A protector for a portable electronic device is provided. The protector includes a substrate having a first surface, a second surface and an edge; a first sheet disposed on the first surface and having an edge portion; and a second sheet disposed on the second surface, wherein the edge portion of the first sheet is folded along the edge of the substrate, disposed on the second surface, and sandwiched between the second sheet and the substrate.

Recently, portable electronic devices, e.g. cellphones, e-books or tablet PCs, have been very popular. Since such electronic devices are portable, it is necessary to properly wrap the portable electronic device for protection. Please refer to FIG. 1, which shows a conventional protector 1. The protector 1 is divided into a left portion and a right portion by a bending portion 13. A portable electronic device 2 is placed in the right portion of the protector 1. The surface of the portable electronic device 2 is mostly occupied by a screen 20. Since the screen 20 is transparent and easily broken, worn and soiled, it needs the protector 1 for protection. The left portion of the protector 1 can cover the screen 20 for protection. With the bending portion 13, the protector 1 can be opened and closed like a book, and kept as a unit. In, order to prevent the portable electronic device 2 from damage due to inward bending of the protector 1 by an external force, two substrates 10 (represented by the dotted lines in FIG. 1) are disposed inside the protector 1. Usually, the substrates 10 are made of a hard material. One substrate 10 is disposed in the left portion of the protector 1 and the other is disposed in the right portion. In order to lighten the protector 1 and save space, the bending portion 13 is usually made of a fabric 11 rather than a chain. The size of the fabric 11 is sufficient to cover two parallel substrates 10. Besides, each of the substrates 10 is sandwiched between two parts of fabric 11. One part of fabric 11 is disposed in the front and the other part is disposed in the rear. A specific width is reserved at a substantially central position of the fabric 11 so that the left side of the fabric 11 can directly contact the right side of the fabric 11. Hence, since the fabric 11 is suitable for repeated bending, the bending portion 13 is formed at the substantially central position of the fabric 11 naturally.
In order to fix the substrate 10 between the front part of the fabric 11 and the rear part of the fabric 11, the portion of the front part of the fabric 11 extending out of the substrate 10 is directly bonded to the rear part of the fabric 11 extending out of the substrate 10, usually in the way of ultrasonic welding. Therefore, a closed portion 12 is formed along the rim of the protector 1.
Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 along the A-A line. As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate 10 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102. A first sheet 111 is disposed on the first surface 101, and a second sheet 112 is disposed on the second surface 102. That is, when the first sheet 111 is the above-mentioned front part of the fabric 11, the second sheet 112 is the above-mentioned rear part of the fabric 11; when the first sheet 111 is the above-mentioned rear part of the fabric 11, the second sheet 112 is the above-mentioned front part of the fabric 11. The first sheet 111 is boned to the second sheet 112 along the rim of the substrate 10 to form the closed portion 12. It is similar to the structure of the skin of a steamed dumpling. Hence, since there is no substrate 10 in the closed portion 12, i.e. the closed portion 12 is made of fabric only, the first sheet 111 and the second sheet 112 are usually made of fabric with a harder texture. Moreover, since the closed portion 12 is usually formed in the way of ultrasonic welding, it has a higher material density and tenacity. However, after long-term use, the closed portion 12 will be wrinkled, bended or even split due to extrusion and collision. That is, the first sheet 111 will be separated from the second sheet 112. Besides, users are easily to be slashed due to the thin and sharp structure of the closed portion 12.
In order to overcome the drawbacks in the prior art, a protector for a portable electronic device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The particular design in the present invention not only solves the problems described above, but also is easy to be implemented. Thus, the present invention has the utility for the industry.

Protector for portable electronic device and method for manufacturing the same


A piezoelectric element comprising a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer containing bismuth lanthanum iron and manganese formed above the first electrode, and a second electrode formed above the piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer contains crystals preferentially oriented in a (111) plane.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a piezoelectric element, a liquid-ejecting head including the piezoelectric element, a liquid-ejecting apparatus including the piezoelectric element, and a method for manufacturing the liquid-ejecting head. The piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric layer and electrodes through which a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric element produces a pressure change in a pressure-generating chamber in communication with a nozzle opening.
2. Related Art
One example of piezoelectric elements for use in liquid-ejecting heads includes a piezoelectric layer between two electrodes. The piezoelectric layer is formed of a piezoelectric material having an electromechanical transfer function, such as a crystallized dielectric material. Such a piezoelectric element can be mounted on a liquid-ejecting head as an actuator in a flexural vibration mode. One representative example of liquid-ejecting heads is an ink jet print head. The ink jet print head has a diaphragm as part of a pressure-generating chamber, which communicates with a nozzle opening for ejecting ink droplets. The diaphragm is deformed by a piezoelectric element to pressurize ink in the pressure-generating chamber, thereby ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle opening. A piezoelectric element for use in such an ink jet print head can be manufactured by forming a uniform piezoelectric layer over the entire surface of a diaphragm by a film-forming technique and dividing the piezoelectric layer by lithography into pieces corresponding to each individual pressure-generating chamber.
Examples of the piezoelectric material for such a piezoelectric element include, but are not limited to, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-223404).
However, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) contains lead. Thus, from the standpoint of environmental protection, there is a demand for a piezoelectric material of a lead-free ferroelectric substance. Examples of the lead-free piezoelectric material include, but are not limited to, BiFeO3, which has a perovskite structure ABO3. However, BiFeO3-based piezoelectric materials have low insulating capacity and sometimes generate leakage current. Although commonly used lead zirconate titanate has been modified to improve its characteristics, the behavior of BiFeO3-based piezoelectric materials is unknown. These problems are not confined to liquid-ejecting heads, including ink jet print heads, and also occur in piezoelectric elements, such as actuators, contained in other apparatuses.

Liquid-ejecting head, liquid-ejecting apparatus, piezoelectric element, and method for manufacturing liquid-ejecting head


Methods and apparatus for representing application dependencies are disclosed. A software application is executed according to an associated state machine. A set of dependencies relationship rules indicates dependencies of a set of software applications upon the software application based upon the state of the software application. The set of dependencies relationship rules may be represented by a dependencies graph, where the software application and the set of software applications are each represented by a dependency node in the dependencies graph and each line connecting the software application with one of the set of software applications corresponds to one or more dependency statements indicating a change in state in one of the set of software applications in response to a change in state of the software application.

When applications are entirely independent from one another, the modification, reconfiguration or other change in state of one application does not affect the ability to execute another independent application. For instance, some applications may have no required facilities in common, and therefore may be immune to the other executing application's failure.
Commonly, application dependencies exist in various forms. For instance, a reconfiguration of one application may affect another application that exchanges information with the reconfigured application or that includes a call to the reconfigured application. As another example, the failure of an application may affect the ability of a calling application to complete its execution. Thus, application dependencies may take a variety of forms such that the failure, modification or reconfiguration of one application affects the ability to execute another dependent application. As a result, it is often necessary to restart the applications that are dependent upon a failed, modified, or reconfigured application in order to achieve system functionality. Of course, the restarting of the dependent applications may further require restarting other applications that are dependent upon the newly restarted applications. Accordingly, application dependencies can be complex.


An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve coil temperature is estimated non-intrusively using only existing sensors. In one embodiment an EGR valve coil temperature estimator running on a powertrain control module estimates the EGR valve coil temperature as a linear function of estimated charge temperature, inlet air temperature, coolant temperature, and vehicle speed. Coefficients of the mathematical function, which describe the degree of association between the inputs and EGR valve coil temperature, are calculated by measuring the actual EGR valve coil temperature over wide operating conditions. The powertrain control module uses the EGR valve temperature estimated in this manner to vary the drive signal to the EGR valve coil to open the EGR valve a desired amount.

