A battery, which has excellent safety in an overcharged state and is excellent in low-temperature characteristics and cycle characteristics, is provided.

A battery is a device which can take out chemical energy as electric energy utilizing oxidation-reduction reactions occurring on a positive electrode and a negative electrode or can store electric energy as chemical energy, and is utilized as a power source in various equipment.
Recently, along with the rapid spread of mobile electronic equipment, there have been increased needs for a lightweight battery with a large capacity. In order to satisfy the needs, batteries, which utilize alkali metal whose mass per unit electric charge is light, have been developed. Among these batteries, a secondary battery using lithium ions as a carrier is particularly utilized for various mobile equipment for its superiority in charge and discharge characteristics and large capacity.
However, in such lithium-ion secondary battery, when the battery is overcharged due to failures in the power supply circuit and battery charger of electronic equipment or misuse of electronic equipment, excess lithium ions are released from the positive electrode, which sometimes causes thermal instability in active materials in the positive electrode. When being thermally instable, the positive electrode undergoes an abrupt exothermic reaction with an electrolytic solution. If the exothermic reaction proceeds to a considerable extent, it may leads to damage to the battery or the ignition of the battery. Consequently, it is important issues to prevent the battery from being overcharged and assure safety.
For the purpose of ensuring safety on the occasion when the battery is overcharged, there have been proposed protective devices or elements, such as a polyswitch, a PTC element, a temperature fuse, a current fuse, etc., a overcharge prevention circuit and the like. The use of the protective element or the prevention circuit, however, imposes significant limits on the miniaturization of a battery pack and cost savings. Therefore, the safety of the battery should preferably be secured without using the protective element or the prevention circuit.
To solve the problem, it has been proposed that the battery contain such additives as to improve safety at the time of overcharging the battery.
For example, Japanese Patent Application laid open No. HEI7-302614 and Japanese Patent Application laid open No. HEI9-50822 have disclosed a nonaqueous electrolyte second battery using metal material consisting mainly of lithium or carbon material capable of doping/undoping lithium for the negative electrode, and lithium and an complex oxide of transition metals for the positive electrode, in which a nonaqueous electrolytic solution contains a benzenes compound (anisole derivative(s), xylene derivative(s), etc.) or a biphenyl compound (dimethoxy-biphenyl derivative(s)) having a molecular weight of 500 or less, with a π orbital electron that exhibits a reversible redox (oxidation-reduction) potential more noble than the potential at the positive electrode of the fully charged battery. According to the patent applications, with the addition of such aromatic compounds to the electrolytic solution, an overcharge reaction or the excessive release of lithium from the positive electrode is prevented, which improves the safety and reliability of the battery.
Additionally, Japanese Patent Application laid open No. HEI9-106835 has disclosed a nonaqueous lithium battery using a lithium adjected compound for the positive electrode and a carbonaceous compound for the negative electrode, in which an electrolytic solution contains aromatic additives such as biphenyl, 3-chloro-thiophene, furan or the like. From its description, these additives are polymerized at a battery voltage higher than the maximum operating voltage of the battery, which increases the inner voltage of the battery, and, therefore, protects the battery in an overcharged state.
Besides, Japanese Patent Application laid open No. 2001-15155 has disclosed an electrolytic solution for a lithium secondary battery obtained by dissolving the lithium salt in an organic solvent, in which a phenyl group contains an alkylbenzene derivative(s) or a cycloalkylbenzene derivative(s) having adjacent tertiary carbon. These additives are polymerized under the condition of overcharge, and generate a polymer that is unlikely to remelt. The polymer is said to act as a resistor or a resistive element. In addition, there is described in the patent application a battery with an electric current breaker that interrupts charging when the gas pressure inside the battery is equal to or more than a prescribed value. It is alleged that hydrogen gas is exhaled due to decomposition of the additives when the battery is overcharged, which activates the electric current breaker to prevent the overcharge.

Electrolytic solution for secondary battery and secondary battery containing the same

Abstract: The electrolytic solution of the secondary battery contains a compound which has a diazine N,N′-dioxide structure represented by general formula (1).

Abstract: in which, n, m, n′, and m′ each independently are an integer 0 or larger; the diazine rings and the benzene rings may be condensed alternately or randomly; and substituents R1, R2, R3, R4, Ra, Rb, Rc, and Rd each independently represent hydrogen atom, halogen atom, or specific group. However, when n is 2 or larger, then Ra and Rb may be the same or different, and when n′ is 2 or larger, then Rc and Rd may be the same or different. In addition, these substituents, in cooperation with each other, may form a ring structure.


A brake control system/method for preventing or arresting and minimizing trailer brake induced trailer-swing in an articulated vehicle (10) is provided. The control system/method senses or calculates values indicative of articulation angle (AA) and a second order or higher time derivative thereof (d.sup.2 AA/dt.sup.2) and processes same to sense conditions indicative of a trailer brake induced trailer-swing event.

1. Related Applications
This application is related to U.S. Ser. No. 454,109 titled Trailer Brake Anti-Swing System and Method, U.S. Ser. No. 454,096 titled Articulation Angle Sensor, U.S. Ser. No. 454,110 titled Trailer Anti-Swing System and Method, U.S. Ser. No. 454,095 titled Anti-Trailer Swing Control and U.S. Ser. No. 454,574 titled Tractor Trailer Articulation Control System and Method, all assigned to the assignee of this application and filed the same day (Dec. 20, 1989) as this application.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control system/method for controlling the braking force applied to the brakes of a towed subvehicle in an articulated vehicle system, such as the semitrailer subvehicle in a tractor-semitrailer system, to prevent, arrest or to minimize and quickly recover from, the condition known as trailer brake induced trailer swing.

Tractor trailer anti-trailer swing system and method


An improved broad area surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser diode device (10) includes a P-side ohmic contact (28) and an N-side ohmic contact (36). A potential difference is applied across these contacts to create an electric field that induces a stimulated emission of coherent photon radiation. The coherent photon radiation produced by the stimulated emission process is incident upon a second order grating having a curved pattern incorporated therein (29). An output beam, directed normal to a chemically etched output window (38), is produced by a first order diffraction of photon radiation from the surface of the second order curved grating (29). The output beam has a more uniform lateral mode near-field output intensity profile and a more uniform lateral mode near-field phase. The output beam also has a desired single-lobed lateral mode far-field output intensity profile. Moreover, the device (10) concentrates approximately 1 Watt of power into this single lateral mode far-field lobe.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present generally relates to semiconductor lasers and, in particular, to a broad area surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser that incorporates a curved pattern in a second order grating to produce a predominantly single-lobed lateral mode far-field output intensity profile at relatively high power.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation (laser) produces unidirectional, monochromatic, and, most importantly, coherent visible light. The stimulated emission of radiation is a process in which the energy state of an atom changes in a quantum transition with the emission of a photon. During such a process, a photon approaches an atom, initially in an excited energy state, and induces this atom to make a transition to a lower energy state. As the atom's energy state is lowered, the atom emits a photon. This emitted photon, which is separate from the photon that induced the energy transition, possesses an energy that is equal to the difference between the excited and the lower energy states of the atom. Moreover, this emitted photon and the inducing photon both leave the atom in the same direction the inducing photon had as it approached the atom. These exiting photons are also exactly in relative phase with one another; that is, they are coherent. This coherence is dictated by energy conservation in that if the two photons were out of phase by any amount they would interfere destructively, thereby violating energy conservation. Therefore, stimulated emission of radiation is a process that induces coherent photon multiplication or light amplification, thus a laser.
Laser technology has evolved by applying the above stated principle to several different types of active media. The most recent development in this field, coupled with the advancements in semiconductor fabrication technology, is the semiconductor laser. Unlike prior lasers, however, stimulated emission in a semiconductor laser occurs when there is an excited state of a solid state material. Thus, stimulated emission in a semiconductor laser involves more than one atom.
A surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser is a device that produces unidirectional, monochromatic, coherent visible light through stimulated emission in semiconductor materials. Such a device has a positively doped side and a negatively doped side that are joined at a junction, and a grating that is etched into an outer surface of the positively doped side. The surface of the grating, upon which a strong conductive material is disposed, provides a means by which coherent photon energy fields may be diffracted. A second order grating design permits deflections of coherent photon radiation to be directed normal to an output window etched into the negatively doped side of the junction through first order diffraction, and directed parallel to the surface of the grating through second order diffraction. The first order diffraction produces a beam of unidirectional, monochromatic, coherent visible light at the output window, whereas the second order diffraction provides a feedback of photon radiation to an active region that is adjacent and parallel to the surface of the grating. Much has been written on the subject of semiconductor lasers in recent years and some good descriptive background articles on these devices are Surface Emitting Distributed Feedback Semiconductor Laser, Applied Physics Letters, Volume 51, Number 7, pp. 472-474, August 1987, and Analysis of Grating Surface Emitting Lasers, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, Volume 26, Number 3, pp. 456-466, March 1990.
Along the length of a surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser diode device having a uniform, or linear, grating, a theoretical longitudinal mode near-field output intensity profile is double-lobed and antisymmetric with a zero intensity null at the output window center. A corresponding theoretical longitudinal mode far-field output intensity profile is double-lobed and symmetric about the output window center. These theoretical longitudinal mode output intensity profiles have been substantiated in actual device measurements, although in these measurements it has been found that spontaneous emission partially fills the near-field intensity null at the output window center. Nonetheless, the longitudinal mode output intensity profiles associated with a surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser diode device having a linear grating are acceptable for many applications due to a consistent mode relationship between the first and the second order diffracted photon radiation along the length of the grating.
Along the width of a surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser diode device having a uniform, or linear, grating surface, however, a lateral mode near-field output intensity profile and a lateral mode far-field output intensity profile are not acceptable for many applications due essentially to self-guiding and filamentation effects. Such effects result in the lateral mode near-field output intensity profile having an increasing number of lobes as the width of the linear grating increases. Furthermore, there is a 180 degree near-field phase shift between each near-field lobe. The corresponding lateral mode far-field output intensity profile displays a double-lobed pattern centered about the location of each 180 degree near-field phase shift.
One reason that the lateral mode output intensity profiles associated with a surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser diode device having a linear grating are not acceptable for many applications is that it is often required that the width of a grating be increased, or a broad area grating be created, in order to increase the output beam power of the device. Such an increase in grating width, although allowing an increase in the power applied to the device, results in an increase in the number of far-field lobes, which is unacceptable for many applications. It is therefore desirable to increase the output beam power of a broad area surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser diode device, while concentrating that output beam power into a single far-field lobe.

