A virtualization system implemented within a cloud server enables the simulation of robot structure and behavior in a virtual environment. The simulated robots are controlled by clients remote from the cloud server, enabling human operators or autonomous robot control programs running on the clients to control the movement and behavior of the simulated robots within the virtual environment. Data describing interactions between robots, the virtual environment, and objects can be recorded for use in future robot design. The virtualization system can include robot templates, enabling users to quickly select and customize a robot to be simulated, and further enabling users to update and re-customize the robot in real-time during the simulation. The virtualization system can re-simulate a portion of the robot simulation when an intervention by a human operator is detected, positioning robots, people, and objects within the virtual environment based on the detected intervention.

This description generally relates to robotics, and more specifically to the simulation of robot structure and behavior within a virtual environment.
The design and testing of robots can be expensive. In particular, physical build-outs of robots involve multiple robot components that are often costly, such as processors, sensors, effectors, power sources and power buses, and the like. Likewise, robot design and testing can be very time-consuming, often requiring multiple iterations of robot build-outs before a final design is selected. The design, build-out, and test cycle can be iterated multiple times, further increasing the costs of robot design. Accordingly, there is a need to streamline robot design and testing in order to both lower costs and reduce the amount of time required to settle on a final robot design.
The figures depict various example embodiments of the present technology for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that other alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the technology described herein.

Robot templates in a simulation environment


Novel surfactants and drying and/or cleaning compositions containing such surfactants are disclosed. The surfactants are 1:1 primary or secondary amine salts of .gamma..omega.-perfluoro-C.sub.6 -C,.sub.8 -alkyl dihydrogen phosphates and bis(y,co-perfluoro-C.sub.6 -Cis-alkyl) hydrogen phosphates. The surfactants are soluble in, and convert halocarbons, especially HFC 43-10mee (1,1,1,2,2,3,4,5,5,5-decafluoropentane), into highly effective displacement drying and/or cleaning compositions. These compositions have the ability to remove water or aqueous films from the surface of a broad range of substrates.

Many industries use aqueous compositions for the surface treatment of metals, ceramics, glasses, and plastics. Cleaning, plating, and deposition of coatings are often carried out in aqueous media and are usually followed by a step in which residual water is removed. Hot air drying, centrifugal drying, and solvent-based water displacement are common methods used to remove such residual water.
For many years, 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane (CFC-1 13) has been the preferred solvent in cleaning and drying or dewatering applications. Recently, chiorofluorocarbons (CFCs) such as CFC-113 have come under regulation as they are believed to contribute to depletion of the earth's stratospheric ozone layer. These regulations have reduced and phased-out the production of CFCs and thereby their release into the earth's atmosphere. Thus, there is a continuing industry need for alternatives to CFC-based compositions.
Hydrofluorocarbons (BFCs) have been proposed as replacements for CFCs in cleaning and drying compositions. Illustrative of such HFC compositions are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,578,137, 5,514,301, and 5,610,128. Many HFCs have limited solvency for water and hydrocarbon oils and soldering flux residues. The use of surfactant which assists in removal of such materials from substrates is therefore necessary in many drying and cleaning applications of HFCs. Halocarbon solvents containing a hydrophobic surfactant have been used to displace water from substrates. However, identification of an appropriate solvent/surfactant pair to accomplish water displacement and residue cleaning is not trivial.
Many HFCs are unable to dissolve conventional surfactants designed for use with chlorocarbon, chlorofluorocarbon, and hydrochlorofluorocarbon solvents. Not only must surfactants which are soluble in a given HFC be identified, but also those having the desired properties and activity for a given application. It has been a problem in this field to find hydrophobic surfactants that are essentially insoluble in water, will not form an emulsion with water, and yet are still able to displace water or clean process residue from a variety of substrates.
Conventional displacement drying fluids such as Freon.RTM. T-DA and Freon.RTM. T-DFC marketed by E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del., USA (DuPont), contain low concentrations of highly effective alkyl phosphate amine salt surfactants, such as a 1:1 salt of 2-ethylhexyl amine and isooctyl phosphate, that rapidly release water from surfaces by lowering surface tension. Unfortunately, conventional surfactants such as these are insoluble in HFC solvents.
There is a need in the displacement drying field to find soluble displacement drying surfactants for use in HFC solvents such as 1,1,1,2,2,3,4,5,5,5-decafluoropentane (CF.sub.3 CF.sub.2 CFHCFHCF.sub.3, HFC 43-10mee), which form effective drying compositions at surfactant concentrations of around 0.1 weight percent (wt %) in HFC, and which have very low water solubility.
Certain non-ionic surfactants such as ethoxylated alcohols, mercaptans, or alkylphenols are soluble in HFC 43-10mee. Such surfactants have drying efficiencies of only 50 to 70% of the conventional CFC-113-based drying compositions, require high surfactant concentration which results in substrate rinsing and staining problems, and are water soluble resulting in surfactant loss with the water discharge.
Surprisingly and unexpectedly, it has been discovered that the surfactants of the present invention enhance the performance of HICs such as HFC 43-10mee and other hydrochlorofluorocarbon and hydrofluorocarbon ether halocarbon solvents in displacement drying. The present invention includes a new class of hydrophobic, HFC soluble, fluorinated surfactants with surface activity in HFCs resulting in highly effective displacement drying compositions. More particularly, the present invention includes dewatering and cleaning compositions comprising a HFC solvent and an effective amount of an of a alkylammonium salt of a fluorinated phosphate ester.
Zyhowski et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,128 disclosed surfactants which are quaternary ammonium salts of alkyl phosphates for use in HFCs for drying and cleaning. Fluoroalkyl groups may be present on the ammonium and/or phosphate ions. The preferred structures have the fluoroalkyl group only on the ammonium ion.
Bil et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,301 disclosed dewetting or degreasing compositions based on halogenated aliphatic solvents containing in solution at least one mono- or dialkyl phosphate of a fluorinated amine, at least one quaternary ammonium mono- or dialkyl phosphate and optionally a quaternary ammonium chloride.

Compositions and processes for drying substrates


Systems and methods for conducting an auction of securities on the Web. The system and methods provide a bid mechanism whereby bidders are rewarded for priority of anonymously revealing their bids and provide an allocation of the securities which allows winning bidders to pay a single market-clearing price that sells out the securities. In addition, the systems and methods allow all participants to monitor the auction in real time.

