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Previously, there is known a variable valve timing apparatus, which advances or retards opening timing and closing timing of an intake valve or an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine through use of an oil pressure.
This type of variable valve timing apparatus includes a variable timing device, an oil pressure supply device, a phase sensing device, and a control device, which will be described hereinafter.
The variable timing device rotates vanes toward an advancing side or a retarding side through use of the oil pressure to advance or retard the opening timing and closing timing of the valve.
The oil pressure supply device includes a supply port, a valve element and an electromagnetic solenoid. The oil pressure is supplied to the variable timing device through the supply port. The valve element increase or decreases an opening degree of the supply port. The electromagnetic solenoid drives the valve element. The electric power supply to the electromagnetic solenoid is controlled to increase or decrease the opening degree of the supply port to adjust the supply of the oil pressure.
The phase sensing device senses a phase, which indicates a degree of advancing or a degree of retarding of the opening timing and closing timing of the intake valve or the exhaust valve.
The control device computes a target value of the phase based on an operational state of the internal combustion engine and controls the electric power supply to the electromagnetic solenoid based on a result of comparison between a sensed value of the phase, which is obtained from the phase sensing device, and the target value of the phase.
There would be a case where foreign objects, such as metal particles, are contained in the oil. Therefore, for example, at the time of closing the supply port, the foreign object may possibly be introduced into and caught in a gap between the supply port and the valve element to disable complete closing of the supply port with the valve element. In such a case, the oil pressure is continuously supplied to the variable timing device, and thereby a difference between the target value of the phase and the sensed value of the phase is disadvantageously increased.
In view of the above point, there is a known technique of that the supply port is opened for a small amount, which does not have a substantial influence on the operation of the internal combustion engine, so that the foreign object is removed from the gap.
However, there is a possibility of that the small opening degree does not allow removal of the foreign object.
Thus, it is conceivable to increase the opening degree of the supply port to an extent that allows reliable removal of the foreign object.
However, when the opening degree of the supply port is increased, the oil pressure is rapidly supplied to the variable timing device. Therefore, the phase is changed within a short period of time to possibly increase a possibility of an unexpected sudden increase in a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a structure that can reliably remove the foreign object while limiting the unexpected sudden increase in the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine.
JP2001-234768A discloses a structure that can limit occurrence of the unexpected sudden increase in the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine even when the opening degree of the supply port is increased for the purpose of removing the foreign object.
Specifically, in the variable valve timing apparatus of JP2001-234768A, a lock pin is engaged with a vane to limit a change in the phase. The engagement of the lock pin is controlled by supplying the oil pressure from a separate oil pressure supply device, which is different from the oil pressure supply device that supplies the oil pressure to the variable timing device.
Therefore, in the variable valve timing apparatus of JP2001-234768A, the opening degree of the supply port can be increased while limiting the change in the phase even during the operation of the internal combustion engine. Thus, the foreign object can be reliably removed while limiting the unexpected sudden increase in the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine.
However, the variable valve timing apparatus of JP2001-234768A additionally requires the lock pin and the oil pressure supply device for the lock pin. Furthermore, a control mode for controlling the oil pressure supply device is required. Therefore, the structure of the variable valve timing apparatus becomes complicated. | {
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This invention relates to a photo-mask blank for use in manufacturing a semiconductor device, an integrated circuit, a large-scale integrated circuit, and the like and to a photo-mask made from the photo-mask blank.
A conventional photo-mask blank of the type described comprises a transparent substrate member having a principal surface and a shading layer of chromium (hereafter frequently referred to as a chromium layer) coated on the principal surface. The transparent substrate member may comprise a transparent plate and a transparent conductive layer attached to the transparent plate. The transparent plate may be a soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, silica glass, or sapphire while the transparent conductive layer is made of indium oxide, tin oxide, or the like. The shading or chromium layer is frequently covered with an antireflection layer. The chromium layer and the chromium oxide layer are formed by sputtering, ion plating, or the like.
At any rate, the chromium layer is selectively etched by an etchant with a photoresist covered on the photo-mask blank, so as to leave a predetermined pattern of the chromium on the principal surface.
It should be noted here that objectionable dust is inevitably attached to the photoresist when the photoresist is made to adhere to the photo-mask blank by coating and baking the photoresist on the photo-mask blank. Such objectionable dust can be eliminated together with the photoresist on removal of the photoresist. However, the dust unpleasingly gives rise to undesired spots of chromium on the substrate member after exposure of the photoresist. This is because the photoresist is not exposed at the portions to which the dust is attached. The spots become serious when a fine pattern is delineated as the predetermined pattern.
The spots may be removed by carrying out excessive etching or overetching because they are very small. However, the excessive etching adversely affects the predetermined pattern and makes it difficult to delineate a precise pattern. | {
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The present invention relates to dispensers for hand soap, and more particularly to dispensers for hand soap that tracks usage for a reward program to positively reinforce clean hygiene.
Businesses in the food services industry, as well as businesses within other aspects of the hospitality industry, are becoming keenly aware of the need for their employees to maintain clean hygiene. Having workers frequently clean their hands is critical for providing customers with safe and sanitary food and dishes. Ensuring that a worker cleans their hands is especially important after events such as using the bathroom, taking smoking breaks, and handling cleaning supplies or other chemicals.
Maintaining clean hygiene is important because many contaminates that spread to food can cause illness to the customers who eat it. For example, a worker that does not wash his or her hands after using the rest room may spread fecal bacteria to the food that they handle. This bacteria can result in serious illness, or even death, if ingested. Other forms of bacteria and contaminates can cause a person to become ill as well. Having customers become ill from poor hygiene and contaminated food can result in bad publicity and the loss of business. Causing customers to become ill also can expose a business to law suits and financial liability.
Employers have tried many different devices to encourage workers to clean their hands. Examples of these techniques include electronics that track the number of times that soap is dispensed from a dispenser or mechanisms that sound an alarm if the bathroom door is opened before soap is dispensed from a dispenser. The difficulty with these devices is that they rely on negative reinforcement to maintain compliance with hygiene standards. If not managed properly, such devices can create an environment of mistrust for workers or cause workers to resist compliance with hygiene standards. Another approach to promote good hygiene is to make hand washing easier with dispensers that automatically dispense soap. The difficulty with these devices is that they fail to positively encourage, monitor, or enforce compliance.
Therefore, there is a need for a soap dispenser that positively reinforces compliance with hygiene standards. There is a related need for a soap dispenser that enables a program that rewards workers for good hygiene practices. There is also a related need for a soap dispenser that requires an employer to acknowledge a worker""s compliance with hygiene standards.
One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system for rewarding and encouraging compliance with a predetermined personal hygiene standard in a hygiene compliance program. The system comprises a fluid dispenser, which includes an actuator. A sensor is connected to the actuator. A processor in electrical communication with the sensor and is configured to increment a count when the sensor is actuated, relate the count to an identification code, and compare the count to a predetermined number.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for rewarding and encouraging compliance with a predetermined personal hygiene standard in a hygiene compliance program. The method utilizes an electronic fluid dispenser. The method comprises entering a unique identification code; activating the fluid dispenser; sensing activation of the dispensing mechanism; incrementing a count, the count corresponding to the number of times the fluid dispenser has been activated under the entered unique identification code; displaying a signal when the count equals a predetermined number. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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To realize an ultrafast light transmission system of 40 Gbits/s or higher, attention is paid to adoption of the polarization multiplexing technique. The polarization multiplexing technique is a method of, paying attention to the fact that a single wavelength has two polarization states which are orthogonal to each other, transmitting two independent pieces of signal information by using the two polarization states.
It is known that, in a polarization multiplexing transmission system, degree of deterioration in transmission quality due to the fiber nonlinear effect and PMD (Polarization Mode Dispersion) varies according to a relative delay time difference between polarization channels orthogonal to each other. For example, from the viewpoint of fiber nonlinearity tolerance, an interleave polarization multiplexing method in which the relative delay time difference between polarization channels orthogonal to each other is set to the half of symbol time is advantageous. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of PMD tolerance, a time align polarization multiplexing method in which the phases become the same is advantageous.
In the polarization multiplexing transmission system, to control deterioration in transmission quality due to the nonlinear tolerance and PMD, the relative delay time difference between polarization channels orthogonal to each other has to be controlled surely. However, even if the relative delay time difference between polarization channels is set at the initial setting, the relative delay time difference between the polarization channels which are orthogonal to each other may vary due to temperature change or deterioration with age. To address the problem, it is considered to compensate for a phase difference among drive signals of a plurality of modulators by using temperature monitor information. However, in this case, information such as temperature dependency, a characteristic of fluctuation with time, individual variations, and the like is preliminarily necessary for feed forward control using the temperature monitor information. For a simple and high-precision phase difference control, a further technical development is demanded. Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-344426 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-338805 Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-65027 Non-patent Document 1: D. van den Borne, et al., Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 222-232, January 2007. | {
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As consumer interaction with online resources (e.g., use of web services, e-commerce, browsing activity, etc.) has grown digital marketing too has becoming increasingly more common. Generally, digital marketers seek to deliver offers for products, services, and content to consumer audiences who will find the offers favorable and have high probability of responding to the offers. One challenge faced by digital marketers is finding “look-alike” groups that have traits comparable to known traits of existing target audiences so as to facilitate expansion of existing marketing campaigns to the look-alike groups.
Traditionally, demographic and behavioral data (e.g., audience data) may be collected and analyzed to model known target groups and identify potential new look-alike consumers. Due in part to the amount of audience data available for online consumers, though, the look-alike analysis may be complex and time consuming. As, such timely and effective manual analysis may be impractical. Moreover, digital marketers are traditionally provided little or no control over automated tools that purport to provide look-alike analysis. Rather, existing analysis tools are black-box solutions that output fixed audience segments without opportunity for digital marketers to adjust the analysis based on their intuition and experience. Accordingly, adequate mechanisms do not currently exist to identify and target offers to look-alike consumers that have characteristics similar to a known group. | {
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Work or utility vehicles, such as tractors, are often adapted to be used with various types of attachments. For example, a loader may be attached to the front of a tractor through arms and hydraulic controls that allow the loader to be raised and lowered, and also rolled forward and backward. Many different attachment or implements may be attached to the front of the work vehicles, thereby allowing an operator to accomplish various tasks with a single work vehicle.
Conventional front-end loaders include a pair of lifting arms or boom assemblies that include towers or rearward ends that pivotally attach to a tractor, and lifting arms or forward ends that pivotally attach to an implement. Generally, the arms of the loader and the attached implement may be controlled by a hydraulic system. Hydraulic cylinders may be configured to operate front-end loaders and their attached implements. Hydraulic lines may extend along an exterior (or routed along the interior) of the front-end loaders for powering the hydraulic cylinders.
Each lifting arm of a loader is typically connected to a bracket that is coupled to a portion of a tractor, for example. Each bracket may outwardly extend from a lateral portion of the tractor.
During operation of the tractor and front loader, a bucket of the front loader may be urged into the ground, objects, and the like. The forces exerted into the bucket are typically translated into the arms of the front loader, which are then translated into the tractor. As an example, various forces generate corresponding twisting forces in the arms of the front loader, which are then translated into the brackets. The exerted forces may cause stresses and strains that are translated into the tractor, and may cause damage thereto. | {
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The invention relates to a mounting assembly for structurally mounting a peripheral device to a portable computer. In particular, although not exclusively, the invention relates to a mounting assembly for structurally mounting a wireless communication unit to a portable computer of a mobile telemetry monitoring apparatus for monitoring firefighters.
Firefighters and other rescue personnel are often required to enter hazardous environments, such as burning buildings. In such circumstances, each firefighter is provided with a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) which provides breathable gas to the firefighter. The breathing apparatus may be provided with a personal monitoring device which provides information to the firefighter, such as the gas pressure in the breathing apparatus.
To ensure the safety of the firefighters within a firefighting or other hazardous incident, it is also desirable to monitor their status from outside of the incident. This is typically the responsibility of a designated entry control officer. Typically, the entry control officer uses an entry control board (ECB) to record information regarding the firefighters.
Recently, electronic ECBs have been implemented which are able to remotely monitor the breathing apparatus of each firefighter from outside of an incident. Each firefighter is provided with a personal monitoring device which transmits telemetry data such as temperature and the quantity of breathable gas remaining in their breathing apparatus. The ECB typically receives and displays the telemetry data to the entry control officer, and may also send information to the firefighters, such as an evacuation signal activated by the entry control officer.
Previously considered electronic ECB arrangements comprise a laptop computer provided with separate a wireless communication unit connected by a cable. Whilst this arrangement may be satisfactory, since there are two separate units, the ECB may have limited portability.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved ECB that may have improved portability, and a mounting assembly for mounting a wireless communication unit to a portable computer. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a window blind for use between double panes of glass.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the art that double panes of glass in a window provides better insulation than a single pane of glass. It is also known in the art to provide venetian type blinds or pleated shades between two panes of glass. A pleated blind between window panes is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,213 to Schnelker. A venetian or slat blind between panes of glass is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,040 and 4,664,169. Control means for lifting, lowering and tilting the blind from one side of the window must be provided while maintaining the window seal.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,169 to Osaka et al. discloses a device for tilting slats of a venetial blind between double panes of glass. The device uses electrical power driving means to move piezoelectric bimorph device in a horizontal plane. The piezoelectric bimorph device is mounted to a block having a threaded bore. The block is secured to a screw which is threaded to a nut after passing through one pane of glass. The piezoelectric bimorph device mechanically moves an elongated V-shaped beam under two cross arms which control the rotation of the slats. When the beam is moved, the cross arms are tilted, thereby rotating the slats.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,040 to Ball discloses a device for adjusting the tilt angle of slats of a slat blind positioned between the panes of glass. The device includes a hole in one pane of glass and a flexible cable passing through the hole. The cable is connected to a rectangular member which controls the rotation of the slats. When the cable is turned by external torque, the slats are tilted.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,213 discloses a pleated blind between double window panes and blind control means for raising and lowering the blind. One embodiment is comprised of an aperture in one pane of glass and a bolt with a center hole mounted in the aperture. An actuator cord passes through the bolt hole and further up and over a screen, if desired, thereby providing an external control mechanism. Another embodiment provides routing the actuator cord over the glass housing and any screen housing provided. One of the problems with this blind is that sharp edges of the bolt cuts the actuator cord thereby shortening the life of the blind.
All of these control systems either have complicated mechanisms or require a headrail which is too wide to fit between the panes of those windows whose panes are not more than 3/4 inches apart. Thus, the prior art blinds are either not suitable for currently popular double or triple windows, or difficult to make, install and maintain. | {
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Although organic polymers have replaced metals in many structural contexts, thus far they have failed to replace metals when the latter are used as electrical conductors or semiconductors. The impetus for such replacement includes, among others, lower cost, lower weight of materials, and increased processing variability for polymers as compared with metals. For example, polymers readily can be cast as films, foils, and fibers by standard, time-tested procedures. Polymers can be formed into a limitless variety of shapes and dimensions by standard processing procedures, thereby adding to the potential benefit of electrically conducting polymers.
One potential use for electrically conducting polymers is as electrodes or components of batteries, where their low weight and vast scope of design are attractive. Electrically conducting polymers also could find use in construction of solar cells. Where such polymers are photoconducting they would undoubtedly find applications in the electrophotographic industry.
Among the classes of polymers which hold promise, at least conceptually, as electrical conductors, semiconductors and as photoconductors, are aromatic azopolymers. These polymers are characterized by an extended conjugated system having the azo linkage, --N.dbd.N--, as a distinguishing feature in the repeating unit. The invention herein is a method of preparing such polymers simply and in relatively good yield. More specifically, our invention is a method of synthesizing aromatic azopolymers from aromatic diamines using sodium perborate.
Aromatic diamines have been oxidatively coupled to produce mainly dimers using oxygen and cuprous chloride in pyridine. I. L. Kotlyarevski, M. P. Terpugova, and E. K. Andrievskaya, Chem. Abst. 62, 6571f (1964). Both the low degree of polymerization and the apparent low product yield militate against this preparative method. Several years later Bach and Black (J. Polym. Sci., Part C, 22, 799 (1969)) improved upon the earlier work by using a pyridine and N,N-dimethylacetamide mixed solvent system. Although the degree of polymerization was substantially improved, polymer yield remained uncertain.
Aromatic monoamines are known to be oxidatively coupled to azo compounds by hydrogen peroxide and other peroxides, such as persulfate. Although sodium perborate seems to be best of the peroxides, (S. M. Mehta and M. V. Vakilwala, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 74, 563 (1952); P. Santurri, F. Robbins, and R. Stubbings, Org. Syn. Coll. Vol. V, 341 (1973)) even here product yields of 20-45% are the norm, with reported yields only infrequently approaching 60%.
Since polymer syntheses require a high yield reaction with few, if any, side reactions, it was expected that oxidation of aromatic diamines with perborate would be an unsatisfactory route to aromatic azopolymers. To our surprise and gratification we have found that aromatic azopolymers can be formed in quite good yield, even up to about 97%, by perborate oxidation of aromatic diamines. This unusual result thus affords a relatively facile access to a class of polymers whose electrical conduction and photoconduction merit continued interest. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Radio frequency (RF) receivers are used in a wide variety of applications such as television, cellular telephones, pagers, global positioning system (GPS) receivers, cable modems, cordless phones, radios and other devices that receive RF signals. RF receivers typically require frequency translation or mixing. For example, with respect to FM audio broadcasts, FM radio receivers may translate one broadcast channel in the FM frequency band to an intermediate frequency. Within the United States, FM radios will typically translate FM audio signals, which are broadcast in 200 KHz channels in the frequency band from 88 MHz to 108 MHz, to an intermediate frequency of 10.7 MHz. FM demodulators and stereo decoders can then convert this 10.7 MHz IF signal to demodulated left and right audio signal that can be sent to stereo speakers. Although other countries will have different frequency bands and channel spacing, the reception of audio broadcast signals, such as FM audio broadcasts, is similarly accomplished using RF receivers.
The majority of typical RF receivers perform frequency translation or mixing using an oscillator and an analog multiplier or mixer. An oscillator will typically output a local oscillator (LO) signal in the form of a sine wave or periodic wave having a tuned frequency (fLO). A mixer then mixes the RF input signal spectrum, which includes desired spectral content at a target channel having a particular center frequency (fCH), with the LO signal to form an output signal having spectral content at frequencies equal to the sum and difference of the two input frequencies, namely fCH+fLO and fCH−fLO. One of these components forms the channel center frequency translated to the desired IF frequency, and the other component can be filtered out. The oscillator can be implemented with a variety of circuits, including, for example, a tuned inductor-capacitor (LC) oscillator, a charge relaxation oscillator, or a ring oscillator.
Typical systems often include separate integrated circuits that often use external clock signals of 10 MHz or above to drive digital signal processing circuitry utilized to process the received signals. These clock signals, however, would tend to cause significant performance-degrading interference if an effort were made to integrate this digital circuitry on the same integrated circuit as the mixer and LO circuitry for an RF receiver. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to reactive ion etched polymer surfaces and methods of using in various chemical and biological assays.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optimizing surface chemistry to enable immobilization of detection antibodies while retaining bioactivity and minimizing non-specific protein adsorption remains a challenge in the development of robust diagnostic protein microarrays for rapid, high throughput screening of pathogen and toxin exposure. Non-specific protein binding greatly compromises assay sensitivity, so minimizing non-specific adsorption and maximizing the binding ability of antibodies will improve detection limits. Most immobilization strategies developed for protein microarrays involve covalent attachment or non-covalent affinity binding of proteins on glass surfaces, followed by a bovine serum albumin (BSA) blocking step to suppress non-specific binding. Because glass-based microarrays are limited in sensitivity and are particularly susceptible to non-specific background binding, other solid support materials are currently being developed for protein microarray applications. The ideal support surface should provide reasonably strong signals, good signal-to-noise ratios, and an almost negligible background.
Polymers possess desirable bulk physical and chemical properties and are inexpensive and easy to process. However, polymers characteristically exhibit low surface energy and must therefore be modified before use in most applications.
Thus, a need exists for polymer substrates that are suitable for patterned microarrays for high-thoughput assays. | {
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As is well known, communications networks provide a means for users to communicate with one or more other users. Users of a communication system are typically provided with numerous services, such as calls, data communication such as messaging and/or multimedia services, or simply provide users with a gateway to another network, such as the Internet. In relation to any one service, various communication systems, such as public switched telephone networks (PSTN), wireless communication systems, e.g. global system for mobile communications (GSM), general packet radio service (GPRS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), wireless local area network (WLAN) and so on, and/or other communication networks, such as an Internet Protocol (IP) network, may simultaneously be concerned in providing a connection. An end-user may access a communication network by means of any appropriate communication device, such as user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), or any other equipment operable according to a suitable network protocol, such as a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or a wireless applications protocol (WAP) or a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). The user equipment may support, in addition to call and network access functions, other services, such as short message service (SMS), multimedia message service (MMS), electronic mail (email), Web service interface (WSI) messaging and voice mail and one-way messages such as WAP PUSH messages.
Communications services involving more than two users are generally referred to as group communications services, and include the “push-to-talk over cellular” (PoC) service also known as the PTT (push-to-talk service), the instant messaging (IM) service, IRC (“Internet Relay Chat”), and the ICQ (“I Seek You”) service. In the case of the IM service, users are allowed to send messages to one or more in a list of predetermined users (a so-called “private list”) in a conversational mode, and because they are transmitted “instantly”, the transfer of messages back and forth is fast enough for participants to maintain an interactive conversation. The IRC service is a system for chatting that involves a set of rules and conventions and is implemented via client/server software. An IRC client can be downloaded to a user's computer, and the client is then used to connect to an IRC server in an IRC network to start or join an IRC chat group. The fourth group messaging application, ICQ (“I Seek You”), is a client application that provides information as to which “friends” and “contacts” are also online on the Internet, pages them, and operates so as to coordinate a “chat” session with them. The IM system is similarly arranged to generate alerts whenever a member of a given private list is online.
When designing a service, the objectives of the service provider—in terms of their effect on end users—have a significant bearing on the technology that is selected to support the service. For example, services that are designed to deliver information to a selected group of users (with a view to triggering a particular action to be taken on the part of the group members) make use of technology that is designed to match characteristics of the users with those of the information so as to improve the match between what the user receives and what the user wants to receive. Typically such information is delivered from a single source to many recipients, and any subsequent interactions proceed between the recipient and communications devices related to the information source.
As will be appreciated from the foregoing, in addition to transmitting information from one→one and one→many recipients, information can be distributed between members of a group so as to encourage discussion between—and thus impact on—group members, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the information. As described above and in international patent application having publication number WO2006/027407, known group communications methods involve discussions between predetermined or specified members of a group. Thus whilst known group communications services provide a means of increasing the impact of information on users, the extent of this impact is nevertheless limited to that achievable within a closed group of recipients. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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An important form of communication between businesses and customers has traditionally been "paper-based" communication, such as letters and bills mailed via a postal service. For example, it is estimated that merchants spend about $10 billion per year for printing and mailing of bills to customers. It is also estimated that banks account for about 6% of all first-class U.S. mail and that insurance companies and credit card companies account for about 4.5% and 4%, respectively.
However, significant interest has been expressed recently regarding alternative, non-paper methods of communication. The term "alternative messaging" refers to the distribution of information using alternative delivery media, including, but not limited to, facsimile transmissions (fax), electronic mail (e-mail), Internet, on-line banking, and the like. For example, in 1995, there were 550,000 on-line banking users performing about 45 million transactions. It has been estimated that these figures might grow to 3.9 million users conducting about 600 million transactions by the year 2000. The World Wide Web (hereinafter the "Web") has also become a popular medium for the exchange of information and for electronic commerce. Literally millions of new Web pages have been developed in the past several years as more and more individuals, businesses and organizations have discovered the power of Internet marketing. One reason for the Web's popularity is that it facilitates interactive communications between businesses and their customers.
Alternative messaging may also be more cost effective than traditional paper-based communications, such as mail, not only because of the higher cost of paper, printing and postage, but also because of the speed of electronic communications. Electronic financial transactions can occur almost instantaneously and have historically had fewer errors than comparable paper-based transactions. Additionally, error resolution time has been historically less than that for comparable paper-based transactions.
Unfortunately, alternative messaging has to-date been met with resistance from both businesses and consumers for various reasons. Businesses have found it difficult to adapt legacy information systems to different delivery media with a consistent format. Additionally, many businesses may be reluctant to expend large amounts of money on upgrading existing communications infrastructures. Concern has also been expressed over the ability to ensure integrity of information transmitted via alternative messaging systems. "Mail-piece" integrity methods and systems are well established for traditional paper-based mail communications, but are virtually non-existent for non-paper communications. The term "mail-piece" generically refers to any single unit of communication (i.e., a piece of mail, an e-mail, fax, etc.).
Consumers have also shown a reluctance to embrace alternative messaging because of the perception that information transmitted via e-mail or over the Web is less secure than traditional paper-based mail. In addition, traditional mail-merge technologies may allow businesses to somewhat "personalize" communications with consumers via paper-based mail. Unfortunately, the extension of personalized communications to alternative messaging media may not achieve the same level of personalization as traditional paper-based mail. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates generally to method and apparatus for applying discrete strips of material to a longitudinally extending web and has utility in applying strips of elastic material to a longitudinally moving web of material as is carried out, for example, in the manufacture of disposable diapers, panty garments and the like.
2. Description Of Related Art
The use of a stationary mandrel around which a longitudinally travelling web is helically wound is disclosed in the art, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,696,244 to P. T. Jackson, Jr., and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,841,202 to H. W. Hirschy. In the systems disclosed in these patents, a second web or a plurality of threads is superimposed over a travelling base web which is helically wound about the mandrel. A rotating creel or carrier is orbited about the longitudinal axis of the mandrel and carries dispensing means to feed the second web or plurality of threads over the travelling base web. Each of these patents further discloses the use of a slitter knife to cut the overlaid web or threads.
U.S Pat. No. 4,479,836 to W. E. Dickover, et al discloses a method for continuous or intermittent securing of a moving elastic member or band to a moving web of disposable diaper components along a longitudinal axis or seam of a travelling web, as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 15 thereof. The elastic strips in the system disclosed in this patent are applied over a single wide sheet which subsequently is cut into discrete web articles, or alternatively, the elastic strips are applied over a plurality of side-by-side aligned webs travelling in a parallel direction (column 12, line 15 et seq.). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Automotive insurance claims are typically handled as follows. An insured makes a claim, the vehicle is inspected, and it is determined whether the vehicle is repairable or a total loss. If the vehicle is repairable, either an insurance adjuster or a repair facility determines an estimated cost for repairing the vehicle, based on the damage sustained to the vehicle. Thus, depending upon the vehicle and the type of damage, the estimated cost for various claims may take on a wide range of values.
Unfortunately, the estimation process itself is time-consuming, expensive, and often inaccurate. Estimation of repair value typically is performed by someone highly trained in the particulars of vehicle repair, and given the high work load and time involved in estimation, these persons are relatively expensive to maintain. And, because the estimation is just that—an estimation—the estimate is often later adjusted after the repair is in process or the repairs are completed to reflect actual repair costs. This can be inefficient for both the insurer and the repair facility and can sometimes result in lengthy negotiations between the parties. This, itself, can also be time-consuming and expensive, and can induce friction in the relationship between the insurance company, the customer, and the repair facility.
The estimation and repair process can also be complex for the insured. For example, while some insurance customers prefer the entire estimation and repair process to be turn-key such that the insurance company takes care of everything, a substantial minority of customers prefer to exercise direct control over repairs or even use the insurance payment for something else. However, some customers may be confused by their options or even hesitant to commit to self-repair versus turn-key repair for fear of detrimentally affecting the outcome or missing out on benefits. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Polyarylene sulfide resin is an engineering plastic having excellent chemical resistance, heat resistance and mechanical properties. Therefore, the polyarylene sulfide resin is widely used in electric and electronic parts, vehicle-related parts, aircraft parts and housing equipment parts. As electronic equipment products such as digital cameras and tablets are becoming smaller in size, product housings in use are becoming thinner. Further, in the field of vehicle-related parts such as auto parts, vehicles are becoming lighter in weight for energy saving.
To reduce the thicknesses and weights of products for these applications, studies on shift from metal materials to resin materials are under way.
For resin materials which will become substitutes for metal materials, strength, heat resistance and chemical resistance are required. In addition, an electromagnetic shielding effect capable of suppressing the malfunction of peripheral equipment caused by electromagnetic waves produced during communication with a portable terminal or during the driving of an automobile and also the influence upon human bodies of the electromagnetic waves are required.
Although the polyarylene sulfide resin has excellent heat resistance and chemical resistance, it is insulating and therefore has low conductivity and unsatisfactory mechanical strength. To solve this problem, Patent Document 1 proposes a resin composition comprising a polyarylene sulfide resin and carbon fibers. However, this resin composition is unsatisfactory as it does not meet the requirements for both mechanical strength and electromagnetic shielding effect.
For resin materials which will become substitutes for metal materials for use in the bearings of gears, slidability and impact strength are required. Although the polyarylene sulfide resin has higher slidability than other resins, it is unsatisfactory in terms of slidability and impact strength when it is used for these applications. To solve this problem, Patent Document 2 proposes a resin composition comprising a polyarylene sulfide resin and wholly aromatic polyamide fibers. However, this resin composition is unsatisfactory as it does not meet the requirements for both slidability and impact strength. Patent Document 3 proposes a resin composition comprising a polyphenylene sulfide resin, wholly aromatic polyamide fibers and stainless flakes. Since this resin composition comprises a filler except for the wholly aromatic polyamide fibers, it does not meet the requirement for impact strength.
Patent Document 4 proposes a resin composition comprising a polyarylene sulfide resin and glass fibers. However, the resin composition of this document is unsatisfactory as it does not meet the requirements for both mechanical strength and moist heat resistance.
Meanwhile, Patent Documents 5 and 6 disclose a process for producing polyarylene sulfide by reacting a diiodo aromatic compound, a sulfur compound and a polymerization terminator. Patent Document 5 discloses diphenyl disulfide as a polymerization terminator. Patent Document 6 discloses diphenyl sulfide as a polymerization terminator.
(Patent Document 1) JP-A 56-135549
(Patent Document 2) JP-A 56-4654
(Patent Document 3) JP-A 06-116495
(Patent Document 4) JP-A 06-220322
(Patent Document 5) JP-A 2012-513492
(Patent Document 6) JP-A 2013-518933 | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-dimensional texture mapping apparatus, method and program for realizing a high-quality texture mapping technique in the field of three-dimensional computer graphics. For example, it relates to a multi-dimensional texture mapping apparatus, method and program for acquiring texture that varies in accordance with conditions, such as a viewing direction and a direction of a light source, for generating textures of arbitrary sizes corresponding to such conditions, and for mapping texture on a three-dimensional model.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, to provide an observer with an image that gives a natural impression, a scheme for generating a texture image of an arbitrary size from a small texture image has been proposed (see Li-Yi Wei, Marc Levoy, “Fast texture Synthesis Using Tree-structured Vector Quantization”, Proceedings SIGGRAPH 2000, pp. 479-488; Andrew Nealen and Marc Alexa, “Hybrid Texture Synthesis”, Eurographics symposium on Rendering, 2003). In this scheme, a texture image of an arbitrary size is scanned with reference to a small original texture image, thereby generating a texture image closer to the original image. Further, another scheme as an application of the scheme has also been proposed, in which a target texture image is prepared in addition to a small reference texture image, thereby generating an image that has the same pattern or design as the target texture image and is close to the material of the small reference texture image.
However, the above conventional texture image generation technique is directed to generation of a single texture image, but not to generation and/or processing of a large number of texture images acquired in a number of viewing directions and/or using a number of light sources. As an apparatus for realizing the latter case, a multi-dimensional texture generation apparatus exists, which utilizes textures acquired or created, for example, in different viewing directions and using different light sources, and generates textures of arbitrary sizes corresponding to the respective conditions. This apparatus can generate a high-quality texture based on different conditions.
However, processing of textures acquired or created, for example, in different viewing directions using different light sources requires an enormous amount of data. Therefore, a technique for compressing texture data in accordance with the features of materials is indispensable. Data compression enables various texture generation techniques to be utilized, and enables a robust and high-quality texture to be created. In addition, when mapping a texture to a three-dimensional model, if a small number of texture samples are utilized, a highly accurate interpolation technique is necessary.
To express the optical characteristic of an object surface that varies in accordance with a viewing direction and a direction of a light source, a large number of texture images acquired in different viewing directions and in different directions of a light source, and an enormous number of computations are required. Therefore, no practical systems are established.
Moreover, since there is no texture generation method for simultaneously processing a large number of texture images, the optical characteristic of an object surface cannot be expressed in a real manner when a texture image of an arbitrary size is varied in accordance with a viewing direction and a direction of a light source. | {
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There are known light emitting devices that convert a part of light from a light emitting element into light of a different wavelength, mix the converted light and the light from the light emitting element and emit the mixed light. As configurations of such light emitting devices using a fluorescent substance-containing layer, there are known structures in which a light emitting element is disposed in a cup, and the cup is filled with a fluorescent substance-containing resin, or only the opening of the cup is covered with a fluorescent substance-containing resin layer, as described in Patent document 1. Further, there is also disclosed a structure in which circumference of a light emitting element is coated with a fluorescent substance-containing resin layer.