This invention relates generally to automotive engine controls, and more particularly to a method for estimating the temperature of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve coil and related apparatus.
Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is a process in automotive engines that allows a controlled amount of oxygen-depleted exhaust gas to be mixed with inlet air flowing into an engine for combustion in the cylinders of the engine. Electrically actuated EGR valves are used to control the amount of exhaust gas that is re-introduced into the engine. The EGR valve position is controlled by driving a coil in the EGR valve appropriately. As the temperature of the engine changes, the temperature and electrical properties of the EGR valve coil also change. In order to properly drive the EGR valve coil to attain the desired displacement, it is important to periodically determine the temperature of the EGR valve coil and use this temperature to modify the electrical signal used to drive it.
One known technique of compensating for changes in the EGR valve coil temperature opens the EGR valve during engine idle, a period in which the EGR valve is normally closed. However this method is intrusive and can impact emissions. This method also can impact the quality of the idle operation of the vehicle.
In order to avoid these problems, it is possible to use certain windowing criteria to avoid detection by the driver. However, these windowing criteria can also cause problems, and in some vehicles cause the compensation estimation to fail to update the coil temperature. The result is not only rough idling but also poor emissions performance.
What is needed then is a non-intrusive apparatus for updating the EGR valve temperature that does not cause a rough idle condition and does not worsen emissions. Such an apparatus and related method are provided by the present invention, whose features and advantages will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of an EGR valve coil is estimated using only inputs from existing sensors and a model of the relationship between those sensors and EGR valve temperature. This temperature estimation enables continuous prediction of coil temperature under all operating conditions, improving the control of exhaust gas recirculation. The technique improves the vehicle fuel economy and emission performance. Since the technique is non-intrusive, it does not affect emissions and does not impact drivability by creating rough idles. It employs existing sensors to predict the coil temperature, eliminating the need for separate sensors. In addition, the model of this technique is easier to calibrate than other known temperature estimation techniques.
In one embodiment, the temperature is estimated by receiving a charge temperature estimate, an engine inlet air temperature, and a coolant temperature and forming a steady-state EGR valve coil temperature estimate as a linear function of the charge temperature estimate, the engine inlet air temperature, and the coolant temperature.
Such a temperature estimate may be accomplished by an apparatus including first, second, and third multiplication elements and a summing device. The first multiplication element has an input for receiving a charge temperature estimate, and an output, and has a first coefficient associated therewith. The second multiplication element has an input for receiving an engine inlet air temperature, and an output, and has a second coefficient associated therewith. The third multiplication element has an input for receiving a coolant temperature, and an output, and has a third coefficient associated therewith. The summing device has a first input coupled to the output of said first multiplication element, a second input coupled to the output of said second multiplication element, a third input coupled to the output of said third multiplication element, and an output for providing a steady-state EGR valve coil temperature estimate.

Methods and apparatus for estimating the temperature of an exhaust gas recirculation valve coil


The present invention is directed to a method for completing the commissioning of a subsea pipeline by purging with a compressed gas to dewater and dry the line wherein the operation is done on the seabed. More specifically, the method is carried out with a subsea vechicle (hereinafter “SV”) that powers pumps located on the seabed or are carried by the SV to inject/remove chemical, dewater, and dry, the pipeline. The present invention may be part of the commissioning of a new or old pipeline or a new portion of a pipeline in which a purging of the line with a compressed gas and drying of the line is required. After commissioning, product flows through the pipeline.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,883,303 discloses and describes an apparatus and method for pigging, flooding and pressure testing pipelines.
The above patent is directed to the testing required when a new pipeline is placed in operation. However, when commissioning a subsea pipeline, or adding a new segment to an existing offshore pipeline, it is often desired to follow the hydrostatic pressure testing with an inert gas or specified medium to purge/dewater the subsea pipeline, and/or inject specified chemicals, to dry the inside of the line before flow of the oil/gas in the pipeline.
The dewatering of a subsea pipeline by the prior art has been at surface level, usually on a surface vessel, boat, structure or platform. This requires that long lines of coiled tubing, hose, or pipe, be used. The prior art method uses large distances of coiled tubing, hose, or pipe, to connect the pipeline to a pump mobilized on the deck of a support vessel to remove the water and dry the line before product is allowed to pass through the line. Also required by the prior art method are large pumps, compressors, compressor boosters and surface support vessel and/or vessels, to support the large volume of compressed gases and fluids pumped through the significant distances to fill the new portion of the pipeline with the gas and fluids.
The method of the present invention eliminates the larger volume of compressed gas and fluids, the higher pressure of the compressed gas and fluids, the large pumps/compressors, compressor boosters, long distances of coiled tubing/hose/pipe, and substantial surface support vessel/vessels, all required by the prior art methods.

Subsea vehicle assisted pipeline commissioning method


An automotive fluid distribution system 7 is provided which has a reservoir 10 for holding fluid. The reservoir 10 has a fill aperture 14. Encircling the fill aperture 14 is a grommet seal 16. A bracket 50 is provided that is generally positionally adjustable with respect to the fill aperture 14 to hold a bottle 26 adjacent to the reservoir 10.

Automotive vehicles use a plurality of fluids which require distribution systems. One particular type of automotive fluid which is commonly used in virtually all automotive vehicles is windshield wiper fluid. Typically, a windshield wiper fluid reservoir is placed within the engine compartment wherever space is available. To refill the windshield wiper fluid reservoirs a vehicle maintenance operator must first uncap a windshield wiper fluid bottle, secure an instrument to rupture a flexible aluminum seal, pour the windshield wiper fluid into a small aperture of a fill tube, while making sure that the punctured seal or portions thereof does not fall into the fill tube. The maintenance operator must also attempt to prevent the windshield wiper fluid from spilling into adjacent areas of the engine compartment to prevent the generation of an unpleasant order when windshield wiper fluid contacts a hot engine component. It is desirable to provide an automotive fluid distribution system, and in particular, a windshield wiper fluid distribution system which is more convenient to refill than those systems revealed previously.


A navigation system is provided. A medium insertion port is disposed on the front surface of a main unit and a portable recording medium is loaded into or unloaded from the main unit through the medium insertion port. A display unit is disposed on the front surface of the main unit and can move between a closed position where the medium insertion port is covered and an opened position where the medium insertion port is exposed. A limitation section limits the movement of the display unit to the opened position. A limitation removing section removes the limitation by the limitation section. An operation section receives an operation on the navigation system. The operation section can receive an operation other than an operation to be intrinsically received by the operation section. The limitation removing section removes the limitation by the limitation section when the operation section receives the operation other than the operation to be intrinsically received.

A navigation system searches for a route on the basis of destination information such as an address, a name, and a phone number for specifying a destination and current position information. A navigation system generally includes an access device to a portable recording medium, reads map data and spot information representing a spot on a map from the portable recording medium, and searches for a route. Some navigation systems may provide supplementary information such as recommended foods information of restaurants at the time of guidance on a route. Since such supplementary information varies more frequently than the map data of roads and the like, means for providing the latest supplementary information is necessary in addition to the recording medium. For example, PTL 1 proposes a navigation system providing the latest supplementary information by communications.


Client analytics-driven dynamic channel assignment may be provided. At a client, Radio Frequency (RF) channels may be scanned to detect access points of a network. A subset of the access points belonging to a same Extended Set Service (ESS) of the network may be determined based on data collected from the access points during the scan. For each access point in the subset, a Channel Quality Index (CQI) may be measured for an RF channel assigned to the access point, and a non-preferred channel report may be generated based on the CQI. The non-preferred channel report may be transmitted from the client to a network management system for use in dynamic channel assignment.

Radio Resource Management (RRM) may be implemented in a wireless network to perform distributed dynamic channel assignment, among other tasks, to help manage co-channel interference, radio resources, and other radio transmission characteristics. For example, as part of RRM, access points of the wireless network may report a neighbor access point channel and transmit power to a controller. The controller may run RRM processes to dynamically assign a best Radio Frequency (RF) channel and a transmit power for each access point. Measurements of the RF environment collected and provided by the access points may be used as input for the RRM processes.

Dynamic channel assignment driven by client analytics


A transfer material comprising an organic thin film uniformly provided by a wet method, etc. with high productivity is used to efficiently produce an organic thin film device such as an organic EL device excellent in light-emitting efficiency, uniformity of light emission and durability. A method for producing the organic thin film device according to the present invention comprises the steps of: making an organic thin film 112 of a transfer material 110 face a transparent electrically conductive layer 102 disposed on a support 101, the transfer material 110 having the organic thin film 112 on a temporally substrate 111; decompressing a space 105 between the transfer material 110 and the transparent electrically conductive layer 102 to bring the transfer material 110 in contact to the transparent electrically conductive layer 102; heating at least one organic thin film 112; and peeling the temporary substrate 111 from the organic thin film 112 to transfer the organic thin film 112 to the transparent electrically conductive layer 102.