It is desirable that the process of buying and selling initial offerings and large regulated blocks of commodities or securities (hereinafter "securities") be made more accessible to more investors, be made more price transparent by providing more visibility into the bid and offer process, reduce the costs to issuers and investors and increase the amount of trading in these securities.
The present system of offering new issues of securities is non-transparent, inefficient and biased toward certain buyers and broker-dealers. As used herein, equity securities, commodities (as traded on a licensed commodity exchange), fixed income or debt securities including, for example and without limitation, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, mortgage backed bonds, emerging market bonds, junk bonds, treasury bonds, convertible bonds, gold, and the like will be generally referred to as "securities." While the following describes the technical problem in terms of debt securities, the general issues described relate to the sale of regulated securities, commodities and other similar assets. Those skilled in these arts will recognize that the technical problem described specifically is a general one which may be solved within the letter and spirit of the invention disclosed herein.
It is typical for a municipality, corporation, or other non-US treasury issuer to sell its securities by having an investment bank, or other broker, underwrite an offering. Typically, corporate bond syndications use an investment bank's salesmen to convey the terms of a pending offering to potential investors along with some preliminary, unofficial "price talk." In this way, a dialogue is initiated with investors that is intended to garner feedback concerning pricing and investor interest. This feedback is shared with the issuer and other investors.
This process is generally referred to as "book building." Book building is iterative and filtered: a sort of oral history of the "book," listing interested investors and the quantity of securities in which they are ostensibly interested, is told, retold and modified until the offering or "deal" is as big and as cheap as the issuer will tolerate. The deal is then priced by the syndicate and the issuer enters into a written agreement with the underwriter to make the offering. Thus, generally, no written commitment to actually make the offering is made by the issuer until after the offering is priced and subscribed. After the initial issue has been through this initial sale process, the securities are freed to trade in the "secondary" market, that is, the market in which securities other than new issues are traded. The issuer of the securities will typically pay fees to the underwriter for its marketing, pricing and allocation services.
In this initial sale system, market size and market price are controlled by the syndicate. And, as discussed below, the syndicate may wish to massage market size and price in order to accomplish a set of objectives which may belong to the underwriter or some subset of participants rather than the issuer and the market at large. Certain investors may be favored by an underwriter, such that other investors who express an interest in purchasing such bonds in an initial offering will have no certainty that they will be allocated any bonds by the syndicate desk. Additionally, a deal will typically become several times oversubscribed, that is, more securities will be desired by investors than are being offered by the issuer.
Potential investors are typically aware of this and, so, will indicate a quantity of securities to the syndicate which may be many times the actual amount of securities desired by the investor. Because investors understand that, in this traditional book building process, information can be filtered and massaged by the underwriter to achieve objectives that may differ from their own, investors tend to view this process with suspicion and caution. Thus, investors may attempt to manipulate the system in their favor in a number of ways. For example, as noted above, potential investors may pad their orders, indicating interest in a greater volume of securities than they truly desire. Potential investors may also stipulate that an order will fall away if the price is increased when, in fact, this simply represents posturing. The deal is then managed to the "proper" price and size by the syndicate, often to maximize fees and to please one constituent or another, but rarely to please the market as a whole or to achieve the most efficient price and distribution profile. Because of all this attempted manipulation, the underwriter may not be able to get a good understanding of the true intentions of the potential buyers of the securities at the various potential price points. Behavior of all parties is governed by an objective to manipulate the system by using the filtering process to get the upper hand. Thus, it can be the case that, once the real market price is established in secondary trading, one constituency gains at the expense of another, leading to further mistrust of the system.
Recent conditions in the marketplace for debt securities amplify the need for a change in how these securities are bought and sold. For example, technology has become easily available to conduct electronic sales (by auctions, etc.) that promotes unfiltered price discovery on a low-cost, real-time basis.
Secondly, debt investors and issuers have become financially more sophisticated in their knowledge of markets, their ability to analyze credit quality and their ability to recognize value in the market. This means that they are less dependent on financial intermediaries for research and advice than they were in the past.
Third, the amount of investable funds in the market has grown dramatically over the past decade, creating intense competition for new debt issues within the investor community and creating a need for a better market clearing process.
Fourth, the services provided by traditional investment banks related to the new debt issue they originate have declined significantly, while the fees charged for services rendered have remained constant. The most significant example of reduced service is the sharp decline in secondary market liquidity provided by the traditional investment banks, largely the result of a decreased appetite for the risk amidst decreased profitability in secondary corporate bond trading. Finally, the current system encourages misrepresentations about the size and quality of the book, encourages special interest deals and often creates major disputes regarding allocations which create a mistrust of the system, thereby causing investors and issuers to inflate values and amounts in a way which exacerbates the hidden nature and inaccuracies of prices in the system. With the advent of the Internet and reasonably secure telecommunications systems, various attempts are being made to use these systems for the management of investment portfolios for mutual funds and others and for systems covering the sale and purchase of treasury bonds, corporate bonds and other securities in a way which avoids many of the described problems.
Specifically in the area of bonds and other equities, for example, we have seen various patented systems. One such attempt at portfolio management is described in the well publicized U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,056 issued to Signature Financial Group on Mar. 9, 1993 titled "Data processing System for Hub and Spoke Financial Services Configuration." More specifically an attempt at automating the trading of debt securities in the secondary market is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,483 issued Sep. 15, 1998 to S. William Broka et al, titled "Online Transaction processing System for Bond Trading." Another system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,667 issued Aug. 31, 1999 to Morgan Stanley Group titled "Data Processing System and Method for Financial Debt Instruments." This system is a system for investors to track the performance of certain issued debt instruments within a limited period of time and especially for implementing investor participation in domestic and foreign capital markets through positions in indexed vehicles which are packaged as debt instruments. Still another more recent example of the use of the Internet to enhance general trading is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,686 issued Feb. 8, 2000 to Health Hero Network, titled "Method for Conducting an on-line Bidding Session with Bid Pooling." This system while not aimed specifically at any specific security market, is a system for allowing individuals to pool their bids as a group in order to qualify to bid on a property in an on-line auction. That is, it allows individuals with limited funds to pool their resources with other individuals of limited resources to be able to qualify (i.e. have enough capital) to buy a piece of property that has been auctioned.
Other known internet related systems for buying and selling securities and commodities include a system set up in 1992 by Intervest, aimed at facilitating the secondary market sales of bonds between investors and broker-dealers. More recently, Brokertec, a consortium set up by Goldman Sachs and six other large institutions in the summer of 1999 is said to be trying to create an electronic inter-dealer broker for cash and futures. Tradeweb, an electronic brokerage system for US Treasuries, was set up by four investment banks (CSFB (Credit Suisse First Boston), Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and Soloman Brothers) in 1997 and has apparently been successful in trading these securities. These Government bonds however do not have the problems mentioned above in that they are heavily traded, their price is well known in advance and are deemed the ultimate safe investment. Still another on-line system for handling bond trading, primarily in the secondary market, is BondDesk.com owned by BondDesk.Com LLP, an internet-based provider of retail fixed income trading software, and owned by BondExchange LLC, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Paine Webber Inc., and Spear, Leeds & Kellog.
Almost all of these systems which strive to offer new issues follow the same logic; that is, they distribute research, prospectuses, filings and other new issue information over the web, which cuts down on paper, faxes and some phone calls. However the ultimate pricing and allocation of securities is still conducted via traditional methods.
There is still a need for an Internet-based centralized system which provides a low-cost, open and decentralized price discovery environment. That is, a system using current technology to improve the transparency of the price discovery process, eliminate mistrust, reduce the special interest money involved, and bring the cost of distribution more directly in line with the value added by the medium. The present invention provides a system to accomplish these goals and is applicable to the general securities and commodities transactions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and methods for pricing and allocation of commodities or securities


