The invention relates to an EUV lithography apparatus with at least one EUV-reflective optical surface and a cavity ringdown reflectometer adapted to determine the contamination status of the EUV-reflective optical surface for at least one contaminating substance by determining the reflectivity of the EUV-reflective optical surface for radiation at a measuring wavelength (λm). The invention further relates to a method for determining the contamination status of at least one EUV-reflective optical surface arranged in an EUV lithography apparatus for at least one contaminating substance comprising determining the reflectivity of the EUV-reflective optical surface for radiation at a measuring wavelength (λm) using a cavity ringdown reflectometer.

The invention relates to an EUV lithography apparatus, and to a method for determining the contamination status of at least one EUV-reflective optical surface for at least one contaminating substance, the EUV-reflective optical surface being arranged in an EUV lithography apparatus.
Optical elements used in EUV lithography apparatuses are typically reflective elements, as no optical materials are known which can provide sufficient transmission for radiation at EUV wavelengths, typically in a range from about 5 nm to about 20 nm. In such EUV lithography apparatuses, it is necessary to operate the EUV-reflective optical elements in a vacuum because the service life of the EUV-reflective elements is limited by contaminating substances which may deposit on their EUV-reflective surfaces. In the context of the present application, contaminating substances are defined as substances which are susceptible to form deposits on the optical surfaces, and in particular when exposed to EUV-radiation. In this respect, hydrocarbons having an atomic mass of about 40 amu or above are considered as contaminating substances, whereas hydrocarbons having an atomic mass below 40 amu, e.g., methane (CH4), usually stay volatile even when irradiated with EUV light and do not form such deposits.
The contamination of EUV-reflective optical surfaces has an adverse effect on the performance of the EUV lithography apparatus as a whole, as such, contamination affects the optical properties of the optical components and may cause a loss in reflectivity or introduce wavefront errors. Therefore, control and knowledge of the contamination status of EUV-reflective optical elements is desired. In this respect, US 2004/0227102 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,847,463 B2, and 7,084,982 B2 disclose a measuring unit for determining the contamination status of an EUV-reflective optical surface, the measuring unit comprising a light source (e.g. a LED) for emitting light to the EUV-reflective optical surface, and an optical sensor for detecting the intensity of the light reflected from the EUV-reflective optical surface. In such a way, the contamination status, and in particular, the thickness of a contamination layer on EUV-reflective optical surfaces, may be determined.
For determining the reflectivity or transmission of optical elements for the visible wavelength range, it is known to use a technique which is referred to as cavity ringdown spectrometry. A cavity ringdown spectrometer typically comprises a laser source, an optical resonator, and a detection unit for detecting the laser radiation reflected or transmitted by the optical element, as described, e.g., on the website of the company "Los Gatos Research" www.lgrinc.com. Cavity ringdown spectroscopy involves measuring the decay of laser light in the optical resonator after the laser is rapidly switched off. The decay curve is an exponential curve with a time constant T from which the reflectivity or transmission of the optical element may be deduced. In such a way, the reflectivity and/or transmission of optical elements for the visible wavelength range can be determined with high precision.
As indicated in WO 2008/034582 A2, it is known to use cavity ringdown spectroscopy for the determination of partial pressures of contaminating gaseous species in an EUV lithography apparatus. In such case, the absorption of the gaseous species for the radiation inside the optical resonator is determined, thus allowing an artisan to deduce the concentration of the absorbing gaseous species in the resonator, and to gain information about the partial pressure of that gaseous species in the EUV lithography apparatus, and in particular, close to the EUV-reflective optical surfaces. However, for measuring the contamination status of the EUV-reflective optical surfaces themselves, WO 2008/034582 A2 suggests the approach described, e.g., in US 2004/0227102 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,847,463 B2, and 7,084,982 B2, cited above.

EUV lithography apparatus and method for determining the contamination status of an EUV-reflective optical surface


Video graphics methods and systems can reduce objectionable ringing associated with composited user interface elements and video content, while at the same time preserve, to a desirable degree, the fidelity of the video content. In at least some embodiments, after the user interface elements are created, they are pre-filtered, before compositing, in a particular way that is designed to reduce undesirable ringing. Further, in at least some embodiments, during the compositing process, the left and right edges of the user interface elements are treated in a manner that is designed to reduce the ringing that would otherwise be induced by the left and right edges respectively.

Many video graphics systems utilize user interface elements that enable a user to interface, in some way, with the video graphics and/or the application or system that renders the graphics. User interface elements can come in many types, geometries and sizes, such as boxes, buttons, sliders, knobs and the like which enable a user to provide input into the system. Alternately or additionally, user interface elements can be used to simply convey information to a user.
Regardless of the nature of the user interface elements, when a user interface is constructed by compositing video content and the user interface elements, as by layering one on top of the other, visually-perceptible problems can arise when the composition is ultimately rendered on a display, such as a television, for a user.
As an example, consider the following. User interface elements can contain sharp transitions or edges which, when passed through certain interpolators during compositing, such as up-samplers and follow-on filters as one might find in television encoding devices, can produce objectionable ringing on a television monitor. Ringing can manifest itself as fringing (in close up view) or as lack of sharpness (at a distance).
Accordingly, this invention arose out of concerns associated with providing systems and methods that can reduce this objectionable ringing while, at the same time preserve to a desirable degree the fidelity of the video content.

Methods and systems for reducing ringing in composited user interface elements


A method and system and computer program product for subscribing to action plans including a processing device for receiving an action plan transaction message having one or more data fields from an analyst node in a blockchain network and generating an action plan transaction in a blockchain including the one or more data fields of the action plan transaction message and a newly generated plan identification. The processing device may transmit an action plan notice to the blockchain network alerting the nodes of the blockchain network of the action plan transaction. The processing device may receive one or more client bids for the action plan transaction, determine a winning client bid of the one or more client bids, generate a winning bid transaction in the blockchain and transmit a winning bid notification to the client node of the winning client bid.

Blockchain was initially developed as a storage mechanism for use in conducting cryptographic token transactions. Decentralization, distributed computing, transaction transparency and user anonymity are beneficial attributes of blockchains. Blockchains offer enhanced security due to their immutable nature and the cryptography used in their operation. In recent years, blockchains have evolved beyond cryptographic token transaction use cases and are utilized in many fields where the storage and/or transfer of data is required.
Investors often rely upon expert analysts for recommendations regarding financial asset transactions. However, analysts are faced with a trade-off between providing these action plans (e.g., to purchase or sell an asset) on an exclusive basis, which maximizes their value to the client, or disseminating them broadly, which enables the generation of a verified public track record for the analyst. For example, an analyst can sell proprietary research supporting the purchase of an equity security to a single investor client who can then transact in the security prior to any wide disclosure of the analyst's assessment. However, because this private distribution cannot be independently verified, the analyst cannot develop a reputation, particularly if the security price appreciates prior to the analyst sharing the research publicly. Alternatively, the analyst can broadcast a recommended action plan into the public record (e.g., via an online forum or distribution list) prior to any private disclosure, however, the conclusions will then be freely available and reflected in the security price, limiting subsequent monetization. A third option would be for the action plan to be sent concurrently to a paying investor client and a third-party who records the action plan in a private database, however, the third-party could divulge or inaccurately record it. Thus, there is a need for a decentralized, immutable system which facilitates private transmission of action plans whose contents can later be verified by parties unable to view the contents of the original private transmission.

Methods and systems for generating, subscribing to and processing action plans using a blockchain


