A communication support system includes a command signal recognition unit which discretely detects a command signal sent by a telephone unit and a command signal sent from a telephone network, and determines whether the command signal is from the telephone unit, the command signal from the telephone unit indicating one of a plurality of telephone services of a data processing device. A signal transmission inhibition unit inhibits transmission of a signal from the telephone unit to the telephone network. A telephone service processing unit performs a telephone service processing of the data processing device for the telephone service indicated by the command signal from the telephone unit, the telephone service processing unit starting execution of the telephone service processing when the command signal recognition unit determines that the command signal is from the telephone unit.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication support system which is adapted to connect a telephone unit through a communication control device to a data processing device and adapted to connect a telephone network to the communication control device, when the user transmits a command signal from the telephone unit to the data processing device to obtain a computer-assisted telephone service from the data processing device. Further, the present invention relates to a computer readable medium which stores program code instructions for causing a processor to execute a telephone service processing in response to a command signal sent by the telephone unit.
Personal computers for home use are becoming widespread. Modems have now been shrunk to a chip size, enhancing the popularity in personal computers. The increasing prevalence of the personal computers having a built-in modem makes it easier to access the Internet or other communication networks through telephone lines. In recent years, the telephone lines have been shared by the computers and the telephones.
In recent developments, there is a demand for a useful, advanced communication support system which enables a telephone user to use a telephone unit to remotely control a personal computer (or a data processing device) in order to obtain computer-assisted telephone services. Currently, the computer-assisted telephone services are provided only by locally operating the data processing device, and the telephones and the computers are separately used. Further, it is desired to provide a communication support system which allows the telephone user to easily transmit data to or receive data from other communication media.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A conventional communication support system which provides existing telephone services by executing an application program installed in the system is known. The conventional communication support system provides the telephone services only when the user locally operates an input device (such as a keyboard or a mouse) of a personal computer. That is, when one of the telephone services is obtained from the conventional communication support system, the user must be located in front of the personal computer and locally operate the input device of the personal computer.
FIG. 20 shows such a conventional communication support system.
As shown in FIG. 20, in the conventional communication support system, an existing telephone unit 301, a data processing device 304, and a line unit 303 are provided. The telephone unit 301 is connected through the line unit 303 to the data processing device 304, and the telephone unit 301 is connected through the line unit 303 to a telephone network 302. The data processing device 304 is, for example, a personal computer. The telephone network 302 is, for example, a public switched telephone network.
In the above-described conventional system, a voice input/output unit 305, a dialing unit 306 and a signal detection unit 307 are connected to the line unit 303. Further, a personal-computer (PC) interface unit 308 is provided between the data processing device 304 and the units 305, 306 and 307.
The voice input/output unit 305 supplies a voice signal sent from one of the telephone unit 301 and the telephone network 302, to the data processing device 304 via the PC interface unit 308, and supplies a voice signal derived from digital data stored in the data processing device 304, to one of the telephone unit 301 and the telephone network 302. The dialing unit 306 provides an existing dialing function to transmit a call to a destination terminal over the telephone network 302 according to a telephone number input by an input device (such as a keyboard or a mouse) of the data processing device 304. The signal detection unit 307 detects various signals sent from a telephone line, such as a busy tone signal, a ring tone signal, a ring back tone signal, an on-hook signal, and an off-hook signal.
In the above-described conventional system, telephone services are provided by an existing telephone service application program executed by the data processing device (or the personal computer). Such telephone services include, for example, voice recording and playback, file transmission, and telephone number entry.
In the above-described conventional system, when a user of the data processing device 304 sends a call to a destination terminal in the telephone network 302, the application program installed in the data processing device 304 is executed. The user inputs the telephone number of the destination terminal and presses a dialing button on a monitor of the data processing device 304 by manipulating the keyboard or the mouse of the data processing device 304. In this case, the user goes to the location of the telephone unit 301 apart from the data processing device 304, and lifts a handset of the telephone unit 301. Then the off-hook signal from the telephone unit 301 is detected by the signal detection unit 307. The telephone unit 301 is connected to the telephone network 302 (or the destination terminal) by the line unit 303, and this enables the user of the telephone unit 1 to communicate with a person of the destination terminal over the telephone network 302 by voice.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the telephone user to transmit a call to the destination terminal in the telephone network 302 by using only the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program in the data processing device 304.
In the above-described conventional system, when a voice recording function, as one of the telephone services, is obtained by executing the application program in the data processing device 304, the user of the data processing device 304 presses a recording start button on the monitor by operating the input device of the data processing device 304. In this case, the data processing device 304 acquires voice data from the telephone unit 301 or the telephone network 302 through the voice input/output unit 305. The application program in the data processing device 304 converts the voice data into digital data in a computer-readable format and stores the digital data in a memory of the data processing device 304. The application program continues to provide the voice recording until a recording end button on the monitor is pressed by the user.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the telephone user to start the voice recording processing by using the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program in the data processing device 304.
In the above-described conventional system, when a playback function, as one of the telephone services, is obtained by executing the application program in the data processing device 304, the user of the data processing device 304 presses a playback start button on the monitor by operating the input device. In this case, the application program in the data processing device 304 converts the digital data stored in the memory of the device 304 into voice data, and supplies the voice data to the voice input/output unit 305. A voice signal is derived from the voice data by the voice input/output unit 305, and the voice signal is supplied to the telephone unit 301 or the telephone network 302 via the line unit 303. The application program continues to provide the playback function until a playback end button on the monitor is pressed by the user or the end of the data stored in the memory is detected.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the telephone user to start the playback processing by using the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program in the data processing device 304.
Further, in the above-described conventional system, when a telephone number entry function, as one of the telephone services, is obtained by executing the application program in the data processing device 304, the user of the data processing device 304 inputs a telephone number by operating the input device. In this case, the application program in the data processing device 304 stores the input telephone number in the memory. The application program is executed to carry out the telephone number entry processing when the user operates the keyboard or the mouse in connection with the monitor in an interactive manner.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the telephone user to start the telephone number entry processing by using the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program in the data processing device 304. It is impossible for the conventional system to detect a telephone number input by the telephone unit 301.

Communication support system for providing security of telephone services of a data processing device for a telephone user


A vertical cavity surface emitting laser, including an active region, an electrical contact for injecting current into the active region in order to generate photons, and an aperture between the active region and the contact for restricting current flow into the active region. The aperture is sufficiently large in at least one transverse dimension for the active region to support multiple transverse modes, and the aperture and contact are configured to produce current crowding in the active region. The direction of photon emission from the laser is determined by the injection current selectively stimulating different transverse modes.

Recent advances in vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) technology have enabled the production of VCSELs with high intensity beams and low threshold currents, suitable for optical communications applications. Generally, a VCSEL produces a cylindrical laser beam perpendicular to the surface of the wafer on which the VCSEL is fabricated. However, VCSELs have recently been developed that provide the ability to control the angle of emission to some extent by using non-uniform current injection or integrated optical beam routers. This raises the prospect of producing steerable VCSELs suitable for free space optical switching applications. However, the degree of steering has generally been limited in comparison to the beam spot size, making it difficult to produce low crosstalk free-space interconnects. It is desired to provide a VCSEL with improved ability to selectively control the direction of photon emission from the laser, or at least a useful alternative.


The present disclosure relates to a system and method for debugging in fault simulation associated with an electronic design. Embodiments may include receiving, using at least one processor, an electronic design and performing concurrent fault simulation on a fault to be analyzed associated with the electronic circuit design, wherein the fault has a fault propagation path associated therewith. Embodiments may also include identifying a trace of one or more signals of interest that are in the fault propagation path and generating a faulty database and a good database associated with the one or more signals of interest that are in the fault propagation path. Embodiments may further include identifying one or more differences between the faulty database and the good database.

In electronic designs, safety engineers who hope to achieve safety verification, need to be able to take their functional verification environment and inject faults into the system-on-a-chip ("SoC"). The safety engineers need to validate if the injected faults into the SoC are propagated and detected at the functional and checker outputs to achieve the desired safety goal.
In some cases the injected fault is not detected at the functional or checker output due to a bug in the design. In this situation the safety engineer may need to trace the path of the injected fault node to the expected fault detection node. In order to achieve this safety engineers will generally attempt to mimic the debugging steps performed during functional verification. Existing debug environments provide no mechanism for tracing the fault path and the user has to debug the entire SoC which is a time consuming task.