A computer implemented method and apparatus for creating 64-bit registry keys using a 32-bit installer comprising creating a feature tree for a plurality of 64-bit features, receiving a plurality of features selected for installation, creating 32-bit registry keys for the plurality of selected features, storing the 32-bit registry keys in a 32-bit hive of a memory, synchronizing the selected features in the feature tree to a 64-bit hive and storing a feature list registry of the plurality of features selected for installation.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to software interoperability and compatibility and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for managing 64-bit registry keys using a 32-bit installer.
Description of the Related Art
Installing new applications is a common task for many computer users. As such, software installation must be easy and uncomplicated. During software installation, a substantial amount of automated procedures occur that do not require user interaction. In an effort to automate as many of these procedures as possible, certain limitations are placed on the types of applications/plug-ins that may be installed e.g., limits are placed on mixing 32-bit applications with 64-bit plug-ins.
When applications are installed on a computer, a registry is created. A registry is a hierarchical structure containing data that is critical for the operation of, for example, WINDOWS® and applications that run on WINDOWS®. The registry is structured in a tree format and each node has a key. Often the presence of a key is all an application requires to run, but sometimes the key may be associated with a value. A hive is a group of keys and values in the registry that has a set of supporting files containing backups of the hive's data. For example, when an application is installed, user specific data is recorded under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER key. Registry entries under this key define user preferences such as application settings, printers, network connections, and the like. In addition, when the application is installed, computer specific data is recorded under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key. Registry entries under this key define the physical state of the computer, including data about system memory, and installed hardware and software.
Issues arise when a 32-bit application is installed on a computer with 64-bit components. A 64-bit component may be able to run faster and more effectively than a 32-bit component. Many essential applications were created on a 32-bit platform, but as technology has advanced, 64-bit components (or plug-ins) have been developed to work with these 32-bit applications. For example, ADOBE ACROBAT® is a 32-bit application, but supports creation of PDF files from 64-bit applications, such as MICROSOFT OFFICE® applications.
As a general rule, 32-bit applications require 32-bit installers. However, the 64-bit components that are built to work with these 32-bit applications require a 64-bit installer. This is because the 32-bit applications required 32-bit registry keys in a 32-bit hive, while the 64-bit components require 64-bit registry keys in a 64-bit hive. The WINDOWS® Installer is not capable of creating registry keys in 64-bit hive using a 32-bit installer. The WINDOWS® Installer can only create registry keys in 64-bit registry hive using a 64-bit installer.
One solution requires the 32-bit applications to maintain two different installers, namely a 32-bit installer for the 32-bit components, and a 64-bit installer for the 64-bit components. This requires costly development and management of two installers and adds complexity to the user. A user must run a 32-bit installer to install 32-bit components and then run a 64-bit installer to install 64-bit components, thereby making software installation more complicated for the user.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and apparatus for managing 64-bit registry keys using a 32-bit installer.

Method and apparatus for managing 64-bit registry keys using a 32-bit installer


A food cutting apparatus includes first and second guide panels spaced apart from each other at a preset distance, the first and second guide panels each having a plurality of cutting slots formed downwardly at regular interval, defining a plurality of cutting guide paths to guide a cutting knife there-through to cut food products placed between the guide panels into pieces; a cutting board placed between the first and second guide panels, the cutting board having a predetermined width configured to preset the distance of the first and second guide panels by abutting the first and second guide panels against two opposing side faces of the cutting board placed there-between, thereby, enabling the user to slice the placed food products into multiple pieces using a cutting knife introduced to the plural pairs of corresponding cutting slots of the first and second guide panels; and first and second guide posts coupled perpendicularly to the first and second guide so as to guide and position the first and second guide panels at the preset distance there-between. Multiple cutting boards of different widths can be provided to place and cut different amount or rolls of the food products.

Rolled food products (e.g., sushi rolls and gimbap rolls) are cut or sliced into pieces by the preparers using a knife before serving the foods. However, the tasks of cutting/slicing such rolled food products present risks to the food preparers as the preparers can accidentally cut or injure their fingers during the process of cutting the rolls into pieces of desired sizes. In addition, the rolled sushi or gimbap is easy to be burst open during the cutting/slicing process as they are made of soft food (such as cooked rice and other food ingredients) which is wrapped with fragile edible skins, such as thin layer seaweed, that is easy to break or burst open during the cutting processes with knife.


A deicing formulation which exhibits improved viscosity and stickiness for application to surfaces which includes at least one of BCS, DCS, CSSL or a low molecular weight carbohydrate fraction with a chloride salt, and an effective amount of a lignosulfonate to provide for improved viscosity and stickiness.

The current state of the art for coping with snow and ice on roads usually involves applying a deicer material such as a salt to the road surface. Sometimes antiskid materials such as sand or other aggregates such as gravel are added with or without a salt.
The use of salt and compositions having high concentrations of salt, cause an undesirable corrosive effect on vehicles, the road surface, and the environment with respect to the run off of water containing salt which contaminates the surrounding land and water.
Considering the above problems associated with salt formulations, there has been a continuing need for a deicing composition or formulation which can be easily applied to effectively melt snow and ice yet which reduces the corrosion and environmental contamination referred to above. In response to the above problems associated with the use of road salt, the prior art has looked to alternative formulations which are less corrosive and more environmentally friendly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,240 (Johnson et al.) relates to a deicing composition comprising brewers' condensed solubles produced, for example, as by-products from a commercial beer brewing process, which by-products are biodegradable. The invention also relates to the use of a deicing composition to reduce the buildup of snow and ice on road, bridges and other outdoor surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,101 (Janke et al.) relates to a deicing composition containing a by-product of a wet milling process of shelled corn. Corn kernels are steeped or soaked in a hot solution containing small amounts of sulfurous acid. The corn kernels are separated from the steep water and the corn steepwater solubles are used in the production of a deicing composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,918 (Toth et al.) relates to a deicing composition which comprises a mixture containing at least one component selected from a number of chlorides or urea and an admixture of waste concentrate of alcohol distilling that has a dry substance content of from 200 to 750 g/kg and from 10% to 80% by weight of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,793 (Hartley et al.) utilizes a concentration of low molecular weight carbohydrates to produce a synergistic effect on the freezing point and ice/snow melting characteristics of chloride containing liquid deicers.
In some cases, the above described formulations appear to have low viscosities and poor adhering characteristics and when applied to salt and sand piles, the material will run off and not remain in its intended location on and in the salt/sand pile. Formulations exhibiting this problem also exhibited a tendency to run off when applied directly to roadway surfaces.
To improve quality and performance, and to meet current mandated standards, there has been a continuing need for a source of deicing formulations which exhibit improved performance with respect to their use and application and which also exhibit reduced metal corrosion, spalling of concrete, toxicity and address environmental concerns.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a deicing formulation which exhibits improved performance standards which overcome the prior art problems described above.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a deicing formulation which exhibits an improved viscosity profile.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a deicing formulation which exhibits increased stickiness when applied to salt piles and roadway surfaces and the like.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a deicing formulation which provides consistent physical and chemical properties, thereby assuring consistent quality and performance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an economical, highly effective deicing formulation which can be efficiently and effectively applied to salt piles and roadway surfaces and the like.

