The Miniature Fourier Transform Spectrophotometer provides the capability, in a miniaturized device, of determining the light absorption/transmission spectra of a collected sample of gas or liquid though Fourier Transform spectroscopy techniques. The device takes an optical input from an optical fiber, manipulates that light through miniature optical components, and launches it into a miniaturized Michelson interferometer with a scanning mirror that acquires the interferogram of the optical input. The interferogram can be processed to retrieve the spectrum of the input light. A novel multi-stepped micro-mirror operates as the optical path length modulator in the miniaturized interferometer. A unique monolithic beamsplitter/mirror combination provides for accurate alignment of the components and greatly simplifies product integration. The device is designed to cover various optical spectra of interest. During operation, the precision and accuracy of the microfabricated components in the device allow operation and resolution even at extremely low wavelengths. In addition, the miniaturized nature of the device allows it to be used in new and extremely space-constrained applications.

Embedding miniature sensors in products, systems, storage and shipping containers, and other items allows the monitoring of those items to determine health, maintenance needs, lifetime, and other item characteristics. Information from miniature chemical sensors can tell a user whether or not the item has been exposed to toxic or corrosive chemical levels that can cause damage, or has leaks of chemicals within the system.
In addition, there are increasing threats from chemical/bio agents and toxic industrial chemicals in both traditional military activities and in civilian sectors involving general public populations. This has resulted in a need for the widespread availability of instrumentation for the rapid detection of a growing number of chemical/bio agents. Military needs include historical agents such as organophosphorus and explosive chemicals, chlorine diphosgene choking gas and mustard gas blister agents, blood agents such as arsine, cyanogens or hydrogen chloride, nerve agents such as soman, tabun, or sarin, mycotoxin agents such as aflatoxin, botulinus, ricin, saxitoxin, trichothecene, or toxin producing bacteria such as anthrax. Peacetime and civilian chemicalibio agent detection interests include street drugs, environmental pollutants, disease outbreaks and leaking chemicals associated with a wide variety of containment vessels such as mobile and stationary storage tanks. Detection devices suitable for chemical/biological detection have enormous potential for application to civilian and government sponsored research and development activities, exploration, and commercial industry.
The growing number of potential chemical/bio agents and toxic industrial chemical locations, and the increasing rate of sampling engagements, have led to requirements for real-time detection, i.e. sampling times on the order of 100 ms or less. In addition, real-time detection of chemical and biological agents is becoming increasingly critical in a number of applications where the accessibility of detection instrumentation, or the ability to deliver the detection instrumentation on small platforms, is limited by power, volume and weight constraints. Furthermore, in the unmanned platforms, hand-held detectors, and portable systems currently envisioned in future military operational scenarios, the power and size requirements placed on detection systems are becoming harder to fulfill. These challenges have led to the need for novel miniature chemicalibio analysis systems, including miniature optical spectrometers. New technologies in optical sources, micro-optical integration, micro-electromechanical ("MEMS"), MOEMS and optical detectors have allowed these new miniature optical sensors, as well as enabled the incorporation of more sophisticated optical techniques into ever smaller packages.
In particular, the precise placement, alignment, and control of miniature optical components on MOEMS structures allows the extension of Fourier transform spectroscopic techniques that are dominant in infrared ("IR") spectroscopic instrumentation designs into the visible/UV spectrum with the capability of real-time detection of chemical and biological agents from small-unmanned delivery and reconnaissance platforms.
Several optical techniques have demonstrated an ability to uniquely identify chemical/bio agents, including fluorescence, emission, and absorption optical spectroscopy. Historically, absorbing spectroscopic techniques have dominated spectroscopic instrumentation from the ultraviolet ("UV") to the IR regions because both emission and fluorescence spectroscopy require the use of intense light sources at specific wavelengths to excite the electrons in chemical molecules to higher energy states where they decay with characteristic frequencies. This typically requires the use of large inefficient frequency doubled or tunable dye lasers to reach UV wavelengths, and can often be plagued by high intensity phenomena such as Raleigh scattering.
Absorption spectroscopy, however, can be used to measure chemical molecules with electron energy state transitions that occur in UV (200 nm to 400 nm) and visible wavelengths (400 nm to 800 nm), and is typically accomplished using optically dispersing elements such as prisms, or more commonly, diffraction gratings. However, diffraction spectrometers require implement slow mechanical scanning of an optical beam across a detector, or the use of a large linear electronically scanned detector array. A diffraction grating based design is typical of the state of the art spectrometer size reductions typified by the hand-sized or personal computer add-in card sized spectrometers offered commercially by various vendors. Absorption spectroscopy at longer near-IR ("NIR") to IR wavelengths (1,000 nm to beyond 30,000 nm or 30 um) is typically used to detect optical absorption associated with lower energy level molecular vibration excitation levels. This field of spectroscopy has been dominated by Fourier transform spectroscopy for many years because of several advantages over diffraction based optical designs. Fourier transform spectroscopy has greater optical efficiency, increased speed since the complete optical spectrum is measured simultaneously with an interferometric technique, increased sensitivity by allowing multiple scans, and reduced maintenance because it requires no external calibration and is mechanically simple with only linearly moving parts.
Historically, however, even though Fourier transform techniques are often preferred, they have been difficult to apply to UV and visible miniature spectrometer designs because of the strict demands on the precision of optical component placement, component movement, and system control mandated by operating at the shorter wavelengths. Although there have been large-scale designs (designated UVFT) proposed by university researchers, none are currently commercially available or known to have been actually fabricated and tested. However, emerging MOEMS technologies using lithography and etching techniques typical in semiconductor chip manufacturing enable the assembly of micro-optical components on physical features with tolerances of only a few hundred nanometers (10−7 meters). In addition, electro-mechanical actuators can be fabricated in MOEMS structures that are capable of controlling and measuring motion to the same degree of precision. These new technologies can enable the development of UVFT spectroscopy and its application to chem/bio detection in unmanned systems, hand-held detectors, and portable analytical instruments.

Miniature Fourier transform spectrophotometer


Apparatus for mounting a notching blade assembly specifically for use in a double-cut die set of the type used to cut tubing continuously emanating from the tube mill. The present invention is directed toward the notching blade assembly used in conjunction with the vertical guillotine blade of the cut-off die set to notch the upper surface of the tubing prior to the shearing cut. The subject device includes a clamp plate secured to the carriage of the double-cut die set, a key-shaped transverse bore extending through the clamp plate and carriage body so that the notching blade having a corresponding key-shaped bore can be placed betwen the clamp plate and carriage, a locking stud having a locking pin on one end thereof is inserted through the key-shaped transverse bore and rotated away from the channel groove portion of the keyhole-shaped bore to clamp the notching blade between the clamp plate and carriage assembly.

In a cut-off die set of the double-cut type a notching blade is caused to move across and notch the upper surface of the tubing prior to the entry of a shearing blade into the upper tube wall. Prenotching the tube in this manner reduces or eliminates dimpling or collapsing of the tube wall by the shearing blade, thus eliminating the need for reshaping the ends of the tubing after the cutting operation.
The notching apparatus typically comprises a notching blade fixed or mounted to a carriage member mounted to the cross slide assembly of the cut-off die set. Cross slide assemblies are known, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,792. The cross slide assembly is operated by the upper platen of the die set by way of a mechanical cam and cam follower. The association is such that vertical travel of the upper platen of the die set causes the notching blade to travel through a transverse path perpendicular to the axial path of the tube. Both thrust and "pull across" motions are known. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,109,555 and 4,294,147.
The notching blade which performs the cutting operation eventually succumbs to wear and must be replaced. Presently, in order to replace notching blade, the worn blade must be unbolted from the carriage and a new blade rebolted in its place.
Time is of the essence in the tube cutting industry, tubing continuously emanates from a tube mill at a high rate of speed. Thus any problems, delays or shutdowns for repair or replacement of the cutting equipment results in lost production and revenue to the tube maker. Therefore any time savings that result from ease in maintenance and/or replacement of parts increases the period the mill can be operational, thus increasing production.


A field effect transistor includes a nitride-based semiconductor multi-layer structure, a source electrode (108), a drain electrode (109), a protective film (110), and a gate electrode (112) that is provided in a recess structure, which is formed by etching, directly or with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween. The nitride-based semiconductor multi-layer structure includes at least a base layer (103) made of AlXGa1-XN (0≦1), a channel layer (104) made of GaN or InGaN, a first electron supply layer (105), which is an undoped or n-type AlYGa1-YN layer, a threshold value control layer (106), which is an undoped AlZGa1-ZN layer, and a second electron supply layer (107), which is an undoped or n-type AlWGa1-WN layer, epitaxially grown in this order on a substrate (101) with a buffer layer (102) interposed therebetween. The Al composition of each layer in the nitride-based semiconductor multi-layer structure satisfies 0<X≦Y≦1 and 0<Z≦Y≦1.

