An identification document includes a lens system and a specially prepared photo of a document bearer. The lens system and the specially prepared photo cooperate to create a three dimensional photo effect. The document includes two or more document layers. There is a lens structure in one of the document layers, and it includes lens elements. A photo is printed on one or more of the document layers. The photo depicts the document bearer, and includes two or more separate images of the bearer from different perspectives. Parts of the separate images are interleaved together into sets, and the sets are positioned relative to corresponding lens elements of the lens structure. These sets include parts of the separate images such that when viewed through the lens structure, the parts are viewed simultaneously making the subject appear three-dimensional to a viewer.

Identification Documents
Identification documents (hereafter "ID documents") play a critical role in today's society. One example of an ID document is an identification card ("ID card"). ID documents are used on a daily basis—to prove identity, to verify age, to access a secure area, to evidence driving privileges, to cash a check, and so on. Airplane passengers are required to show an ID document during check in, security screening and prior to boarding their flight. In addition, because we live in an ever-evolving cashless society, ID documents are used to make payments, access an automated teller machine (ATM), debit an account, or make a payment, etc.
(For the purposes of this disclosure, ID documents are broadly defined herein, and include, e.g., credit cards, bank cards, phone cards, passports, driver's licenses, network access cards, employee badges, debit cards, security cards, visas, immigration documentation, national ID cards, citizenship cards, social security cards, security badges, certificates, identification cards or documents, voter registration cards, police ID cards, border crossing cards, legal instruments, security clearance badges and cards, gun permits, gift certificates or cards, membership cards or badges, etc., etc. Also, the terms "document," "card," "badge" and "documentation" are used interchangeably throughout this patent application.).
Many types of identification cards and documents, such as driving licenses, national or government identification cards, bank cards, credit cards, controlled access cards and smart cards, carry certain items of information which relate to the identity of the bearer. Examples of such information include name, address, birth date, signature and photographic image; the cards or documents may in addition carry other variable data (i.e., data specific to a particular card or document, for example an employee number) and invariant data (i.e., data common to a large number of cards, for example the name of an employer). All of the cards described above will be generically referred to as "ID documents".
As those skilled in the art know, ID documents such as drivers licenses can contain information such as a photographic image, a bar code (which may contain information specific to the person whose image appears in the photographic image, and/or information that is the same from ID document to ID document), variable personal information, such as an address, signature, and/or birthdate, biometric information associated with the person whose image appears in the photographic image (e.g., a fingerprint, a facial image or template, or iris or retinal template), a magnetic stripe (which, for example, can be on the a side of the ID document that is opposite the side with the photographic image), and various security features, such as a security pattern (for example, a printed pattern comprising a tightly printed pattern of finely divided printed and unprinted areas in close proximity to each other, such as a fine-line printed security pattern as is used in the printing of banknote paper, stock certificates, and the like).
An exemplary ID document can comprise a core layer (which can be pre-printed), such as a light-colored, opaque material (e.g., TESLIN (available from PPG Industries) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material). The core is laminated with a transparent material, such as clear PVC to form a so-called "card blank". Information, such as variable personal information (e.g., photographic information), is printed on the card blank using a method such as Dye Diffusion Thermal Transfer ("D2T2") printing (described further below and also described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,594, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.) The information can, for example, comprise an indicium or indicia, such as the invariant or nonvarying information common to a large number of identification documents, for example the name and logo of the organization issuing the documents. The information may be formed by any known process capable of forming the indicium on the specific core material used.
To protect the information that is printed, an additional layer of transparent overlaminate can be coupled to the card blank and printed information, as is known by those skilled in the art. Illustrative examples of usable materials for overlaminates include biaxially oriented polyester or other optically clear durable plastic film.
In the production of images useful in the field of identification documentation, it may be desirable to embody into a document (such as an ID card, drivers license, passport or the like) data or indicia representative of the document issuer (e.g., an official seal, or the name or mark of a company or educational institution) and data or indicia representative of the document bearer (e.g., a photographic likeness, name or address). Typically, a pattern, logo or other distinctive marking representative of the document issuer will serve as a means of verifying the authenticity, genuineness or valid issuance of the document. A photographic likeness or other data or indicia personal to the bearer will validate the right of access to certain facilities or the prior authorization to engage in commercial transactions and activities.
Identification documents, such as ID cards, having printed background security patterns, designs or logos and identification data personal to the card bearer have been known and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,970, issued Sep. 18, 1973 to M. Annenberg; in Great Britain Pat. No. 1,472,581, issued to G. A. O. Gesellschaft Fur Automation Und Organisation mbH, published Mar. 10, 1976; in International Patent Application PCT/GB82/00150, published Nov. 25, 1982 as Publication No. WO 82/04149; in U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,775, issued Mar. 31, 1987 to T. Raphael, et al.; in U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,949, issued Apr. 19, 1988 to G. S. Sethi, et al.; and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,987, issued Nov. 16, 1993 to J. W. Luening, et al. All of the aforementioned documents are hereby incorporated by reference.
Printing Information onto ID Documents
The advent of commercial apparatus (printers) for producing dye images by thermal transfer has made relatively commonplace the production of color prints from electronic data acquired by a video camera. In general, this is accomplished by the acquisition of digital image information (electronic signals) representative of the red, green and blue content of an original, using color filters or other known means. Devices such as digital cameras, optical sensors, and scanners also can provide digital image information. The digital image information is utilized to print an image onto a data carrier. For example, information can be printed using a printer having a plurality of small heating elements (e.g., pins) for imagewise heating of each of a series of donor sheets (respectively, carrying diffuseable cyan, magenta and yellow dye). The donor sheets are brought into contact with an image-receiving element (which can, for example, be a substrate), which has a layer for receiving the dyes transferred imagewise from the donor sheets. Thermal dye transfer methods are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,271, issued Nov. 4, 1986 to S. Brownstein and U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,989, issued Jun. 18, 1991 to Y. H. Chiang, et al. Each of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference.
Dye diffusion thermal transfer printing ("D2T2") and thermal transfer (also referred to as mass transfer printing) are two printing techniques that have been used to print information on identification cards. For example, D2T2 has been used to print images and pictures, and thermal transfer has been used to print text, bar codes, and single color graphics.
D2T2 is a thermal imaging technology that allows for the production of photographic quality images. In D2T2 printing, one or more thermally transferable dyes (e.g., cyan, yellow, and magenta) are transferred from a donor, such as a donor dye sheet or a set of panels (or ribbons) that are coated with a dye (e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, black, etc.) to a receiver sheet (which could, for example, be part of an ID document) by the localized application of heat or pressure, via a stylus or thermal printhead at a discrete point. When the dyes are transferred to the receiver, the dyes diffuse into the sheet (or ID card substrate), where the dyes will chemically be bound to the substrate or, if provided, to a receptor coating. Typically, printing with successive color panels across the document creates an image in or on the document's surface. D2T2 can result in a very high printing quality, especially because the energy applied to the thermal printhead can vary to vary the dye density in the image pixels formed on the receiver, to produce a continuous tone image. D2T2 can have an increased cost as compared to other methods, however, because of the special dyes needed and the cost of D2T2 ribbons. Also, the quality of D2T2-printed image may depend at least on an ability of a mechanical printer system to accurately spatially register a printing sequence, e.g., yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.
Another thermal imaging technology is thermal or mass transfer printing. With mass transfer printing, a material to be deposited on a receiver (such as carbon black (referred to by the symbol "K")) is provided on a mass transfer donor medium. When localized heat is applied to the mass transfer donor medium, a portion (mass) of the material is physically transferred to the receiver, where it sits "on top of" the receiver. For example, mass transfer printing often is used to print text, bar codes, and monochrome images. Resin black mass transfer has been used to print grayscale pictures using a dithered gray scale, although the image can sometimes look coarser than an image produced using D2T2. However, mass transfer printing can sometimes be faster than D2T2, and faster printing can be desirable in some situations.
Printing of black ("K") can be accomplished using either D2T2 or mass transfer. For example, black monochrome "K" mass transfer ribbons include Kr (which designates a thermal transfer ribbon) and Kd (which designates dye diffusion).
Both D2T2 and thermal ink have been combined in a single ribbon, which is the well-known YMCK (Yellow-Magenta-Cyan-Black) ribbon (the letter "K" is used to designate the color black in the printing industry). Another panel containing a protectant ("P") or laminate (typically a clear panel) also can be added to the YMCK ribbon).
In addition to these forms of printing, other forms of printing and applying variable data are used in ID documents, including ink jet printing, laser printing and laser engraving.
Manufacture and Printing Environments
Commercial systems for issuing ID documents are of two main types, namely so-called "central" issue (CI), and so-called "on-the-spot" or "over-the-counter" (OTC) issue.
CI type ID documents are not immediately provided to the bearer, but are later issued to the bearer from a central location. For example, in one type of CI environment, a bearer reports to a document station where data is collected, the data are forwarded to a central location where the card is produced, and the card is forwarded to the bearer, often by mail. Another illustrative example of a CI assembling process occurs in a setting where a driver passes a driving test, but then receives her license in the mail from a CI facility a short time later. Still another illustrative example of a CI assembling process occurs in a setting where a driver renews her license by mail or over the Internet, then receives a drivers license card through the mail.
In contrast, a CI assembling process is more of a bulk process facility, where many cards are produced in a centralized facility, one after another. (For example, picture a setting where a driver passes a driving test, but then receives her license in the mail from a CI facility a short time later. The CI facility may process thousands of cards in a continuous manner.).
Centrally issued identification documents can be produced from digitally stored information and generally comprise an opaque core material (also referred to as "substrate"), such as paper or plastic, sandwiched between two layers of clear plastic laminate, such as polyester, to protect the aforementioned items of information from wear, exposure to the elements and tampering. The materials used in such CI identification documents can offer the ultimate in durability. In addition, centrally issued digital identification documents generally offer a higher level of security than OTC identification documents because they offer the ability to pre-print the core of the central issue document with security features such as "micro-printing", ultra-violet security features, security indicia and other features currently unique to centrally issued identification documents.
In addition, a CI assembling process can be more of a bulk process facility, in which many cards are produced in a centralized facility, one after another. The CI facility may, for example, process thousands of cards in a continuous manner. Because the processing occurs in bulk, CI can have an increase in efficiency as compared to some OTC processes, especially those OTC processes that run intermittently. Thus, CI processes can sometimes have a lower cost per ID document, if a large volume of ID documents are manufactured.
In contrast to CI identification documents, OTC identification documents are issued immediately to a bearer who is present at a document-issuing station. An OTC assembling process provides an ID document "on-the-spot". (An illustrative example of an OTC assembling process is a Department of Motor Vehicles ("DMV") setting where a driver's license is issued to person, on the spot, after a successful exam.). In some instances, the very nature of the OTC assembling process results in small, sometimes compact, printing and card assemblers for printing the ID document. It will be appreciated that an OTC card issuing process is by its nature can be an intermittent—in comparison to a continuous—process.
OTC identification documents of the types mentioned above can take a number of forms, depending on cost and desired features. Some OTC ID documents comprise highly plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) or have a composite structure with polyester laminated to 0.5-2.0 mil (13-51 .mu.m) poly(vinyl chloride) film, which provides a suitable receiving layer for heat transferable dyes which form a photographic image, together with any variant or invariant data required for the identification of the bearer. These data are subsequently protected to varying degrees by clear, thin (0.125-0.250 mil, 3-6 .mu.m) overlay patches applied at the printhead, holographic hot stamp foils (0.125-0.250 mil 3-6 .mu.m), or a clear polyester laminate (0.5-10 mil, 13-254 .mu.m) supporting common security features. These last two types of protective foil or laminate sometimes are applied at a laminating station separate from the printhead. The choice of laminate dictates the degree of durability and security imparted to the system in protecting the image and other data.
Despite the increasing sophistication of security features on identification documents, the challenge of counterfeiting still persists, particularly in markets where it is not economically feasible to use a variety of high end security devices to raise the bar for counterfeiters. Preferably, the security features should be difficult to copy, yet inexpensive to produce. One form of security feature is a lenticular lens system, which may be used to create human verifiable visual effects.
The invention provides an identification document structure that gives the photo on the document a three dimensional effect. It also provides related methods making the document, software for processing the images to create the effect and document components that include the feature.
One aspect of the invention is an identification document with the three dimensional photo effect. The document includes two or more document layers. There is a lens structure in one of the document layers, and it includes lens elements. A photo is printed on one or more of the document layers. The photo depicts a subject, and includes two or more separate images of the subject from different perspectives. Parts of the separate images are interleaved together into sets, and the sets are positioned relative to corresponding lens elements of the lens structure. These sets include parts of the separate images such that when viewed through the lens structure, the parts are viewed simultaneously making the subject appear three-dimensional to a viewer.
This document structure may be used to carry a three dimensional facial image of the bearer, which enables visual verification of the document. The images may be created using one or more separate capture systems (e.g., separate cameras positioned around the subject at different perspectives, a single camera with multiple optical systems to capture the subject from different perspectives, a single camera moved to different positions around the subject, etc.). The images may also be derived from a single image of the bearer using three dimensional modeling software.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be even more readily apparent from the following Detailed Description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings and the claims.
Of course, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, with emphasis rather being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate like elements or steps. Further, throughout this application, certain indicia, information, identification documents, data, etc., may be shown as having a particular cross sectional shape (e.g., rectangular) but that is provided by way of example and illustration only and is not limiting, nor is the shape intended to represent the actual resultant cross sectional shape that occurs during manufacturing of identification documents.

