An optical pick-up apparatus and a semiconductor laser apparatus which can suppress reduction of optical utilization efficiency for the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser element. When a laser light which is emitted from a laser element for DVD and whose polarization direction is perpendicular to a direction of a groove of the polarization grating is incident on the polarization grating, the polarization grating does not diffract the laser light and transmits the laser light as zero-order diffraction light. Consequently, all of the laser light emitted from the laser element for DVD can be used for reading information signal of DVD and detecting FES and TES. This enables reduction of optical utilization efficiency arising by diffracting action of a grating used for detecting TES of CD in a conventional optical pick-up apparatus to be suppressed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical pick-up apparatus which reads information in an optical recording medium such as CD (Compact Disk), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) or the like and records the information into an optical recording medium and also relates to a semiconductor laser apparatus which can be preferably implemented for the optical pick-up apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 28 is a view showing simplified configuration of a conventional optical pick-up apparatus 1 and FIG. 29 is a view showing diffraction light occurring after laser lights R and r emitted from first and second semiconductor laser elements 12 and 13 respectively transmit a grating 3. In addition, in FIG. 29, a broken line is drawn respectively for first-order diffraction light R1 and first-order diffraction light R1′ occurring when the laser light R emitted from the first semiconductor laser element 12 is spectrally split by incidence of the laser light R on the grating 3 and a solid line is drawn respectively for first-order diffraction lights r1 and r1′ occurring when the laser light r emitted from the second semiconductor laser element 13 is spectrally split by incidence of the laser light r on the grating 3.
The optical pick-up apparatus 1 comprises a semiconductor laser unit 2, the grating 3 (however, there is a case where the grating is represented as diffraction grating in the following description), a collimating lens 4, a beam splitter 5, an object lens 6, a splitting element 7, a light-receiving element 8, a driving portion 9, a signal processing portion 10 and a control portion 11. The optical pick-up apparatus 1 is used for optically reading information recorded on an information recording surface of an optical recording medium 17 and for optically recording the information in the information recording surface.
The semiconductor laser unit 2 comprises the first semiconductor laser element 12 emitting red wavelength laser light whose oscillating wavelength is for instance 654 nm, the second semiconductor laser element 13 emitting infrared laser light whose oscillating wavelength is for instance 784 nm, a stem 14, leads 15 and a cap 16. The first semiconductor laser element 12 is used at the time of reading information for instance in DVD. (Digital Versatile Disk) and the second semiconductor laser element 13 is used at the time of reading information for instance in CD (Compact Disk).
In the following description, there is a case where the first semiconductor laser element is represented as a laser element for DVD and the second semiconductor laser element is represented as a laser element for CD.
In the optical pick-up apparatus 1, when the laser light R emitted from the laser element 12 for DVD is incident on the grating 3, the laser light R is spectrally split into three laser lights consisting of zero-order diffraction light R0 transmitting the grating 3 without diffraction, diffracted first-order diffraction light R1 and diffracted first-order diffraction light R1′. When the laser light r emitted from the laser element 13 for CD is incident on the grating 3, the laser light r is spectrally split into three laser lights consisting of zero-order diffraction light r0 transmitting the grating 3 without diffraction, diffracted first-order diffraction lights r1 and r1′. As mentioned above, when the laser light R and the laser light r emitted respectively from the laser element for DVD 12 and the laser element for CD 13 are incident on the grating 3, diffraction angles and diffraction efficiency are respectively different depending on difference between wavelengths of two laser lights R and r, but the two laser lights R and r are spectrally split in concurrence with each other by the grating 3.
After the laser lights R1 and r1 are spectrally split respectively into three laser lights by the grating 3, the split laser lights pass through the collimating lens 4, the beam splitter 5 and the object lens 6 and are converged on the optical recording medium 17. A substantially half of light is reflected by the beam splitter 5 and the reflected light is not used. Laser light reflected by the optical recording medium 17 passes through the object lens 6 and then a substantially half of the reflected laser light is reflected by the beam splitter 5, and the reflected light is incident on the predetermined light-receiving element 8 via the splitting element 7.
The beam splitter 5 is concretely configured by an infrared dichroic beam splitter and a red dichroic beam splitter which are arranged on a common optical axis. The infrared dichroic beam splitter has fifty percent of reflectance for the laser element 13 for CD and makes a hundred percent of incident light transmit the infrared dichroic beam splitter for the laser element 12 for DVD. In addition, the red dichroic beam splitter has fifty percent of reflectance for the laser element 12 for DVD and makes a hundred percent of incident light transmit the infrared dichroic beam splitter for the laser element 13 for CD.
On the splitting element 7, signal light is split so as to get information, a focus error signal (hereinafter abbreviated to FES) and a tracking error signal (hereinafter, abbreviated as TES) which are recorded in the optical recording medium 17.
When TES of DVD is detected, DPP (Differential Push-Pull) method is used. In this case, it is sufficient that laser light emitted from the laser element 12 for DVD is split into three portions including an optical axis through the splitting element 7 and the three portions are received. Here, as to the laser light emitted from the laser element 12 for DVD, a section perpendicular to the optical axis is circular. In addition, when FES of DVD is detected, the laser light emitted from the laser element 12 for DVD is split into a first semicircle including the optical axis and a second semicircle and the second semicircle is additionally split into two quarter circles which include the optical axis and have an equal area and thereby FES can be detected in a knife-edge method.
On the other hand, when TES of CD is detected, a three-beam method, using three laser lights which are emitted from the laser element 13 for CD and are spectrally split by the grating 3, is used. In addition, when FES of CD is detected, the zero-order diffraction light on the grating 3 is split into two portions including the optical axis by the splitting element 7 and thereby FES can be detected in the knife-edge method.
The laser light being incident on the light-receiving element 8 is converted to an electric signal. On the basis of this electric signal, Reading is performed for an information signal recorded on the information recording surface of the optical recording medium 17 such as CD and DVD or the like, and a detection of FES and TES is performed.
Here, FES is used for performing control for adjusting a focus so that the focus can be always formed on the information recording surface by following surface oscillation of the optical recording medium 17. TES is used for performing a control for correcting a gap from a track center of laser light converged on the information recording surface of the optical recording medium 17 to perform a control for making the laser light follow the track precisely.
As another prior art, an optical head which is provided with two semiconductor laser elements having different oscillating wavelength and reads out signal on the optical recording medium with different signal reading out wavelength. This optical head is provided with a polarization hologram which incident laser light transmits as zero-order diffraction light or on which the laser light is diffracted as ± first-order diffraction light in dependence on the difference in an oscillating direction of the laser light.
On the optical head, two laser lights emitted from the two semiconductor laser elements having different oscillating wavelengths concurrently transmit the polarization hologram as zero-order diffraction light, and pass through the collimating lens, a quarter-wavelength plate and the object lens and are converged on the optical recording medium. The laser light reflected by the optical recording medium follows the same optical path as an approach route and passes through the object lens, the quarter wavelength plate and the collimating lens and is incident on the polarization hologram. The laser light which is incident on the polarization hologram is diffracted as ± first-order diffraction light and is incident on a photodetector disposed at a position corresponding to the diffracting direction of the laser light (for instance, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 11-174226).
As mentioned above, an optical pick-up apparatus which reads and records information into an optical recording medium such as CD and DVD or the like is configured by, for instance, a semiconductor laser apparatus with a hologram laser method. The hologram laser method is explained as follows. In a semiconductor laser apparatus for which a semiconductor laser element, a hologram element and a light-receiving element for detecting a signal are incorporated in one package, laser light is emitted from the semiconductor laser element, and a signal light reflected by the optical disk functioning as an optical recording medium is diffracted by a hologram element in a direction which is different from the semiconductor laser element traveling direction, and the signal light is guided to the light-receiving element for detecting a signal.
