A light emitting diode (LED) includes a substrate, a first conductive clad layer formed on the substrate, an active layer formed on the first conductive clad layer, a second conductive clad layer formed on the active layer, an alumina (Al2O3) layer formed on the lower surface of the substrate, and an aluminum layer formed on the lower surface of the alumina (Al2O3) layer. The substrate may be removed, and the aluminum layer and the alumina layer are formed directly on the lower surface of the first conductive clad layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting-diode (LED) and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a LED comprising a reflective layer including an aluminum layer and an alumina layer so as to improve photoemissive efficiency, which is easily formed using an anode bonding technique, and a method for manufacturing the LED.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, light emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductor devices made of compounds such as GaAs, AlGaAs, GaN, InGaN, AlGaInP, etc., and are widely used as various light sources in the fields of optical communications and electronic devices.
One of essential factors for determining characteristics of the LED devices is luminance. There have been made many attempts to improve the luminance of LED devices by variously changing their designs.
For example, in order to improve the luminance of LEDs, the LEDs comprise at least one active layer for generating light by recombining electrons with holes. Among these LEDs, a LED comprising active layers, each layer with a thickness of more than 100 Å, is referred to as a multiwell (MW) LED, and a LED comprising active layers, each layer with a thickness of less than approximately 100 Å, is referred to a multiple quantum well (MQW) LED. On the other hand, a LED comprising a single active layer is referred to as a double heterostructure (DH) LED or a single quantum well (SQW) LED. That is, there have been made attempts to improve the luminance of LEDs by adjusting the number and/or the thicknesses of the active layers.
Such conventional techniques have trended toward maximizing light generated by the active layers. However, the aforementioned techniques for improving the luminance of generated light by changing the structure of the active layers create a complicated design of the LED due to increased number of materials, and it is difficult to apply such techniques to a practical process for manufacturing the LED.
In addition to the aforementioned conventional techniques, there has been made an attempt to improve the structure of the LED so as to effectively use light in a uniform quantity, emitted from the active layers.
For example, a reflective layer is formed on the lower surface of a LED, thereby minimizing the amount of light emitted in unnecessary directions, and improving the luminance of light emitted in a desired direction. This technique is embodied by forming a back reflective layer made of a metal with high reflectance such as Al, Ag, or etc., on the lower surface of the LED. FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate one example of the above conventional technique.
With reference to FIGS. 1a, a LED 10 comprises a substrate 2, a n-type first conductive clad layer 4 formed on the substrate 2, an active layer 6 formed on the first conductive clad layer 4, and a p-type second conductive clad layer 8 formed on the active layer 6. Conventionally, the first conductive clad layer 4 is an n-type layer, and the second conductive clad layer 8 is a p-type layer. Since such configuration is general in LEDs, it is also applied to the present invention. However, the first conductive clad layer 4 may be a p-type layer, and the second conductive clad layer 8 may be an n-type layer. Therefore, selectively, the LED may be grown on a p-type substrate or an n-type substrate. Further, in case the clad layer is formed out of a semiconductor material made of a GaN compound, a sapphire substrate may be used.
As shown in FIG. 1a, the n-type clad layer 4 is electrically connected to a n-type Ohmic contact layer 11 formed at an area of the upper surface of the n-type clad layer 4 without the active layer 6 and the p-type clad layer 8 grown thereon (more specifically, an area of the upper surface of the n-type clad layer 4 exposed to the outside by growing the active layer 6 and the p-type clad layer 8 thereon and selectively removing the grown active layer 6 and p-type clad layer 8), and the p-type clad layer 8 is electrically connected to a p-type Ohmic contact layer 13. A reflective layer 15 made of a metal with high reflectance is formed on the lower surface of the substrate 2.
When voltage is applied to the Ohmic contact layers 11 and 13 of the LED 10, electrons from the n-type clad layer 4 and holes from the p-type clad layer 8 are injected into the active layer 6. Then, the electrons and the holes injected into the active layer 6 are recombined with each other, thereby generating light.
FIG. 1b schematically illustrates light emission from the active layer 6. With reference to FIG. 1b, for example, the light generated from a point (P) of the active layer 6 is emitted in an upward direction (a) of the LED 10, i.e., a direction desired by users, and in a downward direction (b) of the LED 10. Herein, the quantities of light emitted in the two directions are nearly the same.
In the LED 10 of FIG. 1b, the light (b) emitted in the downward direction of the LED 10 reaches the reflective layer 15 disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 2, and is reflected by the reflective layer 15 with high reflectance. Then, a certain quantity of the reflected light (b′) is again emitted in the upward direction of the LED 10 due to the high reflectance of the reflective layer 15 and emitted in the upper direction of the LED 10. Therefore, the reflective layer 15 serves to concentrate the light generated from the active layer 6 so as to emit the light in the upward direction of the LED 10, thereby minimizing the unnecessary loss light.
However, the reflective layer 15 as shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b insufficiently improves the photoemissive efficiency of the LED 10. Particularly, since much of the light emitted toward the reflective layer 15 or reflected from the reflective layer 15 is absorbed by the sapphire substrate 2 with a large thickness, the improvement in photoemissive efficiency of the LED 10 by the reflective layer 15 is not great.
Further, the reflective layer 15 is formed by an additional deposition step after manufacturing the LED 10. Therefore, the entire manufacturing process of the LED 10 is complicated and its production cost is increased. Moreover, it is very difficult to form an Al layer or an Ag layer with excellent adhesiveness on the lower surface of the sapphire substrate using a conventional deposition device.
Therefore, there are required a LED comprising a reflective layer having an improved configuration and being easily manufactured, and a method for manufacturing the LED, thereby more effectively increasing the luminance of the LED.

Light emitting diode and method for manufacturing the same


An inspection apparatus includes a light source positioned to direct light to a first surface of a workpiece. An infrared detector is positioned to receive radiation from the first surface. A data acquisition and processing computer is coupled to the light source and the infrared detector. The computer triggers the light source to emit the light a number of instances. The computer acquires thermal data from the infrared detector for a number of times after each of the instances. The computer is configured to process the data using a theoretical solution to analyze the thermal data based upon an average of the thermal data for a number of each of corresponding ones of the times from different ones of the instances.

The invention relates to thermal imaging. More particularly, the invention relates to flash thermal imaging.
Flash thermal imaging inspection methods and apparatus are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,542,849 and 6,712,502 (the '849 and '502 patents respectively, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein as if set forth at length). A basic thermal imaging system includes a light source (e.g., one or more flash lamps) and a detector (e.g., an infrared imaging camera). The source and detector are coupled to a control system to control inspection of a workpiece. After a flash from the source illuminates a surface of the workpiece, the detector is used to obtain a time series of readings or images of light radiated from the surfaces. The decay properties of such radiated light may be used to evaluate the workpiece. Such techniques may be used to evaluate material thickness, the presence of defects in the material, and the like.


Aspects describe enabling two peers that have already paired together under some circumstances to re-identify themselves under different circumstances so that the peers can bypass performing another pairing only to discover that they are already paired. A Bloom filter is constructed from an available pool of locally selected identifiers and is sent to a peer node in a first message. Upon receiving the message with the Bloom filter, peer node checks all its known identifiers. If peer node finds that one of its identifiers is a member of the Bloom filter, peer node sends a reply in order to achieve a mutual identification.

I. Field
The following description relates generally to discovery in communication networks and more particularly to a discovery mechanism between connected peer devices.
II. Background
Wireless communication systems or networks are widely deployed to provide various types of communication; for instance, voice and/or data may be provided through wireless communication systems. A typical wireless communication system, or network, can provide multiple users access to one or more shared resources. For instance, a system may use a variety of multiple access techniques such as Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Code Division Multiplexing (CDM), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), and others.
Wireless communication networks are commonly utilized to communicate information regardless of where a user is located (inside or outside a structure) and whether a user is stationary or moving (e.g., in a vehicle, walking). Generally, wireless communication networks are established through a mobile device communicating with a base station, access point, or access router. The access point covers a geographic range or cell and, as the mobile device is operated, it may be moved in and out of these geographic cells.
Some networks can be constructed utilizing solely peer-to-peer communication without utilizing base stations, access points, or access routers. Such networks are sometimes referred to as ad hoc networks. Communication in such networks may, in some cases, be limited to exchanges between devices that are within direct wireless transmission range of each other, while in other cases multi-hop forwarding between non-adjacent devices may be supported. Various techniques may be used to maintain connectivity and/or forwarding information as the topology of the network changes (e.g., as devices join, leave, or move). Some networks can also be constructed utilizing a combination of both peer-to-peer devices as well as base stations, access points, or access routers.
In large scale mobile wireless networks, particularly a network that includes peer-to-peer communication, a device may frequently come within transmission range of other devices (e.g., the set of potential communication peers over time is large). Some of these other devices might be devices with which a pairing has already been established. However, there may be a subset of other devices with which a pairing has not been previously established. Due to the nature of the pairings, it is difficult for devices to know whether or not a pairing has been established there between. Therefore, in conventional communication systems, a new pairing is automatically established irrespective of whether a previous (unknown) pairing is already available.


