A method for the combined synthesis of a mono-unsaturated nitrile-ester(acid) and of a bi-functional carbonyl compound, wherein it includes a step including the cross metathesis mc1 of an unsaturated fatty acid/ester compound with an unsaturated nitrile compound, in which mc1 is performed with partial conversion such as to obtain and recover, separately, at least the following products: a mono-unsaturated nitrile-ester/acid and a symmetrical compound, diester or diacid respectively including a double bond located in the middle of the molecular chain of compound, and subsequently a step including the oxidation cleavage cp2 of the double bond of compound, such as to form a single type of carbonyl compound having formula R2-(CH2)n-COR′, in which R′ is H or OH, depending on the operating conditions selected for the oxidation cleavage cp2. Also, the production of monomers for the polymer industry.

The polyamide industry uses a whole range of monomers, mainly lactams, ω-amino acids and "diamine-diacid" couples, denoted by the number of carbons per amide contained in the repeating unit of the polyamide. Mention may be made, for example, of the following polyamides: PA 6, PA 6.6, PA 6.10, PA 7, PA 8, PA 9, PA 11, PA 12, PA 13.
These monomers are manufactured, for example, via a chemical synthesis route especially using as starting material C2 to C4 olefins, cycloalkanes or benzene, but also castor oil (PA 11), erucic oil or lesquerolic oil (PA 13).
Current developments in environmental matters are leading, in the fields of energy and chemistry, to the exploitation of natural raw materials originating from a renewable source being favored. This is why certain studies have been undertaken in order industrially to develop processes using fatty acids/esters as starting material for manufacturing these monomers.
This type of approach has few industrial examples. One of the rare examples of an industrial process using a fatty acid as starting material is that for the manufacture, from ricinoleic acid extracted from castor oil, of 11-aminoundecanoic acid, which is the basis for the synthesis of polyamide 11 having the brand name Rilsan®. This process is described in the book Les Procédés de Pétrochimie by A. Chauvel et al. published by Editions TECHNIP (1986). 11-Aminoundecanoic acid is obtained in several steps: methanolysis of castor oil, pyrolysis of the methyl ricinoleate to obtain methyl undecylenate, which is hydrolyzed, and the acid formed is subjected to a hydrobromination to give the ω-bromo acid, which passes via amination to 11-aminoundecanoic acid.
The main research studies have related to the synthesis of 9-aminononanoic acid, which is a precursor of Nylon 9, from oleic acid of natural origin.
As regards this particular monomer, mention may be made of the publication n-Nylons, Their Synthesis, Structure and Properties—1997, published by J. Wiley and Sons, chapter 2.9 of which (pages 381 to 389) is devoted to polyamide 9. This article summarizes the achievements and studies performed on the subject. Mention is made, on page 381, of the process developed by the former Soviet Union which led to the marketing of Pelargon®. Mention is also made therein, on page 384, of a process developed in Japan using oleic acid originating from soybean oil as starting material. The corresponding description makes reference to the book by A. Ravve Organic Chemistry of Macromolecules (1967) Marcel Dekker, Inc., part 15 of which is devoted to polyamides and mentions on page 279 the existence of such a process.
For a full picture of the prior art, mention should be made of the numerous articles published by E. H. Pryde et al. between 1962 and 1975 in—Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society—Aldehydic Materials by the Ozonization of Vegetable Oils, Vol. 39 pages 496-500; Pilot Run, Plant Design and Cost Analysis for Reductive Ozonolysis of Methyl Soyate Vol. 49 pages 643-648 and R. B. Perkins et al. Nylon-9 from Unsaturated Fatty Derivatives: Preparation and Characterization JAOCS, Vol. 52 pages 473-477. It should be noted that the first of these articles also makes reference on page 498 to prior studies performed by Japanese: H. Otsuki and H. Funahashi.
To summarize this prior art directed toward this type of synthesis of PA 9 from plant oils, the following simplified reaction mechanism applied to the maleic ester, extracted from the oils by methanolysis, may be described:
Reductive Ozonolysis:H3C—(CH2)7—CH═CH—(CH2)7—COOCH3+(O3,H2)→H3C—(CH2)7—CHO+OHC—(CH2)7—COOCH3 Reductive Amination:OHC—(CH2)7—COOCH3+(NH3,H2)→H2N—(CH2)8—COOCH3+H2Ofollowed by hydrolysis leading to the amino acid.
This route, which is very appealing as regards the reaction, nevertheless has a large economic drawback consisting of the production during the first step of pelargonic aldehyde, which is very difficult to upgrade, including in the polyamide industry.
Patent GB 741 739 describes, for its part, the synthesis of this same acid from oleic acid, but using the oleonitrile route. A similar route is mentioned in the article by R. B. Perkins et al. mentioned above, page 475.
The simplified reaction scheme of this process is as follows.H3C—(CH2)7—CH═CH—(CH2)7—COOH+NH3→H3C—(CH2)7—CH═CH—(CH2)7—CN+2H2OH3C—(CH2)7—CH═CH—(CH2)7—CN+(O3+H2O)→H3C—(CH2)7—COOH+CN—(CH2)7—COOHCN—(CH2)7—COOH+2H2→H2N—(CH2)8—COOH
The synthesis leads to pelargonic acid (or nonanoic acid) H3C—(CH2)7—COOH as by-product.
The Applicant has, for its part, developed processes for manufacturing such ω-amino acid monomers which especially use metathesis reactions. Mention may be made in this respect of patent applications WO 08/104 722, WO 10/055 273 and WO 10/089 512, which describe processes in which the terminal amine function of the ω-amino acid results from the hydrogenation of a nitrile function, introduced either by cross metathesis with acrylonitrile (WO 08/104 722) or by ammoniation of the acid function (WO 10/055 273 and WO 10/089 512) in the context of a process proceeding via an ω-unsaturated nitrile or a monounsaturated dinitrile.
The diacids are, for their part, obtained industrially according to various methods, but which all have certain drawbacks. A wide panorama of these methods is developed in Kirk-Othmer's encyclopedia, 4th Edition, vol. A8, pages 118-136. Methods by degradation, such as ozonolysis or oxidation, of plant unsaturated fatty acids may be distinguished therein.
The ozonolysis of oleic acid, petroselinic acid and erucic acid makes it possible to produce, respectively, diacids containing 9, 6 and 13 carbon atoms.
Another example is the cleavage of ricinoleic acid via the action of sodium hydroxide at a temperature above 180° C. This method used industrially makes it possible to obtain the diacid containing 10 carbon atoms. The same method applied to lesquerolic acid leads to the formation of a diacid containing 12 carbon atoms.
This method has the advantage of using renewable starting materials, but is limited essentially to the manufacture of the C10 diacid, since lesquerolic acid is still not widespread, and this method is therefore sparingly used.
It is also possible to obtain diacids from molecules of smaller sizes by using techniques that are variants of carbonylation.
Finally, mention may be made of the bacterial fermentation of paraffins, which is a well-known method that makes it possible to obtain numerous diacids of variable chain length. However, this method does not make it possible to obtain diacids with a chain length greater than 16 carbon atoms, since the melting point of the paraffins is then too high to allow them to be transformed. Another important drawback is that bacteria consume some of the paraffins to ensure their growth, leading to low yields and to the need to purify the products.
The ozonolysis of erucic acid and oleic acid is used industrially for the production of diacids containing 13 and 9 carbon atoms, respectively. This technique has several drawbacks. Specifically, in the case of production of the diacid containing 9 carbon atoms, the starting material is oleic acid. This is present in nature as a mixture with stearic acid (acid of the same chain length but saturated). Stearic acid cannot react during the ozonolysis. However, it has a boiling point close to that of the diacid containing 9 carbon atoms, which complicates its separation. It is thus necessary either to use a very pure oleic acid (which is consequently more expensive) or to use efficient but expensive separation techniques downstream of the oxidative cleavage process to isolate the diacid. Moreover, these oxidative cleavage processes generate as coproduct pelargonic acid—a saturated linear acid containing 9 carbon atoms—which is aimed at a very different market (lubricants, herbicides, etc.) from that of the polymers, whereas the diacids are aimed at the markets of polyamides, polyesters and solvents (esters). In this type of process, products and coproducts have different growth markets. Further, as one of the products has a low growth value or even a degrowth value, the economic value of the process and thus that of the other product is largely reduced. It is thus advantageous, when a product is obtained with a coproduct, to find applications that address the same markets.
The Applicant has, for its part, launched studies in this field, which especially use the metathesis reactions in the context of a multi-reaction process.
Patent WO 08/155 506 describes a process that consists, in a first step, in transforming by pyrolysis or ethenolysis the unsaturated fatty ester into ω-unsaturated fatty ester and then, in a second step, in subjecting the product thus obtained to a metathesis reaction, either homometathesis to obtain a compound of formula ROOC—(CH2)m—CH═CH—(CH2)m—COOR, or cross metathesis with a compound of formula R2OOC—(CH2)r—CH═CH—R3 to obtain an unsaturated compound of formula ROOC—(CH2)m—CH═CH—(CH2)r—COOR2, which will be transformed by hydrogenation into saturated compounds.
Patent WO 09/047 444 describes a process for synthesizing diacids or diesters from monounsaturated long-chain natural fatty esters, which consists, in a first step, in oxidizing by fermentation the natural fatty ester to a monounsaturated carboxylic diester and then, in a second step, in subjecting the product from the first step to cross metathesis with a compound of formula R2OOC—(CH2)x—CH═CH—R3 to obtain an unsaturated compound of formula ROOC—(CH2)q—CH═CH—(CH2)x—COOR2, which, by hydrogenation, can lead to the saturated compound.
In a known manner, cross metathesis consists in reacting, in the presence of a catalyst, two unsaturated molecules according to the following schematic reaction process:A1A2−C=C−B1B2+D1D2−C=C−E1E2A1A2−C=C−D1D2+A1A2−C=C−E1E2+B1B2−C=C−D1D2+B1B2−C=C−E1E2
Such an equilibrated reaction naturally poses problems with a view to an industrial use. The presence of four reaction products when the two reaction compounds are added, which, by hypothesis, have not completely reacted, contributes toward forming a complex mixture.
A person skilled in the art is always seeking to influence the composition of the resulting reaction mixture by carefully choosing the respective amounts of the two reagents and also the structure of the reagent D1D2−C=C−E1E2 so that the products formed are readily separable from the medium, and especially separable in gaseous form, which also has the advantage of shifting the reaction equilibrium and thus increasing the amounts of reaction products. The difficulty lies in selecting reagents which do not interfere with the products, and which do not generate coproducts that are difficult to separate from the reaction products.
It should be noted, however, that the reaction is performed in the presence of a catalyst that is also active for homometathesis reactions. This means that, besides the reactions mentioned above, the reaction below also takes place:A1A2−C=C−B1B2+D1D2−C=C−E1E2A1A2−C=C−A1A2+B1B2−C=C−B1B2+D1D2−C=C−D1D2+E1E2−C=C−E1E2
This implies that during a cross metathesis, the operator's reaction medium comprises ten potential products. To limit the number of potential metathesis products, it is possible in certain cases to limit the formation of certain by-products and/or to limit the chemical feasibility of certain reactions intervening during the metathesis. This may be done especially by choice of the coreagent and/or by a separation of certain compounds gradually as they are formed. For example, by selecting compounds containing a double bond that is terminal or close to the end of the chain, the reaction coproducts will be light (gaseous) olefins which will be spontaneously removed from the liquid reaction medium.
Added to these obstacles inherent in the actual reaction is a difficulty associated with the catalyst, which, besides its activity in metathesis, is also active in isomerization. It has been observed, in certain cases, that this isomerizing activity of the catalyst increases when its metathesis activity decreases. The metathesis catalyst deactivated for the metathesis reaction appears to become transformed into a species that is active for catalyzing isomerization reactions. Under these conditions, the catalyst "in the depletion phase" in the presence of the long-chained olefins of the charge or of the products brings about a shift of the double bond of the reagent and/or fatty acid product. This leads to mixtures of isomers and brings about the formation of a mixture of products having different chain lengths. Since these chain lengths are, however, very similar, their respective separations are particularly difficult.
When cross metathesis is used for the purpose of synthesizing a target product, for example A1A2−C=C−D1D2 in the preceding equation, this product will therefore be accompanied, where appropriate, by the other three compounds of the cross metathesis and also by certain compounds derived from homometathesis, which is a reaction that automatically accompanies the main reaction, but also mixtures of isomers of these compounds.
The aim of the present invention is to manufacture "pure" products rather than mixtures, and the aim is thus to provide a process in which the yield of target product is maximized and in which the coproduct(s) synthesized have a substantial added value and a sufficient degree of purity without it being necessary to apply sophisticated and thus expensive purification techniques. An aim of the present invention is also to provide a process in which the product and coproduct preferably address the same final market.
The Applicant has now found such a process for overcoming the preceding drawbacks and for producing both an ω-amino acid as main product and a pure long-chain diester/diacid as coproduct, or difunctional derivatives thereof such as acid (ester)-alcohols, all making it possible directly to manufacture monomers for the polymer industry. The process of the invention thus makes it possible to provide on the same site two starting materials that can be used for the same purpose, namely the manufacture of polymers, and better still in the same type of polymerization process.
Without wishing to be bound by any theory, the Applicant thinks that the isomerizing activity of the metathesis catalyst decreases during the homometathesis reaction of the fatty acid if the homometathesis reaction is performed concomitantly with a cross metathesis in the presence of an unsaturated nitrile coreagent, which makes it possible to achieve the surprising result obtained by the process of the invention.

