A spectral image photographing section photographs the image of an object to be photographed as spectrum information in units of pixels so as to mutually record and reproduce a faithful image between two points. A photographing light spectrum detecting section detects the spectrum distribution of illumination light at a photographing point. A reproduction environment light spectrum detecting section detects the spectrum distribution of illumination light at a reproduction point. A spectral reflectance distribution calculating section eliminates the influence of the spectrum distribution of illumination light from the spectrum information photographed by the spectral image photographing section, and calculates the spectral reflectance distribution of the object. A spectrum converting section calculates, on the basis of the reproduction environment light spectrum detected by the reproduction environment light spectrum detecting section and the spectral reflection distribution calculated by the spectral reflectance distribution calculating section, a spectrum distribution obtained when the image of the object is photographed under illumination light substantially identical to that at the reproduction point. A vector imaging section converts the spectrum distribution of each pixel converted by the spectrum converting section into three-dimensional color.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color image recording and reproducing system and, more particularly, to a color image recording and reproducing system using a color matching technique for matching display colors displayed under different ambient illumination conditions in a color matching technique of matching the color of a target object and its display color.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, accurate color reproduction is not taken into consideration in a television (TV) system for transmitting and reproducing a photographed color image. Only a visual image quality in reproduction is considered.
To reproduce an image photographed at a remote place with accurate colors, it is not sufficient to process the image by the camera to the display system without any distortion and error. The image must be reproduced in the environment wherein the image is illuminated by a light source having the same spectrum as that on the photographing side.
However, it is actually very difficult to prepare an illumination having the same spectrum on the photographing and reproduction sides.
In a technique of matching "three-dimensional" colors under almost the same conditions as those of three stimulus values represented by R, G, and B in order to perform color matching, which is known as a prior art, it is difficult that the color matching results accurately coincide with each other.
The reason is that there are color matching conditions.
More specifically, even if the spectrum is the same, a so-called XYZ colorimetric system, i.e., three color matching functions (color matching functions of an XYZ colorimetric system), like the ones shown in FIG. 8, are actually present as a human visual function. Actually, the spectrum is multiplied by this function to calculate an integrated value.
For this reason, even when a color is visually observed as a given color under a certain illumination, if the spectrum distribution changes, this color is observed as another color under another illumination.
Various attempts have been made to obtain the colors of printed matter or colors displayed on a TV monitor to be closer to colors visually recognized by man.
On the other hand, as the DTP system (Desk-ToP publishing; electronic publishing) has been spread with recent higher-performance and smaller-size computers, color matching techniques (e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 5-216452 and 6-51732) of matching the colors of printed matter as an input/output target with display colors displayed on a TV monitor have been proposed.
These prior arts disclose a color matching technique of matching the colors of printed matter as an input/output target with display colors displayed on a TV monitor under various different ambient illumination conditions.
In either prior art, the display and printing places are assumed to be at the same point, i.e., under the same illumination conditions. These prior arts do not particularly disclose or indicate a technique of, e.g., reproducing by display or printing an image photographed at, e.g., a different remote place apart from a reproduction place with accurate color reproduction, i.e., matching the color of a reproduced object, i.e., the color of a display screen or printed matter with the color of the photographed object under different illumination conditions.
Originally, if a color image recording and reproducing system having the same transmission characteristics as the above-described three human visual properties is constructed, the color of a reproduced image is seen to be the same as the color of an object. However, since the visual properties vary due to individual differences, the color of the reproduced image and the color of the object are not always matched with each other for all people.
To completely match the color of the reproduced image with the color of the object in consideration of these situations (so as to allow an observer to perceive these colors as the same color), necessity for matching the spectra is required.

Color image recording and reproducing system


A two-segment joystick identification structure for a water control valve has a radial through-type holding hole, a step-shaped actuating rod, an internal holding groove, an elastic expandable assembly and a resisting and drive surface. The identification structure achieves a two-segment hand feel identification effect of the joystick of the water control valve and thus saves water, has compact components, simple fabrication, convenient assembly and practical advancement.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the local structure of a water control valve, and more particularly to an innovative two-segment joystick identification structure for a water control valve.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
In the structural design of the water control valve, the water supply on and off state switching and the water supply volume adjustment is mainly controlled through the variance of the vertical swing angle of a joystick. The swing angle of said joystick corresponds with the pulling angle of the handle on the water faucet. So, it is known through the general application experience that the actuation angle stroke from the joystick off state to the fully open state of water volume is actually quite short, generally between about 25 degrees to 35 degrees only.
Due to the abnormal climate and water resource scarcity problems in recent years, the technology concerning water saving of water control products has always been an important subject focused, considered and broken through by relevant industries. During operation of the water faucet handle mentioned in the previous paragraph, the handle is often easily operated to the fully open angular position of water volume when a user pulls the handle upwards with an ordinary force, thus, causing the water resource waste and loss during the process of water usage. Moreover, this problem is difficult to be improved from the users' aspect, because it is usually very difficult for most users to change a long-established habit. It is still a very feasible solution to improve the aforementioned problem by making changes in the structure and form design of the water control valve.
For the current conventional technologies, although a number of segmented engagement and positioning structural forms have been developed by relevant industries to be provided on water control valve joysticks in order to achieve the water-saving function through the segmented identification, there are still some problems and disadvantages in general. The reason is that the segmented engagement and positioning structures equipped on the conventional water control valve joysticks are usually functional by way of inserting the elastic top bead into a groove. However, because the elastic top bead in this kind of structure form consists of a metal bead body and a spring, the volume of said metal bead and spring must be quite small to be able to be assembled in the very narrow and limited joystick structure in a water control value. As a result, the problems like inconvenience in assembling, inefficient and slow manufacturing hours and defect rate increase are resulted inevitably due to the too small components.
Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it would be an advancement if the art to provide an improved structure that can significantly improve the efficacy.
Therefore, the inventor has provided the present invention of practicability after deliberate design and evaluation based on years of experience in the production, development and design of related products.

Two-segment joystick identification structure for water control valve


An apparatus for mixing two fluids in precise proportions which includes a quantifying meter and a concentrate meter. The apparatus also includes apparatus connecting the quantifying meter and the concentrate meter to simultaneously operate the quantifying meter and concentrate meter. The quantifying meter includes a servo plunger that is elongated and further includes a piston and a sealing member. The piston and the sealing member are axially spaced and the quantifying meter also includes a servo piston having a central bore in which the servo plunger is disposed in coaxial relationship with the piston in sealing engagement with the central bore. The servo piston includes a pressure fluid entrance port and an axially spaced outlet bore. The sealing member covers the outlet bore when the servo plunger is in a first position and the quantifying meter further includes a quantifying meter body having a bore in which the floating valve is disposed with the outer surface of the floating valve in sealing engagement with the bore in the quantifying meter body. The quantifying meter further includes a first valve apparatus and a second valve apparatus; the first valve apparatus cooperates with the second valve apparatus in one position of the floating valve.

The invention relates to apparatus for metering two liquids in precise proportions to make a solution having a specific concentration. While the invention has particular application to mixing solutions used for agricultural applications including germicides, disinfectants and other chemicals.
At least in some cases the use of too little concentrate or lower concentration will be ineffective and will not achieve the intended purpose. Also, at least in some cases the use of two much concentrate will produce an undesirable result and/or increase the expense of a given process.
Additional considerations in providing such apparatus are the variation in inlet pressure for at least one of the fluids. More particularly, one of the fluids may be water or other diluent that is provided at tap pressure. This pressure may vary widely, particularly in farm environments. An inlet pressure range of 20 to 120 pounds per square inch is possible.
It is also of great importance to prevent problems with microorganisms in the mixed fluids. More particularly, Pseudomonas is one kind of microorganism that can be a problem with water that is not contained within a pipe. Accordingly, it is essential that the diluent not be exposed to ambient air.
The apparatus must also be capable of meeting various constraints imposed by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
It is an object of the invention to provide metering apparatus that will provide extremely accurate metering of two or more fluids.
It is another object of the invention to provide apparatus that can be used easily without special training.
It is also an object of the invention to provide apparatus which can be mass produced and which will still produce consistent results.
Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus which will function over a very wide pressure range.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide apparatus that will mix fluids with an accuracy of at least 0.1% and preferably an accuracy of 0.01%.

