A photoconductor comprising a photosensitive layer disposed on a support, wherein the photosensitive layer has a crosslinked layer and the crosslinked layer is produced by curing a dispersion in which at least one of an acryl-modified polyoraganosiloxane having a radical reactivity and an acryl-modified polyoraganosiloxane having an amine structure is dispersed in a radical polymerizable monomer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoconductor to which high durability and a high image quality during a long term are imparted by disposing in the photoconductor, a photosensitive layer having excellent cleaning properties, high wear resistance and advantageous electrical properties. The present invention relates also to an image forming process, image forming apparatus and process cartridge for the image forming apparatus using the above-noted photoconductor having long life and high performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, organic photoconductors (OPC) are widely employed in copiers, facsimiles, laser printers, and composite apparatuses thereof owing to excellent performance and various advantages, in place of conventional inorganic photoconductors. Specific grounds thereof are thought as follows: (i) optical properties such as absorbable wavelength and absorption rate, (ii) electrical properties such as higher sensitivity and stable charging ability, (iii) margins of materials, (iv) productivity, (v) lower cost, (vi) safety, and the like.
On the other hand, photoconductors have been small-sized along with image forming apparatuses being small-sized; in addition, higher processing rate as well as maintenance free are have been required for image forming apparatuses; consequently, photoconductors are demanded for higher durability still more nowadays.
However, organic photoconductors are typically less durable since the hardness of the surface layers is relatively low due to their inherent components of charge transport materials of lower molecular mass and inactive polymers; therefore, the surface layers tend to wear significantly due to mechanical stress caused by developing systems and cleaning systems etc. under repeated usages in electrophotographic processes.
Further, rubber hardness of cleaning blades has been raised and pressure onto photoconductors applied from the cleaning blades has been increased so as to improve cleaning ability in order to enhance image quality by using toner particles with smaller particle sizes, which inevitably leading to higher wear rate of photoconductors. The wear of photoconductors certainly degrades sensitivity, electric properties such as charging ability etc., which resulting in deteriorated images such as lower image density and background smear. Further, flaws due to local wear often bring about streak on images due to insufficient cleaning. Such wear and flaws typically dominate photoconductors in terms of lifetime to be exchanged, currently.
As such, the wear rate should be decreased in order to enhance durability of organic photoconductors, which is one of the most important objects in the art.
Previously, various proposals have been provided in order to enhance wear resistance of photosensitive layers, for example, (1) incorporation of curable binders into the photosensitive layer (e.g. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 56-48637), (2) employment of polymers for charge transport materials (e.g. JP-A No. 64-1728), (3) dispersing inorganic fillers into surface layers (e.g. JP-A No. 4-281461), and the like.
However, in the (1) incorporation of curable binders described above, residual voltage tends to increase owing to impurities such as polymerization initiators and/or unreacted residual groups due to insufficient compatibility with charge transport materials, thus image density tents to decrease. In the method (2) using a charge transport polymer and the method (3) using an inorganic filler, while the wear resistance of the photoconductor can be improved to some extent, a photoconductor which can fully satisfy the durability required for the organic photoconductor is not yet obtained. Further, in the method (3) using an inorganic filler, the organic photoconductor comprising an inorganic filler has such a tendency that due to a charge trap which is present on the surface of the inorganic filler, the residual electric potential of the surface layer is elevated, so that the image density is easily lowered. As such, based on these proposals (1), (2), and (3), the durability of organic photoconductors is not satisfactory on the whole, including electrical durability and mechanical durability.
Further, photoconductors containing cured product of a multi-functional acrylate monomer are proposed in order to improve the abrasion resistance and scratch resistance such as of (i) (e.g. Japanese Patent No. 3262488). In the patent literature, it is disclosed that cured material of the multi-functional acrylate monomer is included into a protective layer on photosensitive layers. However, there exist no more than simple descriptions that a charge transport material may be contained in the protective layer and there exist no specific examples. Further, when a charge transport material having a low molecular mass is simply added to the surface layer, it may cause problems related with the compatibility to the cured body, thereby crystallization of charge transport material having a lower molecular mass and clouding may occur, resulting in reduction in mechanical properties.
In addition, a photoconductor is produced by way of causing reaction of monomers in a condition that a polymer binder is incorporated; therefore, there will be some problems that the curing cannot sufficiently proceed, and surface nonuniformity is induced due to phase separation at curing caused by insufficient compatibility between the cured material and the binder resin, which resulting in inferior cleaning in image forming apparatuses.
Further, another proposal is disclosed for reducing abrasion wear of photosensitive layers, in which a charge transport layer is provided using a coating liquid that comprises a monomer having a carbon-carbon double bond, a charge transport material having a carbon-carbon double bond, and a binder resin (e.g. Japanese Patent No. 3194392). The binder resin includes a binder reactive with the charge transport material having a carbon-carbon double bond and another binder non-reactive with the charge transport material without having the double bond. The photoconductor allegedly represents higher wear resistance as well as proper electrical properties. However, non-reactive resins as the binder resin tend to yield surface irregularity and thus inferior cleaning, since the non-reactive resins are typically non-compatible with reaction products between the monomer and the charge transport material, thus phase separation is likely to occur. Further, the patent literature discloses monomers having two functionalities as specific examples, which cannot bring about sufficient crosslinking density and satisfactory wear resistance due to the lower functionalities. Provided that reactive resins are employed as the binder resin, the bonding density and the crosslinking density are possibly not sufficiently high due to the lower functionalities of the monomer and the binder resin, thus electrical properties and wear resistance will not be satisfactory.
Further, another proposal is disclosed, in which photosensitive layers comprise reaction products that are produced by curing hole transport compounds having two or more functional groups capable of undergoing chain polymerization in a molecule (e.g. JP-A No. 2000-66425). However, the photosensitive layer tends to cause higher internal stress and thus to yield higher surface roughness and cracks, since the bulky hole transport compound have two or more chain polymerizable functional groups.
Further, even when the wear resistance of the photoconductor is improved, it does not mean the obtaining of the high durability of the photoconductor that a cleaning failure, an abnormal image, such as an image blur and an image degradation are easily caused due to the above-noted improvement of the wear resistance. Particularly with respect to a polymerized toner (or a toner having the form of a sphere) which is frequently used in the industry recently, when the toner is removed by the cleaning from a photoconductor having a high surface energy (or high friction coefficiency), a cleaning failure due to the escape of the toner from the cleaning blade is easily caused.
For lowering the surface energy or the friction coefficiency of the photoconductor surface, a method in which various lubricants are incorporated in the composition of the surface layer of the photoconductor is known. A method in which in the composition of the surface layer of the photoconductor, a lubricant, such as a fluorine-modified silicone oil is incorporated, is disclosed (see JP-A No. 07-295248, 07-301936 and 08-082940). In this method, the effect for the cleaning properties of the photoconductor or the removing of a contaminator from the photoconductor can be confirmed by lowering the surface energy of the photoconductor. However, since a fluorine-modified silicone oil is transferred closely to the surface of the photoconductor during the disposing of the protective layer, due to a slight wear of the surface layer during the repeated using of the photoconductor, the effect of the fluorine-modified silicone oil is lost in an early period of using the photoconductor. Therefore, it has been the actual state that even by using the fluorine-modified silicone oil, a satisfactory effect for enhancing the durability of the photoconductor cannot be obtained.
Further, with respect to the method for incorporating various lubricants in the form of fine particles in the composition of the most outer surface layer of the photoconductor, various attempts have been performed. Examples of the lubricant incorporated in the composition of the most outer surface layer of the photoconductor include fine particles of a silicone resin, fine particles of a resin containing a fluorine atom (see JP-A No. 63-65449) and fine particles of a melamine resin (see JP-A No. 60-177349). Examples of the above-noted method include a method in which polyethylene resin particles are incorporated in the composition of the surface layer (disclosed in JP-A No. 02-143257), a method in which particles of a resin containing a fluorine atom are incorporated in the composition of the surface layer (disclosed in, for example JP-A No. 02-144550), a method in which silicone resin fine particles are incorporated in the composition of the surface layer (disclosed in, for example JP-A Nos. 07-128872 and 10-254160) and a method in which cross linkable resin fine particles are incorporated in the composition of the surface layer (disclosed in, for example JP-A No. 2000-010322 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,072). Further, a method in which methylsiloxane resin fine particles are incorporated in the composition of the surface layer is disclosed in, for example JP-A No. 08-190213. The method in which the above-noted lubricants in the form of the fine particles are dispersed in the surface layer of the photoconductor is effective for enhancing the persistence of the effect as the lubricant and is more effective for enhancing the durability of the photoconductor than the above-noted method in which a silicone oil or the like is incorporated in the composition of the surface layer of the photoconductor. However, with respect to such a photoconductor, since the lubricant is incorporated in the charge transport layer having unsatisfactory wear resistance, while the lubricant has the effect of suppressing the attaching of various substances to the photoconductor in an early using of the photoconductor, the persistence of such suppressing effect for a long term is unsatisfactory.
Thus, it cannot be mentioned nowadays that a photoconductor comprising a crosslinked photosensitive layer which comprises the above-noted conventional lubricants has satisfactory general properties.