Identification document with three dimensional image of bearer


A development processing apparatus includes: a plurality of stock tanks which stores a plurality of types of processing solutions; a small-volume single processing tank including an entrance/exit port for a film which enables the entering/exiting of the film, the processing tank accommodating the film via the entrance/exit port for a film and developing the film in the plurality of types of processing solutions; processing solution supply which supplies the plurality of types of processing solutions from the plurality of stock tanks to the processing tank in a predetermined order; a sensor which measures the temperature of the processing solution within the processing tank; a heater which is disposed at the stock tanks or the processing solution supply and heats the processing solution; and control which is connected to the processing solution supply and the heater and controls the processing solution supply such that the last processing solution supplied to the processing tank is filled within the processing tank even after the film is removed from the processing tank, and the control controlling the heater such that the temperature of the last processing solution is set to a predetermined temperature and that the processing tank is lagged by the last processing solution heated by the heater. Therefore, because the processing tank is lagged by the heated last processing solution upon insertion of the film, the development processing can be effected rapidly at optimal temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of developing a film, and in particular, to an apparatus for and a method of developing a film which is suitable for small volume processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A silver halide color photographic photosensitive material, which has been exposed, is processed by processes for color development, desilvering, washing, stabilization, and the like. Color developer is used in the color development process; bleaching solution, fixing solution, and bleach-fixing solution are used in the desilvering process; drinking water, well water, chemically or physically processed water or ion-exchange water, and distilled water are used in the washing process; and stabilizer is used in the stabilizing process. On the other hand, a black-and-white photographic photosensitive material is processed by a process for black-and-white development instead of color development, and processes for fixing and washing. The temperatures of processing solutions are normally adjusted to 20.degree. C. to 70.degree. C., preferably 30.degree. C. to 60.degree. C., and the color and black-and-white photographic photosensitive materials are immerged and processed in these processing solutions.
Recently, color photographic photosensitive materials are processed in a so-called "mini laboratory", which undergoes small volume processing of photosensitive materials, rather than in a large-scale processing laboratory, which undergoes intensive processing thereof, and a small volume of photosensitive materials are processed dispersively. Moreover, a development processing apparatus of "mini laboratory" size is not necessarily provided at a photo studio. The apparatus can be provided at various types of stores such as a bookstore, a gas station, a laundry, a supermarket, a convenience store, and the like. It is certainly preferable that the surface area of development processing apparatus provided at these stores is small. Further, it is increasingly necessary that the apparatus operates stably and does not require maintenance even if a small volume of photosensitive materials are processed.
As the above-described development processing apparatus, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-109503, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-74895, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (hereinafter, "JP-A") No. 2-125255, JP-A No. 2-199452 disclose a technology in which a processing tank is designed in a slit-shape and the volume of the tank is made small. Further, JP-A No. 9-292688 discloses a simple and small-volume development processing apparatus.
In a case in which the processing tank is designed in a slit-shape as described above, a processing solution storing portion becomes extremely narrow. Accordingly, it is extremely complicated and difficult to provide heating means at the processing tank. Further, the development processing apparatus is expected to be rarely used and very inactive in a store such as a convenience store in which the apparatus needs to be on standby for a long time (e.g., 24 hours). Moreover, when the development processing apparatus is provided at an entrance or the like and the entrance is opened so as to allow the entering of cold air (cold outside air), the temperature within the processing tank is lowered rapidly due to its small volume.
In the above-described development processing apparatus, when a film is inserted into the processing tank, it is confirmed that the probability of occurring of conveyance deficiency is increased under the condition in which the interior of processing tank is highly humid. It is considered that the deficiency is caused by the fact in which the film does not slide smoothly against the inner walls of the processing tank (e.g., the film adheres to the inner walls to which water such as water droplet adheres).
In order to solve this problem, drawing means for drawing a film into a processing tank may be provided, or a material of inner walls of processing tank may be changed to a material which improves the sliding of a film (e.g., from vinyl chloride to Teflon (trade name for polytetrafluoroethylene manufactured by Du Pont K.K.)). However, it is not preferable since the amount of processing solutions to be used and the cost of processing apparatus are increased.
Also, the interior of processing tank may be dried completely. However, it is difficult and expensive to dry quickly and reliably the sheath-shaped processing tank which has one narrow entrance/exit port for a film.

