This invention provides cholesterol absorption inhibitors of Formula (I), and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and esters thereof. The compounds are useful for lowering plasma cholesterol levels, particularly LDL cholesterol, and for treating and preventing atherosclerosis and atherosclerotic disease events.

The instant invention relates to substituted 2-azetidinones and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and esters thereof, and to their use alone or in combination with other active agents to treat hypercholesterolemia and for preventing, halting or slowing the progression of atherosclerosis and related conditions and disease events.
It has been clear for several decades that elevated blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, and many studies have shown that the risk of CHD events can be reduced by lipid-lowering therapy. Prior to 1987, the lipid-lowering armamentarium was limited essentially to a low saturated fat and cholesterol diet, the bile acid sequestrants (cholestyramine and colestipol), nicotinic acid (niacin), the fibrates and probucol. Unfortunately, all of these treatments have limited efficacy or tolerability, or both. Substantial reductions in LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol accompanied by increases in HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol could be achieved by the combination of a lipid-lowering diet and a bile acid sequestrant, with or without the addition of nicotinic acid. However, this therapy is not easy to administer or tolerate and was therefore often unsuccessful except in specialist lipid clinics. The fibrates produce a moderate reduction in LDL cholesterol accompanied by increased HDL cholesterol and a substantial reduction in triglycerides, and because they are well tolerated these drugs have been more widely used. Probucol produces only a small reduction in LDL cholesterol and also reduces HDL cholesterol, which, because of the strong inverse relationship between HDL cholesterol level and CHD risk, is generally considered undesirable. With the introduction of lovastatin, the first inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase to become available for prescription in 1987, for the first time physicians were able to obtain large reductions in plasma cholesterol with very few adverse effects.
Recent studies have unequivocally demonstrated that lovastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin, all members of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor class, slow the progression of atherosclerotic lesions in the coronary and carotid arteries. Simvastatin and pravastatin have also been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease events, and in the case of simvastatin a highly significant reduction in the risk of coronary death and total mortality has been shown by the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study. This study also provided some evidence for a reduction in cerebrovascular events. Despite the substantial reduction in the risk of coronary morbidity and mortality achieved by simvastatin, the risk is still substantial in the treated patients. For example, in the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study, the 42% reduction in the risk of coronary death still left 5% of the treated patients to die of their disease over the course of this 5 year study. Further reduction of risk is clearly needed.
A more recent class of anti-hyperlipidemic agents that has emerged includes inhibitors of cholesterol absorption. Ezetimibe, the first compound to receive regulatory approval in this class, is currently marketed in the U.S. under the tradename ZETIA®. Ezetimibe has the following chemical structure and is described in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 37721 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,966:

Sugar-substituted 2-azetidinones, including glucuronidated analogs of the following general structure:
and methods for making them are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,470, wherein Ar1 and Ar2 are unsubstituted or substituted aryl groups.
Additional cholesterol absorption inhibitors are described in WO2002/066464 A1 (applied for by Kotobuki Pharmaceutical Co.), and US2002/0137689 A1 (Glombik et al.). WO2002/066464 A1 discloses hypolipidemic compounds of general formula
wherein, among other definitions, A1, A3 and A4 can be
and wherein R2 is —CH2OH, —CH2OC(O)—R1, or —CO2R1; R3 is —OH or —OC(O)R1, and R4 is —(CH2)kR5(CH2)i— where k and i are zero or integers of one or more, and k+i is an integer of 10 or less; and R5 is a single bond, —CH═CH—, —OCH2—, carbonyl or —CH(OH).
US2002/0137689 A1 discloses hypolipidemic compounds of general formula
wherein, among other definitions, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 independently of one another can be (C0-C30)-alkylene-(LAG), where one or more carbon atoms of the alkylene radical may be replaced by —O—, —(C═O)—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, —N((C1-C6)-alkyl)-, —N((C1-C6)-alkylphenyl) or —NH—; and (LAG) is a sugar residue, disugar residue, trisugar residue, tetrasugar residue; a sugar acid, or an amino sugar.
In the ongoing effort to discover novel treatments for hyperlipidemia and atherosclerotic process, the instant invention provides novel cholesterol absorption inhibitors, described below.


Provided is an actinic-ray- or radiation-sensitive resin composition including a compound that when exposed to actinic rays or radiation, generates any of acids of general formula (I) below.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an actinic-ray- or radiation-sensitive resin composition that can find appropriate application in an ultramicrolithography process applicable to the manufacturing of a super-LSI or a high-capacity microchip, etc. and other photofabrication processes, and further relates to an actinic-ray- or radiation-sensitive film from the composition, a method of forming a pattern, a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a semiconductor device and a novel compound.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, the microfabrication by lithography using a photoresist composition is performed in the process for manufacturing semiconductor devices, such as an IC and an LSI. In recent years, the formation of an ultrafine pattern in the submicron region or quarter-micron region is increasingly required in accordance with the realization of high integration for integrated circuits. Accordingly, the trend of exposure wavelength toward a short wavelength, for example, from g-rays to i-rays and further to a KrF excimer laser light is seen. Further, now, the development of lithography using electron beams, X-rays or EUV light, aside from the excimer laser light, is being promoted.
In the development of such lithography technologies, various proposals have been made on, for example, photoacid generators incorporated in photoresist compositions (see, for example, patent references 1 to 3). In particular, the lithography comprising exposure to electron beams, X-rays or EUV light is positioned as the next-generation or next-next-generation pattern forming technology. Positive resists of high sensitivity and high resolution are required for this lithography. Specifically, increasing the sensitivity is a very important task to be attained for the shortening of wafer processing time. However, the pursuit of increasing the sensitivity is likely to cause not only the lowering of resolving power but also the deteriorations of pattern shape and line edge roughness. Thus, there is a strong demand for the development of resists that can simultaneously satisfy these performances. Herein, the line edge roughness (LER) refers to the phenomenon that the edge at an interface of resist pattern and substrate is irregularly varied in the direction perpendicular to the line direction due to the characteristics of the resist, so that when the pattern is viewed from directly above, the pattern edge is observed uneven. This unevenness is transferred in the etching operation using the resist as a mask to thereby cause poor electrical properties resulting in poor yield. Especially in the ultrafine region of 0.25 μm or less line width, the line edge roughness is now an extremely important theme in which improvement is to be attained.

Actinic-ray- or radiation-sensitive resin composition, actinic-ray-or radiation-sensitive film therefrom, method of forming pattern, process for manufacturing semiconductor device, semiconductor device and compound


A charging device for commonly charging various kinds of batteries is provided. The charging device includes a switching portion controlled to interrupt the supply of power to the charging device and a plurality of charging paths located between a charging power supply port and the battery's charging port, corresponding to the kinds of battery. A charging voltage detector detects a predetermined voltage or current formed when connected to the first sensing resistor of a battery assembly in order to detect the charged voltage of the battery and a capacity detector detects a predetermined voltage or current formed when connected to the second sensing resistor of the battery assembly in order to detect the charged capacity of the battery. A main controller determines the kind of battery and selects a corresponding charging path according to the voltage and current value respectively detected from the charging voltage detector and capacity detector so as to allow the selected charging path to be connected to the battery's charging port.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a charging circuit and, more particularly, to a charging device for charging various kinds of batteries having different charging voltages and capacities.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of battery technology, various charging batteries, such as first cell, secondary cell, fuel cell, and physical cell, are being produced. As many kinds of batteries of user demanded capacities become popular, they are widely used in the form a cell or pack in electronic appliances. However, even for the same family of batteries, their charging voltages vary. For instance, the lithium-ion battery, widely used in communications apparatuses, has roughly three kinds with different charging voltages. The graphite series and non-graphitizable carbon series have the maximum 8.4V of charging voltage, the coke series having 8.2V. Even the same lithium-ion battery has different charging voltages in accordance with internal density and internal material components. Since the charging voltage and capacity varies with batteries, different charging devices are needed.
As mentioned above, charging devices are required for the respective charging voltages and capacities, and this makes the user's selection range narrow. In other words, what one kind of charging device can charge is limited to only one battery of a fixed capacity determined in the design of the charging device.

Charging device for commonly charging various kinds of battery


An electrostatic chuck 20 for holding a substrate 12 comprises a dielectric 70 having a receiving surface 75 for receiving the substrate thereon. The dielectric 70 comprises a charging electrode 80 for generating electrostatic charge for electrostatically holding the substrate 12 to the receiving surface 75, and a discharge electrode 85 electrically isolated from the charging electrode for removing electrostatic charge accumulated in the chuck 20.