Photoconductor, producing method thereof, image forming process and image forming apparatus using photoconductor, and process cartridge


A hand-held image scanner includes an elongate body, a line sensor extending in the body longitudinally thereof for reading an original document as the body moves along the document, a roller shaft rotatably supported in the body to extend longitudinally of the body, at least one roller supported on the roller shaft for rotating therewith while rolling on the document. The scanner also includes a rotary encoder for detecting the rotation of said at least one roller for determining a scanning distance of the body, and a drive transmission for connecting the roller to the rotary encoder. The rotary encoder includes a rotary disk supported on a disc shaft. The disc shaft extends perpendicularly to the roller shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image scanner. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hand-held image scanner which incorporates a rotary encoder.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image scanner is widely used for reading an image of a document. For convenience of handling, an image scanner is proposed which is held with one hand of the user for image reading.
FIG. 6 illustrates a prior art hand-held image scanner 1. For operation, the scanner 1 may be connected to a personal computer for example. In use, as the user moves the scanner 1 over an original document P in the direction indicated by an arrow A, a line sensor incorporated in the scanner 1 reads an image (or images) carried on the document P. As shown in the figure, the scanner 1 has an elongate box-shaped body 2 which may be made of resin for example. The body 2 has one end provided with a cable 3 for connection to a non-illustrated personal computer. Further, the body 2 has an upper surface 2a provided with a switch 4 adjacent to the other end of the body 2.
FIG. 7 is a bottom view, partially cut away, of the scanner 1, whereas FIG. 8 is a transverse section of the scanner 1. As shown in these figures, the body 2 accommodates a substrate 12 on which a line sensor 26 is mounted. The line sensor 26 comprises a plurality of light receiving elements (photo-electric elements) arranged in a row extending longitudinally of the body 2. The row of light receiving elements has a length corresponding to the image reading width (which is at least equal to but normally greater than the width of the original document P). The body 2 further accommodates a light source 25 (e.g. an LED array) for illuminating the document P. A transparent glass plate 14 is provided at the bottom surface 2b of the body 2. Between the transparent plate 14 and the line sensor 26 is provided a lens array 13 for collecting light reflected from the document P to form an actual-size erect image at the line sensor 26. The body 2 further includes another substrate (not shown) on which an IC chip (not shown) is mounted as a controller for processing the image data from the line sensor 26.
Further, the body 2 is provided with a shaft 6 extending longitudinally of the body 2 and supported therein for rotation. A plurality of rollers 7 are attached on the shaft 6 for rotation therewith. Each of the rollers 7 partially projects outward from the body 2 through an opening 8 formed at the bottom surface 2b of the body 2. As a result, when the scanner 1 is placed on the document P, the rollers 7 come into contact with the document P.
As shown in FIG. 7, the shaft 6 is connected to a rotary encoder 11 via a first and a second gears 9 and 10. Specifically, the first gear 9 is attached to one end 6a of the shaft 6, whereas the second gear 10 is connected to the rotary encoder 11 while engaging the first gear 9. With this structure, the rotary encoder 11 detects the rotational angle or the number of revolutions of the rollers 7.
As shown in FIG. 9, the rotary encoder 28 includes a rotary disc 16 of a predetermined diameter mounted on the same shaft as the second gear 10 is mounted (see FIG. 7). The rotary encode 28 also includes a light emitting element 17 and a light receiving element 18, both housed in a non-illustrated case in facing relationship to each other with the rotary disc 16 interposed therebetween. The rotary disc 16 is formed with a plurality of radially extending slits 19 having a predetermined width. With this structure, as the rotary disc 16 rotates, light emitted from the light emitting element 17 passes through each slit or is blocked by the portion between adjacent slits. The light receiving element 18 detects the light passing through the slits and transmits the detection signals to the controller. Based on the detection signals, the controller determines the rotational angle or the number of revolutions of the rollers 7.
Thus, the above-described scanner 1 is capable of scanning the document image line by line by detecting the number of revolutions of the rollers 7 indicative of the scanning distance of the body 2.
Specifically, while the rollers 7 rotate in contact with the document P in scanning the document image, the rotary encoder 11 detects the rotational angle or the number of revolutions of the rollers 17. Based on the detection signals outputted from the rotary encoder 11, the controller figures out the scanning distance of the body 2 and outputs a timing signal to the line sensor 26 every time the body 2 advances a distance corresponding to one line. The line sensor 26 reads the document image for each line and outputs the image data to the controller upon receiving the timing signal from the controller.
For example, when the resolution is 300 dpi, one line which corresponds to one dot has a width of 0.085 mm (calculated according to the equation "Width=25.4 mm÷300"). Therefore, the controller outputs a timing signal to the line sensor 26 every time the body 2 advances 0.085 mm. The line sensor 26 successively outputs image signals for each line to the controller every time it receives a timing signal.
The controller successively transmits the image signals for each line received from the line sensor 26 to the non-illustrated personal computer for example. The image data is stored in the memory of the personal computer for reproducing a two-dimensional image.
With the above-described structure, it is necessary to enhance the detecting resolution of the rotary encoder 11 for increasing the resolution of the scanner 1. For this purpose, the number of slits maybe increased by narrowing the intervals between the slits 19 or by using a diametrically larger rotary disc.
However, when the interval between the slits is narrowed, the light receiving element may erroneously detect light passing through a wrong slit adjacent to the proper slit. To avoid such erroneous light detection, it is necessary to use a high-precision light emitting/receiving elements, which are however generally expensive.
On the other hand, the use of a diametrically larger rotary disc results in a corresponding increase in the size of the scanner 1, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. In these figures, the housing of the scanner is partially omitted for showing the structure within the body 2. As is clear from these figures, the rotary disc 16 is mounted on a support member 24 provided at one end 2c of the body 2 for rotation about a shaft 16a. The scanner 1 also includes a photointerrupter 20 which has a pair of light emitting and light receiving elements (not shown) facing each other with the rotary disc 16 interposed therebetween. Further, the shaft 16a of the rotary disc 16 carries a first pulley 21, whereas a second pulley 22 is attached on a non-illustrated shaft of the rollers. The first and second pulleys 21, 22 are connected to each other via a belt 23 wound therearound, thereby connecting the shaft of the rollers to the rotary disc 16.
As appreciated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the rotary disc 16 projects largely in the thickness direction of the substrate 12. As a result, the size of the scanner 1 increases correspondingly, which is inconvenient for use.

Image scanner incorporating rotary encoder


The present invention provides a floating jammed shuffle detector for use in a card shuffling machine. The detector has a body with a card contacting portion and a sensor interactive portion. A detector housing and a photosensor are provided. The sensor interactive portion has an aperture of a predetermined size. The detector, particularly the body, is reciprocally mounted in the housing, whereby the card contacting portion of the detector contacts the uppermost card of a deck of cards and the sensor interactive portion is received in the photosensor. Depending on the sensed position of the card contacting portion of the detector, the machine receives a reshuffle or proceed command.

