text stringlengths 50 141k | meta dict |
|---|---|
An output node (FBN) of a conventional PMIC can merely output an identical direct current (DC) level. When it is desired to control a low level VGL (e.g., different voltage levels are required at the start-up moment and during the operation, or the low level VGL is required when detecting different images or different temperatures), a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) needs to be provided with an additional control circuit. At this time, the circuits on the PCBA and the layout thereof need to be changed, and more space needs to be provided for elements on the PCBA. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Mobile heating devices are known, such as for example heat radiators comprising one or more radiant elements, connected to each other and hydraulically communicating, each of which is defined by two metal plates connected in sealed manner with each other so as to define a central portion more or less extended with respect to the width of the plate.
The central portions are normally connected hydraulically with each other by means of upper and lower collectors.
A diathermic oil, heated by means of one or more electric resistances, is made to flow in the central portions and, through the collectors, from one radiant element to the other.
In the field of mobile heating devices of this type, one of the problems generally faced is that of transmitting heat energy in the room so as to heat the room as rapidly as possible, or to heat large-size rooms, keeping the temperature of the peripheral zones, which can easily come into contact with a part of the body of a user, particularly children, at a lower level with respect to that of the central portions.
The purpose is to keep said temperature at a level such as not to cause the user any burns.
In known heating devices, this problem has been faced, for example, by making, directly in the peripheral zones of the plates, geometries defined by bends or fins which allow to dissipate the heat arriving from the central portion towards the room.
Although efficient and appreciated, this known solution can be improved so as to obtain a temperature level in the peripheral zones of the plate even lower with respect to that obtainable at present, given the same heat energy emitted.
DE-A1-1679446 discloses a mobile radiator in which, for aesthetic reasons, thin covering plates are mounted in front of the edge of each single module of the radiator. The covering plates are fixed to a lower and an upper mounting cross-bars, which run for the length of the radiator, and are mounted with screws and rivets at a distance from the respective module of the radiator.
The covering plates are made with a material which does not affect the heat transmission, both by contact and by radiation, from the radiator to the environment.
One purpose of the present invention is therefore to improve the techniques currently used, achieving a mobile device for heating rooms which allows to keep at a lower temperature than that which is obtainable at present at least the zones that can easily come into contact with the parts of the body of a user, while still allowing to produce the desired and efficient heating of the room.
Another purpose of the present invention is to achieve a mobile device for heating rooms which has good accident-prevention characteristics and pleasant and personizable aesthetics.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The following documents are incorporated by reference herein: [1] Mark Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,549 (May 13, 1997). [2] Mark Johnson, B. R. Bennett, P. R. Hammar and M. M. Miller, “Magnetoelectronic Latching Boolean Gate,” Solid State Electronics 44, 1099 (2000). [3] A. Ney et al., Programmable Computing with a Single Magnetoresistive Element,” Nature 425, 485 (2003). [4] P. Xu et al., “An All-Metal Logic Gate Based on Current-Driven Domain Wall Motion,” Nature Nanotech 3, 97 (2008). [5] B. Behin-Aein et al., “Proposal for an All-Spin Logic Device with Built-in Memory,” Nature Nanotech 5, 266 (2010). [6] J. Hong, M. Johnson et al., “Magnetic field controlled reconfigurable semiconductor logic,” published online in Nature, approximately Jan. 30 2013.
The existing technology for information processing is based on digital semiconductor electronics, dominated by Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The basic device is a Field Effect Transistor (CMOS FET), a planar, three terminal device comprising a source, drain, a channel connecting source and drain, and a gate. A gate voltage applied to the gate modulates the source-drain conductance, equivalently the conductance of the channel. Logical gates that perform basic Boolean operations on binary inputs of “0” or “1” are formed using arrangements of 4 to 8 FETs. The basic Boolean operations include AND, OR, NAND, NOR, XOR, and XNOR. More complex logic functions are built up using arrangements of the basic gates. High speed memory cells, Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), also are formed using arrangements of 4 to 8 FETs. Another kind of high speed memory, called a “flip-flop” or a “latch” memory, can be formed from a different arrangement of FETs. A combination of FETs can be arranged to form an on/off or “pass” switch. One example, a tri-state buffer, can pass a “0” or a “1” or it can disconnect its output from the output line. A tri-state buffer (also called an “on (pass)/off” switch) allows multiple outputs to connect to a single wire, permitting only one of them to drive a binary “0” or “1” onto the line.
A CMOS FET is an active device. It is connected to a supply voltage (typically called VDD) and a ground. The FET dissipates power during operation. When idle, the FET dissipates quiescent power in proportion to its characteristic leakage current. Any CMOS logic operation begins by supplying power to the circuit and all CMOS FETs dissipate power at any time that power is supplied. When power to the circuit is removed, all results of the logic operations are is erased unless a separate operation has been used to write the results to a separate memory array, either on- or off-chip. These kinds of logic circuits and operations can be called “volatile” logic, and volatile logic dissipates quiescent power.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a prior art microprocessor, adapted from the article “How Microprocessors Work,” by Marshall Brain [http://computer.howstuffworks.com/microprocessor2.htm/]. This represents the architecture of existing logic circuits (prior art), based on FETs. The combinations of devices introduced above form the elements (boxes) in the microprocessor diagram. The detailed operation of logic circuits is not necessary for an understanding of the invention. An introduction and general discussion of a microprocessor may be beneficial and is provided in the following remarks.
The microprocessor represented in FIG. 4 may be a simple unit for simple operations. It may also represent a more complicated unit such as the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer or computing system. The Clock is typically separate from the microprocessor, and there is a separate memory area (on- or off-chip) connected to the processor by one or more bus lines. The ALU is the Arithmetic Logic Unit and it performs binary logic operations. The Instruction Decoder accepts commands from a program (for example, it may retrieve a program from memory), translates the command to binary instructions and operations that can be performed at a low, granular level (sometimes called “machine language”), and controls the individual components of the microprocessor. In the simplest case, the ALU performs one of the basic Boolean operations AND, OR, NAND, NOR, NOT, XOR, XNOR, and operates on single bits. At a slightly higher level, the ALU might be a half adder. A slightly higher level would be a full adder operating on 8 bits. At a rather high level, the ALU might perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of n-bit numbers. For a simple example, it may be helpful to think of a basic Boolean operation on two bits, stored in Registers A and B (“flip-flop” or “latch” memory), with the output stored in Register C. In FIG. 4, black lines represent lines that pass data (also called bus lines).
The Instruction decoder has a control line to each element in the microprocessor (gray lines in FIG. 4). These control lines send instructions. For example, the Instruction decoder may send the following instructions: Tell the A register to latch (store) the value currently on the data bus. Tell the B register to latch the value currently on the data bus. Tell the C register to latch the value currently output by the ALU. Tell the program counter register to latch the value currently on the data bus. Tell the address register to latch the value currently on the data bus. Tell the instruction register to latch the value currently on the data bus. Tell the program counter to increment. Tell the program counter to reset to zero. Activate an On (pass)/Off switch, allowing data to pass through (default is Off, an open circuit). Tell the ALU what operation to perform. Tell the test register to latch the test bit from the ALU (e.g. for comparison at later step). Activate the Read line. Activate the Write line.
The Instruction decoder can receive bits of data from the Test Register and the Instruction Register. It is driven by the Clock and can be reset by external command.
Any instruction is implemented as a series of bit patterns, and a set of instructions is a program. The Instruction decoder may receive a program by reading it from memory, or it may receive a program from external input. The Instruction decoder has a list of basic instructions stored in “read only memory” (ROM), and it translates lines of program memory to lines of basic instructions. Simple instructions are coded as words in “Assembly” language. Some examples of simple instructions are given below. In the following, “address” may refer to an external address, such as an address on a different chip or a different sector (e.g. memory). “Address” may also refer to one of the elements in the microprocessor, or to a specific line in the program. LOADA mem# Load register A with the binary value in memory address “mem#” The sequence of low-level instructions would be: send “mem#” to address register (from Instruction Register) activate On/Off switch to open line to Address bus line activate read line (data in address register “mem#” is sent to Data bus) activate On/Off switch to open “Data in” line to Data bus activate On/Off switch to open Register A data is sent to Register A and latched (stored) LOADB mem# Load register B with the binary value in address “mem#” CONB const Load constant value “const” into register B [similar for register A] SAVEA mem# Save the binary value in register A to address “mem#” [similar for registers B, C] ADD Add the values in registers A and B and store the result in register C SUB Subtract the values in registers A and B and store the result in register C MUL Multiply the values in registers A and B and store the result in register C DIV Divide the values in registers A and B and store the result in register C COM Compare the values in registers A and B and store the result in register C JUMP addr# Jump to address “addr#” JEQ addr# If equal, jump to address “addr#” JNEQ addr# If not equal, jump to address “addr#” JG addr# If greater than, jump to address “addr#” JGE addr# If greater than or equal to, jump to address “addr#” JL addr# If less than, jump to address “addr#” JLE addr# If less than or equal to, jump to address “addr#” STOP Stop execution
As another example of a simple operation, the ADD instruction would require the following set of signals from the Instruction decoder: First clock cycle: (load the instruction) Activate the On/Off switch for the program counter Activate the Read line (the current program line address is sent to memory) Activate the On/Off switch for the data-in line Read the instruction into the Instruction Register Second clock cycle: (decode the ADD instruction) set the ALU operation to addition send the output of the ALU to Register C and store (latch) Third clock cycle: (increment program counter) send increment command from Instruction Decoder to Program counter
According to the prior art represented by FIG. 4, all of the digital electronic devices and structures represented with blocks are active devices. They draw power from a power supply at a specified voltage (called VDD for CMOS, as mentioned above). For the microprocessor to operate, a power supply is switched ON and all the elements inside the heavily dotted lines in FIG. 4 draw power. They continue to draw power until the power supply is switched OFF, at which time the results of all logic processes are erased unless they have been stored to a separate nonvolatile storage chip or device. As noted above, the Clock is continuously powered and may reside on the processor chip or may be a separate, stand-alone unit. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or may contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device with a bonus round, wherein the gaming device randomly generates the outcome each time the player enters the bonus round.
Gaming machines currently exist with bonus schemes in which a player has one or more opportunities to choose masked bonus awards from a group of symbols arranged in a pattern and displayed to the player. When the player chooses a masked symbol from the pattern, the bonus scheme removes the mask and either displays a bonus value or a bonus round terminator, which terminates the bonus round. The controller of the gaming machine randomly places a predetermined number of bonus rounds awards and bonus terminators in the pattern at the beginning of the bonus round and maintains the positioning until the bonus round terminates. The outcome depends upon whether the player selects an award or terminator.
European Patent Application No. EP 0 945 837 A2 which is assigned on its face to WMS Gaming, Inc. discloses a bonus scheme of this type. In this type of scheme, each time the player enters the bonus round, the player has the same diminishing chance to select an award instead of a terminator. For example, the WMS Gaming, Inc. application discloses a bonus scheme that has 30 possible selections, 24 bonus awards and 6 bonus round terminators. Each time the player enters the bonus round, the player has a 100% chance of having a first pick, an 80% chance of having a second pick, a 63% chance of having a third pick, a 50% chance of having a fourth pick and so on. On average, this bonus round will continue for four selections.
It is desirable to provide players with new bonus schemes that have multiple layers, multiple variables, and multiple schemes that determine the player""s success in a bonus round. In a bonus round having multiple layers or schemes, it is desirable to have a method or tool whereby the gaming device or controller randomly determines the bonus outcome, as opposed to or in addition to the player determining the outcome. One useful aspect of such a method is to have an instantaneous random outcome, rather than requiring time consuming player interface. Another such aspect is to add a layer of random generation to the one that the player creates when the player randomly selects one of a plurality of masked symbols. That is, upon the player""s random selection of a symbol, the game randomly generates an outcome. The outcome is not predetermined.
It is also desirable to create a random generation scheme in which an implementor predetermines the probability of an outcome. For example, an implementor may desire that there be two possible outcomes for a particular selection, X and Y. The implementor may also desire that there exist a probability that the game will award either X or Y. For example, the implementor may desire there to be a 40% chance that the game selects the outcome X and a 60% chance that the game selects the outcome Y. It is desirable to have a method which enables the game to choose one of a plurality of outcomes based upon a set of predetermined probabilities.
The present invention provides a gaming device having a bonus scheme or method for randomly generating a bonus round outcome. It should be appreciated that the method of the present invention can be employed as a component of a multi-layered bonus scheme or method, in a bonus game within a master game having a plurality of bonus games, or in any combination thereof.
The present invention contains a plurality of awards each having a value associated therewith, a plurality of activators associated therewith, a plurality of deactivators associated therewith, and a set of indicators associated therewith from which the activators and deactivators are chosen. The activators, deactivators and indicators are preferably numbers. The controller of the gaming device randomly selects one of the indicators. If the plurality of activators includes the selected indicator, the player receives the value of an award. Conversely, if the plurality of deactivators includes the selected indicator, the player does not receive the value of an award. If the plurality of activators or deactivators is sequential or a range, e.g. 1 through 5, the plurality of activators and deactivators can include a selected integer, for example 3, or a non-integer, for example 3.5.
The implementor of the gaming device may predetermine the activators and deactivators or may add another layer of random generation, wherein the present invention randomly selects the activators and deactivators from the set of indicators. In either case, the implementor can set the probability of success for each award to be any probability, 0 through 100%.
If the activators and deactivators are randomly selected and not predetermined, the method randomly selects them by first maintaining or storing a predetermined activation probability and deactivation probability for or associated with each award. Second, the present invention also maintains the indicator set described above. When the time comes for randomly generating the activators and deactivators for an award, the controller of the present invention recalls the stored probabilities and indicator set from memory. The controller then uses the recalled items in a mathematical equation to determine the number of activators and the number of deactivators. That is, the controller multiplies the probabilities by the number of indicators and determines a number of activators and deactivators.
Knowing the number of activators and deactivators, the present invention randomly selects the respective plurality of activators and deactivators from the indicator set. At this point the present invention proceeds in the same manner as before, wherein the activators and deactivators are predetermined. That is, the gaming device randomly selects an indicator and determines the player""s outcome by identifying whether the plurality of activators or the plurality of deactivators contain the selected indicator. This embodiment contains two layers of random determination.
After selecting an indicator from the indicator set for each award, and determining, for each award, whether the player receives the award""s value, the gaming device employing the present method accrues all the rewards that the player receives to form a total value. The total value can be a multiplier, which the gaming device multiplies by the player""s bet, or a number of credits, which the gaming device adds to the player""s credit total. The present invention contemplates setting a threshold level that the total value must exceed before the bonus round can end, so that the player receives more than lower limit, for example, a 2xc3x97multiplier or 5 credits.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the gaming device contains a display showing a simulated slot machine and a number of coins. The number of coins equals the number of awards, and a number on each coin represents the value of the award. The indicators could be the set of numbers 0 though 9 for each award or coin. Upon a bonus round triggering event, the controller selects an indicator for each award. If the activators (predetermined or otherwise) include the indicator, the player receives the award displayed on the respective coin. Alternatively, If the deactivators (predetermined or otherwise) include the indicator, the player does not receive the award displayed on the respective coin. After selecting an indicator for and determining if the player receives the value of each coin, the gaming device displays the player""s total win or value for the round (sum of the coin values, which preferably are multipliers), the player""s bet (in credits) and the round""s total award (value times the bet equaling a number of credits).
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gaming device that has a method for randomly generating a bonus round outcome.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for randomly generating a bonus round outcome that enables the implementor of the gaming device to predetermine the probability that a player will achieve a particular bonus outcome.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A predominant number of color picture tubes in use today have line screens and shadow masks that include slit-shaped apertures. The apertures are aligned in columns, and the adjacent apertures in each column are separated from each other by webs or tie bars in the mask. Such tie bars are essential in the mask to maintain its integrity when it is formed into a dome-shaped contour which somewhat parallels the contour of the interior of a viewing faceplate of a tube. Tie bars in one column are offset in the longitudinal direction of the column (vertical direction)from the tie bars in the immediately adjacent columns. When electron beams strike the shadow mask, the tie bars block portions of the beams, thus causing shadows on the screen immediately behind the tie bars.
When the electron beams are repeatedly scanned in a direction perpendicular to the aperture columns (horizontal direction), this scanning results in a series of bright and dark horizontal lines on the screen. These bright and dark horizontal lines interact with the shadows formed by the tie bars, creating lighter and darker areas and producing a wavy pattern on the screen, called a moire pattern. Such moire pattern greatly impairs the visible quality of image displayed on the screen. It is highly desirable to select a moire mode that will minimize the moire pattern for any scan condition used in a television receiver. The two scan conditions presently in use are interlaced scan and noninterlaced scan. A moire mode is the ratio of scan line pitch to tie bar shadow pitch. Because of the practical limitations of light output and mask strength, the moire mode is usually chosen to be between 6/8 and 10/8. The moire mode most frequently selected is 7/8. Such mode can be expressed by the equation: ##EQU1## where T.sub.s is the pitch or period of the scanning lines, which is equal to the vertical height, H, of the viewing screen divided by the number, n.sub.e, of effective scanning lines for a given TV system: and a.sub.v is the vertical repeat distance of the mask apertures on the screen.
There is a possibility for use of a third scan condition. This third condition is called progressive scan and may be used on high definition television receivers. A higher scan frequency is necessary for progressive scan. In the special case of progressive scan, only one scan condition is considered to minimize the moire pattern. This scan condition produces less moire and a much smoother picture. For this condition, a moire mode lower than 6/8 or higher than 10/8 would be used. The moire mode most frequently selected for this condition is 5/8.
There have been many techniques suggested to reduce the moire problem. Most of these techniques involve rearranging the locations of the tie bars in a mask to reduce the possibility of the electron beam scan lines beating with the tie bar shadows. Although many of these techniques have been used successfully in the past to reduce moire, most of the prior techniques do not correct the moire, problem in all parts of a screen, so that there is still a need for improved moire reduction techniques. Such improved techniques are especially needed for the newer higher quality color picture tubes that are required for higher definition television. For example, as the quality of electron guns improves to meet the needs of higher definition television, such improved guns produce smaller electron beam spots at the screen. This reduction in electron beam spot size produces visually sharper scan lines on the screen which interact with the tie bar shadows and increase the moire pattern problem. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field
One or more exemplary embodiments relate to a foldable display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical foldable display devices are portable and have a relatively large-sized screen for the display device size. Foldable display devices are applied not only to mobile devices such as mobile phones, portable multimedia players (“PMPs”), navigation systems, ultra mobile personal computers (“UMPCs”), electronic books, electronic newspapers, etc. but also to televisions and monitors.
However, one of the problems of foldable display devices is the reliability of folding portions thereof, e.g., the sections of the display device which are subjected to folding stresses. To address this problem, a flexible substrate formed of plastic or metal foil is typically used as a substrate of the foldable display devices. However, due to the physical limits of flexible substrates and the need to protect thin film transistors (“TFT”), it is difficult to reduce the radius of curvature in the folding portions of the foldable display devices. Accordingly, since a large radius of curvature is to be provided in the folding portions of foldable display devices of the related art, the typical foldable display devices may only have correspondingly large thicknesses.
In addition, in order to realize a driving unit including a TFT on a substrate formed of a plastic material or a metal foil, an organic TFT or a low temperature process Si TFT is typically used due to the process of manufacturing foldable display devices. However, organic TFTs and low temperature process Si TFTs have low yields compared to amorphous Si TFTs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The invention relates to a thermoelectrical arrangement with improved efficiency for the purpose of converting heat into electrical energy and for the purpose of reversible electrical pumping of heat.
As is known, thermocouple elements as electrical generators for converting heat only reach efficiencies of a few percent. In addition, thermocouple elements have until today only been competitive as electrical heat pumps in very specific applications. This is chiefly because combining thermal and electrical properties of material, which limits the maximum efficiency possible of thermocouple elements, is still too bad in all the thermocouples available today. Even with the best thermoelectrical materials, which we know today (say doped Si.sub.70 Ge.sub.30 crystals for generators or Bi.sub.2 Te.sub.3 for heat pumps), the so-called "efficiency" (the quotient of the square of the thermoelectrical force divided by the ratio of thermal and electrical conductivity) only reaches the numerical value 1 when multiplied by the average operating temperature. This is the main reason for the fact that, at best, 10 to 20% of the Carnot efficiency may be reached with thermocouple elements. A very substantial increase in the efficiency would be necessary for the thermoelectrical effects to be used in large-scale technology.
A substantial increase in the thermoelectrical efficiency would scarcely be achieved by an improvement of known thermoelectrical materials given the present state of the art. Greater success is promised by exploiting and cultivating new physical effects in thermoelectrical arrangements.
New physical effects, either by means of an increase in the electrical conductivity or an increase in the thermoelectrical force or a reduction in the heat conductivity of thermoelectrical materials, could contribute to an increase in efficiency. An increase in the electrical conductivity is possible for example in very thin semiconductor and insulating layers by means of the tunnel effect relating to wave mechanics. An increase in the thermoelectrical force may take place as a result of electrons being "pulled along" by phonons in temperature gradients under special conditions (phone-drag effect), and a reduction in the thermal conductivity takes place with inelastic scattering of electrons at the lattice. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines, and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are most likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting of the machines.
Consequently, shrewd operators strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines available because such machines attract frequent play and, hence, increase profitability to the operator. In the competitive gaming machine industry, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to produce new types of games, or enhancements to existing games, which will attract frequent play by enhancing the entertainment value and excitement associated with the game.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is that of a “secondary” or “bonus” game which may be played in conjunction with a “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, and is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome of the basic game. Such a bonus game produces a significantly higher level of player excitement than the basic game because it provides a greater expectation of winning than the basic game.
Another concept that has been employed is the use of a progressive jackpot. In the gaming industry, a “progressive” involves the collecting of coin-in data from participating gaming device(s) (e.g., slot machines), contributing a percentage of that coin-in data to a jackpot amount, and awarding that jackpot amount to a player upon the occurrence of a certain jackpot-won event. A jackpot-won event typically occurs when a “progressive winning position” is achieved at a participating gaming device. If the gaming device is a slot machine, a progressive winning position may, for example, correspond to alignment of progressive jackpot reel symbols along a certain pay line. The initial progressive jackpot is a predetermined minimum amount. That jackpot amount, however, progressively increases as players continue to play the gaming machine without winning the jackpot. Further, when several gaming machines are linked together such that several players at several gaming machines compete for the same jackpot, the jackpot progressively increases at a much faster rate, which leads to further player excitement. In existing progressive games, once a player at a first gaming machine enters the progressive game, the players at the other gaming machines are not involved in the progressive game. In other words, the other players do not get the opportunity to participate in the progressive game.
While these player appeal features provide some enhanced excitement relative to other known games, there is a continuing need to develop new features for gaming machines to satisfy the demands of players and operators. Specifically, the current progressive games only provide enhanced excitement to the player invited to play for the jackpot. Thus, there is a need for engaging multiple players after one player enters a communal game. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The electric wrenches disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,221 and 6,477,921 have a switch installed on one lateral side of the handle, which is easy to be activated by a holding hand during an operation. It can also be activated by accidental collision with a foreign object. Further, the extension of the switch on the otherwise smooth handle is visually harsh. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Human leukocyte elastase is a serine protease that is widely dispersed throughout the body and plays an important role in degrading foreign material as part of the body's normal inflammatory response. Prolonged exposure to high levels of HLE has been associated with the onset of such disease states as pulmonary emphysema, adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and atherosclerosis. See, e.g., A. Janoff, Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. 132:417-433 (1985); J. C. Taylor et al., Pulmonary Emphysema and Proteolysis, New York: Academic Press, 1987; C. -B. Laurell et al., Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. 15:132-140 (1963); T. A. Merritt et al., J. Clin. Invest. 72:656-666 (1983); R. A. Stockley et al., Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 624:257-266 (1991); A. H. Jackson et al., J. Respir. Dis. 65:114-124 (1984); L. Eskerot et al., Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 167:335-344 (1984); and A. Janoff, Annu. Rev. Med. 36:207-216 (1985). The excessive levels of HLE associated with the aforementioned diseases are believed to be the result of insufficient production of its natural inhibitor, .alpha.1-protease inhibitor (.alpha.1-PI).
The protease-antiprotease imbalance theory for HLE-related diseases originated from the observation that people inherently deficient in .alpha.1-PI develop an accelerated form of emphysema. C.-B. Laurell et al., supra. Environmental oxidants, such as cigarette smoke, have been shown to be able to oxidize a methionine residue of .alpha.1-PI that is essential for inhibitory activity (H. Carp et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 770:2041-2045 (1982). The resulting oxidized .alpha.1-PI is orders of magnitude less potent that .alpha.1-PI. The chemotactic properties of HLE result in the recruitment of more neutrophils to the site of inflammation. The initial imbalance is amplified by the release of more HLE by the newly recruited neutrophils.
A rational approach to the therapeutic treatment of HLE-related diseases is to reestablish the protease-antiprotease imbalance using exogenously produced inhibitors to HLE. Researchers have developed the proper cloning vectors and have expressed the natural inhibitor .alpha.1-PI using recombinant technologies (H. P. Schnebli, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 624:212-218 (1991), and augmentation therapy using .alpha.1-PI is being evaluated clinically. This approach has merit in that the therapeutic agent is a naturally occurring substance and is the natural inhibitor for HLE; however, the cost and route of administration used for peptides like .alpha.1-PI make this therapy less than desirable.
Several approaches have been investigated for finding low-molecular-weight mechanism-based inhibitors to HLE. Mechanism-based inhibitors are compounds that bind to a specific class of enzyme (e.g., serine proteases) and are processed like the normal substrates; however, during processing the inhibitors react with active site residues and are either released slowly or not at all from the enzymatic cleft. Mechanism-based inactivators, i.e., inhibitors which act irreversibly, are distinctly different from alkylating agents in that inactivators are completely nonreactive until enzymatic processing. The mechanism of HLE action is well understood and as shown in Scheme 1, consists of five major steps. Following initial formation of a Michealis complex, the substrate carboxyl is attacked by the active site serine (Ser-195) to form a tetrahedral intermediate that collapses to form an acylated HLE intermediate (C-terminal cleaved product released). Hydrolysis regenerates the enzyme, releasing the N-terminal cleaved product. In general, mechanism-based inhibitors to HLE either form very stable tetrahedral intermediates or act as alternate substrates for the enzyme, while mechanism-based inactivators of HLE form very stable acylated HLE intermediates that are resistant to hydrolysis. ##STR2##
Efforts to develop mechanism-based inhibitors can be divided into two rational design strategies: those directed to development of peptide-derived inhibitors, on the one hand, and those directed to development of non-peptide inhibitors, on the other. In general, peptide-derived inhibitors are designed to resemble the natural substrate sequence and act to form stable tetrahedral intermediates. Examples of peptide-derived inhibitors include boronic acid, aldehyde, .alpha.-diketone and .alpha.-diketone and .alpha.-ketoester, .alpha.-fluoro-ketone, and .alpha.-ketobenzoxazole derivatives (D. H. Kin der et al., J. Med. Chem. 28:1917-1925 (1985); C. H. Hassal et al., FEBS Lett. 183:201-205 (1985); S. Mehdi et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 166:201-205 (1990); R. A. Wildonger et al., "The in vitro and in vivo inhibition of human leukocyte elastase by .alpha.,.alpha.-difluoro-.beta.-ketoamides", in Eleventh American Symposium Abstracts, poster 87, presented at University of California, San Diego, Jul. 9-14, 1989; J. W. Skiles et al., J. Med. Chem. 35:641-662 (1992); and P. D. Edwards, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 114:1854-1863 (1992)). A number of nonpeptidic inhibitors have been discovered that are specific for serine proteases and show some selectivity for HLE. These compounds generally act to inactivate the enzyme by forming stable acylated enzyme intermediates. Examples of nonpeptidic mechanism-based inactivators of HLE include ynenol lactones, isocoumarins, cephalosporins, azetidinones, and benzoxazinones. (Copp, L. J. et al., Biochemistry 26:169-178 (1987); Harper, J. W. et al., Biochemistry 24:7200-7213 (1985); Hernandez, M. A. et al., J. Med. Chem. 35:1121-1129 (1992); Harper, J. W. et al., Biochemistry 24:1831-1841 (1985); Finke, P. E. et al., J. Med. Chem. 35:3731-3744 (1992); Shah, S. K. et al., J. Med. Chem. 35:3745-3754 (1992); Krantz A. et al., J. Med. Chem. 33:464-479 (1990)).
Most of the reported HLE mechanism-based inhibitors, however, lack plasma solubility, protease stability, and/or enzyme specificity which makes them unsuitable for pharmaceutical development. Accordingly, there remains a need to discover and develop new therapeutic agents that will be effective in treating emphysema and other HLE-related diseases.
The present invention is directed to a novel class of HLE inhibitors which do not have the above-identified disadvantages of the compounds of the prior art. The inhibitors are benzoxazinones substituted at the 6-position as will be discussed in detail below. The effectiveness of these compounds is quite surprising in view of the teaching in the art that substitution at R.sub.6 is highly unfavorable and gives rise to compounds which would not be effective HLE inhibitors (see, e.g., A. Krantz et al., J. Med. Chem. 33:464-479 (1990)). The novel compounds are potent and specific inhibitors of HLE, and are designed to have greater bioavailability than previous benzoxazinone inhibitors. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to tilt and height control for chairs or the like, and is particularly directed to providing an adjustment mechanism for varying the tilt of a back support and the height of the back support and a seat in a chair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,943 issued on May 11, 1982, directed to a tilt control mechanism for a chair achieving height variation by suitable activation of a gas cylinder mechanism. The control assembly disclosed in that patent is particularly suited for tilt control in a chair in which the seat and back support together tilt as a unit. The present invention, on the other hand, is directed to tilt and height adjustment in a chair in which only the back support tilts.
The present invention provides such control in a compact mechanism utilizing a gas cylinder actuator having a cam surface thereon and which is pivotally mounted so that the cam surface activates the gas cylinder upon appropriate pivotal movement of the actuator. A blocker plate is also utilized which pivotally moves between one position in which tilting of the back support is prevented and another position in which tilting is permitted. The actuator and blocker plate are coupled together so that pivotal movement of one is accompanied by pivotal movement of the other. This is preferably achieved by use of an activating lever having two terminal portions, one of which is responsible for the pivoting of the gas cylinder actuator and the other of which causes pivoting of the blocker plate.
The compactness of the overall assembly of the present invention is achieved in large part by closely mounting with respect to each other the gas cylinder actuator and the blocker plate, both of which are mounted for pivotal movement about axes substantially perpendicular to each other. Additionally, the prevention of tilting in the chair is achieved by the blocking of a pin carried by the moving tilt mechanism, in this case the pin preferably extending through the spring that biases the back support of the chair in an upright position.
The invention will be more completely understood by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment thereof . | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
As compared to conventional cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) primarily used for realizing moving images, LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays) have a drawback, so-called motion blur, which is the blurring of outline of a movement portion perceived by a viewer when displaying an image with movement. It is suggested that this motion blur arises from the LCD display mode itself (see, e.g., patent document 1 and non-patent document 1).
Since fluorescent material is scanned by an electron beam to cause emission of light for display in CRTs, the light emission of pixels is basically impulse-like although slight afterglow of the fluorescent material exists. This is called an impulse-type display mode. On the other hand, in the case of LCDs, an electric charge is accumulated by applying an electric field to liquid crystal and is retained at a relatively high rate until the next time the electric field is applied. Especially, in the case of the TFT mode, since a TFT switch is provided for each dot configuring a pixel and each pixel normally has an auxiliary capacity, the ability to retain the accumulated electric charge is extremely high. Therefore, the light emission is continued until the pixels are rewritten by the application of the electric field based on image information of the next frame or field (hereinafter, represented by the frame). This is called a hold-type display mode.
Since the impulse response of the image displaying light has a temporal spread in the above hold-type display mode, temporal frequency characteristics are deteriorated along with spatial frequency characteristics, resulting in the motion blur. That is, since the human eye can smoothly follow a moving object, if the light emission time is long as in the case of the hold type, movement of image seems jerky and unnatural due to a time integration effect.
To improve the motion blur in the above hold-type display mode, a frame rate (number of frames) is converted by interpolating an image between frames in a known technology. This technology is called FRC (Frame Rate Converter) and is put to practical use in liquid crystal display devices, etc.
Conventionally known methods of converting the frame rate include various techniques such as simply repeating read-out of the same frame for a plurality of times and frame interpolation using linear interpolation between frames (see, e.g., non-patent document 2). However, in the case of the frame interpolation process using the linear interpolation between frames, unnaturalness of motion (jerkiness, judder) is generated due to the frame rate conversion, and the motion blur disturbance due to the above hold-type display mode cannot sufficiently be improved, resulting in inadequate image quality.
To eliminate effects of the jerkiness, etc., and improve quality of moving images, a motion-compensated frame interpolation (motion compensation) process using motion vectors has been proposed. In this motion compensation process, since a moving image itself is captured and compensated, highly natural moving images can be acquired without deteriorating the resolution and generating the jerkiness. Since interpolation image signals are generated with motion compensation, the motion blur disturbance due to the above hold-type display mode can sufficiently be improved.
Above patent document 1 discloses a technology of motion-adaptively generating interpolation frames to increase a frame frequency of a display image for improving deterioration of spatial frequency characteristics causing the motion blur. In this case, at least one interpolation image signal interpolated between frames of a display image is motion-adaptively created from the previous and subsequent frames, and the created interpolation image signals are interpolated between the frames and are sequentially displayed.
FIG. 44 is a block diagram of an outline configuration of an FRC drive display circuit in a conventional liquid crystal display device and, in FIG. 44, the FRC drive display circuit includes an FRC portion 100 that converts the number of frames of the input image signal by interpolating the image signals subjected to the motion compensation process between frames of the input video signal, an active-matrix liquid crystal display panel 103 having a liquid crystal layer and an electrode for applying the scan signal and the data signal to the liquid crystal layer, and an electrode driving portion 104 for driving a scan electrode and a data electrode of the liquid crystal display panel 103 based on the image signal subjected to the frame rate conversion by the FRC portion 100.
The FRC portion 100 includes a motion vector detecting portion 101 that detects motion vector information from the input image signal and an interpolation frame generating portion 102 that generates interpolation frames based on the motion vector information acquired by the motion vector detecting portion 101.
In the above configuration, for example, the motion vector detecting portion 101 may obtain the motion vector information with the use of a block matching method, a gradient method, etc., or if the motion vector information is included in the input image signal in some form, this information may be utilized. For example, the image data compression-encoded with the use of the MPEG format includes motion vector information of a moving image calculated at the time of encoding, and this motion vector information may be acquired.
FIG. 45 is a view for explaining a frame rate conversion process by the conventional FRC drive display circuit shown in FIG. 44. The FRC portion 100 generates interpolation frames (gray-colored images in FIG. 45) between frames with the motion compensation using the motion vector information output from the motion vector detecting portion 101 and sequentially outputs the generated interpolation frame signals along with the input frame signals to perform a process of converting the frame rate of the input image signal from 60 frames per second (60 Hz) to 120 frames per second (120 Hz).
FIG. 46 is a view for explaining an interpolation frame generation process of the motion vector detecting portion 101 and the interpolation frame generating portion 102. The motion vector detecting portion 101 uses the gradient method to detect a motion vector 105 from, for example, a frame #1 and a frame #2 shown in FIG. 45. That is, the motion vector detecting portion 101 obtains the motion vector 105 by measuring a direction and an amount of movement in 1/60 second between the frame #1 and the frame #2. The interpolation frame generating portion 102 then uses the obtained motion vector 105 to allocate an interpolation vector 106 between the frame #1 and the frame #2. An interpolation frame 107 is generated by moving an object (in this case, an automobile) from a position of the frame #1 to a position after 1/120 second based on the interpolation vector 106.
By performing the motion-compensated frame interpolation process with the use of the motion vector information to increase a display frame frequency in this way, the display state of the LCD (the hold-type display mode) can be made closer to the display state of the CRT (the impulse-type display mode) and the image quality deterioration can be improved which is due to the motion blur generated when displaying a moving image.
In the motion-compensated frame interpolation process, it is essential to detect the motion vectors for the motion compensation. For example, the block matching method, the gradient method, etc., are proposed as representative techniques for the motion vector detection. In the gradient method, the motion vector is detected for each pixel or small block between two consecutive frames and this is used to interpolate each pixel or small block of the interpolation frame between two frames. That is, an image at an arbitrary position between two frames is interpolated at an accurately compensated position to convert the number of frames.
Patent Document 1: Specification of Japanese Patent No. 3295437
Non-Patent Document 1: Ishiguro Hidekazu and Kurita Taiichiro, “Consideration on Motion Picture Quality of the Hold Type Display with an octuple-rate CRT”, IEICE Technical Report, Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, ETD96-4 (1996-06), p. 19-26
Non-Patent Document 2: Yamauchi Tatsuro, “TV Standards Conversion”, Journal of the Institute of Television Engineers of Japan, Vol. 45, No. 12, pp. 1534-1543 (1991) | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Monoclonal antibodies have in recent years become successful therapeutic molecules, in particular for the treatment of cancer. Unfortunately, however, monoclonal antibodies are often unable to cure diseases when used as monotherapy. Bispecific antibodies can potentially overcome some of the limitations of monoclonal antibody therapy, e.g. they could be used as mediators to target a drug or toxic compound to target cells, as mediators to retarget effector mechanisms to disease-associated sites or as mediators to increase specificity for tumor cells, for example by binding to a combination of targets molecules that is exclusively found on tumor cells.
Different formats and uses of bispecific antibodies have recently been reviewed by Chames and Baty (2009) Curr Opin Drug Disc Dev 12: 276. One of the major obstacles in the development of bispecific antibodies has been the difficulty of producing the material in sufficient quality and quantity by traditional technologies, such as the hybrid hybridoma and chemical conjugation methods (Marvin and Zhu (2005) Acta Pharmacol Sin 26:649). Co-expression in a host cell of two antibodies, consisting of different heavy and light chains, leads to a mixture of possible antibody products in addition to the desired bispecific antibody.
Several strategies have been described to favor the formation of a heterodimeric, i.e. bispecific, product upon co-expression of different antibody constructs.
Lindhofer et al. (1995 J Immunol 155:219) have described that fusion of rat and mouse hydridomas producing different antibodies leads to enrichment of functional bispecific antibodies, because of preferential species-restricted heavy/light chain pairing. Another strategy to promote formation of heterodimers over homodimers is a “knob-into-hole” strategy in which a protuberance is introduced at the interface of a first heavy-chain polypeptide and a corresponding cavity in the interface of a second heavy-chain polypeptide, such that the protuberance can be positioned in the cavity so as to promote heterodimer formation and hinder homodimer formation. “Protuberances” are constructed by replacing small amino-acid side-chains from the interface of the first polypeptide with larger side chains. Compensatory “cavities” of identical or similar size to the protuberances are created in the interface of the second polypeptide by replacing large amino-acid side-chains with smaller ones (U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,168). EP1870459 (Chugai) and WO 2009089004 (Amgen) describe other strategies for favoring heterodimer formation upon co-expression of different antibody domains in a host cell. In these methods, one or more residues that make up the CH3-CH3 interface in both CH3 domains are replaced with a charged amino acid such that homodimer formation is electrostatically unfavorable and heterodimerization is electrostatically favorable. WO2007110205 (Merck) describe yet another strategy, wherein differences between IgA and IgG CH3 domains are exploited to promote heterodimerization.
Dall'acqua et al. (1998 Biochemistry 37:9266) have identified five energetically key amino-acid residues (366, 368, 405, 407 and 409) that are involved in the CH3-CH3 contact in the interface of a CH3 homodimer.
WO 2008119353 (Genmab) describes an in vitro method for producing bispecific antibodies wherein a bispecific antibody is formed by “Fab-arm” or “half-molecule” exchange (swapping of a heavy chain and attached light chain) between two monospecific IgG4- or IgG4-like antibodies upon incubation under reducing conditions. This Fab-arm exchange reaction is the result of a disulfide-bond isomerization reaction and dissociation-association of CH3 domains wherein heavy-chain disulfide bonds in the hinge regions of the parent (originally monospecific) antibodies are reduced and the resulting free cysteines form an inter heavy-chain disulfide bond with cysteine residues of another parent antibody molecule (originally with a different specificity), and simultaneously CH3 domains of the parent antibodies release and reform by dissociation-association. The resulting product is a bispecific antibody having two Fab arms which potentially are compassed different sequences. It should be noted that the process is random however and Fab-arm exchange can also occur between two molecules with identical sequence or two bispecific molecules can engage in Fab-arm exchange to regenerate antibodies comprising the original monospecific parent antibody specificity.
It has now surprisingly been found that by introducing asymmetrical mutations in the CH3 regions of the two monospecific starting proteins, the Fab-arm exchange reaction can be forced to become directional and thereby yield highly stable heterodimeric proteins. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A “model” generally describes one or more complex application artifacts (e.g., business processes, data structures, structure and behavior of software systems or other technical and/or business components, etc.) in a formalized fashion. A model can use modeling primitives and/or conventions of a well-defined “abstract language,” which oftentimes is referred to as a metamodel. Some common metamodels are the UML family of modeling languages (e.g., UML class diagrams, UML collaboration diagrams, etc.), the BPMN metamodel, the ARTS family of modeling languages (EPC, VAC, FAD, etc.), the entity-relationship (meta)model (ERM), the relational (meta)model, etc. A metamodel, being an abstract language, may be thought of as a collection of modeling elements that can be used or “instantiated” to describe the actual models. For instance, in a UML class diagram, modeling elements include classes, associations, properties, etc., whereas the model elements in the relational model include relations and their attributes. These modeling elements can be arranged in a variety of well-defined ways to build formal models representing potentially complex business and/or technical processing or other flows.
A metamodel is in principle independent of a concrete notation and therefore may be thought of as an “abstract language,” as indicated above. For instance, a metamodel may define only the language concepts and the rules for their use to form a valid model for the metamodel itself. To do actual modeling with a metamodel, however, a concrete notation is required. Notations of metamodel elements include, for example, boxes with three “compartments” that represent UML classes, labeled rectangles and diamonds used to represent entities and relationships in the ERM, etc.
A common trait of many metamodels is that corresponding models can be represented as a graph including nodes and edges, which collectively can be referred to as the graph's “elements.” Computer systems handling different “kinds” of models (e.g., so-called model management systems) often use some kind of graph model as internal representation for all kinds of models.
Model merging involves creating a single merged result model C, from two models A and B (where A, B, and C can be expressed in the same metamodel), that possibly describe the same or overlapping sets of application artifacts (e.g., the same software system, the same business process, etc.), but describe these artifacts differently. For example, A and B could be two versions of the same original model that were modified independently. As another example, A and B might describe different aspects of an application domain that share some overlap.
It would be desirable to run a merge function to deliver a merged model C that does not contain redundancies. That is, it would be desirable to help ensure that all model elements that appear in both A and B appear at most once in the merged model C. Depending on the exact purpose of C, it oftentimes is desirable to preserve all elements that are either in A or B. Doing so may help to reduce the likelihood of information being lost from the input models. However, this is not a general requirement for merging. It also would be desirable to have the merged model C be consistent and well formed, e.g., so that it meets the constraints of its respective metamodel.
With models being some kind of graphs, model merging is a different challenge than the more common (and usually line-wise) merging of text files as it is done, e.g., in version control systems. Text-based merging of models is theoretically possible if there is a textual (e.g., XML-based) notation for their respective metamodel. However, text-based merge tools are not natural tools for handling the merging of models. For example, most textual representations are ill-suited for direct use by humans and are only meant as storage formats or for model interchange. In particular, the structure of the (linear) textual representations usually differs considerably from the non-linear, graph-like structure of the model itself, making it difficult and cumbersome to work directly with these representations. Second, even small changes of a model can lead to significant changes of its textual representation, making it hard to differentiate between the actual changes on the model level and purely “syntactical” changes implicated by the textual representation. Text-based tools therefore are not really appropriate for model merging.
When designing a merge system for merging two models A and B, a function may be provided for identifying pairs of elements ai and bj from A and B, respectively, that are considered identical (or at least elements that after a successful merge operation should appear only once in the resulting merged model C). “Identical” element pairs are discussed herein as a mapping relation mapAB: A×B.
It will be appreciated that mapAB, being a relation, need neither be injective nor surjective nor a function. In general, model elements from A need not have counterparts in B, and vice versa, and an element ai from A could possibly have several “identical” elements bi1, . . . , Bin in B and vice versa. In literature, techniques for producing such a mapAB from two models A and B are called schema or model matching techniques. In other scenarios, such a mapAB can also result from the process that created models A and B.
