A gelator that includes a lipid peptide of Formula (1) wherein R1 is a C9-23 aliphatic group, R2 is a hydrogen atom or a C1-4 alkyl group optionally having a C1-2 branched chain, R3 is a —(CH2)n—X group, n is a number from 1 to 4, and X is an amino group, a guanidino group, a —CONH2 group, or a 5-membered ring optionally having 1 to 3 nitrogen atoms, a 6-membered ring optionally having 1 to 3 nitrogen atoms, or a fused heterocycle including a 5-membered ring and a 6-membered ring that optionally has 1 to 3 nitrogen atoms; or a pharmaceutically usable salt of the lipid peptide.

A hydrogel is useful as a gel having high biocompatibility because it includes water as a medium, and thus is used in wide fields including commodities such as disposable diapers, cosmetics, and air fresheners.
Examples of a conventional hydrogel include natural polymer gels such as agarose and synthetic polymer gels that are formed by cross-linking chains of a polymer such as an acrylamide gel through chemical covalent bonds.
Recently, functional gels in which various functions such as substance holding capacities, external stimulus responsive performance, and biodegradability in consideration of the environment are imparted to a hydrogel have been attracting much attention, and there are attempts for providing various functions by incorporating functional molecules into the natural or the synthetic polymer gels using copolymerization reaction.
In order to impart a new function to a hydrogel, it is required to study the nanostructure and the surface structure of the gel in detail. However, the method of incorporating a functional molecule using the copolymerization reaction has various problems that the introduction rate of a functional group is limited, that precise molecular design is difficult, that unreacted residual substances have safety issues, and that gel preparation is extremely complicated.
In order to prepare a safe and stable sheet-shaped gel (so-called a gel sheet) without unreacted residual crosslinking agents using such hydrogels, a solution dissolving a natural polymer is placed in a sheet-shape mold and a gel sheet is formed by gelation. However, physical cross-linkages between natural polymers are fragile and in an equilibrium state. Thus, when the gel sheet is immersed in water, the natural polymer is gradually fallen out from the gel sheet into water to disintegrate the gel sheet. In this manner, it has been extremely difficult to prepare a gel sheet only by a physical gel (Non-patent Document 1).
In contrast to such conventional "top-down type" developments of functional materials, "bottom-up type" studies for producing functional materials, in which atoms or molecules as a minimum unit of substances are assembled to form an assembly and a new function is found in a supermolecule as the formed assembly, have been drawing attention.
Also in the field of gels, a new gel composed of a noncovalent gel fiber (so-called "nanofiber self-assembly") has been developed by self-assembly of low molecular compounds. The "self-assembly" means that, in a substance (molecule) group in a random state at first, molecules are spontaneously assembled under suitable external conditions through intermolecular noncovalent interactions and the like to grow to a macro functional assembly.
The new gel draws attention because macroscopic structures or functions of the gel can be theoretically controlled by controlling intermolecular interactions or weak noncovalent bonds of a molecular assembly depending on molecular design of monomers.
However, there is no definite method for controlling the intermolecular interactions or the noncovalent bonds between low-molecular weight compounds. Furthermore, in the studies of the noncovalent gel, the study of self-assembly using hydrogen bonds in an organic solvent is preceded because the gel is comparatively easily formed, and self-assembled compounds in an aqueous solution (that is, a hydrogelator and the like) have been found only incidentally.
Previously reported hydrogelators forming noncovalent gels are generally classified into the following three types.
[1. Hydrogelators Having Amphiphilic Low-Molecular Weight Molecule as Skeleton]
This type of hydrogelators is modeled on an artificial lipid membrane. Examples of the hydrogelator include surfactant gelators having a quaternary ammonium salt part as the hydrophilic portion and an alkyl long chain as the hydrophobic portion and twin-surfactant gelators in which hydrophilic portions of two surfactant molecules are connected.
As an example of the hydrogel produced by such gelators, there has been developed a molecular organizational hydrogel formed by adding an anionic compound having a molecular weight of 90 or more to an aqueous solution dispersing a cationic amphiphilic compound having a branched alkyl group as the hydrophobic portion (Patent Document 1).
[2. Hydrogelators Having Skeleton in Motif of Biocomponents]
Examples of the hydrogelator include gelators using assembly between molecular assemblies by a peptide secondary structure skeleton (such as an α-helix structure and a β-sheet structure).
For example, there has been developed a gelator having an α-helix structure (Non-patent Document 2) and a gelator having a β-sheet structure (Non-patent Document 3).
[3. Hydrogelators Having Semi-Artificial Low-Molecular Weight Molecule as Skeleton]
This type of hydrogelators is composed of a combination of a biocomponent such as DNA bases, peptide chains, and sugar chains (hydrophilic portion), an alkyl chain (hydrophobic portion), and the like, and can be considered as a gelator in which the characteristics of the above two types of gelators are combined. Here, the DNA bases, the peptide chains, and the sugar chains have roles not only for improving hydrophilicity but also for imparting intermolecular interactions such as a hydrogen bond.
For example, there has been developed a hydrogelator composed of a glycoside-amino acid derivative including a sugar structure moiety having a glycoside structure of N-acetylated monosaccharides or disaccharides (Patent Document 2) and a fine hollow fiber composed of a peptide lipid of General Formula "RCO(NHCH2CO)mOH" and a transition-metal and having self-assembling property (Patent Document 3).
There is also disclosed a formation of β-sheet fiber network from an amphiphilic peptide having a structure of <hydrophobic portion-cysteine residue (forming disulfide bonds at the time of network formation)-glycine residue (imparting flexibility)-phosphorylated serine residue-cell adhesive peptide> using the hydrophobic portion as a core (Non-patent Document 4).
There has been reported preparation of a glycolipid supermolecular hydrogel using a chemical library (Non-patent Document 5).
Amphiphilic dipeptide compounds composed of a hydrophobic portion and a dipeptide are also drawing attention as one of the "bottom-up type" functional materials capable of forming a self-assembly. For example, it is known that a dipeptide compound having a specific lipid part of "2-(naphthalen-2-yloxy)acetic acid" and "glycylglycine, glycylserine, or the like" can form a hydrogel. However, such compounds can form a gel from only an acidic aqueous solution or a hydrogel formed from each is acidic (Non-patent Document 6).
Furthermore, few of the low-molecular weight hydrogels that have been thus developed can form a gel not only from an aqueous solution but also from an organic solvent, and hydrogels capable of forming a gel from both of the solvents have a limited structure. Even hydrogels capable of forming a gel from both of the solvents can form a gel only from a combination of water or an aqueous solution having a limited pH and a specific organic solvent (Non-patent Documents 7 to 9). That is, there are no gelators that can form a gel from an aqueous solution in a wide pH range as well as have gelation properties with respect to an organic solvent including solvents practically used for cosmetics and the like.
In contrast, a lipid peptide compound composed of lauric acid or myristic acid that is a natural fatty acid and glycylglycine does not form a hydrogel but forms an organic nanotube including multilayered vesicles of a hollow having an inner diameter of about 50 to 90 nm to be precipitated (for example, Patent Document 3). On the other hand, it has been found that palmitoyl-Gly-Gly-His that is formed by adding histidine to the C-terminal of glycylglycine and bonding palmitic acid as a natural fatty acid to the N-terminal has gelation properties. Moreover, it has been reported that palmitoyl-Gly-Gly-Gly-His that is formed by bonding palmitic acid to a tetrapeptide in place of the tripeptide has high gelation properties at a lowest gelation concentration of only 0.03 wt % (Non-patent Document 10).
In this manner, it is supposed that when the hydrophilic portion has a longer peptide chain, the number of hydrogen bonds between lipid peptides increases, and thus a stably assembled lipid peptide can be obtained. However, it is unknown until now whether a lipid peptide compound is self-assembled to form a gel when the hydrophilic portion has a shorter peptide chain and thus the number of hydrogen bonds between lipid peptides decreases.
Furthermore, even by the palmitoyl-Gly-Gly-Gly-His, it has been reported until now that a gel can be formed only from a few mediums such as 1 N aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, neutral and basic aqueous solutions, and a mixed solution of ethanol and water, and there are no reports on gelation using various acids or inorganic salts and on gelation of organic solvents used for cosmetics and external medicines.