System and method for debugging in concurrent fault simulation


Disclosed herein is a polyolefin splittable conjugate fiber comprising at least two components of polyolefin resins (including polystyrene resins) and having a cross sectional structure with each of the components arranged alternately, wherein at least one of the component resins contains 1-30% by weight of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer whose saponification degree is 95% or more. Using the splittable conjugate fiber of the invention, a fiber structure having a fine and even surface can be provided.

This invention relates to a highly splittable polyolefin conjugate fiber and more particularly to the fiber which is suitable for the fields of industrial materials such as battery separator, wiper and filter and the like, and hygienic materials such as diaper, napkin and the like; and to a fiber structure using the same and to a process producing the fiber structure.
As is known, an islands-sea type or splittable type conjugate fiber is conventionally used to produce an extremely fine fiber. The production method using the islands-sea type conjugate fiber comprises spinning combined resins as plural components and removing one of the obtained conjugate fiber components by dissolution to give an extremely fine fiber. Although a very fine fiber can be obtained, this method is uneconomical in that one of the components needs to be removed by dissolution. On the other hand, the production method using the splittable fiber comprises spinning combined resins as plural components and splitting the conjugate fiber obtained into a large number of extremely fine fibers by utilizing a physical stress or a difference in shrinkage between the fiber-constituting resin components when immersed in a chemical.
A typical splittable conjugate fiber, for example, a combination of a polyester resin with a polyolefin resin, a polyester resin with a polyamide resin or a polyamide resin with a polyolefin resin, has poor compatibility with each other due to polymers of different kinds in the fiber, and though splitting proceeds easily, the resulting extremely fine fiber and fiber structure composed thereof have poor chemical resistance due to functional groups in the polymers. This restrains an application of these conjugate fibers to the field of industrial materials which require chemical resistance.
On the other hand, a combination of polyolefin resins each having a strong resistance to chemicals shows better compatibility than that of the different polymers as mentioned above, and therefore strong physical impact is needed to split the splittable fiber formed. This causes so-called unevenness in the resulting nonwoven such as split parts and non-split parts, or thick parts and thin parts due to a partial movement of fibers caused by the physical impact. Thus, the nonwoven shows a poor uniformity. Further, the processing speed in hydroentangling needs to be greatly reduced so as to diminish undivided parts. For these reasons, this type of combination is unsatisfactory.
JP-A-4-289222 discloses an improvement that a splittable conjugate fiber comprising polymers of the same kind is easily split by addition of organosiloxanes or modifiers thereof. Though the improvement is somewhat successful in respect of splittability, there still remain many problems such as reduction in strength of the nonwoven made with such fibers and poor processability during the secondary processing period, and the like.
An object of the present invention is to provide a polyolefin splittable conjugate fiber that is easy to split and a fiber structure with a fine surface and good uniformity using the same.
The present inventors have found, as a result of investigations, that a splittable conjugate fiber comprising at least two components of polyolefin resins, wherein at least one component containing 1-30% by weight of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer whose saponification degree is 95% or more, is easy to split and that a fiber structure obtained by using the conjugate fiber has a fine surface and good uniformity. This finding has led to the present invention.
The present invention is composed of the following:
The first invention is concerned with a polyolefin splittable conjugate fiber comprising at least two components of polyolefin resins (including polystyrene resin, this also applicable hereinafter) and having a cross sectional structure with each of the components arranged alternately, wherein at least one of the component resins contains 1-30% by weight of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer whose saponification degree is 95% or more.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each component of the polyolefin resins comprises a polypropylene resin phase and a polyethylene resin phase.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one component of the polyolefin resins comprises a stereoregular polystyrene resin.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the polyolefin splittable conjugate fiber is a hollow fiber.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, a foaming agent is added to at least one component of the polyolefin resins.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the splittable conjugate fiber has a bent, bulged or flat cross section.
The second invention is concerned with a fiber structure using the polyolefin splittable conjugate fiber obtained in the first invention.
The third invention is concerned with a process for producing the said fiber structure, which comprises the steps of mixing the polyolefin splittable conjugate fiber of the first invention with a fiber comprising a resin having a lower melting point, subjecting the fiber having a lower melting point to thermal bonding and subsequently splitting the said splittable conjugate fiber.

Polyolefin splittable conjugate fiber and a fiber structure using the same


Compounds of formula I or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof Formula (I) wherein Ar, R1, R2, R3, Ra, Rb and X are as defined in the specification as well as salts and pharmaceutical compositions including the compounds are prepared. They are useful in therapy, in particular in the management of pain

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to compounds which are CB1/CB2 receptor ligands, pharmaceutical compositions contain these compounds, manufacturing processes thereof and uses thereof, and more particularly to compounds that are CB1/CB2 receptor agonists.
2. Discussion of Relevant Technology
Pain management has been an important field of study for many years. It has been well known that cannabinoid receptor (e.g., CB1 receptors, CB2 receptors) ligands, especially agonists produce relief of pain in a variety of animal models by interacting with CB1 and/or CB2 receptors. Generally, CB1 receptors are located predominantly in the central nervous system, whereas CB2 receptors are located primarily in the periphery and are primarily restricted to the cells and tissues derived from the immune system.
While the conventional CB1 receptor agonists and CB1/CB2 receptor agonists, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabis-related drugs, are highly effective in anti-nociception models in animals, they tend to exert many undesired CNS (central nerve system) side-effects, e.g., psychoactive side effects and the abuse potential of Cannabis-related drugs.
Therefore, there is a need for new CB1/CB2 receptor ligands such as agonists useful in managing pain or treating other related symptoms or diseases with reduced or minimal undesirable CNS side-effects.

Azaindole derivatives, preparations thereof, uses thereof and compositions containing them


Provided are techniques for building an undo log for in-memory blocks of data. Permission on a block of data in memory is set to prevent updates to that block of data using a memory protection function. In response to an update operation attempting to update the block of data in the memory, an interrupt with a location of the block of data is received, the block of data is copied to an undo log entry in an undo log, and the permission on the block of data in the memory is set to allow the update to that block of data to proceed using the memory protection function.

In-memory databases typically have the following characteristics: (1) most, if not all, data fits into memory, (2) most updates are applied in batch operations, and (3) most updates are appends of new data.
The data may be stored using any technique, such as relational or columnar.
When the update process is interrupted or aborted, the changes made to data in-memory need to be undone to keep the database consistent.
Most database systems use transaction logging, in which each individual update is logged, and, if the transaction is interrupted or aborted, the undo log is applied to roll back each individual change.
Some database systems may utilize a page tracking system (bufferpool) or intercept all updates at the application layer and perform unlog operations.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Building an undo log for in-memory blocks of data

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and an apparatus for three dimensional display with cross section capable of displaying three dimensionally in real time, according to which a surface image in which the object is cut at the cutting plane and the cross section is left open is generated from the surface data and the cutting plane data, while at the same time a cross sectional image in which an interior region of the cross section is painted out in a prescribed color is generated from the surface data and the cutting plane data, and the surface image and the cross sectional image are displayed with the cross sectional image superposed on the surface image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for three dimensional display with cross section used in such apparatuses as medical apparatuses and industrial measurement apparatuses.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recent progress in a field of computer graphics made a real time display possible, and is prompting the increasing usage of three dimensional display which is more realistic than two dimensional display.
In the three dimensional display, it is known to be effective to show a cross section at a specified cutting plane, so that the three dimensional display is often shown with cross section.
In such a three dimensional display with cross section, if a cross section is displayed in such a manner that those portions of an object which are closer to a viewer than a cutting plane are erased so that the cross sectional face is left open, the other portions of the object behind the cutting plane become visible and the cutting edge becomes obscure.
For this reason, in the three dimensional display, the cross sectional face is also treated as a surface and is displayed as being painted out in a prescribed color.
However, in displaying such an object with cross section three dimensionally, it has conventionally been necessary to produce surface data representing the object with the cross sectional face as a part of surface for each cross section, so that when the cutting plane is to be changed, a great amount of time has been required in obtaining the new surface data.