A nitride-based semiconductor, such as GaN, AlGaN, InGaN, InAlN, or InAlGaN, has high dielectric breakdown strength, high thermal conductivity, and a high saturated electron velocity. Therefore, the nitride-based semiconductor is preferable as a semiconductor material used to manufacture a power device for power control, such as a high frequency device or a switching element. In recent years, a technique for putting a field effect transistor using a nitride-based semiconductor material into practical use has been actively developed.
It is preferable that the field effect transistor using the nitride-based semiconductor as a semiconductor material be a normally-off (enhancement) type which does not require a negative DC bias power supply for supplying power to the gate electrode of the field effect transistor. For example, a normally-off (enhancement) field effect transistor using a nitride-based semiconductor material shown in FIG. 12 has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).
FIG. 12 shows the structure of the normally-off (enhancement) field effect transistor using the nitride-based semiconductor material which is disclosed in Patent Document 1. Next, the normally-off field effect transistor using the nitride-based semiconductor disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 12.
The field effect transistor shown in FIG. 12 has a structure in which a carrier travel layer 1 made of AlXGa1-XN (0≦X<1), which is an undoped nitride semiconductor, a barrier layer 2 made of AlYGa1-YN (0<Y≦1 and X<Y), which is an undoped or n-type nitride-based semiconductor having a lattice constant smaller than that of the carrier travel layer 1, a threshold value control layer 3 that is made of an undoped or n-type semiconductor having the same lattice constant as that of the carrier travel layer 1, and a carrier inducing layer 4 made of InWAlZGa1-W-ZN (0<W≦1 and 0<Z<1) are sequentially laminated. In addition, a recess structure 30 in which the entire carrier inducing layer 4 and a portion of the threshold value control layer 3 are removed is formed at a position where the gate electrode 5 is formed. Then, a gate electrode 5 is formed so as to cover the recess structure 30. A source electrode 6 and a drain electrode 7 are substantially symmetrically formed on the carrier inducing layer 4 with the gate electrode 5 interposed therebetween.
In Patent Document 1, in the field effect transistor shown in FIG. 12, the barrier layer 2 is formed to have a thickness d1 represented by the following Expression 1, thereby achieving a normally-off field effect transistor:d1≦16.4×(1−1.27×(Y−X))/(Y−X)[Å]  [Expression 1]
(where Y−X<1/1.27 is satisfied).
In Patent Document 1, in the transistor shown in FIG. 12, the gate electrode 5 is formed in the recess structure 30 having a bottom in the threshold value control layer 3. However, since the threshold value control layer 3 is made of a semiconductor material having the same lattice constant as that of the carrier travel layer 1, the threshold voltage (Vt) of the transistor does not vary depending on the thickness of the threshold value control layer 3. That is, even when there is a variation in etching depth during the formation of the recess structure 30, it is possible to reduce a variation in the threshold voltage of the transistor since the threshold voltage does not vary.


A system and method for performing automated defect detection using multiple image capture devices is disclosed. The system and method may include providing a plurality of image capture devices, the plurality of image capture devices capturing and transmitting a plurality of images of an object. The system and method may further include determining a feature correspondence between the plurality of images of the plurality of image capture devices, creating mosaiced images of the plurality of images if the feature correspondence is found or known and performing at least of an automated analysis and a manual inspection on the mosaiced images to find any defects in the object.

Video inspection systems, such as borescopes, have been widely used for capturing images or videos of difficult-to-reach locations by "snaking" image sensor(s) to these locations. Applications utilizing borescope inspections include aircraft engine blade inspection, power turbine blade inspection, internal inspection of mechanical devices and the like.
A variety of techniques for inspecting the images or videos provided by borescopes for determining defects therein have been proposed in the past. Most such techniques capture and display images or videos to human inspectors for defect detection and interpretation. Human inspectors then decide whether any defect within those images or videos exists. These techniques are prone to errors resulting from human inattention. Some other techniques utilize automated inspection techniques in which most common defects are categorized into classes such as leading edge defects, erosion, nicks, cracks, or cuts. Any incoming images or videos from the borescopes are examined to find those specific classes of defects. These techniques are thus focused on low-level feature extraction and to identify damage by matching features. Although somewhat effective in circumventing errors from human involvement, categorizing all kinds of blade damage defects within classes is difficult and images having defects other than those pre-defined classes are not detected.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial if an improved technique for performing defect detection was developed. It would additionally be beneficial if such a technique were automated, thereby minimizing human intervention and did not interpret defects based upon any categorization or classes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for multiple simultaneous automated defect detection


The present invention relates to a clamping system comprising two or more grids of springs in a flow module or in a plate reactor. The invention also relates to methods for opening and closing a clamping system, a frame arrangement, a control system for pressure release, and a use of the clamping system as a plate reactor.

Flow modules or reactors, which comprise plates stacked together and with plates manufactured in materials having large differences in thermal expansion and low modulus of elasticity, operates over a wide temperature range. The large difference in thermal expansion and low modulus of elasticity of the materials of the plates, compared to framework, screws, tension rods and end plates etc. can cause damage or leakage. Thus, one problem is to keep the tension over the whole construction within limits over the whole temperature range without causing leakage or damage on any of the parts in the module or reactor.
Another problem when working with plates is to distribute contact pressure as equal as possible over the plates to prevent unevenness and thus leakage or damaging any of the stacked plates.


Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and device for implementing gateway cooperation, a gateway and a storage medium. The method for implementing the gateway cooperation includes: selecting, from gateways in an IoT network, at least one cooperative gateway for a target gateway; notifying the target gateway of the at least one cooperative gateway, wherein the at least one cooperative gateway is used for establishing cooperation with the target gateway and performing cooperative management.

With the gradual expansion of the scope of IoT applications, the forms of the IoT applications also exhibit characteristics of being scaled up and diversified. On the one hand, the regional span of a single IoT network (such as an intelligent traffic control network) is expanding continuously. On the other hand, to implement different function requirements, multiple IoT networks (such as the smart urban system) may be deployed at the same time in the same physical location. In these IoT networks, multiple IoT gateways are usually deployed at the same time to collect and process data. However, calculation and storage capabilities of each IoT gateway are limited; therefore, in order to meet the requirements of data processing, in the related art, a network manager configures a cooperation relationship for each IoT gateway, and at least two IoT gateways that are mutual cooperative gateways manage data of each other together. However, since the cooperation relationship is specified and configured by network management personnel, and the cooperation relationship is directly configured in gateways serving as cooperative gateways of each other, the cooperation relationship between the IoT gateways will not change basically, which results in a stiffening of the cooperation relationship. Therefore, the flexibility and extensibility of the gateway cooperation implementation solution in the related art are relatively poor.

Method and device for implementing gateway cooperation, IoT gateway and storage medium


A bicycle handlebar that connects to a steering post foreward of the bicycle seat has an adjustable support pad assembly for the rider on which to support his body at his forearms or elbows including a support member having a top side and a bottom side, of which the top side is adapted with cushioning to accommodate the rider's forearm or elbow in support thereof and clamped to the bicycle handlebar by a clamp assembly at said bottom side of said support member. The clamp assembly has a clamp band, a nut member within said band, a bolt member that engages said nut member and a hood member that spaces the band member from said bottom of the support member so that the support pad assembly is attachable to said handlebar and is adjustable thereon in two degrees of translational freedom and two degrees of rotational freedom.

This invention relates to bicycle handlebar arm rests and more particularly to handlebar arm rests adapted for the rider to lean on comfortably and so support his upper body while gripping the handlebars to control the bicycle while riding it.
Heretofore, conventional bicycles used for competitive riding have had handlebar assemblies including a central stem that slides more or less vertically into the bicycle front wheel fork tube so that the stem extends adjustably upward from the fork tube and is then secured at a desired height. At the top of the stem is a clamp for the handlebar cross piece, which is usually a unitary piece that extends laterally (left and right), evenly on both sides of the bicycle and is equipped at its left and right ends with grips of some sort for the rider to hold with his left and right hands, respectively. Most often, on bicycles used for competitive riding, the left and right laterally extending parts of the unitary cross piece each turns foreward, then downward and then returns back toward the rider and ends. These bends define sections of the total cross piece that are referred to herein as "forward", "downward" and "return" left or right sections of the unitary cross piece. The rider usually grips the left and right return sections with his left and right hands when riding strenuously (sprinting), and so his hands are then below the clamp at the top of the stem and below the cross piece. To do this the rider must bend at the waist, bringing his shoulders and arm down and foreward. In this position the rider is more streamlined (less wind resistance) and some contend that the rider can deliver more power to the pedals. However, in this position, the rider also becomes fatigued more quickly.
Heretofore, considerable effort has been made to provide similar handlebars on bicycles used for competitive riding, particularly for long distance riding, adapted with padding on the handlebar cross piece, on which the rider can rest by supporting himself at his forearms while still gripping the handles. Handlebars of this sort are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,754, entitled Bicycle And Handlebar System, which issued June 14, 1988. Several structures are described in that patent having a conventional stem with a stem clamp at the top and a unitary crosspiece attached by the clamp. For all of these handlebar structures padding is provided on the cross piece immediately adjacent the clamp. Also on all of them, the left and right ends of the unitary cross piece first bend foreward, then inward and then upward to an end, and hand grips are provided on the upward section up to the ends. Thus, in operation, as compared with the conventional handlebars described above, the rider leans more foreward, but with his shoulders and arms higher and his hands much closer together and elbows well inside of the first (foreward) bend of the unitary cross piece.
Using the handlebar structures described in said U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,754, the rider, from time to time, can support his upper body with his forearms on the padding, even while gripping the handles and pedaling vigorously. In doing this, he is supporting his upper body on the handlebar cross piece and without the padding on the cross piece, this action would be very hard on his forearms. In time, this position becomes uncomfortable even with the padding, because the area of contact of his forearm with the cross piece is only a little greater with the padding and he is essentially resting his forearm on a transverse bar (the cross piece).
Handlebars similar to those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,754 have been provided with improved arm rests in the form of contoured pads that provide greater area of contact with the rider's forearm. These include separable pads that attach to the cross piece, each having a cushioned portion that may be contoured to about the shape of a substantial length of the forearm, so that a substantial part of the rider's forearm contacts the cushion. A clamp is provided on the bottom of the pad for attaching the pad assembly to the cross piece at a lateral position along the cross piece that the rider desires. Thus, such pads are adjustable in one translational direction (laterally along the cross piece) and one rotational direction (around the cross piece). Some riders find this provision for adjustment insufficient.
It is an object of the present invention to provide adjustable bicycle handlebar support pads wherein some or all of the above limitations of prior handlebar arm support pads such as described in the above patent and some of the improvements thereto are avoided.
It is another object of the present invention to provide adjustable bicycle handlebar support pads having additional translational and/or rotational adjustments that are readily manipulated for the comfort of the rider.