A detector for detecting an object that may be feared to or about to be caught by a closing door such as a slide door of a vehicle incorporates a capacitance sensor with a directionality characteristic in the direction of its detection surface. The detector has a main body enclosing detection electrodes, an insulating material placed in between and a shield electrode serving to provide the directionality. A protective cover may cover the shield electrode and the detection electrodes. A water-repellant finish may be provided at least on a portion of the outer surface of the main body including the detection surface for preventing water drops from remaining or becoming larger. A plurality of mutually adjacent protrusions may be formed on the protective cover with thickness decreasing in the direction of protrusion for making it difficult for water drops to remain.

This invention relates to a detector with a capacitance sensor (or capacitive sensor) for detecting an object that may be caught or is likely to be caught by a closing slide door, say, of a vehicle.
Controller systems for a structure adapted to open and close such as an electrically powered slide door of a vehicle are provided with a safety feature for preventing an object such as a person's body from becoming caught thereby. In the case of an automatically closing mechanism adapted to automatically bring the structure (hereinafter referred to as the door) to the fully closed position even after the user stops its operation, this may be done by detecting an object that is caught or likely to be caught and at least stopping the operation of the automatically closing mechanism. The motion of the door may also be reversed.
Prior art detectors used for such a purpose were either for direct detection or for indirect detection. Indirect detection may be made on the basis of operation data of the driver motor such as its angular position and its rotary speed or the driving power. Direct detection may be made by means of a sensor for detecting a human body approaching or coming into contact with an open end portion of the door. Indirect detection has problems in that it is relatively difficult to quickly and reliably detect a caught object at a load as low as possible. Direct detection is superior from the point of view of reliability because an object of detection is directly detected but since a pressure-sensitive switch has been used as a sensor of this type, detection could not be made quickly at a low load. This was because a pressure-sensitive switch comprised a cable, say, of a conductive resin material adapted to function when deformed by a pressure from the target object such that an internal conductive member comes into a contacting position. In other words, the switch can function only after the target object comes into contact with a pressure of a certain magnitude and the function of preventing the object from being caught begins to work only at such point in time.
A sensor for generally detecting an approaching target object without contacting it may be of an optical type, an electromagnetic wave type or a capacitance type. Sensors of the optical type have the problem that the detection area cannot be defined along a curved end portion of a structure such as a door, that is, there result so-called insensitive zones. With a sensor of the electromagnetic type, it is difficult to limit the directionality to the direction of approach to the open end portion of the door and there is a high probability of an erroneous detection. Capacitance-type sensors seem to be superior because they can be easily attached to a curved end part, there is no insensitive part and the directionality can be easily controlled. The present inventors have been examining how to use a capacitance sensor as a detector for an object caught or being caught by a powered slide door, say, of a vehicle.
No prior art example is known to have shown the use of a capacitance sensor for detecting an object caught by a powered slide door of a vehicle. Japanese Patent Publication Tokkai 10-96368 has disclosed a detector using a capacitance sensor for a door of a railroad passenger car. Japanese Patent Publication Tokkai 2001-264448 has disclosed the use of a capacitance sensor for detecting a person caught by a shutter. Japanese Patent Publication Tokkai 2001-318162 has disclosed a pin ball machine sensor with a high sensitivity for detecting a passing pin ball by providing a plurality of pairs of capacitance-providing electrodes and on the basis of differentials of signals corresponding to each capacitance.
According to the studies by the present inventors, however, capacitance sensors as described above cannot be used for a structure such as a door because of the problems of the kinds to be described below if there are water drops such as rain drops.
(A) When the door is at a positive potential, the sensor is likely to function incorrectly, becoming switched on if a body part such as a hand of a person merely approaches the outer side surface of the door while water drops such as rain drops are attached to it.
(B) If water drops become attached to the detection surface of a capacitance sensor over its entire width, the sensor is likely to function incorrectly, becoming switched on because of these water drops. In the case of a sensor with a sectionally U-shaped shield electrode with an opening on the side of the detection surface in order to provide directionality as much as possible only on the side of the detection surface, for example, a detection signal is likely to be incorrectly switched on if water drops become attached so as to span between both its end positions.
(C) If water drops become attached continuously from the door to a portion of the detection surface, an error is likely to result although water drops may not be attached all over the detecting surface.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a capacitance sensor which is not likely to function incorrectly even in an environment where water drops such as rain drops fly around, as well as a reliable detector using such a sensor for detecting an object being caught by a door.