Method and apparatus for three dimensional display with cross section


Disclosed herein are systems and methods for self-formation and self-management of full-duplex communication networks. In an embodiment, a communication device determines whether there is an available self-assignable device-data time slot. If there is, the device selects an available time slot for outbound transmissions, updates its network-status table to associate the selected time slot with a device identifier of the communication device, and transmits outbound device data during the selected time slot of at least one ensuing frame. The device also, during each of a plurality of ensuing frames, makes a determination as to whether to transmit a maintenance packet during a shared time slot of the current frame. If the determination is made in the affirmative, the device transmits such a packet during that shared time slot. Each such packet contains at least a subset of the network-status table.

Many types of electronic devices communicate with each other in order to transmit data (e.g., audio data) for the performance of certain tasks, the conveyance of information, and/or the like. Most communications networks deployed today require a wireless access point, master device, or group of coordinating devices in order for the network to form and operate correctly and allow more than just two devices to simultaneously communicate with one another. The equipment that is required to create this type of many-to-many network can be cumbersome and expensive to deploy, and may require significant setup and initiation time to form and activate a network. Further, the necessity of a master device creates a single point of failure for the network—i.e., for all devices. Moreover, data (e.g., audio data) often needs to be exchanged in real-time with full-duplex capabilities.
Existing master-less wired or wireless systems—such as those that are used for police radio communications, for example—operate in a half-duplex manner, where only one person can speak at a time and must push a button to do so (i.e., "push-to-talk" (PTT)). Existing multi-device systems such as conference calling or cell phones rely on the presence of a master device or set of devices to coordinate time access for the system, and all data must travel through the master.
Thus, there is a need for an improved system that does not require an access point, master station, or one or more independent coordination devices to allow any and all of the devices to simultaneously form a network and communicate with each other in real-time, with determinism, low-latency, and full-duplex functionality. Advantageously, such a system would be "master-less", "instant-on", and include group-forming technology.
Some examples of contexts that would benefit from multiple devices that are able to communicate in real-time with full-duplex capabilities include:                wireless, full-duplex audio headsets for groups of emergency responders on an incident scene, where a two-way, hands-free conversation could take place among multiple people;        factory automation systems involving real-time, closed-loop control, where actuators act upon inputs from sensors to control a process, and in which the sensors and actuators are distributed and independent and do not depend on a master controller (which could be a single point of failure)—such devices could be networked over wires and/or wirelessly;        chemical-processing plants that require the coordination of valves and sensors to maintain the correct pressures in different chambers and vessels;        greenhouses that require precise coordination of heating and cooling devices, misters, fans, and vents across the facility to maintain proper temperature and humidity levels; and        wireless communications devices for construction workers on a worksite.

Systems and methods for self-formation and self-management of full-duplex communication networks


An apparatus (10) for controlling the transmission of rotational forces between first (14) and second (66) members through an axially shiftable friction element (56) that rotates in unison with the first member (14) and can be selectively brought into engagement with the second member (66) is provided with a forced air cooling system that functions to cool the interface between the friction element (56) and the second member (66), as well as a first bearing (54) allowing relative rotation between the friction element (56) and an actuation member (38). A flow of cooling air is developed during operation of the apparatus by fins (172,174) formed about an outer radial surface portion of the friction element (56) and the air is caused to flow through enlarged lobe cut-out sections (156) in the second member (66) along the interface and through holes (164) formed in the friction element (56) which are arranged opposite the first bearing (54). The apparatus also incorporates a power transfer assembly that is extends directly adjacent an additional rotatable support bearing (30,80) that is mounted directly adjacent an end portion (16,18) on the first member (14). The power transfer assembly includes a coupling unit (102,137) which interconnects a power transfer member (88,126) to the end portion (16,18) of the first member (14) by developing a radial clamping force therebetween, while also functioning to axially retain the additional bearing (30,80) without inducing axially stresses on the additional bearing (30,80) during operation of the apparatus (10).

The present invention relates generally to apparatus for controlling the transmission of rotational forces between first and second relatively rotatable members. More particularly, the invention is directed to the arrangement of a forced air cooling system and a power transfer coupling incorporated in a rotational control apparatus in order to increase the useful life and minimize required service operations for the apparatus.
It is often desired to selectively interconnect a rotatable power transmission member with an output element in order to either couple the output element with the power transmission member for concurrent rotation or to brake the power transmission member. For instance, when it is desired to intermittently transmit rotational forces from a power transmission member to a relatively rotatably output element, it is commonplace to interconnect the components with a clutch and then to selectively activate and deactivate the clutch as needed. Known clutch arrangements can be controlled utilizing electrical, mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic based actuation systems which typically function to axially shift a friction disc, that is mounted for concurrent rotation with the power transfer member, into engagement with the output element.
When the friction disc engages the output element, a significant amount of thermal energy is developed at the friction interface. The rate at which this thermal energy can be dissipated directly affects the permissible cycling times for the apparatus. For this reason, it is also known in the art to provide a flow of cooling air to the friction interface to increase the thermal dissipation capacity of the friction disc in order to allow for greater cycling times. of course, the various components of the rotational control apparatus must be mounted through suitable bearings to enable relative rotation therebetween. Although it is desired to design the apparatus so as to be as compact as possible in order to minimize material and assembly costs, care must be taken in the design of such apparatus to avoid exposing the bearings to excessive heat factors, which can result in grease breakdown, and unnecessary loading, which can cause premature bearing failure.
Based on the above problems, clutch and brake manufacturers are often forced to size rotational control apparatus larger than desired and to specifically configure the components to avoid undue loading and heat exposure of the bearings. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a rotational control apparatus which is extremely compact, but yet which is designed to ensure an enhanced useful life.

Rotational control apparatus with enhanced cooling and power transfer characteristics


An underbody unit for a motor vehicle body has a floor body (12) connectable to the motor vehicle body for dissipating static and/or dynamic loads. Reinforcing ribs (14) protrude up from the floor body (12). The reinforcing ribs (14) together with the floor body (12) delimit receiving pockets (16) for receiving battery cell units (18) of a traction battery for driving the motor vehicle. First and second connections (34, 36) supply and remove a liquid cooling medium for cooling the floor body (12). The battery cell units (18) are above the floor body (12) and can be inserted into the underbody unit (10). Thus, the underbody unit (10), the reinforcing ribs (14) and the connections (34, 36) for the coolant define a supporting plate that can support the heavy battery cell units (18), form armor plating for protection and a heat exchanger for active and/or passive cooling.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an underbody unit for reinforcing a body of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A motor vehicle body can have a load-bearing supporting structure with longitudinal members of solid design and crossmembers of solid design connected to one another to form a supporting frame. The supporting frame forms a stable platform to which the remaining components of the motor vehicle can be connected. The supporting structure can support a drive, individual body parts, functional units of the motor vehicle and a payload and can dissipate the weight of these components onto an underlying surface. A plate-like underbody unit can be connected to the supporting structure to reinforce the supporting structure and the motor vehicle body. The underbody unit forms the underbody of the motor vehicle and covers and protects constructional units above the underbody unit from the underlying surface.
WO 2013/051638 A1 discloses connecting a battery housing of a traction battery from below to an underbody of a motor vehicle. A lower side of the battery housing faces the underlying surface and is configured as a thin-walled cast aluminum part with outwardly protruding cooling ribs.
There is a constant need for a motor vehicle traction battery to have a long service life. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to present measures that will increase the service life for a motor vehicle traction battery to have a long service life.

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft


A semiconductor body includes first and second opposing surfaces, an edge extending in a vertical direction substantially perpendicular to the first surface, an active area, a peripheral area arranged in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the first surface between the active area and edge, and a pn-junction extending from the active area into the peripheral area. In the peripheral area the semiconductor device further includes a first conductive region arranged next to the first surface, a second conductive region arranged next to the first surface, and arranged in the horizontal direction between the first conductive region and edge, and a passivation structure including a first portion at least partly covering the first conductive region, a second portion at least partly covering the second conductive region. The first portion has a different layer composition than the second portion and/or a thickness which differs from the thickness of the second portion.

