In the case of an automatic money-receiving and -dispensing machine having a banknote-receiving location (20), having a banknote-checking and recognition device, having at least one intermediate store for intermediately storing received banknotes, having a banknote-dispensing location (22), having a plurality of storage units (30, 32, 34, 36) which are arranged in a secure housing (16) and are intended for keeping, storing and/or dispensing banknotes, and having transporting path (40) which connect the receiving location (44), the dispensing location (52), the checking and recognition device (58) and the storage units (30, 32, 34, 36) to one another, at least one of the storage units (32, 30) contains an exchangeable storage cassette (31, 33) for banknotes which are to be dispensed, at least one storage unit (34, 36) having a winding store for receiving, storing and dispensing banknotes, the storage units (30, 32, 34, 36) being connected to a common, first transporting path (40), which is arranged, together with the storage units (30, 32, 34, 36), in the secure housing (16), and the checking and recognition device, the intermediate store and a second transporting path, which connects the units to the receiving and dispensing locations (20, 22), being arranged in a top part (12) outside the housing (16) which accommodates the storage units (30, 32, 34, 36).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an automatic money-receiving and -dispensing machine having a banknote-receiving location, having a banknote-checking and recognition device, having at least one intermediate storage for intermediately storing received banknotes, having a banknote-dispensing location, having a plurality of storage units which are arranged in a secure housing and are intended for keeping, storing and/or dispensing banknotes, and having transporting means which connect the receiving location, the dispensing location, the checking and recognition device and the storage units to one another.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automatic money-receiving and -dispensing machine of the abovementioned type is known, for example, from European Patent Document EP-B-24 704. In the case of these known automatic machines, the storage units contain storage cassettes from which banknotes can be transported to the dispensing location, via a first transporting section, and dispensed. Received banknotes run through an arrangement for checking authenticity and an arrangement for determining the nominal value and, provided the banknotes are authentic, are then deposited, in accordance with their nominal value, in an intermediate storage assigned to the respective storage cassette. From the intermediate storage, they may then be pushed into the cassette with the aid of a pushing device, with the result that they are available again for the purpose of being paid out. Also provided is a supply container, in which the banknotes which have been introduced can be stored irrespective of their nominal value and from which it is also possible for banknotes to be removed again. This storage container, with a relatively large capacity, can be emptied or reloaded as desired. Although, in the case of this automatic machine, it is possible for the availability of the machine to be increased and for the time which elapses before the storage cassettes have to be refilled or emptied again to be extended, this requires a relatively high degree of technical outlay.
A similar automatic machine is described in European Patent Document EP-B-148 310.
Furthermore, German Patent Document DE-A-30 42 566 discloses an automatic banking machine having a winding storage unit which makes it possible for banknotes which have been introduced to be stored one after the other.

Automatic money-receiving and -dispensing machine


An exemplary embodiments of the present invention includes a light emitting body, a gyro sensor detecting a tremor, and a light emitting body tilt driving unit tilting the light emitting body in response to tremor information detected by the gyro sensor.

Generally, a light emitting module like a hand-held laser pointer generates a tremor (trembling) in pointing out a long-distanced target. The effectiveness of such hand-held laser pointers for particularly pointing out a target is reduced by the unintentional tremor of the user's hand. Human tremor is an involuntary trembling or shaking of the muscles of the body associated with physical weakness, emotional stress, or excitement.
That is, a user holds the pointer in one hand and directs the laser beam towards a target, and a handshake of the user is transferred to the tremor of the laser pointer, because a diameter of laser beam is narrow, and the laser pointer is small and light-weighted.
Furthermore, the fact is that a robot or a manufacturing device using a laser vision suffers from accuracy due to tremor caused by vibration. A portable lighting device is also present with tremor.
Although a laser pointer lighting device has been developed for effective business and manufacturing and convenience, the laser pointer suffers from generation of tremor, resulting in decreased accuracy and/or visual inconvenience.
Meanwhile, one known art in the related field, Korean Registered Patent No. 2000-0060380 teaches a laser pointer equipped with hand tremor compensation function. However, the Korea patent suffers from disadvantages due to complicated structure and limitation to a general hand-held lighting device, such that there is an urgent need in the art for an improved and accurate light emitting device that substantially eliminates the abovementioned disadvantages.


A method for planning a current medical procedure to be performed on a body part of a current patient includes obtaining a current first representation of a surface of the body part of the current patient, and either obtaining a representation of a desired result surface for the current medical procedure or selecting parameters for the current medical procedure. The method further includes retrieving at least one best matching record from a database of records of previously performed medical procedures of previous patients, based on a similarity criterion. Each record includes: parameters of a previously performed procedure of the previously performed medical procedures, a first representation of the body part of the previous patient prior to performance of the previously performed procedure, and a second representation of a body part of the previous patient after the performance of the previously performed procedure. The method further includes determining parameters of the current medical procedure based on the parameters of the retrieved record, or generating a representation of a predicted result for the current medical procedure on the body part of the current patient based on the retrieved record.

The predicted outcome of a medical operation is of concern to patients and surgeons. This may be especially true with regard to the fields of plastic, aesthetic, reconstructive, and cosmetic surgery. In these fields, a body part may be reshaped or modified in order to improve the appearance of the patient. In such a case, prediction and visualization of the results may play an important role in planning the surgery. For example, the predicted appearance of the patient after the procedure may be a major factor in planning, or in deciding whether or not to perform, a surgical procedure such as rhinoplasty or breast augmentation.
Typically, a physician and patient may attempt to visualize a likely outcome of a surgical procedure on the basis of photographs that show the results of past procedure. For example, a physician may maintain an album of photographs of patients before and after surgery. The physician may then attempt to select from the album photographs of patients whose pre-surgery appearance most closely resembles that of the present patient, and who underwent a surgical procedure closely resembling a proposed procedure. However, prediction based on such photographs may not be satisfactory. For example, differences among patients and among the details of surgical procedures may detract from the relevance of such comparisons and reduce the reliability of a prediction based solely on such photographs.
Computer imaging and image processing techniques may be utilized in predicting results a surgical procedure. Such techniques have been developed and described in the context of a number of different fields for application within a number of contexts, such as, for example, animation and forensics. Such techniques may include scanning or otherwise measuring the topography of a surface so as to acquire a digitized three dimensional representation of a surface. Various surface scanning methods have been described. For example, techniques have been described in which one or more cameras are used to acquire images of as surface. The images may then be analyzed to yield a three dimensional description of the surface. For example, triangulation techniques may be applied to images of a surface acquired from different viewing angles to produce a three dimensional characterization of the surface. Another technique known in the art uses detection of a pattern projected onto a contoured surface to generate a three dimensional description of the surface. A variation of this technique for rapidly acquiring a three dimensional description of a contoured surface has been described by Kimmel in WO 2005/067389.
Once a three dimensional description of a surface is acquired, various shape modification techniques may be applied to produce a predicted surface after surgery. For example, a shape modification technique may be applied to produce and display a modified surface whose shape has been deformed in a realistic manner from the original surface as a result of a particular defined process. Such deformation may be based on a theoretical model that describes deformation of a shape upon application of various deforming factors or forces. However, the accuracy of such predictive techniques may be limited by the accuracy of the theoretical model. In addition, a particular theoretical model may have limited applicability to a particular surgical procedure. It would therefore be advantageous to use an empirical model based on actual surgical results.
In building an empirical model, it is necessary to quantitatively describe a change in the shape of a surface as a result of application of a particular surgical procedure. A quantitative description of a displacement of each point of the pre-surgery surface to the position of a corresponding point of the post-surgery surface may be referred to as a deformation map. Since the correspondence between a point of the post-surgery surface and a point of the pre-surgery surface may not be known a priori, the correspondence may have to be calculated. Techniques have been developed for automatically constructing such a correspondence based on metric structure similarity. The main idea of such techniques is to find a correspondence between two surfaces that preserves point-wise distances (metric) on the surfaces. For example, Kimmel et al. in WO 2007/069260 describe a method based on finding minimum-distortion correspondence between two non-rigid surfaces, where the distortion reflects the metric dissimilarity of the two surfaces under a given correspondence. By minimizing the correspondence distortion, one obtains the best matching between the surfaces. The method described is based on calculating distances between pairs of points, on both surfaces being matched. These distances define the metric structure of each of the surfaces. Depending on the specific way of computing the distances, special invariance properties can be achieved. For example, geodesic distance, defined as the length of the shortest path on the surface connecting two points, does not change when the surface undergoes non-rigid deformations. Thus, geodesic metric structure of a surface is deformation invariant, which makes the correspondence based on minimization of geodesic metric dissimilarity be agnostic to shape deformations.
The computation of the minimum-distortion correspondence can be performed by an iterative procedure, as follows. The two surfaces are sampled at some fixed number of points, and the pair-wise distances between each pair of points in the set of points on each surfaces is computed. The correspondence between the two sets of points is initialized by some initial correspondence that may be selected at random or provided based on some side information. Given a correspondence, its distortion may be quantified based on a comparison of the distance between pairs of points on one surface and the corresponding pairs of points on another surface. The distortion can be quantified by, for example, the average absolute difference between corresponding distances or the maximum absolute difference between corresponding distances. The correspondence is then modified iteratively so that the value of the distortion is decreased. When the distortion falls below some threshold value or cannot be decreased by subsequent iterations, the procedure is terminated and the current correspondence is considered optimal. The modification of the correspondence during the iteration process may be performed by perturbation of the corresponding points and re-computation of the distances between them.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for reliably predicting the shape of the surface of a part of a patient's body as a result of a surgical procedure.
Other aims and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reading the present invention and reviewing the accompanying drawings.

