before and/or during and/or after the surgical procedure. Most conveniently administration is effected as soon as practicable after completion of the surgical procedure, typically from 1 to 60 minutes after completion of the procedure. The duration of the procedure may depend on the nature of the farnesyl transferase inhibitor used and/or of the formulation used including the concentration of the farnesyl transferase inhibitor, the nature of the vehicle, etc. Typically the farnesyl transferase inhibitor formulation is applied to the vascular wall for from 5 to 60 minutes, conveniently from 10 to 30 minutes, for example about 15 minutes.
Advantageously the area of vascular wall undergoing treatment is substantially isolated from the fluid normally flowing therethrough, during the course of application of the farnesyl transferase inhibitor formulation thereto. This may conveniently be achieved by means of a conventional dispatch catheter which defines an annular chamber between the vascular wall and the outside of a central by-pass passage through which normal vascular fluid flow can be maintained. The farnesyl transferase inhibitor formulation may thus be brought into direct contact with the vascular wall by introduction into the annular chamber without the need for interrupting the normal vascular fluid flow. This method also has the advantage of substantially restricting exposure of the patient to the formulation to only the particular area requiring treatment thereby further restricting the possibility of undesirable side effects from the treatment. In principle once the annular chamber has been filled with the liquid formulation this would simply be held therein for the required treatment period following which it may be withdrawn. In practice a small amount of leakage from the chamber into the vascular flow may be experienced so that it would normally be desirable to continue infusion of formulation at a slow rate e.g. from 10 to 1000 xcexcl per minute, e.g. 200 xcexcl per minute, during the treatment period to compensate for leakage losses.
In general the farnesyl transferase inhibitors are formulated with common pharmaceutical carriers and excipients into liquid formulations suitable for use in parenteral, especially intravenous, administration. Suitable liquid formulations include solutions, suspensions and emulsions, e.g. water or aqueous propylene glycol solutions. In general the formulations are substantially physiologically isotonic. The formulations may contain from 5xc3x9710xe2x88x922% to 5xc3x9710xe2x88x928% w/v of the farnesyl farnesyl transferase inhibitor, preferably from 5xc3x9710xe2x88x923% to 5xc3x9710xe2x88x927% w/v, advantageously from 5xc3x9710xe2x88x924% to 5xc3x9710xe2x88x926%w/v.
Typically there would be used a formulation with a farnesyl transferase inhibitor concentration of around 0.5 mg/l (5xc3x9710 xe2x88x925%W/V). Given a typical treatment volume of the order of 3 ml this would typically correspond to a total dosage rate of 2.5 ug per kg bodyweight of the patient. In general the farnesyl transferase inhibitors are administered at a dosage range of from 24 ng to 250 xcexcg, preferably from 250 ng to 25 xcexcg, per kg bodyweight. These dosage ranges may be compared with a proposed dosage rate of from 1 to 50 mg/kg bodyweight per day with the treatments disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,807. Thus it will be apparent that the potential risk of side effects with the present invention is very dramatically reduced relative to the prior art.
Conveniently the formulations of the present invention are presented in unit dosage form, for example, in ampoules. Typically each unit dosage formulation contains from 2 xcexcg to 12.5 mg, preferably from 20 xcexcg to 1 mg, for example, about 125 xcexcg, of the farnesyl transferase inhibitor. Conveniently each unit dosage contains from 1 to 10 ml, preferably from 2 to 5 ml, of liquid formulation.
Further preferred features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following examples given by way of illustration of the present invention, and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Use of a farnesyl transferase inhibitor in the manufacture of a medicament for local administration to the vascular wall in the prevention of restenosis


