A method is disclosed for providing a steady transition state for an integral pneumatic dispensing system that is related to a robot. The method dispenses a single material using a pneumatic dispensing system having a single output including first and second shotmeters having first and second meters, first and second encoders and first and second pressure transducers. The method includes the step of loading the first shotmeter with the material. Once loaded, a pressure is applied to the material. The material is then dispensed out of the first shotmeter by forcing the material through the single output. Once the material in the first shotmeter is dispensed to a predetermined volume, the method begins to transition the flow of material from the first shotmeter to the second shotmeter. The transition includes the control of the volume being dispensed and the pressure applied to the material. By controlling both the volume and the pressure of the material, the transition between the two shotmeters is smooth allowing for uninterrupted production. In addition, the volume of material being applied can be better monitored reducing the number of times the production has to stop due to inadvertently running out of material.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to pneumatic controls for dispensing materials at the end of a robot arm. More specifically, the invention relates to an integral pneumatic control system and a method for controlling same to eliminate fluctuations in material flow rates.
2. Description of the Related Art
The manufacture of goods can often require the application of viscous materials. These materials may be used to paint, seal, coat, adhere, weld and the like. The material must be applied in a uniform and automated fashion. In many instances, the material is directed by a robot that has been programmed to apply materials to the items being manufactured or treated.
Dispensing materials out of a gun at the end of a robot arm is difficult, especially as the viscosity of the material being applied grows. Dispensers that perform such tasks are large and incapable of being located at the end of a robot arm. Problems arise when the dispensers increase the cycle time of production merely because the reloading time required approaches the magnitude of minutes. Another issue relating to automatically dispensing material relates to inventory control. If control of the volume of material is not good, it will be difficult to determine when the system will need to be reloaded. Further, it will also be difficult to determine just how much material is required to complete a task for a particular piece or part.
One attempt to overcome the deficiencies in reloading dispensers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,112, issued to Eisenhut et al. on Oct. 20, 1987. This reference discloses a pumping system having two fluid pumps. Two reed switches indicate a fully loaded reservoir and an empty reservoir. The reed switch configuration is found on each of the fluid pumps. As the fluid in one reservoir is emptied, a reed switch indicates this condition. It turns off the pump associated with that reservoir and turns the pump on for the other reservoir. This system is deficient because the switching between reservoirs occurs in an abrupt fashion. There is no moderate transition between the two reservoirs. If this pumping system were employed in an automated assembly line, some parts may pass the robot without receiving an adequate amount of the material or the application of the material will be uneven. In many application scenarios, this abrupt switch-over from one reservoir to another will not be acceptable.
A robot assembly is disclosed for applying a material to a part. The robot assembly includes a robot arm that is movable through a plurality of axes pursuant to a given set of instructions. The robot arm includes a plurality of elements, each separated by at least one joint. The robot arm extends between a base end and a distal end. A pneumatic dispensing system is used in conjunction with the robot arm for dispensing the material from the distal end of the robot arm onto the part. The pneumatic dispensing system controls the volume and speed at which the material is applied to the part. The robot arm determines where the material is applied with respect to the part. A robot controller controls the position, orientation, and speed of movement of the robot arm with respect to the part as the robot arm moves through its designated motion. The robot controller also controls the volume of the material being applied to the part by the pneumatic dispensing system.

Integral pneumatic dispenser and method for controlling same


An illuminating device includes: a lamp device that includes a lamp body, which is a light source, and a concave reflector for reflecting light emitted from the lamp body; and a lens member that has a planar optical surface and a nonplanar optical surface opposite to the planar optical surface and is provided on an emission side of the lamp device. In the illuminating device, the lens member is arranged such that a normal line of the planar optical surface is slightly inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to an optical axis of the lamp device. The lens member is arranged such that light beams substantially parallel to the optical axis are incident on the planar optical surface, and a filter that reflects at least one of an ultraviolet ray and an infrared ray is provided on the planar optical surface.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an illuminating device using a lamp and a projector provided with a light modulating device, such as a liquid crystal display panel, illuminated by the illuminating device.
2. Related Art
There has been proposed an optical system for a projector that includes a pair of dichroic mirrors for separating white light emitted from a projecting light source into red, blue, and green light beams, an optical path refracting mirror, serving as an infrared ray filter provided on an optical path of the separated red light beam, and an optical path refracting mirror, serving as an ultraviolet ray filter provided on an optical path of the separated blue light beam (see JP-A-2-253291).
Further, there has been proposed another optical system for a projector in which a pair of fly eye lenses for uniformizing light are arranged in front of a light source lamp, one surface of a front fly eye lens on which light is incident is a convex surface, and a filter for reflecting infrared rays is formed on the convex surface (see JP-A-10-161241).
In the former optical system, a filter is formed on an inclined mirror arranged on an optical path of the separated light beam. In this case, generally, the inclined mirror is inclined at an angle of 45° with respect to an optical axis. In this structure, the area of the filter needs to be 21/2 times larger than that when the filter is arranged orthogonal to the optical axis. That is, it is necessary to increase the area of the filter as the tilt angle of the mirror becomes larger, which results in an increase in manufacturing costs.
In the latter optical system, the filter is formed on the convex surface of the fly eye lens. In this case, since light is incident on the filter at various angles, the filter may not filter some light beams. That is, the filtering efficiency of the filter is lowered, which causes an increase in the amount of ultraviolet rays or infrared rays passing through the filter.


A system for controlling leakage of diesel fuel into the natural gas side of a dual fuel injector during low pressure natural gas conditions comprises a leakage control valve that blocks the diesel fuel line during very low natural gas line pressure conditions, including start-up and limp-home mode conditions.

In a diesel fuel internal combustion engine, air is introduced into each combustion chamber (cylinder) during an air intake stoke, then compressed during a compression stroke. The compression increases the air temperature so that when diesel fuel is introduced into the cylinder at the top of the compression stroke the diesel fuel vaporizes and ignites in a process called compression ignition. The ignited fuel undergoes rapid expansion, driving the piston downward during the power stroke. Exhaust gases are expelled during an exhaust stroke and the four-stroke diesel cycle begins again.
Diesel fuel engines enjoy high reliability, primarily due to the absence of the electrical ignition system required by their gasoline powered counterparts, and generally better fuel economy than gasoline powered engines. However, in recent years natural gas has become a desirable fuel source for internal combustion engines due to its lower cost and significantly lower emissions. Large diesel engines can be converted to run on natural gas with diesel fuel as a pilot (ignition) fuel. These "dual fuel" engines require onboard natural gas and diesel fuel (dual fuel) delivery systems.
The natural gas may be stored onboard in a pressurized temperature controlled tank as liquefied natural gas, or LNG. The natural gas is introduced by a dual fuel injector into the combustion chamber, where the natural gas is ignited by the separate injection of the diesel fuel by the same dual fuel injector.
In addition to serving as a pilot fuel, the diesel fuel may be used to lubricate the natural gas side of the dual fuel injector, particularly the natural gas upper guide and needle valve seat. This requires fluid communication between the diesel fuel line and the natural gas side of the injector. To minimize the migration of natural gas from the injector back into the diesel fuel line, a pressure differential is maintained between the natural gas side of the dual fuel injector and the diesel fuel line. A hydraulic seal serves to maintain this pressure differential during engine operation, with the pressure on the diesel fuel side exceeding the pressure on the natural gas side by about 5 megaPascals (MPa).
At engine start-up and in limp-home mode conditions, the natural gas line pressure can drop well below its normal operating pressure, even to zero. A low natural gas line pressure can result in an unacceptably high flow of diesel fuel into the natural gas side of the injector and back into the natural gas line.
The present disclosure is directed toward one or more of the problems set forth above.

Diesel fuel leakage control system for a dual fuel injector


A reconfigurable low-noise amplifier (LNA) is disclosed. The reconfigurable LNA includes amplifier circuitry having a gate terminal coupled to an input terminal, a source terminal coupled to a fixed voltage node, and a drain terminal coupled to an output terminal. The reconfigurable LNA further includes a gamma inverting network (GIN) coupled between the input terminal and the fixed voltage node, wherein the GIN has a first switch configured to disable the GIN during operation at first frequencies within a lower frequency band relative to a higher frequency band and to enable the GIN during operation at second frequencies within the higher frequency band.

Gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor-based low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), like other semiconductors, have a complex source impedance or reflection coefficient referred to in industry as gamma, opt (GOPT) that provides a minimum noise figure (NFMIN). For a well-matched LNA, GOPT and an LNA's scattering parameter S11, known as the return loss parameter, are both close to 50Ω in the center of the Smith chart.
These types of LNAs also have a preferred gate periphery for a given frequency band. The preferred gate periphery is chosen based upon GOPT. Thus, it has been traditionally desirable to reconfigure the gate periphery for each band of operation. However, traditional reconfiguration of the gate periphery requires additional radio frequency isolation switches on gates and drains of the LNA. Parasitic electrical characteristics associated with the additional radio frequency isolation switches prohibit exploiting inherent NFMIN properties of the LNA at high frequencies. Thus, there is a need for a reconfigurable LNA having a fixed gate periphery and an adjustable noise matching architecture that provides multi-octave frequency operation for next-generation advanced wideband radio systems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Reconfigurable low-noise amplifier (LNA)


A configurable timer may be used for seamless authentication administration. A network administrator may set the timer value. Then the network administrator may begin to update the authentication configuration or key and the timer may begin to count down. While the timer counts down, the network device may still send outgoing packets using the old authentication configuration or key and may begin to authenticate incoming packets using both the old authentication configuration or key and the new authentication configuration or key. Once it expires, the network device may begin to send outgoing packets using just the new authentication configuration or key. The counter may then be reset and counted down again. Once the counter expires a second time, the new authentication configuration or key may be used for both incoming and outgoing packets. Two-timer implementations are also possible.

The concept of authorization in a computer network involves the verification of the identity of a user. This is mainly used as a security feature to ensure that unauthorized access does not occur. There are many different types of authentication available, and the choice of authentication type can be based on many factors, not the least of which is the protocol used in transmitting packets throughout the network. Additionally, each authentication type can have many different styles available. For example, the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) Internet routing protocol provides for three possible authentication styles: no authentication, simple password authentication, and Message Digest (MD5) authentication. Thus it is sometimes necessary for a network administrator to change the authentication configuration style of the network. Additionally, certain authentication styles, such as MD5, provide for a key to be used cryptographically. Thus, it is sometimes necessary for the network administrator to change the key while remaining within the same style of authentication.
A problem, however, is encountered when altering configuration styles and keys. A network is not a single entity, it is in fact composed of many different devices all communicating to each other. Typically, therefore, a network administrator will need to update many routers throughout the network whenever a common change is required. However, updating many devices can take time, and during that time the system may not run properly and/or unauthorized users may gain access, because some devices may contain the new configuration or key information while others still only have the old configuration or key information. Thus, what is needed is a solution that allows for the seamless updating of configuration or key information.
One solution that has been attempted in the past is to keep a set of timers, one configurable, and one not. This approach was limited to changing key information in the MD5 style and did not apply to style/general configuration changes. In it, a key activation timer, configured by the administrator, was started upon an MD5 key change. The old key was used for transmitting packets before this timer began counting down, and the old key was used for authenticating received packets as well. After the timer activated, the old key was still used for transmitting packets and both the new and the old key were used to authenticate incoming packets.
When the key activation timer lapsed, an old key deactivation timer was started. This old key deactivation timer was not configurable. While the old-key deactivation timer counted down, the new key was used to send packets, and both old and new keys were used to authenticate incoming packets. After the timer ran out, the new key was used to send out packets, and the new key was used to authenticate incoming packets.
This approach had several problems, however. First, the behavior of the authentication state transitions was not consistent. Thus, none-to-simple transitions happened immediately, but MD5 key changes waited for the activation timer. This caused some confusion as to when exactly a new configuration style would be activated. Additionally, the old key deactivation timer would sometimes have a delay that was too long or too short for the network in which it was operating. For example, in a smaller network, changes are iterated through the routers much faster, and the fixed time could be too long, causing unnecessary delay in fully implementing the new key. Additionally, in a very large network, the fixed time could be too slow, causing reliability issues.
What is needed is a solution that does not suffer the drawbacks of the prior art.


A dodger with a hard fiberglass top shell is disclosed for mounting to a sailboat. A mold utilizing a flexible sheet--such as a 1/4 inch plywood sheet--is warped and held interior of a surrounding frame rectilinear to match the desired profile of the hard top shell of the dodger. Warping occurs to match cabin camber with the port and starboard sides of the hard dodger top turning down to be approximately tangent to the cabin sides from the projected height of the dodger. The hard shell top is mounted above the deck by system of stanchions and upper and lower stanchion supports fastened to the deck and underside of the hard shell top respectively. The addition of front and side curtains completes the dodger assembly, which is easily constructed, easily removed, and easily repaired.

Anyone who has ever operated a sailboat beating to weather in choppy water can attest to the relentless spray visited on the crew. Simply stated, the bow of the boat bobs up and down relative to the passing seas, throwing water into the air. The air, rushing over the surface of the water and boat hull, rapidly entrains the water carrying it aft into the eyes of the operating crew. The crew--who must look forward into the intended path of travel of the sailboat--are constantly bathed in sprays of relatively high velocity water. And when the water is salt water, stinging of the eyes results.
The solution to this problem is a structure known as a "dodger." The dodger is a shield having at least forward transparent walls behind which the crew can take refuge and even operate the boat in relative comfort.
Dodgers for sail boats are typically constructed of canvas draped over a series of pipe supports. In order understand the prior art, the system of pipe supports will be discussed first. Thereafter, the art of cutting and fitting of the canvas will be summarized.
Dodgers are supported on a system of pipe supports. Simply stated this system of pipe supports includes stainless steel forward and aft bows. The aft bow is typically hinge mounted to the after top portion of the deck house. This aft bow extends at an angle in the range of 30.degree. relative to the fore and aft line of the deck house to define an arcuate bow for supporting the leading edge of the dodger. From the aft bow there is mounted a forward bow. This forward bow is fastened to the aft bow at an elevated location slightly above the deck house over which the dodger is mounted. From its mounting, the forward bow extends at an angle again of about 30.degree. relative to the fore and aft line of the deck house. At its trailing edge, the aft bow defines a generally arcuate bow to which the trailing and open edge of the dodger is mounted. Typically there is added to the forward and/or aft bows and deck, one or more bars which maintain the system of bows as a rigid structure. Usually this system includes a vertical piece extending between the forward and aft bows and grad rails extending between the bows but mounted to the outside of the canvas surface of the dodger.
Making a dodger to fit the variant lines of sailboats is a work of art. Typically, the forward and aft bows have to be bent so that when they are angularly mounted at their respective 30.degree. angles to the deck, they follow both the camber of the top of the deck house as well as the typically inward canted sides of the deck house. There after, canvas is cut and custom sewn to fit the lines of the bows. The top of the dodger is of canvas. The front and side panels mount to the dodger usually in a one piece integral construction. When finished, a well made canvas dodger appears integral to the boat almost as if the dodger were part of the original boat construction.
Unfortunately, sewn canvas has a finite life which in an over simplified manner can be described in two stages. First, and with approximately three years of sun, wind and weather, the stitching breaks down and the dodger must be resewn. Secondly, and at the end of six years, the canvas must be replaced. In either case, the canvas changes dimension. Consequently, the dodger must be re-worked or replaced by a skilled artisan as a whole and refit to the system of bows. In short, the maintenance of canvas dodgers is a labor intensive task requiring a skilled artisan.
Canvas dodgers have their drawbacks. They are not easily removed. Complete disassembly of both the canvas as it attaches to the frame and finally the frame itself is required. Further, and depending upon the particular cockpit configuration of a sailboat, the clearance between the bottom of the dodger and the cockpit "well" entering the sail boat can be small and cramped for those entering and leaving the below deck space of the sail boat. Unfortunately, the standard canvas dodger cannot make provision for overhead opening to facilitate below deck access.

Dodger for sailboat having hard cover and process for fabrication thereof


An athletic shoe, in particular a running shoe, having improved cushioning and energy returning properties that vary depending upon the speed of the runner due to incorporation of at least one insert containing dilatant compound encapsulated in a shell and set into the midsole of the running shoe is disclosed. A method for converting the midsole of an existing running shoe is also disclosed.