Surgery planning based on predicted results

TECHNION RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION LTD


A software box or package with reduced original dimensions may be configured to be manipulated to form a box with at least one dimension that is longer than the original dimensions. For example, the box may be manipulated to form an expanded box with a longer height, depth, and/or width than the un-expanded box. In some embodiments, one or more sides of the box may be unfolded and/or one or more internal boxes may be unfolded or pulled out of the un-expanded box to form the expanded box. The expanded box may be used to store documents, back-up software copies, instructions, etc. The expanded box may have a height and width approximately the same as a file folder and may be stored in a filing cabinet. Such software boxes may include boxes for tax software, real estate software, résumés, etc.

Several different types of software for private consumers and business related interests have become available. For example, financial software, tax software, legal document software, etc. are marketed and sold to make once difficult tasks easier for people or businesses to manage. Even with the increasing reliance on these software programs and computers for related electronic document storage, people still find it necessary to store paper copies of related documents for later retrieval. For example, tax returns and receipts are often stored in paper form in addition to their electronic counterparts.
Software is often sold in small packaging. Often, the size of the packaging is minimized to make the software packages easier to transport, store, and display. Once purchased, software boxes are often used by the consumer to store the original software storage medium and software instructions. The software boxes are stored separately from other paper documents (such as tax returns) because the dimensions of the other paper documents often exceed the dimensions of the software box. This may lead to cumbersome storage requirements, and may also lead to difficulties locating needed documents at a later time.


A device, comprising: a main module; a plurality of secondary modules; and a data bus configured to enable data transmission between the main module and the plurality of secondary modules over a data line of the data bus; wherein each of the plurality of secondary modules is configured with a unique secondary address used by the main module to communicate with the respective secondary module over the data line, wherein the main module is operable to configure a first two or more of the plurality of secondary modules with a first common secondary address for simultaneous data transmission from the main module to the first two or more of the plurality of secondary modules over the data line.

Two-wire communication buses, comprising a clock line and a data line, are commonly used for synchronous serial data transfer between integrated circuits (ICs). Such solutions allow a main (or control) device or module to communicate with multiple secondary (or responder) devices or modules over the shared data line, each secondary device designated a unique address used by the main device to communicate with specific secondary devices.
Since communication between the main device and each of the secondary devices can only be performed sequentially, two-wire communication protocols suffer from data throughput limitations. Data throughput can be increased by increasing clock speed. However, there is a limit to the speed at which state-of-the-art two-wire systems can be clocked.


A dispenser configured to close and fold into a small, compact, refillable package for storing personal care products is disclosed. Specifically, the dispenser has significantly less surface area in the closed (i.e., folded) position as compared to the unfolded personal care product that is stored within the dispenser.

The present disclosure generally relates to a refillable travel dispenser for personal care products, particularly for sheeted personal care products, including wet wipes, facial tissue, toilet tissue, and the like. Specifically, the dispenser is configured to close and fold into a small, compact, refillable package for storing personal care products. The dispenser has significantly less surface area in the closed (i.e., folded) position as compared to the unfolded personal care product that is stored within the dispenser. Furthermore, clips are used within the internal compartment of the dispenser to hold the personal care products neatly within the internal compartment of the dispenser and to allow for consistent dispensing of the personal care product.
Dispensers for wet wipes and other such substrates come in a wide variety of types and styles. Frequently, there is a consumer desire to have a dispenser that is highly portable and suitable for placement in the car, home, a purse, a diaper bag, or other luggage. Many existing travel sized products or dispensers often either lack the ability to refill or require a special purchase of a refill cartridge because they cannot be used with the product or dispenser the consumer already uses at home without significant product manipulation (e.g., folding or wadding the product into a smaller size). Furthermore, many of these travel dispensers and other dispensers that do offer refilling from home products are often not small enough and are inconvenient to carry, especially when a diaper bag is not being used. For example, conventional dispensers typically have a surface area of at least about 130 to about 150% of the surface area of the product that is stored within the dispenser.
Additionally, there may be dispensers that are small enough to be used in a portable manner. However, these portable dispensers can open inadvertently subjecting the contents of the dispenser to dirt, contamination, or even having the wet wipes fall out, ruining the contents. This can be especially true if the dispenser is accidentally dropped, and thereafter impacts a hard surface such as a floor. Thus, it is important that the dispenser have a secure closure to keep the contents from inadvertently spilling. Yet, at the same time, the contents of the dispenser need to be readily accessible without an undue struggle to access the wet wipes when needed. Frequently, wet wipes are used to clean up spills or during diapering of a child. The dispenser's ease of use is important for these tasks when speed or the capability to open the dispenser using only one hand is an advantage.
As such, there is a need for a small refillable travel dispenser for personal care products, such as wet wipes. The dispenser should be capable of being refilled using the products already used in the home. Additionally, the dispenser should further securely maintain the products within the dispenser while at the same time provide ready access to the products when needed.

Refillable travel dispenser for wet wipes


A monoclonal antibody, and a cell line capable of producing the same, has been produced with the ability to detect the primary metabolites generated from the pyrolysis of smokeable, or “crack”, cocaine. This monoclonal antibody, while being highly specific for anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME) and ecgonidine (ECD), does not cross-react at a significant level with the primary cocaine metabolites of powdered or injected cocaine. Also, crack cocaine conjugates capable of evoking an immune response in animals have been produced.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a monoclonal antibody and a cell line capable of producing the same which may be used to detect various crack cocaine metabolites in a sample. This invention also relates to immunogens in the form of crack cocaine conjugates used to evoke an immune response in animals.
2. Background
When cocaine enters the human body it is quickly broken down into various metabolites. These metabolites are longer lived than the cocaine itself and thus may be assayed to determine if an individual has previously ingested cocaine. Various methods have been utilized to determine whether these metabolites are present in a sample, for example, immunoassays and gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS).
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for determining the presence and concentration of chemicals in a sample. However, it is expensive, time-consuming, and labor intensive; therefore, immunoassays, which are cheaper and quicker, are commonly used as an initial screening stage. Those samples which test positive using an immunoassay are frequently confirmed by gas chromatography to verify the presence of the metabolites.
Immunoassays detect their target chemical by utilizing antibodies which are raised to be specific for the particular chemical or closely related compounds. These antibodies have the ability to selectively bind to the chemical(s) in question while generally not binding to other chemicals in the sample. Thus, antibodies are quite useful in detecting the presence of chemicals in a sample even at nanogram per milliliter levels.
Antibodies specific for cocaine metabolites have previously been developed and produce highly sensitive diagnostic tests for detecting cocaine use. Currently available tests utilize monoclonal antibodies with a high affinity to a specific metabolite of cocaine, benzoylecogonine (BE); BE is used in these tests because it is the metabolite with the highest concentration several days after cocaine ingestion.
In the 1980's a smokable form of cocaine, "Crack" cocaine, became increasingly prevalent. Crack cocaine is a highly potent and addictive substance. Smoking, chemically referred to as pyrolysis, of crack cocaine produces distinctive metabolites such as anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME) and ecgonidine (ECD) which are not present in users of the powdered or injected forms of cocaine.
The addiction associated with crack cocaine and its particular central nervous system distribution leads to clinical complications that are different from powdered or injected cocaine use. In addition, criminal penalties for crack cocaine are potentially different than those of the powdered or injected forms. Despite the need for a test able to discriminate between the use of crack cocaine and cocaine's other forms, until now, no immunoassay or monoclonal antibody was able to selectively detect the use of crack cocaine versus the powdered or injected forms of the drug. Commercial immunoassays can detect only BE which is produced in both powdered and crack cocaine users. As there are specific clinical and legal implications for crack cocaine use, the need for monoclonal antibodies capable of distinguishing between the use of crack cocaine and the powdered or injected form, is evident.