Wagering games based on the outcome of randomly generated or selected symbols are well known. Such games are widely played in gambling casinos and include card games wherein the symbols may be the usual, common playing cards. Card games such as black jack, Pai Gow poker, Caribbean Stud.TM. poker and others are excellent card games for use in casinos. Desirable attributes of casino card games are that they are exciting, that they can be learned and understood easily by players, and that they move or can be played rapidly to their wager-resolving outcome.
The desired attributes of wagering card games, particularly for those being used in casinos, have lead to the development of electromechanical or mechanical card shuffling devices. Such devices increase the speed of shuffling and dealing, thereby increasing playing time, adding to the excitement of the game while reducing the time the dealer or house has to spend in preparing to play a game.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,513,969 (to Samsel, Jr.) and 4,515,367 (to Howard) disclose automatic card shufflers. The Samsel, Jr. patent discloses the use of microphotosensors to detect the presence or absence of a card or cards while shuffling is proceeding. For example, when a photosensor detects the absence of a card in a dispensing compartment, a signal is transmitted to a timer circuit which then causes the energization of a solenoid to extract a card from a storage compartment. The Howard patent discloses the use of a lamp (or LED) that directs light toward a light sensitive element, whereby the light rays are blocked when a stack of cards reaches a particular height. The blockage or non-blockage of the light either energizes or turns off components of the machine to deliver cards from one portion of the machine to another. Neither of the Samsel, Jr. or Howard patents discloses a jammed shuffle detecting feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,712 (to Lorber, et al.) discloses an automatic shuffling apparatus directed toward reducing the dead time generated when a casino dealer manually has to shuffle multiple decks of playing cards. The Lorber, et al. apparatus has a container, a storage device for storing shuffled playing cards, a removing device and an inserting device for intermixing the playing cards in the container, a dealing shoe and supplying means for supplying the shuffled playing cards from the storage device to the dealing shoe. The apparatus is designed to intermix discarded playing cards into undealt decks under the program control of a computer, and includes a card jam light indicator for monitoring the passage, i.e., the presence or absence, of cards in various portions of the machine. If various photocells don't detect the passage of a card, the card jam light is automatically or manually lit and an error procedure is undertaken. The error procedure involves manually removing a jammed card and/or verifying a no error status by undertaking a microcomputer check of the status of spaces in the apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,884 (issued to John G. Breeding, the inventor of the present invention, and commonly owned) discloses an apparatus for automatically shuffling a deck of cards. The device includes a deck stacking zone, a carriage section for separating a deck into two portions, a sloped mechanism positioned between adjacent corners of the separated deck, and an apparatus for snapping the cards over the sloped mechanism thereby interleaving the cards. The Breeding patent is directed to providing a mechanized card shuffler whereby a deck may be shuffled often and yet the dealer still has adequate time to operate the game. Additionally, the Breeding shuffling device is directed to reducing the chance that cards become marked as they are shuffled and to keeping the cards in view constantly while they are being shuffled.
Although the Breeding card shuffling device provides a significant improvement in card shuffling devices, one unaddressed problem is that as the cards are interleaved, the interleaving edges may abut and become steepled or jammed. Jamming may occur more frequently if the cards are shuffled, handled by players, and reshuffled many times as is the case with cards used in casino gambling.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simple, durable, efficient means to monitor the shuffling procedure in a card shuffling device and, if a jam or error situation is detected, to signal the device to undertake automatic jam-correcting measures.


A fence post anchor that adjusts for vertical post alignment by providing a post engagement support portion that swivels on a ground engagement portion. The post engagement portion is defined by a split box sleeve secured to an adjustment dome. A fastener assembly interconnects the adjustment dome to the ground engagement portion that has multiple engagement flights on which the dome can be movably positioned and secured thereto.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to post supporting devices that are driven vertically into the ground and to which an upstanding post is then secured. This device eliminates the need to dig fence or post holes in the ground in which posts are typically positioned and buried.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different designs which use a fixed ground engagement portion in the form of a spike or screw and a post bore ancillary engagement portion secured thereto. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,142, 4,588,157, 4,249,715 and 2,706,967.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,706,967 an anchoring stake is disclosed having a ground engaging spike with a movable pin extending therefrom. The pin has a pivot ball on one end with a registering fitting secured to the spike. A lead ring is formed on the pin opposite end to which a pet lead can be attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,715 discloses a sign supporting apparatus having a ground engaging portion and an integral support post and end cap arm support from which a sign can be hung. The support post is slid up and down on the upstanding ground engagement portion of the device driving same downwardly into the ground. The end cap support arm for the sign is then inserted to the upstanding post portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,157 is directed to a post support having a ground engagement portion and an integral post receiving portion extending therefrom. The post receiving portion has a plurality of locking tabs within that wedgeably secure the post positioned within.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,142 shows an awning anchor having a ground engagement screw portion and a pivoted awning arm mount extending therefrom.
A prior art adjustable anchor post is described in German sales literature marked Exhibit A which discloses a post engagement portion having a contoured swivel base which is registerable on a secondary swivel base secured to a ground engagement portion. The two contoured surfaces are inter-engaged and held to one another by a pair of oppositely disposed fasteners extending through elongated slots in the respective base portion to allow for the angle orientation of the top portion.


A hone insert is adapted for use in a rotating shaft system that has a segmented stave bearing housing. The stave bearing housing includes multiple stave bearing inserts that retain the rotating shaft. The hone insert is supported by a mounting bar section and a support pad that bears a hone layer against the face of the rotating shaft. Accordingly, as the shaft rotates against the hone layer, the surface of the shaft is made more smooth.

In conventional shaft systems, cylindrical bearing sleeves may be mounted around rotating shafts. A bearing housing surrounds the shaft and bearing sleeve and has several bar shaped, substantially trapezoidal cross-section cavities in which stave bearing inserts are installed. The bearing surfaces of the stave bearing inserts bear upon the rotating shaft sleeve and thereby hold the rotating shaft in a fixed position against sideways movement.
Stave bearing inserts are made of materials that perform best when they are in contact with a smooth cylindrical sleeve. If the bearing sleeve surfaces wear unevenly, the sleeves must be repaired and machined to having a smooth cylinder surface. When the sleeve wall gets too thin it must simply be replaced.
Shaft sleeves can be machined in place to polish and repair their surface if enough clearance is available to fit a portable machining device. The process involves dismantling the entire bearing assembly, installing the portable machining device, and then removing enough material from the sleeve to make a clean and smooth cylindrical surface. New bearing inserts are then machined to fit the new sleeve diameter. Alternatively, the entire shaft can be removed and transported to a machining facility to have the sleeve machined or replaced. This is a major expense and typically involves months of downtime, and major outage losses.
As stave bearing inserts wear out, they often cut circular grooves around the bearing sleeve and scratch the sleeve surface. The unit is then taken out of service awaiting repair for an indefinite period and corrosion and other buildup on the sleeve surface occurs.
If instead scratches, corrosion and other buildup on the shaft sleeves can be smoothed out in place, new stave inserts can be installed which will perform well for years bearing only the high spots between the circular grooves on the sleeve. It is not feasible to clean and polish the sleeves by hand and achieve a satisfactory result.

Stave hone assembly for use with rotating shafts


A valve assembly for an injection valve may include a valve body including a central longitudinal axis, the valve body having a cavity with a fluid inlet portion and a fluid outlet portion, and a chamber, with an electro-magnetic actuator unit arranged in the chamber, and a valve needle axially movable in the cavity, the valve needle preventing a fluid flow through the fluid outlet portion in a closing position and releasing the fluid flow through the fluid outlet portion in further positions. The valve needle is designed to be actuated by the electro-magnetic actuator unit. A bellows arranged between the valve body and the valve needle is sealingly coupled to the valve body and to the valve needle. The bellows prevents a fluid flow between the cavity and the chamber. An injection valve comprising such a valve assembly is also disclosed.

Injection valves are in wide spread use, in particular for internal combustion engines where they may be arranged in order to dose the fluid into an intake manifold of the internal combustion engine or directly into the combustion chamber of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine.
Injection valves for an internal combustion engine comprise actuator units. In order to inject fuel, the actuator unit is energized so that a fluid flow through the fluid outlet portion of the injection valve is enabled.
In order to enhance the combustion process in view of the creation of unwanted emissions, the respective injection valve may be suited to dose fluids under very high pressures. In the case of gasoline engines the pressures may be for example in the range of up to 200 bar. In the case of diesel engines the pressures may be in the range of more than 2,000 bar. The injection of fluids under such high pressures has to be carried out very precisely.