The present invention relates to an electrostatic chuck useful for holding a substrate.
Electrostatic chucks are used to hold semiconductor silicon wafers during processing in a process chamber. A typical electrostatic chuck comprises an electrode covered by a dielectric layer. The electrode of the chuck is electrically biased with respect to the substrate by an applied voltage. Process gas is introduced into the process chamber, and in certain processes, an electrically charged plasma is formed from the process gas. In monopolar electrode chucks, the electrical voltage and plasma induce opposing electrostatic charge in the chuck and substrate that result in an attractive electrostatic force that electrostatically holds the substrate to the chuck. In bipolar electrode chucks, the bipolar electrodes are electrically biased relative to one another to provide an electrostatic force that holds the substrate to the chuck.
The electrostatic attractive force generated by electrostatic chucks 10a, 10b can be of two different types. As schematically illustrated in FIG. 1(a), a dielectric layer 11 with a high resistance provides Coulombic electrostatic forces that are generated by the accumulation of electrostatic charge in the substrate 12 and in the electrode 13 of the chuck 10a, causing polarization within the dielectric layer 11. The Coulombic electrostatic pressure is described by the equation: ##EQU1## where .epsilon..sub.0 and .epsilon..sub.r are the dielectric constant of vacuum and relative dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 11 respectively, V is the voltage applied to the electrode 13, t is the thickness of the dielectric layer, and .delta. denotes the contact resistance of an air gap between the substrate 12 and the dielectric layer 11. The electrostatic force increases as the relative dielectric constant .epsilon..sub.r of the dielectric layer 11 increases.
With reference to FIG. 1b, Johnsen-Rahbek or non-coulombic electrostatic attraction forces arise when an air gap interface 14 between a low resistance dielectric layer 15 and the substrate 12 has an interfacial contact resistance much greater than the resistance of the dielectric layer 15, i.e., when the resistance of the dielectric layer 15 is typically less than about 10.sup.14 .OMEGA. cm. In these chucks, electrostatic charge drifts through the dielectric layer 15 under the influence of the electric field and accumulates at the interface of the dielectric layer 15 and the substrate 12, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 1(b). The charge accumulated at the interface generates an electrostatic pressure represented by the equation: ##EQU2## where .delta. denotes the contact resistance of the air gap between the substrate 12 and the low resistance dielectric layer 15. The Johnsen-Rahbek electrostatic attractive force is larger for a given applied voltage because polarization in the dielectric layer and free charges accumulated at the interface (which is at a small distance from the substrate) combine to enhance electrostatic force. A strong electrostatic force securely clamps the substrate 12 onto the chuck and improves thermal transfer rates. Also, it is desirable to operate the chuck using lower voltages to reduce charge-up damage to active devices on the substrate 12.
It is known to use ceramic formulations to fabricate the low resistance dielectric layers 15 to provide Johnsen-Rahbek electrostatic chucks. For example, Watanabe et al., disclose various formulations of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 doped with low levels of 1-3 wt % TiO.sub.2 to form low resistance ceramic dielectric layers, in "Relationship between Electrical Resistivity and Electrostatic Force of Alumina Electrostatic Chuck," Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 32, Part 1, No. 2, 1993; and "Resistivity and Microstructure of Alumina Ceramics Added with TiO.sub.2 Fired in Reducing Atmosphere," J. of the Am. Cer. Soc. of Japan Intl. Edition, Vol. 101, No. 10, pp. 1107-1114 (July 1993). In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,284 discloses a chuck having a ceramic dielectric layer made by flame spraying Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, or BaTiO.sub.3 over an electrode, and impregnating the pores of the ceramic dielectric with a polymer. Whereas pure Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ceramic layers have resistivities on the order of 1.times.10.sup.14 ohm cm, the alumina/(1-3 wt % titania) ceramic formulations typically have resistivities on the order of 1.times.10.sup.11 to 1.times.10.sup.13 that provide Johnsen-Rahbek electrostatic forces.
However, one problem with such conventional ceramic dielectric layers, arises from their poor dechucking properties, which refer to the degree of difficulty of removing the substrate from the surface of the electrostatic chuck on completion of processing. The electrostatic charge which accumulates in the substrate and below the surface of the dielectric layer, does not dissipate even after the voltage applied to the electrode is turned off. For example, Nakasuji, et al., in "Low Voltage and High Speed Operating Electrostatic Wafer Chuck Using Sputtered Tantalum Oxide Membrane," J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, 125(5), Sep/Oct 1994, describes an electrostatic chuck coated with Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 doped with 1 wt % TiO.sub.2, that takes from 20 to 120 seconds for the residual electrostatic charge to dissipate. As a result, the substrate cannot be removed from the chuck until the accumulated charge gradually dissipates. The time delay for charge dissipation provides unacceptably low processing throughput.
Various methods have been used to dissipate or neutralize the accumulated electrostatic charge, including (i) use of ionized gases to neutralize the charge, (ii) oscillating sinusoidal AC voltages to prevent formation of the electrostatic charge, or (iii) providing high transient currents at the transitions of the waveforms of the AC voltages applied to the electrode. However, these solutions require additional processing steps and can cause currents that damage active devices on the semiconductor substrate. Sinusoidal AC waveforms can result in resonance vibrations that damage monocrystalline silicon substrates and cause movement of the substrate during processing. Also, oscillating AC voltages remove the surface charge at a rate which typically results in about a 2-to-4 second dechucking release time. This is slow in relation to the required speed of the robotic handling devices that are used to pick-up and drop-off substrates onto the electrostatic chuck. Any residual force that remains due to incomplete discharge of the residual charge can cause the substrate to break or slide in unpredictable directions during pick-up or drop-off of the wafer by a robotic arm. One must either wait for the electrostatic clamping force to decay or apply a potentially damaging lifting force to remove the substrate.
Thus there is a need for an electrostatic chuck that provides quick charging and discharging response times, to allow rapid chucking and dechucking of the substrate held on the chuck. There is also a need for a discharging chuck that will not cause excessive leakage of electrostatic charge during operation of the chuck or dissipate the electrostatic holding force during processing of a substrate. It is further desirable for the electrostatic chuck to avoid discharging a surrounding plasma during processing of the substrate.

Electrostatic chuck capable of rapidly dechucking a substrate


A protective device made up of a padding material is arranged to include an EL strip and power pack to provide illumination for the device in addition to cushioning of impacts. The device can be worn as a calf, knee, or elbow pad, in which case a textile backpad and partially transparent or cutout relatively rigid front plastic cover are used, or the device can be wrapped around the metal parts of a bicycle or other vehicle, in which case the plastic cover is replaced by a partially transparent or cutout soft cover sheet. The inclusion of an EL light offers an eye-catching warning to motorists of children playing in the dark by the side of the road.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protective device having a textile front decoration sheet and padding made of a polyurethane foam, silicon gel, air cone, or the like for protecting the wearer from bodily injury in the event of a relatively minor fall or impact such as might occur during sports activities such as football, skating, skateboarding, and cycling, and an illumination arrangement to help the wearer avoid more serious impacts, particularly with a motor vehicle. The invention is, for example, suitable for protecting children playing in a dark environment on or by a roadside.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Protective devices which include padding made up of a soft material such as polyurethane (PU) foam, silicon gel, air-filled panels, or the like are known. Such devices are widely used to protect football players, skaters, and cyclists from bodily injury by absorbing the force of impacts. A textile-sheet is normally stitched or otherwise attached to and supported by the soft material which constitutes the padding, and straps or fasteners are added to form, for example, calf, ankle, knee, and elbow protectors. an extra front plastic cover may be included to protect the soft material from damage due to an impact, and also to distribute an impact more uniformly over the soft material. The front plastic cover, when applied to a knee pad or elbow pad, also offers protection from scrapes and scratches.
Protection devices of the above type can also be applied to toys and exercise equipment to protect the user from bodily injury. For example, a child's bicycle might have a protection device applied to the handlebar, central bike frame, and joint nut or stem between the handlebar and the main frame. Such protection devices are usually applied without the front plastic cover sheet so that the soft material is exposed, although a cover sheet would provide some protection for the soft cushioning material.
Both types of protective pad have in common the soft cushioning material, a fastening band usually made of VELCRO.TM., and a textile or plastic cover sheet. The protective pad may be used, in addition to the purposes mentioned above, for protecting persons who have been medically treated for bone pathologies or who have skin injuries.
While protective pads of the type described above are useful to protect the wearer from impacts caused by falls and collisions with other persons, however, they are useless in the event of a collision with a motor vehicle. This is an especially serious hazard in the case of physical activities occur in a nighttime environment. For example, camping, nighttime skating, and bicycling are all exciting but dangerous nighttime activities. It is usual in these activities to wear ankle, knee, and/or elbow protectors, but only for protection when striking a non-moving object. Such pads cannot provide sufficient protection from being struck by a motor vehicle.
One way of reducing the risk of being struck by a motor vehicle is increase the visibility of the wearer. It is known, for example, to include reflectors on vehicles such as bicycles that attain speeds of as much as 30 miles per hour. The problem with such reflectors is that they are poorly visible unless the headlight of a motor vehicle and the reflector is aligned at a sufficiently close distance before the reflector becomes fully visible to the motorist, by which time is often too late to stop. In addition, the user of the vehicle may not be visible once he or she leaves the vehicle, for example by falling off, and many high speed vehicles, such as skate boards or roller skates, are not equipped with any sort of reflector.
As an alternative to reflectors, it is known to provide active lighting in the form of incandescent bulbs or light emitting diodes, at least on some vehicles and on clothing. Such conventional lighting devices have the disadvantages of requirements of fragility, bulkiness, complicated wiring systems, difficulties in attachment to a the soft material, an inability to bend with the material, high power consumption, and narrow viewing angle.

