An information processing device includes an identifying unit, a generation unit, and a contour extraction unit. The identifying unit identifies a first object expressed by pixel data and a second object expressed by vector data from target image data including drawing information for each object. The generation unit performs rasterization based on first drawing information indicating the drawing information of the first object and second drawing information indicating the drawing information of the second object to generate combined image data, into which the first object and the second object are combined. The contour extraction unit extracts a contour from the combined image data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing device and a method of processing information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, technologies of performing printing with a special color ink such as a clear toner have been increasing. In the printing with a special color ink, an object (hereinafter, a special color object) to be printed with the special color ink is arranged on an existing object on an original copy. This enables the printing with the special color ink.
To create the special color object, it is necessary to accurately extract a contour from a target object on the original copy. Conventionally, various technologies are known as a method of extracting a desired area from a color image or a continuous tone image (image).
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 8-077336 discloses a configuration of instructing and inputting an outer frame area to include a contour portion in an original image, obtaining differences between pixels of the original image in the outer frame area and adjacent pixels, in a color space, and linking pixels that indicate maximum differences to form a contour line, in order to reduce an input load of an operator when performing image clipping and to enable fast and accurate extraction of a target area.
However, conventionally, there is no mechanism to extract a contour from an image in which an object expressed by pixel data and an object expressed by vector data are mixed.
Therefore, there is a need for an information processing device and a method of processing information capable of extracting a contour from an image in which an object expressed by pixel data and an object expressed by vector data are mixed.

Information processing device and method extracting a contour from image of combined pixel data object and vector data object


A hand strap for a portable apparatus is disclosed which can be easily and surely held by hand, prevents the apparatus from being dropped by accident, and reduces the cost. The hand strap is made up of a strap body implemented by one or two strings or strips anchored to the engaging portion of the apparatus, and a stop capable of being locked to the strap body at any desired position. The hand strap can therefore be held without requiring the user to put the user's hand in a loop. This allows the user to safely carry the apparatus simply by gripping the strap. A structure for mounting such a hand strap to the apparatus is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a hand strap for a portable apparatus and a structure for mounting the same. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a hand strap mounted on a handy phone for allowing the user of the phone to easily hold or carry the phone while preventing the user from dropping the phone by accident, and a structure for mounting the same.
A hand strap for use with a handy phone or similar portable apparatus has been proposed in various forms in the past. One of conventional hand straps is implemented by a relatively wide strip having its opposite ends connected together to form a loop. A hand strap taught in, e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 8-10031 can be adjusted in length, as desired. In any case, the user of the apparatus holds or carries the apparatus by putting one hand in the loop. The hand strap additionally serves to prevent the apparatus from being dropped by accident.
However, the conventional hand straps have some problems left unsolved, as follows. Because it is troublesome for the user to put his or her hand in the loop of the hand strap, the user, in many cases, directly grips the apparatus and is therefore apt to drop the apparatus. The hand strap implemented by a relatively wide strip has a fixed length which sometimes does not match the size of the user's hand, resulting in uneasy operation. The hand strap with a variable length is disadvantageous in that when its length is reduced, the long excess portion hangs down and not only obstructs the user's operation, but also degrades the appearance of the apparatus. In addition, both of such conventional hand straps need an additional loop on the apparatus and a connecting portion which would obstruct the user's operation.
Technologies relating to the present invention are also disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 58-139402, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication Nos. 60-970 and 61-1876, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 5-218884, 8-10030, and 8-274852.


A tile, made for example of leather, having a first face, a second face, side edges and a plurality of holes that bring into communication first face with second face. In a lining made with such tiles like this, the holes lead the air from below to above the tiles. To improve further the air flow through the tile, on the second face a plurality of grooves are made that extend from a central zone up to the side edges of the tile. This way, an air path is formed between the lining and the floor leading the air to holes and then into the room at the side of first face. A favorable exchange rate through a floor lining made with them is obtained, combined with a heat exchanger embedded in the floor.

Floor lining elements are known that cover heat exchangers embedded in the floor. This way, the heat flows towards the above through the lining and then is exchanged with the air in the room. The heat through the lining, however, is not exchanged by air convection and this reduces the exchange rate.
If the files we made of leather reinforced with plastic resin, as described in a co-pending application filed on the saint day as the present application entitled, "METHOD FOR MAKING LEATHER TILES AND TILES THUS OBTAINED"U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/705.256) the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by the same applicant, the insulation offered is very high and then such a type of heating system is not preferred.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An apparatus for thermal mechanical machining of composite materials includes a head, a drive, and a shaft. The head has an abrasive face. The drive is coupled to the apparatus to move the head to produce abrasion of the composite material by the abrasive face. The shaft includes a passageway that communicates a heated gas to an interface between the abrasive face and the composite material. The gas removes particles that result from the abrasion of the composite material by the abrasive face. The gas can be heated sufficiently to carbonize or vaporize organic constituents of the composite material.

The present invention relates generally to a machining apparatus and more particularly to a thermal mechanical apparatus for machining composite materials.
"Skiving" is a term used to describe a machining process in which small portions of material are removed from a part. A skive is the apparatus used to remove portions of the part. Laser skives or mechanical skives are currently used on products in industries including semiconductor, aerospace, and photographic and optical equipment.
Laser skives have been used to remove composite layer(s) when the composite utilizes an organic fiber (i.e., a fiber containing carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and/or oxygen compounds) such as graphite or an organic polymer matrix such as epoxy. Laser skiving relies on the thermal decomposition of the organic constituents of the composite in the presence of oxygen (oxidation) or the exclusion of oxygen (pyrolysis). However, laser skiving becomes ineffective for material removal when the composite being machined utilizes an inorganic fiber or filler such as fiberglass, metal or silica, or has organic constituents which thermally convert to inorganic constituents (e.g., silicone). Additionally, laser skives are not easily controllable to remove composite layers having non-uniform thickness or surface irregularities.
Mechanical skiving also has drawbacks which include the fact that it may be difficult to dimensionally control the machined cavity produced. For example, when the surface of the composite layer being exposed by machining is thin and/or is located in a position difficult to reference by traditional machining techniques, the ability to machine to the surface of the layer can result in damage to the layer or failure to adequately expose the layer. Inaccurate machining can impair desired properties of the composite such as the ability of the constituents of the composite to transfer and/or convert electrical energy into heat energy.

Thermal mechanical skive for composite machining


A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor element; a wiring board including a connection terminal to be electrically connected to the semiconductor element; and a metal plate disposed between the semiconductor element and the wiring board; wherein the metal plate is provided with an opening for exposing the connection terminal to the semiconductor element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device configured to be provided with a semiconductor element and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device.
2. Related Art
In recent years, a semiconductor laser device has been known widely as a semiconductor device. The semiconductor laser device is used for, for example, an optical pickup of a disk drive device, and it is specifically configured to have a semiconductor laser element 21 for emitting a laser beam mounted on a tabular base body 22, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
In such a semiconductor laser device, heat generation caused by the semiconductor laser element 21 emitting the laser beam might have a negative effect on the reliability of the behavior. In particular, in those compliant to an increasing high-power requirement in recent years, the heating values are large, and accordingly the heat effects become significant. Therefore, some semiconductors have the base body 22 formed of a metal material having a high heat conductivity, thereby ensuring a preferable heat radiation property when the semiconductor laser element 21 emits the laser beam (see, for example, JP-A-2004-207639). Further, regarding the semiconductor laser device, it is also proposed to form the base body 22 with a ceramic material (see the above document).

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing semiconductor device


A detection system and method for detecting one or a plurality of species from a mixture of species in a phase. The detection system and method detect changes in conductance induced by the species. The conductance includes a cell structure having a rigid architecture having a top surface a portion of which is electrically conductive forming a first conductive component. A second conductive component substantially overlaps the first conductive component and is spaced from the first conductive component by an insulating component. One or more flow pathways exist between the first conductive component and the second conductive component for the chemical and/or biological species to flow. A time dependent electrical signal for inducing a time dependent response is applied to at least one of said first and second conductive components and a signal detector coupled to at least one of the first and second conductive components measures the time dependent response.