Based on the content of mapAB, it is possible to distinguish different categories of (pairs of, groups of, individual, etc.) objects from A and B: If two objects aiεA and bjεB are identified as identical by mapAB (e.g., (ai,bj)εmapAB), and if no other entries involving ai or bj exist in mapAB a (∃ax s.t. (ax,bj)εmapAB∃by s.t. (ai,by)εmapAB) and if ai and bj agree on all properties that are relevant for the merge method (e.g., certain attributes, etc.), then ai and bj can be called equal. If ai and bj differ in some of their merge-relevant properties, these objects can be referred to as having been changed. Objects aiεA (bjεB, respectively) for which there exists no object bjεB (aiεA, respectively) such that (ai,bj)εmapAB (∃bjεB s.t. (ai,bj)εmapAB) (∃ai s.t. (ai,bj)εmapAB, resp.) may be called added in A (added in B, respectively). If two objects aiεA and bjεB are identified as identical by mapAB (e.g., (ai,bj)εmapAB), and if other entries involving ai or bj exist in mapAB ((ax s.t. (ax,bj)εmapAB)(by s.t. (ai,by)εmapAB)), these objects may be referred to as being conflicting.
With this information, a merge method may create a consistent result model C. While the handling of objects that are equal is seemingly straightforward, it may be the case that decisions have to be made for all other kinds of objects if and how to accept them into the result model C. These decisions may depend on, for example, the intended purpose of C, the details of the conflicts, the context in which A and B where created, etc. These difficulties demonstrate that model merging currently is inevitably a manual task of which only certain trivial tasks can be safely automated. This also implies that, in general, a human has to decide which elements and which properties to take from A and which from B, for inclusion into the result C.
The ARIS model transformation component, provided by the assignee of the instant invention, allows users to declaratively describe how models of one type can be transformed into a semantically related model of a different (or sometimes also the same) model type. An example for such a transformation is shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, a business process modeled using the event-process chain (EPC) metamodel is transformed into an equivalent process in the “business process model and notation” (BPMN) metamodel. This transformation can be referred to as an EPC-2-BPMN transformation. Although the EPC metamodel may be meant to be used by business-oriented users to capture business processes as they are (or should be) handled in an organization, BPMN is a metamodel and notation that also covers more technical aspects. Using the EPC-2-BPMN transformation, a BPMN can be created from an EPC to be used as starting point for enriching the business view of a process with technical details to ultimately make the process executable by a suitable runtime environment like a workflow management system (WfMS). However, the present invention is not limited to the modeling of business processes, but may well be used in other scenarios such as, for example, the systems engineering of complex technical products. For example, the development process of a vehicle is nowadays largely model based. In this scenario, the various vehicle components are typically modeled on a system-wide level defining the main mechanical components such as the chassis, engine and power train, as well as electric/electronic components such as rain sensors, speed-limiters, embedded processors and the related software. Further, the individual vehicle components are themselves defined by more and more concrete technical model as the development process continues, ultimately leading to a variety of technical component models on different levels of abstraction, but yet strongly interrelated.
The description of the transformation is given by so-called transformation patterns or rules, which specify how individual or groups of elements of the source model type are translated into corresponding elements of the target model type. The ARIS model transformation, in particular the graphical way to describe transformation patterns, is discussed in detail in U.S. Publication No. 2009/0265684, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. A transformation pattern includes a source pattern, a target pattern, and a mapping. The source pattern can be understood as a graphical query over the input model(s) that describes the structures of the source model to be found and transformed. Each region of the input model that conforms to the structure described by a source pattern can be considered a match for this rule. A transformation pattern's target pattern describes what elements and structures of the target model type are to be created for each match. The structure that is created in the result model for each match can be called a fragment. Of course, transformation patterns or rules may be defined in other ways such as, for example, by hard-coding specific functionality.
Using the mapping part of a rule, the developer can graphically define how attributes and properties of the source model elements matching the source pattern are to be transferred into the attributes and properties of the target model elements. By placing additional operators in the mapping and connecting them accordingly, the creation of complex mappings can be done graphically, e.g., without the hurdle of handling a complex expression syntax, as it is found in other model transformation languages.
Several simplified examples for transformation rules are set forth below. FIG. 2 is an example pattern for transforming a function to an abstract task. The source pattern of the rule “Function to abstract task” in the upper-left of FIG. 2 includes only an EPC function. The target pattern shown to the right declares that such a structure is to be translated into a BPMN abstract task object, which is to be placed into a lane, with the lane being placed into a pool object. The mapping shown in the lower part of the drawing indicates that the abstract task object is to carry the same name as the matched source function, and that the lane into which the manual task is to be placed is to be named “default lane.”
FIG. 3 is an example pattern for transforming a function with an organizational unit to a manual task. The rule “Function with organizational unit to manual task” shown in FIG. 3 can be considered a special case of the rule “Function to abstract task” from FIG. 2. As above, the source pattern includes an EPC function, but the function in this example is connected with an organizational unit. It is noted that objects that do not directly describe the main process flow but which instead are placed adjacent to an element of the main process flow (such as the organizational unit element in this example) may be referred to informally as satellite objects. The target pattern in FIG. 2 seems to be very similar to the one from the FIG. 2 example rule. However, instead of creating an abstract task, a manual task object is being created. Further, instead of placing the task into a “default lane,” the lane is now named based on the source organizational unit element.
The degree of complexity transformation rules can have can be quite large. For instance, FIG. 4 is another example rule that creates a special kind of task based on a specific constellation of EPC elements. In FIG. 4, an EPC function connected with a business service is translated to a BPMN service task. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the source and target patterns of this rule include assigned models. For the source pattern to match in this example, an assigned model must exist at the business service. In this model, an additional software service type object that describes the business service in more detail has to exist. This object itself in this example must again be detailed by second source side assignment, as shown in the lower-left corner of FIG. 4. The rule will match and create a corresponding Service Task only if this exact structure is found, and an assigned model will be placed at this service task that holds additional information about the service task based on the assignments matched by the source pattern.
Similar specializations may exist for different constellations of EPC functions and satellite objects that create different types of tasks. With additional rules that specify how to transform other elements of an EPC model, like events and rules into corresponding elements in BPMN, the EPC-2-BPMN transformation can translate all elements of an EPC model that are also relevant on the technical level into a semantically equivalent BPMN model.
One challenge in the design of the EPC-2-BPMN transformation involved the handling of ambiguities. Consider, for example, a function that is connected to both a business service and an organizational unit. In this situation, both the “Function with organizational unit to manual task” and the “Function with business service to service task” patterns would match, but would disagree in their result (e.g., symbol type, placement into a lane etc.). One possibility for addressing this issue involves prioritizing the patterns in a transformation (e.g., preferring the creation of a service task in this situation). Another option involves designing patterns that could “compete” about the same source model elements in such a way that they are only applicable if exactly one of them matches unambiguously for a given function. Following the former approach, the ambiguous example function would be transformed to a manual task, as the manual task pattern has a higher priority.
Business process management (BPM) aims to capture, analyze, and optimize or improve how companies perform their processes, and attempts to provide IT support for conducting the processes more efficiently in everyday business. One aspect of BPM involves introducing workflow management systems (WfMS) that control the execution of processes, both regarding activities performed by humans (e.g., with varying degrees of IT support) and activities performed in completely automated manners and possibly with the help of software and/or other technical systems. In the conventional, manual approach, BPM starts with human experts analyzing how an organization is currently conducting its business processes. The results of this analysis are captured in various ways, either informally as requirement documents, or in a semi-formal notation like the aforementioned EPCs. After an optional optimization step, these business-centric process descriptions are cast into a technical process description that can ultimately be executed by the WfMS. As part of this implementation step, aspects that are not captured by the business process descriptions may be filled in, e.g., by identifying and connecting information systems that are needed for a process, etc. Being a fully manual development task, this approach is both slow and costly.
Model-2-execution (M2E), however, aims to reduce the enormous manual development effort of BPMN by automating parts of the translation of the business-centric process descriptions into executable, technical specifications. An aspect of M2E thus involves adapting the concepts of model-driven development (MDD) to the BPM world, e.g., by replacing a large part of the manual work with model-2-model transformations. The EPC-2-BPMN transformation introduced above may be used as a transformation in model-2-execution approaches. In MDD terminology, the EPC-2-BPMN transformation can be understood as a transformation from the computational-independent model (CIM) that does not capture aspects related to the implementation with an IT system, to the platform-independent model (PIM). A PIM may cover aspects relevant for the implementation, but may nonetheless still be independent of a concrete implementation technology used (e.g., in the case of BPM, the concrete workflow management system that is used, or how the WfMS communicates with other required IT systems, etc.).
In the context of the model transformation in model-driven development in general, and specifically also in MDD for BPM as it is pursued by the M2E approaches, the situation often arises that after a creation of the initial transformed model T via a transformation run, the source model S is changed by a business user, yielding a modified source model S′, as illustrated in FIG. 5. To propagate these changes to the technical BPMN layer, it may be possible to transform S′ again, yielding a new transformed model T′. However, in the meantime, a process engineer might have modified the original BPMN model T and augmented it with technical information, that way yielding a modified BPMN model T″. In this case, it is not desirable to simply replace T″ with T′ to get the business-level changes to the technical level, as this would lose all changes by the technical user that yielded T″. Unless either T′ or T″ can be discarded as a whole and the changes from only T″ or T′ can be taken into the result, the independent changes in T′ and T″ may need to be combined into a single, consistent merged model TM by merging these two models T′ and T″. In this merge process, T′ (e.g., the model resulting from transforming the modified source model S′) may be referred to as the new transformed model, and T″ may be referred to as the merge target model.
In the FIG. 5 example, the business user adds a function F3 to the process as an (exclusive) alternative to F2 to create S′. In the original transformed model T, the process engineer adds an additional task F2b to create T″. F2b could represent a task that is necessary from a technical standpoint, but need not be reflected on the business level. When S′ is now transformed to obtain T′, it can be seen that T′ and T″ differ and that a merge may need to be performed to obtain a result that reflects the changes in both models as good as possible.
As discussed above (e.g., in connection with the general model merge problem) to be able to successfully merge the two models T′ and T″, it would be desirable to provide a way to identify elements that are to be considered “identical” for the purpose of merging, e.g., a way to obtain a mapT′T″. Instead of using inherently fuzzy methods such as, for example, guessing pairs of identical (e.g., mergeable) objects based on their properties (e.g., name, type, etc.), or even leaving the identification of pairs of identical objects completely to the user, the transformation itself my place “trace” information on all elements that it creates. This trace information may include for each element ti in the transformed model, among other things, information about which transformation rules were involved in the creation of ti, the identities of the source element(s) in model S that were “responsible” for the creation of ti (e.g., those source model elements that were matched by the source patterns of the different transformation rules that helped to create ti), etc. Two objects t′εT′, t″εT″ may be considered identical (e.g., will be found in a tuple of mapT′T″) if they agree to a sufficient degree in their trace information and some additional properties. While this may sound counterintuitive at first, this merge semantics may be valuable because, in practice, models tend to have many objects whose properties (e.g., type, symbol, attributes such as name, etc.) are equal, and that are consequently transformed to result model objects that are also equal. Thus, if the identity of their source model elements were not used as a distinguishing criterion, it might not be possible to disambiguate these equal (but not identical) result model elements and thus it might not be possible to perform proper non-ambiguous merging. Further, by merging via source object identity, it also may be possible to transfer changes of properties (e.g., a renaming of an EPC object) during the merge. If the merge decision were based on properties and if these properties were modified on either source or target model, the objects could not be merged.
In the existing implementation of the model merge in the scope of the ARIS model transformation, the transforming of S′ into T′ and merging T′ with the merge target model T″ with T′ is an integral process. The user may pick the source model, the merge target model, and may be presented with a single model that illustrates the conflicts between T′ and T″, as shown below in FIG. 6. This model may be referred to as the conflict model TC. In the conflict model, the user may resolve the remaining conflicts to create the final merge model TM. Conflicts may be indicated, for example, with graphical icons next to the conflicting elements. These icons may also be referred to as the corresponding element's “merge state.”
With the mapT′T″ obtained via the transformation's trace information as discussed above, the conflict model may be created as follows:
Pairs of elements aεT′ and bεT″ that are identical or changed are shown only once in the result, like the functions F1 and F2, the start and end events, the lanes, and the pool in this example. These elements have no conflicts or “merge state” associated with them. It is noted that that attribute changes that occur in S′ may be written into the existing objects, e.g., the source model silently overwrites any attribute changes in the target. Thus, for the purpose of the merge in the ARIS model transformation, equal and changed objects may be handled identically.
Elements that are found in T′ but have no counterpart in T″ (according to mapT′T″) are added to the conflict model and flagged with the merge state “added by transformation” (or “added in source”), indicated by a green plus icon next to these elements. In the example, it can be seen that the BPMN gateway created from the new XOR rule, the task F3 created from the new function F3, and the new “End 2” end event are marked as such, as are all connections between them. Further, the connection between task F2 and the end event “End” is marked with “added by transformation.” This might seem non-intuitive, as the corresponding connection has not been changed from S to S′. However, the corresponding connection in T″ had been deleted when F2b was inserted by the process engineer. In an ideal scenario, the actual merge state of this connection might have to be “deleted in target.” The merge, however, may not be able to distinguish between these two situations. To be able to correctly flag this connection as “deleted in target,” it may be necessary to maintain the complete change history of T′, which could be difficult or impossible or simply not worth the tradeoffs between size, space, complexity, possible processing gains, etc.
For elements that are found in T″ and have no counterpart in T′, two situations can be differentiated. If such an element t was created by the (original) transformation (that can be determined based on the presence of trace information on t), this may indicates that the source model S′ has changed in a way such that an object corresponding to t is no longer created by the current transformation. Consequently, it may be added to the conflict model and flagged with the merge state “deleted by transformation,” e.g., as indicated by a red minus icon. In this example, the connection between F1 and F2 that was in the original T and was preserved by the process engineer when creating T″ is marked as such, because the connection no longer exists in T′, since the corresponding connection in the EPC has been deleted by the business user when going from S to S′.
If an element t was manually added to T″, which can be recognized by the absence of trace information, it also may be added to the conflict model and flagged with the merge state “added in target,” indicated by a blue plus icon. In this example, the function F2b and incident connections are marked as such.
Together, each object that has one of the three merge states can be referred to as an atomic conflict.
Via the user interface, the user can individually accept or reject the individual atomic conflicts. When accepting an “added by transformation” or “added in target model” conflict, the corresponding model element is retained and the merge state is removed, to indicate that the conflict has been resolved. When rejecting such a conflict, the model element is deleted. When accepting a “deleted by transformation” conflict, the element is deleted. When rejecting it, the element is retained and the merge state is removed.
While it is possible to handle the resolution of merge conflicts by individually accepting or rejecting atomic conflicts, this approach is not very convenient and can sometimes confront the user with internal details of the model representation in ARTS. Business users may be presented with potentially complicated technical details, technical people may be presented with business aspects that they do not necessarily understand, etc. To make the resolution of merge conflicts easier, the concept of high-level conflicts has been introduced by the assignee of the instant invention. In this regard, it is possible to use the basic information obtained during merging as described above including, for example, the different merge states of objects (equal, changed, added in A/B, conflicting, etc.) and their constellations in the models being merged, to recognize high-level merge conflicts. Instead of leaving the user to resolve the merge conflicts on the level of the atomic elements (e.g., objects and connections with a non-empty merge state), high-level merge conflicts may capture the semantics of the differences between the models being merged on a larger scale (e.g., possibly covering a very large number of model elements in one conflict) and—most of the time—allow the user to resolve them easily and quickly within a single operation. This approach to making conflict resolution both easier and more convenient is described in detail in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/024,646, filed on Feb. 10, 2011, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The merge view is a tool that helps make the task of interactive merging easier for the user, especially for larger models. It displays the source model and the conflict model side-by-side, as illustrated below in FIG. 7. It then allows the user to find out how each element in the target model, shown to the right, corresponds to element(s) in the source model, shown to the left (or vice versa), simply by selecting the element the user is interested in. If an element in the source model is selected, the corresponding elements in the target model are selected, and vice versa, as shown in FIG. 7 for EPC Function F1 and its corresponding BPMN task. In addition to selecting the corresponding elements, the respective other view's viewport is automatically scrolled to the selected elements, a feature that can be beneficial when working with models that are too large to fit on one screen. The correspondence information displayed by the merge view is derived from the transformation trace information discussed above.
In general, the relationship between source and target model elements can be of any cardinality up to many-to-many, e.g., such that each source (target) element can have zero, one, or many corresponding elements on target (source) side.
As indicated above, the assignee has provided merge functionality (including the complex conflict detection covered by U.S. application Ser. No. 13/024,646) in the ARIS model transformation component. In addition, the ARIS model merge component, provided by the assignee of the instant invention, works with ARIS, which offers XML-based import and export modules for transferring ARIS models between different ARIS databases. For example, a model M may be created in DB X, exported to a file, and imported into DB Y. Assume that model M is now changed in X, yielding a modified model M′, and at the same time, the originally imported model M is also changed independently in DB Y, yielding model M″. M′ is now exported again into an XML file, and imported into DB Y. Because M′ and M″ are different versions of the same model (a fact that can be recognized via unique identifiers on the model and its model elements), a model merge may need to be performed. When importing M′, the user can select whether or not model M′ (setting “source overwrites target”) or model M″ (setting “target preserved”) will prevail in case of conflicts. These settings can be set differently for objects, connections, models, etc. However, this merge technique does not offer selective control over how individual conflicts are resolved. In this sense, it is not interactive. It further does not allow users to bring a selection of changes from model M′ back to M″.
A large number of computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools claim variable degrees of MDD support. However, aside from some “convenience” features, the actual application behavior typically has to be implemented by hand, e.g., by “filling out” empty method bodies or adding and detailing aspects that were not fleshed out in full detail in the models. Other manual work includes the customization of the aforementioned out-of-the-box features (like customizing the default object serialization so that it conforms to existing storage formats or database schemas).
In roundtrip engineering for software engineering, the artifacts generated from the model are in general not other models, but rather program code (e.g., structured text). Further, a general common assumption of roundtrip engineering approach in the software engineering domain is that in general, all changes performed on the PSM level that could be represented with the modeling language used for the PIM should be propagated. In contrast, in the scope of the M2E roundtrip, only selected aspects that have been added to or changed in the BPMN model should actually be propagated. Consequently, in M2E, the decision to propagate a change is a conscious choice by a user on a case-by-case base, guided by the semantics of the artifacts involved.
Another issue that arises with roundtrip engineering in software engineering contexts is that many aspects that can be represented explicitly with dedicated model elements (e.g., containment or aggregation associations) are mapped to the same basic elements of the target programming language (e.g., object references). Therefore, it is often difficult to recognize such aspects of modeling based on the code and properly propagate them back to the model level.
The functionality of the ARIS model transformation and the interactive merge as discussed allows merge conflicts to be resolved by accepting or rejecting changes in the BPMN model, whether they result from changes in the EPC or from direct changes in the BPMN model itself. As an example, consider FIG. 8, which shows a very simple merge scenario. EPC S is first transformed to a corresponding BPMN model T. Here, the process engineer makes a technical change by deleting the connection from task F1 to the end event, adding a new task “F2 added in BPMN,” and connecting it with F1 and the End event, thereby creating the modified transformed BPMN model T″.
In parallel, a business user makes a business change to the EPC by inserting another function F0 between the start event and the function F1, yielding the modified source model S′. If S′ were to be transformed without a merge, the new transformed model T′ would be obtained. If either T′ or T″ were taken as the new BPMN model, the changes of either the process engineer or the business user, respectively, would be lost. To avoid such scenarios, interactive merge techniques can be used to reconcile the parallel changes. By merging T′ with T″, a conflict model TC is produced. In this model, the high-level merge conflict detection discussed above identifies two high-level conflicts, namely, the addition of F0, and the deletion of the direct connection between the start event and F1 is recognized as a “replacement in source” conflict. This conflict can either be accepted (leading to the removal of the direct connection marked with the red minus sign in the conflict model and keeping F0 and its incident connections and removing their green plus sign merge state), or rejected (which causes the deletion of F0 and its connections, and removes the red minus sign merge marker from the connection between the Start event and F1).
The second high-level “replacement in target” conflict shown in detail to the left of FIG. 9, which demonstrates the options for resolving the “replacement in target” high-level conflict, is caused by the addition of the new Task “F2 added in BPMN” to the BPMN model by the process engineer. If this high-level conflict is accepted, the newly added task and its incident connections are kept in the result, their blue plus sign merge state is removed, and the green plus sign connection from F1 to the end event is removed, as shown on the upper-right of FIG. 9. If the high-level conflict is rejected, the connection from F1 to the end event is kept, its green plus sign merge state is removed, and the new task “F2 added in BPMN” and its incident connections are removed, as illustrated on the lower right of FIG. 9.
Although the concept of high-level conflicts makes it easier for the user to resolve the merge conflict caused by the addition of an element in the BPMN model, this conflict resolution only affects the BPMN model. The EPC is left unchanged. While this is a desired result in those cases where the additions and changes in the BPMN model only represent a technical detail that has no implications for the business view of our process (e.g., do not require changes of the EPC source model), there are many situations where it would in fact be desirable to have individual (but not necessarily all) changes made in the BPMN model to be reflected on the EPC, because they are in fact relevant for the business user. Thus, this current approach does not support the person performing the interactive merge in propagating such changes from the technical BPMN level to the EPC level. As explained below, however, there are a number of drawbacks to manually solving these issues.
With a manual propagation, the user has to change the EPC in a way such that the new transformation result after the change gives the same result as currently provided in the BPMN, or make the changes made in the BPMN that had been propagated to the EPC appear as if they had “always been modeled like that” in the source EPC model.
FIG. 10 illustrates how a user performing an interactive merge can manually perform a propagation of the BPMN-side addition of the abstract task “F2 added in BPMN” (referred to below as F2BPMN) as in the FIG. 8 example. Here, the user manually creates a like-named function in the EPC F2EPC and connects it analogously to how F2BPMN is connected with its surroundings in the BPMN model T″. The result of this manual propagation is shown on the upper-left of FIG. 10 as EPC S″. The user basically creates a situation so that the corresponding transformation pattern(s) (which here would be the “Function to Abstract task” pattern we introduced above in FIG. 2) match and in the next transformation run would create the same situation that exists in the BPMN model because of the manual changes that were made there.
One disadvantage of such a manual approach relates to the effort involved for the user. While it may seem straightforward in this simple example, once more than a few changes have to be propagated to the EPC, this approach can quickly become a repetitive, time consuming, and error-prone task.
In addition, a correct propagation is not always as simple and obvious as in this example where the creation and connection of only a single object in the EPC was involved. Consider, for example, the “Function with business service to service task” transformation rule discussed in connection with FIG. 4. If there were a desire to propagate a service task that was added to the BPMN model so that this rule now matches, a quite complex object structure, including several assigned models, would have to be created correctly. To be done correctly, it may be necessary to have a very detailed understanding of the semantics of our EPC-2-BPMN transformation, which cannot always be reasonably expected from the users performing an interactive merge. The problem of correct and consistent model propagation is similarly severe in the above-mentioned systems engineering context. For example, strong interrelations exist between the different technical models of the vehicle components of an automobile, since the vehicle components typically have multiple interaction points (consider, for instance, an optical or radar-based distance sensor component that is shared by both a software-based speed-limiter and an emergency breaking component). Such strong interrelations as well as other feature interactions can make the correct and consistent propagation of model elements between different model levels quite difficult.
Even if the manual effort and the required internal knowledge about the transformation were considered acceptable, such manual change propagation may also have technical restrictions. Referring still to the example manual propagation from FIG. 10, if S″ were transformed again, a new result model T′″ including a task “F2 added in BPMN” (F2EPC′) created by the transformation of F2EPC would be created. At first glance, this model appears identical to the modified transformed BPMN model T″ where the user manually added the new business-relevant task F2BPMN. Consequently, one might be tempted to expect that if these two models were to be merged that no conflict would be shown involving the Task “F2 added in BPMN,” and that the manual change propagation was successful. However, as we discussed above, the transformation's built-in merge functionality does not rely on the properties like object type, symbol, or name of a pair of objects to determine whether or not they are mergeable, but instead uses the transformation's internal trace information. As explained above, this trace information includes for each result object of a transformation both the set of source model objects that contributed to the creation of a transformation result and the transformation patterns that were involved in its creation. Consequently, if a user were to perform a transformation plus merge of S″ into T″, the Abstract Task F2BPMN′ created by the transformation from the manually added EPC function F2EPC could not be merged with the Abstract Task F2BPMN that was added directly to the BPMN, since they disagree in their trace information, inasmuch as F2BPMN′ indicates that it originates from F2EPC, while F2BPMN does not indicate any source object because it was never created by a transformation in the first place. The conflict model TC as shown on the bottom of FIG. 10, which contains both Abstract Tasks F2BPMN and F2BPMN′, therefore would be produced.
The high-level “replacement in target” conflict could be resolved, and either the task F2BPMN′ coming from the EPC via the transformation (marked as “added in source” with the green plus sign) or the task F2BPMN from the BPMN (marked as “added in target” with the blue plus sign), could be kept. Doing so, however, would still not provide the desired result. If F2BPMN′ were kept by rejecting the “replacement in target” conflict, a proper correspondence between the objects in the EPC and the BPMN model would be produced, but any additional technical details the process engineer might have put into the discarded F2BPMN (e.g., setting technical attributes or adding assignments with information about the invoked service etc.) would be lost. On the other hand, if F2BPMN were kept instead, this technical information would be preserved, but no proper correspondence would exist between F2BPMN and F2EPC. Not only would these two objects not be shown as corresponding in the merge view, but changes to F2EPC (e.g., a renaming) would not be propagated to F2BPMN in future merge operations.
The example discussed immediately above dealt with the propagation of model elements that were new to the target model. Another common type of propagation oftentimes needed in MDD scenarios involves not only additions of new elements, but also augmentations, refinements, or other changes to existing target model elements that were created by the transformation from elements in the source model that are to be reflected by corresponding changes in the source model. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the Abstract Task F1 created by the transformation out of a simple EPC function without any “satellite” objects is refined by the process engineer into a service task. The service invoked by the task is specified in an additional model assigned to the service task.
If transform and merge operations were now performed, a merge conflict would be produced not because the trace information differs, but because the objects deviate in symbol type (abstract task vs. service task) and the number and type of assignments (no assignments vs. a function allocation diagram), as shown on the bottom of FIG. 11. Again, it is possible to resolve the conflict if it is found that the BPMN-side change is not relevant for the business user. As before, this would come at the cost that any renaming, etc., of F1 in the EPC would not be propagated. However, if it is thought or needed that the EPC should reflect the change, a manual propagation of the BPMN-side change as shown below in FIG. 12 can be performed. To make the EPC function F1 be translated to a service task that looks just like the one the process engineer created in the BPMN model, the set of assigned models and associated objects shown at the upper-right of FIG. 12 can be added, that way helping to ensure that F1 is now successfully matched by the source pattern of the transformation rule “Function with business service to service task” from FIG. 4. This example helps illustrate that once one tries to propagate a change involving a more complex pattern, the effort involved and the knowledge needed to “get it right” quickly becomes prohibitive in practice. If the manually modified EPC were again transformed and merged with the BPMN model, a similar situation as before would arise. That is, although the two would look identical, the two service tasks F1 from T′″ and T″ could not be merged successfully, with all the negative consequences that this has for the correct functioning of the merge view and the future automated propagatation of changes to F1EPC to F1BPMN, discussed in the previous example from above.
Thus far, problems of manually propagating additions or changes in the (BPMN) target model to the (EPC) source model have been discussed. As shown above, there oftentimes will be a manual effort involved in such a task for anything but the most trivial cases, and limitations of this manual approach that are related to the way the model merge decides whether two objects are mergeable have been described. Aside from additions and changes, a third kind of modification operation that can be performed on the target model relates to deletions.
FIG. 13 illustrates an example for a deletion on BPMN side: The process engineer removes the manual task object “F2” and “bridges” the gap that is created in the process flow by adding a direct connection between F2's former predecessor manual task “F1” and its former successor end event “End”. If transform and merge operations were now performed again, a “replacement in target” high-level conflict would be generated in the resulting conflict model TC, as shown near the bottom of the drawing. Accepting this conflict (accepting the replacement of F2 and its two incident edges with a single edge) would lead to the result shown to the lower left, whereas rejecting it would retain the original transformation result as shown to the lower right of the drawing.
If the change on the technical BPMN level is now considered relevant for the business level, the deletion could again be propagated manually, as shown in FIG. 14. Here, the EPC is changed in accordance to the change on BPMN level, such that the function “F2” and its neighboring occurrence of the “Otto” Organizational Unit object are removed. If the modified source model were now transformed, the result would be structurally identical to the original BPMN model modified on source side. If transform and merge operations again were performed, the result (whether there are conflicts in the merge) would depend on the details of the merge method (or the way the mapping relation mapAB is obtained) used. If the merge method considers two connections mergeable if their start and end objects are mergeable, no merge conflict will arise, as shown to the left on the bottom of FIG. 14.
If, however, the merge method uses the identity-based mergeability decision discussed above not only for deciding the mergeability of objects, but also for connections, a conflict like the one shown in the lower right of FIG. 16 could arise. In these situations, as with the addition and modification operations discussed before, a manual propagation of the changes on the technical level to the business level would not be possible, as the user would need to manipulate the internal trace information, etc.
Thus, it will be appreciated that there is a need in the art for techniques that help support users manage model transformations and/or merges, and/or approaches that help overcome the above-described and/or other complications that arise when attempting to transform and/or merge models. Those skilled in the art of model-based systems engineering will appreciate that these problems are equally relevant in all of the above-described use cases, including the manufacturing of complex technical products, the model-based controlling of manufacturing machinery as well as the modeling of business processes.
One aspect of certain example embodiments relates to an automated approach for propagating (or pulling up) business relevant changes made in a technical model (e.g., BPMN model) to the business-oriented model (e.g., EPC model). Doing so may reduce and sometimes eliminate the need for manual change propagations. According to certain example embodiments relates to avoiding conflicts, e.g., by making certain changed objects appear as if they were created by the “pulled-up” EPC object by changing its internal attributes needed for the merge. Optionally, the BPMN model may be “corrected” so that the merge is possible without conflicts.
Another aspect of certain example embodiments relates to a selective, partial inversion of a transformation from the technical model to the business-oriented model, or vice versa.
Another aspect of certain example embodiments relates to a pull-up operation that includes enablement checking (e.g., determining whether the pull-up can be applied to a selected object) and pull-up execution.
According to certain example embodiments, enablement checking may be separated into multiple phases. In a first example phase, a coarse check may be performed to determine whether the pull-up operation makes sense, possibly returning a Boolean true/false value. In a second example phase, a more detailed check may be performed to determine whether the pull-up really can be executed, possibly returning a list of reasons informing the user why the pull-up cannot be applied.
According to certain example embodiments, the pull-up execution may include, for instance, creating the object(s) in the business-oriented (e.g., EPC) model; updating relevant internal attributes of the technical (e.g., BPMN) objects that allow for the successful merge; optionally correcting user-introduced errors in the technical (e.g., BPMN) model; and properly connecting the pulled-up objects with their surroundings.
Another aspect of certain example embodiments relates to connecting pulled-up objects with their surroundings so that, after the propagation, the objects appear as if the current business-oriented (e.g., EPC) model was used for the merge. According to certain example embodiments, the connecting may be deterministic, e.g., such that the result will be the same regardless of order or sequence in which the propagations are made.
According to certain example embodiments, the connecting algorithm includes finding the target-side successor and predecessor elements (together referred to as border elements) of the target model object that is being propagated; using trace information to find the source-side elements corresponding to the target model predecessors and successors; optionally deleting border-spanning connections (e.g., if a change propagation action is performed during conflict resolution); and creating connections to and from the propagated object.
Still another aspect of certain example embodiments relates to propagating changes notwithstanding internal inconsistencies in a model.
In certain example embodiments, a method of propagating changes made in a first computer-represented model to a second first computer-represented model is provided. Input corresponding to at least one change to the first model is received, with the at least one change indicating that at least one object in the first model has been added, modified, and/or deleted. An instruction to propagate the at least one change made to the first model to the second model is received. At least one corresponding change propagation action (CPA) is executed, via at least one processor, to cause the at least one change made to the first model to be propagated to the second model in whole or in part as appropriate in achieving consistency between the first and second models following said executing. The at least one CPA including instructions that, when executed, comprise: determining whether the at least one change propagation action can be applied for the at least one change, and when it is determined that the at least one change propagation action can be applied for the change, linking the at least one object to at least one other object in the second model. Each said CPA corresponds to one or more corresponding transformation patterns or rules and includes program logic executable by the at least one processor to carry out the respective transformation pattern(s) or rule(s) in inverse direction(s). The first model is a technical-oriented model and the second model is a corresponding business-oriented model, or vice versa.
In certain example embodiments, a modeling system is configured to enable a user to propagate changes made in a first computer-represented model to a second computer-represented model. The system comprises processing resources that include at least one processor and a memory. The processing resources being programmed to: accept input corresponding to at least one user-specified change to the first model, with the at least one change indicating that at least one object in the first model has been added, modified, and/or deleted; receive an instruction to propagate the at least one change made to the first model to the second model; and execute at least one program logic bundle, selected from a group of executable program logic bundles, in order to selectively cause some or all alterations associated with the at least one change made to the first model to be propagated to the second model so that the first and second models become consistent with one another at least in one or more area(s) affected by the propagation. The at least one program logic bundle being programmed to: determine whether the at least one program logic bundle can be applied for the at least one change, and when it is determined that the at least one program logic bundle can be applied for the change, link the at least one object to at least one other object in the second model. Each program logic bundle corresponds to at least one respective transformation pattern or rule to be selectively applied in inverse direction(s) upon execution. The first model is a target of a transformation and a source of a propagation, and the second model is a source of the transformation and a target of the propagation.
According to certain example embodiments, the linking may includes, for an object added in the first model: (a) creating one or more corresponding elements in the second model; (b) searching for border objects adjacent to the object added in the first model that do not have a merge state conflict; (c) for each border object in the first model, identifying a corresponding border object in the second model; and (d) for each path from the object added in the first model to a border object in the first model: when there are one or more objects along the path, adding a direct connection from the object added in the first model to the respective border object, setting a merge state of the direct connection to indicate that it was added in the first model, and creating one or more corresponding connections in the second model; and otherwise: removing an added in target merge state from the existing single connection and adding one or more corresponding connections in the second model.
In certain example embodiments, there is provided a method for selectively propagating changes made in a first computer-represented model to a second computer-represented model across a modeling system comprising processing resources including at least one processor. An instruction to propagate at least one change made to the first model to the second model is received, with the change corresponding to an object being added in the first model. At least one corresponding change propagation action (CPA) is executed, via at least one processor, to cause the at least one change made to the first model to be propagated to the second model. The at least on corresponding CPA is practiced by: performing an enablement check to determine whether the at least one CPA can be applied for the at least one change, and when the enablement check indicates that the at least one CPA can be applied for the change, connecting the at least one object to at least one other object in the second model. The connecting is practiced, in connection with the processing resources, by at least:
(a) finding first model side border elements of the first model object that is being propagated o1st including: (i) storing all outbound directed paths that start at o1st and follow added-in-first-model connections to a list of outbound paths, pathout={path1out, . . . , pathnout}, (ii) defining a multiset of end objects for the outbound paths succ1st={s11st, . . . , sn1st}, this multiset being first model successors to o1st, (iii) storing all inbound directed paths that start at o1st and follow added-in-first-model connections (in an inverse direction) to a list of inbound paths, pathin={path1in, . . . , pathmin}, (iv) defining a multiset of start objects for the inbound paths pred1st={p11st, . . . , pn1st}, this multiset being first model predecessors to o1st, and (v) defining the union of the first model predecessors and successors succ1st∪pred1st=border1st, this union being the set of first model border objects;
(b) using trace information to find elements in the second model corresponding to the first model predecessors pred2nd{p12nd, . . . , pn2nd} andsuccessors suce2nd={s12nd, . . . , sn2nd}, and
(c) for each pi2ndεpred2nd (or each sk2ndεsucc2nd): (i) creating a connection from pi2nd to o2nd (or from o2nd to sk2nd) in the second model, wherein o2nd is the second model counterpart to o1st.
According to certain example embodiments, (c) may further include: (ii) if a length of the path pathiin length(pathiin) (pathkout length(pathkout)) corresponding to pi2nd (sk2nd) is 1: removing an added-in-first-model merge state of this path's single connection in the first model, and otherwise creating a connection from pi1st to o1st (or from o1st to sk1st) in the first model and setting a merge state thereof to added-in-second-model.
According to certain example embodiments, it may be desirable to, between (b) and (c), determine whether the corresponding CPA is performed during conflict resolution and, if so, for every pair (pi1st, sk1st) with pi1stεpred1st and sk1stεsucc1st for which there exists a connection cxn1st from pi1st to sk1st (or from sk1st to pi1st) whose merge state is added-in-second-model, deleting this connection cxn1st and delete cxn1st's corresponding connection cxn2nd in the second model from pi2nd to sk2nd (or from sk2nd to pi2nd) in the second model.
In certain example embodiments, a computer-implemented method of propagating changes made in a first computer-represented model to a second computer-represented model is provided. Input corresponding to at least one change to the first model is received, with the at least one change indicating that at least one object in the first model has been added and/or modified. At least one enablement check is performed to determine whether the at least one change can be propagated to the second model; and if so, the at least one change is propagated to the second model. The propagating comprises connecting the at least one object to at least one other object in the second model in accordance with at least one transformation pattern or rule.
In certain example embodiments, a modeling system for propagating changes made in a first computer-represented model to a second computer-represented model may be provided for carrying out this method.
Non-transitory computer readable storage mediums tangibly storing instructions for performing the above-summarized and/or other methods also are provided by certain example embodiments, as well as corresponding computer programs.
These features, aspects, advantages, and example embodiments may be used separately and/or applied in various combinations to achieve yet further embodiments of this invention. | {
"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. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Piezoelectric porcelain compositions are utilized in sound generators, vibrators, actuators, etc., as electrical-mechanical conversion elements utilizing the inverse piezoelectric effect, and also in sensors, generators, etc., as mechanical-electrical conversion elements utilizing the inverse piezoelectric effect. They are also utilized as electrical-mechanical-electrical circuit elements and also for mechanical-electrical-mechanical vibration control. Conventional piezoelectric porcelain compositions, normally, are constituted with Pb being the main ingredient. Conventional piezoelectric porcelain compositions are made, for example, of PZT constituted by two ingredients of PbZrO3 and PbTiO3, or of materials obtained by modifying PZT by Pb(Mg⅓Nb⅔)O3, Pb(Zn⅓Nb⅔)O3 or other third ingredient. Since Pb is harmful to the human body, however, efforts are underway to develop Pb-free piezoelectric materials.
Ferroelectrics, Vol. 160, P265-276 (1994) (Non-patent Literature 1) reports a Pb-free piezoelectric material made of a composite oxide of tungsten bronze type expressed by the formula Sr2-xCaxNaNb5O15 and, in particular, it reports that the composite oxide of tungsten bronze type has single-crystal piezoelectric characteristics. Also, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-240759 (Patent Literature 1) discloses, as piezoelectric porcelain for actuators, a composite oxide of tungsten bronze type expressed by the formula Sr2NaNb5O15. In Patent Literature 1, compositions that are obtained by partially substituting Nb of the composite oxide of tungsten bronze type with V and Ta, as well as those obtained by partially substituting Sr with at least one of Mg, B and Ca and also partially substituting Na with K, are proposed. Similarly, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-278932 (Patent Literature 2) discloses a composite oxide of tungsten bronze type expressed by the formula Sr2NaNb5O15, where compositions are proposed that are obtained by partially substituting Sr of this oxide with at least one of (Bi1/2Li1/2), (Bi1/2Na1/2) and (Bi1/2Na1/2) or with at least one of Mg, Ba and Ca. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-169229 (Patent Literature 3) discloses a piezoelectric material produced by adding 0.5 to 3 percent by weight of rare earth oxide Re2O3, as a characteristic improvement component, to a polycrystal piezoelectric compound expressed by the formula Sr2-xCaxNaNb5O15 (x=0.05 to 0.35). Particularly in Patent Literature 3, it is proposed that A in the composition expressed by the formula Sr2-xAxNaNb5O15 (in the formula, x=0.075 to 0.25) represent at least two types of elements selected from Ca, B and Mg. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 10-297969 (Patent Literature 4) discloses a piezoelectric ceramic material expressed by the formula (1−y)(Ba1-xSrx)Nb2O6-yNaNbO3, whose main ingredient is a porcelain component whose x is in the range of 0≦x≦1, while y is in the range of 0.15≦y<⅓. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other forms of malicious code may propagate through the Internet and other networks. Malicious code may be embedded in media data, such as audio or video data. Such malicious code may cause buffer overruns, for example, resulting in a computer executing arbitrary, and potentially malicious, code. In addition, hidden messages may also be embedded in media data, such as audio or video data. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The incidence of diabetes mellitus is increasing rapidly in developed countries due to increasing obesity, inactive lifestyles, and an aging population. Estimates by the World Health Organization have shown the current global prevalence of diabetes is 3% (194 million people) and is expected to increase in prevalence to 6.3% by 2025. As the incidence of diabetes increases, a corresponding increase in diabetes monitoring and care will be needed.
The goal of any type of diabetes care is to keep blood glucose levels as normal as possible. Complications of diabetes may be more prevalent if blood glucose is not controlled. Some examples of complications are high blood pressure, stroke, eye disease/blindness, kidney disease, heart disease, food disease and amputations, complications of pregnancy, skin and dental disease.
Those who suffer from diabetes must control blood glucose levels on a daily, and sometimes hourly, basis. Insulin is only effective if injected directly into the bloodstream where it may be used by the body to neutralize the effects of excessive blood sugar accumulation. Those who suffer from diabetes and their caregivers must become adept at determining the diabetic's blood glucose level, calculating the correct dosage of insulin required to help return the level to a normal range, loading a syringe with the calculated dosage, and administering the calculated dose through the use of the loaded syringe.
To determine the amount of insulin that is required, a user or caregiver must typically use a glucose monitoring system (aka glucose meter). To test glucose levels with a typical meter, blood is placed on a disposable test strip and placed in the meter. The test strips are coated with suitable chemicals, such as glucose oxidase, dehydrogenase, or hexokinase that combine with glucose in the blood. The meter measures how much glucose is present based on the reactions with these chemicals. Upon receiving the glucose reading, the user or caregiver may determine the amount of insulin required by the user by calculating the dosage required to modify the glucose level to a level in the normal range. The user or caregiver may then load that dose of insulin into a syringe and inject the user.
A concern in the use of a simple glucose meter is that there is no current device that is capable of giving a glucose reading and calculating the insulin dosage from that reading in a single device. An additional concern is that a user or caregiver may have difficulty seeing the markings on a syringe barrel and, subsequently, have difficulty determining when the appropriate dose has been drawn into the syringe barrel. A final concern is that the user, whether it is the diabetic or a caregiver, may be distracted and draw an inaccurate amount of the compound into the syringe barrel through simple inattention to the markings on the barrel. Therefore, new approaches are needed to improve the functionality and convenience of glucose meters. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Nowadays, people pay much attention to the air quality in the environment. For example, it is important to monitor carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOC), Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5), nitric oxide, sulfur monoxide, and so on. The exposure of these substances in the environment will cause human health problems or even harm the life. Therefore, it is important for every country to monitor the air quality in the environment, which is a topic currently being valued.
Generally, it is feasible to use a gas sensor to monitor the air quality in the environment. If the gas sensor is capable of immediately providing people with the monitored information relating to the environment for caution, it may help people escape or prevent from the injuries and influence on human health caused by the exposure of the substances described above in the environment. In other words, the gas sensor is suitably used for monitoring the ambient air in the environment.