Shoes are generally intended to provide comfort and protection to the foot by fulfilling a number of functions related to the interface between the bottom of the foot and the surface on which the foot impacts during walking and running. Among these functions are: protection against cuts and abrasion; traction to prevent slipping; shock absorption to avoid injuries and bone and muscle damage that can be caused by repeated pounding of the foot against the walking or running surface; flexibility to allow natural body movements; cushioning for comfort; and the ability to behave elastically so that energy is conserved in walking and running.
Running shoes are shoes specifically made for running. Some running shoes are made for athletic competitions based on speed and endurance. Other running shoes are made for training for said competitions, as well as for non-competitive-related running for purposes such as exercise and fun. It is desirable during periods of actual competition to maximize the elastic behavior of a running shoe each time the runner's foot hits the ground, so as to conserve energy and provide a spring-like energy-returning effect with each step the runner makes and thereby assist the runner in achieving and sustaining higher speed, while nevertheless giving a level of cushioning and energy absorption suitable for comfort and injury and damage prevention. However, when running shoes are worn during periods when higher speed is less important, such as non-competitive running, walking, and jogging, it is desirable to maximize cushioning for comfort and shock absorption to prevent injury and damage. Moreover, it is desirable that all components of a running shoe be durable and lightweight.
Elasticity affects speed in two important ways. First, when the shoe behaves elastically, more energy is returned, and running becomes more efficient. It is known from physics that the fundamental, or resonant, frequency (F) of simple harmonic oscillator (a mass connected to a spring) is given by the expression,F=A times square root (K/M)where A is a constant, K is elasticity of the spring, and M is the mass of the body. The amplitude of oscillation and energy efficiency is greatest at resonant frequency, and the above equation shows that the resonant frequency increases with increasing elasticity, and with decreasing weight. A runner's resonant frequency also increases in a similar way, so that as the shoes become more elastic, at a given weight the runner becomes more efficient at a faster pace.
According to Hooke's Law, elastic materials can be described in terms of a property known as the elastic modulus, that is, a linear relationship between applied force and the amount the materials deform. For a given level of applied force, low-modulus materials deform more than high-modulus materials. Running shoes that interpose low-modulus materials between the bottom of the foot and the walking and running surface are better for absorbing energy to provide cushioning and shock absorption. Running shoes that interpose high-modulus materials are better for storing elastic energy and returning it to the runner's foot as it lifts off the ground. Running shoes can be optimized for either cushioning and shock absorption on the one hand or speed on the other hand by control of the elastic modulus.
Accordingly, a great variety of running shoes and related devices is available on the market and described in prior art. Many running shoe components and materials are known which provide cushioning that attenuates and dissipates ground reaction forces. Prior art shoes have long incorporated a midsole composed of closed cell viscoelastic foams, such as ethyl vinyl acetate ("EVA") and polyurethane ("PU"). EVA and PU are lightweight and stable foam materials that possess viscous and elastic qualities. The density or durometer, i.e., hardness, of EVA and PU can be altered by adjusting the manufacturing technique to provide differing degrees of cushioning. Alternate shoe structures for cushioning the impact of heel strike by incorporating gas or liquid or cushioning devices combinations thereof in chambers in the midsole are also well known. However, said running shoes and related devices are generally constructed of materials and in such a manner as to interpose materials having fixed elastic moduli between a runner's foot and the walking and running surface in order to achieve specific cushioning, shock absorbing and energy storing and returning properties.
Dilatant compounds are also well known. For purposes of this invention, a dilatant compound is a polymeric material that changes from soft and pliable under slow application of a load to elastic and bouncy under rapid application of a load. Technically, this means that a dilatant compound is a polymeric material whose yield point and elastic modulus increase with increasing strain rate. In other words, it is a liquid with inverse thixotropy, that is, a viscous liquid suspension that temporarily solidifies under applied pressure. Alternatively, it can be described as a liquid suspension in which the resistance to flow increases faster than the rate of flow.
A well-known example of a dilatant compound is the toy, Silly Putty® as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,541,851. (Silly Putty is a registered trademark of Binney and Smith). Silly Putty® flows when slowly squeezed in the hand, but bounces when dropped on the floor. This behavior is known as strain-rate sensitivity. As shown in FIG. 7, the material is soft and pliable under slow application of load, or slow strain rate. At faster application of load, or high strain rate, the material behaves elastically, as indicated by the steeper slope of the left-hand side of the fast-load response shown schematically on FIG. 7.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 7, the yield point, i.e., the load at which the response changes from sloped (elastic) to horizontal (plastic) also increases at faster application of load. Since the amount of elastic energy stored is equal to the area beneath the elastic portion of the curve, it is evident that much more energy is stored during fast loading.
While it has been taught to interpose devices having variable elastic moduli between a runner's foot and the midsoles of running shoes so as to provide variable shock absorbing and cushioning properties, it has not been taught to provide midsoles that achieve higher energy storing and returning properties at higher running speeds.

Shoe with cushioning and speed enhancement midsole components and method for construction thereof


A hypodermic syringe barrel and needle cannula assembly is provided that is capable of being dry heat sterilized at temperatures of greater than about 250xc2x0 C. and up to about 350xc2x0 C. in which the assembly includes a syringe barrel, a needle cannula and a bonding material, where the bonding material is stable above about 250xc2x0 C., cures to provide a transparent bond, and affixes the needle cannula into the syringe barrel to provide the assembly with a post-sterilization needle pullout strength of at least about 30 newtons.

The present invention is directed to a hypodermic syringe barrel and needle cannula assembly that is capable of being dry heat sterilized at high temperatures. The invention is more particularly directed to a hypodermic syringe barrel and needle cannula assembly that is capable of being dry heat sterilized at temperatures of greater than about 250xc2x0 C. and up to about 350xc2x0 C. in which the assembly comprises a syringe barrel, a needle cannula and a bonding material, where the bonding material fills a portion of the passageway into which the needle cannula is placed and thereby immobilizes and affixes the needle cannula to the tip of the syringe barrel. The selected bonding material is stable above about 250xc2x0 C. and cures to provide a transparent bond. The amount of bonding material used is pre-selected, preferably in relation to the interference length of the passageway, to provide the assembly with post-sterilization needle pullout strength of at least about 30 newtons.
Hypodermic syringes typically include an elongate cylindrical barrel having opposed proximal and distal ends and at least one chamber in between suitable for holding a substance such as a fluid medicament, drug or vaccine. The proximal end is open to allow the introduction of a plunger and may include a flange portion that functions as a finger hold. The distal end typically forms a tip that is closed except for a narrow passageway extending from the barrel chamber through the tip to the tip end and the exterior. A needle cannula is attached to the tip of the barrel directly within the passageway or indirectly via a needle holder. When the needle cannula is affixed into the passageway, it is typically attached with an adhesive.
Syringes with needle cannulas affixed with an adhesive are characterized by a dimension known as the xe2x80x9cinterference lengthxe2x80x9d that defines that portion of the passageway measured from the tip end of the syringe barrel to the bottom end of the affixed-needle cannula. Prior art syringes are generally known to have an interference length of about 5 to 10 millimeters.
Dry heat sterilization at high temperatures is the preferred methodology for sterilizing glass and steel medical device products including syringes primarily due to its ability to destroy or inactivate microbial pyrogens and bacterial endotoxins that may have been left in the syringes during manufacture or processing. The preferred dry heat sterilization temperature is in the range of 250xc2x0 C. to 350xc2x0 C.
Prior art syringe barrel and needle cannula assemblies, however, could not survive temperatures approaching 250xc2x0 C., primarily due to incineration and vaporization of the adhesives that were used to retain the needle cannulas in the syringe tips. The degradation processes of those adhesives have resulted in broken tips and/or loss of needle pullout strength. Additionally, at temperatures above about 180xc2x0 C., most of the adhesives used in the assemblies exhibited coloration due to the heat, resulting in rejections based mainly on aesthetics. Until now, it has been necessary to sterilize hypodermic syringe barrel and needle cannula assemblies at substantially lower temperatures.
Accordingly, due to the incumbent advantages of high temperature dry heat sterilization, there has remained an on-going need to develop a hypodermic syringe barrel and needle assembly capable of being dry heat sterilized at temperatures of greater than about 250xc2x0 C. without degradation to the adhesive used to affix the needle cannula to the syringe barrel.
The present invention is a hypodermic syringe barrel and needle cannula assembly capable of withstanding high temperature dry heat sterilization/-depyrogenation at temperatures of at least about 250xc2x0 C. and up to about 350xc2x0 C. As contemplated in the present invention, the needle cannula is affixed within the tip of the syringe barrel with a bonding material. The syringe barrel and needle cannula assembly (referred to herein as the xe2x80x9cbarrel assemblyxe2x80x9d or the xe2x80x9cassemblyxe2x80x9d) is capable of being dry heat sterilized at temperatures of at least about 250xc2x0 C. and up to about 350xc2x0 C. without any substantial degradation to the bonding material or the assembly. More specifically, the barrel assembly of the present invention preferably uses a polymer-based bonding material that includes a polymerization initiator and remains stable at temperatures greater than about 250xc2x0 C. and up to about 350xc2x0 C. The bonding material fills a portion of the crevice region that is formed between the exterior surface of the needle cannula and the interior surface of the passageway. The amount of bonding material used is pre-selected to provide the assembly with post-sterilization needle pullout strength of at least about 30 newtons or average needle pullout strength of at least about 60 newtons. The amount of bonding material used in the crevice region is characterized by a dimension referred to herein as the xe2x80x9cbonding depthxe2x80x9d that defines the depth of the adhesive in the passageway measured from the tip end. In the present invention, the bonding depth is preferably in relation to the interference length (as noted above, the xe2x80x9cinterference lengthxe2x80x9d refers to the distance of the needle cannula within the passageway). While it is fully contemplated the bonding depth may vary with the outer dimension of the cannula, it is preferred that bonding depth be at least about 2 millimeters and up to about 100% of the interference length.

