All The Claims

1. An actuator for driving an operating mechanism that operates an operated member of a vehicle by a driving of an electric drive source comprising:
a housing for supporting the electric drive source;
a detecting means for detecting an operation status of the operated member or the operating mechanism, the detecting means being arranged outside the housing;
a switch connector including a main body and an output terminal mounted on the main body and provided as an electric path from the detecting means;
a power feeding connector formed on the housing and including an input terminal provided as an electric path to the electric drive source, a first engaging portion, and a second engaging portion onto which the main body of the switch connector is fit; and
a third connector positioned within the first engaging portion and including one third connection terminal electrically connected to the output terminal and an other third connection terminal electrically connected to the input terminal;
the output terminal extending through a through-hole formed in the power feeding connector and into the first engaging portion so as to be directly engaged with the one third connection terminal;
the input terminal extending into the first engaging portion so as to be directly engaged with the other third connection terminal.
2. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the input terminal and the output terminal are arranged in parallel to each other inside the first engaging portion.
3. The actuator according to claim 2, wherein the first engaging portion faces an inner panel of an opening and closing member, and the actuator is provided within an opening and closing member of the vehicle.
4. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means is electrically connected to the output terminal of the main body of the switch connector by way of a wire harness extending outside the housing.
5. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a first switch, and wherein the output terminal mounted on the main body of the switch connector is a first output terminal, and further comprising a second switch mounted outside the housing and electrically connected to the second output terminal.
6. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the switch connector and the power feeding connector are connected to one another by way of a convex portion engaging a concave portion, with an interposed seal member.
7. The actuator according to claim 1, the output terminal having a terminal connection portion led to the second engaging portion and a harness connection portion formed at the opposite side of the terminal connection portion, and the harness connection portion is provided as an electric path from the detecting means.
8. A vehicle-mounted electrically operated device comprising:
an actuator including an electric drive source controlled by a control means mounted on the vehicle and receiving an electric power from a power source mounted on the vehicle;
an operating mechanism for operating an operated member of the vehicle by driving of the electric drive source;
a detecting means for detecting an operation status of the operated member or the operating mechanism and outputting a detection signal to the control means, the detecting means being arranged outside the actuator;
a first connector including a main body and a first connection terminal for electrically connecting the detecting means to the control means, the first connection terminal being mounted on the main body;
a second connector formed on the actuator and with which the main body is engageable and disengageable, the second connector including a second connection terminal for electrically connecting the electric drive source to the control device, a first engaging portion, and a second engaging portion onto which the first connector is fit; and
a third connector positioned within the first engaging portion and including one third connection terminal electrically connected to the first connection terminal and an other third connection terminal electrically connected to second connection terminal;
the first connection terminal extending through a through-hole formed in the second connector and into the first engaging portion so as to be directly engaged with the one third connection terminal;
the second connection terminal extending into the first engaging portion so as to be directly engaged with the other third connection terminal.
9. The vehicle-mounted electrically operated device according to claim 8, wherein the first engaging portion is provided to face the second engaging portion across the through-hole.
10. The vehicle-mounted electrically operated device according to claim 9, wherein the actuator is accommodated in an opening and closing member of the vehicle together with the operating mechanism and the operated member, and the first engaging portion faces an inner panel of the opening and closing member.
11. The vehicle-mounted electrically operated device according to claim 8, wherein the actuator includes a housing for supporting the electric drive source and on which the second connector is integrally formed.
12. The vehicle-mounted electrically operated device according to claim 11, wherein the actuator is accommodated in an opening and closing member of the vehicle together with the operating mechanism and the operated member, and the first engaging portion faces an inner panel of the opening and closing member.
13. The vehicle-mounted electrically operated device according to claim 8, wherein the detecting means is electrically connected to the first connection terminal of the main body of the first connector by way of a wire harness extending outside the actuator.
14. The vehicle-mounted electrically operated device according to claim 8, wherein the detecting means comprises a first switch, and further comprising a second switch mounted outside the actuator and electrically connected to a further connection terminal of the first connector.