8F, No. 29, Alley 73, Lin-Shen Street, Shi-Chi Town


Method of manufacturing a grain oriented silicon steel sheet. An annealing separating agent mainly composed of MgO is coated on a surface of a decarburized silicon steel sheet. The silicon steel sheet is subjected to secondary recrystallization annealing and then purification annealing. The annealing separating agent contains Ti oxide or a Ti compound which can be oxidized by heating. The purification annealing is conducted in steps. A non-oxidizing atmosphere having a high nitrogen concentration is present in one step. A hydrogen atmosphere having a low nitrogen concentration is present in a subsequent step.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of making a grain oriented silicon steel sheet suitable for use as an iron core for transformers or other electrical appliances. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a method of effectively manufacturing a grain oriented silicon steel sheet which exhibits excellent coating properties and which has reduced or no core loss as a result of stress-relieving annealing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Important properties of grain oriented silicon steel sheets include the magnetic properties of the steel sheet and the properties of the coating on the surface of the steel sheet, such as the insulation properties required when the steel sheets are laid on top of one another to manufacture an iron core. Also important are the peeling resistance properties required during manufacture. To improve the properties of the coating on the steel sheet, it is essential to improve the adhesion of a forsterite film generated during finish annealing.
It has been proposed to add a Ti compound, such as TiO.sub.2, to improve the forsterite film. This proposal suggested adding the TiO.sub.2 to the MgO, which is the main component of the annealing separating agent coated on the surface of the steel sheet prior to finish annealing. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 51-12451 discloses the technique of improving the uniformity and adhesion of a forsterite film by adding 2 to 40 parts by weight of Ti compound per 100 parts by weight of the Mg compound. Japanese Patent Publication No. 49-29409 describes the technique of improving the uniformity and adhesion of the forsterite film by adding 2 to 20 parts by weight of TiO.sub.2 per 100 parts by weight of heavy low-active fine grains of MgO. From these disclosures are developed various other techniques: for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 50-145315 discloses eliminating a sunspot-like attached material made up of a Ti compound by using pulverized TiO.sub.2 in the annealing separating agent. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 54-128928 discloses increasing the tension of the forsterite film by mixing TiO.sub.2 and SiO.sub. 2 and a boric compound with MgO. Japanese patent Laid-Open No. 1-168817 discloses the technique of improving the core loss by mixing TiO.sub.2, antimony sulfate and manganese nitride or ferromanganese nitride with MgO.
Although adding a Ti compound to the annealing separating agent may be effective to improve some properties of the coating, they strongly tend to increase core loss experienced as a result of stress-relieving annealing. This problem is described in Japanese patent Laid-Open No. 2-93021.
Many of the transformer iron cores made of a grain oriented silicon steel sheet are small core type iron cores called coiled cores. Since a stress is generated in such a coiled core when the coil is subjected to a mechanical external force during the deforming process in manufacture, and hence the magnetic properties thereof deteriorate, stress-relieving annealing must be conducted at about 800.degree. C. to eliminate the stress. However, if a Ti compound is present in the annealing separating agent, a carbide of Ti or a selenide or sulfide of Ti is precipitated in the portion of the surface of the ferrite to which the processing stress is applied during stress-relieving annealing. Consequently, the movement of the magnetic domain wall is partially prevented and the core loss thus increases. Thus a steel sheet which generates less core loss, even when stress-relieving annealing is conducted, has long been desired for use in coiled cores.
To prevent the increased core loss which is caused by application of stress-relieving annealing to a silicon steel sheet having Ti in an annealing separating agent, it has been proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-93021 to decrease the amount of precipitated carbide of Ti. This is proposed to be done by decreasing to 0.0015 weight percent or less the amount of carbon in the silicon steel sheet which is to be subjected to finish annealing. However, when using this technique it is difficult as a practical matter to restrict absorption of carbon dioxide into MgO, and it is essentially impossible to decrease the amount of sulfide or selenide of Ti. It is thus impossible to substantially restrict the core loss caused by stress-relieving annealing.

Method of manufacturing grain oriented silicon steel sheets


A buckle having an excellent design property is provided.

Conventionally, a buckle is used when both end portions of a belt binding a baggage or the like are connected, or when an ID card or a cellular phone and a strap for suspending the ID card or the cellular phone from one's neck are connected. As such a buckle, for example, a buckle, described in the following Patent Document 1 is proposed.
The buckle is formed by a male member and a female member mutually engaging. In the female member, there is formed an operation portion for releasing an engagement with the male member. The operation portion is formed by a C-shaped slit formed on a surface of the female member, and also a groove portion having a concave strip in a cross-sectional view formed on a surface of the female member in the same manner. The groove portion is provided between both ends of the C-shaped slit to form a thin hinge portion. The operation portion moves up and down as a supporting point of the thin hinge portion. Also, in the operation portion, one portion protrudes more than the surface of the female member, so that one's fingers are easily placed so as to facilitate an operation.

Abstract: [Solution] In a buckle for a belt in which a socket member and a plug member engage with each other, a buckle 10 is formed by forming the socket member including a front face portion 25 having an approximately flat surface; a back face portion 26 provided in such a way as to face a reverse face of the front face portion 25, and forming an engagement hole 21 with which the plug member engages between the back face portion 26 and the front face portion 25; a pressing piece 28 formed in the front face portion 25 by being divided by a slit 31 formed in the front face portion 25 and pressed for releasing an engagement with the plug member inserted into the engagement hole 21 to be engaged therewith; and a hinge portion 29 formed to be thinner than the pressing piece 28, connecting the pressing piece 28 to the same surface as the surface of the front face portion 25, and serving as a base point for a displacement when the pressing piece 28 is pressed.


A method, implemented in a communication device, of indicating a service supported by the communication device. A hash value is generated, using a hash function, based on a service identifier associated with the service. Respective portions of the hash value are mapped to respective bit locations in a bit string that represents membership of the service in a set of services supported by the communication device. The bit string is generated at least by setting the bit locations in the bit string to values that indicate that the service is supported by the communication device.

In some wireless communication networks, procedures are provided that allow a first device to discover other nearby devices that provide a service. For example, various service discovery protocols can be used by low-power devices configured to communicate with other devices in 802.11-based WiFi networks. In some such systems, a first device broadcasts a message indicating services supported by the first device so that other devices can discover the first device and/or determine which services are supported by the first device. Alternatively, a first device broadcasts a message indicating a service or a set of services requested by the first device, and other devices that support the requested service or services respond by transmitting a messages to the first device to indicate to the first device that the other devices supports the service or services requested by the first device.


A light-sensitive material processing apparatus comprises a circulating path through which processing solution in a processing tank is circulated; a pump for circulating the processing solution through the circulating path; and an oxidation promoting section provided to at least one of a part of the processing tank and a part of the circulating path, the oxidation promoting section having a depth shallower than that of the processing tank and a upper portion open to atmosphere, wherein a flow speed of the processing solution at the oxidation promoting section is not slower than 1.times.10.sup.3 mm/min.

The present invention relates to a light-sensitive material developing apparatus, and more particularly to a technology to promote oxidation of a processing liquid having a bleaching ability and minimize reduction of the power of the processing liquid.
Photographic processing of a negative color silver halide light-sensitive material is composed of color developing, bleaching, fixing or bleach-fixing, stabilizing or washing. If the processing liquid, specifically the processing liquid including bleaching is not suitable oxidized, deterioration of the processing liquid advances rapidly. If such condition is remained, reduction of finished developing is resulted in. Therefore, in order to inhibit deterioration phenomenon of the processing liquid, a means to feed air into the processing liquid by means of an air pump as shown in Konica KP50QA and Noritsu V50 is adopted, or a means to enhance opportunity to cause the processing liquid to contact oxygen in the air by spraying the processing liquid to the ambient air from a shower-type nozzle.
However, since the above-mentioned air-pump-using air feeding type and a shower type include air into the processing liquid. Therefore, bubbling occurs. Bubbles overflows outside the tank so that the surrounding is contaminated. In addition, if the processing liquid containing the overflowed bubbles enters into the adjoining processing liquid, fatal problems appears in processability.
Further, in the case of an air pump type, an air pump is separately necessary, and in the case of a shower type, shower tank is necessary separately. Therefore, cost is enhanced and the apparatus is enlarged.
In the case of a shower type, circulation use for stirring the processing liquid and for showering the processing liquid, if the flow amount of stirring and circulation becomes small, stirring property becomes deteriorated. In order to avoid aforesaid problem, a large scale pump becomes necessary. Therefore, equipment cost is enhanced and downsizing of the equipment is hindered.

Light sensitive material processing apparatus


Various embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for providing, by an electronic device, a note cover on the basis of a note object created by a user. According to various embodiments of the present invention, an electronic device may comprise: a display; a memory; and a processor electrically connected to the display and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to extract a set page in response to generation of a note, recognize at least one object in the extracted page, generate visual information for a cover image on the basis of the object, display a preview cover on the basis of the visual information, and generate a cover image on the basis of the preview cover and file information related to the note. Various embodiments are possible.