Conductance detection systems and methods may be used in a wide variety of applications—one important example being separation methods and apparatus. Separation methods and apparatus are important in many contexts, including in the fundamental sciences such as chemistry, biology, environmental sciences, and the like as well as in industries relating to pharmaceuticals, health, chemicals, petroleum, food and the like. By using a separation method and apparatus, a sample mixture comprising a plurality of species is converted into two or more distinct products.
Many variations of separation methods and related apparatus are well known in the arts. By way of example, they may involve transporting a sample mixture using a mobile phase, which may be a liquid or a gas as in chromatography. Different species may be separated based on their interaction with a stationary phase, which may be disposed in a substantially columnar, capillary or planar geometry. By way of another example, if species in a sample mixture are charged, they may also be transported by an electric field, and different species may be separated based on their respective mobilities, as in electrophoresis. Varieties of electrophoretic separation methods and apparatus include those based on gels, capillaries, micro channels, 2-dimensional separations, etc. By way of yet another example, a species in a sample mixture in a liquid phase may be separated by being immobilized on a substrate, which then is removed from the sample mixture. This approach is central to many biosensors.
As various species are separated, there is a need to detect them for a variety of reasons, e.g. to evaluate the degree of separation (or lack thereof), to analyze them with respect to their quantity and their other properties, to aid in their isolation potentially for further processing or use, etc. Various types of detectors have been employed in this regard. With respect to separation methods and apparatus in which sample mixtures of species are carried by a liquid mobile phase, the most widely used detectors are based on optics. For species that have a significant absorbance in the ultra-violet to visible (UV-Vis) range of the electromagnetic spectrum, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy may be employed.
It is noteworthy, however, that many important species such as carbohydrates, alcohols, and certain important polymers (for example, polyethylene glycol) do not have significant UV-Vis absorption. Further, application of UV-Vis spectroscopy to capillary electrophoresis, in particular, is challenging since UV-Vis absorbance is proportional to a path length over which light and a sample mixture interact but there is a desire to make capillary diameters small in order to yield improved separations.
The next most widely used type of detector is based on refractive index, that is, the ratio of the speed of light in a material relative to that in vacuum. Since index of refraction is a universal property of matter, even species that have no UV absorption are detectable. However, when detecting species that are good UV absorbers, UV-Vis detectors have much better sensitivity than index of refraction detectors. Also, index of refraction detectors are sensitive to temperature and require suitably controlled temperature environments.
Given a choice of various liquid mobile phases, if the composition of the liquid mobile phase is varied to elute a species from a column (as in gradient elution in high performance liquid chromatography or HPLC), the index of refraction of the solvent changes significantly, making additional potentially small changes in index of refraction due to species eluting from the column difficult to detect. That is, the large change in background due to changing solvent composition requires that the detector have a large dynamic range (achieved by coarse resolution). As a result, after this large change in background is subtracted from the data, smaller changes due to species have poor signal-to-noise. Incompatibility of refractive index detectors with gradient elution is a significant limitation hampering more wide spread application of refractive index detectors. In another optics-based approach, species may be excited (e.g. by a laser), and fluoresced light emitted by the species may be detected.
In cases where a species neither has significant UV-Vis absorbance nor generates significant fluorescence, the species may be chemically modified to increase its UV-Vis absorbance or fluorescence. This requires additional chemical processing steps, which can be undesirable due to a need for additional input of resources. Such additional chemical processing are common place, for example, when using thin layer chromatography or gel electrophoresis, and they may require significant additional processing time that is on the order of the time required to perform a separation itself. Furthermore, generally, detection methods and apparatus based on optics tend to be costly and somewhat unwieldy, hindering portability.
Therefore, for these reasons and others, other detection apparatus and methods not based on UV-Vis absorbance, refractive index or fluorescence have been developed. With respect to separation methods and apparatus that employ a liquid mobile phase, these include detection apparatus and methods based on electrochemical current, evaporative light scattering and mass spectroscopy. If a species can be dissolved in an electrolyte solution and can be oxidized or reduced, an electrochemical detector can be used to detect the species via the current produced by oxidation or reduction.
If a species is much less volatile than a solvent in which it is dissolved, then evaporative light scattering detectors can be used. In this approach for detecting a species, the species is atomized and transported by a gas. As the solvent evaporates, species form fine particles in the gas and are detected by light scattering. In liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy, usually, the solvent is much more volatile than the species. Often volatile acids, bases or buffers are included in the sample mixture, and the species exists as ions in the sample mixture. Electrospray ionization is used to generate charged droplets of a sample mixture. As the droplets evaporate, eventually charged species remain and are detected by a mass spectrometer.
While these various methods have found useful applications, they also have significant limitations. Use of conductivity detectors is restricted to solvents that possess a practically measurable conductivity. Important organic solvents widely used with HPLC, e.g. hexane, have conductivities that are too low to be practically measurable. Also, if electrodes that probe conductivity are in contact with the sample mixture, changes in conductivity at the electrode-sample mixture interface can undesirably influence the overall conductivity measured. Electrochemical detectors are restricted to species that can be oxidized or reduced and to electrolytic solutions. Evaporative light scattering requires use of solvents that are much more volatile than species in the sample mixture. Important volatile molecules, for example, low molecular weight polymers such as polyethylene glycol, can not be detected. Similar restrictions arise in the case of mass spectroscopy detectors.
Mass spectroscopy detectors also require successful ionization of species and are typically very costly. Further, a number of the above-described detectors comprise myriad components such as optics, vacuum components, magnets, gas supplies, diode array detectors and the like that are bulky, require careful alignment, and thus significantly limit portability of the detectors. They also tend to be costly. Therefore, an apparatus and method for detecting species in a sample mixture that can detect a wide range of species, can function using a wide range of solvents (including solvents with varying composition that are employed during gradient elution), are easily portable and are cost effective are desired.
Although separation methods and apparatus using liquid mobile phase are desirable given that species are frequently synthesized in liquids, gas chromatography and associated detectors may also be employed to separate species. In this case, the most common apparatus and methods for detecting species are based on flame ionization detection and thermal conductivity detection. Both are sensitive to a wide range of components, and both work over a wide range of concentrations. Flame ionization detectors are sensitive primarily to hydrocarbons, and are more sensitive to them than thermal conductivity detectors. However, a flame ionization detector has difficulty detecting water. Other detectors are sensitive only to specific types of substances, work well only in narrower ranges of concentrations, may have limited portability and may be very costly. Other methods and apparatus for detecting species using gas chromatography include those based on discharge ionization, electron capture, flame photometry, Hall electrolytic conductivity, helium ionization, a presence of nitrogen phosphorus, photo-ionization, pulse discharge ionization, thermal energy analysis and mass spectroscopy.
Methods and apparatus for detecting species based on conductance measurements (or equivalently impedance measurements) provide an alternative to the above mentioned methods and apparatus, respectively. Conductance detectors make use of electronics which can be fabricated inexpensively and which can be compact and portable. Also, electrodes used to measure conductance probe the conductance of regions dictated by geometrical factors including electrode sizes, shapes, relative positions, and relative orientations, all of which are controllable over a wide range of length scales, from a nanometer length scales to micron length scales to millimeter lengths scales and even larger length scales. Electrodes can be fabricated exploiting chemical methods, electron beam lithography, optical lithography, shadow mask methods, and other methods well known to those skilled the arts. As such, methods and apparatus based on conductance detections are conveniently compatible with methods and apparatus for microfluidics, respectively, which enable extremely low sample and solvent volumes, sharp detection peaks, efficient separations and significant cost savings. Furthermore, conductance detection is amenable to methods well known in the arts for improving signal-to-noise, including lock-in detection and the like.