Semiconductor transistors, in particular field-effect controlled switching devices such as a Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) or an Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), have been used for various applications including but not limited to use as switches in power supplies and power converters, electric cars, air-conditioners, and even stereo systems. Particularly with regard to power devices capable of switching large currents and/or operating at higher voltages, low on-state resistance Ron, high breakdown voltages Ubd, ad/or high robustness are often desired.
Electrical properties of power semiconductor devices such as HVMOS power transistors, power diodes and power IGBTs, in particular their blocking capability (breakdown voltage Ubd) may change during operation. This unfavorable behavior may be due to mobile charges (ions, charged molecules), which penetrate from the package or from the outside into the semiconductor device and/or due to corrosion of metal electrodes. The charges may accumulate at the energetically most favorable position, for example, in the edge termination where they change the electric field distribution massively. For product development, there are standardized robustness tests in particular HTRB (high temperature reverse bias), H3TRB (high temperature high temperature reverse bias) and HTS (high temperature storage) tests. In these tests, many power components show an insufficient trade-off between robustness against external charges and robustness against moisture-related corrosion. Accordingly, there is a need to improve power semiconductor devices


A method and an apparatus, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a battery pack supported by at least one vehicle frame member, a side frame member positioned adjacent to an edge of the battery pack, and a cross-member extending away from the side frame member and above the battery pack. The cross-member is spaced from the battery pack by a gap. At least one bracket is mounted to at least one of the side frame member and cross-member within the gap such that in response to an impact load, the bracket prevents the cross-member from direct contact with the battery pack.

Electrified vehicles include a battery pack that is packaged underneath the vehicle. The battery pack is mounted on a vehicle frame and can be positioned underneath a seat supported on a cross-member. There is an ongoing effort to protect battery packs by preventing contact with frame members and cross-members during impact load events.


An address generation circuit includes: a first address control clock generation unit suitable for generating a first address control clock signal in response to an internal clock signal; a second address control clock generation unit suitable for generating a second address control clock signal in response to one of an address initialization signal and the first address control clock signal; an address counting unit suitable for counting the second address control clock signal and generating a counting address; and a repair control unit suitable for latching the counting address in response to the second address control clock signal, comparing the latched counting address with a repair address, and generating a redundancy address based on the comparison result.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate generally to semiconductor designing technology and, more particularly, to an address generation circuit for generating a redundancy address, and a semiconductor memory device including the address generation circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor memory devices are largely divided into volatile memory devices and non-volatile memory devices.
Volatile memory devices are quick at writing and reading data, but the volatile memory devices lose the data stored therein when power supply is cut off. On the other hand, non-volatile memory devices are relatively slow at writing and reading data but they retain the data stored therein even though power supply is cut off. For this reason, the non-volatile memory devices are used to store data if the data have to be retained regardless of the power supply. Non-limiting examples of the non-volatile memory devices include a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Mask ROM (MROM), a Programmable ROM (PROM), an Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), an Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), a flash memory, a Phase-Change Random Access Memory (PRAM), a Magnetic RAM (MRAM), a Resistive RAM (RRAM), a Ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) and the like. A flash memory may be NOR-type or NAND-type flash memory.
A flash memory has the advantage of a RAM device that data may be freely programmed or erased and the advantage of a ROM device that the data stored in the flash memory are retained even though power supply is cut off. Flash memory is widely used as storage media for portable electronic devices, such as digital cameras, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), MP3 players, and the like.
A column address repair operation for replacing a failure memory cell with a normal memory cell may be performed to complement failure of a memory cell, which may occur in the process of fabricating a semiconductor memory device. As a result, the column address control time may be delayed due to the column address repair operation when a data input operation or a data output operation is performed in the semiconductor memory device. The delay in the column address repair operation may lead to timing delay in the entire data input/output operation that is performed in the inside of the semiconductor memory device. To internally complement the timing between data and clocks for the time delay according to the column address control time, additional delay cells are used in the semiconductor memory device. However, as the semiconductor memory device operates at a high data rate, use of delay cells may be increased substantially, which may lead to increased current consumption and chip size and fluctuation in process, voltage and temperature (PVT) conditions.

Address generation circuit and semiconductor memory device including the same


An interbody fusion device in one embodiment includes a tapered body defining a hollow interior for receiving bone graft or bone substitute material. The body defines exterior threads which are interrupted over portions of the outer surface of the device. The fusion device includes truncated side walls so that on end view the body takes on a cylindrical form. The side walls are provided with vascularization openings, and the body wall device includes opposite bone ingrowth slots extending through the interrupted thread portion of the body. In another embodiment, the tapered body is solid and formed of a porous biocompatible material having sufficient structural integrity to maintain the intradiscal space and normal curvature. The material is preferably a porous tantalum having fully interconnected pores to facilitate complete bone tissue ingrowth into the implant. In further embodiments, the fusion devices are provided with osteogenic material to facilitate bone ingrowth. The osteogenic material can include bone morphogenic proteins in a suitable carrier determined by the configuration of the fusion device.

The present invention relates to an artificial implant to be placed into the intervertebral space left after the removal of a damaged spinal disc. Specifically, the invention concerns an implant that facilitates arthrodesis or fusion between adjacent vertebrae while also maintaining or restoring the normal spinal anatomy at the particular vertebral level.
The number of spinal surgeries to correct the causes of low back pain has steadily increased over the last several years. Most often, low back pain originates from damage or defects in the spinal disc between adjacent vertebrae. The disc can be herniated or can be suffering from a variety of degenerative conditions, so that in either case the anatomical function of the spinal disc is disrupted. The most prevalent surgical treatment for these types of conditions has been to fuse the two vertebrae surrounding the affected disc. In most cases, the entire disc will be removed, except for the annulus, by way of a discectomy procedure. Since the damaged disc material has been removed, something must be positioned within the intradiscal space, otherwise the space may collapse resulting in damage to the nerves extending along the spinal column.
In order to prevent this disc space collapse, the intradiscal space is filled with bone or a bone substitute in order to fuse the two adjacent vertebrae together. In early techniques, bone material was simply disposed between the adjacent vertebrae, typically at the posterior aspect of the vertebrae, and the spinal column was stabilized by way of a plate or a rod spanning the affected vertebrae. With this technique once fusion occurred the hardware used to maintain the stability of the segment became superfluous. Moreover, the surgical procedures necessary to implant a rod or plate to stabilize the level during fusion were frequently lengthy and involved.
It was therefore determined that a more optimum solution to the stabilization of an excised disc space is to fuse the vertebrae between their respective end plates, most optimally without the need for anterior or posterior plating. There have been an extensive number of attempts to develop an acceptable intradiscal implant that could be used to replace a damaged disc and yet maintain the stability of the disc interspace between the adjacent vertebrae, at least until complete arthrodesis is achieved. These "interbody fusion devices" have taken many forms. For example, one of the more prevalent designs takes the form of a cylindrical implant. These types of implants are represented by the patents to Bagby, U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,269; Brantigan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,915; Ray, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,961,740 and 5,055,104; and Michelson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,247. In these cylindrical implants, the exterior portion of the cylinder can be threaded to facilitate insertion of the interbody fusion device, as represented by the Ray, Brantigan and Michelson patents. In the alternative, some of the fusion implants are designed to be pounded into the intradiscal space and the vertebral end plates. These types of devices are represented by the patents to Brantigan, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,743,256; 4,834,757 and 5,192,327.
In each of the above listed patents, the transverse cross section of the implant is constant throughout its length and is typically in the form of a right circular cylinder. Other implants have been developed for interbody fusion that do not have a constant cross section. For instance, the patent to McKenna, U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,469 shows a hemispherical implant with elongated protuberances that project into the vertebral end plate. The patent to Kuntz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,469, shows a bullet shaped prosthesis configured to optimize a friction fit between the prosthesis and the adjacent vertebral bodies. Finally, the implant of Bagby, U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,848 is in the form of a sphere which is preferably positioned between the centrums of the adjacent vertebrae.
Interbody fusion devices can be generally divided into two basic categories, namely solid implants and implants that are designed to permit bone ingrowth. Solid implants are represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,878,915; 4,743,256; 4,349,921 and 4,714,469. The remaining patents discussed above include some aspect that permits bone to grow across the implant. It has been found that devices that promote natural bone ingrowth achieve a more rapid and stable arthrodesis. The device depicted in the Michelson patent is representative of this type of hollow implant which is typically filled with autologous bone prior to insertion into the intradiscal space. This implant includes a plurality of circular apertures which communicate with the hollow interior of the implant, thereby providing a path for tissue growth between the vertebral end plates and the bone or bone substitute within the implant. In preparing the intradiscal space, the end plates are preferably reduced to bleeding bone to facilitate this tissue ingrowth. During fusion, the metal structure provided by the Michelson implant helps maintain the patency and stability of the motion segment to be fused. In addition, once arthrodesis occurs, the implant itself serves as a sort of anchor for the solid bony mass.
A number of difficulties still remain with the many interbody fusion devices currently available. While it is recognized that hollow implants that permit bone ingrowth into bone or bone substitute within the implant is an optimum technique for achieving fusion, most of the prior art devices have difficulty in achieving this fusion, at least without the aid of some additional stabilizing device, such as a rod or plate. Moreover, some of these devices are not structurally strong enough to support the heavy loads and bending moments applied at the most frequently fused vertebral levels, namely those in the lower lumbar spine.
There has been a need for providing a hollow interbody fusion device that optimizes the bone ingrowth capabilities but is still strong enough to support the spine segment until arthrodesis occurs. It has been found by the present inventors that openings for bone ingrowth play an important role in avoiding stress shielding of the autologous bone impacted within the implant. In other words, if the ingrowth openings are improperly sized or configured, the autologous bone will not endure the loading that is typically found to be necessary to ensure rapid and complete fusion. In this instance, the bone impacted within the implant may resorb or evolve into simply fibrous tissue, rather than a bony fusion mass, which leads to a generally unstable construction. On the other hand, the bone ingrowth openings must not be so extensive that the cage provides insufficient support to avoid subsidence into the adjacent vertebrae.
The use of bone graft materials in past metal cage fusion devices has presented several disadvantages. Autograft is undesirable because it may not yield a sufficient quantity of graft material. The additional surgery to extract the autograft also increases the risk of infection and may reduce structural integrity at the donor site. Furthermore, many patients complain of significant pain for several years after the donor surgery. Although, the supply of allograft material is not so limited, allograft is also disadvantageous because of the risk of disease transmission and immune reactions. Furthermore, allogenic bone does not have the osteogenic potential of autogenous bone and therefore will provide only temporary support.
These disadvantages have led to the investigation of bioactive substances that regulate the complex cascade of cellular events of bone repair. Such substances include bone morphogenic proteins, for use as alternative or adjunctive graft materials. Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs), a class of osteoinductive factors from bone matrix, are capable of inducing bone formation when implanted in a fracture or surgical bone site. Recombinantly produced human bone morphogenic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) has been demonstrated in several animal models to be effective in regenerating bone in skeletal defects.