Apparatus for delivering fluids in proportional quantities


A safety hypodermic syringe includes a barrel, which has a tapered hollow connector disposed at the front side and holds a needle assembly, a hollow plunger inserted into the barrel, and a retainer, which is fastened to the front side of the hollow plunger to keep the hollow plunger in a vacuum status and forced into engagement with the tapered hollow connector after the service of the safety hypodermic syringe for enabling the needle assembly and the retainer to be sucked into the inside of the hollow plunger after breaking of the tapered hollow connector from the barrel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hypodermic syringe and more particularly, to a safety hypodermic syringe, which automatically receives the needle assembly inside the plunger by means of a vacuum to prevent contamination after the service of the safety hypodermic syringe.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1A and 1B show the operation of a safety hypodermic syringe according to the prior art. According to this design, the safety hypodermic syringe comprises a barrel 1, which has a spring hook 2 extended from the outside wall and projecting into the inside, a hollow cylinder 3, which is inserted into the barrel 1 from the rear side and has a stop member 4 protruded from the periphery near the rear side, a needle assembly 7 fastened to the front side of the hollow cylinder 3 and extended out of the front side of the barrel 1, a tip protector 8 capped on the needle assembly 7, a plunger 6 inserted into the hollow cylinder 3 from the rear side, and a compression spring 5 mounted inside the barrel 1 and stopped between the front side of the barrel 1 and a part at the periphery of the hollow cylinder 3. After the service of the safety hypodermic syringe, the spring hook 2 is turned outwards and disengaged from the stop member 4, for enabling the compression spring 5 to push the hollow cylinder 3 backwards, and therefore the needle assembly 7 and the tip protector 8 are received with the hollow cylinder 3 inside the barrel 1. This structure of safety hypodermic syringe has numerous drawbacks as follows:
1. The compression spring 5 tends to be covered with rust if the safety hypodermic syringe is not used within a short period after its fabrication.
2. The spring hook 2 may be disengaged from the stop member 4 accidentally before the service of the safety hypodermic syringe; thereby causing the parts of the safety hypodermic syringe fall apart.
3. The safety hypodermic syringe is reusable after its service, and an evil person may recycle the used safety hypodermic syringe for a repeat use.
4. The complicated structure of the barrel 1 and hollow cylinder 3 greatly increases the manufacturing cost of the safety hypodermic syringe.


A multi-controller memory system includes a flexible channel memory controller coupled to at least first and second physical interfaces. The second physical interface is also coupled to an auxiliary memory controller. The physical interfaces may be coupled to separate memory modules. In a single-channel control mode, the memory controllers respectively control the memory modules coupled to the first and second physical interface. In a multi-channel control mode, the flexible channel memory controller controls both memory modules while the auxiliary memory controller is inactive. In a single-channel control mode, the memory controllers coordinate restricted memory control commands which access a resource shared by both modules, by one controller transmitting a request signal for the resource to the other controller, awaiting an acknowledgment signal from the other controller, and maintaining transmission of the request signal until the use of the resource is completed.

The subject system and method are generally directed to a memory controller system, and more specifically to a variable channel multi-controller memory system operating in a plurality of control modes.
Memory controllers are well known in the art. They are implemented as digital circuits dedicated to controlling/managing the flow of data written to and read from one or more memory devices, and to preserve the same by periodically refreshing the memory as needed. They may be suitably formed as separate devices or integrated with a central processing unit or other main controller, and serve the memory storage and access needs of various control or user application "master" operations processed thereby. Memory controllers implement the logic necessary to read from and write to various types of memory devices, examples of which include dynamic random access memory (DRAM), as well as electrically programmable types of non-volatile memory such as flash memory, and the like.
When a memory controller system is manufactured without any memory device, and a separately-manufactured device or devices are added to the system later, it is desirable for the memory controller system to be flexible in the types of devices it may accept. However, different types of memory devices may have different physical requirements for the corresponding controller system in terms of interface, signal voltage, signal format, and other qualities. The simplest solution is to provide a different controller and different interface for each type of memory device, but the resulting system is more bulky and more costly to manufacture.
Also, a memory device may include multiple memory modules. It may be desirable to interact with these memory modules in an independent manner, as if they were separate memory devices. However, certain resources in the memory device may be shared by all modules in the device, and therefore completely independent control of the modules is impossible.
There is therefore a need for a memory controller system that may control more types of memory devices without a proportional increase in the number of memory controllers and interfaces.
There is also a need for a memory controller system that may control memory modules within a memory device as independently as possible.

Variable channel multi-controller memory system


An atomic force microscope and method of energy dissipation imaging using such atomic force microscope. The atomic force microscope has a cantilever equipped with a probe for making contact with a sample, a vibrating unit for vibrating the cantilever, a vibration control unit for controlling the vibrating unit based on a preset value of amplitude, a vibration detector for detecting the amplitude of the vibration of the cantilever, and an imaging unit for creating an energy dissipation image based on the vibration of the cantilever. Error information based on the difference between the value of amplitude detected by the amplitude detection unit and the preset value of amplitude is fed back to the vibrating unit. Thus, the vibrating unit vibrates the cantilever to drive it into resonance. The imaging unit creates an energy dissipation image based on the difference information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an atomic force microscope (AFM) adapted to evaluate physical properties of a sample. The present invention also relates to a method of energy dissipation imaging using the AFM.
2. Description of Related Art
Ultrasonic atomic force microscopy (UAFM) has been developed as a technique for evaluating the contact resilience of the sample surface portion in contact with the probe of a cantilever from the resonance frequency of a flexural mode of the cantilever of an atomic force microscope (AFM) operating in contact mode. A sample-evaluating method using the UAFM has the feature that the contact resilience of a hard sample can be evaluated using a softer cantilever than the cantilever used in the contact resilience-evaluating technique using the force modulation mode. Therefore, the evaluation method using the UAFM is adapted for evaluation of metals, ceramics, and semiconductors (see, for example, K. Yamanaka and S. Nakano, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 35.93 (1996).
The energy dissipation characteristics of the portion of the sample surface which is in contact with the cantilever probe can be evaluated approximately from the Q factor defined as the ratio of the resonance peak width to the resonance frequency (see, for example, O. Wright and N. Nishiguchi, Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 626 (1997).
Another method for evaluating the resilience characteristics more completely is also proposed, for example, in K. Yamanaka and S. Nakano, Appl. Phys. A, 66, S313 (1998). In this method, the Young's modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson's ratio are separated, using a torsional mode of a cantilever.
A further method of imaging the energy dissipation in the portion of a sample surface in contact with the cantilever probe is proposed. In this method, the imaging is performed by increasing the speed of scanning of the cantilever and mapping the Q factor at each pixel.
This ultrasonic atomic force microscope is similar to the non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) using a frequency modulation mode, in that the resonance of the cantilever is used. However, there exists a fundamental difference. That is, in NC-AFM, the cantilever vibrates at large amplitudes exceeding 10 nm, so that the cantilever probe moves away from the sample. Meanwhile, in ultrasonic AFM, the cantilever vibrates at small amplitudes of less than 1 nm while the probe is kept in contact with the sample.
As a result, the force gradient that is the ratio of displacement to force or the contact resilience remains almost constant over one whole cycle of vibration. This produces the advantage that it is possible to realize accurate quantitative evaluation. Therefore, this technique is anticipated as a novel method of lattice defect analysis that compensates for the drawbacks with the techniques for evaluating electronic and mechanical materials in the fields of nanotechnology and electron microscopy.
The configuration of a conventional atomic force microscope is shown in FIG. 2, where a sample 21 is placed on a sample stage 4. A probe 20 is mounted at the tip of a cantilever 1 and located opposite to the sample 21.
Light from a laser diode (LD) 2 is directed at the cantilever 1. The reflected light is detected by a split photodiode (FD) 3 via a mirror 24. The output signal from the photodiode 3 is sent to a calculation portion 5, which produces a cantilever signal indicative of the flexure of the cantilever 1.
The cantilever signal from the calculation portion 5 is split into two parts. One of the parts is input into a z-motion controller 7 via a low-pass filter (LPF) 6. The z-motion controller 7 controls the z-position of the sample 21 placed on the sample stage 4.
The other part of the cantilever signal is input to a phase comparator 12 via a band-pass filter (BPF) 11. Furthermore, the output signal from an oscillator 8 is amplified by an amplifier 9 and then split into two parts and applied to the phase comparator 12 via a variable phase shifter 22. The output signal Vp from the phase comparator 12 is applied to an error amplifier 13. Furthermore, a reference voltage signal Vref is also applied to the error amplifier 13, which in turn produces an output signal VE proportional to the difference between the two signals, or error. The output signal VE is applied to an adder 16 via a switch 14.
The output Vo from a voltage source circuit 15 is also applied to the adder 16. The output V from the adder 16 is input into the oscillator 8. The output from the oscillator 8 is fed back to an ultrasonic oscillator 10 via the amplifier 9.
The output signal from the band-pass filter 11 is fed to an amplitude detector 17 and to a frequency demodulator 18. The output signals from the amplitude detector 17 and frequency demodulator 18 are applied to an imaging device 19. The imaging device 19 creates a Q factor image based on the output signal from the amplitude detector 17 and creates a resonant frequency image based on the output signal from the frequency demodulator 18.
To obtain an energy dissipation image, it is intrinsically necessary to visualize the excitation energy applied from the outside such that the amplitude of the cantilever is kept constant.
In the conventional technique, however, the cantilever is oscillated at a constant excitation voltage. The output obtained at this time from the amplitude detector 17 is directly fed to the imaging device 19. The imaging device 19 approximately creates an energy dissipation image directly based on the output from the amplitude detector 17. See K. Yamanaka et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 1939 (2001); Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-277378; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,644.
In the conventional technique, in a case where an energy dissipation image is obtained, the cantilever is vibrated at a constant excitation voltage. An energy dissipation image has been approximately created based on the output itself obtained at this time from the amplitude detector. In this conventional technique, it has been impossible to obtain an accurate energy dissipation image.

