In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and method for optimizing event monitoring in a management environment is disclosed. The system may include a management system, an agent system, an intermediate management module and an event generation engine. The intermediate management module may create a device object in the management system corresponding to the agent system. The event generation engine may convert a transmission from the agent system into a pre-determined event structure and inject the event structure into the device object. The intermediate management module may then generate an alert in response to the injection of the event structure.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to these users is an information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may vary with respect to the type of information handled; the methods for handling the information; the methods for processing, storing or communicating the information; the amount of information processed, stored, or communicated; and the speed and efficiency with which the information is processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include or comprise a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
An information handling system may include numerous components, each connected through a network. Some components may monitor other network components for critical events and alert network managements about the problems. One example system that monitors network components is a System Center Operations Management (SCOM) server, which may connect to and monitor other system servers. Each system server may forward local events to the SCOM server, which applies filtering rules to events and maintains an event log. The filtering rules may be part of a management pack. With each event that is monitored in the management pack, the SCOM creates a thread associated with the system server and the event. These threads may statically occupy bytes within system storage whether or not each of the alerts are generated, decreasing the efficiency of system storage. When many system servers are connected to the SCOM, the problem compounds, particularly when many of the threads may be essentially duplicates of threads for similar system servers.

System and method for optimized event monitoring in a management environment


A mechanical card lock is disclosed which allows for simple, reliable operation. User cards 221 are engaged by a set of plates 360, which upon operating the lock assume a configuration for mating with a previously inserted combination card 244. The lock can be rekeyed by replacing the combination card 244.

Increasingly, electronic card systems using magnetic or otherwise coded cards and slide type readers have been used to replace mechanical locks. These are relatively expensive, both in capital costs and in frequency of maintenance.
One problem associated with key operated locks is the difficulty of re-keying the lock. If a key is lost or stolen, a locksmith is required to provide a set of new keys and alter all the common-keyed locks. Mechanical card locking systems are known from e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,394 (Sornes), which utilise a card having round holes therein. The card can be inserted into the lock, whereby biased ball bearings are displaced. It the ball bearings are displaced in a predetermined manner, the lock can be opened. A similar ring-operated lock is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,805 to Nygren. These arrangements all subject the card to considerable wear, and allow for operation from one side only. Further, they cannot be readily re-keyed, nor do they allow for the use of a magnetic strip in addition to the mechanical mechanism. Such arrangements only allow for one possible position for each ball or ring, and do not allow for master keying hierarchies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,252 (Lo) discloses a card operated lock using a set of plates arranged to directly receive a card with notches selectively removed in the end. This lock is only operable from one side, and re-keying involves rearranging the plates. The user card directly engages the lock mechanism. This arrangement only allows for one possible position for each ball or ring, and does not allow for master keying hierarchies.
French Patent Specification No. 1,163,526 (Beaudelet) discloses a simple mechanical lock arrangement comprising a series of spring loaded locking tumblers which are capable of being displaced independently of one another in a plane perpendicular to that in which the slide bolt is displaced. The mechanism is operable by use of a key featuring a series of grooves of varying depths, witn one groove provided for each tumbler. Upon insertion of the key the tumblers undergo varying displacements, with the correct combination of displacements leading to the unlocking of the mechanism. However this mechanical lock arrangement does not allow for the re-keying of the lock mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,692,495 (Verdan) discloses a complex mechanical lock arrangement operable using a user card including a pattern of holes and a combination card to define a combination for the lock mechanism. Unlocking of the mechanism is achieved the pattern of holes in the user card matches those on the counter key. However whilst this arrangement does enable the rekeylng of the lock mechanism, it is a complex arrangement which would be difficult to manufacture and which would require frequent maintenance in order to provide satisfactory and consistent working performance.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mechanical card lock which overcomes at least partly, the disadvantages of the prior art.


The present invention discloses a multi-training function air-water punching bag structure that comprises one inner bladder, one external bag, at least one set of handles, at least two sets of first suspenders, and at least one set of second suspenders. The inner bladder respectively contains liquid and air simultaneously. Users can adjust the volume of the liquid and air according to the needs of training and the tactile feel of the punches. The external bag integrates the handle set or the first set of suspenders and the second set of suspenders to reach the effect of multi-training functions.

Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an air-water punching bag structure, in particularly, a bag structure which weight and firmness can be adjusted and which has multi-training functions.
Description of Related Arts
Conventional punching bag for combat training is a closed bladder using solid (such as sand), liquid (such as water), or gas (such as air) as filler and is placed inside of an external bag.
It is easy and cheap to obtain the fillers, but the ideal weight of a punching bag, which may impact the training effect, is about half of its user's weight. Also, when solid is used as filler in inner bladder, the weight of the punching bag becomes too heavy to be easily moved or stored. When liquid is solely used as the filler of the inner bladder, the heavy weight of punching bag will result in poor training effect. When gas is used as filler of the inner bladder, the punching bag is usually too light and requires other material to fix it in place. Thus, all of the above can result in poor training effect.
In addition, for conventional punching bag structure which adopts solid, liquid, or gas as filler, there is only one tactile feel. When filling with solids, punching bag gives a firm texture while liquids add a little softness and resilience. When filling with gas, punching bag is even more resilient. However, none of the foregoing fillers can be adjusted in the same structure to create different texture to satisfy different training techniques and users.
In addition, the conventional punching bag structure cannot integrate different training functions simultaneously (such as croissant move training, push-up training, sit-up training, Judo training, boxing training, upper cut training, tackle training, suppression training, and weight training). More training equipments need to be purchased in order to provide different training functions when using punching bag for different technique training, which further increases the training cost. Thus, the drawbacks of conventional punching bag need to be improved.

Multi-training function air-water punching bag structure


An ophthalmic marker having a U-shaped yoke (33) at one end of a cranked axle (42) is disclosed. The axle (42) is rotatable mounted with a co-axial cylindrical handle (31). The other end of the axle extends beyond the handle and is bifurcated. A plumb bob (38) having a sphere (40) and a stem (39) is pivotally mounted on the bifurcated end of the axle (42). The yoke (33) has three marker points (34-36) the upper two (35, 36) of which are maintained in a horizontal plane by a gravitational force urging the plumb bob (38) into a vertical plane notwithstanding the handle (31) not being held exactly horizontal. A method of eye marking and marker making are also disclosed.

Cataract surgery has been performed for many years. Toric intraocular lenses have been available for many years (StarSurgical/Rayner) but recently Alcon has popularised their use. This lens is particularly useful for patients having astigmatism. Roughly one third of all patients requiring cataract surgery have astigmatism and in order for the intraocular lens to function correctly it must be accurately placed. It is estimated that for every degree of incorrect orientation, the astigmic correction factor for such an intraocular lens decreases by approximately 3%. As a consequence, pre-operative marking is imperative for accurate surgery.
However, measurements on the patient's eye which are conducted pre-operatively are conducted in the consulting rooms of the ophthalmic surgeon where the patient sits upright with his torso in a vertical position. However, when the patient lies down, and is thus supine as required for surgery, the eye rotates by a variable amount which differs considerably from patient to patient. Thus the intention of the marking procedure is to enable the eye to be marked with reference markings which can be used to determine the correct alignment of the intraocular lens, the correct alignment of incisions, etc., during surgery. The marks themselves are made with a dye that is painted onto or otherwise applied to various prongs of the marker and which are accurately pressed onto the eye whilst the patient is seated and thus has his head vertical.
There are three basic prior art marking devices. One class of such devices are free hand systems where the marking prongs are located at one end of an elongate stem or pencil like handle which is held by the ophthalmic surgeon. This relies upon the dexterity of the surgeon. There is another device which incorporates a small spirit level into the handle in order to indicate a horizontal plane. There is a third class of markers which incorporate a plumb bob and thus rely upon gravitational forces to maintain the marking device aligned with the vertical. It is with this class of marking devices that the present invention is concerned. The particular prior art device which gave rise to the present invention is manufactured by Rumex of St Petersburg, Fla., USA.
In U.S. Pat. No. 8,491,616 Davis an instrument is disclosed in which a weighted stem 60 is connected by a short handle 50 which the medical practitioner holds. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the handle 50 is only long enough to be held in the fashion of a tea-cup handle between the thumb and forefinger of the operator. This is a relatively awkward and uncomfortable grip which does not assist in the production of accurate results.
In German Utility Model 20 2008 004 59301 a similar arrangement is disclosed with the handle 50 of Davis above being replaced with an axle 14 which is rotatably and transversely mounted at one end of an elongated handle 11. Thus the handle of the medical practitioner is located on the handle 11 and thus positioned far away from the eye of the patient. As a consequence the fingers of the handle holding the handle can not be used to manipulate the patient's eyelids, if necessary.