A scuba diving mask with corrective lenses comprising a frame with a plurality of rings joined to one another by a bridge, each of the rings having an internal flange on which the lip of a flexible skirt, a corresponding lens and a lens-retaining collar rest. The collar is attached by snap action to the corresponding ring. A seat is formed in a bridge substantially in the lying plane of, or coplanar with, the lenses and extending laterally to an upper internal portion of the rings. The seat includes a locking plate slidable between opposing end stroke positions - a locking end position and a release end positions respectively. When the locking plate is in the locking position, the lateral sides of the plate extend inside the rings and are engaged with corresponding notches in an upper internal rim of the lens-retaining collars.

Conventional scuba diving masks, for example, can often be retrofitted with corrective lenses to accommodate scuba divers who may need to compensate for their poor eyesight during underwater activities.
Such masks typically have a frame with two relatively rigid rings, circular or non-circular rings joined to one another by a bridge configured for positioning over a user's nose. The internal contour of each ring is provided with flanges for engaging "visors", i.e., transparent lenses that allow the user to see underwater. The visors are held in position by retaining collars that replicate the internal contour of the rings and may be attached to the frame, either removably or permanently, using suitable fasteners.
In other scuba diving masks suitable for fitting with corrective lenses, the same lens can generally be mounted on both the right side and left side of the mask, by simply rotating the lens about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the lens. Generally speaking, the lenses are symmetrical to avoid obliging retailers to keep double sets of right-hand and left-hand lenses. As a result, manufacturers usually provide retailers with the operative components of each diving mask separately, that is, they supply the diving masks without lenses together with a set of corrective lenses, so that the retailers can later select the appropriate combination of lenses for the masks to suit a particular customer's requirements, e.g., eyeglass precription. Alternatively, this type of mask can be fitted with ordinary lenses, as is appreciated by those skilled in the art.
The assembly or replacement of lenses by the retailer, however, requires suitable equipment, which generally comprises a dedicated tool—a basic screwdriver, in many cases—by which the retaining collars are separated from the mask frame in order to install or replace a lens. Typically, the retailer is instructed suitably to perform these operations without damage to lenses e.g., scratching, or to the mask frame. However, as the dedicated tool is generally harder than the lens or the frame, and because personnel performing the installation are not always adequately trained or sufficiently experienced, there is still significant risk of mask damage.
Moreover, when lenses are installed or replaced by the end user, without the use of a dedicated tool and/or the necessary experience, there is a significantly greater risk of damaging the lenses or frame. Indeed, the action of replacing a lens, and even more of installing a lens, carries an additional risk of damage to the lip of the skirt located between the frame and the lens, with the resulting loss of watertightness of the mask. This problem has also been experienced where a mask is equipped with ordinary lenses and replacement of a damaged "visor "is desired.

Scuba diving mask with corrective lenses


In order to provide a trough-shaped collector for radiation, in particular for solar radiation, comprising a trough-shaped mirror extending in longitudinal direction and reflecting the radiation into a focus region, and an absorber line extending in longitudinal direction through the focus region of the trough-shaped mirror and having a guide tube for the heat transport medium and an absorber pipe surrounding the guide tube such that an annular chamber is formed between guide tube and absorber line, with which the problems existing as a result of the uneven irradiation of the absorber line are also reduced or eliminated, it is suggested that an annular passage medium flow in the annular chamber and that the annular passage medium couple the guide tube thermally to the absorber pipe.

The invention relates to a trough-shaped collector for radiation, in particular for solar radiation, comprising a trough-shaped mirror which extends in longitudinal direction and reflects the radiation into a focus region and an absorber line which extends in longitudinal direction through the focus region of the trough-shaped mirror and has a guide tube for the heat transport medium and an absorber pipe surrounding the guide tube such that an annular chamber is formed between guide tube and absorber pipe.
Trough-shaped collectors of this type are known from the state of the art.
In a known trough-shaped collector, the absorber line is preferably formed by a pipe which is arranged in the focus region of the trough-shaped mirror. As a result of its construction, the trough-shaped mirror does not have an ideal focal line but rather a focus region which can have an extension of approximately 1% of the mirror diameter. Since the aim is to have a large mirror aperture and thus a large mirror diameter for the trough-shaped mirror, it is necessary for the pipe to have a large diameter in order to cover the entire focus region as absorber. In this respect, absorber pipes, the diameter of which can be in the order of magnitude of 10 cm, are required for a trough-shaped mirror which has, for example, a diameter of 10 m.
As a result of the radiation reflected from the trough-shaped mirror into the focus region, the pipe is heated unevenly in circumferential direction. Due to the thermal load, mechanical problems result with respect to pressure resistance and rigidity of the pipe, in particular, when the pipe has a large diameter.
Furthermore, the pipe bends out of its optimum position in the focus region and so an optimum irradiation of the absorber line is no longer ensured and the degree of efficiency of the trough-shaped collector deteriorates.
In the case of the trough-shaped collector according to DE 43 31 784, the heat transport medium is guided in a guide tube within the absorber line on account of these problems, a thermal coupling element similar to a heat pipe taking care of the transfer of heat to the heat transport medium which takes place by way of vaporization of the heat transfer medium located in the annular chamber at the hot locations and subsequent diffusion of the vapor due to condensation at the colder locations of the gas chamber. Trough-shaped collectors of this type place great demands on the physical properties of the heat transfer medium and the production possibilities.
Proceeding on the basis of DE 43 31 784, the object underlying the invention is therefore to provide a trough-shaped collector of the generic type which has as simple a conception as possible and in which the problems existing as a result of the uneven irradiation of the absorber line are also reduced or eliminated.

Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.