Apparatus for and method of development processing


The invention relates to a wave soldering device in which solder is pumped up from a solder bath and through a tower and issues therefrom in the form of a wave which engages the underside of a circuit board, flows over a front and/or rear weir of the tower and returns to the solder bath. A conveyor transports circuit boards across the top of the tower and the solder wave. A confining structure is situated adjacent the wave and protrudes into the solder bath. A gas which substantially excludes oxygen is injected from a nozzle and follows a circuitous route bordered by solder in the bath, solder flowing over the rear weir, and walls of the confining structure. The gas exiting from an outflow opening of the confining structure is directed across the solder flowing over the rear weir and onto the downstream line of contact of the solder wave and the board as it leaves the solder wave. Thus, this supply of gas is directed only onto the immediate area where it is most useful, so as to limit dispersal away from this immediate area and minimize the amount of gas required. In a preferred embodiment, secondary means are arranged to supply the gas to other areas of an enclosure for the conveyor and solder tower.

The invention relates to a soldering device comprising: a solder tower; transporting means for carrying the objects for soldering along the upper part of the solder tower; means for causing a solder wave to emerge from the solder tower, which wave comes into contact with the underside of the objects for soldering.
Such soldering machines are generally known.
Such known soldering machines suffer from the drawback that through the presence of air, and in particular the presence of oxygen in the air, the solder wave oxidizes at a temperature of about 250.degree., whereby more flux is required to remove oxides, as otherwise the quality of the obtained solder joint leaves something to be desired. Due to rapid oxidation the solder circulating inside the soldering devices is also contaminated.
To avoid this problem it is generally known to perform soldering operations in an environment substantially excluding oxygen, that is, in an environment in which mainly a protective gas is present. In order to keep this protective gas in place complicated devices are usually necessary. The object of the present invention is to provide a soldering device wherein with simple means an atmosphere of protective gas is maintained only at the places where this is necessary.
This object is achieved in that the device comprises feed means for supplying protective gas to the direct vicinity of the solder wave.
It thus becomes possible with relatively simple means to create an atmosphere substantially excluding oxygen at the places where this is necessary, namely at the place where the solder joint is being formed.
According to a preferred embodiment the feed means are adapted to supply gas substantially excluding oxygen to the side of the solder wave located downstream of the direction of movement of the objects for soldering.
The protective gas is hereby supplied to the place where the presence of oxygen is the most critical.

Soldering device with shield of gas substantially excluding oxygen


A torque meter enables highly accurate measurement of a torque by detecting only the torque, without being affected by various loads. The torque meter includes an elastic member placed in a power transmission channel and being deformed upon application with a torque being measured, and a torque detecting arrangement for detecting the torque based on the deformation of the elastic member. The torque member receives a torque being applied to the elastic member, and the load member is provided separately from the torque member, for supporting the load of the elastic member.

A torque meter of this type serves to measure a moment for a shaft such as a rotary shaft or a stationary shaft as center.
Typically, detection of torque is made by detecting a torsional force of the shaft produced by torque or a torsional angle of the shaft changed by torque. As a means for detecting the torsional force, means is known which uses a piezoelectric element for generating an electric charge proportional to the force received. Moreover, a magnetostrictive element, which is an element using a material having magnetic characteristics that change when subject to a force, serves to detect torque as force. On the other hand, as a means for detecting torsional angle, a distortion-gage system and a rotation pulse phase difference system are well known. It can detect a minute torsional angle of the shaft as a minute displacement.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application 2003-083824 discloses a torque meter. The torque meter includes a plate-like elastic body mounted between a flange provided to a rotary drive unit and a rotary driven structure, and has a plurality of circular holes formed in a torque transfer area. In the torque transfer area, a flange fixing part arranged around a central through hole and having a fastening means with the flange is connected to a base fixing part arranged outside the flange fixing part and having a fastening means for a fixing base of the rotary driven structure. A distortion gauge is bonded on the interior surface of each circular hole to measure distortion due to torque acting on the torque transfer area, thus detecting a driving torque produced on an output shaft.
However, with the torque meter as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application 2003-083824 the rotary shaft and stationary shaft often undergo, besides the aforementioned moment, loads such as a thrust load (axial-direction load), radial load (radial-direction load), bending load, and centrifugal load at the same time.
Therefore, in order to avoid the influence of forces other than torque, a device is needed to prevent the aforementioned torsional force or torsional angle from being affected by those loads.
In order to prevent the influence of forces other than torque, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application 53-106181 proposes that a plurality of sensors are mounted in the differential-sensor structure for torque detection, in which the sensors are added to increase an output with regard to torque, and the sensors are subtracted to reduce an output with regard to changes other than torque.
However, although Japanese Unexamined Patent Application 53-106181 can reduce the influence other than torque by virtue of the actuation structure, influences due to sensor-to-sensor unbalance, structural unbalance, etc. had to be removed to sufficiently reduce the influence, raising a problem of difficulties in the manufacturing process.


A sensor array including an electronic control unit and a speed sensor that has at least one sensor element. The speed sensor and the electronic control unit are interconnected by at least one line. The speed sensor includes a signal processing circuit which is designed in such a way as to obtain at least one digital frequency signal from the output signal of the sensor element, the at least one digital frequency signal being encoded in a data item, being stored in at least one first memory unit, and being transmitted to the electronic control unit.

Measuring a rotational speed, which is required in the art on many machines and systems, is physically equivalent to measuring the angular speed. It is generally known to measure the rotational speed of shafts by applying a periodic pattern known as an "encoder" (e.g. a gear) around the circumference of the shaft, which is sensed by a sensor mounted in a fixed position beside the shaft. The sensor is capable of distinguishing between tooth and tooth gap (or other periodically varying properties, such as e.g. magnetic field direction or optical transparency). The sensor then generates an output signal which has the same periodicity as the sensed pattern.
A sensor of this type outputs different signals depending on the signal processing that is present: there are approximately sinusoidal signals, which are usually generated directly from the primary sensor element, or square-wave signals, which are usually generated by comparators by the downstream signal processing. The sinusoidal signals often occur as a sine/cosine signal pair, because this combination has advantages, including with regard to detecting the direction. Any combinations of said signals are possible, so that up to four outputs (and any subset thereof) may exist: sine, cosine, square-wave in phase with sine, square-wave in phase with cosine. All of these signals are analog frequency signals, i.e. the frequency varies continuously within the interval defined by the application. The electrical output signal is a direct image of the encoder. Thus even the square-wave signals cannot be considered to be "digital", because the discrete amplitude variable does not contain discretized information from the sensor. Depending on the implementation, there is also the possibility that the physical sensor-based process generates a signal at twice the frequency of the encoder pattern. This is the case, for instance, for certain AMR sensor elements, which have an electrical signal period that encompasses only a 180° rotation of the (encoder) magnetic field.
If sensors of the type described are used in measuring devices or control systems, then it must be taken into account that the described output signals in no way complete the measurement process: whereas most measurement systems provide output signals that are either digitally encoded or have an output value that is a direct measure of the measurand, for the sensors considered here, the measured value must first be calculated from the output waveform or pulse sequence. This applies to speed, angular-speed and rotational-speed measurements and also to angle measurements, because often absolute measurements are needed, which are obtained from the periodic signal by counting. The sine/cosine signals here have the advantage of the possibility of interpolation, but do involve a higher degree of analysis effort.
The technology presented here is used in the same way for linear position and speed measurement, but using linear rather than annular encoders.
The aforementioned incompleteness of the measurement may result in significant complexity on the receiver side of the sensor signal. Generally, a frequency counter needs to be designed, which uses the conventional methods (gate-time measurement or period-length measurement) to measure the frequency. In a control system having a microcontroller-based design, the aim is often to implement this counter without dedicated hardware by interrupting program execution whenever a level change is detected at the input to which the sensor is connected. Suitable program routines are then executed as part of the interrupt. Unfortunately, the frequent interrupts that occur at high frequencies means that a large amount of processing time for the actual control process is lost. The technique therefore definitely cannot be considered cost-free, because without the frequency counting a controller having a lower performance or lower clock frequency would have sufficed for the same application. The actual counting process is supported in many controller types directly by the integrated hardware ("capture/compare unit"); the work that remains for the program is then to determine the frequency from the counter value and to perform all the other steps.
Strict requirements for keeping any delay short and the large spread between minimum and maximum frequencies in certain applications, e.g. in the automobile, make it necessary to adjust the gate time to the measured frequency (or to swap between gate-time measurement and period-length measurement), in particular in control applications. This makes the program required more complicated and the processing time increases further.
One possible solution is to use dedicated hardware (e.g. a microcontroller or ASIC solely for the frequency measurement), but this increases cost, overall size and power consumption of the overall system.
All considerations of system architecture and costs are based on the assumption that all instrumentation and control systems today work digitally and hence each measurement result must be transferred into the memory of a processor in order to be processed further. In the simplest case, this is a microcontroller that only has an effect on a display.