Deicing formulation having improved stickiness

Sears Petroleum & Transport Corp. and Sears Ecological Applications Co., LLC


A method of making a monodisperse regular grain silver halide high bromide emulsion is described comprising precipitating regular silver halide grains comprising greater than 50 mole percent bromide, based on total silver, in a reaction vessel, and adding to the reaction vessel before or during precipitation a disulfide compound represented by the following formula (I):

The present invention relates to the use of water-soluble disulfide compounds in the preparation of monodisperse regular (non-tabular) grain light-sensitive silver halide emulsions.
Problems with fogging have plagued the photographic industry from its inception. Fog is a deposit of silver or dye that is not directly related to the image-forming exposure, i.e., when a developer acts upon an emulsion layer, some reduced silver is formed in areas that have not been exposed to light. Fog can be defined as a developed density that is not associated with the action of the image-forming exposure, and is usually expressed as xe2x80x9cD-minxe2x80x9d, the density obtained in the unexposed portions of the emulsion. Density, as normally measured, includes both that produced by fog and that produced as a function of exposure to light. It is known in the art that the appearance of photographic fog related to intentional or unintentional reduction of silver ion (reduction sensitization) can occur during many stages of preparation of the photographic element including silver halide emulsion preparation, spectral/chemical sensitization of the silver halide emulsion, melting and holding of the liquid silver halide emulsion melts, subsequent coating of silver halide emulsions, and prolonged natural and artificial aging of coated silver halide emulsions.
The control of fog, whether occurring during the formation of the light-sensitive silver halide emulsion, during the spectral/chemical sensitization of those emulsions, during the preparation of silver halide compositions prior to coating on an appropriate support, or during the aging of such coated silver halide compositions, has been attempted by a variety of means. Mercury-containing compounds, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,728,663; 2,728,664; and 2,728,665, have been used as additives to control fog. Thiosulfonates and thiosulfonate esters, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,440,206; 2,934,198; 3,047,393; and 4,960,689, have also been employed. Organic dichalcogenides, for examples the disulfide compounds described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,962,133; 2,465,149; 2,756,145; 2,935,404; 3,184,313; 3,318,701; 3,409,437; 3,447,925; 4,243,748; 4,463,082; and 4,788,132 have been used not only to prevent formation of fog but also as desensitizers and as agents in processing baths and as additives in diffusion transfer systems. More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,754 describes the use of primarily water-insoluble organic dichalcogenides during the preparation of silver halide crystals to modify the grain growth of silver hlaide crystals in addition to preventing formation of fog without a concomitant large loss in sensitivity. U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,127 describes the use of certain water soluble disulfide compounds which provide the combined attributes of high water solubility and strong antifogging activity with de minimus impact on sensitivity.
A problem has been discovered when attempting to employ some of the water soluble disulfide compounds described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,127 in the preparation of monodisperse conventional regular grain silver halide high bromide emulsions. Regular grains are three-dimensional (non-tabular) grains which are substantially internally free of crystal plane stacking faults. Specifically, it has been discovered that the presence of some of such compounds during the precipitation of such emulsion grains lead to the formation of a significant fraction of large grain contamination, generally due to formation of some larger tabular grains. It would be desirable to provide a process for the preparation of monodisperse regular grain emulsions which would enable the use of water soluble disulfide compounds in order to take advantage of the combined attributes of high water solubility and strong antifogging activity with only minimal impact on sensitivity, while avoiding the disadvantages of large grain contamination when emulsion grain size monodispersity is desired.
This invention provides a method of making a monodisperse regular grain silver halide high bromide emulsion comprising precipitating regular silver halide grains comprising greater than 50 mole percent bromide, based on total silver, in a reaction vessel, and adding to the reaction vessel before or during precipitation a disulfide compound represented by the following formula (I):
where Y and Z are H atoms or substituents, which may be connected to form a carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring; X is xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x94, where R is a substituent; M is xe2x80x94Hxe2x80x94 or a cationic species; and L is a linking group, where p is 0 or 1. In preferred embodiments, Y and Z are connected to form a further substituted or unsubstituted phenyl ring.
This invention further provides a silver halide emulsion prepared by the method, and a photographic element comprising a silver halide emulsion prepared by the method. The use of water soluble disulfide compounds of the above formula in the preparation of monodisperse high bromide emulsion grains in accordance with the invention provides the antifoggant advantages of the general class of compounds described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,127 in a monodisperse emulsion, while avoiding the problem of large grain contamination in such emulsions.
The disulfide compounds employed in accordance with the invention are represented by following formula (I):
Y and Z are H atoms or substituents, which may be connected to form a carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring. In preferred embodiments, Y and Z are connected to form a further substituted or unsubstituted phenyl ring. X is independently an xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x94. Most preferably X is xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94. L is a linking group, and p is 0 or 1. In particularly preferred embodiments, the disulfide compound employed is of the formula (II):
Substituents represented by Y, Z and R, as well as further substituents which may be present Y and Z connect to form a further substituted phenyl ring, are selected from those which do not interfere with the intended function of the disulfide compound in the photographic emulsion and which maintains the water solubility of the compound. Examples of suitable substituents include alkyl groups (for example, methyl, ethyl, hexyl), fluoroalkyl groups (for example, trifluoromethyl), aryl groups (for example, phenyl, naphthyl, tolyl), sulfonyl groups (for example, methylsulfonyl, phenylsulfonyl). Preferred are simple alkyl groups and simple fluoroalkyl groups.
Preferably L is a unsubstituted alkylene group and is usually xe2x80x94(CH2)nxe2x80x94 where n ranges from zero to 11 and is preferably 1 to 3. Other examples of L are given below:
M is either a hydrogen atom or a cationic species if the carboxyl group is in its ionized form. The cationic species may be a metal ion or an organic ion. Examples of organic cations include ammonium ions (for example, ammonium, tetramethylammonium, tetrabutylammonium), phosphonium ions (for example, tetraphenylphosphonium), and guanidyl groups. Preferably M is hydrogen or an alkali metal cation, with a sodium or potassium ion being most preferred.
Examples of disulfide compounds of formula (I) which may be employed in accordance with this invention include compounds I-A through I-G shown below.
The solubilized disulfides employed in the invention are easily prepared using readily available starting materials. Most of the solubilized disulfides can be obtained by reacting aminophenyl disulfide or hydroxyphenyl disulfide with the appropriate cyclic anhydride followed by conversion of the free diacid to its anionic form using materials such as sodium bicarbonate. Other solubilized disulfides could be obtained by reacting aminophenyl disulfide or hydroxyphenyl disulfide with the mono chloride of a dicarboxylic acid mono ester, followed by hydrolysis of the ester to the carboxylic acid. Representative synthetic examples are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,127 referenced above, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Solubilized non-phenyl disulfides can similarly be obtained by employing analogous non-phenyl reactants.