Currently, to achieve reaction detection, the gas is transported to the reaction material of a surface of the gas sensor, and thus gas monitoring is performed. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, the gas sensor 2 is usually disposed in a separated detecting chamber 1 for performing gas detection, and thus the detected gas would not be interfered by external factors. The detecting chamber 1 has an inlet 1a and an outlet 1b. The external gas enters the detecting chamber 1 through the inlet 1a by natural convection and flows slowly, after which the gas is spread to the surface of the gas sensor 2 for performing the reaction detecting, and discharged through the outlet 1b, so that the gas detection is achieved. Since the gas to be monitored by the gas sensor 2 is guided into the detecting chamber 1 by natural convection, it takes too long to transport the gas so that the sensing efficiency of the gas sensor 2 is negatively affected, and the immediate detection cannot be achieved.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem and achieve the immediate detection, a fan (not shown) is assembled in the detecting chamber 1. Generally, a conventional fan is rotary motor-driven type. Although the fan speeds up the gas transportation to the detecting chamber 1, the sensitivity of sensing by the gas sensor 2 may be affected and distorted as the flow rate of the gas increases or chaos airflow occurs. This is because the gas molecule cannot be caught by the gas sensor 2 immediately for being dissolved in or bonded to the reaction material on the surface of the gas sensor 2. In addition, it takes time for the reaction material to react with the caught gas molecule. Therefore, a stable airflow of the gas flowing over the surface of the gas sensor 2 is required. The way of increasing the flow rate of gas by the fan is not suitable because it would cause high flow rate or chaos airflow. Moreover, as the fan is utilized to increase the flow rate of gas, a period of acceleration time is required for driving the fan while the fan is activated, so that the fan is driven to rotate at a specific rotational speed and generate high flow rate of gas. In addition, a period of deceleration time is required for stopping the fan from rotating. Therefore, when the fan is activated or deactivated, a period of acceleration time or deceleration time is required as the fan is driven in an inertial way. Since activating and deactivating the fan both take a period of time, adopting the fan to increase the flow rate of gas is not suitable for immediate detection. Consequently, there is a need of making the gas transportation appropriate for achieving the immediate detection.
There is a need to improve the gas sensor in monitoring the gas with accurate sensitivity and immediate response. In addition, there is a need of miniaturizing the gas sensor and the detecting chamber for possessing portability and monitoring everywhere and any time. If the fan is utilized to increase the flow rate of gas, the volume of the fan is hard to be miniaturized. Consequently, the present disclosure provides a portable gas detecting device capable of monitoring and sampling immediately. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Large scale flip dot displays are operated utilizing a matrix of rotatable pixels, each pixel having a permanent magnet. Current passes through an underlying electromagnet and generates a magnetic field that rotates the pixel up to 180 degrees to display one of two sides. Disadvantages of this type of display technology have prevented its usage much beyond large, outdoor signage. For example, flip dot displays require high voltage to actuate rotation of a pixel, usually not less than 18-32 volts with corresponding significant current consumption. Flip dot displays are also quite expensive per pixel, and has only been commercialized in very large segment sizes. Due to these power, size, and cost limitations the prior art and industrial applications of flip dot displays have focused solely on large, outdoor signage applications. Furthermore, present flip dot displays typically have a standard industrial look featuring a green, yellow, or white painted coating on one side of the pixel representing its “ON” optical state. The “ON” optical state has a high contrast and visibility against the matte black painted background or opposing side of the pixel representing the “OFF” optical state.
In a variety of consumer electronics products ranging from digital watches, clocks, and mobile phones the dull black-on-grey liquid crystal display (LCD) is predominant. Many manufacturers find that their target price points suffer in higher-end products due to the perceived lower value and design limitations of this dull looking display. In product categories such as watches, function has become less of a differentiator. Design manufacturers instead rely on the use of differing materials to convey value. A colored plastic band or watch case may be used in a low-end watch, while a metal case and leather band would be found in higher priced watches. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
While the specter of "spies" eagerly trying to obtain the defense information of various countries is very much still present in the defense and intelligence community, an equally massive threat now exists from technological or commercial "spies" who desire to obtain commercial and technical information from competing companies. These agents use sophisticated means similar to those used by the defense and intelligence community in order to obtain commercially valuable information that reveals the plans and commercial activities of competitors thereby allowing the aggressor company to obtain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Theft of commercially valuable information is a very real and ever present threat.
To combat this type of commercial spying, various complex systems have evolved to protect company proprietary information. These systems involve physical controls over personnel as well as over the data flowing in and out of a company. For example, most computer systems used within companies require a password to be entered before the system can be accessed. It is frequently the case that confidential or company proprietary information must be passed electronically from one location to another in order to convey that information within the company in a timely fashion. Such electronic communication is easily susceptible to interception if not protected in some other form.
Cryptographic systems have evolved to fill the needs of companies and individuals wanting to protect the proprietary commercial information of a company from competitors and those who generally should not have that information.
Encryption of data is therefore a critical requirement in denying access to confidential information from those who are not so authorized. Cryptographic "keys" are an essential part of the information encryption process. The cryptographic key, or "key" for short, is a sequence of letters, numbers, or bytes of information which are manipulated by a cryptographic algorithm to transform data from plain (readable) text to a series of unintelligible text or signals known as encrypted or cipher text. The key is then used by the receiver of the cipher text to decrypt the message back to plain text. However, for two people to communicate successfully using keys, each must use the same key, assuming that the same encryption/decryption algorithm is used on both ends of the communication.
Simple encryption of data being communicated between two points only provides one level of security, however. Encryption limits data communication to those who have the key. Anyone who has the key is privy to any communication at any location. That is, if a group of people are working on a particular project, they will all presumably share a key for decrypting information relating to the project. Some of the project group may be working in one location, while the rest of the group may be located in a distant city. If one member of the group wants to send a communication to a particular member in the other city, the key will afford him no protection because everyone in the project shares the same key. Likewise, if someone wants to communicate a message to a subset of the group, for example, only to management personnel, this key would again provide her with no extra security. In another case, someone may want to send a message that is capable of being read only at a particular computer terminal, or of being printed only at a particular printer. In these and other cases, multilevel multimedia key access, or individual keys issued to each person, would provide a solution, albeit one that is quite unwieldy, inflexible, and difficult to manage by a security officer or key administrator.
A secure method of labelling files or messages that are sent from a sending user to a receiving user over a network can provide a level of protection in addition to cryptographic protection. A file "label" for purposes of this invention means a series of letters or numbers, which may or may not be encrypted, separate from but associated with the sending of a message, which identifies the person, location, equipment, and/or organization which is permitted to receive the associated message. Using a secure labelling regimen, a network manager or user can be assured that only those messages meant for a certain person, group of persons, and/or location(s) are in fact received, decrypted, and ready by the intended receiver. Thus, a sending user can specify label conditions that limit access to the transmitted message. For example, many people within a company may have the key necessary to read a data file that a sender may transmit from his computer terminal to other terminals at another sits within his company. The sender may, however, wish to restrict reception to those persons present at a particular terminal. By employing a secure labelling technique in addition to encryption, the sender can be assured that people having the correct key to decrypt the message but working at different terminals will not receive or be allowed to access the communication. Access may be limited to particular people as well.
A system such as that described above is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/009,741, the specification of which is incorporated by reference herein.
A system that can limit access on an object level would be more flexible and would offer still more protection. Access could be specified on an object-by-object basis, and objects could be embedded within other objects, providing an access hierarchy for users.
The ability to cryptographically secure objects ensures the authentication and data integrity of the particular object or objects in question. If a device were able to cryptographically control an object(s) or nested object(s), then that device would have total control over the entire object and all other objects within it. This type of control over the knowledge/information flow would allow for clear data separation, and at some levels could become a transparent method. A system that is able to do this would be able to achieve multi-level multimedia security. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to the generation of fine bubbles and their application in two processes, one being airlift loop bioreactors and the other being particle, in particular, algal floc, separators.
Bubbles of gas in liquid are frequently required in many different applications and usually, but not exclusively, for the purpose of dissolving the gas in the liquid. Like any industrial process, it is generally desired that this be done in the most efficient manner possible. It is widely recognised that one way to achieve efficiency is to reduce the size of the bubbles. The surface area to volume ratio of a smaller bubble is higher. Moreover, the surface tension of a small bubble means that the gas pressure inside the bubble is relatively much higher than in a large bubble. Also small bubbles rise more slowly than large bubbles and they coalesce less quickly so that larger bubbles, that rise to the surface faster, are less quickly formed.
Applications that do not involve gas dissolution exist in oil wells where bubbles rising can transport oil to the surface in certain types of well. Here small bubbles are also advantageous because it takes them longer to coalesce and form the big slugs of gas that are not effective in raising oil. The reason large slugs are not effective is because they have a small surface area compared with small bubbles and it is the surface of bubbles to which articles adhere. It has also been discovered that in the case of particles being lifted by bubbles there is a correlation between bubble size and particle size, in the sense that approximately equal sized bubbles and particles results in good collision efficiency and thus floc formation.
The corollary problem connected with fine bubbles, however, is that they are harder to produce. Reducing the size of the aperture through which the bubble is injected into the liquid is a first step, since it is difficult to form small bubbles through a large aperture. But, even so, a bubble may reach a large size by growing while attached even to a small gas-supplying aperture. Bubble separation is a dynamic process. In any event, such reduction in aperture size is not without cost, because the friction resisting flow of the gas through such a fine aperture, and through the passage leading to the aperture, means that a greater pressure drop is required. The bubble forms once the size of the bubble goes beyond hemispherical and necking-off of the bubble can occur. However, more energy needs to be applied at this stage to finally detach the bubble and generally this is simply achieved by pressing more gas into it increasing its size.
Indeed, generally, bubbles can be no smaller in diameter than the diameter of the aperture through which they are injected, and reducing the size of the bubble increases the energy needed to produce them so that a limit is reached beyond which the efficiency of the system is not improved any further. In fact, getting bubbles anywhere near the size of the aperture (i.e., less than double) would be a significant advancement.
A further problem is that, as bubbles grow beyond hemispherical, the pressure inside them drops. Consequently, two or more bubbles grown in parallel from a common source tend to be unstable beyond hemispherical. What occurs is that, beyond the hemispherical stage, one bubble grows rather more rapidly than an adjacent one (for any of a number of reasons, eg perhaps one is closer to the pressure source and so there is correspondingly less drag and greater pressure to drive the bubble formation). Once there is a size differential there is also a pressure differential with the greater pressure being in the smaller bubble. Consequently, since the bubbles are connected, the smaller bubble inflates the larger one at the expense of its own growth. The result is that, where multiple conduits are connected to a common pressure source, only a few of them end up producing overly large bubbles.
This instability of bubble formation may lead to one of the bubbles growing out of proportion to the aperture size. The necking-off and separation is a dynamic phenomenon and if the unstable bubble grows fast, it may reach a big size before it separates.
Another problem with uncontrolled bubble formation is that colliding bubbles frequently coalesce, so that the extra effort of forming small bubbles is immediately wasted. Ideally, monodisperse bubbles should be provided with sufficient gap between them to prevent coalescing. Indeed, the conditions that lead to coalescing may be dependent on a number of factors connected with a particular site and application, and that, desirably tuning of a bubble generation system should be possible so that the most efficient bubble generation can be arranged.
WO99/31019 and WO99/30812 both solve the problem of fine bubble generation using relatively large apertures by injecting the gas into a stream of the liquid being driven through a small aperture directly in front of the gas exit aperture. The stream of liquid draws the gas into a fine stream, much narrower than the exit aperture for the gas, and fine bubbles ultimately form beyond the small aperture. However, the physical arrangement is quite complex, although bubbles of 0.1 to 100 microns are said to be produced. Furthermore, although the gas exit aperture is large, the liquid into which the gas is injected is necessarily under pressure to drive it through the small aperture which therefore implies that the gas pressure is necessarily also higher, which must mitigate some of the advantage.
Numerous publications recognise that vibration can assist detachment of a bubble or, in the case of EP1092541, a liquid drop. That patent suggests oscillating one side of an annular discharge orifice. The production of liquid drops in a gas matrix can sometimes be regarded as a similar problem to the production of gas bubbles in a liquid matrix.
SU1616561 is concerned with aeration of a fish tank which comprises forcing air through a pipe where apertures open between flaps that vibrate under the influence of the gas motion and produce fine bubbles.
GB1281630 employs a similar arrangement, but also relies on the resonance of a cavity associated with a steel flap to increase frequency of oscillation of the flap and thereby further reduce the size of the bubbles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,714 pressurises the far side of a perforated membrane through which the gas is forced into the liquid, the membrane being vibrated whereby smaller bubbles are produced.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,433 employs a different tack by stripping bubbles from hydrophobic hollow fibre membranes using volume flow of water over the fibres.
GB2273700 discloses an arrangement in which sonic vibrations are applied to the air in a sewage aeration device comprising a porous “organ pipe” arrangement, in which the pipe is vibrated sonically by the air flow. The invention relies on vibration of the aerator by virtue of the organ pipe arrangement, losing much of the energy input through inevitable damping by the surrounding water.
DE4405961 also vibrates the air in an aeration device for sewage treatment by mounting a motor driving the air pump on the aeration grid employed, and so that the grid vibrates with the natural vibration of the motor and smaller bubbles result. DE19530625 shows a similar arrangement, other than that the grid is oscillated by a reciprocating arrangement.
JP2003-265939 suggests ultrasonically vibrating the surface of a porous substrate through which a gas is passed into a liquid flowing over the surface.
From the above it is apparent that small bubble generation has application in the sewage treatment industry, in which it is desired to dissolve oxygen in the water being treated. This is to supply respiring bacteria that are digesting the sewage. The more oxygen they have, the more efficient the digestion process. However, a similar requirement exists in bioreactors and fermenters generally where they are sparged for aeration or other purposes. Specifically, the yeast manufacturing industry has this requirement, where growing and reproducing yeast bacteria need constant oxygen replenishment for respiration purposes. Another application is in the carbonisation of beverages, where it is desired to dissolve carbon dioxide into the beverage. A process not looking to dissolve the gas but nevertheless benefiting from small bubbles is in the extraction of hard-to-lift oil reserves in some fields which either have little oil left, or have the oil locked in sand. Indeed, much of the oil in Canada's oil reserves is in the form of oil sand. Bubbling gas up through such oil-bearing reserves has the effect of lifting the oil as the bubbles rise under gravity and bring the oil with them. The bubbles are formed in water and pumped into the well or reserve and the oil is carried at the interface between the gas and water of each bubble as it passes through the reserves. The smaller the bubble, the greater is the relative surface area for transport of the oil.
Another application of bubbles is in particle separation from a liquid suspension of the particles, of which an example application is algal separation. This might be desired for one or both of two reasons. A first reason is to clarify water contaminated with algae. A second reason is to harvest algae grown in water. The process is not limited to algal separation; any mixer comprising solid particles can comprise the use of bubbles which attach to suspended particles and carry them to the surface from which they may be scraped, either to recover the particles or clarify the water. However, attachment of the bubbles to the particles is problematic, particularly if the particles are charged when they may simply bounce off bubbles and not attach to them. Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is a known technique where air is dissolved under substantial pressure into water which, when released into the separation tank immediately releases large quantities of small bubbles. However, there are two issues. The first is the substantial energy requirements to compress and dissolve air in water. The second is the turbulence of the bubbles released into the tank.
It is an object of the present invention to improve upon the prior art arrangements. It is also an object to provide process applications using small bubbles. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Valve covers mounted on internal combustion engines used with current automobiles are being made of various types of materials. Some are made from a metallic material such as aluminum, magnesium, or steel while others are made using a thermoset plastic or thermoplastic material. The valve covers made of aluminum and magnesium are manufactured using a die cast process and afterwards coated with a clear coat of paint. Those made of steel are made using a stamping process and, afterwards, are also painted. Some of the stamped steel valve covers are tri-layer formed with a plastic constrained layer for sound dampening purposes.
One problem with the valve covers made of aluminum and magnesium is that they are quite costly to manufacture. Those presently made of steel or a plastic material may not be as costly to manufacture but use gaskets which are not part of the cover and are not reusable. As a result, the gasket which may be a molded silicone, a molded silicone with a metal carrier, or an RTV (room temperature vulcanized) silicone must be discarded from and replaced onto the sealing surface of the cover if the cover is removed for maintenance purposes. The aluminum and magnesium covers use a molded silicone gasket which is applied or pressed into a molded groove and is also discarded if the cover is removed for service. In addition, those valve covers which may use isolated fastener systems for sound dampening purposes require separate rubber bushing to be inserted into the mounting holes of the cover. As should be apparent, separate bushing inserts tend to increase the time needed to assemble the cover. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Pitching or otherwise throwing a baseball involves a coordinated body movement culminating in straightening the elbow joint as the baseball is released from the hand. More specifically, pitching involves four general phases: wind-up, cocking, acceleration, and follow-through. The wind-up and cocking phases involve bending the elbow joint and rotating the shoulder backward in preparation for propelling the baseball in a forward direction. During acceleration, the shoulder rotates forward while simultaneously straightening the elbow joint in order to accelerate the baseball. Once the baseball has achieved sufficient velocity, the baseball is released from the hand and flies in the forward direction. The pitcher then follows-through on the pitch, which may involve further extension of the elbow joint.
During both the acceleration and follow-through phases, a relatively large extension and valgus load may be placed on the elbow joint. More particularly, valgus stress may be placed on the elbow joint during the acceleration phase. Tensile forces that result from the valgus stress may cause injury to the flexor musculature, injury to the medial collateral ligaments, avulsion fractures of the medial epicondyles, and traction spurs of the ulnar coronoid, for example. Compressive forces associated with the acceleration phase may also result in osteochondral fracture of the capitellum, osteochondritis dissecans, deformity of the radial head, lateral epicondylitiss, and lateral collateral ligament sprain, for example. During the follow-through phase of the throwing motion, the triceps muscle forcefully extends the elbow, which may develop tensile forces along the length of the muscle-tendon unit. These forces may result, for example, in olecranon avulsion fractures, triceps strains, olecranon spurs, and joint degeneration.
Although the specific motions necessary to properly throw a fastball, curveball, and knuckleball, for example, may vary significantly, repeatedly pitching a baseball during practice or competition induces stresses in the elbow joint. As the number of pitches increases during a particular game, practice session, or over the course of a season, the repeated application of stresses to the elbow joint may lead to overuse syndromes of the elbow joint. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to high-performance, fault-tolerant HTTP, streaming media and applications delivery in a content delivery network (CDN).
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well-known to deliver HTTP and streaming media using a content delivery network (CDN). A CDN is a self-organizing network of geographically distributed content delivery nodes that are arranged for efficient delivery of digital content (e.g., Web content, streaming media and applications) on behalf of third party content providers. A request from a requesting end user for given content is directed to a “best” replica, where “best” usually means that the item is served to the client quickly compared to the time it would take to fetch it from the content provider origin server. An entity that provides a CDN is sometimes referred to as a content delivery network service provider or CDNSP.
Typically, a CDN is implemented as a combination of a content delivery infrastructure, a request-routing mechanism, and a distribution infrastructure. The content delivery infrastructure usually comprises a set of “surrogate” origin servers that are located at strategic locations (e.g., Internet Points of Presence, access points, and the like) for delivering copies of content to requesting end users. The request-routing mechanism allocates servers in the content delivery infrastructure to requesting clients in a way that, for web content delivery, minimizes a given client's response time and, for streaming media delivery, provides for the highest quality. The distribution infrastructure consists of on-demand or push-based mechanisms that move content from the origin server to the surrogates. An effective CDN serves frequently-accessed content from a surrogate that is optimal for a given requesting client. In a typical CDN, a single service provider operates the request-routers, the surrogates, and the content distributors. In addition, that service provider establishes business relationships with content publishers and acts on behalf of their origin server sites to provide a distributed delivery system. A well-known commercial CDN service that provides web content and media streaming is provided by Akamai Technologies, Inc. of Cambridge, Mass.
CDNSPs may use content modification to tag content provider content for delivery. Content modification enables a content provider to take direct control over request-routing without the need for specific switching devices or directory services between the requesting clients and the origin server. Typically, content objects are made up of a basic structure that includes references to additional, embedded content objects. Most web pages, for example, consist of an HTML document that contains plain text together with some embedded objects, such as .gif or jpg images. The embedded objects are referenced using embedded HTML directives, e.g., Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs). A similar scheme is used for some types of streaming content which, for example, may be embedded within an SMIL document. Embedded HTML or SMIL directives tell the client to fetch embedded objects from the origin server. Using a CDN content modification scheme, a content provider can modify references to embedded objects so that the client is told to fetch an embedded object from the best surrogate (instead of from the origin server).
In operation, when a client makes a request for an object that is being served from the CDN, an optimal or “best” edge-based content server is identified. The client browser then makes a request for the content from that server. When the requested object is not available from the identified server, the object may be retrieved from another CDN content server or, failing that, from the origin server.
In some CDNs, such as Akamai FreeFlow® content delivery service, data about the content provider's (CP's) objects, or so-called “metadata,” is often directly encoded “in-URL,” namely in the HTML or SMIL directives that are modified during the content modification process. More specifically, metadata is the set of all control options and parameters that determine how a CDN content server will handle a request for an object. Such metadata may include, for example, a CP code or other internal tracking number used, for example, to facilitate billing, coherence information (e.g., TTL or fingerprint) about how CDN servers should cache the object and maintain its freshness, a unique serial number value that may be used for load balancing, access control data, a hostname identifying the origin server where a copy of the object may be located, and other feature-specific metadata.
By including object metadata directly in the HTML or SMIL directives, content providers may set up their metadata as part of the publication process, i.e., without requiring changes in their web server or involving network operations personnel. The “in-URL” embedding technique ensures that any modified URL pointing to the CDN has, in a self-contained way, the information needed to serve the object. On the other hand, the modified URL generated by this process is often long and complex. In addition, some content providers may only have a need to specify site-wide or global metadata specifications.
Thus, there remains a need to provide a framework that allows for both a simple method of creating modified URLs for sites with simple global metadata specifications, while allowing arbitrary complexity for sites with arbitrarily complex metadata needs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
One or more embodiments of the invention are related to the field of containers. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention provides for a top mounting can container that enables for example one handed carrying of the can and container and/or simultaneous access, through a straw if desired, of the contents of the can and container after momentarily removing and reattaching the top mounting container to the can. An alternative configuration is where the container is removed from the can and utilized as a separate unit or vessel. When a pull tab removes a piece of the lid in a half-circle shape along a score line a system is provided whereby snacks may be selectively lifted and shaken into the mouth without the worry of spilling additional contents from the container. In effect a spill-free container is created. The independent vessel may be reattached to the can when desired.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cans generally include an inner chamber but do not include an integrated upper container to hold other food items for example. There are no known containers that couple with cans. When carrying a can, it is cumbersome to also carry a container with food in the same hand. It is generally not possible to access the contents of the can while also accessing the contents of an additional container while holding both in one hand, in other words, under normal circumstances one hand is required to access the contents of the can and another hand is generally required to access the contents of a container.
Known containers that couple with cups include food containers that fit onto the top of yogurt cups for example. Known containers have to be removed from the yogurt cup and then flipped over and opened before the contents of the container and cup may be accessed. Once flipped and opened such containers cannot couple while in the upright position to the yogurt cup, and additionally such containers cannot couple with a can.
Known containers that couple with bottles include gift containers that fit onto the top of bottles for example. It is generally not possible to access the contents of the bottles while also accessing the contents of the gift container.
Thus simultaneous access of the contents of cans, cups or bottles and the contents of a container is not possible while holding both in one hand. This makes for difficult drinking/eating canned liquids, such as tea, soda, beer, etc., and snacks, such as cookies, crackers, etc., in malls, public zoos, theaters, amusement parks, sports stadiums or in any other venue. For example, it is difficult to drink and eat while standing and walking to a desired location, normally it is necessary to stop and sit to use two hands to eat and drink.
Known objects that couple with the top of a can include “COMBINATION MULTIPLE-CANNISTER CARRIER AND LIP PROTECTION DEVICE” as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,588,275 to Borg. A planar ring with downward pointing flanges is described that allows for multiple cans to be carried together as a unit. The problem with the device is that it does not enable a container, for example filled with food to couple to the top of the device and hence, two hands are required to carry the cans held by the device and a container, for example with food. In addition, there is no contemplation of accessing the contents of the can while the device is coupled to the can. There is no contemplation of thermochromic materials to show the temperature of any associated portion of the can or device.
For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a top mounting can container. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present specification relates to power supplies and driver circuits that can supply power to loads, such as motors, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and other devices.
Various types of electrical devices include power supply circuits to provide the power needed for operation. Different electrical devices have different voltage and current needs. Motors, LEDs, and other components may operate using direct current (DC) power, but operating these components from an alternating current (AC) power source may be desirable. LEDs are semiconductor light sources that are used in a variety of applications. LEDs are general more efficient than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, and different types of LEDs can produce different colors. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to laser scanning systems, and more particularly to an automatic bar code symbol reading system in which an automatic hand-supportable laser scanner can be interchangeably utilized as either a portable hand-held laser scanner in an automatic "hands-on" mode of operation, or as a stationary laser projection scanner in an automatic "hands-free" mode of operation.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Bar code symbols have become widely used in many commercial environments such as, for example, point-of-sale (POS) stations in retail stores and supermarkets, inventory and document tracking, and diverse data control applications. To meet the growing demands of this recent innovation, bar code symbol readers of various types have been developed for scanning and decoding bar code symbol patterns and producing symbol character data for use as input in automated data processing systems.
In general, prior art bar code symbol readers using laser scanning mechanisms can be classified into two categories.
The first category of bar code symbol readers includes systems having lightweight, portable hand-held laser scanners which can be supported in the hand of the user. The user positions the hand-held laser scanner at a specified distance from the object bearing the bar code symbol, manually activates the scanner to initiate reading, and then moves the scanner over other objects bearing bar code symbols to be read. Prior art bar code symbol readers illustrative of this first category are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,387,297 to Swartz; 4,575,625 to Knowles; 4,845,349 to Cherry; 4,825,057 to Swartz, et al.; 4,903,848 to Knowles; 5,107,100 to Shepard, et al.; 5,080,456 to Katz, et al.; and 5,047,617 to Shepard et al.
The second category of bar code symbol readers includes systems having stationary laser scanners supported on or built into an immovable structure such as a supermarket counter. These laser scanners are referred to as countertop scanners and typically utilize a moving laser beam to create a laser scan pattern. Each object bearing a bar code symbol to be read is oriented by the user and then moved through the laser scan pattern in order to read the bar code symbol. Prior art bar code symbol scanners illustrative of this second category are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,086,476 to King; 4,960,985 to Knowles; and 4,713,532 to Knowles.
While prior art hand-held and stationary laser scanners have played an important role in the development of the bar code symbol industry, these devices have, however, suffered from a number of shortcomings and drawbacks. For example, hand-held laser scanners, although portable and lightweight, are not always convenient to use in assembly-line applications where the user processes bar coded objects over an extended period of time, or where the user requires the use of both hands in order to manipulate the objects. In some applications, hand-held laser scanners are difficult to manipulate while simultaneously moving objects or performing other tasks at a point-of-sale terminal. Stationary laser scanners, on the other hand, provide a desired degree of flexibility in many applications by allowing the user to manipulate bar coded objects with both hands. However, by their nature, stationary laser scanners render scanning large, heavy objects a difficult task as such objects must be manually moved into or through the laser scan field.
Attempting to eliminate the problems associated with the use of hand-held and stationary laser scanners, U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,297 to McMillan discloses a bar code symbol scanning system which combines the advantages of hand-held and stationary fixed laser scanners into a single scanning system which can be used in either a hands-on or hands-free mode of operation.
The bar code symbol scanning system in U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,297 includes a portable hand-held laser scanning device for generating electrical signals descriptive of a scanned bar code symbol. In the hands-on mode of operation, a trigger on the hand-held laser scanning device is manually actuated each time a bar code symbol on an object is to be read. The system further includes a fixture having a head portion for receiving and supporting the hand-held laser scanning device, and a base portion above, which the head portion is supported at a predetermined distance. In the hands-free mode of operation, the hand-held laser scanning device is supported by the fixture head portion above the fixture base portion in order to allow objects bearing bar code symbols to pass between the head and base portions of the fixture. In order to detect the presence of an object between the head and base portions of the fixture, the fixture also includes an object sensor operably connected to the hand-held laser scanning device. When the object sensor senses an object between the head portion and the base portion, the object sensor automatically initiates the hand-held laser scanning device supported in the fixture to read the bar code symbol on the detected object.
While the bar code symbol scanning system of U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,297 permits reading of printed bar code information using either a portable "hands-on" or stationary "hands-free" mode of operation, this system suffers from several significant shortcomings and drawbacks as well.
In particular, in the hands-on mode of operation, scanning bar code symbols requires manually actuating a trigger each time a bar code symbol is to be read. In the hands-free mode of operation, scanning bar code symbols requires passing the object bearing the bar code between the head and base portions of the fixture. However, in many instances where both hands are required to manipulate a bar coded object, the object is too large to be passed between the head and base portions of the fixture and thus scanning of the bar code symbol is not possible.
Thus, there is a great need in the bar code symbol reading art for a bar code symbol reading system which overcomes the above described shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art devices and techniques, while providing greater versatility in its use. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spin valve thin-film magnetic devices, thin-film magnetic heads, and floating type magnetic heads, and to methods for manufacturing spin valve thin-film magnetic devices, and more particularly, relates to a spin valve thin-film magnetic device in which the asymmetry thereof can be reduced.
2. Description of the Related Art
A giant magnetoresistive head is provided with a device having magnetoresistance, in which the device has a multilayer structure composed of a plurality of materials exhibiting giant magnetoresistance. Among several types of structures exhibiting giant magnetoresistance, a spin valve thin-film magnetic device may be mentioned as a device which has a relatively simple structure and a high rate of change in resistance with respect to application of a minute external magnetic field. As a spin valve thin-film magnetic device, a single spin valve thin-film magnetic device and a dual spin valve thin-film magnetic device may be mentioned.
FIGS. 28 and 29 show schematic cross-sectional views of conventional spin valve thin-film magnetic devices. FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view observed from a recording medium side, and FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view observed from a track width direction side.
In FIGS. 28 and 29, an X1 direction in the figure is the track width direction of the spin valve thin-film magnetic device, a Y direction in the figure is the direction of a leakage magnetic field from the magnetic recording medium, and a Z direction in the figure is the moving direction of the magnetic recording medium.
The spin valve thin-film magnetic device 9 shown in FIGS. 28 and 29 is a so-called a dual spin valve thin-film magnetic device composed of a free magnetic layer provided on each surface thereof in the thickness direction with a nonmagnetic conductive layer, a fixed magnetic layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer, in that order, from the free magnetic layer.
In the spin valve thin-film magnetic device 9, an underlying layer 115 is formed on an insulating layer 264, and on the underlying layer 115, a second antiferromagnetic layer 172, a second fixed magnetic layer 151, a second nonmagnetic conductive layer 132, a free magnetic layer 141, a first nonmagnetic conductive layer 131, a first fixed magnetic layer 121, a first antiferromagnetic layer 171, and a cap layer 114 are sequentially formed, in that order.
In addition, on both sides of a laminate composed of the layers from the underlying layer 115 to the cap layer 114 in the X1 direction in the figure, conductive layers 116 and 116, interlayers 117 and 117, bias layers 118 and 118, and bias underlying layers 119 and 119 are formed.
The first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151 are magnetized respectively by exchange anisotropic magnetic fields which appear at the interfaces between the first fixed magnetic layers 121 and the first antiferromagnetic layers 171 and between the second fixed magnetic layer 151 and the second antiferromagnetic layer 172, and the magnetization directions of the first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151 are fixed in the Y direction in the figure.
The free magnetic layer 141 is placed in a single domain state by the bias layers 118 and 118, and the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer 141 is aligned in the direction opposite to the X1 direction in the figure, i.e., in the direction crossing the magnetization directions of the first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151.
When the free magnetic layer 141 is placed in a single domain state, the generation of Barkhausen noise is prevented.
In this spin valve thin-film magnetic device 9, when sensing current is imparted from the conductive layers 116 and 116 to the free magnetic layer 141, the first and the second nonmagnetic conductive layers 131 and 132, and the first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151, and when leakage magnetic field from the magnetic recording medium running to the Z direction is imparted to the free magnetic layer 141 in the Y direction in the figure, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer 141 is changed from the direction opposite to the X1 direction to the Y direction. The combination of the change in the magnetization direction in the free magnetic layer 141 and the magnetization directions of the first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151 changes the electrical resistance, and the leakage magnetic field from the recording medium is detected by the change in voltage in accordance with the change in the electrical resistance.
In a typical spin valve thin-film magnetic device, as shown in FIG. 30, when an external magnetic field from the recording medium is not applied, it is ideal for the magnetization direction H3 of the free magnetic layer 141 to be perpendicular to the magnetic directions H1 and H2 of the first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151.
However, in the conventional spin valve thin-film magnetic device 9, ferromagnetic interlayer coupling occurs between the free magnetic layer 141 and the first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151 with the first and the second nonmagnetic conductive layers 131 and 132, respectively, and as a result, magnetic moments H4 and H5 are generated by the ferromagnetic interlayer coupling magnetic fields. The directions of the magnetic moments H4 and H5 are parallel to the magnetization directions of the first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151, i.e., the directions of the magnetic moments H4 and H5 are in the Y direction in the figure.
Consequently, since the magnetization direction H3 of the free magnetic layer 141 is inclined by the magnetic field moments H4 and H5 to the Y direction so as to be H6, and hence, the magnetization direction H6 of the free magnetic layer 141 cannot be perpendicular to the magnetization directions H1 and H2 of the first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151, there is a problem in that an asymmetric property (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9casymmetryxe2x80x9d) of wave shapes for reading is increased.
In addition, in the conventional spin valve thin-film magnetic device 9, as shown in FIG. 31, when an external magnetic field from the recording medium is not applied, it is ideal for the magnetization direction H3 of the free magnetic layer 141 to be perpendicular to the magnetic directions H1 and H2 of the first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151. However, dipole magnetic fields H14 and H15 leaked from the first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151, respectively, penetrate into the free magnetic layer 141 from the direction opposite to the Y direction in the figure and incline the magnetization direction H3 of the free magnetic layer 141 toward the magnetization direction H16 which is a direction opposite to the Y direction. As a result, the magnetization direction H16 of the free magnetic layer 141 cannot be perpendicular to the magnetization directions H1 and H2 of the first and the second fixed magnetic layers 121 and 151, and there is a problem in that the asymmetry wave shapes for reading, i.e., the asymmetry, is increased.
In consideration of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provides a spin valve thin-film magnetic device in which the inclination of the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer can be prevented, and the asymmetry can be reduced, a thin-film magnetic head provided with the spin valve thin-film magnetic device, and a floating type magnetic head provided with the thin-film magnetic head. The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing the spin valve thin-film magnetic device described above.
To these ends, the structures described below are employed in the present invention.
A spin valve thin-film magnetic device according to the present invention, comprises a free magnetic layer, a pair of nonmagnetic conductive layers formed on both sides of the free magnetic layer in the thickness direction thereof, a pair of fixed magnetic layers formed on the pair of nonconductive layers, a pair of antiferromagnetic layers formed on the pair of fixed magnetic layers, a pair of conductive layers imparting a sensing current to the free magnetic layer, the pair of nonmagnetic conductive layers, and the pair of fixed magnetic layers, and a pair of bias layers for aligning a magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer, wherein the free magnetic layer is a laminate composed of at least 2L ferromagnetic layers with a nonmagnetic interlayer provided therebetween, the L being an integer of 1 or more, in which magnetization directions of the ferromagnetic layers adjacent to each other are antiparallel to each other so that the entire free magnetic layer is in a ferrimagnetic state; one of the pair of the fixed magnetic layers is a laminate composed of at least 2M ferromagnetic layers with a nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, the M being an integer of 1 or more, in which magnetization directions of the ferromagnetic layers adjacent to each other are antiparallel to each other so that the entire fixed magnetic layer is in a ferrimagnetic state, and a magnetization direction of the entire fixed magnetic layer is fixed in a direction crossing the magnetization direction of the entire free magnetic layer by an exchange coupling magnetic field formed by the fixed magnetic layer and one of the antiferromagnetic layers adjacent thereto; the other fixed magnetic layer is a laminate composed of at least 2N ferromagnetic layers with a nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, the N being an integer of 1 or more, in which magnetization-directions of the ferromagnetic layers adjacent to each other are antiparallel to each other so that the entire other fixed magnetic layer is in a ferrimagnetic state, and a magnetization direction of the entire other fixed magnetic layer is fixed in a direction parallel to the magnetization direction of the fixed magnetic layer by an exchange coupling magnetic field formed by the other fixed magnetic layer and the other antiferromagnetic layer adjacent thereto; and a magnetization direction of a ferromagnetic layer, which is closest to the free magnetic layer among the ferromagnetic layers forming the fixed magnetic layer, and a magnetization direction of a ferromagnetic layer, which is closest to the free magnetic layer among the ferromagnetic layers forming the other fixed magnetic layer, are antiparallel to each other.
According to the spin valve thin-film magnetic device described above, the fixed magnetic layer is composed of the even number 2L of ferromagnetic layers, and the other fixed magnetic layer is composed of the even number 2N of ferromagnetic layers, in which, when magnetization directions of these fixed magnetic layers are parallel to each other, magnetization directions of ferromagnetic layers, which are closest to the free magnetic layer among ferromagnetic layers forming individual fixed magnetic layers, are simultaneously antiparallel to each other. Consequently, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer can be aligned in the direction perpendicular to the magnetization directions of these fixed magnetic layers.
The magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer can generally be aligned in one direction by the bias layers. However, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer provided between the fixed magnetic layers may be inclined depending on the magnetizations thereof, and as a result, the asymmetry may not be reduced in some cases.
However, according to the spin valve thin-film magnetic device described above, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer is unlikely to be influenced by the magnetizations of the fixed magnetic layers, and hence, the asymmetry can be reduced.
In the spin valve thin-film magnetic device of the present invention described above, the direction of a magnetic field moment Hb1 of a ferromagnetic exchange coupling magnetic field formed by ferromagnetic interlayer coupling of the free magnetic layer and a ferromagnetic layer, which is closest to the free magnetic layer among the ferromagnetic layers forming the fixed magnetic layer, and the direction of a magnetic field moment Hb2 of a ferromagnetic exchange coupling magnetic field formed by ferromagnetic interlayer coupling of the free magnetic layer and a ferromagnetic layer, which is closest to the free magnetic layer among the ferromagnetic layers forming the other fixed magnetic layer, are antiparallel to each other in the free magnetic layer.
According to the spin valve thin-film magnetic device described above, since the directions of the magnetic moments Hb1 and Hb2 of the ferromagnetic interlayer coupling magnetic fields formed by the free magnetic layer and the individual ferromagnetic layers, which are closest to the free magnetic layer among the ferromagnetic layers forming the fixed magnetic layer and the other fixed magnetic layer, are antiparallel to each other in the free magnetic layer, the ferromagnetic interlayer coupling magnetic fields counteract each other, and hence, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer is not inclined by the ferromagnetic interlayer coupling magnetic fields. As a result, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer can be aligned in the direction perpendicular to those of the fixed magnetic layers, and hence, the asymmetry of the spin valve thin-film magnetic device can be reduced.
In the spin valve thin-film magnetic device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the L be 1, the M be 1, and the N be 1.
When the spin valve thin-film magnetic device has the structure as described above, the thicknesses of the free magnetic layer and the fixed magnetic layers are decreased, and shunting of the sensing current can be prevented, whereby the rate of change in magnetoresistance can be increased.
In the spin valve thin-film magnetic device according to the present invention, it is preferable that one of the fixed magnetic layers described above be composed of a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer with a first nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, in which the thickness of the second ferromagnetic layer formed at a location closer to the free magnetic layer is larger than that of the first ferromagnetic layer, and that the other fixed magnetic layer be composed of a third ferromagnetic layer and a fourth ferromagnetic layer with a second nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, in which the thickness of the third ferromagnetic layer formed at a location closer to the free magnetic layer is smaller than that of the fourth ferromagnetic layer.
In addition, in the spin valve thin-film magnetic device according to the present invention, one of the fixed magnetic layers described above may be composed of a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer with a first nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, in which the thickness of the second ferromagnetic layer formed at a location closer to the free magnetic layer is smaller than that of the first ferromagnetic layer, and that the other fixed magnetic layer may be composed of a third ferromagnetic layer and a fourth ferromagnetic layer with a second nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, in which the thickness of the third ferromagnetic layer disposed at a location closer to the free magnetic layer is larger than that of the fourth ferromagnetic layer.
A thin-film magnetic head of the present invention is capable of reading magnetically written information, which comprises one of the spin valve thin-film magnetic devices described above.
A floating type magnetic head of the present invention comprises a slider and the thin-film magnetic head described above provided in the slider.
Since the thin-film magnetic head and the floating type magnetic head comprise the spin valve thin-film magnetic devices in which the asymmetry thereof is reduced, a superior symmetric property of wave shapes for reading can be obtained, and the rate of occurrence of errors in reading can be reduce.
A method for manufacturing a spin valve thin-film magnetic device of the present invention, comprises a step of forming an antiferromagnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer composed of at least 2M ferromagnetic layers coupled antiferromagnetically with each other with a nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, in which the M is an integer of 1 or more, a nonmagnetic conductive layer, a free magnetic layer composed of at least 2L ferromagnetic layers coupled antiferromagnetically with each other with a nonmagnetic interlayer provided therebetween, in which the L is an integer of 1 or more, the other nonmagnetic conductive layer, the other fixed magnetic layer composed of at least 2N ferromagnetic layers coupled antiferromagnetically with each other with a nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, in which the N is an integer of 1 or more, and the other antiferromagnetic layer so as to form a laminate; and a step of performing a heat treatment for the laminate, while an external magnetic field is applied to the laminate, which is smaller than a magnetic field at which spin flop transformations occur in the ferromagnetic layers forming the fixed magnetic layer and the other fixed magnetic layer, whereby exchange coupling magnetic fields appear between the antiferromagnetic layer and the fixed magnetic layer and between the other antiferromagnetic layer and the other fixed magnetic layer.
The external magnetic field is preferably 8.0xc3x97104 A/m or less.
According to the method for manufacturing a spin valve thin-film magnetic device described above, by the step of forming the laminate composed of the free magnetic layer, the fixed magnetic layers, the nonmagnetic conductive layers, and the antiferromagnetic layers, as described above, followed by the step of performing the heat treatment while the external magnetic field is applied which is smaller than that at which spin flop transformations occur in the individual ferromagnetic layers forming the fixed magnetic layers, a spin valve thin-film magnetic device as described above can be easily manufactured.
In addition, in order to solve the conventional problems described above, the structures described below are employed in the present invention.
A spin valve thin-film magnetic device according to the present invention, comprises a free magnetic layer, a pair of nonmagnetic conductive layers formed on both sides of the free magnetic layer in the thickness direction thereof, a pair of fixed magnetic layers formed on the pair of nonconductive layers, a pair of antiferromagnetic layers formed on the pair of fixed magnetic layers, a pair of conductive layers imparting a sensing current to the free magnetic layer, the pair of nonmagnetic conductive layers, and the pair of fixed magnetic layers, and a pair of bias layers for aligning a magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer, wherein the free magnetic layer is a laminate composed of at least 2L ferromagnetic layers with a nonmagnetic interlayer provided therebetween, the L being an integer of 1 or more, in which magnetization directions of the ferromagnetic layers adjacent to each other are antiparallel to each other so that the entire free magnetic layer is in a ferrimagnetic state; one of the pair of fixed magnetic layers is a laminate composed of at least 2M ferromagnetic layers with a nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, the M being an integer of 1 or more, in which magnetization directions of the ferromagnetic layers adjacent to each other are antiparallel to each other so that the entire fixed magnetic layer is in a ferrimagnetic state, and a magnetization direction of the entire fixed magnetic layer is fixed in a direction crossing the magnetization direction of the entire free magnetic layer by an exchange coupling magnetic field formed by the fixed magnetic layer and one of the antiferromagnetic layer adjacent thereto; the other fixed magnetic layer is one of a single ferromagnetic layer and a laminate composed of at least 2N+1 ferromagnetic layers with a nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, the N being an integer of 1 or more, magnetization directions of the ferromagnetic layers adjacent to each other being antiparallel to each other so that the entire other fixed magnetic layer is in a ferrimagnetic state, and a magnetization direction of the entire other fixed magnetic layer is fixed so as to be antiparallel to the magnetization direction of the fixed magnetic layer by an exchange coupling magnetic field formed by the other fixed magnetic layer and the other antiferromagnetic layer adjacent thereto; and a magnetization direction of a ferromagnetic layer, which is closest to the free magnetic layer among the ferromagnetic layers forming the fixed magnetic layer, and a magnetization direction of a ferromagnetic layer, which is closest to the free magnetic layer among the ferromagnetic layers forming the other fixed magnetic layer, are antiparallel to each other.