In optical devices in which light emitted from a light emitting device (light source) is controlled with an optical system such as lens or reflector, in order to effectively use the light with a small optical system, it is desirable to use a light emitting device (light source) having a small light emitting area.
Patent document 2 discloses a structure in which a wavelength conversion layer is carried on an upper surface of a light emitting element, and sides of the light emitting element and the wavelength conversion layer are covered with a reflection member. By covering the sides of the light emitting element and the wavelength conversion layer with a reflection member, light which is to be emitted in the direction of the sides of the light emitting element and the wavelength conversion layer can be reflected at the sides, and emitted from the upper surface, and therefore luminance for the front direction can be improved. | {
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A cellular wireless communication system mainly comprises a Core Network (CN), a Radio Access Network (RAN) and a terminal (See FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a component architecture of a cellular wireless communication system according to the related art). The CN is responsible for non-access stratum transaction, such as terminal position update or the like, which is an anchor point of a user plane. The radio access network can be two composition forms: 1, a base station; 2, the base station and a base station controller. The radio access network is responsible for access stratum transaction, such as radio resource management. Physical or logical connection may exist between the base stations according to actual situations, such as the connection between the base station 1 and the base station 2 or the connection between the base station 1 and the base station 3, and each base station may be connected to one or more core network nodes. The terminal, i.e., User Equipment (UE), refers to various devices which may communicate with the cellular wireless communication network, such as a mobile phone or a notebook or the like.
A Mobility Management Entity (MME) (the MME of an LTE network) or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) (the MME of a 3G network) is a unit responsible for managing terminal access control, position information update and switch in the core network, being responsible for the functions of controlling non-access stratum signaling from the core network to the terminal and registering the terminal to a network.
A Home Subscriber Server (HSS) or a Home Location Register (HLR) is an entity responsible for storing subscription data, identity information, authentication information and authorization information or the like of a terminal device in the core network. According to different situations, the HSS or HLR may be used to store identity information of a user and binding information of the user and the terminal device, or only store the identity information of the user (the binding information of the user and the terminal device may be stored by a gateway), or directly store the identity information of the terminal device. The HSS or HLR is also responsible for a user subscription database, and executing identity authentication and authorization of the user or the like. A service platform may inquire information about the user or terminal from the HSS or HLR.
A Visitor Location Register (VLR) is a network element of a 2G network, storing information required for an incoming call, an outgoing call of MS (collectively referred to as visiting clients) in the covered area and information of user subscription service and additional service, for example the phone number of the clients, the identification of the area where the client is located, service provided to the client or the like.
A Long Term Evolution (LTE) network mainly provides a high-speed packet data service for a user, but requires a 2G network to provide a voice service for the user. Therefore, the user requiring the voice service needs to register to the 2G network while registering to the LTE network. Since the voice service runs on the 2G network, when there is a voice called service, a voice service request first arrives at the 2G network, which transmits a paging request to the LTE network, and then an LTE network pages the terminal to initiates the voice service request.
Since various services is of their own characteristics, and may present different service statuses, for example, a background program of a smart mobile terminal is generally connected to the network frequently to receive and transmit data, such as submitting background data, software update and detection or other operations. Client online loop detection reflects frequent transmission of data by the terminal. In this way, the terminal frequently switches from an idle mode to a connection mode, from the connection mode to the idle mode easily, which results in large power consumption of the terminal.
Currently, no effective solution has been proposed for the problem that various frequent switching operations of the terminal cause large power consumption in the related art. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a subscriber wireless access system or other wireless access system or the like that performs wireless communication between fixed base station equipment and fixed customer premises equipment, and particularly to a wireless communications system technology that improves the efficiency of data transmission by implementing wireless band assurance functions based on flow-rate restrictions (shaping) regarding the allocation of data traffic channels, “best effort” type communications functions based on the shared use of data traffic channels, wireless band assurance functions based on scheduling by class and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In wireless access systems, wireless media are used as the media for transmitting signals subject to communication. Typically, wireless media are allocated to each unit of base station equipment (wireless base station equipment), and are shared by a plurality of units of subscriber premises equipment (wireless subscriber premises equipment) present within the service area monitored by each unit of base station equipment.
In the event that the base station equipment and backbone local area network (LAN) or customer premises equipment and customer terminal equipment are connected by an Ethernet® or IEEE 802.3 wired LAN interface, data that is exchanged via wireless media can be broadly divided into data that has a unique address for sending to each customer terminal unit and data that has an address allocated for sending to a plurality of customer terminal units.
Here, packets used for sending the former data that has a unique address for sending to each customer terminal unit are called unicast packets, while packets used for sending the latter data that has an address for sending to a plurality of customer terminal units are called broadcast packets.
In addition, in the base station equipment, in order to achieve efficient utilization of the wireless bandwidth, it is necessary to include functions for controlling the allocation of data traffic channels. For example, the greater the number of units of customer premises equipment covered within the local service area, the larger the amount of traffic (amount of data transmitted) generated is thought to become, so it is not possible to provide adequate data communication services unless a large amount of exclusive wireless bandwidth is secured. Thus, studies have been done on methods of allocating exclusive wireless bandwidth to each unit of customer premises equipment depending on the number of customer terminal units covered by each unit of customer premises equipment and thereby allocating the data traffic channels.
Here follows a description of an overview of subscriber wireless access systems that have been developed in recent years.
In recent years, subscriber wireless access systems that utilize wireless communication called Wireless Local Loop (WLL) or Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) or the like have been developed and put into practical application. In addition, with the popularity of the Internet, the need for high-speed, large-capacity communication over wireless media has heightened.
In the aforementioned subscriber wireless access systems, base station equipment (BSE) connected to a public circuit network or other backbone network is installed in a fixed location on the top of a building or tower or other high place, while a plurality of units of customer premises equipment (CPE) are also installed in a fixed location on the roof of the customer's building or other high place. The customer premises equipment also includes personal computers (PCs) or other communications terminal units and communications terminal units connected via a local area network (LAN) or the like.
Here, the base station equipment and customer premises equipment may each consist of an outdoor unit (ODU) installed in a fixed location on a building roof or tower or other high place and an indoor unit (IDU) installed in a fixed location within a building or the like, and these are connected with a cable. In addition, the outdoor unit of the base station equipment and customer premises equipment is equipped with a wireless processor that performs the processing of wireless communication using an antenna, mainly controlling the processing of wireless communication.
In addition, in the aforementioned subscriber wireless access systems, wireless communication is performed between the base station equipment and customer premises equipment by means of a time-division multiplexing communications protocol using wireless frames. It is thus possible to connect to and perform data communication among the LANs or the like connected to different customer premises equipment covered by the same base station equipment, and also connect to and perform data communication with LANs or the like connected to other customer premises equipment connected to the backbone network connected to the base station equipment.
However, when the allocation of data traffic channels is performed by a method of allocating exclusive wireless bandwidth to each unit of customer premises equipment as indicated in the aforementioned prior art example, the following problems (1)-(3) were present.
(1) For example, when the allocation of data traffic channels is performed in a fixed manner, as described below, there is a problem in that it cannot handle burst traffic. To wit, where burst traffic may occur depending on fluctuations in the usage of customer terminal units covered by customer premises equipment or the number of customer terminal units covered by customer premises equipment, even if such burst traffic occurs, the wireless bandwidth used by a specific unit of customer premises equipment is exclusive, so there is a problem in that the wireless media which are limited in allocation to base station equipment cannot be used efficiently.
(2) In addition, in the opposite case from (1) above, when wireless media are used as shared bandwidth, there is a problem in that when burst traffic is handled it is not possible to assure the wireless bandwidth for the other customer premises equipment. To wit, when a large amount of wireless bandwidth is allocated to a specific unit of customer premises equipment in response to burst traffic on the LAN, there is a problem in that the wireless bandwidth usable by each unit of customer premises equipment may fluctuate so that it is not possible to assure the minimal wireless bandwidth required for data communication.
(3) In addition, in the conventional allocation of data traffic channels, regarding the customer premises equipment covered by the same base station equipment for example, there is a problem in that a portion of the wireless bandwidth is secured for a specific unit of customer premises equipment while the remaining wireless bandwidth cannot be utilized as shared bandwidth.
The present invention is intended to solve the aforementioned problems and has as its object to provide a wireless communications system that is able to perform the allocation of data traffic channels such as to improve the efficiency of data transmission when base station equipment and a plurality of units of customer premises equipment perform wireless data communication using data traffic channels. Note that the present invention specifically provides a wireless communication system that is able to solve any one or two or more of the aforementioned problems (1) through (3). | {
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N-lower alkyl pyrrolidones have found wide commercial acceptance as non-toxic, aprotic chemical solvents. However, absence of hydrophobic-lipophobic balance in these molecules, as in the case of N-methyl pyrrolidone, prevents micellular formation; consequently, they possess no significant aqueous surfactant properties. Linear amine oxides are known to possess high surfactant activity; however these compounds are not stable at high temperatures and cannot be employed in metal working or high temperature fiber processing.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above deficiencies by providing improved surfactant-complexant agents which are readily obtained in an inexpensive and commercially feasible manner.
Another object of this invention is to provide a group of compounds having excellent surfactant and complexing properties.
Another object is to provide a group of compounds having viscosity building and wetting properties.
Still another object is to provide specialized processes for using micelle forming pyrrolidones and to provide novel compounds resulting from such processes.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and disclosure. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to work feeding mechanisms for sewing machines and in particular to work feeding mechanisms in modular form.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Difficulties are encountered with the sewing machine feeding mechanisms known in the prior art due to the relative movement of parts resulting in undesireable variations in the motion of the feed dog, and also because of the large inertia forces encountered during their operation. Further, assembly of these feeding mechanisms and related parts in a machine casing has been a time consuming and a costly operation.
It is a prime object of this invention to provide an improved feeding mechanism which does not have the disadvantages of the prior art mechanism, and is producible in modular form in combination with a vertically oriented loop taker. | {
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A. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a new and improved device for tensioning cables on a pile driving hammer or the like.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional percussion hammers such as are used for pile driving and the like normally include a ram reciprocally mounted on the hammer body movable between an upper cylinder and a body base. Typically, the base of the body is secured to the upper cylinder assembly by suitable tie means. One such means of tying the hammer base to the upper cylinder assembly is by use of tie cables interconnecting the hammer base and the upper cylinder assembly. Such cable ties must be equally prestressed to provide a hammer body resembling a rigid construction.
In the larger sizes of pile driving percussion hammers, such as those used in offshore operation and weighing in the range of thirty to sixty tons, it may be desired to prestress the cable ties to a final tension in the area of forty tons for each cable tie. Heretofore, difficulty has been experienced in the pretensioning of such cable ties.
Examples of prior art devices for tensioning cables or similar items are disclosed in United States Patent Application Ser. No. 441,027, filed February 11, 1974, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,427, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,866,370.
Prior art cable tensioning assemblies include a thread protector cap, a jacking bar assembly, a jacking pedestal, a hydraulic jack, a placement nut, and a locking or retaining nut. To tension or retension a cable on the hammer using the prior art assembly, it is necessary to remove the thread protector cap from the end of the cable fitting. The jacking bar assembly must then be screwed tightly onto the end of the cable fitting. The jack pedestal is then assembled over the jacking bar assembly in a position to abut a support plate mounted on the casing of the hammer.
This procedure is followed by assembling the hydraulic jack over the jacking bar and locking it onto the jacking bar assembly by a locking nut. Hydraulic pressure is applied to the jack thus tensioning the cable.
Once the desired tension is obtained, the retaining nut is rotated downward about the cable fitting locking the cable fitting in position relative to the jacking pedestal thus maintaining the tension on the cable once the pressure in the hydraulic jack is released.
Such prior art cable tensioning assemblies require two men to set up the assembly and tension a cable, since the individual components of the assembly are of considerably weight and require accurate positioning. | {
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Pneumatic hoists are well established as a standard in lifting and lowering loads, for example, materials, workpieces, and/or persons. An example of a pneumatic hoist is an air winch, which is a pneumatically powered device that is used for lifting and lowering of loads via a rope or chain that wraps and unwraps around a drum. Such pneumatic hoists are used to move materials, workpieces, and/or persons about a factory or industrial site. When lifting and lowering, braking systems can help prevent injury or death to the persons being lifted and/or lowered and to persons, structures, and/or materials in the area of the pneumatic hoist. One such braking system includes an emergency stop button operated by personnel to brake the winch drum when operating personnel sense a dangerous condition. | {
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The present invention relates to a discharge lamp arc tube having a closed glass bulb containing electrodes arranged to be opposite to each other and luminous materials, etc., sealed therein, especially relates to an arc tube having a closed glass bulb without any tip-off portion, and a method of producing the same.
FIG. 6 shows a conventional discharge lamp device. The discharge lamp device has a structure in which front and rear end portions of an arc tube 5 are supported by a pair of lead supports 3 and 4 projecting forward from an electrically insulating base 2. The reference character G designates an ultraviolet screening globe for cutting off an ultraviolet component in a wavelength region harmful to human bodies from light emitted from the arc tube 5.
The arc tube 5 has a structure in which a closed glass bulb 5a is formed between a pair of front and rear sides pinch seal portions 5b, 5b such that a pair of electrode rods 6, 6 are disposed so as to be opposite to each other in the glass bulb 5a by the pinch seal portions 5b, 5b respectively and luminous materials are sealed in the glass bulb 5a. A piece of molybdenum foil 7 which connects the electrode rod 6 projected into the inside of the closed glass bulb 5a and a lead wire 8 led out from the pinch seal portion 5b to each other is sealed in the pinch sealed portion 5b, so that the airtightness in each of the pinch seal portions 5b is secured.
That is, tungsten rods excellent in durability are most suitably used as the electrode rods 6 but tungsten is largely different in linear expansion coefficient from glass and inferior in airtightness because tungsten is hardly fitted to glass. Accordingly, molybdenum foil 7 having a linear expansion coefficient close to that of glass and relatively well fitted to glass, is connected to each of the tungsten electrode rods 6 and sealed by each of the pinch seal portions 5b so that airtightness in each of the pinch seal portions 5b is secured.
A method for producing the arc tube 5 is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei. 6-231729. As shown in FIG. 7(a), first, an electrode assembly A including an electrode rod 6, a piece of molybdenum foil 7 and a lead wire 8 to which the rod 6 and the foil 7 are integrally connected is inserted into a cylindrical glass tube W from one opening end side of the glass tube W. The glass tube W has a spherically swollen portion w.sub.2 formed in the middle of the glass tube W, that is, between linear extension portions w.sub.1. A position P.sub.1 near the spherically swollen portion w.sub.2 is primarily pinch-sealed. Then, as shown in FIG. 7(b), luminous materials P, etc., are introduced into the spherically swollen portion w.sub.2 from the other opening end side of the glass tube W. Then, as shown in FIG. 7(c), after another electrode assembly A is inserted, a position P.sub.2 near the spherically swollen portion w.sub.2 is heated and secondarily pinch-sealed while the spherically swollen portion w.sub.2 is cooled by liquid nitrogen so that the luminous materials, etc., are not vaporized. In this manner, the spherically swollen portion w.sub.2 is sealed hermetically, so that an arc tube 5 having a tipless closed glass bulb 5a is finished.
Incidentally, in the primary pinch sealing step shown in FIG. 7(b), pinch-sealing is performed while an inert gas (generally, inexpensive argon gas) is supplied, as a forming gas, into a glass tube W so that the electrode assemblies A are not oxidized. Further, in the secondary pinch sealing step shown in FIG. 7(c), pinch-sealing is performed in a nearly vacuum state because the glass tube W with its opening ends closed is cooled by liquid nitrogen so that luminous materials, etc., are not vaporized.
In the conventional arc tube, however, the linear expansion coefficient of the molybdenum foil 7 sealed by the pinch seal portions 5b is not quite equal to that of glass even though the molybdenum foil 7 is well fitted to glass. Further, the temperature difference of the lamp is large between at the time of switching on and at the time of switching off, so that heat stress due to the temperature change is generated in the interface between the molybdenum foil 7 and glass. Further, the vibration of an engine and vibration due to the running of a car are transmitted to the arc tube. Accordingly, there arises a problem that a gap is formed between the molybdenum foil 7 and a glass material in long-term use, that is, foil floating occurs to cause the leakage of materials sealed in the closed glass bulb.
Therefore, the present inventor conducted experiments and made considerations on the aforementioned problems. As a result, the inventor confirmed that foil floating was reduced if molybdenum foil having its surface oxidized was sealed in the pinch-seal portion. Thus, the inventor has achieved the present invention.
That is, the present invention is based on the aforementioned problems and the inventor's findings and its object is to provide a discharge lamp arc tube free from foil floating in pinch seal portions and a method of producing the same. | {
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Field
This application generally relates to spinal fusion, and more specifically, to spinal implants and related systems, tools and methods.
Description of the Related Art
Intervertebral discs can degenerate or otherwise become damaged over time. In some instances, an intervertebral implant can be positioned within a space previously occupied by a disc. Such implants can help maintain a desired spacing between adjacent vertebrae and/or promote fusion between adjacent vertebrae. The use of bone graft and/or other materials within spinal implants can facilitate the fusion of adjacent vertebral bodies. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved intervertebral implant, as well as related instrumentation, tools, systems and methods. | {
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It is known that the life and performance of new and existing pipelines can be extended and optimised by lining lengths of metal pipe with polymer liners. For example, the Applicant's Swagelining® pipe lining service allows existing pipelines to be remediated and new pipelines to be provided with corrosion resistance by installing a polymer liner that remains in tight contact with the inside of a host pipe.
In a typical pipe lining process of this kind, a polymer liner pipe is drawn into a host pipe via a die which reduces it in diameter. The liner pipe is drawn by a pulling device such as a winch connected to the end of the pipe by a cable and pulling cone arrangement. When pulling tension is removed, the liner pipe undergoes a process known as “reversion” in which the memory characteristics of the material of the liner pipe cause it to undergo radial expansion as it reverts towards its original dimensions and until it contacts the inner surface of the host pipe. As a result of selecting a liner pipe of an outer diameter equal to or, preferably, greater than the inner diameter of the host pipe, the host pipe is provided with an extremely close fitting lining.
When lining a long section of host pipe, it may be the case that the liner pipe is constructed from a number of sections that are successively butt-welded, as the liner pipe is drawn through the host pipe, to produce a liner pipe of sufficient length. Regardless of whether the liner pipe is so constructed on-site, taken from a spooled or continuous length of liner pipe on indeed extruded on demand, there is a risk that the liner pipe may contain one or more leaks. It is well understood that at the butt-weld locations there may be leaks, or weaknesses that could result in leaks, but it is also understood that there may be perforations or damage to the liner pipe itself (or liner pipe sections) which presents the risk of leak.
Understandably, if the liner pipe is perforated or ruptured or exhibits any kind of leak (whether at the location of a butt-weld or elsewhere) then the integrity of the corrosion barrier provided by the liner pipe is compromised. At present, internal corrosion barriers for pipelines—be they liners, sprayed polymer, painted epoxies or other forms of surface coating for example—are difficult to test with anything approaching complete reliability. Even a small hole in a protective coating can result in so-called “pin hole corrosion” that can very rapidly produce a hole through the wall of a steel host pipe.
One known method of testing the integrity of polymer lined pipe is to allow the reversion process to complete, and attach special end connectors to each end of the pipe which is then flooded with water for the purposes of leak detection. The pressurised water will escape through any perforations or ruptures and into the annular space between the liner and the host steel pipe. The end connectors provide vent points for the annular space and if water is detected at the vents then the liner has been compromised. This is a costly exercise, and requires the production and controlled disposal of the water used in the test. Furthermore, the process is slow because it may take several days for a liner to revert fully, and it may then take several days to perform the test.
An alternative method of testing the integrity of a (non-conductive) protective coating is to perform a so-called Holiday or Continuity test in which a low voltage is applied across a test area; if electrical current is detected in the test area this is indicative of the presence of discontinuities in the coating (for example, pinholes or ruptures). However, these methods are generally performed on external coatings and it would be extremely difficult to perform them on internal coatings where direct access is limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,605 relates to a method of lining and sealing hollow ducts in which a flattened flexible tube is inflated to contact a pipeline interior wall. This pressure may subsequently be used to test the integrity of the lined pipeline.
Similarly, GB2186340 A discloses a pipe lining and a closure that can be used for pressure testing of a liner pipe. The internal wall of the liner pipe is pressurised to expand it into engagement with the internal wall of the host pipe—in this case for enforced reversion rather than inflation. Thereafter, pressurisation may be used to test the integrity of the lined pipeline.
US 2009/0205733A1 discloses a “core pipe” which is deformable into a C-shape to facilitate insertion into a host pipe. The deformed pipe is wrapped in Mylar to hold it in that shape. Subsequent to insertion in the host pipe, the core pipe is sealed and pressurised to overcome the resistance provided by the Mylar wrap and reform the pipe into its original circular cross-section. Post re-forming, and while the core pipe is still sealed, a full hydrostatic test at operational pressure may be performed to verify pipe integrity.
It is an object of at least one aspect of the present invention to provide a method of testing the integrity of a pipe lining. Embodiments of aspects of the present invention are intended to realise this object and to obviate or mitigate one or more disadvantages of existing integrity tests.
Further aims and objects of the invention will become apparent from reading the following description. | {
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It is very common to laminate two or more tissue plies in order to produce the final tissue product. Herewith a more flexible and softer tissue product is obtained as compared to if one single ply with a corresponding thickness and basis weight had been produced as for the laminated product. The absorbent capacity and the bulk are moreover improved.
The lamination of two or more tissue plies is often made by means of gluing. A mechanical embossing of the plies is also often performed before they are glued together. It is further known to laminate two plies only by means of a mechanical embossing, at which a mechanical joining of the plies occurs in the embossing sites.
Through for example EP-A-796 727 it is known to first emboss two paper plies in a three dimensional structure with alternating raised and recessed portions, after which glue is applied to one of the plies and the two plies are joined in a press nip between two embossing rolls, so that the raised portions of the respective plies are glued to each other. A similar embossing procedure is shown in EP-A-738 588, according to which the glue also has a colouring effect.
In WO 95/08671 there is disclosed an example of so called nested embossing, in which the two individually embossed plies are combined and joined with the raised portions of one ply nesting into the recessed portions of the opposite ply.
Through U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,889 there is known a procedure for laminating two paper plies, which are fed over a pattern roll each, said pattern rolls having alternating raised and recessed portions and where glue is applied to one ply while this is led over the roll. The two paper plies are then glued together in a nip between the two pattern rolls, which are in register with each other so that a joining and compression of the paper plies occurs in a pattern corresponding to the protuberances of the pattern rolls.
A drawback that occur in connection with embossing a paper web where this is compressed in spots, is that a considerable strength reduction occurs in the embossing sites, which effects the strength properties of the entire paper product. Strength reductions of up to 70% of an embossed paper as compared to a corresponding non-embossed paper are not unusual.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,950 discloses a method for producing a quilted or cushioned adhesively laminated tissue product in which glue is applied in a certain pattern to one tissue ply in a press nip between a first pattern roll and an impression roll. This ply is laminated to another ply in a press nip between the same impression roll and a second pattern roll having a pattern corresponding with that of the first pattern roll and driven in registry with the first pattern roll. The two plies are in different conditions of stress during the lamination process, so that a quilted or cushioned product is provided.
Laminating three or more tissue plies together by gluing can be made in different ways. According to one alternative embodiment an embossing unit comprising two embossing nips defined by an embossing roll and a marrying roll providing a nested configuration of the embossed and laminated web and further comprising a glue applicator, as disclosed in for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,225, is used, with the modification that two plies are fed together into at least one of the embossing nips. Using this technique for laminating three or more plies gives a rather stiff product since the glue has to penetrate completely through the middle layer(s) in order to glue all layers together. An insufficient penetration of the glue through the middle layer(s) will not provide a sufficient plybonding effect.
According to an alternative embodiment three or more plies may be joined together by mechanical plybonding by so called male-to-flat or male-to-male embossing. The embossing is normally made only along the edge portions of the tissue product, so called edge embossing, as is disclosed in for example U.S. Pat. No. 1,774,497, but may also be made over the entire surface of the product. EP-A-436 170 discloses a multiply tissue product comprising two or more plies that are individually embossed and laminated together by edge embossing. It is difficult to achieve a sufficient plybonding with mechanical embossing only, especially when only the edge portions are embossed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Along with a reduction in size and an increase in functionality of electronic equipment such as mobile phones, circuit devices including multiple wiring layers have become dominant among those housed inside the electronic equipment. This technique is described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-324263, for example. Referring to FIG. 8, a circuit device including a multi-layered substrate 107 will be described.
Here, the circuit device is configured by mounting a circuit element such as a package 105 on a first wiring layer 102A formed on an upper surface of the multi-layered substrate 107.
In the multi-layered substrate 107, wiring layers are formed on an upper surface and a back surface of a base 101 made of glass epoxy resin. Here, a first wiring layer 102A and a second wiring layer 102B are formed on the upper surface of the base 101. The first wiring layer 102A and the second wiring layer 102B are stacked with an insulating layer 103 interposed therebetween. On the lower surface of the base 101, a third wiring layer 102C and a fourth wiring layer 102D are stacked with another insulating layer 103 interposed therebetween. The wiring layers are connected to each other at predetermined positions by connection parts 104 formed by penetrating the insulating layer 103.
To the first wiring layer 102A, which is the uppermost layer, a package 105 is fixed. Here, the package 105 having a semiconductor element 105A therein and sealed with resin is surface mounted on the first wiring layer 102A through connection electrodes 106.
However, since the base 101 included in the multi-layered substrate 107 having the above-described structure is made of resin, heat generated from the package 105 is difficult to release to the outside.
Moreover, to improve the mechanical strength and also the heat dissipation of the multi-layered substrate 101, the base 101 is highly filled with filler such as alumina. However, resin mixed with a large amount of filler tends to be brittle, and thus cracks frequently occur in the base 101 in a transport process and the like.
Further, when a conductive foil made of a plated metal core material is used for the base 101, a problem consequently arises that the mechanical strength of the entire base 101 becomes poor because such a conductive foil has poor mechanical strength. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Root-canal preparing instruments are commercially available in the form of root-canal files, root-canal drill bits or root-canal rasps and are used to widen a root canal and to clean it.
The tool proper of such root-canal preparing instruments may assume various thicknesses, there being presently twenty one different thicknesses beginning with a tip diameter of 0.06 mm up to one of 1.4 mm.
As a rule the tool proper consists of a vacuum-molten, high-alloy chromium-nickel steel evincing high strength regarding tensive, torsional and elongation stresses and required to be such that tools with initial dimensions of 0.06 mm can be manufactured.
In use, that is when such an instrument is operated by the dentist to widen or clean a root canal, said instrument is subjected to compressive, torsional and bending stresses at various rates, directions of rotations and with simultaneous up-and-down motion, i.e. an axial motion.
Furthermore root-canal preparing instruments are exposed to chemical stresses on account of disinfectants and thermal loads during heat sterilization.
Such stresses applied to root-canal preparing instruments leave traces on them such as warping, twisting by excess rotation etc. Consequently the preparing instruments and in particular those with thin tools already must be discarded possibly after being used only three times but assuredly after five-fold use as otherwise there would be danger of breakage with continued use.
While in principle used instruments may be visually checked using a magnifier, such checks on the other hand will only reveal external changes, not internal structural ones arising from material fatigue.
Accordingly it would be advantageous to the dentist if he were able to discard a root-canal preparing instrument after a specific number of uses. Such a feature however requires that he should always know how often a specific root-canal preparing instrument already has been used and sterilized. Root-canal preparing instruments known heretofore do not provide this type of information.
Consequently it is an object of the invention to create a dental root-canal preparing instrument of the initially cited kind revealing how many times it already has been used. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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As the operating speed of electronic components increases and as the size of the components decreases, it becomes increasingly difficult to design and manufacture electrical connectors that do not restrict system performance, and are not prohibitively expensive. This is particularly true in computer system applications wherein coaxial cables are used for high speed data transmission.
In such applications, the size of the electrical connector is critically important as computer manufacturers and users strive for smaller machines. Of equal importance for very high speed computers is the performance of the electrical connectors. A coaxial cable has a relatively uniform, predetermined impedance throughout its length and it is desirable that any electrical connections maintain and match this impedance in order to minimize the degradation of signals propagating through the system.
Electrical connectors of the prior art were deficient in one or more of these areas in that they were generally large and expensive, or lacking in electrical performance. Typically, if a system designer needed high electrical performance he/she had to resort to using connectors which have been designed solely for use in the communication industry. These connectors, while performing well, often occupy as much as 0.5 square inches of printed wiring board per signal terminal. In addition, the cost of these connectors is on the order of 100 times the cost, per line, of the connectors usually found in computer systems. However, this has generally been the only option because the connectors generally in use in computer systems are deficient in electrical performance in that they limit total system performance to an unacceptably low level. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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There are many kinds of semiconductor sensors which have many uses. In particular, semiconductor sensors are widely used in imaging technologies such as video cameras, digital cameras, and optical navigation devices. Silicon is one example of a semiconductor that is widely used in such semiconductor sensors.
The responsivity of a semiconductor to incident light peaks in the visible light region, and decreases as wavelength increases in the infrared light region. This decrease in responsivity is accompanied by an increase in absorption depth—the longer the wavelength, the more deeply the light penetrates into the semiconductor before being absorbed. This generates both optical and electronic crosstalk.
FIG. 1 shows a portion of a semiconductor sensor 10 that includes three pixels 12, 14, and 16. The semiconductor sensor 10 may be a CMOS sensor, a CCD sensor, a v Maicovicon sensor (a trademark of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.), a contact sensor, or any other kind of semiconductor sensor. The basic structural details of such semiconductor sensors are known in the art, and thus are not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of simplicity.
Ideally, a photon 18 of infrared light penetrating into the pixel 12 is absorbed in that same pixel 12 and generates an electron-hole pair consisting of an electron 20 and a hole 22 in a region of the pixel 12 where the electron 20 can be collected by a charge collecting structure of the pixel 12. Such a charge collecting structure is known in the art, and thus is not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of simplicity.
However, a photon 24 of infrared light penetrating into the pixel 12 at a high angle of incidence relative to a normal to the surface of the pixel 12 may pass through the pixel 12 without being absorbed, and penetrate into the neighboring pixel 14 where it is absorbed and generates an electron-hole pair consisting of an electron 26 and a hole 28 in a region of the pixel 14 where the electron 26 can be collected by a charge collecting structure of the pixel 14. Such a charge collecting structure is known in the art, and thus is not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of simplicity. This distorts the values of pixel light detection currents generated in the pixels 12 and 14, making the pixel light detection current generated in the pixel 12 smaller than it should be, and making the pixel light detection current generated in the pixel 14 larger than it should be.
This phenomenon is called optical crosstalk, and can be reduced by restricting the angles of incidence at which photons are incident on the semiconductor sensor 10 to angles of incidence near the normal to the semiconductor sensor 10. However, this typically requires one or more additional optical components, such as a collimating lens provided in front of the semiconductor sensor 10, and thus undesirably increases the cost, complexity, and size of the semiconductor sensor 10.
Furthermore, a photon 30 of infrared light may penetrate deeply into the pixel 12 before being absorbed and generating an electron-hole pair consisting of an electron 32 and a hole 34 in a region of the pixel 12 where the electron 34 cannot be collected by the charge collecting structure of the pixel 12. Instead, the electron 34 may diffuse into the neighboring pixel 16 where it may or may not be collected by a charge collecting structure of the pixel 16. Such a charge collecting is known in the art, and thus is not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of simplicity. This distorts the light detection current generated in the pixel 12 and possibly the light detection current generated in the pixel 16, making the light detection current generated in the pixel 12 smaller than it should be, and making the light detection current generated in the pixel 16 larger than it should be if the electron 34 is collected by the charge collecting structure of the pixel 16.
This phenomenon is called electronic crosstalk, and is particularly severe in semiconductor sensors used to detect infrared light. Silicon sensors are particularly susceptible to electronic crosstalk. It is difficult to reduce electronic crosstalk, and no truly effective way of doing so has been known in the art, particularly with respect to electronic crosstalk generated by photons penetrating into the deepest parts of a pixel. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Traditionally, electronic devices have a single form factor that may be driven by the size and shape of the display. Because many traditional displays are rigid or at least not flexible, a traditional device that is adaptable to accommodate multiple form factors includes the use of a mechanical hinge or pivot joint. However, these traditional configurations used for traditional notebook and tablet devices are inherently limited by the integration and size required by a separate mechanical hinge.
Embodiments described herein are directed to devices and techniques for forming portable electronic devices having a flexible cover coupled to a flexible display that do not have the limitations or drawbacks associated with some traditional solutions. | {
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Modern agriculture techniques require that during separation of a corn plant ear (or “ear”) from a stalk (or “stalk”) corn harvesting machines optimize the following considerations: (1) increase the rate of ear separation; (2) ensure that the corn plant is not severed from its root system during harvesting; (3) increase the speed at which stalks are ejected from the row unit; (4) retain minimal amounts of material other than ears (“MOTE”) in the heterogeneous material being delivered to the harvesting machine for threshing; and, (5) lacerate and/or penetrate the shell of the stalk to expose the internal portions for accelerated decomposition of the stalk.