Detector with capacitance sensor for detecting object being caught by door


In one embodiment, an apparatus for reading from a physical storage-device array including a plurality of storage devices. The physical storage-device array has a plurality of sector levels, each sector level containing one sector on each storage device in the array at corresponding addresses on across the storage devices. The apparatus includes: (1) a memory adapted to store two or more profiles, each profile defining (i) a virtual array associated with a selected set of the storage devices and (ii) one or more parameters used for accessing information from the virtual array; (2) a buffer (i) having a first portion and a second portion and (ii) coupled to receive data from the storage devices; and (3) a state machine (i) coupled to the buffer and the memory and (ii) adapted to generate two or more successive pairs of instructions. The first instruction of each pair of instructions (i) is based on one or more parameters of a first profile and (ii) is an instruction to read, into the first portion of the buffer, one sector of data from each storage device of a first virtual array; and the second instruction of each pair of instructions (i) is based on one or more parameters of a second profile and (ii) is an instruction to read, into the second portion of the buffer, one sector of data from each storage device of a second virtual array.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data storage devices, and, in particular, to arrays of disks for storing data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, there are several defined categories of storage schemes that are used in conjunction with a Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks (RAID). Different hardware and software components supplied by different vendors may support one or more of these schemes, which are identified as RAID "levels" having particular specifications, as follows.
RAID level 0 (or "RAID-0") specifies a block-interleaved, striped disk array without fault tolerance and requires a minimum of two drives to implement. In a RAID-0 striped disk arran, the data broken down into blocks, and each block is written to a separate disk drive in the array. Input/output (I/O) performance is greatly improved by spreading the I/O load across a plurality of channels and drives. In RAID-0, optimal performance is achieved when data is striped across multiple controllers with only one drive per controller. RAID-0 involves no parity calculation overhead and is not a "true" RAID because it is not fault-tolerant, i.e., there is no redundancy of data. Thus, the failure of only one drive will result in all of the data in an array being lost. FIG. 1 illustrates the sequence of storing blocks in an exemplary RAID-0 striped disk array, wherein block A is written to the first disk, block B is written to the second disk, block C is written to the third disk, block D is written to the first disk, and so forth.
RAID-1 specifies a disk array with mirroring (redundancy) of data across different physical hard disks. In a RAID-1 array, each block of data on a disk exists in identical form on another disk in the array. For optimal performance, the controller performs two concurrent separate reads per mirrored disk pair and two duplicate writes per mirrored disk pair. RAID-1 requires a minimum of two drives to implement and makes data recovery following a disk failure relatively easy. FIG. 2 illustrates the sequence of storing blocks in an exemplary RAID-1 mirrored disk array, wherein block A is written to the first disk, a copy A′ of block A is written to the second disk, block B is written to the first disk, a copy B′ of block B is written to the second disk, and so forth.
RAID-4 specifies a block-interleaved, dedicated parity-disk array. In RAID-4, each entire block is written onto data disks, and a non-data disk called a parity disk is used to store parity blocks. Each parity block is typically generated by exclusive-OR (XOR) combining data contained in corresponding same-rank blocks on the data disks. To provide write verification, RAID-4 specifies that writes to the parity disk take place for each data block stored on a data disk. To provide read verification, reads from the parity disk take place for each data block that is read from a data disk. RAID-4 requires a minimum of three drives to implement and has a relatively high read-data transaction rate. High efficiency of a RAID-4 array correlates with a low parity-disk/data-disk ratio. RAID-4 exhibits relatively high read-data transaction rates, relatively high aggregate-read-transfer rates, and block-read-transfer rates equal to those of a single disk. Disadvantageously, however, RAID-4 has low write-transaction rates and relatively low write-aggregate-transfer rates. However, data can be rebuilt in the event of disk failure. FIG. 3 illustrates the sequence of storing blocks in an exemplary RAID-4 dedicated-parity disk array, wherein block A is written to the first disk, block B is written to the second disk, and then a parity block is generated by XOR-combining blocks A and B. The parity block pAB for blocks A and B is stored on the third disk. Block C is then written to the first disk, block D is written to the second disk, and so forth.
RAID-5 specifies a block-interleaved, distributed-parity disk array. In RAID-5, each entire data block is written on a data disk, and a parity block for the corresponding data blocks in the same rank is generated. The parity blocks are recorded in locations that are distributed across the disks in the array and are later verified on reads of data blocks. RAID-5 requires a minimum of three drives to implement, exhibits a relatively high read-data-transaction rate, a medium write-data-transaction rate, and relatively good aggregate transfer rates, and individual block data-transfer rates are about the same as those of a single disk. High efficiency of a RAID-5 array correlates with a low parity-disk/data-disk ratio. In RAID-5, disk failure has only a relatively-medium impact on throughput, but rebuilding data is difficult relative to, e.g., RAID-1. FIG. 4 illustrates the sequence of storing blocks in an exemplary RAID-5 distributed-parity disk array, wherein block A is written to the first disk, block B is written to the second disk, and then a parity block is generated by XOR-combining blocks A and B. The parity block pAB for blocks A and B is stored on the third disk. Block C is then written to the fourth disk, block D is written to the fifth disk, and then a parity block is generated by XOR-combining blocks C and D. The parity block pCD for blocks C and D is stored on the first disk. Block E is then written to the second disk, block F is written to the third disk, and so forth.
It is noted that a RAID array can implement multiple nested RAID levels, thereby conforming to the specifications of two or more RAID levels. For example, as shown in the exemplary RAID-1+0 (or "RAID-10") array of FIG. 5, blocks written to the disk array are mirrored and then striped. Block A is written to the first disk, a copy A′ of block A is written to the second disk, block B is written to the third disk, a copy B′ of block B is written to the fourth disk, block C is written to the first disk, a copy C′ of block C is written to the second disk, block D is written to the third disk, a copy D′ of block D is written to the fourth disk, and so forth.
Alternatively, as shown in the exemplary RAID-0+1 array of FIG. 6, blocks written to the disk array are striped and then mirrored. Block A is written to the first disk, block B is written to the second disk, a copy A′ of block A is written to the third disk, a copy B′ of block B is written to the fourth disk, block C is written to the first disk, a copy C′ of block C is written to the second disk, and so forth.
Other combinations of RAID-array levels and arrays having different numbers of disk drives per array are possible, and other RAID configurations and levels exist (e.g., RAID-6 and RAID-50), although not specifically mentioned or discussed herein.
As discussed above, RAID levels 1, 4, and 5 support redundancy, i.e., if any one drive fails, the data for the failed drive can be reconstructed from the remaining drives. If such a RAID array is operating with a single drive identified as failed, it is said to be operating in a degraded mode. RAID-1 and RAID-4/RAID-5 provide redundancy of data using different methods. RAID-1 provides data redundancy by mirroring, i.e., maintaining multiple complete copies of the data in a volume. Data being written to a mirrored volume is reflected in all copies, such that, if a portion of a mirrored volume fails, the system continues to use the other copies of the data. RAID-5 provides data redundancy by using the stored parity information, which is used to reconstruct data after a failure. Since parity information is calculated by performing a known XOR procedure on data being written to a RAID-5 volume, if a portion of a RAID-5 volume fails, the data that was on that portion of the failed volume can be recreated by calculating the correct data using the remaining data and parity information.
Conventional RAID arrays suffer from a number of disadvantages, including the following.
RAID arrays typically use either (i) fixed-hardware implementations that permit a group of drives to appear as one or (ii) software implementations that use the host computer's CPU to perform RAID operations. Disadvantageously, such traditional hardware implementations are inflexible, and such software implementations use processor and memory overhead. Moreover, neither permits a single set of physical drives to be used in more than one configuration at a time.
In conventional RAID arrays, during write operations, one sector of data at a time is sent to various physical disks in the array, and such transfer of data is typically managed by software running on the host computer, which calculates and provides addresses on these physical disks at which the data will be written. Thus, memory and processor resources of the host computer must be used.
Moreover, in such arrays, a disk controller communicates directly with physical disks in the array. When writing to the disks, the controller must wait for the physical disk to be ready for the write operation, or software buffering by the host computer must be performed.
Additionally, during read and write operations in a conventional RAID array, one entire stripe is buffered at a time and stored (typically in memory on the host computer) so that parity calculations can be made, thereby requiring substantial processor and memory resources for this cumbersome storage and calculation process.
In conventional RAID arrays, an entire RAID array is unavailable for reading and writing while a volume is being reconstructed, and reconstruction typically involves running software on a host computer while all of the drives of the array are taken offline.
Another limiting aspect of conventional RAID arrays is that a user can define only a single profile defining parameters for the set of physical disk drives (or other storage devices) in the array. Such arrays store and retrieve data block-by-block, and the block size for an array is typically determined in the profile from the outset, before any data is ever written to the drives. This block size does not change after storage to the disks has begun.
Also in the profile, traditional arrays identify disk drives as physical drives in the order in which they are stored in the array's physical drive bays (i.e., slot 0, slot 1, slot 2). The order of drives can be changed only by physically removing, exchanging, or inserting drives within the drive bays. Drives can be added to a RAID array only when they are physically present in the array, and when drives are removed from the array, no configuration information for these drives is stored. Also, drive partitioning cannot be adjusted and resized on an ad-hoc basis, but, as with block size, this can only be done before the first data is ever written to the disks.
The drives in conventional RAID arrays are limited to a single file system, and there is no way for different portions of the same physical disk array to be used concurrently, except as part of one of the RAID-level schemes (e.g., mirroring or striping), as discussed above.
Excess capacity on disk drives in a physical disk drive array cannot be used when integrating physical drives of varying sizes into traditional RAID arrays, and all drives in the array are limited to using only the amount of storage available on the smallest-sized drive in the array. For example, in a traditional RAID array containing three 40 GB drives, if a fourth drive of 120 GB drive is added, only 40 GB of the fourth drive can be used.

Ping-pong state machine for storage-device array


A device for sensing the rotation of a member rotating about an axis XX′ comprises m proximity sensors situated in a plane perpendicular to the axis XX′ and in m radial directions, m being an integer greater than or equal to 2. A mark fastened to the rotary member and eccentric to the axis XX′ modifies the amplitude response of the proximity sensors when the rotary member rotates. An excitation circuit excites the proximity sensors, each sensor supplying an excitation response when it is excited. The amplitude of the excitation response of each of the sensors is compared with a comparison threshold value during a time period referred to as an observation window to supply a logic level 1 or 0 according to whether the response amplitude is greater than or less than the comparison threshold value. The movement of the mark past one of the sensors is identified as a function of the value 0 or 1 of said logic level. The comparison threshold value or the observation window characteristic of a sensor L0, L1 is reset by means of successive iterations using the value 0 or 1 of the logic level when the mark cannot be at the location of the sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for sensing a rotary member such as a water meter turbine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most water meters comprise a mechanically driven totalizator, i.e. the rotation of the turbine drives index rollers of the meter via a mechanical and/or magnetic transmission.
It is also known in the art to sense rotation of the turbine using a proximity sensor facing a rotary member fastened to the turbine and adapted to sense the passage of an eccentric mark on the rotary member. The proximity sensor may use an inductive process, for example, in which case the mark consists of a material whose magnetic and/or electrical characteristics differ from those of the remainder of the rotary member. FIG. 1 illustrates this kind of sensing. The rotary assembly consists of a turbine 1 of a flowmeter, not shown, and a disk 2 fastened to the turbine 1. When a fluid such as water flows, the turbine 1 and the disk 2 rotate about an axis XX′. The rotation speed of the rotary member is directly related to the instantaneous flowrate of the fluid. Two proximity sensors L0 and L1 in a plane P perpendicular to the axis XX′ and in two radial directions relative to the axis XX′ are sensitive to the proximity of a mark 5 that is fastened to the disk 2 and eccentric to the rotation axis XX′. It follows that when the rotary member rotates, the response of the proximity sensors L0 and L1 varies as a function of the position of the mark 5. For example, the two proximity sensors L0 and L1 are magnetic coils shunted by capacitors, thereby forming two oscillatory circuits disposed in two opposite radial directions. The disk 2 is made of a non-metallic material such as a molded plastic and the mark 5 is a metallized radial sector of the disk.
A sensing system of the above kind gives rise to certain problems, however, because it has a series of parameters that vary as a function of time. For example, for a water meter integrated into a calorimeter, these parameters include the temperature of the water, which may cause the characteristics of the sensor to vary, the supply voltage of the sensing circuit, especially in the case of a battery power supply, and the varying distance between the proximity sensor and the rotary member resulting from the turbine lifting off at high speeds. There is also a series of parameters that vary from one sensor to another and are difficult and costly to control in the context of mass production; for example, for an inductive sensor, these parameters include in particular values of the coil and of its quality coefficient, which leads to the need to sort the sensors or to calibrate each sensor.
One prior art solution to the problems referred to above is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,989. The rotation sensing device described in that document comprises at least two proximity sensors adapted to sense the passage of a mark fastened to the rotary member. The device analyzes the evolution of the signal delivered by a first sensor. As soon as the mark has been sensed by the sensor, the number of turns index is incremented and the second sensor is selected, deselecting the first sensor that has just sensed the mark; the parameters for analyzing the evolution of the signals from the second sensor are then reset; there is obtained in this way an adaptive system that avoids problems associated with variation of the parameters.
The use of a solution of the above kind gives rise to certain problems, however.
This is because the device of this solution uses a complex electronic circuit, resulting not only in a relatively long processing time but also in high power consumption.