Monoclonal antibodies specific for crack cocaine metabolites, a cell line producing the same, and crack cocaine conjugates

The United States of America as represented by the Attorney General of the Dept. of Justice


A hot beverage cup and sleeve bring together two modes of heat transfer, conduction and radiation. The sleeve has an inner face with a plurality of high reflectivity surfaces for radiating heat back to the cup. The sleeve also has a plurality of insulating members for containing insulating air. Each of the insulating members is positioned to space the high reflectivity surfaces away from the cup. A low emissivity film can be adhered to the cup without touching the insulating members. The film can also be attached to the sleeve facing but spaced from the high reflectivity surfaces. This cup and sleeve arrangements minimize thermal contact and reduce heat transfer. Thus, the hot beverage cup and sleeve protect a person's hand as well as extend the time of keeping the beverage hot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to food containers, and particularly to a hot beverage cup sleeve that allows a person to hold the cup without burning one's fingers while retaining heat in the cup for preventing the beverage from cooling too quickly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Coffee shop franchises nowadays serve hot beverages in disposable cups made from inexpensive and biodegradable materials. In order to make these cups safe for a person or customer to handle, different types of cup sleeves have been utilized. Many such sleeves are also made of recyclable materials. Of course, the ideal cup and sleeve would protect the person's hand from excessive heat while keeping the beverage hot for an extended period of time.
To protect the person's hand, the current hot beverage sleeves available on the market utilize the science of heat transfer. One type of hot beverage sleeve uses a double-layering practice for the sleeve to increase the level of thermal insulation. The other type of hot beverage sleeve uses corrugated paperboard or cardboard material to create air spaces around the cup to provide a certain degree of insulation of the heat.
From a heat transfer point of view, these insulation sleeves are based on physical laws of heat conduction, only. As is commonly known, heat can be transferred by conduction, convection, or radiation. Currently, the available hot beverage sleeves utilize heat conduction by isolating the heat. The heat is then directed either up or down the sleeve, with the sleeve heating up and the beverage cooling down, thus, making the sleeve hot to touch or the hot beverage cold to drink.
Thus, a hot beverage cup sleeve solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals


A PIN structure semiconductor optical receiver includes first and second electrical contact layers and an intrinsic layer disposed between them. The intrinsic layer includes a stud having a stud axis and a stud cross-section. The first and second contact layers have dimensions in a plane perpendicular to the stud axis that are greater than the stud's cross-section. These layers are also elongated and have longitudinal axes offset angularly relative to each other to minimize facing areas of said electrical contact layers.

Fiber optic communications generally use modulated light sources, such as a laser, an optical receiver, notably a photodiode, and an optical fiber connecting the light source and the optical receiver. In this context, the laser emits pulses carrying data to be transported that will be received by the receiver, which converts these optical signals into electrical signals.
PIN structure photodiodes are generally used, which in particular comprise three layers: a p-doped electrical contact layer, an n-doped electrical contact layer and an intrinsic layer disposed between the two layers.
The p-doped and n-doped electrical contact layers are connected to respective metal contacts in the form of rings.
The intrinsic layer is in the form of a stud (also referred to as a mesa in the literature), for example in germanium, that absorbs incident light to convert it into a photocurrent or an electrical current.
Such a stud typically has a cylindrical shape of circular cross section and a diameter exceeding 10 μm in order to match the dimensions of the incident beam, which generally comes from an optical fibre.
The metal ring forming the metal contact in contact with the upper electrical contact layer generally has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the stud. Metal being opaque at the wavelengths concerned (near infrared: 850 nm to 1600 nm), this ring therefore masks some of the incident light, which reduces the performance/sensitivity of the photodiode.
To enhance the performance of such a photodiode, increasing the diameter of the stud of the intrinsic layer might be envisaged.
However, it is important that the diameter of the stud remain small, because it defines the capacitance of the photodiode and thus its bandwidth.
The smaller the diameter of the stud, the smaller the capacitance of the photodiode and the greater the bandwidth of the photodiode.
It would therefore be necessary to combine two mutually contradictory requirements, namely on the one hand to minimize the diameter of the mesa in order to optimize the bandwidth of the photodiode and on the other hand to maximize the diameter of the metal contact ring in order to optimize the sensitivity of the photodiode.
This problem has become particularly apparent with the broadening of the bandwidth to more than 10 GHz (i.e. 25 GHz, 40 GHz) although the diameter of the beam that illuminates the photodiode remains constant at 10-12 μm, being imposed by the standard for monomode fibres for optical telecommunication applications.
A partial solution to this problem is proposed in the document US2008/0265357.
As notably seen in FIG. 3 of that document, the upper electrical contact layer has a larger diameter than the intrinsic layer, which enables the use of a metal ring of larger diameter that no longer masks part of the stud of the intrinsic layer.
Although the performance/sensitivity of such a photodiode structure is undoubtedly improved, at the same time as retaining a high bandwidth, this approach ignores the appearance of stray capacitance that is added to the capacitance of the stud of the intrinsic layer and tends to limit the bandwidth of the photodiode.

COMMISSARIAT A L'ÉNERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES


In charge rate estimating apparatus and method for a secondary cell, a current flowing through the secondary cell is measured, a voltage across terminals of the secondary cell is measured, an adaptive digital filtering is carried out using a cell model in a continuous time series shown in an equation (1), all of parameters at one time are estimated, the parameters corresponding to an open-circuit voltage which is an offset term of the equation (1) and coefficients of A(s), B(s), and C(s) which are transient terms, and, the charge rate is estimated from a relationship between a previously derived open-circuit voltage V0 and the charge rate SOC using the open-circuit voltage V0,

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and method for estimating a charge rate (abbreviated as SOC) of a secondary cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application First Publications No. 2000-323183 published on Nov. 24, 2000 No. 2000-268886 published on Sep. 29, 2000, and a Japanese Paper titled "Estimation of Open Voltage and Residual Values for Pb Battery by Adaptive Digital Filter" announced by a Japanese Electrical Engineering Society (T.IEEE Japan), Volume 112-C, No. 4, published on 1992 exemplify previously proposed SOC estimating apparatus for the secondary cell. That is to say, since the charge rate (or called State Of Charge, i.e., SOC) of the secondary cell has a correlation to an open-circuit voltage V0 (cell terminal voltage when its power supply of the cell is turned off, also called electromotive force or open voltage), the charge rate can be estimated when open voltage V0 is obtained. However, a considerable time is needed until the terminal voltage is stabilized after the power supply is turned off (charge-and-discharge is ended). Hence, a predetermined time duration is needed from a time at which the charge-and-discharge is ended to determine an accurate open-circuit voltage V0. Therefore, since immediately after or during the charge/discharge time or charge-and-discharge, it is impossible to determine an accurate open-circuit voltage and the charge rate cannot be obtained using the above-described method. Nevertheless, to determine the open-circuit voltage V0, the open-circuit voltage V0 is estimated using a method disclosed in the above-described Japanese Patent Application First Publication No. 2000-323183.

Apparatus and method for estimating charge rate of secondary cell

Abstract: V          =                                                                      B                                                        (                    s                    )                                                                    A                                                        (                    s                    )                                                              ·              I                        +                                          1                                  C                                                        (                    s                    )                                                              ·                              V                0                                                    ,                            (        1        )                            wherein s denotes a Laplace transform operator, A(s), B(s), and C(s) denote poly-nominal functions of s.