The present invention discloses an IPS LCD device. The IPS LCD device according to the present invention implements a plurality of transparent common and pixel electrodes. Since the plurality of common and pixel electrodes are made from the transparent material on the same plane, the IPS LCD device has a high aperture ratio, a high brightness quality, and therefore a low power consumption. In another aspect, the IPS LCD device according to the present invention implements overlapped data line and outermost common electrode. To form the overlapped data line and outermost common electrode, an organic passivation layer is used such that cross talk between the data line and the outermost common electrode is prevented. Then, because the overlapped data line and outermost common electrode serve as a black matrix such that no black matrix is needed. Therefore, an aperture ratio of the IPS LCD device is further improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display device implementing in-plane switching (IPS) where an electric field to be applied to liquid crystal is generated in a plane parallel to a substrate.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A typical liquid crystal display (LCD) device uses optical anisotropy and polarization properties of liquid crystal molecules. The liquid crystal molecules have a definite orientational order in alignment resulting from their thin and long shapes. The alignment orientation of the liquid crystal molecules can be controlled by supplying an electric field to the liquid crystal molecules. In other words, as the alignment direction of the electric field is changed, the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules also changes. Because incident light is refracted to the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules due to the optical anisotropy of the aligned liquid crystal molecules, image data is displayed.
Liquid crystal is classified into positive liquid crystal and negative liquid crystal, depending on the electrical properties of the liquid crystal. The positive liquid crystal has a positive dielectric anisotropy such that long axes of liquid crystal molecules are aligned parallel to an electric field. Whereas, the negative liquid crystal has a negative dielectric anisotropy such that long axes of liquid crystal molecules are aligned perpendicular to an electric field.
By now, active matrix LCDs, in which the thin film transistors and the pixel electrodes are arranged in the form of a matrix, are widely used because of their high resolution and superiority in displaying moving video data.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a typical twisted nematic (TN) LCD panel. As shown in FIG. 1, the TN LCD panel has lower and upper substrates 2 and 4 and an interposed liquid crystal layer 10. The lower substrate 2 includes a first transparent substrate 1a and a thin film transistor ("TFT") "S". The TFT "S" is used as a switching element to change orientation of the liquid crystal molecules. The lower substrate 2 further includes a pixel electrode 15 that applies an electric field to the liquid crystal layer 10 in accordance with signals applied by the TFT "S". The upper substrate 4 has a second transparent substrate 1b, a color filter 8 on the second transparent substrate 1b, and a common electrode 14 on the color filter 8. The color filter 8 implements color for the LCD panel. The common electrode 14 serves as another electrode for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer 10. The pixel electrode 15 is arranged over a pixel region "P," i.e., a display area. A transparent conductive material like indium tin oxide (ITO) having superior light transmittance is used for the pixel electrode 15. Further, to prevent leakage of the liquid crystal layer 10 between the lower and upper substrates 2 and 4, those substrates are sealed by a sealant 6.
As described above, because the pixel and common electrodes 15 and 14 of the related art TN LCD panel are positioned on the lower and upper substrates 2 and 4, respectively, the electric field induced therebetween is perpendicular to the lower and upper substrates 1a and 1b. The above-mentioned liquid crystal display device has advantages of high transmittance and aperture ratio, and further, since the common electrode on the upper substrate serves as an electrical ground, the liquid crystal is protected from a static electricity.
However, the above-mentioned operation mode of the TN LCD panel has a disadvantage of a narrow viewing angle. To overcome the above-mentioned problem, an in-plane switching (IPS) LCD panel was developed. The IPS LCD panel implements a parallel electric field that is parallel to the substrates, which is different from the TN or STN (super twisted nematic) LCD panel. A detailed explanation about operation modes of a typical IPS LCD panel will be provided with reference to FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B.
As shown in FIG. 2, first and second substrates 1a and 1b are spaced apart from each other, and a liquid crystal "LC" is interposed therebetween. The first and second substrates 1a and 1b are called an array substrate and a color filter substrate, respectively. Pixel and common electrodes 15 and 14 are disposed on the first substrate 1a. The pixel and common electrodes 15 and 14 are parallel with and spaced apart from each other. On a surface of the second substrate 1b, a color filter 25 is disposed opposing the first substrate 1a. The pixel and common electrodes 15 and 14 apply an electric field "E" to the liquid crystal "LC", then it is aligned parallel to the electric field "E".
FIGS. 3A and 3B conceptually illustrate "off state" operation modes for a typical IPS LCD device. In off state, the long axes of the LC molecules "LC" maintain a definite angle with respect to a line that is perpendicular to the pixel and common electrodes 15 and 14. The pixel and common electrode 15 and 14 are parallel with each other. Herein, the angle difference is 45 degrees, for example.
FIGS. 4A and 4B conceptually illustrate "on state" operation modes for the typical IPS LCD device. In an on state, an in-plane electric field "E", which is parallel with the surface of the first substrate 1a, is generated between the pixel and common electrodes 15 and 14. The reason is that the pixel electrode 15 and common electrode 14 are formed together on the first substrate 1a. Then, the LC molecules "LC" are twisted such that the long axes thereof coincide with the electric field direction. Thereby, the LC molecules "LC" are aligned such that the long axes thereof are perpendicular to the pixel and common electrodes 15 and 14.
By the above-mentioned operation modes and with additional parts such as polarizers and alignment layers, the IPS LCD device displays images. The IPS LCD device has wide viewing angle and low color dispersion. Specifically, the viewing angle of the IPS LCD device is about 70 degrees in direction of up, down, right, and left. In addition, the fabricating processes of this IPS LCD device are simpler than other various LCD devices. However, because the pixel and common electrodes are disposed on the same plane of the lower substrate, the transmittance and aperture ratio are low. In addition, the IPS LCD device has disadvantages of a relatively slow response time and a relatively small alignment margin. Because of the small alignment margin, the IPS LCD device needs a uniform cell gap.
The IPS LCD device has the above-mentioned advantages and disadvantages. Users may or may not select an IPS LCD device depending on the intended use.
Now, with reference to FIGS. 5, and 6A to 6D, a fabricating process for a related art IPS LCD device is provided. FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating a unit pixel region "P" of related art IPS LCD device. As shown, a gate line 50 and a common line 54 are arranged parallel to each other, and a data line 60 is arranged perpendicular to the gate and common lines 50 and 54. Near a cross point of the gate and data lines 50 and 60, a gate electrode 52 and a source electrode 62 are disposed. The gate and source electrodes 52 and 62 integrally communicate with the gate line 50 and the data line 60, respectively. The source electrode 62 overlaps a portion of the gate electrode 52. In addition, a drain electrode 64 is disposed opposite to the source electrode 62 with an interval therebetween.
A plurality of common electrodes 54a are disposed perpendicular to the common line 54 and connected to the common line. The plurality of common electrodes 54a are spaced apart from each other with an equal interval therebetween. A first connecting line 66 integrally communicates with the drain electrode 64, and a plurality of pixel electrodes 66a are disposed perpendicular to the first connecting line 66. First ends of the pixel electrodes 66a are connected with the first connecting line 66, and the second ends of the pixel electrodes 66a are connected with a second connecting line 68 that is disposed over the common line 54. The plurality of common electrodes 54a and the pixel electrodes 66a are spaced apart from each other and arranged in an alternating pattern. Therefore, each common electrode 54a is parallel to an adjacent pixel electrode 66a.
FIGS. 6A to 6D illustrate a sequence of fabricating processes for an array substrate 1 of the above-mentioned IPS LCD device.
As shown in FIG. 6A, on the array substrate 1, a first metal layer is deposited and patterned to form the gate electrode 52 and the plurality of common electrodes 54a. The first metal layer is selected from a group consisting of chromium (Cr), aluminum (Al), aluminum alloy (Al alloy), molybdenum (Mo), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), antimony (Sb), and alloys thereof.
As shown in FIG. 6B, a gate-insulating layer 70 is formed on the array substrate 1 to cover the gate and common electrodes 52 and 54a, and on the gate-insulating layer 70, an active layer 72 is formed over gate electrode 52. The gate-insulating layer 70 is silicon nitride (SiNx) or silicon oxide (SiO2), while the active layer 72 includes an amorphous silicon layer (not shown) and a doped amorphous silicon layer (not shown).
As shown in FIG. 6C, a second metal layer is deposited and patterned to form the source and drain electrodes 62 and 64 on the active layer 72 and the pixel electrodes 66a on the gate-insulating layer 70. The pixel electrodes 66a are spaced apart from the adjacent common electrode 54a by a distance "L".
As shown in FIG. 6D, a passivation layer 74 is formed to cover the source, drain, and pixel electrodes 62, 64, and 66a. The passivation layer 74 serves to protect the source, drain, and pixel electrodes 62, 64, and 66a from exterior humidity or contaminants.
As described above, the common and pixel electrodes 54a and 66a of the IPS LCD device are arranged in the same plane such that an in-plane electric field is applied parallel with the substrate 1. Though the IPS LCD device has an advantage of wide viewing angle, the aperture ratio and luminance of the IPS LCD panel are much lower than that of the LTN or STN LCD device. The common and pixel electrodes of the IPS LCD device are disposed on the same plane and are made from opaque metals. Therefore, large portions of light are reflected by the opaque metal, which causes the low aperture ratio. In addition, since the low aperture ratio results in a low brightness quality of the liquid crystal display device, incident light from a back light unit (not shown) must be brighter than in other devices to compensate for the low brightness quality of the IPS LCD device. Therefore, power consumption of the IPS LCD device increases.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,060, Nishiki, et al. teach a combined LCD device having advantages of the conventional TN LCD device and IPS LCD device. FIG. 7 shows the above-mentioned combined LCD device. A data line 60 and a first electrode 80 are disposed on a lower substrate 1a with a first interval between the data line 60 and the first electrode 80. An insulating layer 72 covers the data line 60 and the first electrode 80 on the lower substrate 1a. On the insulating layer 72, a second electrode 84 and a third electrode 86 are disposed with a second interval therebetween. Whereas, a counter electrode 90 is disposed on an upper substrate 1b such that the counter electrode 90 opposes the second and third electrodes 84 and 86 of the lower substrate 1a. The lower and upper substrates 1a and 1b oppose with each other, and a liquid crystal layer 10 is interposed therebetween.
The above-mentioned combined LCD device selectively adopts a first electric field "E1" and a second electric field "E2", which are different from each other. The first electric field "E1" is applied perpendicular to the lower and upper substrates 1a and 1b, whereas the second electric field "E2" is applied parallel thereto. When the first electric field "E1" is applied between the counter electrode 90 and the first electrode 80, molecules of the liquid crystal layer 10 are aligned perpendicular to the lower and upper substrates 1a and 1b. Therefore, a first liquid crystal portion 10a is present between the lower and upper substrates 1a and 1b. On the contrary, when the second electric field "E2" is applied between the second electrode 84 and the third electrode 86, molecules of the liquid crystal layer 10 are aligned parallel to the lower and upper substrates 1a and 1b. In that case, a second liquid crystal portion 10b is present between the lower and upper substrates 1a and 1b. The first liquid crystal portion 10a corresponds to the TN mode shown in FIG. 1, whereas the second liquid crystal portion 10b corresponds to the IPS mode shown in FIG. 2. That is to say, the combined LCD device of FIG. 7 serves as the TN LCD device as well as the IPS LCD device depending on user's desired use.
However, compared with the conventional IPS LCD device and TN LCD device, the above-mentioned combined LCD device needs additional elements and fabricating process. In addition, though the TN mode by the first liquid crystal portion 10a selectively substitutes for the IPS mode, the IPS mode by the second liquid crystal portion 10b yet has the problems of the conventional IPS LCD device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A distal end cutter having a flush cut and hold feature. The distal end cutter includes a pair of jaw members having respective cutting surfaces for cutting a wire, such as an archwire of an orthodontic appliance. Disposed adjacent to one of the cutting surfaces is a flat, resilient jaw portion which holds a cut off segment of the archwire. As the flat, resilient jaw portion may be disposed directly adjacent to the cutting surfaces during the wire cutting operation, very small wire segments may be cut and held by the device to prevent ejection of such wire segments into the mouth of a patient. In the preferred embodiment, the resilient jaw portion is a spring plate removably mounted to one of the jaw members.