A semiconductor laser apparatus 100 shown in after-mentioned FIGS. 30A, 30B and 31 to 35 is known as a conventional semiconductor laser apparatus with use of the hologram laser method. FIG. 30A is a simplified perspective view showing the conventional semiconductor laser apparatus 100. FIG. 30B is a perspective view showing the semiconductor laser apparatus 100 from which a hologram element 106 is omitted. FIG. 31 is a front view showing the semiconductor laser apparatus 100. FIG. 32 is a right side view showing the semiconductor laser apparatus 100. FIG. 33 is a cross sectional view on a cross sectional line A—A in FIG. 31. FIG. 34 is a cross sectional view on a cross sectional line B—B in FIG. 31. FIG. 35 is a cross sectional view on a cross sectional line C—C in FIG. 31. Here, an X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis shown in these drawings are three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate axes. Directions of the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis correspond to a longitudinal direction, a width direction and a thickness direction respectively of the semiconductor laser apparatus 100.
The semiconductor laser apparatus 100 comprises a semiconductor laser element 101, a sub-mount 102, an optical axis conversion mirror 103, the hologram element 106, a light-receiving element 107 for detecting a signal, an insulating frame 108, and leads 109. The hologram element 106 comprises a grating for generating three beams 104 and a hologram pattern 105. The sub-mount 102 is mounted on an island portion 111.
In an optical pick-up apparatus using the semiconductor laser apparatus 100, a plurality of light sources having different oscillation wavelengths are required for performing reading and writing information with the following two optical recording media. One is an optical recording medium called as CD family which performs reading and recording of information using only light, and the other is an optical recording medium called as DVD family which performs reading and recording information using light and magnetism. In the conventional semiconductor laser apparatus 100, as a light source, the semiconductor laser element 101 is applied, and the semiconductor laser element 101 comprises first oscillating point emitting a laser light for performing reading and recording for the optical recording media of CD family, and second oscillating point emitting a laser light for performing reading and recording toward the optical recording media of DVD family.
The laser lights 110a and 110b emitted from the first and the second oscillating points of the semiconductor laser element 1 respectively in the conventional semiconductor laser apparatus 100 are reflected by the optical axis conversion mirror 103 as shown in FIG. 33, and the traveling direction of the laser lights 110a and 110b is changed to vertical direction. The laser lights 110a and 110b which are changed the traveling direction by the optical axis conversion mirror 103 are incident on the grating 104 for generating three beams. When the laser lights 110a and 110b are incident on the grating 104 for generating three beams, the laser lights 110a and 110b are split into zero-order diffraction light which is transmitted without being diffracted and ± first-order diffraction light which is diffracted. After being split into three laser lights by the grating 104 for generating three beams, three laser lights are converged on an optical recording medium which is not shown in the figures. As shown in FIG. 35, the laser lights 110a and 110b emitted from the semiconductor laser element 101 and reflected by the optical recording medium, are diffracted by the hologram pattern 105, and are incident on the predetermined receiving portion of the light-receiving element 107 for detecting a signal.
When a tracking error signal (hereinafter abbreviated as TES) in the optical recording medium of CD family is detected, a three-beam method is applied in which a sub-beam proceeds in an elongating direction of the optical recording medium track against a main beam and another sub-beam follows are used. Further, when the TES in the optical recording medium of DVD family is detected, a phase difference method using the phase difference between signals splitting the main beam is used.
In another conventional semiconductor laser apparatus, a semiconductor laser chip is mounted on a chip mounting portion, a connecting point on external leads provided by surrounding the chip mounting portion and an electrode of the semiconductor laser chip are connected, and a frame body made from insulating material is provided surrounding the chip mounting portion and the connecting point on external leads. A hologram optical element including a grating pattern for generating three beams and a hologram pattern for beam splitter is mounted On the frame body. The laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser chip is split into three laser lights by the grating pattern for generating three beams, and then is converged on the optical disk. The laser light reflected by the optical disk is diffracted by the hologram pattern for beam splitter, and is incident on a light detecting circuit (for instance, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications JP-A 6-203403, JP-A 2000-196176, JP-A 2000-196177, and JP-A 2001-111159).
Furthermore, a semiconductor laser apparatus in another prior art, a semiconductor laser chip is mounted on a lead frame, and the lead frame is encapsulated with resin package. On the resin package, a hologram element including a grating and a hologram is mounted. Laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser chip is reflected by a micro mirror and is incident on the grating, and is split into three laser lights, then is converged on an optical disk. Laser light reflected by the optical disk is diffracted by a hologram, and is incident on a photodiode (for instance, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 11-25465).
In the above mentioned conventional optical pick-up apparatus 1, when the TES of CD is detected, for instance, the three-beam method is applied. In the three-beam method, TES is detected by using three laser lights r0, r1, and r1′ to which a laser light r having infrared wavelength emitted from a laser element 13 for CD is spectrally split by the grating 3. In the optical pick-up apparatus 1, when the TES of DVD is detected, for instance, DPD (Differential Phase Detection) method is applied. In the DPD method, TES is detected by splitting light R0 which is one laser light transmitted as zero-order diffraction light by the fact that laser light R having red wavelength emitted from the laser element 12 for DVD is incident on the grading 3.
As mentioned above, the TES of DVD can be detected by only applying one laser light R0, and it is not necessary to split the laser light R emitted from the laser element 12 for DVD to three laser lights R0, R1, and R1′ by the grating 3. In other words, when the TES of DVD is detected, the grating 3 is not necessary. However, in the optical pick-up apparatus 1 having the semiconductor laser unit 2 provided with the laser element 12 for DVD and the laser element 13 for CD having different oscillating wavelength, positions on which the laser element 12 for DVD and the laser element 13 for CD are arranged are close to each other and therefore it is difficult for the optical pick-up apparatus 1 to make only laser light emitted from one laser element incident on the grating 3 and not to make laser light emitted from another laser element incident on the grating 3. This is because conventional optical pick-up apparatus 1 cannot help splitting the laser light R emitted from the laser element 12 for DVD to the three laser lights R0, R1, R1′ by grating 3.
Consequently, when TES of DVD is detected, there is usage of one laser light R0 which is not diffracted and transmits as zero-order diffraction light among laser lights R0, R1 and R1′ spectrally split by the grating 3 and there is not usage of the two laser lights R1 and R1′ spectrally split. Therefore, there is a problem that optical utilization efficiency for the laser light R emitted from the laser element 12 for DVD is reduced. In addition, there is a problem that current consumption is increased by increasing quantity of light of the laser light R emitted from the laser element 12 for DVD in consideration of lowering of the optical utilization efficiency.
As to an optical head in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 11l -174226, two photodetectors should be arranged on a predetermined position on which a semiconductor laser element is sandwiched between the photodetectors and therefore there is a problem that assembling and adjusting the photodetectors are difficult.
In the optical pick-up apparatus using the conventional semiconductor laser apparatus 100, in the case of detecting TES of the optical recording medium of the CD family for instance the three-beam method is used. In the three-beam method, TES is detected by using the three laser lights split by the grating 104 for generating three beams. In addition, in the optical pick-up apparatus using the conventional semiconductor laser apparatus 100, in the case of detecting TES of the optical recording medium of the DVD family for instance the phase difference method is used. In the phase difference method, one laser light transmitted as zero-order diffraction light among three laser lights split by the grating 104 is split and thereby TES is detected.
As mentioned above, when TES of the optical recording medium of the DVD family is detected, there is usage of one laser light which is not diffracted and transmits as zero-order diffraction light among three laser lights split by the grating 104 and there is not usage of the remaining two laser lights split. Therefore, there is a problem that quantity of light of laser light to be originally converged on the optical recording medium is reduced and thereby loss of the quantity of light arises and optical utilization efficiency for the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser element 1 is reduced.