According to the thin-film magnetic device described above, the fixed magnetic layer is composed of 2L ferromagnetic layers, i.e., an even number of ferromagnetic layers, and the other fixed magnetic layer is composed of a single ferromagnetic layer or 2N+1 ferromagnetic layers, i.e., an odd number of ferromagnetic layers, in which, when the magnetization directions of these fixed magnetic layers are antiparallel to each other, magnetization directions of ferromagnetic layers, which are closest to the free magnetic layers among ferromagnetic layers forming individual fixed magnetic layers, are simultaneously antiparallel to each other. Consequently, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer can be aligned in the direction perpendicular to the magnetization directions of these fixed magnetic layers.
The magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer can generally be aligned in one direction by the bias layers. However, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer provided between the fixed magnetic layers may be inclined depending on the magnetizations thereof, and as a result, the asymmetry may not be reduced in some cases.
However, according to the spin valve thin-film magnetic device described above, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer is unlikely to be influenced by the magnetizations of the fixed magnetic layers, and hence, the asymmetry can be reduced.
In the spin valve thin-film magnetic device of the present invention described above, the direction of a magnetic field moment Hb1 of a ferromagnetic exchange coupling magnetic field formed by ferromagnetic interlayer coupling of the free magnetic layer and a ferromagnetic layer, which is closest to the free magnetic layer among the ferromagnetic layers forming the fixed magnetic layer, and the direction of a magnetic field moment Hb2 of a ferromagnetic exchange coupling magnetic field formed by ferromagnetic interlayer coupling of the free magnetic layer and a ferromagnetic layer, which is closest to the free magnetic layer among the ferromagnetic layers forming the other fixed magnetic layer, are antiparallel to each other in the free magnetic layer.
According to the spin valve thin-film magnetic device described above, since the directions of the magnetic moments Hb1 and Hb2 of the ferromagnetic interlayer coupling magnetic fields formed by the free magnetic layer and the individual ferromagnetic layers, which are closest to the free magnetic layer among the ferromagnetic layers forming the fixed magnetic layer and the other fixed magnetic layer, are antiparallel to each other in the free magnetic layer, the ferromagnetic interlayer coupling magnetic fields counteract each other, and hence, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer is not inclined by the ferromagnetic interlayer coupling magnetic fields. As a result, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer can be aligned in the direction perpendicular to those of the fixed magnetic layers, and hence, the asymmetry of the spin valve thin-film magnetic device can be reduced.
According to the spin valve thin-film magnetic device of the present invention described above, the direction of a magnetic moment Hd1 of a dipole magnetic field of the fixed magnetic layer and the direction of a magnetic moment Hd2 of a dipole magnetic field of the other fixed magnetic layer is antiparallel to each other in the free magnetic layer.
In the spin valve thin-film magnetic device described above, since the directions of the magnetic moments Hd1 and Hd2 of the dipole magnetic fields of the fixed magnetic layer and the other fixed magnetic layer are antiparallel to each other in the free magnetic layer, the dipole moments of the fixed magnetic layers counteract each other, and the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer is not inclined by these dipole magnetic fields, whereby the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer can be aligned in the direction perpendicular to the magnetization directions of the fixed magnetic layers, and hence, the asymmetry of the spin valve thin-film magnetic device can be reduced.
In addition, according to the spin valve thin-film magnetic device of the present invention, when the sensing current flows in the pair of nonmagnetic conductive layers, a magnetic moment Hs of a sensing current magnetic field applied to the free magnetic layer is represented by the formula described below.
Hb1+Hb2+Hd1+Hd2+Hs≅0
According to the spin valve thin-film magnetic device described above, since the sum of the magnetic moments Hb1 and Hb2 of the ferromagnetic interlayer coupling magnetic fields applied to the free magnetic layer, the magnetic moments Hd1 and Hd2 of the dipole magnetic fields, and the magnetic moment Hs of the sensing current magnetic field is zero, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer is not inclined by these magnetic moments, and the asymmetry of the spin valve thin-film magnetic device can be zero.
In the spin valve thin-film magnetic device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the L be 1, the M be 1, and the other fixed magnetic layer be a single ferromagnetic layer.
In addition, in the spin valve thin-film magnetic device according to the present invention, the L may be 1, the M may be 1, and the N may be 1.
When the spin valve thin-film magnetic device is formed as described above, the thicknesses of the free magnetic layer and the fixed magnetic layers are decreased, and shunting of the sensing current can be prevented, whereby the rate of change in magnetoresistance can be increased.
In the spin valve thin-film magnetic device according to the present invention, when sensing current flows, the direction of the sensing current magnetic field applied to the fixed magnetic layer and the magnetization direction of the entire fixed magnetic layer are in the same direction, and the direction of the sensing current magnetic field applied to the other fixed magnetic layer and the magnetization direction of the entire other fixed magnetic layer are in the same direction.
According to the spin valve thin-film magnetic device described above, since the directions of the sensing current magnetic fields, which are generated when the sensing current flows in each nonmagnetic conductive layer, are in the same directions as the magnetization directions of the corresponding fixed magnetic layers, the magnetizations of the fixed magnetic layers are not counteracted by the sensing current magnetic fields, and the magnetizations of the fixed magnetic layers can be reliably fixed, whereby the asymmetry of the spin valve thin-film magnetic device can be reduced.
The thin-film magnetic head of the present invention is capable of reading magnetically written information, which comprises one of the spin valve thin-film magnetic devices described above.
In addition, the floating type magnetic head of the present invention comprises a slider and the thin-film magnetic head described above provided in the slider.
Since the thin-film magnetic head and the floating type magnetic head comprise the spin valve thin-film magnetic devices described above in which the asymmetry thereof is reduced, the symmetry of wave shapes for reading is superior, and the rate of occurrence of errors in reading can be reduced.
A method for manufacturing a spin valve thin-film magnetic device according to the present invention, comprises the steps of forming an antiferromagnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer composed of at least 2M ferromagnetic layers with a nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, in which the M is an integer of 1 or more, a nonmagnetic conductive layer, a free magnetic layer composed of at least 2L ferromagnetic layers with a nonmagnetic interlayer provided therebetween, in which the L is an integer of 1 or more, the other nonmagnetic conductive layer, the other fixed magnetic layer composed of one of a single ferromagnetic layer and at least 2N+1 ferromagnetic layers with a nonmagnetic layer provided therebetween, in which the N is an integer of 1 or more, and the other antiferromagnetic layer so as to form a laminate; and performing a heat treatment for the laminate, while an external magnetic field is applied to the laminate so as to align magnetization directions of all ferromagnetic layers forming the fixed magnetic layer and the other fixed magnetic layer in the same direction, whereby exchange coupling magnetic fields appear between the antiferromagnetic layer and the fixed magnetic layer and between the other antiferromagnetic layer and the other fixed magnetic layer.
In addition, the external magnetic field is preferably 4.0xc3x97105 A/m or more.
According to the method for manufacturing a spin valve thin-film magnetic device, by the step of forming the laminate composed of the free magnetic layer, the fixed magnetic layers, the nonmagnetic conductive layers, and the antiferromagnetic layers, as described above, followed by the step of performing the heat treatment while the external magnetic field is applied which is sufficient so as to align the magnetization directions of all ferromagnetic layers forming the fixed magnetic layers in the same direction, a spin valve thin-film magnetic device as described above can be easily manufactured. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio processing device that performs audio signal processing to a digital audio signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there is an audio processing device that is configured to activate so as to achieve energy saving when external equipment is connected. As the audio processing device, there is an AV receiver that performs audio signal processing such as sound field processing, D/A conversion, and amplification to a digital audio signal (for example, see JP 2015-065502 A). FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating configuration of a conventional AV receiver. For example, an AV receiver 101 is connected to a CD player that is external equipment by an optical digital cable. The CD player reads digital data from a CD and outputs an SPDIF signal to the AV receiver 101.
The AV receiver 101 includes a receiving circuit 103, a detection circuit 103, and a microcomputer 102. The AV receiver 101 includes a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and so on, but description is omitted. The receiving circuit 103 receives the SPDIF signal that is output from the CD player. The detection circuit 104 detects that a digital audio signal terminal is connected and supplies a detection signal. The microcomputer 102 activates the AV receiver 101 when the detection circuit 104 supplies the detection signal.
However, it cannot be judged whether the SPDIF signal is an audio signal indicating sound or not because the SPDIF signal is a bi-phase signal. For this reason, there is a problem that although the SPDIF signal is silence, the AV receiver activates, and wasteful electric power is consumed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
As described in my U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/543,342, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, a perfect bound book comprises a book block having a plurality of text pages, one edge of which constitutes a spine. The book typically has a one piece cover of a stock heavier than the stock from which the text pages are printed. The cover has a center spine area that is adhesively bound to the spine of the book by a suitable adhesive (preferably a hot melt adhesive) that has been applied to the spine at an adhesive application station immediately prior to being brought into contact with the cover. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 of the above-identified U.S. patent application, the adhesive application station typically includes a heated reservoir in which a quantity of the desired hot melt adhesive is melted and contained. The adhesive is maintained at a suitable elevated temperature (e.g., up to about 400° F., depending on the adhesive). The adhesive application station has a rotary wheel or drum that is partially immersed in the liquid adhesive such that when the wheel is rotated about a horizontal axis, the periphery of the wheel will be coated with the adhesive such that when the spine of the book block is brought into engagement with the wheel and when the wheel is moved lengthwise along the spine (or when the spine is moved relative to the wheel), the adhesive will be transferred to the spine.
Because of this, the low density molecules in the adhesive are evaporated (boiled off) thus altering the chemistry and viscosity of the hot melt adhesive. This, in turn, changes the application and performance of the bind.
It has also been found that the viscosity of the adhesive is inversely proportional to the temperature of the mixture and inversely proportional to the amount of low density molecules in the mixture. Viscosity of the adhesive has an important bearing on the speed and height of the glue wave (as described in my above-noted U.S. patent application) to achieve a proper application of glue to the spine of the book block. As the level of low density molecules are reduced, it becomes more difficult to “wet” the spine of the book block because the more viscous adhesive has more surface tension, which inhibits the application of the adhesive to the spine. Of course, if the spine is not properly wetted by the liquid adhesive, the adhesion of the adhesive to the spine and the adhesive of the cover to the adhesive on the spine is diminished. This adversely affects the strength of the bind. Thus, replacement of the supply of adhesive in the heated reservoir required. Of course, when it becomes necessary to drain the old adhesive from the reservoir, to replace the adhesive with new adhesive, and to bring the new adhesive up to operating temperature, this requires the POD book publishing system to be out of service for up to about an hour.
It will be understood that for print on demand (POD) book publishing systems, such as disclosed in the above-identified U.S. patent application, books are not continuously produced, but rather are typically produced as they are ordered by customers. Accordingly, significant periods of time may pass between the time one book is produced and the next book has been ordered. Because it takes time to heat the adhesive in the reservoir (e.g., 30-45 minutes or more), the reservoir is typically maintained in its heated state such that a book may be immediately produced upon the system being commanded to print the next book. As further disclosed in the above-noted U.S. patent application, one preferred adhesive is adhesive HM8101 commercially available from Capital Adhesives of Mooresville, Ind. However, other hot melt adhesives may be used, depending on a number of factors. Typically, such hot melt adhesives are complex organic compounds and admixtures having a wide array of molecules of different molecular weights, and different temperature and vaporization characteristics. As these hot melt adhesives are maintained at their elevated application temperatures in the heated reservoir for extended periods of time, certain of the more volatile organic compounds will vaporize and outgas from the adhesive thus changing the makeup of the remaining adhesive. If sufficient amounts of the more volatile compounds are vaporized, the adhesive or binding characteristics of the remaining adhesive may be adversely affected, thus resulting in improper binding of the book. Thus, from time-to-time, it has been necessary to change the adhesive in the reservoir to insure that satisfactory binding will result.
However, it has been difficult to judge when the adhesive in the reservoir should be replaced with fresh adhesive. It will be understood that upon changing the adhesive, it may again take a considerable time to allow the new adhesive to be heated to its desired application temperature (e.g., about 30-45 minutes, or more), during which time the apparatus will be down unable to bind books. It will be appreciated that if the print on demand (POD) book publishing system is used to produce books in sufficient quantity, adhesive must be added to the reservoir on a regular basis such that the adhesive is not resident in the reservoir for extended periods and such that the adhesive characteristics of the adhesive may be maintained for extending periods of time such that it is not necessary to drain and replace the adhesive in the reservoir On the other hand, if the POD system is only used occasionally and if the adhesive remains heated in the reservoir for extended periods so that the POD system will be ready for use with little or no warm-up period, the quality of the adhesive in the reservoir may be degraded relative quickly, depending on the characteristics of the adhesive being used. Thus, it is only desirable to change the adhesive when the adhesive in the reservoir has degraded to the point where it will not satisfactorily bind books. However, there has been a long-standing problem for the operator of the POD system to know when it would be desirable to change the adhesive in the reservoir so as to maintain the quality of the bound books without having to unnecessarily change the adhesive, which will result in the POD apparatus being out of service. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Photodynamic therapy can be used for the treatment of a variety of oncological, cardiovascular, dermatological, and ophthalmic diseases. In cancer treatment, for example, photoactive materials can be preferentially localized in tumor tissues upon systemic administration and then can be irradiated to produce reactive species that can irreversibly damage cells. Under appropriate conditions, such a method can selectively destroy diseased tissues without damaging adjacent healthy tissues.
Many photoactive drugs and dyes are hydrophobic (due to at least some organic content), however, and this has required the development of various different delivery vehicles or carriers to enable the stable dispersion of such photoactive compounds into aqueous systems. Carriers have included oil-dispersions (micelles), liposomes, polymeric micelles, hydrophilic drug-polymer complexes, and so forth. Some such approaches have elicited hypersensitivity reactions, and others have suffered from relatively poor drug loading, self-aggregation of the drug, and/or accumulation of the drug in normal tissues.
Ceramic-based nanoparticles such as organically-modified silicates have also been doped with photoactive drugs or dyes for use as delivery vehicles. Such nanoparticles are generally quite stable, can effectively protect doped molecules from extreme pH and temperature conditions, can be easily functionalized with various different surface-modifying groups, and at least some are known for their compatibility with biological systems. Processes for the preparation of such doped ceramic-based nanoparticles have typically involved the use of organic solvent (which can hinder particle formation), however, and have suffered from other drawbacks such as the need for multiple process steps, multiple catalysts, formation of micellar compositions, and/or production of core-shell particle structures. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a semiconductor chip and, more particularly, to a semiconductor chip having first and second operation modes of different consumption currents.
There is a semiconductor chip having a first operation mode in which first current is consumed and a second operation mode in which second current larger than the first current is consumed (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-211640).
The semiconductor chip has a reference voltage generating circuit for generating reference voltage, first and second regulators for generating power supply voltage on the basis of the reference voltage, and an internal circuit which is driven by the power supply voltage generated by the first and second regulators and executes first and second operation modes.
The first regulator has first current drive capability, and the second regulator has second current drive capability higher than the first current drive capability. In the first and second operation modes, the first and second regulators are activated, respectively, thereby reducing the consumption current. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Microelectronic complexes, specifically systems and groups of discrete microelectronic functional modules, implement an important range of electronic devices, including microcomputers and microprocessors, and have important application in the design of electronic systems. Examples of such microelectronic complexes include semiconductor wafers containing a plurality of integrated circuits, as well as integrated circuits containing a plurality of microelectronic components.
An integrated circuit typically contains multiple terminals, these being positions at which a signal connection is established or broken. Connectors are normally used at such terminals to facilitate the signal connection, more particularly to create an interface between discrete circuit components, such as the wires and pins of functional modules, among other possibilities. These connectors are typically formed of at least two sets of signal conducting members, for example two sets of pins, two sets of wires or a set of pins and a set of sockets, where each set is capable to connect to a distinct circuit component.
In the case of a semiconductor wafer, the wafer is typically divided into a plurality of discrete functional cells, each cell including at least one integrated circuit. These cells are laid out within a dedicated area on the wafer face, typically forming a grid-like array. Thus, connectors are used to satisfy both intra-cell and inter-cell signal connection requirements of the wafer, where these connectors are typically fabricated in the semiconductor material of the wafer.
Connectors, whether for use on a semiconductor wafer or in a different type of microelectronic complex, must be manufactured with a high level of precision, in order to ensure precise alignment and the establishment of proper connections between the discrete circuit components to be connected. However, regardless of the level of precision with which connectors are manufactured, there always remains the possibility of connector defects, such as the short-circuiting of a pair of signal conducting members or a faulty wire.
In order to compensate for improper manufacturing tolerances in connectors, it is known to manufacture connectors with built-in fault tolerance. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,084, issued to ITT Corporation on Jan. 26, 1988, for which the only named inventor is Steven G. Morton, there is described an array reconfiguration apparatus for use in large integrated circuits and large systems. The apparatus uses spare wires in place of defective wires, and/or spare computation elements in place of defective computation elements, so that an operational system may be created in spite of the occurrence of numerous manufacturing or lifetime faults. The reconfiguration apparatus, or connector, allows for the bypassing of a bad cell in a row of cells, as well as for the circumvention of a bad wire within the connector, through the provision of an interconnection layout that includes spare wires.
However, existing connectors with built-in fault tolerance, including the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,084, do not compensate for one of the most common fault types arising during the manufacture and use of connectors, that being a pair of fused or short-circuited signal conducting members within the connector. Unfortunately, such a fault, if undetected, may result in improper signal connections, and thus faulty signal exchanges, between discrete circuit components. If detected, such a fault may require the repair or replacement of a connector, which may increase the fabrication time and/or the cost associated with the manufacturing process.
Against this background, it clearly appears that a need exists in the industry for the development of a connector with improved fault tolerance. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, description will be given of a conventional technique.
The conventional communication apparatus or device, when adopting a natural air-cooling system because of a small number of transceiver units 2, includes a housing 1, i.e., a natural air-cooling rack 1 in which a branching unit 3, a transceiver unit 2 for natural air-cooling, and a modem/controller unit 5 are installed downward in this order as shown in FIG. 1A. In each transceiver unit 2 in FIG. 1B, heat is radiated from a natural air-cooling radiator 7. If a large number of transceiver units 2 are packed into the conventional apparatus and hence forced air-cooling is employed to cope with high-density mounting of the transceiver units 2. The housing 1 includes a branching unit 3, a transceiver unit 2 for forced air-cooling, and a modem/controller unit 5 that are arranged from the top in this order as shown in FIG. 2A. When a fan unit 4, which is disposed above or below transceiver units 2 shown in FIG. 2B, is activated, heat is radiated from the forced air-cooling radiator 8 of the transceiver unit 2.
As for an example of the conventional technique using natural air-cooling, specifically, a “microwave communication device” that radiates heat by means of radiation fins attached to a housing (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-13063). Also, there is described an example of the conventional art using forced air-cooling, namely, a “communication device mounting structure and heat radiation method for the same” in which heat is radiated from the device via heat radiation fins while fans suctions air (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-140015). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
According to recent publications the morphine metabolite Morphine-6-xcex2-D-glucuronide (M6G) [6] is a more effective and longer lasting analgesic drug than Morphine [5] with fewer side effects1 and, therefore, there is much interest in using M6G, rather than Morphine, as a pain killing drug.2
The traditional approach to glycosylation of 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-ols explores Bromoglucuronides as glycoside donor and the Koenings-Knorr procedure for the activation of Bromoglucuronides (Berrang, B., et al., Synthesis, 1997, p. 1165 and references cited therein).
Another approach (Scheinmann, F. et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,087, see claim 1, 2, 5 and 6, abstract, examples, column 4, line 25-line 45) explores the use of Lewis acids (of the type BF3 and TMSOTf) rather than heavy metals based Lewis acids (March, J., xe2x80x9cAdvanced Organic Chemistryxe2x80x9d, 4-th edition, A Whiley-Interscience publicaiton, pp. 260-3) for the activation of Bromoglucuronides.
Unfortunately, we did not succeed to obtain 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-oxyglucuronide from Bromoglucuronides using activators proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,087 and did not find such examples in the literature.
Unexpectedly we found that the O-glycosylation of 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-ols with Bromoglucuronides was accelerated by Zinc containing compounds to give 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-oxyglucuronides of formula [1] with high yield.
wherein:
position 7 and 8 can be olefin as shown or dihydro adduct;
R1 are alkyl, haloalkyl, arylmethyl, acyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aralkoxycarbonyl, haloalkoxycarbonyl, vinyloxycarbonyl or allyloxycarbonyl,
R2 is alkyl, haloalkyl or aralkyl;
R3 is alkyl, arylmethyl, allyl, cyclopropylmethyl, cyclobutylmethyl, acyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aralkoxycarbonyl, haloalkoxycarbonyl, vinyloxycarbonyl, allyloxycarbonyl or hydrogen;
R4 is alkyl, haloalkyl, arylmethyl, 2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl, acyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aralkoxycarbonyl, haloalkoxycarbonyl, vinyloxycarbonyl or allyloxycarbonyl.
We also found that the xcex1 and xcex2 anomeric selectivity of the conjugation product can be controlled by using different O-protecting groups in aglycon and in Bromoglucuronide as well as by varying the ratio between 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-ols and Zinc containing compounds.
It is important to note that only the xcex2-anomer of 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-oxyglucuronides was obtained according to Koenings-Knorr procedure and U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,087 procedure (but with other than a Bromoglucuronide glycoside donor).
All of the previously disclosed methods have serious drawbacks for producing material to be used as a pharmaceutical drug. A desirable goal, met by the present invention, has been to devise a synthetic procedure without using commercially inaccessible and expensive reagents, and which cleanly produces the desired 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-oxyglucuronides, avoiding tedious and expensive purification steps.
The present invention provides a commercially acceptable process for conjugation of 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-ols of formula [3] with Bromoglucuronides of formula [2] in the presence of Zinc containing compounds under conditions capable of forming 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-oxyglucuronides [1].
wherein
position 7 and 8 can be olefin as shown or dihydro adduct;
R1, R2, R3, and R4, are as defined above.
This novel approach was used for the preparation of the known analgesic agent Morphine-6-xcex2-glucuronide [4] and of its xcex1-anomer.
Other features and advantages will be apparent from the specification and claims.
The present invention is related to a novel process for conjugation of 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-ols with Bromoglucuronides.
Particularly, the present invention relates to the use of Zinc containing compounds for the activation of Bromoglucuronides in the O-glycosylation reaction of 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-ols.
This novel approach has the following advantages:
Zinc containing compounds as activating reagents of Bromoglucuronides are inexpensive and commercially available.
Use of different O-protecting, groups in the aglycon and in the Bromoglucuronide as well as different ratio of 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-ols and Zinc containing compounds enable to obtain high anomeric selectivity and produce at will with a high degree of preference either the xcex1 or the xcex2 anomer.
Although any 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-ols are suitable for this O-glycosylation, preferably, compounds of formula [3] are used
wherein
position 7 and 8 can be olefin as shown or dihydro adduct;
R3 and R4 are as previously defined.
More preferably, said 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-ols are selected from 3-O-Acylmorphine, 3-O-Acylnormorphine, 3-O-Acylnalbuphine, 3-O-Acylnalorphine, 3-O-Acyldihydromorphine, 3-O-Benzylmorphine, 3-O-Benzyldihydromorphine, N,O3-Dibenzylnormorphine, Codeine, Ethylmorphine, Dihydrocodeine, Pholcodine, 3-O-Alkoxycarbonylmorphine, 3-O-Benzyloxycarbonylmorphine, N,O3-Bis(benzyloxycarbonyl)normorphine.
Although any Bromoglucuronide may be used, it is preferred that compounds of formula [2] are used.
wherein
R1 and R2 are as previously defined.
More preferably the Bromoglucuronides of the present invention are selected from the compounds of formula [2a].
wherein
R are acyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aralkoxycarbonyl, haloalkoxycarbonyl, vinyloxycarbonyl, allyloxycarbonyl;
R2 is as previously defined.
Most preferably Bromoglucuronides of formula [2b] are used.
wherein
R are as previously defined.
Although any Zinc containing compound suitable as activating reagents for this O-glycosylation can be used, preferably, Zinc Bromide is used.
It is preferred that about 0.01 equivalents to about 4 equivalents and especially preferred that about 0.5 equivalents to about 2 equivalents of Zinc containing compound is used.
Preferably about 1 equivalent to about 2 equivalents of the Bromoglucuronide [2] is used. It is specially preferred that about 1 equivalent to about 1.5 equivalents of Bromoglucuronide [2] is used. The said 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-ol [3] may be used as an individual compound or alternatively as corresponding salts thereof or complexes. Especially preferred is the use of said Zinc containing salt or complexes of [3] without using additional Zinc containing compounds as promoter for said coupling. It is preferred that the said complexes may be prepared in situ.
It may be also preferred to conduct the said Zinc activated O-glycosylation in the presence of additives to buffer or to promote the said Zinc containing compounds. The above additives may be selected from molecular sieves, tertiary amines, tetraalkylureas, organic and inorganic acids and salts.
Any reaction-inert solvent may be used. As used above and elsewhere herein, the expression xe2x80x9creaction-inert solventxe2x80x9d refers to a solvent which does not react or decompose with starting materials, reagents, intermediates or products in a manner which adversely affects the yield of the desired product. In general, the solvent can comprise a single entity, or contain multiple components. Preferably the sovent is a non-protic reaction inert solvent and it is especially preferred that the solvent is Dichloromethane because of the exellent stereoselectivity it provides. Another solvent may be Chloroform or Dichloroethane.
Any environment or conditions (e.g. temperature, time, solvent) suitable for (i.e., capable of) forming the desired 4,5-Epoxymorphinane-6-oxyglucuronides may be used. However, it is preferred that the reaction occurs at a temperature of about xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C. to about 100xc2x0 C. and preferably from about 40xc2x0 C. to 65xc2x0 C. Below about xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C. the reaction can be slow and above about 100xc2x0 C. undesired side reactions (e.g. anomerisation) can occur. This reaction is conveniently carried out at about 0.5 to about 3 atmospheres, however, the high pressures are espesially preferred for the said coupling.
The present invention could be used as a general method to produce a large number of new compounds. As a result of the said coupling also the salts and complexes of 4,5-epoxymorphinan-6-oxyglucuronides [1] could be obtained in a convenient way.
This invention makes a significant advance in the field of 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-oxyglucosides by providing efficient methods of preparing both anomers of 4,5-Epoxymorphinan-6-oxyglucuronides. The deprotected end products are useful as analgesic agents.
It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments shown and described herein, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this novel concept as defined by the following claims. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Hybrid vehicles configured such that a rotating electric machine generates a vehicle driving force using electric power from a secondary battery mounted in a vehicle have been attracting attention.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-285011 (PTL 1) describes a hybrid vehicle in which selection is made between a mode in which the vehicle travels by operating at least an engine and a mode in which the vehicle travels by stopping the engine and using only an output of a motor generator. PTL 1 describes that, in the hybrid vehicle, replacement timing of consumable parts related to the engine is determined based on an operation result of the engine.
Further, hybrid vehicles require traveling control which can avoid excessive charging/discharging of a vehicle-mounted secondary battery and also ensure driving performance in response to a driver's request. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-109650 (PTL 2) describes a control device for a vehicle and a method for controlling a vehicle. PTL 2 describes that an upper limit value or a lower limit value of the amount of change of a torque generated by a traction motor serving as a rotating electric machine generating a vehicle driving force is set based on a limit value of output power or input power of a secondary battery and a speed of the vehicle. Thereby, it is aimed that the traction motor outputs a torque requested by a driver without causing excessive charging/discharging of the secondary battery.
As described in PTL 2, it is common to set upper limit values of input power and output power of a secondary battery based on a state of charge (SOC) and a temperature of the secondary battery. An output of a traction motor is set in a range where the output power of the secondary battery does not exceed the upper limit value. Thus, if the output power upper limit value is limited due to a reduction in the SOC or an increase in the temperature of the secondary battery, the output of the traction motor is also limited. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Exemplary solar heat collectors are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,875--Bruno et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,083--Heyen et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,225--Ortabasi; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,793--Herman et al. However, as far as is known, the prior art does not disclose utilization of a solar energy collector structure as disclosed by the present inventors providing improved thermal efficiency at all angles of incidence and particularly at angles of incidence greater than 60.degree. as defined herein either alone or in the combinations claimed herein. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Multipath interference (MPI) in an optical link occurs when an optical signal can take more than one path to reach the same place. This can occur as a result of branching and recombining topologies, or as a result of reflective elements present in the link causing cavity effects. Such effects may occur as follows:
After one partial reflection in a link, a delayed version of the original signal is created, travelling in the opposite direction to the original signal. If the reflected signal is again partially reflected, a delayed version of the original signal is created which travels in the same direction as the original. It may cause interference with the original signal which can be constructive or destructive, according to the relative phase. The relative phase will depend the frequency of the signal and on the delay, which is in turn dependent on the difference in path lengths, i.e. the distance D between the reflective features.
The magnitude of the interfering signal will depend on the degree of reflection at each feature, on the gain or loss between reflections, the optical distance D, and the signal frequency. For a branching topology, path length difference, signal frequency, and path gains will characterise the MPI.
Reflections may be caused by connections, taps, optical amplifiers or isolators for example. Small amounts of reflection can cause significant interference particularly in systems containing optical amplifiers, which have gain between the reflections. This means the unwanted reflections will be amplified twice for each round-trip. Isolators are used to limit the round-trip gain, operating with a high loss in a reverse direction. However, the loss will be in the same order as the gain of the amplifier, thus the effect is only mitigated but not eliminated. MPI may vary with time as components degrade or are replaced, or as paths are switched.
Current methods for measuring MPI or parameters relating to MPI can be divided into three categories. Firstly, laboratory instruments for determining MPI effects of individual components or units will insert precise sinusoid test waveforms and include high frequency spectrum analysers for determining resultant outputs. They are not suitable for incorporation into transmission systems or for testing. They are expensive, unsuitable for field use, and incapable of operating with existing transmission sources which cannot generate pure waveforms, or be easily provided with branches to receive pure waveforms.
Secondly, methods for assessing bit error rates (BER) or signal to noise ratios (SNR) of optical transmission systems are known. They may assess the output eye, and in some circumstances, MPI may cause up to around half the noise or errors that are detected.
However, it is impossible to separate MPI from optical noise in such systems. Thus although they can perform tests under realistic operating conditions, with data traffic present, they cannot be used to derive amounts of MPI or locate sources of MPI.
Thirdly, methods of locating the cause of optical reflections are known. One example is an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR). It is a dedicated instrument for locating reflections. It is bulky, costly, and cannot work through optical amplifiers, or while there is traffic present at the same wavelength.
Another example is known from PCT/GB95/01918 in which the function of an OTDR is incorporated in an optical element, by using the data signal as a stimulus for locating causes of reflections. The delay can be measured and thus the distance to reflective features can be calculated. This can help to locate reflective features, which is of great assistance in fault finding during commissioning.
However, such techniques can only measure reflections from points downstream of the measurement point. Furthermore, the MPI which might arise downstream of reflective features depends further on the amount of any second reflection of the reflected signal, and on any gain encountered by the twice reflected signal. These cannot be measured, and so the amount of MPI remains unknown. Furthermore, OTDR techniques cannot achieve good resolution at large distances, thus it may be difficult to distinguish closely neighbouring reflection sources.
Furthermore, if there are isolators in the path, as are usually provided in optical amplifier units, then measurements of reflections may be completely unrepresentative of MPI.
Accordingly, existing methods give no suggestion as to how to determine an amount of MPI in a link when data traffic is present. They give no suggestion as to how to determine characteristics of MPI from a measurement point downstream of sources of MPI, and no suggestion of how to derive a signature of MPI from an optical signal, or how to assess the characteristics causing the MPI. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting diode package, and more particularly, to a light emitting diode package having an improved brightness level by optimizing the mounting position of a light emitting diode chip.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the rapid development of the consumer electronics industry, various display devices having a smaller size and lower energy consumption continue to be developed. By the use of such display devices, optical devices provided in video devices, computers, mobile communication terminals, flashes, and the like, are being developed.
In general, a light emitting diode (LED) is an electronic component that makes charge-carriers (electrons or holes) by the use of pn junctions, recombines them, converts electrical energy into light energy, and emits light.
That is, when a forward voltage is applied to a semiconductor, electrons and holes flow through the junction of an anode and a cathode and they are recombined. A lower energy level is present when an electron meets a hole, relative to when the electron is apart from the hole. At this time, due to an energy gap, light is emitted to the outside.
Light emitted from LEDs ranges from red (630 nm to 780 nm) to blue-ultra violet (350 nm) and may include blue, green, and white. LEDs present many advantages over traditional light sources such as incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps, including lower power consumption, high efficiency, longer lifetimes, and the like, so the demand for LEDs is continuously increasing.
Currently, LED applications are gradually being extended from small lighting devices for cellular phones, PDA displays, and the like, to indoor or outdoor lighting devices, automotive lighting devices, backlights for large LCDs, and the like.
In the case of an LED package to which an LED is electrically connected, since an operator only checks the mounting position of the LED roughly when mounting the LED on a lead frame by die bonding, it is difficult to mount it on the exact position intended.
Such slight deviations in the LED mounting position prevent the optimization of the LED's brightness in the LED package and increase variations in brightness levels according to LED package.
Also, positional variations in wire bonding in the LED package cause poor contact, due to the deviations in the LED mounting position as described above, and lead to economic losses. Therefore, there is a need for techniques with which to address such defects. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to designing and simulating digital devices, modules and systems in a distributed simulation environment. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and system that improve a distributed simulation environment to allow for efficient monitoring and utilization of instrumentation events embedded with a simulation model. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for providing centralized access to count event information from testing of a hardware simulation model within a batch simulation farm of simulation clients and an instrumentation server.
2. Description of the Related Art
Verifying the logical correctness of a digital design and debugging the design, if necessary, are very important steps in most digital design processes. Logic networks are tested either by actually building networks or by simulating networks on a computer. As logic networks become highly complex, it becomes necessary to simulate a design before the design is actually built. This is especially true when the design is implemented as an integrated circuit, since the fabrication of integrated circuits requires considerable time and correction of mistakes is quite costly. The goal of digital design simulation is the verification of the logical correctness of the design.
In a typical automated design process that is supported by a conventional electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) system, a designer enters a high-level description utilizing a hardware description language (HDL), such as VHDL, producing a representation of the various circuit blocks and their interconnections. The ECAD system compiles the design description into a format that is best suited for simulation. A simulator is then utilized to verify the logical correctness of the design prior to developing a circuit layout.
A simulator is typically a software tool that operates on a digital representation, or simulation model of a circuit, and a list of input stimuli representing inputs of the digital system. A simulator generates a numerical representation of the response of the circuit which may then either be viewed on the display screen as a list of values or further interpreted, often by a separate software program, and presented on the display screen in graphical form. The simulator may be run either on a general purpose computer or on another piece of electronic apparatus, typically attached to a general purpose computer, specially designed for simulation. Simulators that run entirely in software on a general purpose computer will hereinafter be referred to as “software simulators”. Simulators that are run with the assistance of specially designed electronic apparatus will hereinafter be referred to as “hardware simulators”.
Usually, software simulators perform a very large number of calculations and operate slowly from the user's point of view. In order to optimize performance, the format of the simulation model is designed for very efficient use by the simulator. Hardware simulators, by nature, require that the simulation model comprising the circuit description be communicated in a specially designed format. In either case, a translation from an HDL description to a simulation format, hereinafter referred to as a simulation executable model, is required.
The complexity of modern digital circuits demands an enormous amount of resources dedicated to performing and processing simulation of various simulation models. As a result, it is common to employ so-called “batch simulation farms” consisting of hundreds to thousands of computers employing hardware and software simulators. These systems are usually connected to a shared network and run simulation jobs with respect to one or more digital designs. The large numbers of computers performing foreground or background simulation testing enables the large number of simulations required by modern designs to be performed in a timely manner.
A batch simulation farm often encompasses general-purpose computers at geographically separated sites. For example, computers at a locations in different states or countries can be coupled into a given batch simulation farm. Such geographic distribution of servers leads to difficulties in communication and coordination that should be considered when monitoring and utilizing instrumentation events within simulation models.
A batch simulation farm typically contains a number of general-purpose computers that perform as servers that create, distribute, and control the flow of simulation jobs throughout the batch simulation farm. These servers perform simulation jobs, whose nature varies with the specifics of the simulation methodology used and complexity of the digital device, which are then routed to simulation servers within the batch simulation farm for execution.
A simulation server executes the simulation job, taking note of any failures and communicates pass/fail results back to servers within the batch simulation farm for logging and failed testcase storage for eventual debug. To allow for execution of tests on a large number of distributed systems, batch simulation farms will typically utilize a so-called “shared file system”. A shared file system allows a number of disparate general-purpose computers to share a common file system that is located on shared disks in a central location. Examples of such file system are the Networked File System Networked File System (NFS), the Andrew File System (AFS), and the Distributed File System (DFS). The shared files system is used to provide access to common control and data files used by the batch simulation farm.
In addition to a shared file system, a number of well known network communication protocols are typically employed within a batch simulation farm to enable distribution of files, communication and coordination of servers, and inter-process communication among other tasks. Examples of these protocols are such things as File Transfer Protocol or FTP, Sockets for direct network connections between processes on different computers, etc. These protocols are well know to those skilled in the art and are not specific to batch simulation farms, but rather are common to all networking in modern general purpose computers.
A batch simulation farm typically must run in a largely autonomous fashion on a full time basis. This is to allow for the continuous execution of simulation tests without requiring continuous user intervention and direction. This autonomous background execution of tests also makes it possible for so-called “cycle-stealing” on machines not specifically dedicated to simulation. That is to say, general-purpose computers that are normally used by users can execute simulation tests in a background mode. In this background mode, the simulation task can take advantage of the otherwise idle compute resources on a large number of user machines. In addition, it is common for a large number of different simulation models to be active within a batch simulation farm at a given time.
The need for autonomous execution of large numbers of simulation jobs for a wide range of different models leads to certain challenges in monitoring and controlling instrumentation events within these models that must be overcome. Among these challenges is that of providing a means for determining trends in counter instrumentation data within a batch simulation farm environment. In particular, there exists a need to determine differences in rates of occurrence of count events, scaling appropriately for the number of simulation cycles executed, as simulation of one or more simulation models, including instantiated instances of the count events, progresses over time. The present invention addresses such a need. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles. More specifically, the invention relates to a disposable absorbent article, such as a disposable diaper, that includes a pair of back ears and that is designed to be produced at a high speed and yet in a reliable and economical fashion.
Absorbent articles such as disposable diapers are typically made on high speed (i.e., hundreds of products per minute) production lines. When manufacturing articles in this way, it is desirable to produce a product that includes features that provide an attractive product to the caregiver and/or the user and that is effective at containing and absorbing bodily exudates. An example of such features include separately attached ears. In certain aspects, the articles can include a pair of ears extending from the article in the back waist region. In addition, these articles can optionally include a pair of ears extending from the article in the front waist region. The ears can be useful for providing better hip coverage to the wearer. Further, the ears can optionally be stretchable or even elastomeric for improved fit and comfort. Moreover, the ears can include fastening members to keep the article about the hips and waist of the wearer.
While absorbent articles that include features such as separately attached ears or other components can be desirable in certain circumstances, adding components to a mass produced absorbent article can be costly and increase the complexity of the production process thereby potentially creating a speed limitation to the process. Moreover, there is an increasing desire to produce effective absorbent articles very inexpensively keeping in mind the more cost-conscious consumer.
Thus, there is a need for an absorbent article that is configured to be made on a high-speed production line that includes back ears and optionally front ears. Further, there is a need for such an article that is configured to be produced in a very efficient and cost-effective manner. Still further, there is a need for such an article that can be inexpensively made and yet is still pleasing to the wearer and/or caregiver. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to trust-metric networks. More specifically, the present invention relates to prioritizing communications via trust-metrics methods and apparatus.
With the wide-spread use of computers, cell phones, pda, and the like, it has become easier for people to communicate with each other. As a result, more parents call children, more friends chat over IM with other friends, more business send e-mail to other businesses, and the like. Unfortunately, this also results in people making and receiving calls from “wrong numbers,” businesses making unsolicited calls to people, often at dinner time, businesses and individuals receiving “spam” e-mail, and the like. In the past several years, unsolicited communications have become more burdensome to recipients.
To address such problems, regulations have been passed to attempt to reduce the amount of unwanted communication. For example, telemarketing laws have been passed to allow consumers to opt-out of cold-call lists via use of a national telephone registry. As another example, federal and state spam laws have been passed to allow consumers and businesses to request “removal” from unsolicited e-mail mailing lists.
These regulations have only been somewhat effective. For every regulation, there are work-arounds. For example, as been noted in the press recently, telemarketing laws do not appear to cover telemarketers outside the US, and/or telemarketers making VOIP calls. As another example, e-mail spammers with overseas servers are beyond enforcement jurisdiction.
The problem with unwanted communications is now being extended to new forms of communication, including IM-type chat, SMS, data feeds, pop-up web windows, and the like.
Accordingly, in light of the above, what is desired are methods and apparatus that provide communications without the drawbacks to individuals, as discussed above. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Electron probe microanalyzers and electron microscopes having an attached x-ray spectrometer are used to determine the composition of microscopic or nanoscopic regions of a surface. The detectors determine the energy or wavelengths of x-rays emitted from the sample and infer the composition of material under the electron beam from the energy or wavelength of the x-rays. Detectors that use a crystal to disperse and analyze x-rays of different wavelengths are referred to as wavelength dispersive spectrometers (WDS) and detectors that measure the energy of incoming x-rays are referred to as energy dispersive spectrometers (EDS). While a WDS can provide better resolution and faster counting for a particular wavelength of x-ray, an EDS is better adapted to measuring x-rays of different energies from multiple elements.
Two types of semiconductor energy dispersive x-ray detectors are commonly used in electron microscopy: lithium-drifted silicon detectors “Si(Li)” and silicon drift detectors “SDD”. Si(Li) detectors typically require cooling to liquid nitrogen temperatures and normally have a standardized active detection of area of 10, 30 and 50 mm2. SDDs can operate at a higher temperature and can provide better resolution at high count rates. To avoid ice formation and contamination on the detector, as well as damage from backscattered electrons, a window of a light element such as berrylium is often attached in front of the detector to stop the electrons. A magnetic field can also be used near the detector entrance to divert electrons away from the detector. A collimator is often used in front of the detector to reduce x-rays from sources other than the sample from entering the detector. Some detectors, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,925 to Quinn et al., include a shutter in front of the detector. When the electron microscope is operated under conditions that would generate high energy x-rays and electrons that could damage the detector, the shutter can be closed to protect the crystal.
Ice formation is also reduced by providing a colder surface near the detector. For example, in the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,237 to Gallagher et al. for a “Deicing Device for Cryogenically Cooled Radiation Detector,” the heat generated by the detector circuitry maintains the detector a few degrees warmer than the collimator surface so that moisture sublimes from the detector surface onto the collimator surface. The heat generated by the circuitry provides a temperature difference of only about five degrees, which may not be adequate to maintain an ice-free surface on the detector. U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,650 to Lowe et al. for “X-ray Detectors” describes periodically heating the detector above its operating temperature while maintaining a heat sink at operating temperature. Periodically heating the detector above its operating temperature does not stop the build-up of ice during operation and requires periodic interruption of the system operation to remove the ice.