With the recent enhancement of digital technology, various types of electronic devices such as mobile communication terminals, smart phones, tablet personal computers (PCs), notebooks, wearable device, or the like are widely used.
An electronic device provides various note functions (for example, a function of writing a memo) according to user's needs for creating a note using the electronic device. The electronic device may save and manage the note created by the user. The electronic device may use a note cover for the note to be saved, and provide the note. For example, the electronic device may store one or more pre-set covers, and may allow the user to select one of the pre-stored covers when saving a created note, or may randomly and automatically select any one of the covers.

Electronic device and operation method for providing cover of note in electronic device


An inter-symbol interference (ISI) loss filter device emulates frequency dependent losses to an electrical signal. The ISI loss filter device includes amplifier stages connected in series for cascading programmable poles or zeros in a signal path carrying the electrical signal. Each amplifier stage includes a high performance bypass path, a bandwidth limited path parallel to the high performance bypass path, a controllable signal router for routing a variable first and second portions of the electrical signal through the high performance bypass path and the bandwidth limited path, respectively, and a summing junction to combine outputs of the high performance bypass path and the bandwidth limited path for outputting a test signal with high and low frequency content. The high performance bypass path transmits an entire bandwidth of the first portion of the electrical signal, and the bandwidth limited path transmits a controllable limited bandwidth of the second portion of the electrical signal.

High bit rate digital signals are degraded by frequency dependent losses in the signal path, including losses resulting from inter-symbol interference (ISI). Such losses are anticipated and are otherwise normal effects, and must be considered in the design of high bit rate serial transmitters and receivers. For example, an ISI loss filter may be designed to enable a user to apply expected signal path losses to a signal transmitted to a digital receiver, emulating existing or anticipated hardware. The output of the digital receiver may then be checked to determine whether it correctly recovered the digital data, regardless of the applied losses.
A viable ISI filter must operate over a wide frequency range, compensate for internal losses associated with its own design, and be adjustable to match frequency dependent losses expected from printed circuit boards (PCBs), radio frequency (RF) cables, and other circuitry. Conventional ISI filter architecture relies on the general concept that internal parasitic losses in the design must be compensated for using additional amplified signal, leading to designs requiring very high power. This architecture is based on the idea that parasitic losses should be hidden, or bypassed, when high bandwidth operation is needed. Accordingly, there is a need for low power ISI filters.

Inter-symbol interference (ISI) loss filter device


Automatic conflation systems and techniques which provide vector-imagery conflation and map-imagery conflation. Vector-imagery conflation is an efficient approach that exploits knowledge from multiple data sources to identify a set of accurate control points. Vector-imagery conflation provides automatic and accurate alignment of various vector datasets and imagery, and is appropriate for GIS applications, for example, requiring alignment of vector data and imagery over large geographical regions. Map-imagery conflation utilizes common vector datasets as “glue” to automatically integrate street maps with imagery. This approach provides automatic, accurate, and intelligent images that combine the visual appeal and accuracy of imagery with the detailed attribution information often contained in such diverse maps. Both conflation approaches are applicable for GIS applications requiring, for example, alignment of vector data, raster maps, and imagery. If desired, the conflated data generated by such systems may be retrieved on-demand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vector data, map, and imagery systems, and in particular to a system for automatically conflating road vector data, street maps, and orthoimagery.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Over the years, the amount of available geospatial information has dramatically increased, making access possible to various types of spatial data. By integrating diverse spatial datasets, queries are now possible that could have not been previously answered given any of these datasets in isolation. However, accurately integrating different types of geospatial data remains a challenging task because diverse geospatial data have different projections and different accuracy levels, for example. Many types of conflation techniques only provide vector-vector data integration, or require human intervention to accomplish vector-raster or raster-raster data integration.
Conflation refers to the process used to integrate or align different geospatial datasets. The conflation process in accordance with an embodiment may be divided into the following general subtasks: (1) feature matching: find a set of conjugate point pairs, termed control point pairs, in two datasets; (2) match checking: detect inaccurate control point pairs from a set of control point pairs; and (3) alignment: use of accurate control point pairs to align the geospatial objects (such as points or lines) in both datasets using triangulation and rubber-sheeting techniques, for example.
There have been considerable efforts to automatically or semi-automatically accomplish vector to vector conflation. Some of the proposed approaches focus on handling the integration of two road networks. Other proposed strategies utilize a relational matching approach to find matched spatial objects based on the similarity of these spatial objects at the geometry level (e.g., node to node matching based on distance), as well as the relationship between the elements in a dataset. This strategy investigated the "similarity" of spatial objects based on statistical information derived from a random sample of the vector datasets to be integrated. However, this approach requires human intervention to perform an initial affine transformation between datasets.
There have been further attempts to automatically or semi-automatically accomplish raster to raster conflation. For instance, many commercial geographic information systems (GIS) products provide a certain level of functionality relating to the conflation of imagery and maps (i.e., raster to raster registration) using different types of transformation methods. However, these products do not provide automatic conflation, so users are required to manually select control points for conflation. In general, manual conflation techniques are labor intensive, and are subject to undesirable user errors.

System and method for fusing geospatial data


The present invention relates to the use of a product obtainable by the reaction of a fatty acid, or mixture of acids, having the formula R1COOH (I); and a dicarboxylic acid or a derivative thereof having the formula (IIa) or (IIb) with an alkoxylated fatty amine having the formula (III) or a partial or wholly quaternized derivative thereof; optionally said reaction between the fatty acid, the dicarboxylic acid and the alkoxylated fatty amine is being followed by a further reaction step wherein part or all of the nitrogen atoms are quaternized by reaction with an alkylating agent R5X; as a corrosion inhibitor for metal surfaces. The present invention also relates to such products and to methods for their production.

Corrosion is often a serious issue in the oil and gas field processes, e.g. in transportation of crude oil, and in oil or gas wells. This could be due to dissolved gases such as carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulphide causing so-called sweet and sour corrosion, respectively, on ferrous metal surfaces. Another serious corrosion-enhancer is the often high electrolyte concentrations in the water which is co-produced with the oil and gas. Further, severe risks of corrosion are obvious when inorganic or organic acids are used in so-called acid stimulation or fracturing operations encountered in order to increase the productivity of oil and gas wells. Also in drilling operations there often is a need to use corrosion inhibitors, e.g. in drilling fluids. Corrosion problems are also often an issue in downstream processes, such as refineries, when e.g. salts or acid components from crude oils being processed are causing corrosion of ferrous metal.
Different types of nitrogen-containing compounds, as e.g. fatty amines, alkoxylated fatty amines, amidoamines and quaternary ammonium compounds are well-known bases for corrosion inhibitor formulations used in various kinds of systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,377 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,731, for example, disclose reaction products of hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic anhydrides, more specifically hydrocarbyl substituted succinic anhydrides, and aminoalkanols, e.g. ethoxylated fatty alkyl monoamines or ethoxylated fatty alkyl propylenediamines, that can provide effective antiwear, antirust, and corrosion-inhibiting properties in lubricant and fuel applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,786 relates to corrosion-inhibiting compositions and their use in functional fluids, especially aqueous hydraulic fluids. These compositions comprises at least four components A, B, C and D, where component D is an ester-salt formed by the reaction of an alkyl or alkenyl succinic anhydride with an alkanolamine. The preferred alkanolamines are e.g. dimethylethanolamine, diethylethanolamine and methylethylethanolamine.
There is also a number of patent publications where oligomeric/polymeric nitrogen-containing ester-linked compounds based on dicarboxylic acids/anhydrides and ethoxylated (fatty alkyl)amines are used in other applications/systems. For example, in EP 0 572 881 a product obtained from an oxyalkylated primary fatty amine and a dicarboxylic acid is disclosed for the use in a process for separation of a petroleum emulsion of the water-in-oil type. U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,730 discloses reaction products of a polybasic acid and a polyhydroxyalkanolamine that are components in a fuel additive composition for reduction of valve seat recession in a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,444 discloses a rheological additive for non-aqueous coating compositions that may be the reaction product of an alkoxylated aliphatic nitrogen-containing compound and an organic polycarboxylic anhydride or acid. EP 0 035 263 A2 discloses polyester compounds produced by reaction between a dicarboxylic acid and an alkoxylated tertiary amine and their use as textile softeners. U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,495 discloses oligomers/polymers, which can be prepared by polymerising an anhydride, e.g. phthalic anhydride, and long-chain amine containing diols, e.g. ethoxylated octadecylamine. These products are used as additives which improve the low-temperature properties of distillate fuels. U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,110 discloses a drilling fluid composition containing an oil well fluid anti-settling additive, which is a reaction product wherein the reactants are one or more alkoxylated aliphatic amino compounds and an organic polycarboxylic anhydride or acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,895 and EP 1 949 963 A1 relate to products that are alkanolamine esters based on esterification reactions of optionally alkoxylated alkanolamines, dicarboxylic acids, and fatty acids, as well as cationic surfactants and ester quats obtainable therefrom.
Although there has been developed a variety of corrosion inhibitors to be used in the presence of freshwater, seawater, or brine, there is still a need for more effective corrosion inhibitors, especially if these also can be shown to fulfil stringent regulatory requirements for environmental adaptation. Thus, there is a great need for new corrosion inhibitors with an acceptable biodegradation profile combined with a low disposition to bioaccumulation and an excellent technical performance.