Device for sensing a rotary member such as a water meter turbine


The present invention is a method for the preparation of electrostatographic toner including the following steps. A first dispersion is prepared with a solvent, a silicone wax, and a hyperdispersant. The first dispersion is added to an organic solvent containing a polymer material to form an organic phase. The organic phase is dispersed in an aqueous phase containing a particulate stabilizer to form a second dispersion. The second dispersion is homogenized. The organic solvent is evaporated from the second dispersion and the resultant product is recovered, washed and dried. In an alternate method the hyperdispersant is added directly to the organic phase before mixing with the aqueous phase.

Electrostatic toner polymer particles can be prepared by a process frequently referred to as "limited coalescence." In this process, polymer particles having a narrow size distribution are obtained by forming a solution of a polymer in a solvent that is immiscible with water, dispersing the solution so formed in an aqueous medium containing a solid colloidal stabilizer and removing the solvent by evaporation. The resultant particles are then isolated, washed and dried.
In the practice of this technique, toner particles are prepared from any type of polymer that is soluble in a solvent that is immiscible with water. Thus, the size and size distribution of the resulting particles can be predetermined and controlled by the relative quantities of the particular polymer employed, the solvent, the quantity and size of the water insoluble solid particulate suspension stabilizer, typically silica or latex, and the size to which the solvent-polymer droplets are reduced by agitation.
Limited coalescence techniques of this type have been described in numerous patents pertaining to the preparation of electrostatic toner particles because such techniques typically result in the formation of toner particles having a substantially uniform size distribution. Representative limited coalescence processes employed in toner preparation are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,833,060 and 4,965,131 to Nair et al.
As with other emulsion related techniques, toner particles prepared with the limited coalescence process generally tend to be spherical in shape. On the other hand, conventional toners produced with the pulverizing technique, or commonly referred to as "ground toners," are of irregular surface morphology. There have been efforts to manufacture irregular shaped toner particles with the limited coalescence process. U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,151 is representative of earlier work in this field and describes the use of carnauba wax to achieve similar toner morphology. The method comprises the steps of dissolving carnauba wax in ethyl acetate heated to a temperature of at least 75° C. and cooling the solution, so resulting in the precipitation of the wax in the form of very fine needles a few microns in length; recovering the wax needles and mixing them with a polymer material, a solvent and optionally a pigment and a charge control agent to form an organic phase; dispersing the organic phase in an aqueous phase comprising a particulate stabilizer and homogenizing the mixture; evaporating the solvent and washing and drying the resultant product.
Unfortunately, this technique requires the use of elevated temperature to dissolve the wax in the solvent and cooling the solution to precipitate the wax. The wax does not stay in solution of ethyl acetate at ambient temperature and as a result it is very difficult to scale up using this methodology.
The shapes of the toner particles are important to the performance of an electrostatic toner such as transfer and cleaning properties. Thus, for example, the transfer and cleaning efficiency of toner particles have been found to improve as the sphericity of the particles are reduced. Thus far, workers in the art have long sought to modify the shape of the evaporative limited coalescence type toner particles by means other than the choice of pigment, binder, or charge agent. The shape of the toner particles is modified to enhance the cleaning and transfer properties of the toner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,702 discloses a method of employing commercially available SOLSPERSE hyperdispersants, such as SOLSPERSE 24000 or 20000, in the organic phase in the evaporative limited coalescence process. Toner particles of controlled morphology can be obtained.
However, it is now found that the use of these hyperdispersants may lead to toner particles of unstable charge. Particularly, when negative charging is desired, toner particles obtained using SOLSPERSE 24000 as the shape control agent some times exhibit positive or erratic tribo-charging. Unpredictable and unstable charging behavior of a toner is unacceptable in electrophotography using dry toner powder, where a uniform and stable charge of the toner particles is required. The use of SOLSPERSE hyperdispersant as shape control agents for electrostatic toner manufacture is not practical without other inventions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,380,297 describes the use of commercially available surfactants in controlling toner shape. These shape-modifying agents are used after the homogenization step, and therefore an additional step of introducing these agents to the homogenized emulsion is necessary.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,921 to Wilson et al. describes the use of quaternary ammonium tetraphenylborate salts and a polymeric phosphonium salt for controlling morphology of the toner particles. These polymeric materials generally yield irregularly shaped toner particles while maintaining acceptable charging behavior.
On the other hand, the incorporation of release agents, such as wax materials, has been employed in the art for oil-less fusing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,894 discloses the use of a silicone wax as release agent in an electrostatic toner.
It is now discovered unexpectedly by the present inventors that the combination of SOLSPERSE hyperdispersants and a commercial silicone wax can lead to toner particles with stable negative charging behavior. The silicone wax also functions as a release agent, enabling the toner to be used in oil-less fusing electrographic applications.

Silicone wax-containing toner particles with controlled morphology


A removable device for melting and preventing the accumulation of ice and snow on walkway and driveways is disclosed. The apparatus includes a series of interconnected pads of various lengths and widths which are heated to a temperature which is sufficient to prevent the accumulation of ice and snow.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to an apparatus for melting snow and ice. More particularly, it relates to a removable device for preventing the accumulation of snow and ice on walkways and driveways by heating means.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heating elements have been used in the past to warm walkways and driving surfaces to prevent the accumulation of snow and ice. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,231,251, 2,844,696, 2,912,555, 3,047,701, 3,418,448, 3,812,320, 4,646,818, 4,967,057, 5,003,157, 5,380,988 and 5,591,365 disclose various devices useful in preventing the accumulation of snow and ice on walkways and driving surfaces. In general, these devices are relatively portable and are storable when not in use. U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,179 discloses a device which is a more permanent structure which can be flush with the ground surface to reduce the possibility of breakage of the inside heat generating elements.
However, all of these prior art devices have various shortcomings. For example, devices such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,591,365, 5,003,157 and 2,231,251 require the use of large quantities of electrical energy to heat and maintain a temperature sufficient to melt a relatively small surface area of ice and snow. The device disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 2,844,696 discloses a design which is impractical for exterior use and poses safety concerns including a potential shock hazard and short circuiting of the device, if it becomes submerged in melted snow and ice.
In addition, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,818, which is made up of individual tubes, is impractical for vehicular traffic. If enough weight is placed on one or more of the individual tubes, fluid flow is greatly diminished, if not completely blocked from a particular section of the device which allows the accumulation of ice and snow on the affected section. Further, the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,912,555, 3,418,448 and 5,380,988 are made up of rigid panels which restrict their usefulness to flat even surfaces and make movement and storage difficult.
Thus, what is needed then is an apparatus for melting and preventing the accumulation of snow and ice on walkways and driveways which is energy efficient, easily removable, storable when not in use and overcomes the problems associated with tube failure due to the weight of vehicular traffic or otherwise.
In view of the prior art as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the apparatus could be provided.


The present invention relates to an analyzing device provided with: a light-measuring mechanism (6) that includes a light-emitting unit for emitting light onto a test tool (7) to analyze a sample and a light-receiving unit for receiving reflection light from the test tool (7); and a detecting mechanism (4) for detecting whether or not the test tool exists in a target area, the mechanism including a light-emitting unit for emitting light onto the test tool (7) and a light-receiving unit for receiving reflection light from the test tool (7). In the light-measuring mechanism (6), the light-emitting unit and light-receiving unit are disposed such that the light emission axis of the light-emitting unit and the light reception axis of the light-receiving unit are parallel or substantially parallel to each other. The detecting mechanism (4) is arranged such that the one or more light-receiving units selectively receive regularly-reflected light from the test tool (7) among the light emitted from the light-emitting unit.