Optical pick-up apparatus and semiconductor laser apparatus


The innerliner ply of a tire has been modified in thickness to provide a profiled innerline ply. A permeability relationship is established for the material of the innerliner that allows the average thickness of the innerliner ply to be adjusted based on its temperature. The maximum and minimum thickness are located in relation to the maximum and minimum internal temperature locations within the tire. A gradual change in thickness is used between the maximum and minimum thickness locations. An object of the invention is to limit the air flow through the tire in locations which have a high internal temperature. This limited air flow will improve the deterioration of rubber products in the tire and maintain an allowable inflation pressure air loss rate.

1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pneumatic tires and more specifically to tubeless tires that more effectively control inflation air loss rate during nominal operating conditions and impede the aging of materials.
2) Description of Related Art
The ability of a pneumatic tire to maintain its inflation pressure has a major effect on the performance and endurance of the tire. The tire designer selects the position, strength and configuration of various components within the tire based on an assumed tire shape which is controlled during use of the tire.
For example, a tire which is not properly inflated can have significant overall wear or significant irregular wear over the tread width. It is also well known in the art that increasing the inflation pressure lowers the rolling resistance to achieve less fuel consumption.
The vehicle operator is expected to maintain the proper inflation pressure in each tire. Frequent inspections of the tires and a checking of inflation pressure is required. It is known that air permeates from within a tire at a slow rate. However, over time this can result in a significant loss in inflation pressure. For example, a truck tire starting with an 85 psi inflation pressure can have a 2-3 psi inflation pressure loss per month, due to air permeability through the tire. U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,056 discloses maximum air loss requirements for passenger car tires. For example, a P205/75R15 tire should have a maximum loss rate of no more than 2.5 percent per month.
Tires of the well known tubeless variety maintain their inflation pressure by using a thin innerliner rubber ply which is bonded to the inside of the tire and extends from one bead segment to the axially opposite bead segment. This innerliner ply is made from a rubber composition having an excellent air retention capability. That is, the "permeability" of the innerliner ply is very low. It is not unusual for this innerliner ply material to have a permeability one order of magnitude less than that of the other rubber components of the tire. To avoid adding additional mass to the tire, the most efficient innerliner plies are those that have the lowest permeability at a minimum thickness controllable in the manufacturing process.
The most commonly used rubber compounds for the tire's innerliner ply are of a butyl or halobutyl composition having a sulfur or zinc oxide cure system. Typically, the halobutyl is a bromobutyl or chlorobutyl rubber. Other innerliner plies are composed of blends of rubber to achieve a thinner innerliner ply, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,040,583, 5,005,625 and 5,156,921.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,583 the innerliner for a 15 inch tire with a single 55 mil thick halobutyl rubber innerliner ply weighs about 10 percent of the total weight of the tire. The patent discloses a laminated innerliner ply having one layer of a non-elastomeric barrier material of low permeability which reduces the 55 mil thick halobutyl innerliner ply to a 25 mil thick laminated innerliner ply. U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,921 discloses the use of a non-elastomeric barrier layer of polyvinylidene chloride or ethylenevinyl alcohol copolymer film to obtain equal or better air retention properties with a substantial reduction in thickness and mass over butyl or halobutyl rubber innerliner plies. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,625, a blend of an acrylonitrile/butadiene copolymer rubber with a butyl, chlorobutyl or bromobutyl rubber resulted in innerliner plies having a thickness in the range of about 31 mils to 78 mils. Therefore, it is known to vary the rubber compound in the innerliner ply to achieve more control on the inflation pressure loss. However, the most cost effective innerliner ply continues to be one made using a butyl or halobutyl compound rubber. The tire industry's preferred innerliner ply has a halobutyl compounded rubber at a constant thickness to achieve an overall acceptable of inflation pressure loss rate. The measure of acceptability is based on a "permeability coefficient" which will be described in more detail herein.
Tire endurance is reduced by loss of inflation pressure between intervals of pressure maintenance as well as deterioration of the rubber components with age. The deterioration of vulcanized rubber is well known to be accelerated in a high temperature environment.
If a constant thickness innerliner ply is used in a tire, the air will permeate more rapidly in those areas of the innerliner ply having a higher temperature. Permeability as a function of temperature will be discussed in more detail in the disclosure. Higher innerliner ply temperatures are found at locations relative to the higher internal tire temperature locations. Therefore, there is a need for an innerliner ply to have not only an average thickness (to reasonably maintain the tire's inflation pressure), but also an increased thickness in areas adjacent to high internal temperature locations within the tire (to limit the accelerated aging of the rubber components within the tire).
In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,645 the innerliner on one or both sides of the mid-sidewall region is made to have a greater thickness. This thickness increase leads to a reduction in vibrations transmitted to the wheel, which are generated by the tire's engagement with the ground. This innerliner feature further reduces the surge in driving torque transmitted through the tire. Thickness increases can be in either the shoulder region, the bead region, or both. These thickened areas are of a constant thickness twice to five times thicker than the mid-sidewall regions. Abrupt changes in thickness are relative to physical locations of the shoulder 15 and the bead region 6 regardless of the internal temperatures within the tire.
The art discloses inner tubes for tires have been used which have variations in their wall thickness. Two examples of this are in U.S. Pat. No. 2,588,097 and in United Kingdom Patent No. 180305 (GB). The greatest thickness of these inner tubes is at an outer tread portion and the smallest thickness is at a rim contact portion. These patents are directed to improved puncture resistance and do not teach or suggest the need for a profiled innerliner ply to achieve tire inflation pressure retention along with better aging protection.

Method of forming tire with a profiled innerliner


A toner for electrostatic charge development is provided where the toner comprises a colorant and a resin and contains an organic boron compound represented by a following chemical formula (A) as a charge controlling agent, further the toner is treated with an inorganic fine particle and at least one of the inorganic particles is a magnesium silicate compound represented by a following general formula [2] is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toner for electrostatic charge development used for copy machines and printers practically applying electrographic technology, and an image forming method using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional electrographic methods, a latent electrostatic image formed by charging and exposing a photoconductor surface is developed by colored toners to form a toner image, the toner image is transferred onto a member to be transferred such as transfer paper and this is fixed with a heat roll to form an image.
In a dry development system employed in the electrographs and electrostatic recordings, a system using a two-component developer composed of the toner and a carrier and a system using a one-component developer containing no carrier are available. In the former system, the good images are obtained relatively stably, but the images with constant quality are hardly obtained over a long time because the carrier is easily deteriorated and variation in a mixed ratio of the toner and the carrier occurs easily, and there are also drawbacks in maintenance and downsizing of the apparatus. Thus, the latter system using the one-component developer which does not have such drawbacks has been noticed.
In this system, a procedure in which the toner (developer) is fed by typically at lest one toner feeding member, and the latent electrostatic image formed on a latent image bearing member is visualized by the fed toner is employed. At that time, it has been described that a layer thickness of the toner fed on the surface of the toner feeding member must be thin as possible. In particular, when the one-component developer is used and its toner has high electrical resistance, it is necessary to charge this toner by a developing device. Thus, the layer thickness of the toner must be remarkably thin. Because if this toner layer is thick, only the vicinity of the surface of the toner layer is charged and the entire toner layer is hardly charged uniformly.
In the right of such requests, various procedures (toner layer thickness regulating procedure) to regulate the layer thickness of the toner on the toner feeding member have been proposed, and as a representative, one which controls the layer thickness of the toner by using a pressing member (regulating blade), counterposing this regulating blade to the toner feeding member thereby pressing the toner fed on the toner feeding member surface with the regulating blade is available. A type which obtains the same effect by abutting a roller in place of the blade is also available.
In a developing step, it is necessary to control a charge amount of the toner in a proper range in the toner layer formed on a developing roller surface by the toner layer thickness regulating member. When the charge amount is low, a binding force to the developing roller becomes weak, spout from a developing device and recovery defect to the developing device occur, scattering of the toner and leakage of the toner easily occur. Such phenomena easily occur in a late phase of durability or under a high temperature and high humidity environment.
In order to solve such problems, various treating agents are used as described later, but various problems occur. In magnesium silicate minerals (attapulgite, sepiolite) described in Japanese Patent Application laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2002-31913, a percent of water content is high, charge defect easily occurs even in the ordinary use environment, and problems such as scumming, toner leakage, and toner scattering caused by the charge defect occur easily.
When magnesium silicate treated with silicone oil described in JP-A No. 03-294864, JP-A No. 04-214568 and JP-A No. 05-165257, due to the silicone oil, fluidity of the toner is deteriorated and charge increase is caused, feeding defect and density reduction are caused in the developing device. Magnesium silicate having particle diameters described in Examples is easily dissociated in the developing device, a developing member and the latent image bearing member are easily stained. Particularly in the toner using an organic boron compound, the durability is remarkably deteriorated and the image is harmfully affected.
In the toner described in JP-A No. 11-95480, when the toner is made by using magnesium silicate as a silicate fine powder body and making a coated rate 60% to 100%, if used as a negatively charged toner, a reversely charged toner occurs easily and the scumming is easily caused. Because magnesium silicate easily has the positive charge by the effect of an MgO moiety which easily has the strongly positive charge as shown in the relation with electronegativity (Journal of the Imaging Society of Japan, 39: No. 3:259).
As the toner described in JP-A No. 11-184239, when a titanic acid fine powder body is used, this material itself is low resistant, thus, the leakage of charge is large, the scumming, the toner leakage and the toner scattering occur easily.
As the toner described in JP-A No. 2003-186240, when titania is used, this material itself is low resistant and highly conductive. Thus, it is difficult to control an amount to be added, when added in a large amount, the charge leakage is large and the charge reduction of the entire toner is caused. when added in a small amount, the charge increase is caused. Thus, in both cases, the scumming, the toner leakage and the toner scattering occur easily.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Abstract: wherein X is an alkali metal, R1, R2, R3 or R4 each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a halogen atom.MgxSiyO(x+2y)  [2]        wherein x and y are integers.


An object of the present invention is to provide a toner in which the problems in the techniques described are solved. That is, the object is to provide a toner which has an excellent charging characteristic regardless of the environment and which achieves high image quality over a long period of time.