In a conductance measurement, a drive (such as a current or voltage) is applied to one or more electrodes and induces a response (such as a voltage or current, respectively). The drive may vary in time or may be substantially time independent. The sample mixture is arranged to traverse a proximity of at least one of the electrodes. The electrodes and sample mixture may or may not be in direct electrical contact with each other. For example, if the drive is a voltage, the one or more electrodes may cause a so-called external current, iext, to flow across surface(s) of the one or more electrodes by inducing mobile charges to flow across the surface(s); and/or, the one or more electrodes may cause a displacement current, idisp, to flow by charging or discharging as a function of time.
In a linear approximation, if a voltage difference, ΔV, is applied between a pair of electrodes and no displacement current flows between the pair of electrodes, the external current that flows between the electrodes is proportional to ΔV and is given byiext=ΔVGσ.  (1)If one neglects fringing effects, thenGσ=σ∫dA/L  (2)where Gσ is σ-conductance, σ is conductivity and depends on type and concentration of species present, dA is an element of cross section area through which the external current flows, and L is the distance over which the external current flows through the element. More generally,Gσ=σLσ  (3)where Lσ has dimensions of length and increases both with increasing cross sectional area and decreasing distance over which current flows. From Equation (3), it is evident that Lσ is a geometrical amplification factor for conductivity.
Also in a linear approximation, if a voltage difference, ΔV, is applied between a pair of electrodes and no external current flows between the pair of electrodes, the displacement current that flows between the electrodes is proportional to ΔV and is given byidisp=ΔVG∈.  (4)If one neglects fringing effects, thenG∈=jω∈∫dA/L  (5)where G∈ is ∈-conductance, j is a complex number such that j2=−1, ω is the angular frequency of the voltage difference assumed to vary sinusoidally with time, ∈ is a permittivity, dA is an element of cross sectional area over which the displacement current flows, and L is the distance over which the displacement current flows through the element. More generally,G∈=jω∈L∈  (6)where L∈ has dimensions of length and increases both with increasing cross sectional area and decreasing distance over which current flows. From Equation (6), it is evident that L∈ is a geometrical amplification factor for permittivity.
For sufficiently small voltages, the above-mentioned linear approximations work very well. A response of a conductance detector can frequently be adequately modeled by a net conductance, G, that is given as a series/parallel combination of suitable Gσ's and G∈'s by elementary circuit theory. Current can be measured by methods and apparatus well known in the arts and, given ΔV, G can be thereby determined.
G∈ and/or Gσ may vary depending on the type and concentration of species interacting with the one or more electrode. Detectors relying substantially on Gσ to detect species require that a presence of the species results in a practically detectable conductance change. With respect to chromatography, such Gσ detectors are commercially available. However, frequently (for example, in liquid chromatography) one employs solvents (e.g. hexane) which have conductivities that are too low to be practically measurable; as a result, species in such solvents can not be detected.
It is noteworthy that species that are amenable to electrophoretic separation are necessarily charged, and sample mixtures typically induce practically measurable conductance changes. Kuban (2004), Matysik (2008), Kuban (2008) and Pumera (2007) provide recent reviews of conductance detectors that detect a presence of a species in a sample mixture being separated via capillary and microchip electrophoresis via changes the species induce in Gσ. We refer to such detectors as Gσ detectors. Gσ detectors for capillary electrophoresis are generally classified according to whether or not electrodes are in direct electrical contact with the sample mixture. In the case that electrodes are in contact with the sample mixture, great care must be exercised to ensure that the electrodes to not adversely affect the forces that drive the species in the sample mixture. Gσ detectors for microchip electrophoresis may be similarly classified. They may also be classified according to whether electrodes are on-column (i.e. located on a separation channel in which species are separated), off column (i.e. located on a channel branching off a separation channel) or end-column (i.e. located at the end of the separation channel). As an exception to the latter classification, Wang (2003) disclosed electrodes that are movable along the separation channel and that, therefore, enable monitoring separation of species at various points along the separation channel. Clarke et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,133 disclose a microchip electrophoresis apparatus with an array of electrodes in contact with the sample mixture. However, the electrodes detect electrochemical current, rather than changes in Gσ. Tanyanyiwa et al. (2002) disclose that a Gσ detector with electrodes separated by ˜1 mm yields better signal when the separation channel is located ˜0.2 mm rather than ˜1 mm below the electrodes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,401 by Roof and Benningfield teaches a dielectric constant detector having a sample cell and a reference cell to provide an electrical signal that is proportional to the concentration of a component being passed through the dielectric constant detector. The sample and reference cells are adjusted in such a manner that the capacitance of each cell is substantially equal when the same fluid is in both cells.
Electronic circuitry associated with each cell provides an output signal which has a frequency and which is a function of the capacitance of each cell, respectively. The two output signals are mixed to provide a difference frequency and the difference frequency is converted to a voltage to provide an electrical signal which is representative of the concentration of the particular species of the sample mixture which is passing through the sample cell. However, Benningfield et al. (1981) teach that the detector's oscillation quenches when an equivalent parallel resistivity of the solute/solvent becomes less than 0.27 MΩ-cm.
As a result, common solvents such as water can seldom be used due to impurities. The detector also can not be used with common buffers, salts or other electrolytic solutions. Further, the detector is incompatible with use of gradient elution. Also, the architecture of the conductance detector is not rigid. The mobile phase and sample mixture flow between capacitor plates such that changes in pressure and carrier flow rate cause undesirable and significant variations in L∈. Variations in L∈ caused by pressure make variations in ∈ caused by a species of interest more difficult to detect. Further, L∈ disclosed by prior art are small.
M. Yi et al. (2005) disclose a nanogap dielectric biosensor with an area of 1.5 μm×4 mm and an electrode separation of 20 nm; that is, the geometrical amplification factor is 1.5 μm×4 mm/20 nm or 30 cm. S. Roy et al. (2009) disclose mass-produced nanogap sensor arrays for ultrasensitive detection of DNA. The sensors are 5 μm×5 μm in area and the electrodes have a separation of 5 nm. In these sensors, only fringe electric fields are accessible for sensing. Assuming the fields extend beyond the edges of the sensor on a length scale that is on the order of a few times the electrode separation, the geometrical amplification factor is a few times 4 edges×5 μm×5 nm/5 nm or a few times 20 μm. The 819 Advanced IC detector (a conductivity detector) sold by Metrohm possesses cell constants, defined byCell constant=L/A,  (7)that range from 13 to 21 cm−1. The corresponding geometrical amplification factors range from 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm. Other conductivity detectors sold by Metrohm possess cell constants that range from 0.1 cm−1 to 10 cm−1 and corresponding geometrical amplification factors that range from 0.1 cm to 10 cm. Hollis et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,708 disclose an optical and electrical apparatus for molecule detection. In FIG. 4 of this patent, they disclose a conductivity detector with electrodes that have footprints that do not overlap. Hence, sensing is performed by fringe fields, as shown in the figure. The geometrical amplification factor thus is a few times 50 lines×2 edges per line×100 μm×400 nm/400 nm or 1 cm. Such small geometrical amplification factors result in correspondingly small conductance changes caused by a presence of species and require correspondingly large amplification. Potentially small conductance changes are difficult to detect, may require careful post-signal processing and are generally vulnerable to noise.
Thus, there is generally a need for improved methods and detectors for measuring changes in conductance with much higher sensitivity than is currently available. Equations (3) and (6) indicate that increasing geometrical amplification factors can yield correspondingly improved methods and detectors for measuring changes in conductance. In principle, this can be accomplished by combining a large number of area elements increasing the cross-sectional area and by decreasing the length of the region interrogated by the electrodes.
Such methods and apparatus for detecting conductance changes would have many applications. For example, in planar gel electrophoresis, species such as proteins and DNA are separated in multiple tracks along with calibration species and are subsequently detected by staining. A method and apparatus for detecting conductance changes induced by species as they are separating would be desirable as they would not require staining, thereby saving resources, and could provide information about species as they separate in real-time. In chromatography, conductance detectors with large geometrical amplification factors could function as "universal" detectors as all species possess a dielectric constant. Also, they can provide superior sensitivity to charged species via conductivity measurements. Many such applications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the arts.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a detector and method for detecting changes in conductance caused by a presence of a species in a sample mixture, such that the changes are detected with signal-to-noise that is enhanced by noise rejection means, are suitably insensitive to undesirable fluctuations caused by influences such as pressure, are amplified by suitably large geometrical amplification factors, and are compatible with fluidic systems having constrained geometries, such as capillaries and planar systems, such a planar electrophoresis. It is further desired that the detector be compatible with gradient elution and a variety of mobile phases, including water and mobile phases that may contain impurities, buffers, salts or other electrolytes.