The present invention relates to a method for producing an organic thin film device and a transfer material usable for the method, particularly to a method of providing an organic thin film of an organic EL device (organic electroluminescent device).
Recently, much attention has been paid to organic light-emitting devices such as organic EL devices that can be easily applied to a surface light-emitting device. Specifically, the organic light-emitting device has been considered to be useful as an economical, solid emission type, light-emitting device having a large emission area such as a full color display device and a writing light source array, thereby having been actively studied. The organic light-emitting device generally comprises a couple of electrodes, a transparent electrode and a back side electrode, and a light-emitting organic thin film disposed between the electrodes. When to the organic light-emitting device is applied an electric field, electrons are injected from the back side electrode and holes are injected from the transparent electrode to the light-emitting organic thin film. The electrons and the holes are re-combined in the light-emitting organic thin film and energy is converted into light while an energy level is turned from a conduction band to a valence band, whereby the organic light-emitting device emits light.
The organic thin film in the organic light-emitting device has been generally provided by a vapor deposition process. Patterning methods for the organic thin film have been proposed in view of development of color image emission. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,869 disclosed a patterning method using a shadow mask. However, this patterning method needs a complicated vapor deposition apparatus to be poor in productivity and positional accuracy of patterning.
To overcome the above problems in patterning, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-167684 disclosed a method where an organic thin film is uniformly provided on a mica temporary substrate by a vapor deposition process beforehand, and the organic thin film is disposed closer to a substrate and selectively vapor-deposited onto the substrate in a pattern. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-195665 disclosed a method where an organic thin film is uniformly provided on a film temporary substrate by a vapor deposition process beforehand, and the organic thin film is disposed closer to a substrate through a mask and vapor-deposited onto the substrate in a pattern of the mask. These methods using the vapor deposition source provided on the temporary substrate are disadvantageous in that the vapor deposition process is poor in productivity and that only a low molecular weight organic compound can be used for the organic thin film.
Polymer-type organic light-emitting devices using a light-emitting organic thin film made of a polymer or a low molecular weight organic compound dispersed in a binder resin also have been known. Examples of the polymer include poly(p-phenylenevinylene) for green light emission (Nature, Vol. 347, Page 539, 1990), poly(3-alkylthiophene) for red-orange light emission (Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 30, Page L1938, 1991), polyalkylfluorene blue light emission (Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 30, Page L1941, 1991), etc. Such polymer-type organic light-emitting devices can be easily increased in emitting area to be useful for a flexible device. However, the light-emitting organic thin film cannot be provided by a vapor deposition process, whereby the light-emitting organic thin film is generally provided by a wet method.
As a method for providing a patterned, light-emitting organic thin film of the polymer-type organic light-emitting device, an ink-jet method, a printing method, etc. have been proposed. However, the patterned, light-emitting organic thin film provided by such a method is insufficient in uniformity of thickness because of a surface tension of a solution used in the method. Further, in the case of providing a laminate of a plurality of organic thin films, components is dissolved and mixed around a boundary of each film. Thus, the polymer-type organic light-emitting device utilizing the patterning method is poor in light-emitting efficiency and durability.
Expectations are high for a plastic film of a high molecular weight material as a flexible substrate of the organic light-emitting device. However, the plastic film is poor in oxygen- and water-resistance to be far from practicable, so that the substrate is generally made of a glass. The glass substrate is more difficult in handling than the plastic film, thereby reducing productivity in wet method. Further, in the case of using the plastic film substrate, the transparent electrode and a thin film transistor are laminated on the substrate to be costly. Coating such a substrate with the organic thin film is disadvantageous in yield and economical efficiency. Thus, there has been increasing need for a patterning method usable for production of the polymer-type organic light-emitting device.
WO 00/41893 disclosed a method using a donor sheet comprising an organic thin film and a photo-thermal conversion layer, where the organic thin film is thermally transferred to the substrate in a desired pattern by a laser. Such a thermal transfer method is disadvantageous in that a gas often penetrates into an interface between the organic thin film and the substrate. In the organic light-emitting device produced by this method, light-emitting efficiency, durability and uniformity of a light-emitting surface depend on conditions of the interface, and light-emitting properties are worsened by the penetration of a gas.
Further, in thermal writing-patterning method using a thermal head or a laser that is utilized in printing technique, temperature distribution expands around the pattern due to thermal diffusivity so that outlines of the organic thin film cannot be formed accurately. Thus, organic light-emitting devices produced by this method vary in amount of emission and has a defect due to an electric inferiority or a break of the organic thin film to be poor in durability. Further, there is a case where yield is lowered by poor positional accuracy of the substrate and the thermal head or the laser.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method where an organic thin film is uniformly provided by a wet method, etc., so that an organic thin film device such as an organic EL device excellent in light-emitting efficiency, uniformity of light emission and durability is efficiently produced with a simple apparatus and reduced cost. Another object of the present invention is to provide a transfer material usable in the method.
As a result of intense research in view of the above objects, the inventors have found that an organic thin film device such as an organic EL device excellent in light-emitting efficiency, uniformity of light emission and durability can be produced with excellent efficiency and reduced cost by a method where an organic thin film is provided on a temporary substrate by a wet method, etc. and transferred to a substrate. The present invention has been accomplished by the finding.
Thus, the first method for producing an organic thin film device according to the present invention comprises the steps of: making an organic thin film of a transfer material face a substrate, the transfer material having the organic thin film on a temporally substrate; decompressing a space between the transfer material and the substrate to bring the transfer material in contact to the substrate; heating at least one organic thin film; and peeling the temporary substrate from the organic thin film to transfer the organic thin film to the substrate.
In the first method, the organic thin film may be transferred to the substrate in a minute pattern by the steps of: placing a mask having a plurality of openings in the minute pattern between the transfer material and the substrate; decompressing spaces in the openings between the transfer material and the substrate to bring the transfer material in contact to the substrate; heating at least one organic thin film; and peeling the temporary substrate from the organic thin film. Each of the openings of the mask is preferably tapered from the transfer material side to the substrate side. It is preferred that the mask has an aperture connected with the openings and the spaces are decompressed through the aperture. Further, the aperture preferably comprises recesses provided on the bottom of the mask. The mask is preferably made of a material selected from the group consisting of metals, glasses, ceramics and heat resistant resins.
The second method according to the present invention is for producing an organic thin film device where a laminate of a plurality of continuous or patterned organic thin films is provided on a substrate by repeating a peeling-transfer process. The peeling-transfer process comprises the steps of: making an organic thin film of a transfer material face the substrate, the transfer material having the organic thin film on a temporally substrate; bringing the transfer material in contact to the substrate; heating at least one organic thin film; and peeling the temporary substrate from the organic thin film to transfer the organic thin film to the substrate. In the second method, it is preferred that the transfer material is brought in contact to the substrate while decompressing a space between the transfer material and the substrate.
In the first and second methods according to the present invention, each of a blue light-emitting organic thin film, a green light-emitting organic thin film and a red light-emitting organic thin film may be transferred to the substrate in a minute pattern to provide a light-emitting organic thin film comprising pixels of blue, green and red arranged repeatedly. The organic thin film is preferably heated at 40 to 200xc2x0 C. Further, it is preferred that the organic thin film is provided on the temporally substrate by a wet method.
The third method for producing an organic thin film device according to the present invention comprises the steps of: making a light-emitting organic thin film comprising patterned pixels of blue, green and red of a transfer material face a substrate, the transfer material having the light-emitting organic thin film on a temporally substrate; bringing the transfer material in contact to the substrate; heating at least one light-emitting organic thin film; and peeling the temporary substrate from the light-emitting organic thin film to transfer the light-emitting organic thin film to the substrate. In the third method, it is preferred that the transfer material is brought in contact to the substrate while decompressing a space between the transfer material and the substrate. The light-emitting organic thin film is preferably heated at 40 to 200xc2x0 C. Further, it is preferred that the light-emitting organic thin film is provided on the temporally substrate by a wet method.
A transfer material of the present invention comprises a temporary substrate and a light-emitting organic thin film provided on the temporary substrate by a wet method, etc., the light-emitting organic thin film comprising patterned pixels of blue, green and red. The transfer material of the present invention can be used in the third method.
The organic thin film device produced by the first, second or third method preferably comprises a light-emitting organic thin film or a carrier-transporting organic thin film, more preferably comprises a hole-transporting organic thin film, a light emitting organic thin film and an electron-transporting organic thin film disposed in this order from the substrate side. Further, the light-emitting organic thin film preferably comprises pixels of blue, green and red arranged repeatedly. The substrate preferably comprises a support and a transparent electrically conductive layer disposed on the support.

Method for producing organic thin film device and transfer material used therein


An organic light emitting diode display includes a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate, which has TFTs for an array of pixels. Each TFT has a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. An organic layer is disposed over the TFT substrate. The organic layer has through-hole above the drain electrode. The display also includes pixel electrodes disposed over the organic layer. Each pixel electrode is connected to the drain electrode in the through-hole of the organic layer for each pixel. An organic light emitting diode (OLED) layer is disposed over the pixel electrode for each pixel. The organic light emitting layer is divided into pixels or sub-pixels by a pixel defining layer over the pixel electrode. The display further includes a common electrode and a conductive layer disposed over the OLED layer such that the conductive layer does not block light emission from the organic light emitting layer.