The present invention generally relates to wire cutters and, more specifically, to those wire cutters having the ability to cut a wire flush to an adjacent surface or element and the ability to hold the cut off segment of wire.
Wire cutters are currently available in many different forms. Typically, wire cutters have a pair of pivotably connected, plier style handles connected to respective pairs of cutting jaws. The jaws have cutting surfaces which may comprise two sharp edges which either meet in abutting relationship or interact in a scissor-like fashion. If the cutting surfaces abut one another to cut a wire, one of the surfaces may simply be a flat anvil surface against which an opposing sharp cutting edge interacts to cut the wire.
In certain applications, such as in the orthodontic field, it is necessary not only to cut a section of wire, but also to hold the cut off segment to prevent that segment from ejecting or falling into the mouth of a patient. One orthodontic application in which this feature is desirable involves the distal end of an archwire in an orthodontic appliance. The archwire typically extends through a buccal tube at this location and a segment of wire may project outwardly from an end of the tube for various reasons. This segment of the archwire is ideally cut flush to the end of the buccal tube during installation of the appliance. Wire cutting may also be required during maintenance or adjustment procedures. In this regard, once an archwire has been attached to an orthodontic appliance in the mouth of a patient, various movements of the appliance often take place over time. During these movements, the archwire may "walk" or move through the brackets of the orthodontic appliance. This may cause the end of the archwire to again be exposed from the end of the buccal tube. The exposed wire segment may cause irritation to the surrounding mouth tissue of the patient. For this purpose, specifically designed wire cutters have developed, with some including a flush cut and/or holding ability. Wire cutters having a scissor-type action do not generally enable a flush cut to the buccal tube. Therefore, to enable a flush cutting and holding ability, wire cutters having a sharp edge on one jaw and an anvil on the other or those having various forms of abutting cutting edges have been the options of choice.
Certain orthodontic distal end cutters currently available include a cylindrical spring holding wire attached to a jaw having a sharp cutting edge. A clipped wire segment is meant to be held between the cylindrical spring holding wire and an opposing jaw after the wire is cut. This type of wire cutter may specifically be referred to as a distal end cutter having a flush cut and hold feature. The spring holding wire associated with these distal end cutters has certain significant disadvantages. First, because it is cylindrical in shape, the contact that the spring holding wire makes with the cut segment of the archwire is not directly adjacent to the cutting surface, but is displaced at least by the radius of the spring holding wire. Therefore, in the case of certain short segments of archwire extending from a buccal tube, for example, the cut off segment may not extend fully to the contact point of the spring wire. Since adequate contact may not be made between the spring holding wire and the archwire segment, the archwire segment may not be held firmly in place between the jaws. This archwire segment may therefore drop or eject into the mouth of the patient.
Moreover, spring holding wires have been connected to distal end cutters of the type that include a sharp cutting edge on one jaw and a flat anvil surface on the opposite jaw. In currently available devices, the spring holding wire has been connected adjacent to the sharp cutting edge such that it bears against the anvil surface during a cutting operation. As the jaws are moved together to cut an archwire, the spring holding wire moves laterally away from the cutting edge and generally along the axis of the archwire. Therefore, it may also move away from the end of the clipped archwire segment. This tends to lead to the same holding problems discussed above. Also, due to its circular cross section, a cylindrical spring holding wire will only make point contact with an archwire segment that also has a circular cross section. This may not supply enough gripping contact to keep the archwire segment from being ejected into a patient's mouth. Finally, distal end cutters, such as described above, have not had the ability to cut a relatively wide range of wire diameters, constructions and cross sections. Instead, users have to resort to a larger or smaller wire cutter.
For at least the reasons stated above, it would be desirable to provide a wire cutter, and more specifically an orthodontic distal end cutter, having the ability to cut very short segments of wire flush to the end of a buccal tube while also holding the clipped wire segment. It would also be desirable to provide such a wire cutter having the ability to cut a relatively wide range of wire diameters, constructions and cross sections.

Wire cutter with flush cut and holding ability


The present invention relates to a plasma display apparatus and driving method thereof. In accordance with a plasma display apparatus and driving method thereof, widths of scan pulses are different depending on locations of the scan lines. Since scan pulse widths are set depending on locations of the scan lines, high speed driving is possible, a sustain period can be secured and luminance can be increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display apparatus and a driving method thereof.
2. Background of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a driving waveform of a conventional plasma display apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 1, a reset period can be divided into a set-up period and a set-down period.
In the set-up period, a ramp-up pulse is applied to a scan electrode Y, so that sufficient wall charges are accumulated on the scan electrode Y, a data electrode X and a sustain electrode Z.
In the set-down period, a ramp down pulse is applied to the sustain electrodes Z, so that the wall charges accumulated on the electrodes X, Y and Z are partially erased to ensure a uniform distribution of the wall charges on the electrodes X, Y and Z.
In an address period subsequent to a reset period, a scan pulse is applied to the scan electrode Y and a data pulse is applied to the data electrode X, so that a cell to be turned on is selected.
In a sustain period, sustain pulses having the same number as that of corresponding sub-fields to which the sustain pulses are allocated are applied to the selected cell in the address period, so that the selected cell is turned on.
Thereafter, in an erase period, as an erase pulse is applied to the Z electrode, wall charges that have been accumulated on the electrode are erased.
The reset period, the address period, the sustain period and the erase period are repeatedly performed in each of the sub-fields. In an address period of each sub-field, the width of the scan pulses applied to the scan electrode Y is constant as shown in FIG. 2.
A traverse axis of the graph shown in FIG. 2 indicates a scan pulse width and a longitudinal axis thereof indicates the location of the scan lines. That is, the width of scan pulses, which are applied to the scan lines from a first scan line at the top to a last scan line (Nth line) remains constant.
The number of scan lines increases as the size and resolution of a plasma display panel increases. Therefore, since the time allocated to one scan line for scanning becomes short, there is a difference between the amount of the wall charges on the first scan line and the amount of the wall charges on the last scan line (Nth line).
If the scan pulses having the same width are applied to the first scan line in the address period where wall charges are sufficiently accumulated by the set-up pulse applied in the reset period, the probability that an erroneous discharge or miswriting may occur decreases.
Since a significant amount of time elapses in the period from immediately after the reset period to when the last scan line (Nth line) is scanned, there is a high probability that wall charges, which are formed on the last scan line (Nth line) by the set-up pulse, may decrease. Therefore, if a width of a scan pulse applied to the first scan line is the same as the width of a scan pulse applied to the last scan line, an address discharge becomes unstable or the address margin decreases, and an exact driving of plasma display panel is difficult.
There is a difference in the amount of the wall charges on the respective scan lines depending on an Average Picture Level (APL) of each sub-field after a reset period. Therefore, if scan pulses having the same width are applied to the scan lines without considering an APL for each sub-field, there is a high probability of an erroneous discharge, miswriting, etc. may occur.