Atomic force microscope and method of energy dissipation imaging using the same


The present invention is a thick film water based conductive coating composition comprising, based on total composition: (a) 5-40% wt. first aqueous dispersion of polyhydroxyether polymer grafted with at least one acrylic or methacrylic monomer wherein the dispersion is 25-40% wt. grafted polymer solids; (b) 20-80% wt. finely divided metallic electrically conductive particles selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, nickel, silver coated copper, silver coated nickel, carbon, graphite and mixtures thereof; (c) 0-20% by wt. second aqueous dispersion of an acrylic or polyurethane polymer wherein the dispersion is 25-40% wt. polymer solids; (d) 0-5% wt. water soluble polymer; and wherein all of (a), (b), (c) and (d) are dispersed in water and about 1-8% wt. co-solvent.

Electrically conductive coatings are useful in a variety of applications, such as in EMI/RFI shielding for electronic devices, conductive coatings for electrodes in medical devices such as electrocardiograph (EKG) electrodes and conductive coatings for corrosion prevention. In the industry today, the most widely used conductive coating compositions are solvent based which have a potential of polluting the environment. The need to reduce pollution from volatile organic chemicals (VOC) have led the coating industry and government agencies to push for low VOC thick film coating compositions such as water based thick film coating compositions.
In the prior art of water based electrically conductive coating compositions, polymer latex and aqueous solutions of water soluble polymers are commonly used. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,715,989 and 4,950,423 describe water based conductive compositions containing metal powders, latex of acrylic copolymer and aqueous dispersion of polyurethane. U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,415 describes an aqueous polymer thick film composition comprising metal particles, a water-soluble thermoplastic polymer and a polymer dispersion. U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,653 describes an aqueous silver composition having a water-soluble polymer as the polymeric binder. Dried coatings of the above-described electrically conductive compositions suffer from sensitivity to water and alcohol due to the presence of water-soluble polymers or hydrophilic components in the polymeric binders. These conductive compositions generally also have low coating hardness due to the use of thermoplastic polymers of relatively low glass transition temperature Tg. Therefore, there remains a need for a water based coating composition that can provide an electrically conductive coating with good solvent resistance and good scratch resistance. The present invention fills that need.

Water based thick film conductive compositions


A dispensing apparatus (for delivering metered doses from a pressurized dispensing container) having a housing receiving the container and a dose counter with dose indication element. The dose counter has an indexing mechanism advancing the indication element on container actuation. The dispensing apparatus has an indexing member moving within the housing in sync with the container wherein on actuation of the container in a normal mode of operation the indexing member interfaces with the indexing mechanism to apply a force to the indexing mechanism to incrementally advance the indication element. The indexing member and mechanism are configured to cooperate with one another, upon the input of a force in a second mode, such that the indexing mechanism transmits a force to the indexing member sufficient to generate a relative displacing movement between the indexing member and mechanism without incurring incremental advancement of the indication element.

It has been recognised that there is a need to provide accurate information to a user of a dose-dispensing delivery apparatus, such as a pressurised metered dose inhaler, concerning the number of doses delivered from, or remaining in, the dispensing apparatus. Without such information, there is a danger that a user will forget how many doses have been delivered and hence take a greater or fewer number of doses than are required. There is also a danger that a user may be unaware that the dispensing container of the dispensing apparatus is empty or close to empty. This is especially dangerous where the dispensing apparatus is for use in delivering medicinal compounds for the treatment of chronic or acute symptoms, for example, as in the case of a pressurised metered dose inhaler used for treating asthmatic reactions.
It is known to provide a dispensing apparatus with a dose counting device. Typically such dose counting devices are triggered by movement of the dispensing container wherein the movement either directly or indirectly provides the motive force for incrementing or decrementing the dose counting device. In order for a dose counting device to be accurate it must be designed not to under-count the number of doses dispensed from the dispensing container, otherwise a user may be misled into thinking that the dispensing apparatus has a greater number of remaining doses than is actually the case. There has therefore been a desire to develop dose counting devices where movement of the dispensing container into its actuated position in the dispensing apparatus is not possible without incrementing or decrementing the dose counter device. In this way under-counting is prevented. However, a disadvantage of such dispensing apparatus is that actuation of the dispensing container is not possible if the dose counting device should inadvertently jam or become inoperative for some other reason. There is then the danger that a user would not be able to actuate the dispensing container despite there being available doses therein.
There can also be a problem with known mechanical dosage counters in that they are prone to accidentally incrementing if the apparatus is dropped due to impact forces imparted on the counting mechanism.
Mechanical dose counters can also be difficult to manufacture so that they work reliably. One problem is that a mechanical dose counter typically requires a number of components which must be accurately located relative to one another during assembly to ensure that over-counting or under-counting is not experienced. This can lead to a requirement for very strict manufacturing tolerances which can make manufacture expensive.


A film forming device 10 including a distance measurement unit 30 for measuring the distance between the skin S and the device 10, a distance decision unit 31 for deciding whether the distance measured by the distance measurement unit 30 is proper for electrostatic spraying, and a distance notification unit 32 for notifying a user of the decision by the distance decision unit 31. The film forming device 10 is of hand-held type small enough and configured to be held by the user's hand. The device 10 preferably includes an angle measurement unit 42 for measuring the angle between the electrostatic spray direction and the skin S.

Various methods for forming a film by electrostatic spraying are known. For example, Patent Literature 1 below discloses disposable cartridges for use in electrostatic spraying devices for cosmetic products. The electrostatic spraying device disclosed is of hand-held and self-contained type and used to spray a cosmetic foundation.
Patent Literature 2 below discloses an electrostatic-spray apparatus for applying a cosmetic foundation to the face. The apparatus comprises (a) a reservoir containing the cosmetic foundation to be delivered, (b) a delivery means which is in communication with the reservoir, (c) a high voltage generator generating voltage in the range of 3 kV to 20 kV powered from an electricity source, (d) a control means for applying the high voltage from the high voltage generator to the delivery means, and (e) instructions in association with the apparatus for applying the foundation to the face. The instructions comprise instructions to: (i) keep the end of the nozzle from 9 to 13 cm from the face; (ii) move the nozzle at a steady pace without stopping while the apparatus is operating; (iii) use the faster speed for all-over facial application; and (iv) use the slower speed for spot application, if desired.


