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This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-159163, filed Mar. 31, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a method of forming a composite member, in which a conductive portion is formed in an insulator, the composite member being used in, for example, a wiring board in the fields of electric appliances, electronic appliances and electric and electronic communication. The present invention also relates to a photosensitive composition and an insulating material that can be suitably used in the manufacturing method of the composite member. Further, the present invention relates to a composite member manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention and to a multi-layer wiring board and an electronic package including the particular composite member.
In recent years, increase in the degree of integration and miniaturization of various electric and electronic parts including a semiconductor device are being promoted. The particular tendency will be further promoted in the future without fail. In this connection, various measures are being proposed and tried in an attempt to apply a high density mounting to a printed circuit board including formation of a fine pattern and a fine pitch of a metal wiring and formation of a steric wiring.
Particularly, the steric wiring is indispensable to a high density mounting and, thus, various methods are being proposed in an attempt to manufacture a wiring board having a steric wiring. In general, the steric wirings are of a multi-layered structure such as a built-up wiring board prepared by laminating two dimensional printed wiring boards and a multi-layered wiring board. It is difficult to form a steric wiring having a free three dimensional shape. The built-up wiring board or the multi-layered wiring board has a structure that adjacent wiring layers are connected to each other by a conductive column called via. The via is formed by processing an insulating layer by a photolithography process using a photosensitive polyimide or resist, followed by selectively applying a plating to the via or by filling the via with a conductive paste. For forming a via by such a method, it is necessary to repeat a plurality of times the steps of resist coating, light exposure and etching, making the via formation highly laborious. In addition, it is difficult to improve the yield.
It is also possible to form the via by forming a through-hole (via hole) of a predetermined size in an insulating substrate constituting a printed wiring board by using a drill or a CO2 laser, followed by applying plating to the via hole or by filling the via hole with a conductive paste. In these methods, however, it is difficult to form freely a fine via having a size of scores of microns or less at a desired position.
In the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 7-207450, a compound having a hydrophilic group is introduced into pores of three dimensional porous film such as a PTFE film. Under this condition, the film is subjected to a light exposure in a predetermined pattern by using a low pressure mercury lamp (wave lengths of 185 nm and 254 nm), thereby forming the hydrophilic group on the three dimensional porous film. Further, a metal plating is applied to the three dimensional porous film.
In the conventional method described above, however, the material forming the three dimensional porous film is deteriorated because a light beam having a short wavelength is used for the light exposure. Also, the light for the light exposure is absorbed by the three dimensional porous film and, thus, fails to reach the inner region of the porous body, resulting in failure to form fine vias.
Further, in the conventional method described above, the PTFE forming the three dimensional porous film reacts with the light for the light exposure so as to selectively form hydrophilic groups. However, PTFE is defective in that the molding workability is low and that PTFE is costly.
Another method of forming a via is disclosed in Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 11-24977. In this method, the entire surface of a porous insulating member is impregnated with a photosensitive composition containing, for example, a photosensitive reducing agent and a metal salt. Then, a light exposure is applied in a predetermined pattern to the impregnated insulating member so as to reduce the cation of the metal salt in the light exposed portion to a metal nucleus, followed by removing by washing the photosensitive composition in the non-light exposed portion. Further, an electroless plating or a soldering is applied to the residual metal nuclei so as to form vias of a predetermined pattern.
In the method described above, however, the entire surface of the porous insulating member is impregnated with a photosensitive composition containing a metal salt as described above, making it difficult to remove completely the metal salt adsorbed on the portion corresponding to the non-exposed portion after the light exposure step. As a result, a difficulty is brought about that the metal nuclei are precipitated on undesired portions in the subsequent reducing step. Such an abnormal deposition of the metal nuclei gives rise to a problem in terms of the insulating properties between adjacent vias and between adjacent wiring layers with progress in the fine pulverization of the pattern.
Also, in the via formed in the insulating substrate by the conventional method of manufacturing a wiring board, the insulating body and the conductive portion are brought into a direct contact. In this case, since the adhesion between the insulating body and the conductive portion is poor, a problem is generated that the conductive portion is peeled off the insulating substrate during the use.
Further, where a multi-layered wiring board is prepared by laminating a plurality of wiring boards manufactured by the conventional method of manufacturing a wiring board, it is required to further improve the electrical connection between the wiring layers of the wiring boards and the conductivity of the wiring.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a composite member, which has a high degree of freedom in the design of a conductive circuit, in which deterioration of the insulating body is not brought about by the light exposure, and which is free from an abnormal deposition of a metal on the insulating body so as to form a conductive portion having a fine pattern.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a composite member, which has a high degree of freedom in the design of a conductive circuit, which permits manufacturing a composite member at a low manufacturing cost without giving adverse effects to the selectivity of the material of the insulating portion and to the molding workability, and which is free from an abnormal deposition of a metal on the insulating body so as to form a conductive portion having a fine pattern.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive composition and an insulating material used for the manufacturing method of a composite member described above.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a composite member manufactured by the method described above.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-layered wiring board comprising a composite member manufactured by the method described above.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic package using a composite member or a multi-layered wiring board manufactured by the method described above.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a composite member in which a conductive portion is selectively formed in an insulating body, comprising:
(1) forming a photosensitive composition layer within or on the surface of said insulating body, said photosensitive composition containing a compound forming an ion-exchange group upon irradiation with light having a wavelength not shorter than 280 nm;
(2) exposing selectively the photosensitive composition layer to light having a wavelength not shorter than 280 nm so as to form ion-exchange groups in the light exposed portion; and
(3) forming the conductive portion by bonding a metal ion or metal to the ion-exchange group formed in the light exposed portion by the exposing.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a composite member in which a conductive portion is selectively formed in an insulating body, comprising:
(1) forming a photosensitive composition layer within or on the surface of said insulating body, said photosensitive composition containing a compound having an ion-exchange group;
(2) exposing selectively the photosensitive composition layer to light having a wavelength not shorter than 280 nm so as to cause ion-exchange groups in the light exposed portion to disappear and to cause the ion-exchange groups to remain in the unexposed portion; and
(3) forming the conductive portion by bonding a metal ion or metal to be bonded to the ion-exchange group remaining in the unexposed portion after the exposing.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a composite member in which a conductive portion is selectively formed in an insulating body, comprising:
(1) forming a photosensitive composition layer within or on the surface of said insulating body, said photosensitive composition containing a compound forming an ion-exchange group upon irradiation with light, and said compound being selected from the group consisting of an onium salt derivative, a sulfonium ester derivative, a carboxylic acid derivative and a naphthoquinone diazide derivative;
(2) exposing selectively the photosensitive composition layer to light so as to form ion-exchange groups in the light exposed portion; and
(3) forming the conductive portion by bonding a metal ion or metal to the ion-exchange group formed in the light exposed portion by the exposing.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a composite member in which a conductive portion is selectively formed in an insulating body, comprising:
(1) forming a photosensitive composition layer within or on the surface of said insulating body, said photosensitive composition containing a compound having an ion-exchange group;
(2) exposing selectively the photosensitive composition layer to light so as to cause ion-exchange groups in the light exposed portion to disappear and to cause the ion-exchange groups to remain in the unexposed portion; and
(3) forming the conductive portion by bonding a metal ion or metal to the ion-exchange group remaining in the unexposed portion after the light exposure in a pattern.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a composite member in which a conductive portion is selectively formed in an insulating body, comprising:
(1) forming a photosensitive composition layer within or on the surface of said insulating body, said photosensitive composition containing a compound forming an ion-exchange group in the presence of acid and a photo acid generating agent;
(2) exposing selectively to light and heating the photosensitive composition layer so as to form ion-exchange group in the light exposed portion; and
(3) forming the conductive portion by bonding a metal ion or metal to the ion-exchange group formed in the light exposed portion by the exposing.
It is desirable for the method of the present invention to further comprise the step of applying an electroless plating to the surface of the conductive portion formed in the third step.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a photosensitive composition used for manufacturing a composite member, the composition containing a naphthoquinone diazide derivative and a polycarbodiimide derivative.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a porous insulating body having the inner surface of the pore covered with a photosensitive composition containing a naphthoquinone diazide derivative.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a composite member having a conductive portion formed on at least one of the surface and the inner region of a porous insulating body via an organic compound, wherein the amount of the organic compound, which is present between the insulating body and the conductive portion, per unit area of the surface of the insulating body is larger than the amount of the organic compound that is not in contact with the conductive portion.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a multi-layered wiring board including a plurality of substrates that are laminated one upon the other, wherein the substrate comprises a porous insulating body having fine pores and a conductive portion formed on at least one of the surface and the inner region of the fine pore of the porous insulating body, and a layer formed of a conductive body that does not contain the component of the insulating body is formed on the outermost surface of the conductive portion of each substrate.
Further, according to still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electronic package comprising a wiring board consisting of the composite body described above or a multi-layered wiring board described above and an electronic part electrically connected to the wiring board.
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The present invention relates generally to improved means and methods for processing documents using electronic imaging, and more particularly, to the use of electronic imaging for processing financial documents, such as checks and related documents in a banking environment.
Today's financial services industry is facing the immense challenge of processing huge amounts of documents efficiently. Predictions that document payment methods would decline have not been realized. In fact, document payment methods have grown worldwide and are expected to continue increasing. There is thus a vital need to devise improved means and methods for processing such documents.
The use of imaging technology as an aid to document processing has been recognized as one way of significantly improving document processing, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,205,780, 4,264,808, and 4,672,186. Generally, imaging involves optically scanning documents to produce electronic images that are processed electronically and stored on high capacity storage media (such as magnetic disc drives and/or optical memory) for later retrieval and display. It is apparent that document imaging provides the opportunity to reduce document handling and movement, since these electronic images can be used in place of the actual documents.
However, despite technological advances in imaging in recent years, prior art document processing systems employing imaging, such as disclosed in the aforementioned patents, do not realized sufficient improvements to justify the added implementations costs.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor drive apparatus which is, for example, used for driving an X-Y table of a monolithic wire bonder or a die bonder serving as one of IC manufacturing apparatus, and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a method of accurately stopping a motor at a target position, as disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 55-77384/1980. In this prior art, after the motor passes through the target position, an error extreme point is obtained in order to determine a current value to be supplied to the motor to correct the error. Then, a rectangular current is supplied to the motor so as to eliminate the error and stop the motor at the target position.
Hereinafter, a background technology of the present invention will be explained. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing one example of a motor drive apparatus controlling a typical three-phase synchronous motor. FIG. 11 is a detailed view showing a motor 1 of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a view showing inductive voltages of the motor 1 of FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a view showing output signals from an encoder 2 shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 14 is a view showing an operation of a pulse converter 3 shown in FIG. 10. And, FIG. 15 is a detailed view showing a magnetic pole detector 4 of FIG. 10.
In FIG. 10, a reference numeral 1 represents a three-phase synchronous motor equipped with 9 slots and 6 poles. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, this three-phase synchronous motor comprises a stator 5 and a rotor 6. The stator 5 is associated with three coils of U-phase 7, V-phase 8, and W-phase 9 windings. This motor 1 has nine slots 10 disposed on an inside surface of the stator 5 which are spaced at intervals of 40 degrees. These nine slots 10 are wound by the coil windings in the order of U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase repetitively so as to form a star connection. On the other hand, the rotor 6 has six permanent magnet poles 11 disposed on the outer circumferential surface thereof.
An operational principle of the motor 1 will be explained below. The rotor 8 causes a magnetic field corresponding to its rotational position, which interacts with three, U-phase 7, V-phase 8, and W-phase 9, windings on the stator 5. Therefore, these three windings 7, 8, and 9 generate voltages due to Lorentz's force. Namely, three, U-phase 12, V-phase 13, and W-phase 14, inductive voltages of sine waveform are generated at intervals of 120 degrees as shown in FIG. 12 because a magnetic field to each winding is cyclically increased and decreased in response to spatial positioning of the permanent magnet 11 which cyclically approaches to and departs from each winding during one complete revolution of the rotor 6.
If sine-wave currents being in-phase with these inductive voltages of FIG. 12 are supplied to the U-phase 7, V-phase 8, and W-phase 9 windings, respectively, the rotor 6 generates a torque in a clockwise (abbreviated as CW) direction due to Fleming's left-hand rule. The magnitude of the torque generated is proportional to an amplitude of the current supplied. Moreover, if the above currents are further multiplied with -1 and delayed 180 degrees in phase before being supplied to respective windings, the rotor 6 generates a torque in a counterclockwise (abbreviated as CCW) direction.
In FIG. 10, a reference numeral 2 represents an optical encoder having three channels and installed on a rotor shaft of the motor 1. When the motor i rotates in the clockwise (CW) direction, the encoder 2 generates an A-phase signal 15 and a B-phase signal 18 having a mutual phase difference of 90 degrees therebetween as shown in FIG. 12, together with a Z-phase pulse signal 17 corresponding to one of zero-crossing 20 points of the U-phase inductive voltage 12. If the motor 1 rotates in the counterclockwise (CCW) direction, the phase relationship between the A-phase signal 15 and B-phase signal 16 are reversed. Therefore, the rotational direction of the motor 1 is easily judged by checking the phase relationship between the A-phase signal 15 and the B-phase signal 18.
A reference numeral 3 represents a pulse converter connected to the encoder 2. This pulse converter 3 converts the A-phase and B-phase signals 15 and 18 into a CW pulse signal 18 as shown in FIG. 14 when the motor 1 rotates in the clockwise direction. On the contrary, this pulse converter 3 converts the A-phase and B-phase signals 15 and 16 into a CCW pulse signal 19 as shown in FIG. 14 when the motor 1 rotates in the counterclockwise direction. A reference numeral 4 represents a magnetic pole detector comprising a counter 20, a U-phase current phase command table 21, and a W-phase current phase command table 22. As shown in FIG. 15, the counter 20 receives the signals fed from the pulse converter 3 so as to effect its count-up and count-down operations in response to the CW pulse 18 and the CCW pulse 19, respectively. Furthermore, the counter 20 is connected to the encoder 2 so as to effect its clear operation in response to the Z-phase signal 17. The U-phase current phase command table 21 memorizes the phase of the U-phase inductive voltage 12 with respect to the Z-phase signal 17 of the encoder 2. The W-phase current phase command table 22 memorizes the phase of the W-phase inductive voltage 14 with respect to the Z-phase signal 17.
An operation of the magnetic pole detector 4 will be explained below. The counter 20 is cleared at the zero-cross point of the U-phase inductive voltage 12 in response to the Z-phase signal 17 fed from the encoder 2. When the motor 1 rotates, a rotational displacement or shift amount from the above zero-cross point of the U-phase inductive voltage 12 is counted by the counter 20. The counted value becomes a pointer 23 of the U-phase current phase command table 21 for outputting a phase value of the U-phase inductive voltage 12 corresponding to the present rotational position of the motor 1. In the same manner, the counted value of the counter 20 becomes a pointer 23 of the W-phase current phase command table 22 for outputting a phase value of the W-phase inductive voltage 14 corresponding to the present rotational position of the motor 1.
The magnetic pole detector 4 is connected to two multipliers 24U, 24W so that the phase values of the U-phase and W-phase inductive voltages 12 and 14 can be multiplied with an output of a speed control calculator 25. The speed control calculator 25 outputs a torque command value, i.e. a current amplitude command value. The multipliers 24U, 24W, therefore, multiply the current amplitude command value with the U-phase and W-phase current phase command values. The resultant two outputs from respective multipliers 24U, 24W are, then, fed to two D/A converters 28U, 28W so as to generate U-phase and W-phase current commands, respectively. These U-phase and W-phase current commands are, subsequently, fed to current amplifiers 27U, 27W in which drive currents to be supplied to the U-phase winding 7 and the W-phase winding 9 are generated in response to the U-phase and W-phase current commands, respectively.
The U-phase winding 7, the V-phase winding 8, and the W-phase winding 9 are connected with each other so as to constitute a star connection; therefore, the sum of currents flowing through these three-phase windings 7, 8, and 9 becomes 0. A current command for the V-phase winding 8 is, accordingly, identical with -(U-phase current command +W-phase current command). A subtracter 28 is therefore provided to obtain a V-phase current command equal to -(U-phase current command +W-phase current command). Thus obtained V-phase current command is, thereafter, fed to another current amplifier 27V in which a drive current to be supplied to the V-phase winding 8 is generated in response to the V-phase current command.