A surface acoustic wave device utilizing a Rayleigh wave includes a LiNbO3 substrate having Euler angles of (0°±5°, θ±5°, 0°±10°), an electrode which is disposed on the LiNbO3 substrate and which includes an IDT electrode primarily including Cu, a first silicon oxide film disposed in a region other than the region in which the electrode is disposed, the first silicon oxide film having a film thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the electrode, and a second silicon oxide film arranged to cover the electrode and the first silicon oxide film, wherein the film thickness of the electrode is within the range of about 0.12λ to about 0.18λ, where λ represents the wavelength of a surface acoustic wave, and θ of the above-described Euler angles of (0°±5°, θ±5°, 0°±10°) is in the range satisfying the following Formula (1):θ=32.01−351.92×exp(−TCu/0.0187)  Formula (1)                where TCu is a value of Cu electrode film thickness normalized with the wavelength λ.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface acoustic wave device used for, for example, a resonator and a band pass filter. In particular, the present invention relates to a surface acoustic wave device including an IDT electrode and a silicon oxide film disposed on a LiNbO3 substrate and utilizing Rayleigh waves.
2. Description of the Related Art
Band pass filters used for RF stages of cellular phones and other electronic devices must be broadband and have good temperature characteristics. Therefore, a surface acoustic wave device in which an IDT electrode is disposed on a piezoelectric substrate made of a rotated Y-cut x-propagation LiTaO3 substrate or a rotated Y-cut x-propagation LiNbO3 substrate and a silicon oxide film arranged so as to cover the IDT electrode has been used. With this type of piezoelectric substrate, the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency has a negative value. Therefore, to improve the temperature characteristic, the silicon oxide film having a positive temperature characteristic of resonant frequency is arranged so as to cover the IDT electrode.
However, with this structure, when the IDT electrode is made of general-purpose Al or an alloy primarily including Al, a satisfactory reflection coefficient of the IDT electrode cannot be obtained. Consequently, there is a problem in that a ripple is likely to occur in the resonant characteristic.
To solve the above-described problems, WO2005-034347 discloses a surface acoustic wave device in which an IDT electrode primarily made of a metal having a density greater than that of Al is disposed on a piezoelectric substrate made of LiNbO3 having an electromechanical coefficient K2 of at least about 0.025, a first silicon oxide film having a film thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the electrode is disposed in a region other than the region in which the IDT electrode is disposed, and a second silicon oxide film is laminated so as to cover the electrode and the first silicon oxide film.
In the surface acoustic wave device described in WO2005-034347, the density of the above-described IDT electrode is specified to be at least about 1.5 times greater than the density of the first silicon oxide film, and the reflection coefficient of the IDT electrode is thereby satisfactorily increased and a ripple which occurs in the resonant characteristic is suppressed.
In WO2005-034347, the Rayleigh wave is used, Au, Cu, and other suitable materials may be used for the IDT electrode, a configuration in which when the electrode is made of Cu, the film thickness thereof is specified to be about 0.0058λ to about 0.11λ is disclosed, and in particular, if the film thickness is specified to be about 0.0058λ to about 0.055λ, the electromechanical coefficient K2 of the Rayleigh wave can increase. Furthermore, a LiNbO3 substrate represented by Euler angles of (0°±5°, 38°±10°, 0°) is disclosed, and a configuration in which the film thickness of the second silicon oxide film is specified to be within the range of about 0.15λ to about 0.4λ is shown, where the wavelength of the surface acoustic wave is λ.
In recent years, the frequencies used in surface acoustic wave devices have increased. Consequently, the pitch of electrode fingers of the IDT electrode has been reduced and the width dimension of the electrode finger itself has been reduced. As a result, the wiring resistance increases and the loss in the surface acoustic wave device increases.
An increase in film thickness of the electrode is sufficient to reduce the loss in the surface acoustic wave device. However, as described in, for example, WO2005-034347, in the past, with surface acoustic wave devices utilizing the Rayleigh wave, the film thickness of the IDT electrode made of Cu is specified to be a maximum of about 0.11λ. The reason for this is believed to be that if the film thickness of the IDT electrode made of Cu is increased to greater than about 0.11λ, the response of the SH wave significantly increases, and a large spurious response occurs between the resonant frequency and the anti-resonant frequency. Therefore, in WO2005-034347, when the IDT electrode is made of Cu, the thickness thereof is specified to be within the range of about 0.0058λ to about 0.11λ, and preferably about 0.058λ to about 0.055λ.
Consequently, when higher frequencies are used, the pitch of the electrode fingers is reduced, and the width dimension of electrode finger is reduced, the film thickness of the electrode cannot be sufficiently increased. Therefore, the wiring resistance increases and the loss increases.
Furthermore, as described above, with the surface acoustic wave device including the first and the second silicon oxide films, the temperature characteristic of resonant frequency is improved by the silicon oxide films. However, there is a problem in that the characteristic varies because of variations in film thickness of the silicon oxide films.


The present invention provides a multi-stage switch. An input or first stage receives a plurality of information signals. An output or third stage distributes a plurality of information signals. A middle or second stage establishes a plurality of signal paths between the input stage and output stage. The switch includes a routing function which selects the path between the input stage and the output stage. The routing function includes a reallocation function which reallocates existing paths to free paths to avoid signal blocking.

One type of a multi-stage switch is a three stage switch. Three stage switches have long been used in the telephone industry. Use of three stage switching reduces the number of crosspoints required to construct large numbers of inputs to large numbers of outputs. One embodiment of a three stage switch requires setting up a path from an specific incoming line to an outgoing line or group. In general, multi-stage switches offer alternatives as to which output an input is connected.
Typically, in three stage switches, first stage inputs and third stage outputs are partitioned into subgroups of a given number of crosspoint switches. All center stages in three stage switches provide connections from any first stage to any third stage. In general, the multiple stage structure provides alternative paths through the multi-stage switch from the input to the output.
Blocking of switch connection is said to occur when no open path is available between the first stage and the third stage. It has been shown that if the center stages has overcapacity the switch can be nonblocking. Nonblocking can be derived by first observing that a connection through the center stage requires a switch that has an idle connection to the first stage and an idle connection to the third stage that creates the desired connection. A switch is strictly nonblocking if a desired path from the first stage is always available to the third stage.
Most voice telephone networks accept a certain level of blocking. Accordingly, analysis have been made to evaluate the blocking of telephone three stage switches at given operation levels. Switch capacity can be added to provide excess switch paths to achieve acceptable levels of blocking.
Three stage switches also have been used for video signals. Two major problems affect video three stage switches: blocking and crosstalk. Crosstalk is generally understood to be the interference, or distortion of one information signal caused by another information signal. Crosstalk can be caused by the physical proximity or the strength of signals. Crosstalk and blocking can be easily overcome when space is not a constraint. Blocking can be avoided by increasing the number of switches available so that a path is always available between the input and output. Crosstalk can be avoided in a video switch by increasing the distance between video signals thereby reducing the effect of one signal on another. In the video field, three stage switches tend to be relatively large and heavy because physical space is usually not a constraint.
Such large three stage switches, however, present design problems in applications where space is not readily available such as for use in aircraft and other passenger vehicles. What is therefore needed is a multi-stage switch that reduces or avoids blocking and reduces the crosstalk between video signals while avoiding the size and weight added by the overcapacity of the prior art.


A method is provided for forming a multi-media communication path between at least first, second and third communication devices coupled to a multi-media provider system during post answer call redirecting and/or teleconferencing. The method includes receiving and processing a first call request at a circuit-based portion of the multi-media provider system for forming a first communication link between the first and second communication devices. Thereafter, predetermined attributes of the first communication link may be sent to an IP-based portion of the multi-media provider system for configuring the IP-based portion of the multi-media provider system to process a subsequent request to execute post answer call redirecting and/or teleconferencing. Upon detecting the request to execute the post answer call redirecting and/or teleconferencing in the first communication link, the IP-based portion of the multi-media provider systems responds by forming the multi-media communication path between at least first, second and third communication devices.

Presently, SIP is becoming an increasingly popular protocol for transporting both standard and non-standard information in a common framework over Internet Protocol (IP) based communications systems (e.g., Local Area Networks (LANs)), such as systems and services provided by AT&T and/or other multi-media service providers. As many multi-media service providers incrementally transition from circuit-based communication systems, such as Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) communication systems, to IP-based communication systems, there has been a promulgation of hybrid communication systems. The hybrid communication systems includes a circuit-based portion running transaction capability protocol (TCAP), integrated services digital network (ISDN) User Part Protocol (ISUP), ISDN and other protocols suitable for operation on the circuit-based communication system. The hybrid communication system further includes an IP-based portion running Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or other protocols suitable for operation on the IP-based communication system.
In the typical hybrid communication system, call requests that originate on the circuit-based portion of the system, which require resources of another element of the circuit-based portion of the system, such as for feature processing purposes, may require many signaling and processing resources to process. Another drawback of the typical hybrid communication system is related to the requirement that network resources be transported between elements of the communication system (i.e., between elements of the circuit and IP based portions of the communication system) for processing call requests, which elements provide the feature/application processing for the call requests. This transportation of network resources between elements of the hybrid communication system for processing various call requests contributes to an increase in overall network complexity of the communication system from a service management and provisioning perspective.
It would, therefore, be desirable to overcome the aforesaid and other disadvantages.