User requirements for electrophotographic techniques used in copiers, printers, facsimile receiving devices, and the like are becoming more and more demanding year by year as devices develop further. According to recent trends, it has become essential that high-speed printing of many sheets is possible, and that high image quality can be maintained regardless of the environment because the use environment has become diversified with the expansion of the market.
In order to satisfy the requirements described above, toners having high durability and high stability have been needed more than ever, and various studies have been conducted. For example, as a method for evaluating the chargeability of toner, measurement of a thermally stimulated current has been disclosed (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1). Furthermore, it has been disclosed that, when the thermally stimulated current has a specific value, a toner having a good charging characteristic can be provided (for example, refer to Patent Literature 2 to Patent Literature 5).
In each of Patent Literature 2 and Patent Literature 3, by defining first and second thermally stimulated current values in specific temperature ranges, the existential state of a wax on the toner surface is estimated. This makes it possible to obtain a toner having an excellent charging characteristic, thus realizing high image quality regardless of the environment.
Patent Literature 4 discloses a technique in which a thermally stimulated current in a toner has two or more peaks in a specific range, and on the basis of the relationship between the peak values, a toner having good rise of charging and good retentivity of charge is obtained. In this way, even in a state of being left to stand for a long period of time, it is possible to immediately obtain a sufficient charge amount, which makes it possible to shorten the start-up time.
Patent Literature 5 discloses that it is possible to provide a toner having high durability and high charge stability on the basis of the temperature at which a thermally stimulated current is generated in a toner and hardness of toner.
In each of the patent literatures described above, the charging characteristic is defined on the basis of the peak current value at a certain temperature in the measurement of a thermally stimulated current in the toner. However, in such a definition, the charging characteristic of toner under various environments, such as under a high-temperature, high-humidity environment and under a low-temperature, low-humidity environment, is not defined. Therefore, in the toners described in the patent literatures described above, there is still room for improvement in terms of retention of charge under a high-temperature, high-humidity environment and inhibition of excessive charging under a low-temperature, low-humidity environment.

Abstract: A toner includes toner particles including at least a binder resin, a colorant, and a wax, and at least one inorganic fine powder, the toner being characterized in that, in a thermally stimulated current spectrum of the toner measured with a thermally stimulated current measurement apparatus, the thermally stimulated current spectrum of the toner has a specific shape.


The effector of a robot is constructed with positioning pads at its distal end. The pads provide an accurate registration surface for engagement of the substrate. A pair of idler rollers, which slide along the longitudinal axis of the effector, is moved by an actuator into engagement with the substrate and the assembly urges the substrate against the positioning pads. A pair of wheels is mounted on a platform independent of the effector with one of the wheels driven by a motor. An optical sensor mounted with the wheels detects an orientation mark on the edge of the substrate and allows the driven wheel to rotate the substrate to its specified angular position.

This invention relates to the alignment and orientation of substrates on a robot which is part of a semiconductor processing system.
The processing of semiconductors often involves multiple process steps such as the deposit of a film on a substrate or substrate by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), the photo etching of the film, as well as heating, cooling and cleaning.
Each of the process operations is generally performed under vacuum in a specialized process chamber. Depending on the nature of each process, either batch processing of semiconductor substrates or individual substrate processing is used. In either of the above systems, for each process step, the process chamber must be vented, the substrate loaded, the chamber sealed and pumped to vacuum. After processing, the steps are reversed.
In batch processing, a cluster of processing chambers are arranged around a substrate transport chamber which is constructed to be kept under vacuum. One or more load lock chambers are connected through slit valves to the transport chamber.
The load locks accommodate cassettes of substrates to be processed. The cassettes are delivered to the load lock by the front end delivery transport of the system. A load lock constructed to accommodate such cassettes is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,925 owned in common with the subject application. The disclosure of the ""925 patent is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.
In batch processing cycling times are reduced, while significantly increasing system throughput. The process and transport chambers are maintained continuously under vacuum, while only the load lock is cycled. The load lock receives the substrates to be processed after being sealed from the transport chamber and vented to atmosphere. The front end port is than sealed and the load lock is pumped to a vacuum consistent with the transport and processing chambers.
A robotic transfer mechanism is mounted within the transport chamber and operates to remove substrates from the load lock and deliver them to the selected process chambers. After processing, the substrates are picked up by the robot and transported to the next process chamber or to a load lock for removal from the transport chamber. In some instances, for timing purposes, these systems may employ buffer stations which are adapted to store substrates either before loading or at other times during the transport of the substrate through the system.
A system of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,413 and an example of a robotic transfer mechanism is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,724, each of which is assigned to an owner common to this application. The disclosures of these patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
It has been found that substrates up to 200 mm in diameter can be effectively processed with the cluster type systems. However, there is a trend towards increasing diameters and the cluster systems become unduly large when processing substrates of 300 mm or more in diameter. In some circumstances, there is a need to provide a more compact process handling module, which is capable of being installed in a side by side relation within a small envelope of space. In addition there is a need for system modules which are more adaptable to the wide variety of process chambers and front end delivery transports. A system of this type is described in commonly owned Application for patent Ser. No. 09/897,202 filed Jul. 2, 2001.
In all of the above systems there are requirements for accurate alignment of the substrate on the robot arm of the transport mechanism. This insures that the process is applied in a controllable distribution over the substrate surface. In addition there is a need to orient the substrate in a consistent angular position to insure that each substrate is processed in the same pattern. The orientation step consists of locating an orientation mark, which is generally a notch placed at a predetermined location on the edge of the substrate. The overall registration of the substrate on the robot arm needs to be accomplished at some point accessible to the normal trajectory of the substrate prior to its insertion into a processing chamber.
It is a purpose of this invention to provide a mechanism for accurate and consistent alignment and edge orientation of a substrate on the robot arm.
One of the current solutions to accomplishing this registration function is to provide a separate station for aligning and orienting the substrate prior to placement of the substrate on the robot arm. This complicates the processing path of the substrate with a potential delay in the overall processing cycle time. Another prior art mechanism is constructed at the distal end of the effector. In this system a driven roller is mounted on the distal end with an associated drive motor to rotate the substrate to its desired orientation. This creates a thick profile at the end effector which may obstruct the entrance of the substrate into some process chambers. In addition this weighs down the end effector and makes it cumbersome. Another mechanism is mounted on the robot drive base for engagement by the robot arm. In this configuration, the alignment/orientation mechanism must be moved out of the way of the robot arm prior to movement to a processing chamber.
It is a purpose of this invention to provide alignment of a substrate on a robot arm by mechanically centering the substrate on fixed tip pads and providing a separate orientation module against which the substrate is banked by motion of the effector. This eliminates the need for additional mass on the effector.
The mechanism of this invention consist of an effector constructed with a pair of fixed positioning pads at the its distal end. At the back end of the effector, a pair of idler rollers are mounted for sliding motion along the central longitudinal axis of the effector. The idler rollers are moved by means of a vacuum actuator, into engagement with the inner edge of the substrate and push the substrate into engagement with the positioning pads of the effector. The vacuum actuator has sufficient spring action built in to bias the substrate outward. An edge orientation module is positioned independently and is constructed with a pair of wheels one of which is driven. The substrate is moved into engagement with the wheels in a way that lifts the edge of the substrate free of the positioning pads. The lifting frees the substrate for rotation on the inner idler rollers and the wheels of the orientation module. A simple optical sensor is positioned between the wheels to locate the orientation notch. Once the center of the notch is located, the substrate can be rotated to its specified angular orientation. The lift action may be obtained by the z axis of the robot or by providing a z axis motion for the orientation module.
In an alternate embodiment, the orientation module is mounted on a lower arm of the robot in a position which allows engagement of the substrate edge by movement of the effector. In this instance, it may be advantageous to provide a z axis motion of the orientation module to lift the substrate for rotation. The z axis motion can also be accomplished by mounting the orientation module to the grounded base drive of the robot arm drive and using the z axis supplied as part of the robot drive to allow relative motion between the end effector and the orientation module.

Apparatus for alignment and orientation of a wafer for processing


An image forming apparatus which may include an apparatus body, a feed tray, an image forming unit, an eject section and a first transport mechanism forming a first transport path extending between the feed tray and the eject section via the image forming unit. The image forming apparatus may also include a second transport mechanism forming a second transport path that extends between a branch position located downstream of the image forming unit on the first transport path and a merge position located upstream of the image forming unit on the first transport path. The second transport mechanism may be configured to transport the recording medium along the second transport path and reintroduce the recording medium to the first transport path from the merge position. At least one part of the second transport mechanism and the feed tray may be incorporated in a detachable unit.