A reference numeral 29 represents a speed detector connected to the pulse converter 3. This speed detector 29 detects the speed of the motor 1 by counting the number of pulses generated during a time measured by a timer 38 when the motor 1 rotates at a high speed and measuring an interval between successive pulses generated when the motor 1 rotates at a low speed. Reference numerals 31 and 32 represent a positive-direction position command pulse and a negative-direction position command pulse, respectively, fed from an external device. Reference numerals 33 and 34 represent subtracters.
A reference numeral 35 represents a positional deviation reading sampler which is open-or-close controlled at predetermined intervals in response to an output signal from a timer 37. A reference numeral 38 represents a speed deviation reading sampler which is open-or-close controlled at predetermined intervals in response to an output signal from the timer 38. If these samplers 35 and 38 are closed, the speed control calculator 25, the magnetic pole detector 4, the multipliers 24U, 24W, and the D/A converters 28U, 28W are activated to renew the current commands to be supplied to the current amplifiers 27U, 27W.
The subtracter 34, constituted by an up-down counter, is counted up in response to the positive-direction position command pulse S1 and is counted down in response to the negative-direction position command pulse 32. The subtracter 34 is further counted down in response to the CW pulse 18 fed from the pulse converter S and is counted up in response to the CCW pulse 19. The subtracter 34 calculates a positional deviation through these count-up and count-down operations.
A reference numeral 39 represents a position control calculator which amplifies the positional deviation obtained. The speed control calculator 25 amplifies a value supplied from the speed deviation reading sampler 38 to obtain a torque command, i.e. a current amplitude command.
An operation of the above-described motor drive apparatus will be explained below.
First of all, the subtracter 34, constituted by an up-down counter, is counted up in response to the positive-direction position command pulse 31 and counted down in response to the negative-direction position command pulse 32, and is further counted down in response to the CW pulse 18 fed from the pulse converter 3 and counted up in response to the CCW pulse 19, in order to obtain the positional deviation. Furthermore, the position control calculator 39 inputs the positional deviation through the positional deviation reading sampler 35 being open-or-close controlled by the timer 37. The position control calculator 39 amplitudes this positional deviation and outputs a speed command so as to reduce the positional deviation.
Next, the subtracter 33 subtracts this speed command by a feedback speed obtained from the speed detector 29 to generate a speed deviation. The speed control calculator 25 inputs the speed deviation through the speed deviation reading sampler 36 being-open-or-close controlled by the timer 38. The speed control calculator 25 amplitudes this speed deviation and generates a torque command, i.e. a current amplitude command.
On the other hand, when the motor 1 rotates in the clockwise (CW) direction, the encoder 2 generates the A-phase signal 15 and the B-phase signal 16 having a mutual phase difference of 90 degrees therebetween as shown in FIG. 12, together with the Z-phase pulse signal 17 corresponding to one of zero-crossing points of the U-phase inductive voltage 12. This A-phase signal 15 and B-phase signal 16 are, then, inputted into the pulse converter 3. These A-phase signal 15 and B-phase signal 16 are converted into the CW pulse 18 when the motor 1 rotates in the clockwise (CW) direction, and are converted into the CCW pulse 19 when the motor 1 rotates in the counterclockwise (CCW) direction.
Next, the CW pulse signal 18 and the CCW pulse signal 19 outputted from the pulse converter 3, and the Z-phase signal 17 outputted from the encoder 2 are supplied to the magnetic pole detector 4. The counter 20 shown in FIG. 15 is counted up by the CW pulse signal 18 and counted down by the CCW pulse signal 19. Furthermore, the counter 20 is cleared by the Z-phase signal 17 fed from the encoder 2 to be 0. Namely, an arrival of the designated zero-cross point of the U-phase inductive voltage 12 is known by checking the Z-phase signal 17. And, a displacement or shift amount of the motor 1 from the designated zero-cross point of the U-phase inductive voltage 12 is known from the count value of the counter 20. The count value of the counter 20 becomes the pointer 23 of the U-phase current phase command table 21 for outputting the phase value of the U-phase inductive voltage 12 corresponding to the present rotational position of the motor 1. Moreover, the count value of the counter 20 becomes the pointer 23 of the W-phase current phase command table 22 for outputting the phase value of the W-phase inductive voltage 14 corresponding to the present rotational position of the motor 1.
In the multipliers 24U, 24W, the phase values of the U-phase and W-phase inductive voltages 12 and 14 are multiplied with the torque command outputted from the speed control calculator 25. Namely, the multipliers 24U, 24W multiply the current amplitude command value with the U-phase and W-phase current phase command values, respectively. The resultant two outputs from respective multipliers 24U, 24W are, then, fed to two D/A converters 26U, 26W so as to generate U-phase and W-phase current commands, respectively. These U-phase and W-phase current commands are, subsequently, fed to current amplifiers 27U, 27W in which the drive currents to be supplied to the U-phase winding 7 and the W-phase winding 9 are generated in response to the U-phase and W-phase current commands, respectively.
On the other hand, the subtracter 28 obtains the current command for the V-phase winding 8 by calculating the value identical with -(U-phase current command +W-phase current command). Thus obtained V-phase current command is, thereafter, fed to the current amplifier 27V in which the drive current to be supplied to the V-phase winding 8 is generated in response to the V-phase current command.
If the torque command is a positive value, the motor 1 generates a torque in the clockwise (CW) direction. On the contrary, if the torque command is a negative value, the motor 1 generates a torque in the counterclockwise (CCW) direction because the multipliers 24U and 24W generate U-phase and W-phase current commands having 180-degree phase difference with respect to respective U-phase and W-phase current phase commands. Thus, the speed deviation is decreased. In accordance with the reduction of the speed deviation, the positional deviation becomes small.
FIG. 9(A) shows a sampling interval of the speed deviation reading sampler 36 applied to both moving and stationary conditions of the motor 1. FIG. 9(B) shows a sampling interval of the positional deviation reading sampler 35 applied to both moving and stationary conditions of the motor 1.
When the motor 1 is in a moving condition, in order to stabilize the motor drive operation by the above-described motor drive apparatus, the speed control must be performed by using three times or more sampling with respect to the calculated speed command as shown in FIG. 9. The reason why three times or more sampling are required when the motor 1 is in a moving condition is as follows.
If the speed command sampling interval is identical with the control sampling interval in the speed control operation, the motor 1 will not be able to sufficiently follow up the speed command because, even if the speed of the motor 1 is controlled to coincide with the speed command value, the speed command value itself may vary at the next coming control sampling timing. Thus, the speed of the motor 1 cannot be stabilized. Especially, as the positional command varies widely when the motor 1 is in a moving condition, the speed command will correspondingly cause wide variation. Hence, three times or more sampling are required for allowing the motor 1 to follow up the speed command. For this reason, the speed of the timer 37 is set 1/3 or less compared with that of the timer 38.
In accordance with the above motor drive apparatus, the sampling interval of the positional deviation reading sampler 35 will be sufficiently extended or elongated so as to stabilize the motor speed control during the moving condition of the motor. However, when the motor 1 is in a stationary condition, the sampling interval of the positional deviation reading sampler 35 will be too long to accurately detect a small positional deviation if this small positional deviation varies at a period smaller than that of the positional deviation reading sampler 35. Consequently, there is a problem that the positioning control cannot be accurately and responsively performed when the motor is in a stationary condition.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to particularly an optical coherence tomography apparatus including an interference optical system which is used in the medical field, an optical coherence tomography method, an ophthalmic apparatus, a method of controlling the ophthalmic apparatus, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, various types of ophthalmic apparatuses using optical devices are used. Such apparatuses include, for example, an anterior ocular segment imaging apparatus, a fundus camera, and a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO). Among them all, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus (to be referred to as an “OCT apparatus” hereinafter) is an apparatus capable of obtaining a high-resolution tomogram of an object to be examined. This OCT apparatus has been becoming an indispensable apparatus for dedicated retinal outpatient clinics.
For example, the OCT apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-325849 uses low-coherent light as a light source. Light from the light source is split into measurement light and reference light through a splitting optical path such as a beam splitter. Measurement light is light to irradiate an object to be examined such as the eye through a measurement light path. Return light of this light is guided to a detection position through a detection light path. Note that return light is reflected light or scattered light containing information associated with an interface relative to the irradiation direction of light on the object. On the other hand, reference light is light to be guided to the detection position through a reference light path by being reflected by a reference mirror or the like. It is possible to obtain a tomogram of an object to be examined by causing interference between this return light and reference light, collectively acquiring wavelength spectra by using a spectrometer or the like, and performing Fourier transform of the acquired spectra. An OCT apparatus which collectively measures wavelength spectra is generally called a spectral domain OCT apparatus (SD-OCT apparatus).
In an SD-OCT apparatus, a measurement depth Lmax is represented, as an optical distance Lmax, by a pixel count N of the image sensor of a spectrometer and a spectrum width ΔK of the frequency detected by the spectrometer according to equation (1). Note that the spectrum width ΔK is represented by a maximum wavelength λmax and a minimum wavelength λmin. The pixel count N is often an even number, and is generally the factorial of 2, that is 1024 or 2048.
L max = ± N 4 Δ K Δ K = 1 λ min - 1 λ max } ( 1 )
If, for example, a central wavelength of 840 nm, a band of 50 nm, and a pixel count of 1024 are set, λmax=840+50/2=840+25=865 nm, λmin=840−50/2=840−25=815 nm, and N=1024. In this case, optical distance Lmax=3.6 mm. That is, it is possible to perform measurement up to about 3.6 mm on the plus side relative to the coherence gate. The coherence gate is the point at which a reference light path coincides with an optical distance in a measurement light path. When a desired region (a distance in the depth direction) is sufficiently smaller than 3.6 mm (for example, 1 mm or less), the measurement depth can be reduced by decreasing the pixel count of the spectrometer. Decreasing the pixel count is important in order to speed up processing and reduce the data amount. This is because, when measuring a three-dimensional image of the retina, it takes much measurement time and produces a large amount of data. When an object to be examined is a moving object like the eye, in particular, it is required to further shorten the measurement time.
On the other hand, changing the pixel count of a spectrometer is equivalent to changing the resolution of the spectrometer. A problem in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a graph obtained by plotting, for each spectrometer resolution, the light intensity measurement results obtained when the position of the coherence gate is moved while a mirror is located at the position of an object to be examined. The ordinate corresponds to the light intensity, and the abscissa to the distance. With an increase in distance from the coherence gate, light intensity attenuation called Roll-Off occurs. The degree of attenuation of a light intensity Int mainly depends on the resolution of a spectrometer and the pixel count of an image sensor. Letting x be a distance variable and a be a coefficient proportional to the resolution of the spectrometer, the degree of attenuation is proportional to a sinc function given by
Int ∝ sin 2 π x α π x ( 2 )
As is obvious from FIG. 1, as a value indicating a resolution increases (from 0.1 nm to 0.2 nm, 0.5 nm, and 1.0 nm), the cycle in which plotted points approach zero is shortened. As described above, images formed from spectrum data from spectrometers having different resolutions differ in light intensity in the depth direction. Differences in light intensity are differences in image contrast. This makes images in the same region look different. That is, with spectrometers having different resolutions, obtained images look different.
In consideration of the above problems, the present invention provides a technique of correcting the contrast differences between images which are caused when wavelength resolutions differ (spectrometers differ in resolution in the case of an SD-OCT) in an FD-OCT apparatus such as an SD-OCT apparatus.
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This invention relates to a metal-cutting milling tool.
Such tools are known that comprise a body rotatable around a central geometric axis, which body has a peripheral envelope surface extending between opposite end surfaces. In the envelope surface, recesses are provided which open outwards, each recess defined by a front wall, a rear wall and a bottom wall and has the purpose of receiving a machining element (e.g., a cassette which carries a cutting insert) as well as at least one clamping wedge arranged in the recess for fixing the machining element in place. The clamping wedge can be tightened by means of a clamping screw which enters a threaded hole formed in the bottom wall of the recess. The rear wall of the recess has first serrations arranged to co-operate with second serrations disposed on a rear side of the machining element, while the front wall is smooth in order to cooperate with a similar smooth front surface on the clamping wedge. A contact surface on the clamping wedge and a front contact surface on the machining element are both smooth in order to allow a substantially radial displacement of the clamping wedge in relation to the machining element during the clamping thereof.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi-chamber process equipments for fabricating semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the advance in device miniaturization and IC complexity is increasing the need for more accurate and more complicated processes, and wafers of larger diameters. Accordingly, much attention is focused on multi-chamber process equipments (or systems) in view of increase of complex precesses, and enhancement of throughput in an individual wafer processing system.
FIG. 14 shows one conventional example. A multi-chamber process equipment of this example includes a wafer transfer chamber 1, a plurality of process chambers 3 connected with the transfer chamber 1 through respective gate valves 2, a load lock chamber (preliminary evacuation chamber) 5 connected with the transfer chamber 1 through a gate valve 4, and a wafer load chamber 7 connected with the load lock chamber 5 through a gate valve 6.
In the wafer transfer chamber 1 and the load lock chamber 5, there are provided wafer transfer arms 9 and 10 for carrying a wafer 8, as shown in FIG. 14. The transfer arm 10 is designed to take each wafer 8 from wafer cassettes 11, 11 placed in the wafer load chamber 7, through the gate valve 6, and bring the wafer into the wafer transfer chamber 1. The transfer arm 9 is arranged to receive the wafer 8 from the arm 10, and insert the wafer through one of the gate valves 2 into a predetermined one of the process chambers. The wafer 8 is shifted from one process chamber to another by the transfer arm 10 according to the sequence of processes.
Another conventional example is shown in "NIKKEI MICRODEVICES", May, 1990, page 47. A multi-chamber process equipment of this example includes a wafer transfer chamber, a plurality of parallel PVD or other process chambers connected with the transfer chamber, a cooling chamber, a preclean chamber, a buffer chamber, and RTP/etching/CVD chamber (or chambers), a load lock chamber, and other chambers. The pressure of each chamber is held at a predetermined degree of vacuum (base pressure) according to the object of the chamber. For example, the wafer transfer chamber is held at 10.sup.-8 Torr (1.3.times.10.sup.-6 Pa), the PVD chamber is held at 10.sup.-9 Torr (1.3.times.10.sup.-7 Pa), and the load lock chamber is held at 10.sup.-5 Torr (1.3.times.10.sup.-3 Pa).
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication (TOKKAI) No. 61-55926 shows still another conventional example.
In these equipments, the pressures of the different chambers are determined so as to ensure the clean wafer processing environment. In general, the pressures are made closer to the atmospheric pressure in the following order; (Process chamber)<(Wafer transfer chamber)<(Load lock chamber).
In the conventional process equipments, however, a wafer is readily affected by dew condensation especially in a low temperature etching chamber which is cooled to -20.degree. C..about.-70.degree. C. if the chamber is not evacuated sufficiently before loading of the wafer. Therefore, it is required to reduce the pressure in the chamber below a base pressure of the chamber (10.sup.-6 Torr, for example). Moreover, the degree of vacuum of the wafer transfer chamber is lower (that is, the pressure is higher) than that of the process chamber. Therefore, when the process chamber is opened, there arises a flow of residual water content from the wafer transfer chamber to the process chamber, resulting in the dew condensation. The conventional equipments cannot prevent condensation satisfactorily even if the pressure of the process chamber is decreased sufficiently below the base pressure.
On the other hand, cross contamination is caused by a flow of residual gases from a process chamber for heat treatment or photo-assisted CVD, to the wafer transfer chamber if the degree of vacuum in the wafer transfer chamber is too high.
Furthermore, the conventional equipments cannot sufficiently reduce variations of wafer properties such as sheet resistance from wafer to wafer, especially when the wafers are processed in a high temperature silicide CVD chamber. It is possible to reduce the variations of the sheet resistance by decreasing the pressure in the load lock chamber below the above-mentioned level. However, the pumping operation must be continued for three hours or more.
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(a) Field
Embodiments of the present system and method relate to a stereoscopic image display device, and more particularly, to a stereoscopic image display device with an enhanced display quality.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, a display device that can display a three-dimensional (3D) image expresses a 3D effect of objects by using binocular parallax. That is, different 2D images are displayed to the left eye and the right eye of a user viewing the display. When the image displayed to the left eye (hereafter referred to as “left-eye image”) and the image displayed to the right eye (hereafter referred to as “right-eye image”) are processed by the user's brain, the brain recognizes the combination of the left-eye image and the right-eye image as a three-dimensional image having depth perception.