Combined synthesis of a nitrile-ester/acid and of a diester/diacid


Power converters, such as switched-mode power converters comprise a reduced number of sensing pins. A power converter is configured to convert electrical energy at an input voltage into electrical energy at an output voltage. The power converter comprises a power switch configured to be switched between on- and off-states; and a controller configured to generate a control signal for putting the power switch into the on-state and off-state, respectively; wherein the control signal is generated based on a first and second measurement signal from the power converter external to the controller. The controller comprises a sensing pin configured to sense the first measurement signal, when the power switch is in on-state, and configured to sense the second measurement signal, when the power switch is in off-state.

Switched-mode power converters typically comprise a power converter network comprising one or more power switches and a controller configured to control the one or more power switches. In particular, the controller may be configured to control the time instances at which the one or more power switches are put into an on-state and into an off-state. The controller may comprise one or more sensing pins configured to receive various measurement signals from the power converter network. The controller may use the measurement signals to control the one or more power switches. In typical implementations of power converters, several different sensing pins are used for several different measurement signals. By way of example, a typical approach is to use several different pins for current sensing and voltage measurements, respectively.
Power converters, e.g. power converters which are used in retrofit lamp driver circuits, are strongly constrained in cost, size and component count. As a consequence, integrated circuits (ICs) used in such power converters (e.g. as controllers) should be designed with a minimum number of pins. Minimizing the pin count typically reduces the number of external components, the losses in sensor elements (voltage dividers, shunts) and the chip area required for additional pads and analog sensing blocks. Hence, the pin count is an important cost driver for low cost power converters.
In the present document, power converters are described which allow the sensing of multiple measurement signals using a single sensing pin. By way of example, a flyback power converter with one pin sensing (for system detection, current measurement, bus voltage measurement and/or avalanche measurement) is described. Furthermore, a power factor correction (PFC) with a multi-function pin for simultaneous detection of the input voltage, the bus voltage and/or for zero-crossing timing measurement is described.


An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for reducing a phenomenon in which fine particles derived from a sample and bounced off by ion beam irradiation are reattached to an ion milling surface. An ion milling device of the invention includes an ion source which emits an ion beam, a chamber, a sample table in which a sample is placed in the chamber, and a shielding plate placed on the sample, and by having a magnet disposed in the chamber, reattachment of fine particles derived from the sample can be reduced.

An ion milling device is a device which cuts the cross section and surface of a sample by utilizing a sputtering phenomenon in which an ion beam having a uniform energy and direction is accelerated to irradiate the sample and the sample atoms are blown off from the sample surface. The ion milling device is used in a wide range of fields as a sample pretreatment device of, for example, a scanning electron microscope (SEM). As described in PTL 1, there are generally a plane milling method and a cross-section milling method. The former planar milling method is a method of directly irradiating a sample surface with an ion beam to cut the sample and has a feature that a wide range of the sample can be cut as described in PTL 2. On the other hand, in the latter cross-section milling, in order to prevent sample damage other than the processing target position due to ion beam scattering during sample processing, a shielding plate can be disposed on the upper surface of the sample other than the processing target position and the cross section of the sample protruding from an end surface of the shielding plate by several μm to 200 μm can be processed smoothly along the end surface of the shielding plate. In this case, the phenomenon that the molecules of the sputtered sample are reattached to a processed surface of the sample occurs, and when sputtered particles adhere to an observation and analysis target part, it becomes an adverse effect of observation when the processed surface is observed with an SEM or the like. Here, as a countermeasure for reducing the phenomenon that sputtered particles are reattached to the processed surface, there is a method of providing a contamination trap using a cooling mechanism disclosed in PTL 3.


A reconfigurable computing appliance includes a number of computing tiles. Each computing tile includes a reconfigurable processing element and a network fabric interface device configured to communicate over a network fabric. The reconfigurable processing element operates on data received from an I/O input interface and/or data received via the network fabric interface device.

Programmable elements, such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), are used for High Performance Computing (HPC) tasks. There have not been, however, convenient approaches to packaging these elements with traditional HPC form factors. In addition, there have been no integrated mechanisms for efficiently ingesting large quantities of high rate data streams and then transferring processed results effectively back and forth over HPC cluster network fabrics. These limitations have made it difficult to utilize the capabilities of non-general purpose computing elements, such as FPGAs, for stream computing in HPC or cluster computing environments.
Currently, stream computing requires large amounts of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) or custom hardware using inefficient integration schemes to perform HPC tasks. The most popular uses of programmable logic, or FPGAs, integrated into HPC clusters are packaged as add-in boards for COTS rack servers. These approaches have limited I/O capacity and do not have cluster fabric integrated capabilities. OpenVPX (and other form factor) circuit card assemblies implemented in card cage-style embedded computing environments cannot efficiently handle large numbers of externally connected I/O and robust cluster fabric interfaces.
What is needed is an improvement in deploying programmable logic elements in a cluster computing environment.