Curved grating surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser


When binary labeling is performed, an outline specification unit specifies a first outline present toward a target region and a second outline present toward a non-target region, and which have shapes similar to an outline of the target region. A voxel selection unit selects an N number of voxels constituting all of the first outline and the second outline. The energy setting unit sets N-order energy when a condition that all of the voxels of the first outline belong to the target region and all of the voxels of the second outline belong to the non-target region is satisfied smaller than the N-order energy when the condition is not satisfied. After then, labeling is performed by minimizing energy.

The present disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus that segments an image into plural regions by using a discrete optimization method, such as graph cuts and QPBO (Quadratic Pseudo-Boolean Optimization), an image processing program and an operation method of the image processing apparatus.
Energy minimization using an algorithm for minimum cut of a graph (graph cuts) became widely applied to image processing in recent years. In particular, a method for efficiently solving an image segmentation (region segmentation) problem, as an energy minimization problem, has been proposed.
Graph cuts developed basically with respect to second order energy, which depends on two variables. Meanwhile, V. Kolmogorov and R. Zabih, proposed a method for minimizing submodular third order energy, which depends on three variables (for example, V. Kolmogorov and R. Zabih, "What Energy Functions Can Be Minimized via Graph Cuts?", IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PAMI, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 147-159, 2004 (Non-Patent Document 1)).
Further, a method for solving a high order energy function of fourth order or higher by transforming the high order energy function to a second order energy function has been proposed. When all of coefficients of quadratic terms of the energy function after transformation are negative, the function is referred to as a submodular function, and a minimum solution is obtainable at high speed by using Max-Flow/Min-Cut algorithm. Meanwhile, when a positive value is included in coefficients of quadratic terms of the energy function after transformation (non-submodular), optimization of the original high order energy function is possible by minimization or obtainment of an approximate solution by using QPBO algorithm. As this energy function transformation, plural methods are known. For example, Rother et al. proposed this transformation (for example, C. Rother et al., "Minimizing Sparse Higher Order Energy Functions of Discrete Variables", IEEE, CVPR, pp. 1382-1389, 2009 (Non-Patent Document 2)).
Further, a method has been proposed in which a graph cut technique is used to extract a region of a target to be extracted. In the method, energy is set based on a distance from a closed curve representing an outline of the target, and segmentation into an object region and the other region is performed (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-027713 (Patent Document 1)).

Image processing apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored therein image processing program, and operation method of image processing apparatus


A semiconductor laser device has a package which contains inside a laser diode which outputs light according to an applied voltage and a protective element. The protective element has a control terminal and is connected in parallel with the laser diode, and its impedance is significantly smaller than that of the laser diode when no voltage is applied to the control terminal and is significantly larger when a specified voltage is applied to the control terminal. The protective element may be a depletion mode FET connected in parallel with the laser diode between its drain and source, its gate serving as the control terminal. A photoelectric conversion IC for converting a received light signal into an electrical signal may also be contained inside the package and containing the protective element.

This invention relates to a semiconductor laser device which may be contained in a compact disc player or an optical pickup.
FIG. 4 shows the circuit structure of a prior art semiconductor laser device of this kind with a laser diode 1 contained inside a package 10, connected through wires or lead lines to its terminals T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 outside for applying a voltage thereacross and thereby providing an optical output according to the applied input voltage.
While there is no source voltage being applied to such a circuit, it sometimes happens that the static electricity of the circuit causes a current (referred to as "a surge current") to flow through, thereby degrading or destroying the diode because laser diodes are typically much more fragile than ordinary ICs against a surge current.
Since prior art semiconductor laser devices are structured such that the surge current would completely flow into the laser diode, the laser diode is easily degraded or destroyed. In other words, prior art semiconductor laser devices had only a very low resistance against surge currents.
It was necessary therefore to take an adequate measure when a prior art semiconductor laser device was installed in its driving circuit, for example, in order to prevent such degradation or destruction of the laser diode by a surge current. If a circuit for absorbing the surge current is to be attached externally, however, this will increase the total area of the set into which the semiconductor laser device is incorporated.


Disclosed is a retro-reflective article that can comprise at least one fiber having a first component with a first surface, where the first surface can be shaped to define at least one retro-reflective feature, and wherein the retro-reflective feature can be configured to provide more than one reflection of light incident thereon.

The most common retro-reflectors found in everyday applications are corner cubes composed of three orthogonal mirrors, corner cube pyramid shaped prisms and microspheres made out of glass or various plastics. Microspheres are commonly used in the textiles industry for either aesthetic reasons or in order to provide higher night visibility features to fabrics. Retro-reflectors find many uses including many related to promoting health, safety or welfare. For example, retro-reflection technology is commonly used in highway safety applications. Roads and street signs can include retro-reflectors to increase their visibility at night. Light from an oncoming vehicle's headlights is reflected back towards the vehicle operator's eyes by appropriate retro-reflectors embedded in lane markers or included with road signs. Garments worn by highway workers can include retro-reflectors so that the workers are more readily seen during night road work operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,092, entitled "Retroreflective Fiber and Method of Making Same" and issued 22 Jun. 1982, appears to relate to making a thread-like continuous retro-reflective fiber. A thread-like fiber is made by laminating a thin film of retro-reflective material to a supporting polyester film, and then slitting the laminate to form narrow strips of retro-reflective material having sufficient strength to be combined with other fibers to form a composite yarn having retro-reflective characteristics, which composite yarn may then be woven, knitted, or spun to provide a fabric having retro-reflective characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,108, entitled "Retroreflective Polymer Coated Flexible Fabric Material and Method Of Manufacture" and issued 5 Oct. 1999, appears to relate to a process and article for a retro-reflective polymeric coated flexible fabric material having a retro-reflective layer and a polymeric compatibilizing layer welded to a polymeric coated outer surface of a flexible fabric material. The compatibilizing layer provides an intermediate layer between the retro-reflective layer and the flexible fabric material to create bond strength between dissimilar polymers.
US Patent Application Publication 2007/0062433, entitled "Abrasion Resistant Omnidirectionally Reflective Rope" and published 22 Mar. 2007, appears to relate to a flexible abrasion resistant omnidirectionally reflective rope having a central braided high strength core comprising gel fiber or p-aramid fibers that is surrounded by a cylindrically braided sleeve of reflective strips composed of narrow width reflective strips that comprise a woven or knitted narrow width strip and a flexible nylon retro-reflective sheet sewn thereon and covered with abrasion resistant coating. It appears that the flexible retro-reflective sheet is formed by thermally bonding corner cube, microsphere retro-reflectors, or wide angle exposed retro-reflective lenses to a flexible polymeric sheet. Due to its braided construction, the reflective rope is described as reflecting light omnidirectionally over a large angle of acceptance, thereby providing an improved measure of safety in the marine craft environment.
Although known retro-reflectors and techniques for using them have proven useful, there are disadvantages and drawbacks. Room for improvement remains and would be a welcome advance in the art.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


An apparatus includes an installing unit configured to acquire a program from an information processing apparatus coupled to a network and install the acquired program on the apparatus, an acquiring unit configured to acquire setup information applied to the apparatus at an installing destination, to which the program is installed, the acquiring unit acquiring first setup information sent to the information processing apparatus from the apparatus or another apparatus before installing the program, and an applying unit configured to apply the first setup information to the apparatus in response to installing of the program.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, an information processing system, a method for processing information, and a program.
Description of the Related Art
An apparatus as an example of an image forming apparatus may have an enforced function by installing a program such as an application program. Said differently, a user may expect a change in work efficiency or the like by installing an application suitable for his own work.
In order to effectively use a function substantialized by an operation of the program, an appropriate value may be set (customized) to setup information (a parameter) for stipulating the operation of the program. Along with installing of the program, there may be a case where a setup suitable for the operation of the program is done.
However, multiple apparatuses may be installed in an office or the like. In a case where the same program is installed on each of the multiple apparatuses under this situation, similar setup works of setting the setup information may be done to cause inefficiency.
In a case where the program is installed on the apparatus and then the program is uninstalled from the apparatus, a setup operation of returning the setup information of the apparatus to the condition before installing the program is cumbersome.
An embodiment of the present invention is provided in consideration of the above points. An object of the embodiment is to pursue the efficiency of a setup operation accompanied by a change in a program structure in the apparatus.