For greatest sensitivity, the detector should cover a large solid angle from the sample to collect as many of the emitted x-rays as possible. To increase the solid angle, the detector can provide a larger active surface area, or be placed closer to the sample. In a transmission electron microscope, the pole pieces and sample holder take up most of the space around the sample and it can be difficult to position X-ray detectors close to the sample to increase the solid angle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,399 to Taira et al. teaches a configuration that puts a detector closer to the sample and allows the detector to subtend a larger solid angle. Another configuration is shown in Kotula et al., “Results from four-channel Si-drift detectors on an SEM: Conventional and annular geometries,” Microscopy and Microanalysis, 14 Suppl 2, p. 116-17 (2008). Kotula et al. describe a four-segment detector, with each segment being kidney-shaped and having an active area of about 15 mm2. The detector is positioned above the sample below the pole piece of an SEM, with the four segments distributed in a ring that is coaxial with the electron beam. This configuration is not normally possible in a high-resolution TEM. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A magnetic material is composed of a number of domains. Each domain contains parallel atomic moments and is magnetized to saturation, but the directions of magnetization of different domains are not necessarily parallel. Local preferred directions of magnetization depend upon the underlying microscopic structure of the material. Magnetic recording media microstructure generally includes grains or particles comprising regions of constant crystal structure or geometry. The local directions of easiest magnetization depend upon the geometry of the crystals. In the absence of an applied magnetic field, adjacent domains may be oriented in different directions, controlled by the underlying grain structure. The resultant effect of all these various directions of magnetization may be zero, as is the case with an unmagnetized specimen. When a magnetic field is applied, domains nearly parallel to the direction of the applied field become more prevalent at the expense of the others. A further increase in magnetic field causes more domains to rotate and align parallel to the applied field. When the material reaches the point of saturation magnetization, all domains are parallel to the applied field and no further domain growth or rotation would take place on increasing the strength of the magnetic field.
The ease of magnetization or demagnetization of a magnetic material depends on material parameters including composition, crystal structure, grain orientation, and the state of strain. The magnetization is most easily obtained along the easy axis of magnetization but most difficult along the hard axis of magnetization. A magnetic material is said to possess a magnetic anisotropy when easy and hard axes exist. On the other hand, a magnetic material is said to be isotropic when there are no easy or hard axes.
In a perpendicular recording media, magnetization is formed easily in a direction perpendicular to the surface of a magnetic medium, typically a magnetic recording layer on a suitable substrate, resulting from perpendicular anisotropy in the magnetic recording layer. On the other hand, in a longitudinal recording media, magnetization is formed in a direction in a plane parallel to the surface of the magnetic recording layer, resulting from longitudinal anisotropy in the magnetic recording layer.
Thin-film magnetic recording media require small exchange decoupled magnetic particles. Decoupling is commonly achieved by having a non-ferromagnetic material between the ferromagnetic particles. This non magnetic region has been formed in the prior art by films having a higher percent composition of either chromium, boron, or an oxide material at the boundaries between magnetic particles than within the magnetic particles. Separation of magnetic particles is imperfect, and some separation mechanisms are difficult to apply in a manufacturing process. An improved magnetic grain isolation method is desired.
The current perpendicular recording media (so called granular media) is processed using 02 reactive sputtering technique, and oxide dispersants to achieve smaller and physically isolated grains, and also uses a thick amorphous soft magnetic under layer (SUL) such as Fe, Ni, or Co-based alloy films as a mirror pole for recording performance. The Fe-based SUL forms a part of the media design. Since the SUL is based on iron, these alloy films are prone to severe corrosion. Because these Fe-based SUL films and other media layers are hard to cover at disk edges (chamfer area) as well as at mechanical defects (voids, pits etc.) by the carbon overcoat material, harsh environmental conditions (HCl and water vapors at ambient and elevated temperatures) make the edges and other mechanical defects at the data zone area severely susceptible to corrosion. This produces edge corrosion at the edges and defect corrosion at voids and other mechanical defects. Hence, solution(s) that provide a corrosion-resistant SUL in the perpendicular media design and prevents the edge as well as the mechanical defect corrosion of the perpendicular media is desired. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Remote control systems are known in the prior art that use infrared technology to control a device. These systems comprise a transmitter located on the remote control unit and a receiver located on the device. The use of infrared rays requires the transmitter to be pointed towards the receiver on the device. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In the past, coating compositions were commonly prepared by dissolving or dispersing film forming organic polymers in volatile organic compounds. Environmental and health concerns associated with applications involving large-scale vapor emissions have led to research in the development of coating compositions wherein the emission of volatile organic compounds is minimized.
Among the various methods of reducing the vapor emissions of coating compositions, the use of reactive diluents to replace all or part of the volatile organic solvent component of a coating composition is of particular interest. As used herein, the term "reactive diluent" refers to non volatile or nearly non volatile organic solvents or dispersants having as an integral part of their structures functional groups which are reactive with a film forming polymer and/or cross linking agent.
In addition to providing a low level of volatile emissions, a coating composition should have a sufficiently low viscosity to permit easy handling and application. Other desirable properties in a coating composition are sufficient stability to ensure a commercially acceptable shelf life and the ability to provide a cured coating having suitable properties such as toughness, adhesion, gloss, uniformity, impact resistance, abrasion resistance, scratch resistance, weatherability, and resistance to attack by solvents, acids, bases and other chemicals.
Coating compositions wherein all or a portion of the volatile organic solvent component thereof is replaced by a reactive diluent are illustrated by the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,022, to Chang et al. discloses coating compositions, the vehicle portion of which consists essentially of from about 60 percent to about 97 percent of a curable film-forming component and from about 3 percent to about 40 percent of an organic reactive diluent capable of chemically combining with the curable film forming component. Disclosed as reactive diluents are ethers having less than five ether groups, amides, esters, urethanes, ureas, sulfur containing compounds, and mixtures thereof which have one primary or secondary hydroxyl group. The reactive diluents disclosed by Chang et al. are further characterized as having a retained solids value of greater than about 80 percent, a hydroxyl equivalent of from about 180 to about 800, and a liguid viscosity of less than about 10 poise at 60.degree. C. Preferred reactive diluents disclosed by Chang et al. are ester containing reactive diluents, with ester containing reactive diluents having allyl side chains being most preferred. Coating compositions having ester-containing reactive diluents to produce cured coatings which lack desirable adhesion, hardness and/or weatherability.
As a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,167 to Blank et al. discloses a coating compsition comprising (a) a hydroxyalkyl carbamate of the formula: ##STR1## wherein n=0 or 1, R is a C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 organic moiety which may contain one or more constituents selected from the class consisting of hetero-atoms and hydroxyl groups, and each of R.sub.1, R.sub.2, and R.sub.3 is independently H or CH.sub.3 ; (b) an aminoplast cross-linker; and (c) a polymer containing active sites which at elevated temperature are reactive with the amide-aldehyde cross-linker (b). Blank et al. exemplifying as suitable reactive diluents compounds of the formula: ##STR2## Cured coatings formed from the coating compositions containing the reactive diluents exemplified by Blank et al. are, within a range of environmentally acceptable formulations, widely variable as regards the surface properties possessed by same.
Among the compounds which have been offered for use as reactive diluents in coating compositions are dicyclopentenyl oxyethyl ethyl methacrylates, modified caprolactones, and unsaturated melamines. In general, these compounds are poor solvents, have relatively high viscosities and/or produce cured coatings having undesirable chemical and/or physical properties.
A cured coating's toughness, adhesion, impact resistance, abrasion resistance, scratch resistance, weatherability and resistance to chemical attack depend to a large extent upon the film-forming polymer and reactive diluent components of the composition used to produce same. As disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 759,172 filed on July 26, 1985, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 807,738 filed on Dec. 11, 1985, both in the name of K. L. Hoy, et al., coating compositions containing carbamate and urea derivatives as reactive diluents are found to provide cured coatings having desirable toughness and adhesion.
The ability of a coating composition to form a defect-free film depends in part on (a) the ability of a composition to cover or "wet" a substrate and (b) the rheology of composition flow during coating application and cure.
A coating composition's ability to "wet" a substrate is related to the degree of surface energy which exists between the coating composition and the substrate surface. As the industry has moved to higher solid content compositions to satisfy ecological considerations, the molecular weight, functionality and geometry of the coating polymers have been lowered, increased and altered, respectively, to minimize the viscosity of the polymer which is reguired for application of the composition contents. In doing so, the wetting of the substrate by the coating compositions has been degraded to the point where many coatings have marginal film forming properties. Indeed, molecules having a higher reactive polar functionality content (increased cohesive character) tend to associate with themselves rather than orient towards the substrate surface. In doing so they tend to pull away from the substrate surface, especially at points of substrate imperfection. The tendency of a coating to shrink away from a substrate surface results in various types of coating defects, a more severe form of which is termed "cratering". Cratering refers to a surface defect caused by a coating composition covering patches of a substrate surface very thinly and other areas of the substrate more thickly, giving rise to the appearance of gullies or "craters" in the finished coating.
In order to reduce the severity of surface defects caused by the inability of a composition to properly wet a surface, common practice is to provide a coating composition with one or more anti-cratering additives which, typically, are surfactants. Owing to its biphilic nature, a surfactant additive is effective in reducing the surface energy at coating substrate interfaces of high chemical potential, thereby improving the ability of the coating to wet a substrate surface. These materials, however, tend to exude and migrate to the substrate and surface of the coating during curing. In the extreme, they can cause loss of adhesion, film haze (loss of gloss), and loss of corrosion protection, all of which are serious defects in a coating system.
Flow properties of a coating composition depend to some extent on the composition's viscosity. Compositions having higher viscosities generally flow onto substrate surfaces less evenly than compositions having lower viscosities. Coating compositions having poor flow ability tend to produce cured coatings having uneven or irregular surfaces. Among the imperfections attributed to poor composition flow is a surface appearance which, as a result of its resemblance to the rind of an orange, is termed "orange peel". For several applications (e.g., automotive and appliance finishes), the loss of surface uniformity and gloss resulting from orange peel is deemed a commercially unacceptable surface defect. Coatings art teaches that the addition of a high boiling but volatile "reflow" or "tail" solvent will circumvent many of these undesirable flow properties. This formulation strategy provides for the applied coating to flow and level during the early part of a curing cycle before chain extension and cross linking reactions can take place. This practice does, however, contribute to the volatile emissions and in the case of polymer systems designed for high solids finishes, results in the surface defects previously decribed.
The optimum viscosity for a given coating application depends in part on the method by which the coating is applied. For example, low pressure spray applications may reguire the use of lower viscosity compositions than high pressure spray applications. As previously noted, reactive diluents oftentimes increase the viscosities of the coating compositions into which they are incorporated. Undesirably high composition viscosities are commonly reduced by volatile organic compound addition. Owing to the environmental constraints on volatile organic compound emission levels, reactive diluent containing compositions typically have relatively narrow formulation ranges.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a high solids coating composition suitable for use in the production of cured coatings having commercially acceptable chemical and physical properties.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a high solids coating composition capable of providing cured coatings having optimum surface appearance.
Additionally, it is an object of this invention to provide a high solids coating composition which may be formulated over a relatively broad compositional range. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a therapeutic fabric article, and, more particularly, to weighted garments and accessories therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
The tactile system provides input to the brain for interpretation of various types of touch, pressure, temperature and pain through receptors in the skin. For example, deep pressure touch can be very calming. This type of input facilitates the release of dopamine, also known as the “pleasure chemical”, in the brain that helps people maintain emotional neutrality. Dopamine activates the parasympathetic nervous system for a relaxed, neutral and balanced homeostatic state. Dopamine may neutralize cortisol and adrenaline, which contribute to the fight or flight response of the autonomic nervous system. Conversely, an excess of dopamine may increase hyperactivity, which may then be regulated by increasing serotonin levels via the proprioceptive system. Proprioception refers to the information gathered by the nervous system from one's muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments. It is also known as the “position sense”, which offers a sense of grounding that is interpreted by the emotional state as perceived security and/or safety. Proprioceptive input facilitates the release of serotonin, the master regulator of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), as well as dopamine. Valued as the “coping chemical”, serotonin breaks up dopamine thereby preventing hyperactivity and over-processing of information, resulting in a neutral state of arousal. Persons having difficulty processing information from one or both of these systems will demonstrate behaviors that impede function. Poor sensory modulation leads to a compromised body system that is interpreted by the central nervous system as being “in pieces”. The brain and the body will focus on keeping the individual's self together, thereby rendering the individual substantially incapable of efficient higher cortical function. The basic sub-cortical needs must first be met before focus can be diverted to higher cortical function. Maintaining the nervous system at a calm and alert state is imperative for cognitive functions and learning.
Persons affected by impaired function of the nervous system can include those with developmental disabilities, Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders. Individuals with these conditions have difficulty maintaining homeostasis within the nervous system, thereby inhibiting their ability to participate in effective learning and sometimes causing behaviors incongruent with social norms. Such identifiable behaviors can include constant movement, impulsivity, decreased attention span, inability to focus on a particular task and seeking of heavy-pressure related tasks.
Current treatments for persons affected by an impaired function of the nervous system can include pharmaceutical products, behavioral therapy, speech-language therapy, physical therapy, play-based therapy, situational therapy and nutritional therapy. Often in combination, these forms of treatment can be a tremendous benefit; yet, they are not without their own shortcomings. For instance, pharmaceuticals may elicit irresponsive results, or worse they may cause adverse side effects for a particular individual. Results from treatment in general can vary greatly from one individual to another. Therefore, partially due to the individualistic nature of conventional treatment methods, alternative additional forms of treatment were developed, including types of treatments utilizing deep pressure and tactile input therapy.
Some applications of deep pressure therapy in the prior art include use of squeeze machines, weighted blankets, and various weighted articles such as gloves or vests. These deep pressure devices have been known to release serotonin, which helps an individual feel calm and secure. However, the problem with many of these forms of deep pressure therapy is that they are restrictive and can keep the user from fully engaging in daily activities such as routine tasks, learning, common social interactions and play.
What is needed in the art is an ergonomic and discreet therapeutic garment that serves a dual sensory function with reference to the proprioception and tactile systems without sacrificing mobility and aesthetics, which thereby enables the wearer to more fully participate in daily routines and the enjoyments of life. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Decoding and presentation time stamping systems play a very important role in providing proper synchronization (e.g., audio and video synchronization) for the operation of the decoding process. In a video transport system, the system clock of a video program is usually used to create timestamps that indicate the presentation and decoding timing values of the system clock itself at sampled intervals. It is the presence of these time stamps and the correct use of the timestamps that provide the facility to synchronize properly the operation of the decoding.
The MPEG-2 Systems standard is detailed in ITU-T Recommendation H.222.0 (1995)|ISO/IEC 13818-1: 1996, Information Technology—Generic Coding of Moving Pictures and Associated Audio Information Systems which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. In MPEG-2 systems, a video elementary stream is assembled into a packetized elementary stream (PES). Presentation Time Stamps (PTS) are carried in headers of the packetized elementary stream. Decoding time stamps (DTS) are also carried in PES headers of an I- or P-picture when bi-directional predictive coding is enabled. The DTS field is not sent with a video PES stream that was generated with B-picture decoding disabled. The value for a component of PTS (and DTS, if present) is derived from the 90 KHz portion of the program clock reference that is assigned to the service to which the component belongs.
Both PTS and DTS are determined in the video encoder for coded video pictures. If a stream includes only I and P-pictures, these pictures need not be delayed in the reorder buffer and the PTS and DTS are identical. This is known as the low delay mode, and is indicated in the MPEG-2 video elementary stream. If B-pictures are included in the video stream, coded pictures do not arrive at the decoder in presentation order. Some pictures in the stream must be stored in a reorder buffer in the decoder after being decoded until their corrected presentation time.
FIG. 1A is a timing diagram for decoding and presenting an exemplary video sequence. The pictures B1, B2, and B3 are decoded from I0 and P4. Accordingly, P4 is decoded prior to B1, B2, and B3. However, after decoding, P4 is stored in a reorder buffer until after B1, B2, and B3 are presented for display. Any I- or P-picture previously stored in the reorder buffer is presented before the next I- or P-picture. While the I- or P-picture is stored in the reorder buffer, any subsequent B-picture(s) are decoded and presented. This is known as non low-delay mode.
For MPEG-2 video, DTS indicates the time when the associated video picture is to be decoded while PTS indicates the time when the presentation unit decoded from the associated video picture is to be presented on the display. Times indicated by PTS and DTS are evaluated with respect to the current System Time Clock value—locked to Program Clock Reference (PCR). For B-pictures, PTS is equal to DTS. For I and P-pictures, PTS and DTS differ by the time that the pictures is delayed in the reorder buffer, which is a multiple of the nominal picture period.
The DTS for a given picture is calculated by adding a fixed delay time, D*f (where f is equal to the time for displaying one frame and D is an integer), to the Picture Sync Time Stamp (PSTS). The picture sync time stamp is a 33-bit value of the 90 Khz portion of the PCR that is latched by the picture sync. The delay time, D*f, is nominally the delay from the input of the MPEG-2 video encoder to the output of the MPEG-2 video decoder. This delay is also known as end-to-end delay and is most likely determined during system integration testing.
The position of a picture in the final display order is determined by using the picture type (I, P, or B). The number of pictures, if any, for which the current picture is delayed before presentation is used to calculate the PTS from the DTS. If the picture is a B-picture, the PTS and DTS are identical, because B-pictures are not used as reference pictures in the MPEG-2 standard.
Another variant of the MPEG specification is known as MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding (MPEG-4 AVC) and is described in Committee Draft, JVT-C167, ITU-T Recommendation H.264, which is incorporated herein by reference. One of the differences between the MPEG-4 AVC standard and the MPEG-2 standard is that MPEG-4 B-pictures can be used as reference pictures. Another difference is that P-pictures can be predicted from later reference pictures. Consequently, the low-delay/non-low delay method for determining the presentation time stamps is insufficient.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous if a time-stamping scheme for MPEG-4 AVC is provided. Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with embodiments presented in the remainder of the present application with references to the drawings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oscillator and a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, reduction in power consumption is required in products made with ecological sensitivity or electronic devices such as portable devices. With this, reduction in current consumption is required of each of the elements (an oscillator and a semiconductor device) which control these electronic devices. This requirement also needs reduction in power consumption in a system operation, and how small the current consumption in the standby state is made leads to product differentiation in the system. For this purpose, it is necessary to decrease waiting time for stabilization of oscillation of a system clock (oscillator), which becomes always necessary, as much as possible and to perform a constant process (count of a clock and the like) early, in the state transition to the normal operation state from the above described standby state. Attention is paid to a method for decreasing average current consumption by transition to the standby state.
Besides, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-338751 discloses a crystal resonator which shortens rise time by decreasing overshoot of oscillation frequency at a time of rise of the oscillator. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to cartons such as those used as containers for food in which the food can be heated or cooked in an oven.
Cartons which are used to store food or other items which must be heated before they are consumed are usually lined with a tough ovenable plastic liner which may be made from a polyester film or the like. This liner serves to make the paperboard waterproof so that it will not absorb fluids which are stored within the container. Because of the presence of this liner, however, considerable difficulty is experienced in attempting to tear the lid in order to open the tray.
In one prior corner construction, the continuous score line which is formed in the upper face of the lid is spaced inwardly from the side edges of the lid so that it is located inwardly of the flange which supports the lid and the weakened score line which is formed on the lower face is located inwardly from the score line of the upper face in a spaced parallel relationship thereto. In addition, the weakened score line which is formed on the lower face and which extends inwardly from the corner terminates short of the weakened score line which is formed on the upper face. It has been found that this structure is difficult to open because of the difficulty experienced in rupturing the tough film of plastics material which is applied to the inner face of the lid.
In another known structure, a pair of spaced parallel crease lines extend inwardly from the corner on both the upper face and the lower face to form a tab. This tab forms an awkward obstruction which makes it difficult to pore liquid contents out of the vent passage which is formed by depressing the tab. In addition, difficulty is again experienced in attempting to rupture the plastic liner which is applied to the lower face of the lid because the weakened score lines do not extend to the inner weakened score line which is formed on the lower face.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple arrangement of weakened score lines on the lid of a tray which will facilitate the tearing of the lid in order to vent and to open the container. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Marine geophysical surveys are often used for oil and gas exploration in marine environments. Marine environments may include saltwater, freshwater, brackish water, and other similar environments. Various types of signal sources and sensors may be used in different types of geophysical surveys. For example, one type of marine geophysical survey is based on the use of pressure waves. In such a survey, a vessel may tow an acoustic source (e.g., an air gun or a marine vibrator) and a plurality of streamers along which a number of pressure sensors (e.g., hydrophones) are located. Pressure waves generated by the source may then be transmitted to the Earth's crust and then reflected back and captured at the sensors. Pressure waves received during a marine seismic survey may be analyzed to locate hydrocarbon-bearing geological structures, and thus determine where deposits of oil and natural gas may be located. As another example, marine electromagnetic (EM) surveys may be conducted using EM signals transmitted by a submerged antenna and detected by EM receivers.
In a typical marine survey, the streamers on which the sensors are located are very long, typically multiple kilometers in length. Some surveys may be conducted with a single streamer, while some surveys utilize multiple streamer systems including one or more arrays of streamers. The individual streamers in such arrays are generally affected by the same forces that affect a single streamer. Equipment used to connect streamers to the towing vessel generally maintains the depth of the forward end of the streamers and maintains the forward ends of the streamers at selected lateral distances from each other as they are towed through the water.
Each streamer of the streamer array may include a tail buoy at the distal end of the streamer. Tail buoy may typically include geodetic position receiver such as a GPS receiver that may determine the geodetic position of the tail buoy. The geodetic position receiver may be in signal communication with other relevant survey equipment.
A typical streamer can extend behind the seismic vessel for several kilometers. Because of the great length of the typical streamer, the streamer may not travel entirely in a straight line (or other planned configuration) behind the towing vessel at every point along its length due to interaction of the streamer with the water and currents in the water, among other factors. As such, the streamers in the array may have a tendency to cross and tangle, resulting in operational downtime. During deployment or retrieval of the array of streamers, entanglement may be common. Generally, streamer positioning devices may be employed to prevent the entanglement of and detangle streamers. However, when the ropes or chains connecting the tail buoys become entangled, they may require manual untangling, because they are generally not equipped with such positioning device. Manually untangling the ropes or chains and the tail buoys to which they are attached can be time consuming and costly. Unless a nearby repair vessel has the capability and availability to untangle the ropes or chains and the tail buoys, the survey operation typically must be suspended so that the array of streamers and the attached ropes or chains and tail buoys can be retrieved to be untangled by the survey vessel crew.
Another instance of entanglement may arise when the array of streamers is being towed near an offshore structure or obstacle (such as ice floes). As the wind and current may push the array of streamers and the respective tail buoys into the offshore structure or the obstacle, the streamer or the array of streamers and the respective tail buoys may hook onto or cross the structure or the obstacle resulting in entanglement, and in some cases, damage to the streamers and the sensors attached to the streamers.
In addition to being a hazard to streamers and the sensors attached thereto, tail buoy entanglement can also be hazardous to the survey crew because untangling the tail buoys often requires manual operation. Particularly in deep sea survey operations, such manual operation can be dangerous and is thus highly undesirable.
Accordingly, in marine seismic, electromagnetic, and other types of surveying, the need exists for an apparatus in place of the tail buoys but without being physically attached to the trailing end(s) of the streamer or the array of streamers. The efficiency of a survey operation is likely to increase as the above mentioned entanglement and downtime may be curtailed. The efficiency may additionally increase as the quantity of the survey equipment and the complexity of operation may be reduced. Streamers without tail buoys may also reduce towing load, resulting in further cost savings of the entire survey operation. Moreover, streamers free of tail buoys may result in reduced tug noise thereby increasing survey data accuracy. Additional advantages may include less hazardous working environment for the survey crew.
This specification includes references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment.” The appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner consistent with this disclosure.
This specification may use phrase such as “based on.” As used herein, this term is used to describe one or more factors that affect a determination. This term does not foreclose additional factors that may affect a determination. That is, a determination may be solely based on those factors or based only in part on those factors. Consider the phrase “determine A based on B.” This phrase connotes that B is a factor that affects the determination of A, but does not foreclose the determination of A from also being based on C. In other instances, A may be determined based solely on B.
Various devices, units, circuits, or other components may be described or claimed as “configured to”, “usable to”, or “operable to” perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, “configured to”, “usable to” and “operable to” is each used to connote structure by indicating that the devices/units/circuits/components include structure that performs the task or tasks during an operation. As such, the device/unit/circuit/component can be said to be configured to, usable to, or usable to perform the task even when the specified device/unit/circuit/component is not currently operational (e.g., is not on or in operation). The devices/units/circuits/components used with the “configured to”, “usable to”, or “operable to” language include hardware—for example, circuits, memory storing program instructions executable to implement the operation, etc. Reciting that a device/unit/circuit/component is “configured to”, “usable to”, or “operable to” perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f), for that device/unit/circuit/component.
While at least a portion of the explanation of the need provided herein refers to seismic surveying, it is important to recognize that the survey system here is not limited to seismic survey but rather any survey system which includes a plurality of laterally spaced-apart sensor streamers towed by a vessel. Such other types of streamers may include, without limitation, electrodes, magnetometers and temperature sensors. Accordingly, the references to seismic streamers are provided as non-limiting examples. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Stimulation techniques may be used to increase the amount of hydrocarbons obtained from a subterranean formation. For example, some unconventional subterranean formations may be fractured to improve well productivity by placing or enhancing fractures which run from a wellbore into a surrounding subterranean formation. Other methods of increasing productivity include drilling additional wells in the subterranean formation. In some instances, a new well may be drilled between other existing wells and may reduce the well spacing of the field. In other cases, field development may be planned such that multiple wells may be placed in close proximity to accelerate recovery.
When wells are placed sufficiently close together, stimulation of one well may impact production of other wells if fluid communication between the wells is present. This may be referred to generally as “well bashing,” and this loss of production occurs because the stimulated well is in fluid communication with one or more of the producing wells and the treatment fluids used in the stimulated well may enter the other wells through connecting flow paths in the fracture networks within the subterranean formation. When two wells are in fluid communication, stimulation treatment fluids may be lost through flow into the non-stimulated well. If this occurs, the stimulation operation may require more stimulation treatment fluids than would be necessary if there was no fluid communication with other wells. This may result in increases in operation time and expenditure. Further, if the non-stimulated well is producing, well production may be reduced or lost due to the inflow of the stimulation treatment fluids into the producing well. In situations in which fluid communication is established between multiple producing wells the fluid used to displace the hydrocarbons may take the path of least flow resistance and may bypass reserves in low permeability areas and instead flow into another producing well leading to a loss in production in both producing wells.
Some methods used to reduce or prevent fluid communication between wells may involve the use of polymer solutions. The polymer solutions may be introduced into the flow paths between wells, and then the polymers may be cross-linked to reduce or prevent flow between the wells by blocking the flow paths between the wells. However, the polymers in the solution may hydrolyze over time and lose viscosity. As such, the polymers may only provide a temporary solution. Because of this degradation, the polymer solutions may need to be used every time a well stimulation is performed. They may also need to be used as a remedial measure in producing wells if fluid communication between producing wells occurs because the previously introduced polymers have degraded. Further, the polymers may not be thermally stable in high temperature environments, which are generally environments with temperatures greater than 200° F. The thermal degradation of the polymers may preclude use in high temperature environments, and the polymers may not be sufficient for reducing or preventing fluid communication in wells in high temperature subterranean formations or when operations requiring elevated temperatures need to be performed. When the polymers degrade, they may lose viscosity and become easier to displace when contacted by subsequent fluids such as stimulation treatment fluids or fluids used to displace hydrocarbons. As such, the polymer solutions may not provide a long-term solution to prevent well bashing and may not be stable in high temperature subterranean formations.
The illustrated figures are only exemplary and are not intended to assert or imply any limitation with regard to the environment, architecture, design, or process in which different examples may be implemented. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates generally to data processing systems and, more particularly, to a uniform mechanism for transferring data within a data processing system.
In conventional computer systems, data transfer is application specific. In other words, a computer program is responsible for handling the data transfer that is required by an application of data transfer functionality (xe2x80x9capplicationxe2x80x9d). Two examples of such applications of data transfer functionality are drag-and-drop and cut-and-paste. Drag-and-drop refers to when a computer user selects data contained within a data source and moves the mouse to a data sink while keeping the mouse button depressed. The data source and the data sink are computer programs within the computer system which contain or accept data. An example of a data source or data sink is a file editor or a word processing document. When the indicator on the computer display, which reflects mouse movement (xe2x80x9cmouse pointerxe2x80x9d), appears to be pointing to the data sink, the user releases the depressed mouse button and the selected data appears to be inserted into the dam sink. Cut-and-paste refers to when a computer user selects data from within a data source and performs a cut operation (typically invoked through a pull-down menu). The computer user then selects a position in the data sink and performs a paste operation (typically invoked through a pull-down menu). The result of a cut-and-paste application is that data is extracted from the data source and is inserted into the data sink. In order to understand how a data sink and a data source handle the drag-and-drop and cut-and-paste applications, drag-and-drop and cut-and-paste are examined in more detail below.
FIG. 1 depicts a conventional computer system for performing a drag-and-drop application. The memory 102 of the computer system contains a data source 104, which contains data 110; a global memory 108; a window manager 112 and a data sink 106. The global memory 108 is an area of memory that is accessible to all computer programs in a state of operation. Global memory may be contrasted against local memory wherein local memory is memory local to the computer program (i.e., within the address space of the computer program). The window manager 112 is a computer program responsible for performing all computer display-related operations. FIG. 2 depicts a flowchart of the steps performed by a conventional computer system for performing a drag-and-drop application. When a drag-and-drop application is performed, the computer user first selects the data 110 within the data source 104 by typically using a mouse or other pointing device (step 202). Selecting data refers to highlighting data 110 within the data source 104. The computer user then drags the selected data 110 to the data sink 106 (step 204). Dragging refers to the computer user (hereafter xe2x80x9cuserxe2x80x9d) depressing the mouse button, while the mouse pointer is positioned on the selected data 110, and moving the mouse while keeping the mouse button depressed. After the user drags the data 110 to the data sink 106, the data source 104 converts the data 110 into a format acceptable to the global memory 108 and passes the data 110 to the window manager 112 (step 206). When the data 110 is passed to the window manager 112, the window manager 112 stores the data 110 into the global memory 108. After storing the data 110 into the global memory 108, the window manager 112 transfers the data 110 from the global memory 108 to the data sink 106 (step 208). Upon receiving the data 110, the data sink 106 converts the data 110 into a format acceptable to the data sink 106 (step 210).
The cut and paste application is similar to the drag and drop application in that a data sink and a data source performing the cut and paste application also form a connection and transfer data. FIG. 3 depicts a conventional computer system for performing the cut-and-paste application. The memory 102 of the computer system contains a data source 104, which contains data 110; a clipboard 302; and a data sink 106. The clipboard 302 is responsible for maintaining an area of global memory used for temporary storage. During a cut-and-paste application, the user selects data 110 from the data source 104, invokes a cut operation (typically by using a pull-down menu), inserts the cursor into the data sink 106 and invokes the paste operation (typically by using a pull-down menu). Both the cut and the paste operations are provided by the clipboard 302 and are well known in the computer industry. FIG. 4 depicts a flowchart of the steps performed by a conventional computer system for performing the cut-and-paste application. First, the user selects data 110 from the data source 104 and performs a cut operation (step 402). The data 110 is then converted into a format acceptable to the clipboard 302 (step 404). After the data 110 has been converted, the data 10 is copied to the clipboard 308, wherein the data 110 then resides within global memory (step 406). Then, the user selects a location within the data sink 106 and invokes the paste operation (step 408). The data sink 106 transfers the data 110 from the clipboard 302 to the location in the data sink 106 selected by the user (step 410).
As indicated above, in both the cut-and-paste and the drag-and-drop applications, the data source and the data sink form a logical connection through either the clipboard 302 or the window manager 112. Then, after the connection is established, the data 110 is transferred. This two-step process requires the developers of computer programs which perform applications of data transfer functionality to create, for each application, both a connection component to establish a connection and a data transfer component to perform the data transfer. Thus, the developers of computer programs which support applications of data transfer functionality must implement a data transfer component for every application supported.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a method is executed in a computer system. In accordance with this method of the first aspect of the present invention, the computer has a connection mechanism, a uniform data transfer mechanism and a plurality of computer programs. In order to perform data transfer between two computer programs, this method establishes a connection between the computer programs transferring data and invokes the uniform data transfer mechanism to perform the data transfer.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a communication mechanism is provided that contains a connection component and a data transfer component. The data transfer component further contains a GetData component, a GetDataHere component, a QueryGetData component, a GetCanonicalFormat component, a SetData component, a EnumFormat component, an Advise component, an UnAdvise component and an EnumAdvise component. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Existing network interface devices provide systems for receiving, analyzing, filtering and transmitting network data or frames of data. Network Protocol Analyzers, Bridges, and Routers are among the most common network interface devices currently available.
Conventional network protocol analyzers provide, for a predefined set of network frame structures or protocols, a system for monitoring the activity of a network and the stations on it by allowing network traffic to be captured and stored for later analysis. Common capture and analysis capabilities include the gathering of statistics, subsequent report generation, the ability to filter frames based on specific criteria, and the ability to generate network traffic.
Bridges and routers are network devices that pass frames from one network interface to another. Bridges operate at the data-link layer and routers at the network layer of the OSI reference model. Like protocol analyzers, both bridges and routers may gather statistics and filter incoming network frames based on specific criteria, however incoming frames also may be forwarded to other networks based on information collected by the bridge or router. Routers typically support only a limited number of network protocols.
Each of these network devices requires an ability to separate network frames into individual protocols and their components (typically referred to as parsing), an ability to filter incoming frames based on a logical combination of one or more field values extracted during parsing, and an ability to gather statistics based in part on extracted field values. Typically, it is a requirement that network frames be received, analyzed and forwarded at full network speeds, sometimes on many different networks at one time.
A frame filter consists of one or more criteria which specify one or more valid values for a frame (or segments of a frame). Frame filtering criteria are typically implemented using an offset (from frame or protocol header start), a length in bits which defines a field, a value for comparison, and mask values for identifying relevant and irrelevant bits within the field. For multiple value filter criteria, the result from each filter value is logically OR'ed together to obtain an overall result. Therefore, each additional result adds to the processing required to filter a given field. For filtering on optional protocol fields that do not occur at the same relative offset in each protocol frame, this method is time-consuming. Thus, it would be desirable to perform filtering on both fixed and optional variable offset fields for any number of values or ranges of values without incurring any additional overhead.
Parsing, the process wherein network frames are broken up into their individual protocols and fields, is necessary for filtering with offsets relative to protocol headers, gathering field based statistics, generating network traffic, routing data frames, verifying field values, and displaying network frames in human readable form. In conventional systems, the parsing process has an overall structure which incorporates control logic for each supported protocol. Therefore, additional control logic must be developed when support for a new protocol is added to a conventional system. As the development of additional control logic, whether implemented in hardware or software, may be both time consuming and expensive, it would be highly desirable to be able to parse all protocols with a single configurable software (or hardware) module so that support for additional protocols could be added to a system without requiring substantial modification to the system or its control logic.
Further, although microprocessors (or CPUs) available today can execute tens or even hundreds of millions of instructions per second, vendors often must provide dedicated hardware assistance and/or front-end processors with hand-coded assembly language routines to achieve the necessary processing rates for more than one pair of networks. Unfortunately, this solution requires hardware and/or software modifications whenever changes are made to the number of supported features or protocols.
Finally, as networks become larger and more complex, the maintenance of a comprehensive statistics database by each network device becomes more important. Because these statistics databases typically are not utilized by a maintaining device, but instead are collected by a network management device, the collection process may affect performance adversely without any corresponding benefit to the collecting device.
In light of the considerations discussed above, it is believed that a network interface system having a configurable protocol analysis capability with common control logic applicable to many different network devices would be highly desirable. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a fluid controller of the type used to control the flow of fluid from a source of pressurized fluid to a fluid pressure operated device, such as a vehicle steering cylinder.
A typical fluid controller of the type to which the present invention relates includes a housing which defines various fluid ports, and further includes a fluid meter, a primary valve member, a follow-up valve member, and an arrangement for imparting follow-up movement to the follow-up valve member in accordance with the fluid flow through the fluid meter. The flow through the controller valving is directly proportional to the area of the main variable flow control orifice which, in turn, is proportional to the relative displacement between the primary and follow-up valve members.
In conventional fluid controllers of the type described above, the primary valve member has been rotatable, and the follow-up valve member has been relatively rotatable, with the various flow control orifices being defined by the overlap of passages and ports defined by the primary and follow-up valve members, respectively, as the primary valve member is rotated, relative to the follow-up valve member.
Although fluid controllers of the type described above have been satisfactory in operation, and very successful commercially, there are inherent drawbacks to fluid controllers of that type. Typical spool-sleeve fluid controllers which define variable flow control orifices in response to relative rotation of the spool and sleeve typically require that the spool include a substantial number of axially-extending milled slots or passageways on the surface of the spool, thus adding to the cost and complexity of the manufacturing process. In addition, it is more difficult in such controllers to provide suitable pressure balancing of the sleeve, to prevent it from clamping onto the outer surface of the spool, in a region where the sleeve is surrounded by pressurized fluid, for example, in an annular chamber defined by the housing. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a hydraulic braking circuit, in particular for a motor vehicle, and more particularly a circuit of this type which allows automatic braking controlled by an electronic control unit to be achieved.
Automatic braking systems have numerous advantages as regards safety. For example, they allow a vehicle to be slowed and even stopped when an obstacle is detected, for example by an on-board radar, even though the driver of the vehicle has not seen this obstacle.
Moreover, when combined with an appropriate logic, they allow an anti-skid function during acceleration and/or an anti-lock function to be performed.
So as not to have any abnormal effects, a system of this type must function exactly as a driver would, in other words with the necessary progressiveness and smoothness. Furthermore, its cost must not be excessive.
The subject of the present invention is a hydraulic braking circuit for a system of this type.
The invention therefore relates to a hydraulic braking circuit comprising at least one brake fluid source, a master cylinder, the outputs of which are connected to at least one sub-circuit comprising at least one brake motor, and which is controlled by means of a pedal, and an electronic control unit. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Doctor blades have been used for years in various different applications. Typically, a doctor blade is used to help separate a material from a piece of equipment. For example, a doctor blade may be used to help remove a web of material from a drum or plate to which the material has been attached. Doctor blades may also be used to clean equipment and/or to impart one or more characteristics into the product being manufactured by the equipment.
In the paper industry, for example, doctor blades are often used to help remove the paper web from a drying drum, such as a Yankee dryer to which the paper web is adhered. In certain papermaking processes, the doctor blade that removes the paper web from the drying drum or any other drum may also be used to crepe the paper to some degree. Such doctor blades are often referred to as “creping blades”. In other papermaking processes, the doctor blade may be used to remove waste material from various pieces of equipment. Such doctor blades are often referred to as “cleaning blades”. The present invention is directed to doctor blades, and more particularly to creping blades and cleaning blades used in papermaking and other web making processes.
The surface profile of bevel surface of the doctor blade, in addition to the geometry of the doctor blade and the particular set-up configuration of the doctor blade with respect to the equipment with which it interacts, can provide for variations in the way the creping blade performs its intended function. For example, it has been discovered that microscopic bumps, machine marks, or surface abnormalities on the creping blade bevel surface can affect the blade's performance and/or the physical characteristics of the material being removed by the blade.
The present prior art methods of improving the performance of doctor blades include changing the geometry of the leading edge of the blade, introducing grooves into the leading edge of the blade, using composite materials, and treating the surface of the blade. Unfortunately, the current methods of improving doctor blades fail to account for the imperfections in the bevel surface of the blade that result from the machine marks left from the processing of the blade itself after conventional finishing.
There are generally two methods to prepare the finished bevel surface of a doctor blade. One is by the conventional use of abrasive media, typically by grinding methods using abrasive stones, wheels, or other abrasive media. Another is to pare material off the surface of the bevel in single or multiple strokes in order to create a working edge or bevel surface. This paring method is known in the art as “skiving.” Bumps and other imperfections are not limited to blades which have been machined in perpendicular to the z-axis of the leading edge of the blade itself; even blades prepared by a skiving process in which the tool marks are parallel with the z-axis of the leading edge of the blade exhibit microscopic bumps along the surface. An emphasis must be placed on machine tool directionality of the effect that it has on the process removing or separating material (for example, a cellulose web) from a rotating drying drum or other equipment. The machine tool mark orientation in papermaking processes are often arranged in the machine direction (MD) (the same direction of web movement) as opposed to the cross direction (CD) (perpendicular to the web movement) because of factors such as lower sheet drag or friction and pitch (residual material from the raw material or processing steps) build up.
Despite the vast amount of information available relating to the manufacture of doctor blades, there is still a need to improve the performance of creping blades and to provide creping blades that can uniquely affect the physical attributes of the materials with which they interact. Due to the way that a creping blade is typically used in the web making process (i.e., the web is removed from a drying roll at high speed by impacting the web against the creping blade), the creping blade can, and often does, cause problems with throughput, tearing of the web, reducing the strength of the web, generating dust, etc.
The present invention provides improved creping blades that address many of the problems presented by currently available creping blades. Specifically, it has been newly discovered that the bevel surface of the blade can be modified to provide unique benefits to the processes and/or materials with which the creping blade interacts. More specifically, it has been found that a step-like polishing process can be used to super-finish the bevel surface of the doctor blade. The super-finished doctor blades exhibit dramatic improvements in performance. Examples of such improvements include, but are not limited to, line speed increases, increased line run times, increased line reliability, improvement in sheet stability, reduction in the amount of dust or other material derived from the web interacting with the blade and/or can provide the product being manufactured with unique physical attributes or improvements of existing desirable attributes not easily attainable by using the doctor blades that are currently commercially available. This includes higher sheet strength or tensile in both the CD and MD direction, and more consistent product attributes especially in the CD direction of the sheet such as caliper and tensiles versus a higher variability with blades that have smoothness imperfections.
Further, the blades of the present invention can provide a less traumatic interaction with the paper web, which can help reduce the amount of material needed to form a particular end product in certain circumstances and/or allow for the use of less expensive materials to produce the desired end product.
The present invention addresses one or more of the disadvantages of currently available creping blades and methods using such creping blades by providing a smoother bevel surface for the creping blade. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a program, an information storage medium, and a game system.
A game system for allowing a player to play a music game has been conventionally known. In this game system, music is output from a sound output section, and a direction mark (note) for directing the operation timing of the player is displayed in a display section. The player enjoys the music game by performing the operation according to the displayed direction mark while listening to the output music.
In this conventional music game system, only one operation can be directed by one direction mark. Specifically, when the operation section includes a plurality of operation regions, one direction mark can merely direct the player to operate one operation region. Therefore, in order to direct the player to operate a plurality of operation regions of the operation section, it is necessary to display a plurality of direction marks corresponding to each operation. In more detail, a plurality of lines are provided, and the direction mark is moved on each line. When directing the player to operate first and second operation regions of the operation section at the same time, a first direction mark which moves on a first line and a second direction mark which moves on a second line are moved in parallel. The player operates the first and second operation regions at the same time aiming at a timing at which the positions of the first and second direction marks coincide with a reference position. When the timings are judged to coincide, points are added to the score of the player.
However, this conventional method has a problem in which it is difficult for the player to determine whether or not the first and second direction marks moved in parallel require a simultaneous operation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a series of new thiazole derivatives, in which the thiazole ring is attached via an unsaturated carbon chain to a rhodanine or thiazolidine-2,4-dione ring system. The invention also provides a process for preparing the compounds as well as methods and compositions for using them.
The enzyme aldose reductase is implicated in many of the complications of diabetes, and inhibitors of its activity can, therefore, be used in the treatment and prevention of such complications. A number of thiazolidine and/or rhodanine derivatives have been found to have the ability to inhibit the activity of aldose reductase. Thus, certain compounds of this type are disclosed in European Patent Publication Nos. 47,109 and 208,040, and in the published Japanese Patent Application Kokai Nos. 56,175/86, 238,286/87 and 179,873/88 (the latter being published after the priority date hereof).
We have now discovered a new series of thiazole derivatives having a very marked ability to inhibit the activity of aldose reductase, which ability is believed to be significantly better than that of the above-mentioned prior art compounds, from which they differ structurally primarily by virtue of the thiazole group. Moreover, these new derivatives include compounds which, upon oral administration, have been found to combine excellent absorption from the gastro-intestinal tract with very low toxicity. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission control unit for use in the transmission and reception of data between portable electronic devices such as portable word processors and lap-top personal computers over a public telephone.
Conventionally, there is a known electronic device having a modulator/demodulator (MODEM) or an acoustic coupler for the purpose of transmitting and/or receiving data to and from an electronic device on the other end of the line.
FIG. 5 is a structural view of an electronic device including a MODEM, the electronic device 50 of this type being used in such a manner that a MODEM 51 thereof is directly connected to a telephone line 52 so as to call an electronic device on the other end of the line by using a tone dial. FIG. 6 is a structural view of an electronic device including an acoustic coupler, where a microphone 62 and a speaker 63 are installed therein via a MODEM 61 so that a connection with a telephone line 52 is established by dialing a call with the microphone 62 and the speaker 63 caused to confront a speaker 64 and a microphone 65 of a telephone 66.