The method of the invention is specifically directed towards the preparation of monodisperse regular grain high bromide silver halide emulsions. The term monodisperse is intended to refer to emulsions having a coefficient of variation (COV) of grain size of less than 25% (preferably less than 20%), where COV is defined as 100 times the standard deviation ("sgr") of grain size divided by the average grain size. Regular grains are conventional three-dimensional (non-tabular) grains which are substantially internally free of crystal plane stacking faults. The term xe2x80x9chigh bromidexe2x80x9d is intended to refer to emulsion grains comprising at least 50 (preferably 70 and optimally 90) mole percent bromide, based on silver, with any remaining halide being bromide, chloride, or mixtures thereof. Preferably, at least 0.5 (more preferably 1.0) mole percent iodide may be present in the emulsion grains to provide increased photographic speed. While iodide may be present up to saturation levels, it is preferably limited to less than 20 (optimally less than 10) mole percent, based on silver, with any remaining halide being chloride. Silver bromide, chlorobromide, iodochlorobromide, chloroiodobromide and iodobromide emulsions are contemplated.
In accordance with the invention, emulsion grain monodispersity is improved specifically during the precipitation of high bromide regular grains by the reduction of larger than average size grain fractions. The shape of regular silver halide grains in general tends to vary with composition. Silver chloride grains, for example, are usually cubic (i.e., bounded by 6 {100} crystal faces), while high bromide silver halide grains may be cubic, octahedral (bounded by 8 {111} crystal faces) or cubo-octahedral (bounded by 6 {100} and 8 {111}faces). Monodisperse emulsions of this invention may be generally prepared by precipitating silver halide crystals in a colloidal matrix by methods conventional in the art. The colloid is typically a hydrophilic film forming agent such as gelatin, alginic acid, or derivatives thereof. Monodisperse emulsions are typically prepared by a double-jet precipitation process, wherein silver and halide salt solutions are concurrently run into a reaction vessel. Double-jet precipitation as normally practiced is a batch precipitation process, but may also be performed in a continuous precipitation process wherein a portion of the emulsion formed is being continuously removed. Research Disclosure, Item 38957, Section I. xe2x80x9cEmulsion grains and their preparationxe2x80x9d describes conventional precipitation procedures.
In a typical emulsion precipitation process, at least about 10% of the dispersing medium (water and peptizer) forming the final emulsion is initially placed in a reaction vessel. Up to 100% of the final emulsion volume can be present initially in the reaction vessel, since water and soluble salts can be continuously removed by ultrafiltration, as illustrated by Mignot U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,012. At least 10% of the final peptizer can be initially present in the reaction vessel, but no peptizer is required until grain nucleation occurs. The concentration of peptizer in the dispersing medium during grain nucleation and growth is usually less than 5 wt %, typically 1 to 3 wt %. A minor amount of halide ion (e.g., less than 10% of total halide precipitated) is typically initially introduced into the dispersing medium to insure a stoichiometric excess of halide ion during precipitation. The pH of the dispersing medium is usually in the range of from 2.0 to 9.0, typically 3.0 to 7.0. The strong mineral acids HCl and HNO3 and the bases NaOH and KOH are typically used to adjust pH. Temperatures in the reaction vessel usually range from 20 to 90xc2x0 C., preferably 30 to 80xc2x0 C. A soluble silver salt (e.g., silver nitrate) is introduced through one jet. Concurrently a soluble halide salt (e.g., an ammonium halide, an alkali halide or an alkaline earth halide) is introduced through a second jet. When the pH of the dispersing medium is acid, an ammonium counter ion behaves no differently than an alkali metal counter ion. When the pH of the dispersing medium is alkaline, however, ammonium ion acts as a ripening agent.
In the formation of high bromide grains, the boundary between cubic and octahedral/cubo-octahedral depends, in large part, on the silver ion concentration of the precipitating conditions, generally reported as pAg (xe2x88x92log [Ag+]). Typically, octahedral grains form at a higher pAg than cubic grains. The presence of iodide increases the probability of forming grains with octahedral faces, and shifts the boundary to a lower pAg. At a fixed pAg, the grain shapes are progressively more octahedral as the amount of iodide in the emulsions is increased. See generally xe2x80x9cThe Theory of the Photograph Process,xe2x80x9d T. H. James, ed., 4th Ed., Mac-millan Publishing Co., Inc. (1977) p. 94. The present invention is particularly applicable to the preparation of monodisperse octahedral or cubooctahedral silver halide high bromide emulsions.
The crystals formed in the precipitation step may be chemically and spectrally sensitized, as known in the art. Chemical sensitization of the emulsion employs sensitizers such as sulfur-containing compounds, e.g., allyl isothiocyanate, sodium thiosulfate and allyl thiourea; reducing agents, e.g., polyamines and stannous salts, noble metal compounds, e.g., gold, platinum; and polymeric agents, e.g., polyalkylene oxides. A temperature rise is employed to complete chemical sensitization (heat treatment). Spectral sensitization is effected with agents such as sensitizing dyes. For color emulsions, dyes are added in the spectral sensitization step using any of a multitude of agents described in the art. It is known to add such dyes both before and after heat treatment.
After spectral sensitization, the emulsion is coated on a support. Various coating techniques include dip coating, air knife coating, curtain coating and extrusion coating.
In accordance with the invention, the disulfide compounds are added to the silver halide emulsion reaction vessel either before the start of or during precipitation. They can be added to the reaction vessel containing the aqueous gelatin salt solution before the start of the precipitation; they can also be added during precipitation to the salt solution, the silver nitrate solution, or from a separate jet directly into the kettle. However, there is some indication that greater activity may be achieved if the disulfides are added in the salt solution or directly to the vessel before the start of precipitation. The compounds can be added from the beginning or part-way-through precipitation. Parameters such as temperature, stirring time and other variables for precipitating conventional emulsions are known to those skilled in the art.
When the disulfide compounds are added from an aqueous solution it is advantageous to use the alkaline earth salt of the disulfide. Alternatively, the free acid can be used by co-dissolution with appropriate molar equivalents of base, or the free acid can be prepared as a solid particle dispersion and added to the silver halide emulsion, gelatin-only overcoat, or interlayer. Preferably the disulfide compounds are added as the aqueous solution of the alkaline earth salt. Additionally, the disulfide compounds of this invention can be used in combination with sulfinate salts as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 978,539, Klaus and Leonard, filed Nov. 19, 1993.
The optimal amount of the disulfide compound to be added will depend on the desired final result, the type of emulsion, the degree of ripening, the point of addition, the chemical structure, and other variables. In general the concentration of disulfide compound which may be utilized is from about 1xc3x9710xe2x88x929 to about 1xc3x9710xe2x88x922 mol/mol Ag, with 1xc3x9710xe2x88x927 to 1xc3x9710xe2x88x922 mol/mol Ag being preferred and about 1xc3x9710xe2x88x925 to 8xc3x9710xe2x88x924 mol/mol Ag being most preferred.
Combinations of the disulfide compounds may be used. The disulfide compounds may also be used in combination with other antifoggants and finish modifiers.