In the production or a shadow mask, the through-holes for passing an electron beam are formed by etching of the Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy. The variation in diameter of apertures is prevented by dispersing 2000 or more of precipitates and inclusions from 0.01 xcexcm to 5 xcexcm in diameter on the surface of said material per mm2. The Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy of from 34 to 38% of Ni, not more than 0.5% of Mn, and if necessary, from 5 to 40 ppm of B, and from 5 to 40 ppm of N, the balance being Fe and unavoidable and incidental impurities with the proviso of 0.10% or less of C, 0.30% or less of Si, 0.30% or less of Al, 0.005% or less of S, and 0.005% or less of P.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy material used for a shadow mask subjected to fine etching. More particularly, the present invention relates to an Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy material used for a shadow mask, which enables through-holes for passing an electron beam to be formed by etching, having improved uniformity of diameter. The present invention relates to the Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy material used for a shadow mask, having etched through-holes with improved uniformity of diameter.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, mild steel has been generally used for the shadow mask of a CRT. However, when the CRT is continuously operated, the temperature of the shadow mask rises due to the radiation of an electron beam. As a result of thermal expansion of the shadow mask, coincidence of the fluorescent material and the irradiation point of an electron beam is not maintained, thereby resulting in color deviation. When the color image tube is operated, one third or less of the electron beam passes through the apertures, while the rest of the electron beam is irradiated and impinged on the shadow mask, elevating its temperature.
Accordingly, Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy having a small coefficient of thermal expansion, referred to as xe2x80x9c36 Alloyxe2x80x9d has been used in recent years from the viewpoint of color deviation in the field of a shadow mask used for a CRT.
In the production process of the Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy shadow-mask material, a predetermined Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy is vacuum-melted, for example, in a VIM furnace or ladle-refined in LF, and then cast into an ingot. The alloy is forged and then hot-rolled into a slab. The oxide scale on the surface of the slab is removed. Cold-rolling and annealing (recrystallizing annealing) are repeated. After the final annealing, the final cold-rolling is carried out to finish the sheet to a predetermined thickness, i.e., 0.3 mm or less. Thereafter, slitting is carried out to a predetermined width. After degreasing of the so-produced material for a shadow mask, photoresist is applied on both surfaces of the material. A pattern is printed on the photoresist and then developed. The etching is then carried out with an etchant. The material is then cut into separate flat masks. The flat masks are annealed in non-oxidizing atmosphere so as to impart press formability. In the case of the pre-annealing method, the annealing is applied to the finally rolled material prior to the etching. Pressing into a spherically shape is carried out. Finally, the spherically-shaped mask is degreased and is then subjected to blackening treatment in steam or combustion-gas atmosphere to form a black oxide film on the surface. The shadow mask is produced as above.
The finally cold-rolled material, which is or has been subjected to etching for forming the through-holes for passing an electron beam, is herein collectively referred to as the material used for a shadow mask. The flat mask is, therefore, included in the material used for a shadow mask. The material, on which the through-holes have been formed, but which is not yet press-formed, is also included in the material used for a shadow mask.
The through-holes for passing an electron beam are formed in the shadow mask by means of the well known etching usually using a ferric chloride aqueous solution. Before the etching, the well known photolithography technique is applied in such a manner that the photoresist mask is delineated to form a number of apertures in the circular form having, for example, 80 xcexcm of diameter on one of the surfaces of the alloy strip and to form a number of apertures in the circular form having, for example, 180 xcexcm of diameter on the coincident positions of the other surface of the alloy strip. The aqueous-solution of ferric chloride in the form of spray is blown onto the alloy strip.
The shadow mask, on which minute apertures are densely arranged, is obtained by the etching mentioned above. Local variation in etching conditions results in deviation of the diameter of apertures. When such variation becomes excessive, color shift occurs in a Braun tube mounting such shadow mask. Such mask is, therefore, unacceptable. In the production of shadow masks, the yield has heretofore been lowered and hence the cost has been increased due to variation of the aperture diameter.
Various considerations have heretofore been made to improve the etching formability of through-holes. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 05-311357 is related to improvement of the material and proposes to control the texture degree of the {100} plane on the rolling plane to less than 35% and hence randomize the crystal orientation. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-311358 describes to limit the total length of inclusions in the rolling direction per unit area of the parallel cross-section to the rolling direction. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-207415 describes that the etching formability of through-holes is improved by means of limiting the Mn and S concentrations as well as the Si and C concentrations, and also by controlling the cleanliness of the oxide-based inclusions of the cross section of the material.
The present inventors carried out intensive research and discovered that the local etching failure of through-holes for passing the electron beam described below cannot be prevented by means of controlling the texture and limiting the inclusions. Excessive etching of the apertures as compared with the neighboring apertures may occur, resulting in etching failure. As a result of the failure in local etching, the diameter of through-holes for passing an electron beam varies. This etching failure discovered by an inventor is a phenomenon that, when the shadow mask, in which the through-holes for passing an electron beam has been formed by means of etching, is observed in such a manner that an observer sees the light through the mask, the vicinity of apertures appears light and shines. FIG. 1 is an enlarged drawing of a normal aperture, while FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of an abnormal aperture. When the wall of the normal and abnormal apertures are observed, the inclination angle of the wall is seen smaller in the abnormal aperture (FIG. 4) than that of the normal aperture (FIG. 3). Because of very local etching failure around the periphery of an abnormal aperture, the aperture diameter tends to be greater than the target value.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy material, which has through-holes formed by etching, without variation of the diameter which is attributable to local etching failure of the Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy material during etching to form through-holes for passing an electron beam.
The present inventors carried out intensive research to attain the object mentioned above from a novel point of view not found in the prior art, particularly the reasons for the local corrosion anomaly mentioned above. As a result, it is found that fine precipitates and inclusions present in the Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy material exert great influence upon the etching of through-holes for passing the electron beam. Such local etching failure and hence the diameter variation of etched apertures are difficult occur in the Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy material, in which a large number of fine precipitates and inclusions are present in the material as a whole. It was found that, when the precipitates and inclusions from 0.01 xcexcm to 5 xcexcm in size are present on the surface of material at a frequency of 2000 or more per mm2, the precipitates and inclusions are effective for suppressing the above mentioned variation.
The components of the precipitates and inclusions were identified. The identified precipitates and inclusions are nitrides such as BN, TiN, AlN and the like, oxides such as MnO, MgO, CaO, TiO, Al2O3, SiO2 and the like, sulfides such as MnS, CaS, MgS2 and the like, and carbides such as TiC, SiC and the like. When a sample is immersed in the acidic solution such as dilute hydrochloric acid, dilute sulfuric acid solution, and the sample is anodically dissolved in the acidic solution at a potential in an active dissolving region, the particles of precipitates and inclusions appear in the form of pits (pitting corrosion). The frequency of the particles of precipitates and inclusions can be evaluated as the pit density in number per mm2.
It is not precisely elucidated how the minute inclusions or precipitates can suppress variation of the diameter of etching apertures. It can be postulated as follows.
The Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy, to which the present invention relates, is usually etched by means of a ferric chloride-containing aqueous solution to form the through-holes for passing an electron beam. During the etching, resist film is applied on the material, where no apertures are to be formed, while the portions of the material, where the apertures are to be formed, are brought into the ferric chloride aqueous solution. When the minute inclusions or precipitates (hereinafter collectively referred to as the inclusions, unless otherwise specified) are present on the latter portions, the inclusions behave as the origin of corrosion, thereby promoting corrosion of the matrix. If no inclusions are present on the aperture portions at all, all of these portions undergo identical etching so that the diameter of apertures does not vary. However, it is difficult in the actual industrial production to provide a completely inclusion-free material. Inclusions are thus present on several aperture portions in a certain probability. The etching rate in the first aperture portions, where the origins of corrosion are present, is higher than that in the second aperture portions in the neighborhood of the first aperture portions, where no origins of corrosion are present. The aperture-diameter of the first aperture portions is greater than that of the second aperture portions. The first aperture portions become electrochemically anode, while the second aperture portions become electrochemically cathode. The difference in the etching rate between the first and second aperture portions is further increased. At the completion of etching, the difference between the aperture diameters is, therefore, great.
On the other hand, when fine inclusions are present in the material at a certain frequency, the inclusions can be present uniformly in all aperture portions. The diameter of apertures then does not vary.
As a result of the elucidation mentioned above, it can be said as follows. When the inclusions, which are the origin of corrosion, are present at a frequency less than a certain level, the uniform distribution of inclusions on the entire material is lost. There are following aperture portions. In most of aperture portions, the inclusions are present and are related to the corrosion. The degree of relation is in average in these aperture portions. The inclusions are not related to corrosion in other aperture portions. The inclusions are related to corrosion in a degree higher than the average one in still other aperture portions. The relation of inclusions and corrosion in all of these aperture portions is different from one another. The corrosion rate in these aperture portions is different from one another. The wall, profile and diameter of apertures are influenced by the different etching rate. The local etching failure occurs on the wall, profile and diameter of apertures formed by etching under different rates. The local etching failure and hence the diameter variation of the etched through-hole can be observed under an electron microscope. The presence of inclusions can be confirmed as the pits mentioned above. The inclusions and the pits are present in ratio of almost 1: 1.
As is described hereinabove, more than certain numbers of fine inclusions are positively introduced in the matrix of Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy in the present invention. This measure is contrary to the conventional concept. The local etching failure is eliminated by such inclusions and the variation of the aperturexe2x80x94diameter is eliminated or lessened.
In accordance with the objects of the present invention, there is provided a material used for a shadow mask having improved uniformity in the diameter of apertures formed when etching the through-holes for passing an electron beam, wherein said material is an Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy consisting of, by mass percentage (%), (hereinafter simply referred to as the mass %) from 34 to 38% of Ni, not more than 0.5% of Mn, and if necessary, from 5 to 40 ppm of B and from 5 to 40 ppm of N, the balance being Fe and unavoidable and incidental impurities with the proviso of 0.10% or less of C, 0.30% or less of Si, 0.30% or less of Al, 0.005% or less of S, and 0.005% or less of P, characterized in that 2000 or more of precipitates and inclusions from 0.01 xcexcm to 5 xcexcm in diameter are varied on the surface of said material per mm2 of said surface.
The diameter of inclusions is the diameter of the smallest circle, in which an inclusion is included.
There is also provided a post-etched material. That is, material used for a shadow mask having through-holes for passing an electron beam formed by etching, with improved uniformity in the diameter of apertures formed, consists of an Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy consisting of, by mass percentage (%), from 34 to 38% of Ni, not more than 0.5% of Mn, and, if necessary, from 5 to 40 ppm of B and from 5 to 40 ppm of N, the balance being Fe and unavoidable and incidental impurities with the proviso of 0.10% or less of C, 0.30% or less of Si, 0.30% or less of Al, 0.005% or less of S, and 0.005% or less of P, characterized in that 2000 or more of precipitates and inclusions from 0.01 xcexcm to 5 xcexcm in diameter are varied on the surface of said material per mm2 of said surface, except for the portions where said through-holes are formed.
In the Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy material according to the present invention, the Ni content is limited in a range of from 34 to 38%. When the Ni content falls outside this range, the coefficient of thermal expansion becomes so great that the Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy cannot be used as a shadow mask. The detrimental effects of S, which impairs the hot-workability, is eliminated by Mn added to iron alloy. However, when the Mn content exceeds 0.5%, the material is excessively hardened and the workability is impaired. The highest content of Mn content is, therefore, limited to 0.5%.
The Fexe2x80x94Ni alloy material contains as impurities or incidental impurities C, Si, Al and P. The upper limits of C, Si, Al and P are limited to 0.10%, 0.30%, 0.30% and 0.005%, respectively. When the concentrations of these elements are more than a certain level, the etching formability of through-holes is so impaired that the material cannot be used for a shadow mask. When the S content is more than 0.005%, the hot workability of material is seriously impaired. The highest content of S is, therefore, limited to 0.005%.
In addition, from 5 to 40 ppm of B and from 5 to 40 ppm of N are contained for the purpose of introducing fine BN particles.