For analyzing a specific component contained in a sample, use may be made of an optical method. An example of such is one that utilizes a color reaction occurring in a test tool. In this kind of analysis, the degree of coloration occurring on the test tool may be checked with eyes. However, when the concentration of a specific component is analyzed quantitatively, an appropriate analyzing device is used.
Some analyzing devices are designed to begin automatic measurement for the amount of specific component after a test tool has been set in the device. Such an analyzing device, as shown in FIG. 17, includes a light source 992 for irradiating a reagent pad 991 of the test tool 990, and a light-receiving unit 993 for receiving the scattered light from the reagent pad 991, whereby analysis of the sample is performed on the basis of the quantity of light received by the light-receiving unit 993 (see JP-A-H09-145613, for example).
In the illustrated example, the test tool 990 is irradiated directly with the light from the light source 992, and the scattered light from the test tool 990 is received directly in the light-receiving unit 993. Hence, for the scattered light from the test tool 990 to be received, the light source 992 and the light-receiving unit 993 need be disposed such that the light reception axis S2 of the light-receiving unit 993 is inclined relative to the light emission axis S1 of the light source 992. Accordingly, the distance between the light source 992 and the light-receiving unit 993 tends to be large, thereby making it difficult to reduce the size of a light-measuring mechanism employing the above method, and hence the size of the analyzing device incorporating the light-measuring mechanism. Moreover, since scattered light is received, the quantity of light received in the light-receiving unit 993 is small. Unfavorably, this increases the likelihood of measurement errors.
Meanwhile, for an analyzing device to perform automatic quantity measurement, the analyzing device needs to recognize that a test tool has been supplied. Typically, such recognition of a test tool is automatically performed in the analyzing device, though it is also possible to arrange that the recognition is initiated by the user operating an operation switch on the device.
Typically, the automatic recognition (detection) of the test tool in the analyzing device is attained through a light sensor. An example of such a light sensor, shown in FIG. 18, uses scattered light from a test tool 994. In the illustrated example, the light source 995 emits light toward a target site in which the test tool 994 is to be placed. When scattered light from the target site is received by the light-receiving unit 996, it is determined that the test tool 994 is placed in the target site.
However, with the above detection method, reflection light is received in the light-receiving unit 996 not only when the test tool 994 is placed in the target site, but also when the user's hand passes over the target site or the test tool 994 is brought above the target site. In such cases, the analyzing device may erroneously recognize that the test tool 994 has been properly set in the target site, and begin an analysis operation.

Light sensor, and detecting mechanism and light-measuring mechanism in analyzing device


A sample handling device for a laboratory automation system comprising a first carousel with a disc supported on a first axis, a second carousel with a disc supported on a second axis parallel to the first axis, and a transfer element between the first and second carousels is presented. Each disc has recesses distributed radially about the disc perimeter. Each recess receives a tube carrier. The first carousel and the second carousel connect via a passage for transferring sample tube carriers between the first and second carousels. The transfer element is a track switch which when in a rest position partly closes the passage to separate the first carousel from the second carousel. The track switch is swiveled and/or rotated about a third axis parallel to the first axis out of the rest position for transferring a tube carrier from the first carousel to the second carousel via the passage.

The present disclosure generally relates to a sample handling device for use in a laboratory automation system and further relates to a laboratory automation system comprising a sample handling device.
A laboratory automation system comprises a number of pre-analytical, analytical and/or post-analytical stations, in which samples, for example blood, saliva, swab, urine and other specimens taken from the human body, are processed. It is generally known to provide sample tubes containing the samples. The sample tubes are also referred to as test tubes. For processing of the sample, the sample tubes are distributed to designated stations or operating positions of the laboratory automation system.
Several sample tubes can be placed in so-called racks for a handling. In an alternative distribution system, sample tubes are placed in an upright or vertical position in so called pucks having a retaining area for retaining one single sample tube.
There is a need for a sample handling device allowing for a precise positioning of sample tubes, which is simple in construction and robust and flexible in operation.


The application discloses a process for the manufacture of mechanically-stable, readily-disintegratable tablets made of small preformed, preferably rounded, particles or pellets containing a high percentage of active ingredient in which--prior to compression--the particles are coated with an aqueous or aqueous/organic suspension containing water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol having an ester content of 19.4 to 6.7%, a disintegrant, and finely-divided cellulose, the remainder being excipients such as additional colloids, adjuvants, dyes, and/or flavors and the suspending liquid, and dried, the stable but readily-friable tablet product thus-produced, and a method of delivering an active ingredient by the employment of such a tablet for oral ingestion.

Various methods have been described for the manufacture of pharmaceutical compositions which continuously release the pharmaceutical ingredients over an extended period of time. One such method is to prepare a mixture of the active ingredient and a suitable, physiologically-acceptable vehicle such as, for example, a water-insoluble colloid with which water-soluble or water-swellable colloids may be admixed, and to extrude the admixture in strands of 0.5 to 3 mm in diameter, dividing these strands into 1 to 3 mm-long cylindrical particles. A second method is to soak or coat a physiologically-suitable vehicle in the form of pellets or particles with the active ingredient.
It has however been found that, when compressing such pharmaceutical-containing particles or pellets into tablets, unexpected difficulties arise. When compressed at a relatively low pressure, the tablets, when exposed to liquid, readily disintegrate into the individual components thereof, but exhibit only low mechanical stability and abrasion resistance, which may result in damage during further preparation for market, such as during filling into blister packs or transportation in other containers. On the contrary, when higher pressures are employed during the compression process, mechanically-stable tablets are obtained which exhibit considerably-retarded disintegration characteristics, so that the pharmacokinetic properties of the tablets differ substantially from those of the individual particles.

Mechanically-stable, readily-disintegratable tablets made of small preformed particles containing active ingredients


A first sales pitch appropriate for a particular telephone caller of a telephone call center may be selected by receiving a call from a caller to the telephone call center, accessing information about the caller including an indication of past misbehavior or a sales pitch preference of the caller that includes a preference not to receive one or more undesired sales pitches, and automatically selecting the first sales pitch based upon the sales pitch preference of the caller, for example, if there is no indication of past misbehavior. The call may be transferred to a human operator, and the human operator may be assisted in presenting the first sales pitch to the caller, for example, by displaying at least a portion of the first sales pitch to the human operator.

Advances in information technology have enhanced the ability of organizations to effectively offer services through telephone call centers. At the same time, the volume of individuals wishing to interact with various organizations has motivated those organizations to channel incoming calls through new or expanded telephone call centers. As a result, the number of incoming calls seeking information or assistance from telephone call centers has increased significantly. These incoming calls represent a financial opportunity on which the telephone call centers of many organizations strive to capitalize by marketing various services and products to their callers during incoming calls.


An apparatus comprises a flexible membrane for use with a carrier head of a substrate chemical mechanical polishing apparatus. The membrane comprises an outer surface providing a substrate receiving surface, wherein the outer surface has a central portion and an edge portion surrounding the central portion, wherein the central portion has a first surface roughness and the edge portion has a second surface roughness, the first surface roughness being greater than the second surface roughness.

This invention relates to chemical mechanical polishing, and more particularly to a flexible membrane for use a carrier head for chemical mechanical polishing.
Integrated circuits are typically formed on substrates, particularly silicon wafers, by the sequential deposition of conductive, semiconductive or insulative layers. After each layer is deposited, it is etched to create circuitry features. As a series of layers are sequentially deposited and etched, the outer or uppermost surface of the substrate, i.e., the exposed surface of the substrate, becomes increasingly nonplanar. This nonplanar surface can present problems in the photolithographic steps of the integrated circuit fabrication process. Therefore, there is a need to periodically planarize the substrate surface. In addition, planarization is needed when polishing back a filler layer, e.g., when filling trenches in a dielectric layer with metal.
Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is one accepted method of planarization. This planarization method typically requires that the substrate be mounted on a carrier or polishing head. The exposed surface of the substrate is placed against a polishing pad, such as circular pad or linear belt, that moves relative to the substrate. The carrier head provides a controllable load on the substrate to push it against the polishing pad. Some carrier heads include a flexible membrane that provides a mounting surface for the substrate, and a retaining ring to hold the substrate beneath the mounting surface. Pressurization or evacuation of a chamber behind the flexible membrane controls the load on the substrate. A polishing liquid, such as a slurry with abrasive particles, is supplied to the surface of the polishing pad.
A reoccurring problem in CMP is non-uniform polishing, i.e., variation in the polishing rate across the substrate surface. For example, polishing may thoroughly remove conductive material in some areas while leaving conductive material residue in other areas.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Carrier head membrane with regions of different roughness


A flat panel display is provided. The flat panel display includes a cathode panel in which a plurality of electron emission areas are provided on a support, and an anode panel in which a plurality of phosphor areas and an anode electrode are provided on a substrate. The cathode panel and the anode panel are joined together at their periphery by a joining member. The anode electrode includes an anode electrode central section covering the phosphor areas, and an anode electrode peripheral section surrounding the anode electrode central section and extending from the anode electrode central section and being provided in contact with the substrate. The average thickness of the anode electrode peripheral section is smaller than the average thickness of the anode electrode central section.