The present invention relates to rubber compounds containing polymeric bis-succinimide polysulfides of the formula: ##STR1##. wherein R is selected from the group consisting of phenylene and xylylene; R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting hydrogen and alkyls having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; x is an integer of from 2 to 8 and y is an integer of from 2 to 10.

Monosuccinimide derivatives have been used as additives in the sulfur vulcanization of rubber. Such monosuccinimide derivatives are disclosed as imparting anti-reversion and antifatigue properties in the rubber. See CA 96-483926/48, Sep. 20, 1996.
PCT/EP95/05177, International Publication Number WO 96/20246 discloses sulfur-vulcanized rubber. compositions containing bis-succinimide compounds. Use of these bis-succinimide compounds impart antireversion and/or accelerating properties in the rubber.

Rubber compounds containing polymeric bis-succinimide polysulfides


A method for determining approval for access to a gate through a network, a server, and computer readable recoding media using the same, and more particularly, to a method for determining approval for access to a gate through a network, a server, and computer readable recoding media using the same so as to determine access to a gate for using a service by allowing an authorizer (user) to determine an approval for a service access at the time of using the service without input of a password or the like. It is possible to use one-time and effective identification only when approval for the access to the corresponding gate is determined at the time of requiring the authority for the approval for the access to the service gate.

Any type of login or authentication procedure in an IT environment includes a process of verifying an authorized user. That is, the user may use the corresponding service by verifying the identity of any person to be allocated with specific authority.
For the identification, a method of using knowledge-based information that receives information which is considered to be known only to a party, such as an ID and a password, is generally used.
However, in the method of using the knowledge-based information such as an ID and a password, it is inconvenient for a user to always input an ID and a password for verification of the identity, and there is a disadvantage in that the user does not access the corresponding service when the user does not remember the ID and the password.
Further, recently, as various security treats increase, security accidents due to leakage and illegal stealing of the ID, the password, and the like frequently occur and various cyber crimes and property damages occur by the leakage of personal information online.
Accordingly, in order to prevent the damage of leakage and stealing of the ID, the password, and the like, in addition to the ID and the password, a method of using possession-based information to receive information about the possession of only the party such as a one-time password (OTP) and certificate, a method of using bio-based information to receive biological information of the party such as fingerprint, iris, voice and facial recognition, and the like have been used.
However, in the conventional methods using knowledge-based information, possession-based information, and bio-based information, the personal identification information is fixed and permanent. Therefore, it is inconvenient to update the identification information when the identification information is leaked and periodically update the identification information in order to maintain the security. In particular, when the bio-based information is used, since the identification information is information that can not be updated, there is a problem that it is very vulnerable to security due to information leakage. In addition, in the conventional methods, since essential personal information such as a date of birth, a resident registration number, and the like of the user is stored in a server, many social problems arise from theft of personal information upon personal information leakage by hacking and the like.
In addition, in the conventional methods, since the personal static attribute is reflected to the identification information, the identification information and association with the user who uses the identification information may be easily tracked on the Internet. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the methods are weak in terms of protection of personal information.
In addition, in the conventional methods, since the authorities to access personal information and services are controlled by art administrator and allows access to services according to the personal information stored in the account database of the service, there is a risk that unauthorized service can be used when the personal information is exposed to a third party.
In addition, when the personal identification information is provided to the third party to temporarily use the service, there is an inconvenience that the identification needs to be updated after the identification information of the user is exposed to the third party.

Method for determining approval for access to gate through network, and server and computer-readable recording media using the same


An electrical connector (1) includes an insulative housing (10) defining a number of passageways (123), a number of electrical terminals (20) received in the passageways of the insulative housing, a metallic shell (30) assembled to the insulative housing, and a retention structure (40). The insulative housing includes a pair of support portions (13). The metallic shell includes a pair of contacts plates (36) deposited on the two support portions of the insulative housing. The retention structure is stamped and formed from sheet metal and mounted to the support portions of the insulative housing. The retention structure abuts against the contact plates of the metallic shell to electrically connect therebetween.

This application is related to a contemporaneously filed U.S. patent application entitled xe2x80x9cELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING IMPROVED RETENTION STRUCTURExe2x80x9d, which is invented by the same inventor and assigned to the same assignee as this application.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector mountable to a substrate such as a printed circuit board.
2. Description of Related Art
In personal computers, electrical connectors are often mounted to printed circuit boards for electrically connecting the printed circuit boards with other devices. The electrical connectors usually include some locking or retention structures to hold the electrical connectors to the printed circuit boards and exterior metallic or conductive shells connecting with ground traces on the printed circuit boards to be protected from EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference).
In order to simplify the assembly of the electrical connectors to the printed circuit boards, the metallic shells often connect with the ground traces on the printed circuit boards by the retention structures. A number of methods for achieving a reliable electrical connection between the metallic shells and the retention structures are known in the art. A first conventional method consists of stamping and forming a metallic shell and a retention structure into a single unit. However, the first conventional method suffers from a disadvantage that manufacturing of the metallic shell and the retention structure as a single piece is complicated and costly, consequently a special treatment for an insulative housing of the electrical connector is needed.
In a second conventional method described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,344,342 and 5,709,556, a retention structure is joined to a metallic shell by bolts and nuts, thereby providing an electrical connection between the retention structure and the metallic shell. The result is assembly of the electrical connector requires the use of the bolts, which causes lower performance efficiencies of the assembly. In addition, the configuration of the retention structure is complicated.
Hence, an electrical connector having improved metallic shell and retention structure is desired.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having new metallic shell and retention structure which connect with each other simply and reliably.
To achieve the above object, an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing defining a plurality of passageways, a plurality of electrical terminals received in the passageways of the insulative housing, a metallic shell assembled to the insulative housing, and a retention structure. The insulative housing comprises a pair of support portions. The metallic shell comprises a pair of contact plates deposited on the two support portions of the insulative housing. The retention structure is stamped and formed from sheet metal and mounted to the support portions of the insulative housing. The retention structure abuts against the contact plates of the metallic shell to electrically connect therebetween
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Electrical connector having improved ground structure


The present invention is an apparatus and method for improving the detection of the inductance "signal" generated by an inductive plethysmograph (12). Signal detection is improved by modifying the design of the inductive plethysmograph (12) and also by improving the design of the associated circuitry. By virtue of these improvements, the associated circuitry may be located remotely rather than on the transducer, as is the current practice. In one aspect of the invention, the impedance matching transformer (14) joining the inductive plethysmograph (12) to the oscillator (16) is selected such that the inductance of its primary winding is greater than about ten times the reflected inductance of the inductive plethysmograph (12) and the cable (24) joining it to the transformer (14). In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the inductive plethysmograph (12) is modified such that the conductor (20) incorporated therein encircles the relevant body portion a plurality of times. In yet a further aspect of the invention, the cable (24) connecting the inductive plethysmograph (12) to the transformer (14) is selected such that the ratio of the diameter of its screen to the diameter of its center conductor is minimized for reducing the inductance per unit length thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to inductive plethysmographic transducers of the type used in apparatus for monitoring body functions, such as respiration and heart volumes. More particularly, the present invention pertains to improvements in the design of such transducers and the electronic circuitry associated therewith.
2. State of the Prior Art
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,872 entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING RESPIRATION, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a particular respiration monitoring apparatus. The apparatus disclosed in the patent employs two electrical conductors, e.g., wires, one disposed in encircling relation about the chest and the other disposed in encircling relation about the abdomen. Each conductor comprises the inductance element of an LC oscillator circuit of fixed capacitance. Consequently, the frequency of each oscillator varies solely in response to changes in the inductance of its respective conductor which, in turn, varies in response to changes in the cross-sectional area encircled by the conductor. Therefore, in the case of respiratory applications, as the subject breathes the frequency changes at the outputs of the oscillators continuously indicate the extent of expansion and contraction of the subject's chest and abdomen. As more fully explained in said U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,872, by appropriate processing and calibration of these signals, significant respiration data may be obtained. In the art, each of the conductors and their supporting structure is referred to as an inductive plethysmograph. The assignee hereof markets such inductive plethysmographs under the trademark Respiband.TM..
As noted, each inductive plethysmograph requires an LC oscillator and associated circuitry. As presently marketed by the assignee hereof, the LC oscillator and its associated circuitry are housed in a plastic module removably secured to the inductive plethysmograph. Wires extending from the module connect the oscillator circuitry with a remote housing containing circuitry for processing, calibrating and displaying, the frequency changes detected by the oscillator and for displaying the results. Typically, the length of the cable connecting the oscillator module on an inductive plethysmograph with the remote housing is about ten feet. The oscillator module as well as an improved inductive plethysmograph are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,640 entitled STRETCHABLE BAND-TYPE TRANSDUCER PARTICULARLY SUITED FOR RESPIRATION MONITORING APPARATUS, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Although the arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,640 represents an improvement over the prior art, particularly insofar as the oscillator circuitry is simplified and the system is rendered more convenient to use, it too is not without drawbacks. For example, it has been observed that untrained personnel often damage the oscillator modules by pulling vigorously on their wire leads. Moreover, when applied to infants and newborns, even the smallest oscillator modules are inordinately bulky and potentially uncomfortable, as when the infant or newborn is lying thereon.
The ideal solution would be simply to move the oscillator circuity to the remote housing, with the inductive plethysmograph connected to the oscillator circuitry by a wire cable. Unfortunately, this results in a substantial loss of signal, typically about 90%. In this regard, it will be recalled that the electronic parameter which forms the basis for all measurements is the change in the inductance of the inductive plethysmograph. A typical inductive plethysmograph has an inductance of only one to two microhenries, and obviously the changes being detected are substantially less than that. However, a ten foot length of standard coaxial cable, which is approximately the length of cable that would be required to connect the inductive plethysmograph to the remotely housed oscillator circuit, typically has an inductance of several times the inductance of the inductive plethysmograph. As the inductance of the wire cable is in series with the inductance of the inductive plethysmograph, it will be apparent that with a remotely housed oscillator circuit, changes in the inductance of the inductive plethysmograph will represent a relatively small percentage change in the combined inductances of the inductive plethysmograph and wire cable. This is to be contrasted with the situation where such inductive changes are measured relative to the inductance of the inductive plethysmograph alone, as is the case in the arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,640, wherein the oscillator circuit is secured directly to the inductive plethysmograph.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved system comprising an inductive plethysmograph and oscillator circuit therefor wherein the oscillator circuit may be housed remotely from the inductive plethysmograph without a substantial signal loss.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system wherein the oscillator circuitry may be housed remotely from the inductive plethysmograph and signal loss is reduced by improving the circuit design.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a system wherein the oscillator circuit may be housed remotely from the inductive plethysmograph and signal loss is reduced by improving the design of the inductive plethysmograph itself.

Inductive plethysmographic transducers and electronic circuitry therefor


A plurality of video streams are simultaneously displayed on a terminal coupled to a network. The video streams are ranked according to a set of ranking criteria and displayed in accordance with the ranking. Highly ranked video streams may be displayed in prominent positions or emphasized in order to quickly draw the user's attention to the video streams.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to interactive television systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for displaying video streams ranked by user-specified criteria.
2. Description of Related Background Art
In recent years, a growing number of personal computers and interactive television systems are equipped with digital video cameras. Such cameras may be configured as "web cameras" or "webcams." A webcam captures a stream of video images and broadcasts the images via the Internet to any requesting Web browser (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer®).
In the early days of the Internet, webcams were used to monitor coffee pots and fish tanks. Today, thousands of webcams are used in such diverse and important applications as monitoring freeway traffic (e.g., "traffic cams") and monitoring children at day care centers (e.g., "kiddie cams" or "cradle cams").
Because of the many video options available, a user may wish to view the output of many webcams simultaneously. In fact, a user may desire to watch the output of more webcams than can be feasibly displayed at the same time on a computer monitor or television display.
Of course, not every webcam provides the same degree of interest to a user all of the time. For instance, some webcams may only be of interest at certain times of the day, e.g., traffic cams during rush hour. Other webcams may be interesting only when the scene being displayed changes. For example, where a webcam monitors an individual's empty home, a change in scene created by a burglar moving into the webcam's field of view would be of considerable interest.
Unfortunately, if the webcam of interest is not currently being displayed, a user may miss an important event. Even if the webcam is being displayed, a user cannot typically focus on more than a few webcams simultaneously. Thus, the user may still miss an important event simply because he or she is focused on another webcam.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for allowing a user to simultaneously monitor the output of multiple webcams. What is also needed is a system and method of ranking video streams generated by webcams according to user-defined criteria. Indeed, what is needed is a system and method for drawing a user's attention to video streams of the highest potential significance based on the user-defined criteria.

System and method for displaying video streams ranked by user-specified criteria


A gas cylinder mobility aid is provided. A gas cylinder mobility aid for attachment to a collar of a gas cylinder, comprising a base plate having an upper surface and a lower surface. One or more coupling members affixed to the lower surface of the base plate wherein the one or more coupling members are positioned to form a frictional fit with the collar of the gas cylinder. A vertical member affixed at the center of said base plate and a handle rotatably attached to the vertical member such that the handle is present above the upper surface of the base plate and the handle rotates about the vertical member.

The safe, efficient transportation of gas cylinders for delivery drivers, dock filling workers and the like, contributes significantly to both business and work prosperity. Typically, workers within this field manually transport the gas cylinders either through strenuous, repetitive lifting or through the two-handed rotation of one or a stack of gas cylinders forward. These methods are both highly time consuming and potentially hazardous to the workers in the short term and long term.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,446,777 B2 (Umbro et al.) discloses a wheeled carrier with brakes. Shortcomings include a time consuming and strenuous setup of the propane gas tanks onto the carrier, the bulkiness of the carrier which requires additional storage space and restricts portability.
U.S. Pub. No. 2017/0057732 A1 (Shivers et al.) discloses a portable gas cylinder crate for providing storage and transportation. Shortcomings include an inability address the weight and strain for the user during transportation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,939 B2 (Martin et al.) discloses a two-wheeled lifting device for a propane tank. Shortcomings include a time consuming and strenuous setup and securing of the propane gas tanks onto the lifting, the bulkiness of the device which requires additional storage space and restricts portability.
C.N. Pub. No. 2,093,953 U (Xin, Pan) discloses a wheeled carrier track roller frame. Shortcomings include an inability to easily transfer the device onto a plurality of cylinders for safe, effective and effortless transportation.
C.N. Pub. No. 203,753,831 U (Xin, Chen) discloses a gas cylinder trolley. Shortcomings include a time consuming and strenuous setup for loading the propane gas tanks into the trolley, the bulkiness of the trolley which requires additional storage space and restricts portability.
C.N. Pub. No. 208,993,703 U (Dingding et al.) discloses an inverted gas cylinder traveling bogie. Shortcomings include a time consuming instillation onto an existing trolley and the bulkiness of the device which requires additional storage space and restricts portability.
J.P.H. Pub. No. 572,649 U (Nakatsu et al.) discloses a transfer tool for containers that facilitates the transfer on snow or frozen roads and loading and unloading containers. Shortcomings include a time consuming setup required for each container as well as the potential incompatibility of this tool for some container structures.
All documents cited herein are incorporated by reference. There is a need for a gas cylinder mobility aid that is ergonomic, conducive to lessening workplace injuries during gas cylinder transportation, durable, inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, simple to employ, lightweight and stow-able.


A process for removing a refractory nitrogen compound from a hydroprocessed vacuum gas oil feed includes contacting the hydroprocessed vacuum gas oil feed comprising the nitrogen compound with a VGO-immiscible phosphonium ionic liquid to produce a hydroprocessed vacuum gas oil and VGO-immiscible phosphonium ionic liquid mixture, and separating the mixture to produce a hydroprocessed vacuum gas oil effluent having a reduced refractory nitrogen compound content relative to the vacuum gas oil feed.

VGO is a hydrocarbon fraction that may be converted into higher value hydrocarbon fractions such as diesel fuel, jet fuel, naphtha, gasoline, and other lower boiling fractions in refining processes such as hydrocracking and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC). However, VGO feed streams having higher amounts of nitrogen are more difficult to convert. For example, the degree of conversion, product yields, catalyst deactivation, and/or ability to meet product quality specifications may be adversely affected by the nitrogen content of the feed stream. It is known to reduce the nitrogen content of VGO by catalytic hydrogenation reactions such as in a hydrotreating process unit. The current economic conditions and oil reserve situation worldwide have resulted in a growing interest in processing heavy oils and even extra-heavy oils with a much higher nitrogen content. There has been an increase in the nitrogen content of feeds to hydrocrackers in recent years. Removal of nitrogen is essential to prevent catalyst poisoning in downstream refinery processes such as hydrocracking (HC), catalytic cracking, and reforming. Organic nitrogen can be removed catalytically by hydrodenitrogenation (HDN), which is one of the most difficult hydrotreatment reactions.
Most of the difficult to remove nitrogen is present as heterocycles with multiple aromatic rings. The N-containing compounds are usually divided into two classes, basic and neutral compounds. Basic nitrogen compounds are primarily 6-membered-ring nitrogen compounds, such as quinolines and benzoquinolines. Nonbasic compounds are primarily 5-membered-ring compounds, such as indoles and carbazoles. Half of the total nitrogen is typically concentrated in the heaviest 30% of heavy feeds, with carbazole compounds substituted at position 1 being the most abundant. Di and trimethylcarbazoles with substitution at position 1 have been observed to be the most predominant. The problem of nitrogen compound inhibition has received considerable attention because the effects influence both process and catalyst development. Organic nitrogen compounds have a significantly negative kinetic effect on hydrotreating reactions such as hydrodesulfurization (HDS), on other hydrogenolysis reactions, and on hydrogenation reactions. The poisoning of the more acidic catalysts employed in hydrocracking caused by nitrogen compounds is even more severe, and the detrimental effect is reflected in the performance of the hydrocrackers. In particular, refractory nitrogen compounds with aromatic rings are resistant to reaction during hydrotreating processes that are currently used.
Hydroprocessing includes processes which convert hydrocarbons in the presence of hydroprocessing catalyst and hydrogen to more valuable products.
Hydrocracking is a hydroprocessing process in which hydrocarbons crack in the presence of hydrogen and hydrocracking catalyst to lower molecular weight hydrocarbons. Depending on the desired output, a hydrocracking unit may contain one or more beds of the same or different catalyst. Slurry hydrocracking is a slurried catalytic process used to crack residue feeds to gas oils and fuels. Hydrotreating is a hydroprocessing process used to remove heteroatoms such as sulfur and nitrogen from hydrocarbon streams to meet fuel specifications and to saturate olefinic compounds. Hydrotreating can be performed at high or low pressures, but is typically operated at lower pressure than hydrocracking.
Various processes using ionic liquids to remove sulfur and nitrogen compounds from hydrocarbon fractions are known. U.S. Pat. No. 7,001,504 B2 discloses a process for the removal of organosulfur compounds from hydrocarbon materials which includes contacting an ionic liquid with a hydrocarbon material to extract sulfur containing compounds into the ionic liquid. U.S. Pat. No. 7,553,406 B2 discloses a process for removing polarizable impurities from hydrocarbons and mixtures of hydrocarbons using ionic liquids as an extraction medium. U.S. Pat. No. 7,553,406 B2 also discloses that different ionic liquids show different extractive properties for different polarizable compounds. However, these processes do not show utility in removing refractory nitrogen compounds.
There remains a need for improved processes that enable the removal of compounds comprising refractory nitrogen from vacuum gas oil (VGO) either before or after hydrotreating. These refractory nitrogen compounds are difficult to remove by hydrotreating or hydroprocessing.

Process for removing refractory nitrogen compounds from vacuum gas oil


A manufacturing control system for an additive, subtractive, or hybrid machining system implements a morphic manufacturing approach that integrates in situ inspection and related decision-making into the manufacturing process. After execution of a machining or deposition operation, the system performs a sensor scan to collect sensor measurement data for the resulting part while the part remains in the manufacturing work cell. The measurement data is compared with an as-designed digital model of the part to determine whether further machining or deposition is necessary to bring the finished part into tolerance with the model. If necessary, the system performs another additive and/or subtractive manufacturing operation on the part based on analysis of the measurement data to bring the part into tolerance. The measured inspection data can be stored in association with each manufactured part for auditing purposes or for creation of part-specific digital twins.

Modern manufacturing processes that involve machining of stock material or deposition of material to form finished products, or components of larger assembled products, often employ programmable manufacturing tools in order to achieve automation, product consistency, and precision. For example, in the case of subtractive manufacturing, numerically controlled (NC) systems—which include computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines—are typically used to control one or more machining tools that perform subtractive machining on a unit of stock material to yield a final workpiece or part that conforms to design specifications. In the case of additive manufacturing, a three-dimensional (3D) printer may control an additive disposition head that deposits material in a controlled manner to form a finished part having a defined shape or topology. Hybrid manufacturing systems may employ both additive and subtractive manufacturing processes to yield a finished part.
After performing pre-cycle initialization (which may involve taking measurements of machine stock prior to beginning the manufacturing cycle to initialize coordinates), an additive and/or subtractive manufacturing cycle is performed. Upon completion of the manufacturing cycle, which may involve one or more passes of the tool over the workpiece to remove and/or add stock material, the finished part is typically inspected for defects or deviations from the part design specifications in excess of defined tolerances. If it is found that the part does not conform to design specifications in one or more respects, the part may be rejected or, if further machining or deposition can bring the part into tolerance, placed back into the workstation for further processing. The operator may also perform checks on the machine to determine if adjustments should be made. However, feedback from the inspection process back to the manufacturing process is largely manual and subject to human error.
The above-described is merely intended to provide an overview of some of the challenges facing conventional manufacturing systems. Other challenges with conventional systems and contrasting benefits of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein may become further apparent upon review of the following description.


Method and a device for capturing heavy metal ions included in sewage sludge. The method includes steps of:    a) placing in the fluid a functionalized radiografted track-etched membrane FRTEM which contains polymer nanopores; this membrane including a first electrode on one side of the membrane,    b) selectively capturing heavy metal ions inside the polymer nanopores,    c) applying an anodic stripping voltammetric ASV analysis on the membrane in order to differentiate and quantify captured metal ions, the first electrode being used as an ASV detection electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to nanosensors, and more particularly, to a method and device for detecting and quantifying charged molecules and favourably heavy metal ions in a fluid. The present invention advantageously applies to sewage sludge, but it could apply to biological or medical fields. It could also apply to the detection of other ionic species in fluid, not only heavy metal ions.
2. Description of the Related Art
The urban wastewater collection is one of the main facilities used for the disposal of commercial and domestic wastes, both of which may contain heavy metals. Wastewater treatment processes are generally effective in limiting the discharge of potentially toxic elements to the aquatic environment because a high proportion of the contaminant load is extracted and concentrated in the sewage sludge. Application of sewage sludge to agricultural land is the largest outlet for its beneficial use, and this is consistent with EC policy on waste recycling, recovery, and use. The Sewage Sludge Directive 86/278/EEC sets upper limits of trace metals in municipal sewage sludge for use on agricultural land, and revision of the directive is expected to lead to even more stringent limits. This is a critical issue due to the increasing amount of sludge produced (from 5.5M tonnes of dry matter in 1992 to 9M tonnes in 2005), and the fact that other alternatives (incineration and landfill) are not generally considered environmentally acceptable. Consequently, wastewater sludge quality must be protected and improved in order to secure the agricultural outlet as the most cost effective as sustainable solution.
The most widespread method for the determination of metal concentrations in wastewaters is via grab sampling and subsequent laboratory analysis. This method is both expensive, which limits its application, and time consuming, which means that pollution events can be missed, or detected too late. In the face of increasing levels of sludge production, the expected application of more stringent limits on heavy metal concentrations in sludge, and to identify, survey, and control the sources of input of toxic elements, there is a need for a low cost, time effective, easy to handle and very sensitive analysis system to determine the concentration of heavy metals in waste waters.
In addition, existing sensors to detect metal residues present following drawbacks:                metal-based screen-print electrodes or modified glassy carbon are not accurate enough to detect residue (detection limits of 0.5, 2.0, 0.9 and 1.4 μg/L),        most of them suffer from analyte peak distortion, peak overlap, and loss of sensitivity due to interference of analyte ions with each other,        Hg film coated electrodes are accurate enough at ppt levels (ng/L) by ion pre-concentration but not environmentally friendly.

Method and device using nanoporous membrane for detecting and quantifying heavy metal ions in a fluid by anodic stripping voltammetry

COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE


A one-way vision film includes a white film base material; a shrinkable color tone layer on one side of the base material; and a self-adsorptive foamed layer on the base material opposite to the shrinkable color tone layer. The one-way vision film is perforated with through-holes. The self-adsorptive foamed layer has an adhesive function attachable to a surface onto which the film is attached and is printable. Since the printing ink is deposited to the bottoms of the open pores while not closing the openings of the open pores, open pores exposed to the surface of the foamed layer function like suction cups adhering onto a smooth surface. Accordingly, there is no need for forming ink-receptive and pressure-sensitive layers, unlike a conventional film, so the film can have a low cost, three-layer structure. The one-way vision and printed film is easily attachable onto a smooth and transparent substrate like glass.

A one-way film has a film of a white base material on one side of which a layer of light-shielding color, such as black, is attached. The base material is perforated with lots of through-holes over the whole area thereof. When the film is attached on a window glass of a room or car, the side opposite to the light-shielding colored layer can be seen from the side of the light-shielding colored layer through the window glass; however it is difficult to see the side opposite to the white base material from the side of the white base material. In some of such one-way vision film, an image is printed on the white base material in order to provide a decorative effect.
The one-way vision film has two types, one of which is attached onto the inside of a window glass (inside attachable type) and the other of which is attached onto the outside of a window glass (outside attachable type). In order to attach the film onto a window glass after printing an image, it is necessary to form an adhesive layer on either the printed surface or the surface opposite to the printed surface.
In the outside attachable type film, the adhesive layer is formed onto the surface opposite to the printed surface. Since the film of the type is directly exposed to sun or wind and water or suffers mechanical irritation easily, a pressure-sensitive adhesion is used as an adhesion means in view of durability. So, the one-way vision film of the outside attachable type has a four-layer structure comprising a white base material; a print ink receptive layer formed onto the one side of the white base material; a light-shielding colored layer formed on the other side of the white base material; and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed onto a surface of the light-shielding colored layer. And, at distribution, a backing liner is formed to protect the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
Furthermore, in order to obtain a required light stability, it is necessary to subject the film to a laminating for blocking an ultraviolet ray after printing an image onto the ink receptive layer. And, since the through-holes are exposed to an outside environment, dust is easily deposited on the through-holes and therefore the film become dirty in a short period of time and also is difficult to be cleaned. From this point, the laminating is required. Furthermore, when the film of the outside attachable type is applied to a tall building and the like, it is required to set up scaffolding, resulting in requirement of time-consuming works. And, when the film is seen from the outside, a problem is caused that a transparency inherent in a glass is hardly given. From these reasons, the film of the outside attachable type is not recommended.
On the contrary, the film of the inside attachable type is a film in which the adhesive layer is formed onto a side of the printed layer. Some of the film of the type has a four-layer structure comprising a white porous base material; a light-shielding colored layer formed onto one side of the base material; an ink receptive layer formed onto the other side of the base material; and a both-side pressure-sensitive adhesive film which is formed by a laminating after printing an image onto the ink receptive layer. This type requires a laminating equipment for forming the adhesive film. In addition, since an adhesive of the adhesive film penetrates through the through-holes to be exposed to an interior of the room, a dust problem in which dust is easily attached occurs.
Alternatively some of the film of the inside attachable type has a four-layer structure comprising a transparent porous base material on one side of which a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed; an ink receptive layer formed onto the other side of the base material; a white layer which is formed after printing a reflected image onto the ink receptive layer; and a light-shielding colored layer formed onto the white layer. This type requires an after processing for forming the light-shielding colored layer onto the white layer. In addition, this type further requires equipments such as a screen printer for laminating the white layer and the light-shielding colored layer and the like.
As a film of the inside attachable type, a four-layer one-way vision film using a transparent resin film into which a sublimation dye can be diffused is disclosed for example, Japanese patent application 2001-334800, in which a white layer and a light-shielding colored layer are laminated onto one side of the transparent resin film in the order and an adhesive layer is formed onto the other side. By laying a transfer paper, onto which an image is printed by using an ink containing a sublimation dye, on the light-shielding colored layer and then heating the both with contacting each other closely, the sublimation dye permeates the light-shielding colored layer and the white layer so as to dye the transparent resin film The dyed transparent resin film can be seen from the side of the adhesive layer, allowing attaching the film from the inside.
In order to form the image, the producing method of the disclosed film requires a printing process for printing the image onto the transfer paper previously and a transfer process for thermal-transferring the image onto the transparent resin film. In addition, a thermal-transferring apparatus and a sublimation transferring equipment are required, causing problems in economical efficiency and marketability.
Furthermore, another method is disclosed for example, Japanese patent application 2005-14371, in which a printing sheet made of soft polyvinyl chloride is backed with a carrier sheet and then three layers of a color image layer of cyan, magenta, yellow and black; a white layer; and a black layer are thermal-transferring printed onto the other side of the printing sheet by using a thermal transfer ink ribbon. In this method, if a part of the printing sheet is made to be transparent and an adhesive layer is formed onto the carrier sheet, the method, can be applied to form a one-way vision film of the inside attachable type. And, this method does not require a perforating process, causing less working process.
This method requires a ribbon thermal transferring printer which is higher in cost than an ink-jet printer The ribbon thermal transferring printer has problems of low resolution and unable to widen the printing width. In addition, a running cost of image printing is comparatively high in cost than an ink-jet printer. And, an overprinting process is required in order to give sufficient light-shielding performance to the white layer and the light-shielding colored layer. This leads to a problem of rising cost.
Furthermore, according to result of the search carried out by the prior-art search institution recommended by Japanese Patent Office, a one-way graphic product of the inside attachable type is listed as comparison (referring to Published Japanese translations of PCT international publication 2002-518217). The published graphic product comprises a transparent porous film layer provided with a porous adhesive layer on the surface; and a non-porous colorant transferable film layer containing a detachable carrier film provided with at least one of a colored layer on the surface
The graphic product has six to seven layers containing a liner, a carrier film and the like, causing increasing of processing steps.

One way vision film for ink jet printing, printing film, and method for producing them


A printed circuit board having a plurality of traces and pads printed then. Slots or openings of various geometric shapes are formed in the board to provide flexible mounting members. The pads are mounted on the mounting members. Surface-mounted electrical components have their terminals soldered to the pads. The flexibility of the mounting members permits small movements of the soldered joints in response to thermal expansions, vibrations, etc. to control potentionally damaging stresses.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to printed circuit boards and, more particularly, to mounting structures that control stresses between electrical components and conductive surfaces on printed circuit boards.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of electronic circuit fabrication, it has been the general practice to employ printed circuit assemblies wherein much of the circuit wiring and the circuit components are mounted on a common base. In general, a printed circuit usually comprises a relatively rigid base on which a pattern of printed wires is formed in some predetermined configuration. The printed wiring is usually etched from a previously deposited layer of copper cladding. The printed wiring generally includes narrow conductive strips called "circuit traces" and broad conductive surfaces called "pads". The traces and pads provide point-to-point electrical connections for the separately manufactured electrical components, such as resistors, capacitors, transistors, etc. The components are usually mounted on the pads by soldering or other process to produce a conductive contact between the component's terminals and the pads.
Modern-day circuit fabricators often prefer to use printed circuit boards to other structures because of the neatness and miniaturization made possible by their use. There are additional benefits to be realized from the use of circuit boards: Low lead inductance, improved physical stability of the components and interconnecting leads, and good repeatability of the basic layout of a given circuit. The repeatability factor makes the use of circuit boards ideal for mass production techniques.
There are a number of alternative construction techniques that are employed for mounting the components on the circuit boards. One simple method is to use leaded components. In this method, the component's leads are first bent into an appropriate shape and the component is then mounted on the board by soldering the bent leads to spaced pads on the board. The lead-pad interconnection provides some mechanical stability in addition to the necessary electrical coupling of the component to the printed circuit.
Another mounting method, an important space-saving technique, involves the use of surface-mounted components. These components, often referred to as chips, are used widely in UHF and microwave circuits. The surface-mounted components are usually small blocks having conductive surfaces at either end that act as terminals. When used on printed circuit boards, the conductive surfaces are soldered directly to the pads.
Although the various mounting alternatives have served the purpose, they have not proved entirely satisfactory under all conditions of service for the reason that considerable difficulty with component mounting has been experienced. Specifically, circuit failures occur frequently due to stress-induced fractures that develop at the soldered interconnections between the components and the pads. Leaded components and adhesive bonding are the main technologies currently used for stress control of small electrical components to avoid such failures. However, leaded components do not lend themselves to dense packaging or very high production rates. They are also more expensive than surface-mounted devices. Adhesive bonding is not an attractive high-rate process, is a secondary operation adding recurring costs and is limited by the adhesive properties.
As such, cost and competition are driving the electronics industry to surface mount components so as to more densely pack the components into a smaller space. Also, low-cost circuit boards fabricated from plastic materials by injection molding are now being adopted by the electronics industry to lower costs. Those skilled in these arts recognize that one of the most critical problem confronting designers of such circuits is achieving sufficient physical stability of the component interconnections on the boards to avoid stress-induced failures due to such causes as thermal expansions, vibrational fatigue, and the like.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to control stresses induced between printed circuit boards and the components mounted thereon.

Stress controlling mounting structures for printed circuit boards

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


A graphene-enhanced transition metal fluoride or chloride hybrid particulate for use as a lithium battery cathode active material, wherein the particulate is formed of a single or a plurality of graphene sheets and a plurality of fine transition metal fluoride or chloride particles with a size smaller than 10 μm (preferably sub-micron or nano-scaled), and the graphene sheets and the particles are mutually bonded or agglomerated into an individual discrete particulate with at least a graphene sheet embracing the transition metal fluoride or chloride particles, and wherein the particulate has an electrical conductivity no less than 10−4 S/cm and the graphene is in an amount of from 0.01% to 30% by weight based on the total weight of graphene and the transition metal fluoride or chloride combined.