A display device capable of displaying 3D images using binocular parallax is generally referred to as a stereoscopic 3D image display device. Some stereoscopic 3D image display devices may require the user to wear special headgear or eye glasses (e.g., shutter glasses and polarized glasses). Other stereoscopic 3D image display devices, referred to as autostereoscopic 3D image display devices, however, do not require the user to wear special head gear or eye glasses. An autostereoscopic 3D image display device generally includes an optical system (e.g., a lenticular lens and a parallax barrier having a plurality of openings) in the display device itself that divides a 3D image into several viewpoints so as to realize a 3D image.
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The present invention relates generally to digital copy protection, digital rights management, and conditional access, and more particularly but not exclusively to enabling transferable entitlements using Entitlement Management Messages (EMMs) for providing content to different network devices.
Today a consumer can readily purchase an entitlement to content such as a ticket to the opera, a sports event, movie, or the like. Often, the purchased ticket can be redeemed at some later stage and location. Similarly a consumer may purchase an airline ticket and redeem it for an airplane flight. However, there is a difference of transferability between these two ticket transactions. For various reasons, of both pricing and security, airline tickets represent non-transferable entitlements, where only the named recipient of the entitlement may redeem it, whereas movie tickets, or the like, are typically transferable.
Transferability is an attribute of the entitlement granted by an original owner to the recipient. It means that the recipient may be free to resell or transfer title to the entitlement prior to its redemption. It also typically means that the owner or its distributors agree to honor the redemption of the entitlement from whoever presents the entitlement. Thus, in some situations, a transferable entitlement may become an object of trade.
However, in today's realm of content, such as in the Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) domain, or the like, entitlements do not readily support transferability. If a recipient were to purchase an entitlement on one set top box (STB) there presently is no mechanism to enable the transfer of that entitlement to another set top box or other network device for redemption. Transfer of entitlements between devices on the same or different networks may open a wealth of opportunity for consumers and for content providers.
Moreover, IPTV, and the like, may be currently served in discrete networks—so-called ‘walled-garden’ networks. These networks typically ensure a level of quality of service and security. However the walls often impose a barrier to a market of consumers inside the wall. The broader commercial motivation of this invention therefore includes allowing third-party content providers outside the walls to gain access to this market. Thus, it is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made
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This invention relates to a method for applying normally dry relatively large particle size (granular) fertilizers to crops, such as lawns. Lawn fertilizers are available in various forms including solutions of nutrients in water, dispersions (suspensions) of fine powders (70-80 mesh and smaller) in an aqueous medium, dry powders and dry granules. In some cases, the nutrient materials are supported on an inert carrier, e.g. sand or clay.
Both liquid fertilizers and dispersions of fine powders in aqueous mediums are usually spray applied using conventional types of liquid solution fertilizer spraying equipment. A typical example of a spray applied dispersion of a powdered fertilizer material is illustrated by the U.S. Pat. No. to Funk 4,036,627. This patent discloses a high analysis fertilizer formulaton of low bulk density powdered ureaformaldehyde having soluble and insoluble portions combined with soluble monopotassium phosphate in which the resultant mixture is a dry homogeneous blend, free of fillers and binding agents, and which may be carried in a liquid medium for application to surface or subsurface areas by conventional liquid solution fertilizer applying equipment. The suspension generally has a fairly high concentration of the fine powder particles in the liquid medium.
Dry fertilizers in the powder form or the granular form are conventionally applied by dry spreaders. Numerous examples of dry powdered and granular fertilizer compositions are well known to those skilled in the art. Recently, these have begun to be formulated with provisions for timed (slow) release of the nutrients to avoid "burning" the crop and to reduce the number of applications in a growing season.
Each of the various physical forms of fertilizer compositions has its advantages and disadvantages. Spray applied liquid fertilizer solutions and dispersions of powdered nutrient materials are characterized by the ability to be applied evenly and from a tank truck, for example. These fertilizer forms usually provide nutrients which are immediately available to the lawn, and therefore enable quick response of the lawn to the application, i.e. quick "greening" of the lawn. However, such liquid solutions are often too rich in immediately available nutrients, particularly nitrogen. A solution which is too rich in nutrients can cause "burning" of the lawn. Additionally, insect and fungus growth may be accelerated. Still further, liquid solution type fertilizers do not often possess long life on or in the ground and their effect is quickly lost. Frequent application is required to maintain a desired nutrient level in the soil during a growing season.
With the finely divided powder or dispersion, a principal problem is retention on the leaves or blades of grass. This can also cause burning. Additionally, ambient conditions and normal lawn care procedures may result in loss of a significant value of the fertilizer. For example, application of dry powder is usually accompanied by considerable dusting and wind loss. Moreover, when the lawn is cut, and the clippings collected, a substantial portion of a powdered fertilizer, whether dry or dispersion applied, is carried away and lost. With a rotary lawn mower, dusting of a powdered fertilizer can also be a problem.
Granular fertilizers which are spread on the lawn in a dry condition, do not generally have the foregoing types of application problems encountered with powdered fertilizers. Because of the larger particle size, dusting is not a problem. Further, retention on the blades of grass or on leaves is not generally a problem with granular fertilizers. Thus, loss on removal of grass clippings is negligible. However, like any spreader applied fertilizer, application is usually uneven because of turns at the end of a row, skips, overlaps, etc. Without care, overfertilizing can occur in certain areas and under fertilizing in others. A blotchy appearance results. Furthermore, the immediate nutrient availability of granular fertilizers may be lost due to leaching. Thus, with granular fertilizers obtaining quick "greening" can be a problem. Thus, as can be seen from the foregoing discussion the problems which are often encountered in the application of liquid, liquid dispersion or dry spread granular fertilizers are also manifested in the quality of performance of the fertilizer.
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This invention relates generally to enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention relates to novel sucrose isomerases, to polynucleotides encoding these enzymes, to methods for isolating such polynucleotides and to nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. The invention also relates to cells, particularly transformed bacterial or plant cells, and to differentiated plants comprising cells, which express these polynucleotides. The invention further relates to the use of the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells and plants of the invention for producing isomaltulose.
Isomaltulose α-D-glucopyranosyl-1,6-D-fructofuranose (also called palatinose) is a naturally occurring structural isomer of sucrose (α-D-glucosyl-1,2-D-fructose). Isomaltulose is a nutritive disaccharide, with sweetness and bulk similar to sucrose. Several characteristics make isomaltulose advantageous over sucrose for some applications in the food industry: 1) noncariogenic (not causing dental decay); 2) low glycemic index (useful for diabetics); 3) selective promotion of growth of beneficial bifidobacteria among human intestinal microflora; 4) greater stability of isomaltulose-containing foods and beverages; 5) less hygroscopic; 6) simple conversion into sugar alcohols with other useful properties as foods. The safety of isomaltulose has been comprehensively verified, resulting in unqualified approval as human food, and it is widely used commercially as a sucrose substitute in foods, soft drinks and medicines (Takazoe, 1989, Palatinose—an isomeric alternative to sucrose. In: Progress in Sweeteners (T H Grengy, ed.) pp 143-167. Elsevier, Barking, UK).
Furthermore, because isomaltulose has an accessible carbonyl group, it has attracted attention as a renewable starting material for the manufacture of bioproducts such as polymers and surfactants with potential advantages over substances manufactured from petroleum (Cartarius et al., 2001, Chemical Engineering and Technology 24: 55A-59A; Kunz, 1993, From sucrose to semisynthetical polymers. In: Carbohydrates as Organic Raw Materials II (G Descotes, ed.) pp 135-161. VCH, Weinheim; Lichtenthaler et al., 2001, Green Chemistry 3: 201-209; Schiweck et al., 1991, New developments in the use of sucrose as an industrial bulk chemical. In: Carbohydrates as Organic Raw Materials (F W Lichtenthaler, ed.) pp 57-94. VCH, Weinheim).
Commercial isomaltulose is produced from food-grade sucrose by enzymatic rearrangement from a (1,2)-fructoside to a (1,6)-fructoside followed by crystallization. Sucrose isomerase (SI) enzymes (also known as isomaltulose synthases), which are able to convert sucrose to isomaltulose, have been demonstrated in Protaminobacter rubrum, Erwinia rhapontici, E. carotovora var atroseptica, Serratia plymuthica, S. marcesens, Pseudomonas mesoacidophila, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Klebsiella spp., Agrobacterium sp., haploid yeast and Enterobacter sp. (Avigad 1959, Biochemical Journal 73: 587-593; Bornke et al., 2001, Journal of Bacteriology 183: 2425-2430; Cheetham et al., 1982 Nature 299: 628-631; Huang et al., 1998, Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology 21: 22-27; Lund and Waytt, 1973, Journal of General Microbiology 78: 331-3; Mattes et al., 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,140; McAllister et al., 1990, Biotechnology Letters 12: 667-672; Miyata et al., 1992, Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 56: 1680-1681; Munir et al., 1987, Carbohydrate Research 164: 477-485; Nagai et al., 1994, Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 58: 1789-1793; Nagai-Miyata et al., 1993, Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 57: 2049-2053; Park et al., 1996, Revista De Microbiology 27: 131-136; Schmidt-Berg-Lorenz and Maunch, 1964, Zeitung fur die Zuckerindustrie 14: 625-627; Stotola et al., 1956, Journal of the American Chemical Society 78: 2514-2518; Tsuyuki et al., 1992, Journal of General and Applied Microbiology 38: 483-490; Zhang et al., 2002, Applied and Environmental Microbiology 68: 2676-2682). Isomaltulose is currently produced in industrial scale column reactors containing immobilized bacterial cells. Initially, natural isolates have been used for this purpose but it is anticipated that higher yields of isomaltulose may be achieved using recombinant techniques. Mattes et al. (1998, supra) disclose isolated polynucleotides from Protaminobacter rubrum (CBS 547,77), Erwinia rhapontici (NCPPB 1578), the microorganism SZ 62 (Enterobacter species) and the microorganism MX-45 (Pseudomonas mesoacidophila FERM 11808 or FERM BP 3619) for producing recombinant partial or full-length sucrose isomerase enzymes in host cells such as Escherichia coli. Mattes et al. also disclose conserved amino acid sequences for designing degenerate oligonucleotides for cloning sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
In addition to isomaltulose, reported SIs produce varying proportions of the isomer trehalulose (1-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-D-fructose) along with glucose and fructose as by-products. Some purified SIs produce predominantly isomaltulose (75-85%), others predominantly trehalulose (90%). The ratio of these products varies with reaction conditions, particularly temperature and pH, and under some conditions small quantities of other products such as isomaltose and isomelezitose may be formed (Véronèse and Perlot, 1999, Enzyme and Microbial Technology 24: 263-269). The formation of multiple products lowers the yield and complicates the recovery of the desired isomer. Slow conversion of sucrose into isomaltulose, and a narrow range of optimal reaction conditions also limit the industrial efficiency of isomaltulose production (Cheetham, 1984, Biochemical Journal 220: 213-220; Schiweck et al., 1990, Zuckerindustrie 115: 555-565.). An ideal SI would show high speed, complete conversion, high specificity and a wide window of reaction conditions for isomaltulose production.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to the reporting of Power Headroom (PH) from a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system that supports carrier aggregation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile communication systems were originally designed to provide users with voice communication services while they are on the move. Current mobile communication systems are capable of supporting both voice communication services and data communication services for mobile users.
Standardization for a next generation of mobile communication technology for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is being conducted for Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE is a broadband packet-based communication technology that is expected to provide download speeds that improve upon existing data transmission rates by up to 100 Megabytes/second (Mbps). In attempting to achieve such a high data rate, studies have been conducted that use a minimum number of nodes in connection with a simplified network topology, and that place a radio protocol as close as possible to radio channels.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an LTE wireless communication system. The LTE wireless communication system includes a plurality of Evolved Node Bs (ENBs) 105, 110, 115 and 120, a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 125, and a Serving Gateway (S-GW) 130. ENBs 105, 110, 115 and 120 are coupled to the S-GW 130, enabling a UE 135 to connect to a core network. The ENBs 105, 110, 115 and 120 correspond to Node Bs of a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and perform more complex functions than those of a legacy Node B. In the LTE system, all user traffic, including real time services such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), are provided through a shared channel. Each of the ENBs 105, 110, 115 and 120 manage one or more cells, and are responsible for the collection of status information from UEs and for the scheduling of traffic.
In order to support transmission bandwidths of up to 20 megahertz (MHz), LTE employs Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) as its basic modulation scheme. LTE also uses Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) to improve data throughput. AMC varies downlink modulation and coding schemes based on channel conditions for each UE. The S-GW 130 is responsible for managing data bearers and establishes or releases data bearers under the control of the MME 125. The MME 125 is in communication with the S-GW 130 and is responsible for control plane functions.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a user plane protocol stack for use in the LTE architecture of FIG. 1. A mobile terminal, or UE, 200 has a protocol stack having a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer 205, a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer 210, a Media Access Control (MAC) layer 215, and a Physical (PHY) layer 220. A base station, or ENB, 201 has a protocol stack having a PDCP layer 240, an RLC layer 235, a MAC layer 230, and a PHY layer 225. The PDCP layers 205 and 240 are responsible for Internet Protocol (IP) header compression/decompression. The RLC layers 210 and 235 pack the PDCP Packet Data Units (PDUs) into a size appropriate for transmission and perform an Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) function. The MAC layers 215 and 230 serve multiple RLC layer entities. These layers are capable of multiplexing the RLC PDUs into a MAC PDU, and demultiplexing the MAC PDU into the RLC PDUs. The PHY layers 220 and 225 perform encoding and modulation on upper layer data for transmission through a radio channel, and perform demodulation and decoding on the OFDM symbol received through the radio channel for delivery to upper layers. A data unit that is input to a protocol entity is referred to as a Service Data Unit (SDU) and a data unit that is output from the protocol entity is referred to as a Protocol Data Unit.
A voice communication service of a wireless communication system requires a relatively small amount of dedicated bandwidth. However, a data communication service must allocate resources in consideration of a data amount and a channel condition so that transmission throughput may increase. Thus, a mobile communication system is provided with a scheduler that manages resource allocation with respect to available resources, channel conditions, an amount of transmission data, etc. Resource scheduling is also required in LTE, and a scheduler that is incorporated into a base station, or ENB, is used to manage radio transmission resources.
In order to meet International Mobile Telephony (IMT)-Advanced requirements that extend beyond those of IMT-2000, further technological advancements have allowed for the evolution of LTE into LTE-Advanced (LTE-A). LTE-A is provided with technological components, such as carrier aggregation, to fulfill the IMT-Advanced requirements. Carrier aggregation aggregates multiple carriers to form a larger bandwidth, thereby allowing a UE to transmit and receive data at higher data rates.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an LTE-A wireless communication system supporting carrier aggregation. An ENB 305 operates on two different carriers 310 and 315, having center frequencies of f3 and f1, respectively. A conventional wireless communication system allows a UE 330 to communicate with the ENB 305 using only one of carriers 310 and 315. However, the LTE-A system supporting carrier aggregation enables the UE 330 to use both carriers 310 and 315 in order to increase transmission throughput. The maximum data rate between the ENB 305 and the UE 330 increases in proportion to the number of carriers that are aggregated.
Due to the fact that uplink transmissions cause inter-cell interference, it is preferable for a UE to calculate an uplink transmission power using a predetermined function, and to control uplink transmission based on the calculation. The predetermined function may utilize variables such as an allocated transmission resource amount, a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS), and a path loss value in calculating a required uplink transmission power. The uplink transmission power is limited to a UE maximum transmission power. When the required uplink transmission power is greater than the UE maximum transmission power, the UE performs the uplink transmission using the UE maximum transmission power. However, use of the maximum transmission power instead of the required transmission power degrades the uplink transmission quality. Thus, it is preferable for the ENB to perform scheduling for UE transmissions such that a required transmission power for the UE transmission will not exceed the UE maximum transmission power.