A method and apparatus for recording data on a magnetooptical recording medium finds an optimum laser beam intensities for recording. The method and apparatus do not cause a low level P.sub.L setting to become excessively low and poor overwriting of data during overwrite recording. Recording can be accomplished changing low level and high level laser beam intensities, while holding the ratio of the low level and high level laser beam intensities constant. Data can be reproduced and evaluated. When the optimum laser beam intensities have not been determined, the intensity ratio of the low level and high level intensities can be altered. After data has been is reproduced and evaluated, the process can be repeated, until the optimum laser beam intensities are obtained. Further, recording can be based on temperature of the recording medium and surroundings to obtain optimum laser beam intensities.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control and method for recording data on an overwritable optical recording medium. The control and method effectively replace previously recorded data, regardless of the location of the data on the recording medium.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, optical recording and retrieval methods have become well known. These optical recording and retrieval methods satisfy a variety of needs, such as: high density; large capacity; high access speed; and high recording; and retrieval speeds. Also, the recording devices, retrieval devices and recording media, which employ the above optical recording and retrieval methods, have become more well-known.
There are several known optical recording and retrieval methods. These include optical recording and retrieval methods that: 1) form holes in the recording medium using heat; 2) change phases; and 3) use magnetooptical principles. Phase change and magnetooptical methods can 1) replace data after data has been recorded; 2) record new data; and 3) repeat the process numerous times. These phase change and magnetooptical methods are widely used, for example, such as in external memories for computers and consumer audio equipment.
Until recently, it has been impossible to replace or "overwrite" previously recorded data with optical and retrieval methods. Overwriting consists of recording new information on a medium that has data already been recorded on without first replacing the data, i.e., the data is essentially replaced by overwriting. However, an optical recording method has been proposed where overwriting is achieved by modulating the intensity of a beam that irradiates a recording medium. The modulation is based on the digitized data that will be recorded. Further, overwritable optical recording media and recording devices, which are capable of overwriting using the above methods, are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,524 (equivalents include Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Sho 62-175948 and DE 3,619,618A1) disclose this type of overwriting magnetooptical recording methods.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,524, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein, an overwritable or magnetooptical recording medium is used in magnetooptical recording and retrieval. The magnetooptical medium comprises a plurality of magnetic layers, each layer having at least one perpendicularly arranged magnetic layer as the recording layer. The magnetic layer is comprised of any suitable material, such as, for example, amorphous TbFe, TbFeCo, GdFe, GdFeCo, DyFe, or DyFeCo, and the like.
The recording medium used in the magnetooptical recording of U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,524 is an overwritable multi-layer magnetooptical recording medium containing a memory layer or M layer that functions as a recording and retrieval layer, and a supplementary recording layer or W layer. The memory layer M comprises a vertically magnetizable magnetic film. The supplementary recording layer W also comprises a vertically magnetizable magnetic film. Therefore, the data, which is usually stored on both the supplementary recording layer W and the memory layer M, for example stored as bits, can be exchange-coupled, as explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,524, if desired. During a room temperature exchange-couple process, the magnetic orientation of data on the memory layer M does not change, and the magnetization of the data on the supplementary recording layer W will be oriented in a preset orientation as the auxiliary recording layer W has a lower holding power force or coercivity Hc at room temperature, and a higher curie point Tc, than the memory layer M, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,524.
Further, data can be recorded on the memory layer M, and possibly also on the auxiliary recording layer WO. The recording of data on the separate layers is conducted by the data being magnetized in the vertical direction or "A" orientation, and data being magnetization in an opposite direction or "anti-A" orientation, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,524. The magnetooptical recording medium permits the magnetic orientation of the auxiliary recording layer W to be aligned in a single direction by a magnetic field means, for example such as an initializing auxiliary magnetic field, Hini. The magnetic orientation of the memory layer M is not reversed at this time. Furthermore, the magnetic orientation of the auxiliary recording layer W, which has been previously aligned in a single direction, is not reversed, even under the exchange-coupling force exerted by the memory layer M. The magnetic orientation of the memory layer M is not reversed, even under an exchange-coupling force exerted by the auxiliary recording layer W.
With the magnetooptical recording method as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,524, only the magnetic orientation of the auxiliary recording layer W is aligned in a single direction by magnetic field means prior to recording data. Additionally, a laser beam, which has its pulse modulated based on digitized data, irradiates the recording medium, where the laser beam intensity is varied between a high level P.sub.H and a low level P.sub.L, as explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,524. These levels correspond to a high and low level of the laser beam's pulse. The low level is higher than a retrieval level P.sub.R with which the medium is irradiated during a retrieval step.
As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,524, the laser is turned on at an "extremely low level" to access a predetermined recording location on the medium, even when recording is not going to occur. This extremely low level is the same as or very close to the retrieval level P.sub.R. When a low level laser beam irradiates the recording medium at a temperature, the magnetic orientation of the auxiliary recording layer W does not change. The magnetic orientation of the memory layer M is affected to remove any magnetic barriers between the memory layer M and the auxiliary recording layer W. This is a low temperature process, and the temperature range at which this low temperature process occurs is a low temperature process temperature T.sub.L.
On the other hand, at a higher temperatures where a high level laser beam irradiates the recording medium, the magnetic orientation of the auxiliary recording layer W becomes aligned with the direction of the recording magnetic field. The magnetic orientation of the memory layer M is affected to remove any magnetic barriers between the memory layer M and the auxiliary recording layer W. This is called a high temperature process, and the temperature range at which this high temperature process occurs is called a high temperature process temperature T.sub.H.
After irradiation by the laser beam, the magnetic orientation of the auxiliary recording layer W, which had been aligned with the direction of the recording magnetic field by high level laser beam irradiation, is realigned with the magnetic orientation of the recording magnetic field. Accordingly, if the magnetic orientation of the magnetic field means and the magnetic orientation of the recording field are opposed, it is possible to repeatedly record or overwrite on the memory layer, even if data has been previously recorded. This is the principle of light modulation magnetooptical recording. In other words, the recorded data or bits are formed by high level laser beam irradiation, and the data or bits are replaced by low level laser beam irradiation. Thus, the new data replaces or "overwrites" of the old data.
To optimize the length and thickness of the mark of the signal pulse when recording on an optical recording medium, the optimum laser beam intensities should be set based on a temperature of the recording medium and a temperature of the environment. This process of finding the optimum laser beam intensities is called test recording. There are known magnetooptical disk recording apparatuses that conduct test recordings using different methods. On conventional optical recording media, which cannot be overwritten, i.e., non-overwrite media, test recording is conducted by causing the intensities to change, while keeping the ratio of the two values of laser beam intensities constant. Thus, the optimum laser beam intensities are can be determined.
However, with optical intensity modulation overwrite recording, a low level laser beam intensity P.sub.L is involved in both recording and overwrite recording. Accordingly in non-overwrite media, by only changing the intensities while keeping the ratio of the two laser beam intensities constant, the low level P.sub.L is set too low. Accordingly, poor replacing results during overwrite recording.

Magneto-optical recording method capable of determining optimum laser beam intensities


There is provided an insulated wire including: a conductor wire; and a polyamide-imide insulation coating formed around the conductor wire, the polyamide-imide insulation coating being made from a polyamide-imide resin based insulating varnish, the varnish being synthesized by reaction of an isocyanate constituent and an acid constituent in a solvent, the isocyanate constituent including 5 to 50 mol % of 2,4′-diphenylmethane-diisocyanate having a flexible molecular structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polyamide-imide resin based insulating varnish from which a highly flexible insulation coating can be made, and an insulated wire having good press-formability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Enameled wires are mainly used for coils in electrical equipment such as motors and transformers, and are typically formed by applying an insulating varnish around a conductor wire and baking the varnish. Such enameled wires may undergo severe mechanical stresses during coil winding processes.
An approach for relieving such mechanical stresses is to provide the surface of an enameled wire with more lubricity. And, a method for providing an enameled wire with a lubricative surface is to apply a highly lubricating material on the outermost surface of the wire and bake the applied material. Known examples of such highly lubricating materials include: a lubricant including paraffin and a fatty acid ester as major constituents, and an insulating varnish containing such a lubricant; an insulating varnish containing a mixture of a stabilized isocyanate and a lubricant; and an insulating varnish containing a titanate ester (see, e.g., JP-A Hei 9(1997)-45143 and JP-A Hei 7(1995)-134912).
With the recent strong trend towards environmentalism, a demand exists for smaller and more efficient motors and transformers. For example, there are increasing cases in which a high-power motor is mounted in a very small space, particularly in hybrid vehicles. Coils in such small and high-power motors occupy a larger volume in the motor. To fabricate such coils, an enameled wire needs to be wound more compactly (higher compression ratio) than before. In such severe winding processes, enameled wires are often press-formed or compressed to too large an extent to be withstood.
To withstand such severe press-forming processes, insulation coatings with an improved wear resistance over conventional coatings are often used. In many cases, such highly wear resistant insulation coatings are formed from a polyamide-imide resin based insulating varnish. For example, 3,3′-dimethylbiphenyl-4,4′-diisocyanate (TODI) is used as an isocyanate constituent of a polyamide-imide resin based insulating varnish to rigidify the backbone of the polyamide-imide resin in the varnish. This improves the wear resistance of the resulting insulation coating and prevents occurrence of damages (such as cracks) in the coating during press-forming processes. Thus, the press-formability of the resulting insulated wire is enhanced. For example, see JP-B 2936895 and JP-A 2007-270074.
However, the polyamide-imide resin contained in the above-described conventional polyamide-imide resin based insulating varnish has a rigid backbone, and therefore insulation coatings made from such an insulating varnish have the disadvantage of poor flexibility (poor elongation properties).
As described above, during recent demanding press-forming processes, insulation coatings often receive very severe mechanical stresses, and are, as a result, deformed by compression to a very large extent. Therefore, such poorly flexible conventional polyamide-imide resin based insulation coatings as described above are particularly problematic when subjected to such large mechanical stresses because they can be deformed (compressed) only up to a certain limit, and may, above the limit, suffer from damages such as cracks.

