Author: claimsbot

1. A gas bag module, in particular a side gas bag module, for a vehicle occupant protection system, comprising
a gas bag (28),
a gas generator (10), a housing (12) of which has several outflow openings (14) which are disposed such that the gas generator (10) is in principle thrust-neutral, and
a closure element which, in a standard case of release of the gas bag module, prevents gas from flowing out, at least in one direction, and in a case of fire is at least in sections one of thermally weakened and destroyed, such that the gas generator (10) blows out gas thrust-neutrally.
2. The gas bag module according to claim 1, wherein in the region of the outflow openings (14), the closure element is in direct contact with the housing (12) of the gas generator (10).
3. The gas bag module according to claim 1, wherein the closure element is made of synthetic.
4. The gas bag module according to claim 1, wherein the closure element closes part of the outflow openings (14) so as to be largely gas-tight.
5. The gas bag module according to claim 1, wherein the closure element is a covering plate (16) with at least one integrally formed appendage (17, 18).
6. The gas bag module according to claim 5, wherein the covering plate (16) has a material of greater thermal stability than the appendage (17, 18).
7. The gas bag module according to claim 5, wherein the appendage (17) engages in an outflow opening (14) of the housing (12).
8. The gas bag module according to claim 1, wherein the gas generator (10), at least in sections, is surrounded by a bracket (20) which in the region of the outflow openings (14) of the housing (12) also has openings (22).
9. The gas bag module according to claim 8, wherein the closure element is disposed between the gas generator (10) and the bracket (20).
10. The gas bag module according to claim 8, wherein the closure element is a covering plate (16) with at least one integrally formed appendage (18) which engages in an opening (22) of the bracket (20).
11. The gas bag module according to claim 1, wherein the closure element comprises at least one fabric layer (24).
12. The gas bag module according to claim 11, wherein the fabric layer (24) is part of a fabric tube (26, 34) surrounding the gas generator (10).
13. The gas bag module according to claim 12, wherein at least in the region of the outflow openings (14) the fabric tube (26, 34) does not have any seams (30).
14. The gas bag module according to claim 12, wherein the fabric tube (26, 34) is multi-layered, at least in the region of the closure element.
15. The gas bag module according to claim 12, wherein the fabric tube (26, 34) rests against the gas generator (10) in the region of the closure element and has a significantly greater diameter than the gas generator.
16. The gas bag module according to claim 12, wherein the fabric tube (26, 34) is totally without seams.
17. The gas bag module according to claim 12, wherein the gas generator (10) is surrounded by two fabric tubes (26, 34) of different diameter.
18. The gas bag module according to claim 1, wherein in the region of the outflow openings (14), the gas generator (10) is surrounded by a tubular housing (36), a first axial end (38) of which is open, and a second axial end (40) of which is closed at least partially by the closure element.
19. The gas bag module according to claim 18, wherein the closure element is a sleeve (42) disposed between the gas generator (10) and the tubular housing (36).
20. The gas bag module according to claim 18, wherein the tubular housing (36) has at least one radial opening (46) which is at least partially closed by the closure element.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing method comprising:
a substrate rotating step for rotating a substrate with the substrate held almost horizontally within a chamber;
a peripheral edge processing step for discharging a processing liquid to a lower surface of the substrate rotated in the substrate rotating step and causing the processing liquid to flow around to an upper surface of the substrate at a peripheral edge thereof from the lower surface of the substrate to process the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the substrate in the chamber; and
a both-surface processing step for discharging a processing liquid to both the surfaces of the substrate rotated in the substrate rotating step to process both the surfaces of the substrate in the chamber.
2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein
the both-surface processing step comprises a post-cleaning step for discharging a cleaning liquid to both the surfaces of the substrate rotated in the substrate rotating step to clean both the surfaces of the substrate after the peripheral edge processing step.
3. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein
the post-cleaning step comprises
a preliminary cleaning step for discharging a preliminary cleaning liquid to the substrate to clean the substrate; and
a deionized water cleaning step for discharging deionized water to the substrate to clean the substrate after the preliminary cleaning step.
4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein
the both-surface processing step comprises
a pre-cleaning step for discharging a cleaning liquid to both the surfaces of the substrate rotated in the substrate rotating step to clean the substrate before the peripheral edge processing step.
5. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein
the substrate processed in the peripheral edge processing step and the both-surface processing step includes a substrate having a metal thin film formed on its one surface and its end surface.
6. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a chamber;
a substrate rotating mechanism disposed in the chamber for rotating a substrate with the substrate held almost horizontally;
a lower surface processing liquid discharge nozzle disposed in the chamber for discharging a processing liquid toward a lower surface of the substrate rotated by the substrate rotating mechanism;
an upper surface processing liquid discharge nozzle disposed in the chamber for discharging a processing liquid toward an upper surface of the substrate rotated by the substrate rotating mechanism; and
a discharge control section for selectively switching, when the substrate is rotated by the substrate rotating mechanism, a peripheral edge processed state where the processing liquid is discharged from the lower surface processing liquid discharge nozzle to process a peripheral edge of the substrate and a both-surface processed state where the processing liquids are simultaneously discharged from the lower surface processing liquid discharge nozzle and the upper surface processing liquid discharge nozzle to process both the surfaces of the substrate, to control the discharge.
7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
the substrate rotating mechanism comprises
a spin base arranged almost horizontally in a disk shape, and
a plurality of chuck pins provided in a standing condition at a peripheral edge of an upper surface of the spin base for holding the substrate.
8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
the lower surface processing liquid discharge nozzle includes a nozzle for discharging the processing liquid toward the center of the lower surface of the substrate held in the substrate rotating mechanism.