High temperature dry heat sterilizable syringe barrel and needle cannula assembly


Serial transmission data is divided into an odd-numbered bit sequence and an even-numbered bit sequence. Each bit of the odd-numbered bit sequence data is distributed respectively between pulses of a first pulse sequence signal having a constant interval, thereby forming a first pulse sequence signal (SDCKA). Each bit of the even-numbered bit sequence data is distributed respectively between pulses of a second pulse sequence signal having a constant interval, thereby forming a second pulse sequence signal (SDCKB). The respective time axes are adjusted such that the clock component of the first pulse sequence signal is located in the data section of the second pulse sequence signal, and the clock component of the second pulse sequence signal is located in the data section of the first pulse sequence signal. Data is transmitted using these adjusted first and second pulse sequence signals (SDCKA, SDCKB).

Data transmission methods for use in data communications between the main unit of an image processing device and peripheral devices related thereto include the following.
Philips, I.sup.2 C bus system PA1 SGS--Thomson DS link system
In this system, serial data and a serial clock are transmitted by two wires. The data and clock are physically separated, and data transmission/reception and reproduction are possible by the simplest method. The I.sup.2 C bus is described, for example, in Philips' I.sup.2 C bus instruction manual (January 1992).
In this system, a data signal and strobe signals are transmitted by two wires. A clock signal is reproduced by means of the data signal and strobe signal. When the transmitted data changes to a different value, only the data signal changes. When the transmitted data is the same value, only the strobe signal changes. For example, if the transmitted data in the data signal changes from "0".fwdarw."1", or "1".fwdarw."0", then the strobe signal does not change. If the transmitted data in the data signal does not change, e.g., "0".fwdarw."0", or "1".fwdarw."1", then the strobe signal only changes. Therefore, by adopting an exclusive-OR operation for the data signal and strobe signal, it is possible to reproduce a clock signal. The DS link system is introduced in Nikkei Electronics, Vol. 675, (4.sup.th November 1996, pp. 167-171). In consumer-oriented devices, such as game devices, it is necessary to use a data transmission system and interface connection standard which can be implemented at low cost. However, in the aforementioned I.sup.2 BUS system, since the transition edge of the data signal has the same timing as the transition edge of the clock, it is not possible to use the clock signal directly on the data reproducing (demodulating) side. Furthermore, in the latter DS link system, exclusive-OR logic is applied to the data signal and strobe signal, to reproduce a synchronizing clock. The data signal must be sampled using this clock. Therefore, the level of simplicity of the interface circuit structure does not adequately satisfy the conditions for domestic game devices, where low cost is a very important requirement.
Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide a data transmission system for an interface having an inexpensive circuit composition, which can be applied to an image processing device, such as a domestic game system. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a data transmission system for an interface, whereby data can be separated from a signal carrying data by means of a simple circuit composition.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a game device and a related peripheral device comprising interfaces, whereby data can be separated from a signal carrying data by means of a simple circuit composition.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide basic technology for developing various types of peripheral devices, by proposing novel interface technology between a game device and peripheral device.

Data transmission system and game system with game peripherals using same


An optical receiver (20) includes an electrical signal generation unit (200), a first phase compensation unit (101), a distortion compensation unit (102), and a first dispersion compensation unit (400). The electrical signal generation unit (200) generates an electrical signal on the basis of received signal light. The first phase compensation unit (101) performs a phase rotation compensation process on the electrical signal generated by the electrical signal generation unit (200). The distortion compensation unit (102) performs a dispersion compensation process and a phase rotation compensation process in this order, at least once, on the electrical signal after having compensation performed thereon by the first phase compensation unit. The electrical signal generation unit (200), the first phase compensation unit (101), and the distortion compensation unit (102) are incorporated into one semiconductor device.

The amount of data communicated has increased with the spread of the Internet. In order to cope with this trend, it is necessary to increase the capacity of a transmission channel. One of techniques for realizing an increase in capacity includes a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) system. Optical signals on which modulation of a QAM system is performed in a transmitter are demodulated in an optical receiver of a digital coherent system.
In optical communication of a QAM system, there is a large problem of a non-linear effect which is received when the optical signal propagates through a transmission channel. When the optical signal receives a non-linear effect in the transmission channel, the phase of the optical signal is rotated. Since the QAM system deals with complicated phase information, the reception of phase rotation due to a non-linear effect causes correct phase information not to be capable of being demodulated at the time of reception of the signal.
A method of solving such a problem includes a non-linear compensation system called back propagation. Such a compensation system is a system for compensating for waveform distortion while retracing propagation waveform from a receiving side to a transmitting side by performing dispersion compensation little by little and performing non-linear compensation immediately after each dispersion compensation.
However, in the back propagation, when one non-linear compensation stage is configured by combining a dispersion compensation function and a non-linear compensation function, it is necessary to increase the number of non-linear compensation stages in order to increase compensation capability. The dispersion compensation function is realized by a linear distortion compensation circuit, and the non-linear compensation function is realized by a non-linear distortion compensation circuit. The linear distortion compensation circuit includes an FFT/IFFT circuit in order to perform dispersion compensation in a frequency domain. The FFT/IFFT circuit has a large circuit size, and thus considering the mounting area or power consumption of an LSI, only several FFT/IFFT circuits can be mounted in one signal processing device.
On the other hand, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a compensation system called filtered back propagation. Filtered back propagation is for reducing the number of non-linear compensation stages by using a time-averaged amount of the amount of phase rotation, calculated from signal strength, in non-linear compensation.
In addition, Non-Patent Document 2 discloses perturbation back propagation as a system for further reducing the number of non-linear compensation stages. In perturbation back propagation, even phase rotation caused by a perturbative component is canceled out in addition to the canceling out of phase rotation caused by the above-mentioned signal strength, thereby allowing the number of non-linear compensation stages to be reduced to, for example, three.

Signal processing device, optical communication system, and signal processing method


This invention provides a monoclonal antibody, produced by the hybridoma cell line designated GXM1, which specifically binds to a human class 1tumor antigen. This invention also provides a human monoclonal antibody, produced by a hybridoma cell line designated HJM1, which specifically binds to each of the ganglioside antigens GD2, GD3, GM3 and GD1b. This invention further provides a human monoclonal antibody, produced by a hybridoma cell line designated FCM1, which specifically binds to the ganglioside antigens GM3 and GD1a. Finally, this invention provides a human monoclonal antibody, produced by a hybridoma cell line designated DSM1, which specifically binds to a human class 2 tumor protein antigen.

Throughout this application, various publications are referenced by arabic numerals within parentheses. Full citations for these references may be found at the end of the specification immediately preceding the claims. The disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art as known to those skilled therein as of the date of the invention described and claimed herein.
There is accumulating evidence that melanoma is an immunogenic cancer in humans. In addition to indirect indications such as spontaneous regressions, lymphoid infiltrates, and increased incidence of melanoma in immunosuppressed patients, several groups have reported specific humoral and cellular immune reactions to melanoma cell-surface antigens (1-6). Based on the assumption that an immune restraint to melanoma growth exists and can be strengthened, vaccines containing melanoma-derived antigens are being tested in patients with the disease at several centers (7-9).
Serological methods have been pursued most extensively to define melanoma antigens that are immunogenic in melanoma patients. We have studied the reactivity with surface antigens of cultured melanoma cells from the same patient (termed autologous typing) in more than 200 patients. Three classes of antigens have been defined in this way (2). Class 1 (unique) melanoma antigens are restricted to the autologous melanoma; six examples of class 1 antigens have been detected (10-15). Class 2 melanoma antigens are detected on the autologous melanoma, on a subset of allogeneic melanoma cells, and on other neuroectodermally derived tumors; these class 2 antigens have characteristics of autoimmunogenic differentiation antigens, and one of the best-analyzed class 2 melanoma antigens is the ganaglioside GD2 (16). Class 3 melanoma antigens are not restricted to any differentiation lineage and are more widely distributed.
The advent of methods for producing human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) through immortalizing human lymphocytes with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) (17) or by fusion with human or mouse lymphoblastoid/myeloma partners (18) provides a new level of precision in the analysis of the immune response to melanoma.
Additionally, antibodies for melanoma patients reacting with melanoma cell surfaces or intracellular antigens have been isolated (19-24).

Human monoclonal antibodies to cell surface antigens of melanoma

Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research


A resource manager service, system, apparatus and method manages resources for a user group of at least one user by utilizing a resource adapter. The resource adapter serves as a smart proxy to mimic the user of a desktop software application preserving the interaction model with the application. Embodiments of the invention allow integration of desktop software in a distributed enterprise system, as a service, without requiring non-trivial modifications to the application code or to alter its workflows in any material way. A resource manager service, system, apparatus and method treat instances of the resource adapters, smart proxies, as finite but reusable resources that can be allocated and “bound” to a given user for an unspecified duration.