Apparatus, information processing system, method for processing information, and program


A semiconductor memory device includes a bit line sense amplifier, a sense amplifier enable signal generator, a power line driver, and a driver controller. The bit line sense amplifier senses and amplifies data carried on a bit line. The sense amplifier enable signal generator generates a sense amplifier enable signal in response to an active command signal and a precharge command signal. Activation points of times of the sense amplifier enable signal corresponding to the active command signal are multiplexed depending on input/output bandwidth option information. The power line driver drives a pull-up power line and a pull-down power line of the bit line sense amplifier. The driver controller controls the power line driver in response to the sense amplifier enable signal.

The present invention relates to semiconductor design technologies; and, more particularly, to a sense amplifier for use in a semiconductor memory device. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a sense amplifier enable signal generator for controlling the sense amplifier of the semiconductor memory device.
Generally, a memory device such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) is provided with a bit line sense amplifier for amplifying a fine potential difference of a pair of bit lines for read or refresh driving.
For reference, the procedure of outputting data stored in cells through a read operation in DRAM will be described around the operation of such a bit line sense amplifier as follows.
First, when an RAS signal /RAS among external commands for operating DRAM is activated, an input address signal is applied to a row address buffer which performs a row decoding operation wherein the row address signal is decoded to select a word line to which a cell where a data to be outputted is stored belongs.
In this manner, when a word line is selected and at the same time a data of a plurality of cells coupled to the selected word line is carried on plural pairs of bit lines BL and BLB, the bit line sense amplifier is driven to amplify the data of the plural pairs of bit lines BL and BLB.
Next, any one of the plural pairs of bit lines BL and BLB is selected by a column address by a column decoder and the data of the selected pair of bit lines BL and BLB is outputted through a segment input/output line SIO, a local input/output line LIO and a global input/output line GIO.
Meanwhile, a sense amplifier enable signal used herein denotes a signal for determining when a sense amplifier amplifies the data carried on the pair of bit lines BL and BLB by the selected word line in such a read operation of DRAM. Typically, such a sense amplifier enable signal is generated by the following method.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a bit line sense amplifier array and a memory cell array including a sense amplifier enable signal generator of DRAM according to the prior art.
Referring to FIG. 1, the memory cell array 140 includes a plurality of word lines WL0, WL1, WL2 and WL3, and a sub word driver for driving the plurality of word lines WL0, WL1, WL2 and WL3.
Although one cell is shown to be configured for one word line in FIG. 1, it is merely for simplicity of drawing and a plurality of cells are generally arranged for one word line.
Further, even if the memory cell array 140 is configured only above the bit line sense amplifier array in the drawing, it is usually provided above and below the bit line sense amplifier array.
Typically, therefore, the memory cell array above the bit line sense amplifier array is called an 'upper memory cell array' and the memory cell array below the bit line sense amplifier array is called a 'lower memory cell array'.
The bit line sense amplifier array is provided with a bit line sense amplifier 130, an upper bit line separator 150 and a lower bit line separator 180, a bit line equalization/precharge part 160, a column selector 170, a bit line sense amplifier power line driver 120 and a driver controller 110, (regardless of the sense amplifier enable signal generator 100.)
The driver controller 110 drives a pull-down power line SB and a pull-up power line RTO for controlling the operation of the power line driver 120 with a predetermined voltage level in response to a sense amplifier enable signal SAE outputted from the sense amplifier enable signal generator 100.
The upper bit line separator 150 is to separate/connect the upper memory cell array from/to the bit line sense amplifier 130 in response to an upper separation signal BISH, and the lower bit line separator 180 is to separate/connect the lower memory cell array from/to the bit line sense amplifier 130 in response to a lower separation signal BISH.
The bit line sense amplifier 130 senses a voltage difference (having a fine voltage difference by charge sharing) of a pair of bit lines BL and BLB when the sense amplifier enable signal SAE is activated so that the pull-down power line SB and the pull-up power line RTO are driven to a predetermined voltage level by the driver controller 110, and then amplifies one of the bit lines to a ground voltage VSS and the other to a core voltage VCORE.
The bit line equalization/precharge part 160 serves to precharge the pair of bit lines BL and BLB to a bit line precharge voltage VBLP (conventionally, VCORE/2) in response to a bit line equalization signal BLEQ, after completing the sensing/amplification and restoration procedure for the bit lines.
The column selector 170 transfers the data of the pair of bit lines BL and BLB sensed/amplified by the bit line sense amplifier 130 to segment data buses SIO and SIOB in response to a column selection signal YI when a read command is applied thereto.
Meanwhile, the sense amplifier enable signal generator 100 is provided with a default delay circuit 102 and a sense amplifier enable signal output circuit 104.
The default delay circuit 102 delays an active command signal ACT activated in response to an RAS signal /RAS by a predetermined sensing delay to output a sense amplifier activation control signal SAEA.
The sense amplifier enable signal output circuit 104 activates the sense amplifier enable signal SAE in response to the sense amplifier activation control signal SAEA and inactivates the same in response to a precharge command signal PCG.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram illustrating the sensing and amplifying procedure of the bit line sense amplifier including the sense amplifier enable signal generator shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, the bit line sense amplifier 130 senses and amplifies the data of the pair of bit lines BL and BLB through the following steps.
First of all, a word line WL to which a cell where a data to be outputted is stored belongs is activated in response to the active command signal ACT activated by the row decoding operation set forth above.
When the word line Wl is activated, a fine voltage difference occurs between the pair of bit lines BL and BLB due to a charge sharing phenomenon in which the data of the cell belonging to the word line is transferred to the pair of bit lines BL and BLB.
Thereafter, when the sense amplifier enable signal SAE is activated in response to the signal SAEA that is obtained by delaying the active command signal ACT used in activating the word line WL by a predetermined sensing delay, the bit line sense amplifier 130 senses a fine voltage difference of the pair of bit lines BL and BLB and amplifies one of them to the ground voltage VSS and the other to the core voltage VCORE.
By the way, the sense amplifier enable signal generator 100 mentioned above delays the active command signal ACT used in activating the word line WL by a predetermined sensing delay which is a fixed delay value regardless of the input/output bandwidth of DRAM, and employs it in activating the sense amplifier enable signal SAE.
In case the sense amplifier enable signal SAE is activated by using the fixed delay value as above, some problems may be generated as follows.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing word lines of banks activated correspondingly to an input/output bandwidth.
Referring to FIG. 3, the number of word lines of banks activated correspondingly to an input/output bandwidth can be seen.
First, an IO<0:7> line is connected to a bank BANK0_0, an IO<8:15> line is connected to a bank BANK0_1, an IO<16:24> line is connected to a bank BANK0_2, and an IO<25:32> line is connected to a bank BANK0_3.
That is, in the input/output bandwidth of X8, one of IO<0:7>, IO<8:15>, IO<16:24>, and IO<25:32> lines is enabled in one input/output operation and only one of BANK0_0, BANK0_1, BANK0_2, and BANK0_3 regions is selected, and thus, only one word line is activated in one input/output operation.
Further, in the input/output bandwidth of X16, two of IO<0:7>, IO<8:15>, IO<16:24>, and IO<25:32> lines are enabled in one input/output operation and two of BANK0_0, BANK0_1, BANK0_2, and BANK0_3 regions are selected, and thus, two word lines are activated in one input/output operation.
Also, in the input/output bandwidth of X32, all of IO<0:7>, IO<8:15>, IO<16:24>, and IO<25:32> lines are enabled in one input/output operation and all of BANK0_0, BANK0_1, BANK0_2 and BANK0_3 regions are selected, and thus, four word lines are activated in one input/output operation.
Therefore, it can be seen that the number of word lines activated in one input/output operation increases as the input/output bandwidth increases.
By the way, if the number of word lines activated in one input/output operation increases, the amount of current consumed by DRAM in one input/output operation increases, which causes a phenomenon in which a voltage level used therein becomes lower than a desired level.
Thus, the bit line sense amplifier 130 may involve the following problems by the aforementioned phenomenon that also occurs in the sense amplifier enable signal generator 100 that is one of voltages used in the DRAM.
FIG. 4A is a timing diagram illustrating one example of defects which may happen due to malfunctioning of the sense amplifier enable signal generator of the semiconductor memory device according to the prior art in the sensing and amplifying procedure of the bit line sense amplifier shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 4A, when a predetermined sensing delay of the sense amplifier enable signal generator 100 is fixed so that the bit line sense amplifier 130 is optimized in the input/output bandwidth of X8 and operated, a solid line represents an operation waveform of the bit line sense amplifier 130 that operates in the input/output bandwidth of X8, and a dotted line denotes an operation waveform of the bit line sense amplifier 130 that operates in the input/output bandwidth of X32.
With reference to the solid line, the bit line sense amplifier 130 that operates in the input/output bandwidth of X8 normally amplifies the data of the pair of bit lines BL and BLB without any problem, like that shown in FIG. 2.
However, with reference to the dotted line, the bit line sense amplifier 130 that operates in the input/output bandwidth of X32 may cause a problem that a fine voltage level difference that has to be occurred between the pair of bit lines BL and BLB becomes less than a voltage level difference that can be sensed by the bit line sense amplifier 130 because of a late occurrence of a charge sharing phenomenon in which the data of cell belonging to the word line is transferred to the pair of bit lines BL and BLB due to a gentle slope of the word line WT activated in response to the active command signal ACT.
As such, if the fine voltage level difference between the pair of bit lines BL and BLB becomes less than the voltage level difference that can be sensed by the bit line sense amplifier 130, there may occur a defect that the bit line sense amplifier 130 inversely senses and amplifies the data as shown.
FIG. 4B is a timing diagram illustrating another example of defects which may happen due to malfunctioning of the sense amplifier enable signal generator of the semiconductor memory device according to the prior art in the sensing and amplifying procedure of the bit line sense amplifier shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 4B, when the predetermined sensing delay of the sense amplifier enable signal generator 100 is fixed so that the bit line sense amplifier 130 is optimized in the input/output bandwidth of X32 and operated, a solid line represents an operation waveform of the bit line sense amplifier 130 that operates in the input/output bandwidth of X32, and a dotted line denotes an operation waveform of the bit line sense amplifier 130 that operates in the input/output bandwidth of X8.
With reference to the solid line, the bit line sense amplifier 130 that operates in the input/output bandwidth of X32 normally amplifies the data of the pair of bit lines BL and BLB without any problem, like that shown in FIG. 2.
However, with reference to the dotted line, the bit line sense amplifier 130 that operates in the input/output bandwidth of X8 may raise a problem that an operation speed of the entire DRAM including the bit line sense amplifier 130 becomes slow because the sense amplifier enable signal SAE is activated to operate the bit line sense amplifier 130 at a certain time after an occurrence of a charge sharing phenomenon in which the data of cell belonging to the word line is transferred to the pair of bit lines BL and BLB due to a sharp slope of the word line WL activated in response to the active command signal ACT.
In addition, in order to solve the aforementioned problem caused by variation of a target input/output bandwidth of DRAM in its design, the conventional method modifies an inner circuit configuration of DRAM, but this increases costs and takes time for development.