15. The vehicle-mounted electrically operated device according to claim 8, wherein the first connector and the second connector are connected to one another by way of a convex portion engaging a concave portion, with an interposed seal member.
16. The actuator according to claim 8, the first connection terminal having a terminal connection portion led to the second engaging portion and a harness connection portion formed at the opposite side of the terminal connection portion, and the harness connection portion is provided as an electric path from the detecting means.

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

1-22. (canceled)
23. A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising:
(a) a semiconductor substrate having a first principal surface and a second principal surface; and
(b) a Schottky barrier diode portion provided in the first principal surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the Schottky barrier diode portion comprises:
(b1) a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type provided in the first principal surface;
(b2) a first field insulating film region having an opening and provided in the first principal surface in the first semiconductor region;
(b3) a guard ring region of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type provided in the first principal surface in the opening of the first field insulating film region so as to be in contact with and along an inner periphery of the first field insulating film region;
(b4) a Schottky junction cathode portion in which the first semiconductor region is exposed at the first principal surface within the guard ring region;
(b5) a silicide film provided over the first principal surface over the opening of the first field insulating film region; and
(b6) an anode contact electrode provided over the silicide film over the opening of the first field insulating film region,
wherein the first field insulating film region is in the form of an isolation trench formed in the semiconductor substrate and filled with an insulating film, and
wherein the anode contact electrode is provided primarily over the guard ring region.
24. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23, wherein the anode contact electrode is not provided over the Schottky junction cathode portion.
25. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23, wherein the guard ring region has an entire outer peripheral portion thereof in contact with the inner periphery of the first field insulating film region.
26. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23, wherein the anode contact electrode is divided into a dotted configuration to form an anode contact electrode row.
27. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23, wherein the anode contact electrode is formed immediately after an upper surface of the silicide film is sputter etched.
28. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23, wherein the anode contact electrode is divided into a dotted configuration to form an anode contact electrode row, and a distance between the anode contact electrode row and an inner periphery of the guard ring region is set larger than a distance between the anode contact electrode row and an outer periphery of the guard ring region.
29. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23, wherein the semiconductor substrate is a silicon-based substrate.
30. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23,
wherein a CMOS integrated circuit portion is provided in the first principal surface of the semiconductor substrate, and
wherein the first semiconductor region of the Schottky barrier diode portion is electrically isolated from the CMOS integrated circuit portion by a ring-shaped isolation region of the second conductivity type.
31. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23,
wherein a CMOS integrated circuit portion is provided in the first principal surface of the semiconductor substrate, and
wherein the first principal surface of an outer peripheral portion of the first field insulating film region is such that:
(i) the first semiconductor region in the Schottky barrier diode portion is electrically isolated from the CMOS integrated circuit portion by a ring-shaped isolation region of the second conductivity type, and
(ii) the first principal surface of the outer peripheral portion of the first field insulating film region is surrounded by a ring-shaped isolation contact region of the second conductivity type having a concentration higher than that of the ring-shaped isolation region.
32. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23, wherein a cathode contact region of the first conductivity type having a concentration higher than that of the first semiconductor region is provided in an opening different from the opening of the first field insulating film region.
33. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23, wherein a thickness of the silicide film at a portion where the anode contact electrode is not provided ranges from 20 nm to 30 nm.
34. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23, which is an LCD driver.
35. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23, wherein the first field insulating film region extends deeper into the semiconductor substrate than does the guard ring region.
36. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 23, wherein the first conductivity type is N-type and the second conductivity type is P-type.

What is claimed is:

1. A system for sensing status of a patient in a bed comprising:
a replaceable laminar sensor on said bed;
said laminar sensor having a plurality of force sensing elements distributed throughout said sensor;
processing apparatus responsive to forces sensed by said sensor for forming a weighted sum of the forces sensed by said sensor to provide a distribution of the forces throughout said laminar sensor;
said processing apparatus providing an indication over time of a patient status in response to said weighted average.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said laminar sensor comprises a sheet having discrete sensors therein.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein said discrete sensors include one of capacitive sensors, piezoelectric sensors, and resistive sensors.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein said laminar sensor further includes conductors extending from the discrete sensors to a connection point at an edge of said sheet.