A known image forming apparatus can form an image on both sides of a recording medium. The image forming apparatus has a built-in transport mechanism that transports the recording medium. This transport mechanism forms a first transport path and a second transport path.
In the duplex printing function, first, a recording medium drawn out from a feed tray is transported along the first transport path. As the recording medium passes through an image forming position on the first transport path, an image is formed on one side of the recording medium.
Thereafter, the recording medium continues to be transported on the first transport path, and when the rear end of the recording medium reaches a position where the rear end passes through the branch position from the first transport path to the second transport path, the recording medium is switched back so that the recording medium is introduced to the second transport path.
Then, the recording medium transported on the second transport path is introduced to the first transport path again at a position located upstream of the above-mentioned image forming position on the first transport path. At this time, the surface and back of the recording medium are reversed. Thus, as the recording medium is transported along the first transport path and passes through the above-mentioned image forming position again, an image is formed on the other side of the recording medium. In the image forming apparatus which has a duplex printing unit, the duplex printing unit is provided at the position of the lowermost part of the image forming apparatus. This duplex printing unit forms the second transport path mentioned above. The feed tray is located above the duplex printing unit.
In the image forming apparatus according to the related art as described above, when the recording medium transported along the second transport path is jammed (when a jam occurs) inside the duplex printing unit, the user first detaches the feed tray from the main body, and then removes the jammed recording medium by sticking a hand into the space where the feed tray was previously accommodated.
However, generally, the space where the feed tray was previously accommodated is often very narrow. It is difficult to remove the recording medium positioned in between a transport roller and a pinch roller that are provided in the duplex printing unit.


A semiconductor device and a fabrication method are provided. The fabrication method includes providing a base substrate including a core region having a first gate structure formed thereon, and an edge region having a second gate structure formed thereon; forming a source/drain doped layer, in the core region of the base substrate on both sides of the first gate structure, and in the edge region of the base substrate on both sides of the second gate structure, respectively, the source/drain doped layer including first ions; and doping the second ions in the source/drain doped layer in the edge region, the second ions having a conductivity type opposite to the first ions.

MOS transistors are one of the most important components in modern integrated circuits. The basic structure of a MOS transistor includes a semiconductor substrate, a gate structure on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, a source region in the semiconductor substrate located on one side of the gate structure, and a drain region in the semiconductor substrate located on the other side of the gate structure. The MOS transistor operates according to the following principle: a switching signal is generated by applying a voltage on the gate structure and adjusting the electric current in the channel region under the gate structure.
With the development of semiconductor technologies, the controlling ability of the traditional planar MOS transistor on the channel current becomes weaker, causing a severe leakage current phenomenon. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) is a new multi-gate device that typically includes a plurality of fins protruding from the surface of the semiconductor substrate, a gate structure covering a portion of the top and sidewall surfaces of the fins, a source region in the fins on one side of the gate structure, and a drain region in the fins on the other side of the gate structure.
However, the process of forming a semiconductor device, such as a planar MOS transistor or a FinFET, is quite complicated. The disclosed semiconductor device and method are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems in the art.

Semiconductor device and fabrication method thereof

Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation

Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation


A microprocessor or the like supplies address signals for memory access according to its own operation speed irrespective of operation speed of a memory. A plurality of registers which take a plurality of address signals inputted in asynchronous state are installed in the memory. The memory access is performed according to sequence of the address signals taken in these plural registers.

The present invention relates to memories, and, for example, to effective technology to be utilized in a semiconductor integrated circuit device such as a buffer memory used in data transmission.
In a dynamic type RAM (random access memory) or a static type RAM, memory access is performed in synchronization with an external signal such as substantial chip selective signal and address signal. Regarding such dynamic type RAM or static type RAM, description is, for example, in "Hitachi IC memory data book" published by Hitachi, Ltd. in September 1985.
In the above-mentioned dynamic type RAM or static type RAM, the memory access speed is restricted by the external signal as above described. Consequently, when the memory access is performed from a microprocessor or the like with different memory access speed, the bit rate is determined by slower operation speed.

Memory including address registers for increasing access speed to the memory


An exemplary backlight control circuit (20) includes: at least two load circuits (210), a pulse width modulation integrated circuit (PWM IC) (250) having a current sampling pin (251), a switching circuit (270), and an input circuit (230). Each load circuit includes a backlight and a backlight inspecting circuit having an output end. The switching circuit includes a first transistor which includes a source electrode connected to ground, a drain electrode connected to the current sampling pin, a gate electrode connected to a power supply. The input circuit includes at least two first diodes, at least two input resistor, a second transistor, and a pink-to-pink detector circuit. The pink-to-pink detector circuit includes a second diode, a second bias resistor, and a second filter capacitor. Each output end of the load circuits is connected to the gate electrode of the second transistor via the input resistor, the first and second diode.

An LCD has the advantages of portability, low power consumption, and low radiation, and has been widely used in various portable information products such as notebooks, personal digital assistants (PDAs), video cameras and the like. Furthermore, the LCD is considered by many to have the potential to completely replace CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors and televisions.
A typical LCD includes an LCD panel, a plurality of backlights for illuminating the LCD panel, an inverter circuit for driving the backlights, and a backlight control circuit. The backlight control circuit generally includes a pulse width modulation integrated circuit (PWM IC) for driving the inverter circuit, and a backlight protection circuit for shutting down the PWM IC when any one of the backlights has an open circuit or a short circuit connecting to ground.
FIG. 2 is an abbreviated diagram of a typical backlight control circuit 100. The backlight control circuit 100 includes four load circuits 110, a PWM IC 150, and a backlight protection circuit (not labeled). The backlight protection circuit includes a switching circuit 170 and an input circuit 130.
Each load circuit 110 includes a backlight 111 and a backlight inspecting circuit 113 connected in series between a power supply (not shown) and ground. The backlight inspecting circuit 113 includes an output end 112. The output end 112 provides a high voltage when the corresponding backlight 111 works. The output end 112 provides a low voltage when the corresponding backlight 111 has an open circuit or a short circuit connecting to ground.
The PWM IC 150 includes a current sampling pin 151. The PWM IC 150 stops working if the current sampling pin 151 has a low voltage.
The switching circuit 170 includes a first transistor 171 and a current limiting resistor 172. The first transistor 171 includes a source electrode "S", a drain electrode "D", and a gate electrode "G". The source electrode "S" is connected to ground. The drain electrode "D" is connected to the current sampling pin 151 of the PWM IC 150. The gate electrode "G" is connected to a power supply via the current limiting resistor 172. The power supply is provided by a power pin (not labeled) of the PWM IC 150.
The input circuit 130 includes four diodes 131, four resistors 132, four capacitors 135, a second transistor 1332, a third transistor 1333, a fourth transistor 1334, and a fifth transistor 1335. Each transistor 1332, 1333, 1334, 1335 includes a source electrode "S", a drain electrode "D", and a gate electrode "G". The drain electrode "D" of the second transistor 1332 is connected to the gate electrode "G" of the first transistor 171. The drain electrode "D" of the third transistor 1333 is connected to the source electrode "S" of the second transistor 1332. The drain electrode "D" of the fourth transistor 1334 is connected to the source electrode "S" of the third transistor 1333. The drain electrode "D" of the fifth transistor 1335 is connected to the source electrode "S" of the fourth transistor 1334. The source electrode "S" of the fifth transistor 1335 is connected to ground. The gate electrodes "G" of the second, third, fourth, and fifth transistors 1332, 1333, 1334, 1335 are connected to negative terminals of the four diodes 131, respectively. Positive terminals of the four diodes 131 are connected to the output ends 112 of the backlight inspecting circuits 113, respectively. Each of the gate electrodes "G" of the second, third, fourth, and fifth transistors 1332, 1333, 1334, 1335 is connected to ground via a corresponding resistor 132, and is connected to ground via a corresponding capacitor 135.
The first transistor 171, the second transistor 1332, the third transistor 1333, the fourth transistor 1334, and the fifth transistor 1335 are negative-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) type transistors.
Operation of the backlight control circuit 100 is as follows. When all the backlights 111 work normally, each of the output ends 112 provides a high voltage to the corresponding gate electrode "G" of the second, third, fourth, and fifth transistor 1332, 1333, 1334, 1335 via the corresponding diode 131. Then the second, third, fourth, and fifth transistors 1332, 1333, 1334, 1335 are switched to an activated state, and the gate electrode "G" of the first transistor 171 is connected to ground via the activated second, third, fourth, and fifth transistors 1332, 1333, 1334, 1335. Thus the first transistor 171 is turned off, and the current sampling pin 151 of the PWM IC 150 maintains an original working voltage.
When any one of the backlights 111 has an open circuit or has a short circuit connecting to ground, the corresponding output end 112 provides a low voltage to the corresponding gate electrode "G" of the second, third, fourth, and fifth transistors 1332, 1333, 1334, 1335 via the corresponding diode 131. Then the corresponding second, third, fourth, or fifth transistor 1332, 1333, 1334, 1335 is turned off, so that the gate electrode "G" of the first transistor 171 is charged to a high voltage by the power supply via the current limiting resistor 172. Thus the first transistor 171 is switched to an activated state, and the current sampling pin 151 of the PWM IC 150 is connected to ground via the activated first transistor 171. Consequently, the current sampling pin 151 of the PWM IC 150 is charged to a low voltage, and the PWM IC 150 stops working.
The backlight control circuit 100 includes the five transistors 171, 1332, 1333, 1334, 1335 needed to carry out the function of protecting the backlights 111. Further, the number of transistors needed increases with the number of backlights 111 used in the LCD. Consequently, the cost of the backlight control circuit 100 is high, particularly in the case where the number of backlights 111 is large.
It is desired to provide a backlight control circuit used in an LCD which overcomes the above-described deficiencies.