The disclosure relates to a method, electronic device, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for collecting fingerprints. The method includes detecting a touch operation on a fingerprint region; when the touch operation on the fingerprint region is detected, detecting a touch signal within the fingerprint region as a first touch signal; comparing the first touch signal with a preset report threshold to obtain a first comparison result; determining whether a fingerprint image on the fingerprint region is acquired based on the first comparison result; when the fingerprint image is acquired, analyzing the fingerprint image to obtain an analysis result; and outputting a prompt based on the analysis result.

With the continuous development of fingerprint identification technology, the fingerprint identification methods of electronic devices are also developed continuously. Methods of identifying fingerprints from a user's swiping and/or pressing actions (e.g., capacitive fingerprint identification) may be integrated into an in-display fingerprint identification system in order to improve the appearance of the electronic devices and reduce external components of the electronic devices.
The in-display fingerprint identification system may be configured to acquire a fingerprint image by using light or ultrasonic waves penetrating the screen of the electronic device. When using light to acquire the fingerprint image, optical signals are provided based on the self-luminescence of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen.

Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.


A seal for sealing an annulus between an outer tubular wellhead member and an inner tubular wellhead member is described. The seal is an annular sealing ring that has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart sealing ring grooves extending at least from a first end to a second end of the sealing surface of at least one of the wellhead members. When the seal is energized, fouling on the sealing surface is urged toward and then through the slot, axially away from the sealing surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to mineral recovery wells, and in particular to a seal for sealing between wellbore members.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
In hydrocarbon production wells, a housing such as a wellhead housing or high pressure housing is located at the upper end of the well. The wellhead housing is a large tubular member having an axial bore extending through it. Casing will extend into the well and will be cemented in place. A tubing hanger, which is on the upper end of the casing, will land within the wellhead housing. The exterior of the tubing hanger is spaced from the bore of the wellhead housing by an annular clearance which provides a pocket for receiving an annulus seal.
There are many types of annulus seals, including rubber, rubber combined with metal, and metal-to-metal. One metal-to-metal seal in use has a U-shape, having inner and outer walls or legs separated from each other by an annular clearance. An energizing ring, which has smooth inner and outer diameters, is pressed into this clearance to force the legs apart to seal in engagement with the bore and with the exterior of the tubing hanger.
Some annular seals utilize wickers. Wickers may be located on the exterior of the tubing hanger, in the bore of the wellhead housing, or both. The outer leg of the seal embeds into the wickers of the bore while the inner leg of the seal embeds into the wickers of the tubing hanger. This locks the annulus seal in place, providing axial restraint, as well as forming a seal.
The sealing wickers are machined directly into the bore of the high pressure housing and landing subs or the neck of the tubing hangers. The annulus seal is made of a sufficiently deformable metal to allow it to deform against the wickers of the tubing hanger. The deformation occurs as the wickers "bite" into the annulus seal. In order to cause the seal to deform without damaging the wickers, the annulus seal is made of a metal that is softer than the steel used for the tubing hangers.
Debris, such as wellbore cuttings, may fill the wickers of the high pressure housing during standard drilling operations. Similarly, fluid such as drilling mud, water, or wellbore fluid may be present in the grooves of wickers on the high pressure housing and tubing hanger at the time the seal is set. The debris or fluid, collectively referred to as "fouling," can develop a fluid pressure buildup, also referred to as hydraulic lock, and thus affect the sealing engagement between the annular seal and the sealing surface. It is desirable to be able to clear such fouling when the seal is energized.


An electrochromic mirror including a glass substrate, a transparent conductive film formed on the back of the glass substrate, an electrochromic layer formed on the back of the transparent conductive film, a reflection and electrode film formed on the back of the electrochromic layer in which the electrochromic layer and the reflection and electrode film are covered on the back thereof with an ion shielding oxide film, whereby the performance is stabilized and the productivity enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an electrochromic mirror comprising a glass substrate, a transparent conductive film formed on the back of the glass substrate, an electrochromic layer formed on the back of the transparent conductive film and a reflection and electrode film formed on the back of the electrochromic layer.
2. Statement of Related Art
The electrochromic mirrors described above are used, for example, as anti-dazzling mirror for vehicles and disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (JP-A) No. 2000-2895.
By the way, the electrochromic layer is constituted with an electrolyte film, and an oxidation color forming film and a reduction color forming film putting the electrolyte film therebetween, in which ions transfer in the electrochromic layer due to hydrolysis of a trace amount of water content present in the electrolyte film to cause change between coloration and color extinction.
For example, in a case where the oxidation color forming film is an IrOn film, an electrolyte film is a Ta2O5 film, and a reduction color forming film is a WO3 film, the following chemical changes are taken place upon color extinction and coloration in the oxidation color forming film, the electrolyte film and the reduction color forming film.
[Upon Color Extinction]                Oxidation color forming film; Ir(OH)n+xOH−        Electrolyte film; Ta2O5+xH2O        Reduction color forming film; WO3+xH++xe−
[Upon Coloration]                Oxidation color forming film; Ir(OH)n+x+xe−        Electrolyte film; Ta2O5+xH+xOH−        Reduction color forming film; HxWO3
When a potential difference is provided between the transparent conductive film and the reflection and electrode film, electron e− starts transfer at the electrodes on the side of the respective color forming films and a trace amount of water in the electrolyte is hydrolyzed by the energy of transfer to cause transfer of ions and, as a result, oxidation/reduction reaction is taken place in each of the color forming films to cause coloration and color extinction.
By the way, in each of the color forming films, positive ions (H+) are attracted each other and such positive ions (H+) result in repetitive oxidation and reduction. However, in a case where positive ions such as Na+ are intruded to form, for example, NaOH or like other compound, ion conductivity in the film is lowered and the repetitive reaction occurs no more. Since various ions are present in atmospheric air and, among all, Na+ ions are present in a great amount, it is necessary to shut the intrusion of ions from the outside into the electrochromic layer.
In JP-A No. 2000-2895 described above, the electrochromic layer is covered and protected with a resin film having ion shielding property, water proofness, moisture proofness and scratch resistance together for stabilizing the performance of the electrochromic mirror.
However, it is difficult to completely shield the ions by the resin film described above and, while the resin film is incorporated with metal oxides, ceramic powder and glass powder in the prior art, it is still difficult to completely shield the ions. In addition, since the method of forming the electrochromic layer and the method of forming the resin film are different from each other, this deteriorates the productivity.


The synchronous demodulator electronic circuit for phase modulation signals includes, in a control loop, a discrete Fourier transform unit for receiving the phase modulation signal to be demodulated, and means of recovering the carrier frequency of the phase modulation signal, so that the discrete Fourier transform unit performs in combination the operations of mixing and low-pass filtering the sampled phase modulation signal with at least one frequency and phase adapted digital conversion signal to supply at least one demodulated signal at the output of the discrete Fourier transform unit.

Phase modulation of a data signal to be transmitted may be BPSK (binary phase shift keying) or QPSK (quadrature phase shift keying), or OQPSK (offset quadrature phase shift keying) digital modulation. In the first case, BPSK digital modulation is defined with two phase values or states with a phase shift of 180° between the two phase states. In the second case, QPSK digital modulation is defined with four phase values or states with a phase shift of 90° between each phase state. This modulation in the transmitter usually uses two quadrature carrier signals phase-shifted by 90° from each other before frequency conversion for the transmission of a QPSK modulated signal. In the third case, OQPSK digital modulation is similar to QPSK digital modulation, but can be more advantageous in the event of amplifier non-linearities in the modulation chain.
By way of illustration, this type of QPSK modulation signal is represented in the time domain in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows the 2-bit encoding by phase shift keying of an in-phase data signal I and of a quadrature data signal Q phase-shifted by 90° from in-phase data signal I. For transmission of a phase modulation signal, data signals I and Q are added together. The data flow is defined by 1/Ts, where Ts is the duration of an encoding state.
Demodulation of this type of digital phase modulation signal can be performed synchronously in a phase modulation signal receiver. Demodulation can generally take place after at least a first frequency conversion of the phase modulation signal captured by an antenna of the receiver. To enable phase demodulation in synchronous mode, it is necessary to recover the carrier frequency of an intermediate signal, or of a signal directly captured by the antenna.
Recovery of the carrier frequency makes it possible to extract the modulating signal. To achieve this, it is known to use a Costas loop to recover the carrier frequency, in order to extract the modulating signal. Demodulation of a phase modulation signal is also explained in the article entitled "PSK Demodulation (Part I)" by J. Mark Steber in The Communications Edge by WJ Communications, Inc, revised in 2001.
FIG. 2 shows a diagram or constellation of the phase states of a QPSK modulation signal. The phase states are shown in polar coordinates relative to a real axis for in-phase data signal I and an imaginary axis for quadrature data signal Q. If the carrier frequency of at least one conversion signal of the electronic circuit is not equal to the carrier frequency of the phase modulation signal to be demodulated, there remains a phase error φ. This carrier frequency must be recovered exactly in the electronic circuit in order to be able to demodulate the phase modulation signal in a control loop, and to correct the phase as explained hereafter. After recovering the carrier frequency, the modulating signal can be extracted, which corresponds to points 11, 10, 00 or 01 shown in FIG. 2.
In a known electronic demodulation circuit for a phase modulation signal as shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate frequency signal IF is provided both to a first signal mixer 2, and to a second signal mixer 3. Frequency conversion of the intermediate frequency signal IF is performed in the first and second mixers 2, 3 with oscillating signals. A first non-phase-shifted oscillating signal, which originates from a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 8 is provided to first mixer 2, and a second oscillating signal, which is phase-shifted by 90° in a phase shifter 9 and which originates from VCO oscillator 8, is provided to second mixer 3. The output of first mixer 2 provides an in-phase baseband signal I, while the output of second mixer 3 provides a quadrature baseband signal Q. Filtering is performed on the in-phase and quadrature signals by two low-pass filters 4 and 5 to provide an in-phase data signal IOUT and a quadrature data signal QOUT.
If the phase and frequency of the oscillating signals are not quite equal to the phase and frequency of the carrier of intermediate signal IF, there remains a frequency and phase error. A phase comparator 6 is thus used to compare in-phase data signal IOUT and quadrature signal QOUT. The phase error is provided through a loop filter 7, which is a standard filter such as an integrator, to the input of voltage controlled oscillator 8 in a Costas loop. Analogue or digital embodiment of the Costas loop requires low-pass filters, which have the disadvantage of becoming cumbersome, when their cut-off frequency is low.