The disulfide compounds are particularly useful with intentionally or unintentionally reduction sensitized emulsions. As described in The Theory of the Photographic Process, 4th edition, T. H. James, Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc., 1977, pages 151-152, reduction sensitization has been known to improve the photographic sensitivity of silver halide emulsions. Reduction sensitization can be performed intentionally by adding reduction sensitizers, chemicals which reduce silver ions to form metallic silver atoms, or by providing a reducing environment such as high pH (excess hydroxide ion) and/or low pAg (excess silver ion).
During precipitation of a silver halide emulsion, unintentional reduction sensitization can occur when silver nitrate or alkali solutions are added rapidly or with poor mixing to form emulsion grains, for example. Also silver halide emulsions precipitated in the presence of ripeners (grain growth modifiers) such as thioethers, selenoethers, thioureas, or ammonia tend to facilitate reduction sensitization.
Examples of reduction sensitizers and environments which may be used during precipitation or spectrochemical sensitization to reduction sensitize an emulsion include ascorbic acid derivatives; tin compounds; polyamine compounds; and thiourea dioxide-based compounds described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,487,850; 2,512,925; and British Patent 789,823. Specific examples of reduction sensitizers or conditions, such as dimethylamineborane, stannous chloride, hydrazine, high pH (pH 8-11) and low pAg (pAg 1-7) ripening are discussed by S. Collier in Photographic Science and Engineering, 23,113 (1979).
Examples of processes for preparing intentionally reduction sensitized silver halide emulsions are described in EP 0 348934 A1 (Yamashita), EP 0 369491 (Yamashita), EP 0 371388 (Ohashi,), EP 0 396424 A1 (Takada), EP 0 404142 A1 (Yamada) and EP 0 435355 A1 (Makino).
The disulfide compounds are also particularly useful with emulsions doped with Group VIII metals such as iridium, rhodium, osmium and iron as described in Research Disclosure, December 1989, Item 308119, published by Kenneth Mason Publications, Ltd., Dudley Annex, 12a North Street, Emswirth, Hampshire P010 7DQ, ENGLAND. It is common practice in the art to dope emulsions with these metals for reciprocity control.
A general summary of the use of iridium in the sensitization of silver halide emulsions is contained in Carroll, xe2x80x9cIridium Sensitization: A Literature Review,xe2x80x9d Photographic Science and Engineering, Vol. 24, No. 6, 1980.
A method of manufacturing a silver halide emulsion by chemically sensitizing the emulsion in the presence of an iridium salt and a photographic spectral sensitizing dye is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,965. The low intensity reciprocity failure characteristics of a silver halide emulsion may be improved, without significant reduction of high intensity speed, by incorporating iridium ion into the silver halide grains after or toward the end of the precipitation of the grains is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,751. The use of osmium in precipitating an emulsion is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,272 (McDugle).
In some cases, when such dopants are incorporated, emulsions show increased fresh fog and a lower contrast sensitometric curve when processed in the color reversal E-6 process as described in The British Journal of Photography Annual, 1982, pages 201-203.
The photographic elements of this invention can be non-chromogenic silver image forming elements. They can be single color elements or multicolor elements. Multicolor elements typically contain dye image-forming units sensitive to each of the three primary regions of the visible spectrum. Each unit can be comprised of a single emulsion layer or of multiple emulsion layers sensitive to a given region of the spectrum. The layers of the element, including the layers of the image-forming units, can be arranged in various orders as known in the art. In an alternative format, the emulsions sensitive to each of the three primary regions of the spectrum can be disposed as a single segmented layer, e.g., as by the use of microvessels as described in Whitmore U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,806 issued Dec. 7, 1982. The element can contain additional layers such as filter layers, interlayers, overcoat layers, subbing layers and the like. This invention may be particularly useful with those photographic elements containing a magnetic backing such as described in No. 34390, Research Disclosure, November, 1992.
In the following discussion of suitable materials for use in the emulsions and elements of this invention, reference will be made to Research Disclosure, December 1989, Item 308119, published by Kenneth Mason Publications, Ltd., Dudley Annex, 12a North Street, Emsworth, Hampshire P010 7DQ, ENGLAND, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. This publication will be identified hereafter by the term xe2x80x9cResearch Disclosurexe2x80x9d.
The silver halide emulsions employed in the elements of this invention can be either negative-working or positive-working. Examples of suitable emulsions and their preparation are described in Research Disclosure Sections I and II and the publications cited therein. Some of the suitable vehicles for the emulsion layers and other layers of elements of this invention are described in Research Disclosure Section IX and the publications cited therein.
The silver halide emulsions can be chemically and spectrally sensitized in a variety of ways, examples of which are described in Sections III and IV of the Research Disclosure. The elements of this invention can include various dye-forming couplers including but not limited to those described in Research Disclosure Section VII, paragraphs D, E, F and G and the publications cited therein. These couplers can be incorporated in the elements and emulsions as described in Research Disclosure Section VII, paragraph C and the publications cited therein.
The photographic elements of this invention or individual layers thereof can contain, among other things, brighteners (Examples in Research Disclosure Section V), antifoggants and stabilizers (Examples in Research Disclosure Section VI), antistain agents and image dye stabilizers (Examples in Research Disclosure Section VII, paragraphs I and J), light absorbing and scattering materials (Examples in Research Disclosure Section VIII), hardeners (Examples in Research Disclosure Section X), plasticizers and lubricants (Examples in Research Disclosure Section XII), antistatic agents (Examples in Research Disclosure Section XIII), matting agents (Examples in Research Disclosure Section XVI) and development modifiers (Examples in Research Disclosure Section XXI).
The photographic elements can be coated on a variety of supports including but not limited to those described in Research Disclosure Section XVII and the references described therein.
Photographic elements can be exposed to actinic radiation, typically in the visible region of the spectrum, to form a latent image as described in Research Disclosure Section XVIII and then processed to form a visible dye image examples of which are described in Research Disclosure Section XIX. Processing to form a visible dye image includes the step of contacting the element with a color developing agent to reduce developable silver halide and oxidize the color developing agent. Oxidized color developing agent in turn reacts with the coupler to yield a dye.
With negative working silver halide, the processing step described above gives a negative image. To obtain a positive (or reversal) image, this step can be preceded by development with a non-chromogenic developing agent to develop exposed silver halide, but not form dye, and then uniformly fogging the element to render unexposed silver halide developable, and then developed with a color developer. Additionally, the preceding process can be employed but before uniformly fogging the emulsion the remaining silver halide is dissolved and the developed silver is converted back to silver halide; the conventional E-6 process is then continued and results in a negative color image. Alternatively, a direct positive emulsion can be employed to obtain a positive image.
Development is followed by the conventional steps of bleaching, fixing, or bleach-fixing, to remove silver and silver halide, washing and drying.
The following examples are intended to illustrate, without limiting, this invention.