Historically, today's most favorite rechargeable energy storage devices—lithium-ion batteries—actually evolved from rechargeable "lithium metal batteries" using lithium (Li) metal as the anode and a Li intercalation compound (e.g. MoS2) as the cathode. Li metal is an ideal anode material due to its light weight (the lightest metal), high electronegativity (−3.04 V vs. the standard hydrogen electrode), and high theoretical capacity (3,860 mAh/g). Based on these outstanding properties, lithium metal batteries were proposed 40 years ago as an ideal system for high energy-density applications.
Due to some safety concerns of pure lithium metal, graphite was implemented as an anode active material in place of the lithium metal to produce the current lithium-ion batteries. The past two decades have witnessed a continuous improvement in Li-ion batteries in terms of energy density, rate capability, and safety. However, the use of graphite-based anodes in Li-ion batteries has several significant drawbacks: low specific capacity (theoretical capacity of 372 mAh/g as opposed to 3,860 mAh/g for Li metal), long Li intercalation time (e.g. low solid-state diffusion coefficients of Li in and out of graphite and inorganic oxide particles) requiring long recharge times (e.g. 7 hours for electric vehicle batteries), inability to deliver high pulse power (power density <<1 kW/kg), and necessity to use pre-lithiated cathodes (e.g. lithium cobalt oxide, as opposed to cobalt oxide), thereby limiting the choice of available cathode materials. Further, these commonly used cathode active materials have a relatively low specific capacity (typically <220 mAh/g). These factors have contributed to the two major shortcomings of today's Li-ion batteries—a low energy density (typically 150-220 Wh/kgcell) and low power density (typically <0.5 kW/kg).
Although several high-capacity anode active materials have been found (e.g., Si with a theoretical capacity of 4,200 mAh/g), there has been no corresponding high-capacity cathode material available. To sum it up, battery scientists have been frustrated with the low energy density of lithium-ion cells for over three decades! Current cathode active materials commonly used in Li-ion batteries have the following serious drawbacks:                (1) The practical capacity achievable with current cathode materials (e.g. lithium iron phosphate and lithium transition metal oxides) has been limited to the range of 150-250 mAh/g and, in most cases, less than 200 mAh/g.        (2) The production of these cathode active materials normally has to go through a high-temperature sintering procedure for a long duration of time, a tedious, energy-intensive, and difficult-to-control process.        (3) The insertion and extraction of lithium in and out of these commonly used cathodes rely upon extremely slow solid-state diffusion of Li in solid particles having very low diffusion coefficients (typically 10−8 to 10−14 cm2/s), leading to a very low power density (another long-standing problem of today's lithium-ion batteries).        (4) Current cathode active materials are electrically and thermally insulating, not capable of effectively and efficiently transporting electrons and heat. The low electrical conductivity means high internal resistance and the necessity to add a large amount of conductive additives, effectively reducing the proportion of electrochemically active material in the cathode that already has a low capacity. The low thermal conductivity also implies a higher tendency to undergo thermal runaway, a major safety issue in lithium battery industry.        (5) The most commonly used cathodes, including lithium transition metal oxides, contain a high oxygen content that could assist in accelerating the thermal runaway and provide oxygen for electrolyte oxidation, increasing the danger of explosion or fire hazard. This is a serious problem that has hampered the widespread implementation of electric vehicles.
Thus, there is a strong and urgent need to develop high-capacity cathode active materials. Metal fluorides with metallic cations in high oxidation states and a strong ionic character of the M-F bonds (M=a metal) have been proposed as alternative cathode active materials due to their high theoretical energy densities. For instance, FeF3 has attracted considerable interests because of its low cost and low toxicity. However, the highly ionic character induces a large band gap, thus metal fluorides have very poor electronic conductivity. In addition, LiF, the product of the conversion reaction, is also highly insulating. Accordingly, metal fluoride electrodes often suffer severely from slow reaction kinetics and low lithium storage capacity, significantly lower than the theoretical capacity.
Several attempts have been made to overcome these issues, but with very limited success. For instance, an effort was made to enhance the electrochemical activity by reducing the metal fluoride particle size to the nanometer range for the purpose of achieving shorter electron-conducting paths and larger reaction surface. In this example, Badway, et al. reported a FeF3/C nanocomposite through ball-milling [F. Badway, et al., "Carbon metal fluoride nanocomposites high-capacity reversible metal fluoride conversion materials as rechargeable positive electrodes for Li batteries," J. Electrochem. Soc. 150 (2003) A1318-A1327]. However, this method has several drawbacks, including difficulties in controlling materials properties and production of a significant number of defects.
The deposition of FeF3 on conductive carbon particle surfaces without ball milling was proposed as another means of improving electrode performance. For instance, Kim et al. have fabricated carbon nanotube/FeF3 composites by nucleation of FeF3 on the defects of CNT surfaces generated by HF etching [S. W. Kim, et al., "Fabrication of FeF3 nanoflowers on CNT branches and their application to high power lithium rechargeable batteries," Adv. Mater. 22 (2010) 5260-5264]. This strategy has been followed by others to fabricate FeF3 on activated carbon micro bead [L. Liu, et al., "Synthesis and electrochemical performance of spherical FeF3/ACMB composite as cathode material for lithium-ion batteries," J. Mater. Sci. 47 (2012) 1819-1824]. Liu et al. proposed a low-temperature in situ approach for the synthesis of uniform FeF3 nano particles on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets suspended in ethanol solution [J. Liu, et al., "Mild and cost-effective synthesis of iron fluoride-graphene nanocomposites for high-rate Li-ion battery cathodes," J. Mater. Chem. A 1 (2013) 1969-1975]. However, the loading level of FeF3 on rGO and the rate capability of the FeF3/graphene composites remain too low for practical applications.
Other attempts to use graphene as a conductive additive for FeF3 all fall short in providing good rate capability, high energy density, and long cycle life. Examples of these earlier efforts are [X. Zhao, et al., "Photothermal-assisted fabrication of iron fluoride-graphene composite paper cathodes for high-energy lithium-ion batteries," Chem. Commun. 48 (2012) 9909-9911] and [Q. Chu, et al. "Reduced graphene oxide decorated with FeF3 nanoparticles: Facile synthesis and application as a high capacity cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries," Electrochim. Acta. 111 (2013) 80]. Although Q. Chu, et al. claim to achieve a high specific capacity of 476 mAh/g, this capacity is achieved only when the current density is at a practically useless value of 50 mA/g (an excessively low discharge rate). Further, the specific capacity rapidly drops to approximately 110 mAh/g after only 50 charge-discharge cycles (see FIG. 5B of Chu, et al.). Furthermore, this maximum achievable value of 476 mAh/g is significantly lower than the theoretical specific capacity of 712 mAh/g for FeF3, indicating a low active material utilization rate (i.e. a significant proportion of the active material is not fully utilized).
Due to extremely poor electrical conductivity of all cathode active materials in a lithium-ion or lithium metal cell, a conductive additive (e.g. carbon black, fine graphite particles, expanded graphite particles, or their combinations), typically in the amount of 2%-15%, must be added into the electrode. However, the conductive additive is not an electrode active material. The use of a non-active material means that the relative proportion of an electrode active material is reduced or diluted. For instance, the incorporation of 5% by weight of PVDF as a binder and 5% of carbon black as a conductive additive in a cathode would mean that the maximum amount of the cathode active material (e.g., lithium cobalt oxide) is only 90%, effectively reducing the total lithium ion storage capacity. Since the specific capacities of the more commonly used cathode active materials are already very low (140-220 mAh/g), this problem is further aggravated if a significant amount of non-active materials is used to dilute the concentration of the active material.
Carbon black (CB) materials, as a conductive additive, have several drawbacks: (1) CBs are typically available in the form of aggregates of multiple primary particles that are typically spherical in shape. Due to this geometric feature (largest dimension-to-smallest dimension ratio or aspect ratio ˜1) and the notion that CBs are a minority phase dispersed as discrete particles in an electrically insulating matrix (e.g. lithium cobalt oxide and lithium iron phosphate), a large amount of CBs is required to reach a percolation threshold where the CB particles are combined to form a 3-D network of electron-conducting paths. (2) CBs themselves have a relatively low electrical conductivity and, hence, the resulting electrode remains to be of relatively low conductivity even when the percolation threshold is reached. A relatively high proportion of CBs (far beyond the percolation threshold) must be incorporated in the cathode to make the resulting composite electrode reasonably conducting.
Clearly, an urgent need exists for an effective supporting material for metal fluorides that enables a high cathode active material utilization rate, high specific capacity at both high and low charge/discharge rates (not just at a low rate), high rate capability, long cycle-life, and improved heat dissipation generated during a battery operation. These are the main objectives of the instant invention.
This supporting or "enabling" material also must be electrically conductive. Preferably, this electrically conductive supporting material is also of high thermal conductivity. Such a thermally conductive additive would be capable of dissipating the heat generated from the electrochemical operation of the Li-ion battery, thereby increasing the reliability of the battery and decreasing the likelihood that the battery will suffer from thermal runaway and rupture. With a high electrical conductivity, there would be no need to add a high proportion of conductive additives.
Thus, it is another object of the present invention to provide a thermally and electrically conductive "enabling" material that can be easily incorporated in a cathode of a lithium battery. A specific object of the present invention is to provide a conductive supporting material that is capable of helping multiple primary particles of a cathode active material (e.g. a metal fluoride or metal chloride) to aggregate and pack into secondary particles (herein referred to as hybrid particulates) that are more amenable to mass production of cathode electrodes using current production equipment.
A particularly desirable specific object of the present invention is to provide a conductive additive or modifier that is capable of helping multiple primary particles of a cathode active material aggregate into secondary particles that are more conducive to the formation of a 3-D network of electron-conducting paths, imparting exceptional conductivity to the cathode and enabling the cathode to become high-rate capable.