Sense amplifier enable signal generator for semiconductor memory device


Rifle rests have a base, a rifle support configured to support a forward portion of a rifle, the support movably connected to the base and operable to move vertically and laterally with respect to the base to aim the rifle, an elevation mechanism operably connecting the support to the base and having an adjustable height, a windage mechanism operable to adjust a lateral position of the rifle support with respect to the base, the windage mechanism including an arm having a forward end and opposed rear end, the forward end operably connected to the rifle support to establish a lateral position of the support based on a lateral position of the rear end of the arm, such that lateral movement of the rear end of the arm adjusts the windage of the rifle, and the elevation mechanism including an elevation control element connected to the rear end of the arm.

Rifle rests support an attached rifle to provide maximum accuracy and precision. The rifle rides on a front and a rear rest, which may or may not be connected. Wheel-style rests enable adjustments to the rifle's elevation (vertical position), while joystick-style rests enable the shooter to control both the elevation and windage (lateral position) of the rifle. One disadvantage of traditional joystick-style rests is the if the shooter releases the joystick, the rifle rest will move and lose the point of aim. When the point of aim is lost, it requires time to reacquire the target. Time is critical in competitive shooting because conditions can rapidly change. Being able to shoot rapidly creates better precision because there is less opportunity for conditions to change between shots.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved rifle rest that enables the shooter to release the control stick without the rifle rest losing the point of aim. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the rifle rest according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of enabling the shooter to release the control stick without the rifle rest losing the point of aim.
The present invention provides an improved rifle rest, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an improved rifle rest that has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned above.
To attain this, the preferred embodiment of the present invention essentially comprises a base, a rifle support configured to support a forward portion of a rifle, the rifle support movably connected to the base and operable to move vertically and laterally with respect to the base to aim the rifle, an elevation mechanism operably connecting the rifle support to the base and having an adjustable height, a windage mechanism operable to adjust a lateral position of the rifle support with respect to the base, the windage mechanism including an arm having a forward end and an opposed rear end, the forward end operably connected to the rifle support to establish a lateral position of the rifle support based on a lateral position of the rear end of the arm, such that lateral movement of the rear end of the arm adjusts the windage of the rifle, and the elevation mechanism including an elevation control element connected to the rear end of the arm. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various figures.


A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an Electron Transfer Dissociation cell. Positive analyte ions are fragmented into fragment ions upon colliding with singly charged negative reagent ions with the cell. The cell comprises a plurality of ring electrodes which form a spherical trapping volume. Ions experience negligible RF heating over the majority of the trapping volume which enables the kinetic energy of the analyte and reagent ions to be reduced to just above thermal temperatures. An Electron Transfer Dissociation cell having an enhanced sensitivity is thereby provided. Fragment ions created within the cell may be cooled and may be transmitted onwardly to an orthogonal acceleration Time of Flight mass analyser enabling a significant improvement in the resolution of the mass analyser to be obtained.

The present invention relates to a mass spectrometer. The preferred embodiment relates to an Electron Transfer Dissociation ("ETD") reaction or fragmentation device wherein positively charged analyte ions are fragmented upon reacting or interacting with negatively charge reagent ions. The analyte ions and reagent ions are preferably cooled to near thermal temperatures within a spherical ion trapping volume formed within a modified ion tunnel ion trap. As a result, analyte ions are fragmented with a greater efficiency. The resulting fragment or product ions are also preferably cooled to near thermal temperatures and may then be mass analysed by a Time of Flight mass analyser.
It is known to contain ions having opposite polarities simultaneously within an ion trap. It is also known that the effective potential within an ion trap is independent of the polarity of the ions so that, for example, a quadrupole ion trap may be arranged to store simultaneously both positive and negative ions.
Ion-ion reactions such as Electron Transfer Dissociation ("ETD") and Proton Transfer Reaction ("PTR") have been studied in a modified commercial 3D ion trap. Electron Transfer Dissociation involves causing highly charged positive analyte ions to interact or collide with negatively charged reagent ions. As a result of an ion-ion reaction the positively charged analyte ions are caused to fragment into a plurality of fragment or product ions. The fragment or product ions which are produced enable the parent analyte biomolecule ion to be sequenced.
Electron Capture Dissociation is also known wherein analyte ions are fragmented upon interacting with electrons. However, a particular advantage of Electron Transfer Dissociation reaction or fragmentation as compared with Electron Capture Dissociation is that it is not necessary to provide a relatively strong magnetic field in order to constrain the path of electrons so as to induce ion-electron collisions.
Electron Transfer Dissociation experiments have been attempted in a 3D or Paul ion trap. A 3D or Paul ion trap comprises a central ring electrode and two end-cap electrodes having a hyperbolic surface. Ions are confined within the 3D or Paul ion trap in a quadrupolar electric field in both the axial and radial dimensions. However, although Electron Transfer Dissociation has been investigated using a 3D or Paul ion trap very little if any actual fragmentation of positively charged analyte ions has been observed within such a 3D ion trap.
It is therefore desired to provide an improved Electron Transfer Dissociation reaction or fragmentation device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Embodiments of the present invention may provide a method of measuring an unknown capacitance of a device. The method may comprise the steps of driving a test signal to a circuit system that includes a current divider formed by the device with unknown capacitance and a reference capacitor; mirroring a current developed in the reference capacitor to a second circuit system that includes a measurement impedance; measuring a voltage within the second circuit system; and deriving a capacitance of the unknown capacitance based on the measured voltage with reference to a capacitance of the reference capacitor and the measurement impedance.