Fe-Ni alloy material used for shadow mask having improved formability of through-holes by etching


A negative electrode material for a secondary cell for anon-aqueous liquid electrolyte for realizing a high charging/discharging capacity and a high discharging efficiency, a method for producing such material and a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell employing such material. The negative electrode material contains at least one carbonaceous material selected from the group consisting of coffee beans, tea leaves, cane sugar, corns, fruits, straws of cereals and husks of cereals, a carbonaceous material derived from a plant-origin high molecular material containing a sum total of 0.2 to 20 wt % of metal elements, phosphorus and sulphur calculated as elements or a carbonaceous material having a diffraction peak between 30.degree. and 32.degree. of the 2.theta. diffraction angle in the X-ray (CuK.alpha.) powder diffraction pattern. For producing the negative electrode material, at least one carbonaceous material selected from the group consisting of coffee beans, tea leaves, cane sugar, corns, fruits, straws of cereals and husks of cereals, or crystalline or fibrous cellulose admixed with at least one of metal elements, phosphorus or sulphur, is sintered for carbonization. The negative electrode material is used for a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell having a positive electrode formed of a lithium compound oxide and a negative electrode formed of a carbonaceous negative electrode material capable of doping and dedoping lithium ions as an active negative electrode material.

With recent progress in electronics, a small-sized portable electronic equipment, such as a camera-integrated VTR, portable telephone or a lap-top computer, has been developed, and a strong demand has been raised for development of a small-sized and lightweight secondary cell with high energy density as a portable power source used for the equipment.
Of the secondary cells, satisfying this demand, a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell of a high energy density, which is capable of generating a theoretically high voltage and which employs light metals, such as lithium, sodium or aluminum as an active material for the negative electrode, is most promising. In particular, the non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell in which lithium ion charging/discharging is done via a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte, is thought to be able to develop high output and high energy density as compared to the aqueous solution based liquid electrolyte secondary cell, such as nickel/cadmium cell or a lead storage cell. For this reason, investigations in this type of the non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell are proceeding briskly.
If, in such non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell, light metals, such as lithium metal, are simply used as they are as the negative electrode material, lithium metals tend to be precipitated in a dendritic form in the negative electrode during charging. Since the current density becomes exceedingly high at the distal end of the dendrite, the cycle life is shortened due to decomposition of the liquid electrolyte. If the dendrite is grown excessively, internal shorting in the cell is likely to be produced. For assuring the operating time of the small-sized electronic equipment and the service life of power source packages, it has been strongly desired to develop a negative electrode material capable of realizing a high energy density cell.
With this in view, for prohibiting precipitation of, for example, dendritic metals, such as metal lithium, for improving cyclic charging/discharging characteristics of the cell, it has been proposed to use a carbonaceous material capable of doping and dedoping lithium ions as the active materials for the negative electrode as a material for a negative electrode for a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell (JP Patent Kokai Publication JP-A-62-90863).
It is believed that, theoretically, lithium ions are electrochemically doped and dedoped in an interlayer space of the graphite-like layered structure of the carbonaceous material at a rate of one lithium atom per six carbon atoms. For such carbonaceous materials, cokes (such as pitch coke, needle coke or petroleum coke) or sintered organic high molecular compounds, such as furan resins or natural high molecular materials sintered and carbonized at a suitable temperature, as disclosed in JP-Patent Kokai Publication JP-A-4-308670, are mainly used in view of production cost ad cyclic charging/discharging characteristics.
Of these carbonaceous materials, those produced by sintering crystalline cellulose, which is a natural high molecular material susceptible to fluctuations in the polymerization degree and hence in the properties of the sintered product to a lesser extent than synthetic high molecular material (JP-Patent Kokai publication JP-A-2-54866) is drawing the notice. This carbonaceous material is thought to be promising as a material of a negative electrode of a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell in that it has a high charging capacity as compared to cokes. In distinction from a synthetic high molecular material prepared from fossil resources, cellulose is a regeneratable raw material and its re-utilization is thought to be desirable from the viewpoint of maintenance and improvement of earth environment.
However, the crystalline cellulose based carbonaceous material, while having a higher charging capacity, undesirable has a low charging/discharging efficiency which is a ratio of the discharging capacity to charging capacity. Consequently, for producing a practically useful cell using the crystalline cellulose based carbonaceous material as a negative electrode material, it becomes necessary to use an active material for a positive electrode, such as oxides of lithium transition metals, in an amount that matches the charging capacity instead of the discharging capacity of the negative electrode, so that a considerably excess amount of the active material for the positive electrode as compared to the discharging capacity is used. Therefore, using the crystalline cellulose based carbonaceous material of low charging/discharging capacity as a material of a negative electrode of a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell is not desirable in producing a high energy density cell under conditions of limited volume and weight.
It has also been demanded to proceed further from using a vegetable high molecular material, such as regeneratable crystalline cellulose as a raw material for the carbonaceous material for a negative electrode of a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell, and to re-utilize the used waste material thereof as a regenerated material.
It has also been demanded that not only the carbonaceous material derived from plant high molecular material but also generic carbonaceous negative electrode material be able to achieve a high charging/discharging capacity as a material of a negative electrode of a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell.