Some parameters utilized in scheduling at the ENB, such as channel path loss, are not capable of being measured at the ENB. When required, the UE may transmit a Power Headroom Report (PHR) to the ENB to report UE Power Headroom (PH) with respect to path loss. However, conventional uplink transmission power determination procedures are performed with respect to a single downlink carrier and a single uplink carrier. Thus, the conventional procedures are not applicable to the LTE-A system supporting carrier aggregation.
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This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 98-54151, filed Dec. 10, 1998, in the Korean Patent Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid jetting apparatus and a process for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a fluid jetting apparatus for a print head which is employed in output apparatuses such as an ink-jet printer, a facsimile machine, etc. to jet fluid through a nozzle, and a manufacturing process thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A print head is a part or a set of parts which are capable of converting output data into a visible form on a predetermined medium using a type of printer. Generally, such a print head for an ink jet printer, and the like, uses a fluid jetting apparatus which is capable of jetting the predetermined amount of fluid through a nozzle to an exterior of a fluid chamber holding the fluid by applying a physical force to the fluid chamber.
According to methods for applying physical force to the fluid within the fluid chamber, the fluid jetting apparatus is roughly grouped into a piezoelectric system and a thermal system. The piezoelectric system pushes out the ink within the fluid chamber through a nozzle through an operation of a piezoelectric element which is mechanically expanded in accordance with a driving signal. The thermal system pushes the fluid through the nozzle by means of bubbles which are produced from the fluid within the fluid chamber by the heat generated by an exothermic body. Recently, also, a thermal compression system has been developed, which is an improved form of the thermal system. The thermal compression system is for jetting out the fluid by driving a membrane by instantly heating a vaporizing fluid which acts as a working fluid.
FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a fluid jetting apparatus according to a conventional thermal compression system. The fluid jetting apparatus of the thermal compression system includes a heat driving part 10, a membrane 20, and a nozzle part 30.
A substrate 11 of the heat driving part 10 supports the heat driving part 10 and the whole structure that will be constructed later. An insulated layer 12 is diffused on the substrate 11. An electrode 14 is made of a conductive material for supplying an electric power to the heat driving part 10. An exothermic body 13 is made of a resistive material having a predetermined resistance for expanding a working fluid by converting electrical energy into heat energy. Working fluid chambers 16 and 17 contain the working fluid, to maintain a pressure of the working fluid which is heat expanded, are connected by a working fluid introducing passage 18, and are formed within a working fluid barrier 15.
Further, the membrane 20 is a thin layer which is adhered to an upper portion of the working fluid barrier layer 15 and working; fluid chambers 16 and 17 to be moved upward and downward by the pressure of the expanded working fluid. The membrane 20 includes a polyimide coated layer 21 and a polyimide adhered layer 22.
Jetting fluid chambers 37 and 38 are chambers which are formed to enclose the jetting fluid. When the pressure is transmitted to the jetting fluid through the membrane 20, the jetting fluid is jetted only through a nozzle 35 formed in a nozzle plate 34. Here, the jetting fluid is the fluid which is pushed out of the jetting fluid chambers 37 and 38 in response to the driving of the membrane 20, and is finally jetted to the exterior. A jetting fluid introducing passage 39 connects the jetting fluid chambers 37 and 38. The jetting fluid chambers 37 and 38 and the jetting fluid introducing passage 39 are formed in a jetting fluid barrier layer 36. The nozzle 35 is an orifice through which the jetting fluid held using the membrane 20 and the jetting fluid chambers 37 and 38 is emitted to the exterior. Another substrate 31 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B) of the nozzle part 30 is temporarily employed for constructing the nozzle part 30, and should be removed before the nozzle part 30 is assembled.
FIG. 2 shows a process for manufacturing the fluid jetting apparatus according to a conventional roll method.
As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle plate 34 is transferred from a feeding reel 51 to a take-up reel 52. In the process of transferring the nozzle plate 34 from the feeding reel 51 to the take-up reel 52, a nozzle is formed in the nozzle plate 34 by laser processing equipment 53. After the nozzle is formed, air is jetted from an air blower 54 so as to eliminate extraneous substances attached to the nozzle plate 34. Next, an actuator chip 40, which is laminated on a substrate to the jetting fluid barrier, is bonded with the nozzle plate 34 by a tab bonder 55, and accordingly, the fluid jetting apparatus is completed. The completed fluid jetting apparatuses are wound around the take-up reel 52 to be preserved, and then sectioned in pieces in the manufacturing process for the print head. Accordingly, each piece of the fluid jetting apparatuses is supplied into the manufacturing line of a printer.
The process for manufacturing the, fluid jetting apparatus according to the conventional thermal compression system will be described below with reference to the construction of the fluid jetting apparatus shown in FIG. 1.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are views for showing a process for manufacturing the heat driving part and FIG. 3C is a view for showing a process for manufacturing the membrane on the heat driving part of the conventional fluid jetting apparatus. FIGS. 4A to 4C are views for showing the process for manufacturing the nozzle part.
In order to manufacture the conventional fluid jetting apparatus, the heat driving part 10 and the nozzle part 30 should be manufactured separately. Here, the heat driving part 10 is completed as the separately-made membrane 20 is adhered to the working fluid barrier layer 15 of the heat driving part 10. After that, by reversing and adhering the separately-made nozzle part 30 to the membrane 20, the fluid jetting apparatus is completed.
FIG. 3A shows a process for diffusing the insulated layer 12 on the substrate 11 of the heat driving part 10, and for forming an exothermic body 13 and an electrode 14 on the insulated layer 12 in turn. Referring to FIG. 3B, working fluid chambers 16 and 17 and a working fluid passage 18 are formed by performing an etching process of the working fluid barrier layer 15 through a predetermined mask patterning. More specifically, the heat driving part 10 is formed as the insulated layer 12, the exothermic body 13, the electrode 14, and the working fluid barrier layer 15 are sequentially laminated on the substrate 11 (which is a silicon substrate). In such a situation, the working fluid chambers 16 and 17 (which are filled with the working fluid to be expanded by heat, are formed on an etched portion of the working fluid barrier layer 15. The working fluid is introduced through the working fluid introducing passage 18.
FIG. 3C shows a process for adhering the separately-made membrane 20 to the upper portion of the completed heat driving part 10. The membrane 20 is a thin diaphragm, which is to be driven toward the jetting fluid chamber 37 (see FIG. 1) by the working fluid which is heated by the exothermic body 13.
FIG. 4A shows a process for manufacturing a nozzle 35 using the laser processing equipment 53 (shown in FIG. 2) after an insulated layer 32 and the nozzle plate 34 are sequentially formed on a substrate 31 of the nozzle part 30. FIG. 4B shows a process for forming the jetting fluid barrier layer 36 on the upper portion of the construction shown in FIG. 4A, and jetting fluid chambers 37 and 38 and the fluid introducing passage by an etching process through a predetermined mask patterning. FIG. 4C shows a process for exclusively separating the nozzle part 10 from the substrate 31 of the nozzle part 30. The nozzle part 30 includes the jetting fluid barrier layer 36 and the nozzle plate 34. On the etched portion of the jetting fluid barrier layer 36, the jetting fluid chambers 37 and 38 filled with the fluid to be jetted are formed. The jetting fluid such as an ink, or the like, is introduced through the jetting fluid introducing passage 39 (see FIG. 1) for introduction of the jetting fluid. The nozzle 35 is formed on the nozzle plate 34 to be interconnected with the jetting fluid chamber 37, so that the fluid is jetted through the nozzle 35. The nozzle part 30 is manufactured by the processes that are shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C. First, the nozzle plate 34 inclusive of the nozzle 35, is formed on the substrate 31 having the insulated layer 32 through an electroplating process. Next, the jetting fluid barrier layer 36 is laminated thereon, and the jetting fluid chambers 37 and 38 and the jetting fluid introducing passage 39 are formed through a lithographic process. Finally, as the insulated layer 32 and the substrate 31 are removed, the nozzle part 30 is completed. The completed nozzle part 30 is reversed, and then adhered to the membrane 20 of a membrane, heat driving part assembly which has been assembled beforehand. More specifically, the jetting fluid barrier 36 of the nozzle part 30 is adhered to the polyimide coated layer 21 of the membrane 20.
The operation of the fluid jetting apparatus according to the thermal compression system will be described below with reference to the construction shown in FIG. 1.
First, an electric power is supplied through the electrode 14, and an electric current flows through the exothermic body 13 connected to the electrode 14. Since the exothermic body 13 generates heat due to its resistance, the fluid within the working fluid chamber 16 is subjected to a resistance heating, and the fluid starts to vaporize when the temperature thereof exceeds a predetermined temperature. As the amount of the vaporized fluid increases, the vapor pressure accordingly increases. As a result, the membrane 20 is driven upward. More specifically, as the working fluid undergoes a thermal expansion, the membrane 20 is pushed upward in a direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1. As the membrane 20 is pushed upward, the fluid within the jetting fluid chamber 37 is jetted out toward an exterior through the nozzle 35.
Then, when the supply of electric power is stopped, the resistance heating of the exothermic body 13 is no longer generated. Accordingly, the fluid within the working fluid chamber 16 is cooled to a liquid state, so that the volume thereof decreases and the membrane 20 recovers its original shape.
Meanwhile, a conventional material of the nozzle plate 34 is mainly made of nickel, but the trend in using the material of a polyimide synthetic resin has increased recently. When the nozzle plate 34 is made of the polyimide synthetic resin, it is fed in a reel type. The fluid jetting apparatus is completed by the way a chip laminated from the silicon substrate to the jetting fluid barrier layer 36 is bonded on the nozzle plate 34 fed in the reel type.
According to the conventional fluid jetting apparatus and its manufacturing process, however, since the heat driving part, the membrane, and the nozzle part have to be separately made before such are adhered to each other by three adhering processes, the productivity has been decreased. Further; since the adhesion between the heat driving part and the membrane, and between the membrane and, the nozzle part are often unreliable, the working fluid and the jetting fluid often leak, so that a fraction defective has been increased, and the reliability and quality of the fluid jetting apparatus has been deteriorated.
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-described problems of the prior art, and accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a fluid jetting apparatus and a manufacturing process thereof capable of improving the reliability, quality and the productivity of the fluid jetting apparatus by sequentially laminating a heat driving part, a membrane, and a nozzle part to form the fluid jetting apparatus, instead of adhering the same to each other.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The above and other objects are accomplished by a method of manufacturing a fluid jetting apparatus according to the present invention, including: (1) forming a heat driving part having a sacrificial layer; (2) forming a membrane on the heat driving part which includes the sacrificial layer; (3) forming a nozzle part on the membrane; and (4) removing the sacrificial layer.
The step (1) includes: (i) forming an electrode and an exothermic body on a substrate; (ii) laminating a working fluid barrier on the electrode and the exothermic body, and forming a working fluid chamber in the working fluid barrier; (iii) forming a protective layer on the working fluid barrier, the electrode, and the exothermic body; (iv) forming a sacrificial layer on the protective layer and within the working fluid chamber at the same height as the working fluid barrier.
Further, the step (1) may otherwise include: (i) forming an electrode and an exothermic body on a substrate; (ii) forming a plane layer on the substrate at the same height as the electrode and the exothermic body combined; (iii) laminating a protective layer on the electrode and the plane layer; (iv) laminating the working fluid barrier on the protective layer, and forming a working fluid chamber in the working fluid barrier; and (v) forming the sacrificial layer on the protective layer and within an interior of the working fluid chamber at the same height as the working fluid barrier.
The step (2) is performed through a spin coating process.
The step (3) includes: (i) laminating a jetting fluid barrier on the membrane, and forming a jetting fluid chamber in the jetting fluid barrier; and (ii) laminating a nozzle plate on the jetting fluid barrier, and forming a nozzle in the nozzle plate. The nozzle plate is laminated through a process for laminating a dry film.
The above and other objects of the present invention may further be achieved by providing a fluid jetting apparatus including a heat driving part which generates a driving force, a nozzle part having a jetting fluid chamber interconnected to an exterior of the fluid jetting apparatus through a nozzle, and a membrane which transmits the driving force generated from the heat driving part to the nozzle part, wherein the heat driving part comprises: an electrode and an exothermic body formed on a substrate; a plane layer formed on the substrate at the same height as the electrode and the exothermic body combined; a protective layer laminated on the plane layer; and a working fluid barrier laminated on the protective layer, and provided with the working fluid chamber for holding a working fluid which is expanded by the exothermic body to generate the driving force.
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a device that attaches to a telephone for the purpose of lifting up the receiver end of a telephone handset (hook-switching).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many of the newest telephone systems that are coming out on the market have what is called electronic hook-switching. This is basically a button, that when pressed, will give a dial tone for a telephone headset. This is a very convenient option for people who use telephone headsets, but the problem still remains that there are literally millions of telephones on the market that do not have this option.
Until now, the only option that people have had to alleviate this problem is to physically pick up the handset every time the telephone rings, and place the headset off to the side of the telephone base. This procedure is time and space consuming.
Another method that is commonly used when getting a dial tone, is to balance the telephone handset just up and to the side of the telephone""s hook-switch. The major problem with this solution is that if accidently bumped or moved, the handset will fall back into place and one will hang up the line.
The present invention overcomes the prior art practices by providing a mechanical handset lift for lifting the receiver end of a telephone handset off the hook-switch and pivoting the handset about the microphone end, but leaving the handset centrally positioned over and about the telephone body.
The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a mechanical device for lifting the receiver end of a telephone handset off the telephone hook-switch to allow electrical operation of a remote handset receiver/mouthpiece while still leaving the handset placed over and about the telephone base unit.
According to one object of the present invention, there is provided a vertically oriented base for mounting to the side of a telephone base. A moveable pivot shaft extends through an upper region of the vertically oriented base end, which includes a lift rod secured to one end of the pivot shaft and a lift rod lever handle secured to the opposite end of the pivot shaft. A stop shaft limits the over center travel of the lift rod lever handle and the lift rod to allow on hook or off hook positioning of a telephone handset receiver.
According to an alternate embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a vertical base member with a lift rod and lift lever secured about the base member in positive locked alignment and also having rotational stops aligned on a surface of the vertical base member.
One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is mechanical handset lift that will mechanically lift up the receiver end of a telephone handset off the hook-switch so that a dial tone may be obtained for the telephone headset in use.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a mechanical handset lift which will lift the receiver end of a telephone handset off the hook-switch so as to allow a user to use either the telephone handset or a telephone headset.
A further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a mechanical handset lift which will lift the receiver end of a telephone handset off the hook-switch and which will result in the environment on a person""s desk being less cluttered due to the absence of a telephone handset lying off to the side of the telephone base while the telephone handset is in use.
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a mechanical handset lift that will mechanically lift up the receiver end of a telephone handset in such a manner that will greatly increase the chances of not accidentally hanging up the telephone while a telephone headset is in use.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a lift rod and lift rod handle in positive angular engagement with each other about a base unit.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is stops which define rotational movement of the lift rod and lift rod handle with respect to the base of a telephone.
Having thus described the embodiments of the present invention, it is the principal object hereof to provide a mechanical handset lift.
The present invention relates to a mechanical handset lift device that will enable the telephone user to enable and disable the telephone""s hook-switch capabilities without the inconvenience of picking up the telephone and placing it on the desk. Currently, the only means to do this is by placing the telephone handset on and off the hook-switch. The problems that arrive from this method are 1) one has to physically pick up the handset every time the telephone rings, 2) one has to lay the handset on the desk (for many people this takes up just too much room), 3) if the telephone allows one to balance the handset off to the right side of the hook switch, one may bump the telephone, and accidentally hang up.
The invention uses the handset""s own mold to accomplish the goal of hook-switching, and allows the handset to be used as well. The present invention also creates an environment where it is virtually impossible to accidently hand up the telephone. This is a very common problem when the telephone is balanced to the side of the hook-switch.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that will enable a telephone handset operator to use both the telephone handset or headset conveniently, without the problems that are currently plaguing the telephone headset industry.
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The invention relates to a discharge lamp having an oval sectional shape, and more particularly to a circular fluorescent lamp.
Research and studies for developing a circular fluorescent lamp having a non-circular sectional started many years ago for the purpose of increasing the illuminance of the lamp on a plane beneath its installed position, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publications Nos. 50-32785 (1975) and 51-11876 (1976). Also, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 37-22455 (1962) proposes a straight fluorescent lamp in which the ratio between the larger and smaller tube diameters is selected to be 4:3 or 4:2, and the thickness of its phosphor film is made non-uniform, so as to improve its illuminance in a specific direction relative to its installation.