Post answer call redirection via voice over IP


An antenna for sending and receiving signals in a plurality of frequency bands generates a plurality of resonances in the plurality of frequency bands and includes a first set of radiating elements (302) that generates at least one resonance in a first frequency band, and a second set of radiating elements (304) that generates at least one resonance in a second frequency band. At least one resonance is generated in a capacitive loop that exists at certain frequencies between at least two radiating elements belonging to a combination of the first set and the second set of radiating elements.

When wireless communication devices such as mobile phones were first developed, most of them used analog signal transmission systems and therefore needed to operate only in the Analog Mobile Phone System (AMPS) band. Over the past few years, several developments have taken place in the field of wireless communication systems. A variety of digital transmission schemes have been developed to enable efficient and enhanced transmission of data over the wireless medium. Further, the size of wireless devices, including mobile phones, has reduced considerably.
To cater to the increasing utilization of the wireless medium, the radio frequency spectrum is divided into various segments, so that certain frequency bands are devoted to specific services. For example, separate frequency bands have been devoted to mobile phone traffic, satellite communication, radio communication and television signal communication.
With the advent of several digital transmission schemes in wireless devices, several frequency bands are being utilized for communication. These bands are separated and are utilized for different communication applications or schemes. Exemplary bands include the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) band, and the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) band. These bands offer certain advantages, and it is desirable to utilize wireless devices that operate reliably within these bands. In order to operate mobile phones reliably in these bands, antennas are required that may be precisely tuned to operate in the desired frequency band.
Conventional antennas that enable the precise operation of wireless devices such as mobile phones in the desired bands are typically external antennas that fit outside the body of the mobile phone. These are not popular with consumers. Further, these antennas only operate in a few frequency bands.

Antenna for sending and receiving signals in a plurality of frequency bands


Provided in implementations of the present disclosure are a method and device for determining a length of feedback information, and a communication apparatus. The method includes that a first node determines a number of feedback information bits according to information of a number of Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) processes and information of at least one transmission resource.

With development of wireless communication technology, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system and a New Radio (NR) system will both consider deploying networks on an unlicensed spectrum to transmit data services using the unlicensed spectrum.
In order to reduce use of Listen Before Talk (LBT), once a sending end succeeds in occupying a channel, it should occupy continuous resources as many as possible for data transmission. On the other hand, a receiving end should multiplex and transmit feedback information (i.e., ACK/NACK information) as much as possible, that is, occupy a small number of time domain resources, and avoid an unnecessary LBT process. When the receiving end feeds back feedback information corresponding to multiple data channels to the sending end by multiplexing, how to efficiently determine a bit length of the feedback information is a problem to be solved.

Method and device for determining length of feedback information, and communication apparatus

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


An apparatus for teaching fine motor skills to a special needs student. The apparatus has a plurality of different personal life-skills training tools that more accurately replicate the skill encountered in real life. When the apparatus is arranged in its primary orientation and rests against the student's body, the life-skills training tools replicate the orientation of the objects relative to the orientation encountered by the student in real life. The apparatus includes a configurable platform having a plurality of walls. A plurality of hinges pivotally connect each wall with at least one other wall. The walls of the platform can be oriented and arranged in at least a first configuration forming a housing enclosing the training tools, and a second configuration wherein all of the walls are coplanar. The walls can also be oriented and arranged in at least a third configuration wherein none of the walls are coplanar.

Special education is the practice of educating students with "special needs" in a way that addresses their individual differences and needs. The term "special needs" is used to collectively define those individuals that require assistance due to physical, mental, behavioral, or medical disabilities or delays. Special education typically involves an individualized education plan (IEP), specially adapted equipment and materials, and other interventions.
Over the past few decades, methodologies for identifying and techniques for teaching special needs children have improved greatly. As the demand for special needs education has increased, educators have continued to develop specialized teaching aids and training tools to enhance the effectiveness of and/or reduce the cost of a student's IEP. Many specialized teaching aids are costly and/or complex enough to require training or supervision by a special educational professional. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a specialized teaching aid that can be manufactured and sold very inexpensively, and used by a student without training or supervision by a special education professional.
Apart from traditional subjects such as English, mathematics and history, many special needs students require assistance learning fine motor skills or life skills. For life skills, the skill level of special needs students can vary greatly. Many special education teaching aids have fixed training tools that are inappropriate for a particular skill level. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a specialized teaching aid having life-skills training tools that can be adjusted to meet the needs of a wide variety of students.
In the prior art, some special education teaching aids have personal life-skills training tools affixed to various platforms, which are designed to be mounted on either a table top or wall. The student interacts with the training tools from a distal spatial relationship and a third-party perspective compared to real life. In other words, when using the training tool, the student is trained to groom a third person instead of himself. For example, prior art teaching aids may have a tool that simulates tying shoelaces; however, in the prior art, the tool is oriented so that the student learns from the perspective of tying a third party's shoes. For the student to use this skill in real life to tie his/her own shoes, the student must juxtapose what he/she has learned using the training tool. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a specialized teaching aid that does not require the student to juxtapose the skill acquired from using the teaching aid when the student applies the skill in real life.

