The present technology provides personal care compositions that include about 0.1 wt % to about 10 wt % of (Formula), or a mixture of any two or more thereof; wherein n is 0, 1, or 2; m is 1, 2, or 3; p is 0, 1, or 2; and q is 1, 2, or 3; about 0.1 wt % to about 30 wt % of a UV-B sunscreen oil; about 0.1 wt % to about 30 wt % of a nonionic surfactant of Formula I (I) where R1 is a C6-C12 alkyl group; r is an integer from 6 to 13, and the nonionic surfactant has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of about 10 to about 14; and about 40 wt % to about 96 wt % of the personal care composition is water.

Solar radiation includes about 5% ultraviolet (UV) radiation, wavelength of which is between 200 nm and 400 nm. It is further classified into three regions: from 320 to 400 nm (UV-A), 290 to 320 nm (UV-B) and from 200 to 290 nm (UV-C). A large part of UV-C radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer. Scientific studies have indicated that exposure to UV-A and UV-B radiation for short period causes reddening of the skin and localized irritation, whereas continued and prolonged exposure can lead to sunburn, melanoma and formation of wrinkles and age spots. It is also reported that UV radiation causes significant damage to hair. Therefore, it is desirable to protect the skin and other keratinous substrates of the human body from the harmful effects of both UV-A and UV-B radiation, in addition to increasing the SPF protection.
Various cosmetic preparations have been reported for preventing and/or protecting the skin from harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. Numerous organic sunscreen agents capable of absorbing UV-A rays are reported in the field of cosmetics amongst which a particularly useful sunscreen is 4-tert-butyl-4′-methoxydibenzoylmethane (a.k.a. t-butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane or avobenzone, also sold as Parsol 1789). Many UV-B sunscreens are also known and approved for safe use in personal care compositions for protection from UV-B radiation. Many cosmetic manufacturers prefer to include both UV-A and UV-B sunscreens in photoprotective compositions so as to provide protection over the entire range of UV radiation.
Thus, cosmetic manufacturers aim to provide consumers with products having better and better sun protection. One of the ways of achieving this is to incorporate higher and higher levels of UV-A and UV-B sunscreens.
One disadvantage of this approach is the high cost associated with incorporation of high levels of sunscreens which are expensive. Further, there are safety and regulatory limitations on the upper limit of incorporation of these sunscreens. Finally, sensory and physical properties are also altered on incorporation of sunscreens, particularly when the amounts of sunscreens are increased, because organic sunscreens are oily, and thus have high impact on viscosity, drying behavior, and other tactile and sensory characteristics of the formulation. Personal care compositions have a unique sensory feel that consumers come to recognize and love and associate with the particular brand or end-use. As the knowledge of the harmful effects of UV exposure developed, it became desirable to improve UV-A and UV-B protection substantially, without increasing levels of UV-A and UV-B protection. This is not trivial, particularly for non-solid personal care formulations, since sunscreens tend to have high impact on viscosity, drying behavior, and other tactile and sensory characteristics of the formulation. If the feel of the formulation is altered, consumer loyalty may quickly change. It is critical to preserve the sensory profile of the composition while achieving a substantial UV-A and UV-B boost.
The technology provided in the instant application unexpectedly delivers a significant boost in UV-A and UV-B protection, and in SPF, by virtue of incorporating certain non-aromatic carboxylic acids.

Cyclocarboxylic acid containing personal care compositions


The present invention provides a leader tape, method for manufacturing the same, and a magnetic tape cartridge with a leader tape having surface properties and conductive properties for securing slide durability suitable for a magnetic tape drive using a magnetic tape cartridge of one reel cartridge. A leader tape joined to a starting end of a magnetic tape wound around a magnetic tape reel of a one reel cartridge, comprising: a base material; and a conductive slide layer formed on at least one surface of the base material, the surface of the conductive slide layer having a surface electrical resistance value of 102 Ω/square to 1010 Ω/square and a surface roughness Ra of 0.5 μm to 1.5 μm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a leader tape having surface properties and conductive properties for securing slide durability suitable for a magnetic tape drive for driving one reel cartridge, and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic tape cartridge constituted by rotatably storing a single reel on which a magnetic tape is wound in a cartridge case consisting of an upper cartridge and a lower cartridge as an external recording medium for data backup of a computer or the like, that is, one reel type magnetic tape cartridge has been known. When the one reel type magnetic tape cartridge is not used, the magnetic tape is completely involved in the reel. When the one reel type magnetic tape cartridge is used, the magnetic tape is pulled out and is introduced into a recording/reproducing device, and thereby data or the like is recorded and replayed. A drawing member is provided at the starting end of the magnetic tape in order that the recording/reproducing device pulls out the magnetic tape from the cartridge case. As this drawing member, a leader block, a leader pin and a leader tape have been known.
The leader block and the leader pin are attached to the magnetic tape or the leader tape made of the magnetic tape, and are loaded in a storing recessed part provided in a take-up reel hub in the tape drive of the recording/reproducing device. However, in this storing recessed part, level difference with the take-up reel hub is easily generated, and an influence applied to the magnetic tape by the level difference poses a problem.
On the other hand, when only the leader tape is joined to the starting end of the magnetic tape, the leader tape must have a certain level of rigidity, so-called "stiffness" so as to correspond to tension force added at the time of drawing the magnetic tape. The buckle member of the side of the drive of the recording/reproducing device hook hooks the leader tape having "stiffness," and the magnetic tape is taken up on the take-up reel in the drive. Since this leader tape requires "stiffness," the base part thereof has a certain level of thickness (150 μm to 200 μm), and level difference is formed at a joining part of the magnetic tape having a thickness of about 4 μm to about 12 μm thinner than that of the base part and the leader tape. Then, so as to reduce the level difference, a method for forming a gradual reducing part of which the thickness is gradually reduced in a tapered shape toward the joining part by machining, has been known (see Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-11591, and Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-113435). However, when the gradual reducing part is formed by machining, the adhesiveness with a splicing tape used for joining poses a problem depending on the surface properties of the processing surface, and the joining of the leader tape and magnetic tape cannot be reliably strengthened.
The leader tape is conventionally made of a material consisting primarily of PET or PET. While the leader tape has high tensile strength, the leader tape is easily charged, and thereby there is a concern that electrostatic friction occurs between the leader tape and an MR head used for high-density recording. Therefore, a method for coating or coating carbon black on the surface has been proposed (see Japanese published examined application No. S62-15945, and Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H5-314452). However, since the magnetic tape slides on a head or a guide part at high speed in a high capacity/highly accurate drive of a data backup used in recent years, and data is read out and written simultaneously and repeatedly, the slight generation of abrasion powder causes an error, and may become one of the causes of serious trouble. Therefore, Japanese Published Examined Utility Model Application No. S49-42726 has proposed a method for irregularly forming the surface of the leader tape and cleaning the head and the guide part due to the irregularity. However, the cleaning effect of the leader tape is not permanent, and rather the probability that the abrasion of the leader tape causes an error is high. A leader tape obtained by using a film consisting of resin containing the carbon black as the base material of the leader tape, roughing the surface of the base material using sandblast, and applying or coating a conductive agent has been known. However, the adhesion of the conductive agent is worsened, and it has also been understood that the exfoliated conductive agent causes a dropout.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a leader tape having surface properties and conductive properties for securing slide durability suitable for a magnetic tape drive using a magnetic tape cartridge of one reel cartridge.

Leader tape, method for manufacturing the same, and magnetic tape cartridge


A putter head for a freestanding golf putter includes: a cylindrical leading portion including a heel end, a toe end, an axis that extends through a center of the heel end and a center of the toe end in a first direction, and a rounded exterior surface that extends from the heel end to the toe end, the rounded exterior surface including a front face and a rear face; and a trailing portion including: a center arm that extends rearwardly from a center portion of the rear face in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction; a heel arm that extends rearwardly and inwardly towards the center arm from a first lateral portion of the rear face; and a toe arm that extends rearwardly and inwardly towards the center arm from a second lateral portion of the rear face.

In the game of golf, about half of all strokes are expected to be played on the putting green using a putter. Typically, great care is taken to properly aim before attempting a putt in order to reduce the total number of strokes in a game. For example, a golfer may stand behind his or her golf ball to determine an appropriate target or trajectory in order to successfully strike the ball into the hole based on the position of the ball and the topography of the green. However, when the golfer returns to the ball to attempt the putt, he or she must take aim yet again based on a different viewing angle than from directly behind the ball. As a result, the clubface of the putter might not be properly aimed toward the intended target, leading to missed putts. Furthermore, even if the clubface is properly aimed, conventional putter designs using a flat club face may cause a golf ball to skid or bounce when struck and deviate from the intended target or trajectory. This in turn may lead to additional strokes and/or frustration for the golfer.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide new designs for putter heads and golf putters.

Freestanding golf putter with rounded clubface


An optical digital-to-analog (D/A) converter and a method of optically converting digital data into analog form. In one embodiment, the optical D/A converter includes: (1) a splitter configured to receive and split an input coherent optical carrier into a plurality of mutually coherent optical carriers, (2) a switching stage coupled to the splitter and including a corresponding plurality of selector switches configured to pass or interrupt selected ones of the plurality of coherent optical carriers responsive to pattern bits, (3) an amplitude and phase offset stage coupled to the switching stage and including a corresponding plurality of amplitude and phase offset units configured to offset amplitudes or phases of passed ones of the plurality of mutually coherent optical carriers responsive to offset signals and (4) a combiner coupled to the amplitude and phase offset stage and configured to recombine the mutually coherent optical carriers to yield an optical output signal.