Although a discharge tube having an oval sectional shape has been proposed for years and is well known in the art, as disclosed in the prior art publications, the mechanical strength of the discharge tube decreases inevitably due its oval sectional shape. However, no proposal has been made hitherto for solving the problem of an undesirable decrease in the mechanical strength of such a discharge tube.
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This invention relates generally to a portable humidifier and, more specifically, to a portable humidifier with an improved water tank.
Various types of humidifiers are used to provide moisture to indoor air. Included among such humidifiers are ultrasonic humidifiers, steam humidifiers or vaporizers, and evaporative humidifiers.
Ultrasonic humidifiers employ a high-speed oscillator, positioned a given distance below the water surface, to energize the water and break it into a fine mist. A fan carries the mist into the surrounding environment. It is critical that the distance from the oscillator to the water level be accurately maintained to ensure that the oscillation energy is efficiently transferred to the water. A drop in water level can result in permanent damage to the oscillator. The water level generally is maintained by the use of an inverted water tank such as that described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,210,818 and 5,247,604. The tank is sealed and includes a carrying handle on its top surface while a bottom surface includes an opening to which a cap is attached. When the tank is inverted beneath a spigot and the cap is removed the opening serves as a fill opening. Often the cap includes a valve system which seals the fill opening unless the tank is properly positioned on a humidifier base and the valve is engaged by a valve actuator in the base. The valve actuator opens the valve and allows water to escape from the tank into a reservoir defined by the base. Discharging water is exchanged for air which enters the tank through the same opening. As water flows into the base reservoir, the water level rises until it seals the valve and prevents air from getting into the tank. At this level, which is the normal operating water level for the humidifier, water flow from the tank ceases. The design of the humidifier is established to position the oscillator that given distance below this level. As the oscillator and fan cause dispersal of moisture from the reservoir, the water level attempts to drop creating a pathway for air into the tank and in turn allowing the release of a proportional amount of water from the tank into the reservoir to thereby return the water level to the normal operating level. This process repeats itself continually until the water supply in the tank is depleted, at which time the water level begins to drop increasingly lower. A float sensing shut-off switch mechanism senses the abnormally low water level and turns the humidifier off before the water level drops low enough to cause damage to the oscillator. This basic system is well known and often practiced in ultrasonic humidifiers of the prior art.
Evaporative humidifiers come in several varieties. Some employ absorbent belts continuously rotating through first a water reservoir and then an air stream to cause humidity. Some employ pumps to lift water from a reservoir and pour it over a porous media through which air flows to cause similar humidification, and some employ wicking pads which are positioned partially below water level and partially above. In such humidifiers, the water level must be maintained for a different reason than that of the ultrasonic humidifier. Specifically, it is important that water level be maintained to ensure consistent humidity efficiency and maximum moisture output. Wick pads generally are capable of drawing water from the reservoir water level to a given height through capillary action. A relatively smaller portion of the wick pad must be positioned below the water level where water is absorbed, than above where air flowing through the pad causes the desired humidification. Excessive height of the pad above that height to which water will be drawn not only constitutes wasted wick material and is therefor inefficient by design, but also reduces the humidification efficiency of the humidifier by allowing a pathway for air which does not pass through the moistened portion of the pad, essentially constituting air leakage which reduces the total humidification rate. For this reason, wick type evaporative humidifiers are often designed to maintain a given water level which ensures that the most efficient amount of the wick pad lies above and below the water level to maximize efficiency and output. Accordingly, a water tank similar to that described above often is used with evaporative humidifiers.
Steam humidifiers cause humidity by boiling water into vapor. A submersible heating element depends from a humidification unit into a boiling chamber within a base. A water tank similar to that described above is positioned on the base to both feed water to the boiling chamber and to maintain a given normal operating level therein. The boiling water maintains the temperature of the heating element at approximately two hundred and twelve degrees fahrenheit. It is important that the water level be maintained high enough to fully submerge the heating element, and not be allowed to drop while the heating element is energized or overheating will occur. A float sensing shut-off switch mechanism senses an abnormally low water level as the water tank is depleted and turns the heating element off before excessive overheating occurs.
Most of the tanks described above and known in the prior art include a handle projecting from a tank top surface. Such positioning of the handle requires that the tank be carried from the humidifier to the spigot cap with the fill opening facing down. It is common for some leakage to occur from the cap during such movement. It is also common that, after being carried to a water supply, the tanks are rested on a surface with the fill opening facing down. Although usually protruding precariously from the bottom surface of the tank, prior cap/valve assemblies have not generally provided a great amount of structural support, and being that a filled water tank is relatively heavy, the weight of the tank resting on the cap/valve assembly can subject the valve to an enormously high amount of stress. Consequently, permanent damage to valves is relatively common and often results in water spillage that damages furnishings.
It is the object of the present invention to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a humidifier tank having a tank support structure which serves both to protect the delicate cap/valve assembly and provides a means by which the tank can be carried hole side up to prevent leakage during transport.
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1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting case to accommodate an electro-optical device, such as a liquid crystal panel, which is used as a light valve of a projection display apparatus, such as a liquid crystal projector, an electro-optical device encased in a mounting case, in which the electro-optical device is accommodated and a projection display apparatus including the electro-optical device encased in the mounting case.
2. Description of Related Art
In general in the related art, when a liquid crystal panel is used as a light valve of a liquid crystal projector, the liquid crystal panel is not provided in an exposed state on a console, etc., constituting the liquid crystal projector. But it is accommodated or encased in a suitable mounting case and then the mounting case including the liquid crystal panel is provided on the console, etc.
This is because the liquid crystal panel can easily be fixed to the case by suitably providing screws in the corresponding mounting case.
In the liquid crystal projector, the light emitted from a light source is projected onto the liquid crystal panel encased in the mounting case as focused light. Light passing through the liquid crystal panel is enlarged and projected on the screen to display images. In such a liquid crystal projector, since the enlarged projection is generally predetermined, relatively intense light emitted from a light source, such as a metal halide lamp is used.
However, in this construction, first, there is a problem in that the temperature of the liquid-crystal-panel encasing mounting case, particularly of the liquid crystal panel rises. The rise in temperature causes a rise in temperature of the liquid crystal interposed between a pair of transparent substrates in the liquid crystal panel. Therefore, the characteristics of the liquid crystal are deteriorated. In addition, when the light emitted from the source light is uneven, the liquid crystal panel is partially heated, and then variations in the transmittance are generated at so-called hot spots. Thus, the quality of projected images deteriorates.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a shift control method for a vehicle having a double clutch transmission (DCT), and more particularly, to a technology for improving a response to a speed change during a kickdown.
2. Description of Related Art
Unlike an automatic transmission (AT) which requires only clutch shifting, a DCT can enable clutch shifting only after gear shifting has been completed. Therefore, in the DCT, gear shifting performance is a key factor for an overall response to speed change. In particular, more rapid gear shifting is required for a kickdown that a driver regards most sensitive for a response to speed change.
For reference, the gear shifting refers to a speed change operation that causes a sleeve to engage with a clutch gear due to them being synchronized using a synchronizer. The clutch shifting refers to a speed change operation that transmits power that has been supplied from an engine to drive wheels by changing its speed substantially using the sleeve, the clutch gear and shift gears by engaging the working parts of a clutch of an input shaft, the gear shifting of which has been completed as described above, with each other. In addition, gear releasing refers to the process in which the sleeve is released and disengaged from the clutch gear.
In order to reduce a time required for the gear shifting, displacement optimization at a point where the synchronization by the synchronizer starts, a reduced time for the synchronizer to carry out the synchronization, displacement optimization at a point where the working parts of the clutch gear are to engage with each other, and the like are required. Among these, most time is consumed in the range of the synchronization by the synchronizer during the gear shifting. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the time it takes the synchronizer to carry out synchronization.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, which forms semiconductor integrated circuit patterns by using charged particle beams.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lithography technology has been used for pattern formation of a semiconductor integrated circuit. In such a case, a light, an electron beam or the like is used as an energy beam to expose a photo-sensitive film. In photolithography using a light as an energy beam, in order to deal with microfabrication of a semiconductor device, a wavelength of a light source has been made shorter from a g line (436 nm) to an i line (365 nm), and to KrF (248 nm). This has been carried out because of the fact that resolution of a micro pattern is increased in inverse proportion to a wavelength. In the photolithography, resolution has accordingly been increased by a shorter wavelength. However, performance of a photolithography device has become insufficient for a pattern size required as device performance. Thus, further shortening of a wavelength of the light source has been pursued so as to increase resolution. However, not only light sources but also new lens materials and resists must be developed, necessitating enormous development costs. Consequently, device prices and process costs are increased, creating a problem of a high price of a manufactured semiconductor device.
On the other hand, electron beam lithography using an electron beam as an energy beam has an advantage of high resolution capability compared with the photolithography. In the case of a conventional electron beam lithography device, however, writing was carried out on a resist on a wafer by coating (direct writing) with a point (rectangular) beam or connecting a mask pattern of only several xcexcmxc3x97several xcexcm. In the case of the conventional electron beam, an electron source for obtaining high-density electron beams was not provided, and uniform electron beams were not provided in a wide range. Alternatively, aberration occurred between a center portion and a peripheral portion in the case of projecting an area of a large area. Consequently, resolution was deteriorated, making it impossible to project patterns of large areas all at once. Therefore, in a conventional electron beam writing method, since writing is carried out while connecting very small areas, many shots are necessary for writing on one wafer. In addition, since time is necessary until stabilization after an electron beam is deflected to a predetermined position for each shot, the increased number of shots causes a reduction in throughput. For such a reason, throughput has conventionally been low, about several pieces per hour (in 8-inch wafer), proving the method to be unsuitable as a mass-production technology.
As one of the measures to improve throughput of the electron beam lithography, for example as described in pp. 6897 to 6901, Japan Journal Applied Physics, vol., 39 (2000), electron projection lithography has been presented, which forms all patterns on a mask original plate (referred to as a reticle, hereinafter), and then projects/transfers the patterns by using electron beams. In this electron beam projection lithography, a lens was developed, which prevents aberration from being generated even when high-density electron means are provided uniformly in a wide range, and large-area irradiation is carried out. As in the case of the photolithography, the development of the lens enables the mask to be irradiated with electron beams, and scanned, greatly reducing the number of shots. Thus, the electron projection lithography is similar to the photolithography in terms of projection, its image being similar to a change of a light source from a light to an electron beam. Compared with several pieces/hour of the conventional electron beam lithography, throughput of one digit higher, i.e., 35 pieces/hour (in 8-inch wafer) is estimated.
A shape of the reticle for electron beam projection is descried in, for example pp.214 to 224 of Proceedings of SPIE vol. 3997 (2000). FIG. 2A is a bird""s eye view of a reticle for electron beam projection, FIG. 2B an expanded view of a area 203 of FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2C a view of the reticle seen from the above. The electron beam lithography has a limited projection range. Accordingly, circuit patterns constituting an LSI chip are divided at sizes 1000 xcexcmxe2x96xa1 on the reticle, and these circuit patterns are connected to form a pattern of the entire chip during projection. Hereinafter, one of such divided areas, i.e., a area on which the patterns are projected all at once, is referred to as a xe2x80x9csubfieldxe2x80x9d 201. A wafer, on which the circuit patterns are projected, is continuously moved, and each pattern projection is carried out by mechanically moving a reticle stage and deflecting electron beams corresponding to the wafer movement. A thickness of silicon (Si) of a pattern portion of the reticle is thin, 0.5 to 2 xcexcm, and consequently breaking easily occurs. Thus, a mechanical strength is increased by providing a silicon beam called a strut 202 between the subfields.
Now, a manufacturing flow of a reticle for electron beam projection is described by referring to FIGS. 3A to 3D. As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D, a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer having SiO2 buried in a Si substrate is used. The substrate has a thickness of about 400 to 800 xcexcm and, thereon, SiO2 is deposited by 0.1 to 0.5 xcexcm, and Si by 0.5 to 2 xcexcm. As methods of manufacturing a reticle for electron beam projection, there are available a preceding back etching method for carrying out back etching of the substrate before formation of a reticle pattern to manufacture the strut 202, and a succeeding back etching method for carrying out back etching of the substrate later. Here, the preceding back etching method is described. In the preceding method, first, a area of the strut 202 is subjected to patterning, and dry etching is carried out. According to the preceding back etching method, a reticle pattern is formed after blanks for a stencil mask are made. Thus, since blanks for a stencil mask can be made and stored, and only surface machining is needed thereafter, turn around time (TAT) can be shortened.
On the other hand, in the succeeding back etching method, patterning is carried out on a normal thick substrate. Accordingly, the number of special steps for manufacturing an EPL mask is relatively small. However, if mismatching is present in membrane stress between an oxide film of an intermediate layer and silicon on the surface by execution of etching of back-side Si, which makes TAT longer, mask deformation may occur, causing a shift in projection position. This positional shift is prevented by adding boron or the like to an oxide film on the surface to generate tensile stress on the substrate surface as well, and reducing stress between the oxide film and the substrate. Both methods have own features different from each other as described above, and the preceding back etching method enabling TAT to be shortened is considered to be more suitable. The oxide film is removed after the execution of the back etching. Accordingly, membrane blanks for the reticle for electron beam projection are made (FIG. 3B). Then, circuit patterns are divided into predetermined subfields, and a resist pattern 301 is formed on the reticle for electron beam projection by a resist process (FIG. 3C). A predetermined pattern is formed by further carrying out dry etching. Lastly, the reticle for electron beam projection is made by carrying out cleaning (FIG. 3D). As described herein, the reticle having an opening pattern for passing the energy beam is called a stencil type.
Representative features of the present invention can be summarized as follows.
In the case of using the electron projection lithography device, throughput can be greatly improved up to 35 pieces/hour compared with the electron beam direct writing method. Compared with the conventional photolithography, however, the throughput is lower, about xc2xd. In the case of the stencil-type reticle, since the opening pattern for passing the electron beam is provided, a xe2x80x9csquare-shapedxe2x80x9d pattern called a doughnut-type pattern cannot be included. This is because the inside of the xe2x80x9csquare-shapedxe2x80x9d portion is surrounded with the opening pattern, and thus no supports are present, causing it to fall. Therefore, to carry out pattern projection for one area, it was necessary to use a so-called complementary reticle for dividing patterns into two or more reticles, and executing electron beam projection for the same area by a plurality of times. In such a case, projection must be carried out twice for pattern projection of one area, and a reduction inevitably occurs in throughput. A current value of an electron beam must be increased in order to achieve high throughput. In such a case, repulsion between electron beams enlarges beam blur, lowering resolution. Accordingly, even if an electron projection lithography device that has been under development conventionally and now is used, it has been difficult to obtain throughput as high as that of the photolithography. Thus, there is a need to properly use the photolithography having high throughput, and the electron projection lithography having low throughput but high resolution. However, no effective proper using methods have been available.
In the electron projection lithography, it is necessary to properly use a complementary reticle having limited pattern constraints but low throughput, and a non-complementary reticle having many pattern constraints but high throughput. Thus far, however, no effective proper using methods have been presented. Therefore, objects of the present invention are to provide an effective method of properly using a photolithography device and an electron projection lithography device, and an effective method of properly using complementary and non-complementary reticles when electron projection lithography is used.
In the case of the reticle for electron beam projection, in a conventional reticle for cell-projection, a projection area is small, and a thickness of the reticle is about 10 xcexcm, thus providing a high mechanical strength. However, a thickness of a reticle for electron projection lithography is about 2 xcexcm or lower, which is very thin, and accordingly a mechanical strength is low. Further, since patterns are projected all at one on a large area of 1 mm or more, patterns having a large aspect ratio are formed in the opening pattern of the reticle. For example as shown in FIG. 20A, in a non-opening portion 2002 for scattering electron beams, openings 2001 for projecting patterns with electron beams non-scattered are densely formed at a large aspect ratio. Thus, a state before a cleaning step of the reticle was similar to that shown in FIG. 20A. After the cleaning step, however, as shown in FIG. 20B, surface tension of cleaning solution brought about bending 2003, chipping 2004, and adhesion of a foreign object caused by the chipping. Consequently, breaking or short-circuiting, and shifting in projection position occurred in a manufactured device circuit, creating a problem of impossible acquisition of initial performance.
