The invention concerns a technically optimized radial piston engine comprising a cam ring and a cylinder block arranged so as to rotate about an axis of rotation relative to the cam ring and having a plurality of cylinders oriented in the radial direction of the cylinder block. A piston capable of being radially displaced is located in each cylinder, resting on the cam ring via a roller. Said roller is mounted on the piston so as to rotate about an axis parallel to that of the cylinder block and rests axially, relative to its axis of rotation in the cylinder, against roller guides arranged on its surfaces. Said radial piston engine is characterized in that the roller guides are integrally mobile with the roller associated with them, in the piston stroke direction, and thereby driven by the roller both when the piston performs a loaded stroke and an idle stroke, without any contact occurring between the roller guides and the cam ring. The pistons are rotationally fixed by a torsional stop which is separate from the roller guide.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radial piston engine with roller guides for axial guidance of the rollers, via which the pistons are braced against the cam ring.
2. Discussion of the Background
From British Patent GB B 2238086 there is known a radial piston engine corresponding to the preamble of claim 1, wherein the object was to reduce the manufacturing complexity previously associated with axial positioning of the rollers and thus to lower the manufacturing and assembly costs. This object was supposedly achieved in that, in each of the spaces between the roller end faces and the cylindrical inside face as the roller guide, there is disposed a wedge piece, whose cross section viewed in piston displacement direction is a circular segment, and which positions the roller axially in the cylinder relative to the cam. ring. The wedge pieces disclosed in the cited patent can be divided substantially into three different designs.
In a first design, each wedge piece has on the side facing the roller a plane surface which bears on the end face of the roller and on the side facing away from the roller a cylindrical surface which is in contact with the inside face of the cylinder. In addition, this wedge piece is accommodated in the space between roller, piston and cylindrical inside face, without being rigidly connected to any of these components. By virtue of the fact that the wedge piece is freely movable in piston displacement direction relative to the roller, the piston urges the wedge pieces toward the cam ring during a load stroke. In the process, the wedge pieces do not yet come into contact with the cams formed on the cam ring. In the ensuing idle stroke of the piston, however, the wedge pieces strike the cams formed on the cam ring. This recurring striking contact between the cams and the wedge pieces as well as the friction occurring therebetween can lead to severe wear of the wedge pieces. A further disadvantage of this design is that the width of the cam ring must be at least sufficiently large that the cam ring in addition to the roller also provides a contact face for the two laterally disposed wedge pieces. Aside from large total weight of the radial piston engine, a broad cam ring results in high manufacturing costs due to the greater manufacturing complexity associated with precision machining of the cam ring.
In a second design, each of the two wedge pieces has on the side facing the roller a driver-like projection, which extends toward the other wedge piece in an opening provided in the piston between piston and roller. Since in this case the wedge pieces are driven back into the cylinder by the roller during an idle stroke of the piston, striking contact between the wedge pieces and the cams basically cannot occur. Due to the high relative velocity between the roller and the driver-like projections of the wedge pieces in contact with the outside circumference of the roller, however, severe abrasion can take place on the driver-like projections. With increasing abrasion of the driver-like projections, the space available for play of the wedge pieces in piston displacement direction could ultimately increase to the point that striking contact could occur between the wedge pieces and the cams. A further disadvantage of this design is that driver-like projections must be formed on the roller guides and recesses must be formed on the piston, thus increasing the manufacturing complexity and thus the manufacturing costs.
In addition, the friction between the roller and the wedge pieces in the two foregoing designs occurs over the entire end face of the roller. This relatively large-area frictional contact necessitates precision machining of the friction faces of both components, once again resulting in high manufacturing costs.
At that time a further assumption was that, by virtue of the recurring contact of the rollers with the cam ring, the rollers and thus the respective piston automatically assume a particular angular position in the cylinder or relative to the cam ring, which is critical for reliable operation of the radial piston engine. In certain cases, however, for example during initial operation of the radial piston engine, when hydraulic fluid is fed to the cylinders for the first time, it is conceivable that the pistons and thus the rollers may be inserted so far into the respective piston that contact between roller and curved path does not yet occur. To ensure the necessary angular position of the piston in the cylinder in those cases, one of the two wedge pieces has, in a third design, on the side facing the cylindrical inside face, an elongated slot, into which a bolt, clamp or the like extending through the cylinder wall engages and in this way prevents turning of the piston in the cylinder and thus of the roller relative to the cam ring. The presence of the slot leads to weakening of the wedge piece in question, however, and thus to shortening of the useful life of the wedge piece, which is subjected to severe stresses and strains during operation of the radial piston engine. In addition, sliding contact takes place between the wedge piece and the bolt or clamp, which appears disadvantageous as regards good roller guidance. Furthermore, such a structural feature means high manufacturing complexity.
In view of the disadvantages encountered in conventional radial piston engines, the object of the present invention is therefore to provide an optimally engineered radial piston engine, which is characterized by greater manufacturing simplicity and at the same time functionally reliable operation.
This object is achieved by the inventive subject matter according to the features of claim 1, which is characterized in particular in that the roller guides disposed on the front sides of the rollers are rigidly connected to the respective roller with respect to sliding in piston displacement direction.
Since the respective roller urges the roller guides in piston displacement direction, in other words both during the load stroke and during the idle stroke, the roller guides can be dimensioned such that they do not project beyond the outside circumference of the respective roller, thus ensuring that striking contact does not take place between the roller guides and the cam ring. This ultimately leads to longer useful life of the roller guides and thus to functionally reliable operation of the radial piston engine on the whole. In addition, material economies are achieved in the manufacture of the roller guides.
If the roller guides do not come into contact with the cam ring, the width of the cam ring can be further reduced to a width which corresponds at most to the width of the rollers. In this way, not only is the total weight of the radial piston engine lessened, but also manufacturing complexity and thus the manufacturing costs are considerably reduced with regard to precision machining of the curved paths of the cam ring.
By suitable structural measures, such as by formation of a cylindrical projection on the roller guide, which projection is inserted in a corresponding recess on the front side of the roller, the relative velocities at the friction faces of roller and roller guides and thus the wear of the two components can also be reduced. Because of the reduced wear, the play developed between roller and roller guides is kept to a minimum, even after prolonged operating time. This contributes to functionally reliable and dependable operation of the radial piston engine on the whole.
Further advantageous features of the inventive radial piston engine are subject matter of the dependent claims.
The roller and roller guides can be rigidly connected with respect to sliding in displacement direction by simple manufacturing techniques. For example, the roller guides can be provided on the side facing the end face of the roller with a cylindrical projection, which is insertable into a central cylindrical recess formed on the end face of the roller. Likewise, it would naturally also be conceivable for the roller guides to be provided on the side facing the front side of the roller with a recess into which a projection formed on the front side of the roller is insertable. Of course, the opening and the projection engaged therewith could also have conical shape. If the diameter of the openings and projections are dimensioned such that they are small compared with the outside diameter of the roller, or in other words such that the projections and the openings are concentrated on a central region around the axis of rotation of the roller, and if the projections are engaged with the respective openings in such a way that play is present between the annular face of the roller around the opening and of the face around the projection of the roller guide, the circumferential velocities present at the outside circumference of the projection and at the inside circumferential wall of the opening during operation of the radial piston engine are reduced, as is therefore the relative velocity between roller and roller guides. Moreover, since no friction occurs at the two spaced-apart faces of roller and roller guide, reduction of frictional abrasion of both components is achieved.
The surfaces of the roller guides in contact with the cylindrical inside face preferably have cylindrical shape for simplicity, thus achieving optimal guidance of the piston-roller system in the cylinder. Since the roller is normally not subjected to compressive loads in axial direction, it would also be conceivable, however, to give the surface of the roller guide bearing on the cylindrical inside face rotationally symmetric shape or to construct it as a spherical segment relative to the axis of rotation of the roller. In this case, rigid connection between roller guide and roller would even be possible both in piston displacement direction and in the direction of rotation of the roller. This would have the advantage that, during operation of the radial piston engine, friction between roller and roller guides would no longer take place and the friction occurring between roller guide and cylindrical inside face would be considerably reduced.
Heretofore it has been assumed that the roller is constantly in contact with the curved paths of the cam ring, whereby the angular position of the piston in the cylinder and accordingly the orientation of the roller relative to the curved path is automatically predetermined. As already explained in the introduction, however, it is possible for the contact between roller and cam ring to be separated. In this case it is possible according to the present invention to prevent turning of the piston in the cylinder by means of an antirotation device disposed separately from the roller guide and thus to maintain a particular orientation of the roller relative to the cam ring.
For this purpose, the piston can be provided on the end portion facing away from the roller with a flattened part oriented perpendicular relative to the axis of rotation of the cylinder block, which flattened part bears on a corresponding contact face of the antirotation device, thus unambiguously predetermining the angular position of the piston in the cylinder and of the roller relative to the curved path. Another effective expedient has proved to be providing the cylinder with at least two cylinder portions of different inside diameters and the piston accordingly with at least two piston portions of different diameters matching the corresponding cylinder diameters. In this case, the antirotation device is provided in the cylinder portion with the smaller inside diameter and the flattened part is provided accordingly on the piston portion with the smaller diameter. By this expedient, on the one hand a large face for admission of pressure is retained on the piston and on the other hand only little material is removed from the piston in order to form the flattened part. The additional antirotation device creates better guidance of the piston in the cylinder compared with the conventional antirotation device mentioned in the introduction, since according to the present invention large-area sliding contact takes place between piston and antirotation device.
The antirotation device preferably has a cross section which, viewed in piston displacement direction, is a circular segment, with an arc corresponding to the cylindrical inside face and a chord corresponding to the flattened part.
Since the cylinder block in any case is normally provided with axial inlet ports, through which the hydraulic fluid enters the respective cylinder spaces, the manufacturing complexity with regard to fixing the antirotation device in the cylinder can be reduced in that the antirotation device is fixed in the cylinder by means of a pin, which is inserted through the inlet port into a blind hole in the cylinder block aligned with the inlet port.