The present invention provides toner supplying devices, toner supplying processes, and the like that control bulk density of a mixture of toner and gas efficiently thereby enhancing the fluidity of the mixture, and maintaining the high fluidity for a long period. The invention includes a toner supplying device that has a toner containing portion configured to store a toner, a toner outlet configured to discharge the toner from the toner containing portion, a conveying pipe configured to convey the toner, and a gas feeding unit configured to feed a gas. The toner supplying device supplies the toner from the toner containing portion to an image forming unit of an image forming apparatus. A porous member is disposed near the toner outlet, and the gas is fed into the toner containing portion through the porous member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toner supplying devices appropriately utilized for image forming apparatuses such as printers, facsimiles, copiers, hybrid apparatuses, in particular electrophotographic image forming apparatuses; and toner supplying processes, image forming apparatuses, and image forming process that utilize the toner supplying apparatuses respectively.
2. Description of the Related Art
Toner supplying devices are widely utilized in image forming apparatuses such as printers, facsimiles, and copiers in order to convey toner through conveying pipes usually equipped with a movable member such as a screw auger. In such toner supplying devices, there exist some problems that toner agglomerates generate due to toner softening derived from intense rubbing of toner between the movable member and the pipe wall, and dynamic properties of toner changes due to separation of external additives from toner surface, resulting in adverse effects on images. Recently, toner with lower softening temperatures is desired in order to reduce fixing temperatures as low as possible, which accelerating generation of toner agglomerates i.e. so-called secondary particles.
In order to solve such problems, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 2003-330218 and 2004-4394 propose a toner supplying device. In the toner supplying device, pressure generated by rotating a stator with uniaxial eccentric screw and double-start spiral holes is utilized to convey the mixture of toner and air without a coil screw, and the toner is supplied to the developing unit or the related storage tank from a separately disposed toner storage unit, toner supplying unit, or the like. Further, screw pumps or so-called mono pumps are known that are utilized to convey the mixture of toner and air by means of pressure generated in situ.
In such conveying devices, there exist some advantages that the conveying distance may be easily extended, the conveying devices are compacted, the configuration is simplified, and the maintenance is relatively easy. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device is equipped with screw pump 211 such as a mono pump that conveys a mixture of air and toner, toner container 212, nozzle 213 that is disposed at bottom of the toner container 212 and act to suck the toner, air pump 218, aperture 214 that connects to the air pump 218, conveying pipe 215, and filter 219. Air is intermittently directed from air pump 218 through aperture 214 into toner container 212, thereby a mixture of air and toner is formed, and the fluidized toner is directed to the toner outlet and conveying pipe 215. The mixture of toner and air directed into the conveying pipe 215 is further directed to developing unit 216 by the sucking action of mono pump.
Such toner conveying devices provide advantages that the toner may be easily conveyed to the developing unit or the related storage container due to the higher fluidity of the mixture of air and toner, and the residue of toner may be reduced in the toner container.
However, such toner conveying devices suffer from a problem that the air fed into the toner container cannot satisfactorily break secondary toner particles in the toner container. Namely, the air fed near the nozzle forms larger bubbles in the mass of toner within the toner container; the bubbles move and/or burst in the mass of toner and thus the mixture of air and toner is formed, which exhibits relatively high fluidity; however, the secondary toner particles that have been present prior to the air feeing hardly break by the air feeding into the toner container, consequently, the secondary toner particles tend to deteriorate image quality. This problem is serious with respect to nowadays highly fine and precise images since toners are required that have smaller particle sizes.
Further, another toner supplying device is proposed wherein a larger toner container is provided outside an image forming apparatus, and toner is supplied from a larger toner container to a developing unit of the image forming apparatus. However, the device also employs a screw pump similar to that of JP-A Nos. 2003-330218 and 2004-4394 described above; thus the toner supplying device suffers from similar problems described above.
Further, there exist image forming apparatuses of direct recording as shown in JP-A No. 2000-238311, in addition to those of electrophotography. In such image forming apparatuses, toner is applied as droplets onto recording media such as recording paper, thereby images are recorded directly. In such image forming apparatuses also, the friction of toner due to movable parts is undesirable and desired to eliminate, for example, by conveying the toner to an ink applying device by means of sucking unit such as a suction pump.
However, such a toner conveying device suffers from a problem that the air fed into the toner container cannot satisfactorily break secondary toner particles in the toner container as described above. Further, in the toner conveying device, the conveying line often clogs and the operation is disturbed when the image forming apparatus is stopped for a few days for example, which is resulted from solidification or blocking of toner within the conveying line.
Further, the mixture of toner and air formed by the toner conveying devices in the prior art may not exhibit sufficient fluidity when the conveying distance is longer or when the mixture is to be conveyed from lower site to higher site, which limits the design and/or layout of image forming apparatuses.
In addition, as for the reason of clogging within conveying lines, the toner flowing into the conveying pipe has various bulk densities depending on stirring conditions and residence times; the toner with higher bulk densities tends to clog within the conveying pipe.
In order to address such a problem, the image forming apparatus illustrated in JP-A Nos. 2003-330218 and 2004-4394 described above is equipped with a nozzle in a toner containing portion and a gas feeding unit such as a blower to feed gas into the nozzle periodically. The periodical stirring of the toner in the toner containing portion by gas may avoid excessive increase of the bulk density.
However, the lower bulk density is often no more than temporary; that is, the bulk density tends to increase rapidly under sucking action. Although not wishing to limit the present invention to any one theory, the reason is believed that when the toner is sucked out from the toner containing portion, the gas existing relatively apart from the toner is sucked in addition to the toner and the surrounding gas, and gas is sucked preferentially than the toner. When allowing to stand the toner a few days in a condition of higher bulk density within conveying pipes for example, larger blocks of toner are likely to yield, resulting in clogging of the conveying pipes.
Further, frequent air blows from nozzles has been tried in order to prevent the clogging within the conveying lines. However, frequent air blows cannot successfully prevent the clogging in most cases. Although not wishing to limit the present invention to any one theory, the reason is believed that the gas blown from nozzles does not necessarily spread into the toner containing portion uniformly, nonuniform zones inevitably exist. Consequently, toner with higher bulk densities flows into conveying lines, and when allowing to stand the toner a few days, larger blocks of the toner are likely to yield, resulting in clogging of the conveying pipe.
As such, toner supplying devices and the related technologies are demanded still that may control the bulk density of the mixture of toner and gas more efficiently thereby the fluidity of the mixture is enhanced, the fluidity may be maintained uniformly within toner conveying lines even when toner resides for a long period, higher image quality may be obtained even under prolonged usage of image forming apparatuses, and toner may be conveyed smoothly at the staring operation even after longer stoppage.