Negative electrode material for non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell, method for producing same and non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary cell employing same


Iron-based metallurgical powder compositions are produced by mixing iron-based powder with an improved binder/lubricant that comprises dibasic organic acid and one or more additional components such as solid polyethers, liquid polyethers, and acrylic resin. These novel binder/lubricants impart one or more enhanced green properties to the powder compositions and reduce the ejection force required to remove the compositions from molds and dies.

The use of powder metallurgical techniques in the production of metal parts is well established. Such techniques typically involve mixing iron-based powders with an allowing element such as graphite, copper, or nickel in powder form, compacting the mixture in a die, ejecting the compact from the die, and sintering of the compact. The presence of the alloying element permits the attainment of strength and other mechanical properties in the sintered part which could not be reached with iron-based powders alone.
The alloying ingredients which normally are used in iron-based powder mixtures typically differ from the basic iron-based in particle size, shape, and density. For example, the average particle size of the iron-based powders used in the manufacture of sintered metal parts is typically about 25-150 microns. In contrast, the average particle size of most alloying ingredients used in conjunction with the iron-based powders is less than about 75 microns and often less than about 20 microns. Alloying powders are used in such a finely-divided state to promote rapid homogenization of the alloy ingredients by solid state diffusion during the sintering operation. However, this extremely fine size, together with the overall differences between the iron-based and alloying powders in particle size, shape, and density, make these powder mixtures susceptible to the undesirable separatory phenomena of segregation and dusting. Binding agents frequently are added to bond the powder particles and reduce the segregation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,800, in the name of Semel, discloses certain water-insoluble resins as binding agents.
Lubricants can also be admixed with a powder blend to reduce internal friction between particles during compaction, to permit easier ejection of the compact from the die cavity, to reduce die wear, and/or to allow more uniform compaction of the blend. Common lubricants include solids such as metallic stearates or synthetic waxes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,932, in the name of Blanchford, discloses the use of certain liquid lubricants in microencapsulated form.
As will be recognized, most known lubricants reduce the green strength of the compact. It is believed that during compaction the lubricant is exuded between iron and/or alloying particles such that it fills the pore volume between the particles and interferes with particle/particle bonding. Indeed, some shapes cannot be pressed using known lubricants. Tall, thin-walled bushings, for example, require large amounts of lubricant to overcome die wall friction and reduce the required ejection force. Such levels of lubricant, however, typically reduce green strength to the point that the resulting compacts crumble upon ejection. To avoid these problems, it is known to spray the die wall with lubricant rather than to incorporate the lubricant into the powder composition. However, spraying the lubricant increases the compaction cycle time and leads to less uniform compaction. Also, lubricants such as zinc stearate often adversely affect powder flow rate and apparent density, as well as green density of the compact, particularly at higher compaction pressures. Moreover, excessive lubricant can lead to compacts having poor dimensional integrity, and volatized lubricant can form soot on the heating elements of a furnace.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for metallurgical powder compositions that are resistant to dusting and segregation and that can be readily compacted to strong green parts that are easily ejected from die cavities.

Iron-based powder compositions containing novel binder/lubricants


An LED driver with ability to operate at low input voltages is disclosed. The LED driver comprises a boost converter to boost an input voltage to a desired output voltage to power one or more LED strings. The boost converter incorporates a first controllable switch, such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), IGBT, etc., for output voltage control. The boost converter receives input from an external source, such as a battery voltage, as power source for voltage boost operation. The first controllable switch couples to a gate driver powered by a linear regulator, which switchably couples to different voltage sources via a second switch to ensure that the gate driver is able to provide enough voltage for switching the first controllable switch.

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light source used in various applications such as aviation lighting, automotive headlamps, advertising, traffic signals, camera flashes, LED-backlit displays, etc. Compared to traditional incandescent light sources, LEDs have many advantages, including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved physical robustness, smaller size, and faster switching. LEDs are typically configured in a string and powered by an LED driver, which provides sufficient current to light the LEDs at the desired brightness. The voltage drop across an LED is approximately constant over a wide range of operating current.
In various situations, an LED driver may have very low supply voltage which prevents the driver from providing adequate voltage to power the LED current regulation circuit. A charge-pump may be used to provide a voltage sufficient to drive the LED current regulation circuit. Alternatively, attempts have been made to buffer the supply voltage during temporary low-voltage events using large capacitors isolated with diodes. However, the use of a charge-pump requires the addition of further external components, such as additional capacitor, and introduces another switching frequency into the system which may be an EMI hazard. Large-value capacitors are physically large and expensive, and therefore may drive up overall cost or physical size to the LED driver.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have systems and methods for LED drivers with ability to operate at low input voltages.

Led driver with ability to operate at arbitrarily low input voltages


The invention is directed to substituted heteroaryl derivatives. Specifically, the invention is directed to compounds according to Formula Q:

Cancer (and other hyperproliferative diseases) is characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation. This loss of the normal control of cell proliferation often appears as the result of genetic damage to cell pathways that control progress through the cell cycle. Such damage includes abnormal DNA methylation in malignant cells, in particular methylation of tumor suppressor genes. (Robertson, K. D., et al., Oncogene, 2001, 20, 3139-3155; Jones P. A., et al., Nat. Rev. Genet., 2002, 3, 415-428).
DNA methylation is mediated through DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). DNMT1, 3a and 3b activity in tumors is essential for perpetuating gene silencing in growth-regulating genes. Elevated levels of DNA methyltransferases, in tumors contribute to tumorigenesis by improper de novo methylation and silencing of tumor suppressor genes (Linhart H. G., et al., Genes Dev., 2007, 21, 3110-3122). For example, DNMT3b protein overexpression was reported as an independent prognostic factor for predicting cancer survival in diffused large B-cell lymphoma patients (Amara, K., et al., Cancer Sci., 2010, 101, 1722-1730). In another example, depletion of DNMT3a was shown to suppress cell proliferation and to restore PTEN in hepatocellular carcinoma cells (Zhao Z., et al., J. of Biomed. & Biotech., Volume 2010, Article ID 737535, 10 pages).
It has been proven that DNA hypomethylating agents, such as decitabine, are useful for the treatment of cancers. Inhibition of DNMT function would lead to a DNA hypomethylating stage. Thus, small molecule inhibitors of DNMTs should be useful in the treatment of diseases involving uncontrolled cell proliferation, and in particular of cancers (Sippl, W., et al., Methods and Principles in Medicinal Chemistry Volume 42, Epigenetic Targets in Drug Discovery, Chapter 8, 2009, 163-183).
One approach to design DNMT inhibitors is to mimic the co-factor (L)-S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) or its metabolite (L)-S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH). Such an approach has been described in various publications (Wehhab A., et al., US2008/0132525; Isakovic L., et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 2009, 19, 2742-2746; Saavedra O. M., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 2009, 19, 2747-2751). The present invention is focusing on SAM or SAH mimics. These mimics contain a functional group that is suitable to interact with the DNA binding region, in particular the cytosine binding pocket. Similarly, novel functional groups that can serve as adenosine mimics are described. Such small molecules can bind to DNMTs in a covalent or non-covalent manner, and in turn inhibits the enzymes. Such small molecules should be useful for treating diseases involving uncontrolled cell proliferation, in particular for cancer.
US 2008/0132525 and WO 2006/078752 describe inhibitors of DNA methyltransferase. CA 2030875 describes methods and probes for detecting nucleoside transporter and method for producing the probes. U.S. Pat. No. 7,560,467 describes indazolo-tetrahydropyrimidine-carboxamide derivative kinase inhibitors. US 2002/0068734, U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,391 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,218 describe nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,088 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,667 describe 1,3 diazines with platelet-derived growth factor receptor inhibitory activity.

Abstract: wherein D, L, M, W, X, Y, and Z are defined herein.