Active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays are becoming more main stream, due to their better contrast ratios when compared to conventional liquid crystal displays (LCDs). AMOLED displays are self-emissive devices, and do not require backlights. AMOLED displays may also provide more vivid colors and a larger color gamut than the conventional LCDs. Further, AMOLED displays can be made more flexible, thinner, and lighter than a typical LCD.
An OLED generally includes an anode, one or more organic layers, and a cathode. AMOLEDs can either be a bottom emission OLED or a top emission OLED. In bottom emission OLEDs, the light is extracted from an anode side. In such embodiments, the anode is generally transparent, while a cathode is generally reflective. The pixel area is shared between the OLED and a backplane driving circuit that generally includes one or more thin film transistors (TFT), metal routings, capacitors. The driving circuit may contain several TFTs, signal traces for control signals, and one or more capacitors. As a result, the pixel area may be limited and the corresponding OLED aperture for light emission may likewise be limited, as the aperture generally overlies the pixel area but not the driving circuit.
In a top emission OLED, light is extracted from a cathode side. The cathode is optically transparent, while the anode is reflective. This top emission OLED normally enables a larger OLED aperture than a bottom emission OLED, since the top emission OLED is fabricated on top of TFT.
In a top emission OLED, the common electrode may be formed from a transparent conductive material like indium-tin-oxide (ITO) and/or thin metals such as magnesium and silver. A metal common electrode may have better electrical conductivity than a common electrode formed from ITO, but to the metal common electrodes generally must be very thin in order to be optically transparent or semi-transparent. Such thin metal layers make the sheet resistance of the common electrode relatively large, especially when compared to a common electrode of a bottom emission OLED. Since light does not travel through the common electrode in a bottom emission OLED, the common electrode does not need to be optically transparent and so can be made as thick as desired. Accordingly, the bottom emission OLED may have a much smaller sheet resistance than the top emission OLED. It is desirable to reduce sheet resistance of the common OLED electrode in the top emission OLEDs such that less power may be required from a power supply to operate the OLEDs.

Reducing sheet resistance for common electrode in top emission organic light emitting diode display


In conventional color digital copy machines, when copying in color mode, the polygon mirror of the laser beam scanner for black, which is driven at a higher speed than those of the other colors, is switched to a slower speed in conformity with the speed of the polygon mirrors for the other colors. However, a drawback of this structure is that, especially when switching from monochrome to color mode, the time required to obtain the first copy is lengthened, and the operating efficiency of copying is poor. In the present invention, when copying in color mode, the rotation speed of the polygon mirror of the laser scanner unit for black is not changed at all, but, by skipping certain mirror surfaces of the polygon mirror, and/or by skipping certain of a plurality of laser light sources, the scanning density of the laser scanner unit for black can be brought into conformity with that of the laser scanner units for the other colors.

In color image-forming devices such as color digital copy machines, generally, an image of a color original, inputted through a scanner, undergoes predetermined image processing to color separate and color convert the image into image data for each color, and a color printer section, which reproduces the image by image data for each color, outputs an image of the color original.
In addition, recently color digital copy machines have appeared on the market which, for high-speed reproduction of high-resolution color originals, include an image-forming device which uses laser recording scanning. In color digital copy machines of this type, by means of a laser deflection scanning section provided in each laser recording section, laser light modulated in accordance with digital image signals is guided to and performs scanning of a photoreceptor. The chief members of this laser deflection scanning unit are a rotating polygon mirror (hereinafter referred to as the "polygon mirror") and a motor which rotates the polygon mirror at high speed.
Further, recently color digital copy machines have appeared on the market which, in order to improve repeatability of black and of the color image as a whole, are typically provided with a Bk (black) recording section in addition to Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan) recording sections. For this reason, a monochrome mode is provided in addition to color mode, and thus both color and monochrome copying are possible.
In this kind of color digital copy machine, monochrome copying is set to be performed faster than color copying. This is because, in the case of, for example, the multiple revolution process method, which uses a single photoreceptor, color copying is a four-color process and monochrome copying a one-color process, and thus monochrome copying is necessarily faster. It is also due to the much greater frequency of monochrome over color copying.
In the tandem method, which uses a plurality of photoreceptors, unlike the multiple revolution process method, color and monochrome copying are performed at the same speed, but in order to respond to the demand for faster monochrome than color copying, process speeds such as surface speed of the photoreceptor, transport speed of the recording paper, etc., and the operating speed of the laser recording section which includes the laser scanning unit for black, are set faster than in the color mode.
In this case, the rotation speed of the motor which rotates the polygon mirror of the laser scanning unit of the laser recording section for black is switched between two speeds, one for monochrome mode and one for color mode. Further, if, during waiting, the motor is rotated at a waiting speed slower than that during color mode copying, the motor must be controlled by switching among three speeds.
In contrast, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 4-247418/1992 (Tokukaihei 4-247418) discloses a structure, in a monochrome laser printer, for reducing scanning density by skipping certain surfaces of the polygon mirror.
However, with the foregoing color digital copy machines structured so as to switch the speed of the motor of the laser recording section, a problem arises due to switching the speed of the motor which rotates the polygon mirror. When switching between monochrome and color modes (especially from monochrome to color), it takes a long time to obtain the first copy.
In other words, in switching the motor speed of the laser recording section for black, when monochrome mode is switched to color mode, it is necessary to bring the motor speed of the laser recording section for black into conformity with the motor speed of the laser recording sections for color, and to synchronize their mirror surfaces, but it takes a long time to attain this synchronization.
This is because it is difficult to stabilize the motor speed of the polygon mirror when its speed is reduced from the high-speed monochrome mode to the low-speed color mode, and this stabilization requires a great amount of time. As a result, the start of copying immediately after switching the copy mode is delayed, and the time required to obtain the first copy is lengthened. Incidentally, with conventional technology, motor speed stabilizes relatively quickly when motor speed is increased.


Provided is a physical quantity detection device capable of improving noise performance of a flow rate detection unit as compared with the related art. The physical quantity detection device 20 includes a plate-like chip package 208 that is arranged to protrude from the flow path of the measurement target gas and has a width W along the flow direction of the measurement target gas. The chip package 208 includes a flow rate detection unit 205, an accelerating flow path 208c, a measurement surface 208a, a non-measurement surface 208b, and a separation flow portion 208d. The cross sectional area of the accelerating flow path 208c is reduced, and the flow rate detection unit 205 is arranged. The separation flow portion 208d partitions the second sub-passage 234b into a measurement flow path facing the measurement surface 208a and a non-measurement flow path facing the non-measurement surface 208b. In the width direction Dw of the chip package 208, the end portion 208ce of the accelerating flow path 208c and the end portion 208de of the separation flow portion 208d are separated from each other.

Conventionally, an invention related to a thermal flowmeter is known (see PTL 1 below). This conventional thermal flowmeter includes a circuit package and a housing on which the circuit package is mounted. In this circuit package, a lead frame and a circuit component mounted on the lead frame are integrally molded with a resin material. In addition, the circuit package includes a flow path exposing unit that is arranged to be exposed to a place through which the measurement target gas passes, and a flow rate detection unit that is provided in the flow path exposing unit and detects a flow rate of the measurement target gas. In this conventional thermal flowmeter, a conductive portion electrically connected to the lead frame is provided in at least a part of the flow path exposed portion (refer to PTL 1 and the like). According to the conventional thermal flowmeter, it is possible to prevent deterioration of detection performance due to contamination of the flow path exposed portion (refer to PTL 1, paragraph 0008).


A vacuum insulated carafe having high flow characteristics is taught, which includes a double wall metallic body (22) with the air evacuated from the space between the walls forming an insulating layer. The body has a top (26) and a bottom (28) with a base (30) attached to the bottom for resting the carafe on a flat surface. A mounting ring (34) is connected to the top of the body and includes a outside surface (36) and a central opening (38), with the outside surface having a pouring spout (40) and a handle (50). An interfacing gasket (54) seals the mounting ring to the body and a stopper (58), having a cap (70), an inner cup (60) and an outer ring (62) containing external male threads, and a plurality of integral ribs (68) connect the cup to the ring while forming a void (68) between the ribs. A liquid sealing gasket (72) is disposed between the stopper and the mounting ring. In operation, the stopper is screwed in until it contiguously engages the ring for sealing and when the stopper is unscrewed, a horizontal gap is formed between the sealing gasket and the ring, providing a passageway through the gap and the void that is formed between the ribs, permitting a high flow of liquid to pour from the carafe.