Toner supplying device, toner supplying process, image forming apparatus, and image forming process


A system for processing of signals with poles that are low in frequency includes a switched capacitor circuit that includes two switches connected to an input and an output of a switching capacitor (Cs), respectively, in an alternating manner at a selected switching frequency (fSW); and a filter capacitor connected between an input and the switched capacitor circuit. The filter capacitor and the switched capacitor circuit together function as a filter, thereby a pole frequency depending on a ratio of capacitance of the switching capacitor (Cs) and the filter capacitor, instead of an RC product.

There are many different markets and applications that require integration of ultra large resistors (>tens of Mega Ohms) in an area-efficient manner, while also achieving as low a variation as possible in the value of the resistance, without having to resort to trimming techniques. In an analog system, this requirement can be anywhere in the chip, either at the boundaries to the external world or deep inside. For simplicity and ease of understanding, an example of a single-ended to differential conversion architecture using a well-known instrumentation amplifier topology is used for illustration.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram (100) of a single-ended to differential conversion Instrumentation Amplifier architecture (105). As shown in this example, this system may comprise the first and second amplifiers (103 and its symmetrical counterpart at the bottom 103a). The input of the first amplifier (103) is AC coupled to a single-ended voltage VIN (112) through the large external capacitor CHPF (101), and the input of the second amplifier (103a) is coupled to an AC ground voltage. The first and second amplifiers (103 and 103a) are biased by a common-mode voltage VCM (104), through a resistor RHPF (102). The differential outputs VOUTP (106) and VOUTM (107) are generated through the symmetric feedback network comprising R1 (109,110) and R2 (108). The final output of this system is the differential voltage VOUT_DIFF (111), that is then sent out to the next stage in the signal chain for further processing. Such processing usually involves an Analog to Digital Conversion (ADC) operation.
There are several applications that require this kind of processing of the input signal VIN (112) for pre-amplification before being converted into the digital domain for further processing. The voltage gain at the differential output (111) is given by the expression
  G  =            (                                    V                          out                                                                                p                                -                      V                          out                                                                                m                                                V          in                    )        =          (              1        +                  2                                              R              1                                      R              2                                          )      and can be conveniently set by adjusting the resistor ratio, as desired. The symmetrical nature of this solution makes it a highly preferred pre-amplification stage for several applications, requiring conversion of a single-ended input signal to a differential output.
A typical example of such a system is in an audio microphone input path, where the analog microphone signal is generated with respect to the headset jack ground. For the rest of this description, this microphone example will be used to illustrate embodiments of the invention, so that the concept is clear. However, the exact same arguments/considerations are applicable in other low frequency systems as well, such as medical applications and any other type of applications/circuits that require very large on-chip resistors.
As the microphone can be biased at different levels, depending on manufacturer requirements, the input is usually ac-coupled onto the audio chip, so that the rest of the Analog Front End (AFE) can independently set the common-mode at an appropriate level to enable proper operation.
The input decoupling happens through the high pass filter formed by CHPF (101) and RHPF (102). For medical systems, this pole can be of the order of a few Hz, while for microphone signals, the pole can be in the 10 Hz range. Traditionally, this has been achieved easily using an external Printed Circuit Board (PCB) decoupling capacitor on the order of a few μF, and either using an external resistor or integrating on-chip a resistor that is in the range of 10 KΩ, depending on the required precision of the pole location.
In today's Internet Of Things (IoT) era, with the proliferation of the number of channels that need to be processed and the push towards using advanced digital silicon nodes (such as 20 nm and smaller geometries) for maximum feature integration and higher speed in the digital cores and Physical Layers Interfaces, using 2 sets of external capacitors for each channel has become prohibitive to customers, in terms of Build Of Materials (BOM) cost and, more importantly, PCB space, as the form factors of hand-held and wearable devices are ever shrinking. This has led many leading manufacturers to go for integrated solutions that eliminate these external components, while still driving for very low chip costs.
In the next section, the existing solutions to meeting these requirements are explained, while highlighting their limitations.