Sensor arrangement for speed measurement


The present invention makes it possible to increase the selectivity of a gate insulation film in an active element formed in a wiring layer.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, in particular to a layout structure of a bottom gate type MIS (Metal Insulator Semiconductor) formed in a wiring layer.
A technology of forming an active element having switch function and rectification function in a wiring layer is known like a semiconductor device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-141230 (refer to Patent Literature 1). By forming an active element in a wiring layer, it is possible to change the function of a whole semiconductor device significantly without changing the layout of a semiconductor element formed over a semiconductor substrate.
FIG. 1 is a view showing an example of the structure of a semiconductor device described in Patent Literature 1. In FIG. 1, a semiconductor device described in Patent Literature 1 has a wiring layer 900 and a semiconductor element 910 formed over a semiconductor substrate. The wiring layer 900 has an insulation film 921 formed over a diffusion prevention film 901 and a wire 904 and a via 903 embedded in the insulation film 921. A barrier metal not shown in the figure is formed at an interface between the wire 904 and the via 903 and other structures (the insulation film 921, the diffusion prevention film 901, and the wire 904). A diffusion prevention film 911 is formed over the wiring layer 900 and an insulation film 922 and a wire 916 and a via 915 embedded in the insulation film 922 are formed over the diffusion prevention film 911. The semiconductor element 910 has a gate electrode 902, a gate insulation film 911, and a semiconductor layer 912. The semiconductor layer 912 is formed over the gate insulation film 911 and coupled to a wire 914 through a via 913. The gate electrode 902 is formed under the gate insulation film 911 in the wiring layer 900. A barrier metal not shown in the figure is formed at an interface between the wire 914 and the via 913 and other structures (the insulation film 922 and the semiconductor layer 912).

Semiconductor device having the bottom gate type transistor formed in a wiring layer

Abstract: A semiconductor device according to the present invention has a bottom gate type transistor using an antireflection film formed over an Al wire in a wiring layer as a gate wire.


An optical recording medium having each of a land and a groove and comprises at least a recording layer, dielectric layers and reflection layer. Recording and erasing of data can be carried out on both land and groove by a phase change between amorphous and crystalline states. The mirror portion may have reflectance characteristics selected from at least one of a reflectance of more than 15% and no more than 35%, when in a crystalline state, and 10% or less, when in an amorphous state. Alternatively, additionally, the depth of the groove may be such as to form an optical path length equal to 1/7 to 1/5 of the wavelength of the reproducing light and the photo-absorbance of the recording layer in the amorphous phase and the photo-absorbance in the crystalline phase may satisfy the following formula, Aa-Ac.ltoreq.10 where Aa is the photo-absorbance (%) of the recording layer in the amorphous phase and Ac is the photo-absorbance (%) of the recording layer in the crystalline phase. In an optical recording method, an edge type recording system is provided on an optical recording medium in which recording and erasing are effected by a phase change between amorphous and crystalline states. Recorded marks are provided by pulse trains each comprising a number of recording power pulses and, additionally, a power pulse, after the last of the recording power pulses, of a power less than a erase power and of a duration in a range of 1.1 to 6 times the duration of the last recording power pulse.

The conventional techniques of the rewritable phase change type optical recording media and of the methods of recording on such recording media are described below.
These optical recording media have a recording layer mainly composed of an alloy of Te, Ge and Sb, etc. For recording, the recording layer is irradiated with focused laser beam pulses for a short time, to partially melt the recording layer. The molten portion is quickly cooled by thermal diffusion and solidified, to form recorded marks of the amorphous state. The light reflectance of the recorded marks is lower than that of the crystalline state and the recorded marks can be optically reproduced as recorded signals.
Furthermore, for erasure, the portion of the recorded marks is irradiated with a laser beam, to be heated at a temperature lower than the melting point of the recording layer and higher than the crystallization temperature, to crystallize the recorded marks of the amorphous state, for returning them into the original unrecorded state.
In the optical recording media with a Te alloy as the recording layer, the crystallization rate is high and high speed overwriting by a circular beam can be achieved by simply modulating the irradiation power into a recording power for writing the marks and an erasing power for erasing the recorded marks (T. Ohta et al, Proc. Int. Symp. on Optical Memory, 1989, p.49-50). These optical recording media with a recording layer usually have a heat-resistant and transparent dielectric layer each on both sides of the recording layer, to prevent the recording layer from being deformed or opened during recording. Furthermore, in another technique known, a reflection layer of a light-reflecting metal such as Al is provided on the side opposite to the beam incident side, to improve the signal contrast at the time of reproduction by optical interference effect and to allow easy formation of recorded marks of amorphous state by the effect of cooling the recording layer and also to improve erasabilities and overwrite cycles.
Especially the "rapid cooling structure", in which the recording layer and the dielectric layer between the recording layer and the reflection layer are kept as thin as about 20 nm, is considerably less lowered in recordability in spite of repeated overwriting and wider in the erasing power margin than the "slow cooling structure" in which the dielectric layer is as thick as about 200 nm. These rewritable phase change type optical recording media include optical discs. On the substrate of the optical disc, a groove is formed beforehand to form also land. At present, a general optical disc has a laser beam focused only on either the land or the groove, for recording and reproducing signals.
To increase the recording capacity of the optical disc, it is practiced to narrow the width of the land or groove, for shortening the track pitch. However, if the track pitch are shortened, the groove makes the angle of diffraction of reflected light large, to lower disadvantageously the tracking error signal for enabling the focused spot accurately to follow the track. Furthermore, if the width of the land or groove is narrowed, the width of the recorded pits is also narrowed, to lower the amplitude of reproduced signals as another problem. On the other hand, a technique of recording signals on both the tracks of the land and groove for increasing the recording capacity (JP-B 88-57859) is also known. However, if signals are recorded on both the tracks of the land and the groove, there are such problems (i) that the signal leak from the adjacent track (cross talk) increases, so that regenerated signals deteriorate, thus increasing the error, (ii) that since the difference in the amplitude of reproduced signals between the land and the groove becomes large, data detection is difficult and (iii) that at the time of recording, the marks of the adjacent track already recorded are erased (cross erase).
For such an optical disc, pit position recording has been used. However, in recent years, to meet the demand for higher density recording media, edge recording to allow higher density recording by recording information at edges of marks is going to be used instead of the pit position recording.
In edge recording, longer recorded marks must be formed than those of the pit position recording and at the rear portion of a long mark, the remaining heat effect of the recording layer widens the recorded mark, to deform disadvantageously the front-rear symmetry of the recorded mark like a tear drop. The deformation of the recorded mark deforms the reproduced signal, to increase jitter as a result.
As a means for solving this problem, it has been proposed to divide one recording pulse into a plurality of recording pulses (hereinafter called a pulse train) (JP-A 91-35425). Furthermore, a technique, in which a pulse corresponding to one half of the window margin and with a power smaller than the erasing power is applied for irradiation after the last pulse of each recording pulse train, is known (Proceedings of 5th Symposium on the Research of Phase Change Recording, p. 86, 1993).
However, in general, in a phase change type optical recording medium, the recorded marks of amorphous state are lower in reflectance and the difference in reflectance between the recorded amorphous state and the non-recorded crystalline state makes the difference in the photo-absorbed quantity of the recording layer large. So, depending on whether the state before overwriting is the crystalline state or the amorphous state with marks, the temperature rise during recording is different. Even in the edge recording using pulse trains, this phenomenon is liable to occur at the rear end of a long recorded mark since the temperature reached during recording is higher and it remarkably appears at a higher recording linear velosity. Thus, depending on the state before overwriting, the maximum temperature at the overwriting changes and the cooling rate of the recording layer also changes. So, a new recorded mark is modulated by the previous recorded mark, which is a factor to limit the jitter characteristic at the rear end of the mark and furthermore to limit erasability. That is, even if pulse trains are used, the deformation of recorded marks at the time of overwriting cannot be avoided.
Moreover, even if a pulse with a duration corresponding one half of the window margin and with a power smaller than the erasing power is added after the last pulse, the jitter characteristic at the rear end of the recorded mark at the time of overwriting cannot be sufficiently improved.