5. The system of claim 2 wherein said sheet is dimensioned to cover said bed over a predetermined range of patient movement.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus includes a near-bed processor and a central processor in communication with said near-bed processor through a communication link.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein said communication link is a wireless link having interfaces at said near-bed processor and said central processor.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus provides patient status information including information regarding patient presence, patient position, patient agitation, patient seizures, patient respiration, and patient security.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus provides patient status information relative to sleep disorders.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus provides patient status information relative to patient drug reactions.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus provides information relative to the presence or absence of patient activity sufficient to avoid bed sores.
12. The system of claim 1 further including a database for recording patient status.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein said processing apparatus provides adaptive indications of patient status in response to database information and sensor signals.
14. A replaceable sheet for use as said laminar sensor of claim 1 and having said sensors therein and conductive lines to said sensors from a connector.
15. A patient monitoring system, comprising:
a plurality of patient-specific sensing sub-systems, each sub-system including a sensing sheet and a sensor signal processing unit electrically coupled to the sensing sheet, the sensing sheet including an insulative substrate having a plurality of sensing elements arranged thereon so as to define a sensing area, the sensor signal processing unit being operative to (i) apply spatial weights to sensor output signals from the sensing elements, (ii) perform a predetermined analysis procedure using the spatially-weighted sensor output signals, and (iii) generate an analysis results signal including information reflecting results of performing the analysis procedure; and
a centralized sub-system communicatively coupled with the sensor signal processing units of the patient-specific sensing sub-systems, the centralized sub-system including receiver circuitry and processing circuitry collectively operative to (i) receive the respective analysis results signals from the sensor signal processing units, (ii) detect certain predetermined clinically significant patterns of the analysis results signals, and (iii) respond to the detection of such patterns by generating corresponding notification signals alerting attending medical personnel to the possible existence of clinically significant conditions.
16. A patient monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein the sensor signal processing unit is portable.
17. A patient monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein (i) the patient-specific sub-systems are coupled to the centralized sub-system via wireless communications links, (ii) each sensor signal processing unit includes a radio-frequency modem operative to transmit the analysis results signal to the centralized sub-system, and (iii) the receiver circuitry of the centralized sub-system includes a radio-frequency modem operative to receive the analysis results signal from the patient-specific sub-systems.
18. A patient monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein the centralized sub-system further includes a paging system operative to transmit the attendant-alerting notification signals.
19. A patient monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein the centralized sub-system further includes an interface to a computer network for transferring data obtained from the analysis results signals to other locations at which the obtained data is used.
20. A patient monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the computer network is an inter-departmental network of a medical facility.
21. A patient monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the computer network is a wide-area network.
22. A sensing sheet for use in a patient monitoring system, comprising:
a planar, flexible, electrically insulative substrate, the substrate having length and width substantially corresponding to the length and width of a patient’s bed;
a pattern of sensing elements on the substrate, the sensing elements being spaced apart to define a sensing area extending substantially entirely across the patient’s bed when the sensing sheet is placed thereon;
a set of conductors on the substrate, the conductors defining conductive paths from respective sensing elements to respective connection points on the sensing sheet; and
a multi-conductor cable extending from the substrate and including a multi-terminal connector, the conductors of the cable forming conductive paths from the connection points of the substrate to the terminals of the multi-terminal connector.
23. A sensing sheet according to claim 22, wherein the substrate includes a set of laminated layers.
24. A sensing sheet according to claim 22, wherein the sensing elements comprise capacitors made from conductive planar elements disposed on the substrate.