There is a requirement that the electronic device including the MODEM usually directly connected to the telephone line can be connected to the telephone line over a public telephone or the like in the place where the user is.
However, the electronic device 50 of the type shown in FIG. 5 is not designed to be used via a public telephone so that it is impossible to connect the electronic device 50 to the telephone line via the public telephone. In the case of the electronic device 60 of the type shown in FIG. 6, it cannot be used while connected directly to the telephone line 52. Furthermore, the electronic device 60 encounters a problem in that the dial must be turned when it is connected to the telephone line 52 via a public telephone.
In Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 64-11046, a telephone which also serves as an acoustic coupler is disclosed. In this telephone, an acoustic coupler and a telephone unit are mounted on a base in such a manner that a transmitter and a receiver of the acoustic coupler can swing on the base so that the transmitter and the receiver are caused to confront the handset of the telephone. Furthermore, a belt is provided for the base for the purpose of fixing the transmitter and the receiver to the handset of the telephone. When the telephone which also serves as an acoustic coupler is used to communicate with, for example, a portable facsimile, the structure of the facsimile device can be simplified since a telephone which also serves as an acoustic coupler can be connected to the facsimile as an alternative to separately connecting the acoustic coupler and the telephone. However, since the acoustic coupler and the telephone are mounted on the base, it is not suitable to be used via a public telephone. Furthermore, dialing must be conducted by pressing the push buttons when the telephone which also serves as an acoustic coupler is connected to the telephone line. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention generally relates to nonvolatile memory devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a magnetic memory cell construction for use in nonvolatile memory devices.
One type of nonvolatile memory device known in the art relies on magnetic memory cells. Known as magnetic random access memory (MRAM) devices, these devices include an array of magnetic memory cells. The magnetic memory cells may be of different types. For example, a tunneling magnetic junction (TMJ) memory cell or a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) memory cell.
The typical magnetic memory cell includes a layer of magnetic film in which the magnetization is alterable and a layer of magnetic film in which the magnetization is fixed or xe2x80x9cpinnedxe2x80x9d in particular direction. The magnetic film having alterable magnetization may be referred to as a data storage layer and the magnetic film which is pinned may be referred to as a reference layer. The data storage layer and the reference layer are separated by a layer of insulating material.
Conductive traces (commonly referred to as word lines and bit lines, or collectively as write lines) are routed across the array of memory cells. Word lines extend along rows of the memory cells, and bit lines extend along columns of the memory cells. Located at each intersection of a word line and a bit line, each memory cell stores the bit of information as an orientation of a magnetization. Typically, the orientation of magnetization in the data storage layer aligns along an axis of the data storage layer that is commonly referred to as its easy axis. External magnetic fields are applied to flip the orientation of magnetization in the data storage layer along its easy axis to either a parallel or anti-parallel orientation with respect to the orientation of magnetization in the reference layer, depending on the desired logic state.
The orientation of magnetization of each memory cell will assume one of two stable orientations at any given time. These two stable orientations, parallel and anti-parallel, represent logical values of xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d. The orientation of magnetization of a selected memory cell may be changed by supplying current to a word line and a bit line intersecting the selected memory cell. The currents create magnetic fields that, when combined, can switch the orientation of magnetization of the selected memory cell from parallel to anti-parallel or vice versa. Additionally, the write lines can be used to read the logic values stored in the memory cell.
The layers of magnetic material in the memory cell are typically formed as geometrically patterned films such as squares or rectangles, although other shapes are known to be used. One disadvantage of patterned magnetic layer storage structures is that multiple magnetic domains may form in the magnetic layers, rendering the state of the memory cell indeterminate during read operations. Specifically, patterned magnetic layers generate a magnetostatic field that tends to demagnetize the layer. At the edge of the patterned film, this demagnetization field is typically larger than any anisotropy terms maintaining the magnetization perpendicular to the pattern edge. As a result, the magnetostatic field tends to rotate the magnetic vector of the film near the pattern edges.
The magnetization rotation near the edges of the patterned layer form domain walls within the magnetic film, creating multiple domains of magnetic vectors where the magnetic vectors of the domains are not all aligned. When reading the magnetic memory elements, the multiple domains tend to create noise or areas of varying resistance across the memory cell that makes determination of the state of the memory cell difficult or impossible. In addition, variation in the domain states can produce fluctuations in the switching field that can render the memory cell writing process unpredictable.
From the above, it can be seen that maintaining the direction of the magnetization field in the magnetic layers is important. In the case of the fixed or pinned magnetization field of the reference layer, it is thus desirable to fix the field in a manner which minimizes the presence of multiple magnetic domains. In one common memory cell construction, the pinned reference layer may have its magnetic field fixed by interfacial exchange coupling with an adjacent antiferromagnetic layer. An example of the use of an antiferromagnetic layer is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,958 to Gallagher et al. The use of antiferromagnetic materials has several disadvantages including the need for annealing the materials in a magnetic field, corrosiveness of typical antiferromagnetic materials, and the added manufacturing complexity introduced by the presence of the antiferromagnetic layer. It is thus desirable to eliminate the use of antiferromagnetic materials in the construction of magnetic memory cells to reduce or eliminate the disadvantages associated with the use of those materials.
A magnetic memory device has a plurality of write lines and a plurality of memory cells. Each of the plurality of memory cells are operatively positioned between a corresponding pair of the plurality of write lines. Each of the plurality of memory cells has a sense layer and a reference layer separated by an insulating layer. In one embodiment according to the invention, the reference layer of each of the plurality of memory cells includes a high coercivity permanent magnet which provides a permanently oriented magnetic field without relying on an antiferromagnetic pinning layer. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Mobile electronic communication devices such as cellular telephones, pagers, and wireless PDAs (personal digital assistants) are in wide use. Many such mobile electronic communication devices offer core functions such as a contact list, call log, voice mail and so forth, while many high-end models offer advanced functions such as Internet access and messaging services. Currently, most mobile electronic communication devices use a sound or a text message to notify the user that the mobile electronic communication device has received a message. However, these notifications typically do not provide a quick and easy method to determine the senders' identities, nor do they provide an indication of how much time has passed since the mobile electronic communication device received the messages. For example, in some of these existing mobile electronic communication devices, the user must navigate through one or more menus displayed by the mobile electronic communication device to access messages to determine a sender's identity and the time the message was received. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A. Subject Matter
This invention relates to apparatus for imparting an undulatory configuration to a strand of wire.
B. Prior Art
This invention comprises an improvement over known apparatus for imparting an undulatory configuration to a strand of wire. Prior to this invention, and to the invention over which this is an improvement, machines were known for imparting an undulatory configuration to a strand of wire which conventionally utilized a pair of serrated complimentary dyes for engaging the wire and bending it into the desired configuration. Such devices are necessarily reciprocal in nature and hence are characterized by high inertia and inherent low operating speed. Such known dye devices are not only expensive to build but require a substantial maintenance effort if a satisfactory product is to be formed.
In this respect major efforts have been directed to the development of apparatus and methods for imparting an undulatory configuration to a strand of wire wherein reciprocal parts are eliminated and rotatable elements are used instead. In an initial effort to accomplish such a desired result a pair of wheels were disposed along side each other and rotatably mounted on axes which were angularly disposed so that a plurality of pins disposed about the peripheries of both wheels were caused to occupy spaced relationships which continuously varied throughout each revolution of the wheel. This space variation allowed rapid formation of loops of wire about the pins followed by a tightening of the loops due to increased spacing between the particular pin on one wheel and the adjacent pin on the other wheel. Thus a permanent set was imparted to the wire according to this particular feature of the invention which involved the angular displacement of the rotating wheels. Various mechanisms for securing the wire in place on the rotating wheels and for removing the wire are provided in accordance with specific features of the apparatus of the prior art. See in particular U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,808 issued Sept. 19, 1972 to Calvert et al.
While the above recited Calvert et al. patent does disclose the use of angularly disposed rotatable wheels having a plurality of pins secured to the periphery of each of said rotatable wheels to impart an undulatory configuration to a strand of wire a disadvantage of the apparatus of Calvert et al. is in what is referred to hereinafter as the wire looping assembly. The wire looping assembly of the Calvert et al. patent comprises a rotatable device having lateral projecting arms thereon engaging the wire as the wire is fed into the wire looping assembly and subsequently loops the wire about a pair of pins disposed respectively on the peripheries of a pair of rotatable wheels. This wire looping assembly and specifically the rotatable element with the arms disposed thereon has led to serious commercial difficulties in terms of maximum operating speed and downtime for repairs. In addition this rotatable element comprising the primary element of the wire looping assembly is difficult to mechanically actuate as it requires a discontinuous action which is not easily converted from standard drive means. In addition the wire forming apparatus of the Calvert et al. patent requires releasing means to operate by an oscillating motion to periodically displace the strand of wire from contact with the rotating element. All of these elements which comprise the commercial limiting elements of the entire wire forming apparatus have been eliminated and/or improved by applicants' invention. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to means for securing fuel injection nozzles to internal combustion engines and is of the type that comprises a flange member which, by means of bolts, clamps the fuel injection nozzle to the cylinder head and which, for this purpose, exerts a force on a shoulder of the nozzle body. The flange is provided with a bore having a diameter at least as large as the outer diameter of the nozzle body.
In a known securing means of the aforenoted type (as disclosed, for example, in German Pat. No. 1,010,783), the fuel injection nozzle is provided with a flange which is in engagement with an overlapping or coupling flange which, in turn, is tightened to the engine cylinder by means of bolts. The flange and the coupling flange are so designed that when the latter is slid over the fuel injection nozzle from the side of the engine and rotated, it cooperates with the flange as a bayonet lock. To permit an interengagement between the flange and the coupling flange, the latter is provided with flange projections, while the flange integral with the fuel injection nozzle is provided with complemental openings. A securing means of the aforenoted type, however, requires that the flange integral with the nozzle has a diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the nozzle body. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an LED and, more particularly, to an LED that provides better light-mixing effect by stacking chips.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional LED utilizes blue light to excite a fluorochrome material to cause the fluorochrome material to emit yellow light, which is mixed with the blue light to generate white light. Alternatively, the conventional LED utilizes a parallel blue chip and yellow chip (shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6) to emit the white light. The blue chip 93 and the yellow chip 94 are stuck on the conductive supporting frame 91 of the LED 9 by conductive paste 92, and the electrical power supplied by the conductive frame 91 is used to make the blue chip 93 emit the blue light and the yellow chip 94 to emit yellow light. By controlling the electrical current and voltage, the LED 9 with the characteristic of a single wavelength can make the blue light and yellow light diffuse and mix to provide white light.
However, the LED 9, which has the parallel chip 93 and chip 94, has a problem in mixing the lights, and also has a color fleck problem. The reason is that the distance D between the parallel chip 93 and chip 94 causes the LED to display different colors on two sides of the LED, the blue LED chip 93 side showing blue light and the yellow due to difficulties in processing that the distance D between the chip 93 and the chip 94 cannot be made closer or the chips will be short-circuited and leaking current problems will result, which causes the additional problem of decreasing the yield.
The main objective of the present invention is to solve the aforesaid problems and to provide a stacked, light-mixing LED in which by mixing two lights with different wavelengths in the visible light spectrum area, excited and emitted from a first chip and a second chip, and by controlling electrical current and voltage, the two lights excited from the first chip and the second chip can be mixed into another wavelength of light in the visible light spectrum area, such as the white light, to provide a better symmetric light-mixing effect and avoid a visible color difference.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a stacked, light-mixing LED without the problem of short circuits and leaking current by stacking the first chip and the second chip. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to wafer-level integrated circuit (IC) testers, and in particular to a method for verifying signal paths through a structure interconnecting an IC tester to an IC wafer to be tested.
2 Description of Related Art
Many integrated circuit (IC) testers test ICs while the ICs are still in the form of die on a semiconductor wafer. A typical wafer tester includes a chassis called a xe2x80x9ctest headxe2x80x9d containing printed circuit boards implementing the circuits that test a wafer. The test circuits are usually organized into a set of similar xe2x80x9cchannelsxe2x80x9d, with each channel including all the circuitry needed to generate a test signal input to one test point on the wafer and to monitor any wafer output signal produced at that test point. Each channel usually has a single bi-directional input/output (I/O) port though which it communicates with the wafer test point, though some employ two unidirectional ports.
An interconnect structure residing between the test head and the wafer provides signal paths between the channel""s I/O ports and test points on the wafer. Interconnect structures make contact with the test head I/O ports and the wafer test points in various ways. For example with the test head residing above the interconnect structure, a channel""s I/O port may access contact pads on an upper surface of a interconnect structure via a set of pogo pin connectors extending downward from the test head. The interconnect structure in turn may access the test points of the IC die via a set of small probes. The probes may be attached to an under surface of an interconnect structure and may contact pads on the upper surface of the wafer when the wafer is moved into position under the interconnect structure. Alternatively, the probes may be implemented as spring contacts formed on the surface of the wafer itself, with tips of the spring contacts accessing contact pads on the under surface of interconnect structure.
Since the test head is relatively large, the tester channels"" I/O ports are distributed over a much wider horizontal area than the test points on the relatively small IC die they must access. Thus regardless of how the interconnect structure is implemented, it must provide a large number of signal paths extending in both horizontal and vertical directions in order to interconnect the channel I/O ports to the test points on the wafer. Thus the interconnect structure is often a relatively complicated structure including more than one interconnected signal routing layer. The signal paths through the interconnect structure may also include components such as small resistors or capacitors.
Before testing a wafer we would like to confirm that the interconnect structure can provide the necessary signal paths between the test head and the wafer. A connection failure may arise, for example, due to a misalignment of pogo pins or probes with their intended contact points, a broken, missing or contaminated pogo pin, probe or contact pad, a misalignment between contact structures within internal layers within the interconnect structure, an open circuit or short circuit fault between conductors within the interconnect structure or within the test head, or defective or missing discrete components in the signal paths through the interconnect structure. In many applications we also would like to verify that the resistance of a signal path between each test head I/O port and a corresponding test point on wafer is within acceptable limits. Contactor assemblies are usually designed to provide signal paths having particular resistances, and any variation from the intended resistance, due for example to corrosion or contamination on contact pads or the tips of probes or pogo pins, can distort test results.
Shorts, continuity and resistances of signal paths within a interconnect structure are usually tested during the manufacturing process using conventional resistance and continuity testing equipment accessing opposite ends of the signal paths via small probes. However signal paths within a probe assembly can later fail when in use in an integrated circuit tester, and it is difficult and inconvenient to periodically remove a probe assembly from a tester and manually test the continuity and resistance of its signal paths. Open and short circuit signal path failures can often be detected, or at least suspected, because they usually lead to characteristic patterns of IC test failures. However when a signal path has a resistance that is marginally out of an acceptable range, wafer test failures may not exhibit a clear pattern, and die can be improperly rejected as failing a test when the source of the failure was in fact the interconnect structure.
What is needed is a convenient method for quickly testing for shorts, continuity and resistances of signal paths through a interconnect structure without having to remove it from its working environment.
A interconnect structure typically provides multiple signal paths between input/output (I/O) ports of an integrated circuit (IC) tester and test points of an IC wafer to be tested. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the ability of the interconnect structure to connect the IC tester""s I/O ports to the wafer""s test points is verified by first employing the interconnect structure to interconnect those I/O ports to a similar arrangement of test points on a reference wafer.
The reference wafer, similar in size and shape to the wafer to be tested, includes conductors linking groups of the test points. When the tester generates a test signal at one of its I/O ports, that signal travels through the interconnect system to a test point on the reference wafer. A conductor within the wafer then conveys the test signal to another of the test points. The test signal then travels from that reference point back through the interconnect structure to another I/O port of the IC tester. The continuity of signal path from any tester I/O port to a test point on the reference wafer can therefore be tested by programming the tester to transmit a test signal to the reference wafer via that I/O port and to look for the signal as it returns via another of the I/O ports.
The resistance of a signal paths through the interconnect structure is measured by transmitting signals of known current between I/O ports linked through those signal paths and the reference wafer and to measure the voltage drop between the two I/O ports. Alternatively the tester may place a known voltage across two linked I/O ports and measure the current passing between them. In either case the resistance of the system signal path between the two ports is then computed from the test signal voltage and current. When this procedure is repeated to measure resistance between various combinations of I/O ports, the path resistance between each tester I/O port and the wafer test point to which it is connected can be computed from the results.
Shorts between a selected signal path and any other signal path through the interconnect structure can be tested by removing the reference wafer, programming one tester channel to apply a test signal to the selected signal path and programming other tester channels to look for the appearance of that signal on the other signal paths.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide means for verifying that an interconnect system is capable of providing continuous signal paths between ports of an IC tester and test points on a wafer to be tested.
It is another object of the invention to provide means for measuring resistance of signal paths through a interconnect structure linking ports of an IC tester and test points on the wafer to be tested.
The concluding portion of this specification particularly points out and distinctly claims the subject matter of the present invention. However those skilled in the art will best understand both the organization and method of operation of the invention, together with further advantages and objects thereof, by reading the remaining portions of the specification in view of the accompanying drawing(s) wherein like reference characters refer to like elements. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Various 2-(hydroxyalkyl)-1H-benz[de]isoquinoline-1,3(2H)-diones have been prepared as chemical intermediates as note Fierz-David et al., Chem. Abst., Vol. 33, 1318.sup.3, Nursten et al., Chem. Abst., Vol. 44, 7829b and Yanagi et al., Chem. Abst., Vol. 54, 5426h. These compounds have been of particular interest as optical brighteners and intermediates in the preparation of optical brighteners as note Senshu et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,834, Schellhammer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,958 and Chiaki et al., Chem. Abst., Vol. 61, 16210a.
These compounds are also disclosed as intermediates in the preparation of pharmaceutically active compounds in U.S. Ser. Nos. 501,411 (filed Aug. 28, 1974), now U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,227; 523,293 (filed Nov. 13, 1974), now U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,397; 538,976 (filed Jan. 6, 1975), now U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,452; 538,977 (filed Jan. 6, 1975); 543,558 (filed Jan. 23, 1975), now U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,398; 581,444 (filed May 28, 1975); and 586,678 (filed June 13, 1975). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Providing telephone communication services to multiple passengers of airplanes has become common. Prior art systems use on-board equipment (i.e.,equipment co-located with the airplane) which provides multiple communication channels between the airplane and a ground-based antenna which is in range of the airplane. The ground-based antenna is connected to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) which provides communication services to ground-based telephony equipment. Ground-based antennas can be linked together over terrestrial hard-wired links or though satellite links (e.g., geosynchronous satellite links).
One prior art, airplane communication system pre-assigns a "user code" or "personal identification number" (PIN) to passengers who might want to use on-board communication resources during their flight. The user code or PIN is assigned to a passenger before the passenger embarks. The passenger can disseminate the user code to any person who might want to reach the passenger during the flight. To register with the system or to place a call during the flight, the passenger enters the pre-assigned user code into the seat back handset.
The system checks a registration database to determine the airplane's location and the seat at which the passenger is located. After the system identifies the airplane's location and sends a message to the airplane via an in-range ground-based antenna, the passenger's seat back handset notifies the passenger of the incoming call.
For a ground-to-air call, a person wishing to contact the passenger during the flight (referred to herein as a "ground calling party") can do so by dialing a central system number (e.g., a "1-800" number), entering the passenger's pre-assigned user code, and entering the ground calling party's phone number. The system then contacts the passenger and, if the passenger accepts the call, the system calls the ground calling party back. The process of first calling a central number and being contacted by the system in a second, return call is referred to as "two-stage dialing with callback".
Several aspects of this prior art system are inefficient and make using the system inconvenient for both the passenger and others who wish to contact the passenger. For example, each airplane communication system has a number of available communication numbers which it can allocate to passengers. The airplane communication system must register and occasionally re-register every available number, whether or not the numbers are actually used by passengers. Registration and re-registration traffic consumes large amounts of system resources.
In addition, as explained previously, the prior art system uses two-stage dialing with callback, which is less convenient than if the ground calling party could directly contact the passenger using a single phone number. In addition, the prior art system does not accommodate passengers who do not have a pre-assigned user code or PIN. The requirement of the pre-assigned user code is also undesirable because the ground calling party must have knowledge of the user code in order to contact the passenger.
A group of co-located passengers traveling in a common vehicle (e.g., an airplane, bus, ship) are referred to herein as a "mobile user group" or "co-located mobile users". Where there are mobile user groups, it is desirable to be able to serve tow groups of passengers, i.e., those that have PIN cards and those that do not. In addition, where the communications link between passengers in a vehicle and non-passengers is a satellite link, only a limited number of communication channels may be available for use.
What is needed is a method and apparatus which reduces the quantity of registration traffic, allows direct inward dialing to a passenger during ground-to-air call attempts, direct outward dialing by passengers, and minimized loading on the system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to a golf ball, and, more particularly, to a golf ball which is provided with a new and unique dimple pattern which provides excellent distance and accuracy.
This invention represents an improvement over the golf ball dimple patterns which are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,168 and the golf ball dimple pattern which is used on the commercial golf ball sold under the name Wilson Staff.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,168 describes various icosahedral dimple patterns in which the dimples are arranged so that they do not intersect the six great circles which bisect the sides of the icosahedral triangles. The dimple pattern illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B is used on commercial golf balls which are sold under the name Ultra. The Ultra golf ball is a two-piece golf ball which consists of a solid core and a cover. The Ultra dimple pattern includes 432 dimples, and each dimple has the same diameter and depth.
The Wilson Staff golf ball is a three-piece golf ball which includes a solid core, a layer of elastic windings which are wrapped around the core, and a cover. The dimple pattern of the Wilson Staff ball is a 432 dimple pattern which is similar to the Ultra pattern except that there are four different sized dimples and the dimples are frusto-conical rather than spherical. The five dimple diameters are 0.155, 0.150, 0.140, 0.135, and 0.125 inches. The aspect ratio is determined by dividing the depth of the dimple by the diameter of the dimple, and the aspect ratio for all of the Wilson Staff dimples is 0.046. The depths of the dimples are therefore 0.0071, 0.0069, 0.0064, 0.0062, and 0.0058 inches, respectively.
The Wilson Staff dimples are frusto-conical rather than spherical, i.e., the side surface of each dimple is formed by the frustum of a cone or a truncated cone rather than by a portion of a sphere. Prior golf balls sold under the name Pro Staff also utilized frusto-conical dimples. The bottom surface of each Wilson Staff dimple is flat and the depth of the dimple is measured to the bottom surface.
A dimple pattern formed by dimples having different diameters and a constant aspect ratio performs satisfactorily when used on a three-piece golf ball such as the Wilson Staff ball. However, such a dimple pattern does not perform satisfactorily when used on a two-piece ball. When the Wilson Staff dimple pattern is used on a two-piece ball having the same construction as an Ultra golf ball, the resulting ball is significantly shorter than the commercial Ultra ball in both carry and total distance (carry plus roll). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Advances in education, production efficiencies and capital, have tended to make the services of all workers in industry and the professions more valuable and productive. At the same time, modern responsibilities of family, community, and work, together with increased commuting distances, have contributed to a fast-paced life style for many. These demands often require that meals be eaten outside the home. Many of these take-out meals are consumed as a matter of expedience, and hence the relaxed serving pace and higher cost of a conventional sit-down restaurant may not be appropriate for a consumer seeking immediate service.
Convenience food facilities, either stand-alone, or in conjunction with supermarkets, convenience stores, or filling stations, fill the consumer need for a varied assortment of foods available for a minimum investment of time. Although fast service would seem to require many service personnel, modern serving arrangements have achieved high levels of food dispensing speeds by leaving many of the final food preparation services to the consumer, i.e.: pouring drinks, selecting condiments, and discharging straws, napkins, and stir sticks.
The self-serve counter at a conventional convenience store provides an open countertop area where drink dispensers, coffee pots, and the like may be readily accessed by the customer. Individual dispensing units for napkins, straws, utensils, and condiments have typically been mounted to the front wall of a cabinet below the countertop. The mounting of each dispensing unit has required that a hole of a particular size to suit that unit be bored into the cabinet, and that the unit be affixed to the cabinet with fasteners.
Because of the competitive and fast changing nature of many convenience marketing venues, it will sometimes be necessary to reconfigure the self-serve counter to meet variations in traffic flow, menu, and clientele. Custom mounted dispensing units, each in their own sized cabinet opening, are not readily adapted to rapid change-over. Furthermore, variations in customs and service needs over a wide geographic area make it difficult for designers of convenience outlets to prepare uniform furniture and cabinet designs, as each cabinet may need to be bored differently, depending on the final choice of dispensers.
To facilitate long term planning and rapid readjustment of cabinet configurations, a system of dispensers which are readily adaptable to change without structural modification to the cabinet itself would be highly desirable. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and to a method for fabricating the same. In particular, it relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having memory elements and peripheral circuits for inputting and outputting data to and from the memory elements formed on a single semiconductor substrate and to a method for fabricating the same.
At present, flash EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) devices (hereinafter referred to as FEEPROM devices) have been used widely in electronic equipment as nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices which allow for electrical write and erase operations. The structures of memory cells in a nonvolatile semiconductor memory element can be divided roughly into two types, which are a stacked-gate type having a multilayer electrode structure composed of a floating gate electrode and a control gate electrode stacked on a semiconductor substrate and a split-gate type having an electrode structure composed of a floating gate electrode and a control gate electrode each opposed to a channel region in a semiconductor substrate.
The memory cells of the split-gate type are larger in size than those of the stacked-gate type because of the floating gate electrode and the control gate electrode disposed adjacent to each other on the semiconductor substrate. In addition, the floating gate electrode and the control gate electrode adjacent to each other are formed by individual lithographic steps, which requires a margin for the alignment of respective masks used to form the floating gate electrode and the control gate electrode. With the margin, the memory cells tend to be further increased in size.
FIGS. 58A to 58H show the cross-sectional structures of a conventional split-gate FEEPROM device in the individual process steps.
First, as shown in FIG. 58A, an insulating film 202 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 201 composed of silicon. Then, control gate electrodes 203 are formed selectively on the insulating film 202.
Next, as shown in FIG. 58B, the portion of the insulating film 202 on the region of the semiconductor substrate 201 to be formed with drains is removed therefrom by wet etching by using a first mask pattern 251 having an opening corresponding to the drain formation region and the gate electrodes 203 as a mask. Then, boron (B) ions at a relatively low dose are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 201 such that a lightly doped p-type region 204 is formed in the drain formation region.
Next, as shown in FIG. 58C, a silicon dioxide film having a thickness of about 100 nm and doped with boron (B) and phosphorus (P) (BPSG (Boron Phosphorus Silicate Glass)) film is deposited over the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate 201. The deposited BPSG film is etched back by anisotropic etching to form sidewalls 205 composed of the BPSG film on the both side surfaces of each of the control gate electrodes 203.
Next, as shown in FIG. 58D, dry etching is performed with respect to the semiconductor substrate 201 by using a second mask pattern 252 having an opening corresponding to the drain formation region of the semiconductor substrate 201, the gate electrode 203, and the side walls 205 as a mask, thereby forming a recessed portion 201a having a stepped portion composed of the portion of the semiconductor substrate 201 underlying the sidewall 205 as the upper stage and the drain formation region as the lower stage.
Next, as shown in FIG. 58E, arsenic (As) ions at a relatively low dose are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 201 by using the second mask pattern 252, the gate electrode 203, and the sidewall 205 as a mask, whereby an LDD region 206 as a lightly doped n-type region is formed in the drain formation region.
Next, as shown in FIG. 58F, the sidewalls 205 are removed by using vapor-phase hydrofluoric acid and the semiconductor substrate 201 is thermally oxidized in an oxygen atmosphere at about 850xc2x0 C., whereby a thermal oxide film 207 with a thickness of about 9 nm is formed over the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate 201 including the gate electrodes 203. The portion of the thermal oxide film 207 overlying the drain formation region serves as a tunnel oxide film for each of floating gate electrodes.
Next, a polysilicon film doped with phosphorus (P) is deposited over the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate 201 and etched back to form sidewalls composed of the polysilicon film on the both side surfaces of the control gate electrodes 203. Then, as shown in FIG. 58G, the sidewall closer to a region to be formed with sources is removed, while the sidewall closer to the drain formation region of the semiconductor substrate 201 is divided into parts corresponding to individual memory cells on a one-by-one basis, thereby forming floating gate electrodes 208 composed of the polysilicon film in the drain formation region.
Next, as shown in FIG. 58H, arsenic (As) ions are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 201 by using the gate electrodes 203 and the floating gate electrodes 208 as a mask such that source and drain regions 209 and 210 are formed in the source formation region and in the drain formation region, respectively, whereby memory cells in the FEEPROM device are completed.
Since the floating gate electrodes 208 each opposed to the control gate electrode 203 via the thermal oxide film 208 serving as a capacitance insulating film is thus formed by self alignment relative to the control gate electrode 203, it is sufficient to perform only one lithographic step for forming the gate electrode 203 and a displacement does not occur between the control gate electrode 203 and the floating gate electrode 208 during the alignment thereof.
In a typical method for fabricating the conventional FEEPROM device, however, the floating gate electrode 208, the thermal oxide film 207, and the control gate electrode 203 covered with the thermal oxide film 207 which are shown in FIG. 58G are mostly composed of polysilicon, a ""silicon dioxide, and polysilicon, respectively. This causes the problem that, if the floating gate electrode 208 is to be formed selectively by etching, the control gate electrode 203 composed of the same material composing the floating gate electrode 208 may be damaged unless the etching speed is controlled with high precision.
Although the thermal oxide film 207 serving as the capacitance insulating film between the control gate electrode 203 and the floating gate electrode 208 and serving as the tunnel insulating film between the floating gate electrode 208 and the semiconductor substrate 201 is formed in the single step illustrated in FIG. 58F, if the tunnel film is formed after the formation of the capacitance insulating film, the interface between the control gate electrode 203 and the capacitance insulating film is oxidized or a bird""s beak occurs at the interface, which causes the problem that the thickness of the capacitance insulating film is increased locally and the capacitance insulating film does not have a specified capacitance value.
In the split-gate or stacked-gate FEEPROM device, if not only the memory cells but also other elements, particularly active elements such as MOS transistors each of which controls carriers implanted from the source region by using the gate electrode, are formed on a single semiconductor substrate, it is typical to simultaneously form the control gate electrodes of the FEEPROM device and the gate electrodes of the MOS transistors.
In terms of reducing the number of fabrication process steps, the conventional fabrication method is desirable since it simultaneously forms the control gate electrodes of the memory cells and the gate electrodes of the MOS transistors contained in, e.g., peripheral circuits or the like for controlling the memory cells. However, the memory cells of a FEEPROM device are larger in element size than MOS transistors whether the FEEPROM device is of the split-gate type or stacked-gate type. If the memory cells and the MOS transistors are formed simultaneously, each of the memory cells and the MOS transistors cannot be formed as an element with an optimum structure. If the diffusion region of each of the memory cells and the MOS transistors is provided with an LDD (Lightly Doped Drain) structure, the concentration of a diffused impurity differs from one region to another so that it is difficult to provide an optimum structure by forming each of the elements simultaneously.
If a method for fabricating a semiconductor device composed only of existing MOS transistors has been established, it is not easy to form, on a single substrate, the semiconductor device containing the existing MOS transistors and the memory cells of a FEEPROM device as shown in FIGS. 58.
If a method for fabricating a semiconductor device by forming, on a single substrate, other memory cells different in structure from those shown in FIGS. 58 and MOS transistors has been established, it is also not easy to form the other memory cells as a replacement for the memory cells shown in FIG. 58. This is because the fabrication process for the memory cells of the FEEPROM, in particular, adversely affects the fabrication of the MOS transistors.
Since the method for fabricating the split-gate FEEPROM device shown in FIGS. 58 forms the floating gate electrodes 208 after forming the control gate electrodes 203 on the semiconductor substrate 201, the floating gate electrodes 208 can be formed by self alignment relative to the control gate electrode 203 so that the memory cells are reduced in size.
As a method for fabricating such memory cells and MOS transistors on a single semiconductor substrate, the following process steps can be considered.
First, the gate electrodes of the MOS transistors to be formed in the other regions of the semiconductor substrate 201 are formed by simultaneous patterning during the formation of the control gate electrodes 203 shown in FIG. 58A.
Next, as shown in FIGS. 58B to 58G, the process steps for fabricating the memory cells are performed. If the implant conditions for the LDD region 206 coincide with the implant conditions for the LDD region of each of the MOS transistors, the impurity is implanted simultaneously into the LDD region of the MOS transistor.
Next, as shown in FIG. 58H, the source and drain regions of each of the MOS transistors are formed simultaneously with the formation of the source and drain regions 209 and 210 of each o f the memory cells.
Thereafter, a specified interlayer insulating film and a specified multilayer interconnect are formed by a normal fabrication process, whereby a semiconductor device composed of the memory cells and the MOS transistors formed on the single semiconductor substrate 201 is implemented.
In accordance with the fabrication method, however, the thermal oxide film 207 serving as the tunnel oxide film between the semiconductor substrate 201 and each of the floating gate electrodes 208 is formed also on the upper and side surfaces of the gate electrode of each of the MOS transistors, which causes the necessity to remove the portion of the thermal oxide film 207 covering the gate electrode.
It is to be noted that the gate electrode of each of the MOS transistors is typically composed of polysilicon and each of the gate oxide film and the film protecting the source and drain regions of the MOS transistor is a silicon dioxide film. To selectively remove the thermal oxide film 207 from the gate electrode composed of polysilicon, therefore, the etching speed for the MOS transistor should also be controlled with high precision, which renders the fabrication of the semiconductor device more difficult.
If the thermal oxide film 207 of the gate electrode of. each of the MOS transistors is removed by wet etching using hydrofluoric acid, e.g., the thermal oxide film 207 covering the upper and side surfaces of each of the control gate electrodes in the memory cell portion is also etched. If etching proceeds to the control gate electrode 203, the performance of the control gate electrode 203 may also deteriorate.
In addition, etching may also proceed to the LDD and channel regions of each of the MOS transistors formed in the. previous steps after the removal of the thermal oxide film 207. This reduces the depth of a junction in the channel region and increases resistance in the channel region, resulting in a reduced amount of current between the source and drain. As a result, the driving ability of the MOS transistor is lowered.
In the conventional semiconductor device in which the memory cells and the MOS transistors are formed on the single semiconductor substrate, if only the memory cell portion is composed of the split-gate memory cells shown in FIGS. 58, the MOS transistors are influenced by thermal hysteresis, which has not been observed previously. This causes the necessity to change the design of the entire semiconductor device. Since the thermal oxide film 207 is formed after the formation of the LDD region 206, e.g., an implant profile in the LDD region of each of the MOS transistors changes to change the operating characteristics of the MOS transistor, which causes the necessity to change process conditions including an amount of ions to be implanted in the LDD region.
In view of the foregoing problems, it is therefore a first object of the present invention to ensures the formation of memory cells in a split-gate nonvolatile semiconductor memory device. A second object of the present invention is to allow easy replacement of existing memory cells with memory cells according to the present invention by utilizing a fabrication process for a semiconductor memory device in which the existing memory cells and MOS transistors are formed on a single semiconductor substrate and prevent the memory cells according to the present invention from affecting the operating characteristics of the MOS transistors.
To attain the first object, the present invention provides a memory cell having a protective insulating film formed on a side surface of a control gate electrode to protect the control gate electrode from etching.
To attain the second object, the present invention provides a method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in which the memory cell for attaining the first object of the present invention is formed first and then a transistor is formed, thereby preventing the step of forming the memory cell from affecting the operating characteristics of the transistor.
Specifically, a first nonvolatile semiconductor memory device for attaining the first object of the present invention has a control gate electrode and a floating gate electrode provided on a semiconductor substrate to have their respective side surfaces in opposed relation, the device comprising: a gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate; the control gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film; a protective insulating film deposited on each of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode to protect the control gate electrode during formation of the floating gate electrode; the floating gate electrode opposed to one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode with the protective insulating film interposed therebetween so as to be capacitively coupled to the control gate electrode; a tunnel insulating film formed between the floating gate electrode and the semiconductor substrate; a drain region formed in a region of the semiconductor substrate containing a portion underlying the floating gate electrode; and a source region formed in a region of the semiconductor substrate opposite to the drain region relative to the control gate electrode.
Since the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory device has the protective insulating film deposited on each of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode to protect the control gate electrode during the formation of the floating gate electrode, the configuration of the control gate electrode is not impaired by etching or the like during the formation of the floating gate electrode. This ensures the formation of a memory cell in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
A second nonvolatile semiconductor memory device for attaining the first object of the present invention has a control gate electrode and a floating gate electrode provided on a semiconductor substrate to have their respective side surfaces in opposed relation, the device comprising: a gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate; the control gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film; a protective insulating film deposited only on that one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode opposed to the floating gate electrode to protect the control gate electrode during formation of the floating gate electrode; the floating gate electrode opposed to the side surface of the control gate electrode with the protective insulating film interposed therebetween so as to be capacitively coupled to the control gate electrode; a tunnel insulating film formed between the floating gate electrode and the semiconductor substrate; a drain region formed in a region of the semiconductor substrate containing a portion underlying the floating gate electrode; and a source region formed in a region of the semiconductor substrate opposite to the drain region relative to the control gate electrode.
Since the second nonvolatile semiconductor memory device has the protective insulating film deposited only on the side surface of the control gate electrode opposed to the floating gate electrode to protect the control gate electrode during the formation of the floating gate electrode, the configuration of the control gate electrode is not impaired during the formation of the floating gate electrode. This ensures the formation of a memory cell in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
A third nonvolatile semiconductor memory device for attaining the first object of the present invention has a control gate electrode and a floating gate electrode provided on a semiconductor substrate to have their respective side surfaces in opposed relation, the device comprising: a gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate; the control gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film; a protective insulating film deposited on that one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode opposite to the side surface opposed to the floating gate electrode to protect the control gate electrode during formation of the floating gate electrode; a capacitance insulating film formed on the side surface of the control gate electrode opposed to the floating gate electrode; the floating gate electrode opposed to the side surface of the control gate electrode with the capacitance insulating film interposed therebetween so as to be capacitively coupled to the control gate electrode; a tunnel insulating film formed between the floating gate electrode and the semiconductor substrate; a drain region formed in a region of the semiconductor substrate containing a portion underlying the floating gate electrode; and a source region formed in a region of the semiconductor substrate opposite to the drain region relative to the control gate electrode.
Since the third nonvolatile semiconductor memory device has the protective insulating film deposited on the side surface of the control gate electrode opposite to the floating gate electrode to protect the control gate electrode during the formation of the floating gate electrode, the configuration of the control gate electrode is not impaired during the formation of the floating gate electrode. This ensures the formation of a memory cell in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
In the third nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the capacitance insulating film preferably has a uniform thickness.
In each of the first to third nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices, the protective insulating film preferably has a uniform thickness.
In each of the first to third nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices, the gate insulating film preferably has a uniform thickness.
In each of the first to third nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices, the tunnel insulating film preferably has a uniform thickness.
Preferably, each of the first to third nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices further comprises an insulating film formed between the control gate electrode and the protective insulating film.
In each of the first to third nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices, the protective insulating film is preferably a multilayer structure composed of a plurality of stacked insulating films having different compositions.
In each of the first to third nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices, the semiconductor substrate preferably has a stepped portion formed to be covered up with the floating gate electrode.
A first method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, which is for attaining the first object of the present invention, comprises: a control-gate-electrode forming step of forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, patterning a conductor film formed on the first insulating film, and thereby forming a control gate electrode from the conductor film; a second-insulating-film depositing step of depositing a second insulating film over the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate including the control gate electrode; a protective-insulating-film depositing step of selectively removing the second insulating film so as to leave a portion of the second insulating film located on each of side surfaces of the control gate electrode and thereby forming, from the second insulating film, a protective insulating film for protecting the control gate electrode; a gate-insulating-film forming step of selectively removing the first insulating film so as to leave a portion of the first insulating film underlying the control gate electrode and thereby forming a gate insulating film from the first insulating film; a tunnel-insulating-film forming step of forming, on the semiconductor substrate, a third insulating film serving as a tunnel insulating film; a floating-gate-electrode forming step of forming by self alignment a floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to one of side surfaces of the control gate electrode with the protective insulating film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel insulating film interposed therebetween; and a source/drain forming step of implanting an impurity into the semiconductor substrate by using the control gate electrode and the floating gate electrode as a mask and thereby forming a source region and a drain region in the semiconductor substrate.
In accordance with the first method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, each of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode is covered with thee protective insulating film also serving as the capacitance insulating film when the floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode with the protective insulating film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel insulating film interposed therebetween is formed by self alignment. The arrangement prevents damage caused by etching to the control gate electrode and ensures the formation of a memory cell in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
A second method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, which is for attaining the first object of the present invention, comprises: a control-gate-electrode forming step of forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, patterning a conductor film formed on the first insulating film, and thereby forming a control gate electrode from the conductor film; a second-insulating-film depositing step of depositing a second insulating film over the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate including the control gate electrode; a sidewall forming step of forming sidewalls over the first insulating film and on portions of the second insulating film located on side surfaces of the control gate electrode; a protective-insulating-film forming step of performing etching with respect to the first and second insulating films by using the sidewalls and the control gate electrode as a mask and thereby forming, from the second insulating film, a protective insulating film for protecting the control gate electrode on each of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode, while forming, from the first insulating film, a gate insulating film under the control gate electrode; a tunnel-insulating-film forming step of removing the sidewalls and then forming, in a region in which the semiconductor substrate is exposed, a third insulating film serving as a tunnel insulating film; a floating-gate-electrode forming step of forming by self alignment a floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode with the protective insulating film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel insulating film interposed therebetween; and a source/drain forming step of implanting an impurity into the semiconductor substrate by using the control gate electrode and the floating gate electrode as a mask and thereby forming a source region and a drain region in the semiconductor substrate.
In accordance with the second method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, each of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode is covered with the protective insulating film when the floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode with the protective insulating film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel insulating film interposed therebetween is formed by self alignment. The arrangement prevents damage caused by etching to the control gate electrode and ensures the formation of a memory cell in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
In the second method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the tunnel-insulating-film forming step preferably includes removing the sidewalls and then selectively removing respective portions of the protective insulating film covered with bottom surfaces of the sidewalls. The arrangement suppresses the trapping of electrons or holes in the portions of the protective insulating film covered with the bottom surfaces of the sidewalls and thereby suppresses the degradation of a memory element due to an increase in the number of write or erase operations performed with respect to the memory clement.
In this case, the tunnel-insulating-film forming step preferably includes the step of selectively removing the respective portions of the protective insulating film covered with the bottom surfaces of the sidewalls and then selectively removing respective portions of the gate insulating film covered with the bottom surfaces of the sidewalls. The arrangement suppresses the trapping of electrons or holes in the portions of the gate insulating film covered with the bottom surfaces of the sidewalls and thereby reduces the degradation of the write and erase characteristics of a memory element.
Preferably, the second method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device further comprises, between the protective-insulating-film forming step and the tunnel-insulating-film forming step, the step of: performing etching with respect to the semiconductor substrate by using the sidewalls as a mask and thereby forming a stepped portion to be covered up with the floating gate electrode in a region of the semiconductor substrate to be formed with the floating gate electrode. The arrangement increases the efficiency with which electrons are implanted into the floating gate electrode.
In the first or second method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the tunnel-insulating-film forming step preferably includes the step of forming the third insulating film also on the protective insulating film.
A third method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, which is for attaining the first object of the present invention, comprises: a control-gate-electrode forming step of forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, patterning a conductor film formed on the first insulating film, and thereby forming a control gate electrode from the conductor film; a second-insulating-film depositing step of depositing a second insulating film over the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate including the control gate electrode; a protective-insulating-film forming step of selectively removing the second insulating film so as to leave a portion of the second insulating film located on one of side surfaces of the control gate electrode and thereby forming, from the second insulating film, a protective insulating film for protecting the one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode; a gate-insulating-film forming step of selectively removing the first insulating film so as to leave a portion of the first insulating film underlying the control gate electrode and thereby forming a gate insulating film from the first insulating film; a tunnel-insulating-film forming step of forming, on the semiconductor substrate, a third insulating film serving as a tunnel insulating film; a floating-gate-electrode forming step of forming by self alignment a floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to the side surface of the control gate electrode with the protective insulating, film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel insulating film interposed therebetween; and a source/drain forming step of implanting an impurity into the semiconductor substrate by using the control gate electrode and the floating gate electrode as a mask and thereby forming a source region and a drain region in the semiconductor substrate.