Synchronous demodulator electronic circuit for phase modulation signals

The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd


Tube waves are used to locate and characterize a solids deposit inside a fluid-filled pipe. An acoustic tube wave pulse is transmitted along the pipe. On encountering a solids deposit, the tube wave pulse is perturbed and partially reflected by changes in the boundary conditions between the fluid and the pipe to produce two deposit-modified acoustic waves. One is a perturbed wave travelling in the same direction as the tube wave pulse. The other is a reflected wave travelling in the opposite direction. One of these deposit-modified acoustic waves is received to produce an acoustic signal. Accumulated acoustic signals are processed by Fast-Fourier Transform to produce frequency-based digital data. Phase data from the frequency-based digital data is inverted to produce slowness spectrum data. Power data from the frequency-based digital data is inverted to produce attenuation spectrum data. Spectrum data is used to locate a solids deposit in the pipe. Inversion model processing of the spectrum data is used to estimate solids deposit thickness and type.

Deepwater oil production is a rapidly growing segment of the oil industry. As the number of deepwater installations increase, so do the problems with maintaining sub-sea fluid transport systems. Sub-sea equipment, including pipelines, are becoming clogged with precipitates of the production fluids, including waxes, asphaltenes, hydrates (gas/water ices) and scale (e.g. calcium carbonate). Similarly, production tubing in producing wells can develop flow-restricting deposits, usually of the asphaltene type. There are significant problems because of the enormous cost of lost production, and because of the very large expenses involved in identifying and replacing, or bypassing, the constricted or blocked sections of pipe. The industry refers to these and related issues as "Flow Assurance". In 1999 Welling and Associates, having conducted a world-wide study of 110 oil and gas companies, found that flow assurance was the most important technical challenge facing the oil and gas industry. Connective pipelines, manifolds and risers can total hundreds of kilometers (i.e. hundreds of miles) in length, and operate at water depths of up to approximately 3,000 m (approximately 10,000 ft). Maintenance over these distances and at these depths is very costly. Deposits often occur in one region of a pipe, spanning many meters (many feet), but not extending over the entire pipe length. The chemistry of formation of the different types of deposit is at least partially understood. Gas cut, flow rate, and temperature at depth are all relevant factors. This knowledge facilitates identification of locations where deposits can be expected to occur. However, the first indication that deposition is occurring is usually a reduction in flow rate, which is too late.
Thus, the industry needs a cost-effective method for detecting and characterizing solids deposits inside oilfield production pipelines to improve flow assurance. Currently, no cost-effective methods are available.

Assessing a solids deposit in an oilfield pipe


A polymer electrolyte extends the cycle life, improves the safety, and reduces the swelling of a battery, compared with a polymer electrolyte containing a poly(alkylene oxide) polymer. Also, a lithium battery utilizes the polymer electrolyte. The polymer electrolyte contains a polymerized product from a polymer electrolyte forming composition containing a multifunctional isocyanurate monomer of a particular structure, a lithium salt, and a non-aqueous organic solvent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polymer electrolyte and a lithium battery using the same, and more particularly, to a polymer electrolyte with extended cycle life, improved safety, and reduced swelling by using a multifunctional isocyanurate monomer, and a lithium battery using the polymer electrolyte.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recent popularization of portable electronic information devices such as notebook computers and camcoders and of wireless communications devices, such as mobile phones, has increased the need for small, lightweight rechargeable secondary batteries that can be used as power supplies for such portable devices.
The most widely used secondary batteries developed to date include lithium cadmium batteries, nickel-hydride batteries, and lithium batteries. Among the cited kinds of secondary batteries, lithium batteries attract more attention as a possible next-generation power supply due to having an extended cycle life and a high capacity.
In a liquid electrolyte lithium secondary battery containing a low boiling point organic solvent for improved low-temperature performance, the electrode assembly or the pouch packaging the electrode assembly may swell when left under high temperature conditions. As a result, the high-temperature reliability and the safety of the battery degrade.
To solve this problem, methods using polymer solid electrolytes have been suggested. The use of solid polymer electrolytes reduces the likelihood of electrolyte leaking and improves battery safety, as compared with the case of using liquid electrolytes.
However, when such a polymer solid electrolyte is used, the ion conductivity becomes lower than the case of using liquid electrolytes. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of polymer solid electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and improved electrochemical stability in order for the polymer solid electrolytes to be applied practically to lithium secondary batteries.
Linear polymers or cross-linked polymers derived by the polymerization of alkylene oxides such as ethylene oxide and propylene oxide are used mostly as ionic conductive polymers for the polymer solid electrolyte. However, in a lithium battery using a polymer synthesized from such kinds of monomers as a matrix, the cross-linked network structure of the polymer matrix and strong interactions between lithium ions and alkylene oxide residue in the matrix lower the mobility of the lithium ions, thus resulting in degraded high rate discharge, low-temperature discharge, and reduced cycle life characteristics.
Such drawbacks can be improved by increasing the amount of organic solvent used above a predetermined level. However, the increased amount of organic solvent hinders the formation of a cross-linked polymer matrix and causes the liquid electrolyte to leak from the gel matrix. As a result, the electrode assembly or the pouch packaging the electrode assembly swells significantly at high temperature. Therefore, various performance improvements are needed for such polymer electrolyte lithium batteries using a poly(alkylene oxide) polymer.

Polymer electrolyte and lithium battery using the same


A back rest assembly (22) including a back shell (24), a back rest cushion (26), and a mounting assembly (28) for securing back shell (24) to upright posts (16, 18) that form part of the frame of a wheelchair (10). Mounting assembly 28 includes a mounting block (30), a pair of resilient pads (32), a fastener band (34), a barrel nut (38), and a pivot pin (36). Mounting assembly (28) pivotally supports back shell (24) between upright posts (16, 18) at two pivot points on the posts. Mounting assembly (28) is adjustably secured on each post (16, 18) so that the pivot points can be positioned to align with a person's pelvis.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,677 of Jay et al, entitled "Wheelchair Back System," discloses a wheelchair back assembly that provides a high degree of support and adjustability in order to accomplish various therapeutically important functions. This patent discusses several back related problems faced by wheelchair users, such as kyphosis, scoliosis, instability, redness of the spine, and general back pain. The discussion therein provides good background for understanding some of the back related issues addressed by the present invention.
A common back rest problem faced by wheelchair users and particularly by paraplegics is the inherent difficulty in changing one's pants or pulling one's pants down and back up again when using the bathroom from a wheelchair. Prior art wheelchairs commonly employ back rests that pivot relative to a seat base, but such designs are awkward solutions to the problems associated with the simple task of manipulating one's pants while seated.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a back rest assembly for a wheelchair that can better accommodate the body movements necessary for dressing while seated.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a back rest assembly that while capable of functioning as a back rest, also provides firm, comfortable support, during normal use, and does so in a manner that allows maximum movement of the torso.


Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for estimating shipping costs of items purchased in an online market using machine learning techniques. By determining in real-time the dimensional weight of an item with reference to a machine learning model describing past transactions, a buyer and seller in the online market can finalize the transaction in real-time. The machine learning model further implements a bias within the machine learning algorithm towards heavier estimation to avoid undercharging the market participants for shipping costs. One embodiment involves using these cost-estimation techniques in the context of a local shipping feature, which allows buyers and sellers to schedule a same-day delivery by seamlessly involving a local carrier.

Online markets offer users the ability to buy and sell products, goods, and other commodities. In such markets, sellers are typically responsible for shipping purchased items to buyers, and doing so may present logistical challenges. For example, the seller may face difficulties in physically packing a purchased item. In some cases, where the buyer and seller are located close to each other, they may arrange for the seller to deliver the purchased item to the buyer. However, existing approaches are not optimal, as they place the burden of shipping on the buyers and sellers.
In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical or similar elements. Additionally, generally, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.

Estimating shipping costs with machine learning


An eye drops container including a container body filled with a drug solution along with a pressurized gas and including a valve mechanism discharging a fixed amount of drug solution; a nozzle member coupled with a stem for open operation of the valve mechanism and including a drug solution drop nozzle; an operating member including an operating piece and attached to the container body; a guide member contained in the operating member and guiding the nozzle member in the axial direction; and a ball contained in the guide member. The nozzle member includes an outer flange for suspending a skirt on the lower surface thereof; the guide member includes a ring-like bottom groove into which the forward end of the skirt enters; and the ball falls into the bottom groove in an upright state to block the open operation of the valve mechanism, and falls onto the outer flange in an inverted state to permit the open operation of the valve mechanism.