The present invention generally relates to the measurement of an unknown capacitance of a capacitive device.
Translational systems are used in digital cameras, video recorders, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and other electronic devices. These translational systems are used to move mechanical systems (for example, a lens assembly) under an electrical control such as auto-focus or optical image stabilization. In such a translational system, a driver integrated circuit generates a drive signal to an actuator, which in turn drives a mechanical system. The driver generates the drive signal in response to an input command that indicates the desired position of the actuator.
An example of an actuator is a MicroElectroMechanical System (MEMS) actuator. A MEMS actuator typically exhibits a non-linear relationship between the amount of current or voltage applied to it and the amount of displacement it produces. MEMS actuator responses also may vary among manufacturing lots of the same MEMS actuator design. Furthermore, operational factors such as temperature and physical orientation with respect to gravitational force may have a substantial effect on the MEMS actuator responses. Consequently, an open-loop controlled MEMS actuator may not reach the desired position prescribed by the input command, leading to inaccurate performance.
A closed-loop control may be used to drive a MEMS actuator such that the closed-loop control corrects for any error between the desired position and the actual position of the MEMS actuator. A closed-loop control, however, employs a feedback signal that represents the actual position of the MEMS actuator. However, the position of a MEMS actuator cannot be directly measured.
Therefore, the inventors recognized a need in the art for measuring the position of a MEMS actuator.


There is provided a digital X-ray detector including an X-ray detection array configured to detect an X-ray image when a subject is irradiated with X-ray; a support board supporting a bottom of the X-ray detection array; a case accommodating both the X-ray detection array and the support board and having a plurality of insertion portions formed on four sidewalls thereof; and shock abortion members, each installed to each of the insertion portion and having a head resting on an outer wall of the case and a protrusion extended from the head to thereby be in contact with a sidewall of the support board.

1. Field
The following description relates to a digital X-ray detector for obtaining a digital image using a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) without a film.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional X-ray image photographing system is used in a medical industry to photograph a subject onto a film and, and the resulting film needs to be printed for diagnosis. However, many research and studies have been conducted recently to develop a digital X-ray detector for obtaining a digital image using a TFT without a film.
For example, a digital X-ray detector may have an X-ray detection array which is fixed onto an external case thereof. At this time, the X-ray detection array includes a glass substrate, a TFT laminated on the glass substrate, a light converting material layer of amorphous selenium laminated on the TFT, an insulating layer formed on the light converting material layer and top electrodes formed on the insulating layer.
When the X-ray detection array is irradiated with X-rays, the X-ray produces electron-hole pairs in the light converting material layer. The electron-hole pairs are accelerated by power which is applied to top electrodes, so that the electrons may be transferred to external electrodes and the holes may be charged in a headacity of the TFT via upper electrodes of the TFT. Then, the TFT is switched on and off, an X-ray detection image may be obtained.
However, the above-mentioned digital X-ray detector are highly likely to be exposed to external forces since the X-ray image photographing system is often used outside. For example, while being moved or used, the digital X-ray detector may fall over or an external force may be imposed thereon.
In such cases, elements of the digital X-ray detector, such as a light converting material layer, a TFT and a glass substrate, may be damaged, thereby affecting performance of the digital X-ray detector. For this reason, it is required to come up with a measure to protect the X-ray detection array from a shock.


Disclosed in the present invention are a Machine Type Communication event reporting method, device and system. The method includes: a mobility management network element acquires identifier information of an MTC server corresponding to an MTC device from a user subscription server; the mobility management network element sends the identifier information to an MTC event reporting entity; and the MTC event reporting entity reports an MTC event of the MTC device to the MTC server corresponding to the identifier information. By way of the present invention, the MTC event report can be sent to a correct MTC server, so that the MTC server can effectively monitor the MTC device.

With the development of mobile network service and automatic control technologies, the Machine Type Communication (abbreviated as MTC) mode emerges. The MTC is also referred to as Machine to Machine (abbreviated as M2M) communication mode, in which both parties of the communication are machine devices.
In the M2M communication, the communication activity is controlled automatically, i.e. the initiation and termination of the communication and the control of some access and limitation during communication are all automatic activity. Such activities reply upon the constraint and control of the machine (i.e. terminals in M2M communication) activities in M2M communication. The activities of the terminal in the M2M communication are restrained by the service subscription data, and the network manages the terminal in M2M communication according to the service subscription data.
The most typical communication mode in Machine Type Communication is the communication between the terminal and the application server, wherein the terminal is referred to as MTC user equipment (MTC UE) and the application server is referred to as MTC server.
In the 2G/3G/LTE access network, the M2M communication mainly takes the packet service (abbreviated as PS) network as the underlying bearer network to realize the service layer communication between the MTC user equipment and the MTC server. In particular, the M2M communication entity can access the evolved packet system (abbreviated as EPS) network via the evolved universal mobile telecommunications system terrestrial radio access network (abbreviated as E-UTRAN), and can also can access the general packet radio service (abbreviated as GPRS) via the GSM/EDGE radio access network (abbreviated as GERAN)/UTRAN network. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an M2M communication entity accessing the EPS according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 1, the MTC server can serve as the application function (abbreviated as AF) and connect to the policy and charging rules function entity (abbreviated as PCRF) via an Rx interface, so as to realize the control of the bearer. In addition, the MTC server can serve as the SIP AS and connect to the home subscriber server (abbreviated as HSS) via a Sh interface, so as to access the application service data.
In FIG. 1, the MTC UE access the EPS network via the E-UTRAN (eNodeB). After an IP address is allocated thereto, the MTC UE can establish an IP channel with the MTC server so as to realize the upper layer service communication with the MTC server. The IP channel established between the MTC UE and the MTC server can be a logical IP channel, the physical path of which passes through: eNodeB, serving gateway (abbreviated as S-GW or SGW), and packet data network gateway (abbreviated as PDN GW, or P-GW, or PGW).
In the practical application, the MTS server needs to monitor the running state of the MTC UE so as to dynamically and timely learn the current state of the MTC UE and the changes of the state of the MTC UE. In this case, the state change of the MTC UE may include: the MTC UE de-attaches from the network, the MTC UE enters a non-connection state, the MTC UE release the wireless connection, and the current position of the MTC UE changes, etc. All these state changes of the MTC UE can be referred to as an MTC event. The MTC event to be monitored can be defined in the MTC subscription data of the home location register (abbreviated as HLR)/HSS, and sent to the serving general packet radio service support node (abbreviated as SGSN)/MME by the HLR/HSS according to the flow of the MTC UE attaching to the network. However, as to the detection of the MTC event, it usually has to be done by the network entity of the core network. For example, in the EPS network, the network element responsible for detecting the MTC event can be MME/SGW/PGW and so on, and in the GPRS network, the network element responsible for detecting the MTC event can be the SGSN/gateway GPRS support node (abbreviated as GGSN) and so on. After an MTC event has been detected, usually it has to be reported to the MTC server so that the MTC server can timely learn the running condition of the MTC UE.
In the related art, a reporting solution that takes the MME/SGSN as the MTC event detection entity or the GGSN/PGW as the MTC event detection entity is provided.
In this case, if the MME/SGSN is used as the MTC event detection entity, when the current MME/SGSN detects the occurrence of an MTC event, before MTC GW sends the MTC event reported to the MTC server, the MME/SGSN can send the MTC event report to the MTC GW by the following ways: (1) if there is a direct interface between the SGSN/MME and the MTC GW, then the SGSN/MME is used as an MTC event execution entity to directly send the MTC event report to the MTC GW; (2) the SGSN/MME sends the MTC event report to the GGSN/PGW using a GTP-C message with the GGSN/SGW/PGW, and the GGSN/PGW, as the MTC event reporting entity, sends the MTC event report to the MTC GW using a MTCi interface with the MTC GW; and (3) the SGSN/MME sends the MTC event report to the GGSN/PGW using the GTP-C message, and the GGSN/PGW sends the MTC event report to the PCRF using the Gx interface with the PCRF, and the PCRF, as the MTC event reporting entity, sends the MTC event report to the MTC GW using the Rx interface with the MTC GW.
When the GGSN/PGW is the MTC event detection entity, if the GGSN/PGW currently detects the occurrence of an MTC event, before MTC GW sends the MTC event reported to the MTC server, the GGSN/PGW can send the MTC event report to the MTC GW by the following two ways: (1) the GGSN/PGW, as the event report entity, sends the MTC event report to the MTC GW using the MTCi interface with the MTC GW; and (2) the GGSN/PGW sends the MTC event report to the PCRF using the Gx interface with the PCRF, and the PCRF, as the event report entity, sends the MTC event report to the MTC GW using the Rx interface with the MTC GW.
The inventors have found that in the related art when the MTC event detection entity reports the MTC event report, it is not designated which MTC server the MTC event report is to be sent to, which causes that the MTC event report is sent to a wrong MTC server, and then causes that the MTC server cannot effectively monitor the MTC UE.