The present invention introduces an apparatus and process which may be implemented on a vast variety of computer systems. The apparatus and process of the present invention use a computer system to receive and store data representative of a particular asset, a type of option (call or put), requested exercise price and a multitude of other variables related to the asset. The apparatus and process then generate data representative of an expirationless option premium for use in transacting an expirationless option.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and process for automatically transacting an expirationless option for use in a variety of markets, such as commodities or securities markets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An "option" is generally used to hedge risk by providing the right to purchase or sell a commodity or other asset at a later time at a set price with only limited obligations. An option is similar to an insurance policy in that it insures that an asset may be purchased or sold at a later time at a set price in return for a premium, often referred to as an option premium, which is generally a relatively small percentage of the current value of the asset. A first type of option, referred to as a "call" option in the securities market, gives the purchaser of the option the right, but not the obligation, to buy a particular asset at a later time at a guaranteed price, often referred to as the "exercise price." A second type of option, referred to as a "put" option in the securities market, gives the purchaser of the option the right, but not the obligation, to sell a particular asset at a later time at the exercise price. (The "put" option may be thought of as giving the owner the right to "put" the security into another's name at the exercise price.) In either instance, the seller of the call or put option is obligated to perform the associated transactions if the purchaser chooses to exercise its option.
For many years, options have been utilized in a variety of asset-based transactions. For example, in the commodities market, commodity producers (e.g., farmers) often enter into option relationships with commodity users (e.g., manufacturers) and speculators; in the real estate market, real estate owners often enter into option relationships with real estate purchasers; and in the securities market, security holders often enter into option relationships with security purchasers.
In an illustrative example for the commodities market, a commodity user (e.g., a cereal manufacturer) which expects that it will need a certain amount of particular commodities (e.g., corn and wheat) at a later time (e.g., in six months), may purchase a "call" option from a speculator. In return, the speculator receives the option premium in return for obligating itself to obtain and sell the set amount of corn and wheat at the exercise price six months from the time the option was granted.
Accordingly, if the price of these commodities increases over the six month period, then the cereal manufacturer will likely exercise the "call" option and obtain the set amount of commodities from the seller at the guaranteed exercise price. Therefore, by paying the option premium in advance of knowing the actual value of the commodities six months later, the cereal manufacturer may save itself a substantial amount of money, especially if the price of corn or wheat has substantially increased over the six month period due to a number of reasons (e.g., bad weather). Of course, if the price of these commodities does not reach the exercise price over the six month period, then the cereal manufacturer simply will not exercise its option and will purchase the commodities on the open market at the then going price.
On the other hand, farmers who plant their fields many months in advance of having a commodity ready for delivery and wish to guarantee themselves a set price for their commodity at a time in the future may purchase a "put" option from a speculator. Here, if the price (value) of the farmer's commodities goes down over the set period of time for a variety of reasons (e.g., exceptionally good crops among farmers), in return for the option premium, the farmer is guaranteed that it will receive a set amount of minimum income for his efforts from the speculator.
The most frequent use of options is in the securities market, where millions of options are typically transacted on a daily basis. In the securities market, investors may hedge the risk related to investing in securities associated with stocks in companies, bonds, commodities, real estate and many other assets.
Of importance, the common denominator among the variety of prior art systems for transacting asset-based options are that they are only capable of transacting options which expire after a certain period of "time". In other words, the purchaser of the call or put option using the prior art systems for handling option transactions only has the right to exercise its option before it expires or on the expiration date.
As shown in FIGS. 8-11, for a set period of time, an option transacted using a prior art system has some value associated with it depending on the type of option, the current value of the asset relative to the exercise price and other variables. However, the moment after the option expires, a purchased option, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, is worthless causing an option purchaser who may have owned a valuable option one day to own a worthless option the next day. Furthermore, not only is the option worthless, but the purchaser of the call or put option is no longer protected against future price fluctuations associated with the asset. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a sold option, which might be falling in value, automatically rises to the value of the option premium and removes all future risks to the option seller the moment after the option expires.
Ignoring the effect of "time" and other nominal costs associated with transacting options, the value of the options (e.g., on shares of company A stocks) may increase or decrease based on the current price of the shares. For example, if the current share price rose from $50 to $54, then the value of the purchased call option (FIG. 8) would increase because it would be more likely to be exercised at the $55 per share exercise price. Further, if the current share price rose to $60, then the value of the purchased call option would increase even more because the owner of the purchased call option could now purchase Company A shares at the exercise price of $55 and sell them for $60 on the open market resulting in a $5 per share profit. Moreover, the value of the purchased call option would continue to increase if the current share price of the Company A shares continued to rise higher and higher. Accordingly, as long as the current price of the asset (the Company A shares) continues to increase, the profits associated with the return on investment for a purchaser of a call option are unlimited. However, as might be expected, the exact opposite results for the seller of the call option (see FIG. 10) in that the losses attributed to the seller of a call option are unlimited.
On the other hand, continuing to ignore the effect of "time," if the current share price dropped from $50 to $45, then the value of the purchased call option would decrease because it would be less likely to be exercised at the $55 per share exercise price. Moreover, as the current share price dropped further, the purchased call option would be even less likely to be exercised. However, unlike the situation above where the value of the purchased call option continued to increase as the current share price increased, for a purchased call option associated with an asset which decreases in value, the maximum loss associated with the return on investment is limited to the option premium (for this example, $5 per share). Again, the exact opposite results for the seller of the call option in that the profits realized by the seller of a call option are capped at the option premium.
Referring to FIGS. 9 and 11, similar yet opposite results may be realized by the purchaser and seller of a put option, respectively, using a prior art system for transacting options. Here, assume that investor P purchases a put option from investors who sells the put option on shares of Company A with an exercise price of $45 in six months in return for an option premium of $5 per share.
Here, again ignoring the effect of "time or other nominal costs," if the value of the Company A shares fell to $46, then the value of the purchased put option (FIG. 9) would increase because it would be more likely to be exercised. Moreover, if the value of the shares continued to fall to $40, then the value of the purchased put option would increase even more because the owner of the purchased put option would be able to obtain shares of Company A at a price of $40 per share and sell these same shares at $45 per share by exercising its put option resulting in a $5 per share profit. Accordingly, as long as the current price of the asset (the Company A shares) continue to decrease, the profits associated with the return on investment for a purchaser of a put option are limited to the exercise price (less the option premium paid) if the asset price fell to zero. However, the seller of the put option (See FIG. 12) realizes potential losses equal to the exercise price (less the option premium received) if the asset price fell to zero.
On the other hand, if the current share price increases, then the value of the purchased put option would decrease because it would be less likely to be exercised. However, regardless of how much the share price increased, the maximum loss associated with the return on investment that the purchaser of a put option would realize is limited to the option premium. In contrast, the seller of the put option realizes a maximum profit of the option premium.
Based on the above examples, it should be readily apparent that, ignoring "time," the purchaser of a call or a put option using a prior art system for transacting an option may essentially realize an unlimited gain while limiting his or her potential loss to the amount of the option premium. On the other hand, the seller of a call or a put option using the prior art system simply acts as an insurer for a period of "time" by collecting the option premium in return for insuring that the purchaser of the option will be able to buy or sell, respectively, the underlying asset at the exercise price for a certain period of "time."
However, the problem with such prior art systems is that "time" cannot be ignored. Specifically, such prior art systems limit the purchaser to purchasing call and put options only for preset increments of "time" which may or may not be a suitable amount of time to protect the purchaser and which leave the purchaser with a valueless asset after the preset increment of "time" expires.
Specifically, referring to the arrows pointed downward in FIGS. 8 and 9, even though a purchased call option may increase or a purchased put option may decrease in value as the current price of the asset increases or decreases, respectively, the value of the call or put option whose current price has yet to reach the exercise price must always battle "time." In other words, the closer that the call or put option gets to its expiration date, the more "time" will have a negative effect on the value of the purchased call or put option because "time" will be running out for the current price of the asset to reach the exercise price. Furthermore, if the current price of the asset on the expiration date is below the exercise price for the purchased call option or above the exercise price for the purchased put option, then, regardless of the current price, the option holder will (1) be left holding an option worth absolutely nothing and (2) be left unprotected in its efforts to buy or sell a particular asset at a later "time."
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and process for transacting an option which is not dependent on "time." In other words, a need exists for a system which transacts an expirationless option.
Of note, experts in the securities market and other markets dealing with options have concluded for many years that any system for transacting an option can only generate an option premium, which is fair to both the purchaser and seller of the option, if data representing the "time" in which the option expires is input into the system. More specifically, all algorithms that have been derived for generating fair option premiums include a variable for "time". Such algorithms include the Black-Sholes, Binomial Pricing and Analytic Approximation algorithms.
Moreover, not only is there a need for a system capable of transacting a fairly calculated premium for an option not dependent on "time," but there is a further need for such a system to automatically transact purchases and sales of expirationless options instantaneously while handling (1) the constantly changing current asset prices and other variables associated with the option premium pricing and (2) the high volume (millions) of daily options transacted in the securities market and other markets.
The above-referenced shortcomings, and other shortcoming of the prior art systems for transacting options that expire are effectively overcome by the present invention, as described in further detail below.