Abstract: The compounds of the invention are inhibitors of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity—including DNMT1, DNMT3a, or DNMT3b—and are useful in the treatment of cancer and hyperproliferative diseases. Accordingly, the invention is further directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of the invention. The invention is still further directed to methods of inhibiting DNMT activity and treatment of disorders associated therewith using a compound of the invention or a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of the invention.

GLAXOSMITHKLINE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (NO.2) LIMITED


A magnetic-field-measuring probe includes at least two magnetoresistive sensors which are sensitive to respective magnetic fields along a determined measurement axis. The at least two magnetoresistive sensors are rigidly connected to one another in a position such that the measurement axes thereof are at an angle other than zero. Output terminals specific to each magnetoresistive sensor are used to supply a signal that is representative of the field measured by each sensor along the measurement axis thereof. The difference between the derivative of a first magnetic field relative to a second direction and the derivative of a second magnetic field relative to a first direction is calculated to determine a component of current to be measured.

The present invention relates to a probe for measuring a magnetic field of the type comprising at least one magnetoresistive or magnetoinductive sensor which is sensitive to the magnetic field along a predetermined selected measurement axis.
It is known to measure the magnetic field produced by an electronic circuit during operation by using a magnetoresistive sensor and, more precisely, a sensor of the GMR type (Giant Magnetic Resistor).
Magnetoresistive sensors of this type are electronic elements whose resistance varies in accordance with the magnetic field in which they are placed. A processing chain is connected to the magnetoresistive sensors and allows the magnitude of the magnetic field above the circuit to be determined.
Sensors of this type may be efficient but allow only a small amount of information to be obtained relating to the electromagnetic radiation produced by the electronic circuit. In particular, the characteristics of the current flowing in the circuit, in particular the magnitude thereof, the path which it follows and the flow direction thereof cannot be determined.

Device for measuring a component of current based on magnetic fields


An absorbing anti-reflection coating which can be applied directly to the faceplate of a video display such as a cathode ray tube or a plasma display by physical or chemical vapor deposition comprises at least 3 materials: L, a low retractive index material such as the metal oxide SiO.sub.2 ; H, a high refractive index material such as the metal oxide Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5 ; and M, a metal or metallic alloy or metallic compound layer with a refractive index greater than 0.5 and extinction coefficient less than 5. Preferably the materials are used in the design MHLHL or HMHL. The design and materials provide broadband performance with a low layer count. The single metal layer design permits relatively low values of sheet resistance (high conductivity). Transmittance values are high, typically 70%.+-.5%. Reflectance typically is .ltoreq.0.6%.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to absorbing, anti-reflection (AR) coatings.
B. Description of the Related Technology
Conventional absorbing anti-reflection coatings (absorbing ARs) comprise multiple pairs of thin metal underlayers and approximately quarter-wave thick low index dielectric overcoats. The coating terminates in a low index dielectric layer. This design approach is described in Joseph H. Apfel, "Graphics in Optical Coating Design," Applied Optics, Vol. 11, p. 1303, 1972.
Using the above design philosophy, one can optimize for minimum reflection, ignoring transmission. The result is a so-called "dark mirror". Typical applications of dark mirrors include the internal baffling of telescopes and other high gain optical systems. Alternately, one can compromise between intermediate levels of transmission and slightly higher reflection. This ability to select transmission and reflection has led to the perhaps overly simplistic description of absorbing AR's as being "tunable."
The assignee, Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc. has marketed a two period absorbing AR coating deposited on PET for use in GlareGuard.RTM. contrast enhancement filters. This absorbing AR product used a four layer nickel/magnesium fluoride design: Ni/MgF.sub.2 /Ni/MgF.sub.2. A theoretical plot of this design is depicted in FIG. 1, for comparison to the performance of product embodying the present invention. This prior product is characterized by conductivity (sheet resistivity) of about 2000 .OMEGA./.quadrature., coating transmission .ltoreq.60%, and reflection .ltoreq.0.25%. The nickel/fluoride coating can not be sputtered successfully.
A central point of the Apfel teaching, and of subsequent designs, is that coatings employing absorbing (metallic) materials can provide low reflectance performance over a broad band by employing multiple periods of metal/dielectric layers. In general, absorbing AR coatings for display applications have been limited to one or two periods, apparently in an attempt to balance the requirement of low reflection against the competing requirement of high transmission, which requires minimizing the metal content of the coating. For many applications, establishing this balance with 40%-60% transmission is adequate. It seems impossible to construct the repeating period structure with metal films which are thin enough to produce higher transmission.
However, some contrast enhancement applications do require a higher level of transmission, such as 70%. Such a high level of transmission applies where it is necessary or desirable to match as closely as possible the optical performance of current optical system designs which use an all dielectric anti-reflection coating applied to absorbing glass. For example, replacing the 70% transmitting bonded safety panel on a CRT with a coating directly deposited onto the CRT faceplate may require that the coating likewise exhibit 70% transmission.
To achieve such a high level of transmission performance, it is necessary to decrease the thickness of the metal to the extent that other limiting factors become operative (dominant). For example, as films get progressively thinner, they begin to lose their electrical conductivity, either through anomalous skin effects or because they are so thin as to be discontinuous, that is, they do not form a continuous film.

Absorbing anti-reflection coatings for computer displays


A crop chopper for an agricultural machine has a rotor having a plurality of fingers displaceable on rotation of the rotor along the passage, and respective blades interleaved with the fingers and each having a front end pivoted about a horizontal axis and a rear edge formed with a rearwardly open notch so that crop pressed by the fingers between the blades is chopped and moved rearward along the passage. A rocker is pivotal about a horizontal axis and respective actuator plates juxtaposed with the rear edges of the blades are each formed with a rearwardly projecting arm. Respective abutment bodies on the plates are displaceable toward and away from the respective blades and respective springs braced between the bodies and the respective plates urge the bodies forward toward the blades. The plates are each pivotal about a horizontal axis between an active position with the respective body engaged against the respective rear edge and an inactive position with the respective body disengaged from the respective rear edge. Respective springs braced between the plates and the rocker pivot the plates on the rocker about the respective plate axis in a direction pulling the bodies away from the blades and pivot the blade arms downward. An abutment beam extends below the plates, and at least one actuator engaged with the rocker can pivot down the rocker and thereby press the rear arms against the abutment beam and bring the plates into the active positions.