Machine type communication event reporting method, device and system


The disclosure discloses a wireless terminal with a reduced Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) peak. The wireless terminal comprises a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), wherein a fractal gap is formed at an edge of a metal ground on the PCB to disturb distribution of induced current at the edge of the metal ground. The disclosure also discloses a method for reducing an SAR peak. On the premise of the non-influence on the communication quality of the wireless terminal, the SAR and the production cost can be reduced and the structure space of wireless terminal can be saved by using the wireless terminal and the method.

With the rapid development of wireless communication technologies, wireless terminals such as mobile terminal or data card receive widespread application; it also can be found that the size of the wireless terminal gets smaller and smaller; while the design difficulty of the wireless terminal structure is increased, another important problem is caused too, that is, electromagnetic radiation of the wireless terminal on a human body is enhanced.
At present, the index to measure the electromagnetic radiation of an antenna on a human body is SAR, which refers to a specific absorption value of the electromagnetic energy of the wireless terminal; the specific implication is that: by the action of external electromagnetic field, an induction electromagnetic field is generated inside a human body; since each organ inside the human body is lossy dielectric, the electromagnetic field inside the human body generates induced current which then causes the human body to absorb and dissipate electromagnetic energy; the SAR is usually used to represent this physical process in biological dosimetry. The implication of SAR refers to the electromagnetic power absorbed or dissipated by human tissue per unit mass, wherein the unit is W/kg or mW/g; the federal communications commission (FCC) of united states definitely regulates the maximum allowed SAR during the interaction of each kind of wireless terminal and a human body; the FCC also regulates that the SAR of the mobile terminal should be measured when the mobile terminal approaches one side of the human brain; the SAR of the data card must be measured on four sides near the data card antenna. Therefore, the point how to meet the electromagnetic radiation standard of the human body while the wireless terminal is miniaturized has become the important problem to be solved immediately.
At present, the wireless terminal SAR attenuation technology, that is, the SAR peak attenuation technology, usually is to coat a wave-absorbing material and/or an anti-radiation layer on the surface of the wireless terminal housing, but the production cost is high; besides, there is a method for setting a conductor reflector and a shielding device in the wireless terminal, thus, during the assembly process of the wireless terminal, it is necessary to provide corresponding location space for the conductor reflector and the shielding device, and more space is occupied; therefore, the original purpose of wireless terminal miniaturization design is violated.
Although both the two solutions above can reduce the SAR, the two solutions have a common defect, that is, after a wave-absorbing material and/or an anti-radiation layer is coated on the surface of the wireless terminal housing, although the coated wave-absorbing material and/or the anti-radiation layer absorbs the electromagnetic wave radiated on the human body by the wireless terminal, the coated wave-absorbing material and/or the anti-radiation layer also absorbs the useful signal radiated outwards in a form of electromagnetic wave by the antenna, thus the communication quality of the wireless terminal is influenced; similarly, although the conductor reflector and the shielding device can isolate the electromagnetic wave radiated on the human body, the conductor reflector and the shielding device also can isolate the signal useful signal radiated outwards by the antenna, thus the communication quality of the wireless terminal is influenced. By the two solutions above, while the SAR of wireless terminal is reduced, the communication performance of the wireless terminal is influenced too, that is to say, the radiation of the near region of the wireless terminal antenna on the human body is reduced, however, the far-field radiation of the antenna is influenced greatly and the wireless terminal can not communicate successfully, thus communication quality can not be guaranteed.

Wireless terminal with reduced specific absorption rate peak and implementation method thereof


An alternating electric field is applied across liquid crystal cells of pixels of an optically compensated birefringence mode liquid crystal display during a time period after power is provided to the display to cause the liquid crystal cells to change from a splay state to a bend state. The alternating electric field has a frequency that is less than 40 Hz. After the liquid crystal cells change to the bend state, a backlight module is turned on, and the pixels are controlled to show images with a refresh rate of greater than 40 Hz.

This description relates to liquid crystal displays.
There are several types of liquid crystal displays, such as twisted nematic liquid crystal displays, vertically aligned liquid crystal displays, multiple domain vertically aligned liquid crystal displays, and optically compensated birefringence mode (OCB mode, also referred to as optically compensated bend mode, or π cell) liquid crystal displays. OCB mode liquid crystal displays have fast responses and can show movie or animation having fast changing scenes with high clarity. OCB mode liquid crystal displays are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,620, "Driving Method of Liquid Crystal Display Device" and U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,646, "Voltage Application Driving Method," the contents of which are incorporated by reference.
An OCB mode liquid crystal display has an array of pixels that can be independently controlled to show different gray-scales. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, each pixel includes a liquid crystal cell 94 that is positioned between an upper substrate 110 and a lower substrate 120. Attached to the upper substrate 110 are color filters and a common electrode (not shown). Attached to the lower substrate 120 are thin film transistors and pixel electrodes (not shown). The common electrode is driven by a common voltage Vcom, and the pixel electrode is driven by a driving signal Vs. A characteristic of the OCB mode liquid crystal display is that the liquid crystal cell 94 changes between a "splay orientation state" and a "bend orientation state" depending on the voltage applied across the liquid crystal cell 94.
Referring to FIG. 1A, when the voltage difference between the common electrode and the pixel electrode is zero (both Vcom and Vs are equal to zero), the liquid crystal molecules 100 are arranged in the splay state. Referring to FIG. 1B, when the common electrode is maintained at ground voltage (e.g., 0V), and an AC driving signal having an amplitude above a threshold voltage (e.g., 2V) is applied to the pixel electrode, an electric field is created to cause the liquid crystal molecules to be oriented in the bend state. After the liquid crystal cell 94 enters the bend state, adjusting the level of the driving voltage (which is still above the threshold voltage) causes the liquid crystal molecules to change orientation, modifying the amount of light that passes through the liquid crystal cell 94, thereby generating gray-scale. If the driving voltage drops below the threshold voltage, the liquid crystal cell 94 returns to the splay state.
FIG. 2 shows a waveform 200 of a conventional driving signal Vs for driving a pixel electrode of the OCB mode liquid crystal display upon start-up of the display. The common electrode is maintained at ground voltage. Initially, the liquid crystal cell 94 are in the splay state (as shown in FIG. 1A). After the driving signal Vs is applied to the pixel electrode, the liquid crystal cell 94 gradually changes from the splay state to the bend state (as shown in FIG. 1B). The driving signal Vs is a 60 Hz square wave that alternates between 10V and −10V (see portion 202 of the waveform 200). The frequency 60 Hz is used because the refresh rate of the display is 60 Hz. After the liquid crystal cell 94 changes to the bend state, the display can start to show images by driving the pixel electrode according image signals (see portion 204 of waveform 200). In one example, in the bend state, when Vs=2V, the pixel shows full white, when Vs=7V, the pixel shows full black, and when Vs is between 2V to 7V, the pixel shows a gray-scale between full white and full black.
FIG. 2 also shows a waveform 206 of a driving signal VL for driving a backlight module of the display. Before the liquid crystal cells 94 change to the bend state, the driving signal VL is low (208) so that the backlight does not turn on. After the liquid crystal cells 94 change to the bend state, the driving signal VL becomes high (210) so that the backlight is turned on, allowing the user to see images formed by the pixels.


A biaxial hinge has a first hinge portion which includes a first A hinge shaft, a second A hinge shaft, and a first radial direction coupling unit for coupling the first A hinge shaft and the second A hinge shaft. The biaxial hinge also has a second hinge portion which includes a first B hinge shaft and a second B hinge shaft, and a second radial direction coupling unit for coupling the first B hinge shaft and the second B hinge shaft. The biaxial hinge also has an axial direction coupling unit.

In a terminal device, such as a notebook PC, a mobile PC, a PDA and a mobile telephone, which comprises a first casing provided with a keyboard portion and a second casing provided with a display portion, a biaxial hinge which couples the first casing and the second casing is known.
Conventionally, among such biaxial hinges, the one described in JP Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2016-1052, which is proposed by the applicant, is known. In the biaxial hinge described in JP Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2016-1052, a first hinge shaft attached to a first casing and a second hinge shaft attached to a second casing are assembled via a plurality of coupling members such that these hinge shafts are rotatable in parallel to each other, wherein rotation controlling means consisting of synchronous rotation means, friction torque generating means, drawing means, and so on, for controlling a rotation of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft are provided; the rotation controlling means can certainly control the rotation of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft, but cannot adjust a distance between two axes of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft.
On the other hand, a terminal device such as a notebook PC and a cellular phone faces a challenge to be thinner, and the challenge increases in importance year by year; and if a biaxial hinge as described above is used, there is a problem in that it is not compatible with a thinner terminal device, because the distance between two axes required for the hinge itself determines a thickness of a first casing and a second casing. Furthermore, a total thickness of terminal devices varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, which requires a manufacture of biaxial hinges with varying thickness depending on varying thickness of such terminal devices, so that a manufacture of the hinges is extremely complicated.