In accordance with the third method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode is covered with the protective insulating film also serving as the capacitance insulating film when the floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to the side surface of the control gate electrode with the protective insulating film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel insulating film interposed therebetween is formed by self alignment. The arrangement reduces damage caused by etching to the control gate electrode and ensures the formation of a memory cell in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
A fourth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, which is for attaining the first object of the present invention, comprises: a control-gate-electrode forming step of forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, patterning a conductor film formed on the first insulating film, and thereby forming a control gate electrode from the conductor film; a second-insulating-film depositing step of depositing a second insulating film over the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate including the control gate electrode; a sidewall forming step of forming sidewalls over the first insulating film and on portions of the second insulating film located on side surfaces of the control gate electrode; a protective-insulating-film forming step of performing etching with respect to the first and second insulating films by using the sidewalls and the control gate electrode as a mask and thereby forming, from the second insulating film, a protective insulating film for protecting the control gate electrode on each of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode, while forming, from t he first insulating film, a gate insulating film under the control gate electrode; a protective-insulating-film removing step of removing the sidewalls and then selectively removing the protective insulating film so as to leave a portion of the protective insulating film located on one of the side surface s of the control gate electrode; a tunnel-insulating-film forming step of forming, in a region in which the semiconductor substrate is exposed, a third insulating film serving as a tunnel insulating film; a floating-gate-electrode forming step of forming by self alignment a floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to the side surface of the control gate electrode with the protective insulating film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel insulating film, interposed therebetween; and a source/drain forming step of implanting an impurity into the semiconductor substrate by using the control gate electrode and the floating gate electrode as a mask and thereby forming a source region and a drain region in the semiconductor substrate.
In accordance with the fourth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode is covered with the protective insulating film also serving as the capacitance insulating film when the floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to the side surface of the control gate electrode with the protective insulating film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel insulating film interposed therebetween is formed by self alignment. The arrangement reduces damage caused by etching to the control gate electrode and ensures the formation of a memory cell in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
In the fourth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the protective-insulating-film removing step preferably includes the step of removing the sidewalls and then selectively removing respective portions of the protective insulating film covered with bottom surfaces of the sidewalls.
In this case, the protective-insulating-film removing step preferably includes the step of selectively removing the respective portions of the protective insulating film covered with the bottom surfaces of the sidewalls and then selectively removing respective portions of the gate insulating film covered with the bottom surfaces of the sidewalls.
Preferably, the third or fourth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device further comprises, between the protective-insulating-film forming step and the protective-insulating-film removing step, the step of: performing etching with respect to the semiconductor substrate by using the sidewalls as a mask and thereby forming a stepped portion to be covered up with the floating gate electrode in a region of the semiconductor substrate to be formed with the floating gate electrode.
In the third or fourth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the tunnel-insulating-film forming step preferably includes the step of forming the third insulating film also on the protective insulating film.
Preferably, the third or fourth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device further comprises, between the control-gate-electrode forming step and the second-insulating-film depositing step, the step of: introducing hydrogen and oxygen into a space over the heated semiconductor substrate, generating water vapor from the introduced hydrogen and oxygen over the semiconductor substrate, and thereby forming an insulating film on each of side portions of the control gate electrode.
In this case, the protective-insulating-film forming step preferably includes forming the protective insulating film by stacking a plurality of insulating films having different compositions.
In the third or fourth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the tunnel-insulating-film forming step preferably includes the step of introducing hydrogen and oxygen into a space over the heated semiconductor substrate, generating water vapor from the introduced hydrogen and oxygen over the semiconductor substrate, and thereby forming the tunnel insulating film, while forming an insulating film having a composition different from a composition of the protective insulating film on a surface of the protective insulating film.
A fifth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, which is for attaining the first object of the present invention, comprises: a control-gate-electrode forming step of forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, patterning a conductor film formed on the first insulating film, and thereby forming a control gate electrode from the conductor, film; a second-insulating-film depositing step of depositing a second insulating film over the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate including the control gate electrode; a protective-insulating-film forming step of selectively removing the second insulating film so as to leave a portion of the second insulating film located on that one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode opposite to the side surface to be formed with a floating gate electrode and thereby forming, from the second insulating film, a protective insulating film for protecting the control gate electrode; a gate-insulating-film forming step of selectively removing the first insulating film so as to remove a portion of the first insulating film underlying the control gate electrode and thereby forming a gate insulating film from the first insulating film; a capacitance-insulating-film forming step of forming a capacitance insulating film on that one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode to be formed with the floating gate electrode; a tunnel-insulating-film forming step of forming a tunnel insulating film on the semiconductor substrate; a floating-gate-electrode forming step of forming by self alignment the floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to the side surface of the control gate electrode with the capacitance insulating film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel insulating film interposed therebetween; and a source/drain forming step of implanting an impurity into the semiconductor substrate by using the control gate electrode and the floating gate electrode as a mask and thereby forming a source region and a drain region in the semiconductor substrate.
In accordance with the fifth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the side surface of the control gate electrode opposite to the floating gate electrode is covered with the protective insulating film when the floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to the side surface of the control gate electrode with the capacitance insulating film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel, insulating film interposed therebetween is formed by self alignment. The arrangement prevents damage caused by etching to the control gate electrode and ensures the formation of a memory cell in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
A sixth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, which is for attaining the first object of the present invention, comprises: a control-gate-electrode forming step of forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, patterning a conductor film formed on the first insulating film, and thereby forming a control. gate electrode from the conductor film; a second-insulating-film depositing step of depositing a second insulating film over the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate including the control gate electrode; a sidewall forming step of forming sidewalls over the first insulating film and on portions of the second insulating film located on side surfaces of the control gate electrode; a protective-insulating-film forming step of performing etching with respect to the first and second insulating films by using the sidewalls and the control gate electrode as a mask and thereby forming, from the second insulating film, a protective insulating film for protecting the control gate electrode on each of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode, while forming, from the first insulating film, a gate insulating film under the control gate electrode; a protective-insulating-film removing step of removing the sidewalls and then selectively removing a portion of the protective insulating film located on that one of the side surfaces of the control gate electrode to be formed with a floating gate electrode; a capacitance-insulating-film forming step of forming a capacitance insulating film on the side surface of the control gate electrode to be formed with the floating gate electrode; a tunnel-insulating-film forming step of forming a tunnel insulating film in a region in which the semiconductor substrate is exposed; a floating-gate-electrode forming step of forming by self alignment the floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to the side surface of the control gate electrode with the capacitance insulating film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel insulating film interposed therebetween; and a source/drain forming step of implanting an impurity into the semiconductor substrate by using the control gate electrode and the floating gate electrode as a mask and thereby forming a source region and a drain region in the semiconductor substrate.
In accordance with the sixth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the side surface of the control gate electrode opposite to the floating gate electrode is covered with the protective insulating film when the floating gate electrode capacitively coupled to the side surface of the control gate electrode with the capacitance insulating film interposed therebetween and opposed to the semiconductor substrate with the tunnel insulating film interposed therebetween is formed by self alignment. The arrangement reduces damage caused by etching to the control gate electrode and ensures the formation of a memory cell in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
In the sixth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the protective-insulating-film removing step preferably includes the step of removing the sidewalls and then selectively removing respective portions of the protective insulating film covered with bottom surfaces of the sidewalls.
In this case, the protective-insulating-film removing step preferably includes the step of selectively removing the respective portions of the protective insulating film covered with the bottom surfaces of the sidewalls and then selectively removing respective portions of the gate insulating film covered with the bottom surfaces of the sidewalls.
Preferably, the sixth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device further comprises, between the protective-insulating-film forming step and the protective-insulating-film removing step, the step of: performing etching with respect to the semiconductor substrate by using the sidewalls as a mask and thereby forming a stepped portion to be covered up with the floating gate electrode in a region of the semiconductor substrate to be formed with the floating gate electrode.
In the fifth or sixth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the capacitance-insulating-film forming step and the tunnel-insulating-film forming step are preferably composed of identical steps proceeding concurrently.
In the fifth or sixth method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the capacitance-insulating-film forming step or the tunnel-insulating-film forming step preferably includes the step of introducing hydrogen and oxygen into a space over the heated semiconductor substrate, generating water vapor from the introduced hydrogen and oxygen over the semiconductor substrate, and thereby forming the capacitance insulating film or the tunnel insulating film.
In each of the first to sixth methods for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the second insulating film is preferably a multilayer structure composed of a plurality of stacked insulating films having different compositions.
To attain the second object, in each of the first to sixth methods for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the semiconductor substrate preferably has a memory circuit formation region including the source region and the drain region and a peripheral circuit formation region to be formed with a peripheral circuit containing a field-effect transistor for generating and outputting a drive signal to the control gate electrode, the floating gate electrode, the source region, or the drain region, the method further comprising the step of: forming the field-effect transistor in the peripheral circuit formation region after forming the source region and the drain region in the memory circuit formation region.
The arrangement prevents the memory cell of the present invention from affecting the operating characteristics of a field-effect transistor composing the peripheral circuit and thereby implements a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having desired characteristics.
In this case, the step of forming the control gate electrode in the memory circuit formation region preferably includes the step of forming also a conductor film for forming a gate electrode of the field-effect transistor simultaneously with-the formation of the conductor film on the first insulating film. Although the step of completing a field-effect transistor in the peripheral circuit is performed subsequently to the step of producing a memory cell, the conductor film on the first insulating film is formed simultaneously with the formation of the conductor film for forming the gate electrode in the memory circuit formation region. Accordingly, the arrangement omits the step of forming the conductor film for the field-effect transistor without affecting the operating characteristics of the field-effect transistor and thereby reduces the number of process steps.
In this case, the step of forming the control gate electrode in the memory circuit formation region preferably includes the step of patterning also a conductor film for forming a gate electrode of the field-effect transistor simultaneously with the patterning of the conductor film. The arrangement omits the, patterning step for the gate electrode of a field-effect transistor without affecting the operating characteristics of the field-effect transistor and thereby reduces the number of process steps. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to delay lines and more particularly to delay cells with improved gain and reduced duty cycle distortion for a wide range of delays.
2. Prior Art
A delay line includes several delay cells connected in series that generate a required delay. Delay lines constitute several electronic devices, for example Delay Locked Loops (DLLs), which have a wide variety of electronic applications such as clock and data recovery, frequency synthesis, and generation of clock pulses for sampling in high speed Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs). A delay cell constitutes a building block of the delay line. The number of delay cells that the delay line makes use of depends on the required delay. It is therefore desirable that the delay cell supports a wide range of delays.
In order to sufficiently support the wide variety of applications, the delay line needs to have a wide range of operating frequencies. However, operating the delay line at high frequencies usually results in a loss of ‘gain’ and ‘duty cycle distortion’ in an output of a current or voltage controlled delay cell. The term gain refers to a variation in a delay of the delay cell with respect to a control voltage that controls a current through the delay cell. Duty cycle distortion may occur because of mismatch between rising and falling edge delays of the delay cell.
Some existing delay cells provide a reasonable gain over a limited delay range. In the application of this delay line in a DLL, the frequency range of operation of the DLL gets limited. Further, delay lines with large number of delay cells have considerable duty cycle distortion, thereby limiting the maximum number of delay cells that can be connected in series. To reduce the duty cycle distortion, a duty cycle control loop is used for which additional circuitry is required. This enhances chip area and power dissipation.
Existing delay lines that have the wide range of delay control make use of a current-starved inverter in the delay cell. A current starved inverter includes a NMOS and a PMOS current source. The delay of the delay cell is controlled by providing different voltage bias signals to control the current through the NMOS and PMOS current sources. However, the delay cell suffers from poor gain due to charge sharing between a load capacitance at an output of the delay cell and junction capacitances of the delay cell. One technique to reduce the charge sharing is to make the load capacitance value sufficiently greater than the drain junction capacitances. However, this results in an increase in minimum delay, switching power consumption, and die area.
Further in delay lines using current starved inverters, duty cycle distortion occurs due to mismatch between NMOS and PMOS current sources or non-symmetrical inverter trip point. As a result of this mismatch, pulse width of an output clock at the end of the delay line that uses N delay cells can expand or shrink by ‘N(Tdr−Tdf)’, where Tdr is the rising edge delay and Tdf is the falling edge delay. In case this value becomes greater than half the time period of an input clock to the delay line, no clock output will be obtained at end of the delay line. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In a digital imaging device, such as a digital camera, light is focused on a digital image sensor. Most digital cameras use either a charge-coupled device (CCD), or complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip, as an image sensor. When a picture is taken, the image sensor samples the light coming through the lens and converts it into electrical signals. Typically, these signals are boosted by an amplifier and sent to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that changes those signals into digital data. An onboard processor then processes the digital data to produce the final image data, which may be stored on a memory card or sent as a file.
Most digital imaging devices use 12- or 14-bit ADCs and perform a wide variety of processing on the digital data, such as de-mosaicing, white balance, noise reduction, and the like. This processing can consume a significant amount of power and time to perform.
In addition, almost all conventional devices default to saving images in Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format, which is a compressed format. As a result, a digital imaging device down samples the original 12- or 14-bit data back down to 8 bits before performing the JPEG compression. In addition, the processor in the digital image device must perform a large set of calculations on the digital data for JPEG compression. Indeed, some digital imaging devices may include a separate digital signal processor or other form of processor in order to perform JPEG compression. Therefore, support of the JPEG algorithm can consume a large amount of time and power in a digital imaging device.
It may be desirable to reduce the amount processing and power required for JPEG images. Due to their popular acceptance, JPEG images can be generated and handled by a wide variety of devices. For example, devices like video cameras, mobile phones, etc., are now capable of providing JPEG images. JPEG images are also basic components of compressed video standards such as Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG). However, these devices must also conserve space used by the components and the amount of power they consume (since they run on batteries). It may also be desirable to speed the processing related to JPEG images or MPEG video, such as, for a security camera.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to systems and methods that efficiently implement compression algorithms to produce an image, such as a JPEG image. It may also be desirable to provide systems and methods that can acquire a compressed image, such as a JPEG image, more quickly than conventional technologies. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for recording data on a recording carrier or support.
2. Description of the Prior Art
DOS No. 2,137,371 discloses a process for producing a recording head with wire recording electrodes in which closely juxtaposed wire turns are placed on a rotating drum and held in position by means of an adhesive support previously applied to the drum. The resulting wire cylinder with an adhesive support is cut open, removed from the drum and spread out to form a flat foil. One end of the juxtaposed wire electrodes are pressed between two facing plates to form the recording head. The other end of the recording electrodes of the foil are subdivided into a plurality of groups for connection to a selection circuit. The electrodes of each group are connected in each case to a circuit card. The circuit cards with the wire portions are twisted and bent so that they can be inserted into a selection circuit. However, with this type of contacting, the twisting and bending of the groups of electrodes can lead to damage to the electrodes. Furthermore, a large amount of space is required for receiving the circuit cards.
DOS No. 2,126,043 discloses a process for producing a recording head in which the electrode wire is placed with a clearly defined spacing on an insulating material plate, the plate having staggered, outwardly directed leads contacted with the electrode wire at points displaced relative to one another by spot welding using resistance, laser beam or electron beam welding methods. Following the contacting of the leads with the electrode wire, the arrangement is cast in a sythetic resin, with the ends of the electrode wire projecting from the cast insulating material body and the leads projecting out of the cast body perpendicular to the axis of the recording electrodes being in the form of plug pins. The recording head produced by this process has the disadvantage that a clearly defined spacing between the electrodes is required, so as to ensure that contact only takes place between one electrode wire and one lead in each case. In addition, the spacing of the electrodes is dependent on the width of the plug pins. Thus, with this known arrangement, it is not possible to have a randomly narrow spacing of the recording electrodes. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to a voice activity detector and, in particular, to a circuit that provides a stable indication of voice activity for use in communication systems, such as speaker phones and other applications.
The detector described herein is referred to as a voice activity detector but is not so limited in function. As will be apparent from a complete understanding of the invention, the detector can be adjusted to messages of various kinds, e.g. fax signals, not just voice signals. Calling the detector a “message” activity detector or a “communication” activity detector is not more clear than the more familiar term of voice activity detector and, therefore, these terms are not used.
Anyone who has used current models of speaker phones is well aware of the cut off speech and the silent periods during a conversation caused by echo canceling circuitry within the speaker phone. Such phones operate in what is known as half-duplex mode, which means that only one person can speak at a time. While such silent periods assure that the sound from the speaker is not coupled directly into the microphone within a speaker phone, the quality of the call is poor.
Whether or not to receive (listen) or transmit (talk) is not easily resolved in the particular application of telephone communication. Voices may overlap, so-called “double talk,” particularly if there are more than two parties to a call. Background noise may cause problems if the noise level is a significant percentage of the voice level. Pauses in a conversation do not necessarily mean that a person is finished speaking and that it is time for someone else to speak. A voice signal is a complex wave that is discontinuous because not all speech sounds use the vocal chords. Analyzing a voice signal in real time and deciding whether or not a person has finished speaking is a complex problem despite the ordinary human experience of doing it unconsciously or subconsciously. A variety of electronic systems have been proposed in the prior art for arbitrating send or receive but the problem remains.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,287 (Reesor et al.) discloses a speaker phone in which a decremented counter provides a delay to channel switching by the remainder of the circuit. The magnitudes of the line signal and the microphone signal are used in determining whether or not to switch channels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,745 (Arbel) discloses a half-duplex speaker phone that controls the selection of either a transmit or a receive audio path based upon a present state of the speaker phone and the magnitudes of three variables associated with each path. The three variables for each path include signal power, noise power, and worst-case echo.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,848 (Armbrüster) discloses a double talk detector wherein an evaluation circuit monitors voice signals upstream and downstream of echo canceling apparatus for detecting double talk. An up-down counter is incremented and decremented at different rates and a predetermined count is required before further signal processing takes place.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,466 (Graumann) discloses a voice activity detector including an algorithm for distinguishing voice from background noise based upon an analysis of average peak value of a voice signal compared to the current number of the audio signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,042 (Sacca) discloses a speaker phone including non-linear amplifiers to compress transmitted and received signals, and level detectors to determine the levels of the compressed transmitted and received signals. The compressed signals are compared in a comparator having hysteresis to enable either transmit mode or receive mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,753 (McCaslin et al.) discloses a double talk detector that compares the send and receive signals to determine “Return Echo Loss Enhancement,” which is stored as a digital value in a register. The digital value is adjusted over time and is used to provide a variable, rather than fixed, parameter to which new data is compared in determining whether to send or receive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,574 (Eryilmaz) discloses a voice activity detection system that uses a voice energy term defined as the sum of the differences between consecutive values of a speech signal. Comparison of the voice energy term with threshold values and comparing the voice energy terms of the transmit and receive channels determines which channel will be active.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,040 (Nicholls et al.) discloses comparing the energy in each “frame” (thirty millisecond interval) of speech with background energy to determine whether or not speech is present in a channel. A timer is disclosed for bridging gaps between voiced portions of speech.
Typically, these systems are implemented in digital form and manipulate large amounts of data in analyzing the input signals. The Sacca patent discloses an analog system using an amplifier with hysteresis to avoid dithering, which, to a large extent, is unavoidable with a simple amplitude comparison. On the other hand, an extensive computational analysis to determine relative power takes too long. The Eryilmaz patent attempts to simplify the amount of computation but still requires manipulation of significant amounts of data. All these systems manipulate amplitude data, or data derived from amplitude, up to the point of making a binary value signal indicating voice.
One can increase the speed of a system by reducing the amount of data being processed. Unfortunately, this typically reduces the resolution of the system. For example, all other parameters being equal, eight bit data is more quickly processed than sixteen bit data. The problem is that resolution is reduced. In an acoustic environment, the quality or fidelity of the audio signal requires a minimum amount of data. Thus, the problem remains of speeding up a system other than by simply increasing the clock frequency.
Some of the prior art systems use historical data, e.g. three occurrences of what is interpreted as a voice signal. Such systems require large amounts of memory to handle the historical data and the current data.
Voice detection is not just used to determine transmit or receive. A reliable voice detection circuit is necessary in order to properly control echo cancelling circuitry, which, if activated at the wrong time, can severely distort a desired voice signal. In the prior art, this problem has not been solved satisfactorily.
In view of the foregoing, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved method for analyzing the energy content of an incoming signal.
Another object of the invention is to provide a simple but effective circuit for detecting voice.
A further object of the invention is to provide a circuit having dynamically adjustable thresholds for analyzing energy content of a speech signal.
Another object of the invention is to provide a voice activity detector that does not require large amounts of data for reliable detection of a voice signal.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for analyzing the envelope of a signal with minimal computation.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for analyzing a signal that is less hardware intensive than in the prior art.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for analyzing a signal that is faster than in the prior art.
Another object of the invention is to reduce the amount of data being processed without reducing the resolution of the system.
A further object of the invention is to provide reliable activation of echo cancelling circuitry. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
For a variety of commercially significant purposes it is desirable to perform nondestructive tests to measure the electrical conductance, conductivity, or resistivity of a sample.
For example, during semiconductor product manufacturing, there is a need to measure the conductivity of various conductive thin films on semiconductor wafers and integrated circuits in a nondestructive manner. Also during semiconductor product manufacturing, it is useful to perform stress measurements on semiconductor wafers and integrated circuits in a nondestructive manner.
It is well known that such measurements can be obtained by eddy current testing. One conventional apparatus for performing eddy current testing on a sample is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,458, issued Dec. 28, 1976. Another is described in Jeanneret, et al., "Inductive Conductance Measurements in Two-Dimensional Superconducting Systems," Applied Phys. Lett. 55 (22), pp. 2336-2338 (Nov. 27, 1989). The Jeanneret, et al., apparatus employs two coils, both positioned above the sample: a drive coil (of radius 2.05 mm), and an astatically wound receiver coil (having radius 1.2 mm) coaxially mounted within the drive coil. The receiver coil has a first section (wound with right-handed helical geometry) and a second section (wound with left-handed helical geometry). The lower end of the drive coil is positioned at a first known distance (0.3 mm) above the sample, and the lower end of the lower section of the receiver coil is positioned at a second known distance above the sample, where the second distance is much (e.g., an order of magnitude) smaller than the first distance. As the drive coil is driven by an AC voltage source (at a frequency of 70 kHz), the in-phase and quadrature components of the voltage at the receiver coil are measured by "conventional lock-in techniques or by an ac mutual-inductance bridge." The resulting voltage data can be processed (with data indicating the coils' distance from the sample) to determine the sample's complex conductance.
Several conventional techniques for processing in-phase and quadrature voltage data obtained during eddy current testing are described in the Nondestructive Testing Handbook, Second Edition, edited by R. C. McMaster, American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc. (1986), Volume 4-Electromagnetic Testing, at pages 218-222. However, such conventional techniques require accurate knowledge of the separation between the sample and an eddy current probe (comprising drive coil and sense coil) at one or more positions of the probe relative to the sample.
In typical applications of eddy current testing, accurate measurement (or prior knowledge) of the separation between the eddy current probe and the sample requires complicated and expensive equipment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,721 describes an eddy current testing apparatus which employs complicated acoustic wave measurement equipment to measure eddy current probe-to-sample separation.
Other typical applications of eddy current testing require maintenance of the eddy current probe at a constant, precisely repeatable, distance from the sample. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,694, issued Jul. 18, 1989, assumes that a sample's resistivity or thickness is known, and employs eddy current measurements to determine the other of the sample's resistivity or thickness in a manner requiring that the measurement apparatus maintain the eddy current probe at a constant, precisely repeatable distance "d" from the sample surface. This reference teaches that a precision optical microscope is preferably used to precisely position the eddy current probe at the distance "d" from the sample.
Until the present invention, it was not known how to perform eddy current testing to obtain accurate conductance or conductivity measurements on a sample without the need to measure the separation between the probe and the sample or to perform measurements at a precisely maintained probe-to-sample separation. The eddy current testing method of the present invention provides a convenient and inexpensive way to obtain conductance and/or conductivity measurements on a sample without the need to measure separation between an eddy current probe and a sample. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The availability of public and private telephony communication has become so universal in the United States and in other developed countries that it has become critical to the functioning of modern society. At the same time, its very popularity and multipurpose use have led to demands that tax the efficient operation of the varied systems that provide that universality. While multiple types of networks are used for providing telephone service it is not always appreciated to what a large extent those different networks are interrelated. Thus, the very efficacy of one of the interrelated systems in optimizing one parameter may cause the overload or breakdown of an interrelated system, which is necessary to provide end to end service. In order that the nature of these problems may be fully appreciated, it is necessary to have an understanding not only of the factors which determine the inherent parameters of the individual networks, but also the factors which impose limitations on the interlinked networks. To that end there is here presented a brief description of the two networks which are most currently involved. These are the Internet and the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
The Internet is an interconnected global computer network of tens of thousands of packet-switched networks using the Internet protocol (IP). It is a network of networks. For purposes of understanding how the Internet works, three basic types of entities can be identified. These are end users, Internet service providers, and backbone providers. End users access and send information either through individual connections or through organizations such as universities and businesses. End users in this context include both those who use the Internet primarily to receive information, and content creators who use the Internet to distribute information to other end users. Internet service providers (ISPs), such as Netcom, PSI, and America Online, connect those end users to Internet backbone networks. Backbone providers, such as MCI, UUNet, and Sprint, route traffic between ISPs, and interconnect with other backbone providers.
This tripartite division highlights the different functionalities involved in providing Internet connectivity. The actual architecture of the Internet is far more complex. Backbone providers typically also serve as ISPs; for example, MCI offers dial-up and dedicated Internet access to end users, but also connects other ISPs to its nationwide backbone. End users such as large businesses may connect directly to backbone networks, or to access points where backbone networks exchange traffic. ISPs and backbone providers typically have multiple points of interconnection, and the inter-relationships between these providers are changing over time. It is important to appreciate that the Internet has no “center,” and that individual transmissions may be routed through multiple different providers based on a number of factors.
End users may access the Internet though several different types of connections, and unlike the voice network, divisions between “local service” providers and “long-distance” providers are not always clear. Most residential and small business users have dial-up connections, which use analog modems to send data over plain old telephone service (POTS) lines of local exchange carriers (LECs) to ISPs. Larger users often have dedicated connections using high-speed ISDN, frame relay or T1 lines, between a local area network at the customer's premises and the Internet. Although the vast majority of Internet access today originates over telephone lines, other types of communications companies, such as cable companies, terrestrial wireless, and satellite providers, are also beginning to enter the Internet access market.
The roots of the current Internet can be traced to ARPANET, a network developed in the late 1960s with funding from the Advanced Research Projects Administration (ARPA) of the United States Department of Defense. ARPANET linked together computers at major universities and defense contractors, allowing researchers at those institutions to exchange data. As ARPANET grew during the 1970s and early 1980s, several similar networks were established, primarily between universities. The TCP/IP protocol was adopted as a standard to allow these networks, comprised of many different types of computers, to interconnect.
In the mid-1980s, the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded the establishment of NSFNET, a TCP/IP network that initially connected six NSF-funded national supercomputing centers at a data rate of 56 kilobits per second (kbps). NSF subsequently awarded a contract to a partnership of Merit (one of the existing research networks), IBM, MCI, and the State of Michigan to upgrade NSFNET to T1 speed (1.544 megabits per second (Mbps)), and to interconnect several additional research networks. The new NSFNET “backbone,” completed in 1988, initially connected thirteen regional networks. Individual sites such as universities could connect to one of these regional networks, which then connected to NSFNET, so that the entire network was linked together in a hierarchical structure. Connections to the federally-subsidized NSFNET were generally free for the regional networks, but the regional networks generally charged smaller networks a flat monthly fee for their connections.
The military portion of ARPANET was integrated into the Defense Data Network in the early 1980s, and the civilian ARPANET was taken out of service in 1990, but by that time NSFNET had supplanted ARPANET as a national backbone for an “Internet” of worldwide interconnected networks. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, NSFNET usage grew dramatically, jumping from 85 million packets in January 1988 to 37 billion packets in September 1993. The capacity of the NSFNET backbone was upgraded to handle this additional demand, eventually reaching T3 (45 Mbps) speed.
In 1992, the NSF announced its intention to phase out federal support for the Internet backbone, and encouraged commercial entities to set up private backbones. Alternative backbones had already begun to develop because NSFNET's “acceptable use” policy, rooted in its academic and military background, ostensibly did not allow for the transport of commercial data. In the 1990s, the Internet has expanded decisively beyond universities and scientific sites to include businesses and individual users connecting through commercial ISPs and consumer online services.
Federal support for the NSFNET backbone ended on Apr. 30, 1995. The NSF has, however, continued to provide funding to facilitate the transition of the Internet to a privately-operated network. The NSF supported the development of three priority Network Access Points (NAPs), in Northern California, Chicago, and New York, at which backbone providers could exchange traffic with each other, as well as a “routing arbiter” to facilitate traffic routing at these NAPs. The NSF funded the vBNS (Very High-Speed Backbone Network Service), a non-commercial research-oriented backbone operating at 155 megabits per second. The NSF provides transitional funding to the regional research and educational networks, as these networks are now required to pay commercial backbone providers rather than receiving free interconnection to NSFNET. Finally, the NSF also remains involved in certain Internet management functions, through activities such as its cooperative agreement with SAIC Network Solutions Inc. to manage aspects of Internet domain name registration.
Since the termination of federal funding for the NSFNET backbone, the Internet has continued to evolve. Many of the largest private backbone providers have negotiated bilateral “peering” arrangements to exchange traffic with each other, in addition to multilateral exchange points such as the NAPs. Several new companies have built nationwide backbones. Despite this increase in capacity, usage has increased even faster, leading to concerns about congestion. The research and education community, with the support of the White House and several federal agencies, recently announced the “Internet II” or “next-generation Internet” initiative to establish a new high-speed Internet backbone dedicated to non-commercial uses.
As of January 1997 there were over sixteen million host computers on the Internet, more than ten times the number of hosts in January 1992. Several studies have produced different estimates of the number of people with Internet access, but the numbers are clearly substantial and growing. A recent Intelliquest study pegged the number of subscribers in the United States at 47 million, and Nielsen Media Research concluded that 50.6 million adults in the United States and Canada accessed the Internet at least once during December 1996—compared to 18.7 million in spring 1996. Although the United States is still home to the largest proportion of Internet users and traffic, more than 175 countries are now connected to the Internet.
According to a study by Hambrecht & Quist, the Internet market exceeded one billion dollars in 1995, and is expected to grow to some 23 billion dollars in the year 2000. This market is comprised of several segments, including network services (such as ISPs); hardware (such as routers, modems, and computers); software (such as server software and other applications); enabling services (such as directory and tracking services); expertise (such as system integrators and business consultants); and content providers (including online entertainment, information, and shopping).
The value of networks to each user increases as additional users are connected. For example, electronic mail is a much more useful service when it can reach fifty million people worldwide than when it can only be used to send messages to a few hundred people on a single company's network. The same logic applies to the voice telephone network.
However, this increasing value also can lead to congestion. Network congestion is an example of the “tragedy of the commons:” each user may find it beneficial to increase his or her usage, but the sum total of all usage may overwhelm the capacity of the network. With the number of users and host computers connected to the Internet roughly doubling each year, and traffic on the Internet increasing at an even greater rate, the potential for congestion is increasing rapidly. The growth of the Internet, and evidence of performance degradation, has led some observers to predict that the network will soon collapse, although thus far the Internet has defied all predictions of its impending doom.
Two types of Internet-related congestion may occur; congestion of the Internet backbones, and congestion of the public switched telephone network when used to access the Internet. These categories are often conflated, and from an end user standpoint the point of congestion matters less than the delays created by the congestion.
Congestion of the Internet backbones results largely from the shared, decentralized nature of the Internet. Because the Internet interconnects thousands of different networks, each of which only controls the traffic passing over its own portion of the network, there is no centralized mechanism to ensure that usage at one point on the network does not create congestion at another point. Because the Internet is a packet-switched network, additional usage, up to a certain point, only adds additional delay for packets to reach their destination, rather than preventing a transmission circuit from being opened. This delay may not cause difficulties for some services such as E-mail, but could be fatal for real-time services such as video conferencing and Internet telephony. At a certain point, moreover, routers may be overwhelmed by congestion, causing localized temporary disruptions known as “brownouts.”
Backbone providers have responded to this congestion by increasing capacity. Most of the largest backbones now operate at 155 Mbps (OC-3) speeds, and MCI has upgraded its backbone to OC-12 (622 Mbps) speed. Backbone providers are also developing pricing structures, technical solutions, and business arrangements to provide more robust and reliable service for applications that require it, and for users willing to pay higher fees.
Internet backbone congestion raises many serious technical, economic, and coordination issues. Higher-bandwidth access to the Internet will be meaningless if backbone networks cannot provide sufficient end-to-end transmission speeds. Moreover, the expansion of bandwidth available to end users will only increase the congestion pressure on the rest of the Internet. This has significant implications to local exchange carriers. Most residential subscribers reach their ISPs through dial-up connections to LEC networks. A modem at the customer premises is connected to a local loop, which is connected to a switch at a LEC central office. ISPs also purchase connections to the LEC network. In most cases, ISPs either buy analog lines under business user tariffs (referred to as “1 MBs”) or 23-channel primary rate ISDN (PRI) service. When a call comes into an ISP, it is received through a modem bank or a remote access server, and the data is sent out through routers over the packet-switched Internet. Both subscribers and ISPs share usage of LEC switches with other customers.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the current flat charge pricing structure for Internet access contributes to the congestion of LEC networks. Switch congestion can arise at three points in LEC networks—the switch at which the ISP connects to the LEC (the terminating switch), the interoffice switching and transport network, and the originating end user switch. The point of greatest congestion is the switch serving the ISP, because many different users call into the ISP simultaneously.
LECs have engineered and sized their networks based on assumptions about voice traffic. In particular, several decades of data collection and research by AT&T, Bellcore, and others has shown that an average voice call lasts 3-5 minutes, and that the distribution between long and short calls follows a well-established curve. Because very few people stay on the line for very long periods of time, there is no need for LEC switches to support all users of the switch being connected simultaneously. Instead, LEC switches are generally divided into “line units” or “line concentrators” with concentration ratios of typically between 4:1 and 8:1. In other words, there are between four and eight users for every call path going through the switch. Call blockage on the voice network tends to be negligible because a significant percentage of users are unlikely to be connected simultaneously.
The distribution of Internet calls differs significantly from voice calls. In particular, Internet users tend to stay on the line substantially longer than voice users.
Because LEC networks have not been designed for these longer usage patterns, heavy Internet usage can result in switches being unable to handle the load (“switch congestion”). Internet connections tie up a end-to-end call path through the PSTN for the duration of the call. When the average hold time of calls through a switch increases significantly, the likelihood of all available call paths through the switch being in simultaneous use also goes up. If a particular line unit has an 8:1 concentration ratio, only one eighth of the subscriber lines into that line unit need to be connected at one time in order to block all further calls.
Because of the relatively short average duration of voice calls, the primary limiting factor on the capacity of current digital switched for voice calls is the computer processing power required to set up additional calls. Computer processing power can be expanded relatively easily and cheaply, because modern switch central processing units are designed as modular systems that can be upgraded with additional memory and processing capacity. However, Internet usage puts pressure not on the call setup capacity of the switch, but on the number of transmission paths that are concurrently open through the switch.
As may be appreciated from the foregoing the traffic problems that exist with respect to providing reliable telephony communications, particularly long distance communications, involves intertwined limitations that exist separately and in combination in the Internet and in the public switched telephone network. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power breaker system which selectively breaks only a fault circuit formed by a load shortcircuit etc. in a power system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, it has been known to use the system shown in FIG. 1 wherein the reference (M) designates a main breaker for wiring which is connected to a power source at one terminal; (F.sub.1), (F.sub.2) . . . (F.sub.n) respectively designate feeder circuit breakers for wiring which are respectively connected between the other terminal and each of the loads.
In the conventional power breaker system shown in FIG. 1, when a short-circuit fault is caused in one load circuit having a feeder circuit breaker (F.sub.1), it is necessary to actuate only the feeder circuit breaker (F.sub.1) before actuating the main breaker (M) in order to continue the feeding to the non-fault load circuit while breaking only the fault load circuit.
Thus, the main breaker (M) has a structure for breaking by a large breaking current larger than the breaking current for the feeder circuit breakers (F.sub.1), (F.sub.2) . . . (F.sub.n) or by said large current and a predetermined delay time.
A bimetal thermal actuating type or an electromagnetic type trip mechanism has been used as the conventional trip mechanism of the main breaker for the short-circuit current. However, in any conventional system, it has been considered to be impossible to break selectively the circuit in all fault current ranges. That is, the operating characteristics of the main breaker (M) and the feeder circuit breaker (F.sub.1) under a short-circuit fault in a load (not shown) connected to the feeder circuit breaker (F.sub.1) are shown in FIG. 2. In the large fault current range, the main breaker (M) is simultaneously actuated together with the feeder circuit breaker (F.sub.1) whereby the selective breakable range is limited to only a small fault current range. It has been known to use a power breaker system shown in FIG. 3 which has a trip timing characteristic of the main breaker (M) to cause a delay actuation whereby the selective breaking has been attained for certain fault current range. However, the selective breakable range has been small as a current of about 10 KA to 20 KA. Thus, the industrial value of such system is not high enough in practical use.
It has been considered to provide a system shown in FIG. 4 for selectively breaking in a large current range. However, the total breaking time t of the main breaker (M) is prolonged to be over the allowable limit I.sup.2 t (I: breaking current) as the durability of the main breaker (M). In order to keep the allowable limit I.sup.2 t, the breaking capacity (that is t) of the main breaker (M) should be decreased to reduce the industrial value in the practical use. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Most motor vehicles have a tie rod or drag link having a flexible joint at each end thereof. During the normal life of these motor vehicles, one of these joints will become worn and need to be replaced. This is necessary since a worn joint will cause substantial play in the steering mechanism and could result in an accident and injury. In some prior art practices, even if only one joint was worn, it is necessary to insert a new tie rod or drag link with two new joints. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Sales of electric vehicles are expected to grow rapidly over the next five years and beyond. Established market research indicates that by 2020, electric vehicles will represent approximately 6% of new light vehicle sales in the United States (roughly 1 million vehicles). By 2020, electric vehicles will be integrated into a smart grid power distribution system, and by 2030, electric vehicles could represent 20% of new light vehicle sales in the United States. A charging system infrastructure must be deployed throughout the United States and globally to support this growth. Efficient and effective infrastructure must include leading edge communication techniques and feature fleet management capability. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Remote access and retrieval of data and information are becoming more desirable and common in both consumer and business environments. As data and information transfer is becoming more and more voluminous and complex, using traditional data links such as voice-band modems is too slow in speed. For example, the use of the Internet to locate and access information is increasing daily, but the retrieval of typical graphics, video, audio, and other complex data forms is generally unsatisfyingly slow using conventional voice-band modems. In fact, the slow rate of existing dial-up analog modems frustrates users, and commerce and interaction using the Internet would have been even higher were it not for the unacceptable delays associated with present day access technology. The ability to provide such desired services as video on demand, television (including HDTV), video catalogs, remote CD-ROMs, high-speed LAN access, electronic library viewing, etc., are similarly impeded by the lack of high speed connections.
Since the alternatives to copper line technology have proven unsatisfactory, solutions to the high speed access problem have been focused on improving the performance of voice band modems. Voice band modems operate at the subscriber premises end over a 3 kHz voice band lines and transmit signals through the core switching network; the phone company network treats them exactly like voice signals. These modems presently transmit up to 33.6 kbps over a 2-wire telephone line, even though the practical speed only twenty years ago was 1.2 kbps. The improvement in voice band modems over the past 20 years has resulted from significant advances in algorithms, digital signal processing, and semiconductor technology. Because such modems are limited to voice bandwidth (3.0 kHz), the rate is bound by the Shannon limit, around 30 kbps. A V.34 modem, for example, achieves 10 bits per Hertz of bandwidth, a figure that approaches the theoretical Shannon limits.
There is a considerable amount of bandwidth available in copper lines, however, that has gone unused by voice band modems, and this is why a proposal known as Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) was suggested in the industry as a high-speed protocol/connection alternative. The practical limits on data rate in conventional telephone line lengths (of 24 gauge twisted pair) vary from 1.544 Mbps for an 18,000 foot connection, to 51.840 Mbps for a 1,000 foot connection. Since a large proportion of current telephone subscribers fall within the 18,000 foot coverage range, ADSL can make the current copper wire act like a much "bigger pipe" for sending computer bits and digital information (like movies and TV channels), while still carrying the voice traffic. For example, an ADSL modem can carry information 200 times faster than the typical voice band modem used today.
ADSL is "asymmetric" in that more data goes downstream (to the subscriber) than upstream (back from the subscriber). The reason for this is a combination of cost, demand, and performance. For example, twisted pair wiring coupling increases with the frequency of the signal. If symmetric signals in many pairs are used within a cable, the data rate and line length become significantly limited by the coupling noise. Since the preponderance of target applications for digital subscriber services is asymmetric, asymmetric bit rate is not perceived to be a serious limitation at this time. Therefore, the ADSL standard proposes up to 6 Mbps for downstream, and up to 640 kbps for upstream. For example, video on demand, home shopping, Internet access, remote LAN access, multimedia access, and specialized PC services all feature high data rate demands downstream, to the subscriber, but relatively low data rates demands upstream. The principal advantage is that all of the high speed data operations take place in a frequency band above the voice band, leaving Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) service independent and undisturbed, even if an ADSL modem fails. ADSL further provides an economical solution for transmission of high bandwidth information over existing copper line infrastructures.
Specifically, the proposed standard for ADSL divides the available transmission bandwidth into two parts. At the lower 4 kHz band, ordinary (POTS) is provided. The bulk of the rest bandwidth in the range from 4 kHz to about 1 MHz is for data transmission in the downstream direction, which is defined to be from the exchange to the subscriber. The upstream control channel uses a 160 kHz band in between. The signals in each channel can be extracted with an appropriate band-pass filter.
A DMT implementation of ADSL uses the entire available 1 MHz range of a copper phone line. It merely splits the signal into 255 separate channels, and each 4 kHz channel can be made to provide a bit rate up to the best present day voice band (33.6 kbs) modems. This results essentially in overall performance which is equivalent to around two hundred V.34 modems used in parallel on the same line. Because each channel can be configured to a different bit rate according to the channel characteristics, it can be seen that DMT is inherently "rate-adaptive" and extremely flexible for interfacing with different subscriber equipment and line conditions.
A number of problems arise, however, in attempting to implement a full scale ADSL transceiver cost-effectively.
First, to achieve this high bit rate transmission over existing telephone subscriber loops, advanced analog front end (AFE) devices, complicated digital signal processing techniques, and high speed complex digital designs are required. As a result, this pushes current technology limits and imposes both high cost and power consumption. For example, AFE devices in modem applications provide the interface between analog wave forms and digital samples for digital hardware/software processing. In high speed modem technologies such as ADSL, AFE devices need to operate at a very high sampling rate and high accuracy. For example, the DMT technology has a spectrum of 1 MHz and requires sampling above 50 MHz if a sigma-delta analog-to-digital (ADC) method is used. This thus requires the state-of-art ADC technology and imposes a high cost for end users.
Second, the time domain signal in ADSL/DMT transmissions is a summation of a large number of carriers modulated by quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). This typically results in a large peak-to-peak deviation. As a result, even though a high speed AFE is made possible, a large dynamic range and high resolution AFE is required at the same time to minimize quantization errors.
Third, in addition to the high sampling rate and resolution requirement for ADSL AFEs, the other hardware and software in ADSL environment also needs to operate at a much higher speed than current conventional modem counterparts. For example, to implement the DMT technology in software, a custom and dedicated digital signal process (DSP) of a power of several hundred MIPS (millions instructions per second) is required to process many components such as error encoding and decoding, spectrum transforms, timing synchronization, etc. As with the AFE part of the system, this high speed 2.6 requirement for the signal processing portion of ADSL also results in less flexible, high component costs.
Fourth, requiring a communications device (such as a modem) to fully support the total throughput of a standard such as ADSL may be inefficient in some cases, since many prospective users of high-speed data links may not need to use all the available bandwidth provided by such standards. It is generally more preferable therefore to permit users to throttle or scale the data throughput in a manner they can control, based on their particular application needs, hardware cost budget, etc. For example, a full-scale ADSL system may have the performance level of 200 times conventional V.34 modems, but it is apparent that even a performance improvement of 10-20 times than present day available analog modems would be sufficient for many consumer applications, such as Internet access and similar uses. Thus, unlike conventional analog modems, which are available in various speeds varying generally from 14.4 to 56 Kbps, there are no known ADSL modems which offer scalable performance levels to users.