On-chip emulation of large resistors for integrating low frequency filters


A lighting apparatus for vehicles having two primary headlights for visible low beam and high beam illumination, and auxiliary headlights that are mounted on the vehicle separate from the primary headlights. The auxiliary headlights generate infrared light and position light. An electrical control unit automatically turns the position light of the primary headlights off or on when the auxiliary headlight is turned on or off.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a lighting apparatus for vehicles having two primary headlights for visible low beam and high beam illumination and a light function for infrared light.
2. Description of the Background Art
Motor vehicles are equipped in a known fashion with lighting systems for generating low and high beam illumination. With the high beam lights turned on, an extended visual range is illuminated for the driver of the vehicle; however, the high beams have to be switched off for oncoming traffic to avoid blinding the driver of the oncoming vehicle. The now engaged low beam lights illuminate a substantially smaller visual range for the driver so that possible obstacles in the roadway are illuminated too late for the motorist to detect. A remedy is found with a conventional headlamp device for vehicles according to EP-B-0 479 634. Behind a shared lens, the headlamp has a reflector for the visible low beam light and a reflector for visible and infrared high beam light. A rotatable infrared-filter makes it possible to switch between visible and infrared high beam light. An infrared camera attached to the vehicle captures the area that is illuminated by the infrared light bundle to be displayed on a display screen mounted within the visual field of the driver of the vehicle. Thus, even with the low beam lights turned on, the driver of the vehicle can detect obstacles early on the display screen without blinding the driver of an oncoming vehicle. In order to reduce the undesirable red light image of the IR high beam headlight, that is, to receive the image of a white light, visible light can bypass the filter (EP-A-1 139 011).
From DE-C-39 32 216 a lighting device for vehicles is known, whereby the primary headlights include two light modules each, respectively being arranged in an opening in the body of the vehicle. It is common with lighting devices such as these that the two light modules of the primary headlights respectively share a mutual headlamp carrier. A light module of the primary headlights generates the visible low beam light, whereas the other light module has a slidable IR-filter, which allows switching to infrared, that is, visible high beam light.
The disadvantage of the two lighting devices for vehicles according to EP-B-0 479 634 and DE-C-39 32 216 is that the primary headlights can only be used with lighting devices that have infrared light.


Various aspects described herein relate to communicating in a wireless network. A transmission time interval (TTI) for an uplink control channel transmission within a subframe is determined, wherein the TTI comprises of a number of symbols which are a subset of a plurality of symbols in the subframe. Uplink control data can be transmitted over the uplink control channel during the TTI.

Described herein are aspects generally related to communication systems, and more particularly, to an uplink frame structure and method of uplink transmission for managing communications with user equipment in a wireless communication system.
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasts. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). Examples of such multiple-access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems.
These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. An example of a telecommunication standard is Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE is a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile standard promulgated by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It is designed to better support mobile broadband Internet access by improving spectral efficiency, lower costs, improve services, make use of new spectrum, and better integrate with other open standards using OFDMA on the downlink (DL), SC-FDMA on the uplink (UL), and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology. However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, there exists a need for further improvements in LTE technology. Preferably, these improvements should be applicable to other multi-access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies.
In wireless communication systems employing legacy LTE, a plurality of UEs served by a particular eNodeB may be scheduled resources for communicating with the eNodeB over one or more uplink channels, such as a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), etc. In legacy LTE, each LTE subframe includes a control region during which the control information is to be transmitted via the PUCCH and a data region during which data is to be transmitted via the PUSCH. In addition, the UEs transmit over the PUCCH and/or PUSCH in transmission time intervals (TTI) on the order of a 1 millisecond subframe.
As UE capabilities and demand for bandwidth increases, lower latency in communications may be desired.

Ultra-low latency LTE control data communication


A wiring trench is formed in an interlayer insulating film partway in the depth direction of the interlayer insulating film. A via hole is formed extending from the bottom of the wiring trench to the bottom of the interlayer insulating film. A capacitor recess is formed reaching the bottom of the interlayer insulating film. A conductive member is embedded in the wiring trench and via hole. A capacitor is embedded in the capacitor recess, including a lower electrode, a capacitor dielectric film and an upper electrode. The lower electrode is made of the same material as that of the conductive member and disposed along the bottom and side surface of the capacitor recess. A concave portion is formed on an upper surface of the lower electrode, and the capacitor dielectric film covers an inner surface of the concave portion. The upper electrode is embedded in the concave portion.

A) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and its manufacture method, and more particularly to a semiconductor device having wirings formed by a damascene method and capacitors and its manufacture method.
B) Description of the Related Art
Generally, a high frequency analog integrated circuit used in a mobile communication field or the like requires passive elements such as resistors, capacitors and inductors in addition to active elements (transistors and the like) operable at high speed, because of the characteristics of signals to be processed. In order to improve an operation speed and reduce a consumption power, it is necessary to reduce parasitic capacitance and resistance. In order to reduce parasitic capacitance and resistance, a capacitor of a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure is used more than a capacitor of a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structure.
FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view of a semiconductor device having wirings formed by a damascene method and capacitors of a MIM structure. In the following, a manufacture method for the semiconductor device shown in FIG. 16 will be described.
An etching stopper film 101 of SiN and an interlayer insulating film 102 of SiO2 are formed on an interlayer insulating film 100. A wiring trench is formed through these two films and a copper wiring 103 is embedded in this wiring trench. On the interlayer insulating film 102, an etching stopper film 106 of SiN is formed, the etching stopper film 106 serving as a film for preventing copper diffusion and for stopping progress of etching. A thin SiO2 film 112 is formed on the etching stopper film 106. This SiO2 film 112 is not essential. A recess 110 is formed reaching the upper surface of the interlayer insulating film 100.
A TiN film as a lower electrode 115A, an SiO2 film as a capacitor dielectric film 116A, a TiN film as an upper electrode 117A and an SiN film as an upper insulating film 118A are sequentially deposited on the whole surface of the substrate. These four layers are deposited also on the inner surface of the recess 110. The four layers from the lower side TiN film to the SiN film are patterned in a shape of the lower electrode 115A. In this case, the recess 110 is used as an alignment mark. Since the upper surface of the interlayer insulating film 102 is flat, the position of the lower level wiring 103 cannot be detected after the TiN film is formed on the interlayer insulating film 102. The recess 110 is therefore formed to use it as the alignment mark.
Next, the SiO2 film, upper level TiN film and SiN film are patterned in a shape of the upper electrode 117A. A capacitor 119 is constituted of the lower electrode 115A of TiN, capacitor dielectric film 116A of SiO2, and upper electrode 117A of TiN. The TiN film 115B, SiO2 film 116B, upper TiN film 117B and SiN film 118B are also left on the inner surface of the recess 110.
An interlayer insulating film 120 is formed covering the capacitor 119, and the surface of the interlayer insulating film 120 is planarized. Via holes 122A, 122B and 122C are formed through the interlayer insulating film 120. The via hole 122A passes beside the upper electrode 117A and exposes the upper surface of the lower electrode 115A. The via hole 122B passes through the upper insulating film 118A and exposes the upper surface of the upper electrode 117A. The via hole 122C passes through the SiO2 film 112 and etching stopper film 106 and exposes the upper surface of the lower level wiring 103.
After the inner surfaces of these via holes 122A, 122B and 122C are covered with a barrier metal film, plugs made of tungsten (W) are embedded in the via holes. Wirings 125A, 125B and 125C of aluminum (Al) or the like are formed on the interlayer insulating film 120. The wirings 125A, 125B and 125C are connected to the plugs embedded in the via holes 122A, 122B and 122C, respectively.
With the above-described manufacture method, it is necessary to conduct photolithography once at each of the process of forming the recess 110, the process of patterning the lower electrode 115A and the process of patterning the upper electrode 117A. Namely, three photolithography processes are newly added as compared to the case in which the capacitor 119 is not formed.
With reference to FIGS. 17A to 17E, description will be made on a capacitor manufacture method disclosed in JP-A-2005-51247.
As shown in FIG. 17A, a conductor 151 is buried in a recess formed in a surface region of an interlayer insulating film 150. Another interlayer insulating film 154 is formed on the interlayer insulating film 150. A recess 155 is formed in the interlayer insulating film 154. A partial upper surface of the lower level wiring 151 is exposed on the bottom surface of the recess 155. A barrier metal film 160 of Ta or the like, a capacitor dielectric film 161 of SiO2 or the like and a barrier metal film 162 of Ta or the like are sequentially deposited on the interlayer insulating film 154 and on the inner surface of the recess 155. A conductive film 163 of Cu or the like is deposited on the barrier metal film 162 so that the recess 155 is completely filled with the conductive film 163.
As shown in FIG. 17B, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is preformed to expose the upper surface of the interlayer insulating film 154. The barrier metal film 160, capacitor dielectric film 161, barrier metal film 162 and conductive film 163 are left in the recess 155.
As shown in FIG. 17C, a wiring trench and via hole 156 is formed through the interlayer insulating film 154. A partial upper surface of the lower level wiring 151 is exposed on the bottom of the via hole 156.
As shown in FIG. 17D, the whole surface including the inner surface of the wiring trench and via hole 156 is covered with a barrier metal film 170, and a conductive film 171 is formed. The inside of the wiring trench and via hole 156 is filled with the conductive film 171.
As shown in FIG. 17E, CMP is performed until the upper surface of the interlayer insulating film 154 is exposed. A portion of the conductive film 171 is left in the wiring trench and via hole 156. A capacitor is therefore formed, having the lower level wiring 151 as a lower electrode and the conductive film 163 contained in the recess 155 as an upper electrode. The wiring 151 as the lower electrode is connected to another constituent element of an electric circuit via the conductive film 171 contained in the wiring trench and via hole 156.
With the method shown in FIGS. 17A to 17E, the photolithography process for forming the recess 155 shown in FIG. 17A is newly added as compared to the case in which the capacitor is not formed.
With reference to FIGS. 18A and 18B, description will be made on a capacitor manufacture method disclosed in JP-A-2003-86695.
As shown in FIG. 18A, on an interlayer insulating film 200, another interlayer insulating film 201 is formed. A wiring trench 206 and a capacitor groove 205 are formed in a surface layer of the interlayer insulating film 201. The capacitor groove 205 is wider than the wiring trench 206. A conductive film 210 is deposited under the condition that the inside of the wiring trench 206 is completely filled with the conductive film 210 and the inside of the capacitor groove 205 is partially filled with it. The surface of the conductive film 210 is covered with a capacitor dielectric film 211. An upper conductive film 212 is deposited on the capacitor dielectric film 211. The inside of the capacitor groove 205 is completely buried with the upper conductive film 212.
As shown in FIG. 18B, CMP is performed until the upper surface of the interlayer insulating film 201 is exposed. A lower electrode 210A consisting of a portion of the conductive film 210, a capacitor dielectric film 211A, and an upper electrode 212A consisting of a portion of the upper conductive film 212 are left in the capacitor groove 205, to form a capacitor 215. A wiring 210B consisting of a portion of the conductive film 210 is left in the wiring trench 206.
With the method shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, it is not necessary to add a new photolithography process to form the capacitor 215.