An eye drops container obtained by combining a container body to be filled with a drug solution along with a pressurized gas and an operating member with an operating piece to be provided in the container body has heretofore been known (Patent Document 1).
A valve mechanism for discharging a fixed amount of the drug solution is incorporated into the container body of the eye drops container, and a nozzle member interlocked with the hinge type operating piece of the operating member is coupled with a stem for open operation of the valve mechanism. Also, the drug solution from the container body is discharged to the nozzle member via the hollow stem when the open operation of the valve mechanism is performed by pressing the stem in an axial direction, so that the drug solution is dropped from a drop nozzle formed on the nozzle member. The eye drops container having such mechanism has great advantages that the drug solution inside the container body is free from contamination since an ambient air does not flow into the container body when the drug solution is discharged and that it is unnecessary to add any antiseptic agent.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-2003-190255


A network game system for operating on a network a game made up of basic content containing a basic program for executing start of a game solely and one or more types of relevant content each containing a relevant program corresponding to the basic program for further advancing the game started by the basic program. The system includes a content management section adapted to set an address of which users are not notified in one or more content providing servers each in which the relevant program is placed, the address for which a search is made by search means on the network from a user terminal; wherein the content providing server sends the relevant content placed in the content providing server to the user terminal in response to a download request made by the accessing user.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a network game system for providing content through a network and in particular to a technical field of a network game system for providing a program corresponding to basic content of a network game consisting of the basic content and relevant content and later providing the relevant content through a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, it has been common practice to provide game content using a record medium such as a CD-ROM as a game operating in a personal computer. In this case, the user previously gets the CD-ROM, etc., sets the CD-ROM, etc., in the personal computer, and operates a recorded program, so that the user can play any desired game.
On the other hand, an environment in which a game is operated without using any record medium such as a CD-ROM is implemented with the recent rapid wide spread use of the Internet. That is, in addition to distributing of game content to the user via the Internet, a network game for enabling an indefinite number of users to access a specific address and get involved in the game is becoming widespread.
To operate a game using a record medium such as a CD-ROM in the general way as described above, the game content is fixedly determined depending on the program and thus it is difficult to realize a game rich in variety.
On the other hand, to use the Internet as described above, it is difficult to reflect the action and the situation of each user on the game content for realizing a game rich in variety although the game content is independent of the program recorded on the record medium. If the specific address on the Internet is known by a malicious person, it is feared that he or she may make unauthorized access to the specific address.

Network game system and method for providing continued network games


An anti-fouling protector in the form of flexible envelope complementary to the underwater body of a vessel's hull is negatively buoyant and, when not in use, is stored on the bottom of a mooring slip. The invention includes structural features of the slip for guiding endless ropes fixed to the envelope for raising it around the vessel's underwater body when the vessel is moored in the slip, just before a vessel leaves the slip, lanyards connected to the envelope are detached from the vessel and the envelope sinks to its storage position on the bottom of the slip, where anchored lower rope guides prevent the envelope from being moved away by current.

Protectors against marine growth in the form of water impervious envelopes complementary to the underwater shape of a vessel are known. Such envelopes after being positioned around the under body of the vessel are then filled with growth inhibiting liquids which may be only fresh water or water containing anti-fouling chemicals. The problem with such envelopes is that they are difficult to maneuver around the vessel's under body and various schemes have been resorted to to ease this task but no one system has been more efficacious than another and all have been burdensome.
The broad object of the present invention is to provide in combination with a boat slip a protector for an underwater body which is more easily maneuvered into and out of its position of use than in known systems.

Combined mooring slip and underwater body protector against marine growth


The door control system includes a baseplate configured to interface with a surface adjacent to a door. The baseplate is removeably fastened to the surface oriented above to the door. The system includes at least one door ram coupled to the baseplate. The door ram includes a ram arm. The ram arm is configured to extend or retract from the door ram. The system includes at least one door actuator coupled to the baseplate. The at least one door actuator comprises an actuator arm. The actuator arm is configured to extend or retract from the door actuator. The door control system comprises at least one biasing device coupled to the baseplate and the at least one door actuator. The door control system also includes a controller in communication with the at least one door ram and the at least one door actuator configured to actuate an opening motion or a closing motion by the at least one door ram and the at least one door actuator.

Opening or closing a door typically requires the application of a force to overcome a locking mechanism or negative pressure keeping the door shut. In some situations, opening and closing doors to an entry way or appliance is inconvenient due to temporary or permanent physical disabilities. The physical disability can prevent the user from providing the required force necessary to open or close the door. Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved comprehensive and efficient way to address the problem of opening and closing doors. This need and other needs are satisfied by the various aspects of the present disclosure.


A method in a telecommunications network having a configuration management system, of automatically populating a Private Numbering Plan (PNP) subscription with PNP data. The method begins by defining a group comprising a plurality of members who subscribe to a PNP service, and automatically generating the PNP data for each of the plurality of group members when the group is defined. The PNP data may be generated by service management application software in the configuration management system. The PNP data may include in abbreviated number for each of the plurality of group members. The abbreviated numbers may be generated by several methods including incremental number generation, random number generation, or by extracting the last "X" digits of each group member's telephone number. The method then determines whether each generated abbreviated number is valid and unique. A network operator may override an automatically generated number by manually inputting an abbreviated number which is valid and unique.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to telecommunication systems and, more particularly, to a system and method of automatically populating a group's Private Numbering Plan (PNP) subscription with the group members' data.
2. Description of Related Art
In existing telecommunication systems, all Wireless Intelligent Network (WIN) services are provisioned manually utilizing service management application software. One such service is the Private Numbering Plan (PNP). PNP is similar to Private Branch Exchange (PBX) dialing in wireline networks, but applies to a group of mobile subscribers in a cellular network. For Business Group subscriptions to the PNP service, manual provisioning includes the time consuming re-entry of all the group members' numbers followed by their associated abbreviated numbers, which may number in the thousands. Currently, to add a group, a data entry operator must enter an identifier for the group, enter a group name and address, create a group subscription, enter a list of subscriptions that belong to the group, add the members to the group, and then add an abbreviated number to the database for each member. This is a burdensome data entry task for system operators.
There are no known prior art teachings of a solution to the aforementioned deficiency and shortcoming such as that disclosed herein.
In order to overcome the disadvantage of existing solutions, it would be advantageous to have a method of automatically populating a group's PNP subscription with the group members' data at the time that the group members are defined. The present invention provides such a method.

Automated Private Numbering Plan (PNP) subscription provisioning


A financial statement module is provided in which information concerning transactions is stored efficiently in order to produce small files and be able to store a large quantity of transaction information. Using the distinction and processing done to the two types of balances appearing in the financial statement, the module can produce any type of financial statements, independently of the type of business, report, accounting system or information. The generator can produce a detail for a financial statement item, for an account balance, for a document, and build any transactions report. Using the financial statements created, anyone can evaluate the economical performance of the individual or business concerned because the emphasis of the report is chosen by the user without any conventional frameworks, and perform verification work.

Accounting consists in measuring, taking record of and communicating the financial data concerning operations relative to the financing, the investments and the running of a business. The communication of the information is done via financial statements, which are the outcome of the accounting process. The main goal of financial statements is to provide pertinent information for the making of decisions concerning the optimal operation of a business. The presentation must be suitable, that is, enough detail so as not to introduce errors, and should include complementary notes and additional information necessary for a complete and faithful representation of the financial situation of a business at a precise date and of its productivity for a given period of time. This presentation can vary according to the needs of the reader: creditors, investors, shareholders, directors, governments, employees, general public, etc. and according to the type of business.
Accounting software systems usually output a project of a financial statement which is used only by the directors. The user must respect a rigid framework which is pre-established, fixed and limited to one type of presentation, often the statement of results or the balance sheet, without the complementary notes and the additional information. Also, the consultation of these financial statements on the screen is limited to the report itself and the user cannot go back to find the source of the information. The advantage of these financial statements is that they are integrated with the accounting system. A modification in the data of the accounting system automatically modifies the financial statement. Some report generators offer more flexibility but less integration. These generators are more and more complex as they get less rigid and more integrated because of the lack of comprehension of accounting from the computer scientists who design them or because of the lack of comprehension of the operation and possibilities of a computer from the accountants which participate in their design.
Those who produce financial statements often refer to a word processor to produce final and complete financial statements. While offering all the flexibility required, the word processor has no integration with the accounting data of the accounting system.
It would be useful and innovative if the knowledge surrounding accounting and the operation of computers would be unified to produce a tool which enables accounting systems and word processor software to create all kinds of financial statements tailored to the needs of the user, in a simple way, without respecting a rigid framework. The processing and the integration with the accounting data would permit tailored financial statements.


An insert for a golf bag having a generally open top and a generally closed bottom includes a golf club supporting structure in the bag. The insert also includes a compartment for each club. A closure structure is included at the generally open top of the bag and includes an opening for each compartment and a closure member having deflectable closure sections adjacent to each opening at the top of each compartment for each club. A movable tab included in the tubular compartment is deflected by a golf club inserted into the tubular compartment, the deflection is resisted by a cylindrical sheath surrounding the tubular compartment, thereby applying a holding force to the golf club.