The problems including the bending and the like have become conspicuous, because projection of patterns carried out all at once on the large area in the electron projection lithography device or the like has increased the aspect ratio of the transcribed patterns by 50 times or more, and a thickness of the stencil mask has become thin to 5 xcexcm or lower. Therefore, another object of the present invention is to provide a method of setting a beam interval, which prevents bending in a stencil mask.
A micro-beam provided for the purpose of preventing bending or the like can be made sufficiently thin to make projection of the patterns difficult. However, this may cause a problem such as narrowing, where the transcribed patterns become large or small in size locally at the micro-beam portion. Therefore, another object of the present invention is to suppress pattern deformation at a micro-beam portion by providing a forming place, a shape and a material of an optimal micro-beam, and a projection method.
As described above, throughput and resolution greatly varied depending on projection devices and methods, and required throughput and resolution were never satisfied simultaneously. Thus, regarding the two types of devices, i.e., photolithography having high throughput, and electron projection lithography having throughput low compared with that of the photolithography but still relatively high, and a high resolution capability, the present invention presents a projection device and a projection method capable of obtaining highest throughput while satisfying required accuracy and required resolution for each type and layer. The invention also presents a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which makes effective selection of two types of projection methods, i.e., non-complementary and complementary reticles, so as to obtain highest throughput while satisfying required accuracy and required resolution, when the electron projection lithography device is selected.
According to the invention, the electron projection lithography device is used at layers such as an isolation layer, a gate level, a contact hole layer, and a wiring layer just after the gate level, where pattern formation is difficult by the photolithography device. At other layers to be sufficiently processed even by the photolithography, the photolithography is used. In this way, pattern projection is carried out.
According to the invention, conditions for selecting the photolithography and the electron projection lithography are decided depending on an exposure wavelength of the photolithography device and numerical aperture of an exposure system.
According to the invention, for products small in number to be processed by one reticle or products with quick turnaround time, e.g., in small volume products or research developments, a variable-shaped electron writing system or a cell-projection electron beam writing system needing no manufacturing of reticles is used to directly write a pattern on a sample. Thus, it is possible to reduce mask manufacturing costs, and shorten mask manufacturing time.
According to the invention, the electron projection lithography by the complementary reticle is used at the wiring layer just after the gate level or at a layer having a high ratio of a transcribed pattern area in a chip. Accordingly, an opening area of a pattern can be reduced by complementary splitting at the layer having the high ratio of the transcribed pattern area. Thus, it is possible to improve resolution.
According to the invention, in order to increase a strength of a reticle for electron beam projection, if a short size of a non-opening pattern is Wnm, and a spacing with a non-opening pattern adjacent to the same is Snm, then a micro-beam formation interval Lnm is set equal to/lower than a predetermined interval so as to set 0 less than Lxe2x89xa6(S+Wxe2x88x9250)xc3x9750. However, each size is represented by nano meters.
According to the invention, in order to increase a strength of a reticle for electron beam projection, a micro-beam forming place is set at an intersection portion between T-shaped opening patterns.
According to the invention, as a material of the micro-beam, a material having a low electron scattering coefficient compared with that of a material of a reticle non-opening area is used. Thus, charged particles scattered at the micro-beam are suppressed to prevent projection of the micro-beam.
According to the invention, in unit areas to be subjected to charged particle projection all at once, a width of a micro-beam in a unit area having a large opening area is set larger than that of a micro-beam in a unit area having a small opening area. Accordingly, a maximum micro-beam width can be set, which prevents projection in each unit area. Thus, mask manufacturing can be facilitated, and a mechanical strength of the mask can be increased.
According to the invention, even in the same unit area, a width of a micro-beam at a place of a large opening pattern width is set larger than that of a micro-beam at a place of a small opening pattern width. Accordingly, a maximum micro-beam width can be set, which prevents projection, according to each pattern. Thus, mask manufacturing can be facilitated, and a mechanical strength of the mask can be increased.
According to the invention, in order to prevent approaching between the micro-beam and a pattern edge, an area having a distance between the micro-beam and a non-opening pattern parallel to the micro-beam set less than 10 times of a width of the micro-beam is set as a micro-beam formation limiting area, and a position of the micro-beam is shifted so as to set the distance larger by 10 times or more than a width of the micro-beam. Thus, projection of micro-beam patterns caused by dense disposition of micro-beams can be suppressed.
According to the invention, an area within a predetermined range, particularly an area requiring high pattern size accuracy, e.g., a gate pattern portion on an active area, is set as a micro-beam formation limiting area. Thus, it is possible to prevent pattern failures caused by micro-beams within the predetermined range.
According to the invention, the micro-beam is disposed obliquely to a chip arraying direction, especially +45xc2x0 or xe2x88x9245xc2x0 to the chip arraying direction. Thus, a size changing amount at the micro-beam can be halved.
According to the invention, a first round of projection is carried out by using a mask including a micro-beam having a non-opening area connected, and an opening pattern width shortened by a predetermined amount in a direction orthogonal to the micro-beam. A second round of projection is carried out by using the mask, and shifting a projection position in a direction orthogonal to an arraying direction of the micro-beam. Thus, it is possible to suppress formation of patterns of micro-beams on the semiconductor substrate.
According to the invention, double exposure is carried out in a direction orthogonal to the micro-beam, and by using a reticle having an opening pattern width shortened by a predetermined amount in the same direction as a shifting direction. Thus, it is possible to suppress an increase in pattern size caused by the double exposure with positional shifting.
According to the invention, as a method of carrying out the double exposure, shifting exposure is carried out by a deflector. Thus, it is possible to carry out the double exposure at a high speed.
According to the invention, double exposure for suppressing projection of the micro-beam can be carried out by undulating a relative relation between an area to be projected by charged particles all at once, and the semiconductor device. Accordingly, it is possible to separately control projection position deflection and undulation for shifting exposure, achieving a simpler device configuration.
According to the invention, a reticle having a larger opening width of an opening pattern adjacent to the micro-beam is used. Thus, it is possible to suppress projection of a micro-beam pattern.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to fuel cells and electrical motors and, more particularly, to a fuel cell powered electrical motor.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
The use of fuel cells to actuate electrical motors depends upon several factors. Among them efficiency and compactness are essential.
Attempts have been made in the past to introduce a better fuel cell powered electrical motor. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,647 dated Oct. 21, 1997 and granted to Wolfe et al. for a xe2x80x9cFuel Cell Powered Propulsion Systemxe2x80x9d describes a system for powering a vehicle. This system comprises an electrical motor for powering a vehicle, a fuel cell stack for providing fuel cell power and a turbine-generator unit. The latter includes a generator for supplying power output and a turbine for driving the generator. This system is believed to have an important disadvantage that resides in its lack of compactness, the components of the system being connected functionally, rather than structurally. U.S. Pat. No. 5,923,106, dated Jul. 13, 1999 and granted to Isaak et al. for an xe2x80x9cIntegrated Fuel Cell Electrical Motor with Static Fuel Cell and Rotating Magnetsxe2x80x9d describes a fuel cell with an electrical output integrated within a cylindrical form monopole electric motor. A rotor and a shaft are supported by a bearing attached to the top of the main body of the electrical motor, by another bearing attached to the cover of the body and by a third bearing attached to the bottom of the body. This motor has an important shortcoming. Structurally, the motor is not well engineered, since an accurate coaxiality of the three bearings mounted separately in three different components cannot be easily obtained. U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,322 dated Dec. 21, 1999 and granted to Isaak et al. for an xe2x80x9cIntegrated Fuel Cell Electric Motorxe2x80x9d relates to a motor similar to that described in the above United States Patent, wherein the cell is rotating.
Besides the shortcoming of above United States Patent, the use of a rotating cell increases the mass to be balanced. Thus, it is more difficult to obtain and, especially, to maintain. the balancing of the rotating part of the system.
There is accordingly a need for a fuel cell powered electrical motor which is well engineered, so that the components are easy to manufacture and reliable in operation. It is further desirable to have a compact, versatile and efficient fuel cell powered electrical motor.
Broadly described, the present invention is directed to a fuel cell powered electrical motor which comprises an electrical motor including shaft means, stator means encircling the shaft means and rotor means encircling the stator means. Furthermore, the electrical motor incorporates a base plate means, located perpendicularly to the shaft means at a low part of the latter, and a flywheel means located perpendicularly to the shaft means at a top part of the latter. Fuel cell stack means are circularly disposed on the base plate means between the shaft and stator means, concentrically with both. The shaft means basically revolves together with the flywheel and rotor means with respect to the base plate means, while the fuel cell stack and stator means are attached to the base plate means.
In one aspect of this invention, the fuel cell powered motor includes a commutator located under and attached to the flywheel means. The commutator is electrically connected to the fuel cell stack and rotor means.
In another aspect of this invention, the fuel cell powered motor includes an annular brush disk attached to a top of the fuel cell stack means. The annular brush disk is provided at its upper surface with a plurality of brushes. The latter are adapted to be connected to an outside source of electrical power.
In yet another aspect of this invention, the shaft assembly comprises: a main shaft having an upper flange provided with several apertures, equally spaced and circularly disposed; a flanged sleeve having a low flange provided with several openings, equally spaced and circularly disposed; and a bearing housing internally provided at both ends with a bearing. The bearing housing is mounted on the flanged sleeve. The upper flange is attached to the flywheel means and the bearing housing. The lower flange is attached to the flanged sleeve.
In a further aspect of this invention, the base plate means incorporates a manifold and a sealing plate. The latter is disposed on top of the manifold plate. The manifold plate has a circular recess wherein the sealing plate is lodged. The circular recess is provided at its center with a shaft hole for a main shaft of the shaft assembly. Concentrical channel means is located coaxially with the shaft hole, while notch means extends radially from each of the concentrical channel means. Several downwardly extending apertures start from each of the concentric channel means and communicate with the exterior. Several manifold plate openings are located proximate to a periphery of the circular recess. The sealing plate is provided at its center with a passage hole, while four-hole row means are concentrically disposed around the passage hole. Each hole row means has a series of notch hole means, which correspond, with the notch means in the manifold plate. Both manifold and sealing plates are provided with a pair of coinciding slots: a first slot adapted for an electrical power output from the fuel cell stack means to an external controller and a second slot adapted for an electrical power input from the external controller to the stator and rotor means.
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This invention relates generally to carbon-to-liquids systems, and more specifically to methods and systems for minimizing liquid product variation from a reactor portion of a system.
The terms C5+ and “liquid hydrocarbons” are used synonymously to refer to hydrocarbons or oxygenated compounds having five (5) or greater number of carbons, including for example pentane, hexane, heptane, pentanol, pentene, and which are liquid at normal atmospheric conditions. The terms C4− and “gaseous hydrocarbons” are used synonymously to refer to hydrocarbons or oxygenated compounds having four (4) or fewer number of carbons, including for example methane, ethane, propane, butane, butanol, butene, propene, and which are gaseous at normal atmospheric conditions.
At least some known Fischer-Tropsch (FT) units have been optimized to produce synthesis gas (syngas) from natural gas, also known as Gas-to-Liquids process (GTL). Typically, syngas refers to a mixture of H2, CO and some CO2 at various proportions. To improve C5+ selectivity and minimize selectivity to C4−, i.e. natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) production in known units, a FT reactor is operated with relatively high residence times, with relatively high per pass conversion, and with hydrogen to carbon monoxide (H2/CO) ratios below the consumption ratio. The remote location of most carbon-to-liquids plants makes natural gas and LPG co-production economically unattractive because of the relatively high transportation costs.
Minimizing natural gas and LPG production generally results in a significant fraction (30-40%) of the FT liquids being over-converted to wax. The wax formed must then be converted back to a diesel range, typically C10-C20 hydrocarbons, using a separate hydrocracking reactor. Also, the relatively high per pass conversion that is used to increase C5+ production generally adversely limits the pressure of the FT reactor, and the byproduct water partial pressure increases with conversion and total pressure. As the water partial pressure is increased the catalyst can be generally deactivated through oxidation of the active catalyst sites. Low water partial pressure may cause competitive adsorption of water, CO, and H2 molecules on the catalyst active site, thus reducing syngas conversion. Iron-based FT catalysts in particular can be greatly affected by water. Cobalt-based FT catalysts are generally more resistant to oxidation by water. Other carbonaceous fuels may also be used to provide the syngas input to the FT process. However, undesirable product variations may be caused by the operating characteristics of the known FT gas-to-liquids systems described above.
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The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to an aircraft deicing system, and more particularly, to a deicing system for a rotor blade of a rotary wing aircraft.
Rotary wing aircrafts may encounter atmospheric conditions that cause the formation of ice on rotor blades and other surfaces of the aircraft. Accumulated ice, if not removed can add weight to the aircraft and may alter the airfoil configuration, causing undesirable flying characteristics.
A common approach to ice management is thermal deicing. Thermal deicing includes heating portions of the rotor blades, such as the leading edge for example, to loosen accumulated ice. Centrifugal forces acting on the rotor blades, and the airstream passing there over, remove the loosened ice from the rotor blades. Desired portions of the rotor blades are typically heated using electro thermal heating elements arranged at the leading edges of the airfoils, in direct contact with the blade spar. As a result of this direct contact, a malfunction of the electro thermal heating elements, such as by overheating or shorting for example, may damage the spar thereby affecting the structural stability and/or the airfoil of the rotor blade.
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1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to providing an on-board diagnostic port connector in an automobile with a lockable connection, and specifically to a lockable connection that is discreet and easy to operate.
2. Background of Related Art
On-board diagnostic regulations require passenger cars and trucks to be equipped with a standardized connector to provide access to the vehicles diagnostic information. Since 1996, the standard required has been one published in Society of Automotive Engineers paper SAE J1962, known as OBD-II (or OBD2). This standard specifies the signal and message protocols, the pinout of the connector, and the details of the connector itself.
This standard connector is the access point for the diagnostic and operational information about the vehicle. The OBD-II port is crucial in such tasks as checking and clearing diagnostic trouble codes, allowing for governmental vehicle inspection, and driver provided supplemental instrumentation and telematics. These applications generally involve temporary, and voluntary, connections to the car's OBD-II port, commonly referred to as plug and remove.
In the car rental and fleet vehicle industries, there is often a desire to have a device connected to the vehicle's diagnostics. These devices can be hard-wired into the vehicle's electronics, or they can be plugged into the vehicle's OBD-II port. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Devices that are hard-wired into the vehicle's electronics provide the most secure and least intrusive option. Such devices connect directly to the vehicle control unit or are spliced into the wiring harness of the vehicle. If done properly, these connections will be semi-permanent and very reliable. These devices also allow the OBD-II port to be unobstructed and be available for other devices to connect. Furthermore, since they are made in the vehicles wiring, they are rarely visible or otherwise evident without removing dashboard panels or looking in the engine bay. In a rental or fleet situation, the user not being aware of the device can be helpful to prevent tampering or removal.
Though these hard-wired devices offer several advantages, their main drawback is the cost of time and labor associated with their proper installation. Proper installation of a hard-wired device requires a trained technician to first remove interior panels to access the wiring necessary. Once the technician has access to the wiring of the vehicle, great care must be taken to properly tap into the necessary inputs without doing permanent damage to the vehicle. This process can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days per vehicle. Additionally, mistakes made during this installation can cost thousands of dollars to repair. Once the vehicles are no longer to be used in the fleet, uninstalling them to be installed in other fleet vehicles (or to provide for the sale of the decommissioned vehicle) is an equally labor intensive process.
The alternative to such laborious installation procedures is an OBD-II port connected device. These devices have the advantage of taking only minutes or hours to install and secure in the dash area of the vehicle. Similarly, they are easily uninstalled at the end of a vehicle's service time.
Because they are so easily installed and uninstalled, their downside is that they are often disconnected before it is desired by the fleet owner. This could be from vibrations gradually loosening the connection, an operator accidentally knocking the plug out, or a driver intentionally unplugging a device. The standard for OBD-II requires that the port be located within reach of the steering wheel, which typically results in the port being located in or around the foot well of a passenger vehicle. As such, a driver may accidentally contact the plug, loosening or disconnecting the device from the vehicle. Furthermore, potential operators may seek to intentionally remove the devices, either to prevent the collection of vehicle data, or to steal the device.