In a transistor region, a source interconnect layer and a gate electrode are buried in trenches. A source extending region is provided adjacent to the transistor region or in the transistor region, and a source interconnect layer is designed to protrude from the upper end of a trench. This source interconnect layer is connected to a source electrode formed in the transistor region immediately above the trench. A gate extending region is provided outside the source extending region, and the gate electrode and a gate interconnect layer are connected. The gate electrode is formed by performing etchback without forming a resist pattern, after a polysilicon film is formed. Here, the polysilicon film remains like a side-wall on the sidewall of the portion of the source interconnect layer protruding from the upper end of the trench.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a semiconductor device manufactured by the method.
2. Related Art
An example of a conventional vertical MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-505912.
This MOSFET is designed to reduce the gate-drain parasitic capacitance and improve the switching characteristics by providing a source-potential-applied polysilicon shield layer below a polysilicon gate electrode in a power transistor having a trench gate electrode.
FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate the device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-505912. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E′ of FIG. 14. In this semiconductor device, an epitaxial layer 1014 to be a low-doped drain region is formed on a substrate 1008 to be a high-doped drain region. The trench gate structure of this semiconductor device includes a gate insulating film 1032, a polysilicon gate electrode 1034, and an interlayer insulating layer 1033 formed over the gate insulating film 1032 and the polysilicon gate electrode 1034. The trench gate structure further includes a polysilicon shield layer 1038 embedded below the polysilicon gate electrode 1034 via an insulating layer 1036. A base region 1016 and a source region 1018 are formed on either side of the trench gate structure, with the source region 1018 being located above the base region 1016. The source region 1018 is connected to a source electrode 1020 formed above the source region 1018. The polysilicon shield layer 1038 extends to the outer peripheral portion of the die, and is electrically connected to the source electrode 1020, as shown in FIG. 15. In other words, the polysilicon shield layer 1038 having the same electrostatic potential as the source electrode 1020 is interposed between the polysilicon gate electrode 1034 and the drain region (the epitaxial layer 1014). With this arrangement, the switching loss caused when the gate-drain parasitic capacitance is charged and discharged during a switching transition is reduced by the polysilicon shield layer 1038 fixed at the source potential. Accordingly, the switching characteristics are improved.
However, the present inventor has recognized the following problems. According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-505912, the polysilicon gate electrode 1034 and the polysilicon shield layer 1038 need to be connected to the gate electrode 1039 and the source electrode 1020, respectively, as shown in FIG. 15. Therefore, the procedure for patterning the polysilicon gate electrode 1034 and the procedure for patterning the polysilicon shield layer 1038 are required. Furthermore, since the polysilicon shield layer 1038 and the source electrode 1020 are connected at the outer peripheral portion of the die, a large area is required, and the size of the die becomes large. To counter those problems, the inventor decided to make further improvements.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor device, and semiconductor device


An encoding/decoding method is provided for lossless compression of digital pictures of all types, including continuous-tone images, graphics, multimedia images of mixed text, graphics and photographs, binary documents and drawings. Continuous-tone mode and binary mode are identified on a pixel-by-pixel basis. In continuous-tone mode, context modeling and prediction are employed involving mostly integer arithmetic and simple logic in a conceptually sophisticated scheme. Both the encoding and decoding techniques are suitable for sequential and progressive transmission, although different specific algorithms may be employed for the different specific cases.

With rapidly-advancing computer, telecommunication, and digital imaging technologies, there is an astronomical amount of image data for a wide range of applications such as education, entertainment, medical imaging, space exploration, electronic publishing, visual arts, etc. This rapid growth of image data puts punishing burdens on computer storage and visual communication bandwidth. Thus image compression becomes a pressing technical challenge in visual communications and computing, without which it will be difficult to build, deploy, and use cost-effective multimedia information systems.
Lossless compression is a form of compression where an image can be reconstructed without any loss of information. Lossless image compression is required by medical imaging, satellite/aerial imaging, image archiving, preservation of precious art work and documents, the press, or any applications demanding ultra high image fidelity. Furthermore, lossless image coding is the necessary last step of many lossy image compression systems, such as lossless compression of codeword indices in vector quantization (VQ), and lossless compression of transform coefficients in Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) and wavelet/subband-based coding.
There exists a large body of literature on lossless image compression algorithms and systems, such as the IBM Q-coder, and JPEG lossless coder. Among notable patents and publications are the US patents and research publications listed below:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,342 1984 IBM. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,983 07/1988 Langdon. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,204 11/1989 Melnychuck et al. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,230 09/1990 Jones et al. PA0 Universal Modeling and Coding--J. Rissanen and G. Langdon, 1981, IEEE, vol. IT-27. PA0 A Universal Data Compression System--J. Rissanen, 1983, IEEE, vol. IT-29. PA0 Parameter Reduction and Context Selection for Compression of the Gray-Scale Images--S. Todd, G. Langdon, and J. Rissanen, 1985, IBM J. Res. & Develop., vol. 29. PA0 Comparing the Lossless Image Compression Standards and Universal Context Modelling--R. Arps, M. Weinberger, T. Truong, and J. Rissanen, Proc. of the Picture coding Symposium, Sacramento, September 1994. PA0 On the JPEG Model for Lossless Image Compression--G. Langdon, A. Gulati, and E. Seiler, Proc. of 1992 Data Compression Conf. PA0 New Methods for lossless Image Compression Using Arithmetic Coding--P. Howard and J. Vitter, 1992, Info. Proc. & Manag., vol. 28.
The currently achievable lossless compression ratio is still modest, being typically from 1.5:1 to 2.5:1. For instance, in contrast to the success of JPEG's lossy compression standard, the current JPEG's lossless compression standard has sufficiently poor coding efficiency that it is seldom used in practice.
In 1994, ISO and JPEG solicited for proposals for the next international standard for lossless image compression. The present invention is a result of the inventors' response to the ISO solicitation. The lead inventor Xiaolin Wu, developed a context-based, adaptive, lossless image coding and decoding technique (herein CALIC). Among nine proposals that were submitted to ISO for its initial evaluation as candidates for the lossless image compression standard in 1995, the present CALIC system ranked first according to a criterion that accounts for both coding efficiency and algorithm simplicity.
EP A 0 613 290 entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BINARY IMAGE DATA COMPRESSION published on Aug. 31, 1994 describes a method and apparatus for lossless compression of binary images only. The abstract and specification of EP A 0 613 290 mention that the method and apparatus are applicable to "photographs" and "mixed binary images". However, it is apparent that the photographs referred to are digitally half-toned photographs and not true continuous toned images. The method and apparatus of EP A 0 613 290 only encode binary image data and d o not provide for compression of continuous tone images, graphics, or mixtures of binary images with continuous tone images, and graphics.
EP A 0 547 528 entitled METHOD AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUS FOR ENCODING BIT PLANES published on Jun. 23, 1993 describes a scheme for lossless image compression by bit-plane encoding. Bit plane encoding has significant known disadvantages.
P. E. Tischer et al. Context-based Lossless Image Compression 8199 The Computer Journal vol. 36 no. 1 pp. 68-77 (1993) provides a general academic treatment of the subject of context based lossless image compression.
Known prior art on lossless compression of continuous-tone images is based on the principle of predictive coding. An image is traversed, and pixels are encoded in a fixed order, typically in raster scan sequence. Previously encoded pixels that are known to both the encoder and the decoder are used to predict the upcoming pixels. The prediction errors rather than the pixels themselves are entropy encoded by Huffman or like arithmetic coding. The original image is reconstructed by adding the error term back to the prediction value. The predictive coding works because the histogram of the errors is much more concentrated (heavily biased toward 0) than the histogram of the pixel values, resulting in a significantly smaller zero-order entropy for the former than for the latter. Among numerous prediction schemes in the literature, the simplest type is a fixed linear predictor such as those used under the current lossless JPEG standard.
A linear predictor can be optimized on an image-by-image or even block-by-block basis via linear regression. However, such an optimization is expensive and brings only modest improvement in coding efficiency. Moreover the performance of linear predictors is not robust in the areas of edges. Adaptive, non-linear predictor can adjust parameters according to the local edge strengths and orientations, if edges exist. The adjustment of predictor parameters can be made very efficient since it is based on local information.
Historically, lossless image compression inherited the theoretical framework and methodology of text compression. Statistical modeling of the source being compressed plays a central role in any data compression systems. Suppose that we encode a finite source x.sub.1,x.sub.2, . . . ,x.sub.n sequentially. The optimal code length of the sequence in bits is then ##EQU1## given the assignments of conditional probabilities. Arithmetic coding can approach this code length of the source. The challenge is to assign the conditional probabilities p(x.sub.{i+1} .vertline.x.sub.i, . . . ,x.sub.1) to maximize the product given above, hence minimize the code length. The achievable compression is governed by a scheme, or a model, that can assign high conditional probability distributions p(x.sub.{i+1} .vertline.x.sub.i, . . . ,x.sub.1) to the given sequence.
Fitting a given source well with statistical models is a difficult and computationally very expensive task. Context modeling of continuous-tone images is made even more difficult by the large alphabet size (.gtoreq.256) of grey-scale images. Context modeling of the source symbols (pixel values) would lead to an unwieldily large number of possible model states (contexts). This is more than a problem of high time and space complexities for modeling. If the number of model parameters is too large with respect to the image resolution, there will be insufficient samples to obtain good estimates of conditional probabilities on the model states, leading to poor coding efficiency. This is known as a "context dilution problem." This problem was theoretically formulated by Rissanen in the framework of stochastic complexity as the "model cost." Rissanen's work proves that the high complexity of a model can reduce coding efficiency, as observed by many data compression practitioners. What is needed are innovative algorithmic techniques to reduce the model complexity for improving both coding and computational efficiency.

Context-based, adaptive, lossless image codec


A device for lifting and rotating objects is disclosed. The device includes a plurality of hooking protrusions that are in angled relation with each other and contain compound bends to permit engagement with the support structure of the object to be lifted.

This invention relates generally to devices for lifting objects. More particularly, this invention is directed towards crane hooks used to lift heavy objects in a manufacturing setting.
Devices such as cranes and other overhead hoists are common in industrial and manufacturing plants. Such devices are used primarily for lifting and manipulating heavy objects from a first position to a second position in a manufacturing facility or on a construction site.
Some crane devices, commonly referred to as bridge cranes, are positioned on rails suspended over a manufacturing plant floor. The hoisting device moves back and forth along a bridge that spans the rails, and the bridge itself is able to move forward and backwards along the rails. Such cranes are usually equipped to lift extremely heavy objects and move such objects within the generally rectangular area defined by the suspended crane rails and the bridge traversing the crane rails. Often, such overhead cranes are used to move objects back and forth, repetitiously, from one station in the manufacturing process to a second station located within the area serviced by the overhead crane.
Most overhead cranes or other hoists have a hooking element that can be raised or lowered as needed. The hooking element is normally positioned over the object to be transported and is then lowered to an appropriate level for attachment to the object. The hooking element and the attached object are then raised and moved from the first position to the second position in the manufacturing facility. Often, the hooking element is attached to the crane in such a manner as to minimize twisting of the object while it is being lifted. For example, the hooking element may be attached at the end of a cable and pulley system, or reeve, which acts to resist the twisting forces that naturally act on an object as it is lifted from the ground. While an object may initially and naturally turn slightly from its initial position as it is lifted from the ground, the reeving system will apply resistance to cause the object on the hooking element to return to its initial, fixed position. The more stable configuration of the hooking element improves the ability of the crane operator to control the object being lifted.
Often times, it is desired to rotate or manipulate the object in a controlled fashion as the object proceeds between the various stations in the manufacturing process. It will be appreciated that this can usually be most efficiently accomplished while the object is suspended, between its point of departure and its destination. When controlled rotation of the object is desired, it is usually necessary to equip the overhead crane with special machinery to achieve the required rotation of the hooking element. The current practice used to rotate heavy objects to a specific orientation often involves powered mechanized equipment installed on or near the point of attachment of the hooking element to the crane cables, sometimes referred to as the rotating hook block, which is also proximate to the point of attachment to the object being transported. However, these motorized devices, which have moving parts, require frequent maintenance and are often not ideal for handling certain objects such as those that radiate intense heat such as open-top ladles containing molten iron or steel. The extremely high temperatures emitted from the molten metal can cause maintenance and reliability problems for the machinery that is attached to the crane and used to rotate the object.
Alternatively, the object can be manually manipulated using rigging devices such as slings or chains. However, manual manipulation is time consuming and makes the manufacturing process less efficient. In addition, manual manipulation can subject the operators to safety risks. For example, the intense heat of certain objects being lifted and manipulated poses safety concerns to those who would be exposed to the heat while rotating the object. There is, as a result, a need for a device that can accomplish the controlled rotation of objects being lifted, particularly objects of extremely high temperatures.
As suggested by the foregoing discussion, an exemplary and non-exclusive alternative object of this invention is to permit a remote crane operator to lift an object such as a container of molten metal or other potentially hazardous load in one orientation and to rotate the object to a different, predetermined orientation without manual intervention or the use of powered mechanized equipment. Although the device will have common application with all types of cranes, it is expected that the device can be used in various other lifting applications.
The above objects and advantages are neither exhaustive nor individually critical to the spirit and practice of the invention. Other or alternative objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the invention.


A backflow prevention device includes at least one backflow prevention unit. The backflow prevention unit includes a frame, a first edge shutter plate, a second edge shutter plate and plural intermediate shutter plates. The frame includes an airflow channel. If the first inner sidewall is disposed over the second inner sidewall, the first edge shutter plate and the plural intermediate shutter plates are configured to open or close the airflow channel, and the slab of the second edge shutter plate is inactive. Whereas, if the second inner sidewall is disposed over the first inner sidewall, the second edge shutter plate and the plural intermediate shutter plates are configured to open or close the airflow channel, and the slab of the first edge shutter plate is inactive.

With increasing development of science and technology, a variety of power supply apparatuses or electronic devices are developed toward minimization, high integration and high power. As known, the natural convection is insufficient to remove the heat that is generated by the electronic components. If the heat fails to be effectively dissipated away, the elevated operating temperature may result in damage, reduced use life or deteriorated performance of the electronic components. For effectively removing the heat, the power supply apparatus or the electronic device should be equipped with a forced convection mechanism to exhaust the heat to the ambient air.
Conventionally, the forced convection mechanism of the power supply apparatus or the electronic device uses one or more fan units to drive airflow. For example, plural fan units are arranged side by side and accommodated within the casing of the power supply apparatus to drive the airflow in order to exhaust the heat to the ambient air. Generally, the conventional fan assembly comprises plural fan units and plural backflow prevention units corresponding to respective fan units. In a case that a fan unit is normally operated, plural shutter plates of a corresponding backflow prevention unit are rotated to a first position. Meanwhile, the airflow channel of the backflow prevention unit is opened, and the heat is exhausted to the ambient air through the airflow channel. Whereas, in a case that the fan unit is disabled or has a breakdown, the plural shutter plates of the corresponding backflow prevention unit are rotated to a second position. Meanwhile, the airflow channel of the backflow prevention unit is closed to prevent backflow. In such way, the drawbacks resulting from the backflow (e.g. low flow rate of the airflow within the casing, low heat-dissipating efficiency, etc.) will be solved.
Moreover, the conventional backflow prevention units are usually classified into two types, i.e. an active backflow prevention unit and a passive backflow prevention unit. The active backflow prevention unit uses a flow rate detector and a controller to automatically control the open/close statuses of plural shutter plates of the backflow prevention unit. According to the enabling/disabling status of the corresponding fan unit, the airflow channel of the corresponding backflow prevention unit is opened or closed. The passive backflow prevention unit uses gravity forces of the shutter plates (or springs) and the airflow pressure exerted on the shutter plates to control the open/close statuses of the shutter plates of the backflow prevention unit. According to the enabling/disabling status of the corresponding fan unit, the airflow channel of the corresponding backflow prevention unit is opened or closed.
However, since the active backflow prevention unit needs an additional detector and a complicated controlling circuit, the cost and complexity are higher than the passive backflow prevention unit. Moreover, since the passive backflow prevention unit needs plural springs and a position-confining mechanism to open or close the shutter plates, the configurations and cost of the passive backflow prevention unit are still high. Moreover, depending on the system layout, the power supply apparatus or the electronic device may be placed upright or upside down. In a case that the conventional backflow prevention unit is placed upright, the backflow prevention unit is effective to prevent backflow. Whereas, in a case that the conventional backflow prevention unit is placed upside down, the rotations of the shutter plates may be hindered by each other. In addition, since the airflow channel failed to be completely sheltered by the shutter plates when the backflow prevention unit is placed upside down, there is usually an air gap between adjacent shutter plates. Due to the air gap, if the fan unit is disabled or has a breakdown, the airflow channel is not completely closed. Under this circumstance, a short-circulation problem of the airflow occurs, and thus the heat-dissipating efficiency of the overall system is impaired.

Backflow prevention device and fan assembly

DELTA ELECTRONICS (THAILAND) PUBLIC CO., LTD.


In an embodiment, an electronic apparatus is mounted with a card unit including first and second devices driven with different driving voltages. The electronic apparatus includes: first and second voltage generating units, first and second control units. The first voltage generating unit generates a first driving voltage for driving the first device and a second driving voltage for driving the second device using electric power from the battery. The second voltage generating unit generates the first driving voltage and second driving voltage using electric power transmitted from the external device. The first control unit controls the first selection unit such that any one of the first driving voltage generated by the first voltage generating unit and the first driving voltage generated by the second voltage generating unit is selected depending on the electric power supply capability of the battery.

In the related art, there is known an electronic apparatus (such as a mobile phone terminal) where a card unit (such as a SIM card) obtained by installing various devices on a substrate can be mounted. Such an electronic apparatus is driven by electric power from a battery. In addition, the electric power from the battery is also supplied to the card unit mounted on the electronic apparatus.
However, there is a problem in that it is difficult to drive the devices installed in the card unit when an electric power supply capability of the battery becomes lower than a predetermined value (for example, when a remaining battery level is lower than a predetermined value and the like).


A method for switching from a first optical path optically coupled to an optical processing device to a second optical path, the first and second optical paths optically connecting, in parallel configuration, a first optical switch to a second optical switch, according to the following steps: directing optical radiation comprising at least a fast operating wavelength through the first optical path to the optical processing device, which is tuned to the first operating wavelength; tuning a resonant all-pass filter optically coupled to the second optical path so as to match, at least at a wavelength adjacent to the first operating wavelength, a phase distortion introduced by the optical processing device on the optical radiation; synchronously actuating the first and the second optical switch so as to switch the optical radiation from the first optical path to the second optical path.

A common technique to increase the transmission capacity of today optical communication systems is wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), wherein a plurality of optical channels, each having a respective wavelength, are multiplexed together in a single optical medium, such as for example an optical fiber. The WDM channels may be closely spaced (dense WDM or DWDM, having typical channel separation of 100 GHz-about 0.8 nm- or 50 GHz-about 0.4 nm or less) or coarsely spaced (CWDM, having typical channel separation greater than 5 nm) or a combination thereof.
Optical networking is expected to be widely used in perspective optical communication field. The term 'optical network' is commonly referred to an optical system including a plurality of point-to-point or point-to-multipoint (e.g., ring) optical systems optically interconnected through nodes. In all-optical transparent networks few or no conversions of the optical signal into electrical signal, and then again in optical signal, occur along the whole path from a departure location to a destination location. This is accomplished by placing at the nodes of the optical networks electro-optical or optical devices which are apt to process the optical signal in the optical domain, with limited or no need for electrical conversion. Examples of such devices are OADMs, branching units, optical routers, optical switches, optical regenerators (re-shapers and/or re-timers) and the like. Accordingly, the term 'optical processing' for the purpose of the present description is used to indicate any optical transformation given to an optical radiation, such as optical filtering, extracting a channel or a power portion of said channel from a set of WDM channels ('dropping'), inserting a channel or a power portion of said channel into a WDM signal ('adding'), routing or switching a channel or its power portion on a dynamically selectable optical route, optical signal reshaping, retiming or a combination thereof. In addition, optical systems, and at a greater extent optical networks, make use of optical amplifiers in order to compensate the power losses due to fiber attenuation or to insertion losses of the optical devices along the path, avoiding the use of any conversion of the optical signal into the electrical domain even for long traveling distances and/or many optical devices along the path. In case the WDM wavelengths are closely spaced (e.g. within about 30 nm bandwidth around 1550 nm), all channels are typically optically amplified together.
In optical systems, and at a greater extent in optical networks, a problem exists of processing one or more optical channels at the nodes minimizing the loss and/or the distortion of the processed optical channel(s), as well those of the optical channels transmitted through the node ideally without being processed. Advantageously, the optical processing node should be able to simultaneously process more than one channel, ideally nearly all the channels. In addition, it is highly desirable that the optical processing node is tunable or reconfigurable, i.e., it can change dynamically the subset of channels on which it operates. It is highly desired that while the processing node "moves" from the initial channels subset (A) to the destination channels subset (B), the channels different from A and B (hereinafter referred to as 'thru channels') remain unaffected by the tuning operation. In this case the component is defined as 'hitless'. In particular, the thru channels placed between one of the initially processed channels and the respective final channel after tuning should not be subject to an additional impairment penalty, called 'hit', by the tuning operation. The hit may include a loss penalty and/or an optical distortion such as phase distortion or chromatic dispersion.
For example, optical communication networks need provisions for partially altering the traffic at each node by adding and/or dropping one or several channels out of the total number. Typically, an OADM node removes from a WDM signal a subset of the transmitted channels (each corresponding to one wavelength), and adds the same subset with a new information content, said subset being dynamically selectable.
There are several additional concerns. The tunable optical processing node should not act as a narrow band filter for the unprocessed channels, since concatenation of such nodes would excessively narrow the channel pass bands. The tunable optical processing node should also have low transmission loss and low cost, since these important factors ultimately determine which technology is selected.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,080 discloses a reconfigurable add-drop optical multiplexer (R-ADM) including at least one reconfigurable add-drop unit that can add-drop one channel out of a large set by switching the light path through one of a set of fixed add-drop filters (ADF). The ADFs comprise a pair of Bragg reflecting waveguides coupled together by a pair of spaced apart 3 dB couplers. The selection among add-drop filters is done by sliding an integrated optic chip with the set of ADFs between input and output waveguides. The sliding chip switch by itself cannot be used to reconfigure the ADM because it will disrupt the signal traffic as the chip is slid from one ADF to another. Instead, before making this change, it is desirable to switch from the add-drop filter path to a bypass path that is off the sliding chip without losing any bit. Reconfiguration is done by switching from the add-drop filter path to a bypass path, changing to a different add-drop filter and then switching back. In cited patent, a bypass switch is described comprising a pair of waveguide paths connecting a pair of identical thermo-optic switches, each one comprising a pair of 3 dB couplers connected by a pair of waveguide arms. Arms in first path include heating element to control the arm optical path-length (and thus phase). Arms in second path can provide a phase shift of π as compared with unheated arms in first path. In operation, the thermo-optic switches determine which path input light will take. During switching from one path to another, the lightwave separates into two paths, and these contributions interfere when the two paths come together again. Thus the transmission depends on the phase difference of the two paths. According to the cited patent, the phase delay of the bypass path is adjusted to maintain nearly maximum transmission during switching via a phase shifter placed in the bypass path. A number of such low loss reconfigurable ADM units can be put in series to independently add and drop that number of channels out of a larger set.
The Applicant has noted that the ADM described in the cited patent is not really hitless, in that there is a loss of about 1 dB in the channels neighboring the add-dropped channel during switching between the first and second paths (FIG. 11 of cited patent). An optical field with frequency near the stop band of the Bragg reflectors will undergo a phase change significantly different from a field with frequency far from the stop band (FIG. 10 of cited patent).
In patent application US 2005/0031260 it is described, with reference to FIG. 4, a variable optical delay line comprising a continuous delay element having two variable delay arms. The first arm comprises a 0 to T continuous delay and the second arm comprises both a 0 to T continuous delay and a fixed delay T.
The Applicant has found that there is a need for an optical communication system having optical processing functionality which is tunable and hitless. In particular, the hit loss during tuning should be less than or equal to 1 dB. Moreover, the optical processing node should leave unaltered the thru channels during tuning. In particular, it is desired that the optical processing node introduces no or low chromatic dispersion to the thru channels. In addition, the optical processing node should preferably leave unaltered the unprocessed channels during processing operation and should be low-loss, low-cost, fast tunable and/or broadband.

Method and system for hitless tunable optical processing


Program data is provided in association with a main audio program to a receiver of a duplicative radio broadcasting system wherein a duplicative broadcast (such as a hybrid IBOC broadcast) includes a primary channel and a backup channel in a predetermined frequency allocation. Both the primary channel and the backup channel transmit the main audio program, and the primary channel transmits program data not included in the backup channel. The receiver includes an audio output for reproducing the main audio program and a display for displaying the program data. The method includes recurrently compiling a program event list of the program data corresponding to a current program event and a plurality of upcoming program events. The program event list is recurrently transmitted within the primary channel. The receiver recurrently recovers the program event list and stores the program data in a memory. The program data of the current program event is displayed. The audio output is blended from the primary channel to the backup channel in response to detection of an impaired primary channel. The display is updated to show program data of one of the upcoming program events from the memory during impairment of said program data in said primary channel.

The present invention relates in general to duplicative terrestrial digital audio broadcasting systems such as an in-band on-channel (IBOC) hybrid digital and analog radio system, and, more specifically, to controlling a data display of a radio receiver to display program data.
A duplicative radio broadcast system simultaneously transmits 1) a primary channel having at least a main program content and preferably including a supplemental data stream, and 2) a backup channel with main program content that is at least a partial duplicate of the main program content in the primary channel but usually without all or part of the supplemental data stream. Certain differences in the backup channel transmission allow it to be received by a receiver under conditions in which the primary channel is unreceivable.
To accomplish a transition from traditional analog AM and FM broadcast radio services to terrestrial digital audio broadcasting (DAB), hybrid systems are being employed so that existing analog receivers can continue to receive the broadcasts while new digital receivers can be used to receive a higher quality digital signal that is simulcast with the analog signal. In the IBOC hybrid system, both the digital and analog signals are contained within the allocated frequency range of a particular broadcasting station. Typically, the analog signal is transmitted in a center portion with the digital signal occupying upper and lower sideband portions within the range.
Due to differences in transmission power levels, propagation, and performance in fringe areas, the coverage area of the analog signal within which a useful signal can be received is typically larger than the coverage area for the digital signal. Because of this difference in coverage area and because not all broadcasting stations will add digital technology at the same time, digital receivers are designed to receive in either a digital mode or an analog mode. A digital receiver uses the digital signal as its primary channel and the analog signal as a backup channel for receiving a particular broadcast. When both a digital and an analog signal are received, the receiver may blend in a continuous manner from the digital signal to the analog signal (i.e., add the signals in relative proportion to their quality) when the quality of the digital signal deteriorates.
Eventually, hybrid IBOC stations may transition to an all digital broadcast while retaining the duplicative nature of the broadcast signal (i.e., both the primary and backup channels are digital). In the all digital duplicative system, the backup channel transmits at a lower effective data rate and can be received during times that (or at a place where) the primary channel is impaired. In order to achieve a lower data rate, all or part of the supplemental data and possibly some portion of the main program content are omitted from the backup channel (e.g., by encoding the main audio program at a lower bit rate).
In addition to improved signal quality, a digital broadcast enables the transmission of supplemental digital data along with the main audio program of a radio broadcast. The supplemental digital data may include program data (PD) which relates to the main audio program or may include auxiliary data services. As used herein, program data includes any program data services such as station identification or conventional program-associated data (PAD) or any other auxiliary data that may be broadcast for providing information to a user of a receiver. When the main audio program includes music selections, for example, conventional PAD may include song title, artist, genre, album, or other song information. Such data is communicated (i.e., displayed) to the radio user on a graphical or text display integrated with the receiver or may be reproduced (i.e., displayed) as spoken audio using a text-to-speech converter. The program data may also include text messages during other broadcast segments such as commercial messages and talk segments.
When the digital signal in the primary channel is impaired or not available for any reason, the radio receiver blends to or entirely switches over to the analog or digital signal in the backup channel. Once a good signal is present again in the primary channel, the receiver will blend back to the primary. When the digital signal is impaired and the backup channel analog signal is utilized, at least a portion of the program data will no longer be received. In prior art radio receivers, data is processed in real time and typically appears in the display only for as long as the data is being received. Thus, when the digital transmission is lost, program data being displayed may disappear even though the main audio program continues to play. A radio listener may see a song title or artist name being displayed at one moment and then have no information or a blank display at the next moment if blend to analog has occurred. However, the radio listener would prefer the data display to be continuous and not be intermittent depending on signal conditions.

Program data display in duplicative digital audio broadcasting system


An instrument for tensioning a flexible elongate member in a surgical procedure includes a tensioning mechanism engageable to a portion of the flexible elongate member and operable to apply a tensioning force to the elongate member. The instrument includes a distal end portion at a distal end of the tensioning mechanism that is adapted to allow orientation of the elongate member in a first direction for implantation and to allow the instrument to extend transversely to the implantation orientation during application of a tensioning force. The distal end portion can also include a receptacle to receive a structure at the surgical site to facilitate positioning of the distal end portion at the desired location.

Several devices have been developed, for example, to tension cables in surgical applications. While such devices are useful, their application can be limited in minimally invasive surgical procedures, or in procedures where little space is provided at the operative site for positioning the device to apply a tensioning force. What is needed therefore, are instruments and methods having application in tensioning of elongate elements in minimally invasive surgical procedures and other procedures where space for positioning the instrument at the desired location may be obstructed.

Flexible member tensioning instruments and methods