Plasma display apparatus and driving method thereof


A nozzle attachment for a vacuum cleaner. In one embodiment, the nozzle attachment includes a plurality of open-ended tubes, where the tubes are parallel to one another axially and each of the tubes is in contact with at least one other tube side by side so as to form an array of the tubes. The nozzle attachment also has a plurality of bristle members forming a brush, and an adapter having a first end and a second end, an interior chamber extending between the first end and the second end, and a mouth at the second end, the first end connectable to a vacuum source of the vacuum cleaner so as to provide suction and the second end being adapted to receive therein the array of the tubes and the brush through the mouth. The array of the tubes and the brush are positioned in a fixed side by side relationship and the tubes are in flow communication with the vacuum source of the vacuum cleaner through the interior chamber of the adapter. Additionally, the nozzle attachment has means for holding the array of the tubes and the brush in the fixed side by side relationship.

This application claims the benefits of Chinese Patent Application No. 01222632.7, filed May 15, 2001, which status is pending.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a nozzle attachment for a vacuum cleaner. More particularly, this invention relates to a nozzle attachment for a vacuum cleaner that allows gentle, effective, sufficient and safe cleaning of intricate, hard to reach, and other surfaces and has combined functions both as a broom and a vacuum machine.
2. The Prior Art
It is known that vacuum cleaner has revolutionized people""s daily life by utilizing a suction force offered by a vacuum source to collect dust and debris from various surfaces.
It is also known to provide vacuum cleaner head having bristles and arranged so that dust and debris disturbed in use by brushing over a surface is drawn into a vacuum cleaner. The bristled head is usually fitted to an end of a rigid tube which is in turn connected via a flexible tube to a vacuum cleaner body. The bristled head may be somewhat loosely connected to the rigid tube to provide some relative movement during use of the vacuum cleaner.
In particular, efforts have been made in the art to combine the suction force offered by a vacuum source such as a vacuum cleaner and the sweeping power of a broom to form new cleaning device for better performance. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,095 discloses an array of pliable fingers being used with a vacuum source and communicating with plural, flexible tubes to remove fleas from pets.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,651 discloses a nozzle assembly for a vacuum cleaner that has a brush and a plurality of flexible tubes being inserted within brush. As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of tubes 12, which provide suction force, are evenly aligned within brush 10 at precise spaced locations. The space between the tubes are filled by bristle members.
However, because the tubes are spaced separately from each other, it provides insufficient suction force for the purpose of cleaning some types of surfaces. Moreover, the required alignment of the tubes may make the manufacturing process cumbersome and time consuming. Additionally, because the mixture of the tubes and the bristle members, debris such as hairs entangled with the bristle members may block the air intaking of the tubes and thus further weaken the suction force of the nozzle assembly.
The above-noted disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention, which in one aspect is a nozzle attachment for a vacuum cleaner. In one embodiment, the nozzle attachment includes a plurality of open-ended tubes, where the tubes are parallel to one another axially and each of the tubes is in contact with at least one other tube side by side so as to form an array of the tubes. The nozzle attachment also has a plurality of bristle members forming a brush, and an adapter having a first end and a second end, an interior chamber extending between the first end and the second end, and a mouth at the second end, where the first end is connectable to a vacuum source of the vacuum cleaner so as to provide suction and the second end is adapted to receive therein the array of the tubes and the brush through the mouth. The array of the tubes and the brush are positioned in a fixed side by side relationship and the tubes are in flow communication with the vacuum source of the vacuum cleaner through the interior chamber of the adapter. Additionally, the nozzle attachment has means for holding the array of the tubes and the brush in the fixed side by side relationship.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the tubes are comprised of flexible material. Moreover, the tubes are of shorter length than the bristles and of annular cross section. As formed, the array of the tubes can be substantially of a semi-circle shape crosssectionally, a rectangular shape cross-sectionally, or an annular shape cross-sectionally. Likewise, the brush can be substantially of a semi-circle shape cross-sectionally, a rectangular shape cross-sectionally, or an annular shape cross-sectionally.
In another aspect, the invention includes a nozzle attachment for a vacuum cleaner. In one embodiment, the nozzle attachment includes a plurality of open-ended tubes, wherein the tubes are parallel to one another axially and each of the tubes is in contact with at least one other tube side by side so as to form an array of the tubes. The nozzle attachment also includes a plurality of bristle members forming a first brush and a plurality of bristle members forming a second brush. Moreover, the nozzle attachment has an adapter having a first end and a second end, an interior chamber extending between the first end and the second end, and a mouth at the second end, where the first end is connectable to a vacuum source of the vacuum cleaner so as to provide suction and the second end is adapted to receive therein the array of the tubes, the first brush and the second brush through the mouth. The array of the tubes is positioned between the first brush and the second brush and the tubes are in flow communication with the vacuum source of the vacuum cleaner through the interior chamber of the adapter. Additionally, the nozzle attachment include means for holding the array of the tubes and the first brush and the second brush in a fixed relationship, in which the array of the tubes is positioned between the first brush and the second brush.
In yet another aspect, the invention includes a nozzle attachment for a vacuum cleaner. In one embodiment, the nozzle attachment includes a plurality of open-ended tubes, where the tubes parallel to one another axially and each of the tubes in contact with at least one other tube side by side so as to form an array of the tubes. The nozzle attachment also includes a plurality of bristle members forming a brush, where the brush is formed to at least partially encircle the array of the tubes. Moreover, the nozzle attachment has an adapter having a first end and a second end, an interior chamber extending between the first end and the second end, and a mouth at the second end, the first end connectable to a vacuum source of the vacuum cleaner so as to provide suction and the second end being adapted to receive therein the array of the tubes and the brush through the mouth. The array of the tubes is encircled at least partially by the brush and the tubes are in flow communication with the vacuum source of the vacuum cleaner through the interior chamber of the adapter. Additionally, the nozzle attachment further has means for holding the array of the tubes and the brush in a fixed relationship, in which the array of the tubes is encircled at least partially by the brush.
These and other aspects will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.


A tool joint part has a PIC incorporated therein for storing data which can be used to identify the tool to which the joint part is interconnected. PICs are incorporated into tool conditioning circuits. An intermediate circuit operates to match the identity stored digitally in a first PIC with the identity stored digitally in another PIC and thereby connect the tool to the appropriate tool conditioning circuit.

This invention relates to the identification of tools, e.g. measurement tools used for inspection of work pieces on a co-ordinate positioning machine. Such co-ordinate positioning machines include co-ordinate measurement machines (CMM's), machine tools and robots.
Measurement tools, e.g. probes that respond to surface contact, surface finish probes, proximity probes, crack detection probes, laser and other optical measuring probes, video cameras etc, all have individual requirements for the conditioning of their respective signals. Where a machine uses more than one tool, e.g. each tool being connectable to a universal mounting then it is desirable to have a means for identification of the tool that is mounted to the machine so that its signal can be conditioned correctly. Contact probes sometimes use extension bars and these too require identification.


A system provides a digital multi-bit connection between two or more graphics adapters. Each graphics adapter is manufactured as a printed circuit board including a finger-type edge connector. When two or more graphics adapters are installed in a system the edge connectors of each graphics adapter may be coupled to each other via a connection device that provides a portion of the digital multi-bit connection. The remainder of the digital multi-bit connection is provided by conductive traces coupling each finger of the edge connector to a graphics processing unit that is affixed to the graphics adapter. The connection device may be installed by an end-user as each additional graphics adapter is installed in the system.

1. Field of the Invention
One or more aspects of the invention generally relate to graphics processing, and more particularly to connecting graphics adapters in a multi-adapter graphics processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional graphics adapters are not configured such that an end-user having an existing system with a single graphics adapter may install an additional graphics adapter to improve performance for graphics processing for a single display device. Prior art graphics processing systems, such as 3 df's VooDoo2™ graphics adapter product configured for scan line interleave (SLI) or Metabyte/Wicked 3D's parallel graphics configuration (PGC), increase graphics processing performance by using two graphics adapters in a fixed configuration that is not modular such that an end-user can install the second graphics adapter.
The prior art graphics processing systems use a proprietary interface and cabling to transfer an analog pixel stream produced by each graphics adapter to a pixel multiplexing device which selects one of the two analog pixel streams for output to the single display device. Because the prior art configuration is fixed, the end-user cannot install and connect an additional graphics adapter to the proprietary interface to improve graphics processing performance for the single display device. Furthermore, because the pixel streams are combined in the analog domain visual artifacts may result due to mismatches between digital to analog converters on each graphics adapter.
Accordingly, it is desirable to facilitate end-user installation of additional graphics adapters including installation of a multi-bit digital connection between two or more graphics adapters to improve graphics processing performance.

Multiple graphics adapter connection systems


A method for reading out a surface detector (3) is proposed, the information content of a faulty detector element (16) being initially corrected with the aid of adjacent detector elements, and then the information content of a plurality of detector elements being combined in each instance into one image element (20) in an X-ray image (11).