Backlight control circuit with two transistors


A method and apparatus for authentication in a wireless communication network is disclosed. A secret is shared between a mobile device and a home device. When a mobile device requests a connection to a remote device and the remote device does not have knowledge of the shared secret, the remote device determines whether the mobile device can connect to the remote device by concurrently sending a challenge to the mobile device and the home device. The remote device then compares the responses from the mobile device and the home device.

Because modern communication is increasingly ad hoc and mobile, there is a need for authentication of mobile devices. In wireless networks where security, resource control, and/or accounting is managed, a mobile device may need to be authenticated and authorized before the mobile device is granted access to services in the wireless network. Further, secure communications are necessary in wireless networks because the communication link in which communications take place is easily observable and easily tampered with. For example, a false message may be inserted into a communication between a mobile device and the wireless network to which the mobile device is connected. Such secure communications necessarily require authentication of the mobile device.
There are many existing authentication techniques, however, the existing techniques are lacking for a number of reasons. The first category of authentication techniques involves the use of public key cryptography. Examples of public key cryptography include Digital Signature Standard (DSS), Rivest Shamir Adelman (RSA), and Diffie-Hellman algorithms. However, such examples are computationally intensive which makes them inappropriate as a general technique for a wireless network environment where mobile devices are limited in computational and power capabilities. Such public key techniques may be used on initial connection, when more delay can be tolerated, but may not be acceptable as part of the process to authenticate to a new connection point during a real-time transfer such as a voice conversation.
The second category of authentication techniques requires the release by a home network to a remote network of a secret also known to the mobile device. These techniques are also lacking because such techniques reduce security and control. For example, releasing the secret to a remote network may allow a malign remote network to impersonate the home network and perform improper authentications. Further, giving the secret to a remote network may allow the remote network to eavesdrop on the mobile device's communications with subsequent remote networks which decreases the level of security in the wireless network.
The third category of authentication techniques involves a large number of sequential protocol exchanges (round trips) between the mobile device, remote network, and the home network which induces much latency. Examples of such techniques involve the flow of messages 1) from the mobile device through the remote network back to the home network and 2) from the home network back through the remote network to the mobile device. In certain applications where latency can be a critical problem, such as voice and other isochronous communications, having such latency is not acceptable. For example, a communication session between public safety personnel can not tolerate the significant delay or interruption to voice that such techniques cause.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved method of authenticating mobile devices.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

Method and apparatus for authentication of mobile devices


When a driver turns on an accelerator, a CPU permits revolution of planetary gears, and a motor rotates a ring gear to drive wheels. Then, when the driver turns off the accelerator, the CPU calculates a target RPM to be output by a Stirling engine according to a depression amount and a depression time of the accelerator. When the RPM output by the Stirling engine reaches close to the target RPM, the revolution of the planetary gears is inhibited, the operation of the motor is stopped, and the Stirling engine rotates the ring gear via a sun gear and the planetary gears to drive the wheels.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a hybrid vehicle driving system that transmits power output by two types of power sources having different characteristics to wheels, a hybrid vehicle, and a driving method.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, a hybrid vehicle including two types of power sources having different characteristics has been put to practical use. The hybrid vehicle is configured so as to run with power output by the two types of power sources optimally combined depending on circumstances to make the most of advantages of the power sources and compensate for disadvantages thereof.
The conventional hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. Thus, for example, the internal combustion engine with low efficiency is stopped in a low speed or light load region and wheels are driven by the electric motor, thereby improving fuel efficiency.
However, the conventional hybrid vehicle has a problem that disadvantages of the internal combustion engine cannot be overcome such as high noise due to combustion and explosion of fuel, limitation on types of fuel, or difficulty in reducing exhaust gas containing pollutants.
The external combustion engine, unlike the internal combustion engine, lowers noise due to combustion, accepts a wide range of types and forms (gas, liquid, or solid) of fuel, and allows combustion under an optimum condition, and thus has an advantage of easily reducing exhaust of pollutants.
However, the external combustion engine has a disadvantage that a reaction rate of output adjustment is lower than that of the internal combustion engine.
Thus, an electric vehicle including an external combustion engine and an electric motor has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-239804).
The electric vehicle described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-239804 is configured so that electric power generated by a generator interlocked with the external combustion engine is supplied to the electric motor, and power output by the electric motor is transmitted to wheels. In such an electric vehicle, the electric motor that is high in reaction rate of output adjustment drives the wheels, and the external combustion engine constantly drives the generator. Thus, there is no need for sudden output adjustment of the external combustion engine.

Hybrid vehicle driving system, hybrid vehicle, and driving method


Method and apparatus, among other things, are provided for detecting a charger type. In an example, a method to classify a potential charger coupled to a port of an electronic device can include detecting the potential charger coupled to a USB-compatible port of the electronic device, applying a pull-down current to first and second data lines of the USB-compatible port to provide a first test voltage on each of the first and second data lines, and executing a primary detection process of a USB Battery Charging 1.2 Compliance Plan if the first test voltage on each of the first and second data lines is not between a first threshold and a second threshold using the pull-down current.

Generally, there has been a recent trend towards the standardization of external ports on electronic devices, such as data or charging ports. In many electronic devices, such as mobile electronics, a single port, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port can be configured as a data port, a charging port, or a data and charging port. Further, many different types of charging ports exist (e.g., having different power capabilities). The battery-charging standard, "USB Battery Charging 1.2 Compliance Plan, Revision 1.0" (herein, "BC1.2 Compliance Plan"), defines several types of charging ports, including a Dedicated Charging Port (DCP), a Charging Downstream Port (CDP), and a Standard Downstream Port (SDP).
However, many manufacturers retain proprietary charging mechanisms that can be incorrectly detected using the BC1.2 Compliance Plan detection flow. In many examples, incorrectly identifying the type of charging mechanism can translate to the charger being utilized at a decreased operating current, increasing the charge time of the electronic device.

Charger detection with proprietary charger support


A radio-frequency signal receive section, including an antenna, collectively receives radio-frequency signals on a plurality of channels each of which is modulated with data and outputs a received signal. In a quadrature demodulator, the received signal is multiplied by each of first quadrature local signals to produce quadrature baseband signals. In two low-pass filters, low-frequency component signals are extracted from the quadrature baseband signals. In a quadrature modulator, the low-frequency component signals are multiplied by second quadrature local signals and thereby converted into quadrature intermediate-frequency signals, which are in turn combined into an output signal. After converted into a digital signal, the output signal of the quadrature modulator is inputted to a digital signal processing unit where a signal on at least one channel is selected and the selected signal is processed to recover the original data.

The present invention relates to a receiver that is adaptable to a plurality of radio communication systems and more specifically to a receiver that collectively receives signals within the overall system band, selects a desired channel, and recovers original data transmitted on the selected channel.
In a communications environment in which there exist a plurality of radio communication systems that differ in frequency or band used, each radio terminal is required to have the ability to accommodate communications of the respective radio communication systems with a single receiver unit. From the following reasons it is difficult for conventional superheterodyne receivers to meet such a requirement with their practical arrangement.
In the superheterodyne receivers, a received signal from an antenna has an image-frequency signal eliminated therefrom and is then converted into a first intermediate-frequency signal. The first intermediate-frequency signal has an image-frequency signal eliminated again and is then converted into a second intermediate-frequency signal that is enough lower in frequency than the first intermediate-frequency signal. A signal on a desired channel is selected from the second intermediate-frequency signal and then demodulated. Where the received signal is an FM (frequency modulated), the second intermediate-frequency signal is subjected to amplitude limitation in an amplitude limiter and then applied to a frequency discriminator where the received signal is demodulated.
In the receiver thus arranged, an image suppression filter and a channel selection filter are used each of which consists of a passive filter such as a surface acoustic filter or a ceramic filter. The passive filter has great physical dimensions and moreover is costly, which prevents the downsizing and the cost reduction of the radio-frequency circuitry. In the passive filter, the central frequency and the bandwidth of the passband are usually fixed, and it is therefore difficult to make the central frequency and the bandwidth variable. In order for a radio terminal to receive simultaneously transmitted signals in multiple radio communication systems that differ in frequency and bandwidth, it is required to install a passive filter for each system. This cannot be granted from the viewpoint of any of physical dimensions and cost.
As a reception system that solves these problems, attention is paid to a direct conversion system. In a direct conversion receiver, a received signal from an antenna is fed into a quadrature demodulator, which, in two mixers, multiplies the received signal by two local signals that have substantially the same frequency as the received signal and are 90 degrees (.pi./2) out of phase with each other to thereby convert the received signal into two baseband signals having a 90-degree phase difference. The baseband signals are then applied to low-pass filters to select a signal on a desired channel.
FIG. 12 shows the manner in which a desired channel is selected. A signal on the desired channel is converted into zero frequency (DC) and then fed into a low-pass filter which eliminates other channels and interferential waves. The signal on the selected channel is amplified and then converted into a digital signal by an analog-to-digital converter. The digital signal is then applied to a digital signal processing section where original data is recovered.
In the direct conversion receiver, a received signal is directly converted into a baseband signal; thus, in principle there exists no image interference resulting from intermediate-frequency conversion. Accordingly, there is no need for an image suppression filter, consisting of a passive filter, that is essential to superheterodyne receivers. The channel selective low-pass filter can be implemented by an LSI. Thus, a broadband receiver can be implemented which does not require a separate device for each different radio communication system and is adaptable to a plurality of radio communication systems.
However, the direct conversion receiver requires to use inevitably the baseband demodulation as described above with resulting lack of flexibility. To overcome such a drawback, there have been proposals for signal processing systems which involve quadrature demodulation of a received signal and intermediate-frequency conversion of the demodulated signal, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 59-196629 (FM RECEIVER) by way of example.
An attempt to arrange the receivers disclosed in the above publication so that they can accommodate a plurality of radio communication systems encounters the following problems. First, with the channel selective low-pass filter, it is required to make the passband variable over a wide range so that a selection can be made from channels including from a narrowband signal to a broadband signal over the overall system band. Further, in order for the filter to have the channel selecting function, it is required to use a very sharp high-order filter. On the other hand, the local oscillator in the quadrature demodulator is required to be capable of setting its oscillation frequency so as to accommodate all the radio communication systems that differ in channel spacing.
Thus, a severe burden is imposed on the performance of an analog circuit section in order to allow the arrangements as disclosed in the above-described publications to accommodate a plurality of radio communication systems. In general, in comparison with digital circuits, analog circuits have a large variability of characteristics and their characteristics are liable to vary with temperature and aging. To improve the performance and stability of receivers, therefore, it is not advisable to impose a burden on the performance of an analog circuit.

Direct conversion receiver with wide band analog frequency conversion front end and digital demodulating and selecting back end


An interactive display panel includes scan lines, first data lines, sub-pixels, photo-sensors and second data lines. The scan lines and the first data lines are intersected to define sub-pixel regions. Each of the sub-pixels is located in one of the sub-pixel regions and has a display region, and each of the sub-pixels is electrically connected with one of the scan lines and one of the first data lines respectively. The photo-sensors are located outside the display regions of the sub-pixels. The scan lines and the second data lines are intersected and electrically connected with the photo-sensors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an interactive display panel. More particularly, the present invention relates to an interactive display panel having touch-sensing function.
2. Description of Related Art
Display panels traditionally serve the role of displaying the information or the output from a system, while other input device or devices provide inputs to the system. Interactive devices, such as a touch panel that can receive a user's input via touching the display panel, combines both output and input functions and allow a user to interact with the display or the system coupled to the display. As an example, devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, personal computers (PCs), tablet PCs (PC), etc. have incorporated touch panels for providing users with more choices in providing inputs to or operate a system.
Conventional touch panels or touch screens have a number of different designs, such as resistive type, surface-wave type, capacitive type, and infrared-ray type designs. However, all of these designs typically require combining a display device with a separate touch panel sheet, which may affect the display quality of the display, increase the weight and size of an existing display panel, and, usually unavoidably, significantly increase the manufacturing cost and time of the combined device. In order to decrease the manufacturing cost and time of the combined device, in-cell type touch display panels are developed and manufactured. The above-mentioned in-cell type touch display panel includes a display panel, a plurality of photo-sensors arranged in array, a plurality of scan lines, and a plurality of readout lines. The photo-sensors, the scan lines, and the readout lines are integrated within the display panel. The photo-sensors are suitable for receiving optical signal from an optical stylus. The scan lines and the readout lines are electrically connected with the photo-sensors such that the photo-sensors are sequentially turned on through the scan lines and the photo-current generated from the photo-sensors are transmitted to a touch sensing IC through the readout lines.
Conventionally, in order to receive optical signal from the optical stylus, the photo-sensors integrated within the in-cell type touch display panel are generally located within display regions of sub-pixels. In the conventional pixel design of the in-cell type touch display panel, aperture ratio thereof is significantly reduced because portions of display regions are occupied and blocked by the photo-sensors. Accordingly, aperture ratio of the conventional in-cell type touch display panel is required to be improved.

Interactive display panel having touch-sensing functions


Polyamines having the formula: or a salt thereof with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid wherein: R1-R6 may be the same or different and are alkyl, aryl, aryl alkyl, cycloalkyl, optionally having an alkyl chain interrupted by at least one etheric oxygen atom, or hydrogen;                N1, N2, N3 and N4 are nitrogen atoms capable of protonation at physiological pH's;        a and b may be the same or different and are integers from 1 to 4;        A, B and C may be the same or different and are bridging groups which effectively maintain the distance between the nitrogen atoms such that the polyamines:                    (i) are capable of uptake by a target cell upon administration thereof to a human or non-human animal; and            (ii) upon uptake by the target cell, competitively bind via an electrostatic interaction between the positively charged nitrogen atoms to substantially the same biological counter-anions as the intracellular natural polyamines in the target cell;the polyamines, upon binding to the biological counter-anion in the cell, function in a manner biologically different than the intracellular polyamines, the polyamines not occurring in nature; as well as pharmaceutical compositions embodying the polyamines and methods of treating patients requiring anti-neoplastic therapy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to analogs of biologically active, naturally occurring polyamines having a wide variety of therapeutic properties, as well as pharmaceutical compositions containing the analogs and their use in methods of therapeutic treatment.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In recent years, a great deal of attention has been focussed on the polyamines, e.g., spermidine, norspermidine, homospermidine, 1,4-diaminobutane (putrescine) and spermine. These studies have been largely directed at the biological properties of the polyamines probably because of the role they play in proliferative processes. It was shown early on that the polyamine levels in dividing cells, e.g., cancer cells, are much higher than in resting cells. See Janne et al, A. Biochim. Biophys. Acta., Vol. 473, page 241 (1978); Fillingame et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., Vol. 72, page 4042 (1975); Metcalf et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc., Vol. 100, page 2551 (1978); Flink et al, Nature (London), Vol. 253, page 62 (1975); and Pegg et al, Polyamine Metabolism and Function, Am. J. Cell. Physiol., Vol. 243, pages 212-221 (1982).
Several lines of evidence indicate that polyamines, particularly spermidine, are required for cell proliferation: (i) they are found in greater amounts in growing than in non-growing tissues; (ii) prokaryotic and eukaryotic mutants deficient in polyamine biosynthesis are auxotrophic for polyamines; and (iii) inhibitors specific for polyamine biosynthesis also inhibit cell growth. Despite this evidence, the precise biological role of polyamines in cell proliferation is uncertain. It has been suggested that polyamines, by virtue of their charged nature under physiological conditions and their conformational flexibility, might serve to stabilize macromolecules such as nucleic acids by anion neutralization. See Dkystra et al, Science, Vol. 149, page 48 (1965); Russell et al, Polyamines as Biochemical Markers of Normal and Malignant Growth (Raven, New York, 1978); Hirschfield et al, J. Bacteriol., Vol. 101, page 725 (1970); Hafner et al, J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 254, page 12419 (1979); Cohn et al, J. Bacteriol., Vol. 134, page 208 (1978); Pohjatipelto et al, Nature (London), Vol. 293, page 475 (1981); Mamont et al, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., Vol. 81, page 58 (1978); Bloomfield et al, Polyamines in Biology and Medicine (D. R. Morris and L. J. Morton, eds., Dekker, New York, 1981), pages 183-205; Gosule et al, Nature, Vol. 259, page 333 (1976); Gabbay et al, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., Vol. 171, page 810 (1970); Suwalsky et al, J. Mol. Biol., Vol. 42, page 363 (1969); and Liquori et al, J. Mol. Biol., Vol. 24, page 113 (1968).
However, regardless of the reason for increased polyamine levels, the phenomenon can be and has been exploited in chemotherapy. See Sjoerdsma et al, Butterworths Int. Med. Rev.: Clin. Pharmacol. Thera., Vol. 35, page 287 (1984); Israel et al, J. Med. Chem., Vol. 16, page 1 (1973); Morris et al, Polyamines in Biology and Medicine, Dekker, New York, page 223 (1981); and Wang et al, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., Vol. 94, page 85 (1980).
Because of the role the natural polyamines play in proliferation, a great deal of effort has been invested in the development of polyamine analogs as anti-proliferatives [Cancer Res., Vol. 49, "The role of methylene backbone in the anti-proliferative activity of polyamine analogues on L1210 cells," Bergeron et al, pages 2959-2964 (1989); J. Med. Chem., Vol. 31, "Synthetic polyamine analogues as antineoplastics," Bergeron et al, pages 1183-1190 (1988); Polyamines in Biochemical and Clinical Research, "Regulation of polyamine biosynthetic activity by spermidine and spermine—a novel antiproliferative strategy," Porter et al, pages 677-690 (1988); Cancer Res., Vol. 49, "Major increases in spermidine/spermine-N1-acetyl transferase activity by spermine analogues and their relationship to polyamine depletion and growth inhibition in L1210 cells," Basu et al, pages 6226-6231 (1989); Biochem. J., Vol. 267, "Induction of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase activity in Chinese-hamster ovary cells by N1,N11-bis(ethyl)norspermine and related compounds," Pegg et al, pages 331-338 (1990); Biochem. J., Vol. 268, "Combined regulation of ornithine and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylases by spermine and the spermine analogue N1N12-bis-(ethyl)spermine," Porter et al, pages 207-212 (1990); Cancer Res., Vol. 50, "Effect of N1,N14-bis(ethyl)-homospermine on the growth of U-87 MG and SF-126 on human brain tumor cells," Basu et al, pages 3137-3140 (1990); and Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., Vol. 152, "The effect of structural changes in a polyamine backbone on its DNA binding properties," Stewart, pages 1441-1446 (1988)]. These efforts have included the design of new synthetic methods [J. Org. Chem., Vol. 45, "Synthesis of N4-acylated N1,N8-bis(acyl)spermidines: An approach to the synthesis of siderophores," Bergeron et al, pages 1589-1592 (1980); Synthesis, "Reagents for the selective acylation of spermidine, homospermidine and bis-[3-amino-propyl]amine," Bergeron et al, pages 732-733 (1981); Synthesis, "Reagents for the selective secondary functionalization of linear triamines," Bergeron et al, pages 689-692 (1982); Synthesis, "Amines and polyamines from nitrites," Bergeron et al, pages 782-785 (1984); J. Org. Chem., Vol. 49, "Reagents for the stepwise functionalization of spermidine, homospermidine and bis-[3-aminopropyl]amine," Bergeron et al, page 2997 (1984); Accts. Chem. Res., Vol. 19, "Methods for the selective modification of spermidine and its homologues," Bergeron, pages 105-113 (1986); Bioorg. Chem., Vol. 14, "Hexahydropyrimidines as masked spermidine vectors in drug delivery," Bergeron et al, pages 345-355 (1986); J. Org. Chem., Vol. 53, "Reagents for the stepwise functionalization of spermine," Bergeron et al, pages 3108-3111 (1988); J. Org. Chem., Vol. 52, "Total synthesis of (±)-15-Deoxyspergualin," Bergeron et al, pages 1700-1703 (1987); J. Org. Chem., Vol. 56, "The total synthesis of Alcaligin," Bergeron et al, pages 586-593 (1991); and CRC Handbook on Microbial Iron Chelates, "Synthesis of catecholamide and hydroxamate siderophores," Bergeron et al, pages 271-307 (1991)] for the production of these analogs, as well as extensive biochemical studies focussed on the mechanism by which these compounds act [Cancer Res., Vol. 46, "A comparison and characterization of growth inhibition by α-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), and inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase and N1,N8-bis(ethyl)spermidine (BES), an apparent regulator of the enzyme," Porter et al, pages 6279-6285 (1986); Cancer Res., Vol. 47, "Relative abilities of bis(ethyl) derivatives of putrescine, spermidine and spermine to regulate polyamine biosynthesis and inhibit L1210 leukemia cell growth," Porter et al, pages 2821-2825 (1987); Cancer Res., Vol. 49, "Correlation between the effects of polyamine analogues on DNA conformation and cell growth," Basu et al, pages 5591-5597 (1989); Cancer Res., Vol. 49, "Differential response to treatment with the bis(ethyl)polyamine analogues between human small cell lung carcinoma and undifferentiated large cell lung carcinoma in culture," Casero et al, pages 639-643 (1988); Mol. Pharm., Vol. 39, "Selective cellular depletion of mitochondrial DNA by the polyamine analog, N1,N12-bis(ethyl)spermine, and its relationship to polyamine structure and function," Vertino et al, pages 487-494 (1991); Biochem. and Biophys. Res. Comm., Vol. 157, "Modulation of polyamine biosynthesis and transport by oncogene transfection," Chang et al, pages 264-270 (1988); and Biopolymers, Vol. 26, "Structural determinants of spermidine-DNA interactions," Vertino et al, pages 691-703 (1987)]. The mechanistic investigations have encompassed uptake studies, impact on polyamine analogs on polyamine pools and polyamine biosynthetic enzymes, as well as their effects on translational and transcriptional events.
Anti-neoplastic derivatives of the naturally occurring polyamines, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment are also disclosed in the following pending patent application Ser. No. 09/906,813 filed 07/18/2001, ("Sterically Hindered Tetraamines and Method for Their Production"), as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,576 issued Feb. 25, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,353 issued Jul. 7, 1992; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,505 issued Dec. 22, 1992. The disclosures of each of the foregoing applications and patents are incorporated herein by reference.
It is an object of the present invention to provide novel analogs of naturally occurring, biologically active polyamines which possess anti-neoplastic properties and to define the structural parameters which define compounds having such activities.

Analogs of biologically active, naturally occurring polyamines, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment

University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


Devices, methods, systems, and computer-readable media for building data consolidation are described herein. One or more embodiments include a method for building data consolidation, comprising: receiving a plurality of representative drawings that comprise a portion of a building, determining a boundary and a location of each of the plurality of representative drawings, wherein the boundary and the location correspond to the building, and stitching the plurality of representative drawings into a combined representative drawing of the building based on the boundary and the location.

Building information modeling (BIM) can refer to the generation and/or management of data associated with a building (e.g., data associated with the components, equipment, and/or properties of a building). For example, BIM data can include architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sanitary, fire, and/or geometrical information associated with a building.
The leading international standard for describing the data contained within a building information model is called the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), which is an open standard designed and maintained by the Building Smart Alliance. This is a very comprehensive standard that provides for the description of data related to many sub-domains related to the design, build, construction, and/or operation of a built environment (e.g., building).
The amount of BIM data associated with a building, and codified or expressed in the IFC standard, tends to be proportional to the size of the building, and can grow exponentially based on the number of specific sub-domains that are identified and documented in the BIM, including, for example, plumbing, electrical, or HVAC systems. Therefore, even a small building with very complete information for many different systems within the building may have a very large amount of BIM data associated therewith.
BIM data can be very useful information for a building manager, building contractor, building maintenance, among other service providers for a building. Many buildings do not currently have BIM data associated with the building. Buildings that do not have BIM data associated with them can have limitations when it comes to navigation, maintenance, and troubleshooting products.

Building data consolidation methods and systems