Polyamide-imide resin based insulating varnish and insulated wire covered with same


A trigger switch has an insulative enclosure, a movable contact element, and a sliding control device slidably mounted to the insulative enclosure. The insulative enclosure includes a case and a cover. The case has plural terminal subassemblies made of conductive metal members disposed therein. The case has an opening over which the cover is mounted. A fixed contact is mounted on one of the terminal subassemblies in the case. The movable contact element has a movable contact mounted at one end of the movable contact element and located opposite to the fixed contact. The movable contact element is swingably supported on another terminal subassembly. A trigger is mounted at one end of the sliding control device. An auxiliary brush is interposed in the movable contact element. A support member is provided with an opening portion in which the auxiliary brush is engaged such that the brush is swingably supported.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trigger switch and, more particularly, to improvements in a switch structure inside a trigger switch used in an electric power tool.
2. Prior Art
A conventional and known trigger switch is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-2003-109451. This trigger switch has a control device that is mounted to a case by an improved mounting mechanism. An attempt has been made to reduce the thickness while securing good dustproofness. To achieve this, the state of the switch mechanism inside the case of the trigger switch is switched based on a triggering manipulation. The switch mechanism is incorporated in the internal space of the case. The opening at one side of the case that is opened in a corresponding manner to the internal space of the case is covered and closed by a cover. The control device is accommodated in a concave accommodation portion formed in a part of the other side surface of the case. The other side surface of the case including the outer surface of the control device is covered by a heat-dissipating plate to form an integrated structure.
However, in this conventional trigger switch, when a movable contact element moving swingably is mounted to a support member, the contact element is simply placed on the support member to permit the contact member to swing. Consequently, there is such a problem that the contact element comes off from the support member during use. Furthermore, when the movable contact element moves, the support member tends to bound, producing an arc across the contacted portion. This would produce poor contact. To prevent this, it is necessary to add a brush. However, to hold the brush, a process for tightening the brush is required. This produces a problem that the cost is increased.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 26, a trigger 120 is normally molded from resin. Therefore, opening portions are formed only from one direction. Utilizing the opening portions, trigger guide ribs 121 are attached from other components. Therefore, whenever the trigger 120 moves, dust 123 accumulates in the opening portions, 122. The accumulated dust 123 is stored in the interiors of the opening portions 122. The dust stays there without being discharged and interferes with the trigger guide ribs 121. Under this condition, the trigger cannot be pulled to its full stroke, thus presenting a problem.
To permit the trigger to be mounted in an electric power tool easily, the switch itself is required to be integrated with the control device (FET). Therefore, an opening portion is formed in the cover of the switch, and the control device is disposed in the opening portion. In spite of this contrivance, a problem takes place. The movable contact element is received in a position adjacent to the opening portion. Because the opening portion is formed in a part of the cover, dust intruding from the opening portion reaches the chamber of the switch mechanism where the movable contact element is mounted. To prevent this problem, dustproof rubber is used in or around the opening portion in the cover as a dustproof countermeasure. Consequently, intrusion of dust can be prevented. However, there is the problem that dedicated packing or the like is necessary, increasing the cost.
Furthermore, the conventional product has the problem that heat from the FET stays inside the switch because the switch mechanism and the portion accommodating the FET are integrated.


There is described a rectangular shaped security cabinet having a door opening which is closed by a tambour door. The door is made from a plurality of interlocking slats capable of limited flexure relative to one another, the slats having interlocking hooked tongues on the upper faces which lockingly engage with slots on the lower faces. A protection barrier extends from the top face behind the hooked tongue and inhibits access to the joint formed by the hooked tongue and the receiving slots. Additionally the door is provided with a lock operated by a combination lock which lock includes a sliding bar at the back of the door which engages with upstanding projections on the door bottom sill. A cam like latch, biased to the open position is operable by the combination lock to engage in a catch on the sliding bar to lock the bar and thus the door, in the locked position. Further, there is described a secure rear panel in which the rivets which lock the panel to the back of the cabinet housing are not accessible from the outside. Finally, there are described various elements for providing a tortuous path for electrical wiring entering into the cabinet to inhibit access to the cabinet along the wiring paths.

In institutions handling sensitive military or commercial documents or equipment and appliances, such as telex and telephone links, it is necessary to provide secure storage for the sensitive materials when the offices are not operational, such as at night, on weekends, or on statutory holidays.
Cabinets which have been provided in the past have been prone to tampering by, for example, inserting a hacksaw blade between the slats of a tambour door, by undoing external fastenings to remove a panel from the cabinet, and the like.