Digital-to-analog (D/A) converters are key elements in both electronic and photonic signal processing and data transmission. In many optical transmission systems, digital data has to be converted to analog form for processing and/or transmission. Indeed, there are many advantages for using optical technology to implementing D/A converters, for example, high-speed clocking and signal sampling, wide-bandwidth, light-weight components and the like. Additionally, a high-speed arbitrary analog waveform generator can be implemented using a very high-speed D/A converter.
One such optical D/A converter is described in an article entitle "Digital-to-Analog Conversion Using Electrooptic Modulators," authored by Yacoubian, et al., IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, vol. 15, no. 1, January 2003, pages 117-119. However, the disclosed implementation is limited to a so-called 2-bit photonic D/A converter.
Noise also affects the operation of optical D/A converters. One source of noise arises from voltage excursions in the control signals that are provided to electro-optical elements D/A converter. Noise due to the voltage excursions tends to increase, sometimes dramatically, as D/A operating speed increases. Excessive noise can render an optical D/A inadequate for important, high-speed applications, including those noted above.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an optical D/A converter that converts digital input data to analog form with less noise. What is needed in the art is an optical D/A converter that is less susceptible to control signal voltage excursions.

Optical digital-to-analog converter and method of optically converting digital data to analog form


A surface acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric substrate of a LiTaO.sub.3 single crystal, the crystal having X, Y and Z axes and a cut plane. The X axis of the crystal is oriented in a direction of propagation of surface acoustic waves. The cut plane of the crystal is rotated around the X axis at a rotated angle from the Y axis to the Z axis, the rotated angle being in a range between 40.degree. and 42.degree.. A pair of reflectors are formed on the substrate and aligned in a row in the direction of propagation. Interdigital transducers are formed on the substrate and aligned in the row in the direction of propagation, the interdigital transducers interposed between the reflectors, each interdigital transducer having pairs of mutually opposed primary electrode fingers and secondary electrode fingers, the interdigital transducers including at least a front transducer, a middle transducer and a rear transducer aligned in the row in the direction of propagation. In the device, a ratio of the number of pairs of the electrode fingers in one of the front transducer and the rear transducer to the number of pairs of the electrode fingers in the middle transducer is in a range between 55% and 80%.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a surface acoustic wave device, and more particularly to a surface acoustic wave device which is appropriate to provide good passband characteristics in a wide range of frequencies up to the order of some gigahertz.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Surface acoustic wave devices (which will be called SAW devices) are widely used as filters or resonators in high-frequency circuits of wireless communication systems. In particular, wireless communication systems, such as handy telephones, which are lightweight, portable and operable in a desired high frequency range, utilize the SAW devices as the filters or the resonators.
Generally, single crystal or polycrystal piezoelectric substrates are used as the materials of the substrates of the SAW devices. In particular, a 64.degree.Y-X LiNbO.sub.3 single crystal substrate (K. Yamanouchi and K. Shibayama, J. Appl. Phys., vol.43, no.3, March 1972, pp.856) and a 36.degree.Y-X LiTaO.sub.3 single crystal substrate are known. In these substrates, the crystal has X, Y and Z axes, the X axis being oriented in a direction of propagation of surface acoustic waves, the Y axis being oblique to a perpendicular line normal to a cut plane of the crystal, the cut plane being rotated around the X axis at a rotated angle from the Y axis to the Z axis. In the case of the LiNbO.sub.3 substrate, the rotated angle is set at 64.degree.. In the case of the LiTaO.sub.3 substrate, the rotated angle is set at 36.degree..
In the above-mentioned piezoelectric substrates, the electromechanical coupling coefficient is large, the efficiency of excitation of the surface acoustic waves is high, and the propagation loss in the high-frequency range is small. It is estimated that the operating characteristics of the SAW device in which electrodes, such as interdigital transducers (IDT), are formed on the cut plane of the piezoelectric substrate can be made optimum (the propagation loss being minimized) by setting the rotated angle of the crystal of the substrate at the above-mentioned angle (or 64.degree. in the case of the LiNbO.sub.3 substrate and 36.degree. in the case of the LiTaO.sub.3 substrate).
However, the SAW filter using the conventional piezoelectric substrate does not show good operating characteristics unless the effect of the mass of the electrodes (IDT) formed on the piezoelectric substrate is negligible. The effect of the mass of the electrodes (IDT) on the substrate detrimental to the operating characteristic of the SAW filter is negligibly small when the passband of the SAW filter is relatively low and of the order of some hundred megahertz (MHz). When the passband of the SAW filter is higher than the order of some hundred megahertz and rises to the order of some gigahertz (GHz), which is required for recent handy telephones, the effect of the mass of the electrodes becomes considerable and not negligible. The wavelength of the excited surface acoustic waves in such a case is extremely small, and the thickness of the electrodes relative to the wavelength of the excited surface acoustic waves cannot be ignored. The operating characteristics of the SAW filter of this type are not necessarily optimum when the passband of the SAW filter is of the order of some gigahertz.
When the passband of the SAW filter is of the order of some gigahertz, the passband frequencies of the SAW device can be lowered by increasing the thickness of the electrodes on the substrate so as to make the electromechanical coupling coefficient apparently increase. However, by such a modification, bulk waves radiated from the electrodes into the substrate are increased, and the loss of propagation of the surface acoustic waves is increased. Such bulk waves are called the surface skimming bulk waves (SSBW), and the surface acoustic waves when the bulk waves are produced are called the leaky surface acoustic waves (LSAW) for the SSBW. Some analyses on the propagation loss of the LSAW in the surface acoustic wave filters using the thickened electrodes on the 64.degree.Y-X LiNbO.sub.3 substrate and the 36.degree.Y-X LiTaO.sub.3 substrate are known (for example, V. S. Plessky and C. S. Hartmann, Proc. 1993 IEEE Ultrasonic Symp., pp.1239-1242; P. J. Edmonson and C. K. Campbell, Proc. 1994 IEEE Ultrasonic Symp., pp.75-79).
Further, in the literature by M. Ueda et al (Proc. 1994 IEEE Ultrasonic Symp., pp.143-146), it is shown that, when the SAW filter having the thickened electrodes formed on the substrate is used, the propagation speed of the surface acoustic waves (or the LSAW) and the propagation speed of the bulk waves (or the SSBW) approach each other if the thickness of the electrodes on the substrate is small, and spurious peaks in the passband of the SAW filter are produced due to the bulk waves. The spurious peaks are detrimental to the steepness of the band-pass characteristics of the SAW filter.
A description will be given of band-pass characteristics of a conventional SAW filter in the above-mentioned literature of M. Ueda et al with reference to FIG. 20.
The conventional SAW filter has a piezoelectric substrate on which aluminum--1% copper electrodes are formed with a given thickness. Specifically, the piezoelectric substrate is the 36.degree.Y-X LiTaO.sub.3 single crystal substrate mentioned above. The crystal of this substrate has X, Y and Z axes and a cut plane, the X axis oriented in a direction of propagation of surface acoustic waves, the Y axis being oblique to a perpendicular line normal to the cut plane of the crystal, the cut plane being rotated around the X axis at the rotated angle of 36.degree. from the Y axis to the Z axis.
The electrodes of aluminum--1% copper alloy which are formed on the substrate are the interdigital transducers (IDT). The thickness of the electrodes is 0.49 .mu.m. This thickness is equivalent to 3% of the wavelength of the excited surface acoustic waves.
As shown in FIG. 20, in the band-pass characteristics of the conventional SAW filter, a spurious peak "A" near the passband of the SAW filter and a spurious peak "B" outside the passband of the SAW filter are produced. The steepness of the band-pass characteristics of the conventional SAW filter is degraded.
In the above conventional SAW filter, the propagation speed of the surface acoustic waves (the LSAW) depends on the thickness of the electrodes on the substrate (or the mass of the electrodes), but the propagation speed of the bulk waves (the SSBW) is independent of the thickness of the electrodes on the substrate. When the frequency band is above the frequency range of some gigahertz, the ratio of the thickness of the electrodes to the wavelength of the excited surface acoustic waves is increased, and the propagation speed of the LSAW relative to the propagation speed of the SSBW is lowered. The passband of the conventional SAW filter in such a case is shifted from the spurious peaks, and the band-pass characteristics of the conventional SAW filter become flattened.
If the ratio of the thickness of the electrodes on the substrate to the wavelength of the excited surface acoustic waves is increased, the propagation loss of the LSAW due to the SSBW is increased. This is the reason why the steepness of the band-pass characteristics of the conventional SAW filter is degraded.
Therefore, in a SAW filter which is operable at desired frequencies of the order of some gigahertz, it is necessary to ensure a certain amount of the thickness of the electrodes on the substrate and decrease the resistance of the IDT. On the other hand, when the conventional SAW filter is used, it is difficult to avoid the increase of the propagation loss of the surface acoustic waves which causes the degradation of the steepness of the band-pass characteristics.
Japanese Patent Application No. 7-265466, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses an improved SAW device which is intended to prevent the increase of the propagation loss of the surface acoustic waves. A description will be given of the improved SAW device disclosed in the above patent application.
In the above-mentioned patent application, it has been shown that the operating characteristics of the improved SAW device when it is operated at frequencies of the order of some gigahertz can be made optimum (or the propagation loss can be made minimum) by shifting the rotated angle of the cut plane of the crystal of the substrate to an increased angle greater than the above-mentioned angle 36.degree..
As described above, the effect of the mass of the electrodes when it is operated at frequencies of the order of some gigahertz becomes considerable and not negligible. The wavelength of the excited surface acoustic waves in such a case is extremely small, and the thickness of the electrodes relative to the wavelength of the excited surface acoustic waves cannot be ignored. However, it is shown that, in the improved SAW device, by shifting the rotated angle of the cut plane of the crystal of the substrate to the increased angle greater than the above-mentioned angle 36.degree., the effect of the mass of the electrodes detrimental to the operating characteristics of the SAW device can be eliminated.
In the SAW device of the above-mentioned patent application, the piezoelectric substrate is made of a LiTaO.sub.3 single crystal, the crystal having X, Y and Z axes and a cut plane, the X axis oriented in the direction of propagation of the surface acoustic waves, the cut plane being rotated around the X axis at an increased rotated angle from the Y axis to the Z axis, the increased rotated angle being in a range between 38.degree. and 46.degree.. It is shown that the SAW filter of the above-mentioned patent application achieves a high level of the quality factor Q, and passes the desired high frequencies of the order of some gigahertz with the steepness of the band-pass characteristics.
However, if the rotated angle of the cut plane of the crystal of the substrate is shifted to the increased angle as in the improved SAW device of the above-mentioned patent application, basic parameters which determine operating characteristics of the SAW device, such as the coupling coefficient, the reflection coefficient and other related coefficients, must be changed in accordance with the change of the rotated angle. It is not shown in the above-mentioned patent application what values of the basic parameters are appropriate to obtain optimum operating characteristics of the improved SAW device. The values of the basic parameters which provide optimum operating characteristics of the conventional SAW devices having the 36.degree.Y-X LiTaO.sub.3 substrate are different from those providing the optimum operating characteristics of the improved SAW device. It is desirable to determine appropriate values of the basic parameters of the improved SAW device that attain the optimum band-pass characteristics.

