A semiconductor acceleration sensor includes an acceleration sensor chip that includes a weight portion, a base portion provided around the weight portion with a gap therebetween, and beam portions flexibly connecting the weight portion and the base portion; and a stopper plate that is provided above the acceleration sensor chip. The stopper plate includes: a plurality of fixing portions that are protrudingly provided at positions opposite to the base portion and are fixed to the base portion; first concave portions that are formed around the fixing portions at positions opposite to the weight portion and define the displacement of the weight portion; and a second concave portion that is formed at a position opposite to the beam portions and is deeper than the first concave portion.

Conventionally, a variety of types of a semiconductor acceleration sensor using the MEMS technology is disclosed in the following documents.
[Patent Document 1] JP2006-153519A
[Patent Document 2] JP2001-160626A
[Patent Document 3] JP2004-212403A
JP2006-153519A discloses a technique for a piezoelectric resistance-type three-axis (three dimensional) semiconductor acceleration sensor of two-point-supported type. The piezoelectric resistance-type three-axis semiconductor acceleration sensor includes a MEMS acceleration sensor chip in which thin silicon beam portions support the weight portion (mass) at both sides, the beam portions are distorted when the weight portion (mass) is moved by acceleration, and the acceleration is detected by a variation in the resistance of a piezoelectric resistor formed in the beam portion due to the distortion. In addition, in order to define the excessive displacement of the weight portion (mass) in the upward direction, a stopper plate is provided above the weight portion (mass) with a predetermined gap therebetween. Then, the acceleration sensor chip and the stopper plate are inserted into a hollow package.
JP2001-160626A discloses a technique for a piezoelectric resistance-type semiconductor acceleration sensor of a one-point-supported type. The piezoelectric resistance-type semiconductor acceleration sensor includes a MEMS acceleration sensor chip in which a silicon beam portion supports a weight portion (mass) at one side, the weight portion (mass) is distorted when the weight portion (mass) is displaced in the vertical direction by acceleration, and the acceleration is detected by a variation in the resistance of a piezoelectric resistor formed on the beam portion due to the distortion. In addition, in order to define the displacement of the weight portion (mass) in the vertical direction, stopper substrates are provided above and below the weight portion (mass) with predetermined gaps therebetween.
JP2004-212403A discloses a technique for a piezoelectric resistance-type semiconductor acceleration sensor of a single-hand type. The piezoelectric resistance-type semiconductor acceleration sensor includes a MEMS acceleration sensor chip in which a silicon beam portion supports a weight portion (mass) at one side, the weight portion (mass) is distorted when the weight portion (mass) is displaced in the vertical direction by acceleration, and the acceleration is detected by a variation in the resistance of a piezoelectric resistor formed on the beam portion due to the distortion. In addition, in order to define the displacement of the weight portion (mass) in the vertical direction, a linear stopper is provided above the weight portion (mass) with a predetermined gap therebetween. Furthermore, a cover having a concave portion is provided below the weight portion (mass) with a predetermined gap therebetween, and a protruding stopper for regulating the displacement of the weight portion (mass) in the downward direction is formed in the concave portion.
However, the semiconductor acceleration sensors according to the related art have the following problems.
The both-hand type semiconductor acceleration sensor disclosed in JP2006-153519A includes a plurality of beam portions. When acceleration is detected, the weight portion (mass) is displaced, and the beam portions are bent upward.
At that time, when the stopper plate defines the displacement of the weight portion (mass), the beam portion may collide with the stopper plate by the adjustment of displacement (adjustment of the gap between the MEMS acceleration sensor chip and the stopper plate). In this case, the beam portion may be damaged by the collision.
In addition, in the piezoelectric resistance-type semiconductor acceleration sensor disclosed in JP2006-153519A, a portion of the beam portion in which the piezoelectric resistor is formed is likely to collide with the stopper plate. In this case, the piezoelectric resistor itself and a protective film formed on the surface of the piezoelectric resistor are damaged. When the protective layer formed on the surface of the piezoelectric resistor as well as the piezoelectric resistor itself is damaged, stress applied to the piezoelectric resistor varies, and the characteristics of the piezoelectric resistor are likely to vary.
In the one-point-supported type semiconductor acceleration sensor disclosed in JP2001-160626A and JP2004-212403A, one side of the weight portion (mass) is connected to the beam portion, and the other side of the weight portion (mass) opposite to the one side is opened. Therefore, when the beam portion is bent, the opposite side of the weight portion (mass) is displaced more than the beam portion. As a result, the beam portion is likely to collide with the stopper substrate or the linear stopper.


Embodiments include determining whether defects exist in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light mask blank. Incident EUV light scattered or diffused by abnormalities in the layers of the mask blank may be measured, normalized, and compared to threshold values to determine if and where a defect exists. Normalizing may be performed by dividing a light intensity value for a pixel by the average of light intensity values for one or more rings of surrounding pixels. A defect may be determined by considering whether the normalized intensity value for a pixel is greater than a pixel threshold to identify the pixel is a candidate for a location with a defect; and by determining whether the sum of normalized light intensity values for a block of pixels including the pixel satisfies a pixel block threshold to determine whether the block scatters or diffuses a critical amount of light to identify a defect.

1. Field
Circuit patterning and more particularly to masks used to pattern light sensitive material on substrates or wafers.
2. Background
Patterning is the series of operations that results in the removal of selected portions of surface layers added on a substrate, such as a wafer. Patterning creates the surface parts of devices that make-up a circuit. One goal of patterning is to create in or on the wafer surface, the parts of the device or circuit in the exact dimensions (feature size) required by the circuit design and to locate the parts in their proper location on the wafer surface.
Generally, patterning is accomplished through photolithography techniques. For example, photolithography may be a multi-operation pattern transfer process wherein a pattern contained on a reticle, photo mask, etch mask, or multi-layers mask is transferred onto the surface of a wafer or substrate through a lithographic imaging operation, and a light sensitive material (e.g., photoresist) is developed on the wafer. One goal of circuit designers is to reduce the feature size (the critical dimension) of devices of a circuit, i.e., reduce the smallest feature patternable. A reduction in wavelength of light used in patterning will reduce the critical dimension. Thus, the patterning wavelength can be reduced to under 200 nanometers, and can lie in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light region to reduce the critical dimension to 100 nanometers or less.
In the general course of patterning, the image of a reticle or photo mask is projected onto a wafer or substrate surface by an imaging system. EUV light radiation, however, does not pass through quartz or glass, and is therefore typically projected using reflective optics. For example, a reticle or photo mask for EUV light patterning of a light sensitive material may include a multi-layer mask that is created by forming light absorbing material on certain portions of a substrate covered with multiple layers of a reflective material (e.g., a patterning mask). The substrate having only multiple layers of reflective material may be referred to as a "mask blank" (e.g., such as a substrate having multiple layers of reflective material, prior to forming the light absorbing material).
It is important to be able to inspect an EUV light mask blank for defects that may cause errors in the imaging or patterning of the light sensitive material, such as by causing unwanted variations in the image of features (e.g., such as critical features) patterned on that material by the patterning mask formed from that mask blank. Specifically, because of the wavelength of EUV light used to expose the light sensitive material, a small bump with a height as low as two nanometers on the surface of a multi-layered mask blank may cause errors in the imaging or patterning of the light sensitive material, and thus be a defect in the mask blank. Therefore, EUV light patterning photo mask blanks may be inspected during manufacture, after manufacture, prior to shipment, or after shipment to detect "critical defects" (e.g., such as defects that may cause an error in patterning) while minimizing detection of "false defects" (e.g., such as defects that do not cause errors in patterning substantial enough to affect the critical dimension of features to be formed).


An object of the present invention is to provide a hypothermic agent for an animal, a therapeutic agent for hyperthermia in an animal, etc. The present invention provides a hypothermic agent for an animal, a therapeutic agent for hyperthermia in an animal, etc., the agents etc. comprising desacyl ghrelin or its derivative, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as an active ingredient.