The present disclosure relates to a flat panel display, a method of manufacturing an anode panel for the flat panel display, and a method of manufacturing a cathode panel for the flat panel display.
Various flat panel types of displays have been investigated as image displays to be replaced with cathode ray tubes (CRTs) which are currently mainstream. Typical examples of flat panel displays are liquid crystal displays (LCDs), electroluminescence displays (ELDs) and plasma displays (PDPs). Development of flat panel displays in which a cathode panel provided with electron emitters is also proceeding. Known examples of the electron emitters are cold cathode field emitters, metal/insulator/metal devices (also called MIM devices), and surface-conduction electron emitters, and flat panel displays of the type in which a cathode panel provided with electron emitters made of such a cold cathode electron source is incorporated are attracting attention from the viewpoints of color display of high resolution and high luminance and low power consumption.
A cold cathode field emission display (hereafter referred to also simply as the display) which is a flat panel display in which cold cathode field emitters are incorporated as its field emitters generally has a construction in which a cathode panel CP provided with a plurality of cold cathode field emitters (hereinafter referred to also simply as the field emitters) and an anode panel AP having phosphor areas which are excited to emit light by colliding with electrons emitted from the electron emitters are arranged in opposition to each other across a space maintained in high vacuum, and the cathode panel CP and the anode panel AP are joined together at their periphery by a joining member. The cathode panel CP has electron emission areas corresponding to individual subpixels arranged in a two-dimensional pixel, and each of the electron emission areas is provided with one or a plurality of field emitters. Typical examples of field emitters are Spindt types, flat types, edge types, plane types and the like.
FIG. 20 shows a schematic end view, in fragmentary cross section, of a display having Spindt field emitters by way of example, and FIG. 22 shows a schematic exploded view, in fragmentary perspective, of the cathode panel CP and the anode panel AP. Each of the Spindt electron emitters which constitutes the display includes a cathode electrode 11 formed on a support 10, an insulation layer 12 formed on the support 10 and the cathode electrode 11, a gate electrode 13 formed on the insulation layer 12, an opening section 14 provided to extend through the gate electrode 13 and the insulation layer 12 (a first opening section 14A provided in the gate electrode 13 and a second opening section 14B provided in the insulation layer 12), and a conical electron emission section 15 formed on the section of the cathode electrode 11 that is positioned at the bottom of the opening section 14.
FIG. 21 shows a schematic end view, in fragmentary cross section, of a display having so-called flat electron emitters each having an approximately flat electron emission section 15A. Each of the flat electron emitters includes the cathode electrode 11 formed on the support 10, the insulation layer 12 formed on the support 10 and the cathode electrode 11, the gate electrode 13 formed on the insulation layer 12, the opening section 14 provided to extend through the gate electrode 13 and the insulation layer 12 (the first opening section 14A provided in the gate electrode 13 and the second opening section 14B provided in the insulation layer 12), and an electron emission section 15A formed on the section of the cathode electrode 11 that is positioned at the bottom of the opening section 14. The electron emission section 15A is made of, for example, a multiplicity of carbon nanotubes partially embedded in the matrix.
An interlayer insulation layer 16 is provided over the insulation layer 12 and the gate electrode 13, and an opening section (a third opening section 14C) which communicates with the first opening section 14A provided in the gate electrode 13 is provided in the interlayer insulation layer 16, and a focusing electrode 317 is provided to extend from the top surface of the interlayer insulation layer 16 to the side walls of the third opening section 14C. In FIGS. 21 and 22, the illustration of the interlayer insulation layer and the focusing electrode is omitted.
In each of the displays, the cathode electrode 11 has a strip-like shape extending in a first direction (in each of FIGS. 20, 21 and 22, the X direction), while the gate electrode 13 has a strip-like shape extending in a second direction (in each of FIGS. 20, 21 and 22, the Y direction) different from the first direction (the X direction). In general, the cathode electrode 11 and the gate electrode 13 are respectively formed in the strip-like shapes in the directions in which projected images of the cathode and gate electrodes 11 and 13 are orthogonal to each other. An area in which one strip-shaped cathode electrode 11 and one strip-shaped gate electrode 13 overlap each other is an electron emission area EA, which corresponds to one subpixel. The electron emission areas EA are generally arranged in a two-dimensional matrix with an effective area of the cathode panel CP. The effective area is a central display area serving as a display function which is a practical function of the flat panel display, and an ineffective area is positioned outside the effective area and surrounds the effective area in a frame-like manner.
The anode panel AP has a structure in which phosphor areas 22 (specifically, red light emitting phosphor areas 22R, green light emitting phosphor areas 22G, and blue light emitting phosphor areas 22B) are formed on a substrate 20 in a predetermined pattern and the phosphor areas 22 are covered with an anode electrode 324. A light absorption layer (a black matrix) 23 made of a light absorption material such as carbon is formed between each of the phosphor areas 22 in order to prevent occurrence of color haze and optical crosstalk in display images. Each of the phosphor areas 22 which constitutes one subpixel is surrounded by a partition wall 21, and the planar shape of the partition wall 21 is a grate-like shape (a double-cross shape). In FIG. 20, reference numeral 40 denotes a spacer, reference numeral 25 denotes a spacer holding section, and reference numeral 26 denotes a joining member. In FIGS. 21 and 22, the illustration of the partition wall, the spacer and the spacer holding section is omitted.
One subpixel is made of one electron emission area EA provided on the cathode panel CP and one phosphor area 22 provided on the anode panel AP opposed to (facing) the electron emission area EA. In the effective area, such pixels are arranged on the order of, for example, several hundred thousand to several million. In a color display, one pixel is made of a set of a red light emitting subpixel, a green light emitting subpixel and a blue light emitting subpixel. During the fabrication of the display, the anode panel AP and the cathode panel CP are arranged so that the respective phosphor areas 22 are opposed to the electron emission areas EA, and the anode panel AP and the cathode panel CP are joined together at their periphery by the joining member 26 and the space therebetween is evacuated and sealed, thereby fabricating the display. The space surrounded by the anode panel AP, the cathode panel CP and the joining member 26 is held under high vacuum (for example, not higher than 1×10−3 Pa).
The presence of a foreign substance in the inside (space) of such a display is known as the cause of lowering the withstand voltage characteristics of the display to a significant extent. Measures against external foreign substances can be taken by means of manufacturing methods, manufacturing environments and the like all of which can prevent penetration of foreign substances into the display during the manufacturing process thereof.
However, in a heat treatment step of the manufacturing process of the display, there is a case where a kind of projection such as whiskers and/or hillocks is produced in the anode electrode 324 or the focusing electrode 317 made of aluminum. Incidentally, needle-shaped projections are called whiskers, and lump-shaped projections are called hillocks. Such projections in some cases become a cause of discharge when voltage is applied during the actual operation of the display. In addition, some of the projections are peeled by electrostatic force due to electric fields generated by voltage applied during the actual operation of the display, and become a foreign substance which is the cause of lowering the withstand voltage characteristics of the display to a significant extent.
It is believed that whiskers and hillocks are produced by compressive stresses due to the difference in thermal expansion between the anode electrode 324 or the focusing electrode 317 made of aluminum and the underlying base during a heat treatment step in the manufacturing process of the display. However, techniques for restraining the occurrence of whiskers and hillocks in the anode electrode 324 and the focusing electrode 317 have not yet been known.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication Number 2003-31150 discloses the technique of restraining generation of discharge by covering an anode electrode with oxide film or nitride film. However, this patent application publication does not include any description of the occurrence of whiskers and hillocks.

Flat panel display, method of manufacturing anode panel for the flat panel display, and method of manufacturing cathode panel for the flat panel display


A keypad assembly used in a portable electronic device (100) includes at least one key button (40) and at least one fixing member (30). Each key button is slidingly received in a receiving hole (26) defined in a cover (20) of the portable electronic device. The at least one fixing member is fixed on the cover. Each fixing member includes at least one latching portion (34) and a plurality of curved portions (32). Each latching portion connects with the curved/bias portions. Each latching portion firmly connects with at least one key button. The corresponding latching portion of the fixing member is configured for selectably pressing into a chosen switch (12) in the portable electronic device, so as to form/prompt an electronic signal when the key button is given an appropriate horizontal force to initiate such contact with a given switch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to keypad assemblies and, particularly, to a keypad assembly used in an electronic device and to a portable electronic device, using the same.
2. Description of Related Art
With the development of wireless communication and information processing technologies, portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), are now in widespread use. Such electronic devices allow consumers to enjoy high technology services, almost anytime and anywhere. A keypad assembly as an input terminal has been an indispensable member of a portable electronic device.
A typical keypad assembly being used in a portable electronic device includes a printed circuit board therein. Several fixed contact points are formed on the printed circuit board, and several dome switches are respectively disposed above the fixed contact points. The keypad usually includes a plurality of key buttons and a soft rubber base. The key buttons are fixed on the rubber base by adhesive. The rubber base is set above the printed circuit board, while the key buttons respectively correspond to the switches. In use, a key button is pressed down, and the rubber base is deformed accordingly. The rubber base presses a corresponding switch to touch a fixed contact point, so that an electronic signal is formed/generated. When the key button is released, it returns to its original state due to the elasticity of the rubber base.
Since miniaturization of the portable electronic device is desired, the space for fixing the keypad is limited. Therefore, the number of key buttons of the portable electronic device is also limited. In order to overcome this problem, each key button is desired to correspond to several operating functions, via, e.g., the pressing of particular key combinations and/or pressing the same key multiple times. However, the functions of the portable electronic device have increased dramatically, and each key button of the typical keypad assembly only corresponds to a dome switch. Therefore, the key button might need to be pressed several times to carry out a certain function, which brings inconvenience to the users. In addition, the elasticity of the rubber base gives the dome switch a poor tactile feel.
Therefore, a new keypad assembly is desired in order to overcome the above-described problems.