Apparatus for teaching personal life skills


A time-of-flight mass spectrometer has a first electrode, a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode, a third electrode arranged between the first and second electrodes. The third electrode reserves a space for ions to travel between the first and second electrodes. The time-of-flight mass spectrometer further includes a sample probe disposed proximate the first electrode and adapted to hold a sample, and a detector disposed proximate the second electrode. The first electrode is adapted to be connected to a voltage source to cause a difference in voltage between the first and second electrodes to provide an electric field therebetween that changes non-linearly along an ion path between the sample probe and the detector for accelerating ions to be detected.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a mass spectrometer in general and in particular to a mass spectrometer that employs one or more spatially non-linear fields to accelerate ions from an ion source to a detector.
2. Description of Related Art
Mass spectrometers are instruments that are used to determine the chemical composition of substances and the structures of molecules. In general they consist of an ion source where neutral molecules are ionized, a mass analyzer where ions are separated according to their mass/charge ratio, and a detector. Mass analyzers come in a variety of types, including magnetic field (B) instruments, combined electric and magnetic field or double-focusing instruments (EB or BE), quadrupole electric field (Q) instruments, and time-of-flight (TOF) instruments. In addition, two or more analyzers may be combined in a single instrument to produce tandem (MS/MS) mass spectrometers. These include triple analyzers (EBE), four sector mass spectrometers (EBEB or BEEB), triple quadrupoles (QqQ) and hybrids (such as the EBqQ).
In tandem mass spectrometers, the first mass analyzer is generally used to select a precursor ion from among the ions normally observed in a mass spectrum. Fragmentation is then induced in a region located between the mass analyzers, and the second mass analyzer is used to provide a mass spectrum of the product ions. Tandem mass spectrometers may be utilized for ion structure studies by establishing the relationship between a series of molecular and fragment precursor ions and their products.
Alternatively, they are now commonly used to determine the structures of biological molecules in complex mixtures that are not completely fractionated by chromatographic methods. These may include mixtures of (for example) peptides, glycopeptides or glycolipids. In the case of peptides, fragmentation produces information on the amino acid sequence.
One type of mass spectrometer is time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers. The simplest version of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, illustrated in FIG. 1A (Cotter, Robert J., Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: Instrumentation and Applications in Biological Research, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1997), the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference, consists of a short source region 10, a longer field-free drift region 12 and a detector 14. Ions are formed and accelerated to their final kinetic energies in the short source region 10 by an electric field defined by voltages on a backing plate 16 and drawout grid 18. The longer field-free drift region 12 is bounded by drawout grid 18 and an exit grid 20.
In the most common configuration, the drawout grid 18 and exit grid 20 (and therefore the entire drift length) are at ground potential, the voltage on the backing plate 16 is V, and the ions are accelerated in the source region to an energy: mv2/2=z eV, where m is the mass of the ion, v is its velocity, z the number of charges, and e is the charge on an electron. The ions then pass through the drift region 12 and their (approximate) flight time(s) is given by the formula:t=[(m/z)/2 eV]1/2D   (I).which shows a square root dependence upon mass. Typically, the length s of source region 10 is of the order of 0.5 cm, while drift lengths (D) ranges from 15 cm to 8 meters. Accelerating voltages (V) can range from a few hundred volts to 30 kV, and flight time are of the order of 5 to 100 microseconds. Generally, the accelerating voltage is selected to be relatively high in order to minimize the effects on mass resolution arising from initial kinetic energies and to enable the detection of large ions. For example, the accelerating voltage of 20 KV (as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 1) has been found to be sufficient for detection of masses in excess of 300 kDaltons.
A profile of the acceleration potential in the source region 10 (shown in FIG. 1A) is shown in FIG. 1B. The potential in this embodiment decreases linearly from a maximum value at the backing plate 16 (shown in FIG. 1A) to zero at the drawout grid 18 (Shown in FIG. 1A).
In recent years, the development of an ionization technique for mass spectrometers known as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) has generated considerable interest in the use of time-of-flight mass spectrometers and in improvement of their performance. MALDI is particularly effective in ionizing large molecules (e.g. peptides and proteins, carbohydrates, glycolipids, glycoproteins, and oligonucleotides (DNA)) as well as other polymers. The TOF mass spectrometer provides an advantage for MALDI analysis by simultaneously recording ions over a broad mass range, which is the so called multichannel advantage. In the MALDI method of ionization, biomolecules to be analyzed are recrystallized in a solid matrix (e.g., sinnipinic acid, 3-hydroxy picolinic acid, etc.) of a low mass chromophore that is strongly absorbing in the wavelength region of the pulsed laser used to initiate ionization. Following absorption of the laser radiation by the matrix, ionization of the analyte molecules occurs as a result of desorption and subsequent charge exchange processes. In TOF instruments, all ion optical elements and the detector are enclosed within a vacuum chamber to ensure that ions, once formed, reach the detector without collisions with the background gas.
One of the performance criteria for a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer is the resolving power. The resolving power represents the extent to which ions of different m/z ratios can be distinguished from each other. Ideally, nearly infinite resolving power could be attained if all ions having the same m/z ratio would arrive at the detector simultaneously. However, because MALDI generated ions are formed with a range of initial energies and are extracted from the ion source over a range of starting positions, the ions acquire a range of kinetic energies over a range of times and the resolving power is consequently diminished. Therefore, in order to compensate for these variations in ion starting conditions and in order to attain sufficient resolving power, design features are incorporated in the Time-of-Flight spectrometer.
A number of techniques have been developed to improve the mass resolution of time-of-flight mass spectrometers. The first major improvement to resolving power incorporated two design features that improved both mass resolving power and overall mass range. One of the design features was the development of a two-field ion source (Wiley, W. C., McLaren, I. H., Rev. Sci. Instrumen. 1955, 26, 1150-1157; Wiley, W. C., Science, 1956, 124, 817-820; Wiley, W. C. U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,035). Earlier ion sources used a single electric field for ion extraction that imposed a tradeoff between energy and space focusing. FIG. 2A shows a graph of the voltage potential versus the length S0 between the ion source (backing plate) and the drawout grid or exit grid. The voltage potential decreases linearly to reach zero volt at the exit grid, illustrated in FIG. 2A by a dotted vertical line. The focus position lies at a distance of 2S0 from the exit grid. The focus position is indicated on FIG. 2A by a vertical line.
In order to maximize energy resolution, high electric field strength was used to accelerate the ions to their final velocity quickly. However, this required an axially short ion source geometry. In order to achieve a space focus condition the detector is placed also at a short distance (2S0) from the ion source. Hence, the time of flight was not long enough to achieve mass separation. The total time-of-flight could only be increased by either lowering the electric field strength, consequently leading to lowering of the energy resolution, or increasing the length of the flight path by moving the detector well beyond the focus region.
Since the dominant parameter limiting resolving power is the initial energy spread it is determined that lengthening the flight path is the appropriate solution to increasing total flight time to separate masses. Using a two-field ion source, as shown in FIG. 2B, the space focus region could be located farther than 2S0 from the ion source at a distance which is a function of the two accelerating field strengths. Thus, while the low amplitude first accelerating field slightly reduced the energy resolution, the ability to achieve both space focusing and an increase in the total flight time for all ions yielded an overall increase in resolving power.
Another early design provided additional focusing by introducing an adjustable time delay between ion formation and application of an acceleration field (Wiley, W. C., McLaren, I. H., Rev. Sci. Instrumen. 1955, 26, 1150-1157; Wiley, W. C., Science, 1956, 124, 817-820; Wiley, W. C. U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,035). During this time, ions move to new locations in the ion source due to their thermal energies and, upon extraction, acquire total kinetic energies dependent on these new location. This energy focusing method, known then as time-lag focusing and now known as pulsed or delayed extraction, essentially attempts to transform the energy distribution of the initial ion population into a spatial distribution, thus reducing the temporal effect of the energy distribution at the space focus position. The combined use of time-lag and space focusing yields a significant increase in resolving power. However, the optimal time lag is mass dependent, limiting the m/z range that could be simultaneously measured.
Another technique for improving the resolving power is the reflectron or ion mirror which provides mass-independent ion focusing (Karataev, V. I., Mamyrin, B. A., Shmikk, D. V. Sov. Phys. Tech. Phys. 1972, 16, 1177.; Mamyrin, B. A., Karataev, V. I.; Shmikk, D. V.; Zagulin, V. A. Sov. Phys. JETP 1973, 37, 45.; Mamyrin, B. A., Shmikk, D. V. Sov. Phys. JETP 1979, 49, 762.; Mamyrin, B. A., Karataev, V. I.; Shmikk, D. V. U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,862). An ion mirror in its basic form is shown in FIG. 3A. Ion mirror 30 comprises simply a series of electrostatic diaphragms 32 that provide a retarding electric field with enough potential to reflect ions. Ions with different kinetic energies penetrate the mirror to different depths before being turned around and repelled from the mirror.
While all ions leave the mirror having exactly the same magnitude of energy with which they entered, those ions possessing the greater energy travel farther into the mirror before being repelled and thus experience a time delay that compensates for their higher velocity in the field-free region. The ions are then focused at a second space-focus position SFP2 where they achieve a higher resolving power than the first space-focus position SFP1 due to the additional energy focusing. As shown in FIG. 3B, the original ion mirror design generates a single, linear electric field behind a field isolating mesh 33 and is capable of first-order focusing. A subsequent design incorporates two fields and is capable of first or second-order focusing.
Mass spectrometers using linear-field focusing devices such as the two-field ion source (shown in FIG. 2B) and the two-field ion mirror generate adequate resolving power for applications having a relatively small initial ion energy distribution. However, for applications having a relatively large initial ion energy distribution, the achievable resolving power is diminished. This is expected since the relationship between energy, velocity and time is fundamentally non-linear, and linear-field devices provide only an approximation of complete temporal focusing. Electrospray ionization (ESI) and MALDI, the two major ionization methods used in biological research, both generate ion populations having a relatively large energy distribution. One approach to compensate for this, used more commonly with ESI, overcomes the current energy focusing limitation by delivering externally-generated ions to the TOF mass analyzer in a direction orthogonal to the analysis axis. Thus, while the overall magnitude of initial ion energy is relatively large, the magnitude along the analysis axis is minimal. For MALDI-TOF, however, the ionization process occurs within the source along the analysis axis. A large initial ion energy distribution is thus inherent to the analysis, presenting a need for improved focusing methods.
The fundamentally non-linear relationship between time and energy in ion motion indicates that the ultimate attainable resolving power can only be achieved using non-linear fields, and the development of focusing methods using such fields is recently building momentum. Several ion mirror designs using a non-linear field have been developed (Glashchenko, V. P.; Semkin, N. D., Sysoev, A. A., Oleinikov, V. A., Tatur, V. Yu. Sov. Phys. Tech. Phys. 1985, 30, 540-541.; Mamyrin, B. A. Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Processes, 1994, 131, 1-19.; Rockwood, A. L. Proc. 34th ASMS Conf. on Mass Spectrom. & Allied Topics, 1986, Cincinnati, Ohio, 173.), while other designs have been proposed and/or patented (Yoshida, Y. U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,112; Frey, R., Schlag, E. W., U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,532; Kutscher, R., Grix, R., Li, G., Wollnik, H., U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,780; Managadze, G. G., Shutyaev, I. Yu. In Laser Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Vertes, A., Gijbels, R., Adams, F., Eds., John Wiley & Sons: New York, 1993, 505-549. Flory, C. A., Taber, R. C., Yefchak, G. E. Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Proc. 1996, 152, 177-184; Doroshenko, V. M., Cotter, R. J. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 1999, 10, 992-999; Cotter, R. J., Doroshenko, V. M. U.S. Pat. No. 6,365,892). All of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
Each of these designs provides only minor improvement to the resolving power achieved using linear-field ion mirrors, and each is suitable to only a relatively narrow initial range of ion energies. Non-linear-field mirrors that focus a broad range of initial ion energies have also been developed using either an entirely gridless design to achieve a single non-linear field (Cornish, T. J., Cotter, R. J. Rapid Comm. Mass Spectrom., 1993, 7, 1037-1040), or a gridded design generating a combination of linear and non-linear fields (Beussman, D. J., Vlasak, P. R., McLane, R. D., Seeterlin, M. A.; Enke, C. G. Anal. Chem. 1995, 67(21), 3952-3957).
While non-linear fields are theoretically preferable to linear fields, one of the drawbacks to generating such fields in ion mirrors is the result of their inherent radial field-inhomogeneity. Linear fields generate an electric potential that is constant in all directions orthogonal to the electric field. Thus, an ion beam entering a linear-field ion mirror at a fixed angle will experience the same force regardless of the entry point. In contrast, an ion beam entering a non-linear field will experience a force that depends on the exact point of entry. An ion beam of finite diameter will thus experience a range of non-linear fields, which reduces the resultant resolving power and radially disperses the ion beam, diminishing the ion transmission. A non-linear design has been developed that exploits the radial dispersion using a single-electrode can-shaped "endcap" ion mirror (Cornish, T. J., Cotter, R. J. Anal. Chem. 1997, 69(22), 4615-4618; Cornish, T. J.; Cotter, R. J. U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,813). A more recent and somewhat more complicated design also uses a minimum number (2 to 3) of electrodes to achieve the desired non-linear field (Zhang, J., Enke, C. G. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 2000, 11(9), 759-764; Zhang, J., Gardner, B. D., Enke, C. G. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 2000, 11(9), 765-769; Zhang, J., Gardner, B. D., Enke, C. G., Patent Pending).
In contrast to the developments in non-linear ion mirror design, the use of non-linear fields in ion source design is less prevalent. Several designs have been developed, for the analysis of gas-phase ions, where a "quadratic" non-linear ion-accelerating field is generated (Crane, W. S., Mills, A. P. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1985, 56, 1723.; Hulett, L. D., Donohue, D. L., Lewis, T. A. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1991, 62, 2131-2137; Rockwood, A. L., Udseth, H. R., Gao, Q.: Smith, R. D. Proc. 42nd ASMS Conf. on Mass Spectrom. & Allied Topics, 1994, Chicago, Ill., 1038). A mass spectrometer based on one of these designs, for the analysis of orthogonally-injected gas-phase ions, is commercially available (LECO Corp., product literature on the Jaguar LC-TOF mass spectrometer).
A separate design incorporating both linear and non-linear fields has been reported (Gardner, B. D., Holland, J. F. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 1999, 10(11), 1067-1073), also for the analysis of gas-phase ions. A gridless ion source, which consequently generates a non-linear field by default, is also commercially available on a MALDI-TOF instrument, although the design has not been described (Kratos Analytical AXIMA).