As shown in FIG. 1, modern corn headers are provided with a plurality of row crop dividers for retrieving, lifting, and directing the rows of stalks toward their respective corn plant engagement chambers. The corn plant engagement chamber is defined herein as the portion of the corn head row unit that engages the stalk and separates the ear from the corn plant. FIG. 1A shows the top view of two stalk rolls found in the prior art. Gathering chains located in the corn plant engagement chamber draw the stalks and/or ears towards the header. Stalk rolls located beneath the gathering chains pull the stalks rapidly downward, returning the stalk to the field. These stalk rolls are typically powered by a gearbox. As the stalk rolls rotate, the flutes on the stalk rolls engage and pull the stalks downward. Two stripper plates located above the stalk rolls, with one stripper plate on either side of the corn row, are spaced wide enough to allow the stalks and leaves to pass between them but narrow enough to retain the ears. This causes the ears to be separated from the corn plant as the stalk is pulled down through the stripper plates. The stalk rolls continue to rotate and eject the unwanted portions of the corn plant below the corn plant engagement chamber, thereby returning the unwanted portions of the corn plant to the field.
The performance of stalk rolls found in the prior art, as shown in FIGS. 3-5, has been found to be less than optimal. Attempts at increasing stalk roll performance and increasing ear separation speed have been made by increasing rotational speed of the stalk rolls. These attempts have been largely unsuccessful because stalk rolls having uniform length flutes rotating at high speeds simulate a solid rotating cylinder (sometimes referred to as an “egg-beater effect”), which restricts entry of the corn plant into the corn plant engagement chamber. The diameter of the simulated rotating cylinder is approximately equal to the distance from the tip of a first flute on a given stalk roll to the tip of a second flute oriented closest to 180 degrees from the first flute (i.e., two opposed flutes on a given stalk roll). This rotating-cylinder effect prevents individual flutes from engaging the stalk and restricts corn plants from entering the corn plant engagement chamber. Thus, stalk engagement is hindered and the corn plant hesitates and does not enter the corn plant engagement chamber.
The prior art has attempted to increase the performance of cutting or chopping stalk rolls by simply adding more flutes to the stalk rolls. In prior art applications, this reduces the performance of the stalk rolls because during rotation of the stalk rolls, a semi-continuous wall of steel restricts entry of the stalk into the corn plant engagement chamber, as noted above. Adding flutes decreases the likelihood of a stalk entering the space between two opposing stalk rolls. That is, as more flutes are added to the stalk roll, rotation of the stalk roll causes the stalk roll to more closely simulate a rotating cylinder. When viewed along the axis of rotation of the stalk roll (the direction from which the stalk rolls would approach the stalk), adding more flutes restricts the ability of the stalks to enter the corn plant engagement chamber due to interference from the ends of the flutes.
When the gathering chain paddle passes above the stripper plates and engages a stalk that is restricted from entering the corn plant engagement chamber, the gathering chain paddle will likely break or sever the stalk prior to ear separation. Stalk severance prior to ear separation increases intake of MOTE to the harvesting machine, thereby increasing horsepower and fuel requirements. Difficulty in stalks entering the area between to stalk rolls may also cause ear separation to take place near the opening of the row unit and allow loose ears to fall to the ground, thereby becoming irretrievable.
FIG. 3 shows prior art opposing stalk roll designs utilizing six flutes that inter-mesh and overlap. When the flutes of this type engage the stalk, the flutes alternately apply opposing force. This knife-edge relationship causes at least two problems. First, the corn plants are violently tossed from side to side causing premature separation of loosely attached ears, thereby permitting the ear to fall to the ground and become irretrievable. Second, the stalk is cut or snapped at a node causing long, unwanted portions of the stalk and leaves to stay attached to the ear and remain in the row unit. This increases the amount of MOTE the harvesting machine must process. This problem is compounded as the number of row units per corn head is increased.
FIG. 4 shows the prior art stalk roll design with intermeshing knife edges as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,699. As shown, the stalk rolls have six outwardly extending integral flutes. Each flute has a knife edge that is provided with a leading surface and a trailing surface. The leading surface of the knife edge has a ten degree forward (with respect to the rotation of the stalk roll) slope and the trailing surface has a thirty degree reverse slope (with respect to the rotation of the stalk roll), both of which slopes are defined with respect to a line extending through the vertex of the knife edge and the central longitudinal axis of the stalk roll. Therefore, the leading surface is steeper than the trailing surface of each knife edge. The radially extending flutes are interleaved with one another in an intermeshing-type arrangement. The stalk rolls may be mounted in a cantilevered arrangement; or alternatively, in an arrangement employing nose bearings. The stalk roll comprises a cylindrical shell formed by two semi-cylindrical pieces that are clamped about a drive shaft. Bolts extend between the two semi-cylindrical pieces to pull the pieces together, thereby clamping the stalk rolls to the drive shaft.
This design, upon restricted engagement of the stalk roll with the stalk, allows the knife edges to cut stalks before pulling the stalks through the stripper plates to separate the ear from the stalk, effectively leaving the upper portion of the corn plant free to float in the corn row unit as shown in FIG. 3. This requires the harvesting machine threshing components to process a substantial portion of the stalk, which increases harvesting machine horsepower and fuel requirements.
FIG. 5 shows the design disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,428, which is a stalk roll having bilaterally symmetric flutes with knife edges that are adjacent and overlap in the shear zone area. This design produces a shearing and cutting of the stalk using a scissor configuration produced by the leading and trailing edges of the opposing knife-edged flutes. Again, the stalks are cut off prior to ear separation. This is sometimes referred to as a “scissor effect” and also results in the need to process increased amounts of MOTE.
Case IH corn heads built prior to development of U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,428 used stalk rolls having four knives that are bolted to a solid shaft. Adjacent stalk rolls are registered with one another so that as the stalk rolls are rotated, the knives of the opposing stalk rolls are also opposing rather than intermeshing. In an opposing arrangement, the knives come into contact with opposite sides of the stalk at the same general height of the stalk, thereby lacerating the stalk for accelerated decomposition. It is important that the blades are correctly registered with one another, and that the blades are correctly spaced from one another. The stalk rolls used on Case IH corn heads require nose bearings at the forward end (with respect to the direction of travel of the harvesting machine during threshing) of the stalk rolls to operate properly and may not be mounted in a cantilevered arrangement.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION - ELEMENT LISTINGELEMENT DESCRIPTIONELEMENT #Gathering chain paddle 1 (110)Gathering chain 2 (120)Stripper plate 3 (130)Row divider 4 (100)Nose cone5Transport vane 6 (170)Stalk slot7Cross auger trough 8 (200)Cross auger 9 (220)Cross auger flighting 10 (230)Feeder house11Stalk roll (Prior Art)12Ear 13 (300)Outer shell of stalk 14 (321)First (right) stalk roll15Second (left) stalk roll16Cylindrical shell17First flute18Second flute19Third flute20Fourth flute21Knife edge22Leading surface23Trailing surface24Stalk engagement gap25Fifth flute26Semi-cylindrical shell (Upper)27Semi-cylindrical shell (Lower)28Stalk roll drive shaft29Annular ridge30Short bolt hole31Short bolt32Sixth flute33Bolt receiver34Long bolts36Long bolt hole37Intermediate drive shaft38Drive shaft bolt39Small pin40Large pin41Row unit cover100Ear separation chamber140Short flute180Tapered flute181Intermediate flute182Long flute183Stalk roll190 (192)Underside of leaf310Stalk320Stalk outer shell321First grasp point322Second grasp323Stalk cut point324Stalk piece326Stalk node330Stalk roll400Nose cone410Flighting412Recess420Main cylinder430Full flute440Flute edge442Leading surface444Trailing surface445Leading wall446Trailing wall447Beveled edge448Flute base449Reduced flute450 | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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With the advent of desktop and portable computer systems, the problem of maintaining the confidentiality of secure data is increased. This is a particular problem for laptop computers and hand-held personal digital assistants (PDAs) that are frequently used in public locations. Data security is also a problem for other display systems, such as automated teller machines, and Internet terminals in public locations, such as Internet shops and airports.
In recent years, a great deal of effort has been expended on making flat panel display screens as readable as CRT screens by using active matrix technology. However, enhanced readability of displayed data increases the risk of confidential information being viewable by unauthorized persons when portable displays are used in public locations.
One solution is to provide the display with physical “blinders” mounted on the side of the display to limit the angle at which the display can be seen. Another type of mechanical solution uses microscopic louvers to obscure the screen to any viewer not along the axis of the louvers. However, this does not prevent viewing by a person sitting directly behind the user of the display. In addition, this type of arrangement does not allow the user to leave the equipment unattended.
One manufacturer, InvisiView Technologies, Inc., Boca Raton, Fla., removes the front polarizer from a LCD type of device so the displayed image is no longer visible. If the display is viewed through polarized lenses, it becomes visible. This is a partial solution because anyone wearing consumer-grade polarized sunglasses can defeat the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,319 “Privacy filter for a display device” issued to Austin on Jun. 18, 1996 describes a privacy filter constructed of spaced-apart opaque grids that can be fitted to a display device. The problems with this arrangement is that it requires physical modification of the device, and like the blinders above, only limits the angle at which the display can be viewed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,984 “System and method for data security” issued to McManis on May 13, 1997 describes a display system that alternates data frames with flash frames where an overwhelming majority of pixels are illuminated so that the flash frames have an average intensity substantially greater than the data frames. The user views the display with a shutter device that is synchronized to the displayed frames. The shutter is open for the data frames, and closed for the flash frames. The interspersed flash frames are intended to make it difficult for a viewer without the optical shutter device to intelligibly read the data frames.
The problem with this system is that most people can perceive images even is the relative intensity of darkest elements is only about 1/100 that of the brightest elements. In other words, the intensity of the flash frames would have to be increased by at least 20 db in order for the device to be effective. In a practical LCD applications, the display elements are usually driven at full power to maximize brightness. Therefore, it is problematic whether the driving voltage can be increased by a factor of a hundred. Even if the flash frames can be displayed, it is well known that over illuminating the display screen greatly shortens its useable life-span. In addition, the flash frames would attract attention to bystanders, and the device is more susceptible to counter attacks. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Antennas are used in a variety of applications, such as in communications equipment. Antennas tend to be relatively large or bulky, consuming a significant portion of the footprint/space associated with such equipment. Additionally, the tuning range of such antennas tends to be limited, due in part to the components/devices that are used in constructing the antenna. Over that tuning range there exists gaps where no coverage is provided, representing a loss in terms of antenna performance/efficiency.
The communications may be vulnerable to being intercepted by third parties (e.g., by parties outside of one or more intended recipients of the communications). Additional measures are needed in order to ensure the privacy and security of communications. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention is directed to data communication systems and methods.
Over the last few decades, the use of communication networks exploded. In the early days Internet, popular applications were limited to emails, bulletin board, and mostly informational and text-based web page surfing, and the amount of data transferred was usually relatively small. Today, Internet and mobile applications demand a huge amount of bandwidth for transferring photo, video, music, and other multimedia files. For example, a social network like Facebook processes more than 500 TB of data daily. With such high demands on data and data transfer, existing data communication systems need to be improved to address these needs.
Over the past, there have been many types of communication systems and methods. Unfortunately, they have been inadequate for various applications. Therefore, improved communication systems and methods are desired. | {
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The present invention relates to a direction determining method and apparatus for close-range sonar systems having a wide aperture angle and high azimuth and radial resolution. In the case of short pulses, the radial resolution is defined as c/2B, where c is the sound velocity in the medium and B is the pulse bandwidth.
In systems of this type, it is common to employ an arrangement of spatially arranged acoustic-electric transducers to determine the direction of incidence of sonar signals. While this procedure basically serves for the determination of a direction in one plane, it can also be used for the determination of a direction in two planes.
It is known to determine the direction of incidence of sonar echoes by providing a staggered time delay of the electrical signals from the individual transducer groups and adding these signals in the correct phase relation. The sum signal is a measure for the echo amplitude from a certain direction of incidence, the particular direction being determined by the selection of the delay times. If this method is used for a plurality of directions, it is called beam scanning.
It is also known to simplify this principle by employing a phase shift to correspond to the delay times, a process which is briefly called phase compensation.
Since in addition to the direction of incidence, the distance, or range, of the reflecting object is also to be determined, the emitted pulses have a finite duration and a predetermined bandwidth. A phase compensation will then, however, reach its limits. In sonar devices for close ranges it is generally necessary to have a high distance resolution, a wide angle resolution and a wide aperture angle. Phase compensation is permissible only for the region ##EQU2## where .alpha..sub.o /2 is the maximum angle between the normal to the transducer array and an object point, c is the speed of sound, D is the length of the transducer array and B is the pulse bandwidth.
Phase compensation for a plurality of receiving directions can be realized for distant targets with a Fourier transformation of the received signals from the individual groups of transducers u.sub.n and for the short-range field with an additional multiplication by a phase factor, as described in the publication Acoustical Holography, Vol. 2, pages 136, 137, Plenum Press, 1970. Such a discrete Fourier transformation can be effected electrically. Alternatively, it can be effected optically in a holographic process. The equipment costs for this are substantially less than for an exact delay time compensation system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Lithographic printing typically involves the use of a so-called printing master such as a printing plate which is mounted on a cylinder of a rotary printing press. The master carries a lithographic image on its surface and a print is obtained by applying ink to said image and then transferring the ink from the master onto a receiver material, which is typically paper. In conventional lithographic printing, ink as well as an aqueous fountain solution (also called dampening liquid) are supplied to the lithographic image which consists of oleophilic (or hydrophobic, i.e. ink-accepting, water-repelling) areas as well as hydrophilic (or oleophobic, i.e. water-accepting, ink-repelling) areas. In so-called driographic printing, the lithographic image consists of ink-accepting and ink-abhesive (ink-repelling) areas and during driographic printing, only ink is supplied to the master.
Printing masters are generally obtained by the image-wise exposure and processing of an imaging material called plate precursor. In addition to the well known photosensitive, so-called pre-sensitized plates, which are suitable for UV contact exposure through a film mask, also heat-sensitive printing plate precursors have become very popular in the late 1990s. Such thermal materials offer the advantage of daylight stability and are especially used in the so-called computer-to-plate method wherein the plate precursor is directly exposed, i.e. without the use of a film mask. The material is exposed to heat or to infrared light and the generated heat triggers a (physico-)chemical process, such as ablation, polymerization, insolubilization by crosslinking of a polymer, heat-induced solubilization, or particle coagulation of a thermoplastic polymer latex.
Although some of these thermal processes enable plate making without wet processing, the most popular thermal plates form an image by a heat-induced solubility difference in an alkaline developer between exposed and non-exposed areas of the coating. The coating typically comprises an oleophilic binder, e.g. a phenolic resin, of which the developer solubility is either reduced (negative working) or increased (positive working) by the image-wise exposure. During processing, the solubility differential leads to the removal of the non-image (non-printing) areas of the coating, thereby revealing the hydrophilic support, while the image (printing) areas of the coating remain on the support. Typical examples of such plates are described in EP-As 625728, 823327, 825927, 864420, 894622 and 901902.
The industrial manufacturing of printing plate precursors involves the steps of unwinding a coil of the support material in web form which is typically aluminum, coating one or more layers on the web, drying the coating by blowing hot air on the web and finally rewinding the coated web on a core or immediately cutting the coated web in sheets which are then stacked and packaged. On an industrial scale, all these steps are carried out “on-line”, i.e. on a moving web in a single continuous operation without any intermediate storage.
A specific problem associated with thermal plate precursors comprising phenolic resins is that their sensitivity is not stable over time because the coating gradually becomes more resistant against the developer and therefore more heat needs to be applied during the image-wise exposure for triggering the imaging mechanism. Typically a high sensitivity, e.g. less than 100 mJ/cm2, is obtained just after coating and then slowly decreases to reach an equilibrium value of e.g. 250 mJ/cm2. The aging period that is required to arrive at a stable sensitivity may take several months after coating. In order to reduce the aging period, WO 99/21715 proposes a heat treatment by leaving the material shortly after coating in an oven at 40 to 90° C. for an extended period, which is at least 4 hours and most preferably at least 48 hours. U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,559 disclosed that a controlled slow cooling after the heat treatment provides additional improvements. According to the latter document, “controlled slow cooling” means that heat is lost from the precursor more slowly than if it is cooled under ambient conditions. Examples of such a cooling method include insulating the material after the heat treatment or leaving it in an oven which progressively cools to lower temperature. Such a cooling process lasts several hours and can only be carried out “off-line”, i.e. a coil or a stack of sheets is placed in an oven and left there during the required time. Off-line storage however is to be avoided for several reasons. Besides additional cost and logistic implications, it is quite clear that a coil or stack cannot be cooled uniformly since the interior of the coil or stack will go through a different temperature profile than the exterior. Therefore, there is a need for a method that provides an effective cooling step which can be implemented on-line, before winding the web on a coil or cutting the web into sheets. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to optics and, more particularly, solid immersion lenses for focusing collimated light in the near-field region.
2. Description of the Background
In modern optical data storage systems, data is stored on an optical storage medium in the form of marks carried on a surface of the optical medium. The data may be accessed by focusing a laser beam onto the data surface of the optical medium and analyzing the light reflected by the marks. Storage density of the system may be increased by reducing the size of the beam (called the xe2x80x9cspotxe2x80x9d) focused on the data surface. In addition to optical data storage applications, reduction of spot size is beneficial for photolithography and microscopy applications as well. For example, in photolithography, smaller spot sizes allow for the exposure of finer features in photoresist.
The diffraction-limited spot diameter obtained from classical scalar diffraction theory is provided by: d FWHM = λ 2 NA ( 1 )
where d is measured at the full width half maximum (FWHM), xcex is the wavelength of the light, and NA is the numerical aperture. The numerical aperture of a lens system, such as the lens system illustrated in FIG. 1, is an indication of the focusing power and may be approximated as:
NA≈nmedium2sin xcex8xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
where the definition of the variables of equation 2 are provided with reference to FIG. 1. The numerical aperture of any lens system cannot exceed the value of the refractive index of the lens at the focal plane. Lenses are typically characterized by the value of the numerical aperture in air. For example, with reference to FIG. 1, if xcex8 is 30xc2x0, and because nmediun2≈1(air), then NAair=0.5, and the diffraction limited spot size dFWHM≈xcex. In optical data storage systems, as discussed hereinbefore, the size of a recorded bit, and hence the aerial density, is proportional to the spot size. From equation 1, it is evident that one way of reducing the diffraction limited spot size is to increase the numerical aperture.
One known lens system used in applications where reduced spot size is critical, such as optical data storage systems, involves using an objective lens 10 in conjunction with a solid immersion lens (SIL) 12, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Using the SIL 12 allows for the increase of the refractive index at the focal plane f of the objective lens 10. In FIG. 2, the surface 14 of the SIL 20 is hemispherical. Light from the objective lens 10 is incident normal to the upper surface 14 at all points, and no refraction at the upper surface 14 occurs. Therefore xcex8, which is determined by the objective lens 10, will be unchanged and the refractive index of the media at the focal plane f is increased. Instead, the numerical aperture of the system of FIG. 1 is:
NA=nSILsin xcex8=nSILNAair.xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(3)
It is apparent from equation 1 that by using the SIL 12, the diffraction limited spot size is reduced by a factor of nSIL. The optical spot may be evanescently coupled to an optical data storage medium with minor expansion provided that the medium is within the near-field region of the bottom surface 16 of the SIL 12, i.e., very close, typically within a fraction of a wavelength, or a few nanometers depending on the wavelength. The evanescent coupling effectively allows the small spot size to be xe2x80x9ccopiedxe2x80x9d across the gap from the bottom surface 16 of the SIL 12 to the media.
Another known type of lens system using an SIL 12, referred to as the xe2x80x9csuper SILxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cSSILxe2x80x9d, is shown in FIG. 3. For the lens system of FIG. 3, the surface 14 of the SSIL 12 is spherical. In addition, the focal plane f of the objective lens 10 is below the lower surface 16 of the SSIL 12. The SSIL 12 does some additional focusing of the light from the objective lens 10 and, when the incident angle of the light from the objective lens 10 on the SSIL 12 is 90xc2x0, xcex8xe2x80x2 is also 90xc2x0. Therefore, sin xcex8xe2x80x2=1, and the numerical aperture of the system is:
NA=nSIL.xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(4)
One restriction of the SSIL arrangement of FIG. 3 is that the numerical aperture of the objective lens 10 must be 1/nSIL for maximum performance.
Additionally, to improve the off-axis performance or other aberrations caused by a hemispherical SIL, the lens system of FIG. 3 may use an aspheric SIL. A lens system using an aspheric SIL in conjunction with an objective lens to improve off-axis performance, however, may sacrifice spot size.
In all three of these cases, however, the objective lens 10 is separated from the SIL 12 by a spacing. In most near-field applications, the dimensions of the spacings are critical, and consequently must be accurate to within a fraction of a wavelength. Otherwise, if the focal plane deviates slightly from the designed location, the performance of the lens system is severely degraded. In addition, where the objective lens 10 and the SIL 12 are mechanically aligned, their alignment may shift, thereby possibly destroying the precise alignment.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the prior art for a lens system which yield a reduced spot size yet does not require precise mechanical alignment of the objective lens and the SIL. There further exists a need for such a lens system to be adaptable to modem near-field applications, such as optical data storage, photolithography, and microscopy.
The present invention is directed to a lens for focusing collimated light. According to one embodiment, the lens includes a single, optically transmissive material having an aspherical focusing surface and a second surface, such that collimated light incident on the aspherical focusing surface is focused in a near-field region of the second surface.
According to another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a lens for focusing collimated light, including a first focusing portion having a first refractive index, wherein the first focusing portion includes a focusing surface and a second surface, and a second focusing portion having an aspherical focusing surface and a second surface, wherein the aspherical focusing surface of the second focusing portion is connected to the second surface of the first focusing portion, wherein the second focusing portion has a second refractive index which is not equal to the first refractive index, such that collimated light incident on the focusing surface of the first focusing portion is focused in a near-field region of the second surface of the second focusing portion.
According to another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a lens for focusing collimated light, including a first focusing portion having a first refractive index, wherein the first focusing surface includes a focusing surface and a second surface, a second focusing portion having first and second surfaces, wherein the first surface of the second focusing portion is connected to the second surface of the first focusing portion, wherein the second surface of the second focusing portion defines a cavity, and wherein the second focusing portion has a second refractive index which is not equal to the first refractive index, and a third optically transmissive portion disposed in the cavity defined by the second surface of the second focusing portion, wherein the third optically transmissive portion has a high refractive index relative to a wavelength of the collimated light.
The present invention provides an advantage over prior art lens systems for focusing collimated light in the near-field region in that it provides the focusing power of a solid immersion lens while obviating the need to employ a separate and distinct objective lens. Concomitantly, the present invention obviates the need to precisely orient the spacing between a separate and distinct objective lens and a solid immersion lens. In addition, the lenses of the present invention may be incorporated in, for example, optical data storage, photolithography, and microscopy systems, as well as in two-dimensional waveguide structures. These and other benefits of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the invention hereinbelow. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor package and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a semiconductor package and a method for manufacturing the same that exhibits a reduced electric resistance and an increased junction force.
These days, the semiconductor industry is actively engaged in developing more cost efficient ways of manufacturing semiconductor products that exhibit high reliability. Light weight, miniaturization, high speed operation, multi-functionality, and high performance features are also being actively developed by the semiconductor industry. In achieving these desired features, semiconductor package forming techniques are considered as one promising aspect in this rapidly developing and important technology in the semiconductor industry.
The semiconductor package forming techniques are designed to produce semiconductor chips that have their circuit patterns protected therein from outside circumstances. Further, semiconductor package forming techniques are designed to produce semiconductor packages that mount easily to a substrate so that the operational reliability of the semiconductor chips can be secured. The semiconductor package forming techniques include processes, such as, semiconductor chip attaching processes, wire bonding processes, molding processes and trimming/forming processes. The semiconductor package forming techniques can be either conducted at the chip level or the wafer level.
Recently, techniques for forming semiconductor packages by stacking at least two semiconductor chips or packages have gained much interest in achieving many of the above desired features. These stack package techniques have been developed to accomplish miniaturization, high capacity and high mounting efficiency in semiconductor packages. The stack package techniques promise to provide a semiconductor product that can realize a memory capacity greater than semiconductor products made from more conventional integration processes partly because mounting area utilization efficiency can be improved.
In stack packages, electrical connections are formed using metal wires, bumps or through-electrodes between semiconductor chips or packages and a substrate or between semiconductor chips or packages. Of particular note are stack packages that use through-electrodes in semiconductor chips or packages in which electrical degradation of the resultant stack packages can be avoided or minimized. As a consequence of using through-electrodes in stack packages, the resultant operation speed can be increased and the size of the stack package can be miniaturized. Accordingly, interest in further developing these types of stack packages has been grown.
However, stack packages that use through-electrodes are not without problems. In particular, because through-electrodes of upper and lower semiconductor chips or packages are joined with each other by different kind of metals such as solders, then increases in electric resistance and in electrical reliability degradation problems are likely to occur due to such things as deterioration brought about by substantial brittleness.
Further regarding stack packages that use through-electrodes, electrical and physical connections formed have small junction areas. As a consequence, these connections are likely to break or fail due to external forces such as external physical shocks. As a result, these types of stack packages that use through-electrodes are prone to suffering degradation to their reliability. It is known that the junction reliability of the stack packages can be improved by using adhesive tapes or filler materials. However, using adhesive tapes or filler materials necessarily results in additional processes that consequently increase the fabrication cost and/or the manufacturing time needed to assure that these semiconductor package products do not suffer post-manufacture deteriorate.
Moreover, because the junction areas of stack packages that incorporate through-electrodes are small, the electric resistance across these small junction areas increases. Accordingly, these semiconductor products cannot be used in high-performance electronic products that require high signal transmitting speeds. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Field of the Invention
Lubricating oils used under the severe conditions of diesel and gasoline engines are highly compounded so as to neutralize acids derived from the oxidation of sulfur in the fuel and from partial oxidation of hydrocarbons, both from the fuel and oil; to disperse sludge- and varnish-forming precursors within the oil; and to inhibit oxidation and wear; as well as enhancing other lubrication properties of the oil. In addition to the requirements normally attendant to a diesel and gasoline lubricating oil, those oils which find use in railway diesel engines have the additional factor of not being corrosive or reactive to silver. Silver bearings are used in a preponderant number of diesel railway engines today.
The desirability of having a single additive providing multifunctional properties is evident in the efficiency and economies in the manufacturing and using of a single additive as compared to a plurality of additives. However, because of the severe operating conditions under which a lubricating oil performs in diesel and gasoline engines, it is frequently found that additives, while effectively performing a particular function, will tend to degrade and enhance deposit formation. Therefore, in designing any particular additive, it is essential not only that it fulfill the functions for which it has been designed, but that it be stable under the conditions of use or degrade slowly to materials which do not enhance deposit formation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system for analysing material such as coal, ore, or similar substances (hereinafter referred to as "coal", by bombardment of the material with neutrons and the detection of gamma rays emitted. It also relates to a gamma ray detector suitable for (but not exclusively for) use in such a system.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In recent years systems have been developed which use neutron bombardment of coal to analyse the composition of that coal, and so determine its economic value. The general principle of such a system is that a sample of coal is bombarded with neutrons, and these neutrons interact with atoms in the coal to generate gamma rays whose spectrum depends on the atoms with which the neutrons have interacted. If the energy of each gamma ray emitted from the coal can be detected, then the spectrum can be developed and so the elements within the coal identified. The problem, however, with such systems is that it is difficult to detect accurately the gamma ray energies.
It should be noted at this point that the present invention is concerned with detection of gamma rays emitted very quickly (times less than e.g. 10.sup.-12 s) after the neutron interaction. This is commonly referred to as "prompt" neutron activation analysis, to distinguish it from another form of neutron activation analysis in which the gamma rays investigated are those from .beta. decay in which the times involved are very much longer. Neutron activation analysis involving .beta. decay is unsuitable because not all elements are activated in this way, so that it is not possible to get an accurate analysis of the contents of the coal. Furthermore, different elements have different .beta. decay half lives, and so the activity of each element will change in a different way, making accurate analysis very difficult.
Therefore, the present invention is concerned with prompt analysis as this enables coal to be analysed continuously, for example analysis of coal passing continuously down a conveyor. However, the present invention is also applicable to analysis of bulk coal samples, but again with the intention that results are obtained rapidly.
Before discussing the present invention, it is necessary to understand the different types of gamma ray detectors currently used. The first type is the scintillator detector, consisting of a block of material which generates light when a particle such as an electron moving within it is slowed down. Such detectors are commonly made of sodium iodide, usually doped with thallium, and are referred to as NaI(Tl) scintillators. The use of such scintillators is well known for the detection of gamma rays. When a gamma ray interacts with such a NaI(Tl) scintillator there are two possible reactions depending on the energy of the gamma ray. Firstly, the gamma ray may react with an electron of an atom of the scintillator, knocking that electron out of its position in the lattice. This is known as Compton scattering. As the electron moves within the lattice it is slowed by interactions with other electrons and in doing so, generates light. By detecting the total amount of light generated (using a light detector such as a photomultiplier) it is possible to determine the energy of the electron. If all the energy of the gamma ray is absorbed by the electron, then this gives a measure of the gamma ray energy. However, in some cases, only a part of the gamma ray's energy is transmitted, and a gamma ray of different energy continues to move through the lattice. If this gamma ray then reacts with another electron within the scintillator, then all or part of its energy may be transmitted to that electron, generating more light. Thus, the light output from the scintillator will be directly related to the energy of the gamma ray, provided the gamma ray reacts with one or more electrons so that its energy is totally absorbed within the scintillator. However, in many cases only a part of the gamma ray's energy is transmitted to the electrons, and a part is lost, when a gamma ray emerges from the scintillator. Thus, the light spectrum for a gamma ray of a particular energy will have a peak corresponding to the energy of that gamma ray, but a large background level due to other possible reactions, where not all the energy is absorbed within the scintillator.
The second possible interaction, known as pair production, applies when the gamma ray has an energy of at least 1.022 MeV. Such a gamma ray may interact with a nucleus of an atom of the scintillator to generate an electron-positron pair. The electron of this pair passes through the scintillator, and loses energy as light radiation which may again be detected by a photomultiplier. The positron, on the other hand, will react with the first electron it encounters, and they mutually annihilate to generate a pair of gamma rays each having an energy of 511 keV, the two gamma rays travelling in opposite directions. These two gamma rays may then react with electrons in the scintillator by Compton scattering, knocking the electrons out of position and causing them to generate light in the way described above, or may pass directly out of the scintillator. Thus, the spectrum produced by pair production will have three peaks, one corresponding to the energy of the initial gamma ray, one corresponding to the case where one of the 511 keV gamma rays is totally absorbed whilst the other passes directly out of the scintillator, which peak will have an energy 511 keV less than the first, and a third peak corresponding to the case where both 511 keV gamma rays pass out of the scintillator, which peak will be 1.022 MeV less than the first. Furthermore, there will be a high background level corresponding to the other reactions possible.
For any element in the coal, the neutrons will generate a spectrum of gamma rays having several lines. Each of these lines may generate a corresponding peak in the light from the detector, if they are less than 1.022 MeV, or three peaks if they are greater than that energy. If the peaks were very sharp (i.e. had a very low energy spread), it would be possible to analyse the light output from the scintillator and thereby generate the full spectrum of incident gamma rays, enabling the elements to be identified. However, in practice, each peak generated by the scintillator has an energy spread of about 7 to 10% of its value, so that if there are a large number of peaks, they tend to blend together. Furthermore, the background noise of one line in the incident gamma ray spectrum, may be greater than the maximum peak height for another line, so that lines may be completely lost within the background noise. The result is that the output from a single scintillator is impossible to analyse because all the peaks are blurred together.
The second type of detector used is a solid-state detector based on a single crystal of germanium (Ge). Again, an incident gamma ray may react by Compton scattering or by pair production, but instead of generating electrons which generate light as they move through the scintillator, the effect of interaction within a solid-state detector is to generate electron-hole pairs which move through the crystal as a current which may be detected by applying a voltage across the semiconductor. This current will have energy peaks corresponding to the energy peaks generated by the gamma ray interactions. The advantage of solid-state detectors is that they have very sharp peaks (with a spread often 0.1% or less of the energy of the peak, so that it would be possible to use the energy peaks from a solid-state detector to obtain a complete analysis of the gamma ray spectrum and hence of the elements present in the coal. However, the problem with solid-state detectors is that they have a low efficiency, in that they produce a much lower output than a scintillator for the same gamma ray flux. Therefore, a longer analysis time is needed when using a solid-state detector to obtain accurate results, and in practice, this time is far too long to permit continuous, or relatively short-term, analysis of the coal. Therefore, despite its high accuracy, a solid-state detector is unsuitable for analysis of coal in the way proposed by the present invention. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an image reject sub-harmonic mixer and, more particularly, to an image reject sub-harmonic mixer that includes an RF 90xc2x0 hybrid, two high pass filters, two diode pair mixers, two low pass filters, and an intermediate frequency 90xc2x0 hybrid to provide reduced components over existing sub-harmonic mixers.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Image reject sub-harmonic mixers are known in the art for mixing RF and local oscillator (LO) signals. These mixers are typically used in many communications systems, such as radio and radar communications systems, for frequency down-conversion purposes. Frequency down-conversion includes mixing the received RF signal with a local oscillator (LO) signal to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) signal suitable for signal processing. Mixing the received RF signal with the LO signal generates sum and difference signals from these two signals, where the low frequency difference signal is used as the IF signal and the sum signal is filtered out. Sub-harmonic mixers have an advantage over conventional mixers because it is easier to generate the fundamental LO signal from which the effective LO signal is used for the mixing, especially at higher frequencies (GHz).