The present invention relates to carafes in general. More specifically to a vacuum insulated carafe that includes a lid requiring only a minimum of rotation to permit relatively unrestricted flow through the stopper and pouring spout which is particularly useful with liquids that have a higher viscosity than water, such as used for creamers etc.
Previously, many types of vessels such as coffee or beverage cups and mugs along with servers and carafes, having lids or stoppers, have been used in endeavoring to provide an effective means to contain a liquid while preventing spillage and retaining the temperature of the liquid within.
A few of the prior art patents listed below did not disclose any of the novelty of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
Letsch et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,888 discloses a carafe with an inner container surrounded by a casing. The inner container and the casing have an opening at the top which may be closed by a separate plug. The plug and opening in the container and casing are shaped such that it is possible to fill or empty the inner container while the plug is still in the opening. The plug and container both have mating grooves that provide opposed flow paths into and out of the container. The container also includes a basin around the top for receiving coffee from a coffee maker and the plug has openings to provide a flow path from the basin into the container interior.
Karp in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,703 teaches a travel mug that includes a container and a lid in combination. The container has a handle and an annular lip that has an annulus capable of forming a seal with the top side of the annular lip. A cylindrical well in the lid has a vertical dividing wall such that the lid may be readily rotated by hand. The retaining arms extend from the underside of the lid and engage the underside of the annular lip to pull it into tight abutment. Diametrically opposed gaps in the lip act as passageway for the retaining arms. Similarly diametrically opposed notches in the lid align with the gaps to allow liquid to be poured from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,761 issued to Wissinger is for an insulated container and cover combination that has an outer container shell terminating at an opening with a surrounding edge. An inner container shell is nested within the outer container shell and has an opening surrounded by a continuous edges in abutment with the surrounding edge. The inner container shell is spaced inwardly and is out of contact with the outer shell. A cover mounting assembly is attached to the outer shell adjacent to the opening. A single seal, made of elastomeric material, has a sealing surface disposed at the interface of the shells. Locating rings define the removable cover mounting assembly and locate the single sealing ring on the inner and outer shells.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the remaining cited design patents.
It is common for a coffee carafe to have a screwed in cap or stopper and to have a set of gaps that align when the stopper is rotated a quarter of a turn permitting liquid to flow from the container. The problem with prior art is that the combination of the openings and the gap between the stopper and the carafe are not large enough as the gap is governed by the pitch of the threads which is insufficient to provide a high flow when only turned a quarter of a turn.
This issue is particularly important when the carafe is used a creamer, as the viscosity of cream, half and half, non-dairy cream and even milk is greater than coffee or water therefore the problem is greatly increased to the extent that some of the prior art carafes are not usable for this application.
Another difficulty is that the quarter turn is not always understood by the user as the carafe may be labeled properly however in commercial establishments the equipment must be easily rationalized without written instruction, only human intuition. It is therefore a primary object of the invention to have an operating system so simple as to be understood by all. When a person rotates the stopper to loosen it adequate liquid should come out and if the flow is insufficient it is reasonable to turn the stopper a little further until the flow rate is satisfied. This type of control is universally understood and obvious to the casual observer.
An important object of the invention is the structure that permits high flow with only a small amount of rotation of the stopper. This unique feature is accomplished by having the stopper formed of two separate pieces, an inner cup and a outer ring formed with a number of ribs separating the two elements leaving a relatively large gap in between. Common so called Acme threads permit the stopper to be rotated and separate from the carafe in an understandable manner and high flow of the liquid is afforded since there is ample space allowed in the gap between the ribs.
Another object of the invention is directed to the ease of identification of the carafe for use with different creamers. The plug that covers opening in the mounting ring to insert the attaching screw is an ideal element to indicate by both color and indicia the contents. The plug may be easily changed and a number of separate plugs may be furnished with the carafe, marked with the contents, as they are inexpensive and easy to manufacturer and install.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


Systems and methods for direct function call substation are described. An example method may include analyzing two or more build configuration files describing parameters for building two or more source code files. The method may further include determining whether a number of instances that a function is declared for a given symbolic name in the two or more build configuration files satisfies a threshold number of instances. The method may further include, in response to determining that the number of instances satisfies the threshold number of instances, substituting the given symbolic name with an indirect function call for the function within a source code file of the two or more source code files.

Programs may be written in a high level programming language. Program text in the high level language may be referred to as source code. Build systems may compile source code to generate executable program code. A build system may include multiple stages for compiling source code to generate the executable program code. A preprocessor component may translate the source code to generate updated source code that ready for compilation. A compiler may input the updated source code and generate the executable program code that may be executed by a computer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Direct function call substitution using preprocessor


In a method for prohibiting the growth of roots in the outlets of a drip irrigation hose, water under pressure is supplied to the hose for drip irrigation of the soil. A soil retainable, water transportable substance such as clay is introduced into the hose upstream of the outlets to form in the vicinity of the outlets localized regions containing the substance. The soil-retaining substance is also capable of absorbing a selected root-inhibiting, water-transportable substance. The selected root-inhibiting substance is introduced into the hose upstream of the outlets to distribute such root-inhibiting substance to the localized regions for absorption by the soil-retainable substance.

Drip irrigation hoses are in common use today. They are usually light, flexible plastic tubes with outlets, called emitters, located along them. These emitters allow water to slowly escape into the ground in order to irrigate the crop. Often fertilizers and other chemicals are added to the water for the benefit of the plants. These hoses are usually installed slightly underground to protect them from wind, rodents, sun, and machinery and to aid the flow of the water into the soil.
One of the problems of such a drip irrigation installation is that, if the grower does not irrigate enough to satisfy the needs of the plant, roots will grow to find more water. As the hose usually has some residual water left in it, the roots will seek the water, entering the emitter and eventually plugging it. When this process starts, uniformity of water distribution becomes erratic and shortly, unsatisfactory crop response results.
Root inhibiting chemicals may be passed through the hoses so as to destroy the roots of unwanted plants, but when the crop has been planted, the chemicals will also attack the crop.

Method for protecting drip irrigation hoses and other structures from root intrusion


When input signals from a plurality of input ports are selected and are inserted into the time slots to be output from a single output port and to insert respective signal data into time slots in synchronization with a synchronizing signal, the apparatus is so constructed that selector units (5-i) are provided to correspond to input ports (1-i), and a synchronizing signal generating unit (4) is provided to output, synchronously, a synchronizing signal and selecting signal information for designating a selector unit (5-i); the selector unit (5-i) being provided with a determining unit (6) for determining whether or not the selecting signal information designates the selector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input-output signal control apparatus, and more particularly, in ATM communication or a high speed packet communication in a broad-band ISDN, to an input-output signal control apparatus for inserting data from a plurality of input ports into designated time slots and for outputting them as a main signal from a single output port.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional control apparatus for selecting an output signal of an ATM apparatus and so forth has a construction in which a selector unit receives various input signals from input ports, and in response to a selecting signal applied to the selector unit, a connection and a switching are carried out so that the selected signal is output as a main signal from an output port 3.
When input signals are inserted into time slots, it is necessary to true up the phases of all input signals at the input ports, however, in the conventional output signal control apparatus in which the connection and switching in the selector unit are carried out by the selecting signal to select the signal data in a predetermined order from the N data to be inserted into a time slot and to be output to the output port, there is a tendency to shift the phases when the input signals are inserted into the time slots, and it is difficult to true up the phases when the signals to be handled are at high speed. Therefore, there is a disadvantage in that the input signals to be inserted cannot be stored completely in the time slots.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


A valve system (5) connectable to a fluid channel (3), wherein the valve system (5) includes an actuating element (33) and a closing element (17) for selectively closing and opening of the channel (3), wherein the valve system (5) includes a chamber (15) and a movable coupling member (37), wherein at least one section (48) of the coupling member (37) is located within the chamber (15) and the coupling member (37) is capable of moving under its gravitational force into a transfer position in which the coupling member (37) may transfer to the closing element (17) an external force acting on the actuating element (33) towards the closing element (17).

The present invention relates to a valve system connectable to a fluid channel, wherein the valve system comprises an actuating means and a closing element for selectively closing and opening of the channel.
Fluid channels in the form of discharging extensions may be connected to fluid containers such as tubes, bottles, barrels, tanks or bags. In many cases the fluid container and/or the fluid channel are connected to a closing mechanism such as a sealing lid to prevent evaporation, leakage or a contamination caused by a contact between the fluid and the outer atmosphere during storage. However, during discharging of the fluid most of the known fluid containers do not prevent a contact between the fluid in the container and air or they even support the intrusion of air.
However, in specific applications it is very important that the fluid contained in the container does not get in contact with the outer atmosphere at all. This may for example be the case for certain medical products, sterile solutions, pharmaceutical products, fungicides, antibacterials, disinfectants, preservative agents, hygiene products, sanitary products or industrial processing products such as drugged oil, lubricants or cooling agents. For many of such fluid products a small contamination with air may have already a negative influence on the fluid quality and the applicability of the fluid for its intended use. Especially for manually manageable fluid containers which may be spatially oriented in any direction, i.e. in an upright storage position, an upside-down discharging position or any position in between, a special valve system is required to provide the possibility to discharge the fluid without letting air into the container.
In order to prevent an inflow of air through the opening of a compressible fluid container such as a collapsible tube before, during and after discharging of fluid, EP 1 772 392 A2 describes a valve system having a closing member with a resilient portion such that the closing member is capable of being deformed in a direction of an outward fluid flow caused by an excess pressure in the container. As soon as the outward fluid flow stops the resilient portion of the closing member closes the opening such that no air may enter the container. The elastic resilience of the tube material causes an under pressure in the container such that the closing member is further pressed into a sealing position to close the opening.
This design has several disadvantages. Firstly, for discharging fluid it is necessary to manually compress the collapsible tube container in order to produce the required excess pressure in the container. An automatic outflow of the fluid under its gravitational force alone is not possible. Secondly, due to the elastic stiffness of the resilient tube material there is a constant under pressure present during storage of the fluid in the container. A tiny or creeping leakage will therefore result in an inward flow of air contaminating the fluid. Thirdly, the valve system may open in any spatial orientation of the container. This is a potential risk for accidental opening in an undesirable position. A desired spatial orientation of the container for discharging the fluid may for instance be an upside down orientation in which the opening is located below the fluid level. A discharging in any other orientation may be undesirable. The valve system described in the EP 1 772 392 A2 works independently of the spatial orientation of the container and therefore poses a risk of accidental opening in an undesirable orientation.