Surface acoustic wave filter device on 40.degree. to 42.degree. rotated Y-X LITAO.sub.3


A transportation apparatus includes a plurality of transportation members that are arranged in a transportation direction for a medium and transport the medium, a plurality of actuators that drive the plurality of transportation members, and a processor that controls the plurality of actuators in such a manner as to increase transportation velocities of the plurality of actuators in order from actuators for driving transportation members on a downstream side in the transportation direction to actuators for driving transportation members on an upstream side in the transportation direction.

Transportation apparatuses that transport media have conventionally been such that when increasing the transportation velocities of a plurality of drive units for driving a plurality of transportation members such as transportation roller pairs, a large load is applied to the power supply due to an increase in the total of the current values of the drive units. Accordingly, motor driving control methods have been proposed wherein the transportation velocities of motors are increased in order from those for driving the transportation members on the upstream side in the direction of transportation of media to those for driving the transportation members on the downstream side in this direction (e.g., Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-343892).


A coin releasing device of a coin stacking machine, including a rotary mechanism and a transmission mechanism locked therewith. The rotary mechanism is rotated to drive a transmission plate of the transmission mechanism, whereby the pushing plates on two sides of the transmission plate can stack and push out the coins.

The present invention relates to a coin releasing device of a coin stacking machine, which has a stacking cylinder structure for stacking and releasing coins. The coin releasing device is applicable to game machines.
Generally, the shooting games can be divided into two types. One type employs balloons as targets which are shot broken by B.B. bullet of an air gun. The other type employs light beam instead of the bullet to shoot the target.
The above shooting games can only provide monotonous shooting or video/audio effect and the player can get a prize only according to the number of the shot balloons. Therefore, the user cannot directly win a prize (such as coins) during the shooting.

Coin releasing device of a coin stacking machine


A method of reading a plurality of bar codes during a scanning motion across a bar code scanner which enhances scanner operation. The method includes the steps of obtaining data from a detector in the bar code scanner, determining position information associated with the data, distinguishing data associated with each bar code using the position information, and assembling the bar codes from the data.

The present invention relates to optical scanners and more specifically to a method of reading a plurality of bar codes during a scanning motion.
The typical bar code scanner scans one item at a time. If two (or more) items are presented to the scanner simultaneously, the scanner will recognize only one of the bar codes.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method of reading a plurality of bar codes during a scanning motion.

Method of reading a plurality of bar codes during a scanning motion


A method of evaluating automatic message accounting records associated with telephony calls that originate at a local exchange carrier telephony office and that are routed over an inter-exchange carrier telephony facility is disclosed. The method comprises collecting originating automatic message accounting records associated with the originating local exchange carrier telephony office, and collecting terminating automatic message accounting records that correspond to the originating automatic message accounting records. A first portion of the terminating automatic message accounting records have a terminating access code and a second portion of the terminating automatic message accounting records have a local termination code.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to access over local telephony traffic detection.
2. Description of the Related Art
Under federal regulations, calls that are carried by inter-exchange carriers (IXC), and (including CLEC, INDP etc.) are assessed with access charges, that are payable by the IXC to the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC). The egress calls that originate from the ILEC network to the IXC network are assessed with an originating access charge while the ingress calls that terminate into the ILEC network from the IXC are assessed with a terminating access charge, both of which are payable by the IXC carrier. These access charges are part of a tariff rate structure that has been in effect since divestiture.
Recently, IXC carriers appear to have been routing traffic in such a manner as to avoid paying terminating access charges to ILEC carriers. This terminating access by-pass has a significant financial impact to the ILEC carriers and is considered a violation to standing tariffs. The IXC carriers have the capability to terminate this access traffic over local facilities through the use of CLEC affiliates and/or Less Cost Route (LCR) providers. ILEC providers refer to this type of traffic as Access-Over-Local.
Identifying and quantifying the extent of Access-Over-Local traffic is an ILEC revenue retention issue. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of detecting Access-Over-Local traffic.

AMA access over local audit analysis (AAOLA)


A computer-implemented method for filtering electronic messages. The method may include identifying a first time period during which a user accesses electronic messages less than during a second time period. The method may also include associating a first filtering level with the first time period and associating a second filtering level with a second time period. The method may further include, during the first time period, setting a spam filter to the first filtering level. The first filtering level may cause the spam filter to perform stronger filtering than the second filtering level. The method may include, during the second time period, setting the spam filter to the second filtering level. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Spam has been a serious problem for email administrators and users for many years, growing from one in sixteen emails in 2002 to approximately three out of four emails in 2007. In fact, after five years of dealing with spam and throwing significant resources at the problem, over half of messaging decision-makers in mid-sized and large organizations may still view spam as a very serious problem according to a recent survey. Spam has evolved from a minor nuisance that made up a small subset of all internet email to a scourge that may now make up the majority of email sent around the world.
The fundamental challenge in solving the spam problem is that spammers are becoming more sophisticated in their approach to defeating conventional spam-blocking technologies. Savvy spammers continually figure out how to circumvent traditional spam-filtering technologies. As a result, even if a user has a spam filter, the user may spend a significant amount of time sifting through spam each day to find important emails.
Spam may be particularly annoying when the user has been away from their computer for a time. When the user returns to check email on the computer, the user may have to deal with all the spam that arrived during their absence. In addition to causing the user to waste time, spam buildup may make it more likely that the user overlooks an important email. What is needed, therefore, is a more effective approach to dealing with spam.

Methods and systems for filtering electronic messages


A chamber plug is arranged to include a forward chamber cylinder removably mounted relative to a rear chamber cylinder in coaxially aligned relationship utilizing an elongate fastener, wherein the elongate fastener is accessed through a wrench member as the fastener projects through the nose portion of the forward cylinder. A rubber "O" ring washer grommet projects laterally beyond the side portion of the assembled chamber plug serving as a friction material to position the chamber plug in place when tightened.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to firearm locking structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved firearm chamber plug arranged to position a chamber plug within each chamber of an associated firearm.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Firearms of various types and their accidental discharge resulting in injury and death requires the utilization of various locking structure. Various chamber plug members utilized in the prior art are exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,908,971; 4,965,952; and 3,444,639.
The U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,038,508 and 5,048,211 are examples of components arranged for positioning within the bore and chamber portion of a firearm.
The instant invention sets forth an organization to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by utilizing a separable member arranged for ease of use as well as effectiveness in construction for positioning within a chamber of an associated firearm and further permitting adaption for use in auto-loading type firearm chambers by employing a projecting flange projecting laterally beyond a rear end portion of the chamber plug that is rotatable into operative engagement with an extractor finger of a firearm to force the chamber plate of the invention for securement relative to the extractor finger and permit cycling of the unloading chamber without removal of the plug therefrom and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