Apparatus and process for executing an expirationless option transaction


A user-centered push system monitors user activity to build a dynamic model representing probable user interests. The model is used to drive a search for information relevant to these interests. Such information, when located, is pushed to the user. In a specific embodiment, the information is scrolled across a ticker-tape display along the bottom of the user""s monitor. Typically, headline and stock quote type information in abbreviated form is scrolled. By clicking on a ticker-displayed abbreviated item, the user initiates a display of a more complete version of the information. In one embodiment, the invention defines a method using a dynamic user model to locate and push information to a client for display. Alternatively a client reformats the information and archives it for later use. In another embodiment, changes in the dynamic model trigger the information pushing. Information is located and pushed from sources within and also external to a user environment, including from an intranet, from the Internet and from the World-Wide-Web.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to information processing and communication systems, and in particular to methods and systems for discovering and pushing network information based upon user activity.
2. Background of the Invention
Push technology has become popular in the public eye as an answer to a quantity-of-information problem. An extended digital world we call cyberspace is composed of information sources including the world-wide web, Usenet news, electronic mail, as well as personal dataxe2x80x94such as the contents of a user""s hard drive and a personal digital assistant.
Cyberspace contains an incredible wealth of valuable information. However, this information is difficult to obtain, and is almost impossible to synthesize and to process. Yet, information on just about anything is available, and it comes in countless different formats. Generally, finding what a user wants requires an enormous amount of searching. Often this search process is so tedious that much of the available information is never sought or found in the first place.
Push technology attempts to solve this problem by selecting relevant information and bringing it to the user. Current push technology attempts to model a user""s interests by having a user check off boxes corresponding to various predefined interests. The push technology then uses the model to locate and deliver information corresponding to the checked off interests.
Under such a model, a world of available information is considered to be constantly changing, while the user""s interests are assumed to remain fairly static, as indicated by the user interest check list. The perception is that push technology will eliminate the user""s need to actively participate in the search for information that he or she is interested in.
And indeed that""s true. But one unintended consequence of these models is that much irrelevant information, matching the somewhat primitive selections offered in the check lists, is returned as well. Thus one major problem remaining with current push technology is the problem of separating the wheat from the chaffxe2x80x94sifting through vast amounts of irrelevant information to find that which is pertinent and valuable to a specific user. A significant part of this problem stems from continued reliance upon a user interest model which remains sparse and static.
In part this overload of irrelevant information is due to the availability of faster processors and higher bandwidth data transfer capabilities which allow information to be delivered in a media-rich, TV-like way. Near instantaneous feedback and check-list mechanisms for specifying content are resulting in a large user base for the current push technology.
Recent commercial software applications such as The Pointcast Network(trademark), Marimba""s Castanet Tuner(trademark), Netscape""s Netcaster(trademark), and Microsoft""s CDF channels, as well as several other research and commercial news clipping and information delivery services have provided software which promises to dynamically deliver intranet and Internet information to user desktops.
Under current models, the responsibility for choosing what information gets delivered stays mostly in the hands of the software and the server from which the information comes. Users choose from a series of xe2x80x98channelsxe2x80x99 or categories, and receive all of the content associated with that category through the service""s proprietary softwarexe2x80x94in the same way that a TV viewer selects a channel and watches all the content provided by that TV channel. The user""s choice is limited to the number of checkboxes or channels the push software provides. If the user wants to choose from a larger variety of more specific topics and interests, the model is no longer useful.
Recent estimates suggest that there will be one billion web pages by the year 2000. Even if only one out of every 1000 of those pages is available on an equivalent content channel, users will be required to sift through one million channels to enjoy xe2x80x98passivexe2x80x99 delivery of information.
The models created by the current push technology are quasi-static, and require direct intervention on the part of the user to change the topics of interest. Yet, recent research has shown that a user""s interests vary at very short intervalsxe2x80x94the changes in a user""s interests occurring much more rapidly than changes occurring in the information sources from which the information is obtained.
Also, in current push technology, the output of information is limited to current push technology""s proprietary output screens. The information is being delivered in a format determined by the information supplier and not by a user""s specific needs. Such prepackaged information is often difficult to modify for specific user needs.
A need exists for a push technology that solves the glut of information problem by retrieving information likely to be of interest to a user. A need also exists for a push technology which can provide the information in a form easily adapted to a user""s specific format needs.
These needsxe2x80x94(1) locating information relevant to a user""s current interests, and (2) presenting the information in a manner suited to suit a user""s specific needxe2x80x94are met by the present invention, a user-centered push technology.
The invention meets these two critical needs by modeling the user""s interests in a dynamic way, and by using the model to locate and to deliver information that remains relevant as the user""s needs change.
The present invention is based upon the idea that people and their interests are dynamic, and therefore that the information which a user deems relevant constantly changes because his interests change. Therefore, building and maintaining a reliable, useful user model requires data from numerous sources. What the user is currently browsing, for instance, or topics which he has recently written about or read (in a document, an e-mail, or a new posting), applications he uses, as well as keyboard and mouse activity are all valuable sources of user model information.
In a specific embodiment, the invention defines a method for pushing information to a client in an information processing system. The method includes gathering facts concerning user activity, and using the facts to build a dynamic user model. The method also includes deriving new facts from the facts within the dynamic model, and incorporating the new facts into the model thereby developing probable user interests. Using those interests to locate information either inside the system or outside, such as via a network connection with remote databases. And finally, by pushing the located information to the user in a minimally distracting manner. Alternatively, the information is locally formatted and archived for later use.
Another specific embodiment of the invention defines a system for determining what information is relevant to a user""s changing interests, locating such information, and pushing the information to a client triggered on the changes in user interests. The system builds a dynamic user model that contains linked facts defining probable user interests. Independent fact deriving agents elicit new facts from the existing facts, evolving the probable user interests to a level of confidence sufficient for some facts to be pushed to the client. Typically, the pushed facts are displayed for the user, or, alternatively, they are reformatted and archived for later use.
The advantages of a user-centered push technology are that information is located and pushed based on changing user interests, and the information is easily reformatted and archived for later use.

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides for a method and apparatus for bending multiple sheet of thin glass at the same time on a single set of molds. Multiple sheets of thin glass are stacked onto a full surface female mold. A partial surface male mold is placed onto the thin glass stack. The male mold serves to hold the edges in place and prevents the formation of wrinkles as the glass is heated and sags to conform to the shape of the female mold. Optionally, the top mold can be enclosed and pressurized to provide a pneumatic pressure assist to form the glass. In addition, the bottom mold can be enclosed to allow for vacuum assist to form the glass.

In response to the regulatory requirements for increased automotive fuel efficiency as well as the growing public awareness and demand for environmentally friendly products, automotive original equipment manufacturers, around the world, have been working to improve the efficiency of their vehicles.
One of the key elements of the strategy to improve efficiency has been the concept of light weighting. Often times, more traditional, less expensive, conventional materials and processes are being replaced by innovative new materials and processes which while sometime being more expensive, still have higher utility than the materials and processes being replaced due to their lower weight and the corresponding increase in fuel efficiency. Vehicle glazing has been no exception.
For many years, the standard automotive windshield has had a thickness of 5.4 mm. In more recent years, we have seen the thickness decrease to 4.75 mm. While a reduction of 0.65 mm may not seem significant, at a density of 2600 kg per cubic meter for standard soda lime glass, each millimeter that the thickness is reduced, decreases the weight by 2.6 kg per square meter. The weight of a typical 1.2 square meter windshield going from 5.4 mm to 4.75 mm is reduced by a little over 2 kg. On a vehicle with a total of 6 square meters of glass, a 1 mm reduction on all of the windows translates into a savings of 15.6 kg.
However there are limits as to have thin the glazing can be. Stress under wind load has always been a factor. With the trend towards increasing in the size of windshields in particular, wind load is even more of a concern. Glass is also becoming a structural element in more and more vehicles. The glazing contributes to the stiffness and strength of the car. Fixed glass, once bonded with a relatively soft curing poly-urethane, is being mounted with higher modulus adhesives. As a result, the glass, once isolated by rubber gaskets and soft butyl adhesives, is now much more subject to loading from the bumps in the road and vehicle torsion.
Today, windshields with a 2.1 mm outer ply, a 1.6 mm inner ply and a 0.76 mm plastic interlayer totaling just under 4.5 mm in total thickness are becoming common. This may be close to the limit of what can be done with conventional annealed soda lime glass.
Annealed glass is glass that has been slowly cooled from the bending temperature through the glass transition range. This is done to relieve stress in the glass. Annealed glass breaks into large shards with sharp edges. In a laminate, two sheets of annealed glass are glued together using a sheet of thermo plastic. If the laminated glass should break, the plastic layer holds the shards of glass together, helping to maintain the structural integrity of the glass. The shards of broken glass are held together much like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. A vehicle with a broken windshield can still be operated. On impact, the plastic layer also helps to prevent penetration by the occupant or by objects striking the laminate from the exterior.
Heat strengthened glass, with a compressive strength in the range of 10,000 PSI, can be used in all vehicle positions other than the windshield. Heat strengthened (tempered) glass has a layer of high compression on the outside surfaces of the glass, balanced by tension on the inside of the glass. When tempered glass breaks, the tension and compression are no longer in balance and the glass breaks into small beads with dull edges. Tempered glass is much stronger than annealed laminated glass. The limits of the typical automotive heat strengthening process are in the 3.2 mm to 3.6 mm range. This is due to the rapid heat transfer that is required. It is not possible to achieve the high surface compression needed with thinner glass using the typical blower type low pressure air quenching systems. Fortunately, there are other materials and processes available.
Glass can be chemically tempered. In this process, ions in and near the outside surface of the glass are exchanged with ions that are larger. This places the outer layer of glass in compression. The maximum strength of chemically tempered soda lime glass is limited. However, with some other glass compositions, compressive strengths in excess of 100 k PSI are possible. The practice of chemically tempering glass is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art and shall not be detailed here.
Unlike heat tempered glass, chemically tempered glass breaks into shards rather than beads. This property allows for its use in windshields. However, in standard windshield thicknesses of 2.0 mm or greater, chemically strengthened glass would actually be too strong. In the event of a crash and a head impact, the windshield must break, absorbing the energy of the impact rather than the head of the occupant. Therefore, depending upon the tempered strength, thicknesses of 1.1 mm or less must be used.
The majority of the vehicles on the road today have windshields that were made using the gravity bending process. In this process, the plies of glass that form the windshield are placed onto a mold, which supports the glass near the edges, and heated. The glass softens and sags to shape. Sometimes, for more complex shapes, gravity is assisted by pneumatic pressure and/or a partial or full surface pressing. As the plies of glass to be laminated are bent in sets, the surfaces, while they may have substantial variation from windshield to windshields, are a near perfect match.
A growing portion of windshields are made by the singlet pressing process. With this process, single sheets of glass are bent using a press to form the glass to shape. The resulting shape is much closer to design and the process can hold tighter tolerances across the surface. But, when the individually pressed sheets are glass are laminated, surface to surface variation can be more of a problem than with gravity bent glass. Thin glass is difficult to bend using either of these bending process.
During gravity bending, the edges of the sheets of glass have a tendency to lift off of the mold and form wrinkles. If the plies of glass are of different compositions, with softening points that are too far apart, it may not be possible to gravity bend at all as the glass with the lower softening point will become too soft leading to marking and distortion. In this case, the different glass types must be bent separately.
However, singlet pressing also has problems. The glass is conveyed through the heating section on rolls. The thin glass tends to bend under its own weight resulting in the leading edge hitting the rollers and even falling through. As can be appreciated, a better process is needed.