Software is often designed and coded to run on a single thread and to meet the service needs of a single user. As such, desktop applications are in conflict with even the simplest definition of a Service which is stateless and engineered to run in perpetuity once it is started. Solutions addressing the challenges for migrating desktop software into Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) are needed.
Computer application programs have evolved from stand alone operation to operation through various computer network configurations. Computer networks have further developed from LAN or WAN (Local or Wide Area Networks) to Global networks such as the Internet. As an outgrowth, web and cloud computing along with software as a service (SAS) came into existence.
Web applications and related computing platforms are not without limitations and disadvantages generally speaking. Some challenges faced by web applications include latent communication, weak presentation layer, access via devices, and a lack of standards and/or adherence to standards. Various improvements, in particular in supporting enterprise services in web applications are desired.

Achieving stateful application software service behavior in distributed stateless systems


A light-emitting element includes a light-emitting layer including a guest, an n-type host and a p-type host between a pair of electrodes, where the difference between the energy difference between a triplet excited state and a ground state of the n-type host (or p-type host) and the energy difference between a triplet excited state and a ground state of the guest is 0.15 eV or more. Alternatively, in such a light-emitting element, the LUMO level of the n-type host is higher than the LUMO level of the guest by 0.1 eV or more, or the HOMO level of the p-type host is lower than the HOMO level of the guest by 0.1 eV or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to light-emitting elements utilizing organic electroluminescence (EL) (hereinafter, also referred to as organic EL elements).
2. Description of the Related Art
Organic EL elements have been keenly studied and developed (see, Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2). An organic EL element has a basic structure in which a layer including a light-emitting organic compound (hereinafter, also referred to as light-emitting layer) is sandwiched between a pair of electrodes and has features of small thickness and light weight, high speed response to input signals, direct current low voltage driving, and the like; therefore, has been attracting attentions as a next generation flat panel display element. In addition, a display using such a light-emitting element has a feature of high contrast and high image quality, and wide viewing angle. Further, since an organic EL element is a plane light source, it is considered that the light-emitting element is applied as a light source such as a backlight of a liquid crystal display and a lighting device.
The light-emission mechanism of organic EL elements is a carrier-injection system. Namely, by voltage application between electrodes with a light emitting layer interposed between the electrodes, electrons and holes injected from the electrodes are recombined to make the light-emitting substance excited, and light is emitted when the light-emitting substance returns from the excited state to the ground state. There are two types of the excited states: a singlet excited state and a triplet excited state. Further, the statistical generation ratio of the singlet excited state to the triplet excited state in a light-emitting element is considered to be 1:3. Note that, unless indicating it in particular, a singlet excited state (or a triplet excited state) means a singlet excited state (or a triplet excited state) with the lowest energy level among the singlet excited states (or the triplet excited states), in the description.
In general, the ground state of a light-emitting organic compound is a singlet state. Light emission from a singlet excited state is referred to as fluorescence where electron transition occurs between the same spin multiplicities. On the other hand, light emission from a triplet excited state is referred to as phosphorescence where electron transition occurs between different spin multiplicities. Here, in a compound emitting fluorescence (hereinafter referred to as fluorescent compound), in general, phosphorescence is not observed at room temperature; and only fluorescence is observed. Accordingly, the internal quantum efficiency (the ratio of generated photons to injected carriers) of a light-emitting element including the fluorescent compound is assumed to have a theoretical limit of 25% based on the ratio of the singlet excited state to the triplet excited state (=1:3).
On the other hand, when a compound emitting phosphorescence (hereinafter referred to as phosphorescent compound) is used, the internal quantum efficiency can be theoretically increased to 100%. In other words, higher emission efficiency can be obtained than that when a fluorescent compound is used. Therefore, the light-emitting element using a phosphorescent compound has been actively developed in recent years in order to achieve a highly efficient light-emitting element.
As the phosphorescent compound, an organometallic complex that has iridium or the like as a central metal has particularly alit acted attentions because of its high phosphorescence quantum yield; for example, an organometallic complex that has iridium as a central metal is disclosed as a phosphorescent material in Patent Document 1.
When a light-emitting layer of a light-emitting element is formed using a phosphorescent compound described above, in order to suppress concentration quenching or quenching due to triplet-triplet annihilation in the phosphorescent compound, the light-emitting layer is often formed such that the phosphorescent compound is dispersed in a matrix of another compound. Here, the compound serving as the matrix is called host, and the compound dispersed in the matrix, such as a phosphorescent compound, is called guest.
There are generally given several elementary processes of light emission in a light-emitting element using a phosphorescent compound as a guest like that, and descriptions of the elementary processes are given below.
(1) An electron and a hole are recombined in a guest molecule, and the guest molecule is excited (direct recombination process).
(1-1) When the excited state of the guest molecule is a triplet excited state, the guest molecule emits phosphorescence.
(1-2) When the excited state of the guest molecule is a singlet excited state, the guest molecule in the singlet excited state undergoes intersystem crossing to a triplet excited state, which emits phosphorescence.
In other words, in the direct recombination process in (1), as long as the efficiency of intersystem crossing and the phosphorescence quantum efficiency of the guest molecule are high, a high emission efficiency can be obtained.
(2) An electron and a hole are recombined in a host molecule, and the host molecule is put in an excited state (energy transfer process).
(2-1) When the excited state of the host molecule is a triplet excited state and the energy level in the triplet excited state (T1 level) of the host molecule is higher than that of the guest molecule, excitation energy is transferred from the host molecule to the guest molecule, and thus the guest molecule is put in a triplet excited state. The guest molecule in the triplet excited state emits phosphorescence. Note that energy transfer to an energy level in a singlet excitation state (S1 level) of the guest molecule is possible in theory; however, in many cases, the S1 level of the guest molecule is higher than the T1 level of the host molecule, and thus such energy transfer to a singlet excitation energy level (S1 level) of the guest molecule is difficult to be a main energy transfer process. Therefore, description thereof is not given here.(2-2) When the excited state of the host molecule is a singlet excited state, in a case where an energy level in a singlet excitation state (S1 level) of the host molecule is higher than the S1 level and T1 level of the guest molecule, excitation energy is transferred from the host molecule to the guest molecule, and thus, the guest molecule is put in a singlet excited state or a triplet excited state. The guest molecule in the triplet excited state emits phosphorescence. In addition, the guest molecule in the singlet excited state makes intersystem crossing with a triplet excited state, which emits phosphorescence.
In other words, in the energy transfer process in (2), it is important how efficiently both the triplet excitation energy and the singlet excitation energy of the host molecule can move to the guest molecule.
In view of the energy transfer process, before excitation energy is transferred from the host molecule to the guest molecule, the host molecule itself radiates its excitation energy in the form of light or heat to be inactivated, which decreases emission efficiency.
[Energy Transfer Process]
Energy transfer processes between molecules are described below in details.
First, as a mechanism of energy transfer between molecules, the following two mechanisms are proposed. A molecule giving excitation energy is referred to as host molecule, while a molecule taking excitation energy is referred to as guest molecule.
[[Förster Mechanism (Dipole-Dipole Interaction)]]
Förster mechanism (also referred to as Förster resonance energy transfer) does not require direct contact between molecules for energy transfer. Through a resonant phenomenon of dipolar oscillation between a host molecule and a guest molecule, energy is transferred. By the resonant phenomenon of dipolar oscillation, the host molecule gives energy to the guest molecule, and thus the host molecule is put in a ground state and the guest molecule is put in an excited state. The rate constant kh*→g of Förster mechanism is expressed by a formula (1).
                              [                      Formula                                                                                (              1              )                                ]                                                                                k                                    h              *                        →            g                          =                                            9000                                            c                4                                                          K                2                                          ϕ                                                                                ln                                                                                10                                      128                                            π                5                                                          n                4                                          N                                                                                τ                                                                                R                6                                                                    ∫                                                                                f                      h                      ′                                                                                (                      v                      )                                                                                ɛ                      g                                                                                (                      v                      )                                                                                v                  4                                                                          ⅆ                v                                                                        (        1        )
In the formula 1, v denotes a frequency, f′h(ν) denotes a normalized emission spectrum of a host molecule (a fluorescent spectrum in energy transfer from a singlet excited state, and a phosphorescent spectrum in energy transfer from a triplet excited state), εg(ν) denotes a molar absorption coefficient of a guest molecule, N denotes Avogadro's number, n denotes a refractive index of a medium, R denotes an intermolecular distance between the host molecule and the guest molecule, τ denotes a measured lifetime of an excited state (fluorescent lifetime or phosphorescent lifetime), c denotes light speed, φ denotes a luminescence quantum efficiency (a fluorescent quantum efficiency in energy transfer from a singlet excited state, and a phosphorescent quantum efficiency in energy transfer from a triplet excited state), and K2 denotes a coefficient (0 to 4) of orientation of a transition dipole moment between the host molecule and the guest molecule. Note that K2=2/3 in random orientation.
[[Dexter Mechanism (Electron Exchange Interaction)]]
In Dexter mechanism (also referred to as Dexter electron transfer), a host molecule and a guest molecule are close to a contact effective range where their orbitals overlap, and the host molecule in an excited state and the guest molecule in a ground state exchange their electrons, which leads to energy transfer. The rate constant kh*→g of Dexter mechanism is expressed by a formula (2).
                              [                      Formula                                                                                (              2              )                                ]                                                                                k                                    h              *                        →            g                          =                              (                                          2                                π                            h                        )                                          K            2                                          exp                                      (                              -                                                      2                                        R                                    L                                            )                                                      ∫                                                            f                  h                  ′                                                                  (                  v                  )                                                                                ɛ                  g                  ′                                                                  (                  v                  )                                                                          ⅆ                v                                                                        (        2        )
In the formula (2), h denotes a Planck constant, K denotes a constant having an energy dimension, v denotes a frequency, f′h(ν) denotes a normalized emission spectrum of a host molecule (a fluorescent spectrum in energy transfer from a singlet excited state, and a phosphorescent spectrum in energy transfer from a triplet excited state), ε′g(ν) denotes a normalized absorption spectrum of a guest molecule, L denotes an effective molecular radius, and R denotes an intermolecular distance between the host molecule and the guest molecule.
Here, the efficiency ΦET of energy transfer from the host molecule to the guest molecule is thought to be expressed by a formula (3). In the formula, kr denotes a rate constant of a light-emission process of the host molecule (fluorescence in energy transfer from a singlet excited state of the host molecule, and phosphorescence in energy transfer from a triplet excited state of the host molecule), kr, denotes a rate constant of a non-light-emission process (thermal deactivation or intersystem crossing), and τ denotes a measured lifetime of the excited state of the host molecule.
                              [                      Formula                                                                                (              3              )                                ]                                                                                Φ          ET                =                                            k                                                h                  *                                →                g                                                                    k                r                            +                              k                n                            +                              k                                                      h                    *                                    →                  g                                                              =                                    k                                                h                  *                                →                g                                                                    (                                  1                  τ                                )                            +                              k                                                      h                    *                                    →                  g                                                                                (        3        )
First, according to the formula (3), in order to increase the efficiency ΦET of energy transfer, the rate constant kh*→g of energy transfer should be further increased as compared with another competing rate constant kr+kn (=1/τ). Then, in order to increase the rate constant kh*→g of energy transfer, based on the formulae (1) and (2), in Förster mechanism and Dexter mechanism, the overlapping portion of a light-emission spectrum of a host molecule (a fluorescent spectrum in energy transfer from a singlet excited state, and a phosphorescent spectrum in energy transfer from a triplet excited state) and an absorption spectrum of a guest molecule (an energy difference between a triplet excited state and a ground state in the usual case of phosphorescence) is preferably large.
For example, by materials selected such that an energy difference between the triplet excited state and the ground state of the host molecule overlaps with an energy difference between the triplet excited state and the ground state of the guest molecule, energy is efficiently transferred from the host to the guest.
However, such energy transfer occurs similarly in transfer from a guest molecule in a triplet excited state to a host molecule in a ground state. By materials selected such that an energy difference between the triplet excited state and the ground state of the host molecule is equal or close to an energy difference between the triplet excited state and the ground state of the guest molecule, energy is easily transferred from the guest molecule in the triplet excited state to the host molecule in the triplet excited state. As a result, emission efficiency is decreased unfortunately.
Against such a problem, for example, as described in Non-Patent Document 1, there is proposed a method in which the energy difference between the triplet excited state and the ground state of a host molecule is made larger than the energy difference between the triplet excited state and the ground state of a guest molecule.
In Non-Patent Document 1, the energy difference between the triplet excited state and the ground state of a host molecule is larger than the energy difference between the triplet excited state and the ground state of a guest molecule by 0.3 eV (at present, it is converted into 0.15 eV), and thereby transition does not occur from the triplet excited state of the guest molecule to the triplet excited state of the host molecule.
In other words, the energy difference between the triplet excited state and the ground state of a host molecule is larger than the energy difference between the triplet excited state and the ground state of a guest molecule by 0.15 eV and thereby, transition from the triplet excited state of the guest molecule to the triplet excited state of the host molecule can be inhibited well.