Method for recording on optical recording media


The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming a layer of blown cellular polyurethane on a textile material, such as a carpet backing. The method includes applying to a textile material a layer of reactive polyurethane forming agents containing a sufficient amount of water or heat-sensitive blowing agent so as to cause chemical blowing of the mixture when heated sufficiently, heating the layer so as to cause chemical blowing of the mixture and applying to the layer during the chemical blowing thereof a pressure of an amount and for a time sufficient to control the blowing of the mixture to a desired degree, the pressure being applied to the mixture continuously from an initial pressure to a final pressure, wherein said initial pressure is greater than the final pressure. Apparatus for performing the process is also disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for forming a layer of blown cellular polyurethane on a textile material, such as a carpet backing. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing improved control of properties, such as bond, gauge control and foam density, for blown cellular polyurethane products.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,132,817; 4,171,395; 4,405,393; 4,512,831; 4,715,912 (the disclosures of which are all incorporated herein by reference) disclose apparatus and processes by which a layer of blown cellular polyurethane; i.e., polyurethane foam, can be formed on a textile material, such as a fabric or carpet back. This process has been used commercially for many years. In the system disclosed in the above-referenced patents, when a relatively heavy blanket weight is applied to the expanding polyurethane reactants, the density of the foam increases and gauge; i.e., foam thickness, is difficult to control. With no blanket weight, the foam and fabric bond is inhibited due to inconsistent contact between the fabric and foam, while at the same time creating a gauge control problem. Furthermore, changes in line speed; i.e., conveyor belt speed, can also influence bond and gauge control. If the conveyor belt speed is reduced, the marriage of the fabric to the reacting foam is slowed and the bond between the two will be relatively weak and inconsistent, or not bonded at all in extreme circumstances. On the other hand, if line speed is increased the foam reaction is effectively slowed down allowing the fabric to marry into the wet chemical mixture, which can result in distortion of the gauge, as well as bleed-through of the chemical into the fabric and incomplete curing of the foam.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a system that provides improved control of the properties of foam-to-fabric bond, gauge and foam density.
The present invention relates to a method for forming a layer of blown cellular polyurethane on a textile material, such as a carpet backing. The method includes applying to a textile material a layer of reactive polyurethane forming agents containing a sufficient amount of heat-sensitive blowing agent so as to cause chemical blowing of the mixture when heated sufficiently, heating the layer so as to cause chemical blowing of the mixture and applying to the layer during the chemical blowing thereof a pressure of an amount and for a time sufficient to control the blowing of the mixture to a desired degree, the pressure being applied to the mixture continuously from an initial pressure to a final pressure, wherein said initial pressure is greater than the final pressure.
In another embodiment, there is an apparatus for forming a layer of blown cellular polyurethane on textile material. The apparatus comprises a continuous conveyor belt upon which a quantity of reactive polyurethane forming agents can be deposited, a mixer for mixing reactive polyurethane forming agents and depositing them on the conveyor belt, a means for applying a textile material to the polyurethane forming agents deposited on the belt, a means for heating the polyurethane forming agents deposited on the belt, and a means for applying a plurality of different pressures to the textile material and polyurethane forming agents deposited on the belt during the chemical blowing thereof.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for forming a layer of blown cellular polyurethane on a textile material; particularly, a carpet back.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus that can apply a plurality of different pressures to a layer of reactive polyurethane forming agents during the chemical blowing thereof.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments and the appended drawing and claims.

Textile Rubber and Chemical Company, Inc.


A mouse model for mammalian aging is disclosed. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a mouse having a genomic mutation in the exonuclease domain II (ExoII) of a mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma (PolG) gene, wherein the mutation leads to high levels of mutations in polymerase mtDNA.

Mitochondria are intracellular organelles that are the main source of ATP, and play a central role in several metabolic processes including fatty acid β-oxidation, phospholipid biosynthesis, calcium signaling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Mitochondria also play a critical role in the process of apoptosis, since numerous pro-apoptotic molecules and pathological stimuli converge on these organelles leading to outer membrane permeabilization and cell death (D. R. Green and G. Kroemer, Science 305:626–9, 2004).
Because mitochondria are the main source of ROS in the cell and the organelle contains its own ˜16 kbp circular DNA, a central role for mtDNA mutations in aging has been postulated (J. E. Fleming, et al., Gerontology (Basel) 28:44–53, 1982). Indeed, mtDNA has a higher mutation rate as compared to nuclear DNA (D. C. Wallace et al., Curr. Genet. 12:81–90, 1987) and mtDNA mutations have been shown to accumulate with aging in several tissues of various species (Y. Wang, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98:40224027, 2001; S. Melov, et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 25:974–982, 1997; M. Corral-Debrinksi, et al., Nat. Genet. 2:324–329, 1992; C. M. Lee, et al., J. Gerontol. Biol. Sci. 48:B201–B205, 1993; M. Khaidakov, et al., Mutat. Res. 526:1–7, 2003), and in cells derived from aged humans (Y. Michikawa, et al., Science 286:774–779, 1999).
In agreement with a central role for mitochondria in aging, a systematic RNA interference (RNAi) screen of C. elegans for gene inactivations that increase lifespan has revealed genes important for mitochondrial function (S. S. Lee, et al., Nat. Genet. 33:4048, 2003), and inhibition of mitochondrial activity in this organism affects lifespan (A. Dillin, et al., Science 298:2398–2401, 2002).


A window scaffolding system including a pair of main support frames. The pair of main support frames are oriented in a side by side relationship for supporting planks of wood on upper and lower ends thereof. A pair of L-shaped window engagement members couple with the pair of main supports for securement to a window opening. A supplemental safety bar is provided having a generally elongated and planar configuration. The safety bar has a pair of pads disposed on opposing ends thereof and a central pad disposed on a central portion thereof. A bolt extends through the central portion and the central pad for securement to the window engagement members to preclude the system from disengaging the window opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a window scaffolding system and more particularly pertains to securing to a window opening for supporting a worker thereon with a window scaffolding system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of scaffoldings is known in the prior art. More specifically, scaffoldings heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of supporting workers thereon are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,475,626 to Gleich; 4,428,457 to Fikkers; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 315,796 to Smith et al.; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,137,996 to Brown; 5,203,426 to Sydnor; and 4,320,816 to Callahan et al.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a window scaffolding system for securing to a window opening for supporting a worker thereon.
In this respect, the window scaffolding system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of securing to a window opening for supporting a worker thereon.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved window scaffolding system which can be used for securing to a window opening for supporting a worker thereon. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


The present invention relates to a process for producing an aliphatic oligocarbonate diol comprising a) reacting an aliphatic diol with dimethyl carbonate at an elevated pressure in a reaction mixture, and b) subsequently removing unreacted methanol and dimethyl carbonate under a reduced pressure to uncap the terminal OH groups.

Aliphatic oligocarbonate diols are important precursors for the production of plastics, lacquers and adhesives, for example. They are reacted with isocyanates, epoxides, (cyclic) esters, acids or acid anhydrides, for example. They can be produced from aliphatic diols by the reaction thereof with phosgene (e.g. DE-A 1 595 446), esters of bis-chlorocarbonic acid (e.g. DE-A 0 857 948), diaryl carbonates (e.g. DE-A 1 915 908), cyclic carbonates (e.g. DE-A 2 523 352: ethylene carbonate) or dialkyl carbonates (e.g. DE-A 2 555 805 ).
Of the carbonate sources, diphenyl carbonate (DPC), which is a diaryl carbonate, is particularly important, since aliphatic oligocarbonate diols of particularly high quality can be produced from DPC (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3 544 524, EP-A 0 292 772). In contrast to all other carbonate sources, DPC reacts quantitatively with aliphatic OH functions, so that after removing the phenol which is formed, all the terminal OH groups of the oligocarbonate diol are available for reaction, e.g. with isocyanate groups. Moreover, only very low concentrations of a soluble catalyst are required, so that the latter can remain in the product.
Processes based on DPC have the following disadvantages, however:
Only about 13% by weight of the DPC remains as CO groups in the oligocarbonate; the remainder is distilled off as phenol. A significantly higher proportion of dialkyl carbonates remains in the oligocarbonate, depending on the alkyl radical concerned. Thus about 31% by weight of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is available as CO for the oligocarbonate, since the methanol which is distilled off has a molecular weight which is considerably lower than that of phenol.
Because high-boiling phenol (normal boiling point: 182° C.) has to be separated from the reaction mixture, it is only diols with a boiling point considerably higher than 182° C. which can be used in the reaction, in order to prevent unwanted removal of the diol by distillation.
Due to their ease of production, dialkyl carbonates, particularly dimethyl carbonate (DMC), are distinguished as starting materials by being more readily available. For example, DMC can be obtained by direct synthesis from MeOH and CO (e.g. EP-A 0 534 454, DE-A 19 510 909).
Numerous publications (e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,210,817, 2,787,632, EP-A 364 052) relate to the reaction of dialkyl carbonates with aliphatic diols:
In the prior art, aliphatic diols are placed in a vessel together with a catalyst and the dialkyl carbonate (e.g. diethyl carbonate, dibutyl carbonate, diallyl carbonate), and the resulting alcohol (e.g. ethanol, butanol, allyl alcohol) is distilled off from the reaction vessel via a column. In the column, the higher boiling, dialkyl carbonate is separated from the lower boiling alcohol and is recycled to the reaction mixture.
Despite its ready availability, the use of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) for the production of aliphatic oligocarbonate diols has only recently become known (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,830, EP-A 798 327, EP-A 0 798 328, DE-A 198 29 593).
EP-A 0 798 328 describes the reaction of the corresponding diol component with DMC with distillation of the azeotrope under normal pressure. Uncapping is subsequently effected by vacuum distillation, wherein degrees of utilization of the terminal OH groups of about 98% are achieved under very drastic vacuum conditions (1 torr, about 1.3 mbar) (EP-A 0 798 328: Table 1).
EP-A 0 798 327 describes a corresponding two-step process in which a diol is first reacted with an excess of DMC, with distillation of the azeotrope under normal pressure, to form an oligocarbonate, the terminal OH groups of which are present as methoxycarbonyl terminal groups and are completely inaccessible. After removing the catalyst and distillation of the excess DMC under vacuum (65 torr, 86 mbar) the oligocarbonate diol is obtained in a second step by the addition of further amounts of the diol and of a solvent (e.g. toluene) as an entraining agent for the methanol formed. The remainder of the solvent then has to be distilled off under vacuum (50 torr, 67 mbar). The disadvantages of this process are the cost of conducting it by the use of a solvent, and the repeated distillation which is required, as well as the very high consumption of DMC.
DE-A 198 29 593 teaches the reaction of a diol with DMC, with the methanol formed being distilled off under normal pressure. Apart from a single mention of the word "azeotrope" in the table headed "Process diagram of the process according to the invention", no consideration is given there to the overall problem of the azeotrope. It can be calculated from the examples that DMC is used in excess and is azeotropically distilled off. About 27.8% by weight of the DMC used is lost.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,830, a diol is first heated with DMC and volatile constituents are then (azeotropically) distilled off. After vacuum distillation under drastic conditions (1 torr, 1.3 mbar), take-up of the product in chloroform, precipitation of the product with methanol and drying the product, an oligocarbonate diol is obtained in a yield of 55% by weight theoretical (loc. cit., Example 6). The degree of utilization of the terminal OH groups and the azeotrope problems are not considered in detail. Although U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,830 mentions, in column 5, lines 24 to 26, that the process can be conducted under vacuum, at normal pressure and at elevated pressures, and therefore can be conducted under all pressures, the particular preferences regarding the conditions of pressure employed cannot be identified. It is only a procedure which employs reduced pressure for the removal of volatile constituents which is mentioned.
Therefore, in the above publications, which were known hitherto, there is no description of a process, which is simple to carry out industrially, for the reaction of DMC with aliphatic diols to form oligocarbonate diols with high space-time yields and with high degrees of utilization of the terminal OH groups.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, productive process, which can also be carried out on a large industrial scale, and which enables oligocarbonate diols to be produced by the transesterification of aliphatic diols with dimethyl carbonate, optionally with the use of an amount of catalyst which is low enough for the latter to remain in the product after completion of the reaction, with good space-time yields and with a high degree of uncapping of the terminal OH groups, in simple apparatuses.
It has now been found that the production of aliphatic oligocarbonate diols by the reaction of aliphatic diols with dimethyl carbonate, with the reaction optionally being accelerated by catalysts, at elevated pressure, results in a high space-time yield. In order to complete the reaction and in order to uncap the terminal OH groups (render the latter utilizable), the final residues of methanol and traces of dimethyl carbonate are removed from the product under reduced pressure, optionally with the introduction of inert gas.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process for producing aliphatic oligocarbonate diols