Keypad assembly and portable electronic device using same

Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd.


There is disclosed a hard disk drive and a method of controlling a flying height of a magnetic head of the hard disk drive. A method of controlling a flying height of the magnetic head in a hard disk drive according to an embodiment of the present invention may include (a) providing a FOD sensitivity through a FOD test; (b) reading a preamble signal of a servo pattern; (c) calculating a flying height of the magnetic head from the preamble signal; and (d) applying FOD power for adapting the flying height of the magnetic head to a target flying height of the magnetic head based on the calculated flying height of the magnetic head and the FOD sensitivity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hard disk drive and a method of controlling a flying height of a magnetic head of the hard disk drive, and more particularly, to a hard disk drive for measuring a flying height of the magnetic head using a preamble signal of the servo pattern in real time and controlling the flying height of the magnetic head to a target flying height based on this and a method of controlling a flying height of a magnetic head of the hard disk drive.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hard disk drive, which is a storage device consisted of an electronic device and a mechanical device for converting digital electronic pulses into a more permanent magnetic field to record and reproduce data, is widely used as an auxiliary storage device of the computer system or the like in recent years since a large amount of data can be accessed at high speed.
The capacity of the hard disk drive has been increased by implementing high track per inch (TPI) and high bits per inch (BPI) in recent years. As the capacity of the hard disk drive is increased, the size of a write/read element of the magnetic head has been reduced, and thus the flying height (FH) of the magnetic head that flies on the disk surface has been gradually decreased.
In other words, when high track per inch (TPI) and high bits per inch (BPI) are implemented to fabricate a high-capacity hard disk drive, the width of a track is decreased, and if the width of a track is decreased, then the intensity of a magnetic field detected from the track is weakened. Accordingly, in this case, if the flying height (FH) of the magnetic head is increased, then it may cause difficulty in detecting a magnetic field, thereby further increasing the possibility that the operation of the hard disk drive is carried out in an inefficient manner.
Accordingly, studies on a method of properly controlling the flying height (FH) of a magnetic head to effectively reduce the flying height of the magnetic head with respect to the disk have been actively carried out, and flying on demand (FOD) is taken into consideration for one of them.
Flying on demand (FOD) is a method of controlling the flying height of a magnetic head using a magnetic head flying height reduction characteristic being occurred when a pole tip that is an end portion of the magnetic head is thermally expanded while the hard disk drive is operated by applying a constant voltage (FOD voltage) to a heater which is built in the magnetic head.
However, the environments in which the hard disk drive is used in actuality are quite varied and thus the flying height of a magnetic head cannot always have the sameness, and thus even if a FOD voltage required for the target flying height is applied to a user environment in which the hard disk drive is used, the flying height of the magnetic head may be varied according to the user's environment.
In particular, the flying height of the hard disk drive may be mostly affected by a change of the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, and thus when the hard disk drive is used in a user's environment by applying a unified reference FOD voltage profile it may occur a case where the target flying height of the magnetic head cannot be maintained by a complicated operation due to various environmental parameters, and therefore, when the target flying height of the magnetic head cannot be maintained as described above, there is a drawback of causing weak write or head/disk interference (HDI) related problems.

Hard disk drive and method for controlling flying height of magnetic head thereof


An apparatus and method are disclosed for supporting a plurality of outstanding requests between a client and server in a network. If the server completes computation of a later request from a client before an earlier request, then the network protocol supports transmission of responses in an out-of-order manner to the client, thereby allowing a high degree of parallelism on the client and the server. The server buffers responses until receiving an implicit acknowledgement from the client.

The utilization of networks as a means for fulfilling users' computing needs has increased quite substantially in recent years. Networks, especially those including a central file system shared by the networked computers, offer the advantage over stand-alone personal computers of providing users access to a wide variety of computer resources without consuming large quantities of storage space on the personal computers' local drives. The storage saving advantage is achieved by storing application programs and databases within a shared data storage device connected via a network to a plurality of client computers.
In a network environment, a server is a network entity associated with a resource shared by a network. The server receives requests for the shared network resource from network entities referred to as clients. The server acts upon the requests and issues responses to the clients.
In the example above of a shared data storage device connected to a plurality of clients, a network file server provides clients access to the data on the shared data storage device by receiving requests from the clients for resources provided by the shared data storage device, acting upon the requests, and returning a response to the clients.
One of the problems faced in performing computing tasks in a network environment is the generally longer average wait times for obtaining a response to a request for a resource in comparison to performing the same task locally. After a client transmits a request to a server, a response from the server to the client's request may be delayed because a requested network resource is not currently available. For example, the requested resource may be currently allocated solely to another client in the network, or the computer resource may be unable to respond to any client requests. Other instances in which a client may experience substantial wait times in receiving a response to a request include client requests which require a substantial amount of processing in order to complete. An extended wait time is also incurred for receiving a response to a network request when the request must be routed through a number of heavily traversed routing nodes before reaching its intended destination.
A feature of personal computer operating systems which is gaining popularity as microprocessor speeds and RAM memory capacity increases is the ability to run a plurality of processes simultaneously via time switching the plurality of processes. A personal computer maintains a list of active processes. Each of the simultaneously active processes is executed on the processor for a period of time until the process is interrupted.
In a network environment having clients capable of having a plurality of simultaneously active processes, a process running on the client typically relinquishes its claim to the processor after issuing a network request to a server so that other tasks associated with other active processes may be performed while the process waits for a response to the network request. The processor is then claimed by another one of the plurality of processes. In this environment, more than one of the plurality of simultaneously running processes may attempt to issue a network request to a same network server on a same established virtual circuit (also referred to as a "connection") between the server and the client. A connection refers to a logical conversation established between two computers (in this case a client and a server computer) where each computer maintains state information on the conversation. When developing a communication protocol for a network, one must therefore consider how to handle the situation where a second network request arises in a client computer over a connection for which a first network request is still pending.
In a network environment, it is known for a client and server to coordinate the handling of network requests from client processes in a request and acknowledge mode wherein only a single outstanding request is allowed on a connection between a client and a server. After a client transmits a first request to a server, the client withholds issuing a second request to the server on the connection until a response is received from the server for the first request. Thus, the process from which the second request arises cannot continue until a response is received by the client for the first request.
In known network communication schemes, referred to as "burst" protocols, a client transmits a series of packets of information having a same request sequence number. Each packet within the series of packets is assigned a packet sequence identifier. The "burst" protocol has been used to fragment and then reassemble a virtual packet that, due to restrictions on packet size, cannot be transmitted in a single packet. A fragment list in a response message from the server to the client indicates the ones of the series of packets of information having a same request sequence number that have been successfully received by the server.
The above described multi-packet request protocol for coordinating communications between a client and server does not however permit a second process running on a client to submit a network request to a server on a connection while a first request is pending on the connection until the server has successfully responded to the first request on the connection. The inability of a multi-processing client and a server to support simultaneous multiple outstanding requests on a single client/server connection and to respond to the requests in a different order than the requests were submitted by the client, leads to blocking of the process associated with the second request on the connection.
In other known network communication schemes such as SPX-II, a client submits multiple requests. However, the requests must be processed and replied to in sequence. The known communication protocol resembles a two-way pipeline between a client and server where order is strictly adhered to by the client and the server. This communication scheme does not prevent the blocking of a second network request while a server computes a response to a first network request.

Method and apparatus for supporting multiple outstanding network requests on a single connection


An object of the present invention is to obtain a control apparatus of an internal combustion engine capable of respectively accurately detecting a combustion change in a plurality of combustion modes. In the present invention, the control apparatus of the internal combustion engine operable upon switching the combustion mode sets a detection time and a detection duration to detect a sensor signal of a crank angle sensor 10 in accordance with the combustion mode, and determines whether or not there is the combustion change based on the sensor signal detected by the crank angle sensor 10 at the detection time and for the detection duration set by the control apparatus.

In an internal combustion engine provided with a crank angle sensor for detecting a rotation state of a crankshaft, there is known control for detecting generation of a combustion change and stabilizing the combustion change.
However, in a case where the combustion change of the internal combustion engine is detected and suppressed, a detection means for information showing an indicator of the combustion change and a suppression means are not clear.
Meanwhile, there is a known control apparatus of an internal combustion engine including a combustion parameter control means for controlling a combustion parameter acting on combustion of the internal combustion engine, and including a combustion state detection means for, when the combustion parameter acting on the combustion of the internal combustion engine is altered by the combustion parameter control means, sampling information for detecting a combustion state based on the altered combustion parameter at a predetermined timing (for example, see PTL 1).
According to PTL 1, it is determined whether or not it is an ignition time. When the ignition time is determined, it is determined whether or not a 30° CA signal is detected after the ignition time is determined. When the 30° CA signal is not detected, it is not a detection time of a rotational velocity Ne. In a case where the 30° CA signal is detected, a processing of calculating the rotational velocity in accordance with the ignition time is performed. In such a way, PTL 1 describes that since the rotational velocity is detected in accordance with the ignition time, the combustion state can be detected even upon altering the ignition time.