Typically, the fundamental LO signal is selected to be about one-half of the frequency of the received RF signal so that the second harmonic of the fundamental LO signal is near the frequency of the RF signal. The second harmonic or effective LO signal is the signal that is actually mixed with the RF signal to generate the IF signal. The mixing process generates responses at the effective LO frequency, plus and minus the IF frequency. The image reject mixer rejects one of the responses as an image signal by selective phasing, so that it does not interfere with the signal processing as noise or the like.
The conventional image reject sub-harmonic mixer is implemented using two identical mixers with separate power dividers driving the LO and RF ports. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional image reject sub-harmonic mixer 10. An RF input signal is applied to an input port of a 90xc2x0 RF hybrid 12 (power divider), and in-phase and quadrature phase RF signals are provided at the output ports of the hybrid 12. The in-phase RF signal is applied to an RF band-pass filter 14 and the quadrature phase RF signal is applied to an RF band-pass filter 16. An LO signal is applied to an in-phase LO hybrid 18 (power divider) that splits the LO signal into copies of itself that are in-phase with each other. One of the LO signals is applied to an LO band-pass filter 20 and the other LO signal is applied to an LO band-pass filter 22.
The RF and effective LO signals from the filters 14 and 20 are mixed by an anti-parallel diode pair 24 to generate an in-phase IF signal that is the difference between the RF signal and the effective LO signal. Likewise, the RF and the effective LO signals from the filters 16 and 22 are mixed by an anti-parallel diode pair 26 to generate a quadrature phase IF signal that is the difference between the RF signal and the effective LO signal. The in-phase and the quadrature phase IF signals are 90xc2x0 apart in phase. Low pass filters 28 and 30 are provided to pass the IF signals from the diode pairs 24 and 26, respectively, and reject the high frequency RF and LO signals.
The in-phase and quadrature phase IF signals are combined in a power combiner or 90xc2x0 IF hybrid 32. Proper phasing is provided in the RF and LO hybrids 12 and 18 and the IF hybrid 32 to reject the image signal relative to the desired IF frequency. The LO hybrid 18 provides in-phase LO signals to the LO ports of the two diode pairs 24 and 26, and the RF hybrid 12 provides a 90-degree phase shift between the RF ports of the two diode pairs 24 and 26. The IF hybrid 32 provides 90-degree phasing to reduce the undesirable sideband. In this design, the upper sideband is provided on the lower output port of the hybrid 32, and the lower sideband is provided at the upper output port of the hybrid 32.
To maintain RF and LO signal separation to drive the mixer diode pairs 24 and 26 in the conventional sub-harmonic mixer 10, each diode pair 24 and 26 requires separate bandpass, low pass or high pass filters to eliminate undesired coupling among the RF, LO and IF signals. This implementation thus requires six separate filters, one at each of the LO, RF and IF frequencies for each mixer. Additionally, two power dividers for the LO and RF signals and one power combiner for the IF signal are required to implement the conventional image reject subharmonic mixer.
Typically, sub-harmonic mixers are implemented in a monolithic circuit in state-of-the-art receivers. Thus, there is a need in the art to simplify the circuitry required for an image reject sub-harmonic mixer to reduce hardware requirements and reduce the physical area required for the mixer. Reducing the number of components also reduces the cost of the mixer. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a sub-harmonic mixer.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, an image reject sub-harmonic mixer is disclosed that employs less components than the image reject mixers known in the art. In one embodiment, the mixer includes a four-port 90xc2x0 RF coupler, two high pass filters, two anti-parallel diode pairs, two low pass filters and a 90xc2x0 IF coupler. RF and LO signals are applied to isolated input ports of the 90xc2x0 RF coupler. The RF coupler generates in-phase and quadrature phase RF and LO signals at the two output ports of the RF coupler. The RF and LO signals at one of the output ports of the RF coupler is applied to a first bandpass filter and the RF and LO signals at the other output port of the RF coupler are applied to a second high pass filter.
The anti-parallel diode pairs provide the mixing of the RF and effective LO signals, and generate two IF signals that are 90xc2x0 apart in phase. The high pass filters reject the IF signal to prevent IF power from coupling to the RF and LO ports of the RF coupler. The low pass filters pass the IF signals and reject the LO and RF signals. Image rejection is obtained by combining the IF outputs of the two diode pairs in the 90xc2x0 IF hybrid to separate the upper and lower sidebands of the effective LO signal. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Computing systems are routinely used to process a variety of information (such as to report, analyze, sort, aggregate the information). For example, computing systems may run collaborative applications that are designed to help persons involved in common tasks to achieve goals (such as to facilitate team working in modern organizations). Generally, the collaborative applications are used by persons in different locations (and particularly in remote locations that are dispersed geographically) to engage the collaborative applications in cooperative work. A typical example of a collaborative application is a tele-conference. The tele-conference allows persons participating in the tele-conference in different conference rooms to discuss topics of common interest by means of tele-communication techniques. For this purpose, each participant may speak in the tele-conference so as to be heard by all the other participants in the teleconference, which is generally accompanied by transmission of images relating to activities at the different locations (for example, an image of the participant that is currently speaking). Moreover, the tele-conference also allows sharing information among participants in the teleconference to support the discussion in the teleconference. For example, shared documents (such as texts) may be displayed to all of the participants. Each participant may also have a possibility of editing the shared documents, with every change in the shared documents propagated to all of the other participants. The video-conference brings the participants together virtually, without having the participants meet physically (thereby cutting travel costs).
The information processed in any computing system (including the information shared in any tele-conference) is in digital form. This information may be generated directly in digital form (for example, in case of word processor documents, spreadsheets, computer-graphic drawings). Otherwise, any physical object (i.e., a digital representation thereof) is to be imported in the computing system for allowing the physical object's processing. For example, a paper document may be scanned to obtain a digital image thereof, which is then saved in a corresponding digital document. However, the importing of the physical objects may be difficult. Indeed, the equipment required for the importing of the physical objects may be not available locally (or the required equipment may be not available at all).
Alternatively, “Multi-touch Table with Image Capturing, Jakub Husek, Proceedings of CESCG 2011: The 15th Central European Seminar on Computer Graphics” discloses a multi touch screen with an ability of taking pictures through the screen. U.S. Pat. No. 8,611,667 discloses a projection-vision system employing a camera and a projector (sitting off to the side of a projection surface) that can detect when an object is present on the projection surface, capture an image thereof and subsequently project the image back on the projection surface or onto other remotely connected display surfaces. EP-A-0622722 discloses a system for generating new documents from originals, wherein a camera captures various manual operations carried out by the user on an original paper document (representing manipulations of the document's text or images), and feedback to the user is provided by projection of an image onto the original paper document.
In any case, importing the physical objects is not completely natural and not intuitive. As a result, operations required to import the physical objects may be relatively time consuming (especially during a learning phase thereof), which is particularly annoying in case of a tele-conference. Indeed, in the tele-conference, the participants interact substantially in real-time. Therefore, any delay caused by importing a physical object may cause a corresponding stop of the tele-conference. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a connection of a plurality of members and, more particularly, to a waterproof structure of a connecting portion.
Recently waterproof portable goods used in daily life have tended to increase in number. For example, cameras are used outdoors with relatively high frequency, and thus it is important that they should have a so-called waterproof (splash-proof) function in order that they can be used in places such as a beach and a ski slope or under conditions of bad weather such as a rainy or snowy day.
A conventional waterproof structure for cameras is disclosed in, for example, Jpn. U.M. Appln. KOKAI Publications Nos. 63-173232 and 4-9931. These publications are directed to the techniques shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, respectively. In order to render a camera waterproof, a waterproof structure in which a packing (elastic member) 16 of a loop-shaped seal member is inserted between covers 14 and 15 of a camera body, is adopted.
In the foregoing waterproof structure, a groove is formed in a coupling portion of one of the covers 14 and 15, e.g., the cover 15, and a projection 17 is formed in that of the other cover 14 to be fitted into the groove. The packing 16, which is held in advance in the groove, is pressed by the projection 17, the bottom 18 of the groove and the wall surface 19 thereof, and both the covers 14 and 15 are coupled and brought into intimate contact with each other, thereby fulfilling a waterproof function sufficiently.
In the above-described prior art waterproof structure of a camera body, however, a waterproof elastic member such as a rubber and an O-shaped ring is inserted and pressed between front and rear covers which are mounted as exterior members of the camera body to waterproof the camera body. The material costs for the waterproof packing as an elastic member used for the waterproof is always needed. In assembling such a waterproof camera, an elastic member is inserted in a groove formed along the outer circumference of the camera cover (exterior member) and opposite to the projection of the cover, and then the cover with the projection is attached and coupled to the other cover. Consequently, it takes a long time to perform an operation of inserting the elastic member in the groove formed in the cover, and the operability of the assemblage is deteriorated.
The object of the present invention is to provide a waterproof structure of a coupling portion in which at least two covers constituting a camera body are simply coupled to each other without using any waterproof members, thereby producing a waterproof effect of the camera body.
The present invention has been developed in consideration of the above situation and takes the following measures in order to resolve the problems of the prior art and attain the above object.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof structure of a connecting portion, comprising a first member having an elastically-deformable projection at one end and a second member having a contact surface contacting an outer surface and an inner surface of the projection, wherein the projection is pressed on the contact surface of the second member and deformed elastically when the first member and the second member are coupled to each other, and the contact surface and the projection are brought into contact with each other to form a waterproof region.
The projection is shaped like a hook and brought into contact with the contact surface to make the connecting portion waterproof (to prevent water from passing through the connecting portion).
The contact surface of the second member is formed such that when the first member and the second member are coupled to each other, a base of the projection is prevented from contacting the contact surface and an end portion thereof contacts the contact surface. The connecting portion of the second member is thus formed widely.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In recent years, an image forming apparatus that prints an image (hereinafter, referred to as an erasable image), such as a character or a picture, on a recording medium, for example, on a sheet using an erasable color material has been proposed. In addition, an image erasing apparatus that erases an erasable image printed on a sheet has been proposed. A user can reuse a single sheet multiple times by repeating forming an erasable image on the sheet and erasing the erasable image on the sheet. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to resource saving by using the above apparatuses.
Repeating the cycle of the image formation and the image erasing is based on the assumption of the erasing of an image printed on the sheet. When erasing an erasable image, it is generally thought that erasable images printed in advance on a plurality of sheets are erased at a time. When erasing the images on the plurality of sheets at a time, it is efficient to set the plurality of sheets in a paper feed unit of the image erasing apparatus and execute erasing processing automatically by turning on an erase start switch.
On the other hand, in document management (management of a sheet on which an image is printed), there is a management method in which an image printed on the sheet cannot be erased unless a predetermined storage period has passed even if the image is erasable. In this management method, a case may be considered in which a sheet within the storage period is accidentally included in a large amount of sheets to be erased.
However, it is not practical to check the image content of each of the large amount of sheets to be erased, and to determine whether or not each sheet is a sheet within the storage period. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to a process cartridge removably fitted in an image forming apparatus, like a laser printer and a copier, a photosensitive drum unit fitted in the process cartridge, an end member attached to a photosensitive drum of the photosensitive drum unit, a bearing member that makes up of the end member, and a method for manufacturing the bearing member.
In relation to an image forming apparatus, like a laser printer and a copier, a main body of the image forming apparatus (hereinafter often mentioned as a “main body”) is removably outfitted with a process cartridge.
The process cartridge is a member that forms details to be represented, such as letters and graphics, and transfers the details onto a recording medium, like paper. More specifically, the process cartridge is outfitted with a photosensitive drum, and details to be transferred are formed on the photosensitive drum. The process cartridge is additionally provided with other various means for forming details to be transferred on the photosensitive drum. For instance, developing means, electrifying means, and cleaning means can be mentioned as such means.
Modes of attachment and detachment of the process cartridge are as follows: namely, attaching and detaching an identical process cartridge to and from the main body for maintenance, detaching a consumed process cartridge from the main body for an exchange of it with a new one, and attaching a new process cartridge to the main body. It is feasible for a user of the image forming apparatus to perform such attachment and detachment of the process cartridge for himself or herself, and, from this viewpoint, easiest possible detachment and attachment of the process cartridge is desirable.
The photosensitive drum outfitted in the process cartridge is configured such that a drive shaft of the main body engages with the photosensitive drum directly or by way of another member, whereupon the photosensitive drum rotates upon undergoing torque from the drive shaft. Accordingly, in order to attach or detach the process cartridge to or from the main body, the photosensitive drum needs to be disengaged (detached) from or re-engaged (attached) with the drive shaft of the main body each time.
Now, if the photosensitive drum (the process cartridge) can be attached or detached by means of a shift along an axial direction of the drive shaft of the main body, making up the apparatus to this end will be comparatively easy. However, from the view point of miniaturization of the image forming apparatus and assuring space for attachment and detachment of the process cartridge, it is preferable that the process cartridge should be detached from the main body so as to be pulled out in another direction differing from the axial direction of the drive shaft and that the process cartridge is attached to the main body so as to be pushed in the direction.
Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration for enabling attachment and detachment of the process cartridge in another direction differing from the axial direction of the drive shaft of the main body. Specifically, a coupling member described in connection with Patent Document 1 is provided with a spherical portion, which enables the coupling member to be attached to a drum flange (a bearing member) in a swayable fashion. Accordingly, a part (a torque receiving member) that is attached to the coupling member to engage with the drive shaft of the main body can change its angle with respect to an axis line of the photosensitive drum by swaying around the spherical portion, thereby facilitating attachment and detachment of the photosensitive drum to and from the drive shaft of the main body.
Moreover, a structure described in connection with Non-Patent Document 1 includes a groove that is intended for introducing a torque transmission pin attached to a shaft member into a bearing member and that is formed in an interior periphery of the bearing member in a direction of rotation and facilitates attachment of the torque transmission pin to the bearing member. The document also describes a technique for forming such a bearing member in an integrated fashion. [Patent Document 1] JP-A-2010-26473 | {
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1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to memory devices, and more particularly, in one or more embodiments, to flash memory devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flash memory devices are non-volatile memory devices which store information on a semiconductor in a way that needs no power to maintain the information stored therein. Among flash memory devices, NAND flash memory devices have been widely used as mass-storage devices because of their high storage densities and low costs. In some applications, a NAND flash memory device serves as a solid state disk (SSD), replacing or supplementing a hard disk.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional NAND flash memory device includes a plurality of memory blocks. The illustrated flash memory device 10 includes first to N-th memory blocks 100. Each of the memory blocks 100 includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix form.
FIG. 2A illustrates one of the memory blocks 100 of the NAND flash memory device 10 of FIG. 1. The illustrated memory block 100 includes first to m-th bit lines BL0-BLm and first to n-th word lines WL0-WLn. In some arrangements, m can be 32,767 or 65,535, and n can be 32 or 64. The bit lines BL0-BLm extend parallel to one another in a column direction. The word lines WL0-WLn extend parallel to one another in a row direction perpendicular to the column direction. The memory block 100 also includes upper and lower bit line select transistors 120a, 120b for selecting the one memory block 100 among the plurality of memory blocks of FIG. 1 by coupling the one memory block 100 to bit lines extending outside the memory block 100.
Each bit line includes a string of memory cells 110. For example, the second bit line BL1 includes memory cells 110 connected in series. Each of the memory cells 100 includes a floating gate transistor. The floating gate transistors of the memory cells 100 are coupled to one another in series source to drain. The control gates of the floating gate transistors of memory cells 110 in the same row are coupled to the same word line. Each of the memory cells 110 stores a charge (or a lack of charge), wherein the amount of stored charge can be used to represent, for example, one or more states, and wherein the one or more states can represent one or more digits (e.g., bits) of data. The memory cell can be either a single-level cell (SLC) or a multi-level cell (MLC). In one arrangement, the amounts of charge stored in the memory cells 110 may be detected by sensing currents flowing through the floating gate transistors of the memory cells 110. In another arrangement, the amounts of charge stored in the memory cells 110 may be detected by sensing the threshold voltage values of the floating gate transistors of the memory cells 110.
FIG. 2B illustrates a cross-section of the floating gate transistors of the memory cells 110 in the second bit line BL1. The floating gate transistors are formed on a substrate 201. Each of the floating gate transistors includes a source region 210 (which is a drain region for a neighboring transistor), a drain region 212 (which is a source region for a neighboring transistor), a doped channel region 214, a first dielectric (e.g., a tunnel oxide) 216, a floating gate 218, a second dielectric (e.g., a gate oxide, wherein the tunnel and gate oxide can be formed of the same or different material) 220, and a control gate 222. The tunnel oxide 216 is formed on the channel region 214 to insulate the floating gate 218 from the channel region 214. The gate dielectric 220 physically and electrically separates the floating gate 218 from the control gate 222. The control gate 222 is coupled to an appropriate word line, e.g., word line WL1. Electrons can be trapped on the floating gate 218 and be used to store data.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2C, a conventional method of writing data on a memory block will be described. FIG. 2C schematically illustrates the memory block 100 of FIG. 2A, and only shows memory cells, bit lines, and word lines. However, it will be understood that the memory block 100 can include other components as described above with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B.
During a write operation of the NAND flash memory device 10 (FIG. 1), data is typically written on a set of memory cells on a single word line. Such a set of memory cells can be referred to as a “page.” In one arrangement, a page may include all memory cells on a word line. In other arrangements, a page may be formed by every other memory cells on a single word line. In certain arrangements, a page may be formed by every fourth memory cells on a single word line. It will be understood that a page may be formed by any suitable selected number of memory cells on a word line.
On the other hand, an erase operation of the NAND flash memory device 10 (FIG. 1) is typically performed on a block-by-block basis. In other words, a page or memory cells cannot be selectively erased.
Likewise, when changing data values in some of memory cells in a memory block, the data values in the memory cells cannot be selectively changed. Instead, the entire memory block is erased and re-written (or programmed) with changed data values. For this process, data values stored in the entire memory block are copied to another memory block. For example, when some of data values in the I-th memory block are to be modified, the data values in the entire I-th memory block are copied to an unused memory block, for example, the J-th memory block. Subsequently, the data values in the entire I-th memory block are erased, and then updated data including unmodified and modified data values is written onto the erased I-th memory block. | {
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The invention generally relates to search engines and, in particular, to an associative search methodology, based on a contextual search engine, for retrieving related information.
The Internet provides an excellent vehicle for access to information about goods and services on a global basis. In theory, anyone can access information about any product. In practice, the problem is one of finding the correct information. Many techniques for solving this problem are known, including: indexing systems such as Yahoo, graphical electronic malls, hall of malls, directories, and text search engines, such as OpenText. These techniques and tools for searching and retrieving information, in their present form, can inundate the user with large amounts of unwanted material.
This later problem can be alleviated somewhat by enabling the user to provide search statements as a set of criteria which are combined with logical operators, such as ‘AND’, ‘OR’ and ‘NOT’ operators. However, many problems still exist with this. One of them is that the user is left to his/her own imagination to try to think of all the alternative descriptions (i.e. keywords) of a product or service. As search engines and techniques become ever more powerful in the number and diversity of databases they can access, the amount of information which it is possible to present to a user can quickly become excessively large. The problem or opportunity still remains to quickly find the relevant information for which the user is looking. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to well logging with nuclear tools. In particular, it relates to apparatus and methods for the determination of formation properties using neutron and gamma-ray measurements.
2. Background Art
The characteristics of geological formations are of significant interest in the exploration and production of subsurface water and mineral deposits, such as oil and gas. Many characteristics, such as the hydrocarbon volume, porosity, lithology, reservoir location, and permeability of a formation, may be deduced from certain measurable quantities. Among these quantities are: density, porosity, photoelectric factor (Pe), hydrogen index, salinity, and thermal neutron capture cross section (Sigma). These quantities are typically measured by logging-while-drilling (LWD) or wireline tools that include gamma-ray and/or neutron detectors.
Nuclear logging tools often carry nuclear energy sources that radiate or emit energy into the formation. One or more detectors on these tools then detect signals that result from interactions between formation materials and the radiation. Detected signal data are typically transmitted uphole, temporarily stored downhole for later processing, or combined in both techniques, to evaluate the geological formation from which the data was gathered. Typically, once uphole, these data are used in one or more formation evaluation models to derive the desired formation properties. Formation models are typically software programs used to evaluate the geological formation from which the data was gathered. The petroleum industry uses various tools to obtain measurements for estimating earth formation properties. These measurements are often used in combination to derive the formation properties. For example, the formation density is often combined with other measurements (e.g., neutron porosity measurements and resistivity measurements) to determine gas saturation, lithology, porosity, the density of hydrocarbons within the formation pore space, properties of shaly sands, and other parameters of interest.
Gamma-ray tools for formation density measurements are based on detecting Compton scattered gamma-rays in one or more gamma-ray detectors installed at a suitable distance from a neutron, gamma-ray, or x-ray source. The number of Compton scattering collisions within the formation and the resulting attenuation of the radiation is related to electron density of materials within the formation. Thus, the signals detected by such tools can be analyzed to derive formation electron density. Through calibration, the electron density of the formation can be related to true bulk density of the formation.
The first density measurements were made with single-detector tools. However, these tools had no capability to compensate for borehole effects. The limitations inherent in the single-detector approach have led to the development of modern dual-detector density tools, in which compensation is based on a short-spacing (SS) and a long-spacing (LS) detectors. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,390,115, 5,596,142, 6,376,838, 5,528,029, and 4,691,102
Gamma rays may also be recorded with their energies (frequencies) to provide gamma-ray spectra. Such spectral measurements can be used to correct the apparent formation density for the formation Pe in each detector. The idea that spectral measurements from a single detector can be used to correct undesired interference in principle can also be applied to a borehole-compensated density. While this theoretical possibility has been around for at least fifteen years, currently there is no working borehole-compensated, single-detector density tool available.
As with density tools, the first neutron tools were single-detector tools without borehole compensation. Dual-spacing tools arose some time later, giving rise to the possibility of removing some of the sensitivity of the measurement to environmental effects. Standard techniques for accomplishing the compensation are the ratio-based method and a spine-and-ribs approach borrowed from the density tools. More recently, an improved ratio-based method referred to as borehole-invariant porosity has been developed, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,510. However, unlike most gamma-ray detectors, present-day neutron detectors used in the oilfield service business do not measure the energy deposited by the incoming neutron. The current state of the art does not permit a borehole-compensated, single-detector neutron measurement.
Because gamma-ray tools and neutron tools measurement different formation properties, these tools are often used together in the same logging operations. When gamma-ray detectors are used together with neutron sources, care must be taken to avoid or minimize neutron-induced interference in the gamma-ray measurements. Currently, there are no methods available to correct for this kind of interference. Therefore, these detectors are often deployed on separate tool sections with a great distance between the neutron source and the gamma-ray detectors. This makes the tool string unnecessarily long. | {
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As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional detection element 1 for physiological examination comprises a base layer 10 and an electrically conductive layer 11 formed on the base layer 10. To use, the electrically conductive layer is attached to human skin surface to detect a signal generated by the human body. However, the electrically conductive 11 of such a detection element 1 is generally of poor resiliency and has poor electrical conductivity with human skin is poor, making it difficult to detect the signal generated by the human body and also making wear uncomfortable. As shown in FIG. 2, an improvement is made such that a resilient layer 12 is arranged between the electrically conductive layer 11 and the base layer 10 so that contact tightness between the electrically conductive layer 11 and human skin can be improved with the resilient layer 12. Further, a moisture-retaining material is also included in the layer to make the layer also function moisture retaining thereby improving electrical conductivity of the electrically conductive layer 11. However, since the resilient layer 12 and the electrically conductive layer 11 are two separate layers, moisture must penetrate through the electrically conductive layer 11 before being absorbed by the resilient layer 12. Consequently, the absorbability of moisture is affected. When the resilient layer 12 releases water between the electrically conductive layer 11 and human skin, the release of water is also affected by being blocked by the electrically conductive layer 11. Further, since the resilient layer 12 and the electrically conductive layer 11 are two separate layers that are bonded to each other by an external force (such as adhesion). These layers are easily detached from each other due to the high humidity long maintained by the resilient layer 12, making the detection element 1 losing its function. However, said method is to stick the detection element 1 to a garment. When a user wearing the garment, the detection element 1 is probably contact the user's body without pressure to cause the wrong detection.
In view of this problem, the present invention aims to provide a structure that possesses the characteristics of resiliency, electrical conduction, and detection when taking a quantity of pressure in order to achieve the goal of improving electrical conduction and lifespan of product. | {
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A device of this kind is known from EP 352 928, wherein in a hollow catheter hub a needle guard element is arranged. On withdrawal of the hollow needle from the catheter over an engaging means near the tip of the hollow needle, the needle guard element engages with the engaging means and covers the tip when the hollow needle is separated from the catheter. In this design, after withdrawal of the hollow needle from the catheter, through this catheter blood can issue with which the operating personnel can come into contact.
The invention is based on the object of designing a catheter insertion device of the type described above such that an outflow of blood from the catheter is prevented after removal of the hollow needle with the needle guard element. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer systems and in particular to systems with cache subsystems wherein demote requests are performed by the cache subsystem and which allows software to indicate to hardware that it should alter its cache state.
Description of Background
In a multiprocessing system where consistent memory usage model is required, memory usage among different central processors (CPs) is managed using cache coherency ownership schemes. These schemes usually involve various ownership states for a cache line. These states include read-only (or commonly known as shared), and exclusive (where a certain processor has the sole and explicit update rights to the cache line, sometimes known as store access).
For one such protocol used for a strongly-ordered memory consistency model, as in IBM's z/Architecture implemented by IBM System z processors, when a processor is requesting rights to update a line, e.g. when it is executing a “Store” instruction, it will check its local cache (L1) for the line's ownership state. If the processor finds out that the line is either currently shared or is not in its cache at all, it will then send an “exclusive ownership request” to the storage controller (SC) which serves as a central coherency manager.
The storage controller (SC) tracks which processor, if any, currently owns a line exclusively. If deemed necessary, the storage controller (SC) will then send a “cross interrogate” (XI) or “ownership change” request to another processor which currently owns that line to release its exclusive rights. Once the current owning processor has responded to the XI and responded that the exclusive ownership is released, the requesting processor will then be given exclusive update rights to the line requested.
In a large SMP (Symmetric Multi-Processing) system, it is common that various processes running on different processors update the same cache lines, but at different times. When a line is updated by one process, and then another process starts up, updating the same line by that other process will encounter delays required for XI acknowledgement while exchanging exclusive ownerships from one processor to another. These delays amount to a large performance degradation as number of processes goes up that reuse the same cache lines. | {
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To date, many hardware suppliers must manually customize their drivers for each customer [e.g. original equipment manufacturer (OEM), end user, etc.] who desires driver customization. To accomplish this, each customer typically selects from a plurality of predetermined fixed functions, and the hardware supplier must manually encode the desired functionality in the supporting driver (e.g. by providing registry keys for enabling the aforementioned fixed functions, etc.). Unfortunately, this process is tedious and must be repeated for each customer who desires customization.
For example, such customization often results in a configuration file or the like being generated for use by each customer in conjunction with the hardware driver. Further, intimate knowledge of the hardware and driver is typically required for mapping the desired functionality requested by each customer to the underlying capabilities of the hardware. These issues are further exacerbated in situations where a customer base and number of fixed functions grow in size.
There is thus a need for addressing these and/or other issues associated with the prior art. | {
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The present invention relates to kick scooters and, more specifically, to a wheel brake for a kick scooter.
Early kick scooters do not have brake means. When stopping movement, the rider must press the leg upon the ground. However, it is difficult to maintain balance when pressing the leg upon the ground to stop movement. In order to eliminate this problem, the inventor invented a wheel brake for kick scooter (under Taiwanese Utility Model Patent Application #088201817). This structure of wheel brake comprises a wheel guard pivoted to the rear side of the footplate of the kick scooter near the rear wheel, and spring means mounted on the rear side of the footplate and connected to the wheel guard to lift the wheel guard away from the rear wheel. When pressing down the wheel guard with the foot to compress the spring means, a part of the wheel guard is forced against the periphery of the rear wheel, and the rear wheel is stopped from rotation.
The present invention provides a wheel brake for a kick scooter, which stops the wheel from movement by means of the control of a brake lever. According to one aspect of the present invention, the wheel brake comprises a brake member, and a spring means. The brake member comprises a transverse axle projecting out of two sides thereof in the middle and pivoted to the front fork of the kick scooter above the front wheel, a front brake shoe disposed at a front side thereof, the front brake shoe having a brake face adapted for pressing on the periphery of the front wheel of the kick scooter to stop the front wheel of the kick scooter from rotation, and a rear actuating base disposed at a rear side thereof and fastened to the brake cable for enabling the brake member to be pulled by the brake lever to force the brake face against the periphery of the front wheel of the kick scooter. The spring means is connected between the front fork of the kick scooter and the brake member to hold the brake member in the non-operative position where the brake face is spaced away from the periphery of the front wheel of the kick scooter. According to another aspect of the present invention, the spring means comprises two coil portions at two distal ends thereof, the coil portions each having a retaining tip respectively fastened to the front fork of the kick scooter, and a substantially inverted U-shaped bearing portion connected between the coil portions and bridged over the brake member to hold the front brake shoe of the brake member away from the front wheel of the kick scooter. | {
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Pulsed-power systems are used to provide stored energy over short intervals in an effort to deliver peak power to a specified load. Pulsed-power systems may be implemented using compensated pulsed alternators (“compulsators”). Compulsators are commonly radial-flux alternators having rotating field windings that are energized by brushed contacts. The rotating magnetic field from the field windings induces a pulsed voltage in stationary armature windings, which in turn deliver a pulsed current to the load. The power of these types of rotating pulsed-power supplies is proportional to the magnetic field that the field windings exert on the armature windings. Heating and other mechanical constraints typically limit the magnetic field supplied by the rotating field windings to about 3 Tesla on the armature windings. This magnetic field limitation prevents conventional compulsators from being used to produce motors and generators having high specific power.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic mail distributing apparatus and an electronic mail distributing method which distribute e-mails to registered e-mail addresses, a program for controlling the method, and a storage medium storing the program.
2. Description of the Related Art
To provide and share information on the Internet, electronic mails or e-mails are widely used not only on a one-to-one basis but on a one-to-many basis and a many-to-many basis. For example, company's advertising mails are distributed on a one-to-many basis, and mailing lists are used on a many-to-many basis. In either case, an electronic mail distributing apparatus is used to distribute e-mails to many people.
The electronic mail distributing apparatus is capable of receiving e-mail addresses from persons who wish to have e-mails distributed and registering the received e-mail addresses as destinations of e-mails to be distributed, deleting e-mail addresses registered as destinations of e-mails to be distributed, and receiving information from an information provider and distributing e-mails containing the received information to registered e-mail addresses.
The electronic mail distributing apparatus can be used by unspecified persons. In the case where an e-mail subscription is made on a Web, the user can subscribe to e-mails only by causing a user terminal to display a HTML page prepared in advance for e-mail address registration, enter an e-mail address in the displayed HTML page, and send the same to the electronic mail distributing apparatus. In the case where an e-mail subscription is made by sending an e-mail to the electronic mail distributing apparatus, the user sends an e-mail with a word “subscribe” in the body thereof to the electronic mail distributing apparatus so that his/her e-mail address can be registered as a destination of e-mails to be distributed.
However, such a simple system of making an e-mail subscription raises a problem in terms of the security because an unauthorized third party other than a person who owns an e-mail address can make an e-mail subscription. If an unauthorized third party other than a person who owns an e-mail address makes an e-mail subscription, e-mails are distributed to him/her, and hence he/she receives undesired e-mails. Namely, the electronic mail distributing apparatus can be used to attack user terminals of many unspecified persons.
To counter such attacks, an electronic mail distributing apparatus has been proposed which sends a subscription confirmation e-mail to a user terminal in response to an e-mail subscription having been made. The subscription confirmation e-mail is sent to an e-mail address which has been registered. If the recipient has no memory of having subscribed, he/she can unsubscribe using the subscription confirmation e-mail. Also, an electronic mail distributing apparatus has been proposed which does not send subscription confirmation e-mails, but distributes e-mails including instructions on how to unsubscribe.
Further, a variety of techniques have been proposed to counter attacks using e-mails (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H11-167533, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-10800, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-64531). Specifically, an electronic mail firewall is installed on a recipient's terminal according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H11-167533, a device which rejects reception of predetermined mails is installed between a mail server and an electronic mail distributing apparatus according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-10800, or a mail server is provided with a mail rejecting function according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-64531, so that predetermined e-mails can be rejected according to description patterns thereof. Namely, e-mails to be rejected are selected by referring to titles thereof and sender's e-mail addresses.