Polyester polyamine and polyester polyquaternary ammonium corrosion inhibitors


The present invention provides a bracket configuration for retaining a washer within a washer case which has an opening for inserting the bracket therethrough so that the washer case is mounted to the bracket from above the washer. The bracket configuration specifically includes a hole configured to dispose the washer thereon and insert a bolt therethrough, and a rib formed along an edge of the opening so as to prevent or protect the washer from deviation or disconnection via a clearance gap created between the opening and the bracket.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-82655 filed on Apr. 4, 2011, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The invention relates to a bracket configuration for retaining a washer in a washer case when a bracket of an electric junction box is fixed to a vehicle via screw tightening or fastening.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a variety of brackets have been proposed for fixing a bracket of an electric junction box to a panel of a vehicle body and so on via bolting.
For example, JP H4-127405 (A) (not shown) discloses that a movable member having a nut is slidably inserted into the groove of the mounting portion of a box, a bolt which is inserted into the hole of a panel is threaded via the long hole of the mounting portion into the nut, and then the mounting portion is tightly fixed to the panel. For more detail, see JP H4-127405 (A), FIG. 1.
Also, JP H5-292628 (A) (not shown) discloses that an annular metallic collar is disposed in the hole of a mounting portion of an electric junction box, a bolt which is inserted into the collar is threaded via the hole of the bracket for a vehicle into a nut, and the mounting portion is then tightly fixed to the bracket for the vehicle. For more detail, see JP H5-292628 (A), FIG. 3.
Furthermore, JP 2007-97322 (A) (not shown) discloses that a sliding projection, which has a T-shaped cross-section and is a part of a connector holder, slidably engages with a lock portion of the lower cover of an electric junction box. In other words, JP 2007-97322 (A) is not directed to connection by bolting. For more detail, see JP 2007-97322 (A), FIG. 8.
Alternatively, it has been proposed a bracket structure which is formed of synthetic resin, is at least a part of an electric junction box, and is fixed via a metallic flat washer to the panel of a vehicle by means of connection by bolting. However, in the afore-mentioned bracket structure there has been a problem that the washer is inclined to be easily deviated or disconnected from the bracket. In order to prevent or eliminate this problem (i.e., deviation or disconnection), there has been proposed an approach or configuration that a washer case is slidably fit into a bracket, and a washer is retained within the washer case. However, in a case where there is a relatively larger clearance gap between the washer case and the bracket, the washer may be disconnected or dropped off from the washer case via the clearance gap.
Moreover, when the washer case is slidably fit into the bracket, a relatively great force is needed, thus adversely affecting workability. In addition, because a locking hole of the washer case is forced to mate with a locking projection of the bracket, the washer case may run on the locking projection thereby enlarging in a radial direction of the washer. In other words, the washer case undergoes deformation. In this situation, even if the washer case is restored from the deformation, the clearance gap has a tendency to be created in a direction of a thickness of the washer. Under the circumstance, the washer is inclined to be deviated or disconnected from the washer case due to the clearance gap.
The afore-mentioned problems or drawbacks may also be found in a case where the bracket is to be fixed to a vehicle body in an area of a harness protector or a connector (not shown).


A ceramic substrate comprises having two or more functional portions separated from each other, by providing a first region comprising a first dielectric porcelain having an insulating layer at the crystal grain boundaries of a semiconductor porcelain containing a semiconductivizing agent and a second region comprising a second dielectric porcelain with different dielectric constant from the first dielectric porcelain through the difference in amount or kind of the semiconductivizing agent from the first region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ceramic substrate (hereinafter abbreviated as a ceramic) which can be utilized as the electronic material such as dielectric porcelain substrate, etc., and a circuit substrate and an electronic circuit substrate by use of the ceramic and a method for preparing the ceramic.
2. Related Background Art
In the prior art, electronic circuit substrates have been constituted only of a conductive circuit, of a conductive circuit and resistance, or of a conductive circuit, resistance and a limited range of capacitor, and other functional portions are mounted separately as elements on the substrate.
For example, in a porcelain substrate of the prior art, the substrate was primarily one having conductors and resistors built therein, with the capacitors being mounted by soldering as the chip component, etc. For this reason, miniaturization of electronic circuit has been limited. FIG. 1 shows an example of the prior art. 111 is a porcelain substrate, 112 a conductor circuit, 113 a resistor and 114 a chip capacitor.
In recent years, attempts have been made to build in a plurality of capacitors within the substrate by varying the dielectric constants within the same porcelain substrate. However, it has been very difficult to form different dielectric portions within the same substrate, and a substrate having a plurality of capacitors built therein has not be realized or practically applied under the present invention, as is evident in view of, for example, cumbersomeness in the case of preparing a laminated ceramic capacitor. Also, it has been an important technical task to make the high dielectric constant portions sufficiently separated from each other as element functional portions without influence from each other within the limited structural space.
Further, the problems of separated built-in functional portions involved about such electronic component or circuit substrate are not limited to dielectric porcelain but they are universally exhibited when two or more same or different functional portions are to be formed within a ceramic.

Ceramic substrate, circuit substrate and electronic circuit substrate by use thereof and method for preparing ceramic substrate


The disclosure herein provides methods, systems, and devices for automated reorientation and/or analysis of medical scans and/or images. The methods, systems, and devices for automated analysis of medical scans can be configured to mark, score, grade, and/other otherwise classify medical scans that are more time-sensitive, severe, and/or the like to allow a medical professional reviewing and/or analyzing medical scans to view and/or analyze such scans more efficiently by using a common image orientation and/or taking into account knowledge of the risk of severity, time-sensitiveness, and/or other priority.

1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to the field of medical imaging, and more specifically to a system for automated analysis of medical images and scans.
2. Description
With the development of medical scanning and imaging technologies, a growing number of medical professionals and medical facilities utilize medical scanning and imaging techniques for review and diagnosis. In general these scans and images can be placed in a queue to be reviewed and analyzed by a medical professional. Naturally, some medical scans are relatively more time-sensitive and can require more immediate review and attention by a medical professional than other scans. With the growing number of medical scans, however, it is difficult to ascertain which medical scans require more immediate attention than others. Accordingly, it can be advantageous to provide a system that effectively and efficiently conducts an automated review and/or analysis of one or more medical scans in order to allow a medical professional to review those medical scans that are relatively more time-sensitive and/or severe before reviewing others.

Methods, systems, and devices for automated analysis of medical scans


A coating/sealant system that includes a coating and a sealant deposited over at least a portion of the coating, in which the coating includes a reaction product formed from reactants comprising a phosphated epoxy resin and a curing agent, and the sealant includes a sulfur-containing polymer.

Sulfur-containing polymers are known to be well-suited for use in various applications, such as aerospace sealant compositions, due, in large part, to their fuel-resistant nature upon cross-linking. One class of sulfur-containing polymers often used in aerospace sealant compositions is polysulfides, which are polymers that have disulfide (—S—S—) linkages. Aerospace sealants that include sulfur-containing polymers, such as polysulfides, may be applied to the joint or space formed by the interface between electrically conductive substrates, such as those comprising aluminum, to which a previously deposited corrosion resistant primer coating has previously been applied. It is important that the sealant and primer coating adhere well to each other and to the substrate, though this has not always been achieved.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Coating/sealant systems, aqueous resinous dispersions, and methods of electrocoating


A cartridge receiving casing capable of facilitating inserting of a cartridge into the casing and taking out of the same therefrom. The casing includes an upper casing member and a lower casing member and is provided at a front portion thereof with an access opening for inserting the cartridge into or taking it out of an interior of the casing. The casing also includes holders for holding the cartridge in the casing. The upper casing member is provided with an opening through which an operation of taking the cartridge out of the casing is carried out. The lower casing member is provided on a portion of an inner surface thereof opposite to the opening with a roughened surface section.

This invention relates to a cartridge receiving casing, and more particularly to a cartridge receiving casing used for transporting or storing a disc cartridge including a disc-like medium such as, for example, an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc or a floppy disc; a tape cartridge including a tape-like medium such as, for example, a DAT or a digital compact cartridge (DCC); or the like while receiving it therein.
In general, a cartridge is transported, stored or sold while being housed or received in a cartridge receiving casing. A cartridge receiving casing used for this purpose is constituted by an upper casing member and a lower casing member joined to each other and provided on one side thereof with an access opening through which the cartridge is inserted into or taken out of an interior of the casing.
Also, such a conventional cartridge receiving casing is provided therein with a holder or holders for holding the cartridge in the casing to prevent it from falling off from the casing.
Unfortunately, the cartridge receiving casing fails to permit the cartridge to be readily taken out of the casing once the cartridge is received in the casing.
A cartridge receiving casing which is constructed so as to solve the problem is proposed as disclosed in Japanese patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 279484/1992. More particularly, the cartridge receiving casing proposed is so constructed that the casing is provided with an opening through which an operation of taking a cartridge out of the casing is carried out. The cartridge is forced by a finger inserted through the opening, to thereby be removed from the casing.
The proposed cartridge receiving casing facilitates removal of the cartridge therefrom, however, it causes damage to both an inner surface of the casing and the cartridge due to friction between the cartridge and the casing because the cartridge is forced through the opening during removal of the cartridge from the casing.
Also, the cartridge is caused to be pressedly contacted with the inner surface of the casing depending on the manner of forcing the cartridge through the opening, so that removal of the cartridge from the casing is failed.


A biodegradable scale and corrosion inhibiting composition includes between about 50 and about 90% by weight of a protein polymer that is derived from a natural source, and between about 10 and about 20% by weight of the alkali salts of gluconic acid.

Anti-scalant additives have been commonly utilized in water-based systems where scale build-up on water-contacting surfaces is undesired. Examples of such systems include re-circulating water cooling systems, water treatment facilities, and other applications that utilize controlled water circulation for various purposes. In embodiments such as re-circulating cooling systems, scale deposits on the water-contacting surfaces thereof can build up over time, thereby reducing the effectiveness of coolant water flow through the system. Manual maintenance of such systems to remove scale build-up is both time-consuming and expensive to system operators.
In order to assist in minimizing the formation of such scale deposits, anti-scale additives have been incorporated into the controlled water body of water based systems such as re-circulating water cooling systems. Such commonly utilized anti-scale additives include, for example, phosphonates, polyacrylates, and polyaspartic acid. The anti-scale chemicals identified above, as well as other commonly utilized anti-scale chemicals, have proven to be relatively effective in preventing the formation of scale deposits on water-contacting surfaces of the associated water systems. However, increasing pressure by governmental regulatory administrations has resulted in the promulgation of stricter water quality controls, which have correspondingly resulted in the restricted use of certain chemicals in water supplies that may ultimately be released into the environment. In addition, it has become an effective business strategy to market materials that are environmentally friendly, and which do not have permanent negative impacts on the environment.
Moreover, systems incorporating controlled water bodies such as re-circulating cooling systems face the additional issue of corrosion in water-contacting surfaces of such systems. In order to address the corrosion issue, system operators have been forced to utilize corrosion inhibiting additives that are separate and distinct from the scale inhibiting additives described above.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a combination anti-scalant and anti-corrosion composition that is biodegradable.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a composition having an anti-scalant ingredient and one or more corrosion inhibiting agents that are both biodegradable and derived from naturally occurring and renewable resources.

Biodegradable scale and corrosion inhibitor composition


A procedure is disclosed for filtering the speed feedback signal in an elevator motor drive which is provided with a speed controller and in which the speed of rotation of the motor is measured. The procedure of the invention involves sampling the speed feedback signal, producing a prediction of the next sample by a predicting procedure that filters the noise in the speed feedback signal, and forming an estimate of the latest sample by delaying the prediction by a time corresponding to one sample.

To suppress the noise in the speed feedback signals in elevator drives, low-pass filters are currently used. However, these cause a delay in the processing of the primary signal and thus make the servo system more difficult to control. Also, non-linear median filters have been used for the filtering of a feedback signal measured by means of a tachometer generator, but they, too, produce an undesirable additional delay in the control loop. The noise appearing in tachometer signals is dealt with e.g. in an article by S.J. Ovaska, entitled "Multistage digital prefiltering of noise tachometer signals", IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 37, no. 3, September 1988, pp. 466-468.

Procedure for filtering the speed feedback signal


An active security tag is embedded within the digital logic of an electronic design for logic destined for an integrated circuit such as an FPGA. The security tag includes security tag data which permits identification of the electronic design, and facilitates efforts to enforce copyrights in the designs. The security tag also includes a transmitter designed to covertly transmit security tag data to a receiver. Other information, such as error information and status information about the integrated circuit may also be transmitted. The transmitted information is concealed from detection by being hidden within background noise signals or other signals created by normal usage of the integrated circuit.

Unscrupulous equipment manufacturers may abuse the intellectual property rights of designers by making use of their designs without permission. Examples of such illegal activity include:    1. Copying FPGA bitstream information from a competitor's product and using it to configure the same kind of FPGA in one's own product.    2. When using a design under license, making more units of the design than the licensing agreement and fees paid would allow (overbuilding).    3. Obtaining design information through fraudulent methods or through reverse engineering and making use of the design without paying any required fees.
Design information may relate to designs which are to be implemented on Field Programmable Gate Arrays or designs which are to be implemented directly as integrated circuits.
A problem faced by owners of such design information, seeking to police abuse of their intellectual property rights, is that it is costly and time consuming to determine whether a particular product does in fact contain the proprietary design fragment. In the case of silicon chips the only practical method is to obtain a sample of the product under suspicion and send it to a specialist laboratory for analysis and reverse engineering. In the case of FPGA designs where the bitstream is encrypted or programmed into antifuse FPGAs, where the state of the anti-fuses is almost impossible to determine even by microscopic analysis, the difficulty of obtaining evidence of wrongdoing is even greater.
As well as allowing the detection of illegal use, the ability to label design components will have other benefits in the area of quality assurance and failure analysis. Modern electronic systems such as personal computers contain hundreds of integrated circuits from tens of IC vendors. Each of these integrated circuit chips is likely to be improved from time to time resulting in different versions of the chip being sold at different times. Some chips may be available from more than one vendor. Some complex 'System on Chip' devices may contain IP Cores which themselves are updated from time to time, so different versions of the IP may be present in different chips. The system may contain programmable FPGA chips whose functionality can be changed by downloading a new bitstream while the system is in the field. When FPGA chips are used the configuration of the system is not necessarily fixed at the time of manufacture.
When a system fails in the field it is important for the service engineer or technical support person to be able to determine the 'version' of the system and key components within it which has failed. The most practical way of doing this at the present time is to 'open the lid' take out the board and examine the top of the package of any suspect chips. Chip packages are usually printed with the part number and a code which can be used to identify the design version and date of manufacture. This system is not perfect because chip packages are becoming smaller, which limits the amount of information that can be printed. Some package materials do not lend themselves to legible printing. Also, marketing people would prefer to use the available space for company logos rather than long product identification codes. In some cases companies deliberately remove markings or ask for unmarked devices in order to make it difficult for competitors to determine which chips have been used in their system. At a practical level it can be difficult to decipher the markings on the top of chip packages. With programmable chips such as FPGAs the labelling on the chip package does not identify the design which has been programmed into the chip.
The industry around licensing IP Cores is still relatively young so there has been little work specifically on detecting the use of IP cores within a larger design. However, several companies offer 'reverse engineering' services where they analyse integrated circuit chips to determine the circuits which have been implemented on them. These services are used for competitive analysis purposes and also to provide evidence of patent infringement. Reverse Engineering services could be used to provide evidence of improper use of an IP core within an integrated circuit.
In the context of FPGAs 'passive' techniques which use analysis of bitstream or other design files have been proposed to detect unauthorised use of design intellectual property. In most cases analysis to detect the presence of an IP Core is based on obtaining a product containing the suspect FPGA. Normally there will be no access to files from the CAD tools used in the FPGA design process, except the final bitstream. In the case where the bitstream cannot be recovered because it is encrypted or programmed into an antifuse or FLASH based FPGA bitstream, analysis techniques would be useless. Conventional reverse engineering services which conduct an analysis of the physical interconnects on the integrated circuit are also of no help in the FPGA case, because the IP core design cannot be determined by analysing the mask work of the FPGA it is configured into.
In the context of ASIC chips it is common practice to include markings within the mask work for the top metal layers which can be read by the naked eye or through a microscope. These markings often contain company logos, copyright messages and revision data for the masks used to fabricate the design. Sometimes smaller copyright messages are hidden within the maskwork in the hope that a pirate who copies the mask will not notice their presence and remove them and that they can then be used as evidence of copyright infringement.
There is, therefore, a need for a method which can produce an inventory of the chips used in a system, including design version and manufacturing batch information. Such a method should ideally be fast, easy to use, be able to operate without disassembling the equipment containing the chips, require no new pins on the chip packages and work with designs programmed into FPGA chips as well as designs manufactured directly in silicon.

Method of actively tagging electronic designs and intellectual property cores


The device is a swivel clip with a relatively stationary base element and a relatively rotatable swivel element. The swivel element rotates about a shaft which passes through an aperture in the base element. The swivel clip is initially formed in one piece by molding windows in an upper portion of the swivel element which are opposed to molding windows in a lower portion of the swivel element (that is, alternating around the periphery of the shaft). The windows meet in the base member, forming the swivel shaft, the swivel aperture and the internal gates as a single piece. Subsequently breaking the internal gates provides vestiges which support the swivel shaft within the aperture.