In an audio signal processing device which processes audio signals and outputs the audio signals, a memory for storing current data being setting data representing a current status of the device, a controller for controlling the device based on the current data, and a memory for storing the setting data as primary setting data and secondary setting data linked from the primary setting data, are provided so that when the setting data is stored, an automatic save can be executed by automatically setting a save destination of secondary setting data linked from primary setting data and storing the data therein. The device is configured such that an auto store key for directing execution of an automatic save, and a save destination (display boxes) of the secondary setting data when the automatic save is directed, are displayed on the display. Additionally, it is preferable to allow the device to execute also a manual save by accepting a setting of a save destination of secondary setting data and storing the secondary setting data in the accepted save destination.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an audio signal processing device composed of a mixer, an effecter, a recorder, a synthesizer, and combination thereof, which optionally processes inputted audio signals and outputs the audio signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, digital mixers for controlling audio systems at places, for example, for concerts, plays, and so on have been known as audio signal processing devices which optionally process inputted audio signals and output the audio signals. In such places, many microphones and many speakers are used to provide a variety of sound effects and so on, in which the digital mixer controls in a centralized manner how to mix many inputs, how to apply such effects, to which output system to output them, and so on. In other words, the digital mixer performs mixing, equalizing, and so on, in accordance with a setting, for audio signals of voice inputted through the microphones and outputs the audio signals to the speakers.
The setting, however, should be done over a wide range such as a mixing status, a patch status, names of switches, kinds of boards used for input and output, and so on, leading to difficult setting operations when and where required. Hence, several required settings are stored in advance as "scenes", so that a required scene is selected and loaded from among the stored ones to reproduce a required setting status at a required situation.
The applicant of the application has filed an application (JP, 2002-319915, A, and US 2002/0156547, A1). In an example of a digital mixer according to this application, setting information representing a setting status is composed of primary setting data including a setting of each input channel, a setting of each output channel, a setting of an internal effector, a setting of an internal equalizer, and a setting of a monitor; and secondary setting data, which is specified by link information included in the primary setting data, including patch data representing a patch status of mixing processing on the input side and output side, name data being data representing the corresponding between each channel and a name assigned thereto, and unit data being setting data for each input of an input board and setting data for each output of an output board. Plural secondary setting data can be stored as a library, and link information to secondary setting data for use is included in primary setting data for each scene.
As described above, storage of the setting data, divided in primary setting data that is often modified for each scene and secondary setting data that are rarely modified, allows common secondary setting data to be used for different primary setting data, which can reduce the amount of the setting data. Besides, even when a new scene is loaded, a load operation is not necessary for portions having common secondary setting data, which can increase the response efficiency at loading the setting data.
There is, however, a problem that in an audio signal processing device including such a digital mixer, entire modification of setting data is a troublesome operation because storage of the modified setting data requires specification of a save destination of each secondary setting data as well as a save destination of the primary setting data. This problem becomes more prominent when a name is set on the primary setting data or secondary setting data.


A substrate having a fluorescent member arranged on a pixel area in a plane of a surface of the substrate, wherein the fluorescent member emits light by an irradiation with an electron and comprises a first fluorescent member having a larger gamma value and arranged in the pixel area, and a second fluorescent member having a smaller gamma value and arranged at a peripheral of the first fluorescent member within the pixel area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate having a fluorescent member used in an electronic display device which takes advantage of electron beam excitation. In addition, the present invention relates to an image display apparatus and image receiving and displaying apparatus using the substrate having a fluorescent member.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventionally known image display apparatus using an electron-emitting device which emits electrons by applying an electric field (hereinafter referred to as FED), a gap between a cathode substrate on an electron source side and a front substrate being an anode is limited generally to several mm for reasons of beam convergence and others. The small gap imposes considerable constraint on electric discharge resistance. Therefore, an accelerating voltage of as high as 25 kV used in a cathode ray tube (hereinafter referred to as CRT) can not be applied. Even an FED, generally referred to as being of high voltage type, typically uses an accelerating voltage of 15 kV or lower. For this reason, a diffusion length over which an electron enters a fluorescent-member layer is shorter compared with the case where a CRT is used, which requires drive by a high electric-charge density, for example, by a subsequent drive using high current electron beams to realize the luminance equivalent to that obtained by a CRT. This requires a fluorescent member to secure a luminance linearity when a high electric-charge density is applied.
A group of zinc sulfide fluorescent members which have long been used in a CRT and referred to as P22 is typically used as a present practically applicable fluorescent member excited by electron beams. The P22 fluorescent member which have long been used in a CRT is typically used even in the FED as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. S63-039982. The zinc sulfide fluorescent member, however, is as long as several tens of micro seconds in luminescent decay time because the member emits light by a donor-accepter recombination in a host material formed by exciting energy. Furthermore, the zinc sulfide fluorescent member is lower in an optimum luminescence center concentration in consideration of influence such as density quenching than inner transition phosphor doped with rare earth metal. This tends to comparatively easily cause the saturation of an excited luminescence center at a high electric-charge density area, leading to an insufficient luminance linearity not to provide a satisfactory luminance.
Various kinds of proposals have been put forth to solve these problems. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H06-248262 discloses a method of improving a blue luminance using a mixture of fluorescent members different in their characteristics. Specifically, a mixed blue light-emitting fluorescent member has been proposed which includes at least one fluorescent member selected from the group including terbium activated yttrium aluminum garnet fluorescent member Y3(Al,Ga)5O12:Tb, terbium activated silicic acid yttrium fluorescent member Y2SiO5:Tb, terbium activated oxychloride lanthanum fluorescent member LaOCl:Tb, which are 20% or less by weight with respect to the total weight of the mixed fluorescent member, and silver-aluminum coactivated zinc sulfide fluorescent member ZnS:Ag,Al as a remaining portion of the total weight.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-339293 discloses a method of using a mixture of at least two kinds of fluorescent members selected from hexagonal crystal ZnS:Ag,Al, hexagonal crystal ZnS:Cu,Al and hexagonal crystal ZnS:Tm,Li.

Substrate having fluorescent member, image display apparatus and image receiving and displaying apparatus


An endoscopic retractor is an elongate balloon having an expanded configuration having two end portions and a plurality of struts or spacer members extending between the end portions. The retractor balloon is a single tubular preform bent during manufacture to form the expanded configuration. Thus, the struts or spacer members are integral with both end portions and define therewith a single flow path for inflation or pressurization fluid.

This invention relates to a medical device and to an associated medical technique. More particularly, this invention relates to an endoscopic instrument and to an endoscopic method.
Flexible endoscopes are inserted into the digestive tract for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Endoscopes generally include a light guide for transmitting optical-wavelength electromagnetic radiation into the patient. Images are captured, typically via lenses and an optical fiber bundle or a charge-coupled device, whereby a user can visually inspect the inner walls or surfaces of the digestive tract. One common objective of endoscopic investigations in the digestive tract is to detect the presence of polyps. Where a polyp is visually detected, particularly in the colon, it should be severed, captured, and removed from the patient. Alternatively, particularly where the polyp may be a malignant cancer, the polyp may be severed and captured for extraction from the patient.
One problem frequently encountered by endoscopists is that folds of tissues in the digestive tract and particularly the colon can obscure polyps so that they can be overlooked. The colon is often collapsed and may be partially or completely draped over a lesion. In order to distend the walls of the colon, the endoscopist often pumps air into the organ. However, if too much air is introduced, the colon could perforate. Also, the patient is made quite uncomfortable with introduction of substantial amounts of air.
Another problem with visualization during an endoscopic procedure is that polyps sometimes bleed when they are severed. If the lesion site cannot be adequately visualized, it is difficult to contain and control the bleeding.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Endoscopic retractor instrument and associated method


An oligonucleotide is linked to a particle through a protein or carbohydrate to form a water-insoluble nucleic acid probe. The protein or carbohydrate has a pI of about 6 or less, and has been chemically modified with an acylating, alkylating or sulfonylating agent. The particle surface is substantially free of other proteins or carbohydrates. The probe is useful in various diagnostic and purification methods wherein hybridization of the oligonucleotide with a target nucleic acid is possible. In one instance, the probe can be used to capture a DNA strand which has been amplified using polymerase chain reaction techniques.

One important characteristic of nucleic acids, which form the genetic material of all living organisms, is their ability to form sequence-specific hydrogen bonds (that is, hybridize) with a nucleic acid having a complementary nucleotide sequence. This ability of nucleic acids to hybridize with complementary strands of nucleic acids has been used to advantage in what are known as hybridization assays, and in DNA purification techniques.
In a hybridization assay, a nucleic acid having a known sequence is used as a probe in a test sample to hybridize with a "target" nucleic acid having a complementary nucleic acid sequence. Labelling the probe allows for detection of the hybrid, and correspondingly, the target nucleic acid. Some hybridization assays are known as "sandwich" assays and involve the use of two probes, one labeled as noted above, and a second "capture" probe which is immobilized in some manner on a substrate (such as a filter, sheet or particle).
Because all strains of a particular organism or vital-infected cell share a genetic component in the form of nucleic acids, hybridization assays are valuable research and diagnostic tools for detection of and diagnosis of various disease states in humans, animals and plants. Additionally, the ability to probe for a specific nucleotide sequence is of potential value in the identification and diagnosis of human genetic disorders.
In the field of biochemistry and molecular biology, the purification or isolation of nucleic acids in a mixture thereof is often important for research and synthesis of genetic materials. A number of procedures have been developed whereby nucleic acids are isolated in affinity chromatography by using complementary strands attached to solid carriers.
The attachment of oligonucleotides to supports of various kinds has been accomplished in a number of ways, as noted for example in EP-B-0 070 687 (published Jan. 26, 1983) and references noted therein. Most of these techniques require the modification of the support or oligonucleotide or both in order to have suitable covalent bonding.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,326 (issued Dec. 15, 1987 to Dattagupta et al) describes binding nucleic acids to solid supports using a photochemically reactive intercalator compound such that upon irradiation, the nucleic acid is chemically linked to the support. Other linking groups, both photochemical or not, have also been used to connect oligonucleotides to solid supports, such as particles (see for example, WO-A-88/01302, published Feb. 25, 1988).
In some instances, nucleic acids can be directly attached to particles to prepare probes such as when the particles have surface carboxylic acid groups. However, this is not always easy nor convenient. Moreover, due to the hydrophobic nature of the particles having such reactive groups, and the nature of the oligonucleotides, molecules of the oligonucleotides adsorb to the particles after being covalently attached thereto. Such adsorption prevents efficient hybridization of the oligonucleotide with complementary nucleic acids.
It would be desirable to have an efficient means for hybridization or purification of nucleic acids using a water-insoluble probe.