An LED lamps module is provided. The LED lamp module includes a plurality of LED lamps, a plurality of electric wires and a plurality of moisture-resisting members. In one embodiment of the present invention, each LED lamp includes a substrate with a circuit, at least one LED chip disposed on the substrate and connected with the circuitry electrically, a plurality of pins connected with the circuitry of the substrate electrically, and an encapsulant encapsulating the substrate, the LED chip and a portion of each pin. The electric wires are connected with the pins exposed. The moisture-resisting members encapsulat the pins exposed and a portion of each electric wire.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a light emitting diode (LED) lamp module, and more particularly to an light emitting diode lamp module with excellent moisture-resistance or water-resistance.
2. Description of the Related Art
LED lamps are widely used for automobiles, decorations and illumination products. Since LED lamps have superior electrical and mechanical characteristics, demands for LED lamps have been increased. In connection to this, interests in full-colored LED lamps are increasing as an alternative to fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps.
Recently, buildings or plants in the city area are ornamented with some twinkling bulbs. Compared with the bulbs, LED lamp modules with twinkling function have longer lifetime, higher brightness and lower power consumption, therefore the bulbs are gradually substituted with the LED lamp modules. Since decorations having the LED lamps are generally hung on buildings or plants (e.g. trees) outdoor for ornamental purpose, the moisture-resistance of the LED lamp module is very important.
FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a conventional LED lamp module; and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional LED lamp module. Referring to FIG. 1A, the conventional LED lamp module 100 includes LED lamps 110, sleeves 120, electric wires 130 and connectors 140. The relationships of the elements mentioned above are described in detail as follows.
Referring to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, each LED lamp 110 includes a carrier 112, a LED chip 114 disposed on the carrier 112, a bonding wires 116 electrically connected between the carrier 112 and the LED chip 114, and an encapsulant 118 that encapsulates a portion of the carrier 112, the LED chip 114 and the bonding wires 116. Specifically, the carrier 112 includes a first pin 112a, a second pin 112b and a pedestal portion 112c connected with one end of the first pin 112a. The LED chip 114 is disposed on the pedestal portion 112c and is electrically connected with the first pin 112a and the second pin 112b by the bonding wires 116. The LED chip 114, the pedestal portion 112c, a portion of the first pin 112a and a portion of the second pin 112b are encapsulated by the encapsulant 118.
Each LED lamp 110 is assembled with one sleeve 120. When assembling the LED lamp 110 with the sleeve 120, the LED lamp 110 is plugged into the sleeve 120 such that the first pin 112a and the second pin 112b of the LED lamp 110 will be exposed ouside the sleeve 120. Then, the first pin 112a and the second pin 112b exposed are bent to lean against the outer surface of the sleeve 120.
Still referring to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, each connector 140 includes a housing 142 for accommodating the sleeve 120 and two conductive plates 144a, 144b disposed on the inner surface of the housing 142. The electric wires 130 are electrically connected with the conductive plates 144a, 144b of the connector 140 correspondingly. In addition, the LED lamps 110 assembled with the sleeves 120 is plugged into the connector 140, such that the conductive plates 144a, 144b are electrically connected with the first pin 112a and the second pin 112b, which are bent to lean against the outer surface of the sleeve 120. In other words, the electric wires 130 are electrically connected with the LED chips 114 through the conductive plates 144a, 144b, the first pin 112a and the second pin 112b.
In the LED lamp module 100 as described above, the conductive plates 144a, 144b, the first pin 112a and the second pin 112b are protected from moisture (or water) by the housings 142 of the connectors 140. It should be noted that a gap is formed between the sleeves 120 and the connectors 140 during assembling, such that moisture (or water) permeating from the gap with rust the conductive plates 144a, 144b, the first pin 112a and the second pin 112b. In the prior art, the LED lamp module 100 has little moisture-resistance or water-resistance, and the lifetime of the LED lamp module 100 is short.


A method for programming a memory device, a memory device, and a memory system are provided. According to at least one such method, a first programming pass generates a plurality of first programming pulses to increase the threshold voltages of target memory cells to either a pre-program level or to the highest programmed threshold. A second programming pass applies a plurality of second programming pulses to the target memory cells to increase their threshold voltages only if they were programmed to the pre-program level. The target memory cells programmed to their respective target threshold levels during the first pass are not programmed further.

Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits in computers or other electronic devices. There are many different types of memory including random-access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), and flash memory.
A flash memory is a type of memory that can be erased and reprogrammed in blocks instead of one byte at a time. A typical flash memory comprises a memory array, which includes a large number of memory cells. Each of the memory cells includes a floating gate field-effect transistor capable of holding a charge. The cells are usually grouped into blocks. Each of the cells within a block can be electrically programmed on a random basis by charging the floating gate. The data in a cell is determined by the presence or absence of the charge in the floating gate. The charge can be removed from the floating gate by a block erase operation.
Each memory cell can be programmed as a single bit per cell (i.e., single level cell—SLC) or multiple bits per cell (i.e., multilevel cell—MLC). Each cell's threshold voltage (Vt) determines the data that is stored in the cell. For example, in a single bit per cell, a Vt of 0.5V can indicate a programmed cell while a Vt of −0.5V might indicate an erased cell. The multilevel cell may have multiple Vt ranges that each indicates a different state. Multilevel cells take advantage of the analog nature of a traditional flash cell by assigning a bit pattern to a specific voltage distribution for the cell. This technology permits the storage of two or more bits per cell, depending on the quantity of voltage ranges assigned to the cell.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical prior art Vt distribution where the vertical axis is the quantity of cells and the horizontal axis is the threshold voltage Vt. L0 101 is typically referred to as the erased state and has a negative voltage. The remaining positive states are labeled L1 102, L2 103, and L3 104 and are programmed from the erased state 101.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, conventional MLC programming uses incrementally increasing (e.g., ΔV) programming pulses 201 that are applied to the access lines (e.g., word lines) of the memory cell array to achieve discrete levels of Vt for the cells in the array. Between each program pulse, a verify 203 is performed to determine if the cell's target Vt has been achieved. Memory cells that have reached their target Vt are inhibited from further programming during subsequent pulses by biasing of the data line (e.g., bit line).
The variations in each Vt distribution width 110 is an important parameter to control. The tightest possible distribution is desired, as shown in FIG. 1, in order to produce greater spacing 115 between each of the states. This enables easier discrimination between states since the possibility of a higher voltage of one distribution overlapping a lower Vt of the next distribution is reduced. A smaller programming voltage step (ΔV) produces a tighter distribution. However, the smaller programming voltage steps require a longer programming time. Thus, there is a trade-off between tighter distributions and programming speed.
Floating gate-to-floating gate capacitive coupling also affects distribution width. This coupling effect results from increasing density of a memory device by decreasing the distance between memory cells on the memory die. The decreased distance between cells increases the ability of each cell to affect the Vt distribution of adjacent cells.
Program disturb is yet another phenomenon that can affect the Vt distribution size. As mentioned earlier, memory cells that have achieved their target Vt are inhibited from further programming. However, additional programming pulses having high programming voltages necessary for further programming of higher states can still increase the threshold voltages of already programmed memory cells. The increased threshold voltages result in wider threshold distributions.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a way to reduce Vt distribution width and program disturb without impacting the programming throughput of the memory device.