A portable insulin delivery device that supplies insulin in a pre-pressurized chamber, passes the insulin through a pressure-dropping labyrinth to a flow control valve. The valve is activated by a piezoelectric actuator. This allows for precise insulin delivery. An electronic package provides for programming of basal rates and bolus. A pressure sensor relays data concerning normal operation and pressure changes that indicate problems. The processor, keypad, display, power source, fluid pressure sensor and fluid flow control actuator are housed in a base unit. A removable cartridge unit houses the pre-pressurized fluid reservoir, flow path labyrinth, and flow control valve.

The present invention relates to fluid drug delivery devices and, in particular, it concerns a portable insulin delivery device.
There are known portable insulin delivery devices, commonly referred to as insulin pumps, that generally consist of a pump mechanism, an insulin container, a processor, and a power source for the processor and pump mechanism. The pump mechanisms of prior art generally use motor driven push rods to push a piston into the insulin containment region of the insulin container, thus forcing the insulin into a delivery tube and therefore into the patient. The inventions of prior art have gone to great lengths to devise variations of the motor driven push rod and piston assembly that is accurate, reliable, and space efficient. Disclosures representative of this case of devices will be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,248,093, 5,637,095, 5,097,122, and 5,505,709. Devices based on this configuration suffer from two inherent problems, the motor and the push rod and piston assembly, as discussed in the following paragraphs.
The amount of insulin delivered to the patient is therefore controlled by the speed at which the motor turns (RPM""s) and the amount of time the motor is turning. The accuracy of insulin delivery is, then, dependent on the reliability and accuracy of the motor. Variations on RPM""s will cause variations in the amount of insulin delivered to the patient. Due to a limited power supply the motor is turned on and off at preset intervals. Even when the system is operating properly, the medication is delivered in xe2x80x9cspurtsxe2x80x9d and the delivery rate is determined as an average over time.
As the motor turns, it moves a push rod, which in turn moves a piston that forces the insulin out of the container. The seal between the piston and the side of the container must be very tight in order to prevent leakage of insulin. A side effect of this tightness is the tendency of the piston to move forward at an uneven rate. That is to say, that the piston may stick and then jump forward. This uneven movement of the piston causes uneven delivery of the insulin to the patient.
The prior art has developed elaborate devices to detect and respond to occlusion and other flow rate or system malfunctions as is demonstrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,097,122, 5,462,525, 4,619,653, and 5,647,853. In cases of occlusion, most commonly these devices allow the motor to continue to push against the blockage. Due the limitation of the motor, and since this happens only in cases of full occlusion, this is not a very satisfactory solution. Further, if the blockage is opened, the pressure built up in the container and delivery tube is released through the tube, thereby forcing a possibility dangerously larger than prescribed dose of insulin into the patient. One proactive approach to occlusion includes the use of xe2x80x9cinertxe2x80x9d cleaning fluid being pumped through the device and into the patient.
There is therefore a need for a portable insulin delivery device that is able to deliver the insulin at a substantially consistent dosage rate, quickly detect flow rate malfunction, overcome blockage with substantially no affect on the prescribed dosage or the use of non-medicative cleaning fluids, and has very low energy requirements. It would be preferable if the device had low power requirements, and was more compact and economical than devices currently in use.
The present invention is a fluid drug delivery device.
According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided, a fluid drug delivery device comprising: a) a fluid supply assembly having a chamber, a piston, and a spring element, the piston deployed within the chamber so as to define a fluid containment volume within the chamber, the spring element deployed so as to bias the piston toward the fluid containment volume so as to pressurize an amount of the fluid drug supplied within the fluid containment volume, the containment volume having a supply outlet; b) a pressure regulator having a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the fluid supply assembly, the pressure regulator also having a fluid outlet; and c) a flow control assembly in fluid communication with the pressure regulator fluid outlet.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the flow control assembly includes: a) a flow control valve interconnected with the fluid outlet; b) a flow actuator deployed so as to regulate the flow control valve thereby varying amounts of fluid flowing through the flow control valve; c) a positioning component deployed so as to properly position the flow control valve actuator in relationship to the flow control valve; and d) a processing unit electronically interconnected with a pressure sensor and the flow actuator, the processing unit configured so as to use data from the pressure sensor to determine activation of the flow actuator.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the pressure regulator includes an elongated pressure reduction passageway configured so as to reduce the pressure in the fluid thereby creating a pressure differential between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, at least one pressure sensor is interconnected with at least a first and a second pressure sensing points, the pressure sensing points being located at intervals along the flow reduction passage.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the flow actuator includes a piezoelectric actuator.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the positioning component includes a rotatable adjustment shaft manually rotated by a thumb-wheel, the shaft and the thumb-wheel being connected by way of an over-running clutch mechanism configured to allow the thumb-wheel to continue turning while discontinuing rotation of the shaft when the flow actuator is properly positioned in relationship to the flow control valve.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the processing unit is further interconnected to an alarm unit, the processing unit using data from the pressure sensor to determine activation of the alarm unit.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the flow actuator, the manual positioning component, the pressure sensor, and the processing unit are housed in a base unit further including a processing unit display, a processing unit input keypad, and a power supply.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the fluid supply assembly, the flow reduction passage, and the flow control valve, are housed in a removable cartridge unit.
There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention, a fluid drug delivery device comprising: a) a fluid supply assembly; b) an elongated pressure reduction passageway having a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the fluid supply assembly, and a fluid outlet, the elongated passageway configured so as to reduce pressure in the fluid thereby creating a pressure differential between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; c) at least one pressure sensor interconnected with a first and a second pressure sensing points, the pressure sensing points located at intervals along the elongated passageway so as to discern a pressure differential between the first and second pressure sensing points; and d) a flow control assembly responsive to the pressure sensor and controlled in response to the pressure differential.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the flow control assembly includes: a) a flow control valve interconnected with the fluid outlet; b) a flow actuator deployed so as to regulate the flow control valve thereby varying amounts of fluid flowing through the flow control valve; c) a positioning component deployed so as to properly position the flow control valve actuator in relationship to the flow control valve; and d) a processing unit electronically interconnected with a pressure sensor and the flow control valve actuator, the processing unit configured so as to use data from the pressure sensor to determine activation of the flow control valve actuator.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the flow actuator includes a piezoelectric actuator.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the positioning component includes a rotatable adjustment shaft manually rotated by a thumb-wheel, the shaft and the thumb-wheel being connected by way of an over-running clutch mechanism configured to allow the thumb-wheel to continue turning while discontinuing rotation of the shaft when the flow control valve actuator is properly positioned in relationship to the flow control valve.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the processing unit is further interconnected to an alarm unit, the processing unit using data from the pressure sensor to determine activation of the alarm unit.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the flow actuator, the manual positioning component, the pressure sensor, and the processing unit are housed in a base unit further including a processing unit display, processing unit input keypad, and a power supply.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the fluid supply assembly, the flow reduction passage, and the flow control valve, are housed in a removable cartridge unit.
There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention, a fluid drug delivery device comprising: a) a fluid supply assembly; b) a pressure reduction passage having a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the fluid supply assembly, the flow passage also having a fluid outlet; c) a flow control valve interconnected to the fluid outlet; and d) a piezoelectric actuator deployed so as to regulated the flow control valve thereby varying the amount of fluid flowing through the flow control valve.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, there is further included: a) a positioning component deployed so as to position the flow control valve actuator in a predefined spatial relationship to the flow control valve; and b) a processing unit electronically interconnected with a pressure sensor and the flow control valve actuator, the processing unit configured so as to use data from the pressure sensor to determine activation of the flow control valve actuator.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the positioning component includes a rotatable adjustment shaft manually rotated by a thumb-wheel, the shaft and the thumb-wheel being connected by way of an over-running clutch mechanism configured to allow the thumb-wheel to continue turning while discontinuing rotation of the shaft when the flow control valve actuator is properly positioned in relationship to the flow control valve.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the processing unit is further interconnected to an alarm unit, the processing unit using data from the pressure sensor to determine activation of the alarm unit.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the, flow actuator, the manual positioning component, the pressure sensor, and the processing unit are housed in a base unit further including a processing unit display, processing unit input keypad, and a power supply.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the fluid supply assembly, the flow reduction passage, and the flow control valve, are housed in a removable cartridge unit.
There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention, a fluid drug delivery device comprising: a) a portable base unit including, a flow actuator, a manual positioning component, at least one pressure sensor, a processing unit, a display, keypad and a power source for the processing unit are housed in a base unit; and b) a cartridge unit that is removably interconnected to the base unit, the cartridge including a fluid supply assembly, a pressure reduction passage, and a flow control valve, the fluid supply assembly providing a pre-pressurized chamber containing a quantity of fluid drug.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the flow actuator is a piezoelectric actuator deployed so as to regulate the flow control valve thereby varying the amount of fluid flowing through the flow control valve.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the manual positioning component includes a rotatable adjustment shaft manually rotated by a thumb-wheel, the shaft and the thumb-wheel being connected by way of an over-running clutch mechanism configured to allow the thumb-wheel to continue turning while discontinuing rotation of the shaft when the flow control valve actuator is properly positioned in relationship to the flow control valve.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the processing unit is electronically interconnected with the pressure sensor and the piezoelectric actuator, the processing unit configured so as to use data from the pressure sensor to determine activation of the piezoelectric actuator.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the pre-pressurized chamber is accomplished by use of a piston deployed within the chamber so as to define a fluid containment volume within the chamber, a spring element deployed so as press the piston into the fluid containment volume so as to pressurize the quantity of fluid drug supplied within the fluid containment volume.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the pressure reduction passage is an elongated passageway interconnected to the fluid supply assembly, the elongated passageway having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the elongated passageway configured so as to reduce the pressure in the fluid thereby creating a pressure differential between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.