These types of method for reading out a surface detector are generally known. Methods for reading out digital flat panel detectors are used within the field of X-ray technology. These flat panel detectors comprise active readout matrixes which are manufactured for example from amorphous silicon. An X-ray converter is positioned above the active readout matrix, made from caesium iodide for example, which converts the incoming X-ray light into optical light. The optical light falls on photodiodes of the active readout matrix and is converted there into electrical charge. The electrical charge is initially stored in the photodiodes and must subsequently be read out from the flat panel detector.
In addition, flat panel detectors are also known which similarly have an active readout matrix made from amorphous silicon, said flat panel detectors having a converter which directly generates electrical charge when X-ray light arrives. Converters of this type are manufactured on the basis of selenium for example. The charges generated in the converter are then stored on electrodes and must be read out from there.
Further surface detectors are image amplifying camera systems based on television or CCD cameras, storage film systems with an integrated or external readout unit, systems with optical linking of a converter film to a CCD camera or large-area CMOS chip or surface detectors with APS (active pixel sensor).

Method for reading out a surface detector


A power semiconductor module is specified in which a layer of foam is arranged under the housing cover in the housing. The foam not only enables mechanical support of the potting compound, so that the latter is prevented from becoming detached, but can also absorb a large pressure increase in the event of a short circuit by virtue of compression. In this way, a compensating volume is created without the housing being destroyed. The housing remains closed and no material is hurled into the surroundings.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of power semiconductor electronics. It is based on a power semiconductor module according to the preamble of the first claim.
2. Discussion of Background
Such a power semiconductor module is already described in European Patent Application EP 0 597 144 A1. Power semiconductor modules of the generic type comprise a housing in which at least one semiconductor chip is arranged on a baseplate, which may also simultaneously be used for cooling purposes. The semiconductor chips are electrically connected to outwardly routed terminals and, given a plurality of chips, are electrically interconnected by means of contact tracks. The cavity between housing cover and baseplate may be filled with a potting compound, for example an insulating gel. With a free gas volume in the housing, there is the risk in the longer term of the gel detaching under its own weight from the surface of the electronic components and, consequently, no longer being able to ensure high-voltage insulation.
These modules may be part of a power converter circuit arrangement. If a short circuit occurs in such a circuit arrangement, then it may destroy parts of the circuit arrangement. A short circuit in a module can easily lead to explosion of the module if suitable countermeasures are not taken.
The article "Reliable 1200 Amp 2500 V IGBT Modules for Traction Applications", IEE IGBT Propulsion Drives Colloquium, London, 25th April 1995 therefore proposes providing the housing with desired breaking points which limit the maximum pressure in the module. The housing ruptures at these desired breaking points in the event of an explosion, and gel or parts of the module can escape through the opening formed. However, housing parts flying around or gel hurled out constitute an undesirable source of danger. Material is sprayed around, contaminating the surroundings, and may lead to total failure of the device.


An RF-insensitive semiconductor ignitor and primer cup assembly is created sing a double polished n-type silicon substrate having its top and bottom surfaces partially metallized to form Schottky barrier diodes. The metallized portion of the back side of the substrate is placed in contact with a conductive surface, and means are provided to electrically isolate those portions of the substrate which have not been metallized from both the metallized portions and the conductive surface. In one embodiment, the isolating means is an integral oxide ring which extends from the periphery of the contact metal to the edge of the substrate. In another embodiment, the means of isolation is a separate plastic ring.

The present invention relates to electrical primers and ignitors, and more particularly to an RF-insensitive semiconductor ignitor for use in firing ammunition rapidly and reliably.
Conventional small caliber shells employ mechanical or electrically initiated charge ignitors to create an ignition train which sets off the main propellant. Mechanical propelling charge ignitors are usually provided with percussion caps which are made to fire upon exposure to a mechanical impulse such as that caused by a firing pin or hammer blow. Electrically initiated charge ignitors, on the other hand, fire under the influence of a current pulse which may melt a resistive bridge wire, vaporize a metallic layer at an arc point, or pass through an electrically conductive charge.
A problem peculiar to conventional electrical ignitors is their sensitivity to electromagnetic (EM) radiation. EM fields may couple with an electrical propelling charge ignitor causing premature initiation. This problem is particularly acute aboard naval vessels which typically support multiple high power electromagnetic sources in close proximity to ordnance.
Various solutions to the problem of EM susceptibility, and the sensitivity of electroexplosive devices to RF fields in particular, are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,146 to Baginski, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Baginski proposes a semiconductor device in which two p-n junctions have been created on top and bottom surfaces of a silicon substrate. Conductive layers atop the p-n junctions channel the firing current through the junctions, causing a small plug of conductive material on the top surface to vaporize. This generates a burst of hot plasma which ignites the primer mix and fires the propelling charge.
Applicants fabricated and tested a semiconductor ignitor which employs back-to-back Schottky diodes for use with the PHALANX CWIS 20-mm cartridge. As a consequence of these studies it was discovered that the back diode exhibits a tendency to short out when integrated into the PHALANX primer cup assembly. It was subsequently determined that similar failures could be produced by placing the semiconductor ignitor on a conductive sheet and exposing it to high pressures.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


In a liquid crystal display device, a first skipping scanning process is performed by activating the scanning signals G(1), G(3) and G(5) corresponding to the odd-numbered rows in a pixel matrix made of numerous pixel formation portions in that order in a first half-period of a given frame, and voltages corresponding to the pixel values to be written into the pixel formation portions of the odd-numbered rows of the pixel matrix are applied to the video signal lines as positive-polarity video signals. In a second half-period of that frame, a second skipping scanning process is performed by activating the scanning signals G(2), G(4) and G(6) corresponding to the even-numbered rows in the pixel matrix in that order, and voltages corresponding to the pixel values to be written into the pixel formation portions of the even-numbered rows of the pixel matrix are applied to the video signal lines as negative-polarity video signals. Thus, line inversion driving is accomplished.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to liquid crystal display devices and methods for driving the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to AC driving in active-matrix liquid crystal display devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ordinary liquid crystal display devices are driven by AC driving, in order to repress deterioration of the liquid crystal and to sustain the display quality. However, in active liquid crystal display devices, since the characteristics of switching elements, such as the TFTs (thin film transistors) provided for each pixel, are not sufficient, the transmittance of the liquid crystal layer does not become perfectly symmetric for positive and negative data voltages, even when the positive and negative portions of the video signals outputted from the video signal line driving circuit (also referred to as "column electrode driving circuit" or "data line driving circuit"), applying voltages to the video signal lines (column electrodes) of the liquid crystal panel, that is, the positive and negative portions of the applied voltage are symmetric with respect to the potential of the common electrode. Therefore, in driving schemes in which the polarity of the voltage applied to the liquid crystal is inverted at each frame (frame inversion driving scheme), flicker occurs in the display of the liquid crystal panel. Moreover, due to parasitic capacitances Csd (intra-pixel) and Csd (inter-pixel) that occur between video signal lines Lss, Lsn and pixel electrodes Ep, as shown in FIG. 9, each of the pixel values corresponding to the voltage between the pixel electrodes Ep and the common electrode Ec is affected by the potentials of the video signal lines Lss and Lsn, and a stripe-shaped pattern extending in vertical direction (also referred to as "vertical shadow") may appear on the screen.
In liquid crystal modules used for portable information appliances in which there is a particularly high need to reduce power consumption, such as portable phones, a frame inversion driving scheme has been employed as the AC driving scheme in order to meet this need. However, in recent years, also in portable phones, high-quality display capability has come to be demanded for portable phones due to improved processing performance and more sophisticated utilization, and accordingly, the problems of flicker and vertical shadows need to be addressed.
In order to solve these problems, a driving scheme inverting the polarity at each frame while inverting the polarity of the applied voltage at each horizontal scanning line (also called "line inversion driving scheme") is employed as an AC driving scheme. However, when the line inversion driving scheme is employed instead of the frame inversion driving scheme, then the frequency with which polarities of the video signals to be applied to the liquid crystal panel are inverted (i.e. the inversion frequency) becomes high, and also the switching frequency of the potential of the common electrode becomes high, due to the reduction of the necessary withstand voltage of the driving IC (integrated circuit). As a result, the power consumption becomes large. Moreover, it is not possible to sufficiently suppress flicker merely by employing the line inversion driving scheme.

Liquid crystal display device and method for driving the same


Disclosed is an LED bar. The LED bar has a plurality of LED units mounted in a cuttable form and each of the LED units has a single LED. The LED bar includes a plurality of LEDs; a bar-shaped base substrate on which the plurality of LEDs are mounted; a plurality of resistors mounted on the base substrate so as to respectively correspond to the plurality of LEDs; and a link formed so that an LED unit formed with one of the plurality of resistors corresponding to the one LED is distinguished from other LED unit that is adjacent to the LED unit.