In general the present application relates to a golf bag. In particular, the present application relates to a locking golf bag and a locking insert for a golf bag.
Golf remains a popular game as the United States boasts about 25 million participants annually, and the number of rounds played in 2012 totaled over 460 million rounds.
Given the number of manufacturers and the range of bags that each supplies, a large inventory is required by the retailer for products that aesthetically appear quite different but essentially are the same. While most every possible avenue in the golf industry has been explored and aggressively expanded upon in recent years, golf bag design has surprisingly remained stagnant. Most design improvements have centered around storage spaces and specialized compartments.
Figures obtained from the National Golf Foundation and Golf Shop Operations suggest that golfers are willing to pay higher prices for better quality bags. At this time, no other manufacturer offers a product with the design features of the locking golf bag of the present invention.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the present invention relates to a golf bag and a golf bag insert for a golf bag assembly offering total support and protection to a plurality of golf clubs, as well as the bag itself, against theft of individual clubs or the entire bag, against loss of individual clubs arising from negligence by the owner himself/herself, against abrasion damage caused by collision with other clubs within the bag, and finally against rain entering the bag during play. The golf bag also increases ease in locating a particular club, removing and replacing the same.
Golf bag manufacturers are constantly researching the design and construction of their products in order to service the continuing advance in golf club technology. For example, in recent years the number of clubs sold and fitted with graphite shafts, exotic metal heads, and adjustable weights and shafts has skyrocketed. This in turn has created or at least exacerbated certain problems, namely theft and damage. It is not uncommon for individual clubs to cost $500.00 or more these days. Damage can easily occur in the normal configuration of most golf bags, which usually have a dividing structure placed only at the entrance of the bag to create at best six compartments. This does not offer much protection since the heads, shafts, and grips are free to bump and grind together and often can become tangled, which is both burdensome and also potentially harmful to golf clubs. This standard configuration also does nothing to deflect rain or drizzle from entering the bag and soaking the grips of the clubs.
A variety of devices exist in the field of golf bags to assist in organizing the interior of a golf bag. Examples of some of the analogous and non-analogous bags are detailed below.
The Pell U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,774 discloses a foam disc with attached tubes that can be attached inside a golf bag.
The Blanchard et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,907 discloses a series of hexagonal tubes forming a honeycomb pattern which can be encased within a golf bag.
The Rader U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,283 discloses an organizer which utilizes tubes that do not require reinforcing.
These devices in today's market are all but obsolete due to operational deficiencies and the change in today's club characteristics.
Other known golf bag technology shows the development of similar organizers using soft cloth separators as opposed to the harsher plastic tubes previously disclosed.
The Joh U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,300 discloses a divider insert which has a plurality of elongated enclosures and hinge flaps which can be used to separate club heads.
The Kwon U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,660 describes an interesting organizer, which has a series of plates which can be used in different configurations.
These devices, while certainly an improvement over the previous golf bags, must be manually operated and require decisions to be made by the golfer in order to be efficient. Their range of protection is also limited.
The Kim U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,112 shows yet another organizer using a cloth interior. This organizer, while preferred, does not solve the main problem associated with organizer bags, i.e. each club in a set of golf clubs has a different length, and so, even if one separates the shafts of each club by giving each club its own compartment, the head of a shorter club can strike the unprotected area of a shaft of a longer club.
The Hsu U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,785 uses a partitioning rack and a club holding member to secure the club head. Again, this design has a number of deficiencies in that it does not utilize the space inside the bag very well. A very large bag would be required in order to accommodate the partitioning rack. It only specifically protects irons, therefore failing to accommodate putters and woods, which are normally found in a full set of clubs, and has no protection against theft of the clubs stored therein.
While the security devices disclosed in the Murphy U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,753, the McCue U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,043 and the Stusek U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,735 undoubtedly perform the task for which they were intended, they all have limitations which reduce their effectiveness.
Other devices known in the industry suffer from similar limitations which include but are not limited to, ease of operation, the device itself can in certain circumstances cause damage, and range of protection. For example, the Stusek U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,735 discloses a device which protects the clubs in an efficient manner but fails to protect the bag itself.
All the aforementioned patents describe devices which are unquestionably beneficial, however, they all operate within limited parameters and solve only certain problems.
The Jones U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,202, being invented by the inventor of the present invention, solved many of the aforementioned problems in that it provided the following features:
1. An integral security system which alerts owners if their clubs are left behind.
2. A system which protects each club from theft.
3. A system which protects the bag from theft.
4. A system which holds each club in a stable position.
5. A system which is friendly to clubs with graphite shafts.
However, while the Jones U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,202 was an improvement over known golf bag designs, it became apparent over time that the Jones bag is susceptible to failure as an integral security system for alerting users that their clubs are left behind. The operation of the locking device must keep a grip of a club until the locking tab, which keeps the tube from being pushed down when a club is out of the bag, has been engaged. In the Jones U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,202, it is possible that a club having a smaller diameter grip could be removed from the bag in such a way that the locking device would fail to keep a grip of the club until the locking tab has been engaged, thus causing the tube to fall back into the bag even when the club is out, thus defeating an objective of the Jones bag. The Jones U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,202 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if set forth in whole.
It is the object the present invention to solve all described problems and some other difficulties that the state of the art has not yet addressed. In this respect, the locking golf bag and locking insert for a golf bag of the present application offer a wide range of protection for problems previously investigated and also provide for concepts not previously anticipated.


This invention relates to flexible, transparent and conductive coatings and films formed using carbon nanotubes (CNT) and, in particular, single wall CNT, with polymer binders. Preferably, coatings and films are formed from CNT applied to transparent substrates forming one or multiple conductive layers at nanometer level of thickness. Polymer binders are applied to the CNT network coating having an open structure to provide protection through infiltration, and may comprise a basecoat, a topcoat, or a combination thereof, providing enhanced optical transparency, conductivity, moisture resistance, thermal resistance, abrasion resistance and interfacial adhesion. Polymers may be thermoplastics, thermosets, insulative, conductive or a combination thereof. A fluoropolymer containing binder is applied onto a CNT-based transparent conductive coating at nanometer level of thickness on a clear substrate. The fluoropolymers or blend can be either semi-crystalline or amorphous. This binder coating and the resulting products can be used for display and electronic applications.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to flexible, optically transparent and conductive coatings and films comprised of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and polymer binders on optically clear substrates such as PET and glass for display and electronic applications, and to the corresponding fabrication methods, coating layer structures and processes. In particular, the invention is directed to fluoropolymer binders applied to the CNT layer to provide protection and enhancement of properties such as increased electrical conductivity, increased optically transparency, moisture resistance, thermal resistance, abrasion resistance and interfacial adhesion.
2. Description of the Background
Transparent and electrically conductive coatings and films are used for versatile applications particularly in flat panel displays, touch screen panel and other electronic applications. These transparent conductors mainly include metal oxides particularly indium-tin oxide (ITO). (See R. G. Gorden, "Criteria for Choosing Transparent Conductors", MRS Bulletin, Page 52, August/2000). ITO is deposited onto glass and polymer substrates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), sputtering and other approaches followed by annealing. This offers high electrical conductivity and optical transparency. However, ITO-based coating and film have inferior abrasion resistance and flexibility. The supply of expensive indium is also very limited. Transparent conductive products with easier fabrication and higher performance are in great demand.
Intrinsically conductive polymers such as polyaniline and polythiophene are also used to make flexible transparent conductive coating and films. One significant example in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped and stabilized with poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS). (See L. Bert Groenendaal, F. Jonas, D. Freitag, H. Pielartzik, J. R. Reynolds, "Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and Its Derivatives: Past, Present, and Future," Advanced Materials, Vol. 12, No. 7, pp 481, 2000). However, polymer conductivity and optical transparency are limited. Despite good flexibility, abrasion resistance is also very poor.
Development and application exploration of carbon nanotube have preceded since their discovery in 1991. Nanotubes and nanoparticles are gaining significant attentions due to industrial application potentials. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) of different forms have been discovered including single-wall, dual-wall and multiple-wall. These forms have been incorporated into a number of plastics and films.
Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are manufactured by several methods such as laser ablation, carbon arc and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) including a process using high pressure carbon monoxide (HIPCO). Dilute carbon nanotube dispersions in aqueous or solvent mixtures are referred to as CNT inks.
CNTs include single walled (SWNT), double walled (DWNT) and multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT). These forms of CNTs are synthesized by arc-discharge, laser ablation and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), to name a few. (See Carbon Nanotubes Science and Applications; edited by M. Meyyappan, CRC Press, 2004). Carbon nanotubes especially SWNT can also have high electrical and thermal conductivity in addition to good mechanical properties.
Carbon nanotubes are generally mixed with polymers (or monomers followed by polymerization) to form nanocomposites. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,265,466 relates to electromagnetic shielding composites comprising nanotubes and polymers. Significant research efforts are focusing on preparation of nanocomposites using this approach. The challenges for this approach include difficulty in uniform mixing due to bundles and agglomeration of CNT, and difficulty in achieving very high conductivity due to an insulative nature of polymers.
Transparent conductive coatings and films can be made by incorporating CNT into clear polymers at a desired thickness (See generally U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,583,887 and 5,908,585). U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/105,623 and 10/442,176 relate to transparent conductive coatings and films with or without certain patterning formed by using single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) through a two step method (e.g. formation of CNT layer via wet process followed by polymer binder coating).
During development of these SWNT based transparent conductive coatings having high conductivity (e.g., 100-105 O/C=), their measured sheet resistance value can fluctuate with changes in time and environment.
This type of CNT network coating on the substrates in sensitive to environmental conditions including moisture and heat. Sheet resistance of a dried bare carbon nanotube coating on the substrates could decrease when first exposed to low moisture level, and then significantly increases at different moisture levels after reaching equilibrium. Sheet resistance also increased upon heating especially at high temperatures such as in the range of 125-400° C. The effects of both moisture and temperature are fully or partially reversible.
When flexible substrates such as plastic films are used, the resulting CNT network coating has very good flexibility. However, these coated substrates often do not have extremely high adhesion and abrasion resistance. Typical substrate types include glass, plastic, ceramic and similar materials.
Currently commercially available transparent conductive coatings and films made from ITO, conducting polymer, and nanocomposites containing nanotubes or other conductive particulates, suffer from at least one common characteristic. All these coating and films are formed as a solid layer to which additional layers of materials can be applied above or below to provided further function or protection from environmental influence. For example, ITO is coated on a flexible transparent polymeric film and over coated with an abrasion resistant polymer such as an acrylic to protect the surface during handling in the factory or by the end user.
A disadvantage is that the acrylic top coating also serves to electrically insulate the coated surface, making contact to the conductive ITO difficult or impossible. Since most commercially available transparent conductive coatings and films are solid materials, the addition of other layers typically interferes with this function of surface conductivity. In the case where composite layers are formed comprising a polymer and a conductive constituent, the polymer in the composite can be selected to provide additional functions such as abrasion, humidity, temperature, adhesion and maintain the conductive properties of the layer. This approach is used commercially to form transparent conductive coatings with PEDOT and polymeric resins to form a solid layer. The disadvantage to this approach is that in these composite coatings, conductivity is greatly reduced by the presence of polymeric resins which serve to dilute and interrupt the conductive pathways.