Provided is a cosmetic in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion unckuding (A) a salt of higher fatty acid component containing a liquid higher fatty acid and (B) an oil-soluble ultraviolet absorber, being substantially free of a hydrophilic surfactant other than the (A) component and having a pH of 7.1 to 9.5 and a method for production thereof. The cosmetic having ultraviolet protection efficacy is excellent in fresh feel, water resistance and rinsability using water with soap when applied to the skin and storage stability. The cosmetic is suitable for sunscreen cosmetics and is also useful for makeup cosmetics such as foundation and makeup base, skin care cosmetics such as milky lotion, cream and serum and hair cosmetics.

The adverse effects of ultraviolet rays have drawn attention in the recent years. Thus, various kinds of sunscreen cosmetics have been developed. For example, there are known sunscreen cosmetics having a form such as water-in-oil type, oil-in-water type and solvent type.
Among these, the sunscreen cosmetics of water-in-oil type or solvent type have generally good water resistance, since oil components or solvents contained in the composition make a continuous phase to form a cosmetic film with hydrophobicity when applied to the skin.
However, since these cosmetics sometimes provide a heavy greasy sensation and poor spreadability when applied to the skin, they are not suitable as a cosmetic to be used during the hot and humid midsummer when they are used with high frequency.
Further, these cosmetics have an inconvenience that the cosmetic film formed thereby is difficult to be completely removed without using a special make-up remover due to its hydrophobicity.
In contrast, sunscreen cosmetics in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion in which water makes a continuous phase are excellent in freshening texture and spreadability when applied to the skin. However, sunscreen cosmetics containing an oil-soluble ultraviolet absorber need a large amount of hydrophilic surfactant for dispersing the oil-soluble ultraviolet absorber. Therefore, such sunscreen cosmetics have a drawback that they are insufficient in durability as a cosmetic film due to their affinity for sweat and water. Thus, it has been eagerly desired to develop cosmetics in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion which retain the good freshening texture and have good durability as a cosmetic film, and various kinds of proposals concerning such cosmetics have been provided to date.
For example, Patent literature 1 discloses oil-in-water emulsion compositions containing a complex obtained by mixing an ampholytic surfactant and/or a semi-polar surfactant and a higher fatty acid, a powder, water and a non-volatile oil component. These oil-in-water emulsion compositions contain a liquid non-volatile oil component, such as dimethyl polysiloxane, to improve water resistance. These compositions raise a problem that the emulsions become unstable when a large amount of oil-soluble ultraviolet absorber with high polarity is incorporated to enhance ultraviolet protection efficacy. Also, the compositions are still insufficient in water resistance.
Further, Patent literature 2 proposes oil-in-water emulsion compositions containing a powder coated with a polymer composed of specified monomers having carboxyl groups and a basic compound both of which are dispersed in an aqueous phase. These cosmetic compositions are designed to make metal oxides, which are used as an agent for scattering ultraviolet rays, disperse stably in an aqueous phase and to improve water resistance. These cosmetic compositions differ in composition from emulsion compositions containing an oil-soluble ultraviolet absorber. Further, Patent literature 2 discloses that addition of a higher fatty acid is not preferable since the higher fatty acid neutralizes a basic compound so as to form a salt of higher fatty acid that significantly deteriorates water resistance (refer to paragraph [0038]).
Further, Patent literature 3 proposes oil-in-water emulsion cosmetics for sunscreen containing (A) a higher fatty acid, (B) a higher alcohol, (C) a glycerin derivative and (D) a ultraviolet absorber, being free of a hydrophilic surfactant, and having a pH of from 5.0 to 7.0. The Patent literature 3 discloses that oil-in-water emulsion cosmetics with good stability can be obtained without using a hydrophilic surfactant, and that the cosmetics have mild acidity, very weak irritation to the skin, high water resistance, good resistance for water and sweat and good durability of cosmetic film during the hot and humid midsummer and upon exercising (refer to paragraph [0034]). But, the Patent literature 3 discloses that these compositions need to contain the (A) higher fatty acid, the (B) higher alcohol and the (C) glycerin derivative in a specified proportion and that, where emulsion compositions are free of the (B) higher alcohol or the (C) glycerin derivative, stable emulsion compositions cannot be obtained due to insufficient emulsifying capacity (refer to comparative examples 1 and 2). Also, the Patent literature 3 discloses that emulsion compositions prepared by using the (A) higher fatty acid and a nonionic surfactant exhibit weak alkalinity, weak irritation to the skin and insufficient water resistance (refer to comparative example 7).

Oil-in-water emulsion cosmetic and method for producing same


Disclosed herein are an apparatus and a method for measuring velocity of an ultrasound signal. The apparatus for measuring velocity of an ultrasound signal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a transmitting module transmitting ultrasound signals to targets; a receiving module receiving the ultrasound signals reflected from the targets; an image generating module using the received ultrasound signals to generate a plurality of ultrasonic images having different sound velocities; and a sound velocity determining module using the plurality of generated ultrasonic images to determine optimal sound velocity for scanning the targets.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technology capable of measuring optimal velocity of an ultrasound signal in an ultrasonic image system.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ultrasonic image system is defined as a system that transmits ultrasound signals to targets and then, receives the ultrasound signals reflected from the targets and converts and outputs them into images. Since the ultrasonic image system is harmless to a human body and can obtain a relatively accurate image, it has been used in various fields.
Recently, research into increasing resolution of the ultrasonic images has been continuously conducted. Generally, the medical ultrasonic image system receives ultrasound signals and outputs them as images under the assumption that the ultrasound signal propagating velocity in the human body is 1540 m/s. However, since the velocity of the ultrasound signal is varied depending on the type of media, there is a problem in that the quality of output image is deteriorated when the velocity of the ultrasound signal is fixed as described above. Therefore, a need exists for research into determining the optimal velocity of the ultrasound signal in real time according to the targets.

Apparatus and system for measuring velocity of ultrasound signal


A method for transferring a first substrate to a second substrate. First and second front faces of first and second substrates, respectively, are molecularly bonded to each other to provide a composite structure. The first front face has a first outline, the second front face has a second outline, and a peripheral side of the second substrate substantially borders the second front face and is oriented generally perpendicularly with respect thereto. The second outline has dimensions larger than the first outline, such that during bonding at least a portion of the first outline is disposed within the second outline for minimizing the size of a peripheral region about the first front face within an overlapping area at which the front faces overlap, in which peripheral region the bonding between the faces is weak or absent. A useful layer from a donor substrate, the useful layer comprising one of the first or second substrate adjacent the bonded face thereof.