Methods and apparatus for supporting broadcast traffic in Mobile IP are disclosed. When a Mobile Node registers via a Foreign Agent supporting Mobile IP, the Foreign Agent receives a registration request from a Mobile Node and sends the registration request to a Home Agent. A registration reply received from the Home Agent has a network mask extension including a network mask associated with the home address of the Mobile Node. The Foreign Agent then sends the registration reply to the Mobile Node. Alternatively, the Mobile Node may register via a collocated care-of address, in which case the registration reply is received directly from the Home Agent. Once the Mobile Node has obtained its network mask, it may send packets such as broadcast packets, as well as roam to its Home Agent. Additionally, in accordance with various embodiments, the Foreign Agent duplicates broadcast packets for transmission to Mobile Nodes, rather than receiving the duplicated packets from the Home Agent. In this manner, broadcast traffic in a Mobile IP environment is optimized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Mobile IP network technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to optimizing broadcast traffic in Mobile IP networks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile IP is a protocol that allows laptop computers and other mobile computer units ("mobile nodes") to roam between various sub-networks while maintaining Internet and/or WAN connectivity. Without Mobile IP or similar protocols a mobile node would be unable to stay connected while roaming from one location serviced by one sub-network to another location being serviced by a different sub-network. This is because each IP address has a field that specifies the particular sub-network on which the node resides. If a user desires to take a computer that is normally attached to one node and roam so that it passes through different sub-networks, the roaming computer cannot use its home base IP address. As a result, a businessperson traveling across the country cannot travel with his or her computer across geographically disparate network segments or wireless nodes while maintaining Internet connectivity. This is not acceptable in the age of portable computational devices.
To address this problem, the Mobile IP protocol has been developed and implemented. An implementation of Mobile IP is described in RFC 3220, "IP Mobility Support for IPv4" of the Network Working Group, C. Perkins, Ed., January 2002. Mobile IP is also described in the text "Mobile IP, The Internet Unplugged" by J. Solomon, Prentice Hall, 1998. Both of these references are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and for all purposes.
The Mobile IP process and environment are illustrated in FIG. 1. A Mobile IP environment 100 includes the Internet (or a WAN) 105 over which a mobile node 110 can communicate via mediation by a home agent 115 or a foreign agent 120. Typically, the home agent 115 and foreign agent 120 are routers or other network connection devices performing appropriate Mobile IP functions as implemented by software, hardware, and/or firmware. Note the overall network topology is arbitrary, and elements such as the home agent 115 need not directly connect to the Internet 105. For example, the home agent 115 may be connected through another router R2 125. Router R2 125 may, in turn, connect one or more other routers R3 130 with the Internet 105.
When mobile node 110 is plugged into its home network segment 135 it connects with the Internet 105 through its designated home agent 115. When the mobile node 110 roams, it can be connected to a remote network segment 140 and communicate through the available foreign agent 120. Other nodes, such as a PC 145, on remote network segment 140 also communicate with the Internet 105 through foreign agent 120. Presumably, there are many foreign agents available at geographically disparate locations to allow wide spread Internet connection via the Mobile IP protocol.
Mobile node 110 may identify foreign agent 120 through various agent solicitations and agent advertisements that form part of the Mobile IP protocol. When mobile node 110 engages with remote network segment 140, it composes a registration request for the home agent 115 to bind the mobile node's 110 current location with its home location. Foreign agent 120 then relays the registration request 150 to home agent 115. During the registration process, the home agent 115 and the mobile node 110 may then negotiate the conditions of the mobile node's 110 attachment to foreign agent 120. For example, the mobile node 110 may request a registration lifetime of 5 hours, but the home agent 115 may grant only a 3 hour period. When the negotiation is successfully completed, home agent 115 updates an internal "mobility binding table" which links the mobile node's 110 current location via its care-of address (e.g., a co-located care-of address or the foreign agent's IP address) to the identity (e.g., home address) of the mobile node 110. Further, if the mobile node 110 registered via foreign agent 120, the foreign agent 120 updates an internal "visitor table" which specifies the mobile node address, home agent address, etc. The home agent's 115 association between a mobile node's home base IP address, its current care-of address, and the remaining lifetime of that association is referred to as a binding.
If mobile node 110 wanted to send a message to a correspondent node 155 from its new location, the mobile node 110 would forward a packetized output message 160 through the foreign agent 120 over the Internet 105 to the correspondent node 155 according to standard Internet protocols. However, if the correspondent node 155 wanted to send a message 165 to the mobile node 110—whether in reply to a message from the mobile node 110 or for any other reason—the correspondent node 155 addresses that message to the IP address of the mobile node 110 as if the mobile node 110 were on the home network segment 135. The packets of the message from the correspondent node 155 are forwarded over the Internet 105 to the router R2 125 and ultimately to the home agent 115.
From the home agent's 115 mobility binding table, the home agent 115 recognizes that the mobile node 110 is no longer attached to the home network segment 135. The home agent 115 then encapsulates the packets from correspondent node 155 (which are addressed to the mobile node 110 on the home network segment 135) according to the Mobile IP protocol, and forwards these encapsulated packets 170 to the appropriate care-of address for mobile node 110. If the care-of address is the IP address of the foreign agent 120 the foreign agent 120 strips the encapsulation and forwards the message to the mobile node 110 on the remote network segment 140. The packet forwarding mechanism implemented by the home agent 115 to the foreign agent 120 is often referred to as "tunneling."
RFC 3220 further specifies the mechanism for supporting broadcast packets. Specifically, when a correspondent node sends a broadcast packet, the Home Agent duplicates the broadcast packet and forwards the duplicated broadcast packets to the appropriate Foreign Agent(s) so that the broadcast packets may each be sent to the Mobile Nodes supported by the Home Agent that have roamed to that Foreign Agent. Thus, even when the Mobile Nodes to which the broadcast packets have been forwarded are stationed on the same home subnet and have roamed to the same care-of address, the Home Agent must replicate the broadcast packet for each of the Mobile Nodes to which the broadcast packet is to be forwarded.
In addition, in order to reuse address space and use private addresses, a Mobile Node may be dynamically assigned a home address by the Home Agent. A system for dynamically assigning a home address is described in application Ser. No. 09/227,397, entitled "Mobile IP Dynamic Home Address Resolution," filed on Jan. 8, 1999, which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. However, when a Mobile Node is dynamically assigned a home address, the Mobile Node cannot ascertain its network mask (prefix length) of the home address. Without its network mask, the Mobile Node cannot recognize the prefix length being advertised by the Home Agent as its own, and therefore the Mobile Node cannot roam home. If the Mobile Node had somehow roamed home, the Mobile Node cannot itself send Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) packets since it does not know its own subnet.
Even when a Mobile Node is statically configured with a home address, the Foreign Agent is not in possession of the network mask associated with the home address assigned to the Mobile Node. This has not typically been a problem, since the Home Agent rather than the Foreign Agent has been responsible for replicating broadcast packets according to current standards. However, according to current implementation schemes, the Foreign Agent does not have the information to enable it to participate in replicating broadcast packets.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide an improved method for supporting broadcast traffic in a Mobile IP environment.

Methods and apparatus for broadcast optimization in mobile IP


A composite photoresist structure includes a first organic layer disposed over a substrate to be etched, a sacrificial layer disposed on the first organic layer, and a second organic layer disposed on the sacrificial layer. The thickness of the first organic layer and the thickness of the second organic layer are both larger than the thickness of the sacrificial layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoresist structure, and more particularly, to a photoresist structure suitable for sub-micron pattern transfers in semiconductor processes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, integrated circuit production relies on the use of photolithographic processes and etching processes to define various electrical elements and interconnecting structures on microelectronic devices. With the coming of a generation of Ultra Large Scale Integrated (ULSI) Circuits, the integration of semiconductor devices has gotten larger and larger. G-line (436 nm) and I-line (365 nm) wavelengths of light have been widely used in photolithography processes. However, in order to achieve smaller dimensions of resolution, wavelengths of light used for photolithography processes have been reduced into deep UV regions of 248 nm and 193 nm. Nevertheless, the shorter the wavelengths of light are, the thinner the photoresist layers are. The thin photoresist layers might not be thick enough for blocking the etching processes in the following fabrication. As a result, for a photolithography process utilizing short wavelengths of light, it is necessary to look for a photoresist structure suitable for lithography processes and etching processes.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art photoresist structure. As shown in FIG. 1, a semiconductor wafer 10 comprises a substrate 12, an anti-reflection layer 14, and a photoresist layer 16. Because wavelengths of light used for exposure processes are related to the depth of focus (DOF), a required thickness of the photoresist layer 16 depends on the wavelengths of light. Accordingly, the thickness of the photoresist layer 16 has to be thin enough so that the molecules in the surface of the photoresist layer have approximately the same focus as the molecules in the bottom of the photoresist layer. However, the photoresist layer 16 is used to be a hard mask on the substrate 12 in the following etching processes. For this reason, the thin photoresist layers might not be thick enough for blocking the following etching processes.
Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another prior art photoresist structure used to overcome the above-mentioned problem. As shown in FIG. 2, a semiconductor wafer 20 comprises a substrate 22, a silicon oxynitride layer 24, an anti-reflection layer 26, and a photoresist layer 28. Therein the silicon oxynitride layer 24 serves as a hard mask so that the photoresist layer 28 together with the silicon oxynitride layer 24 can block the etching processes in the following fabrication. After the predetermined pattern of the mask is transferred onto the substrate 22, the silicon oxynitride layer 24, the anti-reflection layer 26, and the photoresist layer 28 are removed. However, the silicon oxynitride layer 24 is not easy to etch away. Thus, the process of removing the silicon oxynitride layer 24 usually causes damage to the surface of the substrate 22.
In addition, methods used to overcome the above-mentioned problem further include bi-layer photoresist technology (U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,287) and top surface image (TSI) technology (U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,989). However, both of the two methods require new photoresist materials. For example, the photoresist layer used in the TSI technology comprises silicon-containing materials. Providing new photoresist materials will increase production costs and increase complexity and difficulty of processes. As a result, it is necessary to look for a photoresist structure suitable for sub-micron pattern transfers in photolithography processes and etching processes.


A probe electrode structure on a substrate is described, comprising a first probe electrode and a neighboring second probe electrode on a layer sequence that generally includes, in a direction from the substrate to the probe electrodes, an electrically conductive bottom layer, an electrically insulating center layer and a electrically conductive top layer. The probe-electrode structure of the invention provides a means to detect an undercutting of the first probe electrode in an etching step that aims at removing the top layer from regions outside the first probe electrode. An undercutting that exceeds an admissible distance from the first edge of the first electrode will remove the first top-layer probe section in the first probe opening, which causes a detectable change of the electrical resistance between the first and second probe electrodes.

During fabrication of an integrated-circuit devices, proper etching of the electrically conductive top layer is required outside the electrodes in order to avoid electrical short cuts during operation of the integrated-circuit device. The electrically conductive top layer may for instance form a seed metallization layer, which forms a common electrode during galvanic growth of the electrodes that connect the active areas of an integrated-circuit device to external devices.
A precise control of the etching is required to avoid an over-etching of the top layer, which would form a reliability risk.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,417,089 and 5,293,006 describe methods to reduce an undercutting of an under-bump metallurgy (UBM) by liquid or solid inter-diffusion between the bump material and the UBM. However, it remains difficult to detect such phenomena and to assess whether fabricated integrated-circuit devices have a high reliability risk that leads to short circuits and cracks during later operation by the end costumer.

Testing for correct undercutting of an electrode during an etching step


A cable manager includes a first portion and a second portion that cooperate to retain at least one cable. The first portion of certain types of cable managers is configured to be held in one or more rotationally fixed positions relative to the second portion. For example, the second portion may include at least one retaining arm that extends at least partially over a cable cradle of the first portion when the second portion is rotated to a closed position and that allows access to the cable cradle when rotated to an open position. The first portion of certain types of cable managers is configured to be held in one of a plurality of axially fixed positions relative to the second portion to accommodate cables of different diameters.

Telecommunications systems utilize fiber optic cables and/or copper cables to interconnect pieces of telecommunications equipment. The pieces of telecommunications equipment are commonly mounted to racks, cabinets, or other framework structures. Because of the large number of cables associated with such telecommunications systems, effective cable management is crucial. Ease of cable organization and cable management adaptation are factors related to effective cable management. In general, conventional arrangements for managing cable can be improved.


An image processing circuit capable of shooting a desired subject is provided in which increasing the size of the digital camera has been avoided. Sensor control unit 31 includes a moving image mode and a still image shooting mode. If a shutter button is operated when sensor control unit is driven in the moving image mode in which mechanical shutter 21 is open, image pickup control unit 37 stops the operation of sensor control unit. Then, after exposing image sensor 23 for a predetermined exposure time, image pickup control unit 37 closes mechanical shutter 21. Additionally, image pickup control unit 37 switches sensor control unit 31 to the still image shooting mode while mechanical shutter 21 is closed.

In general, moving images for preview are displayed on a display unit in a digital camera. When a desired subject to be photographed is in the displayed moving images, the user presses a shutter button to shoot the subject as a still image.
In a digital camera, if an image to be shot has many pixels, it takes a lot of time to read out an image signal from an image sensor and to perform image processing on the image signal. Because of this, if the number of pixels of a moving image for a preview is similar to the number of pixels of a still image, a possibility arises in which an operation of the digital camera will be delayed.
Thus, when the digital camera shoots a still image, a drive mode of the image sensor needs to be switched from a moving image mode for shooting a moving image for a preview to a still image shooting mode for shooing a still image in which having the number of pixels Is greater than that of the moving image.
A technique for switching a moving image mode and a still image shooting mode has already been proposed.
FIG. 1 is a time chart illustrating an operation of a digital camera for which a technique like this is used. The digital camera is operated in a moving image mode, and then, a shutter button is pressed for switching to a still image shooting mode.
An image sensor of the digital camera stores charges by making an exposure (expose 42) and outputs (sensor output 41) the charges as an image signal (image 1). An ISP (Image Signal Processor) captures the image signal (capture 44). The ISP performs image processing on the captured image signal and outputs the image signal in which the image processing has been preformed (ISP output 45). The image signal is displayed on a monitor.
Additionally, the image sensor starts an exposure for shooting a next image signal (image 2) when outputting the image signal (image 1).
When the shutter button is pressed (press shutter 47) while exposing the image signal (image 2), the digital camera initially stops displaying the image signal on the monitor (internal processing 46 (stop monitor)). The exposure and the output of the image signal by the image sensor are performed even while the digital camera stops displaying the image signal on the monitor.
Next, the digital camera switches the moving image mode to the still image shooting mode (internal processing 46 (switch)) and causes the image sensor to start an exposure for a still image (image 5). After that, when a predetermined time passes, the digital camera closes the mechanical shutter to end the exposure (mechanical shutter 43 (close)) and outputs images stored by the exposure.
However, if the exposure is started after the drive mode of the image sensor has been switched, it takes a lot of time to start the exposure after the shutter button has been pressed. Because of this, the user may not capture an image of a desired subject.
In Patent document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-23016), a digital camera capable of reducing time from pressing the shutter button to starting the exposure is disclosed.
This digital camera includes a first CCD sensor and a second CCD sensor in which the number of pixels is greater than that of the first CCD sensor. In the moving image mode, the first CCD sensor captures a moving image and the moving image is displayed on an LCD. When a shutter button is pressed during a live view, the second CCD sensor starts shooting the still image.
Because of this, switching the drive mode of the image sensor is not necessary so that the time from pressing the shutter button to starting a shot can be reduced.    Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-23016
Recently, mobile terminals such as mobile phones often include digital cameras. Because of this, downsizing digital cameras is required.
Like the digital camera disclosed in Patent document 1, when a dedicated sensor for shooting a still image is provided in addition to besides a dedicated sensor for shooting a moving image, the digital camera becomes larger. Additionally, it is possible to remove a function that displays the moving image for previewing it from the digital camera and to shoot a desired subject through the finder (window for confirming a composition). In this case, the digital camera also becomes larger.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing circuit, a mobile terminal and a method for controlling a sensor, which are capable of shooting a desired subject but which does not lead to an increase in the size of the digital camera.

Image processing circuit, mobile terminal and method for controlling sensor


A tow bar assembly adapted to extend between a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle. A frame is provided which includes a bearing element secured to the front end of the frame and a mounting element secured to the rear end of the frame. The mounting element is adapted to be selectively connected to the receiver hitch of a towing vehicle, while the bearing element extends rearward toward the towed vehicle in one embodiment. A pair of elongated, telescopic swing arms are pivotally secured to the bearing element and extend to the towed vehicle for attachment thereto. The bearing element further includes a yoke rotatable about a ball joint having at least two degrees of freedom which allows for movement of the swing arms in both vertical and horizontal planes. The swing arms further include pivot flanges that are pivotally secured to the swing arms at an end nearest the towed vehicle. A pair of tow vehicle mounting brackets extend from the frame of the towed vehicle vertically upward, such that when not in use, the tow bar assembly may be collapsed and securely stored adjacent the rear bumper of the towing vehicle. Alternate embodiments include fifth wheel and fixed arm tow bar assemblies.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tow bar extending between a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle in general, and more particularly, to a novel collapsible tow bar assembly that is easily secured to the towing vehicle when not in use which provides increased flexibility of movement on uneven or bumpy terrain.
II. Background of the Invention
As cross-country travel has become more popular over the last few decades, increasing numbers of individuals and families have turned to the recreational vehicle (RV) as a convenient, fun and exciting way to tour the country. Although the RV is well suited to cross-country driving on interstate highways and the like, city and local driving is often more difficult due to the RV's large size. The ability to tow vehicles behind the RV provides the RV owner with greater freedom and flexibility once the destination is reached. Many different tow bar designs have been used over the years in an effort to properly couple the towed vehicle to the RV. Convenience, safety and ease of operation are increasingly becoming important considerations in tow bar design since an ever larger percentage of the cross-country travelers today are senior citizens and retirees.
Additionally, many forms of recreation necessitate towing a trailer over difficult terrain. For example, snowmobiles, boats and horses are frequently trailered to remote locations having uneven or bumpy terrain.
A tow bar in use today is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,805 issued to Davis. Davis discloses a triangular shaped collapsible tow bar that is secured to the towed vehicle when not in use. The tow bar extends from the towed vehicle and connects to the hitch ball attached to the RV. Since the tow bar in Davis is secured to the front end of the towed vehicle when not in use, the tow bar necessarily protrudes from and adds extra weight to the front end of the towed vehicle. The extra weight and bulk on the front end may reduce the driveability of the car. Moreover, use of a towing ball extending from the rear of the RV to couple to the tow bar requires that the user carefully align the towed vehicle with the RV.
An improvement of the Davis tow bar is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,240 issued to Johnson. Johnson discloses a collapsible tow bar that may be removably installed on a receiver hitch of a towing vehicle. The tow bar includes a frame and a pair of elongated bars that extend rearward from the frame and provide for the connection with the vehicle to be towed. The bars are connected to a pivot block which is mounted to the forward portion of the frame, so as to permit the pivot block and bars to pivot from a horizontal position to a generally vertical storage position. The pivot block is mounted such that the bars are rotatable as a unit along an axis parallel to the direction which the vehicle is towed. Hooks are mounted at the ends of the elongated bars and provide for connection with U-shaped loops mounted to the bumper of the towed vehicle.
While Johnson solved some of the problems of the prior art, namely providing a collapsible tow bar which could be stored on the towing vehicle, his invention failed to address some significant problems, including providing for the smooth movement of the swing arms in planes parallel and perpendicular to the movement of the towed vehicle.
Accordingly, it is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved tow bar assembly that is economical to manufacture, compact, light weight, simple to use, and can be used on a variety of different vehicles.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tow bar assembly that is collapsible, and quickly and easily stored on the towing vehicle when not in use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tow bar system that may be readily extended for towing purposes and simply connected to the towed vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tow bar system that incorporates a yoke and ball joint to provide increased flexibility of movement along axes both parallel and perpendicular to the direction of vehicle motion to facilitate towing on uneven or bumpy terrain.
In accordance with these and many other objects, I have invented a unique tow bar assembly that solves the problems that others have failed to address.


An object of the invention is to provide a printing method whereby a function for retreating print data in the case where the print data cannot be printed is provided, and the printing of other print data is preferentially performed or a printing is enabled to be executed when an apparatus enters a printable status of the print data, thereby improving a print working efficiency. To accomplish this object, there is provided a printing method of using a host which can set an auto retreat of print data and a print output apparatus which is connected so that it can bidirectionally communicate with the host and is equipped with a memory device which can perform a retreat processing of the data in response to a request from the host, wherein the host sends the print data to the print output apparatus, the print output apparatus receives the print data sent from the host and checks whether the data can be normally printed or not on the basis of print attributes of the received print data and a status of the print output apparatus, when it is decided that the data can be normally printed, the printing is executed, and when it is decided that the data cannot be normally printed, the print data is retreated to the memory device in accordance with the setting of the auto retreat, thereby enabling the printing of other print data to be executed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a printing method having an auto retreat function of print data and a medium for storing a program for executing the printing method.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, in an information processing system, a mechanism in which when expendable supplies such as papers or the like are absent and an error occurs during the execution of print data, a processing is suspended while processing information including the print data is held and when the expendable supplies are supplemented, the processing can be soon resumed has been provided, thereby improving a working efficiency of the user.
For example, it is assumed that papers of the A4 size and A3 size have been set in a printer and print data in which the B5 size was designated as a paper size has been sent from a host (host computer). The printer receives the print data and, at a point when it is detected that the B5 size whose papers are not set has been designated, the printer enters an error status. According to the conventional technique, the printer does not enter a status where the print data is abandoned and new print data can be processed but suspends the processing while a processing status so far is held and at a point when it is recognized that the expendable supplies have been supplemented, the printer resumes the processing. The user, therefore, can immediately obtain an output by setting papers into the printer. That is, after an error was recognized, the user does not need to perform work for sending the print data again from the host and can efficiently take a proper countermeasure against the error due to the absence of the expendable supplies.
According to the conventional technique, however, since the whole print processing is suspended at a point when the error occurs, not only the processing of the print data in which the error occurred but also the processing of the print data which is waiting to subsequently print is suspended. There is, consequently, a drawback of deterioration in print working efficiency of the other user.
For example, it is assumed that papers of the A4 size and A3 size have been set in a printer in FIG. 5. Print data A in which the B5 size was designated as a paper size is sent from a host A in FIG. 5 and, thereafter, print data B in which the A4 size was designated as a paper size is sent from a host B. In this case, according to the conventional technique, the printer receives the print data A and at a point when it is detected that the B5 size whose papers are not set was designated, the printer enters the error status and suspends the processing. The processing of the print data B is also suspended at a point when the print data B has been sent to the printer. That is, in spite of the fact that the print data B can be printed without causing an error because the A4 size whose papers have been set in the printer is designated, the print data B is influenced by the print data A which was precedingly processed, so that the processing is suspended.
If the user of the host A or the printer administrator rapidly takes a countermeasure (the papers are supplemented, the print data is cancelled, or the like) against the print data A at this time point, after the processing of the print data A, the user of the host B can obtain an output of the print data B. However, if a timing for taking the countermeasure is delayed as in the case where the user of the host A is not aware of the occurrence of the error, the case where the papers of the B5 size cannot be soon supplemented, or the like, the working efficiency of the user of the host B remarkably deteriorates.
It is assumed that there is a situation where the printer in FIG. 5 is connected to the network and many users frequently use the printer. In this case, the output of a large amount of print data (many users) has to be waited upon occurrence of the error and a range where the working efficiency deteriorates is widened.

Printing method having auto retreat function of print data and medium for storing program for executing the printing method


Disclosed is apparatus for detecting the presence of an analyte of interest in a sample, comprising an immobilised binding partner comprising a solid support and a reversibly binding receptor which is capable of binding to the analyte of interest thereby causing a measurable change in a property of the immobilised partner, and detection means for detecting the measurable change and a method for detecting the presence of an analyte of interest.

Apparatus and methods for investigating the binding of analytes in solution to a receptor are known. One such apparatus (and its associated computer control and data-processing means) called BIAcore (BIAcore is a trademark of Pharmacia Biosensor AB; BIA stands for biospecific interaction analysis) has been devised, which uses the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to study the binding of analytes to receptors immobilised on a sensor chip. The apparatus and theoretical background are fully described in the literature (e.g. Jonsson et al., 1991, BioTechniques 11, 620-627). Essentially, the technique involves the immobilisation of a receptor to the special surface of a sensor chip, contacting the chip with a flow of sample containing the analyte of interest, and then measuring the change in the surface optical characteristics of the sensor chip arising from the binding of the analyte of interest.
The specific nature of the antibody/antigen interaction means that such reactions are particularly amenable to investigation using the BIAcore system. For example Jonsson et al. (1991, cited above) disclose the use of high affinity antibodies for concentration determinations. In this system the sensor chip required regeneration with HCl after each assay. There are several other reported studies which describe, for example, the interaction of synthetic peptides with immobilised monoclonal antibodies (Altschuh et al., 1992, Biochemistry 31, 6298-6304), and binding reactions between immobilised monoclonals and HIV core protein p24 and vice versa; Karlsson et al., 1991, Journal of Immunological Methods 145, 229-240).
Sensors for applications such as on-line monitoring of chromatography, fermentation or even in vivo use, should ideally give rapid, reversible and sensitive responses to changes in concentrations of proteins or other biomolecules. Normally antibodies have strong binding of antigen and can only be used as monitor of the concentration as a dosimeter. For such applications regeneration of the antibody (to recreate vacant antigen-binding sites), or the use of disposable items is required. However, in many environments regeneration with chemical agents can not be done.
It is apparent from the prior art that for an antibody-based solid-phase biosensor to be capable of measuring reversibly (without the need for regeneration), the antibody should have a high dissociation rate constant in binding antigen ("k off") (Anderson & Miller, 1988, Clinical Chemistry 34, 1417-1421) but those authors do not disclose antibodies or fragments thereof having intrinsically high dissociation rate constants for continuous on-line sensing.
However, there are considerable difficulties in actually obtaining receptor molecules (such as antibodies) with the desired properties. This is because virtually all screening methods for searching for suitable candidate molecules require a washing step. Such a washing step would tend to remove the very molecules possessing the properties for which one was screening.
Thus, all of the prior art disclosures regarding biosensors relate to the use of "mature" monoclonal antibodies produced as a result of the primary immunisation and subsequent boosting of the relevant laboratory animal (typically, a mouse). These antibodies therefore bind antigen too strongly for the reaction to be readily reversible. Moreover, these antibodies are typically directed against haptens. The shortest reversible response time reported (Anderson & Miller, above) was in the range 5-15 minutes (for the comparatively high analyte concentration range of 5-100 mM), which is not quick enough to follow parameters for many "on-line/real-time" applications. Further, the apparatus disclosed therein required the use of dialysis tubing. This results in severe limitations on the molecular weight of analytes that may be studied.


The present invention provides a serum uric acid decreasing agent which contains interleukin-6 (IL-6) as the active ingredient together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier; and a method for decreasing the serum uric acid level which comprises administering interleukin-6 (IL-6) in an effective amount to a patient.

This invention relates to a serum uric acid decreasing agent and a method for decreasing serum uric acid levels.
With changes in diet, gout has come to be regarded as a serious adult disease. It is known that the acute and intractable pain of gout is caused when uric acid excessively accumulates in the body and is deposited as calcium urate in the fingers and toes. Known methods for treating gout involve: 1) use of uric acid synthesis inhibitors to inhibit the accumulation of uric acid in the body; and 2) use of uric acid excretion promoters to accelerate the rapid excretion of uric acid accumulated in the body.
There is only one uric acid synthesis inhibitor (i.e., allopurinol) readily available today. On the other hand, probenecid, sulfinpyrazone and benzbromarone are known as uric acid excretion promoters. However, it is known that allopurinol should be employed with caution, since it induces some problems such as systemic hypersensitivity. Similarly, uric acid excretion promoters such as benzbromarone may produce an attack of gout, when used inappropriately.
On the other hand, interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is classified as an inflammatory cytokines, is a molecule which has various biological activities, for example, it can cause fever or headache and induce the formation of acute phase proteins such as CRP and fibrinogen in the liver [Hibi, M. et al., Interleukin-6, Meneki Yakuri (Immunological Pharmacology) 7(4):103, 1989; Taai, H. et al., IL-6 Sansei Saibo to sono Seiri Kassei no Tayosei (IL-6 Producing Cells and Multiplicity in their Physiological Activities), Rinsho Meneki (Clinical Immunology) 21(8):1225, 1989; Weber J., et al.: Phase I trial of subcutaneous interleukin-6 in patients with advanced malignancies, J. Clin. Oncology 11(3):499, 1993]. IL-6 also has an effect of increasing blood platelets and thus various clinical tests are now under way to make use of this effect.

IL-6 as serum uric acid decreasing compound

Applied Research Systems ARS Holding N.V.


The present invention relates to office panelling systems and in particular to office panelling systems having improved construction. The frame of the panels provides an improved electrical power feed arrangement within the panel as well as more convenient access to power outlets within the panel. The frame is also designed for enhanced cooperation with filing cabinets and filing bins to provide lower support for such cabinets and bins when hung from the office panel, particularly when the bin or cabinet is intermediary vertical supports of the frame.

Free-standing office panelling systems are known and one particular system which has proven popular is shown in our U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,577. These free-standing systems have improved structural rigidity when they are mechanically interconnected, and one such arrangement for mechanically interconnecting such systems is shown in our U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,349 incorporated herein by reference.
The office panelling system not only subdivides free office space into various working areas or units, it also provides for power at these work units and accommodates the feeding of communication cables and the like through the system. It has been found that power at desk height is the most convenient and this capability was provided in our earlier patent. There remains a need to simplify the provision of power at desk height and to allow for the convenient locating positioning of power outlets at the desk height.
There is also a need to simplify the manufacture of decorative elements secured to the panels and improving the definition and edge detail thereof.


An organic light emitting device having a phase-separated light-emissive layer comprising:                a charge transport phase comprising a charge transport material; and        an emitting phase, the emitting phase comprising a plurality of discrete emissive domains dispersed in the charge transport phase, each emitting domain comprising a host material and one or more metal complexes for emitting light by phosphorescence;        wherein the charge transport material has a T1 energy level lower than the T1 energy level of the metal complexes and the host material has a T1 energy level higher than the T1 energy level of the metal complexes.

The invention relates to a novel organic light emitting device (OLED); to novel materials that are capable of phosphorescence and to methods of making the device and novel materials.
Luminescent conjugated polymers are a new technologically important class of materials that will be used in light emitting display devices for the next generation of information technology based consumer products. The principle interest in the use of polymers, as opposed to inorganic semiconducting and organic dye materials, lies in the scope for low-cost manufacturing, using solution-processing of film-forming materials. Since the last decade much effort has been devoted to the improvement of the emission efficiency of OLEDs either by developing highly efficient materials or efficient device structures.


An exercise device of the type employing an elastic cable to provide a restoring force comprises a handle attached to a plurality of elastic cables. The plurality of elastic cables are selectively attachable to a retainer assembly to provide a wide range of variation in restoring force exerted against the handle. The plurality of cables may also be enclosed in a flexible sheath to prevent the unattached, inactive cables from becoming entangled with each other or with the attached, active cables.

The present invention is related to manually operated muscle building exercise apparatus, specifically to apparatus that include a resilient elastic cable to provide resistance to motion. Such elastic cable exercise devices are particularly useful in that, as contrasted with barbells and dumbbells, a substantial resisting force can be generated by a relatively lightweight, portable device.
A principal drawback to elastic cable exercise devices, however, is the difficulty encountered in attempting to adjust the restoring force. Typically, the restoring force is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the free length of the elastic cable. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,867 to Hinds discloses an elastic cable exercise device comprising a cable having stirrups at each end and a bar that engages the central portion of the cable to provide a handle for the user to pull against the cable. Hinds discloses that the effective free length of the cable is adjusted by wrapping the cable about the ends of the bar. As noted in Hinds, however, wrapping the cable about the bar to shorten the effective length has an untoward side effect in that, in use, the cable exerts a torque on the bar and/or can slip off the end of the bar. Hinds therefore discloses an improvement comprising a pair of lugs at each end of the bar designed to retain the cable to prevent the wrapped cable from slipping over the ends of the bar during use and to prevent the cable from exerting a torque on the bar. Hinds does not, however, address the inherent limitations in the range of restoring force adjustments that can be made in such exercise devices employing a single cable.
Single cable elastic cable exercise devices suffer from an inherent limitation in the range of restoring force adjustment that can be made, because the only practical method for making adjustments is to shorten or lengthen the effective length of the cable. Elastic cables are similar to springs in that they exert a force that is proportional to displacement. Although elastic bands do not behave linearly, as do metallic springs, elastic bands can nevertheless be characterized as having an effective spring rate. Since, like a spring, an elastic cable exerts a force that is a function of displacement, elastic cable exercise devices do not exert a constant restoring force as do ordinary weight sets. Therefore, in order to simulate as closely as possible the constant force exerted by an ordinary weight set, elastic cable exercise devices are typically operated in such a way that the tensioned length of the cable changes by the minimum percentage possible over the full range of the exercise. A constant force is most nearly simulated using the a long cable (of low spring rate) stretched initially to provide the desired preload, which is then exercised over a short stroke. Obviously, this arrangement is not feasible in many instances.
Shortening or lengthening the effective length of the elastic cable to adjust the preload can accomplish only a very limited variation in the restoring force because the preloaded cable must still have sufficient reserve stretch to extend through the full range of motion of the particular exercise. Beyond a certain point, typically about 300% or so, a latex cable exhibits a rapid increase in its effective spring rate. Accordingly, if a large reduction in the free length of the cable is attempted to achieve a substantial increase in preload, the result will be a cable that cannot be stretched through the full range of motion necessary to perform the exercise. Thus, to accommodate a full range of potential users, manufacturers of single cable elastic cable exercise devices must provide a selection of interchangeable cables of different effective spring rates, with the concomitant increase in cost, and decrease in ease of use.


An indirect bonding apparatus is made by initially placing spacer material over a replica of the patient's tooth structure. A tray is then formed over the spacer material and hardened. Next, the spacer material is removed from the tooth replica and orthodontic appliances are placed on the replica at desired locations. A matrix material is placed between the tray and the replica and allowed to harden. Optionally, the apparatus includes features for facilitating removal of the transfer apparatus after the bonding procedure has been completed, and features for applying firm, uniform pressure to the appliances during the bonding procedure. Other aspects of indirect bonding are also described.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for bonding orthodontic appliances such as brackets to a patient's teeth. The present invention facilitates precise positioning of the appliances in predetermined locations on the teeth and helps to minimize the amount of the patient's time that is spent in the orthodontic operatory.
2. Description of the Related Art
Orthodontic treatment involves movement of malpositioned teeth to desired locations in the oral cavity. Orthodontic treatment can improve the patient's facial appearance, especially in instances where the teeth are noticeably crooked or where the jaws are out of alignment with each other. Orthodontic treatment can also enhance the function of the teeth by providing better occlusion while eating.
One common type of orthodontic treatment involves the use of tiny, slotted appliances known as brackets. The brackets are fixed to the patient's teeth and an archwire is placed in the slot of each bracket. The archwire forms a track to guide movement of teeth to desired locations.
The ends of orthodontic archwires are often connected to small appliances known as buccal tubes that are, in turn, secured to the patient's molar teeth. In many instances, a set of brackets, buccal tubes and an archwire is provided for each of the patient's upper and lower dental arches. The brackets, buccal tubes and archwires are commonly referred to collectively as "braces".
In many types of orthodontic techniques, the precise position of the appliances on the teeth is an important factor for helping to ensure that the teeth move to their intended final positions. For example, one common type of orthodontic treatment technique is known as the "straight-wire" technique, where the archwire lies in a horizontal plane at the conclusion of treatment. If, for example, a bracket is attached to the tooth at a location that is too close to the occlusal or outer tip of the tooth, the orthodontist using a straight-wire technique will likely find that the tooth in its final position is unduly intruded. On the other hand, if the bracket is attached to the tooth at a location closer to the gingiva than is appropriate, it is likely that the final position of the tooth will be more extruded than desired.
In general, orthodontic appliances that are adapted to be adhesively bonded to the patient's teeth are placed on the teeth by either one of two methods: a direct bonding method, or an indirect bonding method. In the direct bonding method, the appliance and adhesive are grasped with a pair of tweezers or other hand instrument and placed by the practitioner on the surface of the tooth in an approximate desired location. Next, the appliance is shifted along the surface of the tooth as needed until the practitioner is satisfied with its position. Once the appliance is in its precise, intended location, the appliance is pressed firmly onto the tooth to seat the appliance in the adhesive. Excess adhesive in areas adjacent the base of the appliance is removed, and the adhesive is then allowed to cure and fix the appliance firmly in place. Typical adhesives include light-curable adhesives that begin to harden upon exposure to actinic radiation, and two-component chemical-cure adhesives that begin to harden when the components are mixed together.
While the direct bonding technique described above is in widespread use and is considered satisfactory by many, there are shortcomings that are inherent with such a technique. For example, access to surfaces of malposed teeth may be difficult. In some instances, and particularly in connection with posterior teeth, the practitioner may have difficulty seeing the precise position of the bracket relative to the tooth surface. Additionally, the appliance may be unintentionally bumped from its intended location during the time that the excess adhesive is being removed adjacent the base of the appliance.
Another problem associated with the direct bonding technique described above concerns the significant length of time needed to carry out the procedure of bonding each appliance to each individual tooth. Typically, the practitioner will attempt to ensure that each appliance is positioned in its precise, intended location before the adhesive is cured, and some time may be necessary before the practitioner is satisfied with the location of each appliance. At the same time, however, the patient may experience discomfort and have difficulty in remaining relatively motionless, especially if the patient is an adolescent. As can be appreciated, there are aspects of the direct bonding technique that can be considered a nuisance for both the practitioner and for the patient.
Indirect bonding techniques often avoid many of the problems noted above. In general, indirect bonding techniques known in the past have involved the use of a transfer tray having a shape that matches the configuration of at least part of a patient's dental arch. A set of appliances such as brackets are releasably connected to the tray at certain, predetermined locations. Adhesive is applied to the base of each appliance, and the tray is then placed over the patient's teeth until such time as the adhesive hardens. Next, the tray is detached from the teeth as well as from the appliances, with the result that all of the appliances previously connected to the tray are now bonded to the respective teeth at their intended, predetermined locations.
In more detail, one method of indirect bonding of orthodontic appliances includes the steps of taking an impression of each of the patient's dental arches and then making a replica plaster or "stone" model from each impression. Optionally, a soap solution (such as Model Glow brand solution from Whip Mix Corporation) or wax is applied to the stone model. A separation solution (such as COE-SEP brand tinfoil substitute from GC America, Inc.) is then applied to the stone model and allowed to dry. If desired, the teeth of the model can be marked with a pencil to assist in placing the brackets in ideal positions.
Next, the brackets are bonded to the stone models. Optionally, the bonding adhesive can be a chemical curing adhesive (such as Concise brand adhesive from 3M) or a light-curable adhesive (such as Transbond XT brand adhesive or Transbond LR brand adhesive, from 3M). Optionally, the brackets may be adhesive precoated brackets such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,015,180, 5,172,809, 5,354,199 and 5,429,229.
A transfer tray is then made by placing a matrix material over the model as well as over the brackets placed on the model. For example, a plastic sheet matrix material may be held by a frame and exposed to radiant heat. Once the plastic sheet material has softened, it is placed over the model and the brackets. Air in the space between the sheet material and the model is then evacuated, and the plastic sheet material assumes a configuration that precisely matches the shape of the replica teeth of the stone model and the attached brackets.
The plastic material is then allowed to cool and harden to form a tray. The tray and the brackets (which are embedded in an interior wall of the tray) are then detached from the stone model and sides of the tray are trimmed as may be desired. Once the patient has returned to the office, a quantity of adhesive is placed on the base of bracket, and the tray with the embedded brackets is then placed over the matching portions of the patient's dental arch. Since the configuration of the interior of the tray closely matches the respective portions of the patient's dental arch, each bracket is ultimately positioned on the patient's teeth at precisely the same location that corresponds to the previous location of the same bracket on the stone model.
Both light-curable adhesives and chemical curing adhesives have been used in the past in indirect bonding techniques to secure the brackets to the patient's teeth. If a light-curable adhesive is used, the tray is preferably transparent or translucent. If a two-component chemical curing adhesive is used, the components can be mixed together immediately before application of the adhesive to the brackets. Alternatively, one component may be placed on each bracket base and the other component may be placed on the tooth surface. In either case, placing of the tray with the embedded brackets on corresponding portions of the patient's dental arch enables the brackets to be bonded to the teeth as a group using only a short amount of time that the patient is occupying the chair in the operatory. With such a technique, individual placement and positioning of each bracket in seriatim fashion on the teeth is avoided.
A variety of transfer trays and materials for transfer trays have been proposed in the past. For example, some practitioners use a soft sheet material (such as Bioplast tray material from Scheu-Dental GmbH) for placement over the stone model and the appliances on the model. A vacuum is applied to draw the soft material into intimate contact with the model and the appliances on the model. Next, a stiffer sheet material (such as Biocryl sheet material, from Scheu-Dental GmbH or Great Lakes Orthodontics, Ltd.) is formed over the softer sheet material, again using a vacuum forming technique. The stiffer material provides a backbone to the tray, while the softer material initially holds the appliances and yet is sufficiently flexible to release from the appliances after the appliances have been fixed to the patient's teeth.
It has also been proposed in the past to use a silicone impression material or a bite registration material (such as Memosil 2, from Heraeus-Kulzer GmbH- & Co. KG). The silicone material is applied over the appliances that are attached to the study model so that the appliances are partially encapsulated.
In an article entitled "A New Look at Indirect Bonding" by Moskowitz et al. (Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, Volume XXX, Number 5, May 1996, pages 277 et sec.), a technique for making indirect bonding trays is described using Reprosil impression material (from Dentsply International). The impression material is placed with a syringe over brackets that have been previously placed on a stone model. Next, a sheet of clear thermoplastic material is drawn down over the impression material using a vacuum-forming technique. The resultant transfer tray is then removed from the model for subsequent placement on the patient's dental arch.
Indirect bonding techniques offer a number of advantages over direct bonding techniques. For one thing, and as indicated above, it is possible to bond a plurality of brackets to a patient's dental arch simultaneously, thereby avoiding the need to bond each appliance in individual fashion. In addition, the indirect bonding tray helps to locate all of the brackets in their proper, intended positions such that adjustment of each bracket on the surface of the tooth before bonding is avoided. The increased placement accuracy of the appliances that is often afforded by indirect bonding techniques helps ensure that the patient's teeth are moved to their proper, intended positions at the conclusion of treatment.
While the indirect bonding techniques as described above have proven satisfactory for many practitioners, there is a continuing need to improve the state of the art. Moreover, the provision of a transfer tray with additional features that facilitate the technique of indirect bonding would be beneficial, such as features that facilitate proper attachment of the appliances to the patient's tooth surfaces and/or features that enhance detachment of the transfer tray subsequent to bonding.

Method and apparatus for indirect bonding of orthodontic appliances


A camera has a shutter which may also constitute a diaphragm. In a multi-flash mode the shutter selectively has a maximum aperture at an onset or at the end of the time base. The flash occurs in synchronism with a shutter waveform shaped by this aperture area and a time base element. In a second embodiment, a second diaphragm setting circuit is provided, in diaphragm priority photography, for computing a measurement value of a distance to a subject and a second diaphragm value from the guide number during an emission of flashed light. The diaphragm is set to the computed second diaphragm value, ad an electronic flash is energized with a desired aperture area. The diaphragm is set to an initial value to effect the photography at a time other than during the emission of flashed light. A timing circuit may be provided for setting the diaphragm to the second diaphragm value. The aperture area may be increased or decreased for diaphragm matching with the quantity of flashed light and the distance to the subject during diaphragm priority flash photography.

Generally, when a flash synchronizing device is provided in a camera with a multi-flash function, a constant amount of light from the flash is emitted a plurality of times, in synchronization with shutter operations. The plurality of light emissions are effected at substantially equal intervals with respect to the time base, and are independent of the size of the aperture area of the shutter. For this reason, an average flash effect is obtained. The exposure quantity is the same for all portions of the picture, however, resulting in such drawbacks that vividness is not apparent in the photographed picture, and the photo is hard to see.
Elements for determining an exposure for taking a photo are the film sensitivity, the shutter speed, the diaphragm and the brightness of a subject. If the film sensitivity and the brightness of the subject are determined, a proper exposure value can be determined. Automatic exposure (AE) control is effected by setting the shutter speed and the diaphragm value so that a proper exposure C has an exposure value based on the subject luminance E, a film ASA sensitivity S, a diaphragm value F and an exposure time T.
Under AE control, the selection by the camera of the shutter speed, the diaphragm, or all the elements depends upon the purpose of the photograph. When subjects are selected for which the depth of field must be enhanced, e.g., still-life photography, group photography (the depth of focus is needed) and a portrait (the background is out of focus while decreasing the depth), diaphragm priority AE is preferable. If the photographer sets the diaphragm value, or if, alternatively the diaphragm value is determined from a result of measuring the distance to the subject, the shutter speed is automatically set.
On the other hand, a flashmatic mechanism in which the camera interlocks with the electronic flash is a mechanism for controlling, when irradiation distance varies, the diaphragm value interlocking therewith on the basis of GN (guide number) =F.multidot.D expressed as a product of a diaphragm value indicating a light quantity of the flash and the irradiation distance D (to the subject).
For controlling the proper exposure by interlocking the flash with AE of the camera, the guide number of the flash is set, and thereafter the diaphragm is automatically adjusted simply by adjusting the distance.
The above-described flashmatic mechanism includes an auto-flashmatic mechanism constructed to emit no light when the natural light suffices for an exposure quantity of the subject but automatically emit the light under such conditions that a blur would otherwise caused due to an ambient darkness.
When the photographer selects diaphragm priority photography under auto exposure control including the flashmatic mechanism, and if a constant guide number is set, it follows that the photographing distance is restricted by the selected diaphragm. A quantity of transmitted light which corresponds to the subject distance is not controlled, resulting in a photo with an improper exposure quantity in some cases.
Further, it is impossible to select an emission timing of emitted light.


The present invention relates to the securing of a garnish in a vehicle. The garnish is disposed over the airbag and secures to one or more apertures in the vehicle. The garnish includes a cover, which hides the airbag before it is deployed. A tether is attached to the cover. The tether extends from the cover, and includes a flexible securing portion which is received in the vehicle aperture. When the airbag deploys, the garnish is displaced. Displacement of the garnish, and deployment of the airbag, is enabled by the flexible securing portion, which deforms in response to the airbag, thereby allowing deployment while maintaining attachment of the cover to the vehicle.

Utilizing a garnish to cover an airbag in a vehicle has been practiced since the first airbags were installed. These first airbags were designed for a frontal impact and located within a steering wheel. They were covered by a rubber like garnish material. This material had thinned areas that were designed to tear in certain areas to allow the airbag to deploy while maintaining control and attachment of the garnish to the steering wheel.
As the benefit of airbags became apparent, they were included in numerous other areas of the vehicle, such as frontal impact airbags in the passenger side dashboard, side curtain impact airbags in the roof line and pillars, etc. As the locations and designs for the airbags increased in complexity, so too did the design of the garnishes and garnish attachments.
Consumers prefer a harder material for garnishment of the pillars as compared to the steering wheel. This harder plastic could not be designed to tear in specific locations, rather it would have to be displaced when the airbags deployed. In order for the displaced garnish to not get in the way when the airbag deployed, movement of the garnish needed to be controlled.
Allowing displacement while maintaining control of the garnish has traditionally been achieved through complicated two-stage clips or fasteners. These clips would initially secure the garnish to the vehicle, and upon the application of a threshold amount of force, the first stage of the clip would break free, and the second stage of the clip would engage, allowing a certain amount of travel between the first and second stage. These clips were able to adequately secure the garnish and allow the necessary movement and control, however their complex design made them costly to implement.
Based on the problems described above, a new airbag garnish and attachment design is desired.

Garnish structure with integrated tether strap

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


An upstanding garment hanger comprises a transversely extending first support member and a succession of garment support elements depending downwardly from the support member to free ends, at least first and second adjacent ones of the garment support elements defining transversely extending, vertically spaced projections upwardly of the free ends thereof, and a transversely extending second support member joined with upper ends of the first and second support arms, the second support member having first and second detents at respective transverse ends thereof.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,878 ("the '878 patent") shows a hanger for underwear which has a transversely extending support member with a hook extending upwardly of the support member for engaging a support rail to suspend the support member. A plurality of garment interior support elements depend downwardly of the support member arcuately to the vertical and have hook formations on ends thereof to entrap an undergarment thereabove. At ends of the support member, the hanger includes downwardly and outwardly extending single garment support elements, i.e., exterior garment support elements, with projections extending outwardly of the exterior garment support elements. A notch or detent is formed in the support member above each of the exterior support elements. Such hanger exterior garment support elements are shown in U.S. design Pat. Des. No. 202,240.
The hanger of the '878 patent has facility for the hanging of underwear (briefs) of various waistband sizes. Underwear is hung by applying one end of its waistband to an interior garment support element above the hooked end thereof, drawing the waistband about one of the exterior garment support elements and then applying the other end of the waistband about the other of the exterior garment support elements and then applying the other end of the waistband to another of the interior support elements. Different interior garment support elements are used for differently-sized underwear.
South Africa Patent Application No. 85/7516, which is noted in the '878 patent as the first-filed application counterpart to the application for the '878 patent, describes a similar hanger structure wherein, however, the interior garment support elements depend straightwise from the support member, i.e., the elements are not arcuate.
By way of further background to the subject invention, note is taken of a commercially-known hanger for briefs bearing the legend "PLASTI-FORM-1-800-HANGER-4". This hanger also has garment support elements which extend downwardly and straightwise from the hanger support member, i. e., not arcuately to the vertical. Contrary to the hangers of the '878 patent and the above-noted South African patent application, each of which has hook formations at the lower ends of the garment support elements, the commercially-known hanger has a spring-like member extending continuously with the ends of the garment support elements vertically upwardly toward the support member.
Common to above-discussed hangers is to provide the support member in a downwardly arcuate configuration such that the support member is not seen when the hangers support underwear.
The parent '642 application noted above provides an upstanding garment hanger comprising a transversely extending support member and a succession of garment support elements depending downwardly from the support member to free ends, at least first and second adjacent ones of the garment support elements defining transversely extending, vertically spaced projections upwardly of the free ends thereof.
The projections of the first garment support element are in different vertical locations than the projections of the adjacent second garment support element and are preferably of semicircular configuration.
In use of the hanger, a waistband is inserted within a pair of the garment support elements and is engaged and retained by the projections of the garment support elements of such pair. The waistband is then drawn over one end of the support member, across the front of the support member, over the other end of the support member and is inserted rearwardly of the support member into the appropriate garment support element pair and retained by the projections of the garment support elements of such pair.


An RFID module comprising a transponder covered with a 0.2 to 2 mm thick rubber sheet containing 100 parts by weight of a diene-based rubber, less than 30 parts by weight of carbon black and 5 to 55 parts by weight of silica, having a relative permittivity of 7 or less and having a dynamic modulus of elasticity (E′) of 2 to 12 MPa, which can extend a communication distance with a required installation location and is superior in the durability at the time of being embedded in the tire.

In recent years, to prevent auto theft, production control of tires, shipment control of tires history of use of tires after being handed over to the users, etc., technology has been developed mounting transponders with built-in memories (i.e., RFID tags) in vehicles and tires. In many prior art, the transponders are placed at the insides and outsides of vehicles or the inside surfaces of tires, but in such cases, there are the problems that the transponders are affected by the absorption of the electromagnetic waves, interference, etc. by members at the location of installation or its vicinity, the communication distance between the transponder and the transmitter becomes shorter, or communication becomes impossible due to noise. Further, in particular, when placed inside a tire etc., since the tire deforms by a large extent during operation, there is the problem that the transponder easily breaks.
In the past, as utilizations of such transponders, prior arts placing transponders inside the tires to record various types of tires and vehicle information and calling them up for use in tires and vehicle management etc. or further coupling sequential tires and vehicle information from the same with drive control devices to control operations etc. are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2005-170065. Further, technology for capturing the wet, dry or other road surface conditions as changes in the permittivity between tire grooves and measuring the electrostatic capacity of the transponder provided at the tire tread to judge the road surface conditions and control the operation of the vehicle is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2005-170222.
Furthermore, as technology for preventing breakage of transponders and preventing poor communication due to electromagnetic wave interference, embedding a rod shaped transponder in the tire beads is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2000-108621, while placing a transponder on a plate shaped magnetic member arranged around the tire valve structure is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2005-96726. Further, to prevent the transponder from being affected by noise, placement via an electromagnetic wave shield with an electric resistivity of 1×106Ω·cm or more between the transponder and the part attached to is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2002-271127.

Rubber-covered RFID module, and pneumatic tire having the it is embedded


An enzymatically active DNA polymerase having between 540 and 582 amino acids having a tyrosine at a position equivalent to position 667 of Taq DNA polymerase, wherein said polymerase lacks 5' to 3' exonuclease activity, and wherein said polymerase has at least 95% homology in its amino acid sequence to the DNA polymerase of Thermus aquaticus, Thermus flavus or Thermus thermophilus, and wherein said polymerase forms a single polypeptide band on an SDS PAGE.

The present invention relates to novel thermo-stable DNA polymerases, the genes and vectors encoding them and their use in DNA sequencing.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,889,818 and 5,079,352 describe the isolation and expression of a DNA polymerase known as Taq DNA Polymerase (hereinafter referred to as Taq). It is reported that amino-terminal deletions wherein approximately one-third of the coding sequence is absent have resulted in producing a gene product that is quite active in polymerase assays. Taq is described as being of use in PCR (polymerase chain reaction).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,216 describes the use of Taq in DNA sequencing.
International patent application WO 92/06/06188 describes a DNA polymerase having an identical amino acid sequence to Taq except that it lacks the N-terminal 235 amino acids of Taq and its use in sequencing. This DNA polymerase is known as .DELTA. Taq.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,699 describes the use of T7 type DNA polymerases (T7) in DNA sequencing. These are of great use in DNA sequencing in that they incorporate dideoxy nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) with an efficiency comparable to the incorporation of deoxy NTPs; other polymerases incorporate dideoxy NTPs far less efficiently which requires comparatively large quantities of these to be present in sequencing reactions.
At the DOE Contractor-Grantee Workshop (Nov. 13-17, 1994, Santa Fe) and the I. Robert Lehman Symposium (Nov. 11-14, 1994, Sonoma), Prof. S. Tabor identified a site in DNA polymerases that can be modified to incorporate dideoxy NTPs more efficiently. He reported that the presence or absence of a single hydroxy group (tyrosine vs. phenylalanine) at a highly conserved position on E. coli, DNA Polymerase I, T7, and Taq makes more than a 1000-fold difference in their ability to discriminate against dideoxy NTPs. (See also European Patent Application 94203433.1 published May 31, 1995, Publication No. 0 655 506 A1 and hereby incorporated by reference herein.)


Methods of labeling and detecting a target nucleic acid by incubating a target nucleic acid with a terminal transferase to extend a terminus of the target nucleic acid and provide an extended region; hybridizing the extended region of the target nucleic acid with a template polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence complementary to the extended region to obtain a hybridization product; and incubating the hybridization product with a nucleic acid polymerase and either a deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) having a detectable label or nucleotide triphosphate (NTP) having a detectable label to further extend the extended target nucleic acid.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to methods for labeling target nucleic acids using template polynucleotides, methods of detecting target nucleic acids using the labeled target nucleic acids, and methods of detecting target nucleic acids complementary to probe nucleic acids using the labeled target nucleic acids.
2. Description of the Related Art
The pattern of genes expressed in a cell or tissue is referred to as a gene expression profile. A gene expression profile may differ depending on the type of cell or tissue, and may differ over time. Also, the gene expression profile of a particular cell may be very different from that of a normal cell due to bodily changes such as diseases.
A DNA microarray is a powerful tool for analyzing the gene expression profile. The DNA microarray with probes immobilized on a substrate may detect signals produced due to binding of the probes to target materials. DNA microarrays are used in various fields such as gene function analysis and diagnostic tests for genetic diseases in the medical field, as well as in the environmental field.
For the medical and the research fields, nucleic acids existing in small quantities need to be detected. In end labeling, one label is introduced for one nucleic acid, and accordingly, a nucleic acid existing in small quantity is difficult to detect. If nucleic acids in a sample are amplified for detection, quantification of the nucleic acids may be difficult due to an amplification bias.
Hence, a method of sensitive detection of a nucleic acid present in small quantities in a sample is needed.

Method of labeling a target nucleic acid


An electrical connector (100) comprises an insulative housing (10), a shell encapsulating the insulative housing and a plurality of contacts (20) received in the housing abreast. The insulative housing defines a tongue (12), a plurality of passageways (121) and receiving grooves (131), the passageways extending to the tongue, the tongue has a stopping portion (126) in the front of each passageway. A cavity is defined below each stopping portion and communicated with the passageway. Each contact has a contacting portion (21) and a tail portion (23) wider than the contacting portion, the contacting portions are received in a corresponding passageways with the tail portions received in a corresponding receiving grooves. Each contacting portion defines a tab (210) protruding forwardly from a bottom surface thereof, the tab is received in the cavity and protected by the stopping portion (126); each tail portion is stamped downwards to form a notch (231) receiving wires and soldering with the wires.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector with improved contacts.
2. Description of Related Art
Nowadays, miniaturization of electronic devices, such as notebooks, PDA, etc has become a trend such that the dimension and size of electronic connectors used therein have to be modified and reduced so as to meet the requirements.
CN Patent No. 1049072C issued to Tian on Feb. 2, 2000 discloses a mini USB connector. The mini USB connector comprises an insulative housing, a group of contacts received in the housing and a metallic shielding assembled to the housing. Each contact defines a tail portion with a pair of wings extending laterally, the wings are bent toward each other to receive one of wires therein, to prevent solder from flowing. However, it's difficult to bend the wings when the contact becomes thicker.
Said contacts are received in passages of the housing, but tips of the contacts will sprout upwards as mating time increases. Typically, the tip of the contact is bent down and pressed into the housing to prevent the tip from sprouting upwards. U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,386 issued to Davis on Mar. 10, 1998 discloses an electrical connector with this typical design. The electrical connector comprises an insulative housing, a group of contacts received in the housing and a metallic shielding assembled to the housing, contacting portions of the contacts are bent downwards to merge into a front part of the housing. However, when the contacts are insert-molded within the housing, it's difficult to make tips of the contacts and main bodies of the contacts locate on a same plane.
Hence, it is desirable to have an improved structure to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

Electrical connector with improved contacts


A method of switching a screen of a mobile communications device from a screen locked state to a screen unlocked state is provided. The mobile communications device includes a display panel configured to display the screen that has a background section and a first section in the screen locked state. The method includes: moving the first section from a first location to a second location of the screen in the screen locked state when an screen unlocking requirement is determined to be satisfied; and keeping displaying the first section at the second location of the screen after switching the screen from the screen locked state to the screen unlocked state. A non-transitory computer-readable medium and a mobile communications device for switching a screen of the mobile communications device from a screen locked state to a screen unlocked state are also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communications device, a non-transitory computer-readable medium and a method, and more particularly to a mobile communications device, a non-transitory computer-readable medium and a method for switching a screen of a mobile communications device from a screen locked state to a screen unlocked state.
2. Background of the Invention
A recent trend in the mobile communications device industry is to implement a screen locking mechanism in a mobile communications device such as a smart phone in order to avoid or reduce the unintended actions triggered by inadvertent touches of the touch screen. When the smart phone is idle or inactive for a period of time, the phone would automatically enter into a screen locked state and thereby disable further input on the touch screen until a specific unlock mechanism is performed to resume normal operation of the touch screen and switch the screen from the screen locked state to a screen unlocked state. The aforementioned mechanism may be crucial to operability of the phone, as the touch screen may potentially rub against the fabric of the user's pocket or a backpack when the smart phone is stored in the user's pocket or the backpack, which may trigger inadvertent touches of the touch screen.
However, as the current use of the smart phone becomes more prevalent, a user may need to perform screen unlocking operations several times per day or even several times per hour. Therefore, a faster and more efficient way of performing the screen unlocking operations would be desired. Also, as a user repeatedly performs several operation of using the mobile phone, e.g., pausing the operation, performing screen unlock, and operating on the mobile phone again and again, the user may find that the transition between a locked screen and a normal operating (unlocked) screen is somewhat disruptive, as the perceived changes between interfaces experienced by a user is too stark and may cause sensory fatigue to the eyes of the user.

Mobile communications device, non-transitory computer-readable medium and method of switching screen of mobile communications device from screen locked state to screen unlocked state