1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to a swivel clip including a base member with an integrally molded swivel member. Windows are configured in the swivel clip to provide internal gates to fill both members during the molding process. The internal gates are broken prior to use to allow the swivel member to rotate with respect to the base member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, swivel clips are frequently molded as two separate pieces which are snapped together after molding. The snap fits typically require a high insertion force to maintain a marginally acceptable retention force. Similarly, clips are sometimes molded as a single piece with snap detent mechanism to engage an aperture in the structure (for example, architectural or automotive structures), but this does not provide an adequate swivel mechanism for some applications, such as tube routing with a variation in the angle of the tubes. Likewise, this does not provide a high retention force, or at a minimum, provides a retention force which is related to the force required for installation of the clip.
Examples of prior art in this field include U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,688 to Itoh et al. entitled "Cable Clamp"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,523 to Daigle et al. entitled "Suspendable Conduit Bracket Lock System"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,750 to Ward entitled "Wiring Harness Clip"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,837 to Rubinstein entitled "Plastic Swivel Connector and Mold Therefor"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,243 to Kraus et al. entitled "Plastic Holding Device with Noise Dampening"; and United Kingdom Patent Application GB 2,218,462A entitled "Cable Retaining Device".


The present invention relates to connecting and impedance matching a balanced electrical signal, such as that received by an antenna, with an unbalanced transmission circuit, such as that delivered to an amplifier. A planar circuit board is described that delivers signals having opposite polarization collected by different antenna arms to a location for convenient connection to a twin-lead transmission line. Circuit topologies for the circuit board are described that provide relatively low loss and low cross-coupling. A tapered microstrip balun is also described that includes two conducting microstrips on opposing faces of a dielectric separator. Stepped or tapered microstrips at the balanced input port of the balun provide an impedance transforming section electrically connecting to a mode transducing section, in which one of the microstrips tapers outward to form a substantially wider strip. Appropriate choice of parameters is shown to lead to favorable performance in a compact balun.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of interconnecting broadband antennas with detection or transmission electronics and, more particularly, to baluns and other devices for effecting such interconnections.
Financial support from the SETI Institute, made possible by the Paul G. Allen Foundation, is gratefully acknowledged.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many antennas generate balanced signals across their input terminals requiring the inclusion of a balun between the terminals and an amplifier, detector or other electronics that typically require unbalanced input. A "balun" is basically an impedance transformer designed to couple a balanced transmission circuit and an unbalanced transmission circuit. The impedance transformation can be performed by a variety of well-known techniques, but the conversion between a balanced mode and an unbalanced mode typically requires special techniques. See, for example, "Antenna Engineering Handbook, Third Edition," Richard C. Johnson (Ed.) (McGraw-Hill Publishing, 1993), especially Chapter 43, "Impedance Matching and Broadbanding," by David F. Bowman and Section 43-6, pp. 43-23 to 43-27 and references cited. The contents of Chapter 43 is incorporated herein by reference.
Our discussion and description will chiefly focus on the detection of weak signals as typically required in the field of radio astronomy. However, this is by way of illustration and not limitation as other applications of the present devices and techniques, including applications for the transmission of signals through an antenna, will be apparent to those having ordinary skills in the art.
In addition to connecting and impedance matching the balanced signals received at the input terminals of an antenna with unbalanced detection electronics, it is also important that the signals be delivered to the amplifiers with as little loss as possible. Thus, it is advantageous to have the amplifiers (and cryogenic devices in some applications) located as close to the antenna terminals as feasible, and to locate these devices so as to cause as little disruption as feasible with the performance of the antenna. Space is often quite limited in the regions of antennas near the input terminals where electronics can be located, so a compact design for baluns and interconnects is advantageous. Therefore, a need exists in the art for balun and interconnection devices and techniques that permit the connection of balanced signals received at the input terminals of an antenna with unbalanced electronic devices located in close proximity to the input terminals, while avoiding substantial signal loss and avoiding substantial interference with the performance of the antenna.

Connections and feeds for broadband antennas

The Regents of the University of California


An image formation device is provided, at which a fixing apparatus is disposed inside a housing of a printer main body, and which is configured in a fanless ventilation structure. This image formation device is provided with: a fixing unit mounting portion positioned at an upper portion of the housing, and surrounded by a partition wall and a heat-shielding member extending from a side face of the partition wall, the fixing apparatus being placed on the heat-shielding member, and the fixing unit mounting portion being isolated such that hot air will not flow to equipment inside the housing; a cover member for covering the fixing unit mounting portion; a ventilation portion which includes ventilation apertures formed through the cover member; and a conveyance portion for the recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation device equipped with a fixing apparatus which is employed in a copying device, printer or the like, which is structured to serve as an electrophotography system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Commonly, in an image formation device such as a copying device, a printer or the like that employs an electrophotography system, a photosensitive body formed in, for example, a drum shape is uniformly charged, the photosensitive body is exposed with light which is controlled in accordance with image information, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive body. Hence, this electrostatic latent image is made visible with toner (a toner image), and this toner image is transferred to recording paper and is fixed by a fixing apparatus, for image formation.
Among electrophotography-system image formation devices, there are color image formation devices which form full-color images. These color image formation devices are of, broadly speaking, a type which employs an intermediate transfer body and a type which does not employ an intermediate transfer body. An image formation device which employs an intermediate transfer body has the advantage, because toner images formed on the photosensitive body are temporarily primary-transferred onto the intermediate transfer body, of being able to implement primary-transfer without regard to the material of a recording medium, thus improving image quality of full-color images.
Further, among color image formation devices which employ an intermediate transfer body, there are devices of a "four-cycle" system and devices of a "tandem" system. A color image formation device of the four-color system primary-transfers toner images of each of the colors, such as yellow, magenta, cyan and black, or the like, which are formed sequentially on a single photosensitive body, onto an intermediate transfer body in a state in which the toner images are superposed with one another. The device then secondary-transfers the yellow, magenta, cyan and black (or whatever colors) toner images, which have been superposedly transferred onto the intermediate transfer body, onto a recording medium with a secondary transfer roller. Thus, a color image is formed.
On the other hand, a color image formation device of the tandem system forms toner images of mutually different colors, such as yellow, magenta, cyan and black, or the like, on plural (for example, four) photosensitive bodies and primary-transfers these toner images onto an intermediate transfer body in a state in which the toner images are superposed with one another. Then, the device secondary-transfers the yellow, magenta, cyan and black (or whatever colors) toner images, which have been superposedly transferred onto the intermediate transfer body, onto a recording medium with a secondary transfer roller. Thus, this structure forms a color image.
A fixing apparatus, which is employed in an image formation device of the various systems described above, passes recording paper bearing an unfixed toner image between, for example, a fixing roller and a pressure roller, and fixes the toner image to the recording paper by applying heat and pressure to the unfixed toner image.
With regard to fixing apparatuses for such electrophotography systems, schemes to raise fixing speed, improve image quality by preventing occurrences of fixing unevenness and paper creasing, reduce the size of a fixing apparatus, and shorten a warm-up time of a fixing apparatus, from room temperature up to a state in which fixing processing is possible, have been called for.
Accordingly, in response to such requests, realization of a fixing apparatus known as a free belt nip fuser has been attempted. A free belt nip fuser is a structure in which a fixing belt is slidably disposed on a surface of a pressure pad, which is fixed in place, a belt nipping width is broadened, and the fixing belt is pressed by a heating roller such that an exit side of the sheet is locally formed as an elastically deformed fixing surface.
At a free belt nip fuser with such a structure, a sheet to which a toner image has been transferred is nipped between the fixing belt and the heating roller, which is driven to rotate, and is operated to turn together with the fixing belt. At the same time, the toner image is fixed by a heating and pressing operation while the sheet is passing the fixing surface. Hence, the sheet is peeled from the fixing belt and ejected.
With this free belt nip fuser, it is possible to achieve an increase in nipping width of the belt, an increase in speed of the fixing process, and a reduction in size of the fixing apparatus. It is also possible to achieve a reduction in amounts of beat lost from the heating roller to the fixing belt and pressure pad side, a reduction in amounts of temperature lowering at a nipping region of the belt, an increase in efficiency of utilization of heat in fusing of the toner, an improvement in fixing characteristics of the toner and a shortening of warm-up times (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3,298,354).
At such a fixing apparatus, in order to carry out fixing processing by heating and pressing a sheet to which a toner image has been transferred while the sheet is being conveyed by the nipping region, the heating roller is heated to a high temperature which is required for fixing. Consequently, heat from the heating roller that has been heated to the high temperature is spread to the surroundings, hot air passes through the interior of a housing of an image formation device, inside which housing the fixing apparatus is disposed, and there is a risk of a developing apparatus, an exposure apparatus and so forth inside, the housing being heated to high temperatures and suffering adverse effects. Accordingly, image formation devices which are equipped with these fixing apparatuses commonly have structures in which an exhaust fan is provided at a vicinity in which the fixing apparatus is disposed and the exhaust fan forcibly exhausts hot air from an exhaust outlet, which is formed through the housing.
However, when hot air is forcibly exhausted from an exhaust outlet by an exhaust fan disposed near a fixing apparatus in this manner, there is a problem in that the hot air which is, being continuously exhausted in a certain direction from the exhaust outlet carries a bad odor. Thus, people who are stationed in a vicinity of the exhaust outlet near the fixing apparatus in the image formation device, people passing through this vicinity and the like experience unpleasant odors. Furthermore, there are problems in that, if an exhaust fan disposed near a fixing apparatus is continuously operated to forcibly exhaust hot air from an exhaust outlet, the air exhaust operation of the exhaust fan is accompanied by emissions of continuous noise. Moreover, amounts of energy consumed for continuously operating the exhaust fan are large, and the image formation device is increased in cost by an amount corresponding to the exhaust fan.

Image formation device having a fixing apparatus placed on a heat-shielding member


The present invention relates to a circuit assembly comprising the polyimide poly(3,4'-oxydiphenylene pyromellitimide).

Polyimides are known in the art for use in the manufacture of circuit assemblies such as chips (e.g. chip back end of line), multichip modules, and circuit boards. For example, Watanabe's U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,353 discloses the use of a large class of polyimides and copolymers of polyimides in the manufacture of circuit boards. Polyimides are useful in forming dielectric layers, passivation layers, alpha particle barriers and stress buffers. Polyimides are also useful as a dielectric material to insulate the conductor wiring interconnecting integrated circuit chips on a multichip module. A multichip module is an intermediate level of packaging between the chips and the circuit board. Multichip modules are made up of a plurality of insulating and conducting layers wherein the conducting power, signal and ground layers deliver power to the chips and distribute the input/output signals between chips on the module or to/from the circuit board. Multichip modules typically contain input/output pins on the bottom surface for connection to the circuit board.
Poly(4,4'-oxydiphenylene pyromellitimide) is a insulating polyimide polymer used in the manufacture of multichip modules and chips. However, in some cases, such as under high temperature and humidity, films comprising this polyimide will separate (lift off) from the substrate or underlying polymer layer. This separation causes defects or voids which can lead to corrosion and eventual electrical shorts or opens in the wiring. There still is a need in the art for a suitable polyimide having good physical, insulative and adhesion properties for use in making circuit assemblies.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a circuit assembly comprising one or more layers of a polyimide having improved adhesion properties.

Circuit assembly with polyimide insulator

International Business Machines Corporation


Mobile conveyor modules are used for transporting aggregate over a long distance, or for transferring the aggregate to other modules, and for stacking the aggregate either linearly or radially. These modules may be used in various combinations by themselves or in combination with existing conveyor systems and bridge stackers to stack aggregate on and off multi-lift leach pads and on multi-lift dump sites. Multiple stacking methods may be used with mobile conveyor modules either separately, or at the same time, advance and retreat stacking, the stacking of a berm, or the filling in or a corridor, may be accomplished on a variety of terrain.

The present invention relates to the movement of bulk materials, and more particularly, pertains to moving and stacking material, such as ore, coal, granite, clay, salt, and potash, generally referred to herein as "aggregate", by mobile belt conveyor modules.
The present invention is concerned with depositing aggregate into piles, and more particularly is an improved method for depositing aggregate into multi-lift dump sites, such as heap leach stacks, waste dump sites, or material dump sites, for example.
In the past, very long, endless conveyor belt assemblies have been used for transporting loose particulate material over long distances. Bridge conveyors or mobile stacking conveyors have also been used. One of the problems with the conveyor systems of the prior art is that such systems take time to move any appreciable distance when a new stack is to be started. This is especially true when stacking aggregate ore which is to be subjected to heap leach processes used, for example, to extract copper or gold from the stacked piles of aggregate or leach pads.
In today's world, mining is a basic industry in a global economy. Thus, regardless of the site of the mining or leaching operation, it must be conducted in a manner that minimizes capital costs, minimizes operating costs, and minimizes the delay time between stacking heaps and recovering the metals or mineral of interest.
Prior art multiple lift stacking systems using bridges, with either advance or retreat stacking, require considerable down time, a great deal of additional earth work effort, and a considerable amount of labor to extend and retract the overland conveyor used in the process. The prior art stacking processes delay recovery of the metals or minerals of interest from the aggregate. In an ongoing leaching operation, for example, a major concern is to leach the newly stacked aggregate immediately. Thus, at the completion of any lift, a complete leach cycle time is scheduled before stacking the next lift so that the material can be leached to full economic advantage at each lift.
These concerns, in general, require movement of the prior art systems that could be both wasteful and unnecessary.
A prior art attempt to solve such a problem is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,890 granted Jul. 11, 2000 to Ronald R. Kelly, et al. for Heap Leach Stacking Process. However, even this approach requires down time, a shortcoming which the present invention overcomes.

Method for multiple lift stacking using mobile conveyor system


One apparatus embodiment includes a first light source, a second light source, and a receiver having a photodetector. The first light source emits a first signal at a nonvisible wavelength for data transmission. The second light source emits a second signal at a visible wavelength for fault detection when combined with the first signal for transmission over a fiber optic path. The receiver converts the first signal from the nonvisible wavelength to an electrical signal.

In optical fiber communications, optical fibers are often constructed from a number of sections each having an optical pathway formed therein. The sections are aligned end to end such that light passing through a first optical pathway section can continue traveling through the optical pathway of a second optical fiber section.
In theory, the ends are placed adjacent to each other and the light passes from one end to the next. However, in the field, the environment of the optical network can provide forces that move one optical fiber section with respect to another and, thereby, the transmission of light signals between the optical fiber sections can be attenuated or disrupted. Alternatively, or in combination with the just-described movement, "dirt" from the environment can contaminate one end and/or the other end of two adjacent optical fiber sections so as to attenuate or disrupt transmission of light signals. As such, typically, at least the ends of two adjacent optical fiber sections are connected to each other in a manner (e.g., with an optical connector) intended to maintain the alignment and/or prevent the contamination of the optical pathway with respect to the two optical fiber sections.
In some instances, an optical fiber is analyzed to determine if a disconnect in the optical pathway exists and/or where the disconnect is located. For example, in some instances, it may be that the location of a fault within an optical fiber is to be located so the fault can be rectified.
Oftentimes, this is accomplished by disconnecting the optical fiber from a transmitter, connector, and/or receiver so that the optical pathway of the optical fiber can be tested. The testing typically involves attaching an end of an optical fiber to a separate testing apparatus.
Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry (OTDR) is one method used to locate such faults (e.g., disconnect in the fiber) in fiber optic networks. In this method, a laser pulse is sent down a fiber to be tested and reflected back by a fault in the optical pathway. The reflected laser pulse is then received by a photodetector. The time period elapsed since the signal was sent indicates how far down the pathway the fault is located.
However, the use of a separate testing apparatus to locate faults within an optical fiber can be time consuming and costly. In order to test the optical pathway, the testing equipment can be connected via a fiber access point which adds components to the optical network and can degrade the signal as it travels along the optical pathway. Alternatively, in systems where optical pathways forming an optical network are constructed using a number of optical fibers, each forming a section of the pathway, an end of an optical fiber section can be located and disconnected from the optical network.
In such systems, each optical fiber section is attached to the end of another optical fiber section. In some embodiments, an end of one of the optical sections can be accessed and the testing apparatus can be connected thereto.
Such methods can result in periods where the fiber is out of the communications network and, therefore, can result in network downtime. However, the use of a separate testing apparatus to locate faults within an optical fiber can be time consuming and costly.


This machine tool is provided with: a partition that partitions a machining chamber and a tool storage chamber and that has an opening; a shutter; and a receiving member that is formed so as to receive cutting fluid. The partition includes a sidewall member that extends in the vertical direction and an inclined wall member inclined in such a manner so as to become lower from the sidewall member to the interior of the machining chamber. At least part of the opening is formed in the inclined wall member. The receiving member is positioned beneath the shutter, and in such a position so as to receive cutting fluid that drops down along the sidewall member when the shutter is opened.

In a machining chamber in which a workpiece is machined, a table for fixing a workpiece and a spindle head for holding a tool are disposed. Since chips and cutting fluid for cooling the tool are scattered in the machining chamber, a partition wall is formed so as to surround the machining chamber. Furthermore, the machine tool that includes a tool exchange device for changing a tool attached to the spindle head is known. In the machine tool including the tool exchange device, a tool storage chamber where a device for storing tools is disposed is formed. Also in the machine tool including the tool exchange device, a partition wall for shielding the tool storage chamber from the chips and the cutting fluid is formed around a machining chamber. The partition wall has an opening for moving the tool from the tool storage chamber to the machining chamber during exchange of the tool.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-178235A discloses a machine tool including a tool exchange device that provides a tool to a spindle and receives the tool from the spindle. This machine tool includes a cover serving as a partition between the tool exchange device and the spindle, which has an opening through which the spindle can pass. Moreover, the machine tool has a door that opens and closes the opening of the cover.
Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 3-107144U discloses an opening and closing device disposed at the opening of a magazine cover. This opening and closing device also has a rotation cover that covers the top surface of a slide cover and rotates in synchronization with the slide cover.