In general, an illumination device uses a high-pressure mercury lamp, a fluorescent lamp or a sodium lamp as a light source for generating light.
In recent, as light emitting diode (hereinafter, briefly referred to as "LED") is developed which has a low power consumption and emits light with a high luminance, the illumination device using the LED as a light source is developed and use of the illumination device is gradually increased.
The illumination device using the LED is generally used for replacing the fluorescent lamp. However, the illumination using the LED is recently used for embellishing wall of a building and also decorating the interior of the building. In particular, users who highly regard their individuality mount the illumination device using the LED on a door of car or a body of motorcycle used by the users.
Namely, the illumination device mounted on the fluorescent lamp, car or motorcycle etc. can be produced by using the LED as described above. In particular, a base substrate on which the LED is mounted is formed as an elongated bar so that the users could freely deform the form of the illumination device. A device of such a form is referred to as an LED bar.
The users can construct the illumination device reflecting their own individuality by cutting the LED bars to a size desired by the users and combining the cut LED bars into a form desired by the users.
Namely, the users who want to use the LED bar for replacing the fluorescent lamp may use the LED bar as a light source for LED fluorescent lamp by cutting the LED bar to a length corresponding to the length of tube constituting the fluorescent lamp and then mounting it on the tube.
Furthermore, the users who want to use the LED bar for various decorations may use the LED bar by cutting the LED bar to the length of device on which the LED bar is to be mounted.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional LED bar, FIG. 2 is an example view for describing a state of use of the conventional LED bar, FIG. 3 is an external configuration view of an embodiment of the conventional LED bar, and FIG. 4 is an external configuration view of an LED unit cut from the conventional LED bar illustrated in FIG. 3 to be used.
The conventional LED bar (10) has three LEDs (LED1, LED2, LED3) (11) and a single resistor (12) which are connected in series on a base substrate (14), as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, with links (13) as a boundary.
The conventional LED bar (10) may be applied to an illumination device, in the form as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, but also may be applied to the illumination device in the form of LED part cut from the LED bar.
The LED part may be constituted by a single LED unit (10a) as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, but also may be constituted by two or more LED units (10a).
Namely, the link (13) formed in the LED bar (10) are cut so as to obtain a length desired by a user, and thereafter the LED part cut from the LED bar (10) may be used by being mounted on various illumination devices.
Meanwhile, three LEDs (11) and a single resistor (12) are mounted on the LED unit (10a) which is a minimum unit of the LED bar (10 that may be mounted on the illumination device to be used by the user.
Problems of the conventional LED bar as described above are as follows.
Firstly, the conventional LED bar or LED unit has a high power consumption.
In general, the LED has a base value of 3 V to 4.5 V as illustrated in FIG. 2. Therefore, in the case where three LEDs (11) are used while being connected in series as is the case with the conventional LED unit (10a), voltage and current applied to the LEDs have to be increased. Therefore, the conventional LED unit (10a) consumes much power of 12 V to 40 V.
Namely, since the conventional LED unit (10a) has the three LEDs (11) connected with the resistor (12), voltage value of the entire LEDs increases and thus the LED unit has to be configured to be suitable for the voltage of 12 V or more.
Secondly, since the three resistors are formed in the LED unit (10a) which is a minimum unit constituting the conventional LED bar, the user cannot construct the illumination device by variously choosing the number of the LEDs.
Namely, since the three LEDs (11) are mounted on the LED unit (10a) which is the minimum unit that can be used by being mounted on the illumination device, the conventional LED bar may not be used by a user who wants to construct the illumination device by using only one or two LEDs or a user who wants to construct the illumination device by further using one or two LEDs together with LEDs mounted on the at least one LED unit.


A system, method and apparatus for mixer phase response measurement comprises a vector network analyzer connectable to a device under test, an additional device connected to the analyzer the additional device configured to have an equal phase response to that of the device under test, a local oscillator connected to the device under test and the additional device, a series of switches connecting the device under test and the additional device to a vector voltmeter, and a reference generator connected to the vector voltmeter.

Microwave signals with phase modulation and/or manipulation are widely used in communications, navigation, and avionics systems, as well as in radar and various target detection systems. Microwave signals have notable applications in the space industry because of their ability to penetrate the ionosphere. Furthermore, microwave signals are used to control and read out states of superconducting qubits, to program quantum computers. Most modern electronic systems use digital signal processing that operates with relatively low frequencies because of limitations associated with analog-to-digital converters. Microwave mixers are used to translate the frequency of carrier signals from microwaves to lower frequency bands where intermediate frequency signals can be digitized. Almost all modern electronic communication devices, from cell phones to satellite transceivers, contain microwave mixers in their structure.
An example of a typical microwave system, that is based on phase modulation of microwave signals, is a phased array with multiple cells. Each cell of such an antenna contains a transceiver that has a microwave mixer used to convert analog microwave signals to lower frequency. Performance of microwave mixers in such devices is very important, because it directly impacts the information the microwave signals carry. For example, in radar systems the phase distortion caused by microwave mixers can result in incorrect target identification.
One of the most difficult challenges facing quantum researchers is sourcing the very precise microwave signals needed to understand and evaluate the behavior of quantum gates. These signals are usually generated at low frequencies and then converted to high frequencies with microwave mixers. However, these mixers suffer from distortion created in the output microwave waveforms that reduce quantum gate fidelity.
For linear microwave devices that do not employ frequency conversion (e.g. filters, attenuators, linear amplifiers etc.) the phase response measurement is well defined and such measurements can be easily done with a conventional vector network analyzer (VNA). However, microwave mixers, by nature, have signals with different frequencies on the input and output ports. It is therefore impossible to measure their phase response with conventional methods.
Several measurement techniques have been proposed. However, these methods suffer from a number of drawbacks. For example, the phase response of a mixer can be determined by measuring the phase response of the mixer under test as compared to an additional mixer connected both in series and in parallel. Such a method requires an additional intermediate frequency generator, and the unknown phase response of this generator increases the error of the mixer under test phase response measurement. Similar methods where no additional intermediate frequency generator is required, introduce errors based on delays in local oscillator (LO) channels.
In other prior art approaches measurement of the phase response of a mixer under test and two additional mixers, connected in series, in pairs, in three different combinations has been proposed. However, such approaches still suffer from errors associated with the delay in local oscillator channels. The problem is even more complicated because the electrical delay of the local oscillator channels between two mixers in each of the three combinations has to be matched.
In another example, the phase response of the mixer under test can be determined by measuring the reflected wave on the mixer's input, with three known standards connected to the mixer's output, and solving the resulting equations. However, the magnitude-to-phase modulation in the mixer under test creates errors in this method, because of the difference in magnitude between the forward and reflected waves.
In yet another approach, the phase response of the mixer under test can be measured relative to a phase reference, based on a comb generator with a known phase distribution between harmonics. The accuracy of this method depends on the performance of the comb generator. This can be problematic because the linearity of the phase distribution between harmonics decreases at certain frequencies and is hard to measure.
As illustrated in the examples above, test systems and methods for microwave mixer phase response measurement have errors that are higher than those in the conventional systems for linear devices' phase response measurement. It would be desirable to improve accuracy and provide results that have a traceable standard. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for methods and systems to improve microwave mixer response measurement as described in the embodiments disclosed herein.

Method and system for microwave mixer phase response measurement


An atomizer for an electronic cigarette is disclosed, including: a housing unit defining therein a tobacco liquid chamber configured for storing a tobacco liquid; a first casing body defining thereon a first liquid guide hole configured for allowing the tobacco liquid to pass through; an atomization device; a control valve configured for closing or opening the first liquid guide hole to control the tobacco liquid to enter the atomization device; and a base assembly detachably connected to the housing unit and supporting the atomization device and configured to be in linkage with the control valve. The base assembly can drive the control valve to close the first liquid guide hole while the base assembly is detached from the housing unit. The base assembly can drive the control valve to open the first liquid guide hole while the base assembly is assembled on the housing unit.

In the prior art, typical electronic cigarette atomizers all include a separate detachable atomization device. As a core assembly in the atomizer to generate an aerosol, the atomization device can be replaced conveniently at any time. Electronic cigarette atomizers available on the current market mostly adopt a manner of replacing the atomization device directly from the top part or bottom part. The atomization device is in communication with a tobacco liquid chamber in the atomizer. When the tobacco liquid chamber is not closed in time, if the tobacco liquid chamber has remaining tobacco liquid when the atomization device is replaced, the tobacco liquid is easy to leak, thereby impacting user experience. In addition, the above electronic cigarette atomizers mostly have a liquid refill function. Since a channel between the tobacco liquid chamber and the atomization device is not closed when tobacco liquid is refilled, after the tobacco liquid is refilled, the internal-external air pressure difference of the tobacco liquid chamber is easy to cause the insufficient liquid blocking force to lead to leakage of tobacco liquid and thus to impact user experience.

Shenzhen First Union Technology Co., Ltd.


In certain embodiments, a system having a memory and a processor. The memory is operable to store a credential verifier associated with a user account and a counter. The processor is coupled to the memory and the memory includes executable instructions that cause the system to receive a first authentication attempt and increment the counter if validation of the first authentication attempt against the credential verifier fails. The instructions also cause the system to receive a second authentication attempt and increment the counter only if validation of the second authentication attempt against the credential verifier fails and the second authentication attempt is distinct from the first authentication attempt.