Semiconductor device having wiring and capacitor made by damascene method and its manufacture


A method for disinfecting water and other dense fluid media containing microorganisms is carried out in a dense media plasma reactor. The plasma reaction in the reactor produces reactive species, such as electrons, ions, and free radicals that promote the inactivation of the microorganisms. In various embodiments, the plasma reaction also sputters off minute antimicrobial particles of the electrically conducting material from which the electrodes are made.

The present invention relates to methods for disinfecting water and other dense fluid media in a dense medium plasma environment.
Decontamination and disinfection of potable water, water used in food-processing industries, and water frequently in contact with human beings (e.g. water in swimming pools and spa pools), are major health issues currently under intense scrutiny due to heightened awareness. Disinfection is defined as the killing or inactivation of disease-causing organisms. The levels to which microbial colony forming units are permitted in various waters fit for human contact is carefully regulated. Conventional approaches employed for the inactivation of toxins, such as hydrolysis, electrochemical oxidation, solvated electron technology, plasma arcs, and chemical treatments are complex processes with significant limitations related to the generation of toxic side-products or low efficiencies for large scale applications.
Technologies based on atmospheric pressure plasma environments present an alternative approach to the disinfection of water. However, most of the processes available today were developed for low pressure environments, which are plagued by the need for complex and expensive vacuum systems, batch-type processing, and difficult robotics handling. These characteristics make conventional plasma technologies economically viable only for applications where the economies of scale processing are targeted toward the creation of high value-added items.
Gas phase discharges have been studied extensively for their ability to sterilize microorganism-contaminated solid surfaces. However, technologies for decontaminating fluids, and water in particular, are considerably less developed. The destruction of living cells, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast cells) and Bacillus natto, has been studied in pulsed high voltage cylindrical discharge reactors in various electrode configurations. These studies show that yeast cell populations in deionized water can be destroyed using a wire-cylinder electrode configuration under 20 kV/cm, 140 xcexcs pulse width, and 250 Hz pulse frequency conditions.
The pulsed high-voltage discharge-mediated formation of chemical species and their effects on microorganisms has also been studied. Using a needle-plate electrode configuration, the formation of .OH and .H free radicals has been monitored by Optical Emission Spectroscopy. The studies indicated that .OH and .H free radicals generated in situ by a discharge were not effective at killing yeast cells, although the H2O2 generated by the discharge added ex situ to a contaminated sample could be used to kill the cells.
Unfortunately, these pulse discharge experiments for decontaminating water employed a high voltage, pulsed discharge which generated filamentary non-stationary discharge channels, resulting in reactions having a very localized character, which tends to limit the effectiveness of the reactions for inactivating microorganisms.
Another approach to the disinfection of microorganism-contaminated water employs antimicrobial nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are important components in the development of catalytic, sensor, aerosol, filter, biomedical, magnetic, dielectric, optical, electronic, structural, ceramic and metallurgical applications. Nanoscale metallic particles exhibit volume and surface effects which are absent in the same material with dimensions in the micron range (i.e., 0.1 micron less than particle diameter less than 1 micron).
The use of colloidal suspensions of silver as antimicrobial agents is well known. Such use is resuming increased importance as antibiotic resistant bacteria become more prolific. Minimizing the silver particle sizes is believed to be important both from the stability of the colloidal suspension and for the efficacy against microbes.
Various processes to produce nanoparticles are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,133, issued to Swanson et al., discloses a process of preparing nanoparticulate agents comprising the steps of: (i) preparing a premix of the agent and a surface modifier; and, (ii) subjecting the premix to mechanical means to reduce the particle size of the agent, the mechanical means producing shear, impact, cavitation and attrition.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,020, issued to Becker et al., teaches a process of producing nanoparticles having a narrow size distribution by exposing microparticles to an energy beam such as a beam of laser light, above the ablation threshold of the microparticles.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,750, issued to Higgins et al., teaches a process for producing inorganic nanoparticles by precipitating the inorganic nanoparticles by a precipitating agent for a microemulsion with a continuous and a non-continuous phase and concentrating the precipitated nanoparticles employing an ultrafiltration membrane.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,495, issued to Markowicz et al., teaches a process for making a powder containing metallic particles comprising the steps of: (i) forming a dispersion of surfactant vesicles in the presence of catalytic metal ions; (ii) adjusting the pH to between 5.0 and 7.0; (iii) mixing the dispersion with a bath containing second metal ions; and; and, (iv) incubating the mixed dispersion at a temperature sufficient to reduce the second metal ions to metal particles having an average diameter between 1 to 100 nm.
CS Pro Systems advertises a high voltage AC processor producing nanoparticles of colloidal silver. The HVAC process is claimed to produce particle sizes between 0.002 to 0.007-9 microns by imposing an AC potential of 10,000 volts across two silver electrodes in a distilled water medium.
The production of large quantities of colloidal silver solutions required for industrial applications, such as water treatment or treatment of biological fluids, are not economical by using the electrolytic approach.
The prior art methods do not provide simple, convenient, low-cost methods for disinfecting water, and other dense media, contaminated with undesirable microorganisms.
One aspect of the invention provides a method for disinfecting a dense fluid medium, such as water, containing at least one undesirable microorganism. The method uses multiple spark discharges to inactivate the microorganisms in an intensely stirred liquid medium. The method comprises the steps of: providing a reaction vessel for containing a dense fluid medium containing at least one microorganism; charging the dense fluid medium into the reaction vessel; providing a first electrode comprising a first conductive material, the first electrode immersed within the dense fluid medium; providing a second electrode comprising a second conductive material, the second electrode immersed within the dense fluid medium and disposed opposite the first electrode; stirring the dense fluid medium between the first and second electrodes; applying an electric potential between the first electrode and the second electrode to create a discharge zone comprising a plurality of discharges to produce reactive species in the dense fluid medium; and exposing the microorganisms in the dense fluid medium to the reactive species in the dense fluid medium for a time sufficient to at least partially inactivate the microorganisms. The reactive species include electrons, ions, free radicals, and mixtures thereof which are capable of interacting with the microorganism to promote the inactivation of the microorganism. In a preferred embodiment, the first electrode is a rotating electrode and the second electrode is a static electrode. In this embodiment the dense fluid medium is stirred by the rotating motion of the first electrode.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method for disinfecting a dense fluid medium containing at least one microorganism using antimicrobial colloidal nanoparticles generated in a dense medium plasma (DMP) environment through multiple spark discharges in an intensely stirred liquid medium. The steps in this method are substantially the same as those described above, however, in this aspect of the invention at least one of the first conductive material or the second conductive material comprise a material having antimicrobial properties and the electric potential between the first electrode and the second electrode is sufficient to dislodge or dislocate antimicrobial nanoparticles from that material. A particularly preferred material having antimicrobial properties is silver.
Yet another aspect of the invention provides a two-step method for disinfecting a dense fluid medium containing at least one undesirable microorganism. In the first step of the two step method the dense fluid medium containing the at least one microorganism is exposed to reactive species created by multiple spark discharges in an intensely stirred medium. The reactive species are allowed to react with the microorganism to at least partially inactive the microorganism. The method for carrying out this first step has been described above. Briefly, a dense fluid medium containing at least one microorganism is disposed between two electrodes. The medium is stirred between the electrodes and an electric field sufficient to produce multiple spark discharges is applied between the electrodes to produce reactive species that interact with the at least one microorganism to promote its inactivation. In the second step of the two step method, the dense fluid medium containing the at least one microorganism is exposed to antimicrobial colloidal nanoparticles.
The second step of the process may be accomplished by mechanically mixing a solution containing antimicrobial nanoparticles, which may be a colloidal suspension, into the dense fluid medium. Such a solution may be produced by conventional means well known in the art or may be produced using a dense medium plasma reactor, as described in greater detail below. The mixing may take place before, during, or after the dense fluid medium has been exposed to the reactive species created by the multiple spark discharges in the first step of the process. Alternatively, the antimicrobial nanoparticles can be formed within the dense fluid medium by exposing the dense fluid medium to multiple spark discharges between a first and a second electrode, at least one of which is comprised of a material having antimicrobial properties.
In the two-step method, the first step and the second step may take place simultaneously or in tandem. For example, where at least one of the first or second electrodes is made from a material having antimicrobial properties and the voltage between the first and the second electrodes is high enough to dislocate antimicrobial nanoparticles from that electrode, reactive species and antimicrobial nanoparticles will be formed simultaneously in the same reaction vessel. Alternatively, the two step process may be carried out in a dual-stage dense medium plasma reactor having separate reaction stages, or containers, housed within a single reaction vessel which may be connected in parallel or, preferably, in series, to facilitate continuous production of the colloidal dispersion.
When carried out in a dual-stage dense plasma reactor, the method includes the steps of: providing a first reaction container for containing a dense fluid medium containing at least one microorganism; charging the dense fluid medium into the first reaction container, providing a first electrode comprising a first conductive material, the first electrode immersed within the dense fluid medium and housed within the first reaction container; providing a second electrode comprising a second conductive material, the second electrode immersed within the dense fluid medium and disposed opposite the first electrode within the first reaction container; applying an electric potential between the first electrode and the second electrode to create a discharge zone comprising a plurality of discharges, wherein the electric potential between the first and the second electrodes is high enough to produce reactive species in the dense fluid medium; providing a second reaction container for containing a dense fluid medium containing at least one microorganism the second reaction container connected to and in fluid communication with the first reaction container through an inlet port; charging the dense fluid medium between the first reaction container and the second reaction container; providing a third electrode comprising a third conductive material, the third electrode immersed within the dense fluid medium and housed within the second reaction container; providing a fourth electrode comprising a fourth conductive material, the fourth electrode immersed within the dense fluid medium and disposed opposite the third electrode within the second reaction container; applying an electric potential between the third electrode and the fourth electrode to create a discharge zone, wherein at least one of the third conductive material or the fourth conductive material comprises a material having antimicrobial properties; and further wherein the electric potential between the third and the fourth electrodes is high enough to dislocate antimicrobial nanoparticles from the electrode comprising the material having antimicrobial properties.
It should be understood that in the two-step process described above, the flow of the dense fluid medium may be from the first container (i.e. the container wherein reactive species are created) to the second container (i.e. the container wherein the antimicrobial species are created) or vice versa. Thus the phrase xe2x80x9ccharging the dense fluid medium between the first reaction container and the second reaction containerxe2x80x9d does not limit the flow of the dense fluid medium to one direction or the other, but merely indicates that the fluid is moving or circulating between the containers.
Still another aspect of the invention provides a method for producing a colloidal dispersion of nanoparticles of at least one conductive material in a dense fluid medium. The production of nanoparticles, and in particular antimicrobial nanoparticles, in this manner is well-suited for use with applications for disinfecting water, and other dense fluid media, contaminated with microorganisms. The method is based on the operation of a modified dense medium plasma reactor, which allows the initiation of multiple spark discharges in a very intensely stirred liquid medium. The method comprises the steps of: providing a reaction vessel for containing the dense fluid medium; charging the dense fluid medium into the reaction vessel; providing a first electrode comprising a first conductive material, the first electrode immersed within the dense fluid medium; providing a second electrode comprising a second conductive material, the second electrode immersed within the dense fluid medium and being near to the first electrode; stirring the dense fluid medium between the first and second electrodes; and imposing an electric potential between the first electrode and the second electrode to create a discharge zone, the electric field between the electrodes being sufficiently high to dislocate nanoparticles of at least one of the first conductive material or second conductive material from the respective electrode. Preferably, the electrodes are easily interchanged to facilitate changeover between dispersions. In a preferred embodiment, the first electrode is a rotating electrode and the second electrode is a static electrode. In this embodiment the dense fluid medium is stirred by the rotating motion of the first electrode.
An exemplary dense phase plasma discharge apparatus suitable for use with the invention may include a chamber forming a reaction vessel for the dense medium. A first electrode is mounted for a rotation about an axis in the chamber and has an end piece which is formed of conductive material with a planar surface. A plurality of pins are mounted in an array projecting from the planar surface. A second electrode is mounted in the chamber and has an end piece of conductive material with a planar surface, with the planar surfaces of the end pieces of the first and second electrodes separated from each other by a gap. The end pieces of the first and second electrodes, including the pins on the one end piece, may be formed of silver for efficiently producing colloidal silver. A motor may be coupled to the first electrode to selectively drive the first electrode in rotation. A magnetic coupling system may be utilized to couple the drive from the motor to the rotating electrode. The pins in the electrode are preferably formed in a spiral array. Rapid rotation of the electrode with the pins therein creates vigorous mixing and cavitation of the dense medium, such as water, between the upper and lower electrodes to enhance the action of the discharges taking place between the electrodes and thereby enhance the production of nanoparticles dislodged from the electrodes from the discharge.
Utilization of the method of the invention with silver electrodes may be used to produce colloidal silver which is highly effective as a bactericide and can be used for controlling viruses, spores, and other undesirable microorganisms.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method for disinfecting a dense fluid medium in a dense medium plasma reactor


There is provided a signal processing apparatus, a signal processing method for appropriate driving control. The signal processing apparatus includes a safety determination unit that determines safety of a preceding vehicle on a basis of sensor-related information related to a sensor provided in the preceding vehicle, the sensor being relevant to a safety function, and a control signal generation unit that generates, on a basis of a result of the determination of the safety, a control signal for controlling a host vehicle.

In the past, an ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistant System) function is known. The ADAS function is a function that assists driving of automobiles.
In a case where an automobile has the ADAS function, various kinds of controls such as a collision warning, following, and emergency braking are performed on the basis of the distance between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle and the like.
Further, for example, as a technique related to automobile driving control, a technique proposed (e.g., see PTL 1) changes the mode of automatic driving of a host vehicle depending on whether a surrounding vehicle in the surroundings of the host vehicle is driven manually or automatically. With this technique, for example, in a case where a vehicle ahead as the surrounding vehicle is driven manually, the following distance between the vehicle ahead and the host vehicle is set to be greater.