Method and apparatus for bending thin glass


A programmable lighting control system for decorative, artistic, and Christmas lighting applications, includes a plurality of outlet receptacles for connection thereto of series or parallel connected Christmas tree lighting strings or the like, a plurality of associated output select switches to individually select a lighting condition signal for each respective outlet receptacle, timing and control circuitry to generate a plurality of lighting condition signals that are applied to solid-state switching devices to drive the outlet receptacles, an output timing phase synchronization feature initiated at user discretion to synchronize the timing phase of each of the plurality of lighting condition signals, and a memory function to retain the last programmed lighting display conditions of user-selected, entirely unique lighting patterns when using a plurality of lighting strings.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the control of a plurality of sets of series or parallel connected bulbs used for decorative, artistic, or Christmas lighting applications, and more particularly to that class which provides user-programmability of such a control system.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many patents have been granted for inventions that control the brightness or ON/OFF state of decorative and Christmas tree lighting sets. These inventions describe methods of controlling the amount and/or duration of power applied to the bulbs of a lighting string to vary the brightness or the ON/OFF time of the bulbs.
Some prior inventions of the type described above describe electronic circuitry that, for practical purposes, would be assembled and permanently attached to a fixed number of wires having a fixed number of bulbs to control a plurality of series connected lights, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,000, Chou. Other inventions of this type are described as control units with multiple outlets for connecting lighting sets to be controlled by electronic or electromechanical means, which are contained inside the base of the unit, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,125,781, Davis; 4,215,277, Weiner; and 4,678,926, Davis. But previously patented lighting controls of the type cited here do not adequately address the choices and flexibility that today's consumer seeks.
The present invention is a lighting control SYSTEM for control of a plurality of individual sets of series or parallel connected Christmas tree lighting strings, or the like. This system provides incredible flexibility, offering an infinite number of lighting display possibilities. The control unit enclosure houses the electronic circuitry and the controls that are used to program the system for user-selectable lighting display patterns when a plurality of lighting strings are used. The lighting strings connect directly to outlets on the enclosure instead of to outlets attached to some form of extension cord as described in patents cited previously. The approach taken with the present invention places the controls and lighting string connections in close, convenient proximity to one another.
The present invention was conceived and designed to provide the user with a variety of user-selectable lighting patterns to personalize their decorative and Christmas tree lighting displays, while also providing the flexibility to be used year-round for other decorative or artistic lighting applications where two-wire, Christmas tree lighting sets are typically utilized.
Unlike previous inventions where the control unit is limited to a predetermined group of fixed patterns, or when packaged for practical applications control only a fixed number of bulbs, the present invention allows the user to select a blinking rate or ON/OFF state of their choice from a plurality of available lighting condition signals for each individual lighting string, it provides a means for timing phase synchronization of any combination of outlets, provides an ON/OFF memory function that retains user-selected lighting display patterns, and allows for interchangeability of strings having a different number of series or parallel connected bulbs.


A wireless network connection security method is disclosed, including: acquiring a type of a wireless network to which a mobile device is connected; determining that the type of the wireless network is insecure; monitoring an application, the application being installed on the mobile device; determining that the application is to be activated; and in response to the determination that the application is to be activated, establishing a secure communication channel between the mobile device and a first server.

When a mobile device such as a smart phone or a tablet or a laptop computer connects to a public Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi) network at a public place (e.g., a mall, restaurant, movie theater, KTV, bar, airport, hotel, subway, etc.), a large number of users unknown to each other transmit data traffic over the shared Wi-Fi network. For example, a legitimate user connects to the public Wi-Fi network via his or her mobile device and decides to perform a security sensitive transaction such as making a payment on the mobile device. Because of the open nature of the public Wi-Fi, the payment transaction is vulnerable for being eavesdropped or snooped by a malicious user who is also connected to the public Wi-Fi, resulting in the sensitive information such as the legitimate user's password, account number, or the like being stolen by the malicious user.
Therefore, there exists a need for wireless network security over an insecure wireless network such as a public Wi-Fi network.

System and method for wireless network security


The present invention provides a sulfonic group-containing polyarylene block copolymer superior to the perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid polymers in cost, conductive properties and proccessability, a process for producing the copolymer, a solid polymer electrolyte and a proton conductive membrane.

Solid electrolytes have recently been used more often than the conventional electrolyte (aqueous) solutions. This is firstly because those solid electrolytes have good proccessability in application in electric and electronic materials, and secondly because of the transitions to overall size and weight reduction and electric power saving.
Inorganic and organic proton conductive materials are known in the art. The inorganic proton conductive materials, such as uranyl phosphate hydrate, show inadequate bonding properties in the interface to cause many problems in forming a conductive layer on a substrate or an electrode.
On the other hand, the organic proton conductive materials include polymers that belong to the so-called cation exchange resins, for example sulfonated vinyl polymers such as polystyrene sulfonate; perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid polymers; and perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acid polymers. In particular, proton conductive membranes based on the perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid polymers represented by Nafion® (manufactured by Du Pont Kabushiki Kaisya) have been widely used. The perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid polymers possess high proton conductivity and can improve the forming property that has been a drawback of the inorganic conductive materials. However, on the other hand they are very expensive and are still unsatisfactory in terms of usability and mechanical properties at high temperatures. Therefore, a material has been desired that is more inexpensive, has thermal and mechanical stability and shows excellent ion conductivity as solid electrolyte membranes.
Approaches to the aforesaid problems include use of organic polymers such as polymers occurring by introducing a sulfonic acid or phosphate group in heat resistant polymers such as polybenzimidazole and polyether ether ketone (see non-patent documents 1 to 3).
Meanwhile, the organic proton conductive materials proposed so far include sulfonic group-containing polyarylenes. Such polymers are generally produced by polymerizing an aromatic compound into a base polymer and introducing sulfonic acid in the base polymer.
In general, the polymer basic skeleton including units from an aromatic compound provides a solid electrolyte membrane that is more stable thermally and mechanically than those obtained from the perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid polymers. However, the solid electrolyte membranes made of such polymers are excessively inflexible because of the aromatic skeleton or the sulfonic acid introduced in the main chain, and therefore they have bad proccessability. Specifically, it is often the case that the films are more brittle and exhibit lower bonding properties with carbon electrodes in MEA (membrane-electrode assembly) fabrication than films of the perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid polymers.    [Non-patent document 1] Polymer Preprints, Japan, Vol. 42, No. 7, p. 2490-2492 (1993)    [Non-patent document 2] Polymer Preprints, Japan, Vol. 43, No. 3, p. 735-736 (1994)    [Non-patent document 3] Polymer Preprints, Japan, Vol. 42, No. 3, p. 730 (1993)

Sulfonic group-containing polyarylene block copolymer, process for production thereof, solid polymer electrolyte and proton conductive membrane

Abstract: The sulfonic group-containing polyarylene block copolymer includes a polymer segment with an ion conductive component represented by the formula (A) and at least one polymer segment without an ion conductive component represented by the formulae (B-1), (B-3) and the like and containing an aromatic ring bonded at the meta-positions or ortho-positions:

Abstract: wherein X is a single bond, —CO—, —SO2— or the like; W is a single bond, —CO—, —SO2— or the like; Q is a single bond, —O—, —S— or the like; J is a single bond, —CO—, —SO2— or the like; and R1 to R24 are each a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, an alkyl group or the like.