Biaxial hinge and terminal device using the same


The present invention provides a mammalian immortalized liver cell obtained by transferring a cell proliferation factor gene located between a pair of site-specific recombination sequences into a mammalian liver cell.

Liver transplantation is the only treating method which can be utilized for patients with liver-based metabolic diseases or hepatic insufficiency. However, the treatment has problems, for example, shortage of donor livers, considerable postoperative lethality accompanied with operative risk, high costs, use of immunosuppressant over a long period and the like. Recently, isolated hepatocyte transplantation or a bio-artificial liver with living hepatocytes is desired as filler until liver transplantation or regeneration of liver. Advantages of the isolated hepatocyte transplantation or the bio-artificial liver include that it is economical compared with an operation of the liver transplantation, that the risk is few, and the like. However, in the isolated hepatocyte transplantation or the bio-artificial liver, a clinical use thereof is also limited because of the shortage of donor livers.
As an alternative to the isolated hepatocyte, there includes a liver cell-line which can be proliferated in large numbers in vitro, which maintains a property of the isolated hepatocyte and further which can provide a metabolic supplement after transplantation. It is expected that an establishment of the liver cell-line enabling to proliferate in large numbers and having a high-level liver function, and a development of a bank thereof enable the transplantation of required amount of liver-cell as need arises and dissolve the shortage of donor livers.
It is known that a cell-line which maintains appropriate function for differentiation can be produced by transferring oncogenes to immortalize cells (K. A. Westerman, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA., vol 93, 8971, (1996)). However, in case where the immortalizated cell-line is infused into a living body or applied to a extracorporeal assist device such as the bio-artificial liver, there is possibility that a patient is exposed to unexpected risk of malignant transformation. It is not assured that the transplanted cell is finally rejected, even though a heterozoic cell or an incompatible homologous human cell is employed. In human, a stable chimera state with the heterozoic cell and accidental engraftment of HLA incompatible homologous tumor are reported (Gartner, et al., N. Eng. J. Med. Vol. 335, 1494, (1996); K. Paradis, et al., Science, vol. 285, 1236, (1999)). Therefore, it is desired that high-safety liver cells can be easily available in large scale.
However, in the conventional culture technique, it is difficult to proliferate the high-safety liver cells in large numbers.
In view of the above problem, the present invention purpose to provide the mammalian immortalized liver cell enabling limitless proliferation and being designed specifically to finally obtain a large number of the high-safety liver cells.


An electromechanical transducer that includes an elongating/contracting member and a driving member. The elongating/contracting member elongates and contracts in response to application of a voltage thereto. The elongating/contracting member has a side surface that is parallel to an elongation/contraction direction. The driving member is provided on the side surface of the elongating/contracting member. The driving member is displaced with elongation and contraction of the elongating/contracting member.

To date, for example, a piezoelectric actuator that employs a piezoelectric element has been proposed in below-cited Patent Literature 1 as a compact actuator to be used in a camera autofocus mechanism and so forth. FIG. 14 is a schematic side view of the piezoelectric actuator described in Patent Literature 1. As illustrated in FIG. 14, a piezoelectric actuator 100 described in Patent Literature 1 includes a piezoelectric element 101. An end surface 101a of the piezoelectric element 101 on one side is connected to a fixed body 102. A drive shaft 103 is connected to an end surface 101b of the piezoelectric element 101 on the other side. A movable body 104 is provided so as to capable of sliding along the drive shaft 103.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-311794

Electromechanical transducer and actuator


A method for producing a polymeric conductive layer on an object comprising the steps of:. providing an aqueous composition containing a polythiophene, a polyanion compound and an aprotic compound with a dielectric constant, .epsilon., .gtoreq.15, PA1 applying said composition to said object forming a layer and PA1 drying said layer to form a conductive polymeric layer on said object,. characterised in that during said production said object and said layer are kept at a temperature below 100.degree. C. and said conductive polymeric layer has a resistivity of at most 2 k.OMEGA./square.

The production and the use of electronically conductive polymers are well known in the art. In DE-A-41 32 614 the production of film-forming, electronically conductive polymers by anodic oxidation of pyrroles, thiophenes, furans or aromatic amines (or their derivatives.) is effected with a sulphone compound present in the electrolyte solution. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,648 the preparation of electrically-conducting polythiophenes are described. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,627 a method for the preparation of polypyrrole is described. There are several uses for such polymers, they can be used as electrodes in capacitors, as disclosed in, e.g., EP-A-803 886, they are useful as a replacement for metal conductors in electrostatic discharge elimination and electromagnetic shielding as disclosed in, e.g., WO-A-96/266355. The layers of electrically-conductive polymers can be shaped into "wires" or channels using conventional photolithographic techniques and can then be used as interconnects for microchip fabrication, in devices requiring controlled resistance of resistive "channels", in non-linear optics, etc. Such shaping of electrically-conductive polymers into "wires" or channels has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,030. Also in WO-A-97/18944 methods for patterning electrically-conductive polymer layers are disclosed.
Many of the electrically conductive polymers can not be applied to an object from an aqueous solution but have to be applied from a composition with organic solvents, e.g. polyaniline is frequently processed from solutions in cresol. In the light of ecological needs, the need to use organic solvents is a drawback and can hamper the widespread use of electrically conductive polymers. In EP-A-440 957 a method for preparing polythiophene in an aqueous environment and applying polythiophene from an aqueous solution has been described. Such a solution is up until now mostly be used in photographic materials as disclosed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,312,681, 5,354,613 and 5,391,472.
An other limiting factor in the use of electrically-conducting polymers is the fact that, when the polymer is applied in an amount leading to good conductivity, the layers are frequently coloured, which is undesired when these polymer layers are to be used as transparent electrode in LCD or electroluminescent devices. Therefore much efforts have be done to increase the conductivity of the polymers without increasing the coloration so that thin, almost colourless layers of electrically-conductive polymers can be applied having high conductivity.
In EP-A-686 662 it has been disclosed that layers of polythiophene coated from an aqueous composition could be made with high conductivity. Therefore the aqueous composition of the polythiophene comprises further a di- or polyhydroxy compound and after coating said composition and drying the layer, the layer has to be treated at temperatures between 150 and 250.degree. C. in a separate production step. Although the layers disclosed in EP-A-686 662 have a low resistivity of about 300 .OMEGA./square and lower, there is still a need for a method wherein the low resistivity can be reached at lower temperature and without the need of a separate annealing step.

Method for preparing a conductive polythiophene layer at low temperature


Methods for altering the cellular secretion rate of a protein, such as an antibody and the altered cells produced by the method are disclosed. The methods and altered cells are useful for producing high levels of proteins for therapeutic, diagnostic or research purposes.

Large-scale production of proteins, such as antibodies, typically relies on secretion of the protein from a cultured production cell line. Secreted proteins produced by cultured cells can be readily recovered and purified from the surrounding cell culture media.
The cellular secretion rate of proteins is an important parameter affecting the production and purification of secreted proteins from a bioreactor or other system. In general, higher purified protein yields can be attained when the cellular secretion rate is relatively high. Conversely, if the cellular secretion rate is too low protein purification may not be feasible.
One approach to circumventing the problem of low secreting cells has been to isolate high secreting, subcloned cells from a population of low secreting cells. Typically, this requires several time and labor-intensive rounds of limiting serial dilution, screening and selection of high secreting cell lines. Alternatively, entirely new cell lines producing the protein of interest are generated in the hope that the new cell lines will be high secreting lines.
Each of the foregoing approaches to generating high secreting cell lines has limitations. For example, identifying high secreting cell lines by subcloning from a population of low secreting cells is limited by the relative rarity of high secreting cells in the population as well as the extensive amounts of time and labor required for the identification of any high secreting cells.
Further, the generation of new cell lines producing the antibody or protein of interest is limited by the possibility that the new cell lines will not be high secreting and the substantial amounts of effort required to re-generate antibody producing cells and identify high secreting cells. In some instances, only low secreting cell lines can be obtained due to protein misfolding inside the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of the cell resulting in a decreased secretion rate.
Thus, a need exists for effective methods of changing the cellular secretion rate of a protein.

Methods for altering protein production rates


The present invention provides a method and apparatus configured to perform relative load compensation for a payload measurement system of a machine. The machine has at least one cylinder for elevating a payload carrier. The cylinder is connected to a fluid circuit having an actuating fluid. The payload measurement system is calibrated. Then a load of unknown weight is lifted. To determine the weight of this load, the system determines an uncompensated payload weight as a function of sensed pressure values of the actuating fluid. Temperature of the actuating fluid is sensed at the time of calibration and at a time of lift and the difference is scaled. A payload weight is determined as a function of the scaled temperature and the uncompensated payload weight.