Non-linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer


Disclosed are titanium dioxide-containing composite particles which can maintain whiteness of natural titanium dioxide even after calcination step, and can provide titanium dioxide-containing composite particles having excellent weather resistance. In each of the composite particles, at least one oxide layer containing silicon oxide and zirconium oxide is provided as coating components of titanium dioxide. That is, provided are composite particles including a base that contains titanium dioxide and at least one oxide layer that contains silicon oxide and zirconium oxide provided on the base, and a method of producing the composite particles.

Titanium dioxide is widely used in various fields as white pigments, UV shielding materials, photocatalyst materials, etc. Specifically, exterior use utilizing titanium oxide with suppressed photocatalytic property, such as exterior walls for buildings, coating compositions for buildings, or parts or coating compositions for automobiles, has been recently increased. These materials used in such applications are required to have high weather resistance and endurance since these are exposed to the elements over a long period. Titanium dioxide is sometimes blended in a fluorine material having excellent heat resistance and high chemical resistance to enhance weather resistance and endurance.
Photocatalytic action by titanium oxide, however, decomposes not only organic substances which causes stains but also necessary organic components in a coating composition, a resin composition, etc., which leads to discoloration, fading, and deterioration of coating compositions and materials. As a result, weather resistance and endurance of parts deteriorate in some cases.
Thus, some studies have been made so far for suppressing photocatalytic activity of a material containing titanium dioxide by providing a coating layer of oxides on the surface of titanium dioxide particles to thereby enhancing weather resistance of the titanium dioxide particles.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a method of producing weather-resistant titanium dioxide by depositing a coating layer of high-density silica on the surface of the titanium dioxide, and then depositing alumina thereon.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a method for improving photochemical stability of titanium dioxide by forming a layer that consists of porous hydrous silica and alumina hydrate on the surface of TiO2, calcining the TiO2, and then further forming a hydrous metal oxide layer that comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silicon, zirconium, and aluminum.

Composite particles and method for production thereof


An apparatus for memory error control coding comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a multi-bit digital syndrome signal in response to a read data signal and a read parity signal. The second circuit may be configured to (i) detect an error when the bits of the syndrome signal are not all the same state and (ii) generate an error location signal in response the syndrome signal. The error location signal may be generated in response to fewer than all of the bits of the syndrome signal.

Semiconductor memories can experience high failure rates due to "soft" errors (i.e., errors where data in a memory array change prior to or during a given memory access and whose original value can be restored upon rewriting of the data). Causes of soft errors include primarily ionizing radiation effects induced by neutron and alpha particle bombardment and to a much lesser extent due to loss of cell charge, electronic noise, stray radiation, and poor connections. Conventional solutions to reduce the failure rate of semiconductor memories due to soft errors include (i) error control coding (ECC), (ii) materials selection, and (iii) changes to process, bit-cell design and/or circuit design. ECC can include conventional single error correcting and double error detecting (SEC-DED) code implementations.
However, conventional solutions have failed to eliminate semiconductor memory soft errors. Furthermore, existing SEC-DED code implementations are not optimized for (i) minimum circuit area and logic gate count, and/or (ii) maximum performance and reliability.
It would be desirable to have a method and/or architecture for error control coding in semiconductor memory that (i) reduces soft errors, (ii) minimizes circuit area, (iii) optimizes logic gate count, (iv) increases performance, and/or (v) increases reliability.

Construction of an optimized SEC-DED code and logic for soft errors in semiconductor memories


A telephony device includes a rectifier bridge (GB) intended to be connected to a telephone line and to supply a rectified line current, an interface module (INT) permitting the transmission of signals in the direction of the telephone line and supplying an information signal (Iin), and an amplifier (AGC) whose gain is proportional to the value of a control current (Icnt) supplied by a control module (CNT). The control current (Icnt) is proportional to an exponential of a linear equation of the inverse of the value of the information signal (Iin) in order to compensate for the attenuation which the signal has undergone during its transport through the telephone line. The control module is formed by a translinear module (TRL) which receives the input signal (Iin) and produces a translinear current (Itr) whose value may be expressed in the form of a linear equation of the inverse value of the input signal (Iin), and an exponential module (EXP) which receives the translinear current (Itr) and produces the control current (Icnt) whose value may be expressed as proportional to an exponential of the value of the translinear current (Itr).

In many known telephony devices, an amplifier whose function is to amplify the transmit signal in order to compensate for the losses which will be caused by the transport of said signal through the telephone line, receives the information signal coming from the interface module directly. The gain of the amplifier is then proportional to the mean value of the line current. However, the attenuation of the signal caused by the telephone line is not linear in relation to the length of said line and thus in relation to the mean value of the line current. It is known to be of the order of 1.2 dB/km and may be expressed in the form: EQU A(V/V)=K1.exp(-((K2/Iin)-K3)),
where A(V/V) is the attenuation of the signal, K1 is a multiplying constant, K2 and K3 are constants whose values are intrinsic to the line and are respectively of the order of 0.033 and 0.497, and Iin is the mean value of the line current. A linear compensation by means of an amplification whose gain is proportional to the mean value of the line current is thus not perfect and gives rise to variations of the sound level depending on the length of the telephone line.
It is an object of the present invention to remedy this drawback by proposing a telephony device in which the equation which defines the value of the gain of the amplifier is the reverse to that which defines the attenuation of the signal brought about by the line.