Currently, substrates fabricated using techniques combining bonding by molecular bonding (known as "wafer bonding") and transferring a useful layer onto a support have a zone known as a "peripheral ring". This peripheral ring is a zone located at the periphery of the support in which transfer of the useful layer has not occurred. The peripheral ring also includes a zone in which the useful layer has been transferred only partially or has disappeared during subsequent treatment due to its poor bonding to the support.
Accompanying FIGS. 1 and 2 are respective cross-sectional and plan views of a substrate that is known to the skilled person under the acronym "SOI," meaning "silicon on insulator". FIG. 1 shows a support 1 of silicon onto which a composite layer 2, comprising a layer of silicon oxide 21 surmounted by a layer of silicon 22, has been transferred by molecular bonding.
Peripheral ring 3 defines a substantially annular zone of support 1 onto which the composite layer 2 has either not been transferred or has been transferred poorly or incompletely to a substantial level during transfer of the layer. In the plan view of FIG. 2, it can be seen that this ring 3 is typically of varying width and/or shape, i.e. that the vertical side 200 of the composite layer 2 can be irregular and jagged Islands 2′ of composite layer may exist, which have been transferred onto the support 1, but which are spaced apart from the remainder of the central portion of said composite layer 2. It should be noted that FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams that are not to scale both as regards the thickness of the different layers and of the support and as regards the width of the ring.
This ring phenomenon occurs with other substrates, for example those known under the acronym "SICOI" meaning "silicon carbide on insulator" or under the acronym "SOQ" meaning "silicon on quartz". Other multi-layer substrates, such as those comprising gallium arsenide on silicon (AsGa/Si), also exhibit said ring.
Independently of the diameter of support 1, which typically varies, for example, from 2 inches (50 millimeters (mm)) for silicon carbide to 12 inches (300 mm) for certain silicon substrates, the ring 3 generally varies from about 1 mm to about 4 mm in width, typically plus-or-minus 0.5 mm. Further, the width of the ring 3 can fluctuate, i.e., it can be smaller on one side of the substrate than on the other.
The appearance of the rings during layer transfer has a variety of origins and causes, as discussed below. Certain factors that can cause ring 3 to appear include chamfers on the substrates used, variations in bonding energy between layer 2 and the supports, and finally certain aggressive steps in substrate fabrication methods.
In order to explain how ring 3 typically appears, reference is made to the accompanying FIG. 3 which is a diagrammatic cross-section of a portion of the sides of two substrates bonded together by molecular bonding. A source substrate 4 is preferably a layer from which the future useful layer is to be cut, and a support substrate 5 is selected to receive the useful layer. This figure illustrates the prior art. In the remainder of the description and drawings, the substrates are assumed to be circular in shape, as this is the shape used most frequently. Other shapes can alternatively be used.
The source substrate 4 has two opposite faces that are parallel in most desired applications. In FIG. 3 reference numeral 400 designates what will be referred to herein as a front face of the opposite faces. The front face 400 is intended and prepared for bonding onto the support 5.
The source substrate 4 has a side 41, which can be a peripheral side. Further, the substrate 4 has preferably undergone treatment that forms a zone or region of weakness 42 that defines two portions: a rear portion 46 and a useful layer 43. The useful layer 43 is intended for transfer to the support 5. Throughout the remainder of the description, the expression "useful layer" refers to the transferred layer. The thickness of the useful layer typically depends on whether it is obtained, for example, by a method of implanting atomic species or by abrasive polishing and/or chemical etching as is described below.
In one embodiment, the substrates used both as the source substrate and as the support substrate are commercially available substrates satisfying standardized requirements (for example SEMI M1-0302 standards for a silicon substrate). Those standards are mainly concerned with ensuring that the substrates can be accepted by the equipment of as wide a range of users as possible. According to these standards, at the intersection between the side 41 and the front face 400, the substrate 4 has an annular primary chamfer 44 or primary drop oriented at an angle α, which can be large and close to 45°, with the extension thereof, and more precisely with the central zone 40, which is preferably flat to a high degree of precision, as will be explained below. The primary chamfer 44 extends over a width L in the radial direction parallel to the front face 400. Width L generally varies from about 100 micrometers (μm) to about 500 μm, depending on the substrates used. The primary chamfer 44 is intended to limit the risk of mechanical breakage and notching of the source substrate 4.
In a similar manner to that just described for the source substrate 4, the support substrate 5 also has a front face 500, a side 51 and a primary chamfer 54 according to typically present standards. When substrates 4 and 5 of the prior art are bonded to each other, bonding does not occur at chamfers 44 and 54 because of the magnitude of angle α. The width of the rings can thus be expected to generally correspond to the width L of the primary chamfers 44 and 54. In practice, however, the width of FIG. 3 is typically even wider.
It has been observed that the front face 400 of substrate 4 actually has two zones, namely a first flat zone 40 located substantially at the center of the substrate 4 and hereinafter also termed the "flat central zone," and a second zone 45 surrounding the first zone 40.
The second zone 45 is a secondary chamfer, which is generally annular, or a secondary drop, forming an angle β with the plane of the flat central zone 40. The secondary chamfer of second zone 45 extends between the flat zone 40 and the primary chamfer 44.
Throughout the remainder of the description and claims, the expression "flat" means a flatness that is suitable for bonding. The expression "central zone" designates a zone located substantially centrally or even at the center of the front face of the substrate and which can be located at various degrees of eccentrically, and most preferably, located slightly eccentrically on the front face 400.
It should be noted that as FIG. 3, the following figures are only diagrammatic in nature and the magnitude of angle β has been considerably exaggerated in the figures for clarification purposes. More precisely, the secondary chamfer 45 a drop that is less sharp than the primary chamfer 44 and that appears during the various substrate shaping steps such as lapping, polishing, and chemical etching, which steps produce an etching and material-removal effect that is greater near the substrate side 41. The secondary chamfer 45 is presently not subject to industry standards. Its width L′ taken in a radial direction varies from about 500 μm to 3000 μm on substrates that are commercially available on the market.
Further, the value of angle β also fluctuates, and the secondary chamfer 45 is not flat in cross-section as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3 but can be domed or irregular in places.
As a result, in practice, and in contrast to the diagrammatic representation of the figures, the side of the source substrate 4 is not formed by a plurality of beveled slopes, but instead by an overall convex shape, typically without edges between the secondary chamfer 45 and the primary chamfer 44 or between the primary chamfer and the side 41. The purpose of the convex shape is to avoid any nicking of the substrate 4.
In a manner similar to that just described for the source substrate 4, the support substrate 5 has a flat central zone 50 and a substantially annular secondary chamfer 55, but has similar irregularities to the secondary chamfer 45.
Molecular bonding is a technique that does not tolerate substantial non-planar surfaces, the existence of secondary chamfers 45, 55 results in poor bonding and layer transfer in the zone of these surfaces, resulting in the appearance of a peripheral ring 3. In addition, a second reason for the appearance of the ring 3 is that the bonding energy between two facing substrate faces fluctuates as a function of parameters such as roughness, flatness and the chemical nature of the surfaces in contact, the presence of particles and impurities, etc. These parameters can also vary in a less controlled manner at the sides of the substrates, thereby also contributing to the formation of the ring 3.
Finally, another possible cause for formation of the ring 3 is the use of certain aggressive or vigorous steps during the substrate fabrication methods.
Methods of fabricating substrates known under the acronym BESOI (bond and etchback silicon on insulator) bond a source substrate onto a support substrate, at least one of the faces of the source substrate being coated with a layer of oxide. The exposed surface of the source substrate then undergoes an abrasive polishing and/or chemical attack etching treatment, followed by polishing until the source substrate becomes a useful layer. In this type of method involving chemical attack (with the risk of partial delamination of the bonding interface), oxidation affecting the lateral and frontal portions of the source substrate, and mechanical abrasive polishing forces, both tend to enlarge the ring 3.
Similarly, in methods involving detachment of a layer by fracture along a zone of weakness, it has been observed that around the peripheral sides collective structure of the bonded substrates, detachment often tends to occur at the bonding interface instead of at the zone of weakness, resulting in the formation of an annular ring 3, sometimes with a large surface area.
Referring again to FIG. 3, in the case in which the zone of weakness 42 is formed by implantation of atomic species, such as by hydrogen implantation, it has been observed that, during subsequent treatment to detach the useful layer 43 from the remainder of the source substrate 4, expansion of hydrogen bubbles exerts a substantially perpendicular force on the surface of the secondary chamfer 45. In the zone of the secondary chamber 45, this force is often not compensated by sufficiently strong bonding since the secondary chamfer 55 of the support 5 is spaced from the secondary chamfer 45 of the useful layer 43 by an angle 2β, or the addition of the angles β if the angle of each opposing chamfer is different, and the bonding is thus ruptured. Thus, bubbles are formed at the surface of the secondary chamfer 45 instead of at the surface or edge of the layer 43 being transferred onto the support substrate 5. In other words, bonding occurs but its quality is poor in this area.
A number of disadvantages are associated with the existence of said ring 3. First, it is not possible to fabricate electronic components on the surface of this ring 3. Unfortunately, from an economic point of view, each extra square millimeter of area can make it possible to fabricate a larger number of components per substrate. Furthermore, this ring is irregular as explained above, and its width can vary from one side to the other of the substrate, thus giving rise to problems of reproducibility in the various steps of an industrial process when such a substrate is used in a production facility.
The prior art includes methods of polishing the side of a substrate so as to make it possible to eliminate the ring 3, see for example document U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,774. A method of mechanically polishing sides is also known as used by the supplier SEZ. This method is used on solid silicon substrates after deposition operations, which are known to run the risk of being associated with the effects of material being removed from the sides (known as "lift-off" or "peel-off"), i.e. leading to a high level of particulate contamination. Nevertheless, those methods tend to increase the size of the zone that has no transferred layer at the periphery, thereby restricting the useful area. In addition, finishing operations on the ring can lead to defects at the periphery of the transferred layer.

Method of increasing the area of a useful layer of material transferred onto a support

S.O.I.Tec Silicon on Insulator Technologies