A substantially real-time graph-based rule engine that analyzes connectivities, both direct and indirect relationships, between entities stored in a database as the database is updated (e.g., with CDR or financial transaction data). The rule engine uses pre-defined rules to detect events (i.e., the database updates) that influence the relationship between entities in the database. When the database is updated with events (e.g., CDRs), the real-time rule engine compares the update to any relevant rules. If the real-time based rule engine finds a match between a rule and an update to the database, then the rule engine generates a notification, such as an alert. The alerts may be used to provide notification of, e.g, fraudulent activities.

As communication methods advance and multiply, there is a corresponding increase in the variety and quantity of information detailing communication traffic. Various techniques for analyzing and extracting useful information from communication traffic are known in the art. Some analysis techniques process communication traffic in order to identify and characterize relationships between users.

Methods and systems for mass link analysis using rule engines


An apparatus that couples automated injection with flow feedback to provide nanoliter accuracy in controlling microliter volumes. The apparatus comprises generally a source of hydraulic fluid pressure, a fluid isolator joined to the outlet of the hydraulic pressure source and a flow sensor to provide pressure-driven analyte metering. For operation generally and particularly in microfluidic systems the hydraulic pressure source is typically an electrokinetic (EK) pump that incorporates gasless electrodes. The apparatus is capable of metering sub-microliter volumes at flowrates of 1–100 μL/min into microsystem load pressures of up to 1000–50 psi, respectively. Flowrates can be specified within 0.5 μL/min and volumes as small as 80 nL can be metered.

Sample preparation for capillary or chip-based bioassays typically consists of preparing a sample (analyte) for a particular assay by concentrating the sample by some means, such as by centrifuging or decanting and diluting with an appropriate buffer solution. For ease of identification of the components it can be particularly desirable to "tag" the sample with an appropriate tag or tracer that can be a dye that fluoresces when exposed to the appropriate wavelength of light. However, many tag-analyte complexes have a short shelf life and need to be prepared within a day or two of use. For pathogen identification for first responders and for facilities protection it is particularly desirable to have inexpensive, integrated microchemical analysis systems commercially available that are capable of rapid (typically<2 minutes), multiplexed (>20 antigens) analyses. Automated sample preparation with microliter fluid volumes, i.e., a microfluidic analysis system, can increase repeatability and speed of sample preparation and yield more consistent bioassay results. However, bioassay architectures that require the common manipulations employed in these systems, such as solvent changes, sample preparation and concentration, cannot be implemented without active flow control.

Sample preparation system for microfluidic applications


A data playback device includes a laser to produce light to illuminate a disk form of data recording medium and to playback data stored on the disk, the data being recorded on the disk in a first group of data tracks and a second group of data tracks, which exist in concentric or spiral form, wherein the first group of tracks and the second group of tracks exist with a mutual difference in level in the radial direction in the disk form of data recording medium. The data playback device further includes a rotary device to rotate the recording medium, a tracking control unit to cause the illumination location of the laser light to follow the first group of tracks or the second group of tracks, and a setting unit to set the control condition in the tracking control unit for tracking with respect to the first group of tracks or for tracking with respect to the second group of tracks. The data playback device maintains the setting in the setting unit in a control condition which has been set with respect to the track last played back.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data playback device in order to playback data recorded on a data recording medium, such as an optical disk and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A playback device for a compact disk (CD) is an example of a known data replay device.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the constitution of a CD. As shown in FIG. 9, a CD has a spiral array of phase pits 82 of relief form in a transparent substrate 81 of thickness 1.2 mm. This is a data track. Voice data is then recorded by causing voice data to correspond to the length of the phase pits.
When the data recorded on a CD is played back in a playback device, first, the CD is rotated. By using an illuminating light beam, a light spot of smaller radius than the phase pits is then formed on the record tracks. Data is then replayed by detecting the diffraction state of the reflected light of the light spot on the record track.
When the light spot is in a position with no phase pit, all of the reflected light from the record track returns to the playback head. Because of this, a data detector built into a playback head of a playback device detects a large value. When a phase pit is in the position of the light spot, the light reflected from the record track is diffracted by the phase pit. Because of this, a portion of the reflected light is reflected to the exterior and does not return to the playback head. The remaining portion of the reflected light returns to the playback head. Namely, when a phase pit is in the position of the light spot, the data detector built into the playback head detects a small value.
Generally, the radius of the light beam from the playback head can be narrowed down to the diffraction limit. Because of this, when a data playback head is used with a built-in laser light source having a wavelength of 830 nm, the radius of the light spot illuminating the data track can be narrowed down to 1 .mu.m or less. Accordingly, the pitch of the data tracks can be 1.6 .mu.m, and a large amount of data can be recorded.
Examples of other data playback devices are magnetooptical disk devices or phase change disk devices.
The playback principle of these devices, except for using the Kerr rotation effect or the reflectivity change effect of the light reflected from the data recording medium, is the same as that of the CD playback device, and a detailed description is omitted.
The demand for recording more data on a data recording medium is very high. In response to this demand, it was generally proposed by the inventors and in their investigations to make the playback beam diameter smaller by making the wavelength of the light source of the playback head short.
However, there are limitations on the wavelength of the light source of the playback head. That is, the wavelength cannot be made infinitely short. On the other hand, when the size of the playback beam is fixed and the tracks are narrowed, the light spot due to the playback beam also illuminates record pits of the adjacent tracks. As a result, a problem was that data of the adjacent tracks was also read out, in addition to the data of the subject playback track.
Consequently, a data playback device is required which can play back only the data from the subject track, suppressing data readout from adjacent tracks.
An important result of the inventors' investigations was the discovery of the land/groove playback method as a countermeasure to suppress data readout from adjacent tracks. The tracks of magnetooptical and the like recording media are generally formed as grooves in concentric circles or spirals. Accordingly, convex portions and concave portions exist on the record surface. In the recording media heretofore, data were recorded on either the convex or the concave portions. In contrast to this, in the land/groove playback method, disks are used on which data has been recorded on both the convex portions (lands) and the concave portions (grooves).
This is a superior method, because the track pitch can be practically halved. The results in suppressing data readout from adjacent tracks by the land/groove method have been described in the following literature and references, and a detailed description will be omitted here.
Technology in relation to phase change disks is mentioned in "High Density Phase Change Disks By Land & Groove Recording" (Fifth Phase Change Recording Research Society Symposium, Collected Papers"). Moreover, technology related to magnetooptical disks is described in "Crosstalk Analysis of Land/Groove Magnetooptical Recording" (Symposium on Optical Memory 1994).
Furthermore, the present assignee's Japanese patent applications 6-190695, 6-215137, and 6-215138 also describe the effect of suppressing data readout from adjacent tracks in land/groove playback methods. Nevertheless, because there exist two kinds of tracks, land tracks and groove tracks, in this land/groove playback method, data could not be freely played back from optional tracks by the prior art technology.
For example, when playing back data from a recording medium, by causing the light spot to move relatively, the data recorded on the data track is played back in succession. Specifically, in playing back a CD, in the state in which the disk is caused to rotate, the illumination position of the light spot is controlled such that the light spot is normally on the data track. This kind of control is called tracking control.
The tracking control mechanism in prior art devices could only correspond to tracking with respect to either one of land tracks or groove tracks, not both. The reason for this is that, because the tracking characteristics differ in land tracks and groove tracks, when tracking control is matched to the track characteristics of one kind, i.e., land or groove tracks, tracking control is not suitable for the tracking control of the other kind of tracks, groove or land tracks.

Data playback device to control a laser illuminating position by comparing phase of a laser drive signal and a laser tracking error detection signal


A system includes network elements and a network provisioning and control system by which connection of network elements to a broadband network is controlled. The network provisioning and control system includes a configuration rendering engine that operates to configure the network elements connected to the network. Network element configuration templates are stored in the network provisioning and control system, each template including predetermined configuration data and conditional configuration data. A network element connected to the network and requiring configuration is detected and a template relating to the specific network element to be configured is determined. The system is interrogated. A configuration statement for the network element based on the selected template is determined using the predetermined configuration data and the determined, discrete values of the conditional configuration data. The network element is configured using the configuration statement.