Semiconducor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


This invention relates to a moisture-proof adhesive coating composition comprising an antioxidant and a blend of an amorphous polymer of propylene, a crystalline polymer of propylene and a resinous mixture of C.sub.4 to C.sub.10 hydrocarbons derived from the polymerization and hydrogenation of a petroleum feedstock and to a method of using and producing the blend of this invention.

Various blends involving styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-isoprene-styrene, styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene, ethyl vinyl acetate and their copolymers have been formulated as moisture-resistant barriers for hot melt coating on a substrate. Although coatings of these blends possess moisture resistance properties and are stable at temperatures up to 275.degree.-300.degree. F., they have relatively low bond strength and are hampered by a tack time up to about 5 minutes. Also, they do not provide ideal moisture-proof barriers when coated on non-woven substrates.
Low molecular weight polyethylene has also been considered for moisture resistant barriers; however, such coatings have low flexibility and are crisp and irritating to the touch. Accordingly, they are not suitable for articles of apparel or articles worn next to the skin, such as for example disposable diapers. In order to improve flexibility, formulations of polyethylene with elastomers or ethylene vinyl acetate have been proposed. Such blends are unsatisfactory since they require a high coat weight of 50-75 grams/meter.sup.2 on the substrate in order to retain moisture resistant properties, which in turn causes stiffness and thus defeats the purpose of formulation. Also, the amount of formulation required results in an objectionable bulky coating.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to overcome the above deficiencies while retaining the advantageous properties achieved by the combination of previous components.
Another object of this invention is to provide a continuous, pin-hole free coating to be used as a moisture-proof barrier on a substrate.
Still another object is to provide an efficient and economical method for preparing and applying a moisture-proof adhesive composition.
Yet another object is to provide a moisture-proof adhesive coating having excellent bonding properties and the ability to interlock with a wide variety of substrate materials.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and disclosure.


Disclosed is a sealing film for electronic paper having a multilayered structure. The multilayered film for electronic paper comprising a layered structure according to the present invention comprises: (a) a sealing layer formed with a material comprising a UV curable polymer resin composition or a UV transmitting polymer resin composition; and (b) a tack-free adhesive layer formed with a material comprising a UV curable polymer resin. The sealing film has excellent sealing properties and is tack-free at room temperature, and thus it is possible to minimize freezing of electrostatic particles inside a microcup sticking to the surface of a sealing material during manipulation thereof.

Recently, an electronic paper apparatus using a technique, such as electrophoresis or electrochromic, thermal, dichroic particle rotation methods, and the like, has been actively developed as an image display capable of replacing a liquid crystal display.
Since such an electronic paper apparatus secures wider viewing angle, close to that of general printed matter, than liquid crystal displays, provides low power consumption, and is economical, it is anticipated that many next generation image displays will include such electronic paper.
The electronic paper apparatus is operated by two representative methods. Here, one is a method of operating the apparatus by filling a microcapsule with ink and the other is a method of operating the apparatus by filling a microcup with an ink. In particular, the microcup method has merits in that a preparation method is simple and it is possible to allow most processes to be performed in-line.
A microcup type electronic paper apparatus has a structure as shown in FIG. 1. In the structure, microcups 10 having a height of 15 μm to 30 μm and a length and width of 5 μm to 180 μm are arranged, and charged particles (typically, titanium dioxide) are dispersed in an organic solvent inside each of the cups 10.
The microcup type electronic paper apparatus includes ITO electrodes 30 disposed on upper and lower sides of the microcups 10, such that, when voltage is applied to the ITO electrodes 30, the charged particles dispersed in the organic solvent are arranged to realize black, white or other colors.
In the microcup type electronic paper apparatus, partition walls 15 are formed to prevent horizontal movement of the charged particles.
Such partition walls 15 serve to separate pixels and to maintain a space of the microcup. In addition, when the microcup type electronic paper apparatus is applied to a flexible display, the partition walls 15 must be kept bonded to the upper and lower ITO electrodes 30 without detachment even when the apparatus is bent, while serving as a supporter maintaining the space of the microcup.
Otherwise, when the electronic paper apparatus is bent, the partition walls 15 are frequently detached from the upper and lower ITO electrodes 30. In this case, since the charged particles placed in each pixel space move to other adjacent cups 10, image quality becomes unstable and the pixel is deteriorated, thereby causing increase in product failure.
Thus, the microcup type electronic paper apparatus includes a sealing material 20 disposed between the ITO electrode 30 and the microcups 10. The partition walls 15 and the ITO electrode 30 must be bonded to each other well via the sealing material 20 such that the solvent and the charged particles confined in the microcup 10 do not leak from the microcups 10.
FIGS. 2a to 2c are sectional views showing operation of bonding the ITO electrode 30 of the electronic paper apparatus to the partition walls 15.
First, FIG. 2a shows a method in which the organic solvent and the sealing material incompatible with the organic solvent are introduced into the microcups 10, followed by final curing when the sealing material gathers at upper sides of the microcups 10 due to phase separation between the sealing material and the solvent, thereby forming the sealing material 20.
FIG. 2b shows a method in which the sealing material 20 is coated onto upper surfaces of the partition walls 15, followed by bonding the ITO electrode 30 to the partition walls 15, and FIG. 2c shows a method in which the sealing material 20 is coated onto an overall surface of the ITO electrode 30, followed by bonding the ITO electrode 30 to the partition walls 15. That is, the sealing material 20 is coated onto the upper surfaces of the partition walls 15 or the entire surface of the upper ITO electrode 30 using a roller, and the upper ITO electrode 30 is then stacked on the partition walls 15, followed by curing the sealing material 20 through UV irradiation of the upper ITO electrode 30, thereby bonding the partition walls 15 to the upper ITO electrode 30.
However, to apply the sealing material 20 to the microcup type electronic paper apparatus, the sealing material 20 must be able to embed the partition walls 15 therein and exhibit exact interfacial separation through phase separation due to poor compatibility with ink. Thus, the method illustrated in FIG. 2a has a problem of low reliability.
In addition, the methods illustrated in FIGS. 2b to 2c have problems in that the liquid sealing material dissolves in the organic solvent inside the microcups before curing to widely spread, causing blurring of the pixel space, or in that the charged particles stick to the sealing material due to tack at room temperature to influence charge states, causing unstable operation of the apparatus.
FIG. 3 shows a typical sealing film 100. In the typical sealing film 100, a sealing layer 1 is formed as a single layer on a release layer 3. For the sealing film 100, a composition exhibiting high peel strength is generally used to improve sealing performance between the sealing layer 1 and the partition walls of the microcups. In this case, tack of the sealing layer 1 causes a particle freezing phenomenon wherein the charged particles inside the microcup stick thereto, thereby deteriorating optical properties. In addition, when the sealing layer 1 is formed of a tack-free composition at room temperature to prevent particle freezing, the sealing layer does not have improved sealing performance, although optical properties can be satisfied, thereby making it difficult to satisfy long-term durability.