Telephony device with compensation for line losses


A location-determining device in a motor vehicle having at least one receiver device for receiving position signals and time signals for a multiplicity of satellites assigned to a global navigation system and a location-calculating module for calculating location information based on received position data and time data. The location-determining device has at least one receiver device structurally integrated into the housing of an optical sensor unit, wherein the housing is arranged in a passenger compartment in a region of an upper edge of a windscreen, and wherein the housing does not have more than a single connection to a vehicle data bus and not more than a single connection to a vehicle power supply.

In a known design a disk brake comprises a brake disk rotating on and along with a hub of a wheel to be braked, onto which friction linings in the form of brake pads or friction linings are pressed from both sides. Said friction linings are mounted in a so-called brake caliper. The brake caliper is also referred to as a caliper and spans the brake disk. Activation of the brake takes place in general hydraulically using at least one brake piston as an actuator. In motor vehicles, as a rule partial disk brakes are used, i.e. disk brakes which only use part of surface of the disk as a frictional surface.
Furthermore, with automobiles so-called floating caliper brakes are preferably used. Floating caliper brakes have actuators on only one side of the disk in contrast to fixed caliper brakes. The design of the floating caliper brake enables the brake force on both sides of the brake caliper to be built up basically by only one actuator. The longitudinally displaceably mounted or floatingly suspended brake caliper mechanically transfers the pressure applied by only one actuator to the other side of the brake disk. Floating caliper brakes only need relatively little insta11ation space as a result of this design, so that a floating caliper brake with lower structure height in comparison to fixed caliper brakes can be positioned better. Furthermore, floating caliper brakes have high efficiency and are relatively simple in design and in maintenance. Thus friction- or friction linings can especially be changed in a short time.
In known disk brakes, hydraulically operated pistons are used as actuators, which can be displaced in suitable operating devices using hydraulic pressure. In the case of an electromechanically operated disk brake, an electromechanical actuator is used instead of a hydraulic cylinder.
In principle, with a disk brake having an electromechanical actuator there is no feedback regarding a brake force acting on a brake pedal, as is provided via the hydraulic circuit with conventional hydraulic brakes. Therefore it is particularly desirable with a disk brake having an electromechanical actuator—but also with hydraulically operated disk brakes-independently of their exact structural embodiment, to continuously and very accurately detect a brake force actually acting in operation.
Only on this basis can the disk brake be regulated reliably and with the necessary accuracy, in order to satisfy a braking demand specified by a user and also to be able to respond thereto as well as to be able to carry out slip-controlled braking (antilock braking control).
Various approaches are known from the prior art for determining the clamping force (normal force) of a disk brake, i.e. the force with which the friction linings in are forced against the brake in a direction normal to the surface of the disk brake. However, the clamping force is not proportional to the brake force (peripheral force) or the brake torque. Thus the coefficient of friction (μB) between the friction lining and the brake disk, which is dependent on conditions such as temperature, wetness, and dirt, and fluctuates during operation, is to be taken into account as a factor. The brake torque is proportional to the brake force with a so-called effective friction radius, which is likewise variable and cannot be accurately determined. Accordingly, for a hydraulically operated disk brake according to today's state of knowledge, because of the high degree of complexity of the processes, the variation of the brake torque cannot be reliably determined from the variation of the brake pressure.
Approaches for determining the clamping force of a disk brake usually build on an elastic expansion of the brake caliper (in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the disk brake (axial direction)). It is thus known that the expansion of the brake caliper is measured with a strip strain gauge, which is glued in a yoke area of the brake caliper, with which the brake caliper fits over the brake disk. Also in DE 10 2006 029 978 B3 a method and an apparatus for measurement of a normal force acting on a disk brake are disclosed. For this purpose a device is provided on the brake caliper of the disk brake, which measures the normal force using an elastic expansion of the brake caliper during clamping of the brake by measuring a shearing movement of part of the disk brake during expansion of the brake caliper.
A brake force measurement device for a friction brake with a frame caliper is known from DE 10 2005 013 142 AI, which measures a movement of the brake caliper during braking by means of a travel measurement device having two parts moving with respect to each other. Here one of the parts of the travel measurement device is always disposed on the movable brake caliper.
The object of the invention is to provide a brake mounting, an apparatus and a method by means of which during a braking process a measure of the brake force (peripheral force) acting on a disk brake or the brake torque acting on a disk brake can be continuously detected with an inexpensive means and with adequate accuracy.
The object is achieved according to the invention by the brake mounting, the apparatus, and the method as described herein.

Brake mounting, apparatus and method for determining a measurement variable for a brake force or frictional force acting on a disk brake


A system and method displays a synthetic vision system (SVS) image combined with a primary flight display (PFD) including a compass indicating the aircraft heading. An arc on or near the outer edge of the compass indicates the viewing frustum of the SVS view.

Aircraft occasionally may have a flight path different than a heading, for example, when landing in a crosswind. Helicopter flying differs from fixed wing aircraft with significantly more vertical and lateral movement and dynamics, including a flight path often quite different than the heading of the helicopter.
When a SVS image is displayed on the Primary Flight Display (PFD) and the SVS view may be centered at an angle other than the heading, the pilot needs to be able to quickly correlate the displayed SVS view to information in the compass. The compass is usually centered at the heading direction so as to correlated and fly according to ATC issued heading instructions. As such, representing the current flight path direction, for example, as a flight path marker, on a typical rotorcraft synthetic vision system (SVS) display typically presents more issues in comparison to the fixed wing aircraft.
One known means involves drawing lines (frustum lines) on the compass from the aircraft symbol, or close to it, toward the edge of the compass's outer ring. This method works well to show the relationship of content inside the compass, especially lateral terrain and the flight plat. However, the frustum lines are less useful if the compass doesn't have a scale associated with it and can impede or conflict with other symbols displayed inside the compass. For example, when the compass area contains lateral deviation symbology for both current and armed navigation (Nav) mode, adding frustum lines can cause difficulties in not only identifying the frustum lines but can interfere with the reading of navigation information. In addition, simple frustum lines do not adequately provide awareness of the large differential between current track and heading conditions.
As a SVS display can be effective with reasonable compressions in order to ensure that the display can be effectively used for precise vertical controls and for scene information and threat displays, methods to effectively display the flight path information relative to the approach target (aim point) is an essential feature for a helicopter SVS primary flight display system.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a display system and method allowing the pilot to quickly correlate the content of the SVS display for comparing the view ahead of the aircraft to the aircraft's heading and discern the differences when path and heading are sufficiently different. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the exemplary embodiments will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Apparatus and method for displaying a synthetic vision system view direction


A shaft sealing device comprising: a first member; a second member provided with a through-hole through which the first member passes; a sealing member configured to seal a gap between the through-hole and the first member; a rotation restricting part restricting relative rotation between the first and second members; and an axial displacement restricting part restricting the axial displacement of the sealing member. The rotation restricting part includes a first contact portion provided on the first member, a second contact portion provided on the sealing member and an inclined surface included on the first contact portion. The axial displacement restricting part includes a stopper surface. When the sealing member rotates in one direction relative to the second member by being dragged by the first member, the sealing member contacts the stopper surface to restrict the axial displacement of the sealing member.

The present invention relates to a shaft sealing apparatus suitable for sealing a gap between two members which rotate relative to each other, for example, a gap between a rotation shaft and a member through which the rotation shaft passes, and a pump apparatus and a brake hydraulic pressure control device for a vehicle using the shaft sealing apparatus.
As a power driven pump used in the brake hydraulic pressure control device, for example, there is a pump disclosed in JP2007-278086A. This pump employs a well-known inner gear pump.
The pump disclosed in JP2007-278086A is driven by the rotation shaft and configured to perform a double-sealing operation using a first seal part constituted by a shaft sealing apparatus and a second seal part constituted by an oil seal in order to prevent introduced brake fluid from being leaked to the outside. In this case, the first seal part is considered to be used when a pressure is applied to an inner liquid chamber and permits micro-leakage.
The brake fluid leaked through the first seal part is collected in an intermediate chamber formed between the first seal part and the second seal part. The oil seal of the second seal part is adapted to prevent the collected brake fluid from being leaked from the intermediate chamber.
Further, the shaft sealing apparatus constituting the first seal part is incorporated in a plug which closes an opening of the pump accommodation chamber. In addition, the shaft sealing apparatus is rotationally locked so that it can be prevented from co-rotating with the rotation shaft which is used for driving the pump and passes through the plug.

Shaft sealing apparatus, pump apparatus and brake hydraulic pressure control device using same