In the solid-state image pickup device of the present invention, a two-layer structure of the second diffusion layer of the first conductive type and the third diffusion layer of the first conductive type that has a higher density is uniformly formed as an isolation area along a transfer channel between each photodiode string and each vertical CCD register. Therefore, a constant effective width for the transfer channel is provided and a preferable transfer efficiency is achieved. Further, the occurrence of a punch-through between the photodiode and the vertical CCD register can be prevented, isolation between the photodiode and the vertical CCD register can be ensured, and the reading of electric charges from the photodiode to the vertical CCD register can be performed at a lower voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a two-dimensional solid-state image pickup device, and in particular to isolation of a CCD type solid-state image pickup device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of a common interline CCD type solid-state image pickup device. The interline CCD type solid-state image pickup device comprises: a pickup unit 100, wherein are arranged a plurality of rows of photodiodes 101 and a plurality of vertical CCD registers 102, which receive and transfer electric charges from the photodiodes 101; a horizonal CCD register 300, for receiving electric charges from the vertical CCD registers 102 and transferring them via a vertical-horizonal transfer gate 200; an electric charge detector 400, for detecting the electric charges transferred by the horizontal CCD register 300; and an output amplifier 500. The portion enclosed by the broken lines is a unit pixel 103.
A solid-state image pickup device that is disclosed as the second embodiment in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 63-150960 will now be described as the prior art. FIGS. 2A to 2D are diagrams illustrating a conventional unit pixel. FIG. 2A is a plan view; FIG. 2B is a cross sectional view taken along line IIB--IIB in FIG. 2A; FIG. 2C is a cross sectional view taken along line IIC--IIC in FIG. 2A; and FIG. 2D is a cross sectional view taking along line IID--IID in FIG. 2A. The structure of a pixel will be first described. A P well 2 is deposited on one main face of an N silicon substrate 1. A first N diffusion layer 3, constituting a photodiode 101, is formed in the surface of the P well 2, and a fourth P diffusion layer 4 having a high density is formed on the surface of the first N diffusion layer 3 to suppress the occurrence of a dark current. A second N diffusion layer 5, constituting the vertical CCD register 102, and a P diffusion layer 6 are formed in the named order. A first P diffusion layer 8-1 having a high density is present as an isolation layer on the side between the first and the second N diffusion layers 3 and 5 where a read gate 7 is not located, and a second P diffusion layer 8-2 is present on the other portions as an isolation layer having a low-impurity density. Although not shown in FIGS. 2A through 2D, a channel doping layer may be formed on the read gate 7 in the vicinity of the substrate surface to adjust a threshold voltage. A gate insulating film 9 made of silicon dioxide or silicon nitride is deposited on the surface of the P well 2 of the silicon substrate, and transfer electrodes 10 and 11 made of polysilicon film are formed thereon. A gate insulating film 12 formed of silicon dioxide is also deposited between the transfer electrodes 10 and 11. A light-shielding film (not shown) made of tungsten or aluminum is overlaid, deposited on an intervening insulating film (not shown) made of silicon dioxide. Furthermore, a cover film (not shown) made of silicon dioxide is deposited thereon.
An explanation will now be given for the reading of electric charges from the photodiodes 101 to the vertical CCD register 102, and the relaying of the received electric charges by the vertical CCD register 102. FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram showing a vertical drive pulse that is commonly employed. In FIG. 3 are shown four drive phases. .phi.V1 through .phi.V4 are applied by regarding, as a period, four readings for transfer electrodes 11, 10, 11 and 10 that are continuous in the vertical direction. Assume that .phi.V2 or .phi.V4 is applied to the transfer electrode 10 and, on the other hand, .phi.V1 or .phi.V3 is applied to the transfer electrode 11 that also serves as a read gate. The reading of electric charges from the photodiode 101 to the vertical CCD register 102 is performed in a vertical blanking period using the high level pulse V.sub.H. The electric charges read for the vertical CCD register are transferred by the vertical CCD register 102 using low and middle level pulses (V.sub.L and V.sub.M). As is shown in FIG. 2D, the transfer electrodes 10 and 11 (more specifically, the coupling lines for connecting, in the direction of columns, the transfer electrodes that correspond to individual pixel strings) overlap, with the insulating film 12 intervening, above the element separation area between the photodiodes 101. Usually, the transfer electrode 10 is located nearer the semiconductor substrate 1 than is the transfer electrode 11. Therefore, for reading, a high-level pulse is not applied to the transfer electrode 10 in the isolation area between the photodiodes 101, and element separation is performed.
The superior feature of this prior art is that the isolation area between the transfer channel (the second N diffusion layer 5) of the vertical CCD register 102 and the photodiode string is uniform.
It is well known that a P diffusion layer, which is an isolation area, is commonly not provided for the read gate 7 (regardless of whether or not there exists a channel doping layer for suppressing a threshold voltage of the read gate). When the width of the transfer channel is 2 .mu.m or smaller and the effects derived from the short channel becomes noticeable, a problem arises in that unwanted barriers and dips are generated, in the transfer direction, in the distribution of the potentials along the transfer channel. Since, in this prior art, the isolation area is uniform along the transfer channel, there is no deterioration of the transfer efficiency.
Currently, in consonance with the increase in the number of pixels and in the density employed for a solid-state image pickup device, the area of the unit pixel 103 has been reduced to 5 .mu.m, square. Accordingly, the width of the isolation area between the pixel strings, or between the first and the second N diffusion layers 3 and 5, has been reduced to approximately 0.5 .mu.m. When the junction depth of the second N diffusion layer 5 is 0.4 to 0.5 .mu.m, and when the junction depth of the first diffusion layer 3 of the photodiode is about 1 .mu.m, in a portion 0.4 to 0.5 .mu.m below the substrate surface, a punch-through to the second N diffusion layer 5 tends to occur.
A problem that arises when a punch-through has occurred will now be explained while referring to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the schematic relationship between substrate voltage V.sub.SUB and output voltage V.sub.OUT. The output voltage is constant when the substrate voltage is V.sub.SUB0 or lower. This area is a voltage area where photodiode blooming can not be controlled by adjusting the substrate voltage, and is not normally used. The phenomenon called photodiode blooming occurs when irradiation with a strong light causes an excessive amount of electrons in the photodiode and to leak to the vertical CCD register via, for example, the read gate area at a time other than during a reading period, and when a false signal shaped like a white, vertical belt is displayed on a pick-up image. As a well known technique for suppression of photodiode blooming, there is a vertical overflow drain (VOD) structure with which the potential of the P well 2, which is formed under the first N diffusion layer 3 in the photodiode, is controlled by adjusting the substrate voltage, so that when an excessive amount of electrons in the photodiode occurs, the electrons will be discharged toward the substrate to avoid their leaking into the vertical CCD register. That is, referring to FIG. 4, a voltage area at V.sub.SUB0 or higher is an area where photodiode blooming can be controlled. The higher the substrate voltage goes, the greater is the number of electric charges that are discharged to the substrate side, and the more the output value is reduced.
FIG. 5 is a schematic graph showing the photodiode blooming suppression characteristic. The horizontal axis represents middle level V.sub.M of the vertical drive pulse, and the vertical axis represents substrate voltage V.sub.SUB. The vertical drive pulse is generally a three-value pulse. When the electric charges are to be read from the photodiode to the vertical CCD register, a pulse of, for example, 15 V (high level: V.sub.H) is applied to the transfer electrode 11, and when the received electric charges are to be transferred in the vertical CCD register, a pulse that is changed, for example, from -7 V (low level: V.sub.L) to 0 V (V.sub.M) is applied to the transfer electrodes 10 and 11 at a predetermined timing. Curve 1 depicts a case where no punch-through has occurred between the photodiode and the vertical CCD register, and curves 2 and 3 depict cases where punch-throughs have occurred. Since along curve 1 the area between the photodiode and the vertical CCD register is cut off, the substrate voltage V.sub.SUB0 is constant in the area at V.sub.M0 or below. Points on the individual curves, from the view point of electric charges that have been generated at the photodiode, correspond to the heights of potential barriers on the substrate side and on the vertical CCD register side, where the read area is present, are equal. In other words, photodiode blooming is inhibited in the area above the curves. With V.sub.M being set to V.sub.M1, the substrate voltage required for inhibiting photodiode blooming is V.sub.SUB1 when no punch-through has occurred between the photodiode and the vertical CCD register, while it is V.sub.SUB2 when a punch-through has occurred. The substrate voltages V.sub.SUB1 and V.sub.SUB2 are 1 V higher than those at the points on the curves 1 and 2 corresponding to V.sub.M1. As is apparent from FIG. 4, a problem has arisen in that when a punch-through has occurred, the output voltage is V.sub.OUT2, which is considerably lower than the output voltage V.sub.OUT1 when no punch-through has occurred. Although like the curve 1, the curve 3 in FIG. 5, which passes through the substrate voltage V.sub.SUB0 at V.sub.M1, can be provided by slightly increasing the density of the element separation layer (the second P diffusion layer 8-2) that has a low impurity density, from this a new problem will arise. A description of this problem follows.
FIG. 6 is a schematic graph showing the characteristic for reading an electric charge from the photodiode to the vertical CCD register. The horizontal axis represents the high level V.sub.H of a vertical drive pulse, the vertical axis represents an output voltage V.sub.OUT, and when curve 4 represents a case where no punch-through has occurred, between the photodiode and the vertical CCD register, curve 5 represents a case where a punch-through has occurred. The knee-points on the curves identify reading completion voltages for the individual cases. As is apparent from FIG. 6, the reading completion voltage V.sub.H2 when a punch-through has occurred is higher than the reading completion voltage V.sub.H1 when no punch-through has occurred. This is because when a punch-through has occurred the reading of electric charges is mainly performed along a channel that is formed in a portion deep inside the substrate, for example, 0.3 to 0.5 .mu.m below the surface, and the reading is less affected by variation in a gate voltage than would be a reading that is performed along a channel at the surface. More specifically, as is shown by the curve in FIG. 5, an increase in the density of the isolation layer (the second P diffusion layer 8-2) that has a low impurity density causes a rise in the reading voltage, and it is difficult, therefore, to avoid a punch-through by controlling the impurity density of only the isolation layer that has a low impurity density. In other words, isolation function between the photodiode and the vertical CCD register in the pixel string is insufficient.


An antenna system includes a low-band antenna configured for low-band frequencies and a high-band antenna configured for high-band frequencies. The low-band antenna is configured so that high-band frequencies have a high impedance while the high-band antenna is configured so that low-band frequencies have a high impedance. A transmission line can be used to couple both antennas together and the transmission line can be used to add phase delay to the impedance of the low-band and high-band antennas so that the corresponding frequencies that the antennas are not configured for are shifted toward an infinite impedance point on a Smith chart.

The use of an indirect-fed antenna has a number of benefits and the discussion of this technology is provided in PCT Application No. PCT/US 10/4797, filed Sep. 7, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary design that can be used to provide such a system. A low band antenna 30 includes a feed 31 that is coupled to a coupler 32. The coupler 32 couples with a high-band element 35 that has a short 37 that couples to the high-band element 35 to ground. A high-band antenna 40 includes feed that is coupled to slot 42, which has a short 47 to ground. A high-band element 45 capacitively couples to the slot 42 and has a short 48 to ground. Both the low-band and high-band antennas can be configured with the appropriate components so as to ensure the frequency response is appropriate. For example, an inductor or capacitor can be place in series with the coupler to adjust the impedance of the low band antenna. In addition, an inductor can be place in series between the high-band element and the ground to adjust the impedance of the high band antenna.
An impedance plot of the Low Band HISF antenna is shown in FIG. 2A for the raw antenna and in FIG. 2B when matched to 50Ω. As can be appreciated from FIGS. 2A and 2B, a low-band frequency range 51, which can extend from a starting value 51a (which can be a lower end of GSM 850) to an ending value 51b (which can be an upper end of GSM 900) is shifted into a desired position on the Smith chart with the use of the appropriate components (e.g., the addition of an inductor or capacitor between the feed and coupler) so that the response over the low-band frequency 51 is within a standing wave ratio (SWR) circle 55, which can have a value of 3.
An impedance plot of the High Band LISF antenna is shown in FIG. 3A for the raw antenna and in FIG. 3B for an antenna matched to 50Ω. As can be appreciated from FIGS. 3A and 3B, a high-band frequency range 52, which can extend from a starting value 52a (which can be a lower end of GSM 1800) to an ending value 52b (which can be an upper end of UMTS 1 (Rx) is shifted into a desired position on the Smith chart so that the response over the high-band frequency 52 is within the SWR circle 55.
While the depicted system is relatively compact, pressure to make mobile devices smaller and more energy efficient while at the same time increase performance has created increased pressure on the communication system. Chip designers are integrating multiple communication chipsets into CPU designs in an attempt to maximize efficiency and performance. Developing an antenna system that could somehow enhance the communication system performance would therefore be appreciated by certain individuals.