An enterprise may offer a variety of services to a user. Some of these services may require the authentication of user credentials before access is granted to the services. To prevent a malicious entity from guessing the correct user credentials, an enterprise may limit the number of incorrect attempts at authentication to a specific number. However, this may lead to freezing out a user, from a user account, that made honest mistakes when entering credentials.

System and method for recognizing malicious credential guessing attacks


The present invention provides systems and methods for electronically-capturing a destination address of a package and for using the destination address to automate a package pre-load operation. An embodiment of the invention includes a compression system for compressing the destination address as a compressed MaxiCode symbol, a smart shipping label system for generating a shipping label with a compressed MaxiCode and a pre-load assist system for generating package handling instructions from the electronically-captured destination address.

The need to store, manipulate and transmit package level detail is becoming increasingly important in the package transportation industry, especially as new sortation technologies and processes are developed. The volume of packages grows exponentially each year, along with customer requirements for greater package tracking and faster delivery. These factors present an ongoing challenge to shippers throughout the country and shippers work continuously to automate the sortation process to meet this challenge. Much of the success of this effort depends on the shipper's ability to acquire enough detail to effectively route packages through the sortation system and ultimately, onto a shelf in a package car.
A critical stage in a package delivery system is the pre-load sortation of packages that occur at a carrier destination facility. Pre-load sortation is a process in which carrier pre-loaders load packages onto delivery vehicles for delivery to the ultimate destination. A carrier destination facility generally has a plurality of package cars that are pre-loaded simultaneously and each package car has a variety of potential load positions. Pre-loaders have the responsibility of ensuring that the packages are loaded on the correct shelf of the correct package car and, to date, this process has been manual. Pre-loaders physically examine the destination address on the package label and determine from memory or from written pre-load charts, which package truck delivers to that address and which shelf on the truck holds the packages for that address. This is a complex task and requires that pre-loaders receive extensive training on how to properly load packages. Not surprisingly, the manual intensiveness of this pre-load process causes errors in pre-loads and increased training costs. In today's environment with high turnover rates, the increased training time negatively impacts the ability to create and sustain a workforce capable of providing quality loads.
Dispatch plans are integrally related to the pre-load process. In general, a dispatch plan is the schedule or route through which a carrier assigns work to carrier service providers (such as package car drivers) to efficiently coordinate and schedule the pickup and delivery of packages. Dispatch plans are well known in the carrier industry and are used daily by commercial carriers to manage driver delivery routes. Dispatch plans are also integrally tied to the pre-load process as a pre-load depends in large part on the dispatch plan assigned to the delivery vehicles that are loaded. Because pre-load handling instructions are based upon a dispatch plan, significant changes to a dispatch plan often resulted in changes to the pre-load process. Because the pre-load processes known in the art are knowledge-based, a carrier is limited on how often it can change a dispatch plan without disrupting the pre-load process. This inflexibility in dispatch planning results in inefficient delivery routes and untimely deliveries.
A need therefore exists in the industry for a system that automatically generates pre-load instructions for packages in a pre-load. The presentation needs to be sufficiently simple to understand that an inexperienced pre-loader can correctly perform a pre-load.
Another need that presently exists is for a system that captures and electronically provides package destination address information at the carrier destination facility. A pre-load system configured to provide handling and pre-load instructions for a package necessarily requires the package destination address information to generate the handling instructions.
Still another need exists for a system that automatically updates a pre-load scheme based upon a change to a dispatch plan.
Thus, an unsatisfied need exists for improved systems for handling package pre-loading operations that overcomes deficiencies in the prior art, some of which are discussed above.

Method and system for performing a package pre-load operation in accordance with a dispatch plan


A wireless communication circuit performs a wireless communication with a transmitter-receiver via an antenna. Power to the wireless communication circuit is turned on by electromagnetic waves transmitted from the transmitter-receiver. In the wireless communication circuit, a circuit includes a capacitor for storing electric charge at the time of the power being on, and is configured to pass discharging current based on the electric charge stored in the capacitor along a current path including the antenna at the time of the power being off, a monitoring circuit is configured to be operated by electric power based on the electric charge at the time of the power being off and to determine the presence or absence of degradation on the basis of potential of a node on the current path, and a storage circuit is configured to store the result of a determination by the monitoring circuit.

Systems in which information can be transmitted or received by the use of a wireless signal between a wireless tag which is attached to an article or a person and in which identification information is embedded and a reader-writer have been put to practical use in various fields. Wireless tags are also referred to as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and include antennas and integrated circuit (IC) chips connected thereto.
In many cases, wireless tags are mass-produced by the use of resin materials or the like.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-224959
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-30877
Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2009-507382
By the way, with such wireless tags the performance of protecting an antenna may be degraded because of moisture absorption by a resin material or ultraviolet rays. Furthermore, an antenna may be disconnected because of treatment by a user or a crack or the like may appear in a connection between an IC chip and an antenna portion.
In order to detect such degradation of a wireless tag, a measuring device used for measuring the intensity of a signal returned from a wireless tag may be prepared in addition to a reader-writer. By doing so, measurement is made in an environment in which the influence of electromagnetic waves is small. With a wireless tag which receives electric power by resonance, the degradation of an antenna causes a change in input impedance and a resonance frequency deviates from the original resonance frequency. Accordingly, a reader-writer whose resonance frequency is variable is prepared in order to compensate for it.
As stated above, to arrange an evaluation environment costs much labor. Accordingly, it is difficult to detect the degradation of a wireless tag.

Wireless tag, wireless communication circuit, and degradation detection method


A hybrid ingress protection adapter and connector assembly, connecting the housing with a releasably replaceable connector and power assembly to an adapter that is mount on a panel. The connector has a pair of lead-ins that protect a ferrule of a plural of fiber optic connectors, and the lead-ins are of varying length allow blind mating of the connector assembly with the adapter assembly.

Demand for bandwidth by enterprises and individual consumers continues to experience exponential growth. To meet this demand efficiently and economically, data centers have to achieve ultra-high density cabling with low loss budgets. Fiber optics have become the standard cabling medium used by data centers to meet the growing needs for data volume and transmission speeds. Many installations, such as transmission towers or relay sites, however require electrical connections as well as power receivers and transmitters, for example. Signal towers may often be located at remote distances from telecommunication switching equipment and power connections, requiring that both signal conductors and power conductors be run between the signal tower and switching equipment.
Fiber optic connectors are provided for connecting optical fibers for transmitting light signals for data transmission, while electrical connectors are provided for connecting electrical conductors to power any electrically operated equipment. While data transmission may still be done with electrical conductors, with an increase in the number of broadband wireless installations, more fiber optic cables have been installed for transmitting data signals between signal towers and switching equipment. Electrical data conducting lines are typically run separately from power lines to minimize EMF interference and shielding constraints. Optical fibers of such systems have also typically been installed separately from electric power conductors, such that separate fiber optic connectors and electric power connectors were provided for connecting optical fibers and for connecting electric power conductors, respectively.
Hybrid connectors having both optical fiber and electrical connectors included in a single connector eliminate the need for providing two separate connectors. Electric wires and fiber optic cables may be run together in a single cable, and the ends of the cable may be terminated with a single hybrid connector that is configured to be coupled with an adapter to connect the optical transmission paths of the optical cable to other fiber optic cables or devices, and simultaneously connect the electrical wires to other electrical wires or devices. An adapter generally includes a housing, or portion of a housing, having at least one port which is configured to receive and hold a connector to facilitate the optical and/or electrical connection of one connector to another connector or other device. Adapters may be used to facilitate connections contained within a chassis. The term "chassis" as used herein broadly refers to a containment structure for housing electrical components or switching components.
In external applications wherein the adapters and connectors may be exposed to weather, particularly rain or moisture in general, the connectors may be configured as ingress protection (IP) connectors that are waterproof. A standard for such connectors may be an OVDA connector. While each of the various types of optical fiber connectors is different in construction, in order to minimize tooling and manufacturing costs, while also minimizing inventory (the number/variety of parts on hand), there is a need for a connector system having a single adapter and a single connector housing component that is mateable with the adapter, wherein the connector housing is configured to receive any of a plurality of different connector types (fiber optic and/or electrical) therein for mating of the connectors with other connectors.

Hybrid ingress protected connector and adapter assembly


A Product Document Constraint Specification Language (PDCSL) is provided for a document author to represent various types of documentation guidelines that must be enforced within documents or across different documents. A Document Constraint Analyzer (DCA) takes as input a set of document files together with a document constraint specification file, extracts and examines the contents, attributes, and relationships associated with the document objects, and evaluates the logical expressions specified in the document constraints. If a document constraint is not satisfied, an action can be taken to correct the documents or provide an explanation to the document author.