Various agricultural machines, for instance combines and balers, have choppers that cut the harvested crop, e.g. alfalfa or corn, into short pieces suitable for baling, use as ensilage, or even tedding back on the field. For some applications a chopped length of 4 cm to 5 cm is needed, for others half this length is desired. Often the same machine is used so systems must be provided to change the output chop length.
German patent document 3,141,414 of W. Silber describes such a chopper wherein the change of the chop length to preset values is effected by swinging individual or all the cutting blades from the active cutting position to an inactive position. The aligned blades are controlled by respective centrally pivoted levers pivoted on an axis fixed on the chopper's frame. These levers can hold the blades in the cutting position and can be swung back against a spring force to inactive positions in which they do not support the blades so that they can swing back of their own weight into their inactive positions. Normally even if the blades do not move by gravity, the force of the crop being pushed through the crop passage through the chopper will force the blades back. The device that controls blade position has a control shaft pivotal behind the blades about an axis parallel to that of the blades and having a plurality of cams engageable with the blade-actuating levers. The cams are differently shaped along the control shaft so that in different angular positions of the control shaft different cams act differently on the levers, with selected blades being active depending on setting. In an end position all the levers are positioned to allow the respective blades to move into the inactive positions, allowing the crop to pass through the chopper without being chopped.
The disadvantage of this system is that a separate relatively powerful drive must be provided for rotating the control shaft and its cams. Furthermore once released, the levers snap violently into the inactive or retracted position which can damage the structure. It has been proposed to provide a brake or damper for each lever to ease it into its inactive position, but such extra structure unnecessarily complicates and increases the cost of the chopper. Furthermore the mechanism is exposed to the crop and, due to its complexity, gets jammed easily so that even when released, some of the levers and/or blades remain in their active positions.
In German patent document 3,213,199 of B. Krone a chopper is described wherein the control system can set the blades directly in different positions in different arrays to produce different chop lengths. To this end support claws mounted on the selector shaft support the blades and are set parallel to the control shaft with a plurality of different support surfaces. When the shaft is rotated different support claws engage the blades to push them into different positions against the force of respective tension springs. With this system all the blades must be adjusted together, not just a few of them. Furthermore the supports for the blades are subjected to considerable stress during chopping so that the response to different forces is not clearly defined.
German patent documents 3,617,013 of K. Edlbauer and 3,644,884 of W. Lippi describe another system where each blade is pivoted at its front end on a frame of the machine and at its rear end by a coil spring set up as a toggle. Thus each spring is pivoted at one end on the respective blade and at its opposite end in a support which can be fixed on the frame of the chopper or connected via a link with a pivotal control shaft. In the latter case the number of active blades can be changed. In addition the entire frame of the chopper can be pivoted by heavy-duty hydraulic rams to set all the blades in the inactive position.
This system has several disadvantages. It is possible that, when pivoting some or all of the blades into the inactive position, the springs and blades are held in position by crop jammed into the mechanism. Thus the blades are left projecting at least partially into the feed passage-where they will cut the crop. Furthermore as a result of the relatively large coil springs the system is quite bulky and the springs in effect form a wall behind the blades that can be packed with cut crop that prevents the mechanism from functioning and makes servicing the machine, for instance to change blades, very difficult.
Finally, German patent 4,302,199 of G. Clostermeyer has a system with a plurality of vertically pivotal blades movable into an active position. They are held in the active position by support elements and are all or selectively movable into inactive positions. To this end each support element is formed by a control shaft with an end contact point engaged in the respective blade. All the control shafts are shiftable via a transverse linkage by means of a spring so that the transverse connection is formed by at least one hydraulic cylinder. Each control shaft is further connected with a controllable locking and unlocking rod for freeing or holding back the control shaft for a specific blade and all the control shafts together with their springs form emergency releases that let the blades pivot back when struck by a foreign object, such as a rock pulled into the chopper.
Here the disadvantage is that the cutting blades even when freed by their supports remain in the active cutting position because they are held in place by wet crop and miscellaneous foreign matter. The mechanism is rather bulky with its control shafts surrounded by coil springs so as to form a solid wall of structure behind the blades that fills with foreign matter and generally blocks access to the blades. Since the pivoting mechanism for the transverse beam carrying the control shafts is relatively tall, the ground clearance of this machine is also reduced excessively.


An apparatus, method, and article of manufacture are configured to display a vector marker stroke. A stroked fill of vector splines and polygons having faces along the spline are created based on a user input marker stroke. A stencil buffer is created indicating the number of vector faces incident at each pixel. When the number indicates that a pixel has overlapping faces, a pixel shader (that determines an opacity value for the pixel in a mask) is executed as many times as the number. When the number indicates that a pixel has at least one face and is at a beginning or an ending of the stroke, the shader is executed to add to the opacity value. A blur shading operation is executed on each of the pixels. The stroked fill is rendered and a wet color is rendered, using the mask, on top of the stroked fill.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer animated drawings (CAD) such as architectural renderings mechanical drawings, GIS drawings etc., and in particular, to a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for modeling/simulating a magic marker stroke in such a drawing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) fields, computer aided design (CAD) drawings are often used to design blueprints, drawings, plans, etc. However, such CAD drawings may be complex, confusing, and fail to provide an end-user (e.g., a potential client of an architect) with a drawing or visualization of the "intent" of the architect or designer. Architectural renderings are designed to illustrate the "intent" of the designer or architect, as opposed to showing precise fidelity. In these renderings, the illustrator may want to simulate or model natural media materials and strokes—such as those made by pencils and markers. For example, a simulation of a marker may need to simulate the effects of saturated ink at certain points of the stroke. However, prior art programs fail to provide the ability to present such natural media materials or marker strokes in a vector environment. Instead, the prior art identifies where a stroke is located on a large bitmap/grid and calculates the flow of ink and the distribution of the ink depending on various variables on the bitmap grid using some type of dynamic calculation. Such problems may be better understood with a description of prior art drawing software and methodologies.
CAD programs provide high fidelity drawings that fail to provide a visualization of the intent of the user. Such CAD programs or other drawing programs may be vector-based or raster-based. It may be possible to achieve hand-drawn effects in raster-based drawing programs. For example, in a raster-based program, a bitmap stroke may be created that appears hand-drawn (e.g., using a variety of raster-based drawing/paint tools). However, it may be preferable to work in a vector-based drawing. For example, in vector-based drawing programs, a user may work with modifiable shapes that can be edited, resized, and rearranged. Nonetheless, the inherent mathematical description of vector shapes lends itself to the production of hard-edged, non-organic artwork. Thus, it has always been a challenge for digital artists to achieve natural hand-drawn effects in a vector-based drawing program.
There are a number of domains, architecture being one, where there is a need to be able to create natural-looking renderings of (inherently) geometric hard-edged drawings. In this regard, architectural renderings may take a variety of forms or styles, from hand-drawn renderings, to cartoon-like rendering, to ultra-realistic 3D rendering. In an architectural rendering, it's less important to be geometrically accurate, and more important for the drawing to be able to evoke the "spirit/goals" of the project.
While the prior art has attempted to create vector-based strokes that appear organic, the prior art has failed to provide the ability to simulate or model natural media materials such as for a magic marker. In a vector environment, achieving the look of marker strokes is challenging, because when strokes overlap, there is a higher saturation of ink in the overlap area (and, consequently a darker color). Additionally, ink bleeds from the overlap area into adjacent stroke areas. A challenge of modeling this is determining the location and nature of the overlap areas with rendering techniques that allow the strokes to be modified in near-real time.
In view of the above, marker strokes are typically simulated in a raster-based environment using a single large bitmap. However, such prior art simulations are slow due to the amount of processing that must be performed. Thus, prior art marker stroke techniques fail to achieve an easy, intuitive, fast, vector-based modifiable means for providing a hand-drawn look of a marker stroke.
Another natural media material that some systems attempt to simulate is that of water colors. However, water colors are often used in a two-dimensional environment. Further, while in a 2D environment, 3D meshes are used to render the water colors. In this regard, the faces that are used to generate water colors are flat faces wherein vertices of a stroke all have the same z-value. Nonetheless, despite the use of a single plane on which all vertices exist, a 3D mesh is still utilized to render the water colors.
Another approach in rendering images utilizes shaders. A shader is a computer program used in 3D computer graphics to determine the final surface properties of an object or image. A shader often includes arbitrarily complex descriptions of various properties such as light absorption, reflection, refraction, shadowing, etc.
Various types of shaders exist. A vertex shader is applied for each vertex and runs on a programmable vertex processor. Vertex shaders define a method to compute vector space transformations and other linearizable computations. A pixel shader is used to compute properties that, most of the time, are recognized as pixel colors. Pixel shaders are applied for each pixel and are run on a pixel processor that usually features more processing power than a vertex-oriented processor.
User-based strokes may be presented in the form of one or more faces. The faces may be rendered using a shader (e.g., a pixel shader) that works locally on each point that is rendered. In this regard, given the location of one point on a surface, the shader returns the color on that point. In addition, shading algorithms are often based on the concept of multiple passes. A shader, at its highest level, is a description of how to render an object multiple times to achieve a particular effect that is not possible with only a single rendering pass. Multiple passes can describe more complex effects than single passes since each rendering pass can be different from the other rendering passes. The results of each pass are combined in the frame buffer with the previous passes. For example, if it is desirable to render an object with two textures but the hardware only supports the ability to render one texture at a time, the object can be rendered once for each texture (i.e., a pass is performed for each texture) and the results are added together.
As described above, when attempting to simulate marker strokes (also referred to as wet strokes), the prior art utilizes a large bitmap in which neighbor information can be used to perform a dynamic simulation of the fluid on the virtual paper. However, if you have a shader that works on a surface, such neighbor examination is more difficult or impossible. In a shader, one cannot examine neighboring pixels during a single pass of the shader. Instead of rendering to the frame buffer that is presented to the user (i.e., rendering to the screen), a pass renders to an off-screen texture. In subsequent passes, the previously rendered bitmaps may be sampled/examined (e.g., given a particular UV coordinate, the value of the texture can be looked-up). However, there is no mechanism for obtaining the value of neighboring pixels in the same/current pass.
Accordingly, what is needed is a way to simulate/model a marker stroke in an object-based vector drawing program in an efficient, expeditious manner.

Rendering a simulated vector marker stroke