Nucleic acid probe, test kit and diagnostic and purification methods


A calibration device for a video circuit input stage comprises an analog-to-digital converter and an input capacitor constantly discharged by a power source and recharged by a charging circuit by means of a first and a second charging current. The charging circuit is controlled by a central processing unit receiving an estimate of the variation between the converter's output code and a clamp value.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to video processing input stages and more particularly to a calibration device for an input stage for processing video signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Input stages for processing video signals typically comprise a calibration circuit for calibrating downstream-located circuits in the receiver and for avoiding any saturation of these circuits. A reference signal—corresponding to black coding—is used right after the line synchronization signal of the video signal, and the receiving circuit uses this black reference to calibrate its internal circuits in order to avoid any saturation.
Two solutions are typically implemented in designing such a circuit, according to whether an analog or digital architecture is preferred.
FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of an analog architecture. The circuit comprises a capacitor 2 for eliminating the continuous component from an input signal presented on a line 1. Capacitor 2 can be charged and discharged by a <<I-8I>> assembly of two power sources 3 and 4 that respectively allow to feed or draw current in order to set the voltage downstream from capacitor 2 to an adequate value. Thus, the video signal—with a correctly set continuous component—can be injected into an analog filter 6 that extracts black level therefrom, and the video signal is then presented to the input of an analog-to-digital converter A/D 5 producing a N-bit digital code.
Generally, for the reception of the reference signal corresponding to black, one tries to ensure an average coding equal to 0 (on N bits) in order to profit from the dynamics of the coding system and thus to avoid its saturation. To this end, a comparator 7 is used to compare the output voltage of filter 6 with a reference voltage Vref, and to produce a control signal controlling power source 4 and inverter element 8 that controls the other power source 3.
The analog structure design is of great simplicity. However, this structure has several crippling disadvantages. Indeed, voltages tend to drift, which degrades the precision of the circuit. Besides, the existence of an offset voltage in comparator 7 worsens this disadvantage. In addition, convergence of the working point, which is set by the value of I-8Icurrents, is not very fast. Moreover, in this circuit, assembly I-8Ifunctions continuously: a current is generated either by source 3, or by source 4 resulting in an oscillation with considerable amplitude around the ideal point, which further degrades the circuit's precision.
To improve calibration precision, an "all digital" architecture is chosen, which requires a great amount of digital signal processing. An example of such an architecture is given in FIG. 2, which shows that circuit <<I-8I>> can be controlled by a digital central processing unit 24 by means of two control signals UP and DOWN that directly control sources 3 and 4, respectively. Downstream from the coupling capacitor 2, the video signal is amplified by a VGA amplifier 23 and the amplified signal can then be directly fed into analog-to-digital converter 5. N-bit coded digital samples are then adequately processed by central processing unit 24 that extracts the level of black and compares it with the reference voltage in order to determine control signals UP and DOWN.
Clearly, the use of a digital architecture as the one in FIG. 2 makes it possible to considerably increase precision in adjusting the input voltage to the A/D converter. It further allows to precisely control the adjusting rate to the reference voltage. On the other hand, part of the complexity of the process has been transferred since digital processing is now necessary to carry out the extraction of the level of black, which, in practice, is actually a delicate task to perform.
Consequently it is desirable to design an input stage for a video signal which makes it possible to benefit from the precision conferred by digital processing, while minimizing the complexity of the digital calculation to be implemented.

Calibration device for a video input stage


A magnetic sensor comprises a SQUID made of a superconducting thin film. The superconducting thin film has a washer pattern and a terminal portion. The washer pattern has a non-square one hole pattern and a pair of slit patterns. The hole pattern has rectangle shape and includes the center of the washer pattern. The slit patterns having a straight shape growing parallel to the long side of the hole pattern, from the outside edge of the washer pattern toward the inside of the washer pattern. This outside edge of the washer pattern is the nearest to the hole pattern. There is an artificial grain boundary in the domain that spacing between the hole pattern and the slit pattern is narrowest. There is no artificial grain boundary in the other domain at all.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a magnetic sensor comprising a SQUID made of superconducting thin film.
2. Description of Related Art
A SQUID is a fundamental device that uses technology for profit of superconductivity. SQUID can be used as a magnetic sensor having very high sensitivity.
Generally, a SQUID is produced by patterning a superconducting thin film. A pattern of superconducting thin film of the SQUID includes a washer pattern and a pair of terminal portions, and at least one weak link exists in the washer pattern. Superconducting current spreads in the washer pattern. Output voltage of the SQUID changes according to intensity of magnetic flux passing inside the washer pattern.
Actually, a shape of the washer pattern is generally quadrangle. There is a hole pattern in the center of the quadrangle pattern. The terminal portions grow from a pair side of the quadrangle pattern toward the outside. A pair of slit patterns exist on the other sides without the terminal portions. The weak links are located between the hole pattern and the slit patterns.
Various kinds of developments concerning the pattern of superconducting thin film of SQUID have been proposed.
There is a proposal in Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Vol.32, p.662-664 (1993) concerning a SQUID that has a large outside diameter. On this SQUID, line width of the washer pattern is very large and focusing effect of magnetic flux occurs therein. As a result, density of magnetic flux passing inside of the SQUID becomes high, and sensitivity as a magnetic sensor becomes high.
By the way, an individual SQUID can be used as a magnetic sensor. However, actually, there are many cases that SQUID is used with a flux transformer. There is a proposal in Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 66, p.373-375 (1995). The flux transformer can be produced as a patterned superconducting thin film, too. Because of use of the flux transformer, sensitivity as magnetic sensor becomes high and physical layout of a magnetic sensor becomes easy. A detection object of a SQUID is magnetic flux passing inside of the SQUID. At the same time, said slit patterns to form weak links on the washer pattern opens toward outside of the SQUID at their ends. Therefore, some of magnetic flux that has been taken by the SQUID is leaked out through the slit pattern.
There is a proposal in Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 57, p.727-729 (1990) concerning this point. According to the document, one end of the hole pattern is enlarged and weak links are arranged outside of the washer pattern. When the flux transformer is combined with this SQUID, the weak links are located outside of the input coil. As a result, leak of magnetic flux is reduced.
There is other proposal in Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 63, p.2271-2273 (1993) concerning the same subject. According to the document, shape of the hole pattern becomes a rectangle and slit patterns are shortened. As a result, leak of magnetic flux is reduced. However, when the hole pattern becomes large, another problem occurs. When the area of the hole pattern increases, effective magnetic flux capture area (A.sub.eff) becomes large. At the same time, inductance of the SQUID becomes high. As a result, magnetic flux resolution of the SQUID falls down and total performance of the SQUID becomes low.
There is a proposal in Advances in Superconductivity VI Springer-Verlag, p.1119-1122 concerning this point. The hole pattern is formed as a thin and long rectangle. Degradation of magnetic flux resolution is supplemented.
There are other proposals in Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 32, p. 662-664 (1993) and Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 63, p. 366-368 . According to the documents, slit patterns are covered by a superconducting thin film cover insulated from a SQUID and leak of magnetic flux decreases. Furthermore a part of the hole pattern is covered with the superconducting thin film cover and output voltage (V.sub.pp) rises.
There is another proposal in J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 73, No.11, p. 7929-7934 (1993). According to the document, a damping resistance is connected in parallel to the inductance of the SQUID and output voltage (V.sub.pp) of SQUID becomes high.
Furthermore, there is another subject concerning a magnetic sensor that it is very difficult to form a weak link by only patterning a superconducting thin film. An artificial grain boundary can be formed by way of deposition of an oxide superconducting thin film on a substrate having step. An artificial grain boundary can be made by even a method to use bi-crystal substrate or by bi-epitaxial growth. Weak link of artificial grain boundary is mentioned in Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 32, p. 662-664 (1993). According to the document, an artificial grain boundary is formed in a straight line.

Planar magnetic sensor comprising a SQUID made of superconducting thin film


An in-situ polymerized type thermoplastic prepreg is provided, which is excellent in productivity, has tack properties and drape properties that allow easy shaping in a mold, is excellent in handling properties, and allows a molded product obtained by curing to have both mechanical properties as high as those of a thermosetting composite and the features of the thermoplastic composite. An in-situ polymerized type thermoplastic prepreg 1 includes reinforcing fibers 2 and an in-situ polymerized type thermoplastic epoxy resin 3 as a matrix resin. The in-situ polymerized type thermoplastic epoxy resin 3 is cured to B-stage, with the weight-average molecular weight being 6,000 or less, and has tack properties and drape properties at 30° C. or less, and the in-situ polymerized type thermoplastic epoxy resin after curing has a weight-average molecular weight of 30,000 or more.