Method of forming fluoropolymer binders for carbon nanotube-based transparent conductive coatings


An analyzation apparatus which performs an analysis simulation in accordance with analysis condition data. An analysis condition modeling unit generates an analysis condition model data by assigning an analysis condition to each region of a three-dimensional model represented with analysis object model data of the analysis simulation based on analysis condition data set for the analysis simulation. A rendering unit renders the three-dimensional model represented with the analysis condition model data and displays the three-dimensional model on a display device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analyzation apparatus to perform an analysis simulation and its control method, and more particularly, to a display method for the apparatus and the control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently, to develop high quality products at low cost and high speed, a technique for performing a virtual test on a computer before completion of the actual prototype is important. For such a virtual test, a technique for analysis simulation of structure, fluid, heat, stress and the like has been established. Further, a technique for three-dimensionally visualizing the results of these analysis simulations (hereinafter, "analysis results") has been established. A product developer and a designer can perform a virtual test by observation of three-dimensionally visualized analysis results (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-254003).
As described above, as the technique for visualization of analysis results has been developed, there is a tradeoff between the time required for execution of the analysis simulation and the precision of the analysis result. The elaborateness of analysis conditions such as model data shape, mesh division density, mechanical characteristic, physical characteristic, chemical characteristic, temperature distribution, and analysis boundary condition are correlated with the amount of calculations. That is, upon analysis simulation, if the analysis condition is set in detail, the analysis simulation is performed on a condition closer to reality, and therefore, the precision of analysis result is high. On the other hand, as the amount of calculation is increased due to the detailed setting of the analysis condition, the calculation time is increased.
Accordingly, a user who executes an analysis simulation (hereinafter, an "analysis user") sets an optimum analysis condition in consideration of trade-off between time and precision, and performs the analysis simulation. Next, as one of the analysis conditions, the mesh division density of model data will be described. When an analysis condition is set so as to complete analysis simulation calculation within a predetermined analysis time, it may be difficult to mesh-divide all the model data in high density. Accordingly, a region with priority may be mesh-divided in high density, while the other region may be mesh-divided in low density. In this case, the precision of analysis result is high in the high-density mesh divided region. However, it is impossible to obtain a high precision analysis result in the entire model data.
The result of analysis performed as above is observed by for example a designer who designed the model data. Hereinafter, the user who observes the analysis result will be referred to as an "observation user". As the observation user checks only the analysis result, the observation user cannot check the analysis condition as a precondition of the analysis.
However, to perform a test with certainty, it is necessary for the observation user to check the setting status of the analysis condition which has a large influence on the precision of analysis result. More particularly, when the above-described mesh division density is used as an analysis condition, it is desirable that the observation user can check the positions of the high-density mesh-divided region and the low-density mesh-divided region in the analysis object before the user perform the test.
Further, to perform a test with higher certainty, it is also necessary for the observation user to check the entire index calculated comprehensively using all the analysis conditions, since only one analysis condition is not directly related to the precision of analysis result. For example, even in a high-density mesh-divided region, when settings of other analysis conditions are poor, the precision of analysis result in the region may be low. In the present specification, an index comprehensively calculated from all the analysis conditions used in an analysis simulation is defined as a degree of reliability. The observation user uses the degree of reliability as an index representing the precision of analysis result, thereby performs a test with higher certainty from the result of analysis simulation. Further, the observation user checks the settings of the respective analysis conditions, thereby grasps factor(s) which degrades the precision of analysis result.
However, in a general procedure of present analysis simulation, first, various analysis conditions are set by a preprocessor, then an analysis simulation is performed by an analysis simulation unit, and the analysis result is visualized by a post processor. Accordingly, the analysis user checks the analysis conditions and the degree of reliability back in the phase of the preprocessor. However, the time utility of such checking is low and the observation user cannot easily check the analysis conditions and the degree of reliability in the phase of test of the analysis result. Although a system in which the entire precision of the analysis result can be checked as a numerical value has been proposed, such numeric representation is not intuitive, and often cannot be understood by some observation user who is not an analysis expert. Further, with only the entire precision, the observation user cannot perform tests from various points such as respective regions and respective analysis conditions. That is, with the present techniques, it is difficult for the observation user to easily or intuitively check the precision of the analysis result.

Analyzation apparatus and control method thereof


The present invention discloses microcellular fibers, in which microcells are formed with a density of more than 107 cells/cm3 with a supercritical fluid introduced into fiber forming polymers and have a rate of volume expansion of 1.2 to 50, ratio of microcell length to microcell diameter of more than 2 and a monofilament diameter of more than 5 μm. The microcellular fibers provide high and uniform cell densities and are good in the rate of volume expansion and the ratio of cell length to cell diameter, thus they are very excellent in lightweight feeling and touch. The microcellular fibers are made by a method for making microcellular fibers, wherein a supercritical fluid is introduced into an extruder upon melting and mixing fiber forming polymers in the extruder, to thus prepare a single-phase solution of molten polymer and gas, then the single-phase solution of molten polymer and gas is extruded (spun) through spinneret of spinning pack by subjecting the single-phase solution to a rapid pressure drop, to thus make microcellular extrusion materials, the microcellular extrusion materials are rapidly cooled by a cooling medium, and then they are wound at a winding speed of 10 to 6,000 m/min so that a spinning draft can be 2 to 300.

General cellular polymer products have been commonly used industrially for a long time in order to make polymer products lightweight and save the required quantity of polymer. Of them, polystyrene foam products are representative and being used for a wide range of uses.
However, such general cellular polymer products have a cell size of 100 μm or so, so it is difficult to manufacture them into a continuous filament. Besides, they have a very low cell density of 106 cells/cm3, thus they are poor in touch and lightweight property and are difficult to acquire uniform physical properties.
To solve these problems, U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,053 and Pat. No. 6,051,174 disclose a method for making a microcellular extrusion materials in which a supercritical fluid such as CO2 is introduced into an extruder upon mixing and melting polymers in the extruder to prepare a single-phase solution of molten polymers and gas, and then the single-phase solution kept at a high pressure is extruded through a die to form a plurality of microcells by subjecting the single-phase solution to a rapid pressure drop.
The microcellular extrusion materials prepared by the above method is advantageous in that it provides cell sizes of less than 10 μm, which are smaller than the flaws preexisting within the polymers so that there occurs no decrease in the mechanical properties, and it provides high cell densities of 109 cells/cm3 or so, thus, the required amount of polymers can be saved. But, the above method is unsuitable for the manufacture of microcellular fibers since the molten polymer with a plurality of microcells are extruded into the air (at a room temperature) and slowly cooled down.
In other words, particularly, filaments, which are fibers of a continuous state, must undergo the process of making fine the extrusion materials spun from a spinneret through a very big deformation, the above method in which the molten polymer with a plurality of microcells are slowly cooled down after extrusion is unsuitable for a fiber manufacturing process, i.e., a filament spinning process.
Additionally, in case that the molten material prepared by the above method is melted and spun to make filaments for clothing such as polyamide filaments or polyester filaments, the melting strength of the spun filaments is low and thus a gas in the microcells flows out of the polymers immediately after the spinning (extruding), thus it is difficult to manufacture filaments (fibers) for clothing with high microcell densities.
To solve such a problem of an outflow of a gas in microcells, some methods for improving the melting strength of spun filaments by modifying polymers chemically have been attempted. But, in this case, there occurs a new problem such as a decrease of draw ratio in a drawing process, so this makes it difficult to manufacture microcellular fibers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide microcellular fibers for clothing which provide an excellent lightweight feeing and touch with microcells formed at a density of more than 107 cells/cm3.
It is another object of the present invention to effectively prevent the outflow of gas in microcells upon making microcellular fibers. It is another object of the present invention to effectively make microcellular fibers for clothing which provide an excellent lightweight feeling and touch with a plurality of microcells.