FIG. 1 shows a generic description of a broadband network for providing telephone, internet and TV/video services to subscribers in a number of locations. A series of service providers provide the various services (SP1, SP2, SP3) to the network 10 via conventional access points 12. The network 10 provides connects these to subscribers via routers 14 located close to the subscribers. These can include business locations that can include routers in commercial property 16, and domestic subscribers with routers located in a central office 18 for a neighbourhood of separate dwellings (houses 17), or in a single building 19 such as an apartment building. The network operator manage the network function by the use of a control and provisioning system 20.
From time to time, it is necessary to make changes to the network by adding or reconfiguring elements making up the system, for example the routers 14. This configuration is achieved by downloading the configuration data from the control and provisioning system 20 to the router 14. The configuration data is contained in templates that are stored in a database forming part of the control and provisioning system 20. However, problems can arise due to the large number of network elements in use and their ever changing nature. If a new router (or, more likely, a revised version of an existing router) is deployed into the network and there is no configuration template that matches it exactly, the configuration can fail. Reconfiguration in such cases often requires manual intervention with the associated cost and delay.
In many cases, the reason for failure can be that certain parameters relating to a router vary without making substantial changes to functionality. For example, the name may change to indicate a new version. If the configuration template specifies the old name, it may not operate properly to configure the latest version even though it is functionally identical since the parameters on the router will not match the values in the template.
It is an object of the invention to provide a system which does not require discrete templates to be stored in the control and provisioning system for all network elements but which can create configuration statements according to data that can be retrieved from the system.


An interactive control method and device of earphones, an earphone and a storage medium are disclosed. The earphones include a first earphone and a second earphone. The method comprises: acquiring putting-on sequential order information or taking-off sequential order information of the first earphone and/or the second earphone; determining a first functional instruction corresponding to the putting-on sequential order information or a second functional instruction corresponding to the taking-off sequential order information according to a preset correspondence between the putting-on sequential order information or the taking-off sequential order information and functional instructions of a mobile terminal; and sending the first functional instruction or the second functional instruction to the mobile terminal, so that the mobile terminal executes the first functional instruction or the second functional instruction to realize a first interaction function or a second interaction function with the earphones.

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, more and more functions can be realized by smart terminals, and the user's requirements in function realization are increasingly higher. It needs to be solved urgently how to better realize human-computer interaction and terminal—terminal interaction, and further improve user experience. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.

Interactive control method and device of earphones, earphone and storage medium


Systems and methods for improving the reception and delivery of an In-Trail Procedures (ITP) altitude change request. An example system located on board a host aircraft includes a communication component, a display device and a processor unit that is in signal communication with the communication component and the display device. The processor unit presents a user interface on the display device. The user interface includes a plurality of fields for receiving In-Trail Procedures (ITP) altitude change request information. The processor sends the ITP altitude change request information received within the plurality of fields to an Air Traffic Control (ATC) facility via the communication component. An ITP unit having a display receives an altitude selection and presents ITP altitude change request information if the received altitude selection is determined to be valid.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to require airborne Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) applications to provide improved benefits to operators. One of the benefits of ADS-B is the In-Trail Procedures (ITP). In addition to increasing flight crew awareness of the traffic around them, ITP displays offer information for safely climbing or descending through altitudes.
Currently, datalinking allows digital text messaging between controllers and pilots. ITP using Controller-Pilot Datalink Communication (CPDLC) for datalinking requires the use of structured and defined message sets consisting of uplink and downlink messages. A major concern with using CPDLC in general is the amount of heads-down time in the cockpit. It is critical that heads-down time be mitigated. Part of this mitigation is a requirement that pilots be able to quickly find, compose, and send ITP requests to Air Traffic Control (ATC). Also, wrongly formulating the ITP datalink messages by, for example, not adhering to the standard message formats, not providing all required ITP information, or entering the wrong variables will result in communication errors and delays. Evidence of this problem is mentioned in a NASA study titled "Enhanced Oceanic Operations Human-In-The-Loop In-Trail Procedure Validation Simulation Study" (NASA/TP-2008-215313).
Currently a touch panel display on an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) display device is used for composing and sending ITP altitude change requests to ATC. The setting up and sending of an ITP clearance via an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) device is cumbersome and because free text is used, it can be prone to error.

Systems and methods for improving an in-trail procedures request


A circuit substrate having an insulating layer comprising a polyimide resin on a metal foil substrate, wherein the polyimide resin is a polyimide resin obtained by the reaction of. (A) aromatic diamines comprising PA1 (B) aromatic tetracarboxylic acid dianhydrides comprising. (a) 1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene and PA2 (b) 2,2'-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,4'-diaminobiphenyl PA2 (a) 3,4,3',4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid dianhydride PA2 (b) 2,2-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane dianhydride.. and. and. The circuit-formed substrate has a desired circuit comprising a conductive layer on the circuit substrate.. The polyimide resin has a low hygroscopic property and thus the substrate is excellent in the dimensional stability and does not cause warping even when the humidity in the environmental atmosphere is changed.

Recently, a circuit substrate comprising a metal foil having formed thereon an insulating layer comprising a polyimide resin has been used as a thin-film multilayer circuit substrate for the purposes of high-density packaging of semiconductors and a high-speed signal treatment. However, in such a conventional circuit substrate, since the polyimide resin has a large hygroscopic property, the circuit substrate is liable to cause a dimensional change and warping by the change of the humidity in the environmental atmosphere.
On the other hand, in computers and storage devices which are peripheral equipments for computers, in addition to the improvement of the capacity, small-sizing and a low cost have been required and with such requirements for a background, in particular, the technique of hard disk drives has been greatly advanced. Also, in the magnetic head, recently the developments of a thin-film magnetic head (TFH) wherein the coil portion is made of a thin film and further a thin film-magnetic resistance composite head (MR) which serves reading and writing and has a greatly large storage capacity have been hurried to a conventional metal in gap (MIG).
However, by a conventional technique of constituting desired wiring by laying a conductive wire on a suspension substrate, the conductive wire gives influences on the elastic modulus of the suspension to cause the fluctuation of the pushing force of the suspension and as the case may be, by the contact with the magnetic disk, the durability of the magnetic disk device is sometimes lowered.
Therefore, recently, a suspension formed by directly forming an electric circuit on a suspension substrate for mounting a magnetic head has been practically used. However, in such a suspension, when a dimensional change and warping occur on the circuit substrate by the change of the humidity in the environmental atmosphere, the inferior performance sometimes occurs.

Circuit substrate, circuit-formed suspension substrate, and production method thereof


An improved field effect transistor having a source region, a drain region, and channel region in a polycrystalline silicon layer, the improvement being that the polycrystalline silicon layer has approximately equal concentrations of N and P type dopants embodied therein, which serves to restrain movement of P/N junctions.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to stabilizing the properties of polycrystalline semiconductor layers, more particularly to controlling impurity migration in thin polycrystalline silicon layers during high temperature processing, and specifically to field effect transistors fabricated in thin film polycrystalline or amorphous layers.
(2) Description of Prior Art
In the quest to achieve microminiturization of integrated circuit devices, individual elements have been made very small, and the elements have been closely packed. Further, transistor devices and resistors have been fabricated in thin polycrystalline semiconductor films that are positioned on electrically insulating layers over elements fabricated in a semiconductor body, thus materially increasing the packing density. Also devices have been fabricated directly on insulating substrates. In the fabrication of very small devices in thin polycrystalline silicon films a major problem is controlling the dopant migration in the films during the necessary high temperature process following introduction of the dopant into the film. For example, when polycrystalline silicon is used, large concentrations of dopants, such as arsenic, boron, or phosphorous are implanted into very small regions of the polycrystalline silicon film. High temperature steps are used to activate the implanted dopant. Also other high temperature steps may be necessary to deposit or grow insulating layers, deposit metals, etc. During such high temperature exposure the dopants will diffuse very rapidly. In view of the very small dimensions of the regions even a small dopant movement is likely to seriously degrade the devices.
While these problems can be partially overcome by reducing the dopant concentration, the lower dopant values may make it impossible to obtain sufficiently low sheet resistance. Also, where it is desired to selectively dope polysilicon regions in a specific location, but not in an adjacent location, the rapid vertical and/or lateral movement of the dopant through the polysilicon material during high temperature processing makes it impossible to standardize device parameters and operating conditions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,407 discloses and claims a process for controlling dopant migration in a polycrystalline semiconductor layers consisting of implanting oxygen or nitrogen into the polysilicon layer and heating. The implanted oxygen is believed to stabilize the grain boundaries of the polycrystalline silicon layer so that grain boundary diffusion is decreased. U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,104 discloses a process for fabricating a resistor in a polycrystalline silicon film. In the process a polysilicon film is deposited, an N type dopant blanket implanted in the film, the doped film heat treated, a second opposite P type dopant selectively implanted to define the region of the resistor, and the P type dopant activated by heat treatment. Diffusion of the P type dopant is restrained because there is no dopant concentration between the heavily doped N region and the P type resistor region.
FIG. 1 illustrates the cross section of a conventional polysilicon thin film transistor, the transistor consists of semiconductor or insulator substrate 10, a insulating layer 11 on the top surface of substrate 10, and a thin film polysilicon layer 14 with an overlying insulating layer 21. Polysilicon layer 14 has a source region 16, a drain region 18, and a channel region 20 therein. A polysilicon gate electrode 22 overlies the channel region 20. In order to achieve a stable and workable field effect transistor, it is apparent that the source and drain regions must remain stable within polysilicon layer 14.
While the prior art recognizes the need to stabilize dopants in a polysilicon layer during high temperature operations, none has effectively done so, particularly in the fabrication of transistor devices.

Polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A carrying device is provided for a bucket-type receptacle having an open upper end with an outstanding rim thereabout. The carrying device consists of a ring which encompasses the bucket-type receptacle under the outstanding rim, a U-shaped handle to be gripped by a hand and a mechanism for attaching both ends of the U-shaped handle to the ring. The handle will extend upwardly above the open upper end of the bucket-type receptacle to be carried by the hand. The circumference of the ring is adjustable so as to allow use of the device with a variety of receptacle types.

The instant invention relates generally to container holders and more specifically it relates to a carrying device for a bucket type receptacle, which provides a handle removably attached under an outstanding rim of the bucket type receptacle, so that it can be carried therefrom.
There are available various conventional container holders which do not provide the novel improvements of the invention herein disclosed.


Refrigerator including a machinery chamber in a cabinet of the refrigerator having components provided therein, the components including a valve for connecting to a hose to supply water to the refrigerator, a cover attached to the cabinet to cover the machinery chamber, an opening provided to the cover to opposite to the valve, and a protection cap detachably fastened to the cover to cover the opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly, to a cover assembly for covering a machinery chamber of a refrigerator.
2. Background of the Related Art
The refrigerator is used for long term fresh storage of food. The refrigerator has food storage chambers, maintained in a low temperature state by a refrigerating cycle for maintaining the food in a fresh state.
Recently, besides above traditional function of the refrigerator, refrigerators having additive functions are developed. As a typical example, a refrigerator having a dispenser is developed for dispensing water or ice to a user without opening a door on the refrigerator.
However, the refrigerator having the dispenser is required to have water supplied thereto from an outside of the refrigerator. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator having the dispenser is provided with a waver valve 20 in a machinery chamber, to which hoses connected to a water supply source and the dispenser (not shown) are connected.
The machinery chamber, in a lower portion of rear of a cabinet 10 of the refrigerator, has a compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown), the water valve 20, and the like provided therein.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the water valve 20 has a first hose 30 connected to an external water supply source. The water valve 20 is also connected to a second hose (not shown) connected to the dispenser (not shown).
Therefore, it is convenient such that the refrigerator can have the water supplied thereto through the first hose 30 continuously, and the user can be supplied with cold water or ice through the dispenser (not shown).
In the foregoing refrigerator, the machinery chamber is in general covered with a cover 40. Therefore, in order to connect/disconnect the first hose 30 to/from the water valve 20, it is required to remove the cover 40 from the cabinet 10, or put the cover 40 on the cabinet 10 again, after service is finished. Therefore, the service is not convenient.
For solving the problem, a structure may be suggested in which the water valve itself is exposed to an outside of the machinery chamber. However, in this case, the valve is liable to suffer from damage when the refrigerator is moved or transported.

Cover assembly of machinery chamber in refrigerator


An interchangeable camera system having a waterproof mount mechanism, and a photo-taking lens barrel and camera body used in the interchangeable-lens camera system. A large diameter part 2c which is provided on a lens-side mount surface 2a compresses a sealing member 6 in cooperation with a sealing surface 5c of a camera body 5 so that a gap between the lens-side mount surface 2a and the camera body 5 is sealed by the sealing member 6.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an interchangeable-lens camera system, and more particularly, to an interchangeable-lens camera system having a waterproof mount mechanism, and a photo-taking lens barrel and camera body used in said interchangeable-lens camera system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As conventional waterproof mount mechanisms for an interchangeable-lens camera system, a design in which the gap between the camera body cover and the camera body-side mount surface and the gap between the camera body-side mount surface and lens barrel are individually sealed (Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Hei 1-111231) and a design in which cylindrical members are located around the mount surfaces of the lens barrel and the camera body such that the cylindrical members are connected, with one placed inside the other, and in which a sealing member such as an O-ring is used for the gap between the cylindrical members (Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Hei 3-11234 and Hei 4-9930) are available, for example.
The design of the former utility model, however, uses a double-seal structure in which the gap between the camera body-side mount surface and the camera body cover is sealed in advance and the area of the camera body to which the lens barrel is attached is then sealed, which makes the design complex. With the design of the latter utility model, on the other hand, only one area at which the lens barrel is attached to the camera body is sealed, and therefore, the latter construction is simpler than the former design in terms of how the sealing is achieved. However, because when the photo-taking lens barrel is mounted to the camera body, it is necessary to push the lens barrel into the camera body during a certain stroke while compressing the sealing member between the inner and outer cylindrical members, the feel of the mounting of the lens barrel becomes hard during that stroke.

Interchangeable-lens camera system having a waterproof mount mechanism, and photo-taking lens barrel and camera body used in the camera system


A method for forming a coating film, comprising making a siloxane bond (Sixe2x80x94O bond)-containing coating composition adhere to a surface of a silicone protective film 3 formed for protecting a vapor deposition layer 2 formed on a surface of a base material 1 to thereby enhance the adsorbability of the coating film 4 to the silicone protective film 3, and a vehicle lamp device formed by using this method.

1. Field pertinent to the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for forming a coating film, in which a coating composition having high adsorbability to a silicone protective film formed for protecting a vapor deposition layer formed on a surface of a base material is made to adhere to the surface of the silicone protective film, and a vehicle lamp device formed by the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general technique for making a coating composition adhere to a surface of a silicone protective film formed for protecting a vapor deposition layer formed on a surface of a base material, that is, for example, a general technique for coating a base material constituting a reflector, an extension reflector, or the like, in a vehicle lamp device used as a car head lamp, or the like, will be described with reference to FIG. 4.
First, to secure the surface smoothness of a base material 10 made of a material such as synthetic resin and enhance the adsorbability of a vapor deposition layer 12, an undercoat layer 11 is provided on a surface of the base material 10 and then the vapor deposition layer 12 of an aluminum vapor deposition film is formed on a surface of the undercoat layer
Further, to protect the vapor deposition layer 12 to thereby secure weather resistance, a silicone protective film 13 is formed as a top coat on a surface of the vapor deposition layer 12 by a spray coating method or by a method to which plasma polymerization disclosed in JP-A-10-147876 is applied.
Color coating (enamel coating) 14 such as black coating, silver metallic coating, or the like, is applied onto a surface of the top coat constituted by the silicone protective film 13 for the purpose of enhancing weather resistance and external appearance or the like.
However, when a coating composition such as two-fluid uretahne heretofore generally used was used for color coating 14 applied onto the surface of the silicone protective film 13, there was a technical problem that the coating composition was apt to be peeled in the interface between the coating composition and the silicone protective film 13 because the adsorbability of the coating composition to the silicone protective film 13 was insufficient.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for forming a coating film by using a coating composition highly adsorbable to a silicone protective film, and a vehicle lamp device formed by the coating film-forming method.
To achieve the foregoing object, the present invention employs the following means.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for forming a coating film which uses means of making a siloxane bond (Sixe2x80x94O bond)-containing coating composition adhere to a surface of a silicone protective film which is formed for protecting a vapor deposition layer formed on a surface of a base material.
In this means, lone-pair electrons of oxygen atoms constituting siloxane bonds are coordinated so as to be bonded to silicon atoms (Si) contained in the silicone protective film so that the adsorbability of the coating composition to the silicone protective film is enhanced to prevent the coating composition from being peeled.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the method for forming a coating film, the silicone protective film stated in the first aspect is formed by using a plasma polymerization method.
In the means using such a plasma polymerization method, the adsorbability of the coating composition to the silicone protective film can be enhanced more greatly because the silicone protective film can be formed with a more uniform film thickness compared with the spray coating method.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the method for forming a coating film stated in the first or second aspect, an acrylic silicone coating composition is used as the coating composition.
In this means, the adsorbability of the coating composition to the silicone protective film can be secured because terminal oxygen atoms of siloxane bonds (Sixe2x80x94O bonds) crosslinking polyacrylic chains to one another are coordinated so as to be bonded to silicon atoms (Si) contained in the silicone protective film.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the method for forming a coating film, the acrylic silicone coating composition stated in the third aspect is made to contain an ultraviolet light absorber which is hard to volatilize.
In this means, attention is paid to the fact that an ultraviolet light absorber such as a benzophenone compound contained, to fulfill a function of preventing deterioration due to the sun light, in an acrylic silicone coating composition which is widely used as a coating composition for the exterior of a car, the outer wall of a building, or the like, has such characteristic that the ultraviolet light absorber is apt to volatilize in the condition of 80xc2x0 C. or higher. Therefore, measures to change the ultraviolet light absorber to a new one hard to volatilize are taken so that the method can be applied safely to a member placed in a high-temperature environment.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the method for forming a coating film, only a benzotriazole compound is specifically used as the ultraviolet light absorber stated in the fourth aspect. In this means, measures are taken so that the method can be applied safely to a member such as a reflector, an extension reflector, or the like, disposed in the inside of a lamp chamber of a vehicle lamp device, or the like, exposed to a high temperature of 120xc2x0 C. or higher by heat of a lamp.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in a vehicle lamp device having a front lens permeable to ultraviolet light, a coating film is formed on a member irradiated with ultraviolet light transmitted through the front lens and incident on the member, by using the coating film forming method stated in the fourth or fifth aspect.
In this means, an ultraviolet light absorber hard to volatilize even in a high-temperature environment is contained in a coating composition used for forming a coating film on a vapor deposition film on a member such as a reflector, an extension reflector, a dummy reflection portion, or the like, disposed in the inside of a lamp chamber exposed to such a high-temperature environment by heat of a lamp. Hence, the ultraviolet light absorber is prevented from volatilizing so that the front lens does not get fogged and, at the same time, deterioration due to ultraviolet light is prevented.
As described above, in the coating film-forming method according to the present invention, a coating film highly adsorbable to a silicone protective film for protecting a vapor deposition layer made of an aluminum vapor deposition film, or the like, can be formed. Hence, the method widely contributes to development of coating film-forming techniques in a vehicle lamp device for a car, or the like. Moreover, in various members each coated with the coating film by the coating film-forming method according to the present invention, the coating composition is hard to peel. Hence, the method has a technical significance that products such as a vehicle lamp device, etc. excellent in weather resistance, durability and damage resistance can be provided.