However, according to the method in which a subscription confirmation e-mail is sent and the method in which a description of instructions on how to unsubscribe is added to e-mails to be distributed, the user cannot counter attacks until he/she receives the first e-mail (i.e. a subscription confirmation e-mail or an e-mail which is distributed for the first time). Further, after unsubscribing, the status before subscribing is restored, allowing attacks by repeated subscription by an unauthorized third party. Namely, subscription confirmation e-mails themselves can be used for attacks.
Further, although in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H11-167533, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-10800, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-64531 that counter e-mail attacks, repeated attacks using e-mails as above can be prevented, it is difficult to find out and register description patterns of e-mails to be rejected. The titles of e-mails and the descriptions of sender's e-mail addresses do not necessarily include information which specifies an electronic mail distributing apparatus. A plurality of mail servers may be managed on the basis of the same sender's e-mail address, and e-mails to be distributed are not necessarily titled in specific patterns which are uniquely determined for each mail server. Therefore, determining whether e-mails are to be rejected or not according to their description patterns may cause necessary e-mails to be rejected or cause unnecessary e-mails to be not rejected. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for applying first web portions in a predetermined pattern along a traveling second web.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, it is known to pick up sheets of material by the use of a vacuum and then to deposit the sheets on a traveling web by means of positive air pressure. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Diseases of the heart valves are grouped according to which valve(s) are involved and the amount of blood flow that is disrupted. The most common valve problems occur in the mitral and aortic valves. Diseases of the tricuspid and pulmonary valves are fairly rare.
The aortic valve regulates the blood flow from the heart's left ventricle into the aorta. The aorta is the main vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Diseases of the aorta can have a significant impact on an individual. Examples of such diseases include aortic regurgitation and aortic stenosis.
Aortic regurgitation is also called aortic insufficiency or aortic incompetence. It is a condition in which blood flows backward from a widened or weakened aortic valve into the left ventricle of the heart. In its most serious form, aortic regurgitation is caused by an infection that leaves holes in the valve leaflets. Symptoms of aortic regurgitation may not appear for years. When symptoms do appear, it is because the left ventricle must work harder as compared to an uncompromised ventricle to make up for the backflow of blood. The ventricle eventually gets larger and fluid backs up.
Aortic stenosis is a narrowing or blockage of the aortic valve. Aortic stenosis occurs when the valve leaflets of the aorta become coated with deposits. The deposits change the shape of the leaflets and reduce blood flow through the valve. The left ventricle has to work harder as compared to an uncompromised ventricle to make up for the reduced blood flow. Over time, the extra work can weaken the heart muscle. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to polyurethane ureas, to a process for their production and to a process for the reactive coating of substrates, particularly sheet-form materials of fabric or leather, using the polyurethane ureas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The reactive coating of substrates with polyurethanes is known per se; the starting products, optionally dissolved in a suitable solvent, are applied to the substrate, preferably by means of a spray gun.
In the prior art, prepolymers containing isocyanate groups and selected polyamines, for example reactive, aromatic or sterically hindered polyamines, are intensively mixed. The resulting mixture is either directly sprayed onto the substrate to be coated or, preferably, onto a temporary support and the substrate to be coated, for example leather, paper, nonwovens or fabrics in web form, is subsequently laminated on. The coated material is transported through a drying tunnel for further reaction of the coating. The substantially reacted material is then removed from the temporary support. This prior art is represented, for example, by DE-OS No. 1,570,524 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,475,266), DE-AS No. 2,637,115 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,842) and DE-OS No. 2,826,232 and by the literature cited therein. | {
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In 3GPP-LTE, an OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) is adopted as a downlink communication scheme. In a radio communication scheme adopting 3GPP LTE, a radio communication base station apparatus (hereinafter simply “base station”) transmits a synchronization channel (“SCH”) and broadcast channel (“BCH”) using predetermined communication resources. Then, first, a radio communication terminal apparatus (hereinafter simply “terminal”) secures synchronization with the base station by capturing the SCH. After that, the terminal obtains parameters unique to the base station (such as a frequency bandwidth) by reading BCH information (see Non-Patent Literatures 1, 2 and 3).
Also, in 3GPP LTE, HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest) is applied to uplink data transmitted from the terminal to the base station in uplink. In HARQ, the base station performs CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) detection of uplink data and feeds back an ACK (Acknowledgement) if CRC=OK (no error) or a NACK if CRC=NG (error present), to a mobile station as a response signal. These response signals are transmitted via a physical channel for downlink response signal transmission such as PHICH (Physical Hybrid-ARQ Indicator Channel).
Also, standardization of 3GPP LTE-advanced, which realizes faster communication than 3GPP LTE, has been started (see Non-Patent Literature 4). The 3GPP LTE-advanced system (hereinafter “LTE+ system”) follows the 3GPP LTE system (hereinafter “LTE system”). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates generally to apparatus for removing tree stumps and roots and, more particularly, to a portable, self-contained stump remover that cuts and grinds a tree stump and may be hand held by the operator.
Prior portable tree stumpremovers, of the type that cut, grind and mill away a stump, are of complicated construction and are usually relatively large, cumbersome, heavy and expensive. Wheels are customarily employed to transport the stump remover to a tree stump and to support the stump remover during the cutting process. Many of these removers must be towed to and from the job site and many have no independent built-in driving power source and must be driven or powered by auxiliary equipment, such as by the power take off shaft of a tractor.
In contrast, the stump remover of the present invention exhibits none of these disadvantages and instead provides a unique stump remover of relatively simple and inexpensive construction, and which is small, light weight and entirely self-contained, thereby requiring no external power source whatsoever. Moreover, the stump remover can be handled by a single person (the operator) and, in fact, may be hand held by that person during cutting of a tree stump. Because of its physical size and weight, the stump remover of the invention may be transported to and from the job site in the trunk of an ordinary passenger automobile with the trunk lid closed, and this is possible even if the automobile is a sub-compact. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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There has long been a need to locate leaks in closed refrigeration systems, originally because the loss of refrigerant reduces the cooling capacity of the system, and increasingly because the refrigerants themselves are potential hazardous or deleterious substances when released to the atmosphere. In particular, the production and use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerants is scheduled for incremental phaseout, and for recovery and recycling in the interim.
Various methods have been used for detecting and locating leaks in a refrigeration system. Since a slow leak of refrigerant is essentially silent and invisible, such methods have included halide torches, electronic sensors, coating exterior joints with material which reacts with the refrigerant, and injecting various types of dye into the refrigeration equipment to locate sites where the dye exits the system.
One of the most effective methods for detecting leaks in refrigeration systems, and a preferred method to be practiced with the present invention, comprises infusing into the refrigeration system an effective amount of a fluorescent dye compound, dissolved either in the system lubricating oil or in a mixture of the oil and refrigerant. The dye compound circulates with the refrigerant and oil throughout the refrigeration circuit, and is carried out with escaping refrigerant and oil at a leak site. When the refrigeration system is exposed to ultraviolet light, even a small deposit of the dye compound is brilliantly fluorescent to allow visual detection of the leak. U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,453 discloses such a method for detecting leaks in a refrigeration system, and its content is incorporated herein by reference.
When practicing the above method of leak detection with a fluorescent dye, care has to be taken that the fluorescent dye additive is not allowed to contact the exterior of the refrigeration system as the dye is being introduced into the system. If dye additive is inadvertently spilled or rubbed on the exterior of the system, it will be difficult to distinguish between fluorescence from a leak site and that resulting from inadvertent external contact. This is a particular concern where the dye additive is used for quality assurance checks of air conditioners on newly assembled automobiles, as the air conditioning system's final assembly is usually completed in the automobile assembly line, after which the system is charged with refrigerant that leak detection additive, then operated to circulate the additive and reveal any leaks when viewed under ultraviolet light. While care is normally taken to prevent the refrigerant, lubricant and dye from escaping, the nature of the assembly and charging process creates a risk of spills or inadvertent contamination on clothing or tools. Since very low concentration of dye is required to produce fluorescence, any dye, dyed refrigerant or oil spilled or rubbed on the exterior of the air conditioning system may cause false leak indications.
In addition, the number of dyes that can be used are limited to those dyes which are sufficiently soluble in order to allow the dye to be placed in a concentrated liquid. The concentrate liquid is necessary to inject the dye into the refrigeration system. Furthermore, the concentrated liquid must have a sufficient concentration of the dye to be adequately fluorescent under ultra-violet illumination when mixed with the entire refrigeration system.
Consequently, it would be desirable to have a method of introducing leak detection dye into the air conditioning system prior to the initial charging of the system, as this expedient would virtually eliminate any possibility of inadvertent dye contact to the exterior of the air conditioner and allow for increased selection of dyes which can be used.
For that reason, an objective and advantage of the present invention is a method by which the leak detection dye additive is installed in an air conditioning or other refrigeration system before the system is charged with refrigerant. The leak detection dye is released into the refrigerant immediately after the system is charged and operated, in order to reduce the risk of inadvertent contact of the dye on the outside of the system and yet permit quality control leak testing after charging, and remains in the system to permit subsequent leak detection.
Another objective and advantage of the present invention is a method which allows leak detection dye additive to be installed and stored in a component of the air conditioning system well prior to assembly of the complete system.
Another objective and advantage of the present invention is a method to pre-install a specific quantity of dye additive which is proportional to the amount of initial charge of the refrigeration or system lubricant, to ensure that a predictable concentration of dye will be introduced.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the invention is more fully understood by reading the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptions. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Organizations often devote tremendous resources to implement workflow systems that allow users to request, obtain and process information. Organizations typically use internal web sites with FAQs, printed documentation, and administrative support help desks to help employees keep information update and accomplish various workflow tasks. Users may update databases through workflow (for structured or semi-structured information), document editing (for unstructured information), or through direct manipulation (for complex objects).
Consider an employee who wants to modify the automatic deposits that are made to her pension plan. Because she makes this type of modification rarely, she most likely does not know the appropriate procedure or where to find the appropriate form. In an organization, the employee can take one of several actions: (i) search the intranet web site for a FAQ that describes the procedure and provides the URL of the form; (ii) call the human resources department for help; (iii) delegate the task to an assistant, if she has one; or (iv) ask another employee if he knows how to solve this task. Regardless of the action taken, considerable “hunt time” (time to find the correct form) will be spent by the employee or other personnel. To reduce effort on this kind of task, organizations often devote substantial resources to prepare print and web documentation and maintain support staff.
Next, consider a manager who issues a request to a webmaster support staff member to: “Add a new employee, John Doe, to the website.” In the best case, the webmaster understands the request and has all the information needed to complete the task and notifies the manager of the result. More often, confusion, ambiguity, missing information, and mistakes abound that result in an e-mail “ping pong” involving clarification requests. For example, if every person on the website must be associated with a project, then the webmaster must seek additional information to address the manager's request. This results in additional employee time and corporate resources being spent to resolve the request.
In the foregoing scenarios, it can be seen that the hunt time of the employee to locate a resource to complete a task, as well as the human resources devoted to the execution of the task, are substantial. In addition, when a support person is involved in a request, the total time to complete a task increases, because support personnel typically are not readily available at all times to address requests.
In certain contexts, many companies monitor their internal work practices, looking for opportunities to transition problematic work—work practices that are still being developed—into procedural activities that can benefit from the productivity gains of automation. However, in doing so, companies often turn workers into “translator” service agents who convert their co-workers natural expressions of intent into the language and structures required by underlying information systems. Such translators may spend significant time performing mundane, repetitive, procedural tasks, typically in response to e-mail requests or other communications. Examples of procedural tasks include, without limitation, updates to web sites, new equipment purchases, reporting vacation days, registration of computers on networks, conference room reservations, new hires, and many others.
The problem of translation occurs mainly for tasks with the following three properties: (i) the requester has an intent that aligns with a procedural task, (ii) the requester knows who the service agent is that can process this request, and (iii) the requester performs the task infrequently. For example, consider the task of transferring a student from the waitlist at a university to a course roster. In this example, suppose the requester is a professor who has a clear intent that matches a procedural task. The professor knows that the service agent who can process this request is the department coordinator. The professor can express his intent via an e-mail to the service agent with the relevant information such as the student's name and the course identification number. While the professor may perform this task twice a year, it is infrequent enough that she has not inquired about learning how to make the update herself.
Companies may address the handling of this class of procedural tasks by assigning a service agent, such as the department coordinator mentioned above, to specialize in processing certain types of requests. Examples of service agents include, without limitation, administrative assistants, secretaries, webmasters, network administrators, purchasers, and other like personnel. While the update request is often infrequent for requesters, the work generally has high frequency for the service agents who by design of the company infrastructure support many other workers. In most cases service agents have many duties to perform, and these mundane, update tasks reduce time that can be devoted to tasks that require more creative thinking and problem solving.
Often when companies have procedural tasks that can be automated, solutions can be developed such as designing an invoicing system or a web site that allows users to register new computers on the network, for example. While this approach can be effective at improving productivity by eliminating the service agent, it may not be appropriate in all situations. A procedural task may have a low enough frequency that it would not be worth the expense to engineer a solution. In addition, workplace practices are generally dynamic. As a consequence of changes in the market, the law, customer needs, internal company policy, and in underlying information infrastructure, work practices evolve and engineered solutions often have a difficult time keeping pace with the changes. Examples of this breakdown are ubiquitous in the business world as evidenced by the number of printed forms augmented by workers with annotations and adhesive notes, for example, that address the mismatch between the current procedure and the form instrument.
In view of these issues and problems, what are needed are more effective and efficient processes and systems for facilitating and processing user requests to modify or update information. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Microfluidic devices and systems have been developed that give researchers substantial advantages in terms of the miniaturization, automation and integration of a large number of different types of analytical operations. For example, continuous flow microfluidic devices have been developed that perform serial assays on extremely large numbers of different chemical compounds, e.g., for use in high-throughput pharmaceutical screening operations (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,942,443 and 6,046,056). Other microfluidic devices have been developed that perform rapid molecular separations on a number of different samples in relatively short time frames (see, U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,336). All of these devices and systems share the ability to rapidly perform a wide range of different analytical operations.
Planar microfluidic analytical systems have a large number of advantages in terms of speed, accuracy and automatability. Despite these advantages, these planar channel systems suffer from a problem that is common to conventional capillary analytical systems. In particular, capillary systems, because of their extremely small volumes, can suffer from severely restricted sensitivity due to the simple lack of detectable amounts of material. For example, detection of materials in capillary or planar channel systems is typically accomplished by detecting signals from the channels in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the capillary or channel. This results in only the small amount of material that is present at the detection spot being subjected to the detection operation at any given time. In many cases, this deficiency is overcome using labeling techniques that have higher quantum yields of detectability, e.g., through fluorescence, chemiluminescence, radioactivity, etc. Of course, the use of these detection schemes requires the presence of a natural or added label that is detectable by these schemes. In many interesting analytical reactions, such labels are not readily available, or will themselves have a deleterious effect on the reaction to be analyzed.
As a result of reduced sensitivity, it previously has been difficult to utilize a number of different detection strategies in microfluidic systems, e.g., those strategies that have lower quantum detection yields or rely for sensitivity on the detection path length. For example, detection of low concentrations of analytes has been difficult in such systems, as has detection based upon non-fluorescent optical means, e.g., detection based upon absorbance.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide microfluidic systems that overcome these previously encountered shortcomings of microfluidic technology, namely, systems that have enhanced sensitivity for optical detection. The present invention meets these and a variety of other needs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to enabling a customer to access media over a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection, and more particularly to enabling a customer to quickly change channels of media provided over a DSL connection.
Twenty-five years ago, telephone carriers primarily used residential telephone lines to provide voice services to customers. For entertainment, customers typically went outside the home, to movie theatres, to restaurants or parks. Broadcast television was the staple diet for channelling entertainment to homes. The cable industry was nascent and consisted primarily of positioning a big antenna and hooking up line amplifiers to feed the received signals to multiple homes. At that time, telephone carriers were satisfied that their share of the voice services market was unchallenged. The cable operators were too small and too specialised to be of much interest.
Today, the predominant service offered by telephone carriers is still voice services. However the boundary between the cable industry and the telecommunication industry is blurring. Cable companies have not stopped at delivering entertainment media. In particular, they are also delivering data services through cable modems and indicated their intentions to compete with the telephone carriers in the delivery of voice services to residential customers.
As technology has advanced, telephone wires and cable wires to homes have become exactly that, wires. What makes each wire different from any other wire is the services that it can provide to customers. In turn, the service that a wire provides determines its importance and value. The more services a single wire can provide a customer, the more valuable the wire is. Thus, separate wires to a home for each type of service has become less important and is often unnecessary.
Over time, the type of access point/connection to the home has become less important than the services it can provide. While it is possible to evaluate the group psyche and examine human behaviour issues to try and determine why predominantly entertainment industries such as cable companies and Internet companies have seen exponential growth patterns, that is not the purpose of this discussion. However, it is important to note that the growth numbers indicate that a mass-market consumer audience when correlated to entertainment has resulted in a market segment that is profitable and is growing. An observation validated by the emergence of cable and Internet companies from humble beginnings to huge conglomerates today.
That observation has two parts. The first part is the growth of a mass-market consumer audience for entertainment provided to the home. The second part is that entertainment has played an equally important role in the emergence of an entirely new revenue sector.
Entertainment can be visual and aural, such as video or movies. Purely visual entertainment can take the form of a book, magazine or newspaper. Aural entertainment can include music, commentary, news broadcasts, and the like. The emergence of an open format for the exchange of visual entertainment over the Internet has been one of the corner stones in the emergence and establishment of dominant online service providers. Entertainment as described above does not differentiate it from information and pure entertainment. However, the differentiator between information and entertainment is more qualitative and subjective. The scope of delivery of these is not necessarily different. Hence, collectively, both visual and aural entertainment can be referred to as media.
For telecommunication companies to compete effectively for customers in the future, they will have to deploy a compelling set of services that include media. These services must at least equate if not exceed the performance of similar services on other networks such as provided by cable companies. It is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.
The present invention is directed to addressing the above-mentioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems, and will be understood by reading and studying the following specification.
According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for an authenticated, fast channel change for media such as video delivered over an Internet Protocol (IP) network to a customer. The invention allows channel changes to be made very quickly with validation at an access node. An example of an access node is a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) that provides high speed access to a customer over which a channel is delivered. The reasons that a channel may not be available to the customer could be commercial, i.e., the customer may not have subscribed to or paid for the requested channel. It could also be because a lock has been placed on a requested channel to restrict its availability to the customer based upon either a time constraint or personal preferences. For example a child viewer may not be allowed by a customer to watch violent movies on a particular channel.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method for enabling fast access to at least one channel over an xDSL connection. At least one multicast enabled Digital Subscriber Line Access and Multiplexer (DSLAM) is employed to enable access to at least one channel on a core network. At least one subscriber is coupled to the core network by the xDSL connection. At a multicast enabled DSLAM, a request is received for at least one channel from a subscriber. The receiving DSLAM locally serves the xDSL connection for the subscriber. Information stored at the receiving DSLAM is employed to determine whether the subscriber is authorized to access the requested channel. If the subscriber is determined to be authorized to access the requested channel, the DSLAM is employed to provide access to the requested channel on the core network, establishes a single instance of each channel that is selectable by subscribers.
A further aspect of the invention is directed to providing at least one IGMP multicast protocol. Also, a set top box can be employed by the subscriber to provide an xDSL connection that is locally served by the receiving DSLAM. Additionally, the stored information can be included in a database at the receiving DSLAM.
A still further aspect of the invention is directed to providing each instance of each channel to the core network through a router coupled to another network. Also, a remote process may be employed to maintain the stored information. Additionally, a remote process can be employed to update the stored information.
Another aspect of the invention is directed to accessing the requested channel over the xDSL connection for the subscriber that is locally served by the receiving DSLAM. Also, the channel can include media for displaying, recording and playing with a set top box. Additionally, the media can include at least one of videos, graphics, pictures, text, talk shows, and television programs.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, an apparatus, system and computer readable medium may be employed to practice substantially the same actions discussed above for the method. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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An autonomous vacuum cleaner, being a fully automated cleaning device, is a renovating device different from those conventionally vacuum cleaners and other sweeping devices, that is can clean a specific area autonomously without any human attention and thus is foreseen to be the future cleaning device replacing those conventional manual-operated vacuum cleaners and other cleaning devices. After the operation mode is set, an autonomous vacuum cleaner is able to maneuver around obstacles while performing a ground cleaning operation, even cleaning those usually considered as the dead spots of cleaning.
Although the autonomous vacuum cleaner is a great help to daily household cleaning, its function is limited by its power source, which is not an alternating current (AC) power source, and by its own interior space, which limited the same from adopting those air compressors used in those conventional vacuum cleaners. Therefore, as the autonomous vacuum cleaner only has limited power supply, a good centrifugal fan is essential for enabling the same to have good performance. Nonetheless, the centrifugal fan is beneficial for its operating noise is lower than those conventional air compressors.
It is noted that there are already several prior-art techniques of robotic vacuuming cleaner currently available on the market. One such technique is disclosed in TW Pat. No. I220383, which shows a conventional contact-type autonomous vacuuming cleaner. However, the aforesaid contact-type autonomous vacuuming cleaner is short in that: the drivers and the wheels used in the driving wheel module of the contact-type autonomous vacuuming cleaner is not detachable from the driver such that it is required to replace the whole driving wheel module when there is only required to repair a broken motor of a driver or to replace the tire of a wheel, which is costly. In addition, the aforesaid contact-type autonomous vacuuming cleaner is not adapted for cleaning dead spots so that it is not efficient when it comes to dead spot cleaning. Moreover, as the aforesaid cleaner can be attached with a mopping unit for using the same to perform a floor-mopping operation, it is important to remind a user to replace/clean the mopping unit constantly and periodically, otherwise, mopping floor with a dirty mopping unit is not a good idea for cleaning.
In those prior-art techniques of robotic vacuuming cleaner, it is common to fit the cleaner with side brooms for enabling the same the ability to clean dust accumulated at corners. However, those side brooms often are the major noise producer of the cleaner.
Therefore, it is in need of an improved robotic vacuum cleaner that is freed from the foregoing drawbacks. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to an industrial scale hydrogen producing apparatus which manufactures hydrogen from a mixed gas of steam and either hydrocarbons or methanol through a steam reforming reaction. More specifically, this invention relates to an industrial scale hydrogen producing apparatus for obtaining hydrogen of sufficiently high purity for use in solid polymer fuel cells (polymer fuel cells) at low reaction temperatures.
The content of CO in hydrogen for fuel cells, in particular solid polymer fuel cells, is preferably less than 10 ppm. Hydrogen obtained from naphtha, natural gas and town gas through a steam reforming reaction has low purity and is not, as it is, suitable for fuel cells. Hydrogen obtained through steam reforming reactions is often further refined in a carbon monoxide reformer and a hydrogen refiner to boost the hydrogen purity to a desired degree.
This approach to obtaining high-purity hydrogen requires complex manufacturing processes. These processes require high temperature and high pressure equipment and significant heat energy, with resultant high production cost. Hydrogen produced through such processes cannot be economically used in fuel cells.
As disclosed in documents, such as Japanese Patent Provisional Publication (Kokai) No. 61-17401, proposals have been made to obtain high purity hydrogen using permeable membranes which is selectively permeable to hydrogen.
The above Provisional Publication, for example, disclosed a method and an apparatus for continuously separating generated hydrogen through a selective hydrogen-permeable partitioning wall, from a reaction space which is at a temperature of 500.degree.-1000.degree. C. This method and the required equipment can be applied to CH.sub.4 /H.sub.2 O reforming reactions or reactions for producing water gas. The publication explained that it is possible to separate high purity hydrogen through this method.
Published documents, including the above publication, disclose a hydrogen producing apparatus on the scale of a laboratory, with its schematic chart shown in FIG. 9. In the conventional hydrogen producing apparatus shown in FIG. 9, reference numeral 90 indicates the reaction tube, 92 the reforming catalyst layer, and 94 the hydrogen permeation tube. The mixture of steam and hydrocarbon gas is introduced from below in the direction indicated by arrow X, reformed in the reforming catalyst layer 92, and hydrogen gas is generated. This hydrogen gas permeates the hydrogen-permeable tube 94 and flows out from the section marked with arrow Y. The reformed gas from which hydrogen has been removed flows out from the section indicated by arrow Z.
These published documents disclose hardly any method or means to boost the scale of laboratory apparatuses to an industrial level. It has not yet been determined how industrial scale production can be achieved using these laboratory-level technologies.
Many technical problems must be overcome to establish an economical hydrogen producing apparatus to boost the laboratory technologies for industrial-scale application.
One conceivable method to create a larger apparatus would involve arranging many parallel reaction tubes equipped with hydrogen permeation tubes in the reforming catalyst layer, such as the one shown in FIG. 9, and linking each inlet and outlet of these tubes with headers, so as to form a multi-tube reaction apparatus. This apparatus would have a large and complex structure, with low efficiency, low controllability and low heat efficiency. Constructing such a system would also require a large quantity of materials and would be difficult, and the equipment would thus be costly and uncompetitive.
The engineering issues, such as how separation means using hydrogen-permeable membranes could be structured or how the sections for reactions could be heated, are extremely important in increasing the scale of the apparatus. However, no specific examples or solutions for these problems have been indicated.
In order to make practical use of fuel cells a reality, it is also extremely important to supply low cost, high purity hydrogen. Creating hydrogen production techniques which are capable of producing high purity hydrogen on an industrial scale at low cost has been considered as a crucial, unresolved issue. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Optical fiber enclosures are known that contain various components for connecting optical fibers from a trunk cable to optical patch cables at a customer location. These enclosures or housings may be rack-mountable and may have front and/or rear hinged doors for providing access to the housing interior and the various fibers and components therein. One or both of these doors may be lockable using, for example, a cam lock.
The locking portion of a conventional housing 100 is illustrated in FIG. 11 which housing includes a top panel 102 and a door 104 hingedly connected to a support (not illustrated) so that a free edge 106 of the door 104 can swing toward and away from the top panel 102. A lock 108, which may comprise a conventional cam lock, includes a cylinder 110 that rotates when a key (not illustrated) is inserted in keyway 112 and rotated, and a cam 114 that rotates with the cylinder 110. In a locked position, illustrated with solid lines in FIG. 11, the cam extends through a slot 116 in the top panel 102 to prevent the door 104 from pivoting away from the top panel 102. The cam 114 can be rotated out of slot 116 to the orientation illustrated with chain-dashed lines in FIG. 11 to allow the door 104 to be opened. This conventional arrangement provides a reasonable degree of security for the components located inside housing 100. However, slot 116 is generally located near a central portion of the top panel 102. If the top panel 102 is formed from a material that can be readily deformed, relatively thin sheet metal, for example, it may be possible to pry or bend the portion of top panel 102 near slot 116 away from cylinder 110 so that cam 114 no longer extends through slot 116. This allows door 104 to be opened without using a key and without changing the orientation of cylinder 110.
The foregoing problem could be addressed by using various types of conventional locks having bolts or complicated latching mechanisms—a padlock and associated hasps could be mounted to the enclosure for increased security, for example. However, such approaches may substantially increase the cost and complexity of assembling and using such an optical fiber enclosure. It would therefore be desirable to provide a tamper-resistant optical fiber enclosure that operates in a manner similar to conventional lockable enclosures without the need for complicated and/or expensive modifications. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The typical wireless communication device executes various software applications that obtain services for the user from remote servers. Some of these applications periodically send keep-alive messages to the remote servers to maintain their services. Examples of services that utilize keep-alive messaging include email, social networking, and video streaming—among others. The remote servers shut down the service for the user if they do not receive the expected keep-alive messages.
In some cases, multiple applications concurrently transfer several periodic keep-alive messages. If the timing of these numerous keep-alive messages is distributed, then the wireless communication device may continually transfer keep-alive messages, which drains the battery and leaves less time to handle other communication tasks. The numerous keep-alive messages also consume valuable bandwidth in the wireless communication network. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Adrenomedullin (AM) is a recently identified hypotensive peptide initially isolated from human pheochromocytoma (K. Kitamura, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 192, 553 (1993)). AM is generated from a 185 amino acid preprohormone through consecutive enzymatic cleavage and amidation. This process culminates in the liberation of a 52 amino acid bioactive peptide (T. Ishimitsu et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 203, 631 (1994)). AM and its gene-related peptide, PAMP, are the two known bioactive products generated from the post-translational enzymatic processing of the 185 amino acid-preproAM molecule (K. Kitamura, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 192, 553 (1993); K. Kitamura, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 194, 720 (1993); Kitamura, et al. FEBS Lett. 351, 35-37 (1994)).
The complete genomic infrastructure for human AM has recently been reported (Ishimitsu, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun 203:631-639 (1994)). The porcine (Kitamura, et al., FEBS Lett 338:306-310 (1994)) and rat (Sakata, et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun 195:921-927 (1993)) AM complementary DNAs have also been cloned/sequenced and demonstrate high homology to the human counterpart. Human cDNA of AM has been cloned and mRNA expression identified in the adrenal glands, lung, kidney, and heart (K. Kitamura, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 194, 720 (1993)). A high degree of base sequence homology has been found between AM mRNAs isolated from other mammalian species, including rat and porcine (J. Sakata, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 195, 921 (1993); and K. Kitamura, et al., FEBS Lett. 338, 306 (1994)).
Data from several publications have demonstrated a wide range of tissues that express AM. Using RIA and Northern blot techniques, high levels of AM have been found in human plasma, adrenal medulla, heart atrium, lung, and kidney (Kitamura, et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun 194:720-725 (1993); Kitamura, et al., FEBS Lett 341:288-290 (1994)), but, to date, the cell source of AM in these organs has not been identified.
Although both AM and PAMP are amidated peptides, they have been shown to mediate their vasodilatory effects through distinctly different receptor systems (T. Shimosawa, et al., J. Clin. Invest. 96, 1672 (1995)). AM stimulates adenyl cyclase activity, which elevates cAMP levels in smooth muscle cells. AM is structurally related to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and its vasodilatory effect is inhibited by the CGRP antagonist, CGRP.sub.8-37 (Y. Ishiyama, et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol. 241, 271 (1993); Ishizaka, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 200, 642 (1994); J. A. Santago, et al., Life Sci. 55, 85 (1994); D. Y. Cheng, et al., Life Sci. 55, 251 (1994); H. Lippton, et al., J. Appl. Physiol. 76, 2154 (1994); Y. Shimekake, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 270, 4412 (1995)). Conversely, the fact that PAMP has no amino acid sequence homology to CGRP and its biological effects are not blocked by CGRP8-37 suggests the involvement of a separate receptor system (T. Shimosawa, et al., J. Clin. Invest. 96, 1672 (1995)). AM has also been implicated as an important regulator of renal function having natriuretic and diuretic action (T. Ebara, et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol. 263, 69 (1994); M. Jougasaki, et al., Amer. J. Physiol. 37, F657 (1995)). AM is also reported to be a potent bronchodilator, a regulator of certain central brain actions (vasopressor and antidipsogenic peptide), and a suppressor of aldosterone and adrenocorticotropin release (H. Kanazawa, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 205, 251 (1994); H. Takahashi, et al., Am. J. Hypertens. 7, 478 (1994); T. A. Murphy and W. K. Samson, Endocrinology 136, 2459 (1995); T. Yamaguchi, K. Baba, Y. Doi, K. Yano, Life Sci. 56, 379 (1995); W. K. Samson, T. Murphy, D. A. Schell, Endocrinology 136, 2349 (1995)). Finally, AM has been shown to be expressed in a variety of human tumors or both neural and pulmonary lineage including ganglioblastoma/neuroblastoma (F. Satoh, et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metabol. 80, 1750 (1995)), small cell lung cancer, adenocarcinoma, bronchoalveolar carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and lung carcinoids (Martinez, et al., Endocrinology 136, 4099 (1995)). In an attempt to further study the distribution of AM in human tumors and determine its role in these malignant disorders, we used molecular, biochemical and in vitro techniques to analyze 59 human cancer cell lines from solid tumors and hemopoietic lineage.
AM's role as a vasodilatory agent has been extensively studied (C. Nuki et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 196, 245 (1993); Q. Hao et al., Life Sci. 54, 265 (1994); D. Y. Cheng et al., Life Sci., 55, 251 (1994); C. J. Feng, B. Kang, A. D. Kaye, P. J. Kadowitz, B. D. Nossaman, Life Sci., 433 (1994)). It acts through specific receptors in the plasma membrane to activate adenylate cyclase activity and modulate Ca.sup.2 + flux in the target cells (S. Eguchi et al., Endocrinology 135, 2454 (1994); Y. Shimekake et al., J. Biol. Chem. 270, 4412 (1995)). These signal transduction pathways are involved in numerous physiological processes, including the regulation of hormone secretion. It is well established that regulation of intracellular cAMP modulates hormone release in the pancreas (Y. Korman, S. J. Bhathena, N. R. Voyles, H. K. Oie, L. Recant, Diabetes 34, 717 (1985); C. B. Wollheim, Diabetes 29, 74 (1980)). AM has also been reported to have an effect on Na.sup.+ channel activity (EP Application No. 0 622 458 A2). Since AM has been reported to influence the secretion rate of several hormones, including catecholamine (F. Kato et al., J. Neurochem. 64, 459 (1995); EP Application No. 0 622 458 A2), adrepocorticotropin (W. K. Samson, T. Murphy, D. A. Schell, Endocrinology 136, 2349 (1995)), and aldosterone (T. Yamaguchi, K. Baba, Y. Doi, K. Yano, Life Sci. 56, 379 (1995)), we investigated the potential role of AM in regulating endocrine physiology of the pancreas.