A sheet-like fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin complex obtained by impregnating a thermoplastic resin into a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle is generally called a thermoplastic prepreg, which is widely used as a molding base material, for example, golf clubs and other sporting equipment and leisure goods as well as automotive and aircraft members and general industrial materials.
A molded product obtained by molding the above prepreg, i.e., a fiber-reinforced composite material (composite) is required to have high surface appearance quality and mechanical properties. It is therefore necessary to minimize voids by sufficiently impregnating a resin into a reinforcing fiber bundle. When, however, using a general thermoplastic resin as a matrix resin, it is very difficult to sufficiently impregnating the resin into the reinforcing fiber bundle at the time of composite molding because the melt viscosity of the resin is high. For this reason, attempts have been made to develop a so-called completely impregnated type thermoplastic prepreg, with a thermoplastic resin being almost completely impregnated into a reinforcing fiber bundle in a prepreg state.
In this case, "completely impregnated" indicates a state in which the thermoplastic resin is infiltrated between the single fibers of the reinforcing fiber bundle substantially without any gaps.
A completely impregnated type thermoplastic prepreg using a general thermoplastic resin can reduce voids in a molded product. On the other hand, the prepreg itself is rigid and hence is poor in handling properties (to be referred to as "d rape properties" hereinafter) when being shaped along a mold having a complex shape at the time of molding. This imposes great limitations on the degree of freedom of the shape of an end product. In addition, when using a general thermoplastic resin as a matrix resin, it provides an advantage in terms of storage stability because an obtained prepreg has undergone matrix resin polymerization. On the other hand, since a prepreg has no adhesive properties (to be referred to as "tack properties" hereinafter), interlamination displacement tends to occur at the time of a lamination process using such prepregs, thus posing a problem in workability.
In addition, in order to sufficiently impregnate a general thermoplastic resin into a reinforcing fiber bundle, it is necessary to forcibly impregnate the molten resin into the reinforcing fiber bundle by applying a high temperature and pressure. This causes the high-viscosity resin to flow so as to disturb the reinforcing fiber bundle, resulting in damage to the quality and mechanical properties of the obtained molded product.
In this case, general thermoplastic resins include polyamides (nylon 6, nylon 66, and the like), polyolefins (polyethylene, polypropylene, and the like), modified polyolefin, polyesters (polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and the like), polycarbonate, polyamideimide, polyphenylene oxide, polysulfone, polyether sulfone, polyether ether ketone, polyether imide, polystyrene, ABS, polyphenylene sulfide, liquid crystal polyester, copolymer of acrylonitrile and styrene, and mixtures of them.
Under the circumstance, recently, prepregs in a commingled form and discontinuously commingled form have been developed to solve problems associated with such drape properties, internal voids, mechanical properties, and surface appearance quality.
In this case, the "commingled form" indicates a composite form in which a continuous thermoplastic resin is made to exist in a fiber form inside a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle. In addition, the "discontinuously commingled form" indicates a composite form in which a discontinuous thermoplastic resin is made to exist in a fiber form inside a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle.
For example, patent literature 1 discloses a method of manufacturing a prepreg in a commingled form which is constituted by a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle and a continuous thermoplastic resin fiber bundle. This form is excellent in drape properties because the thermoplastic resin is not impregnated in a prepreg state, and has good impregnability because the reinforcing fiber bundle and the thermoplastic resin are arranged close to each other. However, when a prepreg is transferred or shaped in a mold, the reinforcing fiber bundle and the thermoplastic resin fiber bundle are divided and separated, or it is necessary to perform a process of spinning the thermoplastic resin into a multifilament resin in advance. This makes this form unsuitable for industrial uses in terms of productivity and handling properties.
In addition, patent literature 2 discloses a method of manufacturing a prepreg in a discontinuously commingled form by placing, on a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle, a sheet on which discontinuous thermoplastic resin fibers cut in lengths of 20 mm to 200 mm are randomly oriented, and forcibly interlacing the fibers using an interlacing method such as a water jet method. This form is also good in impregnability at the time of molding. In addition, the form is held in a completely interlaced state, and hence is free from the problem that the reinforcing fiber bundle is separated from the thermoplastic resin fibers. However, since the thermoplastic resin fibers are arranged in a short fiber state, the prepreg becomes bulky. As a result, for example, the prepreg cannot be shaped in a mold depending on its shape, posing problems in terms of drape properties. Furthermore, using a forcible interlacing method such as a water jet method will break or bend reinforcing fibers, thus posing problems such as deteriorations in the surface appearance quality and mechanical properties of a molded product. Moreover, it is necessary to separately perform a process of spinning the thermoplastic resin into a multifilament resin in advance and a process of cutting the multifilament resin into short fibers using a cutter or the like. This makes this form unsuitable for industrial uses in terms of productivity as in the case of the commingled form.
In addition, patent literature 3 discloses a method of manufacturing a prepreg in a discontinuously commingled form by, while discharging a thermoplastic resin in a heated molten state, making the nonwoven thermoplastic resin adhere onto a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle using an air blower for blowing compressed air from near the discharge port of the thermoplastic resin. This method is designed to continuously make a thermoplastic resin adhere to a reinforcing fiber bundle while heating and melting the resin, and hence is superior in productivity to the manufacturing method disclosed in patent literature 2. However, as in patent literatures 1 and 2, a prepreg handled in the method is not a prepreg in which a thermoplastic resin is completely impregnated, when molding is performed using the prepreg, voids occur in the molded product or its appearance quality deteriorates. That is, the above problems are still unsolved.
Furthermore, in either of patent literatures 1 to 3, a prepreg itself has no tack properties, and hence exhibits poor lamination workability. In actuality, therefore, these techniques are unsuitable for industrial uses.
Moreover, since a general thermoplastic resin is used as a matrix, the interface strength between reinforcing fibers and the resin is low. This makes it necessary to excessively increase the thickness of the composite in order to obtain industrially sufficient physical properties. That is, these techniques have not yet solved the problem that the innate features of a composite, i.e., high specific strength and specific rigidity, cannot be exploited.
As described above, there have not been found any thermoplastic prepregs or any thermoplastic composites which use general thermoplastic resins and satisfy requirements for impregnability, drape properties, handling properties, productivity, and mechanical properties at high levels.
Under the circumstances, there has been proposed a method of molding a thermoplastic composite by impregnating an in-situ polymerized type thermoplastic resin as an uncured thermoplastic resin into a reinforcing fiber bundle and then heating and curing the resin.
For example, patent literature 4 discloses a method of molding a thermoplastic composite obtained by impregnating an in-situ polymerized type thermoplastic epoxy resin in an uncured state into a reinforcing fiber bundle and then heating and curing the resin. According to the method disclosed in patent literature 4, since the resin is heated and cured after being sufficiently impregnated into the reinforcing fiber bundle, inner voids are difficult to occur in the molded product, and the adhesive properties at the interfaces between the reinforcing fibers and the resin are good. For this reason, the molded product has excellent mechanical properties. There is also disclosed a method of molding a thermoplastic composite by preparing a prepregs each having an unreacted resin impregnated into a reinforcing fiber bundle, laminating the prepregs, and heating and curing the resultant structure.

In-situ polymerized type thermoplastic prepreg, thermoplastic composite, and methods of manufacturing the same

NIPPON STEEL CHEMICAL & MATERIAL CO., LTD.


The present invention provides a method of treating or reducing ischemia or incidence of cardiovascular events by administering progesterone. Progesterone, unlike synthetic progestins, has been demonstrated to supplement, rather than to decrease, the beneficial effects of estrogen therapy on myocardial ischemia in females.

Ischemia is a decrease in the blood supply to a body organ, tissue or part caused by constriction or obstruction of the blood vessels. Ischemia is often linked to coronary artery disease, cardiovascular events, angina, headaches or other vascular symptoms.
Myocardial ischemia is a particularly prevalent problem for menopausal females. Estradiol 17.beta. (E2) has anti-ischemic properties and has been suggested for primary and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease in menopausal females. However, a large proportion of menopausal women need adjunctive therapy with progestins, which include progesterone and the synthetic progestins, in order to reduce the occurrence of uterine malignancy. The synthetic progestins, unlike progesterone, normally can be effectively administered orally, and so have been the predominant choice over progesterone itself, which is minimally active when administered orally. One major problem with co-treatment using synthetic progestins, however, is that synthetic progestins, such as medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), tend to reverse some or all of the beneficial effects of estrogen on myocardial ischemia. Use of progestins in women with cardiovascular problems has often been avoided due to negative effects associated with these drugs. MPA is one of the most prescribed and tested progestins in hormone replacement therapy.
Use of a progestin in hormone replacement therapy that actually supplements, rather than adversely interferes with, estrogen replacement therapy for women with ischemia is therefore of particular interest. Unlike synthetic progestins, administration of progesterone itself provides this unexpected benefit.