Signal processing apparatus and signal processing method


A tuning peg for a stringed musical instrument comprises a cylindrical housing adapted to be mounted on a stringed musical instrument. The housing has a central chamber, an axially extending slot and a shearing surface. A slider is positioned within the central chamber and has a key projecting into the slot for allowing the slider to move axially relative to the housing and for preventing rotation of the slider relative to the housing. One end of the slider has a transverse aperture for receiving a string, a screw for clamping the string in the aperture and a shearing surface proximate to the aperture and the shearing surface on the housing. A knob is threaded on the other end of the slider. The knob is rotatable relative to the housing but is prevented from axial movement relative to the housing such that rotation of the knob moves the slider in the axial direction to tune the string and shear the string between the shearing surfaces.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for tuning and cutting the strings of a musical instrument.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stringed instruments must have their strings adjustably tightened to the proper tension to be in tune. A device for tuning an instrument such as a guitar is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,132 to Lowe. In the tuning peg of Lowe a slider is axially movable and keyed inside a housing. The slider has a transverse hole at its upper end for receiving a string. The string is wrapped around the slider one or more times and is placed in a groove in the top of the slider. The slider also has a longitudinal hole that mates with a screw that passes through the base of the housing. Rotation of the screw causes the slider to slide along the axis of the screw. The attached string is thereby stretched to the desired tension and tuned. In Lowe the excess of the string is broken off by being moved back and forth against a shoulder of the groove in the top of the slider until the string fails by metal fatigue. This procedure is somewhat time consuming.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a device which quickly and easily removes the excess string projecting from the tuning peg.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.


A simple disposable pant-like garment includes a chassis and an absorbent assembly. The chassis, which can be extensible, includes a water-impermeable sheet folded laterally inward at both of its side edges to form opposing side flaps. Each side flap is attached to the interior surface of the chassis adjacent to its end edges. Each side flap has a longitudinally extending elastic gathering member attached adjacent to its proximal edge. The absorbent assembly is smaller in width and in length than the chassis. The side edges and end edges of the absorbent assembly can be disposed proximally relative to the respective side edges and end edges of the chassis. The absorbent assembly includes an absorbent core that can contain superabsorbent particles contained inside pockets. The absorbent assembly may be attached in a cruciform pattern to the chassis to allow portions of the chassis to extend laterally.

Disposable absorbent articles are designed to absorb and contain bodily waste in order to prevent soiling of the body and clothing of the wearer, as well as bedding or other objects with which the wearer comes into contact. Pant-like garments, especially those of the "pull-on" type, include a pair of closed side interfaces that predefine encircled waist and leg openings. Accordingly, pull-on diapers can be more easily applied especially to a standing wearer than taped diapers, which require manual fastening to secure the diaper on the wearer.
As the usage of disposable absorbent articles has expanded, their complexity has increased with the incorporation of additional features serving to enhance their performance and appearance. The costs of the materials and the costs of the manufacturing processes have also increased in conjunction with the increase in complexity. As a result, the prices at which these articles are sold have risen to levels that many potential purchasers around the world cannot afford to pay. Thus, a need exists for a simple disposable absorbent article.


A stacked film capacitor including a resin protective film having excellent durability is provided which can stably secure desired properties. The stacked film capacitor includes a capacitor element including a plurality of dielectric layers, and a plurality of vapor-deposited metal film layers. Each dielectric layer and each vapor-deposited metal film layer are stacked with each other so as to be arranged alternately. The stacked film capacitor further includes a pair of external electrodes provided on opposing side surfaces of the capacitor element, and at least one resin protective film formed on at least one side surfaces other than the side surfaces on which the external electrodes are formed, in which the at least one resin protective film is provided by deposition polymerization.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a film capacitor. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement of a stacked film capacitor including a pair of external electrodes that is prepared by a spraying process on a pair of side surfaces of a stacked capacitor element and a resin protective film on a side surface of the remaining side surfaces, and an advantageous method of producing the stacked film capacitor.
2. Description Of Related Art
Conventionally, as one type of film capacitor for use in an electric device, there is known a stacked film capacitor. The stacked film capacitor includes a capacitor element that has a square shape (cuboid or cubic shape) which allows the stacked film capacitor to be surface mounted. Thus, the stacked film capacitor is expected to be increasingly demanded because it can satisfy the demands for smaller film capacitors and high density mounting thereof, which results from recent remarkable downsizing of electric devices.
The stacked film capacitor is generally produced by the following method. Specifically, first, a long capacitor base is formed which includes a plurality of dielectric layers each consisting of a insulating resin film which is formed of polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate, and a plurality of vapor-deposited metal film layers as internal electrode films, which are stacked with each other so as to be arranged alternately. Second, a pair of external electrodes is formed by a spraying process on side surfaces opposing to each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long capacitor base. Subsequently, the long capacitor base is cut into some sections in the longitudinal direction to obtain a plurality of capacitor elements. Then, a terminal or the like is attached to each of the external electrodes of the plurality of capacitor elements and each of the plurality of capacitor elements is contained and sealed in a predetermined case. Thus, a plurality of intended film capacitors are obtained.
Since the plurality of capacitor elements are cut from the capacitor base at one time and used to produce the film capacitor, the film capacitors obtained as above can be efficiently produced. However, if cut surfaces of the capacitor element cut from the capacitor base are left exposed, foreign substance may be attached to the cut surfaces before the capacitor element is contained in the case. It may cause a conduction defect.
In view of the above, as disclosed in JP-A-2001-297945, for example, resin protective films are formed on the cut surfaces of the capacitor element cut out from the capacitor base, i.e., opposing side surfaces of the capacitor element on which no external electrode is formed. By the formation of the resin protective films, it can be prevented that the foreign substance is attached to the side surfaces other than the surfaces on which the external electrodes are formed. Further, it also can be effectively prevented that the conduction defect is caused by the foreign substance. In the film capacitor disclosed in JP-A-2001-297945, the resin protective films are formed on the capacitor element by vacuum deposition. Thus, unlike the case in which the resin protective film is formed by dipping or the like in air, even during the deposition operation of the resin protective film, it can be effectively prevented that foreign substance is attached to the side surfaces of the capacitor element other than the surfaces on which the external electrodes are formed.
However, the conventional film capacitor inherently includes the following problems. Generally, as is well known, since it is difficult to evaporate polymer material, it was not easy to form a polymer thin film by vacuum deposition. Thus, in the conventional film capacitor in which the resin protective film is formed by deposition, the resin protective film is formed of a thin film having a relatively low molecular weight. Consequently, it was difficult to secure the sufficient durability of the resin protective film.

Stacked film capacitor and method of producing the same


A clothes hanging device for use in conjunction with a laundry tub for drip-drying wet clothing. The device is structured for connection onto a wall and, when properly positioned on the wall in suitable proximity to the laundry tub, serves to direct water dripped from wet clothes hung from either a hanging rod or laid atop a clothes screen into the laundry tub.

1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to clothes hanging devices, and more particularly to a clothes hanging device for drip drying wet clothes in conjunction with a conventional laundry tub.
2. Prior Art
Despite the existence of modern clothes dryers, many individuals continue to prefer to hang and drip dry certain articles of clothing after laundering. These wet articles of clothing are typically suspended over conventional clothes hangers which are, in turn, hung from a clothes line or the like either out of doors or inside a building or home, such as in a laundry room or basement.
When wet clothes are hung for drip drying inside a home, the individual has to be concerned about the consequences of the water dripped from the clothes. If that water is allowed to drip onto a floor surface, either mold or mildew damage may result over a period of time and/or the floor surface may become slippery or otherwise more rapidly dirtied from feet tracking through the water on the floor.
Most utility rooms in homes now include a conventional laundry tub. These tubs include a generally rectangular basin supported above the floor surface on legs disposed at each corner of the basin. Laundry tubs are normally used for more utilitarian type laundry and other similar types of cleaning projects. The laundry tub is generally positioned in proximity to a wall for plumbing and convenient access purposes.
The present invention is structured to take advantage of the existence and placement of these conventional laundry tubs immediately adjacent a wall surface. By positioning the invention in alignment with and slightly above the rim of the laundry tub on the wall immediately adjacent thereto, wet articles of clothing may be hung from a hanging rod provided with the device on conventional hangers so that water will drip downwardly from the wet clothing into the tub. Any drippage not directly falling over the basin of the laundry tub will be deflected into the laundry tub by an integral lower splash panel associated with the device. Side panels of the device forwardly extending also serve to help insure that water dripped from the articles of wet clothing is deflected downwardly by gravity into the laundry tub and kept from splashing or running onto the wall.