Method for forming coating film and vehicle lamp device formed by the method


A modular adapter is attachable to an avionics box of an aircraft to enable network communication between the avionics box and other avionics boxes or controllers on the aircraft, local computing devices, and/or remote computing devices or remote servers in an external network, such as an Internet. The adapter includes a microserver module having a web-based server, a computer processor and memory, a data-over-power module configured to connect to a power connector that delivers power to the avionics box and transmits data to the microserver module, a connector module configured to plug into a power port of the avionics box such that power delivered by the power connector passes through the adapter to the avionics box, and a test port connector configured to plug into a test port of the avionics box. The test port connector enables the microserver module to access data from and send data to the avionics box.

The present invention relates to a system for establishing an information network on an aircraft. More specifically, the present invention relates to a microserver adapter configured to connect to an avionics box or subsystem controller on the aircraft to enable communications between the avionics box and other avionics boxes on the aircraft using existing power wires alone or in combination with wired and/or wireless data networks.
An onboard microserver system may be used to create a network centric aircraft maintenance and management architecture for an aircraft, as well as other types of vehicles. The onboard microserver enables local and remote communications to and from the avionics boxes or subsystem controllers on the aircraft using standard Internet communications protocols. Another capability of the microserver architecture is to enable network communication between the various avionics boxes and subsystem controllers on the aircraft.
The onboard microserver system may be easily integrated into a design for a new aircraft or it may be easily installed on a modern aircraft that includes an integrated databus. However, a challenge exists in integrating the microserver architecture into an older aircraft that contains a primitive databus, or no databus at all. Without an integrated communications system, it may be difficult to connect the various avionics boxes and subsystem controllers so that they are able to communicate with one another.


Human pluripotent embryonic stem cells produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer as well as methods of making and using said human pluripotent embryonic stem cells are disclosed.

Cytoplasmic factors present in mature metaphase II arrested (MII) oocytes have a unique activity to reset the identity of transplanted somatic cell nuclei to the embryonic state. Since the initial discovery in amphibians (Gurdon J B, J Embryology, Exp Morphology 10, 622-640 (1962); incorporated by reference herein), SCNT success in a range of different mammalian species demonstrated that this reprogramming activity in enucleated oocytes (cytoplasts) is universal (Solter D, Nat Rev Genet 1, 199-207 (2000) and Wilmut I et al, Nature 419, 583-586 (2002); both of which are incorporated by reference herein). However, despite numerous applications of SCNT for animal cloning, the nature of reprogramming oocyte factors and the mechanism of their action remain largely unknown.
Pluripotent stem cells have been produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer in non-human primates (U.S. Pat. No. 7,972,849; incorporated by reference herein.) In humans, SCNT has been envisioned as a method of generating personalized embryonic stem cells from a patient's somatic cells that could be used to study the mechanisms of disease and ultimately to be used for cell based therapies (Lanza R P et al, Nature Biotech 17, 1171-1174 (1999) and Yang X et al, Nature Genet 39, 295-302 (2007); both of which are incorporated by reference herein). However, derivation of human nuclear transfer derived ESCs (NT-ESCs) has not been achieved, despite numerous attempts over the past decade.

Human pluripotent embryonic stem cells produced by nuclear transfer using a somatic cell nucleus treated with HVJ-E extract and an oocyte from a donor cycle that produced 15 or fewer oocytes


In an induction heat fixing device of the invention, a metal conductive layer of a heat roller is supported by a foamed rubber (sponge). A sheet paper is curled in a direction of separating from the heat roller by a nip shape between the heat roller and a press roller. The press roller is formed to be longer than the heat roller to such a degree that even if the heat roller laterally shifts, an edge of the press roller does not come in contact with the heat roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat fixing device which is mounted in an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a printer or a facsimile, includes a heating target member which is heated by induction heating, and fixes a toner image on a sheet by the heating target member.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a fixing device used for an image forming apparatus such as a electro photographic copier or printer, there is a device in which a sheet is inserted into a nip formed between a pair of rollers including a heat roller and a pressure roller or between a pair of a heat belt and a pressure roller, and a toner image is heated, pressed and fixed. In such a heating type fixing device, in order to realize speeding up of process speed, there is an induction heat fixing device in which a heat roller or a heating belt is heated by an induction heating system. In the induction heat fixing device, an eddy-current is generated in a metal conductive layer by a magnetic field which is generated by supplying specified power to an induction current generation coil. The metal conductive layer is instantaneously heated by this eddy-current, and for example, the heat roller is heated.
As one of such induction heat fixing devices, there is a device in which a very thin metal conductive layer is disposed near the surface of a heat roller or a heat belt, and an induction current generation coil is disposed outside the heat roller or the heat belt so as to be opposite thereto. In the device as stated above, since the heat capacity of the metal conductive layer is small and the metal conductive layer is disposed near the surface, the speed of heating of the surface of the heat roller or the heat belt can be further increased. On the other hand, since the metal conductive layer near the surface is very thin, there is a fear that it is damaged by the contact of a peel pawl or the like.
Thus, there is developed a device in which after fixing, a sheet paper is peeled off from a heat roller without using a peel pawl. For example, the metal conductive layer of the surface of the heat roller is supported by an elastic layer, so that the surface of the heat roller has elasticity, and the hardness of the surface of the press roller is made higher than the heat roller. By this, the curve of a section of a nip between the heat roller and the press roller is formed into such a curve that a sheet paper is predisposed to peel off from the heat roller. That is, although the peel pawl is not used, the surface of the heat roller is made to have elasticity, so that the sheet paper is peeled off from the heat roller by using the toughness of the sheet paper and the curl direction of the sheet paper.
However, in the heat roller or the heat belt which includes the metal conductive layer supported by the elastic layer and has elasticity in the surface, the right and left balance becomes unstable at the time of rotation. Thus, the heat roller or the heat belt is liable to laterally shift at the time of rotation.
For example, as shown in the Prior Art of FIG. 1, when a heat roller 100 laterally shifts and comes in contact with an edge 102a of a press roller 102, there is a fear that a crack 100b occurs in a thin metal conductive roller near the surface of the heat roller 100. Alternatively, when the heat roller 100 laterally shifts, a stress occurs in an elastic layer intervening between the metal conductive layer and a cored bar, and when it is a sponge or the like, there is a fear that a contact portion with the cored bar is broken.
Thus, for example, JP-A-2005-158639 or JP-A-2001-6868 discloses a flange to regulate the shift of a fixing film having a metal layer at the time of running.
However, in these devices of the relater art, although the shift of the fixing film is regulated, interference of the edge of the pressure roller is received due to its structure. Thus, there is a fear that by long-term use, a crack occurs in the metal layer by the contact with the edge of the press roller, and prolongation of the life of the heat roller is prevented.
Then, in a heat fixing device including a heating target member which includes a metal conductive layer supported by an elastic layer, and a pressure member, there is desired the heat fixing device which prevents a crack of the metal conductive layer of the heating target member, and prevents destruction of the elastic layer, so that the life of the heating target member is prolonged.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.