9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
the upper surface processing liquid discharge nozzle includes a nozzle for discharging the processing liquid toward the center of the upper surface of the substrate held in the substrate rotating mechanism.
10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein
the upper surface processing liquid discharge nozzle includes an auxiliary nozzle for discharging the processing liquid toward the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the substrate held in the substrate rotating mechanism.

1. A method for programming a programmable electric utility meter, comprising:
utilizing a handheld device to download configuration information to said electric utility meter via an optical link at said electric utility meter;
downloading Internet service provider information from said handheld device to said electric utility meter via said optical link to enable the electric utility meter to communicate with at least one Internet service provider;
transmitting a password to said meter from said handheld device via said optical link, wherein said password is valid only for a pre-determined time period and is required for said electric utility meter to communicate with a server; and
utilizing the handheld device to initiate communications between said electric utility meter and said server after said password is verified by said server.
2. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:
selecting said handheld device from one of a personal digital assistant or a computer.
3. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:
downloading a premises identification code from said handheld device to said electric utility meter via said optical link.
4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
said Internet server provider information comprises at least one telephone number.
5. A method in accordance with claim 4, comprising:
utilizing said at least one telephone number to access said server via a communications link.
6. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:
utilizing said handheld device to control said meter such that said electric utility meter initiates a connection via a public network communications link to said server.
7. A method in accordance with claim 6, comprising:
utilizing said handheld device to cause said electric utility meter to upload stored data to said server.
8. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:
utilizing said handheld device to perform field diagnostic functions with said electric utility meter via said optical link.
9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communication step comprises:
said electric utility meter responding to said handheld device to establish a TCPIP connection to said server via a communications link over a public network.
10. A method in accordance with claim 9, comprising:
sending a message from said electric utility meter to said server indicating that it has powered up.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A computer program product for providing a yield prediction, the computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:
computer program code for obtaining a representation of a circuit, the circuit comprising a common path and a critical path, the critical path representing multiple parallel paths;
computer program code for obtaining a first information parameter representing the common path and a second information parameter representing the multiple parallel paths;
computer program code for performing a variable based simulation based on the representation of the circuit, the first information parameter, and the second information parameter; and
computer program code for determining a result indication of each of the multiple parallel paths based on the variable based simulation compared with a predetermined specification.
2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer program further comprises computer program code for determining a yield prediction, wherein the yield prediction is based on a number of runs receiving a pass indication.
3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer program code for performing the variable based simulation includes computer program code for performing the variable based simulation for a predetermined number of events and for a predetermined number of runs within each of the events.
4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the computer program code for performing the variable based simulation uses a same first information parameter during the predetermined number of runs within a single event and uses a different second information parameter during each of the predetermined number of runs within the single event.
5. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the computer program further comprises:
computer program code for determining a result indication of each of the predetermined number of runs based on the result indication of the multiple parallel paths for each respective run; and
computer program code for determining a result indication of each of the predetermined number of events based on the result indication of each of the predetermined number of runs within each event.
6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer program further comprises computer program code for reducing an original representation of a first circuit to the representation of the circuit, the first circuit comprising the common path and the multiple parallel paths.
7. A method for predicting yield, the method comprising:
obtaining a representation of a reduced circuit, the reduced circuit comprising a common path and a critical path, the critical path being representative of multiple parallel paths;
using at least one processor, performing a variable based simulation of the reduced circuit using a first table of the common path and a second table of the multiple parallel paths, the variable based simulation including a predetermined number of events and a predetermined number of runs within each event; and
determining a result indication based on the variable based simulation.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
obtaining a representation of an original circuit, the original circuit comprising the common path and the multiple parallel paths; and
reducing the representation of the original circuit to the representation of the reduced circuit.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the variable based simulation includes using a same first table for each run within one of the predetermined number of events.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the variable based simulation includes using a different second table for different runs within one of the predetermined number of events.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein the performing the variable based simulation is performed by multiple processors.
12. The method of claim 7 further comprising predicting a yield based on the determining the result indication.
13. The method of claim 7 further comprising optimizing a representation of an original circuit comprising the common path and the multiple parallel paths.
14. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
sweeping a minimum power supply voltage during the performing the variable based simulation and the determining the result indication;
obtaining a minimum power supply voltage probability-chart of an original circuit comprising the common path and the multiple parallel paths based on the sweeping the minimum power supply voltage; and
predicting a minimum power supply voltage target yield.
15. A system for yield prediction using multi-computing, the system comprising:
a storage node storing common data, the common data comprising a representation of a circuit including a common path and a critical path representative of multiple parallel paths, and the common data further comprising a first table representative of local variation in the common path and a second table representative of local variation in each of the multiple paths;
a first processor configured to simulate a first predetermined number of events using a variable based simulation based on the common data;
a second processor configured to simulate a second predetermined number of events using the variable based simulation based on the common data; and
a communication node between the storage node and the first processor and between the storage node and the second processor enabling access of the common data by the first processor and the second processor.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first processor and the second processor each are configured to simulate a predetermined number of runs within each of first predetermined number of events and each of the second predetermined number of events, respectively.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first processor and the second processor each are configured to use the variable based simulation based on a same first table for each run of a respective event.
18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first processor and the second processor each are configured to use the variable based simulation based on a different second table for each run of a respective event.
19. The system of claim 15, wherein the first processor and the second processor are each configured to provide a result indication for each of the first predetermined number of events and each of the second predetermined number of events, respectively.
20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a third processor configured to calculate a predicted yield based on the result indication of each of the first predetermined number of events and the second predetermined number of events.