Progesterone for treating or reducing ischemia


In an active suspension of a vehicle suspending a vehicle body on vehicle wheels by actuators in combination with a suspension mechanism which converts cornering forces acting at the vehicle wheels during a turn of the vehicle to a vertical force exerted to the vehicle body, the suspension force to be generated by the actuators is modified based upon an active suspension calculation taking the lateral acceleration due to the turn of the vehicle into consideration, so as to compensate for the vertical force, so that the active suspension control is not undesirably exaggerated by the effect of the cornering forces.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suspension of a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly, to an active suspension of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A type of hydraulic active suspension of a vehicle such as an automobile is known, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 2-27406, which comprises hydraulic actuators each provided for each vehicle wheel so as to increase or decrease the height of the vehicle body at a portion thereof corresponding to each vehicle wheel according to supply or exhaust of working fluid thereto or therefrom, control valves each controlling the supply or exhaust of the working fluid to or from each hydraulic actuator, an acceleration detection means for detecting acceleration of the vehicle, and a control means for controlling the control valves based upon a control parameter related with the acceleration of the vehicle, wherein the pressure in each actuator is controlled, in an aspect thereof, according to a parameter proportional to a lateral acceleration of the vehicle body when the vehicle makes a turn so that the rolling of the vehicle body is suppressed.
By such an active suspension it is possible to suppress the rolling of the vehicle body during a turn of the vehicle, as the pressure in each actuator is controlled according to the parameter proportional to the lateral acceleration of the vehicle body.
However, when a vertical force is exerted to a vehicle body during a turn of a vehicle due to a cornering force at a vehicle wheel, the vehicle body may heave up or dive down according to such a vertical force. This phenomenon will be seen in both the passive and active suspensions. However, in the active suspension which operates to suppress the rolling of the vehicle body by a control of the pressure in the hydraulic actuator, the phenomenon becomes more noticeable.
FIG. 14 is an illustration to explain the above-mentioned phenomenon.
Referring to FIG. 14, denoting the mass of a vehicle body 200 by M, a lateral acceleration of the vehicle body by Gy, a lateral force at an outside-in-turn vehicle wheel 202out by Fyout, and a lateral force at an inside-in-turn vehicle wheel 202in by Fyin, respectively, the following equilibrium of force in the lateral orientation is obtained: EQU M.multidot.Gy=Fyout+Fyin (1)
Further, denoting a ground contact force at the outside-in-turn vehicle wheel 202out by Fzout, a ground contact force at the inside-in-turn vehicle wheel 202in by Fzin, and the acceleration of gravity by Gz, respectively, the following equilibrium of force in the vertical orientation is obtained: EQU M.multidot.Gz=Fzout+Fzin (2)
Further, denoting the height of the mass center C of the vehicle body 200 by H, and the tread by T, respectively, the following equilibrium of the roll moment is obtained: EQU M.multidot.Gy.multidot.H=(Fzout-Fzin).multidot.T/2 (3) EQU Fzout-Fzin=2M.multidot.Gy.multidot.H/T (3')
Theoretically, the ratio of the lateral force Fy (i.e. Fyout or Fyin) to the ground contact force Fz (i.e., Fzout or Fzin) acting at a vehicle wheel is a function of the slip angle of the vehicle wheel or its tire. However, in fact, when the turning rate of the vehicle increases, said ratio is deformed as shown by a solid curve in FIG. 15. Therefore, denoting said function of the slip angle as Q(s), the cornering force performance is approximated to, with certain constants a and b, as follows: EQU Fy=Q(s).multidot.(a.multidot.Fz-b.multidot.Fz.sup.2) (4)
Now, in the suspension structure shown in FIG. 14, in which the vehicle wheel 202 is connected with the vehicle body 200 by a double wishbone type suspension link including a lower arm 204 and an upper arm 206, and a hydraulic actuator 208 for the active suspension is connected between the lower arm 204 and the vehicle body 200, the point of intersection, K, of the axis of the outside-in-turn lower arm 204out and the axis of the inside-in-turn lower arm 204in may be considered as a point of action of force at which the side forces acting at the outside-in-turn and inside-in-turn vehicle wheels during a turning of the vehicle, i.e. the cornering forces, exert a vertical force to the vehicle body so as to cause it heave up or dive down, by overcoming the suspension forces exerted by the actuators.
Denoting the angle which the point K expands with the ground contact point of the vehicle wheel relative to the ground surface by .theta. and assuming that this angle is substantially the same with respect to the opposite sides vehicle wheels, a vertical force which is exerted to the vehicle body at point K due to the cornering forces at the outside-in-turn and inside-in-turn vehicle wheels is expressed by: EQU (Fyout-Fyin)tan.theta.
When the ratio of the distance between an inboard end of the lower arm 204 pivotably connected with the vehicle body 200 and a pivot joint of the lower arm 204 and a lower end of the actuator 208 to the distance between the inboard pivot joint end and an outboard end of the lower arm 204 pivotably connected with a wheel carrier is denoted by Ra, the above-mentioned vertical force affects the operation of the actuators 208 under the lever ratio Ra as follows: EQU Fj=(Fyout-Fyin)(tan.theta.)/Ra (5)
This vertical force Fj will be called herein "jackup force". From the condition according to equation (4), EQU Fyout=Q(s).multidot.(a.multidot.Fzout-b.multidot.Fzout.sup.2)(6) EQU Fyin=Q(s).multidot.(a.multidot.Fzin-b.multidot.Fin.sup.2) (7)
From equations (6) and (7), ##EQU1## From equations (1), (6) and (7), EQU M.multidot.Gy=Q(s).multidot.{a.multidot.(Fzout+Fzin)-b.multidot.(Fzout.sup. 2 +Fin.sup.2)}
Therefore, EQU Q(s)=M.multidot.Gy/{a.multidot.(Fzout+Fzin)-b.multidot.(Fzout.sup.2 +Fin.sup.2)}
Therefore, EQU Fyout-Fyin=M.multidot.Gy.multidot.(Fzout-Fzin){a-b.multidot.(Fzout+Fzin)/{a .multidot.(Fzout+Fzin)}b.multidot.(Fzout.sup.2 +Fin.sup.2)}(9)
From equations (2) and (3), EQU Fzout=M.multidot.Gz/2+M.multidot.Gy.multidot.H/T EQU Fzin=M.multidot.Gz/2-M.multidot.Gy.multidot.H/T
Therefore, EQU Fzout.sup.2 +Fzin.sup.2 =M.sup.2 .multidot.Gz.sup.2 /2+2M.sup.2 .multidot.Gy.sup.2 .multidot.H.sup.2 /T.sup.2 ( 10)
By substituting equations (2), (3') and (10) for equation (9), EQU Fyout-Fyin={2M.multidot.H.multidot.(a-b.multidot.M.multidot.Gz)/T}.multidot .Gy.sup.2 /{(a.multidot.Gz-b.multidot.M.multidot.Gz.sup.2 /2)-(2b.multidot.M.multidot.H.sup.2 /T.sup.2).multidot.Gy.sup.2 }
Therefore, EQU Fj={2M.multidot.H.multidot.(a-b.multidot.M.multidot.Gz)/T}.multidot.(tan.th eta.).multidot.Gy.sup.2 /{(a.multidot.Gz-b.multidot.M.multidot.Gz.sup.2 /2)-(2b.multidot.M.multidot.H.sup.2 /T.sup.2).multidot.Gy.sup.2 }/Ra
Substituting u for {2M.multidot.H.multidot.(a-b.multidot.M.multidot.Gz)/T}.multidot.tan.theta ., v for (a.multidot.Gz-b.multidot.M.multidot.Gz.sup.2 /2).multidot.Ra, and w for (2b.multidot.M.multidot.H.sup.2 /T.sup.2).multidot.Ra, EQU Fj=u.multidot.Gy.sup.2 /(v-w.multidot.Gy.sup.2)
Since in equation (4) "b" is generally very small as compared with "a", the general performance of the jackup force Fj due to the lateral acceleration Gy is such as shown in FIG. 16.
As will be seen from FIG. 16, the jackup force Fj is substantially zero when the absolute value of the lateral acceleration Gy is less than a certain moderate value Gy1, but increases gradually when the lateral acceleration increases beyond Gy1.
According to each particular geometry of the suspension mechanism like the double wishbone type link in the example shown in FIG. 14, the value of Fj becomes positive or negative for an increase of the lateral acceleration in the same direction.