Fifth, in addition to the implementation challenge, the T1E1.4 ADSL standard does not specify the system interface and user model. Although various high level interface to support T1/E1, ATM, etc. have been described, system integration with high level protocols such as TCP/IP and interface with computer operating systems have not yet been defined. As a result, there is uncertainty how existing and future modem-based applications can work with the ADSL technology. For example, when users run an Internet application which sends and receives data to and from an Internet service provider (ISP), a mutually agreed protocol is required to set up a call and transfer data. Possible protocols available at various levels include ATM (asynchronous transfer mode), TCP/IP, ISDN, and current modem AT commands. Either one of these or a possibly new protocol needs to be defined to facilitate the adoption of ADSL technology. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to a conductive board spacer for fixing two opposing printed boards at a predetermined space while enhancing the function of the printed boards.
Conventionally, this conductive board spacer is composed of synthetic resins or metals.
Japanese Published Examined Patent Application No. 58-35386 and Japanese Published Examined Utility Model Application Nos. 59-27651 and 60-8462 disclose board spacers of synthetic resin having a predetermined length. The synthetic-resin spacers have a supporting member with both ends of the supporting member contacting printed boards. Locking members extend from the ends of the supporting member for engaging fixing holes in the printed boards. The locking members, which are arrowhead-shaped, pass through the holes, resiliently expand outward, return to their original configuration and become secured in the fixing holes. The synthetic-resin spacers thus secure the printed boards, and easily engage and disengage from the boards.
On the other hand, metallic spacers have a long, hexagonal bolt. The bolt engages screwed holes in the printed boards, and nuts screw onto the bolt, thus fixing the spacer to the printed boards. The spacers keep the printed boards a certain distance apart and equalize the ground potential between the printed boards. Signal conductors laid between the printed boards are thus effectively used.
However, the synthetic-resin spacers do not equalize the ground potential between the printed boards. On the other hand, since the metallic spacers must be fixed to or disengaged from the printed boards using the nuts, the application of the spacers is troublesome and time-consuming.
Conductive spacers, which have been developed to provide advantages of the abovementioned spacers, are molded as one piece from synthetic resin with conductive fillers such as metallic particles, having a particle size of several tens of microns, or carbon black.
However, the conductive spacers develop problems. The conductive filler provides conductivity to the conductive spacers. When the conductive filler is mixed into synthetic resin, the electric resistivity of the synthetic resin is reduced, but its mechanical strength is also reduced. The amount of conductive filler must be carefully regulated.
The optimum resistivity for grounding the printed boards each other is 5.times.10.sup.-5 ohm.cm or less. As the amount of the conductive filler is increased to provide optimum conductivity, the synthetic resin becomes brittle. Especially, the excess amount of the conductive filler deteriorates the strength and durability of thin portions of the conductive spacer which portions engage the fixing holes in the printed boards. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present relates to an electron beam device comprising an evacuated envelope formed by an optically transparent faceplate, a conical portion and a neck, an electron gun within the evacuated envelope and to a method of making the electron gun. In the present specification an electron beam device is to be understood to include cathode ray tubes, X-ray tubes, electron beam lithography apparatus, scanning and transmission microscopes, electron guns for scanning Auger mass spectrometers and also ion guns (not an electron beam device within the normal meaning of the term). For convenience of description, the electron beam device will be described with reference to a cathode ray tube.
Unpublished European Patent Application No. 86200481.9 discloses a cathode ray tube in which the electron gun comprises an elongate tubular substrate which has been vacuum formed on a bipartite mandril, a beam forming part comprising a number of deep drawn metal electrodes respectively bearing against a succession of stepped abutments formed interiorly of th tubular substrate and a lens part formed by helical prefocusing and focusing electrodes in a resistive film applied to the internal surface of the tubular substrate. Some of the electrical connections to the metal electrodes and to at least one point in the resistive film are made through the wall of the tubular substrate. Each of these electrical connections comprises a conical hole sand blasted through the substrate wall, an indium ball in the conical hole, which ball is contacted by a lead-out wire and conventional crystallizing glass for fusing together the component parts. Any part of the wires and/or indium balls protruding into the tube are cut-off flush. Although this type of electrical connection has been found to be generally satisfactory it has a number of disadvantages, especially from a manufacturing point of view. The electrical connection is complicated, and thereby, is expensive to make. It is not possible to ensure a good electrical contact with an electrode due to the use of the indium balls. Further the lead-out wires which are unsupported have to be held in position while the crystallizing glass is being baked. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Sensors are used to determine and monitor status and conditions of equipment and the environment at that equipment. For example, a sensor may be used to monitor temperature, humidity, atmosphere at an environment or other ambient conditions. Other sensors are used to monitor physical parameters of equipment, and the status of the equipment itself, including determining strain, vibration, and development of cracking.
Sensors also may be used to log data. Powers et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,136 (1995) describe a remote logger unit for monitoring a variety of operating parameters along a fluids distribution or transmission system. An RF link is activated by which a logger unit alerts a central controller when predetermined operating limits are exceeded. Farther logger units transmit data via closer logger units in daisy chain fashion.
Arms in U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,282 (2003) describes peak strain linear displacement sensor for monitoring strain in structures. The device records data and can report strain history for the structure to which it is attached. A displacement sensor is constrained so that it shows maximum movement in one direction resulting in deformation of the structure to which it is attached.
Hamel et al. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,081,693 (2006) and 7,170,201 (2007) describe devices for powering a load by harvesting energy as electrical energy from an ambient source, storing said electrical energy, and switching the storage device to provide electrical energy when required to a load such as a sensor. The example is provided of powering a sensor for monitoring tire pressure and transmitting that data.
Arms et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 7,696,621 (2010) and in a conference presentation, “Wireless Strain Sensing Networks,” 2nd European Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring, Munich, Germany, Jul. 7-9, 2004, describe a RFID tag packaging system for an electronic device located within a cavity in an adjacent flexible material. The dimensions of the flexible material are chosen so as to provide protection of the electronic device from loading applied to the device.
A preferred approach to maintenance is “Condition-Based Maintenance” (CBM). Equipment downtime, both scheduled and unscheduled, is an important factor of production loss. In addition, according to a study by Optimal Maintenance Decisions Inc. (OMDEC), a leader in condition-based maintenance (CBM) management solutions, failures in the field are three times more costly to repair (considering overtime, rescue, and expedited shipping of parts) than scheduled (or preventive) maintenance operations.
Hence, CBM is replacing preventive maintenance in many industrial operations as a result of gains in productivity. Condition-based maintenance (CBM) is a maintenance system prevalent in industrial mining and energy operations. CBM monitors equipment to establish an optimal maintenance cycle (based on the predictions of when a machine will fail using strain and vibration measurements, for example).
While preventive maintenance repairs machinery every given time period, even if the machine is still operational, CBM can extend that time period. The optimal maintenance cycle determines the best time to shut down a machine for preventive repair. Finding the balance between repairing often and continuing to produce is the tricky part.
As an example, strain and fatigue measurements reveal risks of yield failures and cracking, changes in material properties, and remaining equipment life, making them incredibly useful for CBM if monitored.
In the mining industry, strain and vibration are not generally monitored by built-in systems, mainly due to the complexity of sensor installation and computational intensity of the data processing. CBM relies heavily on regular or continuous measurements of parameters that allow operators to determine when the machine will fail (i.e. strain and vibration).
Electronic sensors measure physical quantities (such as strain, temperature, acceleration, crack propagation, pressure, etc.) and convert them into signals read by an instrument (the reader varies depending on the type of sensor).
For example, strain gauges consist of a foil pattern (often in a tight zigzag) insulated in a flexible material and attached to an object under strain. As the object deforms, the resistance of the foil wires changes, allowing a Wheatstone bridge circuit (a measuring instrument used to measure an unknown electrical resistance) to record the variations.
Unfortunately, existing CBM solutions have been historically inaccurate, are expensive or non-viable, and/or produce poor signal transmission and short battery life.
CBM's reliance on high data volume dictates a need to monitor continuously (or at least often) strain and loading. To understand fully a machine's state requires monitoring of cracks and crack growth. However, monitoring the hundreds of machines used every day in a mining operation requires many sensors and many more wires, which are difficult and expensive to install and maintain.
Many solutions have not reliably predicted when a machine will fail. This parameter is probably the most important when it comes to CBM, since CBM relies on accurate predictions of failure. The inability to predict correctly when a machine will fail can have grave consequences on unplanned downtime as well as operator safety.
Some solutions offer accurate predictions, but at high costs, whether in the stages of installation and setup, longevity and data collection, or analysis and data post-processing.
Yet other solutions offer poor signal transmission due to low range or lack of direct line of sight. Power supplies dictate operating conditions and longevity of the solution. Most solutions require too much power to operate for long periods of time, or are too delicate to operate in the harsh conditions of mining operations. Conditions can include extreme temperatures, constant vibration, and quick acceleration. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Low-cost production of solar cells on flexible substrates using printing or web coating technologies is promising highly cost-efficient alternative to traditional silicon-based solar cells. Recently, solution-based solar cells fabricated from alloys of copper (Cu) and indium (In) with selenium (Se) or sulfur (S) have been developed. Such CIGS solar cells have been fabricated using a non-vacuum process in which a water-based precursor ink is formulated containing mixed oxides of Cu, In and Ga, which is then coated on rigid or flexible substrates (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,127,202, issued October 2000 to Kapur et. al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,268,014 issued July 2001 to Eberspacher and Pauls). The resulting oxide mixture was then subject to reduction in H2/N2 mixture and selenization in an H2Se/N2 mixture at high temperatures between 400 to 500° C. The resulting CIGS solar cells typically have efficiency in the range of 8 to 11%. Another alternative ink-based approach used metallic powder paste to coat on substrates followed by selenization under H2Se/N2 at high temperature to form a CIS (or CIGS cell) solar cell (Kapur, V. K., et. al. Sol. Energy Mater Sol. Cells, 60 (2000) 127-134 and Kapur et al, Thin Solid Films, 431-432 (2003) 53-57 and also Kaelin, M., Meyer, T., Kurdesau, F., Rudmann, D., Zogg. H. and A. N. Tiawri. Low Cost Cu(In, Ga)Se2 Absorber Layers from Selenization of Precursor Materials, 3rd World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Osaka, Japan, 2003). Unfortunately, the high temperature reduction and selenization steps used in each of these solar cell fabrication processes are neither cost effective nor easily scaled to high-volume production. Specifically, the H2Se gas used is both highly toxic and flammable. Thus, when H2Se is used at high temperatures, safety, environmental impact, and overall cost are serious concerns in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the high temperature reduction and selenization steps make it impractical to make CIGS solar cells on inexpensive polymer or metallized polymer substrates that would warp, melt, or otherwise degrade at such high temperatures in the presence of reducing and/or oxidizing agents.
Although it is possible to make CIGS-based inks without using oxides, such inks have been produced in the prior art have several drawbacks for high-volume, roll-to-roll processing. For instance, the use of bulk CuInSe2 as a starting material is challenging as bulk CuInSe2 has a melting point around 1000° C. However, since most of the flexible substrates such as Al foils and plastic foils cannot withstand such a high temperature, it is not possible to melt bulk material directly onto a substrate. Even glass will have serious warping problems at this temperature and substrate warping typically leads to inefficient cell performance—so even with deposition onto glass, it is very difficult to create high-performance solar cells by melting bulk material. Moreover, the energy requirements needed for high temperature manufacturing at 1000° C. will incur substantial cost. Consequently, processes occurring at much lower temperatures are preferred. However, annealing at a lower temperature tends to hinder the manner of crystal grain growth that is critical for the proper electronic properties of CIGS solar cell. Certain fluxing agents have been used to reduce the melting point and sintering temperature for CuInSe2 (A. Vervaet et al. in 9th European Communities PV Solar Energy Conference, 1989, 480). Unfortunately, such fluxing agents can introduce unwanted crystalline phases and alter the electronic properties of CIGS, thus lowering the efficiency of a CIGS solar cell.
Thus, there is a need in the art, for a non-oxide based precursor ink that overcomes the above disadvantages. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The distribution of electronic media data (e.g., music, videos, movies, and television shows) may be accomplished using various methodologies. For example, entire media data files may be transferred from a media data server to a client electronic device. Alternatively, a media data stream may be established between the media data server and the client electronic device.
Unfortunately, each methodology has its own shortcomings. Specifically, for systems in which the file is transferred to the client electronic device, the entire file is often required to be transferred prior to initiating rendering of the media data file. Further, for systems in which a media data stream is established between the media data server and the client electronic device, a considerable amount of time (e.g., >10 seconds) may be required to establish a connection with the media data server, often resulting in a less-than-optimal user experience. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic toner useful for one-component or two-component developers. In addition, the present invention relates to an image forming method and apparatus, such as copiers, printers and facsimile machines, using the toner.
2. Discussion of the Background
At the present day, various electrophotographic image forming methods are known. The methods typically include the following processes:
(1) the surface of an image bearing member (a photoreceptor) is charged (charging process); n(2) the image bearing member (photoreceptor) is exposed to light to form an electrostatic latent image thereon (latent image forming process); PA0 (3) the latent image is developed with an electrophotographic toner to form a toner image on the image bearing member (developing process); PA0 (4) the toner image is transferred onto a receiving material (transferring process); and PA0 (5) the toner image on the receiving material is fixed upon application of heat or pressure, or combination thereof (fixing process).
Thus, a document having a fixed image is provided. The toner remaining on the image bearing member even after the toner image is transferred on the receiving material is removed by a known cleaning method using a blade, brush, roller or the like.
Digital image formation and high quality image formation are the recent trends of the electrophotography. With respect to resolution of images, it is needed and investigated to form an image having high resolution of not less than 1200 dpi (dot per inch). In order to prepare images having such high resolution, a toner having a relatively small particle diameter is needed. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Nos. 1-112253, 2-284158, 3-181952 and 4-162048 have proposed toners having a small particle diameter and a specified particle diameter distribution.
In the toners having a small particle diameter, the adhesion force of a toner particle to other toner particles or members (photoconductor etc.) of an image forming apparatus cannot be neglected. This adhesion force influences almost all the image forming processes in an image forming apparatus, and thereby the image qualities are influenced. In particular, the adhesion force causes background development in the developing process. In addition, the adhesion force causes hollow defects and scattered toner images generated in the transferring process. Further, the adhesion force causes background fouling due to toner particles remaining on the photoreceptor after the cleaning process. When a toner having a relatively small particle diameter is used, these phenomena are furthered. Therefore, when designing a toner, it is an important subject how to control the adhesion force of the particles of the toner.
For example, in a developing process using a two component developer, at first a large amount of toner particles contact (or adhere to) the surface of a photoreceptor in a developing nip. The toner particles adhere to the photoreceptor (i.e., the toner is used for developing) or return to (i.e., are scavenged by) the carrier particles depending on the direction and quantity of Coulomb force due to the developing determined depending on the charge quantity of the toner particles. However, the charge quantity of the toner particles has a distribution, and therefore the behaviors of toner particles are different depending on their charge quantity.
In general, a developing bias is applied to a developing nip to avoid the background development of images. The toner particles, which are present in the background area of the photoreceptor in the developing nip and which are normally charged, are scavenged by the carrier particles due to large Coulomb force formed in the developing nip, and thereby occurrence of background development can be avoided. However, a small amount of toner particles having an opposite charge are present in a toner. These toner particles receive Coulomb force such that the toner particles adhere to the photoreceptor, and thereby background development occurs. In addition, toner particles having a relatively low charge quantity, the Coulomb force formed toward the carrier particles is low. Therefore the toner particles tend not to be scavenged by the carrier particles, and tend to remain on the photoconductor.
Thus, the reason of background development is considered to be that the toner particles having an opposite charge or a relatively low charge quantity included in toner particles adhere to the background area. The toner particles having such an abnormal charge are formed when a toner and a carrier are insufficiently mixed and stirred. In addition, the toner particles having such an abnormal charge increase when the toner is used for a long period of time.
In attempting to solve this problem (i.e., to reduce the toner particles having such an abnormal charge), a technique that a toner having a specified charge distribution is used is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 4-110861. However, when a toner having a relatively small particle diameter or a toner having a relatively low softening point which is used for low heat energy fixing is used, the background development problem cannot be solved by such a technique. Therefore, it is important to control the adhesion force of toner.
In the transferring process, toner particles on a photoreceptor are transferred onto a receiving material due to an electrostatic field formed in the transferring area. The toner transfer depends on the amount of the adhesion force of the toner and the amount of the electrostatic field. Therefore, it is important to control the adhesion force of toner. When the toner transfer is performed using a roller or a belt, the toner images on a photoreceptor are pressed toward the photoreceptor. Therefore, the toner particles of the images tend to gather on the surface of the photoreceptor, resulting in increase of adhesion force between the toner particles and the photoreceptor, and increase of adhesion force among the toner particles. Therefore, the toner tends to remain on the photoreceptor. This phenomenon tends to particularly occur in center parts of line images, resulting in occurrence of hollow defects. Accordingly, it is needed to control the adhesion force between the toner particles and the photoreceptor, and the adhesion among the toner particles. Alternatively, the pressure applied to the toner may be decreased.
The adhesion force between the toner particles and the photoreceptor is classified into an electrostatic adhesion force depending on the charge quantity of the toner particles and a non-electrostatic adhesion force. When the charge quantity of toner particles is decreased, the electrostatic adhesion force can be decreased. However, the charge quantity of toner particles is too low, a problem which occurs is that toner images cannot be transferred by the electrostatic filed formed in the transferring area.
The adhesion force has been discussed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Nos. 5-333757, 6-167825, and 6-167826. However, the non-electrostatic adhesion force is not discussed therein. In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 8-305075, the non-electrostatic adhesion force among toner particles is discussed, however the relationship between image qualities and non-electrostatic adhesion force of toner particles to members in an image forming apparatus is not discussed.
The adhesion force among toner particles or between toner particles and members in an image forming apparatus has a distribution. When the distribution is broad (i.e., there are toner particles having too large adhesion force or too small adhesion force), image defects tend to be produced. Therefore, toner having adhesion force whose distribution is sharp is preferable. Since the adhesion force of toner particles generally depends on the particle diameter, a toner having a particle diameter whose distribution is sharp is needed to obtain a toner having an adhesion force whose distribution is sharp. In order to prepare a toner having a particle diameter whose distribution is sharp, the particle diameter of toner particles is severely controlled in the pulverization process and/or the classification process when the toner is manufactured. In attempting to prepare such a toner having a particle diameter whose distribution is sharp, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Nos. 5-134455, 6-273978 and 7-333890 disclose toner manufacturing techniques. Since the classification of toner particles is severely performed in these techniques, a large amount of toner particles, whose particle diameter is outside the desired range, are disposed of, resulting in serious increase of manufacturing costs. In addition, these techniques are not preferable in the viewpoint of environmental protection.
Because of these reasons, a need exists for a toner which has adhesion force whose distribution is sharp and which is easily and efficiently manufactured. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to advertising systems and, more particularly, to a vehicle mounted, mobile merchandise showroom.
Over the past decade, various patents have issued for vehicle based advertising systems. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,850 describes a mobile billboard system in which a plurality of display panels are mounted integrally to the sides and/or rear of a motor vehicle. The display panels are constructed of transparent material and a light source is used for providing rear lighting.
Window-mounted advertising signs that are vehicle-based are further described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,711, including a special mechanism for easy attachment of such advertising to vehicle windows.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,924 to Cowan describes a mobile multi-message billboard advertising system which essentially consists of a plurality of tri-visional, action display units that are affixed to a superstructure mounted on a truckbed. The advertising system is capable of displaying a plurality of different messages sequentially through movement of the tri-visional, action display units in a manner that is intended to draw attention to the displayed messages.
A scrolling display sign for vehicles is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,892 for use on vehicles such as taxis and the like. The system includes dispensing and take up rollers containing a strip of material having a series of advertising or messages thereon. The advertising display strip is installed within the transparent, peripheral sides of the device, thereby providing for omnidirectional display of messages. The messages can be viewed by daylight or through internal illumination. U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,756 described an advertising vehicle which has opposing and spaced apart walls comprising television screens and associated power sources and electronics that enable messages to be displayed to pedestrians through television monitors facing in different directions.
A xe2x80x9cmoving-adxe2x80x9d vehicle serving as an advertising system is described on the Internet website of the Motionmarketing.com company. This known advertising system enables the display of numerous messages via a computer controlled electromechanical assembly. The system is marketed by Brands In Motion, which is a division of Safehouse Media Inc.
In the mobile advertising systems described above, the public is always exposed to only pictorial renditions of merchandise, not to the merchandise itself. Many customers like to see the actual merchandise that is the subject of the advertising messages. Indeed, this is the reason that most retail establishments have showrooms that display actual merchandise, rather than pictorial renditions of merchandise.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an advertising system that includes the benefits of mobility.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an advertising system that provides the advantages of showcasing merchandise in a mobile system.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an advertising system that increases the exposure of merchandise to the purchasing public.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide an advertising system that combines the advantages of mobility, showcasing of merchandise and a scrolling display of advertising messages, in a system that can be implemented with known technology.
The foregoing and other objects of the invention are realized by the mobile advertising system of the present invention, which essentially comprises a truck-style vehicle, having side wall panels constructed of transparent panels, enabling seeing into the interior of the truck. The interior of the truck is arranged in the manner of a retail showroom, or show window, comprising an arrangement of merchandise of a particular class of goods, e.g., furniture, tools, clothing and the like. The interior of the truck is provided with various hardware for securing the merchandise in place, to protect against vehicular sudden motions, as during stops, sharp turns and the like. The vehicle is optionally outfitted with special lighting systems mounted in the ceiling, floor and/or side panels that enable illuminating the merchandise in an attention attracting fashion, e.g., with either steady or colorful lighting for obtaining special daytime or nighttime effects.
Optionally, one or more of the rear, left-hand or right-hand side panels is fitted with scrolling display signs in the form of an elongated strip of material having a series of advertising and/or other messages thereon and including see-through or transparent panels that enable seeing into the interior of the vehicle and therefore, the showroom itself.
The sign scrolling system is generally similar to it the system described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,892, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. The inventors herein further incorporate by reference the contents of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,263,756; 5,918,924; 5,974,711; and 6,122,850, the disclosure of which may be usable to construct subcomponents of the present invention.
As further optional features, the invention may include a section of the truck located between the cab and the showroom, which is closed off and serves as a storage space. In this manner, the invention provides the ability of live showcasing of merchandise over short and long distances, changing the merchandise in the showroom or selling merchandise to customers directly from the truck. The advertising truck of the present invention may be deployed adjacent to halls, hotels or trade centers that host trade shows, fairs, events and other markets that advertisers may wish to reach. The invention realizes savings in use of manpower and time in planning and implementing advertising presentations.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Related Applications
This application is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 534,805, filed 9-22-83, entitled "Vehicle Compactor" now U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,858, which is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 347,489, filed 2-10-82, entitled "Vehicle Compactor" which has now been issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,928.
2. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to junk metal compactors and in particular to those designed for the compaction of vehicles.
3. Description of the Prior Art
One type of compactor for vehicles has a flat frame supporting a plurality of upstanding members. Several of the upstanding members support a pair of opposed doors which pivot toward and, when closed, parallel the frame to sequentially crush segments of the vehicle as it is advanced through the compactor. To manipulate each door a two-part linkage, connected by an elbow pin, has one of its ends secured to the door. The other end of the linkage is pivotally mounted by several other upstanding members, the pivot axis being supported substantially above the frame and above the pivot axis for the corresponding door. Each door is raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder having one end supported by still other upstanding members, the other end of the cylinder connected to the linkage elbow pin. Accordingly, actuating the hydraulic cylinders manipulates the linkages to, in turn, drive the doors for opening and closing.
One drawback of the type of compactor described above is that the linkages are supported at the ends of the upstanding members which are relatively distant to the frame. Accordingly the upstanding members must be large or additional supporting means are required to prevent these members from deforming under the forces imposed upon the linkage during compaction. This adds not only additional weight but also cost to the device.
Another drawback is that the doors, linkages and hydraulic cylinders all require independent, pivotal supports. Again, this increases the weight and cost of the device.
Another problem with prior compactors, including the type described above, relates to the means by which the vehicle is advanced through the device. Typically a winch line, supported in front of the device by a pulley secured to a stake in the ground, is attached to the front of the vehicle to pull it through the device for compaction. The disposition of the pulley in front of the device enables the entire vehicle to be pulled therethrough. However, during advancement of the vehicle, the compactor tends to walk toward the stake. Eventually the space between the stake and device becomes such that one or the other must be repositioned. Accordingly, constant supervision is required and time is wasted during repositioning.
Still another drawback found in the compactors of the prior art, is that manual operation is required to repeatedly compact a segment of the vehicle and advance a new segment into the device for compaction. Manual operation is time consuming and costly.
Yet still another drawback is that many prior art compactors are not easily portable from one location to another. Often the weight of a compactor necessitates the use of a large flatbed trailer. In turn, apparatus must be provided to lift the compactor onto the trailer. These are contributing factors to the cost of compactor operation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to computer systems, and more specifically, to analyzing modules executed in a computer system.
2. Related Art
Prior to implementing a semiconductor design on silicon, a software representation of the design can be generated to simulate the operation of components in the design. Semiconductor designs often include a variety of components that perform designated processing functions. Debugging software modules of multi-component devices can require examining and analyzing long failure traces. The failure analysis can be further complicated by sharing data among different memory modules including different levels of cache memory in systems with multiple processing components. Although the various processing components track transactions locally, the transactions are not tracked among the various components in the rest of the system.
In order to trace failures in multiprocessor systems, existing techniques require the user to tediously track through each component during debug to determine where the failure occurs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In a virtual machine system, a virtual disk acts as a storage device and is stored as an image file in the virtual machine. There are generally two types of virtual disks, i.e. a virtual disk with a fixed size and a virtual disk with an expandable size. The size of an image file of the virtual disk with a fixed size is fixed and will not be changed as the data is written. The size of the image file of the virtual disk with the expandable size will grow with the data write.
In order to prevent the data loss incurred by an error(s) or failure of the virtual machine system or a system failure, data in the virtual disk is typically backed up to other storage media. For example, every time data is written to the virtual disk or when the data in the virtual disk is changed, all the data in the image file of the virtual disk can be backed up to other storage media. However, such a full backup may result in the transmission of a large amount of duplicate data. To solve this problem, the full backup may be performed at an initial phase for the virtual disk and, when the data is changed, only an incremental backup is performed for the changed data. Nonetheless, such an incremental backup may be applicable only to a virtual disk with a fixed size, rather than a virtual disk with an expandable size. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel .alpha.-chloroketone derivative valuable as a synthesis intermediate leading to Cimetidine having an action of controlling the secretion of gastric acid an being excellent as a medicine for remedy of a gastric ulcer.
(2) Description of the Related Art
As the process for synthesizing Cimetidine, there is known, for example, a process disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 24422/78, which is represented by the following reaction formula: ##STR1## Namely, in many cases, the starting compound having an imidazole ring is used and necessary substituents are introduced into this starting compounds, and the compound 3 is often an important intermediate.
However, in this process, the starting imidazole derivative is expensive and since the reaction is a multi-staged reaction, the manufacturing cost is high. Therefore, the process is not advantageous from the industrial viewpoint. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of shrub roses, said new variety originating as a single seedling resulting from a definite effort to produce an improvement in this class of rose. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In intrathecal delivery of a pharmaceutical agent, the pharmaceutical agent is administered adjacent to the spinal cord in what is referred to as the intrathecal space (which also is referred to as the subarachnoid space). The intrathecal space is filled with the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which bathes and protects the brain and spinal cord. In conventional intrathecal delivery systems, a patient may be implanted with a small pump containing the pharmaceutical agent. A catheter extends from the pump and into the intrathecal space at a desired location along the spinal cord depending on the precise condition being treated. The pump operates to deliver the pharmaceutical agent through the catheter and into the CSF within the intrathecal space.
Intrathecal delivery has advantages over oral medication for certain conditions. By administering the pharmaceutical agent intrathecally, the agent may be delivered directly to neural receptors of the spinal cord that control certain biological states. Common examples of intrathecal treatments include treatments for chronic pain relief and blood pressure regulation. By administering the pharmaceutical agent directly to spinal receptors associated with pain, or receptors that control blood pressure (or other suitable receptors for other conditions), such conditions can be treated more efficiently and at less dosages than oral medications for the same condition, which must be digested, absorbed, and travel through the bloodstream.
In conventional intrathecal delivery systems, pumps are controlled to administer the pharmaceutical agent in essentially a continuous and “slow” manner. In this context, a slow delivery tends to be infused at a rate of 0.2 to 0.5 ml/day and an optional patient-controlled bolus delivery of up to about 10 microliters (μL) per minute, which constitutes the approximate upper limit on the delivery rate in conventional intrathecal delivery systems. The result of such a slow and continuous delivery is to administer up to about 0.2-0.6 milliliters per day for a typical intrathecal delivery system.
Although intrathecal delivery of a pharmaceutical agent has certain advantages over oral medication, intrathecal delivery systems have experienced their own drawbacks. Certain significant drawbacks result from the nature of the flow of the CSF within the intrathecal space.
The nature of the flow of the CSF within the intrathecal space has been the subject of substantial study. It has been found that the CSF flow tends to oscillate back and forth in accordance with the cardiac cycle, with minimal if any net movement in a cycle. In particular, during the systole portion of the cardiac cycle, the CSF tends to flow away from the brain, and during the diastole portion of the cardiac cycle, the CSF tends to flow oppositely from systole and toward the brain. The result of this back-and-forth movement is that during a complete cardiac cycle, there is little overall movement of the CSF. There is a minute component of bulk flow of the CSF around the brain and spinal cord, but such bulk flow is negligible as compared to the oscillatory flow, the bulk flow accounting only for less than about 0.5% of the CSF flow.
To a lesser extent as compared to the cardiac cycle, CSF flow also is influenced by the respiratory cycle. During expiration, when the diaphragm is forcing air outward, the abdominal and thoracic pressures are increasing and tend to force the CSF flow toward the brain. Conversely, during inhalation, when the abdominal and thoracic pressures negatively are pulling air inward, CSF flow tends to be away from the brain. Although the influence of the respiratory cycle on CSF flow tends to be significantly less than that of the cardiac cycle, both cycles produce an oscillatory rather than bulk flow. As referenced above, the result of this back-and-forth movement is that during these cycles, there is little overall movement of the CSF, with any component of bulk flow being essentially negligible.
The predominance of the oscillatory nature of the CSF flow has ramifications for intrathecal delivery of a pharmaceutical agent. In particular, with the slow and continuous administering of conventional systems, there is only a slight distance of travel of the pharmaceutical agent from the catheter at the low rates of currently available intrathecal pumps. Accordingly, to ensure delivery of the pharmaceutical agent to the appropriate spinal receptors, the catheter placement must be precise and in close proximity to the target receptors. In addition, the build-up of pharmaceutical agent (particularly opiates) adjacent the catheter, due to the low travel distance, can lead to an adverse complication known as a “granuloma”. A granuloma is a collection of immune cells that build up around the catheter as the catheter/medication is “perceived” by the immune system to be an unwanted foreign body. Granulomas interfere with the effective administering of the pharmaceutical agent and can grow in size to cause nerve damage. As referenced above, this appears to result from the pharmaceutical agent building up adjacent the catheter due to low travel distance caused by the oscillating CSF flow.
Accordingly, current systems for intrathecal delivery of a pharmaceutical agent have been shown to have significant drawbacks. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Application of a multicoloring technique making use of a color conversion method to liquid crystal displays, organic electroluminescent (EL) displays, lighting devices, and other devices is being energetically studied. Color conversion means conversion of light emitted from a light-emitting body into light having a longer wavelength, and, for example, indicates conversion of blue light emission into green or red light emission.
A composition having such a color conversion function (hereinafter, referred to as a color conversion composition) is used, and combined with, for example, a blue light source, whereby the three primary colors, namely, blue, green, and red can be extracted, in other words, white light can be obtained from the blue light source. A white light source obtained by combining the blue light source with the composition having the color conversion function is used as a backlight unit, and a combination of a liquid crystal driving unit and color filters allows a full-color display to be produced. Without the liquid crystal driving unit, the residual part can be used as a white light source as it is, which can be applied as a white light source such as light-emitting diode (LED) lighting using an LED.
Examples of a problem with a liquid crystal display making use of a color conversion system include the enhancement of color reproducibility. To enhance color reproducibility, making a full width at half maximum of each of blue, green and red emission spectra of a backlight unit narrower and thereby enhancing the color purity of each of blue, green and red are effective.
To solve this problem, there has been proposed a technique of using a combination of a light emitting body having a light emission peak wavelength in a wavelength range of 240 nm to 560 nm, a green phosphor having a light emission peak wavelength in a wavelength range of 510 nm to 550 nm, a red phosphor activated by a tetravalent manganese ion, and a color filter having a blue pixel in which the difference between the maximum and the minimum of a transmittance in a wavelength range of 420 nm to 460 nm in a spectral transmittance curve is 4% or smaller (for example, see Patent Literature 1). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a circular polarization antenna whose radiation pattern is in the shape of a body of revolution about an axis and has a radiation minimum in the direction of this axis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Antennas of this type are usually implemented as a configuration of multirod conductors disposed in a tourniquet around the axis of the antenna, each rod being excited separately by a line from a distributor.
Such antennas are described, for example, by N.T. Lindeblad in Antennas and Transmission Lines at the Empire State Building Television Station, RCA Communications, Apr. 1941 (in which disclosure four dipoles are excited in phase separately, each by its own line), by M. S. Gatti and D. J. Nybakken in A Circularly Polarized Crossed Drooping Dipole Antenna, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Symposium Digest, 7-11 May 1990, Vol. 1, pp. 254-257, and by C. C. Kilgus in Shaped-Conical Radiation Pattern Performance of the Backfire Quadriflar helix, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, May 1975 (in which disclosure four rods are excited by a power splitter and phase shifter system with respective phases of 0, 90, 180 and 270.degree.).
Antennas of this type are routinely used on satellites for telemetry and remote control links, for example, and on land and maritime mobiles, in particular for satellite communication and location systems.
Antennas of the aforementioned type can also be implemented in the form of slotted printed circuit antennas, but these require a complex matching circuit.
The principal drawbacks of these various prior art antennas are their complexity, their relative fragility and the high cost of the excitation system which is typically a four-channel system requiring the provision of power splitter, phase shifter and balancer devices.
One object of the present invention is to propose an antenna of the aforementioned type, that is to say a circular polarization antenna having a radiation pattern which is in the shape of a body of revolution about an axis with a radiation minimum on said axis (a more or less toroidal shape pattern, for example) but with a much simpler structure and a direct excitation system requiring no power splitter, phase shifter or balancer devices.
A subsidiary object of the present invention is to propose an antenna of this type in which the maximum radiation direction can be varied by a simple choice of parameters so that the same basic structure can without difficultly yield an entire family of antennas suited to the various applications envisaged. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The invention relates to a circuit for automatic gain control.
In communication technology it is frequently required to control audio signals, for example speech or music signals so as to maintain them at a substantially constant level. This process is generally referred to as gain control. In particular in the field of entertainment electronics, it is desirable, mainly for reasons of convenience, to have automatic gain control without the intervention of the user. Automatic gain control circuits are employed in practically all video recorders and in many compact-cassette recorders. The basic problem in automatic gain control systems is that on the one hand gaturation of the tape should be avoided and on the other hand the systems should not be too sensitive to individual pulses.
DE-OS No. 30 27 715 describes a circuit for automatically controlling or limiting of the dynamic range in which the emphasis is put on a fast response of the control system. This circuit comprises two inputs through each of which a capacitor is charged. The time constants are selected in such a way that the charging-time constant and the discharge-time constant of the first capacitor are very small and those of the second capacitor are significantly larger. However, in particular in the case of peak rectification of the signal this leads to an oversensitivity to brief high-frequency signal components. This means that in the case of such signal components the control system reduces the audio signal considerably and subsequently increases this signal too slowly, which sounds annoying. This "flutter" effect results in a very unsteady sound impression. Generally, this becomes even worse when a noise-reduction circuit is used.
Further, DE-OS No. 23 01 281 describes an automatic gain control circuit by means of which it is attempted to overcome this problem by the use of two control inputs with different response times and different recovery times. For example, in the case of signal components or noise of short duration the recovery time should be small. However, this leads to the above-mentioned fluttering and unsteady sound impression, in particular if the control circuit is so arranged in a recording amplifier that it receives the pre-emphasized audio signal. However, if it is so arranged in the recording amplifier branch that it receives the signal without pre-emphasis, this results in the treble tones being distorted because the control circuit processes these tones in the same way as the mid-range tones and the bass-tones. No allowance is then made for the fact that the treble tones are pre-emphasized after the gain control. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The fabrication of silicon-based photovoltaic solar cells from thin silicon wafers, typically 140-180 micrometers thick, requires multiple processing steps, including a 2-stage diffusion process to create a semi-conducting “p-n”, junction diode layer, followed by screen-printing “solder paste” coatings on the wafer front and back sides which are fired into the p-n junction or back contact layer, where they act as ohmic collectors and grounds, respectively.
The diffusion process includes coating the wafer with a phosphoric or/and boric acid composition, followed by firing in a diffusion furnace to create a P-doped p/n junction photovoltaic layer on the front side, or/and a B-doped contact layer on the back side. After diffusion and various cleaning steps, the wafers are coated with an Anti-Reflective Coating (ARC), typically silicon nitride (SiN3) which renders the wafers deep blue or brown, depending on the ARC coating used.
To form a back contact ground layer, the wafer back surface is coated with an Al-based paste. The wafer top surface is screen printed with a fine network of Ag-based paste lines connected to larger buss conductors to “collect” the electrons generated. After these pastes have been dried, they are “co-fired” at high temperature in an IR lamp-heated conveyor-type metallization furnace.
Currently available IR conveyor furnaces for such processing steps are single line, that is a single conveyor belt or roller system that conveys the wafers through the processing step, single file. All wafers are processed according to the same processing schedule and dwell time in each processing zone. To double production requires buying and installing a second line of a multiplicity of modules arranged end-to-end. Each module has its own drive, its own transport system, its own framework including sides top and bottom, and requires the same factory floor-space foot print. To double production requires double the factory real estate and double the capital equipment for the processing machinery and the operating personnel.
For example, in the case of diffusion firing processes, the furnaces have a long heating chamber in which a plurality of IR lamps are substantially evenly spaced apart (typically 1.5″ apart) both above and below the wafer transport system (wire mesh belt or ceramic roller conveyor). The heating zone is insulated from the outside environment with various forms of insulation, compressed insulating fiber board being the most common. The infra-red (IR) lamps increase the temperature of the incoming silicon wafers to approximately 700° C. to 950° C. This temperature is held for the 30-minute duration of the diffusion process, after which the wafers are cooled and transferred to the next downstream process operation and equipment.
Currently available conveyor-type liquid dopers (as distinct from the muffle tube and carrier-type POCl3 gas dopers) employ solid or elastomeric band conveyors on which the wafers travel. The wafers are adhered to a peel-off disposable paper backing to protect the wafer back side against doping chemical exposure. These are non-conductive conveyor systems, which involve the extra step of wafer handling to remove the paper backing.
Currently available diffusion furnaces typically employ one of two types of wafer transport systems: 1) a plurality of static (not-longitudinally moving), solid ceramic, rotating rollers; or 2) active (longitudinally moving) wire mesh belts, to convey the wafers through the furnace firing zone. Static, ceramic rotating-roller furnaces currently are preferred in order to minimize or prevent metallic contamination of the back surface of the wafers.
A typical conventional diffusion furnace is on the order of 400″ long, having 160, 36″-wide IR lamps placed above the rollers, with from 100-160 placed below. The total mass of the conveyor rollers is on the order of 800 lbs, and is classified as a high-mass conveyor system.
As the demand for solar cells increases, the rates of production must increase, either by process improvements or adding furnaces into service. With respect to adding furnaces, conventional furnaces have a large footprint. Thus, adding furnaces requires increased capital outlay, for buildings, the furnaces themselves, and related service facilities.
In the case of wire mesh belts used in the metallization furnaces, the mesh belts must be supported beneath the belts to prevent sagging. Long-standing practice in the industry is to provide supports comprising pairs of opaque, white quartz tubes, typically on the order of 2-3 cm in diameter, placed with their long axes parallel-to or slightly canted to the direction of travel of the belt, e.g. in a staggered converging or diverging (herringbone) pattern. The quartz tubes are smooth, and provide line contact surfaces on which the underside of the belt slides as it conveys the printed wafers through the metallization furnace processing zones. To minimize shadowing by the tubes, the practice has long been to angle the tubes, either converging or diverging along the line of travel so that the same portion of the wafer was not shadowed the entire duration of travel through the furnace. The shadow effect is reduced by this long-used trick of angling the support tubes, but not eliminated, because now the entire wafer is in shadow at least some of the duration of transport through the furnace. In effect, the shadow lines are there, less pronounced and more diffuse, but broader.
In addition, the contact of the back side of the wafer with the many wires of the conveyor belt contributes to abrasion and contamination of the back contact layer paste during the metallization firing process. In an attempt to minimize this problem, current conveyor belts employ “pips”, which raise the wafer a few millimeters above the belt. The pips are made by bending a plurality of loops of the wire mesh belt upward of the top plane of the belt. However, the wafer bottom still rests directly on the pips, on the order of 10-20 per wafer, and they still move laterally and forward or back on the order of a millimeter in each direction during the transport of the wafers through the processing zones. This results in reduced throughput, due to discarding pip-damaged and contaminated wafers
Thus, the need for faster production and greater throughput, while curbing facility capital outlay, is not met by the current state of the art quartz tube-supported metal belts having wafer support pips. In order to compensate, conveyor-type dopers and furnaces have been made laterally wider, so that multiple lines of wafers can be processed in each process zone. In the case of furnaces, this in turn requires longer, more expensive lamps which typically experience a substantially shorter mean time to failure, thus significantly increasing operating costs.
Since there are dimensional and IR lamp cost constraints, increasing lamp density in the furnace is not generally a feasible solution. Likewise, increasing the power to the lamps is not currently feasible because higher output can result in overheating of the lamp elements, as a result of the thermal mass of the furnace, principally in the high mass solid ceramic roller conveyor system. Overheating particularly affects the external quartz tubes of the lamps. Most furnaces are thermocouple controlled. Since the IR lamps are placed side by side, on the order of 1.25″ apart, each lamp heats lamps adjacent to it. When the thermocouples detect temperatures approaching the selected diffusion or sintering temperature set point in the 700-950° C. range, they automatically cut back power to the lamps by an amount that depends on the thermal mass of the transport system (rollers or metal mesh belts and quartz tube supports). This lower power density is accompanied by substantial changes in the spectral output of the IR lamp emissions (hence a lower light flux and energy output). In turn, this reduced light flux results in the need to slow down the conveyor belt speed or lengthen the furnace (while maintaining the original belt speed), thus slowing processing. Overheating of lamps, e.g., due to thermocouple delay or failure, can cause the lamps to deform, sag and eventually fail. Lamp deformation also affects uniformity of IR output delivered to the wafers.
Accordingly, there is an unmet need in the wafer processing art to increase production at costs that are less than the unit cost of duplication of process lines. In addition, in the diffusion to and metallization furnace and firing process art there is an unmet need to significantly improve net effective use of firing zone(s) by reduction in wafer pip damage and contamination, permit-ting improved utilization of firing energy, improving the speed and uniformity of the firing process, reducing furnace size while retaining or improving throughput, and accomplishing these goals on a reduced furnace footprint, and lower energy, operating and maintenance costs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This specification relates to generating phoneme representations of acoustic sequences.
Acoustic modeling systems receive an acoustic sequence and generate a phoneme representation of the acoustic sequence. The acoustic sequence for a given utterance includes, for each of a set of time steps, an acoustic feature representation that characterizes the utterance at the corresponding time step. The phoneme representation is a sequence of phonemes or phoneme subdivisions that the acoustic modeling system has classified as representing the received acoustic sequence. An acoustic modeling system can be used in, for example, a speech recognition system, e.g., in conjunction with a pronunciation modeling system and a language modeling system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.