What is needed, therefore, is an OBD-II compliant connector that is easy for a technician to install and uninstall, but difficult for an operator to knock loose or remove without permission. It is to such systems and methods that embodiments of the present invention are primarily directed.
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The present invention relates to the field of information technology, including, more particularly, to systems and techniques for simplifying access to different applications.
Organizations look to their information technology (IT) department to plan, coordinate, and manage the computer-related activities of the organization. An IT department is responsible for upkeep, maintenance, and security of networks. This may include analyzing the computer and information needs of their organizations from an operational and strategic perspective and determining immediate and long-range personnel and resource requirements.
Monitoring the computer-related activities of the organization is an increasingly difficult task because the modern workplace is a complex blend of multiple users and multiple applications which combine into a complex and dynamically evolving environment. For example, at any given time multiple applications may be executing on multiple machines or “in the cloud.” It can be hard to follow what is going on in the cloud, for an application, for a given user. Many organizations do not have systems for tracking how resources are used by applications and users.
Thus, there is a need to provide systems and techniques to manage computing resources.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intake device of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to create a swirl motion in the combustion chamber when the engine is operating under a light load and to obtain a high volumetric efficiency when the engine is operating under a heavy load at a high speed, it is well known, to equip each cylinder in an engine with a pair of intake valves, and to arrange a fuel injection in an intake passage. The intake passage is divided into two branch intake passages at a position downstream of the fuel injector, and these branch intake passages are connected to the combustion chamber via the corresponding intake valves. A control valve which is closed when the engine is operating under a light load is arranged in one of the branch intake passages (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 57-70914). In the above arrangement, when the engine is operating under a light load, and since the control valve is closed, air is fed into the combustion chamber from only one of the branch intake passages, thus creating a swirl motion in the combustion chamber. Conversely, when the engine is operating under a heavy load, and since the control valve is open, air is fed to the combustion chamber from both branch intake passages, and a high volumetric efficiency can be obtained. However, since the fuel injector is arranged upstream of the control valve, some of the fuel injected from the fuel injector when the control valve is closed adheres to the control valve. Therefore, since all of the fuel injected from the fuel injector is not instantaneously fed into the combustion chamber, a good accelerating operation cannot be obtained.
Also, since a swirl motion is created in the combustion chamber when the engine is operating under a light load, the burning velocity of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber can be improved. However, in the above arrangement, ignitability is neglected.
Also, well known is an engine in which each cylinder is equipped with a pair of intake valves and a pair of independently arranged intake passages. A control valve which is closed when the engine is operating under a light load is arranged in one of the intake passages. The intake passages are interconnected via a connecting hole at a position downstream of the control valve, and the fuel injector is arranged in the connecting hole (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 57-105534). In this engine, when the engine is operating under a heavy load, and since the control valve is open, air is fed to the combustion chamber from both intake passages, and a high volumetric efficiency can be obtained. In addition, since the fuel injector is arranged downstream of the control valve, there is no danger that fuel injected from the fuel injector will adhere to the control valve.
However, in this engine, since the intake passages are interconnected at a position downstream of the control valve, air is fed to the combustion chamber from both intake passages even if the control valve is closed when the engine is operating under a light load. As a result, the velocity of the air flowing into the combustion chamber is inevitably reduced, and, since it is difficult to create a strong swirl motion in the combustion chamber, it is impossible to sufficiently increase the burning velocity of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. In this engine, also ignitability is neglected.
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The present invention relates in general to teleservice messages within a telecommunications network. More particularly, the present invention relates to reporting the capabilities and features of a mobile station within such a network.
There are many features defined in the mobile stations specifications, such as the ANSI-136 standard. Some of these features are optional while most of them are required per the standard. Each mobile station within a telecommunications network, such as the ANSI-136 network, supports a protocol version (PV) that defines the capability of the mobile station. The different PVs cover the different revisions and capability sets of the standard.
Different PVs support different items, with some items being xe2x80x9cmandatoryxe2x80x9d and some items being xe2x80x9coptionalxe2x80x9d. Typical features for PV0 and PV1 are shown in Table 1.
Typically, PVs are backward compatible, meaning that if a telephone is PV1, then it has all of the PV1 features as well as the PV0 features.
In order that the mobile network will know what revision of the standard that a mobile station supports, the mobile station provides its PV to the mobile network via an (air) interface message such as a registration message or the capability report. Typically, when a mobile station, such as a telephone, registers on a system, it provides its PV in a message to the system.
Wireless operators and infrastructure vendors need to know what capabilities are supported by the customer premises equipment (CPE), including the mobile station, in order to know what messages, physical channel capabilities, and features can be assigned and sent to the CPE. It is contemplated that each mobile station that is registered as a certain PV supports all of the mandatory features. However, many CPE vendors do not support all xe2x80x9cmandatoryxe2x80x9d capabilities of the standard, and the conventional, standardized capability report does not account for mandatory features, only optional features. Thus, the wireless operator and infrastructure vendor cannot be sure of what features and capabilities a mobile station may or may not support.
In order for a mobile station to indicate that it supports a particular PV, all mandatory items for that particular PV must be supported by the mobile station. However, in commercial practicality there are situations where a infrastructure vendor and a wireless operator may choose to provide support for one or more features in a PV prior to the ability to support all of the other mandatory features of the PV.
Conventionally, the base station sends a message to the mobile station requesting its capability. The mobile station responds with a list of the optional features that it supports. It is assumed that the mobile station supports all the required features. However, oftentimes not all the PV features, even the mandatory ones, are in the telephone. The conventional capability reporting services only allow indication of support for features defined in the standard as optional. They do not allow any indication from the mobile station to the infrastructure of support for standardized feature sets which are mandatory in a particular protocol version.
Also, in the ANSI-136 standard, the conventional capability report is a layer 3 message. The wireless operator is dependent on the infrastructure vendor to provide a conduit from the CPE to the wireless operator""s information database. This leads to development costs to the infrastructure vendor and the wireless operator.
The standard does support many optional capabilities. These optional capabilities are not subject to the requirement of the PVs but rather may be optionally implemented in any revision of the standard later than the revision of the optional capability. In order to know that these features are supported by the mobile station, the standard supports a reporting mechanism called a Capability Report and the Capability Update on the digital control channel (DCCH) and the digital traffic channel (DTC), respectively.
The Capability Report may be requested from the mobile station by the base station by a Capability Request flag on the DCCH. The Capability Update may be requested from the mobile station by the base station by sending a Capability Update Request on the forward DTC. Both of these services indicate the protocol and service capability of the mobile station.
There is a need to allow support for select mandatory features without the mobile station having to indicate complete support for a particular PV level. Therefore, there is a need to determine which features, both mandatory and optional, are implemented in a telephone, and which features are not.
The present invention is directed to a mobile station capability message and a system and method for generating a mobile station capability message. The mobile station capability message comprises data indicative of at least one mandatory feature supported by the mobile station. The capability storage message also can comprise data indicative of at least one optional feature supported by the mobile station. The features are each associated with a protocol version that is either the latest protocol version supported by the mobile station or an earlier protocol version. According to one aspect of the present invention, the features are part of the ANSI-136 standard.
An embodiment of the present invention comprises a system and method for generating a capability request message at a remote site, transmitting the capability request message to the mobile station, and generating a mobile station capability message responsive to the capability request message, the capability message comprising data indicative of at least one mandatory feature supported by the mobile station, the at least one mandatory feature being associated with a protocol version. The remote site is one of a base station, a mobile switching center, and a non-base station entity.
According to further aspects of the invention, the capability message is transmitted to the remote site from the mobile station, via an interface comprising, for example, point to point or broadcast mechanisms. The capability request message and the capability message can be part of respective ANSI-136 R-data messages.
According to other aspects of the invention, the capability message is stored in a storage device that can be accessed by the remote site, and receipt of the capability request message at the mobile station is acknowledged.
The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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This invention relates to a grease for constant velocity joints, in particular, a grease for constant velocity joints which has a good extreme pressure property, good durability and vibration inhibiting effect by adding organic molybdenum compound, antimonydialkyl dithiocarbamate (hereinunder referred as Sb-DTC), a zinc dithio phosphate and organic sulfur compound.
The conventionally used greases include greases containing sulfur-phosphorus extreme pressure agent and an extreme pressure grease containing molybdenum disulfide and these greases are in general used in lubricating parts where wears and fretting corrosions are easily caused by extreme pressure, such as constant velocity joints used in motorcars (C.V.J), universal joint, steer linkage, spline shaft gear, coupling in industrial machine, gear motor and transmission gear.
Greases for wear-inhibiting and extreme pressure composed of sulfur-phosphorus compound were disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,466,895 and 3,322,802 and Japanese Patent Publication Soh 66-47099. In these greases, by using sulfur-phosphorus compound independently or in complex, the friction coefficient and extreme pressure were improved. But in order to increase the extreme pressure and decrease the friction coefficient high temperature, a comparatively large amount of additives are required to be used. Some problems remained unsolved such as thermal decomposition of grease by active sulfide derived from the decomposition of sulfur-phosphorus compound in causing high temperature, corrosion and aging by acidic compound.
Greases using organic molybdenum, were disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,840,463, 4,466,901, 4,428,861, 3,400,140 and 4,208,292 which describes greases using organic molybdenum compound (Mo-DTP) independently of other extreme pressure additives. Further U.S. Pat. No. 3,509,051 disclosed a grease which is characterized in using polyurea thickener, organic molybdenum compound, especially molybdenum dialkyl dithiocarbamate (Mo-DTC) and organic zinc compound in mixed condition to the basic oil. However, with respect to the use of organic molybdenum independently, wear-resistance is increased owing to a decrease in the friction coefficient, and there is no synergistic effect between the organic molybdenum and other extreme pressure additives. And as there are limits in extreme pressure of molybdenum disulfide (MoS.sub.2) compound produced by the decomposition of organic molybdenum, in friction condition where extreme pressure property is greatly required, great heat radiation due to lubrication in friction area and great deal of wears like scoring caused.
And in case that a mixture of an organic molybdenum compound and an organic zinc compound (Zn-DTP) is used as with a lithium grease there is an increase in both, friction coefficient and wear-resistance. Though the critical temperature of lithium grease is 120.degree. C., particularly in flanging type constant velocity joints wherein the rolling friction and sliding friction simultaneously occur, the temperature the of surrounding area increases to over the maximum 120.degree. C. because the of impulse load and frictional heat caused by sliding friction. Furthermore, the thermal decomposition temperature of Mo-DTP and Zn-DTP is low therefore are readily decomposed at 120.degree. C. into molybdenum disulfide compound and some cause some detrimental side-effects such as corrosion, sludge and slight-corrosions remain unsolved.
Further Japanese Patent Publication Pyung 5-62639 disclosed a grease composition comprised of molybdenum a compound and sulfur compound, which improved oxidation stability, wear resistance and corrosion-inhibiting effects but failed to reduce the beating noise and vibrations.
Conventionally used greases do not infiltrate into the lubricating area well in bad lubrication conditions which can result in wear and wear vibrations. And in the parts where slight vibrations do occur, the oxide produced by initial corrosion accelerates the wear, and abnormal beating noise, and vibrations occur.
Therefore, the inventors have made efforts to solve the aforementioned problems and at last have succeeded invent a grease which is characterized in that the extreme pressure and the wear-resistance properties are greatly improved, using organic molybdenum, antimony dialkyl dithiocarbamate, zinc dithiophosphate and organic sulfide compound in mixed condition; sludge occurrence possibility is reduced by improving thermal stability of additives; infiltration into the lubricating area is made easy by low viscosity; and good durability is aquired when it applied to constant velocity joints.
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The present invention relates generally to reclining chairs and, more particularly, to an improved "wall proximity" reclining chair.
Traditionally, reclining chairs are equipped with an actuation mechanism which is operatively interconnected between a prefabricated chair frame and a stationary base assembly. The actuation mechanism is typically a combination of various mechanical linkages operable for providing various comfort features such as independent reclining movement of a seat assembly as well as actuation of an extensible leg rest assembly and associated tilting of the chair frame. In "wall proximity" reclining chairs, the actuation mechanism must also be operable to maintain a generally constant clearance between the reclinable seat assembly and an adjacent stationary structure (i.e., wall surface, table, etc.) during the entire range of reclining movement. Generally, the actuation mechanism includes a track arrangement for causing longitudinal movement of the entire chair frame relative to the stationary base assembly during "wall proximity" reclining movement to accommodate for rearward angular movement of the seat back relative to the chair frame.
Due to the relative complexity of conventional actuation mechanisms, it is common practice in the furniture industry to assemble the various mechanical linkages into a "stand-alone" mechanism frame assembly. A prefabricated U-shaped chair frame is frequently bolted around the mechanism frame with the open portion of the "U" corresponding to the front of the chair. Accordingly, such reclining chairs having a mechanism frame assembly located within a prefabricated chair frame are commonly referred to as having a "frame within a frame" construction. As such, most furniture manufacturers do not upholster the exterior surfaces of the prefabricated chair frame until after the mechanism frame assembly has been installed. Unfortunately, the upholstering operation is very inefficient and expensive in that the frequently heavy and cumbersome prefabricated chair frame must be manually manipulated in an extremely labor-intensive manner.
Another disadvantage associated with reclining chairs equipped with conventional actuation mechanisms is that a relatively large amount of frictional drag is typically generated between the upholstered components which must be overcome for smooth movement of the seat assembly between the "upright" and "reclined" positions. As such, lighter weight seat occupants must normally exert a deliberate leveraged thrust or force, in addition to pulling the actuator lever, for completely extending a leg rest assembly and/or moving the seat assembly to its "reclined" position. Moreover, it is often difficult for the seat occupant to return the seat assembly to the "upright" position from the fully "reclined" position due to the relatively large included angle between the seat member and the reclined seat back. Therefore, the seat occupant must exert a relatively large and deliberate leveraged force to return the reclined seat assembly to its full "upright" position. Furthermore, in many conventional recliners, the leg rest assembly cannot be retracted to its "stowed" position from an extended or elevated position until after the seat occupant has completely returned the seat assembly to its fully "upright" position. Likewise, some reclining chairs do not permit independent actuation of the leg rest assembly during the entire range of reclining motion.
While many conventional reclining chairs operate satisfactorily, furniture manufacturers are continually striving to develop improved frames and actuation mechanisms for reducing system complexity and increasing structural soundness and smoothness of operation as well as occupant comfort. Such advanced development is particularly important for "wall proximity" reclining chairs since their actuation mechanisms are inherently more complex due to the requirement of accommodating rearward reclining movement of the seat back relative to a stationary structure. Furthermore, there is a continuing desire to develop improved fabrication and assembly techniques which will result in reduced costs while promoting increased efficiency and improved product quality.
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1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a device for securing a game call securely in close proximity to the user's mouth both for convenience and safety. The game call holder is a band of resilient material, such as elastic, which is provided with at least two securing loops. The band is slid onto the upper arm of the user and a tubular game call is secured in the securing loops in a manner which places the mouthpiece of the call directly in front of the user's mouth when the user raises the arm, such as when sighting a gun or pulling back the string on a hunting bow.
2. Prior Art
The invention relates to the art of securing an air-operated game call in a safe and convenient position on a hunter's body. Game calls have long been used by hunters to attract particular animals into shooting range. Calls are also used by photographers, bird watchers and other sporting enthusiast. Of the several available game calls, air-powered calls of tube-like configuration are probably the easiest to use but do require the use of at least one hand to operate. This generally means that a hunter using a tube-like call will have not have both hands available to aim a gun or pull back a bow.
Safety is always a primary consideration when hunting. Generally, game calls are suspended by a lanyard about the hunter's neck. When the hunter desires to activate the call, the call is picked up and placed in the mouth. A safety problem occurs in this situation as the lanyard suspending the call is prone to snagging the hunter's gun or bow. Of particular concern is the entanglement of the lanyard with the string of a hunting bow immediately prior to release. Several documented hunting injuries have occurred when a game call lanyard has tangled with a hunter's rifle or bow.
A game call holder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,981 which apparently allows a game call to be positioned on the user's shoulder thereby freeing up his or her hands. However, the referenced patent requires the user to turn his head to use the call. It is desirable to have a game call positioned so that the hunter can simultaneously sight her weapon and activate the game call. Further, the referenced patent has multiple components and will require the user to manipulate the holder into a comfortable and usable position. It is desirable to have a game call holder of simple design which is easy to use and which is durable and inexpensive.