Accordingly, due to the numerous therapeutic and diagnostic applications of AM peptides, there is an enormous medical and health requirement for potent, stable and selective AM peptides for therapeutic uses in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of AM related disease and conditions. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In its simplest form, presence information is information provided regarding a status of another communication device's availability, capability, and/or another user's desire to communicate. Presence information that can be provided can answer questions such as: Is your contact's mobile telephone powered on? Is your contact in a call? Is your contact in an area serviced by the communication network where she can receive calls? Does your contact's telephone have direct connect capabilities? Does your contact prefer a text message?
Presence information can be detected by the communication network, and/or can be provided by the communication device to the network. Presence information can be collected from applications running on the communication device, from the communication device itself, and/or from queries to the communication network. The communication network can provide presence information about the communication device, for example, whether the communication device is in a coverage zone, whether the communication device is turned on, whether the communication device is on a call, and/or the location of the communication device.
The presence information can be aggregated by a presence server and provided to select groups of people in a user's list of entities for which it subscribes to obtain updated presence information, commonly referred to as a “buddy list,” and/or in other applications utilizing presence information. The presence server can check the user's buddy list and provide the user with information about the status of those entities. In addition, the presence server can update presence information in the buddy lists of the user's buddies to indicate the user's current status.
The problem of obtaining updated presence information from communication devices and then distributing the presence information is multifold. A conventional alternative suggests that a communication device can initiate a data call periodically (e.g., every 5 minutes), submit its current presence information to the communication network, and receive presence information for other entities which the communication device includes in one or more so-called buddy lists. This can be expensive, typically for the subscriber who is consuming valuable air time for transmitting status information. Moreover, the status information that is thereafter distributed to other communication devices upon making similar requests can quickly become stale. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an ultrasonic flowmeter comprising an elongate duct through which fluid flows when the flowmeter is in use, ultrasonic transducers arranged respectively to transmit and receive ultrasonic pulses propagated through such fluid when the flowmeter is in use, and electronic circuitry connected to the transducers to provide a measure of the time delay between emission of an electronic pulse from one of the transducers and reception of the pulse by the other of the transducers, and constructed to enable an output to be provided which is dependent upon that delay and which is indicative of the rate of flow of fluid through the duct, in which the transducers are located respectively at opposite ends of the duct and are arranged to transmit and receive ultrasonic pulses propagated through the fluid substantially parallel to the duct from one end thereof to the other.
2. Description of the Invention
An example of such a flowmeter is illustrated and described in GB 2259571 A. Thus in that specification there is disclosed a fluid flow measurement system which includes two transducers which are located in a duct to provide a measuring path through a measuring tube. The transducers are switchable to allow each to be used for both transmission and reception and the speed of fluid passing through the measuring tube will be dependent on the difference in time periods for a signal from the transducers passing with or against the fluid flow, and including correction means for substantially eliminating transducer delay errors to ensure accuracy. The system may comprise a calibration mechanism employing an auxiliary transducer with its own ultrasonic paths. It allows accurate measurement of speed of sound values to be determined for the particular fluid flowing and the particular system parameters including transducer delay.
A disadvantage of such a construction is the spread of the transmitted ultrasonic pulse in such a manner that there is a relatively high dispersion of each pulse before it is received by the second transducer, thus impairing the accuracy of the flowmeter.
The present invention seeks to provide a remedy.
Accordingly the present invention is directed to an ultrasonic flowmeter having the construction set out in the opening paragraph of the present specification, characterised in that the transducers are provided with respective vibratory surfaces which transmit and/or receive ultrasound, which vibratory surfaces have a diameter which exceeds the cross-sectional diameter of the duct.
Both transducers may be isolated from fluid which flows through the flowmeter when the latter is in use.
This provides the advantage that the transducers are not subject to any corrosive effects from such fluid.
Such isolation may be effected by respective caps to which the transducers are acoustically coupled.
Fluid which flows through the flowmeter when it is in use may be in contact with that side of each cap which is further from the associated transducer, the transducers being in respective cavities filled with air or other gas or other low density material.
The thickness of the caps may be such as to optimise coupling between the transducers and such fluid.
The caps may be mounted in or on damping mountings to reduce signal degradation owing to ringing of the caps.
Both transducers may be constructed to both transmit and receive ultrasonic pulses, and the electronic circuitry may be such as to enable the flowmeter to operate by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic pulses which pass within the fluid from one transducer to the other in the direction of flow of fluid, and also in the opposite direction, and to enable the difference in transmission time between pulses transmitted in the direction of flow and those transmitted opposite to the direction of flow to be used to calculate the rate of flow of fluid through the duct.
This provides the advantage that substantially all the ultrasound transmitted and received by the transducers is propagated substantially parallel to the duct. This in turn reduces the amount of scattered ultrasound, and preserves the integrity of the ultrasound waves as they pass from one transducer to the other.
There may be a circular symmetry in the construction of the flowmeter at the transducers.
There may be a reflection symmetry in the construction of the flowmeter about a central transverse plane thereof.
The flowmeter may be provided with an input aperture and an output aperture through which fluid flows when the flowmeter is in use, the diameters of the input and output apertures being substantially equal, but being larger than the cross-sectional diameter of the duct.
This results in an increase in the speed of fluid flow in the duct relative to the speed it has when it passes into and out of the flowmeter, which in turn increases the accuracy of the measurement of fluid flow through the input and the output apertures.
The input and output apertures may be located laterally of the duct, between the ends of the duct, and the flowmeter may be provided with fluid-flow passageways from the inlet aperture to one end of the duct, and from the other end of the duct to the outlet aperture. This again reduces the amount of turbulence of the fluid within the flowmeter.
The flowmeter may be constructed so that the diameter of the duct is substantially five wavelengths of the ultrasound transmitted by the transducers or at least one of the transducers, being the wavelengths of the ultrasound as transmitted within the fluid the flow of which is to be measured. This enables the duct to act as an ultrasonic waveguide, facilitating directional propagation of the ultrasound. However, to effect this a suitable balance is required between on the one hand the absorption of ultrasonic waves that strike the material which defines the duct, so that reflection or scattering of such soundwaves does not unduly corrupt the ultrasonic pulse or wave packet travelling along the duct, and on the other hand sufficient reflection of ultrasonic waves from the material which defines the duct to ensure that the strength of the wave packet travelling along the duct is not unduly attenuated.
Thus the material which defines the duct may be such that it absorbs ultrasound, as transmitted by the transducers or at least one of the transducers, having an angle of incidence to the material which is less than a predetermined angle, but reflects such ultrasound having an angle of incidence to the material which is greater than a predetermined angle.
This again preserves the integrity of the wave packets of ultrasound as they pass through the fluid which flows through the flowmeter when the latter is in use.
The ratio of the length of the duct to its cross-section diameter is preferably in the range from 20 to 30, preferably about 23.
Preferably the duct is cylindrical and of uniform cross-section, although it may be defined by material the internal walls of which have a relief pattern to achieve the desired absorption/reflection properties of the walls of the duct.
Preferably the diameter of the duct is about 5.0 mm, and the spacing between the transducers is about 113 mm.
To this end the speed of sound through the material which defines the duct is preferably greater than the speed of sound through the fluid which flows through the flowmeter when the latter is in use, and the density of that material is preferably greater than the density of the fluid which flows through the flowmeter when the latter is in use. It is desirable that this remains so throughout the range of operating temperatures and fluid compositions.
The said material may comprise glass filled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This is able to withstand attack from fluids which may flow through the flowmeter, especially for example engine fuel such as petroleum or petroleum derivatives including diesel fuel. The glass content can be varied to tailor the acoustic impedance to a desired value.
The fluid which flows through the flowmeter when the latter is in use may comprise engine fuel.
The present invention extends to a method of measuring the flow of fluid using an ultrasonic flowmeter as set out in one or more of the preceding paragraphs relating to the present invention. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of pre-programming a flash memory cell. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of pre-programming a flash memory cell which can execute a continuous program operation and can reduce a pre-programming time by performing a program verification operation using a local clock.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, prior to an erase operation, a pre-program operation is performed repeatedly for all the cells of the sector to be erased by byte or word unit in a normal programming step. In pre-program operation, it can be seen that when a pre-program operation is performed based on a normal program step, the time of the pre-program operation is not so small at the time of erasure operation.
Also, as a semiconductor device becomes more higher integrated, the time taken by pre-program operation is longer than the time taken by erasure operation in an erasure operation.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a conventional method of pre-programming a flash memory cell.
A general step of programming can be mainly divided into a programming step and a program verifying step when considering internal algorithms. The programming step is consisted of a pumping up step for programming, a real programming step, a pumping down for program verifying. Since data to be programmed are not always selected in the programming step, a program verify operation is performed simultaneously with the program operation at the time of program operation, and then data are provided so that cells can be programmed according to specified addresses, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining a conventional method of pre-programming, the pre-programming procedures will be explained as follows.
At step 102, a pre-program operation is performed in response to an erase command of step 101 for a cell by means of an internal counter. Thereafter, at step 103, a pumping time for programming is lapsed, then at step 104, a byte or a word program operation is executed. At step 105, when pumping-down time for a program verify operation is lapsed, a verify operation is performed at step 106. At step 107, a verify operation is performed for verifying whether the cell is normally programmed or not. If the cell was not normally programmed, a verify operation is performed at step 108 for verifying whether a maximum looping number is same as a maximum programming number preset within the internal counter N of the chip or not. If the looping number is not same as the maximum programming number, the number of program operation is increased at step 109, and then returns to step 103 in order to repeatedly perform a program operation.
However, at step 108, if the looping number is same as the maximum programming number preset within the internal counter N of the chip, it is determined whether the cell is defective or not at step 112, and then a program operation stops. Also, at step 107, if the cell is in a normally programmed state, an address of final sector is verified at step 110. At step 110, if it was not an address of the final sector, the number of the sector address preset within the internal counter of the chip is increased at step 111, and then returns to step 103 in order to repeatedly perform a program operation. Meanwhile, if it was an address of a final sector at step 110, it is determined whether the cell is normal or not at step 110, and then a program operation is finished.
In a conventional method of pre-programming as described above, since all the cells of a sectors are pre-programmed repeatedly by a byte or word unit at a normal programming step, the entire programming time of a chip is delayed. | {
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This invention relates generally to systems for controlling the voltage of electrostatic filters, and more particularly, to a system wherein the filter voltage is decreased by a predetermined amount after a voltage breakdown, the filter voltage being increased in accordance with a predetermined voltage-time characteristic until a further voltage breakdown occurs.
Several known systems for controlling the voltage of an electrofilter are described in Siemens-Zeitschrift, 1971, No. 9, pages 567-572. It is known from the prior art that the effectiveness of an electrofilter in removing particulate matter from a flowing gas increases approximately with the square of the applied DC filter voltage. Accordingly, it is desirable to maintain as a high a DC filter voltage as possible. The filter voltage, however, is limited to a maximum value which corresponds with the dielectric strength of the gas which is being purified. Since the precise composition of the gas and the cleanliness of the electrofilter are continually varying, the breakdown voltage of the electrofilter must be determined empircally. Accordingly, only by causing voltage breakdowns will one know the magnitude of the voltage at which they will occur for a particular system at a particular time. In order to achieve such a sampling of the breakdown voltage limit of the electrofilter, without unduly inhibiting the gas purification function of the electrofilter, the transmission of electrical energy to the filter is discontinued immediately after a voltage breakdown. After a short pause to allow deionization, the filter voltage is quickly raised in accordance with a predetermined voltage-time function to a new level which is lower than the most recently sampled breakdown voltage by a small amount. From this value, the voltage is raised further accordingly to a somewhat slower voltage-time function until a new voltage breakdown occurs. The foregoing sequence is repeated after each such voltage breakdown. As is evident from the foregoing, the frequency of voltage breakdowns depends upon the difference in voltage between the most recent voltage breakdown and the new magnitude to which the voltage is quickly raised, and the voltage gradient of the slower voltage-time function which controls the rate at which the voltage is raised to sample a further voltage breakdown.
In addition to the foregoing, consideration should also be given to the magnitude of the current which flows through the filter because, in many cases, the electrical resistance of the dust in the gas will permit the current rating of the filter to be exceeded before a voltage breakdown occurs. Accordingly, the automatic control system must limit the filter current, the maximum current limit being advantageously adjustable in accordance with operating conditions.
In known control systems for electrical filters, the magnitudes of the breakdown voltage and the maximum current are initially established when the filter is placed in operation, and are not subsequently varied. However, since the operating parameters of a filter must vary in accordance with the overall conditions at an installation in which the electrofilter is operated, it is evident that fixed, predetermined values of the voltage and current values will not lead to the optimization of filter operation. For example, under some circumstances, excessive power is conducted to the electrofilter for a given dust loading of the purified gas.
It is, therefore an object of this invention to provide an electrofilter control system wherein filter operation is optimized in response to changing conditions in an overall installation. | {
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The present invention relates to components and assemblies useful in microelectronic assemblies, to assemblies incorporating such components and to methods of making such components and assemblies.
Microelectronic elements such as semiconductor chips typically are provided in packages that protect the semiconductor chip itself from the external environment and which facilitate mounting the chip on a circuit board. For example, some microelectronic packages include a connection component incorporating a dielectric element such as a board or sheet having top and bottom surfaces and having electrically conductive terminals exposed at the bottom surface. The chip is mounted to the top surface and connected to the terminals by various arrangements such as electrically conductive traces extending on a surface of the dielectric element, or within the dielectric element. The chip typically has a front surface with small contacts thereon and an oppositely-facing rear surface. The chip may be mounted in a face-down arrangement, so that the front surface of the chip confronts the top surface of the dielectric element and the rear surface of the chip faces upwardly, away from the dielectric element. In other cases, the chip may be mounted in a face-up arrangement, with the rear surface of the chip facing downwardly toward the top surface of the dielectric element. The contacts on the front face of the chip typically are connected to the traces on the dielectric element either by direct bonds between the contacts and leads formed integrally with the traces, or by wire bonds. As disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,636, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, similar chip packages can be made with terminals in the form of posts projecting from the bottom surface of the dielectric element. The posts can be fabricated using an etching process.
Efforts have been made to fabricate electronic connection structures such as individual layers for multi-layer circuit boards using a metallic post structure. In one process, disclosed by the North Corporation of Tokyo, Japan, a metallic plate is etched to form numerous metallic posts projecting from the plate. A dielectric layer is applied to this plate so that the posts project through the dielectric layer. An inner or upper side of the dielectric layer faces upwardly toward the metallic plate, whereas the outer or lower side of the dielectric layer faces downwardly towards the tip of the posts. The dielectric layer may be fabricated by coating a dielectric such as polyimide onto the plate around the posts or, more typically, by forcibly engaging the posts with the dielectric sheet so that the posts penetrate through the sheet. Once the sheet is in place, the metallic plate is etched to form individual traces on the inner side of the dielectric layer extending to the bases of the various posts.
The components made by this process suffer from certain drawbacks for use as connection components in certain types of semiconductor chip packages. For example, it is often desirable to mount a chip in a face-down orientation and connect the contacts on the chip to the traces of the connection component using wire bonds which extend from the chip through a large opening or slot in the dielectric element, or around the edges of the dielectric element, and approach the outer or bottom surface of the dielectric element. However, in the aforementioned process, the traces are formed on the inner or upper side of the dielectric element. Therefore, the traces are not exposed for connection to the wire bonds. While this problem can be overcome by forming additional openings in the dielectric element in alignment with the traces, this adds cost and complexity to the manufacturing process.
Moreover, the posts must have a certain minimum height in order to facilitate the process of applying the dielectric layer. Typically, the posts must be at least about 100 microns high and must be of substantially uniform height. In some applications, this is advantageous. However, where a packaged chip is to be mounted using conventional large solder balls, this substantial height may be undesirable.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide component fabrication methods which allow fabrication of connection components using the formed-post process, but which do not suffer from the aforementioned limitations. The present invention, in its various aspects, addresses some or all of these needs. | {
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Aftertreatment devices are well known and widely used in various internal combustion engine applications for the aftertreatment of engine exhaust gases. Such devices as diesel oxidation catalysts and diesel particulate filters have been useful for handling and/or removing diesel exhaust materials, including carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and soot in the exhaust stream of an engine.
Although particulate filters are sometimes not catalyzed, many oxidation catalysts commonly employ a catalyzed material applied to interior surfaces within fluid passageways of a cellular structure. Undesired exhaust material(s) react with the catalyst material, thus diminishing the undesired exhaust material(s).
However, inlet face plugging (coking) of diesel oxidation catalysts and diesel particulate filters continues to be an issue for vehicles with transient or less aggressive duty cycles, during cold ambient operating conditions, and during extended idling conditions. Other conditions that may lead to inlet face plugging can include frequent start and stop operation and engine operation during relatively low exhaust temperature ranges, such as 220° C. to 400° C. Face-plugging or fouling has been known as residue, such as exhaust materials and/or soot particles that accumulate on the outer surface of the cellular and channel structure at the inlet face of an aftertreatment device, and effectively reduces the open frontal area of the aftertreatment device.
Face-plugging is problematic, because it can result in a sharp rise in backpressure in aftertreatment or exhaust systems, which in turn may affect engine operation and decrease system efficiency. For example, face plugging of the aftertreatment device prevents effective conversion of injected hydrocarbon across the aftertreatment device, resulting in ineffective particulate filter regenerations due to low temperatures. Face plugging can also result in fuel penalty as fuel is being dosed for extended amounts with no benefit to filter regeneration. Face plugging can eventually lead to filter failures due to uncontrolled thermal events during transient driving conditions. Thus, preventing the formation of the soot/coke deposits on the inlet face of the aftertreatment device under all operating conditions is desirable.
Current closed loop control strategies to clean the aftertreatment device have tracked the amount of time spent dosing fuel in the exhaust using a straight time based count down timer to predict face plugging on the device. On reaching a threshold, the engine operating mode is switched to a high NOx, low particulate matter condition to oxidize any carbon deposits and clean out the aftertreatment device. However, such a method can take approximately 3 to 4 hours to clean the aftertreatment device and may not be completely effective. The reason being plugging of the flow channels usually begins from the front or inlet face at the end of the aftertreatment device. The level of NO2, which is known as a primary oxidizing agent, is found in low quantities in engine out diesel exhaust and is not effective in oxidizing soot on the inlet face.
There is a need to provide an improved engine exhaust system that can prevent and/or eliminate face-plugging or fouling at the inlet face of such aftertreatment devices. | {
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Drug delivery devices allowing for multiple dosing of a required dosage of a liquid medicinal product, such as liquid drugs, and further providing administration of the liquid to a patient, are as such well-known in the art. Generally, such devices have substantially the same purpose as that of an ordinary syringe.
Pen-type injectors of this kind have to meet a number of user specific requirements. For instance in case of those with diabetes, many users will be physically infirm and may also have impaired vision. Therefore, these devices need to be robust in construction, yet easy to use, both in terms of the manipulation of the parts and understanding by a user of its operation. Further, the dose setting must be easy and unambiguous and where the device is to be disposable rather than reusable, the device should be inexpensive to manufacture and easy to dispose. In order to meet these requirements, the number of parts and steps required to assemble the device and an overall number of material types the device is made from have to be kept to a minimum.
Since such drug delivery devices are to be used in a home environment and in particular by way of self-medication, the user or patient has to become accustomed to the handling of the device prior to self-administering a dose of the medicament.
Particularly for the purpose of training or testing a device and its properties, there exist various training cartridges or syringes to be operably coupled with a drive mechanism of a drug delivery device. When appropriately coupled with the drive mechanism, the training cartridge should provide a realistic feedback to the user on how the drug delivery device and its mechanical components behave during dose setting and dose dispensing procedures.
In a rather simple approach, training cartridges are filled with water or a placebo featuring comparable mechanical properties than the genuine medicinal product originally contained in the cartridge.
Even though such water- or placebo-filled cartridges may provide realistic mechanical feedback of the cartridge itself and for the drug device's drive mechanism and since these known cartridges also mimic the visible behaviour of the cartridge, such dummy cartridges might be accidentally confused with genuine cartridges filled with a medicinal product. Consequently, the patient may inject water or placebo instead of the prescribed drug and may thus be treated with an incorrect amount of the medicament.
Furthermore, when making use of water- or placebo-filled cartridges, any of such training or dummy cartridges must be sterile filled or terminally sterilized in case the contents are injected. This also means that the training or dummy cartridge can only be used by a single user in order to prevent any potential cross-contamination of the cartridge, which may happen if a cartridge would be used by several users. Moreover, such water- or placebo-filled cartridges have to be used up within a given shelf life or within their given in-use life.
Cartridges being filled with either a placebo or with a medicament, the effect can be observed, that the displaceable piston is to be pushed or pulled in axial direction with push- or dragging forces of different magnitude. For instance, pushing the piston in distal direction for expelling the liquid content of the cartridge requires a pressure being substantially greater than a force required for returning and pulling the piston back into its initial position. When designing a training cartridge without a liquid content, also this non-symmetric actuating force should be simulated in a realistic way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a training cartridge to be used with a drug delivery device requiring different actuating forces for different modes of operation. Hence, the training or test cartridge should be able to simulate the overall behaviour of a genuine cartridge to a large extend. Preferably, the training cartridge should not require filling with water or a placebo. Moreover, it is intended to provide a reset function for the training cartridge allowing to make use of said cartridge multiple times. | {
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A variety of industrial processes require the use of destructive fluids such as hot acids or solvents. For example, in the semiconductor fabrication industry, concentrated sulfuric acid heated to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Centigrade) is used for etching. In use, these destructive fluids usually become contaminated, e.g., with small undissolved particles, and either must be replaced or must be purified and reclaimed.
Since these destructive fluids may be expensive or may be used in large quantities and since it is difficult to safely dispose of these fluids, it is typically more desirable to purify and reclaim them than replace them. Various filtering apparatus for purifying contaminated destructive fluids have been previously suggested in the art. However, these filtering apparatus, which typically include a porous filter and support and flow-directing structure associated with the filter, frequently fail to withstand the deteriorative effects of the destructive fluids being purified. Either the porous filter or the associated structure, or both, are damaged or destroyed in the purification process. On the other hand, filtering apparatus immune to the deteriorative effects of these destructive fluids are frequently fabricated from exotic materials, such as certain exotic metals, and, therefore, are not only difficult to fabricate but also expensive. | {
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1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation method and in particular to an image formation method effective for providing a record image of high quality.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, full-color laser beam printers and thermal transfer printers have been rapidly finding spreading use as output terminals of personal computers, workstations, etc. In this case, required performance includes the capability of outputting text data, line drawing data, and image data, namely, continuous-tone output is required.
As this kind of system, for example, a system disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent No. Hei 9-1866 is well known.
The system divides an image into a plurality of blocks, changes the input/output characteristics corresponding to the positions of pixels therein for each block, converts image data density level into density level to recorded dots, and changes and disperses the positions where dots of the same size are recorded for each block, thereby preventing appearance of structural pattern in the image such as moire.
Basically, the conventional system is a kind of a pseudo area gradation technique using a multilevel dither method having only less discrete density level. When, the configuration as described above is adopted, characteristics such as, size and, placement regularity of recorded dots is weakened as much as possible, thereby preventing appearance of structural pattern in the image such as moire.
In more detail, image data is converted from R(red), G(green), and B(blue) of brightness data into density data of three primary colors of C(cyan), M(magenta), and Y(yellow) for printing, then an under color is removed for preparing a black plate based on the density data, and C, M, Y, and BK (black) data is prepared. Further, correction processing such as masking is applied, then gradation processing is executed in such a manner that the pixels at the positions in the block described above are divided into odd and even lines and different gradation conversion table characteristics are applied to each of the lines.
However, in the system, the gradation conversion table characteristics are monotonous, thus occurrence of roughness is inevitable when low-density recorded pixels are formed on a white background.
The system assumes that a printed matter has stable characteristics. In fact, it is necessary to consider printing on a printed matter for which is hard to say that its characteristics are always stable. That is, with photosensitive material for thermal developing or photo-thermal-sensitive recording material, even if energy at the minimum level required for recording is given, the threshold as to whether or not color is developed varies due to variation in sensitivity caused by humidity, etc., and the print result becomes delicately different. | {
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A stairlift comprises a rail which in use is attached to a stairway; a carriage which is mounted on the rail for movement along the rail; and a chair mounted on the carriage on which a user sits while completing his/her journey.
The rail should fit the contours of the stairway as closely as possible so as to protrude into the stairway to the least possible extent. However there is an increasing demand for rails to be configured from a selection of standard rail components, and to be easily disassembled for re-use after an existing installation is no longer required. This means that the components that form the rail must be capable of being securely fixed together for use; but equally capable of being disassembled without damage.
One example of stairlift rail is formed from sections of round tube joined end-to-end. Each section has a flange or tang extending from the surface of the tube, the tangs of all the rail sections combining and being adapted to provide a drive surface for a pinion on the output shaft of a motor/gearbox unit mounted within the carriage. It is important that, when the rail is assembled, the sections of rail remain in the correct relative rotational position so that tangs of juxtaposed rail sections remain in alignment. Correct alignment of the tangs not only ensures the structural integrity of the rail as a whole, but is also necessary to maintain ride quality.
In the past, juxtaposed rail sections of this type have typically been held together by a split tubular internal spigot that is expanded to frictionally engage the inner surfaces of the tube sections. However, over time and when subjected to cycles of torque applied as the carriage moves up and down the rail, these frictional joints can loosen.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and/or apparatus for forming a stairlift rail that will go at least some way to addressing the aforementioned drawbacks; or which will at least provide a novel and useful choice. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof, and particularly, to structures of a MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type LDD (Lightly Doped Drain) structure transistor and other MOS type transistors and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Background Art
The basic structure of a MOS type field effect transistor comprises a source supplying carriers and a drain drawing carriers provided on both sides of a so-called MOS capacitor which has a silicon substrate and a metal electrode disposed thereabove with a thin oxide film provided therebetween. As the metal electrode on the oxide film has a function for controlling conductance between the source and the drain, it is referred to as a transfer gate electrode. As materials for the transfer gate electrode, impurity-doped polysilicon, and metal silicide formed by applying heat treatment in inert gas to refractory metal such as tungsten deposited on polysilicon are often employed.
When the voltage of the transfer gate electrode (gate voltage) is lower than the threshold voltage V.sub.th required for inverting conductivity type of the area adjacent to the silicon substrate surface between a source and a drain (channel), the source/drain are isolated by a pn junction and current does not flow. When a gate voltage higher than Vth is applied, the conductivity type of the channel surface is inverted, a layer of the same conductivity type as that of the source/drain is formed in this area, and current flows between the source and the drain.
If variations in impurity concentration distribution at the boundary of the source/drain and the channel are great, the electric field strength in the area is high. Carriers get energy due to the electric field, and so-called hot carriers are produced. The carriers are then injected into the transfer gate insulating film, sometimes to form an interface state at an interface region of the transfer gate insulating film and a semiconductor substrate, or sometimes to be trapped into the transfer gate insulating film. Thus, threshold voltage and transconductance of the MOS transistor are degraded during operation. This is the MOS transistor degradation phenomenon due to hot carriers. Avalanche voltage also falls due to the hot carriers. Therefore, the electric field strength is reduced by lowering the n-type impurity concentration in the vicinity of the source/drain to attain a small variation in the concentration distribution. In a MOS type LDD structure transistor, this suppresses the MOS transistor degradation due to the hot carriers and increases avalanche voltage of the source and the drain.
One of conventional manufacturing methods of MOS type LDD structure transistors is illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1F. First in this method, a transfer gate oxide film 3 is formed in an element forming region surrounded by an element isolation insulating film 2 on a P-type semiconductor substrate 1 by so-called LOCOS (Local Oxidation of Silicon) method (FIG. 1A). Next, for controlling the threshold voltage, p-type impurity such as boron ion is directed all over the semiconductor substrate 1 to form ion-implanted regions 4 (FIG. 1B). Subsequently, a polysilicon film is deposited all over the transfer gate oxide film 3 by the low pressure CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method to form a transfer gate electrode 5 by the photolithography technique and the reactive ion etching technique (FIG. 1C). Alternatively, as the transfer gate electrode 5, a two-layer film of refractory metal such as tungsten, molybdenum and titanium or silicidized version thereof, and polysilicon can be used in place of the polysilicon. Phosphorus ions are doped into the transfer gate electrode 5 to increase its conductivity. In this case, the transfer gate electrode 5 becomes n-type, which is the same as that of the channel or the source/drain. Accordingly, even when a gate voltage is not applied to the transfer gate electrode 5, the p-type channel surface is in such a state as a positive gate voltage is effectively applied because of the difference between work functions of the n-type transfer gate electrode 5 and the p-type channel surface.
This is described as follows according to the band theory. First, with no n type transfer gate electrode 5 on the channel surface, bands of the transfer gate electrode 5, transfer gate oxide film 3 and the p type semiconductor substrate 1 appear as shown in FIG. 1G. When a transfer gate electrode 5 is formed on the channel surface with a transfer gate oxide film 3 provided therebetween, the bands change as shown in FIG. 1H. The change of bands occurs because the Fermi level E.sub.FG of the transfer gate electrode 5 and the Fermi level E.sub.FS of the semiconductor substrate 1 become equal to produce balanced conditions and the band in the vicinity of the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 is bent downwards under the effect of the electric field by the transfer gate electrode 5. After forming the transfer gate 5, as shown in FIG. 1H, free electrons are induced in the vicinity of the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1. Accordingly, the transfer gate electrode 5 is in a condition in which positive potential is effectively applied thereto.
Also, the n-type impurity doped in the transfer gate electrode 5 may diffuse into the p-type channel surface due to thermal treatment thereafter. V.sub.th falls because of these reasons, and it is possible to happen that an inverted layer is already produced in the channel in some cases. The ion-implanted regions 4 described above are for overcoming the effect of impurity ion doped into the transfer gate electrode 5 by implanting p-type impurity in advance to surely obtain desired V.sub.th.
Next, with the gate electrode 5 as a mask, n-type impurity such as phosphorus ion and arsenic ion is implanted vertically into the semiconductor substrate 1 surface to form n-type ion-implanted layers 6 (FIG. 1D). Subsequently, an insulating film of silicon dioxide or the like is deposited all over the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 by the low pressure CVD method or the atmospheric pressure CVD method, to which anisotropic etching is applied to form sidewall spacers 7 (FIG. 1E). Next, using the transfer gate electrode 5 and the sidewall spacer 7 as masks, n-type impurity such as phosphorus ion and arsenic ion is vertically directed to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 to form n-type ion-implanted layers 8 of higher concentration than that of the ion-implanted layers 6 (FIG. 1F). Thus, after heat treatment for activating the implanted impurity ion, a MOS type LDD structure transistor is completed.
While a p-type semiconductor substrate is employed in the above described conventional embodiment, a substrate having a p-well, or a p-type impurity-implanted region, at least near the substrate surface can also be employed. Furthermore, as a substrate, an n-type semiconductor substrate or a substrate having n-well, an n-type impurity-implanted region, at least near the surface may be employed. In this case, a transfer gate electrode 5 is p-type, ion-implanted regions 4 for controlling a threshold voltage are n-type, and p-type ion-implanted layers 6 and 8 are formed as a source region and a drain region.
As the embodiment above is based on ion-implantation only in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1, the ion-implanted regions 4 for controlling the threshold voltage must be formed before forming the transfer gate electrode 5. On the other hand, as for a method of forming respective ion-implanted layers after forming a transfer gate electrode 5 by applying the oblique ion implantation method, reference is made to Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 61-226968. As illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2D, in the method of manufacturing a MOS type semiconductor device described in the gazette, using a field oxide film 12 and a gate 14 formed on a p-type semiconductor substrate 11 as masks, n-type regions 18 are formed by implanting phosphorus ions with acceleration voltage of 20 keV (FIG. 2A). Subsequently, by directing boron ions using the gate electrode 14 as a mask at the angle of incidence of 30.degree. and with acceleration voltage of 30 keV, p-type regions 19a are formed (FIG. 2B). Upon performing similar oblique ion implantation from the opposite side, the p-type regions 19a and 19b are formed entirely surrounding the side and the bottom of the n-type regions 18 (FIG. 2C).
Next, the photoresist 20 is formed around the gate 14, and using the same as a mask, arsenic ions are implanted at high concentration to form n-type regions 21 as the source/drain (FIG. 2D).
Finally, a silicon oxide film 22 is deposited all over the surface by the CVD method, contact holes are formed at predetermined positions in the respective regions of gate, source and drain by the reactive ion etching method or the like, and aluminum is deposited by the sputtering method or the CVD method and patterned, then an n-channel MOS type semiconductor device is completed.
As described above, according to the conventional embodiment, the p-type regions 19a and 19b are formed by oblique ion implantation, and respective ion-implanted layers are formed after forming the gate electrode 14.