Silver halide emulsions precipitated in the presence of ortho-substituted water-soluble disulfides

Abstract: where Y and Z are H atoms or substituents, which may be connected to form a carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring, X is xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x94, where R is a substituent; M is xe2x80x94Hxe2x80x94 or a cationic species; and L is a linking group, where p is 0 or 1. The invention further provides a silver halide emulsion prepared by the method, and a photographic element comprising a silver halide emulsion prepared by the method. The use of water soluble disulfide compounds of the above formula in the preparation of regular grain high bromide emulsions provides the antifoggant advantages of water soluble disulfide compounds in a monodisperse emulsion, while avoiding the problem of large grain contamination in such emulsions.


By employing a developer using ferrite system carriers, a developing process can be carried out using a low brushing force by a magnetic portion having the same polarity in a developing unit in a developing roller. A relationship between a circumferential speed Up (mm/sec) of a photoconductor, a ratio K of a circumferential speed of a developing sleeve of the developing roller to the circumferential speed of the photoconductor, and a developing potential difference .DELTA.V (V) is set to 1.5.ltoreq.(K.times..DELTA.V/Up).ltoreq.2.1.

The present invention relates to a developing apparatus and a picture image forming apparatus; and, more particularly, the invention relates to a developing apparatus for use in an electrophotography apparatus, such as a copying machine, a printing machine and a facsimile apparatus. The present invention also relates to a picture image forming apparatus for forming a two-color image using the developing apparatus.
The general principle of operation of a picture image forming apparatus will be explained. First of all, an example of a tri-level two-color picture image forming apparatus will be explained with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.
The tri-level two-color picture image forming apparatus, or the tri-level xerographic apparatus for forming a two-color picture image, comprises mainly a charging means 11 and an exposing means 25. The charging means 11 applies a charge uniformly to a surface of a photoconductor 1, which charging means is arranged opposite to an outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor 1. The exposing means 25 generates an exposing light beam 14, which exposes one region with weak intensity or half power to form a positive latent image and another region with strong intensity or full power to form a negative latent image, in response to a picture image signal having a first color signal component and a second color signal component.
An electrostatic latent image having a tri-level distribution (see FIG. 8, wherein a region L1=Vo, a region L2=Vr, and the remaining region=Vw) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor 1 by the charging means 11 and the exposing means 25.
The tri-level two-color picture image forming apparatus comprises a developing apparatus 12 for forming the first color and a developing apparatus 13 for forming the second color. Both the developing apparatus 12 and the developing apparatus 13 employ a different charge polarity of toner with respect to each other. By using the developing apparatus 12, a high potential portion (Vo=the region L1) is developed through a normal development process where the toners are charged with a reverse polarity with respect to the charging polarity of the photoconductor 1.
Further, by using the developing apparatus 13, a low potential portion (Vr=the region L2) is developed through a reverse development process where the toners are charged with the same polarity as the charging polarity of the photoconductor 1. In this way, a two-color toner image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 1. The recharging of the photoconductor 1 is performed through a pre-transfer charging means 24, so that the polarity of the toner image is made equal to either the positive polarity or the negative polarity.
The toner image now charged with one polarity is transferred onto a paper sheet 15 through a transferring means 23, and the toners are thermally fused on the paper sheet 15 through a fixing means 17, after which the toners are fixed on the paper sheet 15. Thus, with one rotation of the photoconductor 1, a printing process to produce a two-color picture image is carried out.
The above stated two-color developing method has been proposed in, for example, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 48-57637 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,929. The use of a pre-transfer charging means 24 for recharging the toners to either the positive polarity or the negative polarity, for example, has been proposed in Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 48-53727.
Further, in the operation of the developing apparatus, various processes have been proposed. For example, FIG. 6 shows a conventional developing apparatus 2 where two-component developer mixed carriers with toners are used. In this developing apparatus 2, a developing roller 5 is arranged opposite to an outer peripheral surface of a photoconductor 1 with a developing gap provided therebetween. The developing roller 5 is constituted by a columnar form magnet body 4 which is arranged inside of a rotating developing sleeve 3.
Plural magnetic poles S, N, S, N, . . . are magnetized at an outer peripheral portion of the magnet body 4, and a developer 7, formed of a mixture of toners with carriers, is attracted according to the magnetic force of the magnet body 4, so that a magnetic brush is formed by the developer 7 held on an outer peripheral surface of the developing sleeve 3. By causing the developer 7 to contact the surface of the photoconductor 1, an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor 1 is developed, whereby a toner image is formed.
The developer 7 is transported in the direction of the arrow, with the counter-clockwise rotation of the developing sleeve 3 to a developing zone, while the amount of the developer 7 carried on the developing sleeve 3 is regulated by passing the developer 7 through a regulating gap formed between a regulating plate 6 and the developing sleeve 3.
In the developing zone arranged between the developing roller 5 and the photoconductor 1, the magnetic brush is formed along the magnetic lines of force formed through the magnetized pole plates 8 having, for example, the same polarity, so as to constitute adjacent double magnetic pole units having the same polarity.
In the developing zone, as already indicated, the magnetic brush is formed along the magnetic lines of force produced by adjacent magnetic poles having the same polarity. With respect to this magnetic brush, in the center portion of the double magnetic poles having the same polarity, the developer 7 can easily move to the surface of the photoconductor 1 because the constriction for the developer 7 produced by the magnetic lines of force becomes weak. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the developing density.
The above described developing unit which uses the same polarity method, for example, has been proposed in Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 55-101969, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 3-291680, and Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 4-338781. Further, a method for applying a bias voltage comprised of an AC bias voltage and a DC bias voltage has been proposed in, for example, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 60-168177, and Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 3-109582.
In the above stated conventional tri-level picture image forming apparatus, as shown in FIG. 8, the charging potential Vo is divided into two levels relative to the intermediate potential Vw, so that a first color electrostatic latent image and then a second color electrostatic latent image are formed with similar potential differences at an upper portion and a lower portion.
Accordingly, the potential difference between the developing bias potentials Vb1 and Vb2 of each of the first color and the second color and the latent image potential, namely, the first developing potential difference .DELTA.V1 and the second developing potential difference .DELTA.V2, becomes small. As a result, it has been difficult to obtain a high picture image density.
Further, in a pre-stage of the first color developing apparatus 12, the first color electrostatic latent image and the second color electrostatic latent image are formed at the same time by the exposing light beam 14. Accordingly, in the first color developing apparatus 12, steps must be taken when developing the first color electrostatic latent image to not disturb the second color electrostatic latent image.
However, in the second color developing apparatus 13, during the second color developing process, there is a tendency to disturb the first color toner image. The first color image has been formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor 1 when the magnetic brush brushes the photoconductor 1 with the developer 7, which is held on the developing sleeve 3.
Further, in the conventional developing apparatus 2 employing the same polarity system, there are no proposals for obtaining preferable conditions with respect to the constituting condition between the developer 7 and the magnetic pole units having the same polarity, with respect to the brushing force against the photoconductor 1 during the developing process, and with respect to the developing characteristics.

Developing apparatus and picture image forming apparatus


An information processing apparatus generates a temporary display document including limited pages together with a main display document corresponding to print data, and displays the temporary display document until generation of the main display document is completed, thereby reducing a time taken to display a part of pages.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system including, for example, a preview function of displaying a print image to a user before execution of print processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a printing system using a computer provided with Windows (registered trademark) of Microsoft Corporation as an operating system (OS), print data generated by, for example, an application program is stored in a spool file in a data format standard for the OS.
The OS calls up a printer driver for printing the print data. Then, the printer driver reads the print data stored in the spool file, causes an image generation processing unit to generate a print image, and then converts it to a print command interpretable by a printer. The print command is transmitted to the printer. The printer interprets the print command and generates an image onto a recording medium, thereby performing print processing.
In this printing system, generally, a preview function is realized in the following manner. The printer driver activates a previewer, which functions to display the print image, when the print processing starts. Then, the image generation processing unit generates a print image for use in a preview, and the previewer displays this print image for the preview. Regarding this preview function, there is a technique of speeding up a preview display by starting with a display of a page for which image generation has been completed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-177905).
On the other hand, in recent years, there has appeared a printing system using the Extensible Markup Language Paper Specification (XPS) format as a data format stored in the spool file, instead of the Enhanced Meta File (EMF) format employed by the conventional technique. This printing system also employs an XPS printer driver that supports XPS documents as a printer driver.
The XPS format is an open standard electronic document format developed by Microsoft Corporation, and a display unit therefor is provided by the operating system (OS). According to the conventional technique, a print preview is displayed by conversion of print data into an image. However, the XPS printer driver can display a preview of an XPS document set as print data without converting it into an image by utilizing the display unit provided by the OS, while the conventional technique displays a preview by converting print data into an image.
When the XPS printer driver uses an XPS document set as print data for a preview without converting it, the XPS printer driver outputs preview data from the print data that is being processed to be printed. However, among filters (which will be described below) constituting the XPS printer driver, some of them employ an interface configured to receive an XPS document as parts into which the XPS document is divided.
If such an interface is used for print processing, data is processed in the form of individual parts constituting the XPS document and does not take a form of an XPS document, so that an XPS document for a preview should be constructed from the parts. All of the parts constituting the XPS document are required for construction of the preview XPS document corresponding to the print data from the parts.
However, for example, if the document includes a large number of pages, it takes long time until the filter can acquire all of the parts. Accordingly, it takes long time to generate a preview document (in the present invention, this will be also referred to as a "main display document"), thereby delaying realization of a preview display by the previewer.