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide a game call holder which allows the game call to be positioned in close proximity to the user's mouth for simultaneous activation of the call and sighting of a weapon. The invention will allow hands-free operation of the call and will allow the user to focus on the animal and on aiming the weapon.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved game call holder which allows safe and easy access to the game call while hunting by eliminating a lanyard, or other attachment means, and by positioning the call away from the weapon.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a game call which is easy to use as it requires the user to place a resilient band over his or her upper arm and then fasten the game call in the securing loops provided. The invention eliminates any buckles, hook and loop fasteners, clips, snaps or buttons found in the prior art. Further, the invention will be durable and relatively inexpensive.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microprocessor with a cache memory in which debugging operations are supported, and, in particular, to a microprocessor with a cache memory in which functions for implementing debugging operations are improved.
2. Description of the Background Art
Debugging operations are generally executed to debug in programming in a microprocessor applied system to develop the system.
In detail, a program stored in the system is actually executed before the debugging operations are executed. Thereafter, for example, pieces of data transmitted on an external bus connected to an external memory are monitored. The execution of the program is braked when arithmetic processing is advanced to a designated address or when designated conditions such as access to a piece of designated data are accomplished. After braking the execution of the program, contents of registers and memories are displayed. Also, instructions executed during the arithmetic processing are listed up. Therefore, an operator can debug the program stored in the program.
In this case, the system is generally provided with a plurality of microprocessors which are connected with a cache memory, an arithmetic unit and a control unit. In addition, the system is provided with an external memory connected with the microprocessors to store a large pieces of data, and external buses through which pieces of data, instructions or addresses are transmitted between the microprocessors and/or between the microprocessor and the external memory.
However, there are drawbacks to execute the debugging operations in cases where a program executed in a microprocessor with a cache memory is debugged.
That is, the debugging operations are initially executed according to normal operations.
In detail, in cases where a piece of data is stored at an address of the cache memory, an address hit occurs in the microprocessor when the address is accessed by the arithmetic unit during the execution of the program. Thereafter, under control of the control section, the data stored at the address is read out from the cache memory to utilize in the arithmetic unit or is rewritten to another piece of data which is made in the arithmetic unit. Therefore, an operation accessing to the external memory is not executed in the microprocessor. In other words, instructions or pieces of data transmitted between the cache memory and the arithmetic unit cannot be detected even though the operation accessed from the microprocessor to the external bus is monitored.
On the other hand, in cases where a piece of data is not stored at an address of the cache memory, a cache miss occurs in the microprocessor when the data is accessed by the arithmetic unit during the execution of the program. Thereafter, the data is fetched from the external memory through the external bus to store at the address of the cache memory.
The above debugging operations are executed in the same manner as the normal operations.
In this case, the data transmitted on the external bus is monitored by a data detector. Therefore, in cases where the arithmetic processing executed in the arithmetic unit is scheduled to be braked according to the debugging operations when a piece of data DA0 relating to the cache miss is fetched from the external memory, the data DA0 is detected when the data DA0 is transmitted on the external bus. This operation is one of the debugging operations and is not executed in the normal operation.
Accordingly, the arithmetic processing executed in the arithmetic unit can be braked to debug the program executed in the arithmetic unit.
However, it has been recently required to improve the speed of the arithmetic processing during the normal operation. Therefore, in cases where the cache miss occurs, a group of pieces of data is fetched in a block unit from the external memory to improve the speed of the arithmetic processing. The pieces of data fetched in a block unit are likely to be utilized in the arithmetic unit in serial order.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, in cases where the arithmetic processing executed in the arithmetic unit is scheduled to be braked according to the debugging operations when a piece of data DA2 relating to the cache miss is fetched from the external memory, a data signal requiring a piece of data DA1 is, for example, transmitted to the external memory through an external bus when the data DA1 is accessed by the arithmetic unit in the microprocessor and a cache miss occurs. Thereafter, a group of sequential pieces of data DA1 to DA4 is fetched from the external memory into the cache memory in serial order. That is, the sequential pieces of data DA1 to DA4 are stored at addresses AD1 to AD4 of the cache memory. In this case, the data DA2 is not detected by a data detector because the data DA2 is not required by the data signal even though the data DA2 is fetched into the cache memory from the external memory.
Thereafter, the data DA1 stored at the address AD1 of the cache memory is read out from the cache memory to utilize for the arithmetic processing in the arithmetic unit. Thereafter, the data DA2 stored at the address AD2 of the cache memory is read out from the cache memory without the occurance of the cache miss.
Therefore, it is impossible to specify the data DA2 accessed by the arithmetic unit in the microprocessor even though data signals transmitted through the external bus are monitorred without monitorring a piece of data processed in the arithmetic unit.
Also, even though the data DA2 is detected by the data detector when the sequential pieces of data DA1 to DA4 are stored at addresses AD1 to AD4 of the cache memory, the data DA2 is not necessarily read out by the arithmetic unit after the data DA1 is read out by the arithmetic unit. Therefore, when the arithmetic processing is braked for the debugging operations, the program executed in the arithmetic unit is stopped at a step not relating to the data DA2.
As mentioned above, even though the arithmetic processing executed in the arithmetic unit is scheduled to be braked for the debugging operations when the data DA2 relating to the cache miss is read out from the cache memory to the arithmetic unit, it is impossible to specify the data DA2 because the sequential pieces of data including the data DA2 are fetched in a block unit.
Accordingly, the efficiency for specifying the data for the debugging operations deteriorates, and it is impossible to reliably specify which step is executed in the program.
Therefore, it is impossible to immediately brake the arithmetic processing according to an interruption operation of the debugging operations when the data DA2 relating to the cache miss is read out from the cache memory after the data DA2 is fetched from the external memory. That is, it is difficult to sufficiently execute the debugging operations.
On the other hand, there is another method that the microprocessor is operated according to simplified operations in which the cache memory is not used when the debugging operations are executed to prevent the efficiency for specifying the data DA2 from deteriorating.
However, the frequency that pieces of data are transmitted to the external bus according to the simplified operations is different from that in the normal operations in which the cache memory is used. In addition, the execution time of the program in the simplified operations is also different from that in the normal operations.
Therefore, there is a drawback that the debug operations cannot be efficiently executed while executing the normal operations.
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The present invention generally relates to an interface for direct data transfers and, in particular, relates to such an interface for effecting direct data transfers between an intelligent switch and a microcomputer.
The direct data transfer from the random-access-memory (RAM) of one microcomputer to the RAM of another microcomputer is known. Characteristically, such transfers are effected by means of known handshake signal techniques. Basically, the initiating microcomputer accesses the other to request control of the other microcomputers local bus. When the accessed microcomputer yields control of its local bus, the initiating microcomputer, now controlling the local buses of both devices proceeds to read or write to the accessed RAM and, when the data transfer is complete, signals the completion of the transfer. The accessed device then regains control of its local bus.
Usually, such data transfers are executed to effect the transfer of large amounts of data. The direct data transfer, also referred to as "direct memory access" (DMA) results in a substantial savings of computing time compared to, for example, a first-in-first-out data transfer.
However, also characteristically, the accessed microcomputer, after religuishing its local bus, can only service the accessing microcomputer. For example, if a read is being performed on the accessed device, the accessed device must wait until the completion of that process before executing a read or write itself or participating in a data transfer with another device. It is for this reason that DMA transfers are conventionally restricted to large data transfers.
Further, when accessed, a device provides one address to the accessing device. This address represents a single starting address which the accessing device uses as a starting address from which it will read or to which it will write. That is, only a single starting address is generated by an accessed device for the transfer of substantial blocks of data. Hence, the transfer of a complete block of data must be completed before another starting address is supplied, i.e., before the device can be accessed again.
Still another characteristic of conventional DMA transfers is the requirement that the RAM of the accessing microcomputer must be linked, literally, directly, i.e., without intermediate storage devices, to the RAM of the accessed device. But for this characteristic, the use of DMA transfers would become disadvantageous due to the added read/write steps necessary to carry data through any storage medium.
These characteristics, however, place severe constraints on many potential implementations of such a technique. Hence, the direct transfer of data between a microcomputer and devices such as, for example, an intelligent switch, has, heretofore, been impractical.
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a super-wide-angle lens and an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to a super-wide-angle lens which can be used for a digital camera, a broadcasting camera, a movie camera, and the like; and an imaging apparatus including the super-wide-angle lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there is great demand for cameras in the above fields to have a small F-number which enables photography in dark places and to have high performance which can be compatible with recent high-definition imaging elements. Moreover, for example, some movie cameras and the like are provided with a mechanism for driving power focus of a focusing group (a lens group which moves while focusing) such as an autofocus mechanism and the like. As there are many opportunities to photograph subjects which are moving, there is demand for a lightweight focusing group and suppression of fluctuations in aberrations and fluctuations in the angle of view in order to have superior responsiveness to focusing when the distance to a subject is changed. Taking these circumstances into consideration, the inner focus lens system is often adopted. Examples of the inner focus lens system include the lens systems disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-186269 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-028009.
In contrast, many wide angle type lenses for movie cameras are conventionally of the fixed focus type from the viewpoint of optical performance, and are often used by changing a plurality of lenses according to the intended application. For example, the lens disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-056217 of a retrofocus type in which a negative first lens group, a positive second lens group, and a positive third lens group are arranged in this order from the object side is known as a wide angle lens.
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This invention relates to a header processing engine for processing packet headers.
Computer systems on modern data packet networks typically exchange data in accordance with several different protocols operating at all layers of the network—from protocols governing the quality of service of data streams, to protocols determining the logical construction of data packets, to protocols determining the physical signaling of fully-formed data packets onto the fabric of the network. A typical network data packet will therefore have multiple headers formed in a nested arrangement as the data packet is built up at a computer system. Often data packets will include one or more headers at each of layers 2 to 5 of the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model.
For example, a TCP/IP data packet transmitted over an Ethernet network over which a logical VLAN has been established might have a nested header structure similar to the following: Ethernet/VLAN/IP/TCPAdditionally the packet could have layer 5 headers within the above structure, such as a NetBIOS header.
The headers of a data packet tell a computer system handling the data packet all of the information it needs to know in order to correctly route the payload data of the data packet to its destination and to respond appropriately to the originator of the data packet. Without the packet headers the payload data is simply a series of bits without any context and a computer system would not know how to handle the data. On receiving a data packet a computer system must therefore process the headers of the data packet in order to determine what it is going to do with the data packet.
Generally, some of the header processing is done in software in the end system and some of the header processing is done in hardware. Software processing usually follows the model of a layered protocol stack, with successive headers being stripped and processed in turn. In contrast, hardware processing may process only some headers, or handle combinations of headers as a single entity, in order perform the required operations. Header processing at hardware can be particularly useful for routing packet data, accelerating packet delivery, or for manipulating the header of a packet.
Header processing in hardware is generally performed at a network interface device. As each data packet is received, the network interface device parses the headers of the data packet and performs such operations as: performing checksums, extracting data and looking up the intended destination of the data packet using the address data in the headers. The operations performed generally depend on the type of headers present in the data packet. Since multiple operations are typically required for each data packet and there can be millions of data packets arriving over a network at a computer system every second it is important to ensure that the headers are processed as efficiently and with as little latency as possible.
Conventional header processing hardware uses a dedicated processor to parse the headers in a data packet and perform the processing required for each header as the headers are identified. Such a processor can be efficient in terms of the number of operations the hardware is required to perform, but often waste processor cycles as the same processor executes each operation in the necessary order. For example, the processor must read header data from the packet buffer, identify the headers in each data packet, request look-up operations in forwarding tables at the network interface device, and make calls to hash calculation units at the network interface device. Furthermore, the instruction set of the processor must be large enough to support the range of operations the processor is expected to perform. This can lead to complex processors being used to perform what are in essence a series of repetitive simple operations. Such processors are power inefficient, which is a particular concern in network interface devices for use in blade servers and data farms.
Furthermore, implementing header processing in hardware or firmware using the classic layered protocol stack model is very inefficient, requiring hardware configured to constantly process chains of if-then-else logic over sequences of headers.
There is therefore a need for an improved header processing engine for a network interface device which addresses the above problems.
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{
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This invention relates to four quadrant-loading article handlers and more particularly to a straddle-type loader wherein the operator station moves with the load.
As is known, industries are constantly faced with the problems of the lack of space for storage of industrial goods, parts, rolls, cases and the like. Since enclosing space for storage purposes has increasingly become more and more expensive, the trend has been to construct relatively high storage facilities to avoid lateral expansion which requires greater land use. Thus, the density of storage facilities has increased with minimum aisle space being provided. Thus, order-picker trucks are commonly used wherein the operator stands on the platform on the fork of the truck and the platform elevates to the desired height in the storage area. The articles are then manually moved either from the shelves or bins to the truck platform or from the truck platform to the storage shelves. This, of course, is a hazardous, time consuming and arduous process.
Prior art shows various approaches to the problem. U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,825 discloses a side-loading handling device which incorporates a carriage adapted to be moved at right angles to the prongs of the fork. A turntable is rotatably mounted on the carriage and includes a mast structure which, in turn, is provided with a carriage adapted to be moved vertically. The arrangement disclosed is, in effect, a double order-picker arrangement, each acting independently of the other to perform its function. U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,664 discloses a side-loading fork truck which includes an upright post or mast that is fixedly mounted on the truck body and supports a vertically movable carriage. A guide arrangement is mounted on the carriage for angular movement about a vertical axis. A load-handling fork is arranged on the frame for guided movement in a horizontal plane. U.S. Pat. No. 3,202,242 discloses a truck having a mast and a lifting carriage supported thereon. On the carriage, there is a turntable which is supported by the mast. On the turntable is a guide means for a horizontally movable carriage which supports a fork arrangement for reaching purposes. German Pat. No. 1,026,668 discloses a truck having a vertically movable mast adapted to carry a frame, the frame being mounted on the mast for transverse movement relative to the mast. A fork mechanism is carried by the frame for movement with it and for rotation and lateral movement.
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Gallium arsenates have been widely used in the manufacturing of communication and LED optical electronics products. Hydrogen arsenate gas is one of the compounds that chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process used. Wastewater containing soluble arsenic is generated due to waste gas wash by scrubbers. Currently, the conventional precipitation method is able to treat wastewater containing arsenic. However, it generates a large amount of hazardous sludge, which cannot be disposed of easily and economically; and a wastewater containing arsenic in excess of 10 mg/L, which is much higher than the regulated effluent concentration of 0.5 mg/L. It is, therefore, readily apparent that the development of an environmentally friendly method of treating the arsenic-containing wastewater is urgently called for.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,493 discloses a process for the removal of metals, in particular heavy metals, from the wastewater in the form of their sulfides by mixing the wastewater with a water-soluble sulfide. According to the invention the metal-containing wastewater is thoroughly mixed with the water-soluble sulfide at a suitable pH in a reactor of the fluidized bed type provided with an appropriate bed material, on which the metal sulfide crystallizes out, whereby the thus obtained bed material covered with crystalline metal sulfide is removed from the reactor and new bed material is added to the reactor from time to time. Usually as water-soluble sulfide, an alkali metal sulfide, alkali metal hydrogen sulfide, ammonium sulfide or ferrous sulfide is used, whereas the use of sodium sulfide, sodium hydrogen sulfide, potassium sulfide or potassium hydrogen sulfide is preferred. According to this prior art process, the following metals: Ni, Sr, Zn, Cu, Fe, Ag, Pb, Cd, Hg, Co, Mn, Te, Sn, In, Bi or Sb may be removed. However, only Hg was removed from water at a pH value of 4–10 as shown in the examples disclosed in this prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,662 discloses a process of removing heavy metals (arsenic, tin and lead) from aqueous solutions (groundwater) by precipitation of a salt thereof, wherein an oxidizing agent (ozone, hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid, nitric acid or hydrochloric acid) is optionally used to increase the valence of said metal, and a precipitation-enhancing agent (calcium sulfate, arsenic trioxide, calcium arsenate or cupric oxide) is added to maximize particle size of the precipitate and to facilitate its separation from said solution. This prior art process will generate sludge with water content of 60–80%, which is not only bulky but also difficult to be resourced due to various contaminations contained therein.
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