Multi-pass programming in a memory device


A method of recovering functional human leukocytes from blood filters used to deplete leukocyte content from leukocyte-containing blood-cell suspensions is provided. More particularly, this method involves isolating leukocytes from filters which have been used to purify red blood cells or platelets in isolation from leukocytes by back-flushing the used filters with a hemolysis solution, such as cold ammonium chloride, and collecting the functional human leukocytes.

Blood banking centers fractionate blood into various components such as plasma, erythrocytes, plateletes, and leukocytes. Each of these components is then used for a specific application. The blood cell differential in whole blood is described in A. K. Abbas et al, "Introduction to Immunology", Cellular and Molecular Immunology, p. 14, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. (1991).
Current methods for isolating erythrocytes, platelets and leukocytes from whole blood include using low-speed centrifugation. According to this method, erythrocytes and platelets are separated from leukocytes based on their density. A top layer containing plasma and platelets is removed for the preparation of plasma and platelets and the middle layer containing leukocytes (buffy coats) may be used for induction of cytokines, such as interferons, for isolation of specific cell types for the study of the immune system or for immunotherapy. The bottom layer which contains erythrocyte-rich red cells may be used in transfusions.
This method of isolating red blood cells or platelets from leukocytes by centrifugation is tedious and often does not result in complete separation of the blood cell types. As a result, blood bank centers have begun to use various filtration units to remove leukocytes from the desired red blood cell or platelet preparations. Examples of these filtration units include the Pall RCM.RTM. system of Pall Corporation (East Hills, N.Y.), Leukotrap.RTM. RC/PL system of Miles Pharmaceuticals, the LeukoNet.RTM. system of HemaSure, Inc. and the Sepacell-R/PL.TM. system of Baxter Healthcare Corporation. These are online filters which collect blood directly from the human vein, rather than indirectly from the centrifugation system. Such online filter units trap and separate leukocytes from erythrocytes and platelets based on cell size exclusion. The smaller erythrocytes easily pass through the filter while the larger leukocytes remained behind trapped in the filter. These filter systems result in a reduction of leukocytes ranging from 82.2% to 99%, depending on the filter system used. [Beitr Infusionsther, 30:152-156 (1992)]
Typically, filters used to prepare red-blood cell or platelet-rich preparations are discarded. However, prior methods have been reported in which leukocytes which remain trapped behind in the filter units have been recovered. For example, one method involves back-flushing five times with 50 mL phosphate buffered saline ("PBS") at 4.degree. C. using a 60 mL syringe [R. Longley et al, J. Immuno. Methods, 121:33-38 (1989)]. The "back-flushing" involves flushing the filters in one direction, opposite to the one which is initially used to remove the leukocytes from the desired preparation. The recovered leukocytes at this point in the purification process, still contain a substantial amount of red blood cells. In order to remove the red blood cells, the eluted leukocyte preparations are then further purified by Histopaque gradient centrifugation. A protocol for the isolation of mononuclear cells by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation ("histopaque") is described in J. E. Coligan, Current Protocols in Immunology, Section I, Units 7.1-7.2, John Wiley & Sons (1994). The mononuclear cells are collected in the interface layer and washed with PBS. Typically, a total of 2.76+/-1.17 .times.10.sup.8 leukocytes per filter, having a viability of more than 95%, will be isolated by this two-step process. In a 5-10 ml sample, where one would expect 2.times.10.sup.9 leukocytes to be present per filter, this represents a 14% recovery of leukocytes. In comparison to some published methods, where a 70% recovery of buffy coats is generally anticipated, this recovery rate is small. Leukocytes isolated in such a manner have been shown to be functional in response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), conconavalin (CONA), and pokeweed mitogens (PWM).
The elution of leukocytes from filters is also described in Kuroda et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,777. This method also required a multi-step process to facilitate removal of red blood cells from leukocytes using a variety of elution solutions: PBS in combination with polyvinyl-pyriolidone, sodium casein, polyvinyl-alcohol or gelatin.
In view of the importance of purifying fully functional human leukocytes for the manufacture of therapeutic products and other applications, many attempts have been made to retrieve leukocytes from various sources. However, methods used to date continue to have many drawbacks. For example, the methods of Kuroda et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,777 and Longley et al, supra, are both multi-step and, therefore, tedious processes. The published methods produce a relatively low number of leukocytes per filter unit. In addition, known methods require processing of the filters within 24 hours after blood collection; otherwise the viability of the leukocytes is greatly impaired. As a result, improved methods for retrieving leukocytes from recycled blood product preparation filters continue to be needed.

Recovery of functional human leukocytes from recycled filters


An image reading apparatus, comprises an image reader to read images of a document; a rotation processor to conduct a rotation processing for image data obtained through reading by the image reader in accordance with inclination of the document; a memory in which image data subjected to rotation processing by the rotation processor are stored; and an external inputting device to input arbitrary rotation angles. When the rotation angles are inputted from the external inputting device, the image data obtained through reading by the image reader are subjected to the rotation processing in accordance with the inputted rotation angle and are stored in the memory.