Microcellular foamed fiber, and a process of preparing for the same


Footwear products incorporating the use of natural materials; therein, and, more particularly, insoles, liners, and footwear incorporating sisal material. The sisal material is arranged so as to provide direct contact with a user foot in order to avail to the user foot the sisal therapeutic benefits of skin massaging, exfoliation of the skin, increased blood flow and ventilation, and the wearability benefits of a non-slip surface and evacuation of foreign objects from direct contact from a user foot. The insoles are at least partially formed of sisal material and can be provided in a flat or contoured form. As another embodiment, the sisal insole is provided as part of a sisal sandal arrangement which incorporates sandal straps and sandals fasteners for attachment to a user foot in a sandal arrangement. An additional embodiment is directed to the form a sisal liner which can be permanently or removably insertable into footwear so as to afford an arrangement providing a lining of sisal material within at least a portion of a cavity of a footwear.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates in general to insoles, liners and footwear, and more particularly, to insoles, liners and footwear incorporating loofah material.
2. Description of Related Art
An array of available footwear products has broadened and increased in popularity in recent years. Further, use of natural material in consumer products has gained in frequency in recent years.
The following represents a listing of known related art pertaining to feet, footwear products and/or natural materials:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,589 issued to Sullivan et al. on Sep. 22, 1987;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,040 issued to Tatuo Fukuoka on Sep. 23, 1969;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,677 issued to James Zona on Feb. 4, 1986;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,831 issued to Charles J. Seltzer on Sep. 22, 1987;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,493 issued to Gary A. Eston on Aug. 5, 1986;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,078 issued to Ronald Moss on Oct. 9, 1979;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,332 issued to Giese et al. on Feb 23, 1982;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,333 issued to Rothschild et al. on Feb. 23, 1982;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,334 issued to Helen M. Hunt on Feb. 23, 1982;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,912 issued to Wildman et al. on Feb. 17, 1987;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,913 issued to Hase et al. on Feb. 17, 1987;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,914 issued to Adelino Caldeira on Feb. 17, 1987;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,361 issued to Ganter et al. on Oct. 6, 1987;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,106 issued to Herbert Magidson on Apr. 3, 1973;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,801 issued to Patrick Zente on Dec. 2, 1975;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,526 issued to Tatsuo Fukuoka on Mar. 21, 1978;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,921 issued to Valuikas et al. on Dec. 1, 1987;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,257 issued to Holcomb et al. on Mar. 23, 1993;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,081 issued to Reiner et al. on Jun. 13, 1978;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,353 issued to Foldes et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,355 issued to Giuseppe Annovi on Jun. 20, 1978;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,727 issued to Hideru Nakamoto on Jan. 14, 1975;
1995 Teva--The Sport Sandal catalog;
Michele Turk, "R.sub.x for Sore Feet", The Walking Magazine, January/February 1996, pp. 30-34;
Terence P. Pare, "How To Invest In Fast-Growing Companies", Fortune, Apr. 17, 1995, p.105;
"High-Stepping Sandals", Business Week, May 8, 1995, p. 88;
"Voting With Their Feet", Business Week, May 22, 1995, p. 8;
"Smooth Loofah" article, (unknown publication and undated);
"Birko-Sport Insole" and "Noppy Insoles" advertisement sheet (unknown publication and undated);
"European Sport Sandals" advertisement (unknown publication and undated);
"What is the secret of Australia's massaging node sandals?" advertisement (unknown publication and undated);
"Arthritic Foot Management" "advertisement sheet (unknown publication and undated);
"Feel the walking pleasure of the islands.--Slip into soft, full-grain leather Hawaiian sandals." advertisement (unknown publication and undated);
"Your Feet--A Sensitive Issue" advertisement (unknown publication and undated);
"Class 5 Sport Sandals" catalog (undated);
"The Original Okabashi Shoes With Built-In Foot Therapy" advertisement (unknown publication and undated);
"Bio-Fit Custom Arch Supports" advertisement (unknown publication and undated);
"Athletes's Massaging Sandals" and "Gel Filled Insoles" advertisement sheet (unknown publication and undated);
"The Adventure Experts At Teva Innovate Again" advertisement (unknown publication and undated);
"We Had More Than Your Feet In Mind" Reebok advertisement (unknown publication and undated);
Birkenstock brochure (pages 1-4; undated);
Birkenstock Insoles brochure, pp. 1-7 (undated);
Birkenstock advertisement, 5 pages (undated);
"Our exclusive dual-chamber insoles give you deluxe massage and superb durability" advertisement (unknown publication and undated);
"Off The Road" Sports Sandals versus Sneakers, article, pg. 140 (unknown publication and undated).
Birkenstock advertisement, p. 97 (unknown publication and undated);
"Finn Comfort Shoes" advertisement (unknown publication and undated);
"Technical Sandals" Merrell Sport Sandals (unknown publication and undated);
Sensi Sandals, "The Sensi Story", 3 sheets (unknown publication and undated);
Teva Sandals--for "Barefoot" Comfort, 2 sheets (unknown publication and undated);
The teachings of each of the above-listed U.S. Patents (which does not itself incorporate essential material by reference) are herein incorporated by reference.
While the array of available footwear products has broadened, there still exists a need for further footwear products incorporating the use of natural materials therein.

Insoles, liners and footwear incorporating sisal material


A resin composition comprising (a) polyarylene polyether represented by the general formula of Z.sub.1 -(polyarylene polyether) chain-Z.sub.1 ' (wherein Z.sub.1 and Z.sub.1 ' denote individually a monovalent organic group containing a cross-linkable unsaturated carbon-carbon linkage), and (b) an inorganic filler.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a resin composition and a resin-molded type semiconductor device wherein a semiconductor chip is sealed with the resin composition being cured.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the current trend to achieve an increased integration of a semiconductor element, the miniaturization of various function units of the element and the enlargement of the element per se are now progressing. For the purpose of sealing such semiconductor chip with a resin composition, an epoxy resin composition comprising a thermosetting epoxy resin as a main component and a phenol resin as a curing agent has been extensively employed.
For example, a gate array of so-called ASIC (Application Specific IC) or a surface mount type package represented by a standard cell type LSI has been produced by making use as a sealing resin of an epoxy resin. In the process of mounting these semiconductor devices on a substrate, a thermal treatment such as a vapor phase reflow, an infra-red ray reflow and a solder dipping is performed. In this thermal treatment, the package is exposed to a high temperature in the order of 215 to 260.degree. C., so that a trace of water which has been penetrated into the package is suddenly vaporized, thus often giving rise to the generation of a crack in the sealing resin.
When the crack is extended to the external surface of the sealing resin, the moisture resistance reliability of resin-molded type semiconductor device will be damaged raising a serious problem. Moreover, when a crack is generated in the sealing resin, the resin will be caused to swell resulting in the deformation of the package, thus possibly making it difficult to mount the package on a substrate.
Furthermore, when such a defective package is mounted on a substrate, various problems including a cracking may be brought about even in the interior of the semiconductor chip sealed with a resin. For example, PSG (phosphosilicate glass) or SiN (silicon nitride) which is used as a passivation film for a metallic interconnecting wiring layer formed of aluminum for example may be cracked, or the breakage of a gold bonding wire may be caused.
To solve these problems, there have been various demands as described below in the manufacture of a resin molded package in particular of large size, these demands being mainly related to the sealing resin.
(1) The stress to be laid upon inner devices by the sealing resin should be minimized, and the adhesion between the sealing resin and a lead frame or a film such as PSG film, SiN film or polyimide film formed on a semiconductor chip should be improved.
(2) The sealing resin should be excellent in heat resistance, i.e., sufficiently high in high-temperature strength or in high-temperature strength under moisture absorption so as to withstand the mounting temperature of the package. At the same time, the hygroscopicity of the sealing resin should be as low as possible.
In view of these demands, there has been studied to use, as a main component of a sealing resin composition for a semiconductor chip, a heat-resistive thermoplastic resin of so-called engineering plastic such as PPS (polyphenyl sulfide) resin, PPE (polyphenylene ether) or liquid crystal polymer. However, it is required to heat them at a relatively high temperature in the range of 200 to 300.degree. C. in order to melt-molding these resins. Moreover, there is a problem that the melt viscosity of these resins is higher than that of epoxy resin. Since these resins are accompanied with these problems, the molding of them is very difficult as compared with the conventional sealing resin composition containing epoxy resin.
The conventional sealing resin composition for a semiconductor chip generally contains about 50 to 85 parts by weight of an inorganic filler in order to lower the thermal expansion coefficient of the sealing resin composition and at the same time to improve the thermal shock resistance of the sealing resin composition. However, if the thermal shock resistance of the aforementioned heat resistance thermoplastic resin is to be improved by the addition in the equal volume of inorganic filler, the melt viscosity of the sealing resin would be further increased thus deteriorating the flowability of the sealing resin, thus inviting the drifting of bonding wire or the dislocation of the bed. On the other hand, if a resin of lower molecular weight is employed, the melt viscosity of the sealing resin may be lowered thereby improving the moldability of the sealing resin, but the strength and heat resistance of the sealing resin would be deteriorated.

Resin composition and resin-molded type semiconductor device