Active suspension of vehicle having system of compensation for cornering force


The invention provides a document editing apparatus by which a hand-written inputted editing operation can be reflected on a document without deterioration of the efficiency in editing operation. Editing operations recognized by an editing operation recognition section based on locus data, that is, information hand-written inputted using a locus data inputting section, are stored once into an editing operation storage section. Each time an editing operation is inputted, an editing operation which satisfies a determination condition stored in a determination condition storage section is searched from among the editing operations stored in the editing operation storage section by a determination section. Then, only the editing operation thus searched out is reflected on the document by a document editing section.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a document editing apparatus, and more particularly a document editing apparatus by which a document can be edited by handwritten inputting of characters.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a document editing apparatus has been put into practical use by which an electronically produced document can be edited in a similar procedure to editing of a document which is performed using paper and a pen.
A document editing apparatus of the type mentioned includes an inputting apparatus for inputting image data (locus data) such as a pen and a pen inputting tablet, and the contents of a manual operation of the inputting apparatus by a user are provided as a set of dots or a set of vectors. Then, the inputted locus data is displayed as an image on a display screen provided on the document editing apparatus and stored into a memory in the document editing apparatus.
The locus data stored in the memory is converted into a character code or a command using a pattern recognition technique, and editing according to a result of the conversion (result of recognition) is performed for a document. It is to be noted that a method wherein several commands (editing operations) are allocated to symbols of particular shapes in advance and deletion of a character, insertion of line feeding or designation of a range is performed by hand-written inputting of one of the symbols is called "gesture recognition".
In this manner, with a document editing apparatus which allows hand-written character inputting, editing of a document is performed in such a procedure as hand-written inputting by a user, pattern recognition of the hand-written inputted information and editing according to a result of the recognition. However, the timings at which various processing steps are performed are different among different apparatus.
For example, with the document editing apparatus "Windows for Pen", if no inputting occurs within a fixed period of time after a user manually writes a character or a gesture on a character inputting field of the apparatus, then pattern recognition is performed by the apparatus. Then, after the recognition is completed, a process according to a result of the recognition, for example, a process of inserting a recognized character string to the cursor position, is performed. (See, for example, NEC Windows for Pen 1.1 Users Guide, p.39).
Meanwhile, with another system described in "A Prototype of a Document Preparation System through Handwriting Employing Lazy Recognition Scheme", Meeting for the Study of Human Interface of the Information Processing Society of Japan, Vol. 43, No. 4, character recognition is performed at a point of time when inputting of a document is all completed or when a user makes a declaration of the intention, and editing according to a result of the recognition is performed.
Although a document editing apparatus on which editing of a document can be performed by hand-written inputting is constructed such that it can be manually operated in a similar procedure as in editing of a document performed using paper and a pen, for example, where the document processing apparatus is of the type wherein editing of a document is performed if no inputting occurs within a fixed period of time after hand-written inputting comes to an end such as the "Windows for Pen", it some times occurs that, while the user is reading the document, the document being read is scrolled on the screen, which deteriorates the efficiency of the editing operation.
The problem Just described will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. 14 illustrates an example of information displayed on the screen of a document editing apparatus immediately after hand-written inputting is performed, and FIG. 15 illustrates information displayed on the screen when a fixed interval of time elapses after the condition shown in FIG. 14 is reached. In the following description, it is assumed that the document editing apparatus is in a mode in which a hand-written inputted character string is inserted to a position forwardly of the cursor position (the portion indicated by a framework in FIG. 14: the position of "h" of "have" on the second line).
In FIG. 14, a user hand writes the character string "and an operation" in order to amend the character sequence "perform character inputting" to another sequence "perform character inputting and an operation". In this instance, the user will perform, after hand-written inputting is performed, elaboration of a succeeding sentence. However, the document editing apparatus executes, independently of the elaboration operation, an inserting operation of the character string "and an operation" after lapse of a predetermined interval of time after the last handwritten inputting is performed.
Consequently, for example, it sometimes occurs that, while the user reads the portion "beginner" shown underlined in FIG. 14, the contents of the screen are rewritten to those shown in FIG. 15. If such re-writing occurs, then the user may miss the reading portion, and may need to re-read the contents beginning with the top of the sentence, which disturbs the document elaboration operation.
Meanwhile, where the document editing apparatus is constructed such that actual editing processing for a document is performed at a point of time when inputting is all completed such as the "Hand Written Manuscript Production Prototype System by the Delay Recognition System" mentioned hereinabove, in order for a user to confirm that editing has been performed in accordance with the user's intention, the user must review the entire amended portion of the document after actual editing processing is completed. On the other hand, where the document editing apparatus is constructed otherwise such that editing processing is executed at a point of time when a user makes a declaration of some intention of it, there is a problem in that a greater number of processing steps are required for the user as compared with the document editing apparatus of the type on which editing of a document is performed if no inputting occurs within a fixed period of time after hand-written inputting comes to an end.


The present zoom lens system comprises a plurality of lens units including at least: a front lens unit having negative optical power; and a rear lens unit having positive optical power, arranged on the image side of the front lens unit, and composed of a plurality of lens elements; wherein magnification change is performed by changing an interval between the individual lens units, wherein the rear lens unit comprises: a rear A lens unit capable of moving in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis; and a rear B lens unit that is arranged on the image side of the rear A lens unit and that can move in an optical axis direction in such a manner that an interval relative to the rear A lens unit in the optical axis direction is changed, and wherein focusing adjustment during variation of the object distance is achieved by changing the interval between the rear A lens unit and the rear B lens unit.

In recent years, imaging optical devices represented by digital still cameras and digital video cameras (simply referred to as "digital cameras", hereinafter) have spread rapidly. For example, a large number of such digital cameras are commercialized that have the number of recorded-image pixels greater than 5 million. Among these, digital cameras of reduced size and weight are desired in particular.
Further, recently, digital cameras are strongly desired that have a blur compensation function for compensating blur at the time of image shooting. Thus, simultaneous realization of the installation of a blur compensation function and the size and weight reduction is a large issue of development.
In the case of an imaging optical device for shooting a still image, in general, drive control is performed such that at least a part of the lens system is moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis so as to deflect the shooting view angle such as to cancel the deflection of the shooting view angle caused by blur. As a result, blur compensation is achieved.
When a blur compensation function is to be provided in a lens system, degradation need be avoided in the optical image formation performance when a part of lens units of the lens system is moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Then, in order that the avoidance of degradation is achieved in the optical image formation performance, the aberration of each lens unit in an isolated state need be compensated satisfactorily. This causes a tendency of size increase in the lens system.
As an example of a lens system having such a blur compensation function, the following lens systems are proposed (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-72086 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-228001).
Each of the lens systems described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-72086 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-228001 is a zoom lens system, in order from the object side to the image side, comprises: a first lens unit having positive optical power; a second lens unit having negative optical power; a third lens unit having positive optical power; and a fourth lens unit having positive optical power. Then, the zoom lens system described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-72086 has a blur compensation function of moving the entire third lens unit in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Further, in the zoom lens system described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-228001, the third lens unit is divided into two. Then, a blur compensation function is provided such that one of the two lens units is moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.
The zoom lens system described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-72086 is a zoom lens system comprising a plurality of lens units, wherein magnification change is performed by changing an interval between individual lens units. Among the plurality of lens units, one lens unit moves in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis so as to serve as a blur compensation lens unit. Then, in each lens unit in the zoom lens system, for the purpose of satisfactory image formation performance in a range from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit, the aberration of each lens unit in an isolated state is compensated comparatively satisfactorily. This satisfactorily suits aberration compensation for achieving a blur compensation function. Accordingly, the zoom lens system described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-72086 is provided with a blur compensation function without the necessity of a remarkable size increase.
Nevertheless, in the zoom lens system described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-72086, the blur compensation lens unit is constructed from a large number of lens elements, and has a heavy mass. Thus, in order to achieve satisfactory blur compensation drive, the driving force of a blur compensation driving actuator need be increased. Then, when the driving force of the blur compensation driving actuator is increased as such, its volume is also increased. This causes a problem that size and weight reduction becomes difficult to be achieved in the entire imaging optical device.
Thus, in view of this problem, in the zoom lens system described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-228001, one lens unit is divided into two, and then one of the two lens units serves as a blur compensation lens unit. By virtue of this, in the blur compensation lens unit, size and weight reduction is achieved, while reduction of the movement amplitude in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis is achieved. As a result, a comparatively small and light-weight imaging optical device is realized.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-72086    Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-228001

Zoom lens system and imaging optical device employing the same


An interference filter module comprises two optical fiber collimators arranged on an optical axis so as to be opposed to each other, interference filters, and a casing including a main body portion and filter holding portions to be mounted into the main body portion, which are configured to hold the interference filters. Two interference filters including a kth filter when counted from a front end and a k-th filter when counted from a rear end are determined as a k-th set. The two interference filters of the k-th set are accommodated in two filter holding portions, each of which is a k-th holding portion when counted from the front end and the rear end, respectively. The two filter holding portions have rotation axes in directions orthogonal to a fore-and-aft direction and are rotatably held by the casing. The rotation axes of the filter holding portions are orthogonal to each other.

An interference filter serving as an optical element has a structure in which a thin film made of, for example, a dielectric is laminated on a substrate made of, for example, glass. This interference filter transmits light in a specific wavelength band and reflects light in other wavelength bands. The interference filter module has a basic configuration in which the interference filter is arranged so as to be located on an optical axis formed between a pair of optical fiber collimators opposed to each other. In general, in the interference filter module, the interference filter is held in a state in which a position thereof is adjusted inside a casing having a hollow cylindrical shape. The optical fiber collimators are connected to both ends of the casing, respectively. The interference filter module described above is provided, for example, on an extension line of an optical fiber serving as an optical signal transmission path in an optical communication network, and is used to shape a degraded signal waveform or remove noise light.
A basic interference filter module including one interference filter arranged between the collimators cannot improve efficiency of transmission of a wavelength in a target wavelength band. Thus, in some cases, a plurality of interference filters are arranged in series so as to improve a characteristic of selectively transmitting a wavelength in a target wavelength band (hereinafter also referred to as "wavelength selection characteristic"). Further, in the interference filter module, a light incident surface of the interference filter is inclined with respect to an optical axis. With the inclination of the light incident surface, when light unidirectionally traveling from one of the optical fibers is incident on the interference filter, so-called "optical feedback", specifically, a phenomenon that a part of the light is specularly reflected to be incident on this optical fiber again is prevented. However, when the light incident surface of the interference filter is inclined with respect to the optical axis, a difference in light intensity is generated between a P-wave and an S-wave respectively oscillating in directions orthogonal to each other. Specifically, an insertion loss has polarization dependence. Further, polarization mode dispersion in which a difference in propagation speed is generated between the P-wave and the S-wave occurs. In an interference filter module using two interference filters for the purpose of improvement of the wavelength selection characteristic, influences of the polarization dependence and the polarization mode dispersion increase. Thus, in Patent Document 1, there is described an interference filter module in which two interference filters are arranged so that light incident surfaces thereof are orthogonal to each other and are inclined with respect to the optical axis. With the arrangement of the interference filters, a relationship between the P-wave and the S-wave after these waves transmit through a first one of the interference filters is interchanged through a second one of the interference filters so that the polarization dependence and the polarization mode dispersion are reduced while the wavelength selection characteristic is improved.