The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus which reads an image of a document and to an image forming apparatus equipped with the image reading apparatus.
In the case of an image reading apparatus which reads an image of a document, there sometimes are occasions where images are read under the condition that a document is skewed. When images are formed based on image data obtained from the skewed document through reading, it sometimes occurs that a recording material such as a recording sheet can not always cover all images on the document and a formed image proves to be a broken image.
Therefore, as seen in TOKKAISHO No. 60-120669 and TOKKAIHEI No10-285379, there has been suggested an image reading apparatus wherein an inclination of a document is detected by an inclination detection means, and an inclination is corrected by performing rotation processing such as affine transformation or shift processing for the obtained image information in accordance with the detected inclination of a document.
In the image reading apparatus stated above, however, it was impossible for a user to incline a document intentionally, because an inclination is corrected automatically when the inclination of the document is detected by an inclination detection means. For making such intention of a user to be reflected, there is available a method wherein an external inputting means is provided on an operation section and an arbitrary rotation angle is indicated and inputted. In this case, however, if original correction of an inclination in an image reading apparatus has priority to user""s indication and inputting, an intention of the user to incline intentionally is ignored.
In an image reading apparatus which is structured to read a document conveyed by an automatic conveyance means (ADF), an arrangement is made so that not only a document conveyed by the automatic conveyance means but also a document placed directly on a platen may be read. In the image reading apparatus of this kind, it is effective to correct inclination in accordance with an inclination of a document. However, when a user places a document directly on a platen, the user sometimes places a document to be inclined intentionally, and if the inclination is corrected even in this case, an intention of the user to incline intentionally is ignored.
In the case of an image reading apparatus to read a document placed directly on a platen, there are known some types wherein a document on the platen is held down by a platen cover that is provided flexibly. When reading images of a document placed directly on the platen in the image reading apparatus of this kind, the platen cover is sometimes kept closed or opened depending on operations of a user. When a twice-folded document is placed on the platen after its crease is opened, and the platen cover is closed for reading, for example, the crease of the document is hit by the platen cover when a user closes the platen cover. Therefore, the document is shifted on the platen to be inclined against the user""s intention in many cases, which makes it impossible to read images accurately. On the other hand, when the platen cover is kept opened for reading, a user often holds down the document with its hand, touching the back side of the document, and in this case, it sometimes happens that the user places the document to be inclined intentionally. Even in this case, an intention of the user is capable of being ignored unless inclination correction is properly operated.
Incidentally, the image reading apparatus having the aforesaid function of inclination correction is equipped on an image forming apparatus such as copying machine together with an image forming means which forms images on a recording sheet based on image data obtained through image reading. In recent years, the image forming apparatus of this kind is equipped with various operation modes in the trend of high grade functions. As one of them, there is owned a trial mode which is called a single step mode or a sample mode. This trial mode is a mode wherein when making plural sets of the number of sheets of image forming (number of copies) based on image data obtained through reading, the image data obtained through reading are temporarily stored in a storage means, then, only one set of image forming based on the stored image data is printed as a sample, and image forming for the remaining sets is conducted if the sample agrees with an intention of a user.
On the occasion of this trial mode, when the aforesaid inclination correction is wrong, the inclination correction needs to be amended further, and rotation processing is conducted for the corrected image data, namely, inclination correction is made plural times for the image data obtained through reading, further, because the image data stored in the storage means are image data which have been subjected to inclination correction, which results in deterioration of image quality.
An object of the present invention is to make it possible to read an image on a document if the document is intentionally inclined and set on the inclined condition by a user in an image reading apparatus capable of correcting inclination for the image of the document read by a reading device.
Further, another object of the invention is to provide an image reading apparatus wherein an original function of inclination correction of a document reading apparatus and a function to conduct rotation processing based on input of rotation angle conducted by a user from an external inputting means are selected on an optimum basis according to circumstances.
Furthermore, another object of the invention is to provide an image reading apparatus wherein, when conveying a document to a reading position by an automatic conveyance means, an original function of the image reading apparatus to correct inclination is permitted, while, when a document is placed directly on a platen by a user, the function to correct inclination is prohibited to operate so that an intention of the user may be reflected.
Still furthermore, another object of the invention is to provide an image forming apparatus wherein, even when inclination of image data is corrected again and even when rotation processing by rotation angle inputted by a user is conducted plural times in execution of plural operations of image processing like a trial mode, image quality is not deteriorated.
The object of the invention can be solved by the image reading apparatus described in Structure (1). Namely, the image reading apparatus is represented by an image reading apparatus having therein an image reading means which reads images of a document, a rotation processing means which conducts rotation processing for image data obtained through reading by the image reading means, and a storage means in which image data subjected to rotation processing by the rotation processing means are stored, wherein an external inputting means for inputting arbitrary rotation angle is provided, and image data obtained through reading by the image reading means are subjected to rotation processing and are stored in the storage means in accordance with the inputted rotation angle when the rotation angle is inputted from the external inputting means.
Since the rotation processing according to inclination of a document and the rotation processing based on the rotation angle made by a user from an external inputting means are selected on an optimum basis in accordance with circumstances, in the image reading apparatus, it was possible to obtain the image reading apparatus which makes it possible to obtain image data satisfying a user""s intention.
The object of the invention can be solved also by the image reading apparatus described in Structure (2). Namely, the image reading apparatus of structure (2) is represented by an image reading apparatus having therein an image reading means which reads images of a document on a platen, an automatic conveyance means that conveys a document onto the platen, an inclination detection means that detects inclination of a document, a rotation processing means which conducts rotation processing for image data obtained through reading by the image reading means in accordance with inclination of a document detected by the inclination detection means, and a storage means in which image data subjected to rotation processing by the rotation processing means are stored, wherein an external inputting means for inputting arbitrary rotation angle is provided, and image data obtained through reading by the image reading means are subjected to rotation processing and are stored in the storage means in accordance with document inclination detected by the inclination detection means and the inputted rotation angle, when the rotation angle is inputted from the external inputting means.
In the image reading apparatus, since the rotation processing according to inclination of a document and the rotation processing based on the rotation angle made by a user from an external inputting means are selected on an optimum basis in accordance with circumstances, even when an automatic conveyance means is used, and rotation processing under consideration of document inclination caused on an automatic conveyance means is further conducted, it was possible to obtain the image reading apparatus which makes it possible to obtain image data satisfying a user""s intention.
In these image reading apparatuses, when there is no input of rotation angle from the external inputting means, the rotation processing means can conduct rotation processing for image data obtained through reading by the image reading means, in accordance with inclination of the document.
In these image reading apparatuses, when there is no input of rotation angle, namely, when a user does not desire rotation processing based on the prescribed rotation angle, the rotation processing according to document inclination is selected and conducted. It was therefore possible to obtain the image reading apparatus which makes it possible to obtain image data satisfying a user""s intention.
The object of the invention can be solved by the image reading apparatus described in Structure (3). Namely, the image reading apparatus of Structure (3) is represented by an image reading apparatus which has therein an image reading means which reads images of a document on a platen, an automatic conveyance means that conveys a document onto the platen, an inclination detection means that detects inclination of a document, a rotation processing means which conducts rotation processing for image data obtained through reading by the image reading means in accordance with inclination of a document detected by the inclination detection means, and a storage means in which image data subjected to rotation processing by the rotation processing means are stored, and reads images of a document conveyed by the automatic conveyance means or images of a document placed directly on the platen.
In the image reading apparatus, original correction of inclination in the image reading apparatus is permitted when a document is conveyed by the automatic conveyance means to the reading position, and the correction of inclination is prohibited when a document is placed by a user directly on the platen. It was therefore possible to obtain an image reading apparatus on which a user""s intention can be reflected.
The object of the invention can be solved also by the image reading apparatus described in Structure (4). Namely, the image reading apparatus of structure (4) is represented by an image reading apparatus having therein an image reading means which reads images of a document on a platen, a flexible platen cover capable of covering the platen, an inclination detection means that detects inclination of a document, and a rotation processing means which conducts rotation processing for image data obtained through reading by the image reading means in accordance with the inclination of a document detected by the inclination detection means, wherein when reading images, inclination correction is permitted when the platen cover is closed, while, inclination correction is prohibited when the platen cover is opened.
In the image reading apparatus, correction of inclination is permitted when the platen cover is closed, and the correction of inclination is prohibited when the platen cover is opened. It was therefore possible to obtain an image reading apparatus in which a user""s intention can be reflected on an optimum basis even under the condition that the platen cover is opened, representing the occasion where the possibility for a user to place a document to be inclined intentionally is high, among occasions for a user to place a document directly on the platen.
The object of the invention can be solved also by the image forming apparatus described in Structure (5). Namely, the image forming apparatus of structure (5) is represented by an image forming apparatus having therein an image reading means which reads images of a document, a rotation processing means which conducts rotation processing to correct inclination for image data obtained through reading by the image reading means in accordance with inclination of a document, a storage means in which image data which have been given rotation processing by the rotation processing means, and an image forming means which forms an image on a recording material based on image data stored in the storage means, wherein image data which have been subjected to rotation processing by the rotation processing means and image data obtained through reading by the image reading means are stored in the storage means.
Owing to this image forming apparatus, it was possible to obtain an image forming apparatus wherein image quality is not deteriorated even when inclination correction for image data is repeated and rotation processing for rotation angle inputted by a user is conducted plural times, in the case of conducting image processing plural times as in the trial mode.
It is preferable for this image forming apparatus to be provided with a trial mode to conduct image forming for one set before conducting image forming for plural sets, and to conduct image forming for the first set in the trial mode based on the image data which have been subjected to the rotation processing by the rotation processing means and have been stored in the storage means.
Owing to this image forming apparatus, it was possible to obtain an image forming apparatus wherein image quality is not deteriorated even when inclination correction for image data to make one set of prints as a sample is repeated and rotation processing for rotation angle inputted by a user is conducted plural times, in the trial mode.
It is preferable for this image forming apparatus to be characterized in that an external inputting means is provided, and when a rotation angle is inputted from the external inputting means after image forming for the first set in the trial mode, rotation processing is conducted for the image data obtained through reading by the image reading means and stored in the storage means in accordance with the inputted rotation angle, and image forming is conducted based on the image data which have been subjected to the rotation processing.
In this image forming apparatus, when making prints for one set as a sample in the trial mode, rotation processing is conducted for image data obtained through reading by an image reading means for output for the second set and thereafter, and image forming is conducted based on the image data. It was therefore possible to obtain an image forming apparatus wherein image quality is not deteriorated even when rotation processing for rotation angle inputted by a user is conducted plural times.

Image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus


A device for holding a beverage container, such as an aluminum can, may include a holder and a stake. The stake may be driven into the ground to keep the beverage container relatively free from spillage and contamination. The holder may have minimal surface area in contact with the beverage container. The holder may also form an insulating air gap between the beverage container and the inner surface of the holder. The insulating air gap serves to help maintain a temperature of the contents of the beverage container.

1. Field of the Present Disclosure
The present disclosure is directed to a device for holding an aluminum can, such as a beverage container or the like. The device may be driven or implanted into the ground and may be free-standing.
2. Related Art
Many modern beverages are packaged in and consumed from aluminum cans. The cans are convenient containers that are frequently used at outdoor gatherings, such as a barbecue, birthday party, picnic, tailgate party, hike, camping trip, or the like. When an aluminum can is placed on the ground or other outdoor surface, it may be contaminated by bugs, dirt, grass, and so on. The can may also be easily spilled, such as kicked over or knocked off a table.
In addition, the aluminum material of the can does not provide high quality insulation for the liquid inside. If the liquid is chilled, e.g., by being stored in a cooler or refrigerator, it may heat rapidly if it is moved to a warmer environment, e.g., outdoors, for consumption. Insulation devices exist, but these do solve the problems of spillage and contamination described above.

Free-standing, insulating aluminum can beverage holder