A dispensing structure is provided for a container that has an opening to the container interior. The dispensing structure includes a body for extending around the container opening and defining and access passage for access through the container opening. The body includes a chamber for receiving an additive product for adding to the container. The chamber has an initially closed upper end and has a bottom end defining a bottom end opening. A movable, bottom end closure is provided for releasably closing the chamber bottom end opening. A deformable cover is mounted to the body to accommodate deformation from an undeformed condition at which the bottom end closure closes the chamber bottom end opening to a deformed condition at which the bottom end closure is engaged and moved by the cover to a position that opens the chamber bottom end opening.

A variety of container closures have been designed to accommodate opening of the closure by pulling or breaking a portion of a membrane across the container opening. While such closures may function generally satisfactorily in the applications for which they have been designed, it would be desirable to provide an improved dispensing system or dispensing structure which can be even more easily used.
Further, it would be advantageous if such an improved dispensing structure could accommodate the separate storage of an additive or ingredient for subsequent mixing with another material in the container.
Further, it would be beneficial if such improved dispensing structure could provide a readily releasable system for maintaining the structure in a sealed closed position and for providing evidence of tampering or evidence of an initiation of the closure opening process.
Additionally, it would be desirable to provide an improved closure that could, if desired, readily accommodate a design in which a frangible sealing system across the dispensing opening can be incorporated solely within a closure structure which is separate from the container to which the closure structure is attached. Advantageously, such a dispensing closure or dispensing structure should provide a very effective seal when the dispensing structure is closed (1) so as to avoid subjecting the material in the container (and/or the interior dispensing structure) to prolonged exposure to the ambient atmosphere, and (2) so as to prevent contamination of the materials within the container by preventing contaminant ingress.
Such an improved dispensing structure should also accommodate designs which permit incorporation of the dispensing structure as a unitary part, or extension, of the container and which also accommodate separate mounting of the dispensing structure on the container in a secure manner.
It would also be beneficial if such an improved dispensing structure could readily accommodate its manufacture from a variety of different materials.
Further, it would be desirable if such an improved dispensing structure could be provided with a design that would accommodate efficient, high-quality, large volume manufacturing techniques with a reduced product reject rate.
Preferably, the improved dispensing structure should also accommodate high-speed manufacturing techniques that produce products having consistent operating characteristics unit-to-unit with high reliability.
The present invention provides an improved dispensing structure which can accommodate designs having the above-discussed benefits and features.

Dispensing structure with an openable member for separating two products


A handheld clamp work light is disclosed having a light member, a housing member for movement of the light member, a handle member having a handle housing and a clamp member, and the handle housing and the clamp member include feet members which pivot and may be attached to an object.

Homeowners, garage mechanics and the like often require a light source for the work area or other environment of use (collectively "work area"). The light source must be capable of being directed to the work area and configured such that the user does not need to hold on to the light. It is desirable to have a handheld clamp work light which may be held by the user, which may stand on its own, which may be clamped to an object, or which may be attached to an object by an attachment member such as a magnet or a hook member, all for directing the light source to the work area. There are various portable lights available on the market providing one or more of these desired attributes. However, these known devices, while useful, have various shortcomings and improvement over these known devices is desirable. Accordingly, the shortcomings of these known devices are addressed by the present invention.


A power tool is driven by a two-stroke engine. The two-stroke engine has a cylinder and a piston reciprocating within the cylinder. The cylinder has a combustion chamber delimited by the piston. The two-stroke engine has a crankcase and a crankshaft rotatably supported in the crankcase and driven by the piston with a connecting rod. The two-stroke engine has one or more transfer passages connecting the crankcase to the combustion chamber in at least one position of the piston. The two-stroke engine has a mixture passage that is connected to a piston-controlled mixture intake provided at the cylinder and supplies a fuel/air mixture. The combustion chamber has an exhaust port provided within the cylinder. The two-stroke engine has a transverse plane dividing the cylinder parallel to and along the longitudinal cylinder axis. The exhaust port and the mixture intake are arranged on the same side of the transverse plane.

The invention relates to a power tool comprising a working tool that is driven by a two-stroke engine. The two-stroke engine comprises a cylinder having a combustion chamber arranged therein. The combustion chamber is delimited by a piston, wherein the piston is movably supported within the cylinder in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the cylinder and drives by means of a connecting rod a crankshaft that is rotatably supported about an axis of rotation in the crankcase. In at least one position of the piston, the crankcase is in flow communication with the combustion chamber by means of a transfer passage. A mixture passage for supplying a fuel/air mixture is provided that opens by means of a mixture intake into the cylinder. The mixture intake is piston-controlled. The combustion chamber has an exhaust port. The two-stroke engine has a transverse plane that divides the cylinder parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder; the longitudinal axis of the cylinder is located within the transverse plane. The exhaust port of the combustion chamber is arranged on one side of the transverse plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,708 discloses a two-stroke engine for a power tool. The two-stroke engine has a mixture passage that has a mixture intake opening into the cylinder. The mixture intake is arranged at the cylinder on the side opposite the exhaust port of the combustion chamber. Relative to an imaginary transverse plane through which the longitudinal cylinder axis extends, on one side of the transverse plane the exhaust port is arranged and the mixture intake is arranged on the opposite side of the transverse plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,204 B1 discloses a two-stroke engine in which scavenging air is supplied below the exhaust port of the combustion chamber. The air passage is connected by means of two piston recesses with the transfer passage of the two-stroke engine. In operation of the engine, the piston recess must not connect the exhaust port and the air intake. For this reason, the piston of the two-stroke engine must have a comparatively tall configuration so that the piston recess does not open toward the exhaust port, not even when the piston is at the top dead center.


A fluid injection device (38) for deployment in a well-bore to control injection of fluid into an oil reservoir, wherein the well-bore has an outer pipe (16) and an inner tube (14) which extends within the outer pipe and is connected at one end to a pressurized fluid supply above the ground. The device includes a control valve arrangement comprising: an inlet (42) for receiving the fluid from the inner tube; an outlet (56) for outputting the fluid outside the inner tube; an inlet valve (44) in a fluid path between the inlet and the outlet; and an actuator (50) associated with the inlet valve which is controllable to switch the inlet valve between its open and closed configurations, such that when the inlet valve is open, the fluid flows from the inner tube, via the inlet, fluid path and outlet to outside the inner tube. A method of controlling injection of fluid into an oil reservoir from a well-bore using such a device is also provided.

When oil is discovered it is not uncommon for more than one reservoir to be discovered, with one below the other. This may have been because they were formed at different times in history or because at some time oil was able to move up through a permeable layer which later moved and stopped the flow.
To reduce the costs of recovering oil from each reservoir, a single oil well may be created that passes through each reservoir so that oil can be recovered from each simultaneously. This method of creating two or more producing wells from a single casing is called a dual- or multi-completion well. A diagram of such a well is shown in FIG. 1, which extends below the surface (S) of the ground and intercepts both reservoirs R1 and R2.
As the two reservoirs have developed in different environments and at different times, it is likely that they will have different characteristic pressures and temperatures which can compromise the extraction process. This can be exacerbated over time as the volume of oil remaining in one of the wells may reduce much quicker, and therefore the pressure will drop quicker leading to a lower rate of oil production.
Engineers have developed several tools to overcome this and one approach is called "stimulation", where the reservoir pressure is increased by some means, one of which is water injection. This method involves injection of water directly into a particular reservoir to replace the lost oil and thus increase the reservoir pressure. As water is heavier than oil it does not easily mix with the oil and therefore sinks to the bottom of the reservoir (see water layer W in FIG. 2) allowing oil production to continue at an increased pressure.
Currently water injection wells are either specially drilled and created for this specific purpose or use a converted oil well. A schematic of such a well can be seen in FIG. 3. A separate water injection well is required for each well to enable the water supply to each to be controlled independently. If a well has more than one producing reservoir, the implementation of water injection therefore becomes significantly more complex and expensive.