In recent years, in line with the global warming trend, the average temperature in Japan is steadily increasing, and the records of the highest temperature and the number of sultry nights (which are defined as the nights when the temperature does not fall below 25° C.) in summer are being broken every year. The temperature increase in summer is remarkable especially in cities. The incidence of heat illness in sports, manual labor, or daily life has been reported (Miyake et al., Nihon Kyukyu Igakukai Zasshi (Journal of Japanese Association for Acute Medicine), 19: 309-21 (2008)). Investigation on heat illness patients who were treated in emergency medical care centers across the country from June to August in 2006 revealed that the fatality rate is significantly high in patients with a body temperature of 40° C. or more. Heat illness with poor prognosis may lead to a very critical condition, which may result in death with multiple organ failure.
In order to prevent or counteract heat illness, the Ministry of Environment has issued Netchusho Kankyo Hoken Manual (the Environment Health Manual on Heat Illness).
There is also a report that the death toll due to heat illness is increasing not only in humans but also in livestock animals such as cattle, pigs, chickens (the Sankei Shimbun dated Sep. 3, 2010). During the period from July 1 to August 15 in 2010, the number of livestock animals that died or abandoned due to heat stroke etc. reached 959 dairy-cattle, 235 beef-cattle, 657 pigs, 289,000 broiler chickens and 136,000 egg-laying chickens (Kumamoto Prefecture Chuokaho News vol. 5, August (2010)). Minor health problems in livestock animals such as cattle, pigs, and chickens will affect their market values. If livestock animals died, the economic loss will reach several million yen per animal. In terms of companion animals such as dogs and cats, minor health problems in the animals will hugely affect the owners' daily lives. Thus health care of the above animals is a huge social problem.
In addition, the productivity and quality of livestock animals are known to deteriorate due to high air temperature and high humidity in summer. Under summer heat stress, reduction occurs in sperm production, egg maturation, fetal development, fetal growth, placenta maturation, etc., and also in the pregnancy rate (Nabenishi H. et al., J. Reprod. Dev. (2001) April 9, E. Pub.). Further, due to continuous high air temperature, reduction occurs in body weight gain, the amount of milk secretion, and the egg laying rate, and also in the milk quality (milk fat percentage) and the meat quality (Chikyu Ondanka Ni Taio shita Norin Suisan Kenkyu Kaihatsu Vision, p. 10 (March 2010, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Department, Yamagata Prefecture)). The reduction in the productivity of domestic fowls and livestock animals under summer heat is closely related to increase in the body temperature (Nonaka et al., Chikyukankyo (2009) 14: 215-222). Therefore, lowering the body temperature of livestock animals during the summer heat period is expected to improve the productivity of the livestock animals.
Animals have thermoregulatory functions such as perspiration and can maintain a constant body temperature regardless of changes in air temperature and weather. However, when high air temperature and high humidity conditions continue, or when the thermoregulatory functions are impaired, the body temperature of an animal may abnormally increase. In such cases, it is necessary to immediately notice the animal's unusual signs and treat the animal to lower the body temperature. In cases where increase in air temperature is predicted, lowering the body temperature of an animal in advance may be useful in maintaining good health of the animal. Further, even when the body temperature of an animal is already in the course of increasing, suppression of the increase enables early treatment and prevents the body temperature from reaching the lethal level. In particular, in the case of heat stroke, the body temperature of an animal sometimes reaches 40° C., which will increase the risk of death. Therefore, there has been a great demand for a means to prevent heat illness including heat stroke.
Ghrelin is a hormone discovered from the stomach in 1999 and is a peptide composed of an amino acid sequence consisting of 28 residues. The amino acid sequence has a very unique chemical structure in which the third amino acid from the N-terminus is acylated with a fatty acid (Non Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 1). Ghrelin is an endogenous brain-gut hormone that acts on the growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a) (Non Patent Literature 2) and increases the secretion of growth hormone (GH) from the pituitary gland.
Ghrelin was initially isolated and purified from rats as an endogenous GHS-R ligand for GHS-R1a. Later, ghrelin amino acid sequences that are similar to the rat ghrelin in primary structure were found in vertebrates other than rats, for example, humans, mice, pigs, chickens, cattle, horses, sheep, dogs, cats, etc. (Patent Literature 1).
Desacyl ghrelin is a peptide generated through removal of the fatty acid from ghrelin. Desacyl ghrelin has almost no affinity to GHS-R1a and thus exhibits almost no activity to increase the secretion of growth hormone (GH) from the pituitary gland (Broglio, F. et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 89: 3062-5 (2004)). Desacyl ghrelin has also reported to exert an anorexigenic action (Perboni, S. & Inui, A., Clin. Nutr., 29: 227-34 (2010)). The actions of desacyl ghrelin are understood to be independent from GHS-R1a (Delhanty, P J. et al., PLoS One, 5: e11749 (2010)), but the receptors, physiological functions, etc. largely remain unknown.
Desacyl ghrelin, as with ghrelin, has also been reported to exert a cardioprotective activity through inhibition of apoptosis of cardiomyocytes (Non Patent Literature 3) and has been suggested to play a role in the fate of cells such as cell growth and cell death. Desacyl ghrelin also has been reported to exert an inhibitory action against the growth of prostate tumor cells (Non Patent Literature 4). Thus desacyl ghrelin is considered to act on receptors other than GHS-R1a. The reported effects of desacyl ghrelin on ingestive action include both enhancing and suppressing effects and overexpressed desacyl ghrelin results in a reduced level of IGF-1 and a small body size (Non Patent Literature 5).
Recent studies have also revealed that ghrelin increases appetite, that subcutaneous administration of ghrelin increases body weight and fat gain (Non Patent Literature 6, 7, and 8), and that ghrelin has the effect of improving the cardiac performance etc. (Non Patent Literature 9). Ghrelin also has GH secretion-promoting and appetite-increasing actions and hence has a potential to more effectively induce, through increasing appetite, GH's action of burning fat and converting it into energy or GH's anabolic action of increasing muscles (Non Patent Literature 10). Another potential of ghrelin to exert a hypothermic effect is disclosed in a patent application, although no Example is described for it (Patent Literature 2).
The inventors found that ghrelin and desacyl ghrelin exist in the amniotic fluid of pregnancy mother animals, investigated their functions and roles and, as a result, discovered that GHS-R1a exists in fetal skin cells and that desacyl ghrelin has a proliferative action for fetal skin cells (Non Patent Literature 11). As other desacyl ghrelin's actions, the effects on cancer cell growth etc. have been suggested (Non Patent Literature 12).

Methods of lowering body temperature by administration of desacyl ghrelin or its derivative

NATIONAL CEREBRAL AND CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER


A method and system according to the invention comprises the means for or steps of: acquiring, by means of a digital image taking apparatus, a digital image with aberration of a scene, the digital image incorporating at least a first image zone and a second image zone, the first and second image zones having respectively at least a first resolution and at least a second resolution, the first and second resolutions being different, calculating a deployed digital image, by deployment of at least one zone of the digital image with aberration, applying an object detection algorithm in the deployed digital image, and supplying information on each object detected in the deployed digital image.

Various motor vehicle driving assistance systems are known in the prior art, using one or more cameras or image sensors.
In these known systems, the cameras are generally dedicated to specific applications. In other words, one camera is necessary for each type of application, for example a first camera for taking images in the visible range and a second camera for taking images in the near infrared range.
In addition, the detection of an object in the distance, at the center of the image, and a nearby object at the edge of the field is rarely compatible with the use of a single camera.
This is because an object in the distance and at the center of the image represents only a few pixels compared with an object at the edge of the image and close to the camera lens.
A small field makes it possible to detect an object present in the distance and at the center of the image, but does not make it possible to detect an object close to the vehicle and slightly to the side. Conversely, a larger aperture angle makes it possible to detect an object on the edges, but does not make it possible to detect an object in the distance, since the object is then represented by a small number of pixels.
The available solutions recommend, in the above cases, the use of an expensive image sensor having a large number of pixels, or a zoom, to the detriment of the simultaneity of making the images available for various fields.
The current techniques do not facilitate the design of compact economical devices which are well adapted to the significant constraints of robustness and costs, generally imposed in the automotive field, and capable of supplying to driving assistance systems the information of various types required by the applications installed in these systems.
The present invention aims to remedy the drawbacks of the prior art disclosed above by providing a method and device of the above mentioned type which allow detection both distant and broad of the objects, and this with a single image sensor that can be produced at a moderate cost.

Method for detecting objects in a digital image using image zones of different resolutions


An integrated optical device allowing for higher flexibility in designing its outer shape and securing hermetic sealing is provided, which includes a ceramic substrate mounting a light source, a covering member fixed to the substrate for covering the light source, and a resin mold package for attaching the substrate, wherein a metal joint portion on the substrate and a metal joint portion on the covering member are joined, as well as a through-hole in the substrate or in covering member is sealed with a transparent material for hermetic sealing of the light source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is, with respect to an integrated optical device, related to a technique for securing hermetic sealing of a light source portion including a light emitting element and allowing for higher flexibility in designing the outer shape of its packaging.
2. Description of Related Art
An integrated optical component including a light source such as a semiconductor laser, and/or a light receiving element using a photodiode is known to be suitable for down-sizing and low-profiling of the optical devices. For example, such a light emitting/receiving element is used in a head device (a so-called optical pick-up) for use in signal recording and reproduction to and from an optical recording medium.
In this type of devices and where a hermetic sealing of its light emitting element is not performed (plastic molding), a resin mold packaging is used, because it has a greater degree of freedom in the design of an outer shape due to the advantage of resin molding with a die. However, in the case where the light emitting element and the like are desired to be hermetically sealed in order to eliminate adverse effect from impurities in the ambient air, there occur problems that sufficient sealing cannot be achieved due to a limitation in characteristics of the resin materials to be used, or that a particular adhesive required for obtaining a necessary sealing capability cannot be used in a particular circumstance.
For example, as examples in which the hermetic sealing of the light emitting/receiving elements in its package is taken into consideration, there are proposed a method for sealing a ceramic package by bonding a sealing glass after disposing a light emitting element, a light receiving element, optical components and the like thereon, and a method for sealing a metal cap covering a metal package with a sealing glass. Also, there is known a method for fixing a light emitting element to a metal member, and attaching the metal member to a transparent member, as disclosed in the patent reference below. (Japan Patent Application Publication No. 2001-52364, FIGS. 1 and 2.)


An essential oil reclaim method for use with a corresponding apparatus, comprising the following steps: the apparatus grabs the tree parts, the tree tops or the tree limbs, and shakes them with rotating drums provided with chains (under whiplash effect); the needles are segregated through a vibrating sieve; the needles are compressed for a first essential oil extraction under mechanical compression; the needles are then pushed into a sealed chamber comprising an endless screw which upwardly conveys the needles; steam is sprayed on the needles, so as to thermally extract essential oils from condensate; the needle residues, or “muka”, escapes from the top end of the thermal chamber. This essential oil reclaim apparatus also relates to the invention.

In order to recover forestry products in an economically efficient fashion, it is necessary to have on site power-assisted machinery capable of recovering efficiently all wood products obtained when logging timber. Indeed, in the wood logging industry, large machines and trucks are required to fell upstanding trees, delimb these felled trees, load the logs into a trailer, ship these logs loaded trailers to a remote location with a truck, and eventually unload these logs to a processing facility. These large machines and trucks represent considerable capital cost, and operating them is also expensive in fuel, maintenance and labour costs.
It is noted that it is the logs per se which is usually identified as having the highest economical reclaim value, since the other parts of the tree (branches, needles, . . . ) may be simply discarded as wastes that do not warrant reclaim, and left on site in the forest. However, the needles—and to a lesser extent other tree parts such as bark and some small branches—do contain economically valuable so-called "essential oil" component therein. This essential oil can, when properly purified, be used in high margin products used in aromatherapy, in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, in cosmetics, in perfumes, in soaps and in detergents.
Moreover, even the extracted residues from the essential oil purification process (fragments of branches and needles without their essential oil), also called in the industry the "muka", could generate at least some economic value, in particular for animal feed as for example vitamins and proteins. Such muka could be used in place of antibiotics as food supplements for animal feed, which is desirable in view of limiting as much as possible use of antibiotics for medical treatment in order to deter development of microbial resistance to antibiotics in the digestive tract of these animals—and of humans who may eventually eat meat from these animals.

Essential oil reclaim apparatus, and method of use


A reflector formed on a polished aluminum base which is lightly anodized (0.2-0.5 microns thick) as a protective coating over which is vacuum deposited a thick (0.05 to 2.0 microns) layer of non-porus oxide underlying an aluminum reflectance layer which supports a pair of quarter wave length reflectance-enhancing layers.

The present invention relates to improvements in reflectors and in particular to high reflectance (above 92%) reflectors formed onto a substrate by the vacuum deposition of various materials to form a laminate that has a reflectivity that is greater than the reflectivity of the substrate alone. The invention is particularly suited, and will be described with reference to, the deposition of a high reflective surface onto an aluminum web.
The present invention relates to high reflectance reflectors, and as such, presents the challenge of producing a reflector that can reflect 92% or more of incident light while being durable enough to function in commercial settings. To prevent scratching and dulling from cleaning or handling, many reflector designs dispose clear protective overcoats to the reflecting surface. Such designs, however, sacrifice reflectivity for durability, as any such protective overcoat will be a source of light absorption and/or interfere with the optical design, all with the result of reducing the overall reflectivity. The present invention relates to those reflectors that strive for reflectivities that are incompatible with the use of protective overcoats. By the present invention, both durability and high reflectivity are achieved without the use of protective overcoats.
The invention will be described primarily with regard to aluminum substrates (webs), since they enjoy many commercial advantages over other materials. The invention is not so limited, however, as the unexpected result of durability results from a thick vacuum deposited oxide layer on a smooth substrate and disposed under a vacuum deposited aluminum reflectance layer. The base material, which must be smooth, can be any material, such as steel, that can be made very smooth and subjected to the vacuum deposition process. Other materials are capable of meeting that criteria as well.
The basic method for the vacuum deposition of a high reflective surface onto an aluminum web has been practiced for many years and is thus well known in the art. This well known method has been practiced on webbing in the form of individual sheets of glass or aluminum, typically 40 inches wide, 0.020 inches thick and 50 inches long, weighing approximately four pounds. In the present invention, a coil of aluminum, typically 40 inches wide, 0.020 inches thick and from 1000 to 1500 feet long, weighing 900 to 1400 pounds or more is unwound from an unwinding coil onto a winding coil and the high reflective coatings are vacuum deposited onto the traveling web in stages as the web travels through various vacuum chambers between the unwinding coil to the winding coil.
This method is effective to transform a web, such as polished anodized aluminum (called lighting sheet) having a reflectivity of about 85% into lighting sheet having a reflectivity of about 95% or more. This increase in reflectivity is significant when, for example, the sheet is used for reflectors for increasing the light output from lighting fixtures.
One basic, known method of transforming lighting sheet into reflectors includes the following steps. A sheet of anodized aluminum is inserted into a vacuum chamber which is subdivided into a series of internal vacuum compartments which are separated by seals that permit each compartment to be at the particular pressure suitable for the process being performed within that compartment. The anodized aluminum sheet is transported from one compartment to another to permit whatever process is being performed in that compartment to be applied to the sheet. To fully appreciate the present invention, it is necessary to understand the structure of the surface coating on anodized aluminum.
The Surface Treatment and Finishing of Aluminum and Its Alloys. (Fifth Edition, 1987, pp. 324-368) describes the basic reaction in all anodizing processes as the conversion of the aluminum surface to aluminum oxide while the part is made the anode in an electrolytic cell. The anodic process creates a film having a porous coating having a hexagonal cell structure (pp. 324). Since the reasons for anodizing are inter alia, to permit subsequent plating, to permit application of photographic and lithographic emulsion, etc., the inherent porosity of the anodic film enhances the electroplating and offers a mechanical means of holding an emulsion.
For lighting sheet, however, the porous surface of the anodized aluminum web is not desired and requires that the material be heated to drive off the water (to prevent corrosion by the trapped water attacking the underlying aluminum substrate) and sealed (to prevent the collection of additional dust and water at the surface). Because the vacuum deposition of an aluminum layer directly onto anodized aluminum has been observed to result in corrosion, we have developed the practice of vacuum depositing a thin layer of oxide (such as SiO.sub.2) over the anodized surface to prevent this corrosion from occurring.
Thus, in the first compartment, the aluminum sheet is exposed to heat to drive out water.
In the next compartment, the sheet is exposed to a glow discharge, typically maintained by argon gas, to drive out any remaining water and for further heating to facilitate adhesion.
Next, the sheet is placed into a compartment where a thin oxide layer (typically 0.001 microns) is applied to increase adhesion and prevent the anodized (porous aluminum dioxide) layer which covers the polished aluminum sheet stock from causing corrosion.
In the next compartment, an opaque layer of pure aluminum is deposited onto the web. This layer, not the substrate base, becomes the bottom reflector for incident light. The thickness of this layer is nominally 600 .ANG., although the thickness is not critical. At the lower end of the thickness range, the layer must be thick enough to be opaque and at the upper end, not so thick as to lose its optical qualities.
In the following compartments, the classical reflectance-enhancing layers of a quarter wave length of low refractive index material, then a quarter wave length of a high refractive index material are deposited onto the vacuum deposited aluminum layer. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that "low" and "high" as used in connection with the refractive index of reflectance-enhancing layers are relative terms. The low index materials are lower than the high index materials. The absolute values are less important, although well known in the art. Similarly, the "quarter wave length" thicknesses will be understood to be of a quarter wave length of nominally 550 nanometers (center of visible spectrum). See U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,710 to Nakajima et al.
The high index of refraction material is of the kind deposited in an atmosphere of a partial pressure of oxygen and a partial pressure of water vapor. Each coating is applied in a vacuum compartment to which the sheet is transported after the preceding coating has been applied.
The present invention teaches the use of un-anodized or very lightly anodized aluminum web material in place of standard, full anodized aluminum to reduce cost without sacrificing performance. The un-anodized aluminum is electro-polished, roll polished, mill finished, embossed or subjected to any other process or treatment that gives the required surface smoothness. It is to be understood that wherever the term "polished" is used in the following description and claims it is to include any high reflectance finish, including without limitation, finishes achieved by electro-polishing and roll polishing.
An important aspect of the invention is found in the aluminum base material used as the substrate. Unlike the prior art that teaches an aluminum base that has been anodized (lighting sheet) to provide the necessary hardness and strength, the present invention utilizes a base material of un-anodized aluminum or very lightly anodized aluminum to which is then applied a very thick layer of oxide (such as SiO.sub.2). This oxide layer is thick relative to oxide layers applied over anodized aluminum, but is thinner than the typical anodized layer (1.7 microns) regularly found on lighting sheet. Thus, where we have previously used a thin oxide layer (less than 0.001 microns) over a thick anodized oxide layer to prevent corrosion which the anodized layer tends to promote, the present invention uses a thick oxide layer, orders of magnitude thicker than the corrosion resistant layer taught by the prior art, but thinner than the standard anodized layer.
By applying the relatively thick oxide layer onto the un-anodized or lightly anodized aluminum substrate by vacuum deposition, the structure gains the advantage of a virtually non-porus surface. As reported in Thin Solid Films, International Journal on the Science and Technology of Thin and Thick Films, Vol. 156 No. 1, Jan. 15, 1988:
Thin layers of SiO.sub.2 formed by vacuum deposition are non-porus and electron micrographs show they have smooth, glass-like surfaces. These non-porous films prevent any water and dust particles from penetrating underlying materials.
For aluminum based reflectors, the substitution of a single vacuum deposited layer of an oxide such as SiO.sub.2 for an anodized layer and a corrosion resistant layer of oxide results in a reflector both less expensive to produce and unexpectedly more durable. This unexpected durability is a product of not following our prior technique of depositing a thin oxide layer (over the anodized layer), but rather applying a relatively thick vacuum deposited layer (greater than 0.5 microns). Because an anodized oxide layer is cellular in structure (spongy) above approximately 0.35 microns thick, the elimination of the anodized layer altogether or the use of only a thin anodized layer and the substitution in place of a standard anodized layer with a solid, glass-like material results in a far superior structure.
It is an object of the invention to provide a high reflectance reflector having a laminated structure bonded to a substrate wherein the structure includes a layer of oxide greater than 0.5 microns thick as a base for a layer of pure aluminum to which a quarter wave length thick layer of a low index of refraction material and a quarter wave length thick layer of a high index of refraction material are applied.
Another object of the invention is to apply such a structure to a substrate of a lightly anodized, polished aluminum.
Other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereafter.


There are disclosed metallic colloid particles containing platinum fine particles wherein platinum colloid particles are supported on the surfaces of gold colloid particles, and the platinum fine particles have an average particle diameter of at most 5 nm; a process for producing the metallic colloid particles; a metallic corpuscular carrying body wherein the above metallic colloid particles are supported on a carrier and a process for producing the carrying body. The resultant metallic colloid particles, which have higher sensitivity, are well suited as a label for immunological measurement and protein-staining agent for various proteins.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metallic colloid particles well suited as a label for immunological measurement and protein-staining agent, a process for producing the metallic colloid particles; a metallic corpuscular carrying body wherein said metallic colloid particles are supported on a carrier and a process for producing the metallic corpuscular carrying body.
2. Description of the Related Arts
An immunochromatographic assay method (hereinafter referred to as "ICA method") is known as one of procedures for immunological measurement method, and is put into practical application as a simple, easy and rapid clinical diagnosis method. According to the ICA method, it is general practice to employ an antibody which is labeled with gold colloids, since bacteria and viruses are peculiarly detected thereby. However, the ICA method using gold as a label is not said to always have sufficient sensitivity, and is required to use a label having further high sensitivity. It is taken into consideration to employ platinum colloid particles that are used for staining protein as a label for an antibody, but in the case of the ICA method, smaller particle diameter of the platinum colloid particles leads to insufficient color development.
As a countermeasure thereagainst, there are proposed metallic colloid particles wherein platinum is supported on the surfaces of gold colloid particles (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.262638/2003 (Heisei 15), Claim). According to this invention, there are obtainable metallic colloid particles which have sensitivity higher than that of the gold colloid particles and are well suited as a labeling agent for an immunological measurement and protein-staining agent. However depending on the type of pathogenic bacterium, infective virus concentration is extremely low, and thus there are required a labeling agent for an immunological measurement and protein-staining agent each having further high sensitivity.

Metallic colloid particles and process for producing same


A hard disk-mounting module includes a drawable mounting frame and at least one tray member. The mounting frame includes a frame body, and at least one electrical connector mounted on the frame body and adapted for electrical connection with a hard disk. The tray member is adapted to carry the hard disk thereon, and is slidably mounted on the frame body so as to be slidable relative to the electrical connector between a connecting position, in which the hard disk carried by the tray member is electrically connected to the electrical connector, and a disconnecting position, in which the hard disk is electrically disconnected from the electrical connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hard disk-mounting module, more particularly to a drawable hard disk-mounting module for mounting in a computer server housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A computer server requires many hard disks for storing large amounts of data. The hard disks are required to be removable from the computer server so as to facilitate replacement and maintenance thereof. While the space inside a computer server is limited, it is important to place as many hard disks in the computer server as possible so as to minimize costs.
Conventionally, the hard disks are respectively mounted in drawable cartridges, and the cartridges are then mounted removably in the computer server housing. As shown in FIG. 1, four hard disks 91 are respectively mounted in mounting frames 93 with handles 92. The mounting frames 93 with the hard disks 91 are disposed in parallel in a front space of a server housing 94 in such a manner that the handles 92 are exposed outwardly of the server housing 94 for facilitating drawing of the mounting frames 93. As a consequence, the number of the hard disks 91 placed in the computer server housing 94 cannot be increased, and a rear space of the server housing 94 cannot be utilized.


A system and method of selective advertising where an advertiser can decide whether or not to advertise to a certain user based on credential information submitted by that user. The user provides his or her credential information to a search engine and enters a search query. In response, the search engine evaluates the user's credential information and compares that information to criteria provided by advertisers that participate with that search engine. The search engine determine which advertisers have indicated a willingness to advertise to a user with the submitted credentials and selectively provides matching search results.

The process by which a search engine returns search results in response to a user query is inefficient for those who advertise on that search engine. For instance, when a user enters a query, a search engine provides results that are largely based on the search words themselves. Moreover, the order in which the results are returned is largely based upon the amount of money an advertiser pays the search engine—with the higher-paying advertisers appearing near the top of the page, and lower-paying advertisers appearing near the bottom of the page, or on subsequent pages. In any event, the search results that are returned, and the order in which they are returned, do not depend on the user's capacity to purchase. As will be discussed, this provides a less than ideal marketing system for such advertisers.
Oftentimes, a user's query includes search terms that relate to a product the user wishes to purchase. In response to the query, a search engine provides results that represent an index of the search terms. Commonly, a portion of the search results are "sponsored" results, meaning that an advertiser has paid to have a link to its page prominently displayed in response to the query. By way of example, suppose a search engine is a Ferrari dealer. Under the current model, that search engine purchases search terms likely to be entered by a user searching for a Ferrari, e.g., "Ferrari," "Maranello" "F430," and "Spider," and the like. Upon entry of such a search term, a link to the dealer's homepage is prominently displayed, usually at the top of the page or in a designated area.
Unfortunately for the Ferrari dealer, there is no mechanism for it to ascertain information relating to the financial credentials of the user before the search result is populated with the advertisement. This puts the Ferrari dealer at an undue disadvantage from a cost/benefit point of view. That is, as a practical matter, the Ferrari dealer is much less concerned with marketing its vehicles to a 12 year old or someone who does not have the financial means to purchase a Ferrari. Rather, the Ferrari dealer has a much greater incentive to market its vehicles to someone who is more likely to purchase one of its vehicles. Nevertheless, there is no direct way for the Ferrari dealership to determine how likely or how capable a user, who enters a query, is to purchase a vehicle. As a result, the Ferrari dealership is forced to pay for advertising that will all to often go to waste on users that have virtually no ability to purchase its products.

System and methods for selective advertising


Described herein are compositions and methods for modulation of gene expression in the liver including modulation of PCSK9, TTR, SERPINA1, KLKB1 and/or HAO1.

Gene therapy can be used to genetically engineer a cell to have one or more inactivated genes and/or to cause that cell to express a product not previously being produced in that cell (e.g., via transgene insertion and/or via correction of an endogenous sequence). Examples of uses of transgene insertion include the insertion of one or more genes encoding one or more novel therapeutic proteins, insertion of a coding sequence encoding a protein that is lacking or dysfunctional in the cell or in the individual, insertion of a wild type gene or fragment thereof in a cell containing a mutated gene sequence, and/or insertion of a sequence that encodes a structural nucleic acid such as a microRNA or siRNA. Examples of useful applications of 'correction' of an endogenous gene sequence include alterations of disease-associated gene mutations, alterations in sequences encoding splice sites, alterations in regulatory sequences and/or targeted alterations of sequences encoding structural characteristics of a protein.
Hepatic gene transfer provides an effective means of delivering transgenes to a subject for treatment and/or prevention of various disorders, including hemophilias and lysosomal storage disorders. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 9,150,847 and U.S. Publication Nos. 20170119906, 20130177983 and 20140017212. Vectors specific for liver-directed gene therapy have also been described. See, e.g., WO 2014064277; WO 2009130208; PCT Publication No. WO 2017/074526; EP 2451474B1, Chuah et al., (2014) Molecular Therapy, 22, 1605-1613; and Nair et al. (2014) Blood 123:3195-3199. These vectors can include the wild-type mouse minute virus (MVM) intron sequence. See, e.g., Haut and Pintel (1998) J. Virol. 72:1834-1843; Haut and Pintel (1998) Virol. 258:84-94. Thus, liver-directed gene therapy holds promise for treatment or prevention of a number of diseases.
Artificial transcription factors and nucleases, such as engineered zinc finger protein transcription factors (ZFP-TFs), transcription-activator like effector transcription factors (TALE-TFs), CRISPR/Cas transcription factors (CRISPR-TFs), zinc finger nucleases (ZFN), transcription-activator like effector nucleases (TALENs), the CRISPR/Cas system with an engineered crRNA/tracr RNA ('single guide RNA'), also referred to as RNA guided nucleases, and/or nucleases based on the Argonaute system (e.g., from T. thermophilus, known as 'TtAgo', (Swarts et al (2014) Nature 507(7491): 258-261), comprise DNA binding domains (nucleotide or polypeptide) associated with or operably linked to transcriptional regulatory domains (for transcription factors) or cleavage domains (for nucleases), and have been used for modulation of gene expression and targeted alteration of genomic sequences. For example, artificial nucleases have been used to insert exogenous sequences, inactivate one or more endogenous genes, create organisms (e.g., crops) and cell lines with altered gene expression patterns, and the like. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,255,250; 9,200,266; 9,045,763; 9,005,973; 8,956,828; 8,945,868; 8,703,489; 8,586,526; 6,534,261; 6,599,692; 6,503,717; 6,689,558; 7,067,317; 7,262,054; 7,888,121; 7,972,854; 7,914,796; 7,951,925; 8,110,379; 8,409,861; U.S. Patent Publications 20030232410; 20050208489; 20050026157; 20050064474; 20060063231; 20080159996; 201000218264; 20120017290; 20110265198; 20130137104; 20130122591; 20130177983 and 20130177960 and 20150056705. Similarly, artificial transcription factors targeted to particular sequences have been used to activate or repress endogenous gene expression. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,234,016; 8,563,314 and 8,841,260; Perez-Pinera et al. (2013) Nature Methods 10:973-976. Clinical trials using these engineered transcription factors containing zinc finger proteins have shown that these novel transcription factors are capable of treating various conditions. (see, e.g., Yu et al. (2006) FASEB J. 20:479-481).
However, there remains a need for the treatment or prevention of a number of diseases that can be addressed through liver-directed gene therapy. Such diseases include TTR-Mediated Amyloidosis, A1AT Deficiency, Hereditary Angioedema, Familial Hypercholesterolemia/Static resistant hypercholesterolemia and Hyperxoaluria.


A plant for transmitting electric power comprises a direct voltage network for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) and at least one alternating voltage network connected thereto through a first station. The station transmits electric power between the direct voltage network and the alternating voltage network and comprises at least one VSC converter. The VSC converter converts direct voltage into alternating voltage and, conversely, alternating voltage to direct voltage. The alternating voltage network is a weak alternating voltage network, or a network without any generation of its own, and a large part of a load connected to the alternating voltage network consists of one or more electric motors.

The present invention relates to a plant for transmitting electric power comprising a direct voltage network for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) and at least one alternating voltage network connected thereto through a first station, the station being adapted to transmit electric power between the direct voltage network and the alternating voltage network. At least one VSC converter which converts direct voltage into alternating voltage, and conversely converts direct voltage into direct voltage network, is provided along with apparatus for controlling the converter.
Such a plant has recently been known through the thesis "PWM and control of two and three level high power voltage source converters" by Anders Lindberg, Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan, Stockholm, 1995, in which publication such a plant for transmitting electric power through a direct voltage network for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) is described. Before the issuance of the thesis, plants for transmitting electric power through a direct voltage network for High Voltage Direct Current have used line-commutated CSC (Current Source Converter) converters in stations for power transmission. IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor=bipolar transistor having an insulated gate) for high voltage applications which may easily be turned on and turned off simultaneously, may be connected in series to form valves in VSC (Voltage Source Converter) converters for forced commutation. VSC converters are now an alternative for the transmission of electric power between a direct voltage network for High Voltage Direct Current and alternating voltage networks, and offer several important advantages with respect to the use of line-commutated CSCs in HVDC. Also, it is desired to find fields of use for this totally new type of plant, which is so far only theoretically described in the thesis mentioned above, which utilizes the particular advantages offered by such a plant with respect to other plants previously known for transmitting electric power.

Plant for transmitting electric power to remote facilities which have an electric motor load


A method and system for presenting a data-enriched visualization of an end-to-end network topology of components in an information technology (IT) infrastructure, wherein a first asset to be deployed is selected from among a plurality of components, and the set of connections between the first asset and one or more of the plurality of components in the IT infrastructure is identified. A unique code is generated and associated with the first asset, wherein the code embodies operational data, position data, and connection data related to the first asset. Labels bearing the code are generated for application to the first asset and each identified connection of the first asset. When the code is read with a programmed device, the position data and the connection data of the first asset are visualized within the IT infrastructure on a display device using a visualization tool provided by code executing in a processor.

Maintenance of an information technology system and infrastructure poses many challenges, chiefly driven by the rapid development of new technologies and the attendant need to integrate these technologies into a prospective or existing IT infrastructure. When the need for a new information technology infrastructure arises, an enterprise will task responsible individuals with the job of establishing the architecture and framework of the new system. Components that provide at least the required minimum system uptime while performing all required tasks and running all applications used by the enterprise are the first assets to be deployed on a nascent network, but, inevitably, complexity becomes a defining characteristic of the enterprise network infrastructure as countless mission-critical components having different configurations and functions are integrated into the infrastructure.
Historically, labor-intensive and error-prone manual methods have been used to maintain the inventory of installed network components and the details of their routing connections to other installed network components. To illustrate, it has been common practice when deploying a new component on an IT network infrastructure to manually apply a label to the component bearing a reference number or name (and corresponding barcode) that has been selected to identify the component. Labels are also applied to network cables themselves to indicate the source and destination network ports. An Asset Management Database (AMDB) is then typically used to store identification and configuration information for each network infrastructure component, as well as routing path information for the links between components. The AMDB serves to provide a means for tracking the configuration of the subject network, and it is referenced when current network configuration information is required. However, a standard implementation of an AMDB can only provide as output an up-to-date list of network components and routing paths therebetween.
It is with respect to this background that the present disclosure is addressed.

Augmented reality for end-to-end data center it infrastructure layout


Cutting-off wheel (1), in particular with a diameter above 500 mm, which is provided laterally with steel sheets or steel grids (2) with a minimum thickness of 0.5 mm.

The present invention relates to a cutting-off wheel, with a diameter above 500 mm, which can be clamped between clamping flanges, with a mixture of abrasive grain, binder and optionally fillers, which extends from the outer edge of the cutting-off wheel up to the central bore, the cutting-off wheel being provided laterally with steel sheets or steel grids.
Cutting-off wheels with large diameters are used in the metal-producing industry, where, for example in steel works or foundries, slabs are cut. In this connection it is favourable to keep the wheel thickness of the cutting-off wheel as low as possible in order to keep the cutting losses of the high-quality and expensive metal materials low. In addition, a low wheel thickness means that the power requirement of the cutting-off machine falls as a result of which less load is placed on all mechanical and electrical components of the cutting-off machine with the same cutting-off results.
By reducing the wheel thickness the problem then arises that wheels which are very thin relative to their diameter have a tendency to wobble. In order to avoid this wobbling, attempts were made on the one hand to increase the diameter of the clamping flanges in order to stabilize the cutting-off wheels radially further out. The enlargement of the clamping flanges leads however to a reduction of the possible depth of cut as well as to greater moving masses.
In a second approach attempts were made for example with the abrasive wheels shown in JP 57 089 564 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,398 to fit an annular abrasive area externally onto an exclusively metallic internal area of the cutting-off wheel. The problem of a stable and lasting combination of metallic internal area and external abrasive area could not however be satisfactorily solved to date.
The abrasive wheel shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,600,064 has lateral supports equal in area to the clamping flanges. These supports are thus not capable of distributing the clamping forces over a large area beyond the clamping flanges. A radial enlargement of the supports shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,600,064 would result in a reduction of the possible depth of cut.

Abrasive cutting disk with lateral steel sheets

Tyrolit Schleifmittelwerke Swarovski KG.


A heat source unit for a refrigeration apparatus includes: a refrigerant circuit including a shut-off valve, a compressor, a heat exchanger, and a first refrigerant pipe positioned between the shut-off valve and the compressor; a fan that sends air to the heat exchanger; a casing that includes a side panel and that accommodates the refrigerant circuit and the fan; and a partitioning panel that partitions an internal space of the casing into a first space on the side panel side where the compressor is disposed, and a second space where the fan is disposed. The fan blows the air that has passed through the heat exchanger out to a front-surface side of the casing. The compressor, the shut-off valve, and the side panel are disposed in the stated order as the compressor, the shut-off valve, and the side panel as seen in a front view.

Refrigerant circuits having a shut-off valve, a compressor, and a heat exchanger are publicly known in the prior art. Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 2-70136) discloses an outdoor unit for an air conditioner provided with a compressor and/or a refrigerant pipe connected to the compressor.
Size reduction is in demand for heat source units for refrigeration apparatuses, such as outdoor units for air conditioners.
However, when the casing of the heat source unit is reduced in size, there is a tendency for an internal space of the casing to also become smaller and for a gap between the compressor and the pipe to become smaller. In such cases, when, for example, a soundproof material is wrapped around the compressor, the work of doing so is difficult.

Heat source unit for refrigeration apparatus


A power tool combination includes a power driving device having a chuck device attached to a barrel for engaging with a driven tool member, a control ferrule engaged onto the barrel, and a non-circular member, and a tool device includes a housing having a bore for receiving the driven tool member, and having a compartment for receiving the barrel, and having a non-circular engaging member for engaging with the non-circular member and for allowing the housing to be rotated by the power driving device. The tool device includes a tool element attached to the housing, and a securing device for detachably attaching the tool element to the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power tool, and more particularly to a power tool combination including two or more tool members selectively and changeably attached to a power driving tool for allowing the user to easily and readily operate the power tool combination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical power tools comprise a primary spindle or shaft rotatably supported in a housing and coupled to a motor driving means with a gearing mechanism, and a chuck device attached to a free end of the shaft for gripping or attaching a driven tool member for allowing the driven tool member to be rotated or driven by the motor driving means.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,351 to Alessio discloses one of the typical power tools also comprising a chuck device attached to a free end of an output spindle which is coupled to a motor driving means with a gearing transmission for gripping or engaging with a driven tool member and for rotating or driving the driven tool member.
However, the chuck device is required to be rotated or threaded or unthreaded relative to the output spindle in order to grip or engage with the driven tool member, and it is time consuming and inconvenient to rotate or thread or unthread the chuck device relative to the output spindle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,680 to Ringler discloses another typical power tool combination comprising a drilling tool and a wrenching tool selectively coupled or secured together, and an intermediate housing for attaching or supporting the drilling tool and the wrenching tool.
However, similarly, the intermediate housing is also required to be engaged with the chuck device after the chuck device is rotated or threaded or unthreaded relative to the output spindle such that it is also time consuming and inconvenient to rotate or thread or unthread the chuck device relative to the output spindle and to attach the intermediate housing to the chuck device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,670 to Snoke et al. discloses a further typical power tool comprising a drilling tool attached to a distal end of an output spindle or a main body with a chuck device.
However, similarly, the chuck device is also required to be rotated or threaded or unthreaded relative to the output spindle in order to grip or engage with the drilling tool. In addition, such a typical power tool may only be used to rotate or drive the drilling tool, but may not be used to rotate or drive the other driven tool members.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional power tool combinations.

Wantien Tsuen, Dadu Hsiang, Taichung Hsien


An in-vehicle information providing apparatus includes a storage unit that stores therein a station-facility image management table in which station-facility image selection conditions including at least a station name, a traveling direction, and a door opening direction are associated with station facility images, and a station-facility image database in which a plurality of station facility images corresponding to the station-facility image selection conditions are registered for each station. The in-vehicle information providing apparatus further includes an image-display control unit that selects, from the station-facility image database, a station facility image in which train information acquired from a train information management apparatus matches with the station-facility image selection conditions, by referring to the station-facility image management table, and transmits the selected station facility image as station-facility image information to the respective display units.

In an in-vehicle information providing apparatus that displays destination, stops, connection guidance, and the like on an LCD display installed in a vehicle of a train as a display medium based on information from a train information management apparatus, pieces of information such as destination guidance of the train, next stop guidance, estimated arrival time, difference of stops due to train type differences, door opening direction guidance at the next stop, and station guidance at the next stop are generally displayed. Among these pieces of information, with regard to the station guidance at the next stop, generally, the content to be displayed is not uniquely determined. Therefore, the display content needs to be determined by some method.
Conventionally, for example, a technique of displaying guidance information on an in-vehicle display in cooperation with a ground device such as an ATS (Automatic Train Stop) (for example, Patent Literature 1), and a technique of holding information such as route name, mileage chart, and arrival platform (platform) in a database to display guidance such as stairs for transfer by using the database (for example, Patent Literature 2) have been disclosed.

In-vehicle information providing apparatus


A connection block fixed to a condenser is firmly coupled with a mounting block fixed to a liquid tank by means of a bolt. In a state that those are firmly coupled, a supported part of the mounting block is put on a flat supporting face of the connection block. In this state, the refrigerant outlet port of the condenser is communicatively coupled with the refrigerant inlet port of the liquid tank.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a condenser structure with a liquid tank, which is used with a vapor compressing type refrigerator for car air conditioners. The condenser is connected in series between a compressor and an evaporator, and condenses refrigerant to radiate heat from the refrigerant, removes the water content and foreign materials from the refrigerant, and then feeds the clean refrigerant to the evaporator.
2. Description of the Related Art
A refrigerator of the vapor compressing type is incorporated into a car air conditioner for controlling temperature in a car room and dehumidifying air in the car room. This type of the refrigerator is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 4-95522. A circuit diagram showing the basic construction of the refrigerator is shown in FIG. 23. In the figure, gaseous refrigerant at high temperature and high pressure is discharged from a compressor 1 and passes through a condenser 2. When passing through the condenser, a heat exchange between the refrigerant and air is performed, so that the refrigerant is decreased in temperature, condensed and liquidized. The resultant liquid refrigerant is temporarily stored in a liquid tank 3, and then fed to an evaporator 5 through an expansion valve 4. In the evaporator 5, the liquid refrigerant is evaporated. In the process of evaporating the refrigerant, the evaporator temperature decreases as the result of absorbing the latent heat. Accordingly, if air to be air conditioned is applied to the evaporator 5, temperature of the air decreases and the air is dehumidified. The refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 5 is sucked by the compressor 1. Then, the refrigerating cycle is repeated.
In the vapor compressing type refrigerator for car air conditioners, the liquid tank 3 is manufactured separately from the condenser 2, and placed in the middle of the pipe which connects the condenser 2 to the evaporator 5. In the case of the refrigerator in which the condenser 2 and the liquid tank 3 are separately provided, a large space is required for installing the liquid tank 3 therein, and vibration-proof measures must be taken for the condenser 2 and the liquid tank 3, respectively.
To solve those problems, there are many proposals as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Nos. Hei. 3-87572, 4-103973, 4-131667, and the like. The proposal disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 4-103973 is schematically shown in FIG. 24. As shown, a condenser 2 includes a couple of header pipes 6a and 6b which are extend vertically (when viewed also in FIG. 24) and spaced horizontally (when viewed in FIG. 24). A plural number of flat heat transferring pipes 7 are disposed between the couple of the header pipes 6a and 6b. These flat heat transferring pipes 7 are horizontally extended and vertically spaced. Both ends of the heat transferring pipes 7 are air- and liquid-tightly coupled with the header pipes 6a and 6b so that the inner flow passages of the flat heat transferring pipes 7 communicate with the inner sides of the header pipes 6a and 6b, respectively. Corrugated fins 8 formed of zig-zagged thin metal plate are located between the adjacent flat heat transferring pipes 7, to thereby form a core section 9. Side plates 10 and 11 are provided on the upper and lower sides of the core section 9, respectively. The both end portions of the side plates 10 and 11 are fastened to the inner sides of the upper and the lower ends of the header pipes 6a and 6b, respectively.
In the thus constructed condenser 2, the core section 9 effects heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the flat heat transferring pipes 7 and air flowing along the flat heat transferring pipes 7, and condenses and liquidizes the refrigerant. Gaseous refrigerant is fed into an inlet pipe 12, which is provided at the top of the header pipe 6a (located on the right side in FIG. 24). The refrigerant flows between the header pipe 6a and the header pipe 6b (located on the left side in FIG. 24) in going/returning manner, through the flat heat transferring pipes 7 of the core section 9. During this flow of the gaseous refrigerant, the refrigerant is condensed and liquidized. The resultant liquid refrigerant is gathered in the lower end of the header pipe 6a, and fed through a refrigerant transporting pipe 13 to the liquid tank 3.
The liquid tank 3 is fastened onto the outer surface of the header pipe 6a. Specifically, a cylindrical case 14, which defines the liquid tank 3, is fastened to the side wall of the header pipe 6a by means of hard soldering or brazing. An opening of the bottom of the case 14 is closed with a bottom plate 15, while an opening of the top of the case 14, with a top plate 16. The refrigerant transporting pipe 13 is inserted through the bottom plate 15 into the case 14 so as to extend passing through the axis of the center of the case. A cylindrical space 18 is formed between the outer surface of the refrigerant transporting pipe 13 and the inner surface of the case 14. A number of small holes 17 are perforated in the upper portion of the refrigerant transporting pipe 13 that is located in the upper portion of the case 14. Liquid refrigerant, which was fed from the header pipe 6a to the refrigerant transporting pipe 13, may flow out through the small holes of the refrigerant transporting pipe 13. In the mid portion of the cylindrical space 18, a filter 19, a drying agent 20 and a porous holder plate 21 are stacked in this order when counted from the lower side. The filter 19 is made of porous material, such as felt, and has a function to filter foreign materials, for example, dust. The drying agent 20 is made of silica gel, calcium chloride, or the like. The porous holder plate 21 is formed with a wire net, punching metal, or the like. An outlet pipe 22 is provided at the lower end of the case 14. The liquid refrigerant, which is gathered in the lower end of the cylindrical space 18, flow out through the outlet pipe 22.
In operating the liquid-tank combined condenser thus constructed (or the vapor compressing type refrigerator having such a condenser incorporated thereinto), the refrigerant flows in the direction of arrows, and is condensed and liquidized in the condenser 2 and then is fed to the liquid tank 3. The water content, foreign material and the like are removed from the refrigerant in the liquid tank 3, and the refrigerant thus made clean is discharged through the outlet pipe 22 into the expansion valve 4 located in the prestage of the evaporator 5 (see FIG. 23). The liquid-tank condenser thus constructed and operated is advantageous in that the condenser 2 and the liquid tank 3 may be handled as one body. Accordingly, it may readily be installed in a limited space within an engine room. One vibration-proof measure suffices for both the condenser 2 and the liquid tank 3. In other words, there is no need of taking the vibration-proof measures for the condenser and the tank, respectively. In this respect, the installing work of the condenser is easy.
In the conventional liquid-tank combined condenser structure (first example) shown in FIG. 24, the case 14 is directly mounted on the outer surface of the heater pipe 6a. Other conventional liquid-tank combined condenser structures are disclosed in the publication (Japanese Patent Publication 10. Hei. 4-103973). In the condenser structures, the case 14 is indirectly mounted on the outer surface of the header pipe 6a, as shown in FIGS. 25 to 28. In the condenser structure (second example) shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the case 14 is mounted on the outer surface of the header pipe 6a in a state that a heat insulating member 23 is located between them. In the condenser structure (third example) shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the case 14 is mounted on the header pipe 6a by means of a couple of upper and lower brackets 24.
Those conventional liquid-tank combine condenser structures have the following problems.
In the first example of FIG. 24, the case 14 of the liquid tank 3 must be hard soldered onto the header pipe 6a of the condenser 2 over the entire length of the contact area between them. Accordingly, heat of the header pipe 6a is directly transferred to the case 14. As a result, temperature of the liquid refrigerant contained in the liquid tank 3 rises, and the performances of the vapor compressing type refrigerator are degraded.
In the example of FIGS. 25 and 26, bonding work is essential, which is for bonding the outer side of the header pipe 6a to one side of the heat insulating member 23 and the inner side of the case 14 to the other side of the heat insulating member 23. Use of only the hard soldering work of aluminum material is insufficient for manufacturing the liquid-tank combined condenser structure. Accordingly, the manufacturing work is complicated and the cost to manufacture is increased.
In the third example of FIGS. 27 and 28, a gap 25 is present between the outer surface of the header pipe 6a and the inner surface of the case 14. Air flows through the gap 25. This air flow acts to decrease the efficiency of the condenser 2. Specifically, in operation, air flows through the spaces defined by the flat heat transferring pipes 7 and the fins 8 (see FIG. 24, but not illustrated in FIGS. 27 and 28). The refrigerant flowing through the flat heat transferring pipes 7 is condensed by the air. When the air flows through the gap 25, the air flowing through the spaces defined by the flat heat transferring pipes 7 and the fins 8, is reduced. The (operating) efficiency of the condenser 2 is reduced.
Furthermore, the conventional liquid-tank combined condenser thus constructed and operated is disadvantageous in that it is impossible to detach the liquid tank 3 from the condenser when the liquid tank 3 is repaired or replaced with another. In other words, when the liquid tank 3 is abnormal and it must be removed for finding its cause and repair the tank, the condenser 2 must be removed together with the tank. This makes the maintenance work of the liquid tank 3 difficult, and increases the maintenance cost. The same thing is correspondingly applied to the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 3-87572.
Such a structure that the liquid tank is detachable from the condenser is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 4-131667. In the structure disclosed, the header pipe is coupled with the liquid tank by fixing them at two locations, i.e., the upper and lower locations. Accordingly, the coupling work is troublesome, and the assembling work, repairing and part replacing work are also troublesome. The result is increase of the cost to manufacture.


A back light module for a liquid crystal display. The module has a rear cover, a reflective film and a high-reflective mode frame. The rear cover has a bottom plate and a side plate; a first side of the side plate is connected to a side of the bottom plate. The reflective film is disposed on a top surface of the bottom plate and an internal side surface, so as to replace a lamp reflector. The high-reflective mode frame is put on the second side, which is opposite the first side of the side plate.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal panels. More particularly, the present invention provides a back light module including an edge-type back light module for a liquid crystal panel. But it would be recognized that the invention has a much broader range of applicability.
Electronic display technologies have rapidly developed over the years. From the early days, cathode ray tube technology, commonly called CRTs, outputted selected pixel elements onto a glass screen in conventional television sets. These television sets originally output black and white moving pictures. Color television sets soon replaced most if not all black and white television units. Although very successful, CRTs were often bulky, difficult to make larger, and had other limitations.
CRTs were soon replaced, at least in part, with liquid crystal panel displays. These liquid crystal panel displays commonly called LCDs used an array of transistor elements coupled to a liquid crystal material and color filter to output moving pictures in color. Many computer terminals and smaller display devices often relied upon LCDs to output video, text, and other visual features. Various components make up the LCD display. As merely an example, a back light module is one of the key components of a liquid crystal panel. Since liquid crystals cannot emit light, the back light module provides a light source of sufficient brightness and uniformity, so that the liquid crystal can provide display images of normal and uniform brightness.
Referring to FIG. 1, a cross-sectional view of a back light module of a conventional liquid crystal display device has been illustrated. The back light module 100 of the conventional liquid crystal display device is an edge-type back light module. The back light module 100 includes a rear cover 102, and the rear cover 102 is mainly composed of a bottom plate 104 and a side plate 106 surrounding the bottom plate 104. An edge of the side plate 106 is joined to an edge of the bottom plate 104 at about 90 degrees. A reflective sheet 110 is adhered to a top surface of the bottom plate 104, a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) 114 used for providing light is installed in the interior of the rear cover 102 adjacent to an inner side of the side plate 106, and a lamp reflector 112 is installed close to the inner side of the side plate 106. The lamp reflector 112 is between the cold cathode fluorescent lamp 114 and the side plate 106 of the rear cover 102. A cross-sectional profile of the lamp reflector 112 is U-shaped, a bottom surface of the lamp reflector 112 stays close to the side plate 106, and two side surface of the lamp reflector 112 extend outward from two edges of the bottom surface of the lamp reflector 112 and straightly over the bottom plate 104 and the cold cathode fluorescent lamp 114, respectively.
A light guide plate 108 is installed over the reflective sheet 110 in the interior of the rear cover 102 and surrounded by the cold cathode fluorescent lamp 114. The light guide plate 108 is principally used for guiding the location light emission, to enhance the luminance of a panel and to maintain the illumination uniformity of panel. The reflective sheet 110 and the lamp reflector 112 are used to reflect or guide the light emitted by the cold cathode fluorescent lamp 114 to the light guide plate 108, so as to increase the efficiency of light use. A diffusion sheet 116 located on the light guide plate 108 is used to keep the distribution of the light emitted from the light guide plate 108 more uniform. Furthermore, a prism sheet (not shown) with a light-condensing property is set on the diffusion sheet 116 to increase the orientation of the emitting light, thereby achieving the objective of enhancing the front illumination of the panel. After the diffusion sheet 116 is set, mode frames 118 are installed on another edge of the side plate 106 to cover an upper side of the lamp reflector 112, a portion of the light guide plate 108 and a portion of the diffusion sheet 116.
The edge-type back light module is set with a reflective sheet and a lamp reflector, and the lamp reflector is expensive, comprising about 7% of the cost of the back light module, so that the lamp reflector becomes a burdensome cost in fabricating the back light module.
From the above, it seen that an improved display is highly desirable.

Back light module and system for liquid crystal panels


An air conditioner operating on a compressor-condenser-evaporator circuit utilizes water cooled by air flowing over an evaporative medium through which the water flows to cool a condenser coil located in a continuous serpentine channel in a sump member located at the lower side of the air conditioner unit. The condenser coils include offset intertwined upright coils that provide a large heat exchange surface with water flowing in the channel to a pump intake region of the sump. A pump is provided to supply the evaporative medium with water from the pump intake region of the sump for continuous circulation through the evaporative medium and the sump channel. A water distributor system supplies water uniformly to the top area of the evaporative medium by creating a film of water that is evenly distributed across the top of the evaporative medium. A raised area of the sump provides access to the interior of the evaporative medium without the need for a water sealing arrangement and a central platform supports the refrigerant compressor, pump and other accessories above the sump channel. The offset relationship of the condenser coils promotes turbulent flow of water that enhances heat exchange between the intertwined coils and the water.

A. Field of the Invention
A heat exchanger for an air conditioner refrigeration system using a water heat exchanger with refrigerant condenser coils.
B. Discussion of Related Technology
This invention relates to a heat exchanger adapted for use in a compressor-condenser-evaporator refrigeration system adapted for use in an air conditioning system and more particularly to the compressor-condenser unit of the system. Typical household and commercial air conditioning units utilize a condensable refrigerant that is compressed, condensed, cooled and then supplied to an expansion device and evaporator for cooling air that is circulated through the evaporator in a heat exchange relationship. The compressor and condenser unit typically are located outside the dwelling to be cooled and waste heat from the condenser is exhausted to atmosphere.
The condensers of such refrigeration systems typically are cooled by ambient air or water heat exchanger arrangements. When cooled by water, condenser tubing containing hot refrigerant supplied from the compressor is circulated in heat exchange relationship with water that is circulated over the condenser tubing. The waste heat from the condenser is transferred to the water which is then discharged or recirculated.
It is known in the prior art that to cool the water supplied to condenser coils in such systems adiabatically by circulating the water through an evaporative fill medium and then circulating the water in heat exchange relationship with the condenser tubing. Ambient air is circulated through the evaporative fill medium while the water trickles through the medium to thereby cool the water to a temperature approaching wet-bulb temperature before the water is supplied to the condenser tubing. The water is then recirculated to the evaporative fill medium to effect cooling of the water in the manner just described. Make-up water is supplied to maintain an appropriate level of water in the system. Water heat exchangers are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,182,131 granted Jan. 8, 1980, and 4,603,559 granted Aug. 5, 1986.
While the water cooled condenser provides efficiencies over the more typical ambient air cooled condenser, inefficiencies still remain with prior art systems, particularly with regard to the heat transfer between the condenser tubing and the water and also with respect to uniform flow of water through the evaporative fill medium during operation of the system. It has been recognized by the applicant that improvement of the heat transfer between the condenser tubing and a water medium can be improved if the water is directed to flow over the condenser tubing in a manner that promotes efficient heat transfer while it is still confined in a relatively compact zone to minimize the overall size of the condenser heat exchanger. Other improvements in water type condenser heat exchangers also have been found to be desirable.

Heat exchanger for evaporating cooling refrigeration system


A composition having repellency to low surface tension fluids comprising a material prepared by forming a mixture of a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, polyamide, polyester, polyacrylate, and blends and copolymers thereof, and a fluorochemical compound comprising a fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon ester of the formulae: EQU R.sub.f --O--C(O)--R.sub.1 or R.sub.f --C(O)--O--R.sub.1. wherein. R.sub.f is selected from the group consisting of: PA1 R.sub.1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon having from about 12 to about 76 carbon atoms; and PA1 provided that said fluorochemical compound is other than perfluoroalkylethyl stearate; and PA1 melt extruding the mixture.. 1) F(CF.sub.2).sub.x --(CH.sub.2).sub.m wherein x is from about 4 to about 20 and m is from about 0 to about 6; and PA0 2) F(CF.sub.2).sub.x --SO.sub.2 N(R.sub.2)--R.sub.3 where x is a positive integer from about 4 to about 20, R.sub.2 is an alkyl radical of from about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, R.sub.3 is an alkylene radical of from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms; and

Thermoplastic polymer fibers are frequently treated with fluorochemical compounds in order to affect the surface characteristics of the fiber, for example to improve water repellency or to impart stain or dry soil resistance. Most frequently, fluorochemical dispersions are applied topically to the fabrics made from these fibers by spraying, padding or foaming, followed by a drying step to remove water.
For example, a method is known for obtaining dry soil resistance and nonflame propagating characteristics in a textile fiber by applying topically aqueous dispersions of a variety of fluorinated esters derived from perfluoroalkyl aliphatic alcohols of the formula C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 (CH.sub.2).sub.m OH where n is from about 3 to 14 and m is 1 to 3, together with mono- or polycarboxylic acids which contain from 3 to 30 carbons and can contain other substituents. The fluorinated esters include, among others, a perfluoroalkylethyl stearate corresponding to "ZONYL" FTS, as well as perfluoroalkylethyl diesters made from dodecanedioic acid or tridecanedioic acid.
It is well recognized that the process of manufacturing thermoplastic polymeric fibers and fabrics could be simplified and significant capital investment could be eliminated if the topical application were replaced by incorporating a fluorochemical additive into the polymer melt prior to the extrusion of the fiber. The difficulty has been in finding suitably effective fluorochemical additives.
Thermoplastic polymers include, among others, polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides and polyacrylates. Polyolefins, and in particular polypropylene, are frequently used for disposable nonwoven protective garments, particularly in the medical/surgical field, in part because of a polyolefin's inherent water-repellency. However, polyolefins are not inherently good repellents for other lower surface tension fluids frequently encountered in the medical field such as blood and isopropyl alcohol. To get around this deficiency, fluorochemical dispersions are applied topically to these fabrics.
The requirements of an additive suitable for incorporating into a polyolefin melt include, besides the ability to repel low surface tension fluids at a low concentration of the additive, a satisfactory thermal stability and low volatility to withstand processing conditions. Preferably the compound will migrate to the surface of the fiber so as to minimize the amount of additive needed for adequate repellency. While this migration can often be enhanced by post-extrusion heating of the fiber, it is more preferable for the migration to occur without the need for this heating step. This requirement for mobility in the polymeric fiber in turn tends to limit the size of the fluorochemical molecule, and effectively eliminates from consideration high molecular weight polymeric fluorochemical additives.
The general concept of incorporating fluorochemical additives into a polyolefin fiber melt is known, but the difficulty in finding suitable effective additives has limited the application of this concept. Many of the past efforts to evaluate such fluorochemical additives have been aimed at improving other properties of the polyolefin, and do not teach methods of its improving repellency to low surface tension fluids.
Nonwoven composite structures are known consisting in part of two or more melt-extruded nonwoven layers, at least one of which includes an additive which imparts to the surface at least one characteristic different than the surface characteristics of the polymer alone as a result of preferential migration of the additive to the surface without the need for post-formation treatment of any kind. Examples of the additive-including layer include polypropylene modified by commercially available fluorochemical additives, including "ZONYL" FTS defined above.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,178,931 and 5,178,932 disclose specific nonwoven laminiferous and composite structures respectively, consisting in part of three melt-extruded nonwoven layers, the second of which includes an additive which imparts alcohol repellency as a result of preferential migration of the additive to the surface without the need for post-formation treatment of any kind, and where at least one of the first and third layers has been treated by topical application of an agent to change its characteristics in some way. Examples of the additive-including second layer include commercially available fluorochemicals, including "ZONYL" FTS.
Soil resistant polymeric compositions are known which are prepared by melt extrusion with a nonpolymeric fluorochemical dispersed throughout the polymer. The polymers used include polypropylene, polyethylene, polyamide and polyester, and the fluorochemical used is a perfluoroalkylstearate, in particular "ZONYL" FTS.
In addition, a polymeric composition is known comprising a mixture of a polymer selected from the group of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyamide and polyester with a fluorochemical comprising a fluorinated oleophobic, hydrophobic alkyl group attached to a nonfluorinated oleophilic alkyl, aryl, aralkyl or alkaryl moiety optionally through a linking moiety, which can be melt extruded as a mixture. A more specific description of the above fluorochemical is not disclosed, but among the many compounds which are applicable are esters where the oleophilic organic group contains from 2 to 35 carbon atoms. Examples of such are "ZONYL" FTS or a product made by transesterifying "ZONYL" BA with methyl stearate and methyl palmitate.
An automotive coating film is known containing an organic solvent-soluble waxy hydrocarbon which possesses a fluorine-containing organic group. This component is a product obtained by esterifying and coupling a high molecular weight alcohol with a carboxylic acid which possesses a fluorine-containing group or a product obtained by esterifying and coupling a high molecular weight fatty acid and an alcohol which possesses a fluorine-containing group. As examples of high molecular weight alcohols included are those with average carbon chain lengths with up to 50 carbons. As examples of high molecular weight fatty acids included are those with carbon chain lengths of up to 31 carbons (mellisic acid). The products were tested only as a waxing agent for automobiles.
Japanese Patent Application 3-41160 to Kao Corp. teaches a thermoplastic resin composition containing a perfluoroalkyl group-containing long chain fatty ester of the formula R.sub.f --R.sub.1 --OCO--R.sub.2 where R.sub.f is a perfluoroalkyl group with 5 to 16 carbons, R.sub.1 is an alkylene group with 1 to 4 carbons, and R.sub.2 is an unsaturated alkyl group or a saturated alkyl group with 21 to 50 carbons. One example reacts C.sub.8 F.sub.17 C.sub.2 H.sub.4 OH with C.sub.27 H.sub.55 COOH to produce the ester. The resins included polyethylene and polypropylene. Benefits of the additive were shown by the contact angle of water with molded articles of the resin. No tests are reported on the repellency to low surface tension fluids of the resulting polymers.
In summary, while the prior art discloses numerous examples of polyolefin fibers containing a fluorochemical additive incorporated at the melt stage to alter the surface characteristics of the extruded fiber, much of this was aimed at soiling and staining resistance, water repellency or other purposes. Those references which were aimed at imparting alcohol repellency to polyolefin fabrics employ "ZONYL" FTS. A need exists to achieve superior repellency to low surface tension fluids and superior product efficiency. The fluorinated compounds of the present invention meet this need.

Fluorinated melt ester additives for thermoplastic fibers


An information record and playback apparatus has a user information acquisition unit for acquiring user information of the user using the apparatus at present; a record unit for recording the acquired user information and playback stop position information on a record medium in relation to each other; and a playback start control unit for selecting the playback stop position information corresponding to the acquired user information from among the playback stop position information read from the record medium and resuming playing back the record medium based on the selected playback stop position information.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention belongs to the field of an information record and playback apparatus for record media such as optical disks and in particular to an information record land playback apparatus having a resume function of recording playback stop position information on a record medium when playback stops and resuming playback at the playback stop position at the playback start time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known as an information record and playback apparatus with optical disks such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) as record media is an apparatus having a resume function of memorizing playback stop position information when the apparatus is powered off or when playback stops and starting playback at the previous playback stop position at the playback restart time.
Hitherto, when the user stopped playing back an information record medium such as an optical disk, playback stop position information indicating the playback stop position, which will also be hereinafter referred to as resume information, has been recorded in internal memory, etc., of the information record and playback apparatus together with the identification information, etc., of the disk. Therefore, if the user borrows or lends an optical disk from or to another person, the user does not refer to the resume information of the person so long as the user uses his or her own information record and playback apparatus. Such an information record and playback apparatus comprising the resume function is described in JP-A-2000-331466, for example.
On the other hand, an apparatus for recording such resume information on an optical disk is proposed in JP-A-11-146327, etc., for example. In this case, as an optical disk is borrowed or lent, the resume information of another person is referred. That is, if one person plays back an optical disk borrowed from another person, the optical disk is played back starting at the position at which the owner of the optical disk previously stopped playing back the optical disk. Further, the position at which the person borrowing the optical disk stops playing back the borrowed optical disk is recorded on the optical disk as resume information and consequently the inconvenience of rewriting the resume information of the owner of the optical disk occurs.

Information record and playback apparatus and computer program having a resume function based on recorded playback stop position information