Composition for forming electronic paper without particle freezing, and adhesive film prepared thereby


Provided is a charged particle beam device that prevents the increase in processing trouble caused by deterioration in the reviewing performance (e.g., overlooking of defects) by detecting an operation abnormality affecting the performance of the device or a possibility of such an abnormality in the middle of a processing sequence of a sample and giving a feedback in real time. In each processing step of the charged particle beam device, monitoring items representing the operating status of the device (control status of the electron beam, an offset amount at the time of wafer positioning, a defect coordinate error offset amount, etc.) are monitored during the processing sequence of a sample and stored as history information. In the middle of the processing sequence, a comparative judgment between the value of each monitoring item and the past history information corresponding to the monitoring item is made according to preset judgment criteria. When the width of fluctuation from the past history information deviates from a reference range, an alert is issued.

Semiconductor wafers, glass substrates, etc. are used for manufacturing semiconductor chips, photo masks, magnetic disks, liquid crystal displays, and so forth. In the manufacturing processes of such products, fluctuation of the manufacturing process or a foreign object or pattern appearance inferiority (hereinafter referred to as a "defect") on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, glass substrate, etc. can lead to defectives and inferior products. For this reason, the semiconductor wafers and glass substrates are inspected in some way in the middle of the manufacture and the occurrence of abnormalities is monitored during the manufacturing process. When some type of abnormality is found, the cause of the occurrence of the abnormality is determined immediately, the manufacturing conditions are adjusted or changed, and countermeasures are taken so as to prevent the occurrence of the same type of defects to the products manufactured.
The detection of abnormalities is carried out by methods like defect/abnormality detection by use of an external appearance inspection device, pattern dimension fluctuation monitoring by use of a length measurement device (CD-SEM), defect monitoring by fixed point observation by use of a defect review device, etc. The CD-SEM is a device for measuring the dimensions of lines, spaces, contact holes, etc. in a circuit pattern. The CD-SEM performs the fixed point observation in regard to the dimensions of multiple parts of the sample and detects a process abnormality by using fluctuations in the length measurement values. The external appearance inspection device is a device for acquiring images of the sample and calculating defect positions by comparative calculation with an appropriate reference image or an adjacent circuit pattern. There are some types of external appearance inspection devices, such as bright field external appearance inspection devices, dark field external appearance inspection devices and scanning electron microscope (SEM) external appearance inspection devices. The defect review device is a device for capturing images of preset review positions and thereby judging whether a defect exists in the acquired images or not or analyzing the types of defects existing in the acquired images. Through the analysis of the types of the defects occurring at the positions of the fixed point observation and composition analysis of the defects, the above devices can be used as process monitoring tools for automatically detecting abnormalities or fluctuations occurring in the manufacturing process.
When the aforementioned CD-SEM, external appearance inspection device or defect review device is used as a process monitoring tool, measurement/inspection in the same conditions are performed on the same type of wafers by using software called a "recipe" describing conditions of the measurement/inspection. When an abnormal measurement/inspection result outside the supposition by the recipe is detected due to fluctuation in the process conditions, the device judges that some type of error has occurred and stops the operation. Therefore, the recipe has to be changed or readjusted each time when the process conditions are changed.
Patent Literature 1 has disclosed a recipe diagnosis device which is configured to allow the recipe setter (who sets the recipe) to grasp the timing of execution of the recipe adjustment, by comparing a scanning electron microscope's operating conditions (which have been set based on the recipe) with history information on the operating conditions and displaying the temporal transition of the fluctuating values of the operating conditions on a monitor. According to the invention described in the literature, the recipe setter is enabled to make the recipe adjustment with appropriate timing, and consequently, to maintain the automation rate of the scanning electron microscope at a high level.
Patent Literature 2 has disclosed an invention for increasing the accuracy of management of log data of a substrate processing device such as an optical exposure device and an EUV device. The invention increases the management accuracy of the log data (such as information representing the transition of the substrate processing, information regarding the contents of the substrate processing which has been executed, and measurement information representing the results of various types of measurement performed during the substrate processing) by recording the log data together with identification information representing a component of the substrate processing device.

Charged particle beam device, defect observation device, and management server


Methods and systems herein provide for calibrating for a plurality of different paper types. In one embodiment, a system for calibrating a printer includes a measurement module operable to detect colors printed on a first tangible medium by the printer and convert the detected colors to a detected color characterization. The system also includes a storage module operable to store a calibration file. The calibration file includes color characterizations of a plurality of different tangible mediums and each color characterization includes color measurements for one of the plurality of different tangible mediums obtained from the printer via the measurement module when the printer is calibrated. The system also includes a calibration module operable to compare the detected color characterization to at least two color characterizations of the calibration file and determine an adjustment to an output color scheme of the printer based on the comparison to calibrate the printer.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of production printing systems and, in particular, to calibrating printers that print to a plurality of different print mediums, such as different types of paper.
2. Statement of the Problem
Production printing systems associated with data processing enterprises generally include a localized print controller within the printing system. The print controller controls the overall operation of the printing system including, for example, host interfacing, interpretation or rendering, and lower level process control or interface features of print engines of the printing system. Host interaction may include appropriate adapters for coupling the printing system to one or more host systems that transmit print jobs to the printing system. The print jobs are generally encoded in the form of a page description language such as PostScript (PS), PCL, IPDS, etc.
In whatever form the print job may be encoded or formatted, the print controller within the printing system interprets the received information to generate sheetside bitmaps of the print job. The sheetside bitmaps represent the image to be printed on one side of a sheet of a print medium. Each sheetside bitmap generally comprises a 2-dimensional array of picture elements ("pixels", or PELs) that represent a corresponding formatted sheet of the print job. Each pixel may represent an encoded color value in accordance with the requirements of the particular print job encoding and the capabilities of the printing system on which the print job is to be printed.
The print controller stores or buffers the sheetside bitmaps in accordance with storage capabilities of the particular architecture of a particular print controller. The print controller then forwards the sheetside bitmaps to one or more print engines (sometimes also referred to as an "imaging engine" or as a "marking engine"). The print engines have internal queues for storing the sheetside bitmaps to be printed. A print engine pulls the sheetside bitmaps off of the queue and performs an imaging process to mark the print medium with the sheetside bitmaps provided by the print controller. The print engine may comprise a laser print engine, an ink jetprint engine, or another type of imaging system that transfers each sheetside bitmap to corresponding pixels on paper. Generally, the print engine is configured with the printer.
Output quality for the printers generally depends on the print engine characteristics being known and fixed, so that the color conversions and transfer curves can be constructed in advance. This known state may be referred to as the reference state. In practice, print engines tend to become uncalibrated due to environmental conditions and operating conditions. This "printer drift" degrades the output quality of a printed product because the amount of deposited toner varies. And, printer drift is generally impossible to model or predict because it depends on too many factors, both external and internal (e.g., temperature, humidity, printer age, etc.).
Printer drift has usually been solved by periodically recalibrating the printer. Printer calibration involves printing a set of test patches where the output is known assuming that the printer is in the reference state. The printed patches are then measured and compared to the known values for the reference state of the printer to determine a model of the printer drift. This model is then used to adjust the transfer curves (e.g., color conversion models) used for printing such that subsequent output can be corrected to the same as or close that of the printer in the reference state. Most printer manufacturers offer various calibration techniques to customers. For example, the "InfoPrint Manager" contains a halftone calibration system that allows the user to print test patches, measure the patches using an optical densitometer, and then recalibrate the printer using a single measurement set. This system is generally based on a single paper type.
To fully support cutsheet printers, a calibration system generally accounts for each print job using a variety of different paper types with each paper type behaving quite differently from another. Certain paper types may also not be available or known to a printer manufacturer, so a calibration system should allow end users to support any new paper type which complicates printer calibration. One manner of supporting multiple paper types includes assuming that papers are not that different from one another and using a transfer curve that is similar to the paper being printed to. Another manner includes assuming that enough information about a particular paper variation can be recovered by analyzing an International Color Consortium (ICC) profile of each paper without providing explicit paper management. Unfortunately, however, the paper characteristics cannot be fully recovered from ICC Profiles. In yet another manner, a reference paper is printed and measured for continuous use in the calibration. To calibrate other papers, a calibration system records the relationship of each paper and the reference paper and that relationship is then used to generate the calibration for the other papers. However, this method is not entirely accurate because it does not evaluate the actual paper in use. Accordingly, there exists a need to calibrate a printer for a variety of paper types that assures the paper being printed has an accurate transfer curve.