A semiconductor package and a socket thereof that are easily adaptable to a multiple pin structure includes a nonconductive base layer, a plurality of conductive metallic leads that extend vertically through the base layer, a wiring layer in which a pattern of fine metallic wires are formed to electrically couple to the conductive metallic leads to a semiconductor chip mounted in the package, a recess formed in the central portion of the wiring layer, and a cover for closing the upper portion of the recess. A semiconductor chip is mounted on the bottom portion of the recess, and conductive wires electrically couple the semiconductor chip to the fine metallic wires of the wiring layer. A socket for receiving the semiconductor package includes a socket body, a first plurality of socket pins arranged to couple with leads on a bottom surface of a semiconductor chip package mounted in the socket, a second plurality of socket pins arranged to couple with leads on peripheral side surfaces of a semiconductor chip package mounted in the socket, and a hinged cover.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor package and a socket thereof for a semiconductor package having a multiple pin structure.
2. Background of the Related Art
Recently, semiconductor packages have been made lighter and smaller. Within a predetermined package size, the number of pins (or leads) for transferring electrical signals from a semiconductor chip to the outside of the package has been limited. One of the related art reduced size semiconductor packages is known as a ceramic leadless chip carrier (CLCC).
FIGS. 1A and 1B are a partial cross-sectional view and a bottom view, respectively, illustrating a related art CLCC semiconductor package. As shown in FIG. 1A, the CLCC includes a ceramic body 1. A semiconductor chip 2 is attached to an upper central portion of the body 1 by an adhesive material (not shown). A pattern of a first conductive material layer 3 extends outwardly from the outer portion of the semiconductor chip 2 along the upper portion of the ceramic body 1 to a lower lateral portion of the body 1. A first insulation layer 4 is formed on an upper surface of the first conductive material layer 3 on all but a portion of the conductive material layer pattern. A pattern of a second conductive material layer 5 is then formed on an upper surface of the first insulation layer 4. A second insulation layer 6 is formed on an upper surface of the second conductive material layer 5 on all but a predetermined portion of the second conductive material layer 5. The semiconductor chip 2 and the first and second conductive material layer patterns 3 and 5 are electrically connected by conductive wires 7. A lid 8 is formed on the upper surface of the second insulation layer 6 so as to protect the semiconductor chip 2 and the wires 7. As shown in FIG. 1B, contact grooves 9 are also formed in exterior peripheral surfaces of the package.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the CLCC semiconductor package of FIGS. 1A and 1B mounted in a related art socket. As shown therein, a plurality of socket lead pins 21 formed in a socket 20 are inserted into corresponding ones of the contact grooves 9 formed in the peripheral surfaces of the semiconductor package 10. The socket lead pins 21 serve to transmit electrical signals from the semiconductor chip 2 to the outside.
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the CLCC semiconductor package of FIGS. 1A and 1B mounted directly on a printed circuit board (PCB). As shown therein, the conductive material layer 3 formed in the lower periphery of the semiconductor package 10 is electrically soldered to a circuit pattern 31 of the PCB 30. In the drawings, reference numerals 32 denote solder.
The conductive material layers 3 and 5, which form electrical contact points of the related art CLCC semiconductor package that are connectable to a PCB, are formed only on the peripheral surfaces of the body 1. For this reason, the number of electric paths leading away from the semiconductor package is restricted, and it is difficult to accommodate the increasing number of pins of newer semiconductor packages.

Semiconductor package and socket thereof and methods of fabricating same


A processing time necessary for processing an image processing command to be processed is calculated and displayed. The processing time is successively subtracted as the processing proceeds, and the processing time required for the remain is displayed. This permits the operator easy grasp of the progress of processing, and therefore the operation efficiency can be increased.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of forming an image, for example, executing the print out and plot out of an image, and an apparatus for embodying the same, and particularly to a data processing method of developing images by bit imaging and an apparatus for embodying the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional image forming apparatus of one line print data transfer type, receiving from the host unit an image processing command, such as page description language (PDL: image forming software by addressing) command and plot command, develops and forms an image according to command with necessary minimum information. With such an conventional image forming apparatus, however, it is entirely impossible for the host unit to forecast how much it takes to obtain printing output after sending the command. Thus, there was a drawback that operation efficiency of the operator is poor.

Image forming method and apparatus including means for determining processing time


Disclosed is an optical recording and reproducing apparatus capable of recording in a position which is properly synchronous with the position of the last pit in a sector on which a recording was made, the first pit in a sector on which a recording is to be subsequently made. This apparatus is characterized by a recording circuit having a data demodulating circuit which includes a synchronizing signal separating circuit. The synchronizing signal separating circuit outputs a synchronizing signal on the basis of a pit detection signal generated in response to the detection of pits formed on a track of a recording medium and representing data to be recorded. An end pattern detecting circuit is employed for outputting an end pattern detection signal when an end pattern of a sector is detected in a data signal outputted from the data demodulating circuit an initial pulse leading edge timing generating circuit is also included which consist of a counter responsive to the signal of the data demodulating circuit for starting the counting of high-frequency clock pulses, an initial pulse time setting circuit in which the time for defining the leading edge of an initial pulse is set, and a comparing circuit (73) for outputting the initial pulse when a count number in the counter coincides with the time set in the initial pulse time setting circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an optical recording (writing) and reproducing (reading or playing back) apparatus for forming pits on an optical recording medium depending on given data to be recorded using a light spot projected from a recording light projection optical system. The present invention includes a semiconductor laser to record the data on the optical recording medium. The optical recording medium is illuminated using a light spot projected from a reproducing light projection optical system. The reflected light from the optical recording medium is converted into an electrical signal through a reproducing light reception optical system including a light receiving element to read data represented by the pits. More particularly the present invention involves a recording and reproducing apparatus for a WORM storage medium (write once, read many) forming new pits to record additional data in an unrecorded region subsequent to the recorded pits on the optical recording medium. 2. Description of the Prior Art
The format shown in FIG. 1a represents a known format (continuous WORM type format) for recording data in pit form on a track of a card-shaped optical recording medium used in this type of optical recording and reproducing apparatus.
In the continuous WORM type format shown in FIG. 1a, one track of an optical recording medium includes a plurality of sectors A, B, C and D. The sectors A to D are contiguous to each other. The sectors A to D respectively comprise data portions a.sub.1 to d.sub.1 in which data are recorded and sector information portions a.sub.2 to d.sub.2 in which information regarding the sectors are recorded. A lead portion e.sub.2 is the track information portion. In the continuous WORM type format, no space indicating the boundary between the contiguous sectors exists between the sectors. For example, as shown in FIG. 1b, the first pit P.sub.bs out of pits P.sub.b in the succeeding sector B is additionally recorded (additionally formed) subsequently to the last pit P.sub.ae out of pits P.sub.a recorded (formed) in the preceding sector A.
In order to properly establish synchronization in continuously reproducing the pits in the sectors A and B, when data is additionaly recorded in the sector B subsequently to the sector A, the first pit P.sub.bs in the sector B must be recorded in a position which is synchronous with the position of the last pit P.sub.ae in the sector A. The sector information portion a.sub.2 exists in the rear end of the sector A, as described above. Pits indicating a mark or pattern representing the end of the sector (referred to as sector end pattern hereinafter) are formed in this sector information portion a.sub.2. The recording and reproducing apparatus must comprise a means for properly reading such a sector end pattern and forming the first pit P.sub.bs to be recorded in the sector B in a position which is properly synchronous with the position of the last pit P.sub.ae in the sector A.

Optical recording and reproducing apparatus for synchronizing recording on subsequent unrecorded sectors


Disclosed is a process of preparing an electrode for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell which comprises applying a suspension liquid containing a catalyst and ion exchange resin or a catalyst, Ion exchange resin and hydrophobic resin to an electrode substrate, and forming a catalyst layer by drying, sintering the substrate under pressure characterized in that a high boiling point solvent which cannot be removed during the drying procedure is added to the suspension liquid. In this process, the high boiling point solvent such as glycerin and n-butanol which is not removed during the drying step is present in the pressurizing and sintering steps so that the situation of the catalyst layer is maintained constant scarcely influenced by the conditions of the said steps. The above solvent imparts pertinent softness to the ion exchange resin so as not to fill the pores for gas diffusion in the catalyst layer and to sufficiently bond the pieces of the ion exchange having the role of conducting H.sup.+ conduction to obtain the electrode having the excellent electrode characteristics.

The present invention relates to a process of preparing an electrode for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell.
Conventionally, an electrode for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell is prepared by applying a suspension liquid which is prepared by suspending a catalyst and ion exchange resin or a catalyst, ion exchange resin and hydrophobic resin in a mixed solution composed of an organic solvent and water, to an electrode substrate by means of screen printing, and forming a catalyst layer by means of drying and sintering the substrate under pressure.
If the drying is insufficient in the printing and drying procedures of the above process, the electrode characteristics are lowered. If, on the other hand, the drying is excessive, the characteristics are also lowered. This is because the ion exchange resin fills fine pores with itself it the catalyst layer so that the gas diffusion hardly occurs in case of the insufficient drying and the pieces of the ion exchange resin which have a role of conducting H.sup.+ conduction are insufficiently bonded with each other in case of the excessive drying.

Process of preparing electrode for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell