An electric field effect light emitting device comprises a light emitting layer consisting of a diamond-like carbon film containing oxygen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric field light-emitting device or an electro-luminescence (EL) device adapted for use as a flat panel display device or a light source therefor, or as a one or two-dimensional light-emitting device.
2. Related Background Art
The electroluminescence device has been developed as a flat light source, and is attracting attention in recent years because of improvements in the luminance and service life characteristics, relative ease of preparation of a large-area device with satisfactory uniformity of luminance, a small thickness, a light weight and possibility of flexibility in device.
Also such electroluminescence device is attracting attention in the office automation-related applications such as a rear illumination for liquid crystal display, a charge eliminating light source for a plain paper copying machine, and other applications requiring a high contrast, a high resolving power and a wide viewing angle.
In such conventional thin film EL device, the matrix crystal of the light emitting layer is composed for example of ZnS, ZnSe, CaS or SeS. Also the light emitting centers are composed for example of rare earth elements, transition metals, halogen atoms, alkali metal, alkali earth metals, or compounds containing these elements according to the colors to be generated.
However, the light emitting film of such thin film EL device, which is conventionally formed by resistance heating, electron beam evaporation or sputtering, is particularly susceptible to humidity for example due to structural defects of the film and is associated with the drawbacks of unstable light emission and film deterioration, so that a moisture insulating film, covering also the end faces of the device, has been indispensable.
For solving such problem of moisture resistance, an EL device in which the light emitting layer is composed of a diamond-state carbon film was disclosed in Appl. Phys. Lett. [53(19) Sept. 1988].
Such EL device is superior in the moisture resistance to the EL devices with conventional materials, but is still associated with drawbacks such as a high applied voltage, a low luminance and a short service life.
Also among the conventional EL devices utilizing ZnS or ZnSe, those utilizing ZnS:Mn for yellow-orange color emission are known to be of a high luminance and a long service life, but those utilizing Tm, Cu-Cl or Cu-Al as the light emitting centers for blue color emission are associated with the drawbacks of low luminance and short service life.
Electroluminescence of diamond was also reported for example by J. R. Briole and F. C. Champion [Proc. Phys. Soc. p.849-859, 80 (1962)]on granular diamonds of about 1 mm in size.
The use of diamond in the light emitting layer at first provides an advantage of a band gap as large as 5.4 eV, which allows a wide selection of elements and compounds usable as the light emitting center, and enables blue light emission.
Also the diamond has an insulation voltage equal to or higher than 1 MV/cm so that the electrons for exciting the light emitting centers can be sufficiently accelerated, and a high luminance can be attained by the efficient excitation of the light emitting centers. Besides the diamond is chemically stable, and not easily affected by humidity or atmosphere, so that a device of long service life can be obtained.
However granular diamond crystals of about 1 mm in size are unable to form a high density matrix in the light emitting layer.
Also such diamond is not suitable for mass production of EL devices of uniform luminance. In addition, since the diamond requires an extremely high voltage for light emission, it is not suitable for practical use as the device for display requiring a large area.
Furthermore, the diamond, when used as the matrix crystal of the light emitting layer, can increase the number of atoms or compounds constituting the light emitting centers, thus enabling multi-color emission due to the band gap as large as 5.4 eV.
However the light emitting layer composed of granular diamond crystals of about 1 mm in size is associated with the drawbacks of difficulty of doping of elements constituting the light emitting centers, difficulty of forming a high density matrix and inability for forming a flat panel or a two-dimensional light emitting device.
Also, a thin diamond film formed by conventional gaseous synthesis is a polycrystalline film having surface irregularities of several thousand Angstroms. Also a small amount of amorphous carbon or graphite may be present for example in the crystal grain boundaries, depending on the film forming method.
If such thin diamond film is employed as the light emitting layer of an EL device, with electrodes directly attached thereto, there may be locally applied a high electric field depending on the surface topography, eventually leading to destruction of insulation, or the insulation voltage the diamond layer is lowered due to the impurities present therein or the element or compound doped as the light emitting centers, eventually leading to the destruction of insulation under a high electric field, so that the performance of the device is inevitably unstable.
Such diamond film with uneven surface inevitably results in irregular and unstable contact between said thin film and the electrode, whereby a local high electric field is generated at the voltage application.


A current detector unit has a current detecting portion detecting a current flowing between a three-phase inverter and a direct-current power supply as a detection current; a three-phase current detecting portion for detecting a three-phase current of the inverter based on the detection current; and a judging portion judging, based on the detection current, whether or not a target time point belongs to a period during which the three-phase current can be detected. If the judging portion judges that the target time point belongs to the period, the three-phase current detecting portion detects the three-phase current.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to current detector units for detecting a current and to motor control devices that drive and control a motor.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to perform vector control of a motor by supplying three-phase alternating-current power to the motor, it is necessary to detect two phase currents (for example, a U-phase current and a V-phase current) among three phase currents consisting of U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase currents. In general, detection of two phase currents is performed by using two current sensors (such as current transformers). However, the use of two current sensors undesirably increases overall cost of a system incorporating the motor.
It is for this reason that there has conventionally been proposed a technique by which a bus current (direct current) between an inverter and a direct-current power supply is detected with a single current sensor, and, based on the bus current thus detected, two phase currents are detected. This technique is called a single shunt current detection technique.
FIG. 19 is an overall block diagram showing a conventional motor drive system employing the single shunt current detection technique. An inverter (PWM inverter) 902 includes three half-bridge circuits provided one for each of three phases and each having an upper arm and a lower arm. The inverter 902 performs individual switching of each arm in accordance with specified three-phase voltage values fed from a controller 903, and thereby converts a direct-current voltage from a direct-current power supply 904 into a three-phase alternating-current voltage. The three-phase alternating-current voltage thus obtained is supplied to a three-phase permanent-magnet synchronous motor 901 to drive and control the motor 901.
A line connecting each lower arm provided in the inverter 902 with the direct-current power supply 904 is called a bus 913. A current sensor 905 transmits, to the controller 903, a signal indicating a bus current flowing through the bus 913. The controller 903 performs sampling of an output signal of the current sensor 905 with appropriate timing, and thereby detects a phase current of a phase with a maximum voltage level (maximum phase) and a phase current of a phase with a minimum voltage level (minimum phase), namely, two phase currents. That is, upon detection of two phase currents, a three-phase current of the inverter 902, namely a motor current, is automatically obtained.
If there is a sufficient level difference among the voltage levels of different phases, two phase currents can be detected in the above-described manner. However, if the voltage levels of the maximum phase and intermediate phase come close to each other, or the voltage levels of the minimum phase and intermediate phase come close to each other, it becomes impossible to detect two phase currents. Incidentally, the single shunt current detection technique will be described later in an embodiment of the present invention, along with the reason why it becomes impossible to detect two phase currents.
In view of this, there has been a conventional method in which the single shunt current detection technique is performed such that, if a difference between any two phase voltages is relatively large, a present motor current is detected by using present bus current information; if the difference is relatively small, a present motor current is estimated by using the bus current information detected in the past.
In this conventional method, a voltage threshold value is previously set, and the voltage threshold value thus set is compared with the difference between two phase voltages to make a judgment whether the difference is relatively large or small. However, with this conventional method, since the voltage threshold value has to be set with allowance made for various factors, there is a possibility that, although in actuality two phase currents can be detected, it is judged that they cannot be detected.

Current detector unit and motor control device


There is provided a multi-layered chip electronic component including: a multi-layered body formed by stacking a plurality of magnetic layers; and conductive patterns disposed between the plurality of magnetic layers and electrically connected in a lamination direction to form coil patterns, wherein in a case in which a single coil pattern in the coil pattern is projected in the length and width directions of the multi-layered body, when an area of the magnetic layer inside of the coil pattern is defined as Ai and an area of the magnetic layer outside of the coil pattern is defined as Ao, 0.40≦Ai:Ao≦1.03 is satisfied.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-layered chip electronic component.
Description of the Related Art
An inductor, a multi-layered chip component, is a representative passive element capable of removing noise by configuring an electronic circuit together with a resistor and a capacitor.
A multi-layered chip type inductor may be manufactured by printing and stacking conductive patterns so as to form a coil in a magnetic substance or in a dielectric substance. The multi-layered chip inductor has a structure in which a plurality of magnetic or dielectric layers on which conductive patterns are formed are multi-layered. Internal conductive patterns within the multi-layered chip inductor are sequentially connected by via electrodes formed in each magnetic layer so as to form a coil structure within a chip to implement targeted inductance and impedance characteristics.
Recently, demand for miniaturization of the multi-layered chip inductor has increased. Even in the case of manufacturing the miniaturized multi-layered chip inductor, there is a defect in that a relatively large cutting margin to a chip size for preventing delamination is formed.
Therefore, a need exists for a development of a multi-layered chip inductor capable of securing high capacity while being miniaturized.


A field effect transistor in which a continuous semiconductor layer comprises:                a) an organic semiconductor; and,        b) an organic binder which has an inherent conductivity of less than 10−6Scm−1 and a permittivity at 1,000 Hz of less than 3.3and a process for its production comprising:            coating a substrate with a liquid layer which comprises the organic semiconductor and a material capable of reacting to form the binder; and,    converting the liquid layer to a solid layer comprising the semiconductor and the binder by reacting the material to form the binder.

This invention relates to Field Effect Transistors (FETs) and materials and methods for their manufacture.
Conventional FETs are electronic devices which are capable of modulating the current between two electrodes called the drain and the source by the application of a voltage on a third electrode called the gate. The current is modulated by accumulating or depleting charge carriers in a semiconductor channel between the drain and the source. In conventional FETs inorganic semiconductors such as Si or GaAs have been used for the channel material. FETs find use in a number of applications at present such as in the active drive matrix for large area displays. However, FETs using inorganic materials are often difficult and expensive to manufacture due to the high temperature processing conditions and vacuum required to give uniform devices over large areas.
Currently there is great interest in replacing the inorganic materials with cheaper organic compounds (J. Mater. Chem., 1997, 7(3), 369–376 and 1999, 9, 1895–1904). A number of organic π-conjugated materials have been used as the active layer in FETs (Current Opinion in Solid State & Materials Science, 1997, 2, 455–461 and Chemical Physics, 1998, 227, 253–262); however, none of these materials has been found to be completely satisfactory for practical applications because they have poor electrical performance, are difficult to process in large scale manufacture, or are not sufficiently robust to attack by atmospheric oxygen and water, which results in short life-time of the device. For example, pentacene has been reported to give very high field effect mobilities but only when deposited under high vacuum conditions (Synth. Metals, 41–43, 1991, 1127). A soluble precursor route has also been reported for pentacene which allows liquid processing, but this material then requires subsequent heating at relatively high temperatures (140° C.–180° C.) in-vacuum to form the active layer (Synth. Metals, 1997, 88, 37–55). The final performance of the FET formed using this process is very sensitive to the substrate and the conversion conditions, and has very limited usefulness in terms of a practical manufacturing process. Conjugated oligomers such as α-sexithiophene (Synth. Metals, 54, 1993, 435 and Science, 1994, 265, 1684) are also reported to have high FET mobility, but only when deposited under high vacuum conditions. Some semiconducting polymers such as poly(3-hexylthiophene) (Applied Physics Letters, 1988, 53, 195) can be deposited from solution phase but this has not been found to be satisfactory for practical applications. Borsenberger et al., (J. Appl. Phys., 34,1995, Pt 2, No12A, L1597–L1598), describes high mobility doped polymers comprising a bis(di-tolyaminophenyl)cyclohexane doped into a series of thermoplastic polymers, apparently of possible use as transport layers in xerographic photoreceptors. However, this paper does not show the usefulness of such materials in FETs.
There are further known approaches to use mixtures of organic materials in electronic devices. EP 0910100A2 (Xerox) describes compositions for conductive coatings, which comprise of a polymer binder, charge transport molecules and an oxidising agent. The oxidising agent is used to increase the carrier concentration. Such coatings may be envisaged as conductive electrodes for electronic devices, e.g. transistors such as gate, drain and source contacts or conductive tracks between them. However, the disclosure does not relate to the semiconductor channel material for FETs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,537 (Mitsubishi) claims FETs with at least two different organic channel materials, both of which are semiconductors, one compound having a higher conductivity than the other and used to supply carriers in the channel, thus achieving better current modulation. The application also mentions that a further "electrically insulating material" can be mixed in but without reference what such material may be or how it is applied. The carrier supply function of the first material can also be achieved when it forms a layer next to the second material.
EP0478380A1 (Toshiba) describes organic thin film elements consisting of a mixed stacked charge-transfer (CT) complex using a mixture of donor and acceptor like materials. The complex film can be affected to change its state from neutral to ionic by the application of an electric field. When used in an FET, the transition leads to an abrupt change in the carrier density in the channel. Multi-stack channels are also described using several double-layers of a CT complex layer followed by an insulating polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) layer. Such devices yield multiple-stage switching. The insulating PVDF is not used as a binder in the channel.
EP 0528 662 A1 (Toshiba) discloses an FET with a first organic layer constituting the FET channel and a second; adjacent layer with a different carrier concentration. The role of the second layer is to inject carriers into the channel when a voltage is applied to the gate. In one arrangement, the second organic layer can be made as a photoreceptor consisting of photogeneration and charge transport layers. The charge transport layer may consist of a charge transport material in a binder polymer. When the charge generation layer is illuminated, carriers are injected into the charge transport layer and subsequently into the first organic layer, which forms the channel. Thus a highly photosensitive switching element is obtained. The invention uses such charge generating/charge transporting layers solely as a second layer supplying excess carriers into the first organic layer (the channel) and does not suggest using binder compositions as the active channel layer itself.
EP 0981165 A1 (Lucent) describes thin film transistor integrated circuits with inverted structures. The document mentions that semiconductor materials used may be 4,4′-diaminobisphenyls in polymer matrices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,199 (Lucent) discloses complementary circuits with p and n type organic transistors. It also mentions that p-channel elements may be made of p,p′-diaminobisphenyl in polymer matrices. However neither document teaches what the polymer matrices may be and does not consider any other compounds than p,p′-diaminobisphenyls.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,498 (Eastman Kodak) discloses amine salts of linear polyaniline compounds as useful semiconductors. It also mentions that an organic binder may be added to the amine salt. However, the disclosure does not extend beyond the use of polyaniline salts. In our co-pending PCT patent application WO 99/32537 we disclose end-capped triarylamine polymers solutions of which may be used to make inter alia field effect transistors. We have now found that transistors with good performance characteristics may be conveniently produced by using binders described herein.
According to the present invention there is provided a field effect transistor in which a continuous semiconductor layer comprises:                a) an organic semiconductor; and        b) an organic binder which has an inherent conductivity of less than 10−6 Scm−1 and a permittivity, ε, at 1,000 Hz of less than 3.3.The organic binder is preferably one in which at least 95%, more preferably at least 98% and especially all of the atoms are hydrogen, fluorine and carbon atoms.
Preferred binders are materials of low permittivity. The organic binder preferably has a permittivity at 1,000 Hz of less than 3.0, more preferably less than 2.8 and preferably greater than 1.7, especially a permittivity from 2.0 to 2.8.
Where the organic binder is a homopolymer of polystyrene its molecular weight is preferably less than 20,000 daltons, more preferably less than 15,000 daltons, and especially greater than 1,000 daltons.
In a preferred embodiment the organic semiconductor has a field effect mobility of more than 10−5 cm2V−1s−1 and an inherent (i.e. when not exposed to an electric field) conductivity of less than 10−6 Scm−1.
A preferred sub-group of field effect transistors comprise a continuous semiconductor layer which has a field effect mobility of more than 10−5 cm2V−1s−1 and an inherent (i.e. when not exposed to an electric field) conductivity of less than 10−6 Scm−1 which layer comprises:    a) an organic semiconductor having an inherent conductivity of less than 10−6 Scm−1 and preferably a field effect mobility of more than 10−5 cm2V−1s−1 and    b) an organic binder which has an inherent conductivity of less than 10−6 Scm−1 and a permittivity at 1,000 Hz of less than 3 and more preferably less than 2.8 and preferably greater than 1.7, especially from 2.0 to 2.8 with the proviso that if the binder is a homopolymer of polystyrene its molecular weight is less than 20,000 daltons and preferably less than 15,000 daltons, and is preferably greater than 1,000 daltons.
A further preferred sub-group of field effect transistors comprise a continuous semiconductor layer which comprises:    a) an organic semiconductor and    b) a binder of which at least 95% and preferably at least 98% and preferably all of the atoms are hydrogen, fluorine and carbon atoms with the proviso that if the hydrocarbon binder is a homopolymer of polystyrene its molecular weight is less than 20,000 daltons and preferably less than 15,000 daltons, and is preferably greater than 1,000 daltons.The semiconductor may be an n or p type.
The organic semiconductor may be any conjugated aromatic molecule containing at least three aromatic rings. Preferred organic semiconductors contain 5, 6 or 7 membered aromatic rings, especially preferred organic semiconductors contain 5 or 6 membered aromatic rings.
Each of the aromatic rings may optionally contain one or more hetero atoms selected from Se, Te, P, Si, B, As, N, O or S, preferably from N, O or S.
The rings may be optionally substituted with alkyl, alkoxy, polyalkoxy, thioalkyl, acyl, aryl or substituted aryl groups, a fluorine atom, a cyano group, a nitro group or an optionally substituted secondary or tertiary alkylamine or arylamine —N(R3)(R4), where R3 and R4 each independently is H, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted aryl, alkoxy or polyalkoxy groups. The alkyl and aryl groups may be optionally fluorinated.
The rings may be optionally fused or may be linked with a conjugated linking group such as —C(T1)=C(T2)-, —C≡C—, —N(R′)—, —N═N—, (R′)═N—, —N═C(R′)—. T1 and T2 each independently represent H, Cl, F, —C≡N or lower alkyl groups particularly C1-4 alkyl groups; R′ represents H, optionally substituted alkyl or optionally substituted aryl. The alkyl and aryl groups may be optionally fluorinated.
Other organic semi-conducting materials that can be used in this invention include soluble compounds and soluble derivatives of compounds of the following list: conjugated hydrocarbon polymers such as polyacene, polyphenylene, poly(phenylene vinylene), polyfluorene including oligomers of those conjugated hydrocarbon polymers; condensed aromatic hydrocarbons such as tetracene, chrysene, pentacene, pyrene, perylene, coronene; oligomeric para substituted phenylenes such as p-quaterphenyl (p-4P), p-quinquephenyl (p-5P), p-sexiphenyl (p-6P); conjugated heterocyclic polymers such as poly(3-substituted thiophene), poly(3,4-bisubstituted thiophene), polybenzothiophene, polyisothianapthene, poly(N-substituted pyrrole), poly(3-substituted pyrrole), poly(3,4-bisubstituted pyrrole), polyfuran, polypyridine, poly-1,3,4-oxadiazoles, polyisothianaphthene, poly(N-substituted aniline), poly(2-substituted aniline), poly(3-substituted aniline), poly(2,3-bisubstituted aniline), polyazulene, polypyrene; pyrazoline compounds; polyselenophene; polybenzofuran; polyindole; polypyridazine; benzidine compounds; stilbene compounds; triazines; substituted metallo- or metal-free porphines, phthalocyanines or naphthalocyanines; C60 and C70 fullerenes; N,N′-dialkyl, substituted dialkyl, diaryl or substituted diaryl-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide; N,N′-dialkyl, substituted dialkyl, diaryl or substituted diaryl 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylicdiimide; bathophenanthroline; diphenoquinones; 1,3,4-oxadiazoles; 11,11,12,12-tetracyanonaptho-2,6-quinodimethane; α,α′-bis(dithieno[3,2-b2′,3′-d]thiophene); 2,8-dialkyl, substituted dialkyl, diaryl or substituted diaryl anthradithiophene; 2,2′-bibenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene. A preferred class of semiconductors has repeat units of formula 1:
where each Y1 is independently selected from P, S, As, N and Se and preferably Y1 is N; Ar1 and Ar2 are aromatic groups and Ar1 is present only if Y1 is N, P, or As in which case it too is an aromatic group. Ar1, Ar2 and Ar3 may be the same or different and represent, independently if in different repeat units, a multivalent (preferably bivalent) aromatic group (preferably mononuclear but optionally polynuclear) optionally substituted by at, least one optionally substituted C1-40 carbyl-derived groups and/or at least one other optional substituent, and Ar3 represents, independently if in different repeat units, a mono or multivalent (preferably bivalent) aromatic group (preferably mononuclear but optionally polynuclear) optionally substituted by at least one: optionally, substituted C1-40 carbyl-derived group and/or at least one other optional substituent; where at least one terminal group is attached in the polymer to the Ar1, Ar2 and optionally Ar1 groups located at the end of the polymer chains, so as to cap the polymer chains and prevent further polymer growth, and at least one terminal group is derived from at least one end capping reagent used in the polymerisation to form said polymeric material to control the molecular weight thereof.
WO 99/32537 is a patent application of the applicants which describes certain novel oligomers and polymers which have repeat units of formula 1. In that invention polymers of this type are prepared by the addition of an end capping reagent to control the molecular weight of the final polymer and hence its desirable properties as a charge transport material. The disclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference, as these materials are particularly useful as semiconductors in the present invention.
The number of repeat units of Formula 1-which may be present per molecule in the invention may be from 2 to 1,000, preferably from 3 to 100 and more preferably from 3 to 20 inclusive.
The preferred polymeric materials are obtainable by polymerisation controlled by the addition of at least one end capping reagent in an amount sufficient to reduce substantially further growth of the polymer chain.
The preferred polymeric materials are obtainable by polymerisation controlled by the addition of at least one end capping reagent in an amount sufficient to reduce substantially further growth of the polymer chain.
The asterisks extending from Ar1 and Ar2 in Formula 1 are intended to indicate that these groups may be multivalent (including divalent as shown in Formula 1). Other amine materials that may be useful in this invention are tetrakis(N,N′-aryl)biaryldiamines, bis(N,N′-[substitutedphenyl]), bis(N,N′-phenyl)-1,1′-bi-phenyl-4,4-diamines including 4-methyl, 2,4-dimethyl and/or 3-methyl derivatives thereof; triphenylamine and, its alkyl and aryl derivatives and poly(N-phenyl-1,4-phenyleneamine); N-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene-5-ylidene-N′,N′-di-p-tolyl-benzene-1,4-diamine, (9,9-dimethyl-9H-fluorene-2-yl)-di-p-tolyl-amine and their derivatives. Related materials which may also be used in this invention are described in patent DE 3610649, EP 0669654-A (=U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,664), EP 0765106-A, WO 97-33193, WO 98-06773, U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,096and U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,916.
Conjugated oligomeric and polymeric heterocyclic semiconductors may comprise a repeat unit of an optionally substituted 5 membered ring and terminal groups A1 and A2 as shown in Formula 2:
in which X may be Se, Te or preferably O, S, or —N(R)— where R represents H, optionally substituted alkyl or optionally substituted aryl; R1, R2, A1 and A2 may be independently H, alkyl, alkoxy, thioalkyl, acyl, aryl or substituted aryl, a fluorine atom, a cyano group, a nitro group or an optionally substituted secondary or tertiary alkylamine or arylamine —(R3)(R4), where R3 and R4 are as defined above. The alkyl and aryl groups represented by R1, R2, R3, R4, A1 and A2 may be optionally fluorinated. The number of recurring units in the conjugated oligomer of Formula 2 is represented by an integer n, where n is preferably 2 to 14. Preferred oligomers have X═S, R1 and R2═H and A1 and A2=optionally substituted C1-12 alkyl groups, examples of especially preferred compounds being A1 and A2=n-hexyl and where n=4, alpha-omega-n-hexylquaterthienylene (alpha-omega 4T), n=5, alpha-omega-n-hexylpentathienylene (alpha-omega -5T), n=6, alpha-omega-n-hexylhexathienylene (alpha-omega-6T), n=7, alpha-omega-n-hexylheptathienylene (alpha-omega-7T), n=8, alpha-omega-n-hexyloctathienylene (alpha-omega-8T), and n=9, alpha-omega-n-hexylnonathienylene (alphaornega-9T). Oligomers containing a conjugated linking group maybe represented by Formula 3:
in which X may be Se, Te, or preferably O, S, or —N(R)—, R is as defined above; R1, R2, A1 and A2 as defined above for Formula 2. Linking group L represents —C(T1)=C(T2)—, —C≡C—, —N(R′)—, —N═N—, (R′)═N—, —N═C(R′)— with T1 and T2 defined as above.Polymers may have repeat units of the general Formula 4:
in which X, R1 and R2 are defined as above. The sub units may be polymerised in such a way as to give a regio regular or a regio random polymer comprising repeat units as shown in Formulae 4 to 6:
Polymers may have repeat units of the general Formula 7:
in which X is as defined above and the bridging group A is optionally fluorinated C1-6 alkyl, for example poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy)thiophene-2,5-diyl and poly(3,4-trimethyldioxy) thiophene-2,5-diyl.
Polymers may have repeat units of general Formula 8:
in which X, R1 and R2 are defined as above. Specific examples are where one of R1 or R2 is an alkoxide of general formula CnH2n+1O—, and the other of R1 or R2 is H, poly(?′-dodecyloxy-α,α′,-α,α″terthienyl) i.e. polyDOT3.
Polymers may have repeat units of general Formula 9:
in which X is as defined above; R3 and R6 may be independently H, alkyl, aryl or substituted aryl. The alkyl and aryl groups may be optionally fluorinated.
Polymers may have repeat units of general Formula 10 in which R1 and R6 are as defined in Formula 9:

Copolymers comprising repeat, units as above described and also other repeat units comprising two or more of the repeat units could be used.
It is preferred that the binder normally contains conjugated bonds especially conjugated double bonds and/or aromatic rings. It should preferably form a film, more preferably a flexible film. Copolymers of styrene and alpha methyl styrene, for example copolymers of styrene, alpha methyl styrene and butadiene may suitably be used.
Binder materials of low permittivity have few permanent dipoles which could otherwise lead to random fluctuations in molecular site energies. The permittivity (dielectric constant) can be determined by the ASTM D150 test method.
It is desirable that the permittivity of the material has little dependence on frequency. This is typical of non-polar materials. Polymers and/or copolymers can be chosen by the permittivity of their substituent groups. A list of low polarity polymers suitable for use in the present invention is given (without limiting to these examples) in Table 1:
TABLE 1typical lowfrequencyBinderpermittivity εpolystyrene2.5poly(α-methylstyrene)2.6poly(α-vinylnaphtalene)2.6poly(vinyltoluene)2.6polyethylene2.2–2.3cis-polybutadiene2.0polypropylene2.2polyisoprene2.3poly(4-methyl-1-pentene)2.1poly(tetrafluoroethylene)2.1poly(chorotrifluoroethylene)2.3–2.8poly(2-methyl-1,3-butadiene)2.4poly(p-xylylene)2.6poly(α-α-α′-α′ tetrafluoro-p-xylylene)2.4poly[1,1-(2-methyl propane)bis(4-phenyl)carbonate]2.3poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate)2.5poly(chlorostyrene)2.6poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether)2.6polyisobutylene2.2poly(vinyl cyclohexane)2.2
Other polymers include poly(4-methylstyrene), poly(1,3-butadiene) or polyphenylene. Copolymers containing the repeat units of the above polymers are also suitable. Copolymers offer the possibility of improving compatibility with the organic semiconductor, modifying the morphology and the glass transition temperature of the final composition. It will be appreciated that in the above table certain materials are insoluble in commonly used solvents. In these cases analogues can be used as copolymers. Some examples of copolymers are given in Table 2 (without limiting to these examples). Both random or block copolymers can be used. It is also possible to add some more polar monomer components as long as the overall composition remains low in polarity.
TABLE 2typical low frequencyBinderpermittivity (ε)poly(ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene)2.6poly(ethylene/chlorotrifluoroethylene)2.3fluorinated ethylene/propylene copolymer  2–2.5polystyrene-co-α-methylstyrene2.5–2.6ethylene/ethyl acrylate copolymer2.8poly(styrene/10% butadiene)2.6poly(styrene/15% butadiene)2.6poly(styrene/2,4 dimethylstyrene)2.5
Other copolymers may include branched or non-branched polystyrene-block-polybutadiene, polystyrene-block(polyethylene-ran-butylene)-block-polystyrene, polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-polystyrene, polystyrene-(ethylene-propylene)-diblock-copolymers (e.g. KRATON®-G1701E, Shell), poly(propylene-co-ethylene) and poly(styrene-co-methylmethacrylate).
For p-channel FETs, it is desirable that the binder material should have a higher ionisation potential than the semiconductor, otherwise the binder may form hole traps. In n-channel materials the binder should have lower electron affinity than the n-type semiconductor to avoid electron trapping.
The binder may be formed in situ by dissolving the semiconductor in a liquid monomer, oligomer or crosslinkable polymer and depositing the solution for example by dipping, spraying, painting or printing it on a substrate to form a film and then curing the liquid monomer, oligomer or crosslinkable polymer, for example by exposure to radiation, heat or electron beams to produce a solid layer.
If a preformed binder is used it may be dissolved together with the semiconductor in a suitable solvent, and the solution deposited for example by dipping, spraying, painting or printing it on a substrate to form a film and then removing the solvent to leave a solid layer. Suitable solvents are chosen from those classes which are a good solvent for both the binder and organic semiconductor, and which upon evaporation from the solution blend give a coherent defect free film. Suitable solvents for the resin or organic semi-conductor can be determined by preparing a contour diagram for the material as described in ASTM Method D 3132 at the concentration at which the mixture will be employed. The material is added to a wide variety of solvents as described in the ASTM method. Examples of organic solvents which may be considered are: CH2Cl2, CHCl3, monochlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, tetrahydrofuran, anisole, morpholine, toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, 1,4-dioxane, acetone, methylethylketone, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, ethyl acetate, n-butyl acetate, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, dimethylsulfoxide, tetralin, decalin and/or mixtures thereof. After the appropriate mixing and ageing, solutions are evaluated as one of the following categories: complete solution, borderline solution or insoluble. The contour line is drawn to outline the solubility parameter-hydrogen bonding limits dividing solubility and insolubility. 'Complete' solvents falling within the solubility area can be chosen from literature values such as published in "Crowley, J. D., Teague, G. S. Jr and Lowe, J. W. Jr., Journal of Paint Technology, 38, No 496, 296 (1966)". Solvent blends may also be used and can be identified as described in "Solvents, W. H. Ellis, Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology, p9–10, 1986". Such a procedure may lead to a blend of 'non' solvents that will dissolve both the binder and organic semi-conductor, although it is desirable to have at least one true solvent in a blend.
The proportions of binder to semiconductor are preferably 20:1 to 1:20, more preferably 10:1 to 1:10 and especially 5:1 to 1:5.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is provided a process for producing a field effect transistor which comprises the step of coating a substrate with a liquid layer which comprises an organic semiconductor, a binder and a solvent or which comprises an organic semiconductor and a material capable of reacting to form a binder and converting the liquid layer to a solid layer comprising the semiconductor and the binder by evaporating the solvent or by reacting the material to form the binder as the case may be, the binder being a film forming binder of which at least 95% and preferably least 98% and preferably all of the atoms are hydrogen, fluorine and carbon atoms or being an organic binder which has an inherent conductivity of less than 10−6 S/cm and a permittivity of less than 3.3, preferably less than 3 and more preferably less than 2.8 and preferably greater than 1.7, for example 2.0 to 2.8 with the proviso that if the hydrocarbon binder is homopolymer of polystyrene its molecular weight is less than 20,000 daltons and preferably less than 15,000 daltons and is preferably greater than 1000 daltons.
It is desirable to generate small structures in modern microelectronics to reduce cost (more devices/unit area), and power consumption. Patterning may be carried out by photolithography or electron beam lithography. Liquid coating of organic field effect transistors is more desirable than vacuum deposition techniques. The semiconductor compositions of the present invention enable the use of a number of liquid coating techniques. The organic semiconductor layer may be incorporated into the final device structure by dip coating, spin coating, ink jet printing, letter-press printing, screen printing, doctor blade coating; roller printing, reverse-roller printing; offset lithography printing, flexographic printing, web printing, spray coating, brush coating or pad printing.
Selected compositions of the present invention may be applied to prefabricated transistor substrates by ink jet printing or microdispensing. Preferably industrial piezoelectric print heads such as but not limited to those supplied by Aprion, Hitachi-Koki, InkJet Technology, On Target Technology, Picojet, Spectra, Trident, Xaar are used to apply the organic semiconductor layer. Additionally semi-industrial heads such as those manufactured by Brother, Epson, Konica, Seiko Instruments Toshiba TEC or single nozzle microdispensers such as those produced by Microdrop and Microfab may be used.
In order to be applied by ink jet printing or microdispensing compositions must first be dissolved in a suitable solvent. Solvents must fulfil the requirements previously stated in this document and must not have any detrimental effect on the chosen print head. Additionally solvents should have boiling points >100° C., more preferably >150° C. in order to prevent operability problems caused by the solution drying out inside the print head. Suitable solvents include substituted and non-substituted xylene derivatives, di-C1-2-alkyl formamide, substituted and non-substituted anisoles and other phenol-ether derivatives, substituted heterocycles such as substituted pyridines, pyrazines, pyrimidines, pyrrolidinones, substituted and non-substituted N,N-di-C1-2-alkylanilines and other fluorinated or chlorinated aromatics.
The inclusion of a polymeric binder in the organic semiconductor composition allows the viscosity of the coating solution to be tuned to meet the requirements of the particular print head. Preferred viscosities for ink jet printing are 1 to 25 mPa, more preferably 8 to 15 mPa, especially 3 to 15 mPa.
Direct patterning (printing) to form the features of the semiconductor device may be possible using liquid coating. This is simpler and less wasteful than subtractive methods such as photolithography. A summary of suitable non-lithographic techniques for fabricating high quality micro-structures are detailed in Table 3 (without limiting to these examples) below (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 1998, 37, 550–575).
TABLE 3MethodResolutionReferenceInjection moulding10nmHuber et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., 1997, 70, 2502Embossing25nmS. Y. Chou et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., 1995, 67, 3114Cast molding50nmJ. G. Kloosterboer, Philips Tech. Rev., 1982, 40, 198-Laser ablation70nmM. A. Roberts et al., Anal. Chem. 1997, 69, 2035Micro-machining100nmG. M. Whitesides, Chem. Mater. 1994, 6, 596Laser deposition1μmA. Fisher et al. Adv. Mater. Opt. Electron. 1996, 6,27.Electrochemical machining1μmM. Datta. J. Electrochem. Soc., 1995, 142, 3801Silver halide photography5μmCHEMTECH 1992, 22(7), 418Pad printing20μmSens. Acc. A 41/42, 1994, 593Screen printing20μmSens. Acc. A 43, 1994, 357Ink-jet printing50μmM. Doring., Philips Tech. Rev., 1982, 40, 192CHEMTECH 1986, 16(5), 304 andC. Wu. Sci. News, 1997, 151, 205Electrophotography50μmQ. M. Pai. et al Rev. Mod. Phys. 1993, 65, 163Stereolithography100μmF. T. Wallenberger, Science, 1995, 267, 1274Microcontact printing35nmG. M. Whitesides, Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci., 1998, 28, 153.Replica molding30nmG. M. Whitesides, Science, 1996, 273, 347Micro-transfer molding1μmG. M. Whitesides, Adv. Mater. 1996, 8, 837.Micro-molding in capillaries1μmG. M. Whitesides, Nature, 1995, 376, 581.Solvent assisted micro-molding60nmG. M. Whitesides, Adv. Mater. 1997, 9, 651.
Whilst the substrates, types of insulation and the electrodes may be of conventional type it is preferred that the transistors should be made of flexible organic materials for the sake of robustness and resistance to physical stress.
The film in the transistor is suitably a continuous monolayer but may be thicker, preferably at most 50 microns and more preferably at most 1 micron thick.
The transistors may be of conventional design.
It is preferred that the ratio of the current flowing between the source and drain when no gate voltage is applied (off state) and the current flowing when a gate voltage is applied (on state) is preferably at least 1:10 and more preferably 1:1,000.
It is preferred that the film be amorphous. It may be a single phase, bicontinuous, phase separated or a dispersion of one or more component(s) in other(s). It may consist of one or more phases which may interpenetrate one another so that each is itself continuous phase. A first component a) may be a mixture of semiconductors as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,537 and a second component b) may be a mixture of binders.
The transistors of this invention may be integrated into more complex devices as component parts.

Field effect transistors and materials and methods for their manufacture


A frequency synchronization device for a large LCD having a plurality of lamps as a background light source is disclosed. The device comprises a power amplification unit wherein one power amplification unit is electrically coupled to another amplification unit, each power amplification unit being electrically coupled to one or more of the lamps, adapted to generate a driving signal, and adapted to send the driving signal to the coupled lamp(s) for causing the lamps to operate at the same frequency; a plurality of current sampling elements each electrically coupled to one or more of the lamps for sampling current thereof; and control means comprising a control element and a diode, the control means being electrically coupled to current sampling elements so as to stabilize the current of the lamps. The connection and circuitry of the device are much simplified and improved.

LCDs are gaining popularity in recent years. Also, more LCDs having a larger screen size are commercially available. Further, applications of LCD are diversified. A typical application thereof is LCD TV (television). It is understood that light intensity of LCD background is required to increase for improving video quality as the screen size of LCD increases. Accordingly, more lamps (e.g., fluorescent lamps) are mounted in LCD for providing a sufficient light intensity of LCD background.
Conventionally, frequency synchronization among a plurality of lamps is required in controlling the operation of LCD lamps. Otherwise, a difference frequency distortion may occur between any two adjacent lamps, resulting in a flickering of the LCD screen.
Typically, ICs (integrated circuits) are used for controlling a frequency synchronization operation of the plurality of lamps. Such controlling is called active synchronous drive. The provision of a plurality of ICs is for the purpose of carrying out frequency synchronization among the lamps in operation. In detail, the ICs operate to output driving signals of the same frequency to respective lamps so that all lamps can operate in the same frequency.
A well known frequency synchronization device for an LCD having a plurality of LCDs (three as shown) is shown in FIG. 1. For any single lamp (e.g., first lamp 14a) (i.e., single lamp operation implementation), associated components such as a control element 11a, a driving element 12a, and a first power amplification unit 13a are provided. The control element 11a is adapted to control current of the first lamp 14a and provide protection against open circuit. Output signals of the control element 11a are sent to the first power amplification unit 13a for driving via the driving channel 12a. The first power amplification unit 13a comprises a DC (direct current) power 131a, a first power switch 132a, and a transformer 133a in which the first power switch 132a is adapted to convert DC into AC (alternating current) prior to outputting to the transformer 133a, and the transformer 133a is adapted to boost the AC voltage for activating the first lamp 14a. Each of the control elements 11a, 11b and 11c is implemented as an IC. Further, a synchronous signal bus 10 is provided to connect all of the control elements 11a, 11b and 11c together while providing synchronous signals thereto. Thus, all lamps 14a, 14b and 14c can operate at the same frequency as driven by synchronous signals fed from the control elements 11a, 11b and 11c via the driving channel 12a, 12b and 12c and the first, second and third power amplification units 13a, 13b, and 13c respectively.
Timing among the control elements 11a, 11b, and 11c is controlled by the synchronous signal bus 10. As such, the IC based control elements 11a, 11b, and 11c are very complicated in the design phase for achieving the timing control purpose. To the worse, more control elements are required as the number of lamps increases. This may further complicate the circuitry for controlling such many lamps. Also, associated components are required to operate in conjunction with IC based control elements for carrying out frequency synchronization. This can incorporate an excessive number of components in the circuitry and greatly increase the manufacturing cost. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.

Frequency synchronization device for LCD lamps


Disclosed is a Centralized Caller Profile System and methods for routing and prioritizing calls. The disclosed systems and methods provide enhanced customer service by allowing multiple parties to update and share the same set of profile information from a centralized database. The disclosed systems and methods provide for faster, easier access to profile information, more efficient call routing, and the ability to prioritize callers in a caller queue.

The first prototype of modern Caller ID was developed in 1971 by Theodore Paraskevakos. In patents related to those devices, he proposed to send alphanumeric information to the receiving apparatus, and this was received with great success. His invention was improved by Japanese inventor Kazuo Hashimoto, who in 1976 built a prototype of a Caller ID display device that could receive Caller ID information. The first market trial for Caller ID was conducted by BellSouth in 1984. Since 1984, there has been very little innovation to traditional caller ID. In 1995, call waiting ID was introduced by Bellcore, but this only allowed caller ID to be transmitted while the user was simultaneously on the phone; it did not make any improvement to traditional caller ID.
Rising popularity of cellular phones is actually making caller ID increasingly obsolete; most networks do not support the necessary infrastructure to support the transmission of this data. For this reason, carriers report the name as "unavailable" or "wireless caller." In 2002, mobile users surpassed landline subscribers, and in 2013, cell phones outnumber landlines 5:1.
Regardless of the platform or carrier, Caller ID suffers from at least one significant disadvantage: the technology provides only the caller's number and name to the called party. There exists a need to better identify callers and provide better information about those callers. Before this disclosure, no technology provided a method of rapidly identifying callers and providing profile information to the called party or its agents. Before this disclosure, no technology provided a way to automatically identify a caller and intelligently transfer that caller to an appropriate call designation or agent. Lastly, before this disclosure, no technology provided a means for prioritizing a caller in a call queue pursuant to that caller's subscribing to a particular efficiency system or service.

Centralized caller profile system and methods for routing and prioritizing calls


A Stirling engine is provided with a piston and a displacer. When the piston is made to reciprocate inside a cylinder by a linear motor, the displacer reciprocates inside a cylinder with a predetermined phase difference relative to the piston. In parts of the displacer and the cylinder that receives the displacer, the parts facing a compression space are made of metal, and the parts facing an expansion space are made of a low-thermal-conductivity material. In the metal part, the fitting accuracy is defined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Stirling engine.
2. Description of the Related
Stirling engines use, as a working gas, helium, hydrogen, or nitrogen instead of chlorofluorocarbons. It is for this reason that a Stirling engine has been receiving increasing attention as a heat engine that does not destroy the ozone layer. Examples of the Stirling engine are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.
It is a piston and a displacer that play an important role in the Stirling engine. The piston is made to reciprocate by a power source such as a linear motor, and the displacer reciprocates with a predetermined phase difference relative to the piston in synchronism therewith. The piston and the displacer make the working gas circulate between a compression space and an expansion space, thereby forming a reverse-Stirling cycle. In the compression space, the temperature of the working gas is increased by isothermal compression; in the expansion space, the temperature of the working gas is reduced by isothermal expansion. As a result, the temperature in the compression space is increased, and the temperature in the expansion space is reduced. Dissipation of heat from the compression space (the high-temperature space) through a high-temperature heat-transfer head makes it possible for the expansion space (the low-temperature space) to absorb external heat through a low-temperature heat-transfer head. This principle allows the Stirling engine to be used as a refrigerating engine.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2004-052866 (pages 5 to 6, FIG. 1)
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2003-075005 (pages 3 to 6, FIG. 2)


A combination mirror and amusement system for entertaining and amusing a child in a vehicle. A mirror assembly attachable to a vehicle seat includes a mirror and a frame surrounding the mirror. The frame has at least one ornamented portion and at least one appearing character portion. The appearing character portion in turn includes a sheet of plastic film having a visible front side and a reverse side. The sheet of plastic film has the characteristic of a “one-way” mirror which appears as a mirrored surface on the front side in the absence of illumination from the reverse side. A character image is printed on the reverse side A lamp behind the reverse side renders the character image visible from said front side when illuminated.

The invention relates to mirrors used inside a vehicle for observing an infant in a rear-facing car seat secured to the rear seat of a motor vehicle.
Mirror devices of the general type described are disclosed, for example, in the following U.S. patents: Cossey U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,572; Masucci U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,892; Erickson U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,956; Harris U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,118; Gardner U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,618; Lumbra et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,347; and Nolan-Brown U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,321. A particular mirror attachment system is disclosed in Kane U.S. Pat. No. 6,857,753.
Very briefly, in such devices, a mirror is mounted or attached near the top of the rear seat of a motor vehicle in such a way that the driver of the vehicle, by looking in the rear view mirror, can observe an infant in a safety seat of the type in which the infant is positioned facing the rear of the vehicle.

Light and sound mirror assembly with appearing characters

Blue Ridge International Products Company


An apparatus and process for jetting molten solder in the form of balls directly onto all the metallized interconnects lands for a ball grid array package in one step with no solder paste required. Molten solder is jetted out of a grid of holes using a piston attached to a piezoelectric crystal. When voltage is applied to the crystal it expands forcing the piston to extrude a desired volume of solder through holes in the aperture plate. When the voltage is decreased the piston reverses motion creating an instability in the molten solder at the aperture plate surface and thereby forming spherical solder balls that fall onto a metallized substrate. The molten solder balls land on the substrate and form a metallurgical bond with the metallized lands. The size of the solder balls is determined by a combination of the size of the holes in the aperture plate, the duration of the piston pulse, and the displacement of the piston. The layout of the balls is dictated by the location of the hooks in the grid. Changes in ball size and layout can be easily accomplished by changing the grid plate. This invention also allows simple preparation of uniform balls for subsequent supply to BGA users.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The invention relates to soldering apparatuses and processes, in particular manufacturing uniform solder balls and soldering interconnects to a ball grid array (BGA) package.
2. Background Art
Package designs for microelectronic devices have moved from through-hole to surface mount technology in order to increase the useable printed wiring board area available by utilizing both sides of the boards. The traditional geometry for surface mount devices is peripheral arrays, where the leads are on the edges of the device. As the technology drives towards high input/output (I/O) count (increasing number of leads) and smaller packages with finer pitch (less distance between peripheral leads), limitations on peripheral surface mount devices arise. It is the opinion of experts in this field that the limit of manufacturability of peripherally leaded devices lies at a pitch of approximately 0.3 mm. The leads on these fine pitch devices are fragile and can be easily bent. At a 0.3 mm pitch, it becomes difficult to deliver solder paste by stencil printing or plating processes to leads spaced this closely. If there is too much solder mass, bridging between leads can occur. If not enough solder is applied, mechanical and electrical continuity can be lost.
A solution to the fine pitch issue is to shift the leads from the periphery of the device to the area under the device. This scheme is called areal array packaging and is exemplified by the ball grid array (BGA) package. The following example demonstrates the advantage of areal array versus peripheral, with regard to pitch. A 640 lead package (with a 50.8 mm side length) comprises a pitch on a peripheral device of 0.31 mm, while that of a BGA package has a pitch of 1.95 mm.
The current practice to join BGA packages to printed wiring boards involves a hierarchy of solder alloy compositions. A high melting temperature ball (e.g., 90 Pb--10 Sn that melts at 300.degree. C.) is typically used for a standoff. These balls are made by either a spray forming operation or by cutting wire to specific lengths then reflowing them in flux. Both techniques result in a range of solder ball size that requires a sieving operation to produce solder balls of uniform dimensions. The process to create the balls represents a significant fraction of the overall BGA package manufacturing cost and it is estimated that solder balls alone make up 13% of this cost. A lower melting temperature solder (e.g. 63 Sn--37 Pb near eutectic solder) paste is used to join the balls to the package substrate and board. One method to attach the high melting temperature balls to the substrate involves loading a graphite fixture, or boat, that is drilled with holes of the same diameter as the balls, in the desired areal array pattern. The package substrate is patterned with the lower melting temperature solder paste using either a dispensing method, screen printing, or stenciling the paste. The substrate and fixture are then placed together so that the balls make intimate contact with the solder paste. Another method to attach the balls is to use a chuck fitted with a machined template that has multiple apertures through which a vacuum attracts the solder balls. With some robotic vibration all holes are eventually filled and extra balls are shaken loose. The balls are then fluxed and placed in unison onto the substrate that has been deposited with solder paste. After the ball placement operation, the assembly goes through a reflow furnace that melts the solder paste and joins the paste to the balls and substrate. The fixture is then carefully removed so as to not damage the joined balls. The substrate is then cleaned to remove flux residue using a solvent and distilled water rinse. Final assembly involves aligning the substrate/ball composite to the board, providing lower melting temperature solder paste on the lands and reflowing and subsequent cleaning of the joints.
Another option to manufacture BGA solder joints is by use of monolithic ball metallurgy techniques where only lower melting temperature solder is utilized. Using this technique, a controlled volume of solder paste is dispensed, or screen printed onto the metallized pads on the boards. The BGA devices have the lower melting temperature solder balls reflowed onto the contacts and the two parts are aligned and reflowed. A variation of this scheme is to not use paste on the boards but just enough flux to break down surface oxides and then place solder balls on the fluxed substrate, (as discussed above using a fixture) then reflow the package to the board. The problems with this methodology are concerns over the formation of the solder balls from the paste or the introduction of voids into the joints from the volatiles in the flux.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,016 to Hayes, et al., entitled Method and Apparatus for Dispensing Spherical Shaped Quantities of Liquid Solder, U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,961 to Smith, et al., entitled Electrodynamic Pump for Dispensing Molten Solder and U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,249 to Kawashima, et al., entitled Automatic Jet Soldering Apparatus, are all nozzled devices for dispensing one droplet or single ball at a time. Therefore, to use these devices, either the nozzle must be moved to the desired location or the circuit board or other surface to be soldered must be moved to the location of the nozzle. These devices do not teach or disclose a multi-apertured device for simultaneously dispensing solder balls.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,658 to Hartz, et al., entitled Flexible High Speed Liquid Dispenser is a multi-apertured device. However, the multi-apertured plate is dipped into the liquid, thereby filling the apertures with the liquid and then placed over the surface to be dispensed, and air blown over the apertures causing the liquid in the apertures to extrude and cover the surface. This device will not work with solder because there is no means to keep the liquid at a certain temperature. Additionally, this is not a jetting device but teaches an extrusion process. In a jetting event a drop or stream of liquid is emitted from an aperture with sufficient kinetic energy to launch said liquid into flight. No mating surface need be in contact with the fluid during the jetting event. In most applications of jetting, a mating surface is used, but it can be placed a signficant distance from the jetting aperture. In an extrusion process the liquid emerges from the aperture with relatively low kinetic energy and is immediately contacted by the mating surface so that the liquid is never in free flight. An example of the extrusion process is silk screen printing. Finally, there are no controls to keep the dispensed liquid uniform in size in this prior art.

Method and apparatus for jetting, manufacturing and attaching uniform solder balls


A highly anti-deodorizing cleansing and aiding agent for washing clothing articles, wherein the aiding agent comprises active principles including alpha and beta hydroxy acid and aliphatic alcohol esters having anti-deodorizing properties.

The present invention relates to highly anti-deodorizing cleansing and aiding agents for washing clothing articles.
More specifically, the invention relates to the provision of washing cleansing and aiding agents which, after rinsing the cloth or clothing articles, allow a comparatively high amount or rate of their active substances to remain bound to the fiber material of the clothing articles, to be worn, obviously in a dried and optionally ironed condition thereof, by a user, in particular a user performing physical exercises.
Actually, as the above mentioned active substances, contact a user skin, they prevent perspiration from generating bad smells or odors, while allowing to "cover" and eliminate smoke, kitchen and domestic pet bad odors.
The invention, in particular, provides cleansing and/or aiding agents which can be made starting from active substances which can comprise short chain alpha and beta hydroxy acids and isomeric aliphatic alcohols, which are added to prevent generation of bad odors originated by human perspiration.
For aiding the efficiency of the above esters, the following other active principles and components are added: essential oils and aliphatic alcohols such as linear or branched chain undecanol, bacteriostatic and/or bactericide surface active agents, including, for example, zinc and magnesium derivative compounds, such as Zinc Coceth Sulphates, also commercially known as Zetesol Les 3Zn, zinc ricinoleate, acylglutammate from C8-C10 fat acids, commercially called Protelan AG8, and other surface active agents obtained from octyl acid and glycerin of a Sensiva SC50 type, trichloro hydroxy diphenyl ethers and dichloro hydroxy diphenyl ethers.
The above mentioned cleansing and/or aiding agents can also include smell masking or covering agents, such as fragrances, for masking or covering body bad smells, fragrances preventing an enzymatic degeneration and adapted to mask smoke and kitchens odors, and domestic animal bad odors.
In addition to the above mentioned cleansing and/or aiding agents, it is also possible to use odorous molecule inorganic sequestering agents, such as complex silicates, in particular active bentonites and zeolites.
In addition, it is also possible to add odorous molecule organic sequestering substances, such as cyclodextrins.
To provide optimum effects of said cleansing and/or aiding agents, it is also possible to include antioxidating materials, such as tocopherol and propylgallate, and anti-perspiring substances, such as ammonium salts.
The above mentioned substances provide cleansing and aiding agents adapted to provide processed articles of clothing with improved properties since, upon washing, their fabric material would acquire a lot of different useful properties, directly deriving from the active substances or principles held therein.
For better understanding the exploited mechanism, it would be useful to briefly disclose the human perspiration controlling mechanism.
Actually, as is known, a main cause of bad human body smells are gland secretions, in particular of perspiration and sebaceous glands.
Perspiration glands can be divided into eccrine glands, usually present in a comparatively high amount on the hand palms, foot backs, forehead and forearms, which however are devoid of any relationships with the pile-sebaceous apparatus, and have an apocryphal nature.
Said perspiration glands are essentially concentrated in the axillary, perianal and breast regions.
Their secretion activity is a continuous one, and is not controlled by the human nervous system.
The sebaceous glands pertain to the pile-sebaceous system, are open in the pile follicles, and their sebaceous activity is affected by hormonal factors.
The perspiration and sebaceous gland secretions, as they are produced, are devoid of any odors or smells.
A bad odor is formed in a later time, because of a bacteric attack against the microflora present on the skin.
The microbic flora involved in the above mentioned degradation process is mainly constituted by the saprophyte microflora, substantially comprising gram positive bacteria, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and, in a less degree, gram negative bacteria, yeast and mycetes.
The lipid enzymatic activity of saprophyte bacteria causes a decomposition of the gland secretions, to produce free fat acids, i.e. substances having a characteristic rancid and pungent smell, such as: butyric acid, caprinic acid and isovalerianic acid.
The proposed mechanism, which constitutes the subject matter of the present invention, provide that alpha and beta hydroxy acid ester molecules deposited on the cloth or fabric materials, and contacting the enzymes elaborated by the skin saprophyte microorganisms, are decomposed to aliphatic alcohols and odorless alpha hydroxy acids, thereby preventing enzymes from degrading perspiration, and generating the above mentioned short chain fat acids, which are responsible of the body bad smell.
Owing to the above mentioned mechanism, clothing articles, pre-washed by the above mentioned washing cleansing and aiding agents, formulated as above disclosed, are preserved in an odorless or slightly odorous condition, even after an intensive sports activity.
To improve the efficiency of the above mentioned esters, it is possible to further include therein bacteriostatic and/or bactericide surface active substances, such as ethers obtained from octyl acid and glycerin, and having smell masking properties, fat substances including body smell masking fragrances, and fragrances adapted to prevent any enzymatic degeneration and mask or cover smoke and kitchen smells or domestic animal smells, odorous molecule inorganic sequestering substances, odorous molecule organic sequestering substances, anti-oxidating, anti-perspiring substances, such as ammonium salts, essential oils and aliphatic alcohols, in particular linear or branched chain undecanol.
The latter have synergic properties against a perspiration microbic degeneration.
Clothing articles to be processed by the above mentioned cleansing and aiding agents can comprise natural proteic (proteinaceous) fibers (silk, wool fibers), natural polysaccharide fibers (cotton, flax fibers) and synthetic fibers (nylon, rayon, polyester, polyamide fibers) and any suitable combinations thereof.
The invention also provides to add the above mentioned specific active principles or substances, adapted to provide the above disclosed functions, to washing bases or washing and ironing aiding agents or substances.
In particular, the above mentioned active principles can be added to softening, stain removing agents, and sizing and whitening substances.
The latter products can be constituted by liquids, gels, powders, tablets and single-dose packets.
The active principles according to the present invention comprise one or more esters defined by the following formula:R—O—R′
where R is an alkyl radical, either of a linear or branched configuration, with a C2-C34 chain and R′ being an alpha or beta hydroxy acid radical derived, for example, from glycolic, lactic, cictric, malic, tartaric, glugonic or mandelic acids.
By way of an example, the following esters can be mentioned:
glycol ester

The above active principles can be added to the washing bases or aiding bases, in a weight rate from 0.1 to 10%.
Other active principles or substances which can be also added comprise bacteriostatic and/or bactericide surface active agents, surface active substances such as ethers obtained from octyl acid and glycerin, smell masking substances, i.e. fragrances for covering body smells, fragrances preventing any enzymatic degeneration and fragrances for covering smoke or kitchen smells and domestic animal smells, odorous molecule inorganic sequestering substances, odorous molecule organic sequestering substances, anti-oxidating and anti-perspiring substances, such as ammonium salts, short chain isomeric aliphatic alcohols, for example: aliphatic alcohol, linear or branched chain undecanol.
The above mentioned active principles can be added to the washing or aiding bases in a weight rate from 0.1% to 10%.
Optimum results have been practically obtained by adding the above active principles, in the above mentioned weight rates, to a series of washing bases, as those disclosed in the following indicative Examples.
Washing Base No. 1
This is a washing base comprising liquid, gel, suspension powder substances, single-dose packets containing one or more of the following materials:                anionic bases (sodium, tea, ammonium laurylether sulphate, zinc laurylether sulphate; sodium, tea, ammonium lauryl sulphate; sodium, tea, ammonium alkylbenzenesulphonate; sodium, tea, ammonium alkanesulphonates; sodium, tea, ammonium sulphonated alpha-olefins), by a weight rate dose from 0.1 to 50%;        non ionic bases (ethoxylated alcohols having a linear or branched C3-C22 alkyl chain and an ethoxylation and propoxylation degree from 2 to 30 moles; fat acid amides; alkylpolyglucosides; amine oxides), with a dose, by a weight rate from 0.1 to 50%;        amphoteric bases (alkylamidobetaine, alkylamidopropylbetaine, alkylamidosultaine), with a dose, by a weight rate from 0.1 to 50%;        cationic bases (dialkylmethyl ammonium methasulphate; quaternized tert amines, imidazoline), with a dose, by a weight rate from 0.1 to 50%;        soaps (fat acids salified by sodium, potassium, mea, tea), by a weight rate from 0.1 to 50%;        coformulating and coactive agents: (phosphonates; ethylendiamine tetracetic acid derivatives; citric acid and sodium and potassium derivatives, ethylene, propylene, dipropylene glycols; ethyl and isopropyl alcohl; activated bentonites; calcium and sodium chlorides; amilolitic, lipolitic, proteolitic enzymes; polyvinyl pirrolidone and derivatives thereof; optic whitening agents derived from distirildiphenyl; polymeric styrene/acryl dispersions; polyacrylates; dymethylpolysiloxanes; isothiazolinones, benzoisothiazolinones, bronopol, N-formals; coloring agents), by a weight rate from 0.1 to 20%;        natural essences or essence compositions, by a weight rate from 0.1 to 5%.
Washing Base No. 2
This washing base comprises powder substances, in a pressed form (tablets) and single-dose packets.
The formulation according to the present invention comprises one or more of the following substances:                anionic bases (sodium, tea, ammonium alcansulphonates; sodium, tea, ammonium lauryl sulphate; sodium, tea, ammonium alkylbenzene sulphonate) by a weight rate of 0.1 to 30%                    1. non ionic bases (ethoxylated alcohols with a linear or branched C3-C22 alkyl chain and an ethoxylation and propoxylation degree from 2 to 20 moles; fat acid amides; alkylpolyglucosides; amine oxides), by a weight rate from 0.1 to 30%;                        amphoteric bases (alkylamidobetaines, alkylamidopropylbetaines, alkylamidosultaines), by a weight rate of 0.1 to 50%;        soaps (sodium salified fat acids), by a weight rate of 0.1 to 30%;        filling substances: (powder and grained sodium sulphate, dense and light sodium carbonate, sodium silicate and disilicate), by a weight rate of 0.1 to 40%;
coformulating and coactive substances: (zeolites; mono and tetrahydrate sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate, sodium persulphate; phosphonates; ethylendiamine tetracetic acid derivatives; citric acid and sodic derivatives; perborate and percarbonate activating substances, i.e. tetracetylendiamine; bentonites and activated bentonites; carboxymethylcelluloses; amylolitic, lipolitic, proteolitic enzymes; polyvinylpirrolidones and derivatives thereof; optic whitening substances of stilbene and distiryl diphenyl derivatives; polyacrylates; dymethylpolyxyloxanes; coloring agents), by a weight rate of 0.1 to 30%.
Washing Base No. 3
This Example is disclosed for showing a possible mode for using the above mentioned active principles, to be added to washing and ironing aiding substances and comprising softening, stain removing, sizing and whitening substances, liquid formulated substances, gel, powder, tablets and single-dose packets.
The formulation according to the present invention comprises one or more of the following components:                cationic bases (dialkylmethylammonium metasulphate; quaternized tert-amines, dialkyl-dymethylammonioum chloride; imidazoline), by a weight rate of 0.1 to 50%;        amphoteric bases (alkylamidobetaine, alkylamidopropylbetaine, alkylamidosultaine), by a weight rate of 0.1 to 20%;        anionic bases (sodium, tea, ammonium laurylether sulphate; sodium, tea, ammonium lauryl sulphate; sodium, tea, ammonium alkylbenzenesulphonate), by a weight rate of 0.1 to 50%;        non ionic bases (alkyl C3-C22 linear or branched ethoxylated alcohols and with an ethoxylation and propoxylation degree of 2 to 30 moles; fat acid amides; alkylpolyglucosides; amine oxides), with a weight rate dose from 0.1 to 50%;        active oxidating principles (sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, mono and tetrahydrate sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate, sodium persulphate), by a weight rate of 0.1 to 99%;        reducing active principles (sodium hydro-sulphite), by a weight rate of 0.1 to 99%;        starches and modified starches by a weight rate from 0.1 to 30%;        co-formulating and coactive substances: (phosphonates; ethylendiamine tetracetic acid derivatives; citric acid and sodium and potassium derivatives, ethyl and isopropryl alcohol; calcium, sodium and ammonium chlorides; amylolitic, lypolitic, proteolitic enzymes, polyvinylpirrolidones and derivatives thereof; optic whitening substances derived from distiril dyphenil; polymeric styrene/acryl dispersions; dymethyl polysiloxanes; isothiazolinones, benzoisothiazolinones; bronopol, N-formals; coloring substances), by a weight rate of 0.1 to 20%;        natural essences or essence compositions; by a weight rate of 0.1 to 10%;

Highly anti-deodorizing and aiding agents for washing clothing articles


The invention relates to a device for actuating a control piston or nozzle needle (27) via a control chamber (26). The control chamber communicates via a control chamber line (25) with valve chambers (3, 22) of a 3/2-way valve (5). The valve body (6, 40, 51) of this valve is switchable by means of an actuator (11). By means of a restoring spring (14), the valve body (6, 40, 51) is acted upon such that a seat portion (7), embodied in the housing (4) on the valve body (6, 40, 51), is put into its valve seat (20). The valve body (6, 40, 51) of the 3/2-way valve (5) has a seat portion (7) and a longitudinal slide portion (8), as well as hydraulic faces (31,32), facing one another, that make the state of pressure equilibrium of the valve body (6, 40, 51) possible. The valve body (6, 40, 51) is moved to different stroke lengths (10; 23, 24) by means of an actuator (11).

1. Field of the Invention
In air-compressing internal combustion engines, fuel injection systems are increasingly being used that for instance include injectors that are supplied with fuel via a high-pressure collection chamber (common rail), or injectors with pressure boosters or unit fuel injector systems. The fuel injection systems listed predominantly include 2/2-way valves, which as a rule are not in a state of pressure equilibrium.
2. Prior Art
European Patent Disclosure EP 0 987 431 A2 has a fuel injector for internal combustion engines as its subject. The fuel injector includes a nozzle needle, which is vertically movably received inside a bore in the injector housing. One face of the nozzle needle partly defines a control chamber, which communicates with a supply line via a restriction. By means of a control valve, the communication between the control chamber and a low-pressure region is controlled. There is also a valve for communication between the supply line and the low-pressure region. This valve and the control valve each include armature elements, which are actuatable by means of an electromagnetic actuator that is common to both valves.
European Patent Disclosure EP 1 081 373 A2 likewise has a fuel injector as its subject. It is used in an arrangement that includes a fuel pump, a pump chamber, and a first valve; this first valve controls the communication between the pump chamber and a low-pressure region. The injector includes a nozzle needle, which can be brought into interaction with a needle seat. A control chamber is disposed such that the fluid pressure prevailing in it presses the nozzle needle into its needle seat. The fluid pressure inside the control chamber is controlled by means of a control valve. The control valve in turn is controlled via an actuating assembly in such a way that when the actuating assembly is not activated, the control valve opens a fluid communication between the control chamber and the low-pressure region.
In the version of EP 1 081 373 A2, 2/2-way valves are used on the outlet side relative to a control chamber. The use of such 2/2-way valves on the inlet side of a control chamber, which acts upon a control piston that indirectly actuates the nozzle needle, is unfavorable because of the high actuation forces required.

Control element for injectors with switchable nozzle needle


To provide a mobile terminal device which enables a user to view the television broadcast while the television broadcast is being displayed or the television broadcast is start to be displayed even in the case where the remaining amount of battery is small, and which can perform an action which reflects the user's intention. The mobile terminal device (100) includes: a television broadcast receiving unit (101) which receives a television broadcast signal; a television broadcast processing unit (102) which decodes the stream of the received television broadcast signal; a display conversion unit (103) which converts the decoded YUV signal into an RGB signal on a frame-by-frame basis; a control unit (109) which controls actions of the mobile terminal device in the case where the remaining amount of a battery (112) falls to a predetermined amount or below while the video and audio of the television broadcast is being outputted or in the case where the remaining amount of the battery (112) is the predetermined amount or below at the time when the video and audio of the television broadcast are required to be outputted; and an electric power supply management unit (111) which detects remaining amounts of the battery (112) and notifies the control unit (109) of the remaining amounts of battery for every predetermined time points.

Recently, mobile terminal devices such as a mobile telephone and a mobile information terminal have increasingly become smaller and multifunctional, and some models of such devices which have appeared are capable of receiving and displaying a television broadcast. In addition, viewing devices have also increasingly become smaller and multifunctional, and some models of mobile viewing devices which have appeared allow viewing and recording a television broadcast simultaneously.
These mobile terminal devices and mobile viewing devices have a problem that they use batteries as electric power supply and thus they become incapable of displaying the television broadcast when the remaining amount of battery becomes insufficient.
Therefore, as a device such as that described above, there has been proposed a mobile viewing device which can output an instruction for reducing electric power to a back light running unit in an LCD panel when the remaining amount of battery falls to a certain level so as to avoid the abandonment of viewing the television broadcast due to the reduction in the remaining amount of battery (for example, refer to Patent Reference 1). This mobile viewing device is configured to stop applying electricity to a structural element for displaying video and to record the received video and audio on a memory card when the remaining amount of battery falls to a further lower level.    Patent Reference 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-274313.


Provided in the present disclosure are a spectrum management device and method, a geographic location database, a coexistence discovery device, and subsystems for use in a radio communication system comprising a main system and subsystems. The spectrum management device comprises: a processing circuit, which is configured to: acquire spectrum usage information and spectrum adjustment capability information of subsystems managed by the spectrum management device, the spectrum usage information corresponding to information related to used spectrums assigned to and used by each subsystem, the spectrum adjustment capability information corresponding to information related to whether the subsystems support a spectrum adjustment operation, and an adjustment of the spectrums of the subsystems managed by the spectrum management device is determined on the basis of the spectrum usage information and the spectrum adjustment capability information, thus the interference caused by the subsystems as a result of spectrum usage to the main system is limited within a permissible range of the main system. The spectrum management device and method, the geographic location database, the coexistence discovery device, and the subsystems of the present disclosure achieve highly efficient use of spectrum resources.

With the rapid development of the computer and communication technology, the global information network evolves rapidly towards a next generation network (NGN) that is based on protocols for interconnection between networks (IP). An important feature of the NGN is that multiple types of wireless technologies coexist to form a heterogeneous wireless access network, and the heterogeneous wireless access network involves different priorities in usage of spectrum resources. The spectrum management relates to a primary system and a cognitive radio system (CRS). For example, a network operating at a television frequency band includes a primary system and a cognitive radio system. The primary system has licensed authorization to the television frequency band, and the cognitive radio system does not have licensed authorization to the television frequency band. The cognitive radio system can share the television frequency band with the primary system only when interference of the cognitive radio system to the primary system falls within a permissible range.
Therefore, when a new cognitive radio system or a new service of an existing cognitive radio system requests resource allocation, spectrum resource usage states of both the primary system and the existing cognitive radio system(s) Should be considered. With the operating of the network, states of systems change continuously, and the resource utilization rate of spectrum resource allocation is reduced, resulting in that no more cognitive radio system can gain access when the capacity limit is not yet reached. In order to solve the above problem, there is a simple solution in which resource reallocation and system reconfiguration are performed on all cognitive radio systems. However, this system reconfiguration to a large number of cognitive radio systems results in a great overhead.

Spectrum management device and method, geographic location database and subsystem


A remote-controlled LCD sight-testing instrument which includes a mainframe and a remote controller, the mainframe having a display module, the display module being controlled by a control switch of the remote controller to show different test patterns for testing the user's visual acuity, the remote controller having a plurality of direction buttons through which the user gives an answer to every test pattern shown on the display module, the mainframe further having a visual acuity display unit controlled to indicate the user's visual acuity by digital and alphabet, and a buzzer controlled to give a particular sound after test of every test pattern subject to the test result.

The present invention relates to an instrument for testing eyesight, and more particularly to a remote-controlled LCD sight-testing instrument which is remote-controlled to show different test patterns for testing the user's visual acuity, and to indicate test result by digital.
In the ophthalmologic department of a hospital or an eye clinic, there is provided a sight-testing chart and illuminated by a light source for testing eyesight. This sight-testing chart has a plurality of test patterns of different sizes marked on it. The test patterns show a respective gap in different directions. The eye patient is requested to point out the direction of the gap at the assigned test pattern. This eyesight testing method has drawbacks as outlined hereinafter.
1. Because the test patterns are aligned longitudinally as well as transversely, the directions of the gaps at the test patterns can easily be memorized after several tests.
2. This eyesight testing method must be performed under the guide of the examiner, i.e., the eye patient cannot make a test accurately by oneself.
3. Because the sight-testing chart is hung on the wall, it tends to be covered with dust and dirt.
4. Because a big number of test patterns of different sizes are aligned transversely as well as longitudinally on the front side of the sight-testing chart, the size of the sight-testing chart cannot be minimized without affecting test accuracy.

Remote-controlled LCD sight-testing instrument


An apparatus for lifting and folding a sheet of material used as a window covering, having a headrail for attaching the apparatus adjacent to a window, a pair of spaced apart straps extending vertically from the headrail, a plurality of rods extending horizontally between the straps which are operative for affixing the sheet of material to the apparatus. The apparatus also includes a first plurality of clips for attaching the sheet of fabric material to the rods. Each of the clips is adapted for coupling the rods to the straps at a plurality of vertically spaced apart locations along the straps to provide a plurality of folds in the sheet of material. A second plurality of clips are also provided for attaching the sheet of material to the ends of the rods while the first plurality of clips are used for attaching the sheet of material at locations remote from the ends of said rods.

The prior art contains various devices for lifting and folding sheet fabric used as shades, blinds and/or curtains. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,767 entitled DEVICE FOR FACILITATING THE FOLDING OF A RAISABLE CURTAIN issued to Kraeutler on Dec. 17, 1991, discloses a flexible goods-handling curtain. A plurality of horizontal reinforcing bars disposed vertically along the curtain at regular intervals. Also disposed along the curtain are a plurality of lifting straps. The lifting straps are fixed to the bottom bar and pass through rings fixed to at least some of the other bars. A drive mechanism is provided which includes a shaft disposed above the curtain onto which the straps are wound to lift and fold the curtain.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,479 entitled SKID FOR A RAISABLE-CURTAIN GOODS-HANDLING DOOR issued to Kraeutler on Apr. 6, 1993, discloses a folding raisable curtain which includes a plurality of horizontally extending sheaths consisting of double thickness areas of the curtain. A reinforcing bar extends through each sheath. Skids are provided at the ends of each reinforcing bar which limit the lateral movement of the reinforcing bars in the sheaths. Each skid is a semi-cylindrical-shaped member which is fastened to the curtain with rivets placed in holes in the skid. Each skid includes a radial finger directed towards the inside of the sheath which operates as a stop to prevent lateral movement the reinforcing bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,256 entitled SAFETY DEVICE FOR A RAISABLE CURTAIN DOOR issued to Kraeutler on May 4, 1993, discloses a flexible-lightweight reinforcing bar for a flexible and foldable raisable curtain. The flexible reinforcing bar is located in the lowermost end of the curtain and operates to increase the safety of the bottom edge of the curtain to help avoid personal injury or damage to vehicles and the curtain itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,373 entitled CURTAIN SYSTEM issued to Vollebregt on Nov. 30, 1993, discloses a curtain system which includes a plurality of support tubes. Clamps are provide for attaching the leading edge of the curtain to the tube. Each clamp includes a pair of spaced apart jaws and a bolt that extends through the clamp to tighten the jaws around a curtain lifting cable. A second pair of resilient jaws on the clamp attach the clamp and a portion of the curtain to the curtain support tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,096 entitled APPARATUS FOR GRIPPING SHEET FABRIC issued to Thomsen et al. on Dec. 28, 1993, discloses a sheet fabric gripping apparatus for making a foldable blind, shade, or curtain. The apparatus consists of a plurality of tubular members having longitudinal openings therein for accepting sheet material through the grooves. A rod member associated with each tubular member is fitted within the tubular member with a portion of the sheet material looped around it to hold the sheet material between the tubular member and the rod member.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved low cost and easy to use apparatus for lifting and folding lengths of sheet material used in a folding blind, shade or curtain.


Various exemplary embodiments relate to a network configuration protocol (NETCONF) and simple network management protocol (SNMP) gateway (NSG). The NSG may include: a first interface configured as a NETCONF server, the first interface configured to connect to a NETCONF client and receive NETCONF messages, at least one NETCONF message identifying a managed object; a buffer configured to store the identified managed object; and a second interface configured to send an SNMP message to an SNMP agent, the SNMP message including the managed object stored in the buffer. Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by a network gateway, the method comprising: receiving a NETCONF message from a NETCONF client; translating the NETCONF message into a SNMP message; and sending the SNMP message to a configurable node.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a well known protocol for managing networks. SNMP is a stateless protocol, meaning it does not need to keep the communications state with a remote node. SNMP messages may be sent asynchronously via user datagram protocol (UDP). This enables an SNMP server to send multiple messages and perform other actions while waiting for a response. The SNMP server may listen for SNMP reply messages or SNMP traps.
SNMP uses a binary-encoding following basic encoding rules (BER). The binary encoding provides for a smaller packet size and therefore greater throughput. However, the BER is difficult for some users because it is not easily human readable.
The network configuration protocol (NETCONF) is a more recent protocol developed to provide a text-based configuration. NETCONF is a session-based protocol that uses extensible markup language (XML) based data encoding. Accordingly, NETCONF messages are generally more easily read by human operators. However, the XML based data encoding requires a larger packet size and may reduce throughput. Furthermore, in large networks, NETCONF becomes resource intensive as large portions of memory become necessary to keep connection states.


A kit which may be used for anterior tooth selection, the kit including a facial meter for measuring the width of a nose and/or the distance between the eyes, and for correlating the measurement to a tooth size, and an anterior tooth selection guide consisting of a plurality of cards which have various sets of upper anterior teeth of differing sizes, soft and bold, depicted thereon so that a dentist or dental professional may place a card adjacent the face of the patient to make an initial evaluation of the teeth to be selected based upon the use of the anterior tooth selection guide. The kit may also includes a mold guide which includes various sets of anterior teeth and posterior teeth. This kit facilitates the tooth selection process by the dental professional.

For decades dental professionals have been taught a denture tooth selection procedure that is primarily based on the theory that the shape of a person's head or arch form corresponds to the shape of their teeth. Thus, shortly before World War I, J. Leon Williams presented a correlation between tooth form and the shape of a person's head. Thus the square, tapering, ovoid "William's Classification" was born. According to this theory, an inverted maxillary incisor tooth has roughly the same shape as the person's face, both in the profile and the frontal view. Although the validity of this theory has since been questioned by numerous authors, it remains today as the predominant feature of current mold guides due primarily to the stagnation of innovation in the field of removable prosthodotnics. Basic tooth forms have been established based on this concept, namely square, tapering, and ovoid.
It has proved to be an inexact, subjective analysis that is unpredictable and rarely repeatable. Unfortunately denture tooth mold guides have followed this same theory and continue to be organized according to square, tapering, and ovoid tooth forms. This classification has been handed down throughout the ages with minimal scientific merit or practical application and is not considered to be a significant tool for anterior tooth selection. The result of this ineffective denture tooth selection process is that dentists have withdrawn from the process of selecting denture teeth. This critical decision has been relegated to the technicians, who have grown comfortable with their favorite brands and molds of teeth and tend to select only from a limited number of molds. The technician unfortunately does not have the opportunity to view the patient and therefore make an informed decision based on the patient's many characteristics (sex, personality, age, neuromuscular status, denture history, etc).
Numerous investigators have suggested a correlation between the intercanine distance and the interalar width of the nose. The Swissedent investigators recorded the interalar width of the nose with an instrument, and then placed the pointers of the instrument against the natural maxillary canines. They found that, in 75% of their subjects, the pointers indicated approximately the center areas of the canines. This investigation resulted in the development of the Swissedent® Alameter. Boucher suggested projecting perpendicular lines downward from the alae of the nose to the buccal surface of a maxillary occlusion rim in the mouth. Marks are made on the occlusion rim which are used to position the tips or distal edges of the artificial canines. To select the correct size of an artificial tooth, the distance between the canine marks is measured around the curve of the occlusion rim with a flexible rule. Six maxillary anterior teeth are chosen with an over-all width equal to this measurement. Further investigation of this relationship was mathematically analyzed to more accurately determine maxillary anterior mold selection. Drs. Fisher and Frush introduced the concept of Dentogenics to the profession. Dentogenics is a concept that suggests various alterations of tooth morphology and position of teeth that follows individual patient characteristics (sex, personality, age). Tooth molds with feminine attributes were typified by gentle, rounded features, which suggest softness and smoothness. Conversely masculine tendencies were characterized in dentogenics by robust, cuboidal forms that expressed strength, vigor, and boldness. The organization of anterior mold morphology according to "softness" and "boldness" is a generally accepted classification of anterior tooth morphology and is commonly used in the tooth selection process.

Method and apparatus for selecting denture teeth