Color printer calibration for multiple mediums


A photomask blank has on a transparent substrate, an optional first film, a second film, a third film, and a fourth film. The first and third films are formed of silicon-containing materials which are resistant to chlorine base dry etching and removable by fluorine base dry etching. The second and fourth films are formed of chromium-containing materials which are resistant to fluorine base dry etching and removable by chlorine base dry etching. An etching clear time of the fourth film is longer than an etching clear time of the second film, on chlorine base dry etching.

In the field of semiconductor technology, research and development efforts are continued for further miniaturization of pattern features. Recently, as advances including miniaturization of circuit patterns, thinning of interconnect patterns and miniaturization of contact hole patterns for connection between cell-constituting layers are in progress to comply with higher integration density of LSIs, there is an increasing demand for the micropatterning technology. Accordingly, in conjunction with the technology for manufacturing photomasks used in the exposure step of the photolithographic microfabrication process, it is desired to have a technique of forming a more fine and accurate circuit pattern or mask pattern.
In general, reduction projection is employed when patterns are formed on semiconductor substrates by photolithography. Thus the size of pattern features formed on a photomask is about 4 times the size of pattern features formed on a semiconductor substrate. In the current photolithography technology, the size of circuit patterns printed is significantly smaller than the wavelength of light used for exposure. Therefore, if a photomask pattern is formed simply by multiplying the size of circuit pattern 4 times, the desired pattern is not transferred to a resist film on a semiconductor substrate due to optical interference and other effects during exposure.
Sometimes, optical interference and other effects during exposure are mitigated by forming the pattern on a photomask to a more complex shape than the actual circuit pattern. Such a complex pattern shape may be designed, for example, by incorporating optical proximity correction (OPC) into the actual circuit pattern. Also, attempts are made to apply the resolution enhancement technology (RET) such as modified illumination, immersion lithography or double exposure (or double patterning) lithography, to meet the demand for miniaturization and higher accuracy of patterns.
The phase shift method is used as one of the RET. The phase shift method is by forming a pattern of film capable of phase reversal of approximately 180 degrees on a photomask, such that contrast may be improved by utilizing optical interference. One of the photomasks adapted for the phase shift method is a halftone phase shift photomask. Typically, the halftone phase shift photomask includes a substrate of quartz or similar material which is transparent to exposure light, and a photomask pattern of halftone phase shift film formed on the substrate, capable of providing a phase shift of approximately 180 degrees between exposure light transmitted by a transparent section where no phase shift film is formed and exposure light transmitted by a (phase shift) section where the phase shift film is formed and having an insufficient transmittance to contribute to pattern formation. As the halftone phase shift photomask, there were proposed photomasks having a halftone phase shift film of molybdenum silicide oxide (MoSiO) or molybdenum silicide oxynitride (MoSiON) as disclosed in Patent Document 1, and photomasks having a halftone phase shift film of SiN or SiON.
In general, a photomask pattern is formed by furnishing a photomask blank having a light shielding film on a transparent substrate, coating a photoresist film on the blank, imagewise scanning the resist film with electron beam, developing the film to form a resist pattern, and etching the light shielding film into a light shielding pattern with the resist pattern used as an etching mask. It is desired to miniaturize the size of the light shielding pattern. If the resist film is processed while maintaining its thickness unchanged from that prior to miniaturization, then a ratio of film thickness to pattern size, known as aspect ratio, becomes high, and the shape of resist pattern features is degraded. This interferes with pattern transfer and sometimes causes the resist pattern to collapse or strip. Therefore, the thickness of resist film must be reduced to comply with miniaturization.
For the light shielding film which is etched using the resist pattern as an etching mask, a variety of materials have been proposed. In the commercial application, however, chromium compound films are used most often because of full knowledge of their etching behavior and their processing technique has been established as the standard. For example, light shielding films of chromium compounds are used in the photomask blank adapted for ArF excimer laser lithography, and specifically chromium compound films having a thickness of 50 to 77 nm are known from Patent Documents 2 to 4.
Typical of the dry etching to which chromium base films such as chromium compound films are subjected is oxygen-containing chlorine base dry etching, which often exerts an etching effect to organic films to a certain extent. When a chromium compound film is etched through a thin resist film pattern, accurate pattern transfer is difficult due to some etching of the resist film. It is a very difficult problem to require the resist to meet both a high resolution and sufficient etch resistance to enable a high accuracy of etching.
On the other hand, the attempt to use a hard mask in order to reduce the load on the resist during dry etching is common in the art. For example, Patent Document 5 describes that a SiO2 film is formed on a MoSi2 layer and used as an etching mask when MoSi2 is dry etched with chlorine-containing gas. The SiO2 film also functions as an antireflective film.


The present invention includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a surface layer containing a polyphenylene resin, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus both having the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus provided with the electrophotographic photosensitive member. In more detail, the present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a surface layer containing a specified resin, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus provided with the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrophotographic photosensitive members (OPC photosensitive members) containing organic photoconductive compounds have been aggressively developed in the recent years. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,851 discloses a photosensitive member provided with a charge transfer layer containing triarylpyrazoline, while U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,880 discloses a photosensitive member provided with a charge generation layer containing perylene pigment derivatives and a charge transfer layer containing condensates of 3-propylene and formaldehyde.
Each of the organic photoconductive compounds has a different photosensitive wavelength region depending on the species of the compound. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 61-272754 and 56-167759 disclose azo pigments having a high sensitivity in the visible region and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 57-19576 and 61-228453 disclose compounds having a high sensitivity in the infrared region.
Among these compounds, those having a high sensitivity in the infrared region have been used for laser beam printers and LED printers.
Meanwhile, the electrophotographic photosensitive member is naturally required to possess a proper sensitivity, electrical characteristic and mechanical characteristic in addition to optical characteristic to comply with the applied electrophotographic process.
Especially, since electrical and mechanical stresses are directly and repeatedly impressed to the electrophotographic photosensitive member for repeated use, durabilities against these stresses are also required.
For example, durabilities against chemical deterioration by ozone and nitrogen oxides generated during charging or against electrical and mechanical degradation such as surface abrasion and flaw caused by discharge and cleaning are required.
The OPC photosensitive member is in particular composed of a substance so soft as compared with inorganic photosensitive members that durability against mechanical degradation is especially needed.
The foregoing problems evidently occurs in the contact charging method being developed as a leading technology in recent years and disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 57-17826 and 58-40566, wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member is charged by impressing a voltage on a charging member disposed in direct contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member. This contact charging method has several advantages such as generating extremely small amounts of ozone as compared with scorotrons or being very economical without waste electricity in contrast to scorotrons in which about 80% of the current fed to a charger flows through the shield.
However, an improved mechanical strength is required for the electrophotographic photosensitive member because the charging member makes a direct contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member. It is proposed, on the other hand, to use a voltage in which a direct current (DC) voltage is superimposed on an alternating current (AC) voltage as an impressed voltage in order to improve charging stability since the contact charging method also depends on charging by discharge (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-149668).
Although this charging method enables one to improve charging stability, use of the AC voltage increases the amount of electric current flowing through the electrophotographic photosensitive member. Accordingly, the amount of abrasion of the electrophotographic photosensitive member may increase. As hitherto described, not only mechanical strength but also electrical strength, along with durability against solvent cracks caused by adhesion of a mechanical oil and hand grease, are required for the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Electrophotographic photosensitive member, and process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus provided with the electrophotographic member