A hardmask composition may include a solvent and a 2-dimensional carbon nanostructure containing about 0.01 atom % to about 40 atom % of oxygen or a 2-dimensional carbon nanostructure precursor thereof. A content of oxygen in the 2-dimensional carbon nanostructure precursor may be lower than about 0.01 atom % or greater than about 40 atom %. The hardmask composition may be used to form a fine pattern.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a hardmask composition, a method of manufacturing a hardmask composition, and/or a method of forming a pattern by using the hardmask composition.
2. Description of Related Art
The semiconductor industry has developed ultra-fine techniques for providing a pattern of several to several tens of nanometer size, which may benefit from effective lithographic techniques. A typical lithographic technique includes providing a material layer on a semiconductor substrate, coating a photoresist layer on the material layer, exposing and developing the same to provide a photoresist pattern, and etching the material layer by using the photoresist pattern as a mask.
As the size of the pattern to be formed becomes smaller, it may be difficult to provide a fine pattern having a desirable profile by only the typical lithographic technique described above. Accordingly, a layer, called "a hardmask", may be formed between the material layer for the etching and the photoresist layer to provide a fine pattern. The hardmask serves as an interlayer that transfers the fine pattern of the photoresist to the material layer through a selective etching process. Thus, it is desirable for the hardmask layer to have chemical resistance, thermal resistance, and etching resistance in order to tolerate various types of etching processes.
As semiconductor devices have become highly integrated, a height of a material layer has been maintained about the same or has relatively increased, although a line-width of the material layer has gradually narrowed. Thus, an aspect ratio of the material layer has increased. Since an etching process needs to be performed under such conditions, the heights of a photoresist layer and a hardmask pattern also need to be increased. However, increasing the heights of a photoresist layer and a hardmask pattern is limited. In addition, the hardmask pattern may be damaged during the etching process for obtaining a material layer with a narrow line-width, and thus electrical characteristics of devices may deteriorate.
In this regard, methods have been suggested to use a single layer or multiple layers, in which a plurality of layers are stacked, of a conductive or insulating material such as a polysilicon layer, a tungsten layer, and a nitride layer. However, the single layer or the multiple layers requires a high deposition temperature, and thus physical properties of the material layer may be modified. Therefore, a novel hardmask material is desired.

Hardmask composition and method of forming pattern by using the hardmask composition


A communication system includes a first communication unit, which is arranged to communicate with a remote communication system over a first communication link having a first, variable data rate. A second communication unit is arranged to exchange data with the remote communication system by communicating with the first communication unit over a second communication link having a second data rate. The first and second communication units are arranged to modify the second data rate responsively to variations in the first data rate, so as to match the second data rate to the first data rate.

In some wireless communication systems, transmission and reception functions are divided between an indoor unit (IDU) and an outdoor unit (ODU), typically located adjacent to the antenna. The IDU and ODU are connected by a link, which may be analog or digital. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,060, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system and method for communication having a digital signal link connecting the IDU and ODU.
In some cases, the data rate of the communication system is variable. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,016,296, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes methods and systems that enable subscribers to share a wireless channel by using different modulation schemes. The modulation scheme assigned to a subscriber is determined based on measurements of the quality of signals received from that subscriber. In one embodiment, the system is capable of transmitting data using one of a number of encoding and symbol constellation configurations.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,836,515, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a radio consisting of a multi-modulation modem, which modulates and demodulates signals using a plurality of modulations. The radio also comprises a frequency converter for converting the signals to a radio frequency and a transceiver unit including an antenna coupled to the frequency converter for transmitting the signals over a radio communications link.
As yet another example, PCT Publication WO 0076114 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system for providing adjustable levels of information density in a communicated data stream in response to monitored communication link conditions.

Cascaded links with adaptive coding and modulation


Reel-to-reel manufacturing methods and systems are disclosed herein. In general, one or more plastic parts (e.g., plastic substrate) can be transported on a carrier for manufacturing of a final product based initially on the part or substrate. A reel-to-reel mechanism is provided comprising one or more reels associated with the carrier, such that the part can be spooled and unspoiled upon the one or more of the reels prior and subsequent to a performance of a manufacturing operation upon the part for the purpose of creating an electronic circuit. A plurality of manufacturing operations can then be subsequently upon the part utilizing the reel-to-reel mechanism to create a final electronic system based upon the part initially subject to the manufacturing operations.

Most electronic packages, which include sensors connected to input/output devices thereof, utilize leadframes, a PCB, or combinations thereof. Such electronic packages generally require that a conductors and/or insulators connect from a sensing element to the outside of the package for a customer to properly interface with the device. Leadframes provide customized configurations in which a designer can create many packages in order to meet a customer's overall need. Unfortunately, all of this customization must link in some electrical means to create a device.
In a typical sensing device, an SOIC may be created to house the die and permit electrical contact for the next operation. In many leadframe designs, the central focus is a "plug", which is the customer's means of connection to the sensing portion of the device. Common methods of connecting to leadframes including wire bonding and soldering techniques. Both of these connecting methods require that the leadframe be plated. Common plating material for wire bonding involves the use of gold, while tin is often utilized for soldering.
A number of complications are involved in the use of leadframes. For example, leadframes require cleaning following stamping and prior to plating in order to remove excessive oils and contaminates. Leadframes also function as a conductor and require an insulator to allow a usable electronic connection. Leadframes additionally require a significant capital investment to produce the conductor. The ability of a leadframe to be manipulated into a desired package configuration is very limited because the method of production chosen typically involves stamping. The simplest leadframe would be flat and straight. Any deviation from the simple design requires significant effort to ensure that angles and bends are precise for not only the package configuration, but also interface with the overmold process.
The over mold process provides the insulation characteristics for the circuit and also the structure required to hold the leadframe. The cost of the mold is greatly influenced not only by its dimensional configuration, but also by the ability to interface with the leadframe. The interface with the leadframe in the mold may be one of the driving factors of circuit costs, because of the consistency required to ensure repeatability, eliminate flash, and prevent leadframe movement. In such processes, 99.9% of the material required to create the electrical connection is wasted. Waste in such processes is found not only what is thrown away via the stamping process, but also, in what is required to create the leadframe.
Leadframes do not optimize material thickness for electrical properties in sensor devices. The thickness driver focuses on requirements for the plug out configuration in the device and necessary requirements involved in the stamping process. Little leeway exists for the package designer to meet the plug connection requirements of the customer while still optimizing the conductor thickness for the sensor, without creating additional electrical joints or increasingly complicated leadframe configuration processes. For example, a customer may require a 0.032″ thick plug. The electrical requirements of the device mandate only 0.005 thick materials. Thus, the electrical properties involved in a stamping manufacturing process may be impossible to achieve due to stamping constraints, as well as handling complications.
A PCB (Printed Circuit Board) has become an economical means for producing circuitry utilizing copper foil, fiberglass, and resin to create the insulated conductor. This method maximizes the efficiency of the conductor when compared to the leadframe, because the conductor material requirement comes closer to meeting the electrical requirements required by the circuit. Yet, PCB issues include the cost of the board when the size becomes large. In addition, the conductor is merely flat. Also, a requirement exists to provide an interconnect to the PCB in order to interface with the customer's I/O. Due to the standardization of PCBs, the designer must attempt to optimize the area within the panel. Additionally, routing may be required, not only to give the PCB dimensional size, but also to disconnect from the panel. Typically, additional structures are required to not only to hold the PCB in place, but also to maintain the plug.
It can therefore be very difficult to separate leadframes from PCBs, because of the interaction required to configure sensing devices. A unique method of creating conductors for electronic packages is the MID (molded interconnected device) technique. Such a method creates the conductor and the insulator by utilizing two different plastics in which one can be plated, while the second plastic (i.e., the insulator) can be molded over the plateable plastic, creating a pattern for the circuitry.
Unfortunately, such process requires two molds to create the circuitry. The capital investment of such processes is similar to the leadframe method wherein the conductive plastic is inserted into a mold and all the variation of both conductive plastic and the mold from the second plastic must interface precisely. After the over molding process, the package is plated to create the electrical traces required for the circuitry. The precision of such traces is equal to the precision of the mold, which interfaces to plastics. Although the MID technique permits increasingly complicated traces in leadframe designs, a number of issues are related to the MID method.
MID operations typically require two molds, along with a high precision for interfacing the two molds to obtain higher resolution of traces. A great deal of handling is also required to produce the circuitry. MID operations also typically lack automation, which is desirable in order to provide manufacturing ease of assembly.
A second plastic circuitry method utilizes a photomask to develop a circuit. This only requires one mold to produce the substrate. The creation of the other circuitry is accomplished by photo, masking, and etching techniques. This method permits, 3-D circuitry not only for one mold, but also permits the change of the circuitry without changing the plastic substrate configuration. This key flexibility permits multiple circuit configurations to be created from one base package without the complications of additional capital expenditure or process modification. Circuitry is merely altered by providing a new photomask. Another benefit of this process is a high resolution in the trace width.
Issues with this process include lack of automation, and a requirement for handling between processes to create the circuitry. Angles are also required to configure the circuitry in a 3-D mode. Complications can also be encountered when creating multiple parts and a panel assembly, while still maintaining the circuitry resolution that would be seen on a single part in high volumes.

Plastic lead frames utilizing reel-to-reel processing


A rotary drum with angularly spaced grippers delivers magazine signatures to the collating conveyor of a saddle stitch binding machine. The signatures are supplied to the drum in the form of a running shingle with successive leading signatures being pulled out of the shingle by successive grippers as the latter rotate through a transfer station.

This invention relates to an apparatus for transporting paper signatures or the like to a processing line such as the collating conveyor of a binding machine. More specifically, the invention relates to apparatus for feeding signatures to the angularly spaced grippers of a rotary drum which, in turn, transfers the signatures to the collating conveyor of a so-called saddle stitch binding machine.
A rotary drum of the foregoing type is well known. The drum is rotated continuously and at high speeds and carries a pair of grippers adapted to rotate successively through a transfer station. At the transfer station, each open gripper receives the leading edge portion of a signature presented to the gripper and then closes upon the signature. With continued rotation of the drum, the gripper moves the signature toward the collating conveyor and then releases the signature for further handling by the conveyor.
Heretofore, apparatus for feeding a rotary drum of the foregoing type has consisted of a hopper for holding a queue of signatures on edge, along with conveyor means for feeding the signatures one-by-one and in spaced apart relation from the queue to the grippers of the drum. The conveyor means must be operated at a high speed in order to effect a high transfer rate. Operating the conveyor means at high speeds results in rapid wear and, in addition, extreme precision is required to insure that one signature, and one signature only, is pulled from the queue at a time and to insure that the signature is properly placed in the gripper.
In apparatus of the above type, the queue in the hopper is formed either by manually loading the signatures into the hopper or by automatically loading the hopper. In manually loaded systems, high skill and dexterity are required to establish and replenish a good queue which presents itself for handling in a precise fashion by the conveyor means. Moreover, one person is required to replenish the queues of several lines and thus is required to work with speed as well as accuracy. While automatically loaded systems are less labor intensive, presently available systems require considerable set up time and, in addition, the queues established by such systems are not as precise and reliable as those established by a skilled worker.

Apparatus for feeding signatures to a rotary drum with angularly spaced grippers

c/o SIM Products, R.R. #1, Box 58A, Moccasin Rd.


A device for cleaning surfaces which are soiled in the food industry with grease, starch or protein residues including: a housing body having a first inlet for feeding pressurized water; a propulsion jet positioned behind the inlet and in a direction of flow; a collection jet positioned behind the propulsion jet which is flow connected with a second inlet for feeding a chlorine-free alkaline foam cleaning agent and a third inlet for feeding a hydrogen peroxide solution; and a turbulence chamber into which an elongated jet body of the collection jet extends, the turbulence chamber fitted with a chamber inlet for feeding compressed air into the chamber such that a hydrogen peroxide foam is formed from a solution formed upon dosing an effective amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution into the chlorine-free alkaline foam cleaner at a maximum of 60 seconds prior to contact of the hydrogen peroxide foam with a surface to be cleaned, the turbulence chamber further having a chamber outlet through which the hydrogen peroxide foam leaves the chamber to contact the surface, the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet being fitted in a direction of flow ahead of an outlet orifice of the jet body.

In the food processing industry, in particular in heavily soiled areas, such as slaughterhouses or meat and fish processing industries, tenacious soiling through grease, protein and starch residues is the rule of the day. According to a practical state of the art, for cleaning such stubborn soiling, alkaline cleaning agents containing chlorine are regularly used. Because of the chlorine content of the cleaning agent, combined with an alkaline medium, the grease, starch and protein soiling is dissociated, whereby shorter molecule components are created from molecules with a longer chain, which are then capable of being emulsified by surfactants present in the cleaning agents.
However, the high volumes of waste water created in this way cause severe problems because of their chlorine content. On the one hand, the environmental effect of waste water containing chlorine is not insignificant. On the other hand, if accidentally instead of an alkaline medium an acid medium exists or is created, gaseous chlorine may be generated, creating an occupational hazard. Therefore, the use of oxidising cleaning agents based on chlorine is generally problematic in the said industry areas.
Hence the problem is posed to provide a less ecologically harmful cleaning process, which however, as regards its cleaning properties, is at least equal to processes using cleaning agents containing chlorine, or which exceed the cleaning action of the latter at equal or even lower dosages. A further purpose of the invention is to provide an appropriate device for carrying out the process.

Process and device for cleaning surfaces which are heavily soiled with grease, starch and/or proteins, especially in the food processing industry


An internal combustion engine, in a motor vehicle, has a fuel filter system in a fuel line leading to the internal combustion engine. The operation of this motor vehicle exclusively with fuel of filtered quality is ensured. To this end, a valve is provided inside the fuel line preventing the internal combustion engine from being started when the fuel is unfiltered.

The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine, in particular in a motor vehicle, having a fuel filter system according to the preamble of Patent claim 1.
DE 103 29 199 A1 and DE 103 41 054 A1 disclose internal combustion engines having oil lubricant filters which are provided with two replaceable filter elements, namely a mainstream filter and a side-stream filter in a divisible filter housing. In these filters, means are provided through which this oil lubricant filter can still ensure a reliably functioning engine operation even in the event of an inadvertent omission of the side-stream filter, and this is done by interrupting the side-stream pathway. With these known filter systems, engine operation is not necessarily prevented when the side-stream filter is not present, but instead engine operation is intentionally maintained. An internal combustion engine having such an oil lubricant system can be started without hindrance in particular and then operated further.

Internal combustion engine, especially in a motor vehicle, having a fuel filter system


A CAM device has an HIT flag cell and a word select separation circuit, with data being stored in a plurality of CAM cells. The HIT flag cell then stores whether or not data stored in the CAM and inputted words (data) coincide. The word select separation circuit the detects the lowest address values corresponding to words within coinciding words and then sequentially resets HIT flag cells storing the coinciding of words.