The present invention relates to novel oxazoles of formula (I)

The present invention relates to novel oxazole derivatives, to a process for their manufacture, medicaments containing them and their manufacture as well as the use of these compounds as pharmaceutically active agents.
Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) catalyse the phosphorylation of tyrosyl residues in various proteins involved in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation (Wilks et al., Progress in Growth Factor Research 97 (1990) 2; Chan, A. C., and Shaw, A. S., Curr. Opin. Immunol. 8 (1996) 394-401). Such PTKs can be divided into receptor tyrosine kinases (e.g. EGFR/HER-1, c-erB2/HER-2, c-met, PDGFr, FGFr) and non-receptor tyrosine kinases (e.g. src, lck). It is known that many oncogenes encode proteins which are aberrant tyrosine kinases capable of causing cell transformation (Yarden, Y., and Ullrich, A., Annu. Rev. Biochem. 57 (1988) 443-478; Larsen et al., Ann. Reports in Med. Chem., 1989, Chpt. 13). Also overexpression of a normal proto-oncogenic tyrosine kinase may result in proliferative disorders.
It is known that receptor tyrosine kinases of the HER-family like HER-2 and EGFR (HER-1) are frequently aberrantly expressed in common human cancers such as breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer (colon, rectal or stomach cancer), leukemia and ovarian, bronchial and pancreatic cancer. High levels of these receptors correlate with poor prognosis and response to treatment (Wright, C., et al., Br. J. Cancer 65 (1992) 118-121).
Accordingly, it has been recognized that inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases are useful as selective inhibitors of the growth of mammalian cancer cells. Therefore several small molecule compounds as well as monoclonal antibodies are in clinical trials for the treatment of various types of cancer (Baselga, J., and Hammond, L. A., Oncology 63 (Suppl. 1) (2002) 6-16; Ranson, M., and Sliwkowski, M. X., Oncology 63 (Suppl. 1) (2002) 17-24).
Some substituted oxazoles are known in the art. WO 98/03505, EP 1 270 571, WO 01/77107 and WO 03/059907 disclose related heterocyclic compounds as tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
It has now surprisingly been found that a specific substitution pattern at the styryl moiety of the present oxazole derivatives leads to an improved activity of the compounds according to the present invention, compared to related compounds known in the art.

Oxazoles, their manufacture and use as pharmaceutical agents

Abstract: their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, enantiomeric forms, diastereoisomers and racemates, the preparation of the above-mentioned compounds, medicaments containing them and their manufacture, as well as the use of the above-mentioned compounds in the control or prevention of illnesses such as cancer.


A vehicle lamp can include a light source unit including a light guide plate with a light emission surface, and a point or line light source opposed to one end face of the light guide plate. The light guide plate can be made of a transparent plate-like material. A convex projection lens can be configured to focus light emitted from the light source unit and project the light forward in a direction of light illumination. The light guide plate can have a prism array on a rear surface thereof extending with a serrated cross section from the one end face to the opposite end face of the light guide plate, and in a direction parallel with the end face. The prism array can include a plurality of prism surfaces, with each prism surface being obliquely formed so that when light enters the light guide plate from the light source side and impinges thereon, a substantial amount of the light can be totally reflected into small angles of incidence to the emission surface. The projection lens can be disposed such that a focus thereof on a light source unit side is located on the light emission surface of the light guide plate.

1. Technical Field
The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a vehicle lamp such as a headlamp, an auxiliary light, a fog lamp, or other light which is composed of a light source unit using a plurality of point or line light sources and possibly a convex lens. Also, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to a vehicle headlamp which has a daytime running light function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle lamps using a light guide plate have been known heretofore. Examples thereof include a vehicle lamp or a headlamp as disclosed in Japanese Translation of PCT Patent Application No. 2006-509343 (corresponding to WO 2004/052682 or US 2006044825A1), and a common projector type headlamp as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-076510.
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the vehicle lamp as disclosed in Japanese Translation of PCT Patent Application No. 2006-509343.
In FIG. 1, the vehicle lamp 1 can include a housing 2, a light-transmitting cover member 3, a light guide plate 4, a light source 5, and a reflection plate 4d (see also FIG. 2). The housing 2 has an opening 2a configured to emit light therethrough. The light-transmitting cover member 3 has a light incident surface 3a and a light emission surface 3b, and is fixed to the housing 2 so as to enclose the opening 2a of the housing 2. The light guide plate 4 is formed in a plate-like shape and is disposed inside the housing 2. With reference to FIG. 2, the light guide plate 4 has a light incident surface 4a configured to let light in, formed on a lateral side, and a light emission surface 4b formed on the front side facing toward the cover member 3. The light guide plate 4 is also provided with a scatter pattern 4c configured to scatter the light incident on the light incident surface 4a toward the light emission surface 4b. The light source 5 is arranged next to the light incident surface 4a of the light guide plate 4, and emits light toward the light incident surface 4a. The reflection plate 4d is arranged on the rear surface of the light guide plate 4, and can reflect light toward the front side of the light guide plate 4.
The light incident surface 3a and/or the light emission surface 3b of the cover member 3 can have lens patterns 3c configured to impart a certain pattern to emission light.
In this vehicle lamp 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the light emitted from the light source 5 can enter the light guide plate 4 through the lateral side (light incident surface) 4a. Traveling through the interior of the light guide plate 4 with total reflections, the light is scattered by the scatter pattern 4c formed on the rear surface of the light guide plate 4, and is projected from the front side (light emission surface) 4b of the light guide plate 4.
The light emitted in front of the light guide plate 4 illuminates the front area in a desired pattern through the cover member 3 which has the lens patterns 3c.
The light source 5 can include a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs). A lens or other member can be arranged in front of this light source 5 in order to provide a desired light distribution characteristic.
FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the common projector type headlamp as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-076510. The headlamp 6 can include a light bulb 7 serving as a light source, a reflector 8, a projection lens 9, and a shielding member 9a.
The reflector 8 can include an elliptic reflection surface having a first focus (rear side focus) where the bulb 7 is disposed and a major axis horizontally extending forward in the direction of light illumination. The inner surface thereof can serve as the reflection surface.
The projection lens 9 includes a convex lens, such as an aspheric lens, having a light-source side focus (rear side focus) at or near which the shielding member 9a is disposed.
The shielding member 9a is configured to impart a light distribution pattern for forming a low beam pattern of light emitted forward in the direction of light illumination. The shielding member 9a can include an upper edge with a predetermined shape configured to form a cutoff line in the light distribution pattern.
In the headlamp 6 configured as described above, light emitted from the bulb 7 can form a high luminous image (a high brightness image or a collected light image) having an inverted light distribution pattern (horizontally and vertically inverted) near the focus 9b of the projection lens 9 directly or after being reflected by the reflector 8. This high luminous image can be projected forward in the direction of light illumination while reversed by the projection lens 9.
In this case, part of the high luminous image can be shielded by the shielding member 9a so that a cutoff line C can be formed by the upper edge of the shielding member 9a (see FIG. 4). Then, the high luminous image can be projected forward as a low beam
It should be noted that the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 4 for a right-side traveling vehicle has the cutoff line C for illuminating light also the area on the right-upper side.
In this case, the reflector 8 has a deformed elliptic cross section in order for light emitted from the bulb 7 to enter the projection lens 9 as much as possible. The bulb 7 is disposed near the one focus of the ellipse and the light incident surface of the projection lens 9 is disposed near the other focus of the ellipse. Accordingly, by properly designing the shape of the reflector 8, various light distribution patterns can be formed in accordance with the intended applications.
In the vehicle lamp 1 as disclosed in Japanese Translation of PCT Patent Application No. 2006-509343, light is scattered with the scatter pattern 4c before taken out of the light guide plate 4. Accordingly, the illuminated light can have a proper directional characteristic near the complete scattered light. The lens pattern 3c as used herein, thus, might not provide a suitable light distribution pattern having a desired luminous intensity as a vehicle light such as a headlamp and a vehicle auxiliary lamp such as a fog lamp, or having a bright-dark boundary.
Furthermore, a light distribution pattern can be formed by a plurality of separate lens patterns 3c. This can complicate the optical configuration of each individual lens pattern 3c. For example, some lens patterns are irradiated with the scattered light of the light guide plate 4 from peripheral areas other than the focal position. This can make it difficult to produce a given distribution pattern or cutoff line forward through the lens patterns 3c.
The projector type headlamp as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-076510 uses the reflector 8 as in the previous case. This kind of reflector 8 can form a light distribution pattern near the focus 9b of the projection lens 9, which is then projected onto a road by the projection lens 9. Accordingly, in some cases the headlamp 6 can include the shielding member 9a inside the lamp. This can enlarge the headlamp 6 as a whole, resulting in increased weight and enlarged depth.
Furthermore, the reflector 8 used in this type of headlamp 6 should be designed in accordance with a desired shape of the light emitting portion of a bulb 7. This can increase the time required for designing such a reflector.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


In order to supply a coating to a roller, a coating supplying groove is provided along only one side of a core which is connected to an end of a support so as to act as a shaft of a roller. A coating reservoir between the roller and the core is located to one side of the core. To permit engagement and disengagement between the support and the core, an elastic member is mounted within a coating flowing hole of the core, while an inserting groove and a stopping groove are provided in the inner peripheral surface of the coating flowing hole of the core. To automatically stop and start the supply of coating to the coating roller, and to adjust the flow rate, the number of revolutions of the roller are detected and used to actuate the coating feed mechanism to supply coating at a flow rate corresponding to the number of revolutions and or direction of rotation of the roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coating roller used for coating wall surfaces or the like, and an apparatus for supplying a coating material to the coating roller.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a known arrangement, a coating roller has a core fixed to an extreme end of a support, and a roller mounted rotatably about the core.
An example of this type of conventional coating roller is shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B). In this arrangement a coating supplying hole 53a is provided in a shaft-center direction of a core 53, small holes 53b, 53b, . . . are provided at suitable intervals in a diametrical direction of the core 53, and notch-like recesses 53c, 53c, are formed along a shaft-center direction on both sides in the diametrical direction of an outer peripheral surface of the core. As a further conventional coating roller, there is the arrangement shown in FIG. 8, wherein a core 53 is formed to have a triangular-shaped section. However with this type of arrangement a large quantity of coating stays between the core 53 and the roller 52.
Further, the support 51 and the core 53 are often connected, as shown in FIG. 7(A), via threads which are formed at an extreme (or terminal) end 54 of the support 51, and in a coating supplying hole 53a of the core 53.
However, in the arrangement wherein the core 53 is formed so that a large quantity of coating stays between the core 53 and the roller 52, as mentioned above, the coating either drips or is unevenly applied due to temperature or coating supply pressure.
Further, in the above-described arrangement wherein the support 51 and the core 53 are connected threadedly, the core 53 to which coating is adhered is so slippery that the core 53 is difficult to be mounted and removed and in addition, the threading is sometimes loosened during use. If the core is firmly tightened so as not to be loosened, disengaging operation of the core 53 is very difficult.
Furthermore, there is a problem in that, inasmuch as the two components are connected by threading, the coating supplying hole 53a is changed in direction depending on the strength of the threading, and it is difficult to maintain a quantity of coating to be coated constant.
On the other hand, the coating apparatus generally often used is provided with a coating supplying apparatus comprising a coating tank and a coating feed mechanism, in which a coating in the coating tank is supplied to the coating roller by the coating feed mechanism through a hose. In this coating apparatus, the coating supplying apparatus is put on the ground, the floor surface and the like or is shouldered using a belt, and coating operation is carried out while holding the coating roller.
A switch for supplying and stopping a coating to the coating roller is mounted on the coating supplying apparatus or the holder of the coating roller; and a coating-supply adjusting dial for adjusting the flow rate of coating is mounted on the coating supplying apparatus. These switch and dial are operated according to the operating situation to suitably adjust the flow rate of coating supplied to the coating roller.
However, in the above-described conventional coating apparatus, the switch or the coating-supply adjusting dial has to be operated every time according to the operating situation, the operation is cumbersome, and it is difficult to adjust the flow rate of coating.
Particularly, when high places are coated, an adding handle is connected to the coating roller. However, in this state, the switch mounted on the holder cannot be operated. Further, since the coating is kept to supply to the coating roller till the adding handle is lowered and the switch is operated, the coating overflows from the coating roller to waste the coating.
Further, when the operation is carried out at high places, in the type in which the coating supplying apparatus is put on the ground, the floor surface or the like, the operation of the coating-supply adjusting dial is actually impossible, and the coating drips or uneven coating occurs on the coating surface. In the type in which the coating supplying apparatus is shouldered using a belt, it is necessary to use one hand for operating the coating-supply adjusting dial and shift eyes, sometimes getting clothes dirty with the coating.
Further, since the wall surfaces or the like cannot be coated once without uneven coating, the same place should be coated a few times. In such a case, normally, the coating need not be supplied to the coating roller. So, the switch is turned off once. Since such an operation for smoothing the coating is often carried out, the operation of the switch has to be also often carried out, which is very cumbersome.


A slope estimation device estimates a slope of a vehicle traveling road, and includes an input section that acquires a detected value of an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration in a front-back direction of the vehicle, a centripetal force detecting section that detects centripetal force acting on the acceleration sensor due to a turning motion of the vehicle, and a slope computing section that computes the slope of the vehicle traveling road based on the detected value of the acceleration sensor. When the vehicle is in the turning motion, the slope computing section computes the slope of the traveling road by determining a component of the centripetal force superimposed on the detected value of the acceleration sensor based on a turning center position of the vehicle, a gravity center position of the vehicle, and an installation position of acceleration sensor, and subtracting the component of the centripetal force from the detected value of the acceleration sensor.

Conventionally, there is known a slope estimation device that estimates a slope of a vehicle traveling road (hereinafter, referred to as "traveling road") with an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle for detecting acceleration in a front-back direction.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a slope estimation of the traveling road by extracting a gravity component acting on the acceleration sensor due to the slope of the traveling road (for example, see Patent Literature 1).


A method for making a fluid transfer layer has steps of depositing a first non-woven layer on a support, depositing a second non-woven layer on the first layer, with the two layers having a different melting point. The two layers are then thermally bonded to one another in a heated calender nip, during which differential shrinkage occurs because of the two layers"" different melting points. A micro-bulked profile results. The composite, micro-bulked web is then mechanically bulked to provide a macro-bulked profile. The resulting non-woven fabric has a high bulk, high resistance to pore structure collapse, high resistance to compression deformation, and is more economical to produce than prior art carded or bicomponent webs. An absorbent article has a porous topsheet, the fluid transfer layer of the invention underlying the topsheet, and an absorbent core.

The present invention relates generally to methods for making non-woven fabrics, and the fabrics produced thereby. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of making composite non-woven webs useful as fluid transfer layers in absorbent articles, as well as the nonwoven webs produced thereby.
Non-woven fabrics, because of their structure and low cost of production, have proven particularly useful as absorbent articles. By way of example, many diapers, adult incontinence products, and sanitary napkins are comprised of non-woven fabrics.
Within non-woven absorbent articles, it is known to provide an outer top sheet, an intermediate fluid transfer layer, and an absorbent inner core. The purpose of the fluid transfer layer, otherwise known as a surge layer, is to accommodate a surge of fluid and allow the absorbent core more time to absorb the surge. This prevents liquid overflow or other leaking from the product. An additional purpose of the surge layer is to isolate the top sheet from the absorbent core to minimize re-wetting of the top sheet from the absorbent core side (prevent xe2x80x9crewetxe2x80x9d).
Many proposals have been made for fluid surge layers. Generally, the use of bulky, high void volume fabrics that are resistant to wet compression has been proposed. The high bulk enhances the resistance to rewet, while the resistance to wet compression improving performance and allowing the layer to retain its properties after an initial wetting.
The non-woven surge layer fabrics proposed to date are disadvantageous in that they offer limited performance, and require relatively expensive and difficult manufacturing processes. There is therefore an unresolved need for an improved surge layer fabric as well as a method for making the same.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for making a non-woven composite fabric useful as a fluid transfer layer.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a composite non-woven fabric useful as a fluid transfer layer.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for making an absorbent article having a composite non-woven fabric surge layer, as well as the article thereby made.
The present invention generally comprises a method for making a non-woven fluid transfer fabric, as well as the fabric produced thereby. The present invention further comprises an absorbent article having a composite non-woven fabric surge layer, as well as a method for making the article.
The method of the present invention generally comprises the steps of depositing a first spunbond web layer on a support, depositing a second spunbond web layer on the first web, with one of the web layers having a melting point higher than that of the other. The two layers are then thermally bonded to one another. During bonding, the difference in melting points causes a different amount of shrinkage to occur in the layers. This results in a xe2x80x9cmicro-bulkingxe2x80x9d of the bonded layers, as the lower melting point layer gathers a bit on the higher melting point layer due to a greater degree of shrinkage in the lower melting point layer. It is noted that as used herein the term xe2x80x9cmicro-bulkedxe2x80x9d is intended to refer to a condition whereby a slightly textured, bulked, crimped, or corrugated profile is present but is not apparent to the naked eye.
Thermal bonding of the two layers is followed by a mechanical bulking of the two layers to xe2x80x9cmacro-bulkxe2x80x9d the composite fabric. It is noted that as used herein the term xe2x80x9cmacro-bulkedxe2x80x9d is intended to refer to a condition whereby a corrugated, crimped, or creped profile is apparent to the naked eye. Mechanical bulking can be achieved by a number of methods as are generally known in the art. A preferred method of bulking is a process known generally as the MICREX process. In this process, the composite web is passed between a roller and a blade, and combed into a creping chamber. Mechanical bulking occurs in the creping chamber as corrugation of the web occurs. The MICREX process is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,64; herein incorporated by reference.
Preferably, the first web layer is the lower melting point layer, with the second layer having a higher melting point. Preferably, the first web layer comprises spunbond poly(ethylene terephalate) (xe2x80x9cPETxe2x80x9d) fibers having a denier 4-10, and has a basis weight of between about 10-30 gm/m2. Most preferably, the first layer is comprised of PET fibers of about 6 denier, and has a basis weight between about 10-20 gm/m2.
A preferred second layer is comprised of spunbond PET of 10-15 denier, and has a basis weight of between about 10-45 gm/m2. Most preferably the second layer is comprised of fibers of about 12-15 denier, and has a basis weight between about 15-30 gm/m2.
The resulting fabric of the invention is of high bulk, and has substantial resistance to compression deformation and pore structure collapse. The method of the invention is more economical than prior art methods that may require bi-component or carded webs.
The fabric of the invention generally comprises the fabric produced by the method of the invention. It comprises a composite non-woven web having a first spunbond layer, a second spunbond layer thermally bonded to the first layer, with the two layers having different melting points. The difference in melting points causes differential shrinkage of the layers through thermal bonding, with the fabric having a resultant micro-bulked profile. Preferably, the fabric also has a macro-bulked profile attained through mechanical corrugation.
Preferably, the first layer comprises spunbond PET fibers having a denier 4-10, and has a basis weight of between about 10-30 gm/m2. Most preferably, the first layer is comprised of PET fibers of about 6, and has a basis weight between about 10-20 gm/m2. The preferred second layer is comprised of spunbond PET of 10-15 denier, and has a basis weight of between about 10-45 gm/m2. Most preferably the second layer is comprised of fibers of about 12-15 denier, and has a basis weight between about 15-30 gm/m2.
An additional embodiment of the invention comprise an absorbent article having the composite fluid transfer fabric of the invention overlying an absorbent core. The absorbent article generally comprises a cover sheet, a surge layer comprising the composite fluid transfer fabric layer of the invention as described above, and an absorbent core. The preferred absorbent core comprises super absorbent polymer (xe2x80x9cSAPxe2x80x9d).
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present disclosure so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining the several embodiments of the disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for description and not limitation.

Method of making non-woven composite transfer layer


Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductor microstructure, the method including forming a lower material layer on a semiconductor substrate, the lower material layer including a nitride of a Group III-element; forming a mold material layer on the lower material layer; forming an etching mask on the mold material layer, the etching mask being for forming a structure in the mold material layer; anisotropic-etching the mold material layer and the lower material layer by using the etching mask; and isotropic-etching the mold material layer and the lower material layer.

The inventive concept relates to a method of fabricating a semiconductor microstructure.
A series of operations including stacking various different materials and etching the stacked materials by using a mask may be necessary to fabricate a semiconductor device having a complex microstructure. Here, since there are variable differences in etching characteristics of stacked materials, it is very difficult to obtain a desired microstructure. In particular, when an etchant is used for dry or wet etching, etching characteristics of stacked materials may be significantly affected by combinations of the stacked materials and the etchant, and thus it may be difficult to obtain a desired microstructure with an improper combination of material layers for forming the microstructure and an etchant.

Method of fabricating a semiconductor microstructure


An automatic maintenance-performing method to determine whether a first and a second power supply are operational, and performing a periodic maintenance operation at a predetermined time by supplying an electric power to the second power supply when the first power supply is in an ‘on’ state and the second power supply is in an ‘off’ state, and at the predetermined period without supplying the electric power to the second power supply when both the first and second power supplies are in the ‘on’ state, as a result of the decision. Further, an automatic maintenance-performing apparatus having an automatic maintenance executing unit including a power supplying part having a first power supply to supply an electric power to the control unit and connected to a power plug, and a second power supply to supply the electric power to at least the maintenance unit and connected to the power plug through a power switch, and a maintenance executing part counting time and performing the maintenance operation when the counted time surpasses the predetermined time period. The apparatus and method is provided to an image forming device to prevent ink ejection nozzles from being dried and choked and thereby prevents deterioration of the performance of print heads when the image forming device is on standby or not in use over a period of time, by automatically performing the periodic maintenance operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic maintenance-performing apparatus and method thereof of an image forming device, for example, an office machine that uses a print head, such as an inkjet printer and a multi-function machine, more particularly, to an automatic maintenance-performing apparatus and method thereof of an image forming device, which performs periodic maintenance operations even when the image forming device is on standby or has not been in use over a long period of time, thereby, preventing ink ejection nozzles of print heads from being dried and choked, thus, preventing deterioration of the performance of the print heads.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image forming device using a print head, for example, an inkjet printer, comprises a paper feeder, a paper transporter, a printing part, a paper-discharging part, and a maintenance apparatus.
Among these components of the inkjet printer, the maintenance apparatus maintains and preserves ink ejection nozzles of print heads in a normal state, and is essential to ensuring that the print heads perform adequately.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a general maintenance apparatus 1 used in an inkjet printer.
The maintenance apparatus 1 comprises: a housing 5 connected to a main frame (not shown) of the inkjet printer, a capping member 10 installed inside the housing 5 that comprises two caps 16 to seal surfaces of ink ejection nozzles 3 of mono and color print heads 2 (one shown only) mounted to a carrier (not shown), a wiping member 20 installed inside the housing 5 that comprises two wipers 24 to wipe the surfaces of the ink ejection nozzles 3 of the print heads 2, a power transmission part (not shown) to receive a rotation force from a bi-directional motor (not shown) provided separately from a carrier motor to drive the carrier with the print head 2 mounted therein, a capping member transporting part 14 and 40 to convert a rotation force of the power transmission part to a vertical force and transmit the converted force to the capping member 10, and a wiping member transporting part 26, 28, and 50 to convert the rotation force of the power transmission part to a horizontal force, and transmit the converted force to the wiping member 20.
The maintenance operation of the maintenance apparatus 1 is carried out by driving the bi-directional motor in one direction, for example, in a clockwise direction to uncap and wipe the surfaces of the ink ejection nozzles 3 of the print heads 2 through the capping member transporting part 14 and 40 and the wiping member transporting part 26, 28, and 50, controlling switching elements connected with heaters of the print heads 2 to spit ink through the ink ejection nozzles 3 of the print heads 2, and driving the bi-directional motor in the other direction, that is, in an anti-clockwise direction to wipe and cap the surfaces of the ink ejection nozzles 3 of the print heads 2 through the wiping member transporting part 26, 28, and 50 and the capping member transporting part 14 and 40.
However, the conventional maintenance apparatus 1 of the inkjet printer does not perform the maintenance operation when a power switch (not shown) is turned off or when the power switch is turned on unless a print command or a head cleaning command is issued, even when a power plug (not shown) of the inkjet printer is connected to a socket (not shown) of an electric power source.
Accordingly, when the inkjet printer has not been used over a long period time, for example, for several months, and the power switch is maintained in an 'off' state over the several months or the power switch is maintained in an 'on' state without performing a print operation or the head cleaning operation, ink remaining on the surface of the ink ejection nozzles 3 of the print heads 2 after the previous print operation dries with the passage of time, and causes a portion or all of the ink ejection nozzles 3 of the print head 2 to choke, even when the print heads 2 are maintained at a capping position of capping the surface of the ink ejection nozzles 3 thereof through the caps 16.
When a portion or all of the ink ejection nozzles 3 are choked as described above, the print head 2 can not jet ink through the chocked portion of the ink ejection nozzles 3, thereby, causing deterioration of a picture quality during a print operation.

Automatic maintenance-performing apparatus and method thereof of an image forming device


A drum-type mixer having a cylindrical-shaped drum mounted eccentrically on a drive shaft that rotates the drum. A second shaft, concentric with the drive shaft, extends inside of the drum and is operatively connected to mixing devices, such as scrapers, paddles, etc. to aid in the mixing process. The mixing devices can be rotated the same direction or in the opposite direction as the rotational direction of the drum itself, and the drum and mixing devices can be driven at the same or different speeds. Also, the shaft that extends to the interior of the drum can be used to inject fluids, such as steam, into the product mix and can also be used to exhaust fluids from the interior of the drum.

Mixers are widely used for mixing a variety of both wet and dry products. There are mixers that are employed in continuous mixing systems and there are batch type mixers in which the products to be mixed are placed in the mixer and then agitated. There are numerous batch-type mixers known and used, many of which are designed to mix a specific type of product. Depending upon the type of product, these mixers employ a variety of agitators, paddles, scrapers, wipers, etc. that perform the mixing operation. In addition, there are drum-type mixers in which the drum is revolved while stationary baffles inside of the drum provide the necessary agitation to mix the product. A number of these drum-type mixers include a drum that is eccentrically mounted on an axis so that when the drum is rotated, the material will be moved from one end of the drum to the other as well as from top to bottom in a somewhat figure 8 pattern. An example of a mixer of this type is shown in Dorn U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,202 in which the shaft upon which the mixer revolves is eccentrically mounted relative to the axis of the drum and does not extend through the drum, the drum being mounted on a subframe that permits the drum to be tilted for ease of filing and unloading.
With the increasing number of applications for mixers that can effectively mix a variety of products, both wet and dry, and with user demands that mixers be easily cleaned in place, there is a need for an improved mixer that will effectively mix a variety of both wet and dry products, and one that is simple and relatively inexpensive while still being easy to clean.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a mixer of the eccentrically mounted drum-type which has improved mixing action for both wet and dry products and which can be easily cleaned in place.

Eccentrically mounted drum mixer with internal mixing devices


A system for remote control of locomotives over a single time division multiple access network is provided. The system includes a locomotive control unit configured to operatively control a locomotive. The locomotive control unit is suitable for transmitting and receiving information via the network. The system also includes at least two operator control units suitable for transmitting and receiving information via the network and a hump control unit suitable for transmitting and receiving information via the network. The network employs both spatial and frequency diversity for remote control. The locomotive control unit, the at least two operator control units, and the hump control unit will only transmit in a respective defined period of time.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to the remote control of locomotives and, more particularly, to systems and methods for remotely controlling locomotives in a hump yard environment.
The railroad industry, through the Association of American Railroads (AAR) obtained the right to use radio spectrum in the 220 MHz band for remote locomotive control. The frequency allocation consists of at least two two-way radio channels. These channels are cleared nationwide and are being used for the Remote Control Locomotive (RCL) application. Additional channel pairs in the 220 MHz band may be used at specific locations where individual licenses have been obtained.
Rail yards are areas with many parallel tracks, where switching engines pull and push rail cars together to form trains. In a flat yard, the engines do all the work, and are run by remote control by conductors on the ground. In a hump yard, the engines push cars to a hump crest and then release the cars to have gravity propel the released cars to the desired location. Typically a computer program calculates the engine speed on the hump for efficient operation. Conductors share control of the engine with the computer program. Accordingly, due to the limited nature of available communication resources, there is a need to determine efficient communications between the computer program, the locomotive, and the conductors.

System and method for remote control of locomotives


The invention relates to a switching device and a remote control unit using the switching device to be used for operating a variety of electronic products. The invention aims to provide a device and unit which can be miniaturized and which can utilize a high-density components mounting technology. A switch (12) is disposed inside an inner periphery of the rotary operating part (17), and a lever (14) of the switch (12) is engaged with a cam (18) formed at an inner boundary of the operating part (17), constituting a switching device (19). With this constitution, the switching device and the remote control unit using the device can be provided miniaturized using a high-density components mounting.

In recent years, an audio and a video product, an air-conditioner and other various electronic products are gaining higher functions. In this trend, a switching device and a remote control unit which can be used for diversified operations and are produced in a compact size are demanded.
A conventional switching device is explained using FIG. 4.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the conventional switching device. A plurality of wiring patterns is formed (not shown) on at least one of a main side and an other main side of wiring substrate 1 as shown in the drawing. Operating part 2 is placed on one of the main side and the other side of wiring substrate 1 in a rotatable manner. The operating part is substantially in a disk shape. A plurality of cams 3, 3A and 3B are formed at a lower outer periphery of operating part 2. The cams extrude outward and are formed with a certain distance between each cam.
Switch 4 includes lever 5 which extrudes from case 6 made of insulating resin. Lever 5 can be rock-motioned. When lever 5 is rock-motioned in right or left direction that is in R4 or L4 direction, a moving contact piece (not shown) accommodated in case 6 is connected to or disconnected from a plurality of fixed contact pieces (not shown) in switch 4. An electric signal switched by switch 4 is output from a plurality of terminals 7
Switch 4 is so called a 'return-to-neutral' type. When an operational force applied to lever 4 is removed after rocking the lever in right or left direction namely in R1 or L1 direction, the lever automatically returns to an original neutral position with a resilient force of a spring (not shown) accommodated in case 6.
Switch 4 is placed at an outside part of the outer periphery of operating part 2 mounted on one of the main sides so as lever 5 to be engaged with cams 3, 3A or 3B of operating part 2. Terminals 7 are soldered to predetermined spots of the wiring pattern and are connected to a controller (not shown) that is composed of a microprocessor and other electronic components, constituting the switching device.
The conventional switching device constituted in this manner is installed in an electronic product or in a remote control unit with operating part 2 protruding from an operational part of the electronic product or the control unit, and the wiring pattern of wiring substrate 1 is electrically connected to an electronic circuit of the product or the remote control unit through a connector or the like.
In above constitution, when operating part 2 is rotated in clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, cam 3A or cam 3B of operating part 17 comes into contact with lever 5 of switch 4 with rotational movement of the operating part, rocking lever 5 in left or right or in L4 or R4 direction, making an electrical connection or disconnection of the moving contact piece with the fixed contact piece.
As an example, when operating part 2 is largely rotated in counter-clockwise direction, cam 3B first pushes lever 5 of switch 4 rocking the lever in R4 direction. The lever once automatically returns to the original neutral position, and then pushed by cam 3C and rocked again in R4 direction, making two times of electrical connection and disconnection.
The electric signals caused by the electrical connections and disconnections are output through a plurality of terminals 7 to the controller. As lever 5 is rocked in R4 or L4 direction by certain times, the controller detects the rotational direction and an angle of operating part 2 corresponding to times of electrical connection and disconnection, recognizing a moved position of operating part 2.
Thus, with the rotational movement of operating part 2, audio volume, channel selection of TV, temperature of air-conditioner and other switching activities can be controlled.
As prior technical information on the applied invention, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2003-132765 is available.
In the conventional switching device, however, switch 4 is disposed at an outside part of an outer periphery of operating part 2, and lever 5 is pushed by the moving force of cams 3, 3A, 3B and 3C extruding from operating part 2, so a large space is taken on wiring substrate 1, making a high-density components mounting difficult.

Switching device and remote control using the switching device

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A blue phase liquid crystal composite material and a liquid crystal display comprising the same, can solve the problem of small Kerr constant of the current blue phase liquid crystal and the liquid crystal display comprising the same. The blue phase liquid crystal composite material of the present disclosure is produced by the photo polymerization of the components comprising: a parent blue phase liquid crystal, a benzyne compound, a chiral compound, a photo-polymerizable monomer, and a photoinitiator. The blue phase liquid crystal composite material of the present disclosure has the advantages of large Kerr constant, low voltage, high contrast, rapid response to electric field, good stability, and the like.

Blue phase liquid crystal (Liquid crystalline Blue Phases, BPs) is a special phase which is macroscopically between an isotropic liquid crystal and a cholesteric phase liquid crystal, and commonly occurs in a highly chiral liquid crystal system. Microscopically, the blue phase is of lattice defect without birefringence phenomena, of which the lattice size is comparable to the order of magnitude of the wavelength of visible light (hundreds of nanometers). Blue phases can be divided into three subphases according to the crystal structure, which are designated as Blue phase I (BPI), Blue phase II (BPII), and Blue phase III (BPIII), with the corresponding lattice structures of body-centered cubic, simple cubic, and amorphous state.
The blue phase liquid crystals have an electric field response time in microseconds due to the occurrence of Kerr effect, as compared to electro-optical response of the conventional liquid crystals. Moreover, the blue phase liquid crystal display has a wide visual angle, requires no liquid crystal alignment layer, has a low drive voltage (only ⅓ of that of TFT liquid crystal display), and it is therefore considered as the most promising rapid electro-optical response liquid crystal display material of the next generation.
Because a nano-liquid crystal complex has a very small Kerr constant, the working voltage of the liquid crystal display based on Kerr effect is still too high (>50 Vrms, wherein rms indicates root mean square, and Vrms indicates effective value of alternate current voltage), and thus such liquid crystal display cannot be effectively applied to conventional non-crystal thin film transistor.
The Kerr constant K is positively proportional to the following equation:
            Δ                                              n        induced                    λ                                              E        2              ≈      Δ                                n      ·      Δɛ                                    ɛ          0                                  P          2                                      κλ                                (                          2                            π                        )                          2
In the equation above, Δninduced indicates electric field-induced birefringence, λ is the wavelength of the incident light, E is applied electric field, Δn is the birefringence of the liquid crystal, Δ∈ is the anisotropic dielectric constant, k is the elastic constant, P is the screw pitch of the liquid crystal, and π is the circumference ratio.
As can be seen, increasing both birefringence and dielectric constant favors the increase of the K value. Therefore, it becomes a key to synthesize a liquid crystal material with a large dielectric constant and a large birefringence in order to increase the Kerr constant of blue phase liquid crystals. The present disclosure is directed to solving the problems of low Kerr constant of the blue phase liquid crystal composite materials produced using the methods known by persons skilled in the art and to providing a blue phase liquid crystal composite material with a large Kerr constant.

Blue phase liquid crystal composite material and liquid crystal display comprising the same


The invention provides a method of making a fiber ply for forming a preform of a composite part in the form of a body of revolution having a non-developable surface, the method being characterized in that it comprises the steps consisting in:                defining an annular space (23) with first and second canvases (20, 21) respectively defining an inner periphery and an outer periphery thereof;        placing fibers between the canvases (20, 21) by placing the fibers in the annular space in at least one direction and by holding said fibers on the canvases by stitching;        implementing circular connection stitching in the vicinity of the inner periphery of the annular space (23); and        cutting out the fiber ply as made in this way in the annular space (23) in order to extract it from the canvases.

The invention relates to making fiber plies for fabricating fiber preforms for composite parts that include fiber reinforcement and that present the shape of a body of revolution with a non-developable surface, such as for example the surfaces of rings or of a truncated spheres.
A particular field of application for the invention lies in making fiber reinforcements used in fabricating composite strength members for flexible abutments. Flexible abutments are commonly used in the field of propulsion to form hinges between a nozzle and the body of a thruster. Such abutments are formed by alternating rigid composite strength members, each in the form of a spherical ring, and layers of elastically deformable material such as an elastomer.
A method presently used for forming such composite strength members consists in draping and molding plies of carbon fabric preimpregnated with a resin (e.g. an epoxy resin). More precisely, the method comprises the following steps:                cutting out plies from a preimpregnated fabric of carbon fibers or glass fibers, the plies being in the form of annular sectors of a shape that is approximately that of the development of a truncated cone;        draping plies of preimpregnated fabric in a rosette pattern on a male mold element having a surface in the form of a spherical ring corresponding to the inner surface of the spherical strength member to be made, compacting the plies in a vacuum by means of a membrane, putting a female mold element into place having a surface in the form of a spherical ring corresponding to the outer surface of the strength member to be made; and        polymerizing the assembly under pressure, and unmolding the strength member.
A rigid part with fiber reinforcement is thus obtained that provides better strength in the face of mechanical stresses.
Nevertheless, the above method is very difficult to implement. Draping fiber plies so as to form the fiber reinforcement is an operation that is manual and that is performed directly on a shaping support, thus preventing any accurate control over the orientation and the quantity of fibers at all points of the reinforcement. Putting the female mold element into place can lead to plies slipping and also to wrinkles being formed.
Consequently, that technique does not provide good reproducibility between parts, which parts can then present mechanical characteristics that differ, in particular in terms of fiber concentration and fiber orientation.
When making a laminated flexible abutment, it is important for all of the strength members of the abutment to present shapes and mechanical characteristics that are similar, in order to ensure that the abutment behaves properly.
Furthermore, the plies are formed using preimpregnated fibers that present less flexibility than do dry fibers, thereby making it much more difficult to shape the plies to match the shape of a non-developable body of revolution.
Naturally, other types of composite parts also exist (e.g. engine casings) that present shapes comprising bodies of revolution with non-developable surfaces and that are made up of fiber reinforcement with fibers that are oriented as a function of mechanical forces so as to increase the mechanical strength of the part. Nevertheless, as with a strength member for a flexible abutment, there is no method available enabling fiber layers to be made repeatedly that present fibers in quantities and orientations that are constant so as to form fiber reinforcements with shapes in the form of bodies of non-developable revolution and with geometrical characteristics that are uniform.
Furthermore, certain types of part also need to be reinforced locally. For this purpose, the fiber reinforcement must present increased thickness of fibers in determined locations. Making fiber layers with thicker fiber portions suitable for deforming and matching the shapes of non-developable bodies of revolution becomes even more difficult, in particular in terms of controlling the orientation of the fibers and in terms of reproducibility between layers.

Method of producing a fibrous layer for the manufacture of a preform of a composite part


An antenna apparatus and a portable wireless device using the same are disclosed, in which a coupling between antenna elements is reduced and an isolation property is improved even when frequencies of antenna elements are close or overlapped. The antenna apparatus includes a ground board, a first antenna element corresponding to a first frequency band, a second antenna element corresponding to a second frequency band in the vicinity of, or overlapped with the first frequency band, a first power feeding part connecting the ground board to the first antenna element and a second power feeding part connecting the ground board to the second antenna element, in which the first antenna element is arranged in a direction at an angle of an integer multiple of 90 degrees with respect to a long edge of the ground board, and the second antenna element is arranged in parallel with the long edge of the ground board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antenna apparatus which corresponds to plural frequency bands and a portable wireless device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
On a cellular phone as a major example of portable wireless devices used for mobile communication, installations of not only a function as a telephone but also communication system functions corresponding to various applications are proceeding As examples of such functions, FM radio reception, TV reception, a GPS function, compliance to Bluetooth standard, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and the like can be cited. These systems differ from one another in frequency bands to be used and wireless circuitry, therefore, antenna elements corresponding to respective systems are required.
A structure of a portable wireless device including a conventional antenna apparatus is shown in FIG. 12. Portable wireless device 105 includes an antenna apparatus having first antenna element 101, second antenna element 102 and ground board 100. First antenna element 101 and second antenna element 102 are connected to ground board 100 respectively. First antenna element corresponds to a first system in a first frequency. Second antenna element 102 corresponds to a second system in a second frequency. Accordingly, the antenna apparatus corresponding to plural systems requires plural antenna elements corresponding to respective systems. Such conventional structure is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2002-237779.
However, in the conventional antenna apparatus, plural antenna elements are simply arranged in a ground board, therefore, when frequencies of antenna elements are close or overlapped, problems of property deterioration by a coupling between elements, and difficulty in adjusting the element itself by the coupling can occur.

Antenna apparatus and portable wireless device using the same


An apparatus and method for controlling a brushless DC motor, which minimizes a torque ripple thereof, and includes a power converting unit to convert alternating current (AC) power to polyphase AC power and to supply the polyphase AC power to the brushless DC motor. A rotator position/speed detecting unit detects status information of a rotator. A terminal voltage detecting unit detects variations of terminal voltages of the polyphase AC power. A control unit detects phase commutation periods of the polyphase AC power using the status information provided from the rotator position/speed detecting unit and the terminal voltage variation information of the polyphase AC power provided from the terminal voltage detecting unit. The control unit controls the power converting unit to supply a compensation voltage used to constantly maintain a mean voltage of a non-commutation phase of the polyphase AC power during the detected phase commutation periods.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to an apparatus and method for controlling motors and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling a brushless direct current motor, which minimizes torque ripple.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known to those skilled in the art, a brushless Direct Current (DC) motor employs a rectifying circuit including switching devices instead of mechanical elements, such as a brush and a commutator. The brushless DC motor is characterized in that the replacement of the brush due to abrasion is not necessary, and little electromagnetic interference and drive noise exist. A control apparatus driving the brushless DC motor is described in detail with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional apparatus to control a brushless DC motor. As shown in FIG. 1, a power converting device including a converter 104, a capacitor 108 and an inverter 106 converts Alternating Current (AC) power supplied from an AC power supply unit 102 to pulse-shaped 3-phase AC power, and supplies the 3-phase AC power to a brushless DC motor (BLDC motor) 110. Of U, V and W phase currents of the 3-phase AC power supplied to the brushless DC motor 110 from the inverter 106, U and V phase currents are detected by first and second current sensors 112a and 112b. The U and V phase current information detected by the first and second current sensors 112a and 112b, respectively, is provided to a control unit 114 and inverter control signals provided to the inverter 106 are based on the detected U and V phase current information. A position and a speed of a rotator of the brushless DC motor 110 are detected by a position/speed detecting unit 116. The detected position/speed information of the rotator is further provided to the control unit 114 and inverter control signals provided to the inverter 106 are based on the detected position/speed information. That is, the control unit 114 controls the speed of rotation of the brushless DC motor 110 with reference to the phase current information inputted from the current sensors 112a and 112b and the rotator position/speed information inputted from the position/speed detecting unit 116. The control unit 114 outputs inverter control signals to control phase commutation times of the 3-phase AC power outputted from the inverter 106 and the intensities of phase currents thereof, thus allowing the rotation speed of the brushless DC motor 110 to comply with a speed command.
Torque of the brushless DC motor may be expressed by the multiplication of an induced voltage by a current. In phase commutation periods of the 3-phase AC power, phase currents are temporarily decreased, thus generating torque ripple. Since the torque ripple is a cause of noise generation and vibration, a plan to minimize the torque ripple is required.
To minimize the torque ripple of the brushless DC motor, phase currents temporarily reduced during the phase commutation periods must be provided with compensation. The compensation must be performed only during the phase commutation periods. If the phase commutation periods are not accurately detected, undercompensation or overcompensation of the phase currents occurs. Accordingly, to minimize the torque ripple, accurately detecting the phase commutation periods is important. In the related art, current sensors, such as hall effect sensors, are used to detect the phase commutation periods of the brushless DC motor. However, using the current sensors to detect respective phase currents, as shown in FIG. 1, increases a manufacturing cost of a brushless DC motor control apparatus, thereby imposing a heavy burden to both a manufacturer and a user.

Apparatus and method for controlling brushless DC motor


Suspension formulations suitable for nebulization, for administration by inhalation, comprising fluticasone propionate with a particle size less than 12 microns, one or more surfactants, one or more buffer agents and water. Also described are a method of preparing such a formulation, a container comprising the formulation, and a method of treating asthma using the formulation.

Fluticasone propionate is the approved name for S-fluoromethyl 6a, 9a-difluoro-11b-hydroxy-16a-methyl-17a-propionyloxy-3-oxandrosta-1, 4-diene 17b carbothioate, a corticosteroid known to exhibit topical antiinflammatory activity and described and claimed in GB 2088877. In the treatment of asthmatic conditions it has been found to be effective to administer fluticasone propionate in the form of dry powders or aerosols containing small particles of the medicament, conventionally prepared by micronisation. Conventionally, fluticasone propionate aerosols have been administered by means of metered dose inhalers, which are designed to deliver a fixed unit dosage of medicament per actuation or "puff". However, some patients, in particular children and the elderly, have difficulty in coordinating actuation of a metered dose inhaler with inhalation, and are therefore unable to use this mode of administration effectively. Furthermore, a proportion of patients find inhalation of dry powders difficult or unpleasant. There is therefore a demand for a pharmaceutical formulation containing fluticasone propionate in a form suitable for nebulisation.

Fluticasone propionate nebulizable formulations


Polypeptide fusions, dimeric fusion proteins, and materials and methods for making them are disclosed. One of the polypeptide fusions consists of a non-immunoglobulin polypeptide, a polypeptide linker, a dimerizing domain, and, optionally, a linking polypeptide. Another of the polypeptide fusions consists of a non-immunoglobulin polypeptide, a polypeptide linker, and a second dimerizing domain.

A variety of proteins, including both cell-surface receptors and soluble ligands, require dimerization for proper biological activity. Although dimerization may readily occur in the native biological milieu, it is often problematic for recombinant forms of many proteins, including soluble forms of receptors that are embedded in the cell surface in their native state.
Cell-surface receptors that must dimerize in order to transduce a signal include members of the receptor tyrosine kinase family, the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family, and the class 1 and class 2 cytokine receptor families. Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors, for example, dimerize upon ligand binding, resulting in autophosphorylation of tyrosine residues and initiation of intracellular signal transduction. Other examples of receptors that dimerize upon ligand binding include growth hormone receptors, interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptors, IL-3 receptors, IL-5 receptors, IL-6 receptors, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) receptors, oncostatin M (OSM) receptors, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) receptors, and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) receptors. Dimerized receptors include both homodimers and heterodimers. Some receptor polypeptides function as subunits within a plurality of cytokine receptor dimers. See, for example, Cosman, Cytokine 5:95-106, 1993.
Naturally occuring soluble forms of many cell-surface receptors are known. These soluble receptors correspond to the ligand-binding domains of their cell-surface counterparts. Soluble cytokine receptors inhibit cytokine responses and act as transport proteins. See, for example, Aggarwal and Puri, "Common and Uncommon Features of Cytokines and Cytokine Receptors: An Overview," in Aggarwal and Puri, eds., Human Cytokines: Their Role in Disease and Therapy, Blackwell Science, 1995, 3-24. It has been found that dimerization of soluble receptor polypeptides through the use of fusion proteins may enhance the binding properties of these soluble receptors so that they become therapeutically useful antagonists of their cognate ligands. Typical of such dimeric fusions are immunoglobulin fusions. See, for example, Sledziewski et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,155,027 and 5,567,584; Jacobs et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,690; Wallner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,111; and Ashkenazi and Chamow, Curr. Opin. Immunol. 9:195-200, 1997.
To date, immunoglobulin fusion technology has not provided a commercially viable means to produce heterodimeric proteins. Using currently available technology, co-expression of two different fusion polypeptides in a recombinant cell generally results in a mixture of both homodimers and heterodimers. The costs associated with recovery and purification of heterodimers from the mixture has limited the commercial application of this technology. Thus, there remains a need in the art for an efficient method of producing soluble, dimeric proteins, including soluble receptor dimers and soluble heterodimers.

Dimeric fusion proteins and materials and methods for producing them


The resonance fluorescence spectrum of a number of two-level atoms is driven by a gradient coherent laser field. In the weak dipole-dipole interaction region (separation less than λ/50), a very strong laser field may be applied such that the Rabi frequency is much larger than the dipole-dipole interaction energy. From the spectrum, the positions of each atom may be determined by just a few measurements. This sub-wavelength microscopy scheme is entirely based on far-field technique and it does not require point-by-point scanning, which makes the method more time-efficient. When two atoms are very close to each other (less than λ/50), the position information for each atom may still be obtained with very high accuracy provided that they are not too close to other atoms. The method may be extended to an arbitrarily large region without requiring more peak laser power and only a few measurements are required.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to optical microscopy. More particularly, it relates to far-field resonance fluorescence localization microscopy.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
The resolution limit of traditional far-field optical microscopy is about half the wavelength of the light [see, e.g., E. Abbe, Arch. Mikr. Anat. 9, 413 (1873) and L. Rayleigh, Philos. Mag. 47, 81 (1874)]. To achieve better resolution, one must switch to shorter wavelengths (e.g., electron microscopy) which is usually invasive to the system [see, e.g., A. Diaspro (ed), Nanoscopy and Multidimensional Optical Fluorescence Microscopy (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2010)]. Near-field scanning microscopy can obtain optical imaging with sub-diffraction resolution [see, e.g., G. Binnig, C. F. Quate, and C. Gerber, Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 930 (1986) and C. Hettich et al., Science 298, 385 (2002)], but due to the surface bound nature it is limited in application. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy first was developed to achieve a higher resolution than classical one-photon fluorescence microscopy in the far field [see, e.g., W. Denk, J. H. Strickler, and W. W. Webb, Science 248, 73 (1990) and J. H. Strickler and W. W. Webb, Proc. SPIE 1398, 107 (1991)]. Stimulated emission depletion (STED) and the related concept of ground-state depletion microscopy are then developed to overcome the far-field diffraction limit in fluorescence microscopy [see, e.g., S. W. Hell and J. Wichmann, Opt. Lett. 19, 780 (1994) and S. W. Hell and M. Kroug, Appl. Phys. B 60, 495 (1995)]. Space-dependent dark states are also proposed to achieve subwavelength resolution [see, e.g., G. S. Agarwal and K. T. Kapale, J. Phys. B 39, 3437 (2006) and S. Bretschneider, C. Eggeling, and S. W. Hell, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 218103 (2007)]. However, realization of these schemes is based on point-by-point scanning and is time consuming. Coherent Rabi oscillations may also be employed to break the diffraction limit [see, e.g., Z. Liao, M. Al-Amri, and M. S. Zubairy, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 183601 (2010) and C. Shin et al., J. Lumin. 130, 1635 (2010)], but the effect of dipole-dipole interaction has not been well discussed. Another method based on resonance fluorescence is able to measure the separation of two interacting atoms with subwavelength resolution [see, e.g., J-T Chang, J. Evers, M. O. Scully, and M. S. Zubairy, Phys. Rev. A 73, 031803(R) (2006) and Q. Sun, M. Al-Amri, M. O. Scully, and M. S. Zubairy, Phys. Rev. A 83, 063818 (2011)].
A question remains whether the locations of multiple atoms can be determined with sub-wavelength resolution even when dipole-dipole interaction is involved.

Resonance fluorescence localization microscopy with sub-wavelength resolution

King Absulaziz City for Science and Technology


A multi-functional tool assembly for a waste processing machine includes waste reducer to reduce waste material. The multi-functional tool assembly also includes a single tool to support the waste reducer. The tool includes a head, a fan, and a shaft integrally formed therein. The fan is disposed radially below the waste reducer to aggressively output reduced waste material from the waste processing machine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to waste processing machines and, more particularly, to a multi-functional tool assembly for a processing tool of a waste processing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide waste processing machines to reduce waste material. The waste processing machine typically includes a rotor assembly for reducing the waste material as the rotor assembly rotates. An example of such a rotor assembly for a waste processing machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,003, issued Jan. 26, 1999, to Smith, entitled "WASTE PROCESSING MACHINE". In that patent, the rotor assembly includes a rotor having a plurality of spaced pairs of mounting arms. The rotor assembly also includes a processing tool mounted to each pair of mounting arms. An example of such a processing tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,912, issued Apr. 11, 2000, to Smith, entitled "BREAK-AWAY PROCESSING TOOL FOR A WASTE PROCESSING MACHINE". In that patent, the processing tool includes a tool holder attached to the mounting arms of the rotor assembly by fasteners. The tool holder has a pair of spaced arms extending radially with a tool for reducing waste product attached to one arm and a wear bar or raker for depth limiting guiding attached to the other arm. Typically, the tool is of a single cutting, bullet, or fan type having a head attached to a shaft by suitable means such as brazing. The shaft of the tool is extended through an aperture in the arm of the processing tool and secured thereto by a fastener such as a nut.
Typically, the tool of the cutting type is used for cutting waste material and provides aggressive intake of waste material, but poor output of reduced waste material. The tool of the bullet type is used for splitting waste material to reduce it without cutting and provides aggressive intake of waste material, but provides poor output of reduced waste material. The tool of the fan type is used for impacting waste material such as grass and leaves to reduce it without cutting and provides poor intake of waste material, but provides aggressive output of reduced waste material.
An example of the above tools are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,210, issued May 9, 2000, to Smith, entitled "ROTOR ASSEMBLY FOR A WASTE PROCESSING MACHINE". In that patent, the rotor assembly includes a rotor and a plurality of processing tools mounted to the rotor. The processing tools include a combination of at least two different types of tools to provide aggressive intake of waste material and aggressive output of reduced waste material in the waste processing machine.
Recently, one application of the waste processing machine is for reducing roofing shingles. Typically, the roofing shingles have an abrasive bonded to a matting. When the roofing shingles are reduced in the rotor assembly, the abrasive circulates past the cutting tool, resulting in abrasion of the processing tool and the rotor assembly. If the abrasion is severe, the entire processing tool or the rotor assembly must be replaced, which is expensive, time consuming, and undesired. Therefore, it is critical to get the abrasive out of the rotor assembly as quickly as possible.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a single multi-functional tool assembly in a waste processing machine for reducing waste material and aggressively outputting the reduced waste material. It is also desirable to provide a multi-functional tool assembly for reducing roofing shingles and aggressively outputting the abrasive from a rotor assembly of a waste processing machine. It is further desirable to provide a multi-functional tool assembly for a waste processing machine that reduces wear of a tool holder of a processing tool when reducing waste material containing an abrasive. It is still further desirable to provide a multi-functional tool assembly that reduces disproportionate wear and maintains acceptable product life. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a multi-functional tool assembly for a processing tool of a waste processing machine that allows a single tool to both reduce waste material and to aggressively output the reduced waste material while maintaining uniform wear and acceptable product life.

Multi-functional tool assembly for processing tool of waste processing machine


A sliding window assembly for a vehicle includes an upper track member, a lower track member, and a carrier component. The track members each define a first channel having a first depth, a second channel having a second depth, and a third channel having a third depth less than each of the first and second depths. The carrier component includes upper and lower edges. Each edge has a first tab extending to a first length and a second tab extending to a second length. The carrier component slides in the track members to move between an open and a closed position. The first tabs slide in the first channels, the second tabs slide in the second channels, and the edges of the carrier component slide in the third channels. The first lengths correspond to the first depths and the second lengths correspond to the second depths so the tabs appropriately fit in their respective channels.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a sliding window assembly, particularly for a vehicle, wherein a sliding unit includes a carrier component slidable along a track member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various sliding window assemblies for vehicles are known in the prior art. Examples of such an assembly are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,214 (the '214 patent) to Buening.
The sliding window assembly disclosed in the '214 patent includes several embodiments of a sliding unit. In all embodiments, the sliding unit is slidable along a track member between an open and a closed position. In one embodiment, the sliding unit includes a carrier component and a sliding panel. The carrier component is operatively connected to the sliding panel for supporting the sliding panel as the carrier component moves along the track member. The carrier component includes an edge with a first pin and a second pin extending from the edge. The first and second pins are identical and each have circular cross-sections. The pins are slidable in a first channel of the track member. The edge is slidable in a second channel of the track member.
In another embodiment of the '214 patent, the sliding unit does not include a carrier component. Rather, the first pin and the second pin are affixed directly to the sliding panel. A track member includes a first channel extending to a first depth for receiving the first pin and a second channel extending to a second depth for receiving the second pin. The first channel defines a first width and the second channel defines a second width. The first width is less than the second width. Accordingly, the first pin is sized to only fit in the first channel and the second pin is sized to only fit in the second channel. The first and second channels each have a right angle bend for forcing the pins attached to the sliding panel to abruptly change direction by 90° as the panel is moved from the open to the closed position. This abrupt change in direction is difficult to operate and results in a sliding window assembly that is not aesthetically pleasing when opening the sliding panel. Also, the sliding panel is not directly supported by the track member, thus promoting vibration and rattle.
The prior art, as evidenced by the specific disclosures of the '214 patent, provides many sliding window assemblies. However, there remains an opportunity to provide a sliding window assembly including a sliding panel that is easy to operate and that has a smooth and stable movement between an open and a closed position.

Sliding window assembly and a carrier component


An antenna device for radio telephone based on a printed circuit board antenna or a strip conductor antenna and simple to produce and has a high efficiency, but nevertheless ensures that the user of the radio telephone is less exposed to the effects of electromagnetic radiation and the parasitic interference of the telephone caused by the user is reduced. To this end, the strip conductor carrier is cut around strip conductors used as the antenna up to a section used for the connection of the strip conductor used as the antenna to the other strip conductors of the strip conductor carrier. Furthermore, at least when the strip conductor carrier is mounted in the radio telephone, the cut-out regions of the strip conductor carrier, carrying the strip conductor used as the antenna is deflected out of the plane of the other regions of the strip conductor carrier.

The invention relates to an antenna device for radio telephones.
Radio telephones have an antenna, with the aid of which a wireless connection can be established with corresponding associated transmitter/receiver stations.
Basically there are three possible ways of implementing antennas in a radio telephone.
Firstly, it is possible to use an additional external component as the antenna.
Such an implementation is known for example from the document DE 696 22 451 T2.
The antenna device implemented in accordance with this document comprises an additional antenna component which is brought out from the housing of the radio telephone in question.
Although such an antenna device represents an optimum solution in terms of antenna technology, this solution is however no longer acceptable today in practical terms at least in the mass market for reasons of design.
Secondly, it is possible to use an additional internal component as the antenna.
Such an implementation is known for example from the document DE 102 59 839 A1.
The antenna device implemented in accordance with this document comprises an additional antenna component which can for example be a sheet-metal part or wireframe geometry. In this case, this additional antenna component includes regions which are arranged outside the plane of a carrier used for the antenna arrangement, but also for further electrotechnical precautions. Compared with an arrangement of the antenna device on the same plane as the aforementioned carrier this results in an increased distance between the head of a user of the radio telephone in question and the antenna device of this telephone. In this manner the head of the user is less exposed to the effects of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the telephone. On the other hand, however, the parasitic interference of the radio telephone or its antenna caused by the user is also reduced.
In a side view disclosed in the last-mentioned document said increased distance with respect to the antenna and the strip conductor carrier can be easily seen.
One disadvantage of such an antenna device is the fact that an additional component is used for the antenna, which is expensive to manufacture and complex to assemble.
Thirdly, it is possible to use a printed circuit board antenna or a strip conductor antenna.
Such an implementation is known for example from the document DE 201 12 076 U1.
An antenna device of this type essentially has only one strip conductor as an antenna, which is arranged directly on a strip conductor carrier.
One important disadvantage of this antenna device is the fact that the distance from the strip conductor used as the antenna to an outer wall of the associated radio telephone and thus to the head of a user of said radio telephone is very small. Here too this small distance between radio telephone and head again causes an undesired distortion of the radiation pattern of the antenna device of the telephone in addition to increased exposure of the head of a user of the radio telephone to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the telephone. As a result, radiation losses due to absorption are again caused which are reflected in a reduced range of the telephone. To compensate for this would mean increasing the radiated power, which in turn results in increased irradiation of high-frequency power into the head of the user.
A loop antenna is known from the document EP 0 986 106 A1, which is arranged with its loop element spaced from the plane of the carrier material carrying the loop antenna by material tensioning of guide elements.
An antenna construction is known from the document WO 2004/066444 A1, which is formed with the aid of a flexible, film-like substrate. On the flexible substrate are placed antenna elements together with both electronics elements and electrical feed lines. The flexible substrate is applied on an upper side of a circuit board and covers the entire upper surface of the latter. In this case it is embodied in such a manner that it projects beyond the upper surface of the circuit board. The part of the flexible substrate, on which the antenna elements are placed, projecting beyond the circuit board is bent back in an arc across the upper surface of the circuit board and forms a second plane at a spacing from the upper surface of the circuit board. The distance between this second plane and the upper surface of the circuit board is fixed by spacers arranged between them.
A similar antenna is disclosed in the document DE 101 24 766 C1, as is known from the document WO 2004/066444 A1.


An analog-to-digital converter includes a reference voltage generator that outputs a reference voltage, a first comparator and a second comparator that compare the reference voltage and a voltage of an input signal and output a digital signal having a first logical value or a second logical value, and a calibrator that compares an output of the first comparator and an output of the second comparator and outputs a first offset control signal and a second offset control signal. The first comparator sets an offset value having a positive or negative polarity to an output inversion threshold level based on the first offset control signal, and the second comparator sets an offset value having a polarity opposite to the polarity set by the first comparator to an output inversion threshold level based on the second offset control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analog-to-digital converter and, particularly, to an analog-to-digital converter having a calibration function of a comparator that converts an analog value to a digital value.
2. Description of Related Art
In the signal processing field, signal processing based on digital signals has become mainstream today. Thus, if an externally input signal is a signal having an analog value (which is referred to hereinafter as an analog signal), the analog signal is converted to a digital signal and processed. One of circuits that perform such conversion processing is an analog-to-digital converter. The analog-to-digital converter includes a comparator that compares the value of an input analog signal with the value of a reference signal and converts the analog signal to a digital signal. The comparator, however, generally has an offset. Due to the offset, in the comparator, a threshold for inverting the logic level of an output signal is deviated from the voltage value of a reference voltage. In order to perform analog-to-digital conversion with high accuracy, it is necessary to reduce the deviation of the threshold. One approach to eliminate the threshold deviation is to reduce the threshold deviation of the comparator by calibration processing.
An example of a technique of performing such calibration processing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,046,179. FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an analog-to-digital converter 100 disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,046,179. The analog-to-digital converter 100 shown in FIG. 20 includes a calibration reference voltage generator 130, a selector 145, a sample-and-hold circuit 160, conversion circuits 121 and 122 and a control circuit 140. During a calibration period, the analog-to-digital converter 100 performs calibration of the converter 100 by using a calibration reference voltage CALREF that is generated in the calibration reference voltage generator 130. The analog-to-digital converter 100 can thereby correct an error of the converter 100 and improve the conversion accuracy.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-54205 discloses an example of an analog-to-digital converter that improves the conversion accuracy without performing the calibration processing.

Analog-to-digital converter with a calibration function