Machines such as loaders are used generally to transfer bulk material from a stock pile onto transport machines such as trucks or railroad cars. In such machine loading applications, it typically is desirable that the transport machines are loaded to, but not over, their maximum rated capacity. Underloading of a machine causes inefficiency in the material hauling cycle and under-utilization of such transport machines. Overloading causes additional maintenance cost and extra wear on tires and suspension systems of the machine. Furthermore, the overloaded material may need to be unloaded to decrease load weight, thus causing additional expense. Therefore, accurate payload measurement is desirable.
Payload measurement is also desirable as a method of determining operation productivity. For example, the ability to accumulate the weight of the material loaded during a single shift, during a twenty-four hour period, or during any other time period may be valuable to an operations manager.
Payload measurement systems have been developed which utilize sensed lift cylinder pressures which enable the system to be calibrated using known weights and then to determine payload weight during the operation of the machine. This measurement method is dependent on the pressure to weight ratio remaining consistent between the time the machine is calibrated and the time the machine is measuring an unknown load. In addition, such systems assume the pressure to weight ratio remains consistent over a wide temperature range. It is known to adjust a measurement system for changes in ambient temperature; in addition, it is generally known to compensate a measured payload for changes in the actuating fluid temperature. Such systems typically scale the measured payload weight with an absolute coefficient. However, using an absolute number does not take into account changes in the relative weight of the load.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.

Method and apparatus for performing temperature compensation for a payload measurement system


An improved portable pallet structure for supporting material carrying containers including a confined chamber having a plurality of access passages separate from the confined chamber to accommodate lifting members and including a material pervious support platform mounted above the confined chamber whereby materials spilled from containers supported thereby are collected in the confined chamber.

The present relates to an improved portable pallet structure, and more particularly, to a unique and novel pallet structure capable of accommodating and firmly supporting heavy containers, particularly those carrying hazardous materials from which flow such liquids or small particulates.
Various types of pallet structures are known in the art for supporting heavy material containers, such pallet structures including accommodating passages for the insertion of liftingforks to allow the pallet structures to be moved from one location to another. For the most part these past pallet structures have been comparatively complex in manufacture and assembly and have failed to accommodate adequately for container spill, particularly in those situations where the containers are filled with hazardous and/or corrosive materials. Where the prior art does accomplish this purpose, it does so only with expensive constructions.
The present invention, recognizing the need to provide an economical to manufacture and assemble pallet structure which accommodates for material spill and yet which is readily accessible for movement of heavy containers to be supported on the pallet structure, provides such a unique and novel pallet structure which fulfills such recognized needs and which at the same time can be manufactured and assembled in an economical manner with a minimum of materials and manufacturing steps. The pallet structure of the present invention not only accommodates for spill of flowable materials from containers, but accommodates for such materials even if they are hazardously corrosive, the inventive structure being capable of stably supporting heavy containers filled with flowable materials, particularly those of a hazardous nature, the novel structure having a large fill capacity for spilled materials, which spilled materials can be distributed uniformly in a confined container space when spilled in large quantities. Further, the novel structure of the present invention provides for multiple fork lift entry in a low profile arrangement which can be readily loaded and unloaded and which can readily incorporate supplemental support structure for the container support platform when needed.
Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure herein.

Portable hazardous waste pallet structure


A precision positioning unit composed of a table on which an article is to be placed, a linearly movable rod which is connected with the table at one end and further connected with a rod actuating device at another end, in which the rod actuating device is capable of linearly moving the rod forward and backward, has the following characteristics:

The invention relates to a precision positioning unit and further to a linear movement control unit favorably employable for the precision positioning unit.
The precision positioning unit is generally employed in mechanical industry and electronic industry to manipulate an article such as a workpiece in relationship to working tools A typical known positioning unit illustrated in FIG. 7 of the attached drawings.
In FIG. 7, the positioning unit is composed of a table 71 an which an article is placed, a support member 73, a screw rod 74, and a rod actuator 75 which is connected to an electric source (not shown) and causes rotation of the screw rod 74. When the screw rod 74 rotates, the support member 73 and the table 71 in combination move forward or backward. When the table 71 reaches a predetermined position, the electric connection to the rod actuator 75 is cut, accordingly the rotation of the screw rod 74 ceases to stop the linear movement of the table.
The positioning unit of FIG. 7 can not satisfactorily function for precise positioning, because a series of the necessary operations, namely, the cut of electric connection, cease of operation of the rod actuator 75, cease of rotation of the screw rod 74, and cease of the movement of the combination of the support member 73 and the table 81 by way of friction, require a considerable time. Therefore, it is not easy to position the table at the predetermined side very precisely, so long as the known positioning unit is employed. The known positioning unit also has another problem in that the screw surface of the screw rod 74 gradually wears in the course of its operation, and the worn screw surface is not appropriate for the precise positioning of the table 71.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved precise positioning unit.
It is another object of the invention to provide a precise positioning unit whose precise positioning reliability is maintained for a long period of time, even after it is repeatedly operated.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a linear movement control unit which is employable for different uses such as control of a diaphragm valve installed in a fluid control system.
The present invention resides in a precision positioning unit comprising a table on which an article is to be placed, a linearly movable rod which is connected with the table at one end or a vicinity thereof and further connected with a rod actuating device at another end or a vicinity thereof, said rod actuating device capable of linearly moving the rod forward and backward, characterized in that:
the rod is connected with the rod actuating device via cushion mechanism; and
by the side of the rod is placed a rod movement control device comprising an elastic member, a ultrasonic transducer, and a ultrasonic emitting surface, the elastic member being constituted to push the ultrasonic emitting surface to a side surface of the rod when the ultrasonic transducer is inactive, and the ultrasonic transducer functioning to draw the ultrasonic emitting surface away from the rod when it is active.
The invention also resides in a linear movement control unit comprising a linearly movable rod which is connected with a rod actuating device at one end or a vicinity thereof, said rod actuating device capable of linearly moving the rod forward and backward, characterized in that:
the rod is connected with the rod actuating device via cushion mechanism; and
by the side of the rod is placed a rod movement control device comprising elastic member, a ultrasonic transducer, and a ultrasonic emitting surface, the elastic member being constituted to push the ultrasonic emitting surface to a side surface of the rod when the ultrasonic transducer is inactive, and the ultrasonic transducer functioning to draw the ultrasonic emitting surface away from the rod when it is active.

Precision positioning unit and linear movement control unit

Abstract: the rod is connected with the actuating device via cushion mechanism; and

Abstract: by the side of the rod is placed a rod movement control device composed of an elastic member, a ultrasonic transducer, and a ultrasonic emitting surface, in which the elastic member is constituted to push the ultrasonic emitting surface to a side surface of the rod when the transducer is inactive, and the transducer functioning to draw the ultrasonic emitting surface away from the rod when it is active.


An actuatable flow media for controlling a flow rate of a liquid through the flow media, the actuatable flow media comprising a base having a plurality of base cavities formed therein, at least one aperture formed in each base cavity defining a liquid flow path for the entry of liquid into or exit of liquid from the flow media; a flexible membrane arranged in spaced relation with the base and defining a liquid flow path through the flow media; and an elastically deformable element arranged in each base cavity and extending between the base and the flexible membrane for actuation between at least a first configuration in which the element is substantially undeformed and the liquid flow path through the at least one aperture is open and a second configuration in which the element is substantially deformed and the liquid flow path through the at least one aperture is closed.

A current method for fabricating composite structures utilises a resin infusion process to infuse a composite preform, formed of multiple plies formed of composite fibres, with resin prior to curing of the resin to form a composite structure. According to a current method, the composite preform and a peel ply layer is located on a tool surface and a vacuum bagging film is placed over the tool surface to cover the composite preform and peel ply and sealed to form a sealed chamber between the tool surface and vacuum bagging film. Resin is infused through the composite preform by application of vacuum pressure to a downstream end of the sealed chamber, drawing resin from an upstream resin supply through the composite preform. Once the resin has been infused throughout the preform, the entire assembly is heated, typically in an oven, to cure the resin and thus form the composite structure.
Resin supply to the composite preform is provided via one or more resin supply pipes that is connected to the tool surface at a resin inlet fitting. The flow rate of resin into the resin inlet fitting is controlled at a resin inlet valve disposed in the resin supply pipe. The resin inlet valve is typically a mechanical valve that becomes filled with resin during the resin infusion process. The resin inlet valve is typically used for a single resin infusion process and is then removed from the resin supply pipe, disassembled and thoroughly cleaned prior to being reused in a further resin infusion process. This process can be time consuming and laborious.
During the resin infusion process, resin infuses through the composite preform with a wavefront that may or may not progress evenly across the lateral extent of the composite preform. It is important to ensure that the entire preform is infused. Highly integrated complex dry fiber preforms can have areas that are less permeable than other areas of the preform due to the geometry of the preform or to the configuration of the fibers. The resin does not always fill these parts completely. As the resin cures, the resulting composite component at these parts is consequently deficient or incomplete.
In composite preforms having a relatively simple geometry, a consumable flow media such as a mesh or fabric is placed on top of the peel ply to help promote resin flowing through all sections of the composite preform. However, this approach is not always successful, particularly for complex preform geometries.
The present disclosure is made bearing the above problems in mind.