Control apparatus of internal combustion engine


An exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating an reticle using light from a light source, a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, and a variable stop having an opening for regulating an illumination area on the substrate, said variable stop is arranged near a position conjugate with the substrate, wherein a position of the variable stop is variable along an optical axis of the illumination optical system or an optical axis of the projection optical system.

The present invention relates generally to an exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate, and more particularly to an exposure apparatus for fabricating devices such as semiconductor devices like ICs or LSIs, imaging devices like CCDs, display devices like liquid crystal panels, and detecting devices like magnetic heads, for example, by exposing a circuit pattern on a reticle onto a wafer.
A projection exposure apparatus has been conventionally used for an apparatus to fabricate devices using photolithography, where the exposure apparatus projects, exposes, and transfers a circuit pattern of a reticle (mask) as an original form to a wafer or glass plate as a substrate by using a projection optical system.
The projection optical apparatus exposes the wafer for example, by using a step-and-repeat method or step-and-scan method. The step-and-repeat type projection exposure apparatus is called a stepper and exposes one whole shot simultaneously onto the wafer, then moves the wafer stepwise every one shot so that the next shot comes to an area to be exposed. The step-and-scan type projection exposure apparatus called a scanner exposes the circuit pattern of the reticle onto the wafer by scanning the wafer continuously onto the reticle, and moves the wafer stepwise every one shot so that the next shot comes to the area to be exposed.
FIG. 13 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional step-and-scan type exposure apparatus 1000. The exposure apparatus 1000 has a plurality of illumination modes such as a small σ mode in small σ illumination condition, a large σ mode in large σ illumination condition, and an annular mode in an annular illumination condition.
The exposure apparatus 1000 calibrates, in advance, the output of the sensor 1500 which detects the illumination in each illumination mode of the wafer 1400 and the output of the integrated exposure sensor 1210 provided in the illumination optical system 1200, and stores the calibration results. More, the exposure apparatus detects the illumination distribution of the exposure area in each illumination mode by moving the sensor 1500 in two dimensions, adjusts and stores the opening shape of a variable stop 1280a so that the illumination distribution is a specific (generally, an even distribution) in scanning exposure (see Japanese Patent Publication applications No. 7-037774, and No. 2000-114164).
In a scanning exposure, a running field stop 1280b arranged near the variable stop 1280a regulates the illumination area of the reticle 1600 and the illumination area of the wafer 1400 optically conjugate with the reticle 1600, and is movable to an arrow P direction in synchronization with the reticle 1600 and the wafer 1400.
In the case that a specific illumination mode is designated and the exposure in the specific illumination mode is decided, a scanning speed V [mm/s] of a wafer stage 1450, an opening width W [mm] of the variable stop in scanning direction, and a laser emission frequency F [Hz] are decided to satisfy the equation "V=F*W/n". Here, n is an exposure pulse count that is a laser pulse count emitted to a specific spot on the exposure surface in scanning exposure. The minimum value of the pulse count n is decided by the sensitivity of the reticle 1600, a pulse energy, and the like. Additionally, the exposure needs the minimum value of the pulse count or more.
The variable stop 1280a is arranged so as to moderately defocus (be distanced from) the running field stop 1280b (arranged at a position conjugate with the surface of the wafer 1400) to form the illumination distribution on the wafer 1400 in scanning desirably. Therefore, the integrated illumination (the illumination distribution of the shot area after scanning) is highly uniformed by scanning with forming the illumination distribution to be approximately trapezoid on the wafer 1400 surface in scanning direction while the stage stops (see Japanese Patent Publication application No. 60-158449).
It is proposed that the exposure apparatus moves the stop along the optical axis to be conjugate with the reticle when the thickness of the reticle has changed (see Japanese Patent Publication application No. 60-45252).
Along with recent demands for an exposure apparatus with higher resolution, shorter wavelengths of light sources have been promoted from i-line to KrF excimer lasers and ArF excimer lasers. The wavelengths of the light sources are thought to likely be shorter, such as F2 laser, in the future. Also, the numerical aperture (NA) of the exposure apparatus will be larger: from 0.70 to 0.80 or 0.85.
As previously explained, the variable stop is arranged so as to moderately defocus (be distanced from) the running field stop (arranged at a position conjugate with the surface of the wafer), so that the illumination distribution on the wafer surface is formed to be approximately trapezoid. Here, to form the trapezoid distribution (defocus level) appropriately, the distance between the variable stop 1280a and the running field stop 1280b should become shorter in accordance with the larger NA of the illumination light. However, the conventional exposure apparatus cannot bring the variable stop 1280a sufficiently close to the running field stop 1280b, because their distance has a mechanical limitation.
Therefore, if the NA of the illumination light is large, the trapezoidal illumination distribution on the wafer surface will be defocused more than necessary, the range of the trapezoid distribution will be forced out from the illumination area, the illumination efficiency will become low, and the productivity in the device fabrication will become low. More, as the scanning exposure uses the illumination light having the illumination distribution range that forces out from the illumination area, the uniformity of the integrated illumination (scanning illumination distribution) will deteriorate. Another problem is that defocus distortion is produced when the defocus level of the trapezoid distribution is different on one side of the scanning direction than on the other side of the scanning direction. Here, defocus distortion means an image shift in defocusing the image from the best focusing position of the projection optical system. The projection exposure apparatus needs a small defocus distortion. Because the section of the wafer comes to have a stepped shape as shown in FIG. 14 in accordance with laminating layers in a semiconductor fabrication process, the pattern-exposed position will shift in the upper stair and in the lower stair.
The slant of the light beam balanced in the center of the wafer surface of the projection exposure apparatus may cause the defocus distortion. As shown in FIG. 14, if the balance center CL of the light beam which forms an image at a spot P is inclined from a direction perpendicular to the wafer surface, the image-transferred position will shift when the defocus is produced. For example, a grid pitch of a grid pattern shown in FIG. 15A, which is projected on the step-shaped wafer shown in FIG. 14, is elongated at the stepped part of the wafer as shown in FIG. 15B. Thus, fidelity of the transferred image deteriorates and the circuit pattern cannot be transferred accurately. The exposure apparatus should have low defocus distortion as explained before, and should not generate the position shift of the image even if there is a step on the wafer surface caused by the lamination of the layers.
The defocus distortion corresponds to the slant of the centroid of the exposure light beam integrated while scanning the exposure in the scanning exposure apparatus.
Now a description will be given of the defocus distribution caused by the variable stop referred to in FIG. 13 and FIG. 16. The illumination optical system 1200 is designed, for example, so that the reticle 1600 is conjugate with the running field stop 1280b. Without using the variable stop 1280a, all lights from a secondary light source formed by an optical integrator 1250 are overlapped onto the running field stop 1280b by being condensed by a condensing lens 1260. Therefore, the illumination area on the running field stop 1280b is illuminated uniformly. The illumination area on the reticle that is arranged at the position optically conjugate with the running field stop 1280b is also illuminated uniformly.
With the entrance of variable stop 1280a, the light beam is eclipsed and the trapezoid shaped illumination distribution is formed as explained before. FIG. 16 clearly shows that a light beam is eclipsed by a light shielding element 1280a1 of the variable stop from the upper-left toward the lower-right among the incidental light into an area A (one oblique side of the trapezoid) of the variable stop's opening. Therefore, the centroid of the light amount at each spot in the area A directs from the lower-left toward the upper-right. Similarly, a light beam from the lower-left toward the upper-right among the incidental light into an area B (the other oblique side of the trapezoid) of the variable stop's opening is eclipsed by a light shielding element 1280a2 of the variable stop. Therefore, the centroid of the light amount at each spot in area B directs from the upper-left toward the lower-right.
The distance from the running field stop 1280b to the variable stop 1280a1 and that to the variable stop 1280a2 are different, and the width of area A and that of area B are different. In this case, the centroid of the integrated exposure light amount is tilted, and defocus distortion in the scanning exposure is generated.
The amount of defocus distortion can be calculated by using integral calculus if the exposure is continuous. L is the width of the variable stop's opening, Δz1 and Δz2 are the defocuses of the variable stop 1280a1 and 1280a2 respectively. From the running field stop 1280b, NA is the numerical aperture of the incidental light to the wafer on the wafer surface. β is a magnification from the running field stop to the wafer. Tan θ is the tilt of the centroid of the integrated exposure light in the scanning exposure and is described as NA2β2 (Δz1−Δz2)/(3L) in the approximation of tan θ=sin θ. For example, if NA is 0.8, β is 0.5, Δz1−Δz2 is 1 mm, and L is 7 mm, then tan θ as the tilt of the centroid of light will be 0.007619. Defocusing 1 μm shifts the image to 7.6 nm. That means if the line width of the transferred pattern is 70 nm, the non-allowable image shift of 10% of the line width is produced.