Among the above-described conventional manufacturing methods of semiconductor devices, in the first conventional embodiment, by vertically implanting ions all over the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 before forming the transfer gate electrode 5, the ion implanted regions 4, or a diffusion layer for controlling the threshold voltage, is formed. Accordingly, the p-type impurity ion concentration distribution is almost uniform all over the channel region as shown by the broken line in the graph of FIG. 3. This tendency does not change greatly after the step of thermal diffusion, and the distribution is shown by the double dashed line in FIG. 3. As the threshold voltage is determined corresponding to an almost average value of the channel potential over the channel region, upon setting a predetermined threshold voltage, the average value of the concentration distribution of the ion-implanted regions 4 to be formed is determined accordingly. In the first conventional example, the concentration distribution of the ion-implanted regions 4 in the vicinity of the channel region, or the distribution of the channel potential becomes almost uniform, and the channel potential in the vicinity of the source region and the drain region becomes a relatively low value almost the same as the potential in the center area of the channel. Accordingly, a sufficient potential barrier is not formed in the vicinity of the source/drain regions on both ends of the channel region. Thus, the extension of the depletion layer toward the semiconductor substrate in the vicinity of the source and drain increases. As the device is highly integrated, and as the length of the transfer gate electrode, or the effective channel length becomes shorter, an electrical short between the source and the drain occurs more easily because of the extension of the depletion layer, and the punchthrough breakdown voltage between the source and the drain falls. If the concentration of the ion in the channel region is increased to restrain the extension of the depletion layer, the threshold voltage becomes higher than a desired value.
Also, the so-called ALPEN (Alpha Particle Source/Drain Penetration) effect, wherein .alpha.-particles irradiated by the radioactive isotope such as uranium or thorium in the resin molded package pass through the source/drain regions, becomes more apt to happen. Because of this ALPEN effect, if the .alpha.-ray hits a memory cell, for example, a so-called soft error in which information of a memory is broken to cause a malfunction occurs. In conditions of information "H" where electrons are not collected in capacitor of a memory cell, if the .alpha.-particles hit this memory cell, electron-hole pairs are produced because of current effect by the .alpha.-particle's energy, and the electrons are collected in a depletion layer so that the condition of information "L" is attained. When the .alpha.-particles pass through the source/drain, electron-hole pairs are produced along the path of the .alpha.-particles. The electron-hole pairs are separated by the electric field of the depletion layer between the source or the drain and the semiconductor substrate, and a new transient depletion layer is produced along the path of the .alpha.-particles. The phenomenon that a transient depletion layer is produced along the path of the .alpha.-particles is referred to as a funneling phenomenon. During operation of a transistor, if a transient depletion layer due to the funneling phenomenon is produced between the depletion layers in the vicinity of the source/drain, a transient punchthrough occurs between the source and the drain, which causes a soft error in a new mode ("L.fwdarw.H" soft error).
As described above, in a manufacturing method like the first conventional example, as the device is highly integrated, the source/drain breakdown voltage falls and the soft error becomes more apt to happen, and there is a problem that the initial characteristic and the long term reliability confidence of the device is degraded.
The p-type regions 19a, 19b formed in the second embodiment serve as barriers for preventing a punch through at both ends of the channel region. However, these p-type regions 19a, 19b are formed independently of control of the threshold voltage of the channel region. Accordingly, in addition to increasing the number of steps, it also affects the predetermined threshold voltage. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to suspended ceilings and, in particular, to improvements in grid runners. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates, in general, to the efficient separation of molecules such as DNA and proteins, and more particularly to a separation device including nanofluidic channels of different sizes for providing alternate thin and thick regions along a channel to act as a filtering or sieving structure.
The separation of molecules according to their sizes is an essential step in biology and other fields and in analytical procedures such as chromatography, DNA sequencing or genome mapping. Conventional methods for separating molecules include electrophoresis and chromatography, which utilize the different transport properties (mobility) of different molecules in a solution-filled capillary or column. In many cases, additional sieving material, such as a gel matrix, is required to obtain sufficient separation of the molecules to permit analysis. In a conventional gel electrophoresis, as an example, molecules such as DNA molecules are separated during an electric-field-driven motion in a highly restrictive gel matrix, because the mobility of the molecules is dependent on their length. However, this length-dependence of molecule mobility vanishes for DNA molecules longer than about 40,000 base pairs, mainly because the molecules tend to be more stretched and oriented in the direction of the applied electric field. Molecules as long as 10,000,000 base pairs can be separated by pulsing the electric field (pulsed field gel electrophoresis), but this process is usually very time consuming and inefficient.
To obtain better efficiency and control for separation process, the use of an artificial system using a precisely defined microchannel structure as a molecular sieve has been suggested. However, initial attempts to produce efficient artificial gel systems were hindered by poor understanding of the molecular dynamics in the microchannels. It has been found that the conformation (shape) of DNA or other polymer molecules has a direct impact on their motion in a restrictive medium because the interaction cross section of the molecules with obstacles is changed with conformational change. In free solution, polymer molecules such as DNA have a spherical shape in their equilibrium state, and the size of this equilibrium shape is characterized by a radius of gyration (Ro) of the molecule. In the separation process of DNA or other polymers, it is important to maintain the conformation of the molecule in its equilibrium shape as much as possible, because otherwise the polymeric molecule will stretch out in the direction of the motion, rendering the mobility of the molecule length (size) independent. This is because there is minimal difference in their interaction with a retarding matrix such as gel or obstacles.
In terms of the fabrication of artificial gel systems, current photolithography techniques are limited in resolution at about the 1 micrometer level. Therefore, one cannot easily make constrictions or obstacles small enough for the separation of important molecules (DNA, proteins etc). Electron beam lithography can fabricate smaller features but it generally is too expensive, and it is difficult to produce a large-area device with this process.
It became clear that a more careful design of a separation device, combined with an inexpensive technique that can produce many ultrasmall constrictions over a large area, is essential in developing a functioning molecular separation device. | {
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This invention relates to secondary, rechargeable lithium and lithium-ion batteries and, more particularly, relates to a continuous method for preparing Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 intercalation compounds for use as the positive electrode in such batteries where x is from about 0.022 to about 0.20.
Lithium-cobalt oxide is currently used as the positive electrode material in commercial four-volt lithium-ion cells. On the basis of their lower cost, raw material abundance, additional safety, environmental acceptability, and electrochemical performance, Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 intercalation compounds have shown exceptional promise as positive electrode materials in such cells. However, for the commercial success of Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 as a cathode material a process has not previously been found that will rapidly and economically produce a material with the required electrochemical performance properties. This invention addresses this issue.
LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 (Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 where x=0) was synthesized as early as 1958 D. G. Wickham and W. J. Croft, J. Phys. Chem. Solids 7 (1958) 351-360!, by intimately mixing Li.sub.2 CO.sub.3 and any manganese oxide, taken in the molar ratio of Li/Mn=0.50, reacting the mixture at 800.degree.-900.degree. C. in air, and repeatedly grinding and reacting the mixture at this temperature until the sample reached constant weight. Acid leaching of LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 to produce .lambda.-MnO.sub.2, which possesses the LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 crystal framework, and the subsequent usage of .lambda.-MnO.sub.2 as the positive electrode material in a lithium cell were reported by Hunter J. C. Hunter (Union Carbide), U.S Pat. No. 4,246,253, Jan. 20, 1981; J. C. Hunter (Union Carbide), U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,930, Jan. 26, 1982; J. C. Hunter, J. Solid State Chem. 39 (1981) 142-147.!. Hunter electrochemically reduced his .lambda.-MnO.sub.2 to LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4, which occurred at 4V, but they did not cycle his cell. He also noted that lithium and manganese compounds other than those specified by Wickham and Croft may be used in the synthesis, provided that they decompose to lithium or manganese oxides under the reaction conditions used. Thackeray, et al. M. Thackeray, P. Johnson, L. de Picciotto, P. Bruce and J. Goodenough, Mat. Res. Bull. 19 (1984) 179-187; M. Thackeray, L. de Picciotto, A. de Kock, P. Johnson, V. Nicholas and K. Adendorff, J. Power Sources 21 (1987)1-8! showed that Li intercalation into the LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 spinel structure is electrochemically reversible, giving two voltage plateaus at 4.1 V and 3.0 V vs Li, which correspond to the intercalation/de-intercalation of the first and second Li ions, respectively, into .lambda.-MnO.sub.2.
Various investigators studied the synthesis of LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 by thermal reaction of a lithium and manganese compound, and found it could be effected over a large temperature range--i.e., 300.degree.-900.degree. C. The ability of the products to intercalate and de-intercalate Li was also investigated. The so-called "low" temperature materials, made at less than about 550.degree. C., are poorly crystalline, have a distorted spinel structure, and cycle at about 3V but not at 4V vs Li W. J. Macklin, R. J. Neat and R. J. Powell, J. Power Sources 34 (1991) 39-49; T. Nagaura, M. Yokokawa and T. Hashimoto (Sony Corp.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,834, May 9, 1989; M. M. Thackery and A. de Kock (CSIR), U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,251, Dec. 25, 1990; V. Manev, A. Momchilov, A. Nassalevska and A. Kozawa, J. Power Sources, 43-44 (1993) 551-559!. These are not the materials of focus in this patent application.
The so-called "high" temperature materials, made at about 600.degree.-900.degree. C. in an air atmosphere, are quite crystalline. They show cycling capability at about 4V vs Li, but cycle much worse at 3V vs Li, losing capacity rapidly J. M. Tarascon, E. Wang, J. K. Shokoohi, W. R McKinnon and S. Colson, J. Electrochem. Soc. 138 (1991) 2859-2868!. Even when LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 is synthesized at low temperature, as in a sol-gel process, it can be cycled in the 4V regime if it is first fired/annealed at high temperatures--e.g., 600.degree.-800.degree. C. P. Barboux, F. K. Shokoohi and J. M. Tarascon (Bellcore), U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,732, Aug. 4, 1992!. High temperature LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 materials will be the focus the remainder of this application.
Investigators have generally found that synthesis of a single-phase product in their (static) muffle furnaces required many hours or even days of reaction time, which they often coupled with regrinding of the heated product and reheating of the reground powder P. Barboux, F. K. Shokoohi and J. M. Tarascon (Bellcore), U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,732, Aug. 4, 1992; W. J. Macklin, R. J. Neat and R. J. Powell, J. Power Sources 34 (1991) 39-49; A. Mosbah, A. Verbaire and M. Tournoux, Mat. Res. Bull. 18 (1983) 1375-1381; T. Ohzuku, M. Kitagawa, and T. Hirai, J. Electrochem. Soc. 137 (1990) 769-775!. Without such laborious synthesis procedures, various byproducts are produced in addition to LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 --i.e., Mn.sub.2 O.sub.3, Mn.sub.3 O.sub.4 and Li.sub.2 MnO.sub.3. These substances are undesirable in lithium cells, creating low capacities and high fade rates.
Apart from the production of undesirable byproducts, the synthesis parameters also affect the molecular/crystal structure and physical properties of the LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4, and these material properties greatly affect the battery capacity and cyclability of the material. Momchilov, Manev and coworkers A Momchilov, V. Manev, and A Nassalevska, J. Power Sources 41 (1993) 305-314! varied the lithium reactant, the MnO.sub.2 reactant, the reaction temperature and reaction time prior to cooling in air. They found it advantageous to make the spinels from lithium salts with the lowest possible melting points and from MnO.sub.2 samples with the greatest surface areas. The advantages were faster reaction times and more porous products, which gave greater capacities and better cyclability (i.e., less capacity fade with cycle number). However, the reaction times were the order of days in any case. These investigators also found V. Manev, A. Momchilov, A. Nassalevska and A. Kozawa, J. Power Sources, 43-44 (1993) 551-559; A. Momchilov, V. Manev, and A. Nassalevska, J. Power Sources 41 (1993) 305-314.! that the optimum reaction temperature was approximately 750.degree. C. At higher temperatures the material lost capacity, presumably due to a decreased surface area and from oxygen loss, which reduced some of the manganese in LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4. At the lower reaction temperatures, synthesis required even longer times, and evidence of spinel distortion occurred, which apparently caused lower capacities. These investigators also demonstrated advantage in preheating the reaction mix at temperatures just above the melting point of the lithium reactant before reacting at the final temperature.
Tarascon and coworkers J. M. Tarascon, W. R. McKinnon, F. Coowar, T. N. Bowmer, G. Amatucci and D. Guyomard, J. Electrochem. Soc. 141 (1994) 1421-1431; J. M. Tarascon (Bellcore), International Patent Application WO 94/26666; U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,932, Jun. 20, 1995! found that high capacity and long cycle life were best achieved by (1) employing a reactant mixture in which the mole ratio of Li/Mn is greater than 1/2 (i.e., Li/Mn=1.00/2.00 to 1.20/2.00 so that x in Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 =0.0 to 0.125), (2) heating the reactants for an extensive period of time (e.g., 72 h) at 800-900.degree. C., (3) cooling the reacted product in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a very slow rate, i.e., preferably at 2.degree. to 10.degree. C./h, to about 500.degree. C., and, finally, (4) cooling the product more rapidly to ambient temperature by turning off the furnace. The cooling rate from more than 800.degree. C. to 500.degree. C. can be increased to 30.degree. C./h if the atmosphere is enriched in oxygen. These investigators found that the lattice parameter, a.sub.o, of the product was an indicator of the product efficacy in a battery, and that a should be less than about 8.23 .ANG.. By comparison, for LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 made with Li/Mn=1.00/2.00 and with air cooling, a=8.247 .ANG..
Manev and coworkers V. Manev, A. Momchilov, A. Nassalevska and A. Sato, J. Power Sources 54 (1995) 323-328! also found that a Li/Mn mole ratio greater than 1.00/2.00 is advantageous to both capacity and cyclability. They chose 1.05/2.00 as the optimum ratio. These investigators also found that as the amount of pre-mix/reactants in the muffle furnace was scaled up from .about.10 g to .about.100 g, the capacity decreased significantly. This they traced to a depletion of air in the furnace and a resultant partial reduction of the product. The problem was alleviated by flowing air through the furnace. When the air flow was too great, the capacity of the product decreased again, so the air flow had to be optimized to be beneficial. Manev and coworkers found the most beneficial cooling rate to be several tens of degrees per minute, which is more than 100 times faster than that of Tarascon and coworkers. After optimizing all conditions, which included the use of lithium nitrate and a very porous chemical manganese dioxide as reactants, Manev and coworkers obtained a product Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 (with x=0.033) that gave a very high capacity and low fade rate. The use of lithium nitrate has negative impact on the process since poisonous NO.sub.x fumes are expelled during the synthesis. When Manev developed a successful synthesis process that utilized lithium carbonate rather than lithium nitrate V. Manev, Paper given at 9th IBA Battery Materials Symposium, Cape Town, South Africa, Mar. 20-22, 1995. (Abstract available)!, this new process once again involved a reaction time of several days.
Howard W. F. Howard, Jr., in Proceedings of the 11th Int'l Seminar on Primary and Secondary Battery Technology & Application, Feb. 28-Mar. 3, 1994, Deerfield Beach, Fla., sponsored by S. P. Wolsky & N. Marincic! discussed possible LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 production equipment, mainly from a cost viewpoint. Although he developed/presented no data, Howard suggested that a rotary kiln transfers heat faster than a static oven, which serves to shorten reaction times The desirable slow cooling rate coupled with long thermal reaction times is very difficult to accomplish on a large scale, as in pilot-plant or commercial operation. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to shorten the reaction and cooling times while avoiding the unwanted byproducts and preserving the needed Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 stoichiometry and structure, the latter being evidenced by a smaller lattice parameter. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to computers and, more particularly, to an integrated circuit (IC) which interfaces with a microprocessor for providing support function therefor.
Conventional computer systems are usually comprised of a main frame computer that interfaces with a peripherally connected keyboard via a interfacing bus similar in appearance to the coiled cord connecting a telephone headset to a telephone.
The keyboard is an alpha-numeric "typewriter" style ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) keyboard for text editing and high-level language programming. The alpha-numeric entry from the typewriter keyboard is by nature serial, or one letter at a time, so nothing is lost by presenting the information from the approximately 128 keys, to the computer in a cost effective and asynchronous serial format. Electronics located at the keyboard not only debounce the pressed key but also codes its identity and transmits the information to the main frame computer via the connecting cable bus. Usually the keyboard electronics is Transistor Transistor Logic (TTL) compatible, having a high logic level of +2.4 volts and a low logic level of +0.4 volts, for providing an approximate 2 volt noise margin. However, when data is interfaced to other remote electronics, such as in the keyboard to main frame computer cable interface application, a higher noise margin is desirable and the data signals are generally converted to larger voltage swings.
For short distance applications, and where RFI (radio frequency interference) is a consideration, the RS423 standard is a good choice because the driver can be slew rate controlled and, by sloping the rise and fall times of the square wave type data, many of the high frequency components that can contribute to RFI are avoided. The RS423 standard provides a minimum of 7.2 volts of noise margin with a single ended driver output swing of +/-3.6 volts.
Most, if not all, prior art keyboard electronics as discussed above has been constructed of standard logic blocks using many discrete components and IC's. Improved performance and a more cost effective system may be achieved using a single integrated circuit for providing certain functions.
In order to reduce component cost, on board space and manufacturing costs a single-chip microprocessor may be utilized to provide the basic digital functions of the keyboard to main frame computer interface. However, there are some digital and linear functions that are required which either the microprocessor cannot do or cannot achieve efficiently.
Hence, a need exist for a microprocessor support IC to complement the standard single IC microprocessor and to provide functions in combination with the latter to provide a cost effective and improved keyboard to computer interface system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a semiconductor device including a fuse circuit which can be disconnected by laser ablation and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device.
Semiconductor devices, such as memory devices of DRAMs, SRAMs, etc., logic devices, etc., are constituted by a very large number of elements, and a part of the circuit or of the memory cells are often inoperative due to various cause in their fabrication processes. In this case, when semiconductor devices partially defective circuits or memory cells are generally regarded as defective devices, the semiconductor devices have low fabrication yields, which might lead to fabrication cost increase. In view of this, recently such defective semiconductor devices have defective circuits or defective memory cells replaced by redundant circuits or redundant memory cells which have been prepared in advance, to create properly functioning devices. In some semiconductor devices, a plurality of circuits having functions different from each other are formed integrated and later those of certain functions are replaced, and in other semiconductor devices prescribed circuits are formed, and later characteristics of the semiconductor devices are adjusted. In such reconstruction of semiconductor devices, usually a fuse circuit having a plurality of fuses is formed on the semiconductor devices, and after operation tests, etc., the fuses are disconnected by laser beam irradiation.
A conventional semiconductor device including a fuse circuit and a method for fabricating the same will be explained with reference to FIGS. 25A-25C. FIG. 25A is a diagrammatic sectional view of the conventional semiconductor device, which shows a structure thereof. FIG. 25B is a plan view of the conventional semiconductor device, which shows the structure thereof. FIG. 25C is a diagrammatic sectional view of the conventional semiconductor device with a fuse disconnected, which shows the structure thereof.
A fuse 202 is formed on a substrate 200, connected to a prescribed circuit for replacing the circuit. An inter-layer insulation film 204 for covering the fuse 202 is formed thereon. An interconnection layer 206 is formed on the inter-layer insulation film 204, connected to the fuse 202 therethrough. A plurality of the fuses 202 are formed on the substrate 200 at a prescribed pitch (FIGS. 25A and 25B). Furthermore, there is formed a passivation film 211 which covers the interconnection layer 206 and is thinner partially on the fuses 202.
To disconnect the fuse 202 in such fuse circuit, a laser beam 208 is irradiated to a region where the fuse is formed, whereby the fuse 202 is rapidly heated by its absorbed energy to a high temperature and undergoes laser explosion (FIG. 25C).
Here to further micronize the semiconductor device, it is necessary to further decrease a pitch between the fuses 202, but a pitch P of the fuses 202 is determined by a spot size 210 of the laser beam 208 and alignment accuracy of the laser beam 208.
A spot size of the laser beam 208 has a lower limit which is determined by a wavelength of the laser beam 208, and the spot size 208 can be decreased as the laser beam has a shorter wavelength. However, when a wavelength of the laser beam is too short, there is a risk that the laser beam may pass through a region where the fuse 202 is not formed, arrives at the base semiconductor substrate and is absorbed therein, and cause thermal laser explosion. In a case that the semiconductor substrate is silicon, the laser beam has an about 1 μm wavelength, at which silicon substrates absorb small amounts of laser beams. That is, a lower limit is about 1.5-2.0 μm in spot size.
On the other hand, alignment accuracy is required for the prevention of a disadvantage that the base silicon substrate is damaged if the laser explosion regions overlap each other in blowing both fuses 202 adjacent to each other and also for the prevention of a disadvantage that in disconnecting one of fuses 202 adjacent to each other, the other is damaged or blown. Usually a lower limit of the alignment accuracy is about 0.5 μm.
Thus, a lower limit of the fuse pitch of the above-described conventional fuse disconnecting method is about 2.0-2.5 μm.
As a method for narrowing a pitch P of the fuses, a method using a photoresist is known.
In the method using a photoresist, a photoresist 212 is formed in a step before the step of forming a passivation film 211 of the semiconductor device shown in FIG. 25A (FIG. 26A), a laser beam 208 whose power is low enough not to cause laser explosion is irradiated to expose the photoresist 212 (FIG. 26B), the exposed photoresist 212 is developed to remove the photoresist 212 in the exposed region 214 (FIG. 26C), a fuse 202 is removed by the usual etching process with the photoresist 212 as a mask (FIG. 26D), and the fuse 202 is disconnected with the photoresist 212 as a mask (FIG. 26D).
According to this method, the laser beam 208 may have a power which is sufficient only to expose the photoresist 212, and it is not necessary that the power is high enough to laser explode the fuse 202 or the semiconductor substrate. Accordingly, the laser beam 208 can easily have a shorter wavelength and can have a spot size 210 which is decreased in accordance with a wavelength of the laser beam 208. Accordingly, a fuse pitch P, which is determined by a spot size 210 of the laser beam can be decreased.
However, the method using a photoresist must additionally include a photoresist application step and a photoresist development step, a fuse etching step and a photoresist releasing step. Conventionally, it has caused no trouble that the test process following completion of the wafer process has lower cleanliness in comparison with that in the wafer process clean room, but in a case that a process, such as etching, formation of a passivation film or others, is performed after the test, it is necessary to perform the test process in a clean room of high cleanliness so that dust on wafers does not pollute the etching system, or an etching system which is exclusively used for the fuse disconnection is installed, which leads to higher fabrication costs rather than simple increase of fabrication steps.
As described above, in the conventional fuse disconnecting method, it is difficult to narrow a fuse pitch corresponding to increased integration of a semiconductor device while depressing increase of fabrication steps and fabrication costs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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It is known to use various superalloy materials, such as cobalt or nickel-based superalloys, for making blades, vanes and other components for power generating turbines, propulsion equipment, etc. These turbines can operate at relatively high temperatures and are generally protected by a series of protective coatings. The coatings may comprise layers of metallic base coats, thermally grown oxide layers, as such layers grow in service-run components and a final ceramic thermal barrier coating (“TBC”). Long-term exposure of these ceramic coatings to the hostile, high temperature, abrasive environment in which such turbines typically operate can cause phase destabilization, sintering, microcracking, delamination and ultimately spallation within the coating layers, exposing the superalloy component and possibly resulting in rapid degradation or failure and potentially requiring costly and burdensome repairs.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/610,214 titled “Method And Apparatus For Measuring On-Line Failure Of Turbine Thermal Barrier Coatings” describes an infrared (IR)-based system configured to non-destructively measure the radiance of a rotating turbine component (e.g., a blade) in a gas turbine in the context of monitoring the formation and progression of TBC defects where images of relative high spatial resolution are needed but where accurate absolute temperature information may not be needed. The foregoing patent application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/470,123, and each is commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention and herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,422,365 describes a thermal imaging system that purportedly uses an in-field-of-view electronically controlled heat source having a known and fixed temperature for generating a calibrated temperature map of a scene. However, such an approach would not be a feasible approach in a high temperature combustion environment of a turbine, where operating temperatures change as a function of the load of the turbine. Moreover, the system described by U.S. Pat. No. 7,422,365 appears to be limited to thermally imaging non-moving objects. Accordingly, such a system would not be suitable for temperature mapping a rotating turbine component.
It would be desirable to acquire two-dimensional IR images of the rotating turbine component to consistently provide accurate absolute temperature measurements of the component. However, temperature measurement errors can be introduced due to various factors, which under prior techniques have not been appropriately accounted for. For example, the emissivity of the TBC can change as a function of wavelength, temperature, age, contamination, etc. Additionally, it would be desirable to account for thermal emissions that may be transmitted through the TBC from subsurface coatings and/or thermal gradients than can arise in a cooled turbine component. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system and techniques that overcome the foregoing issues. | {
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More and more customers are using wireless endpoint devices to access or utilize various services. For example, a customer may use a cellular (cell) phone for accessing communications services, making purchases, conducting banking transactions, accessing various multimedia services, etc.
However, some services require an accurate knowledge of a location of the wireless endpoint device. However, the location of the wireless endpoint device may not be available or may be inaccurate. For example, when a cell phone is indoors or in a city with high-rise buildings, Global Positioning System (GPS) information for the cell phone may not be readily available or may be inaccurate. In addition, in some instances, a wireless service provider may be constrained or entirely prohibited from using the GPS information of the cell phone for providing a service. | {
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This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Wireless application devices, such as laptop computers, cellular phones, etc. are constantly being redesigned to reduce their sizes and costs while improving their performance. Laptop computers, for example, have generally become sturdier and more visually pleasing as a result of design improvements. In anticipation of consumer demand for thinner, ultra-low-voltage devices, many laptop providers have begun to replace plastic covers with metallic ones. Many laptop covers are currently being fabricated, e.g., from magnesium/aluminum alloy materials. To allow laptop antennas to radiate freely in a tight environment, laptops have traditionally been provided with “antenna windows” for antenna ground clearance. Because a metallic cover can absorb energy and detune the impedance during laptop use, optimal placement of antennas in such a laptop becomes more complicated.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional laptop antenna configuration 20. A cover 24 includes a bezel (not shown) for a display panel 28. An antenna 32 is mounted next to the display panel 28. Plastic laptop covers commonly include the antenna configuration 20. Typical return loss and efficiency for the configuration 20 when used in a plastic cover were computer-simulated by the inventors and are shown respectively in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, peak total antenna efficiency is approximately −2 decibels (dB). If the antenna configuration 20 is used in a metallic cover, there may be considerable degradation in return loss and efficiency. For example, computer-simulated return loss and efficiency for the configuration 20 when used in a 96% alumina cover are shown respectively in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. | {
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The vehicle cargo systems now in general use for the rear floor cargo area are used to prevent cargo items from moving around freely or sustaining damage during transit. A variety of rear floor cargo organization and retaining systems and methods have been described previously and are known in the related art. None of these systems or methods, however, is designed to solve the particular problem addressed by the technology described herein, and none is capable of being modified to do so. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,370, issued to Moore on Jun. 30, 1998, discloses a net-type cargo restraining system for motor vehicles of the type having a cargo floor with a front area, and a hinged exterior door which opens from outside the vehicle to provide access to the cargo floor. Also, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,633, issued to Nemoto on Aug. 27, 2002, discloses a luggage holding apparatus for a vehicle used in coordination with removable floor panels covering the rear cargo area of the vehicle. Neither Moore nor Nemoto disclose a system for a slidable, retractable, and foldable cargo floor organizer with a rotatable and extensible retention net frame and associated cargo retention net for the rear cargo floor area of a vehicle. Additionally, neither Moore nor Nemoto disclose a system providing multiple storage compartments. Therefore, a need still exists for such a system as the one described herein. | {
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I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a vehicle body construction and more particularly to a front roof rail and its adjacent framework of an automotive vehicle body.
II. Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 7-9 show a prior art vehicle body construction including a frontroof rail 1, a pair of roof side rail inners 2, 2 and a pair of front pillar inners 3, 3. The front roof rail 1 are connected at the opposite end portions to trifurcated corner joint members 4, 4 which are in turn connected to the respective roof side rail inners 2, 2 and front pillar inners 3, 3. A similar vehicle body construction is disclosed in Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 57-47255.
The vehicle body construction has a larger strength at the joints between the front roof rail 1 and the respective cornerjoint members 4, 4 since they are laid one upon the other. The strength of the vehicle body construction at and near the joints between the front roof rail 1 and the corner joint members 4, 4 therefore varies largely. The front roof rail 1 has near the corner joint members 4, 4, work holes or access holes 5, 5 used for performing spot welding and installation of interior parts. Such access holes 5, 5 further enhances variation of the strength of the vehicle body construction near the end portions of the front roof rail 1. Due to this, when the front corner portion of the roof is subjected to an external force in an accident as overturn of a vehicle, the vehicle body is liable to buckle or bend at and near the joint between the corner joint member 4 and the front roof rail 1, causing an associated windshield glass or panel 8 to break near the buckled portion of the vehicle body construction. When the windshield panel 8 is broken, a particular portion of the front roof rail 1 is bent largely as shown in FIG. 8. Such breakage of the windshield panel 8 and bending of the front roof rail 1 is undesirable from the passenger's safety point of the view. | {
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Insulin resistance refers to a decreased capacity of circulating insulin to regulate nutrient metabolism. Individuals with insulin resistance are predisposed to developing Type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance is an integral feature of its pathophysiology. Greater than normal levels of insulin are secreted to overcome target tissue resistance, which leads to the eventual failure of pancreatic xcex2 cells in predisposed individuals.
Insulin resistance also occurs in hypertension, cardiovascular disease and dyslipidemia, suggesting an etiologic relationship that is referred to as the metabolic syndrome or syndrome X. The prevalence of insulin resistance is remarkably high, particularly in ageing adult populations (National Diabetes Data Group, Diabetes in America (National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases, National Institutes of Health, USA, 1994), and risingxe2x80x94most rapidly in the young (Mokdad et al. (2000) Diabetes Care 23:1278-1283). Nevertheless, only rare genetic causes have been identified. Environmental factors, including sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and increased age induce insulin resistance, whereas exercise and weight loss reverse it.
The present invention is based, in part, on the discovery that aspirin reverses insulin resistance in liver and fat cells, e.g., by targeting IKK-xcex2. It has been discovered that insulin sensitivity is improved in vivo by modulating, e.g., reducing, IKKxcex2 activity, e.g., by decreased protein expression. Thus, IKK-xcex2 is a target for identifying compounds for the treatment of disorders associated with insulin resistance.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention features a method of identifying, evaluating or making a compound or agent, e.g., a candidate compound or agent, for treatment of a disorder characterized by insulin resistance. The method includes evaluating the ability of a compound or agent to interact with, e.g., bind, IKK-xcex2, to thereby identify a compound or agent for the treatment of a disorder characterized by insulin resistance.
In a preferred embodiment, the disorder is diabetes, e.g., Type I or Type II diabetes; hyperglycemia; hyperinsulinemia; dyslipidemia; obesity; polycystic ovarian disease; hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or syndrome X.
In a preferred embodiment, the compound is: a polypeptide, e.g., a randomly generated polypeptide which binds IKK-xcex2; an antibody, e.g., an intrabody or a randomly generated antibody which binds IKK-xcex2 or modulates IKK-xcex2 activity; a small molecule, e.g., a small molecule which binds IKK-xcex2 or modulates IKK-xcex2 activity.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes contacting the identified compound with IKK-xcex2, e.g., purified IKK-xcex2, to thereby evaluate the interaction, e.g., binding, between the compound and IKK-xcex2.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes contacting the identified compound with a cell, e.g., a fat cell or a liver cell, to thereby evaluate the effect of the compound on an IKK-xcex2 activity of the cell. The compound can be evaluated based on one or more of: the ability of the compound to modulate, e.g., reduce or reverse, insulin resistance in a cell; the ability of the compound to modulate glucose and/or lipid homeostasis; the ability of the compound to modulate phosphorylation, e.g., of a component of the insulin signaling cascade (e.g., the ability to increase tyrosine phosphorylation of a component of the insulin signaling cascade and/or decrease Ser/Thr phosphorylation of a component of the insulin signaling cascade).
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes administering the identified compound to a subject to evaluate the effect of the compound on insulin resistance. In a preferred embodiment, the subject is a mouse (e.g., a NOD mouse, an ob/ob mouse, a db/db mouse) or a rat (e.g., a Zucker fatty rat, a streptozotocin rat).
In another aspect, the invention features a method of identifying a compound or agent for treatment of a disorder characterized by insulin resistance. The method includes contacting IKK-xcex2, or a cell expressing IKK-xcex2 with a test compound; and determining whether the test compound interacts with, e.g., binds to IKK-xcex2, and/or modulates the activity of IKK-xcex2, to thereby identify a compound.
Methods for identifying a compound or an agent can be performed, for example, using a cell free assay. For example, the IKK-xcex2 can be immobilized to a suitable substrate, e.g., glutathoine sepharose beads or glutathoine derivatized microtitre plates, using a fusion protein which allows for IKK-xcex2 to bind to the substrate, e.g., a glutathoine-S-transferase/IKK-xcex2 fusion protein.
In a preferred embodiment, the ability of a test compound to bind IKK-xcex2 can be determined by detecting the formation of a complex between IKK-xcex2 and the compound. The presence of the compound in complex indicates the ability to bind IKK-xcex2.