Graphene-enabled metal fluoride and metal chloride cathode active materials for lithium batteries


A calendar clock generates a local calendar and date information of the self station to easily obtain local date information of a communication partner. The calendar includes individual information such as holidays, public holidays, and summer time. A time difference conversion circuit converts the date information sent from the communication partner into local date information of the self station.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication terminal apparatus and a communication conference system, which allow easy schedule adjustment between communication terminal apparatuses.
2. Related Background Art
Digital communication lines have been popular recently, and a great deal of attention has been given to a TV telephone/conference system using a digital line network. Standardization is a prerequisite for the popularization of a communication system. There are five recommendations as to video and voice communications, namely recommendation H. 221 specifying the frame structure of 64 kbit/s to 1,920 kbit/s channels; recommendation H. 230 specifying a control signal for frame synchronization and a notification signal; recommendation H. 242 specifying an interconnection procedure up to 2 Mbit/s; recommendation H. 261 specifying a video coding scheme for P.times.64 kbit/s (P=1 to 30); and recommendation H. 320 specifying the arrangement of a voice/video communication system.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the schematic arrangement of a conventional TV conference terminal apparatus. Referring to FIG. 6, this apparatus includes a video camera 10 for photographing, e.g., participants in a conference at a self station, a monitor 12 for displaying images photographed at the self station and/or stations participating in a conference, a speaker 14, a microphone 16, an operation unit 18 for performing control, e.g., panning, tilting, and zooming, of a camera 10 in a self station and cameras in other stations, switching control of the cameras, and the like, input/output equipment terminals 20 including a keyboard of a computer, a still picture input device, a pointing device for inputting plotting pictures, such as a mouse or digitizer, a sub-monitor for displaying images from other auxiliary equipment, and a main body 22 of the TV conference system.
FIG. 7 shows the detailed arrangement of the main body 22. Referring to FIG. 7, a video I/F 30 serves to connect the camera 10 and the monitor 12 to the main body 22. The video I/F 30 has image processing functions of performing screen division, image synthesis, character synthesis, and the like. A video coder/decoder (CODEC) 32 codes a video signal from the video I/F 30 and decodes received coded video information.
A voice I/F 34 serves to connect the speaker 14 and the microphone 16 to the main body 22, and has voice processing functions such as an echo cancel function. A voice coder/decoder (CODEC) 36 codes a voice signal from the voice I/F 30 and decodes the received coded voice information. A delay circuit 38 delays coded voice information obtained by the voice CODEC 36 and received coded voice information by a predetermined period. The delay circuit 38 serves to synchronize voice information to video information.
A computer 40 provides a TV conference function and a computer conference function. A still picture/plotting picture control circuit 42 controls the still picture input/output operation and plotting picture input/output operation of the auxiliary input/output equipment terminal 20. A data port 46 performs data transfer between the main body 22 and the auxiliary input/output equipment terminal 20 via the computer 40, the still picture/plotting picture control circuit 42, and an auxiliary equipment control circuit 44.
An interconnection procedure control circuit 48 controls interconnection with other TV conference terminals via a network. A network signal control circuit 50 performs end/end control to establish a common mode for communications between terminals. A communication control circuit 52 performs overall communication control by using the interconnection procedure control circuit 48 and the network signal control circuit 50.
A multiplexing and demultiplexing circuit 54 performs multiplex transmission of data. A network I/F 56 serves to connect a communication network 58 to the main body 22. An inter-multipoints control circuit 60 interconnects TV conference terminals at multiple points to allow a TV conference between the multiple points. An operation unit input I/F 62 receives various commands from the operation unit. An input control unit 64 outputs a command to each component of the self station in accordance with a designation of the operation unit input I/F 62.
When a conference is to be held by using a communication conference system such as the TV conference system described above, schedule adjustment between communication terminals must be performed.
More specifically, the communication terminals negotiate with each other about the date of the conference and the time which can be spared for the conference, thereby performing schedule adjustment. If, however, an international conference is to be held, the working days and hours in each country participating in the conference, time differences, and the like must be considered. In this case, mistakes tend to occur. Especially when terminals belonging to a plurality of countries participate in a conference, communications for schedule adjustment alone cost a great deal.

Communication terminal apparatus and communication conference system


A cut-off tool includes a plate-like holder and a cutting insert retained by a clamping arm. The insert has on its underside a V-shaped groove cooperating with a ridge of analogous V-shape on the holder plate. The V-groove has two flank surfaces extending at an obtuse angle to each other. The male edge or V-ridge similarly has two flank sides, each of which is broken by a break line so as to form two part surfaces, the inner part surfaces, located closest to the central portion of the V-ridge, enclosing an obtuse angle which is, on the one hand, greater than the corresponding obtuse angle between the outer two part surfaces and, on the other hand, smaller than the obtuse angle between the flank surfaces of the V-groove.

A cut-off tool of the general type with which the present invention is concerned is previously known from SE 8601533-6 (Publ. No. 452,713). In this prior-art tool, the individual V-groove in the insert, as well as the V-ridge on the tool part cooperating therewith, is designed with, at least theoretically, planar flank surfaces, the obtuse angle between the flank surfaces of the V-groove being about 140.degree. and the corresponding angle between the flank surfaces of the V-ridge on the tool part being about 130.degree.. Accordingly, the clearance angle between each flank surface of the V-ridge and the cooperating flank surface of the groove is about 5.degree., measured from the line along which the surfaces contact each other. In practice, the contact between the flank surfaces or flank sides of the groove and of the V-ridge is seldom a true line contact. After a varying period of use of the tool, the steel of the holder plate (which is considerably softer than the cemented carbide of the insert) allows, by plastic deformation, a certain "settling" of the insert relative to the flank sides of the V-ridge, such that a certain, in itself not adverse surface contact arises (however still only in the vicinity of the theoretical contact line). This surface contact presupposes that the insert on its cross-sectionally V-shaped underside is essentially straight in its longitudinal extent. In actual practice, however, this is not always the case. Thus, after compacting and sintering of the series-produced cemented carbide inserts, there may be considerable variation between, on the one hand, almost completely straight inserts (underside concavity less than 0.01 mm) to clearly concave inserts (concavity 0.05-0.08 mm). In the last-mentioned inserts, the flank surfaces of the V-groove almost completely lose contact with the corresponding flank surfaces of the V-ridge in its central area and surface or line contact is achieved only in the immediate vicinity of the two opposite ends of the insert. This is quite unsatisfactory, in that there is an imminent risk of chipping and crack formation in the insert.
To overcome the above-mentioned risk, it is conceivable per se to scrap all clearly concave inserts in the same way as is regularly done with inserts having convex undersides. However, the proportion of concave inserts in a series may be considerable, for which reason such scrapping would entail substantial economic losses.

Tool for cut-off or similar turning operations


Upconversion fluorescent nano-structured material(s) comprising at least one compound of formula (M1)j(M2)kXn:(M3)q and at least one polymer, wherein: each X is the same or different and is selected from the group consisting of: halogen, O, S, Se, Te, N, P and As; each M1, if present, is the same or different and is selected from the group consisting of: Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra, O and NH4; each M2 is the same or different and is a metal ion; each M3, independently, is the same or different and is selected from the group consisting of Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu; j is 0≦j≦10; k is 1≦k≦10; n is 1≦n≦10; and q is 1≦q≦10. In particular, the polymer is wherein the polymer soluble in polar solvents.

Nano-sized fluorescent labeling materials have been widely used for biological studies and clinical applications. Conventional down-conversion fluorescent labels require ultraviolet or blue excitation wavelength (Beaurepaire et al. 2004; Wang et al. 2006). These single-photon fluorescent labels emit one lower energy photon after absorbing higher energy UV or visible photon. Their disadvantages include low light penetration depth and possible severe photo-damage to living organisms. Furthermore, many biological samples show auto fluorescence under short wavelength UV radiation, which decreases the sensitivity of detection. The use of fluorescent labels that can be excited in the near infrared (NIR) region was suggested (Sertchook and Avnir 2003). Yi et al. 2004 and van de Rijke et al. 2001, suggested the infrared-to-visible up-conversion nanocrystal. These nanocrystals emit one higher energy photon after absorbing two or more lower-energy photons. Different colors of visible light can be obtained from different up-conversion phosphors when excited by the same IR laser (van de Rijke et al. 2001). In comparison with down-conversion fluorescent materials, up-conversion nanocrystals show very low background light due to their unique fluorescent properties. In addition, photo-damage to biological tissues is minimal because these tissues are usually transparent to NIR light (Suyver et al. 2005). Among the most commonly used up-conversion nanocrystals, Yb/Er or Yb/Tm co-doped NaYF4 nanocrystals have been reported as efficient infrared-to-visible up-conversion material (Kramer et al. 2004). Colloidal Yb/Er and Yb/Tm co-doped NaYF4 nanocrystals have been prepared with strong up-conversion fluorescence seven orders of magnitude higher than that of CdSe—ZnS quantum dots (Heer et al. 2004; Larson et al. 2003).
Some efforts have been made to produce up-conversion NaYF4 nanocrystals with controlled size and shape (Heer et al. 2004; Yi et al. 2004; Zeng et al. 2005). Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) was used as a chelating agent to control the growth of NaYF4 nanocrystals, but the nanocrystals as prepared tended to precipitate in solution (Yi et al. 2004; Zeng et al. 2005). Colloidal solutions of NaYF4 nanocrystals were prepared. However, these nanocrystals were hydrophobic and could only be dispersed in certain organic solvents such as hexane and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) under ultrasound sonication (Boyer et al. 2006; Heer et al. 2004; Mai et al. 2006). Use of these nanocrystals directly for bio-applications is very limited due to their very small solubility in water and unsuitable surface property.
Accordingly, there is still a need in this field of technology of improved upconversion nanoparticles. In fact, the synthesis of monodisperse and water soluble fluoride nanocrystals with upconversion fluorescence is still very challenging. In particular, there is a need in developing suitable methods for synthesizing up-conversion NaYF4 nanocrystals which are dispersible in water and organic solvents and have some functional chemical groups on their surfaces for conjugation of biomolecules (Larson et al. 2003).

Upconversion fluorescent nano-structured material and uses thereof