The present invention relates to a Content Addressable Memory (hereinafter referred to simply as "CAM") Device used in information processing devices and communications devices etc.
CAM compares an inputted data string and a stored data string and determines whether or not a coincident (HIT) or analogous data string exists within memory. An address of memory storing a coincident or analogous data string can then be outputted by this CAM.
In order to bring about these functions, individual CAM cells M used in CAM have the configuration of a usual SRAM cell with the addition of a comparing transistor, as in the example configuration shown in FIG. 2.
A CMOS type SRAM cell S is comprised of inverters X1 and X2 with inputs and outputs connected and NMOS transistors M1 and M2. Comparing of information stored within this SRAM and data inputted via a pair of bit lines BL and BL* (which is the signal for BL inverted) is carried out by NMOS transistors M3, M4 and M5.
In the following, a description is given of the basic operation of a CAM cell M using FIG. 2 (hereafter, the character "H" indicates a high level signal and the character "L" indicates a low level signal). The operation of writing data to a CAM cell M is basically the same as the operation for writing to a usual CMOS type SRAM comprising six transistors. When the NMOS transistors M1 and M2 are put on by the word line WL and BL="H" and BL*="L" are inputted to the bit line pair BL and BL*, the right side of the SRAM cell S is set to "H" and the right side is set to "L". These values are also held for the case when bit line pair BL and BL* are both set to "L" and the NMOS transistors M1 and M2 are both turned off. This state is defined as storage data "1". When BL="L" and BL*="H" are inputted, the inverse of this data is saved, with this inverse state being defined as storage data "0 ".
Next, a description is given of a search/compare operation. All of the word lines WL are set to an "L" level, the match lines ML are set to "H" and data is inputted to the search target bit line pair BL and BL*. The search target outer bit line pair BL and BL* are both held at "L" for masking purposes.
When storage data within the SRAM and data inputted at the bit line pair do not coincide using these searched bits, for example, when the storage data is "1", the right side of the SRAM cell S is "H". The gate of the NMOS transistor M4 therefore becomes "H" and the NMOS transistor M4 turns on.
At this time, as the data that does not coincide is "0", the data inputted to the bit line pair BL and BL* is BL="L" and BL*="H". The potential "H" of the bit line BL* is supplied to the gate of the NMOS transistor M5 via the NMOS transistor M4, the NMOS transistor M5 turns on and the potential of the match line ML is pulled down via the NMOS transistor M5.
On the other hand, if the storage data is "0", the non-coinciding data is "1". At this time, the data inputted to the bit line pair BL and BL* is BL="H" and BL*="L" so that the left side of SRAM cell S is "H". The gate of NMOS transistor M3 therefore becomes "H" and the NMOS transistor M3 is put on. The potential "H" of the bit line BL is then supplied to the gate of NMOS transistor M5 via NMOS transistor M3, NMOS transistor M5 goes on and the potential of the match line ML is pulled down via the NMOS transistor M5.
With respect to this, when the storage data within the SRAM cell S and the data inputted to the bit line pair coincide, at the NMOS transistors M3 and M4, the source potential of the NMOS transistor of the side to which "H" is supplied to the gate usually becomes "L" and this NMOS transistor cannot be put on. The NMOS transistor M5 therefore stays off and the potential of the match line ML is held at "H" without the potential of the match line ML being pulled down.
However, as the bit line pair BL and BL* are both "L" for non-search bits, the source side will always become "L" even when "H" is supplied to either of the gates of NMOS transistor M3 and NMOS transistor M4 and the NMOS transistor M5 therefore does not go on. This means that the potential of the match line ML is not pulled down.
As the match line ML is similarly connected to the CAM cells M of all of the bits for the same word, the match line is kept at "H" only when all of the bits not masked with respect to the storage data string and the inputted data string coincide.
Generally, CAM is equipped with a register for storing search result processing circuitry and select signals and a word select separation circuit etc. for selecting one from a plurality of selected words and is capable of outputting a plurality of words for which coincidence has been detected. When coincidence is detected for data within this plurality of words, there is an urgent need for a function for sequentially outputting this word information in the case where CAM is applied to the information processing field.
However, the plurality of select dividing circuits necessary to sequentially output a plurality of word information have to input match lines from all words and when these circuits are configured from basic logic circuitry, the logic depth increases dramatically when compared with the word lines. Operating speed therefore deteriorates and circuit surface area therefore increases.
A CAM is therefore desired where a plurality of word information can be sequentially outputted with circuitry that is small in scale.
Further, a CAM capable of high speed operations even for configurations where there are a large number of words is also desirable.


A system for providing an insurance product for at least one insured customer, including a communication device for receiving at least one application, each application associated with an applicant and including information about the applicant, a processor configured to determine for each application if the applicant qualifies as an insured customer, and a memory configured for storing an account record associated with each insured customer having at least one insured event associated with that insured customer, a benefit amount payable in association with the at least one insured event, an insurance cost, and a cash value based on predetermined account record factors, wherein the processor may define a reserve fund, determine an investment performance associated with the reserve fund during at least one period of time, and calculate a performance credit amount based on the investment performance of the reserve fund and the cash value.

Generally speaking, whole life insurance policies are life insurance policies that remain in force for the insured customer's whole life, provided that the owner of the policy pays the required premiums.
Some types of whole life policies are referred to as "participating" whole life policies. Generally, in a participating whole life policy, the insurance company shares a portion of profits for a particular block of policies with the owner of each policy in that block. Thus, each policyholder "participates" in the performance of their block.
Some participating whole life insurance policies contain guaranteed values that are based on long-term assumptions for factors for each block of policies. For example, factors such as expected investment returns, mortality rates, operating expenses, lapse rates, and tax rates may be used to estimate guaranteed values. If the actual performance for the block of policies is more favorable than the guaranteed values, an operating income is generated (e.g. a "surplus"). Each year, the insurance provider may distribute a portion of the surplus as a "dividend" paid to the policyholders. The remainder of the surplus may be held in the reserve fund to maintain the strength and stability of that block of policies into the future.
In addition, policyholders of participating whole life insurance policies have rights akin to ownership in the insurance company. For example, participating policyholders may have certain voting rights, such as a right to choose a predetermined number of board members.

Apparatus, systems and methods for providing investment performance enhanced life insurance products

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company


A lighting device may include: a plurality of light sources; and a plurality of waveguides; wherein the waveguides each have a light coupling-in surface and a light coupling-out surface; wherein the light coupling-in surfaces are respectively assigned a light-emitting surface of a light source, such that light emitted by the light-emitting surface of the light source impinges on the light coupling-in surface of the waveguide assigned thereto; wherein the light coupling-out surfaces of the waveguides are arranged in a matrix-like manner; wherein the light coupling-in surface of the respective waveguide is smaller than the light-emitting surface of the light source assigned to said waveguide, and a grating-like optical diaphragm having grating cells is provided, which is arranged in the region of the light coupling-in surfaces of the waveguides, such that light coupling-in surfaces belonging to different waveguides are arranged in different grating cells of the grating-like optical diaphragm.

A lighting device of this type is disclosed in EP 1 842 723 B1, for example. Said document describes a lighting device for a vehicle headlight which has a plurality of semiconductor light sources arranged in a matrix-like fashion and a plurality of optical waveguides assigned to the semiconductor light sources.


A scale of a photoelectric encoder includes a base member and gratings on the base member. The gratings can be formed on the surface of the base member by plating and arranged at a prescribed pitch on the base member. The surface of the base member is a roughened surface which is roughened by sandblasting or with a chemical. The gratings are light absorptive gratings or light reflective metal gratings.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a photoelectric encoder scale used in a linear encoder, a rotary encoder, or the like, and a manufacturing method of such a scale.
2. Related Art
For example, a photoelectric encoder has a main scale which extends along a measurement axis and an index scale which is disposed so as to be movable relative to the main scale. The photoelectric encoder is configured in such a manner that a light receiver receives, through the index scale, light that is reflected from the main scale after being emitted from a light source and incident on the main scale through the index scale. Each of the main scale and the index scale is formed with a grating (graduations) at a prescribed pitch. Various methods for forming a grating on each of the main scale and the index scale are known (Patent documents 1-8).
However, in these related-art techniques, the manufacturing cost is very high because a film forming apparatus for grating formation requires a vacuum chamber (Patent documents 1, 2, 5, and 6), it is difficult to form a grating with high accuracy (Patent documents 3, 4, 6, and 8), or the detection accuracy is lowered due to reduction of the reflection light quantity (Patent document 7).

Scale of photoelectric encoder including base member having roughened surface and manufacturing method of scale


A system for partitioning a set of assets, where each asset represents a computer-generated object associated with a computer-generated scene. A dependency graph comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes including an organizer node is accessed. The set of assets identified by an input of a predicate test of the organizer node are accessed. It is determined if the at least one predicate test can be evaluated using the set of assets. If the at least one predicate test can be evaluated, one or more partition assets are identified and passed to a next node. If the at least one predicate test cannot be evaluated, a conservative set of assets is identified and passed to the next node, wherein the conservative set of assets is the same set of assets identified by the input of the predicate test.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to computer-generated animation and, more specifically, to rendering an image of a computer-generated scene using a dependency graph.
2. Related Art
A computer-generated animation image can be created by rendering one or more computer-generated objects to depict a scene in the image. Light sources, materials, textures, and other visual effects can be associated with the computer-generated objects to create a realistic visual appearance for the animation image. A dependency graph can be used to define the relationships between assets (which represent the computer-generated objects) and a variety of visual effects as part of the rendering process. The dependency graph typically includes one or more interconnected nodes associating the assets with one or more visual effects, where a node wire can pass the assets and visual effects from node-to-node for processing. The output of the dependency graph can be used to create a rendered image of the scene.
In a typical implementation, a dependency graph is used to render a scene using a subset of assets that is less than a complete set of assets associated with the scene. For example, some of the objects associated with the scene may be out of the camera's view for a particular rendered scene and, therefore, do not need to be rendered. Because loading assets into memory takes time and resources, it is generally advantageous to only load the subset of assets that are required to render the scene. However, using traditional techniques, the precise subset of assets that are necessary for rendering is not known until all the asset information has been loaded so that the dependency graph can be evaluated. Traditional techniques may result in the loading of assets (including geometry of the computer-generated objects) that are not used, and as a result, consume more computer resources than necessary. It is therefore desirable to create a system for evaluating dependency graphs with less than a complete set of assets associated with a scene.

Conservative partitioning for rendering a computer-generated animation