Product documentation provides important instructions and relevant technical information for properly assembling, operating, and maintaining complex machinery. The quality of product documents is crucial to the success of a product, i.e., the technical information must be up-to-date, accurate, and consistent with a customer's product. Compared to non-technical documentation, the contents and structures of product documents are much more rigid and often comply to various industrial standards. Technical documents also tend to be highly cross-referenced, and often refer users to many different forms of technical data including textual instructions, schematic diagrams, computer-aided design (CAD) drawings, photo images of machine parts, video of inspection procedures, etc. In order to ensure the quality of product documentation, guidelines and standards for technical publication are often used in product development organizations.
However, documentation guidelines are often written informally and may not be easy to enforce fully. Consequently, the result varies, depending on the degree of self-discipline of the document authors. To support flexible manipulations, multimedia product documents are represented in Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). SGML-based product documents can be processed by a SGML parser and other SGML-based tools to extract and examine the contents and attributes of relevant document objects and their relationships. The SGML parser can check the documents against a Document Type Definition (DTD) and report syntax errors. However, the information provided by the SGML parser is based entirely on syntactical structure, which often is too encrypted for the document author to comprehend. On the other hand, documentation guidelines are often based on the semantics of documents, which can only be checked by examining contents and attributes of the relevant document objects. Some documentation guidelines also involve document objects that are not "directly" reedited to one another in the document structure, and thus cannot be easily specified in the DTD.

Automatic validation method for multimedia product manuals


A system for actively cooling an electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device may be divided into a plurality of regions each containing one or more electrical or electronic components. A temperature sensor is positioned in each region to sense the temperature of the components contained in that region. Similarly, a temperature regulating device is positioned in each region. A controller monitors the temperature of each region as sensed by the temperature sensor and adjusts the amount of cooling provided to that region by the temperature regulating device, accordingly.

The present invention relates generally to electronic devices such as computer systems, electronic test equipment, electronic office equipment, or the like, and more specifically to a system for actively cooling electrical and electronic components within an electronic device.
The reliability and performance of an electronic device such as a computer system or the like are closely related to the temperature at which the device""s internal electrical and electronic components must operate. For example, a typical computer system may include a number of integrated circuit components mounted on one or more circuit boards supported within the computer system""s chassis or housing. During periods of heavy use, these components may generate excess heat which must be dissipated to prevent damage to the components or degradation of their performance.
For this reason, most computer systems include a forced air cooling system comprising one or more cooling fans mounted within the computer system""s chassis. These cooling fans circulate air over the internal electrical and electronic components of the computer system so that any excess heat generated by the components may be dissipated via convection. However, certain components within the computer system, most notably Large-Scale Integration (LSI) or higher generation integrated circuit devices, such as the computer system""s processor, may generate significantly more heat during operation than other, lower density, components. These components may be inadequately cooled by the conventional forced air cooling system resulting in the formation of localized xe2x80x9chot spotsxe2x80x9d (e.g., areas of elevated temperature) throughout the system.
Known to the art are spot cooling devices which may be used to cool components which generate an excessive amount of heat. Spot cooling devices typically comprise a miniature axial fan which draws air through a heat sink attached directly to the component. The air drawn through the heat sink by the fan removes excess heat from the component so that it may be more effectively dissipated by the forced air cooling system. Spot cooling fans are typically switched on or off depending on the mode of operation of the computer system. Alternatively, the speed of the fan may be controlled as a function of the temperature of the component which it is cooling. However, spot cooling fans operate independently of one another to cool a particular component. As a result, cooling of other components within the computer system may be adversely affected so that cooling of the computer system as a whole may be less than optimum.
Consequently, it would be advantageous to provide an integrated system for actively cooling an electronic device such as a computer system or the like, wherein the cooling system provides a proper amount of cooling to each electrical or electronic component within the device based on the temperature measured in the region surrounding that component.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a novel system for cooling the electrical and electronic components of an electronic device. The electronic device includes a plurality of regions each containing one or more electrical or electronic components which may generate heat during operation of the device. A temperature sensor is positioned in each region to sense the temperature of that region. A temperature regulating device such as, for example, a cooling fan, may provide cooling to the electrical or electronic components contained in the region. The temperature regulating device is operable at variable rates to adjust the amount of cooling provided to components in the region. A controller is operatively coupled to the temperature sensor and temperature regulating device of each region. The controller monitors the temperature of each region as sensed by the temperature sensor and varies the amount of cooling provided to that region by the temperature regulating device in proportion to the sensed temperature of the region. The controller also monitors the operation of each temperature regulation device to ensure that it is functioning properly.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention claimed.

Active cooling system for an electronic device


A microwave oven having an improved draining structure. The microwave oven has a turn table installed at an inner lower portion of a cooking chamber; a roller assembly disposed in a water collecting portion formed at the bottom plate of the cooking chamber so as to support the turn table against a bottom plate of the cooking chamber; a motor bracket attached at an underside of the bottom plate; a motor installed at an underside of the motor bracket; and a coupler for transmitting a driving force of the motor to the turn table. A water collecting groove having at least one first draining hole is formed at the water collecting portion of the bottom plate of the cooking chamber. A downwardly inclined portion for preventing a water dropped from the first draining hole from flowing into the motor is provided at the motor bracket below the first draining hole. At least one second draining hole is formed at an end of the downwardly inclined portion of the motor bracket.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave oven, and more particularly to a microwave oven having a turn table which is disposed at an inner lower portion of a cooking chamber and is driven by a motor.
2. Prior Arts
Generally, in a microwave oven, foods to be cooked are heated by microwaves generated from a magnetron. When foods received in a vessel are heated in a cooking chamber of the microwave oven, water being boiled in the vessel may overflow from the vessel to the bottom of the cooking chamber. If the overflowed water flows into a motor for driving a turn table, an electrical short of the motor can be occurred thereby causing a malfunction of the microwave oven.
In order to overcome the above problem, various types of microwave ovens are suggested. For example, a microwave oven having a drain structure is disclosed in Korea Utility Model Publication No. 94-3746. FIG. 1 shows the microwave oven disclosed in Korea Utility Model Publication No. 94-3746. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional microwave oven 100 has a turn table 102 installed at an inner lower portion of a cooking chamber 101 and a water collecting portion 104 formed at a bottom plate 103 of cooking chamber 102. A roller assembly 105 for supporting turn table 102 against bottom plate 103 of cooking chamber 101 is provided in water collecting portion 104.
A motor bracket 106 is attached at an underside of bottom plate 103, and a motor 107 is installed at an underside of motor bracket 106. At a center of bottom plate 103, there is formed an opening 103a into which a coupler 108 for connecting turn table 102 to a motor shaft 107a is inserted. The driving force of motor 107 is transmitted to turn table 102 through coupler 108.
A motor shaft inserting hole 108a is formed at an underside of coupler 108, and an inclined portion 108b is formed at an inner circumference portion of motor shaft inserting hole 108a, as shown in FIG. 1A. In order to prevent coupler 108 from separating from bottom plate 103, a projection 108c is provided at an upper portion of coupler 108.
A bottom plate 106a of motor bracket 106 is formed at its one side with a downwardly inclined portion 106b, and a plurality of draining holes 106c is formed at an end portion of downwardly inclined portion 106b. In addition, at a center portion of the underside of motor bracket 106, there is formed an upwardly inclined portion 106d which extends into an inner portion of inclined portion 108b.
In the conventional microwave oven constructed as mentioned above, even when water W overflowed from the vessel flows along an outer surface of coupler 108, upwardly inclined portion 106d formed at the center of motor bracket 106 can prevent the overflowed water from flowing into motor 107. Overflowed water W flows along downwardly inclined portion 106b of motor bracket 106 and is draining out of microwave oven 100 through draining hole 106c.
However, conventional microwave oven 100 has no any device for draining water W remaining in water collecting portion 104, so water W, which is overflowed from the vessel and is collected in water collecting portion 104 during cooking operation, is draining toward coupler 108 only when the level of water W in water collecting portion 104 exceeds the capacity of water collecting portion 104.
That is, overflowed water W is still remaining in water collecting portion 104 if the user does not remove overflowed water W from water collecting portion 104. The remaining water is rotten as time goes by, thereby contaminating cooking chamber 101.

Microwave oven having an improved drain structure


The present invention relates to a process for the production of alkyl esters of carboxylic acids for use as biodiesel starting from the reaction of transesterification of triglycerides originating from oils and fats of vegetable or animal origin, which can be used individually or in mixtures with one another in any proportions, employing heterogeneous catalysis by means of protonated lamellar titanate catalysts in nanostructured form, and said forms can comprise, among in other forms, nanotubes, nanofibres or nanosheets.

The mechanism of the conventional synthesis of biodiesel by means of the transesterification of triglycerides, for example from vegetable oils, promoted by liquid catalysts in an alkaline alcoholic medium (homogeneous catalysis), is relatively well known.
In heterogeneous catalysis, studies of biodiesel synthesis promoted by solid catalysts have revealed mechanisms that are more complex and poorly understood.
One of the findings illustrating this fact is that to date, no specific property of a solid catalyst, such as its acid or basic character, has been found that shows a more direct correlation with the performance of said catalysts in the reactions of biodiesel synthesis, and in view of this, a great many solid catalysts that are possible candidates have been mentioned for this purpose, though without further consideration regarding their crystalline and morphological structure, with the objective of increasing their catalytic efficiency, for use in biodiesel synthesis, as is the case with the present invention.