25. A sensing sheet for use in a patient monitoring system, comprising:
a first electrically insulative film, the first film having length and width substantially corresponding to the length and width of a patient’s bed and having a pattern of conductive electrodes formed thereon, the conductive electrodes being spaced apart on the film to define a sensing area extending substantially entirely across the patient’s bed when the sensing sheet is placed thereon, the first film also including a set of conductive traces creating individual conductive paths from the electrodes to a connection area of the sensing sheet;
a second electrically insulative film laminated with the first film, the second film having length and width substantially the same as the length and width of the first film, the second film having a pattern of conductive electrodes formed thereon at respective locations directly opposite the respective locations of the electrodes on the first film, the second film also including conductive traces operative to electrically interconnect all of the conductive electrodes on the second film to each other and to the connection area of the sensing sheet; and
a multi-conductor cable extending from the connection area of the sensing sheet and including a multi-terminal connector, the conductors of the cable being operative to create respective conductive paths from respective conductive traces of the first and second films to respective terminals of the multi-terminal connector.
26. A sensing sheet according to claim 25, wherein the signal traces are shielded by corresponding ground traces.

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 moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product, the moulding accessory comprising:
a body sized and shaped to fit with said lifting loop, said body being sufficiently rigid to form said void as said concrete is poured;
wherein said body permits a lifting means to access said recessed lifting loop without needing to remove said body from said void.
2. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body is a hollow body formed of a sheet material.
3. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 2 wherein said sheet material is corrugated cardboard.
4. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 3 wherein said hollow body is a folded up one piece flat blank.
5. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 4 wherein said hollow body includes seamless edges which are position to prevent concrete from flowing into said hollow body.
6. A moulding accessory for forming a void around at least one recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 2 wherein said hollow body includes at least one notch to closely receive said at least one recessed lifting loop.
7. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 6 wherein said notch is sized and shaped wherein when said lifting loop is located within said notch said lifting loop substantially prevents flowable concrete from entering said hollow body through said notch.
8. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 7 further including a tab to extend across said notch.
9. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 8 wherein said tab is bendable into a curved shape to follow a curve of said lifting loop.
10. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 6 wherein said notch is located closer to one end than to another end of said hollow body to form a larger void on side of said recessed lifting loop than on the other side.
11. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 10 wherein said hollow body is provided in a left hand and a right hand version.
12. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 11 wherein said blanks are marked to indicated whether the blank is a left hand or a right hand blank.
13. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 4 wherein said moulding accessory includes one or more portions that may be formed into reinforcing members to be placed with the folded hollow body.
14. A moulding accessory for forming a void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product as claimed in claim 1 wherein said moulding accessory is formed from a sheet material selected from the group of cardboard, corrugated cardboard, plastic, plastic laminates and corrugated plastic laminates.
15. A moulding accessory for forming a void in a moulded concrete product, said moulding accessory comprising:
a generally hollow body sized and shaped to be positioned in a mould adjacent to an exterior surface, said hollow body including a planar surface to abut an exterior surface of said moulded concrete product;
said hollow body being configured to prevent flowable concrete from entering said hollow body when said flowable concrete is poured into said mould;
said hollow body including a transverse notch sized and shaped to permit a lifting loop to pass through said notch and below said planar surface;
wherein said planar surface of said hollow body permits said lifting hook to be inserted under said recessed lifting loop without needing to remove said hollow body from said moulded panel.
16. A method of moulding, in a mould, a lifting void around a recessed lifting loop in a moulded concrete product comprising the steps of:
a) partially moulding said concrete product including positioning a lifting loop in said mould;
b) positioning a hollow void forming body within said lifting loop;
c) completing moulding said concrete product by pouring additional concrete around said void forming body;
d) setting said concrete product; and
e) inserting a lifting hook under said recessed lifting loop without removing said void forming body from said concrete product.
17. A method of moulding as claimed in claim 12 further including the pre-moulding step of folding a flat sheet into the shape of said hollow body.
18. A method of moulding as claimed in claim 13 further including the step of placing said folded hollow body in said mould so that seamless folded edges are exposed to said poured concrete.