In a preferred embodiment, IKK-xcex2 is further contacted with aspirin.
In another preferred embodiment, a compound is identified using a cell based assay. These methods include identifying a compound based on its ability to modulate, e.g., inhibit, an IKK-xcex2 activity of the cell. For example, the ability of a compound to modulate one or more of, e.g., glucose and/or lipid homeostasis, insulin resistance in a cell, e.g., a fat cell or a liver cell, and/or phosphorylation of a component of the insulin signaling cascade can be determined.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes contacting the identified compound with IKK-xcex2, e.g., purified IKK-xcex2, to thereby evaluate binding between the compound and IKK-xcex2.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes contacting the identified compound with a cell, e.g., a fat cell or a liver cell, to thereby evaluate the effect of the compound on an IKK-xcex2 activity of the cell. For example, the ability of a compound to modulate one or more of, e.g., glucose and/or lipid homeostasis, insulin resistance in a cell, e.g., a fat cell or a liver cell, and/or phosphorylation of a component of the insulin signaling cascade can be evaluated.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes administering the identified compound to a subject to evaluate the effect of the compound on insulin resistance. In a preferred embodiment, the subject is a mouse (e.g., a NOD mouse, an ob/ob mouse, a db/db mouse) or a rat (e.g., a Zucker fatty rat, a streptozotocin rat).
In a preferred embodiment, the compound is: a polypeptide, e.g., a randomly generated polypeptide which interacts with, e.g., binds, IKK-xcex2; an antibody, e.g., an intrabody or a randomly generated antibody which interacts with IKK-xcex2; a small molecule, e.g., a small molecule which interacts with IKK-xcex2.
In a preferred embodiment, the compound is a compound other than aspirin.
In a preferred embodiment, the disorder is diabetes, e.g., Type I or Type II diabetes; hyperglycemia; hyperinsulinemia; dyslipidemia; obesity; polycystic ovarian disease; hypertension; cardiovascular disease; or syndrome X.
In another aspect, the invention features a method of identifying a compound or agent for treatment of diabetes, e.g., Type I or Type II diabetes. The method includes contacting IKK-xcex2, or a cell expressing IKK-xcex2, with a test compound; and determining whether the test compound binds to IKK-xcex2, to thereby identify a compound for treatment of diabetes.
Methods for identifying a compound or an agent can be performed, for example, using a cell free assay. For example, the IKK-xcex2 can be immobilized to a suitable substrate, e.g., glutathoine sepharose beads or glutathoine derivatized microtitre plates, using a fusion protein which allows for IKK-xcex2 to bind to the substrate, e.g., a glutathoine-S-transferase/IKK-xcex2 fusion protein.
In a preferred embodiment, the ability of a test compound to bind IKK-xcex2 can be determined by detecting the formation of a complex between IKK-xcex2 and the compound. The presence of the compound in complex indicates the ability to bind IKK-xcex2.
In a preferred embodiment, IKK-xcex2 is further contacted with aspirin.
In another preferred embodiment, a compound is identified using a cell based assay. These methods include identifying a compound based on its ability to modulate, e.g., inhibit, an IKK-xcex2 activity of the cell. For example, the ability of a compound to modulate one or more of, e.g., glucose or lipid homeostasis, insulin resistance in a cell, e.g., a fat cell or a liver cell, and/or phosphorylation of a component of the insulin signaling cascade can be determined.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes contacting the identified compound with IKK-xcex2, e.g., purified IKK-xcex2, to thereby evaluate binding between the compound and IKK-xcex2.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes contacting the identified compound with a cell, e.g., a fat cell or a liver cell, to thereby evaluate the effect of the compound on an IKK-xcex2 activity of the cell. For example, the ability of a compound to modulate one or more of, e.g., glucose and/or lipid homeostasis, insulin resistance in a cell, e.g., a fat cell or a liver cell, and/or phosphorylation of a component of the insulin signaling cascade.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes administering the identified compound to a subject to evaluate the effect of the compound on insulin resistance. In a preferred embodiment, the subject is a mouse (e.g., a NOD mouse, an ob/ob mouse, a db/db mouse) or a rat (e.g., a Zucker fatty rat, a streptozotocin rat).
In a preferred embodiment, the compound is: a polypeptide, e.g., a randomly generated polypeptide which interacts with, e.g., binds, IKK-xcex2; an antibody, e.g., an intrabody or a randomly generated antibody which interacts with IKK-xcex2; a small molecule, e.g., a small molecule which interacts with IKK-xcex2.
In a preferred embodiment, the compound is a compound other than aspirin.
In another aspect, the invention features a method of identifying a compound for treatment of a disorder characterized by insulin resistance, e.g., Type I or Type II diabetes; hyperglycemia; hyperinsulinemia; dyslipidemia; obesity; polycystic ovarian disease; hypertension; cardiovascular disease; or syndrome X. The method includes administering a test compound to a cell, and evaluating the ability of the test compound to modulate, e.g., reduce or increase, IKK-xcex2 activity in the cell.
In a preferred embodiment, the test compound reduces IKK-xcex2 activity.
In a preferred embodiment, the ability of the test compound to modulate IKK-xcex2 activity is evaluated by assessing the activity, e.g., the phosphorylation state, of one or more component(s) in the insulin signaling cascade, e.g., insulin receptor (IR), insulin-receptor substrate (IRS) proteins, PI 3-kinase, 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1), and/or AKT kinase. For example, the phosphorylation state, e.g., the tyrosine or Ser/Thre phosphorylation state, of any of IR, IRS, P13, PDK1, or AKT, can be evaluated before, during and/or after treatment of the cell with the test compound.
In a preferred embodiment, the ability of the test compound to modulate IKK-xcex2 activity is evaluated by assessing one or more of: insulin receptor (IR) or insulin-receptor substrate (IRS) phosphorylation, e.g., Tyrosine phosphorylation or Ser/Thr phosphorylation.
In a preferred embodiment, the ability of the test compound to reduce Ser/Thr phosphorylation is evaluated.
In another preferred embodiment, the ability of the test compound to increase tyrosine phosphorylation is evaluated.
In another preferred embodiment, a compound is identified using a cell based assay. These methods include identifying a compound based on its ability to modulate, e.g., reduce, an IKK-xcex2 activity of the cell. For example, the ability of a compound to modulate, e.g., reduce or reverse serine/threonine phosphorylation of a component of the insulin signaling cascade in a cell, e.g., a fat cell or a liver cell, can be determined.
In another preferred embodiment, the ability of a compound to modulate, e.g., increase, tyrosine phosphorylation of a component of the insulin signaling cascade in a cell, e.g., a fat cell or liver cell, can be determined.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes administering the identified compound to a subject to evaluate the effect of the compound on insulin resistance. In a preferred embodiment, the subject is a mouse (e.g., a NOD mouse, an ob/ob mouse, a db/db mouse) or a rat (e.g., a Zucker fatty rat, a streptozotocin rat).
In another aspect, the invention features a method of treating a subject having a disorder characterized by insulin resistance. The method includes administering a compound or agent which interacts with, e.g., binds, IKK-xcex2, and/or modulates IKK-xcex2 activity, to thereby treat the disorder.
In a preferred embodiment, the disorder is diabetes, e.g., Type I or Type II diabetes; hyperglycemia; hyperinsulinemia; dyslipidemia; obesity; polycystic ovarian disease; hypertension; cardiovascular disease; or syndrome X.
In a preferred embodiment, the compound is: a compound other than aspirin; a polypeptide, e.g., a randomly generated polypeptide which interacts with IKK-xcex2; an antibody, e.g., an intrabody or a randomly generated antibody which interacts with IKK-xcex2; a small molecule, e.g., a small molecule which interacts with IKK-xcex2; or combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes administering a nucleic acid encoding one of the above-described compounds. In a preferred embodiment, the compound is a compound identified by a method described herein.
In a preferred embodiment, the compound is administered parenterally, e.g., intravenously, intradermally, subcutaneously, orally (e.g., inhalation). In a preferred embodiment, the administration of the compound is time-released.
In a preferred embodiment, the subject is a human. In another preferred embodiment, the subject is a NOD mouse, an ob/ob mouse, a db/db mouse, a Zucker fatty rat, or a streptozotocin induced rat.
In another aspect, the invention features a method of treating a subject having diabetes, e.g., Type I or Type II diabetes. The method includes administering to a subject a compound or agent which interacts with, e.g., binds, or modulates an activity of IKK-xcex2, to thereby treat the diabetes.
In a preferred embodiment, the compound is: a compound other than aspirin; a polypeptide, e.g., a randomly generated polypeptide which interacts with IKK-xcex2; an antibody, e.g., an intrabody, e.g., an anti-IKK-xcex2 antibody or a randomly generated antibody which interacts with IKK-xcex2, a small molecule, e.g., a small molecule which interacts with IKK-xcex2; combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes administering a nucleic acid encoding one of the above-described compounds. In a preferred embodiment, the compound is a compound identified by a method described herein.
In a preferred embodiment, the compound is administered parenterally, e.g., intravenously, intradermally, subcutaneously, orally (e.g., inhalation). In a preferred embodiment, the administration of the compound is time-released.
In a preferred embodiment, the subject is a human. In another preferred embodiment, the subject is a NOD mouse, an ob/ob mouse, a db/db mouse, a Zucker fatty rat, or a streptozotocin induced rat.
In another aspect, the invention features compounds for the treatment of disorders characterized by insulin resistance, identified by the methods described herein.
The terms protein, polypeptide and peptide are used interchangeably herein.
A subject, as used herein, refers to a mammal, e.g., a human. It can also refer to an experimental animal, e.g., an animal model for an insulin-related disorder, e.g., a NOD mouse, an ob/ob mouse, a db/db mouse, a Zucker fatty rat, or a streptozotocin induced mouse or rat. The subject can be a human which is at risk for a disorder characterized by insulin resistance. Such disorders include diabetes, e.g., Type I or Type II, obesity, polycystic ovarian disease and syndrome X.
An xe2x80x9cactivity of IKK-xcex2xe2x80x9d can be one or more of: phosphorylation activity, e.g., modulation of Ser/Thr phosphorylation of a component of the insulin signaling cascade and/or modulation of tyrosine phosphorylation of a component of the insulin signaling cascade; binding activity, e.g., binding to a component of the insulin signaling cascade; modulation of glucose and/or lipid homeostasis; modulation of insulin resistance in a cell, e.g., a fat cell or a liver cell. | {
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The technology of SOI devices has resulted in significant improvements for integrated circuit application. In particular, high voltage devices have been designed where both the dielectric isolation and availability of a wide range of semiconductor thicknesses are desirable. Previous methods of forming SOI devices have included the direct silicon bonding technique, such as discussed by Lasky, Applied Physics Letters, Volume 48, No. 1, 6 Jan. 1986, pages 78-80. In this method, two silicon wafers are joined together to form a strong bond and then one of the wafers is thinned to the desired thickness.
One common approach to such thinning involves a mechanical grinding and polishing technique. This technique, however, has not resulted in SOI layers of a thickness less than 2-3 microns.
An etching technique for thinning a device is shown in the prior art by Maszara et al, Journal of Applied Physics, Volume 64, No. 10, 1988, page 4943 et seq. The conventional direct silicon bonding and thinning technique involves the process shown in FIG. 1. Herein, FIG. 1A shows a silicon wafer, referred to as the substrate, which has been oxidized with a silicon oxide layer, while FIG. 1B shows another silicon wafer referred to as the device wafer, which has been first formed with an etch stopping p+layer by either ion-implantation or epitaxial growth, and then a further epitaxially grown layer of either p-type or n-type is formed thereon. Subsequently, as seen in FIG. 1C, the two starting wafers are bonded together by placing the p-type or n-type layer of the device wafer onto the oxide layer of the substrate wafer. Then, as seen in FIG. 1D, the device wafer is etched to the p+ layer. Finally, as seen in FIG. 1E, the p+ layer is again etched away to leave a p-type or n-type device layer on the oxide layer on the silicon substrate.
This conventional technique involves numerous steps of epitaxial growth, etching, and implanting dopants. With this technique it is difficult to obtain SOI layer thicknesses less than about 1 micron. | {
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Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple target locating and alarming system, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a system for positioning a target and receiving a data on the target from a sensor component via wireless communicating technology, which can send an alarm when judging the target with an alarm condition.
Description of the Prior Art
There are several kinds of wireless sensors such as thermometers, hydrometers, other kinds of switches, which can separate two types of the communication ways. The first type of the communication way is a broadcast-observer architecture—a sensor broadcasts a sensing data for a period time, and all nearby observers are able to receive the sensing data through the broadcasting channel without establishing connection to the sensor. The second type of communication way is a master-slave architecture—the master needs to establish connection to the sensor in order to get the sensing data.
No matter the broadcaster-observer or the master-slave, typically the received device has to keep close to the sensors within the communication range. For tracking multiple targets in wide areas, this conventional technology is not suitable. | {
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The invention relates to a screwless terminal, in particular a series terminal, comprising an insulation displacement contact that is positioned inside a terminal housing for a conductor rail and is connected electrically conducting to this conductor rail. The electrical conductor can be inserted into the terminal housing via a feed-through in the housing and can be contacted between the opposite arranged cutting edges of this displacement contact.
A plurality of terminal embodiments for contacting and connecting electrical conductors are known, the so-called series-connected terminals, which can be snapped onto support rails or top hat rails. A distinction can be made between screw terminals, for which the electrical conductors are secured by means of clamping screws, and screwless terminals in the form of spring terminals, for which the electrical conductors are contacted through the clamping on of a pressure or tension spring. Whereas the conductor end to be contacted with the aforementioned screw terminals and the spring terminals is first stripped of insulation, so-called insulation displacement terminals or insulation displacement contacts permit a contacting of the conductor without stripping the insulation. Screwless terminals are generally used for contacting the conductor without stripping the insulation.
A screwless terminal using the insulation displacement technique is thus known from European Reference EP 0 691 706 B1, for which the conductor is moved with a translational movement and by means of an auxiliary element against an insulation displacement contact with blade-type cutting contacts. These cutting contacts penetrate the conductor insulation and make contact with the conductor core. The disadvantage of this terminal embodiment is that the openings for inserting the conductor on the one hand and those for the auxiliary element on the other hand are provided on different sides of the terminal housing. In many application cases, this makes the assembly and contacting of the conductor considerably more difficult.
This problem is avoided with a screwless terminal known from German Reference 195 41 137 A1, designed as electrical front wiring terminal, in that an insulation displacement contact positioned inside the terminal housing is pivoted with an actuation tool in a rotating movement against the conductor. This actuation tool is inserted into the terminal housing via the same housing side as the conductor. The disadvantage of this embodiment on the one hand is that the unsatisfactory electrical connection between the insulation displacement contact and the conductor rail connected thereto since this connection simultaneously represents the pivoting joint. Thus, only a practically point-shaped connection can be realized with simultaneous forced weakening of the conductor rail cross section. On the other hand, it is made considerably more difficult to detach the insulation displacement contacting.
Thus, it is the object of the invention to modify a screwless terminal of the aforementioned type, so as to permit a reliable insulation displacement contacting of a conductor while avoiding the aforementioned disadvantages and, at the same time, ensure an easy detachability.
This object is solved according to the invention with the features in claim 1. For this, the insulation displacement contact is arranged so as to be displaceable on the conductor rail. With an immovably positioned conductor, the insulation displacement contacting occurs through a translational sliding movement of the insulation displacement contact along the conductor rail. In the process, opposite arranged cutting edges of the insulation displacement contact cut through the conductor rail insulation by forming a guide and cutting slot and make contact with its conductor core.
The insulation displacement contact has a U-shaped design in order to form the cutting edges, wherein the free ends of the U-shaped legs are bent toward each other to create the cutting and guide slot. The front edge of the insulation displacement contact, meaning of the cutting slot, which faces the conductor if the conductor is inserted into the terminal housing, in that case extends downward at a slant and has a scarfed design.
To be sure, the insulation displacement contacting disclosed in German References DE 298 02 674 U1 and DE 197 49 622 C1 is realized with the aid of a sliding carriage moved with a translational movement. However, the sliding carriages, made of insulating material for the known terminals, must be inserted as additional parts from the outside into the terminal housing or must be moved with a sliding movement on the inside of the housing. In addition, both these embodiments have the disadvantage that the conductor is moved together with the slider in the direction of an insulation displacement contact that is locally fixed inside the terminal housing, so that it can be inserted into its cutting slot.
Starting with this known sliding techniques, the invention is based on the concept that the number of components necessary for the insulation displacement contacting of the conductor can be reduced by moving the insulation displacement contact itself in a translational movement along the conductor rail. As a result, the insulation displacement contacting can occur while the conductor is simultaneously in the resting position, meaning it is immobile. In turn, this permits a particularly reliable and secure positioning and holding of the conductor during the insulation displacement contacting.
The conductor, advantageously positioned rigid and thus immovable inside the terminal housing, is held inside a sleeve-shaped guide following its insertion into the terminal housing and prior to the actual insulation displacement contacting. Above the cutting edges, this sleeve-shaped guide is formed by the housing feed-through and below the cutting edges by guide bars formed onto the insulation displacement contact and extending in longitudinal direction of the rail. These guide bars fit against the conductor prior to the insulation displacement contacting and thus hold the conductor between them.
The electrically conducting connection between the insulation displacement contact and the conductor rail can occur in different ways. The connection for one particularly preferred embodiment occurs by means of a sliding coupling that is formed below one front edge of the insulation displacement contact onto this contact and extends in longitudinal rail direction. The sliding coupling in the process is bent upward against an inward-bent conductor rail section, such that it fits against the underside of the conductor rail section. The bent-in conductor rail section of one useful modification of this embodiment has a free end, bent upward in the direction of the housing feed-through. On the back, meaning on the conductor side facing away from the insulation displacement contact, the free end functions as supporting web for the conductor.
According to an alternative embodiment, a sliding contact on the side is used to establish the electrically conducting connection between the insulation displacement contact and the conductor rail. The insulation displacement contact preferably has two sliding couplings for this, which fit against the opposite-arranged side edges of the conductor rail. With this embodiment, the conductor rail advantageously has a narrowed-down design in the sliding contact region, so that the sliding couplings that are preferably curved inward in the direction of the conductor rail do not or only insignificantly project on the side over the conductor rail.
The electrically conducting connection of another embodiment occurs with a lower and/or upper sliding contact, relative to the conductor rail. For this, a sliding coupling that is formed onto the insulation displacement contact fits against the conductor rail underside, against the conductor rail top, or against both sides of the conductor rail. The sliding coupling formed onto the insulation displacement contact in this case is bent toward the inside, transverse to the longitudinal direction of the rail. For the top and bottom contacting, this sliding coupling, starting from the underside of the conductor rail, is bent over at the top and thus fits with the free end against the conductor rail top while encompassing the conductor rail.
The electrically conducting connection between the insulation displacement contact and the conductor rail furthermore can occur with a sliding contact provided in the center region of the conductor rail. For this, a sliding coupling fits against a contact coupling that is formed onto the conductor rail, which sliding coupling is positioned against the contact coupling and, in turn, is formed onto the insulation displacement contact. This embodiment advantageously has two sliding couplings that accommodate the contact coupling for the conductor rail between them and are formed onto the insulation displacement contact. These sliding couplings are bent inward in the direction of the conductor rail center and fit against the upward bent contact coupling of the conductor rail.
To form the contact coupling, a widened conductor rail section can be slotted on both sides, transverse to the longitudinal rail direction, and can subsequently be bent upward. An alternative method of forming the contact coupling, provides for a conductor rail section that has been bent to an upright position by bending it several times and is aligned parallel to the longitudinal rail direction by subsequently twisting or turning it.
Terminals of this type use the insulation displacement technique to cut the insulation and contact the conductor. An actuation tool, such as a screwdriver that can be inserted from the outside into the terminal housing, is generally provided to supply the necessary force. The screwdriver is used to move the conductor and insulation displacement contact relative to each other. For that reason, the insulation displacement contact has an insertion opening or insertion slot for the conductor and an engagement recess for an actuation tool, which are advantageously arranged successively in movement direction. A funnel-shaped housing well in the terminal housing is aligned with this engagement recess, which can have a dovetailed design. An actuation tool can be inserted via this well from the outside into the terminal housing. The funnel-shaped housing well is tapered in insertion direction. However, below the narrowed section or necking, formed in the process, this well conically expands again in the direction of the engagement recess.
For a particularly advantageous embodiment that also permits a careful handling, an actuation element that operates jointly with the actuation tool is activated for contacting the conductor. The actuation element is designed such that a direct contact is avoided between the actuation tool and the contacting element. For a secure insulation displacement contacting, it is therefore provided that the contacting element encompasses the insulation displacement contact for contacting the conductor, which is held locally fixed inside the terminal housing. The contacting element and the insulation displacement contact thus form a single structural component.
The advantage of the embodiment with the additional actuation element is that the contacting element, for example, cannot be damaged due to an improper insertion of the actuation tool. As a result, a careful actuation is ensured, so that the functional ability of the insulation displacement contact is maintained even with repeated conductor contacting. If the actuation tool is inserted, the actuation element is preferably arranged between this tool and the contacting element.
The actuation element, which is provided with a holding space for the actuation tool, is hollow on the inside and forms a multi-sided guide for the actuation tool. As a result, a direct contact between the actuation tool and the contacting element is avoided, even when disconnecting the contact, meaning with different movement directions of the actuation tool. The actuation tool in that case preferably engages in the contacting element. The loose engagement on the one hand permits a secure guidance of the actuation tool and, on the other hand, ensures an easier handling due to the play. For this, the actuation element preferably is arranged securely inside the terminal housing, so as to avoid the loss of the actuation element.
The housing for one advantageous modification is provided with a projection as support for the actuation element and the actuation element snaps into this support. This arrangement permits an especially easy installation of the actuation element in the terminal housing, in that the actuation element is pushed into the terminal housing via a pressure point determined by the projection. The projection in this case can define a rotational axis for the actuation element. Since the actuation element simultaneously guides the actuation tool, this tool is also rotated around this axis. The projection designed as support thus forms a point of engagement on which the actuation tool is supported. As a result, the terminal housing advantageously absorbs the forces exerted by the actuation tool.
If the actuation element is designed as pivoting lever, in particular having a wedge-shaped convexity as counter-support for the support, an easy insertion of the actuation element into the terminal housing is possible. The actuation element preferably has an elastic design to permit an easy insertion via the projection. The actuation element is preferably designed as one piece to ensure a simple design with respect to production technology.
To make the terminal highly operator-friendly, the actuation element advantageously is provided with a display indicating the movement direction for the open position and the clamping position. As a result, it is easy to see from the outside in what direction the actuation tool must be guided for a clamping contact or to disconnect the contact. One preferred embodiment of the actuation element furthermore is provided with a marking for the contacting element position, so as to be highly operator-friendly and to detect if the inserted conductor is contacted. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Ions can be formed using, for example, a liquid metal ion source or a gas field ion source. In some instances, ions formed by an ion source can be used to determine certain properties of a sample that is exposed to the ions, or to modify the sample. In other instances, ions formed by an ion source can be used to determine certain characteristics of the ion source itself. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to memory devices, and more particularly, to a memory device with improved data retention.
2. Background Art
The volume, use and complexity of computers and electronic devices are continually increasing. Computers consistently become more powerful, new and improved electronic devices are continually developed (e.g., digital audio players, video players). Additionally, the growth and use of digital media (e.g., digital audio, video, images, and the like) have further pushed development of these devices. Such growth and development has vastly increased the amount of information desired/required to be stored and maintained for computer and electronic devices.
Generally, information is stored and maintained in one or more of a number of types of storage devices. Storage devices include long term storage mediums such as, for example, hard disk drives, compact disk drives and corresponding media, digital video disk (DVD) drives, and the like. The long term storage mediums typically store larger amounts of information at a lower cost, but are slower than other types of storage devices. Storage devices also include memory devices, which are often, but not always, short term storage mediums. Memory devices tend to be substantially faster than long term storage mediums. Such memory devices include, for example, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), double data rate memory (DDR), flash memory, read only memory (ROM), and the like. Memory devices are subdivided into volatile and non-volatile types. Volatile memory devices generally lose their information if they lose power and typically require periodic refresh cycles to maintain their information. Volatile memory devices include, for example, random access memory (RAM), DRAM, SRAM and the like. Non-volatile memory devices maintain their information whether or not power is maintained to the devices. Non-volatile memory devices include, but are not limited to, ROM, programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), flash memory and the like. Volatile memory devices generally provide faster operation at a lower cost as compared to non-volatile memory devices.
Memory devices generally include arrays of memory cells. Each memory cell can be accessed or “read”, “written”, and “erased” with information. The memory cells maintain information in an “off” or an “on” state, also referred to as “0” and “1”. Typically, a memory device is addressed to retrieve a specified number of byte(s) (e.g., 8 memory cells per byte). For volatile memory devices, the memory cells must be periodically “refreshed” in order to maintain their state. Such memory devices are usually fabricated from semiconductor devices that perform these various functions and are capable of switching and maintaining the two states. The devices are often fabricated with inorganic solid state technology, such as, crystalline silicon devices. A common semiconductor device employed in memory devices is the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).
The use of portable computer and electronic devices has greatly increased demand for non-volatile memory devices. Digital cameras, digital audio players, personal digital assistants, and the like generally seek to employ large capacity non-volatile memory devices (e.g., flash memory, smart media, compact flash, and the like).
Because of the increasing demand for information storage, memory device developers and manufacturers are constantly attempting to increase storage capacity for memory devices (e.g., increase storage per die or chip). A postage-stamp-sized piece of silicon may contain tens of millions of transistors, each transistor as small as a few hundred nanometers. However, silicon-based devices are approaching their fundamental physical size limits. Inorganic solid state devices are generally encumbered with a complex architecture which leads to high cost and a loss of data storage density. The volatile semiconductor memories based on inorganic semiconductor material must constantly be supplied with electric current with a resulting heating and high electric power consumption in order to maintain stored information. Non-volatile semiconductor devices have a reduced data rate and relatively high power consumption and large degree of complexity. Typically, fabrication processes for such cells are also not reliable.
Therefore, there is a need to overcome the aforementioned deficiencies.
FIG. 1 illustrates a type of memory device 30 which includes advantageous characteristics for meeting these needs. The memory device 30 includes a Cu electrode 32, a Cu2S passive layer 34 on the electrode 32, a Cu2O active layer 36 on the layer 34, and a Ti electrode 38 on the active layer 36. Initially, assuming that the memory device 30 is unprogrammed, in order to program the memory device 30, an increasingly negative voltage is applied to the electrode 38, while the electrode 32 is held at ground, so that an increasing electrical potential is applied across the memory device 30 from a higher to a lower potential in the direction from electrode 32 to electrode 38, until electrical potential Vpg (the “programming” electrical potential) is reached (see FIG. 2, a plot of memory device current vs. electrical potential applied across the memory device 30). This potential Vpg is sufficient to cause copper ions to be attracted from the superionic layer 34 toward the electrode 38 and into the active layer 36, causing the active layer 36 (and the overall memory device 30) to switch to a low-resistance or conductive state (A). Upon removal of such potential (B), the copper ions drawn into the active layer 36 during the programming step remain therein, so that the active layer 36 (and memory device 30) remain in a conductive or low-resistance state, as indicated by the resistance characteristic (B).
In order to erase the memory device (FIG. 2), an increasingly positive voltage is applied to the electrode 38, while the electrode 32 is held at ground, so that an increasing electrical potential is applied until electrical potential Ver (the “erase” electrical potential) is applied across the memory device 30 from a higher to a lower electrical potential in the reverse direction. This potential Ver is sufficient to cause copper ions to be repelled from the active layer 36 toward the electrode 32 and into the superionic layer 34 (C), in turn causing the active layer 36 (and the overall memory device 30) to be in a high-resistance or substantially non-conductive state. This state remains upon removal of such potential from the memory device 30.
FIG. 2 also illustrates the read step of the memory device 30 in its programmed (conductive) state and in its erased (nonconductive) state. An electrical potential Vr (the “read” electrical potential) is applied across the memory device 30 from a higher to a lower electrical potential in the same direction as the electrical potential Vpg. This electrical potential is less than the electrical potential Vpg applied across the memory device 30 for programming (see above). In this situation, if the memory device 30 is programmed, the memory device 30 will readily conduct current (level L1), indicating that the memory device 30 is in its programmed state. If the memory device 30 is erased, the memory device 30 will not conduct current (level L2), indicating that the memory device 30 is in its erased state.
Reference is made to the paper THEORY OF COPPER VACANCY IN CUPROUS OXIDE by A. F. Wright and J. S. Nelson, Journal of Applied Physics, Volume 92, Number 10, pages 5849-5851, Nov. 15, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference. That paper describes the process of diffusion of copper ions through Cu2O. In the diffusion process, typically involving a vacancy mechanism wherein atoms jump from a first (atom) state to a second (vacancy) state, atoms need energy to break bonds with neighbors and to provide necessary distortion of the material between the states. The above-cited paper indicates that the activation energy Ea for moving a copper ion from one state to the next in the Cu2O is approximately 0.3 eV. FIG. 3 illustrates movement (arrow F) from state 1 (unprogrammed) to state 2 (programmed). In such process, the activation energy is indicated by the arrow Ea1. FIG. 4 illustrates movement (arrow G) from state 2 (programmed) to state 1 (unprogrammed). In such process, the activation energy is indicated by the arrow Ea2.
It has been found that with this relatively low barrier energy Ea2 to movement of copper ions through the Cu2O, over a period of time, copper ions in the active layer of a programmed memory device can readily diffuse through and drift from the active layer 36 into the passive layer 34, undesirably reducing the conductivity of the programmed memory device 30, i.e., causing the memory device 30 to undesirably lose its programmed state. It will readily be seen that loss of programmed state results in data loss. Therefore, what is needed a memory device which stably retains its conductive, low resistance state to ensure proper data retention | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
There are a number of metering and dispensing machines on the market for dispensing granular chemicals, seeds and fertilizers in agricultural environments. A problem with many machines is that the metering and dispensing rate for the granulated material cannot be kept constant when the metering apparatus is traversing sloped terrain. In other instances, many metering machines are not capable of maintaining constant dispensation rates per area with changing velocities of the metering and dispensing machine. A problem with other particulate metering and dispensing machines is that the machines cannot accommodate various sizes of particulate material. They either plug up or they cannot maintain consistent dispensing rates.
Many machines currently on the market for metering and dispensing particulate material use fluted rollers, choked augers, or individual fluted rollers, for metering and controlling the dispensing rate of the particulate material. These machines use fixed displacement metering cavities which limit the particle size that can be metered. Larger sizes cannot be handled without damage occurring to the machine. Another problem is that many machines on the market have high power requirements due to fixed displacement designs and thus are expensive to operate.
A number of patents have issued over the years for various designs of feeders and dispensers.
U.S. Pat. No. 206,047, Shrake, shows a feeder with a hopper that has a rotating cylindrical metering device at the bottom. The metered material drops into a second hopper which has a longitudinally scalloped cylinder which dispenses the material in metered amounts. The amount metered is controlled by the position of gate D.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,926, Winchell, illustrates a seeding machine which has a toothed cylinder which is located at the base of a hopper and meters seeds at an adjustable rate. The rate is adjusted by gate e.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,965, Cortelyou, discloses a dispenser for use with lawn combines, which dispenses seeds and fertilizers by means of rotating, compartmented, cylindrical drums. The amount of material that is to be dispensed by the device is controlled by the number of compartments on the cylindrical drum that is exposed to the reservoir of materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,704, Steilen, discloses an adjustable and flexible metering gate for a fluted feed cup assembly on a grain drill. The metering gate is fabricated from a flexible material, and the adjusting lever for the gate is located on the side of the cup opposite the portion of the fluted feed roll. The fluted feed roll is exposed to the grain so that the gate can flex and pass foreign objects without damage and then return to its original position. The feed cup is fabricated from plastic.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,340, Gandrud, discloses an applicator for precisely dispensing granular materials, such as herbicides, pesticides and the like. The applicator improves control while compensating for the speed and travel direction of the implement carrying the applicator. The applicator comprises a hopper with an arcuate hopper bottom extension and an internal feed rotor. The arcuate hopper bottom extension is inclined, and the openings in the end include straight lowermost sides oriented parallel to the rotational axis of the feed rotor to obtain better flow control in conjunction with a revolving transfer means located beneath and closely adjacent to the bottom end of the hopper. The revolving transfer assembly includes a plurality of rollers for individually receiving material from the openings in the hopper and distributing it for application. The feed rotor and transfer assembly are vertically and laterally offset and are interconnected for counter rotation in unison responsive to travel of the applicator such that the rate of material application is directly proportional to the speed of travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,220, Gandrud, et al., discloses an improved, more versatile applicator for precisely dispensing granular chemicals, fertilizers or seed. The applicator includes a hopper with a metering assembly mounted over a material discharge opening in an inclined wall of the closed, convergent bottom end of the hopper. The metering assembly, which is preferably removably secured to the hopper, includes a plurality of individual sets of metering wheels, receivers and gate plates for precise control and more tolerance to tilt. The metering assembly is also adapted to facilitate thorough clean-out of the hopper as well as removal and replacement of the metering wheels without emptying the hopper. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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