Information processing apparatus, control method, and storage medium for providing a preview and/or display of a main display document generated from all parts of a print document


A method for manufacturing a transdermal drug delivery device (10) is disclosed wherein a component (32) and/or a subassembly (20) are intentionally adapted to be separable from the rest of the device for disposal which is more medically or environmentally acceptable. In one embodiment, device 10 comprises upper and lower housings (16, 20), with lower housing (20) being separable from upper housing (16) and foldable upon itself to minimize medically unacceptable contact with, e.g., a drug reservoir (26 or 28) contained therein. A device (10) made in accordance with the invention is included.

Recently, much attention in the patent and technical literature has been directed to delivery of drug or agent through intact skin or organ surfaces by either passive processes, e.g., diffusion, or active processes, e.g., electrotransport. The present invention relates to both such transdermal processes, but will be here described with primary reference to active transdermal processes. The term "electrotransport" as used herein refers generally to the delivery of a beneficial agent (e.g., a drug) through a biological membrane, such as skin, mucous membrane, or nails. The delivery is induced or aided by application of an electrical potential. For example, a beneficial therapeutic agent may be introduced into the systemic circulation of a human body by electrotransport delivery through the skin. A widely used electrotransport process, electromigration (also called iontophoresis), involves the electrically induced transport of charged ions. Another type of electrotransport, electroosmosis, involves the flow of a liquid under the influence of an electric field, the liquid containing the agent to be delivered. Still another type of electrotransport process, electroporation, involves the formation of transiently-existing pores in a biological membrane by the application of an electric field. An agent can be delivered through the pores either passively (i.e., without electrical assistance) or actively (i.e., under the influence of an electric potential). However, in any given electrotransport process, more than one of these processes may be simultaneously occurring.
Accordingly, the term "electrotransport", as used herein, should be given its broadest possible interpretation so that it includes the electrically induced or enhanced transport of at least one agent, which may be charged, uncharged, or a mixture of charged and uncharged species, regardless of the specific mechanism or mechanisms by which the agent actually is transported.
Electrotransport devices use at least two electrodes that are in electrical contact with some portion of the skin, nails, mucous membrane, organ surfaces, or other surface of the body. One electrode, commonly called the "donor" or "active" electrode, is the electrode from which the agent is delivered into the body. The other electrode, typically termed the "counter" or "return" electrode, serves to close the electrical circuit through the body. For example, if the agent to be delivered is positively charged, i.e., a cation, then the anode is the active or donor electrode, while the cathode serves to complete the circuit. Alternatively, if an agent is negatively charged, i.e., an anion, the cathode is the donor electrode. Additionally, both the anode and cathode may be considered donor electrodes if both anionic and cationic agent ions, or if uncharged dissolved agents, are to be delivered.
Furthermore, electrotransport delivery systems generally require at least one reservoir or source of the agent to be delivered to the body. Examples of such donor reservoirs include a pouch or cavity, a porous sponge or pad, and a hydrophilic polymer or a gel matrix. Such donor reservoirs are electrically connected to, and positioned between, the anode electrode or cathode electrode (depending upon the agent) and the body surface, to provide a fixed or renewable source of one or more agents or drugs. Electrotransport devices also have an electrical power source such as one or more batteries. Typically, one pole of the power source is electrically connected to the donor electrode, while the opposite pole is electrically connected to the counter electrode. In addition, some electrotransport devices have an electrical controller that controls the current applied through the electrodes, thereby regulating the rate of agent delivery. Furthermore, passive flux control membranes, adhesives for maintaining device contact with a body surface, insulating members, and impermeable backing members are some other potential components of an electrotransport device.
All electrotransport agent delivery devices utilize an electrical circuit to connect electrically the power source (e.g., a battery) and the electrodes. In very simple devices, such as those disclosed in Ariura et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,570, the "circuit" is merely an electrically conductive wire used to connect the battery to an electrode. Other devices use a variety of electrical components to control the amplitude, polarity, timing, waveform shape, etc. of the electric current supplied by the power source. See, for example, McNichols et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,007.
To date, commercial transdermal electrotransport drug delivery devices (e.g., the Phoresor, sold by Iomed, Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah; the Dupel Iontophoresis System sold by Empi, Inc. of St. Paul, Minn.; the Webster Sweat Inducer, model 3600, sold by Wescor, Inc. of Logan, Utah) have generally utilized a desk-top electrical power supply unit and a pair of skin contacting electrodes. The donor electrode reservoir contains a drug solution while the counter electrode reservoir contains a solution of a bio-compatible electrolyte salt. The "satellite" electrodes are connected to the electrical power supply unit by long (e.g., 1-2 meters) electrically conductive wires or cables. Examples of desk-top electrical power supply units which use "satellite" electrode assemblies are disclosed in Jacobsen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,359 (see FIGS. 3 and 4); LaPrade U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,108 (see FIG. 9); and Maurer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,081 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
More recently, small, self-contained electrotransport delivery devices or assemblies, adapted to be worn on the skin for extended periods of time, have been proposed. The electrical components of such miniaturized electrotransport drug delivery devices are also preferably miniaturized, and may be in the form of either integrated circuits (i.e., microchips) or small printed circuits. Electronic components, such as batteries, resistors, pulse generators, capacitors, etc., are electrically connected to form an electronic circuit that controls the amplitude, polarity, timing, waveform shape (and other parameters) of the electric current supplied by the power source. Such small self-contained electrotransport delivery devices are disclosed, for example, in Tapper U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,927; Haak et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,768; Sibalis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,928; and Haynes et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,418.
In contrast with electrotransport transdermal devices, passive transdermal devices are generally much simpler. For example, Gale et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,580 discloses a transdermal drug delivery device which delivers a therapeutic amount of a drug, e.g., fentanyl, by passive diffusion through intact skin. As is described in the Gale et al. '580 patent, a passive transdermal therapeutic system comprises a pouch formed from a drug/solvent/gel impermeable backing, a drug elution rate-controlling membrane which, with the pouch, forms a drug reservoir. The drug reservoir contains a dissolved or suspended drug therein. The entire assembly is held in place on a patient's skin by a biocompatible adhesive layer located on the skin-contacting side of the device.
One drawback with small (i.e., wearable) unitary electrotransport systems which are manufactured with a predetermined amount of drug in the device, is that once the drug is depleted, the entire device must be discarded. Such integrated devices, of necessity, have components or subassemblies, e.g., batteries, drug reservoirs and electrical subassemblies, all of which are simultaneously discarded into the environment at the time of device disposal. Further, transdermal electrotransport delivery of extremely potent drugs such as narcotic analgesics, which are potentially addictive, can have serious side effects, e.g., respiratory depression. Thus, availability of safe (or even regulated) disposal of drug-containing components or subcomponents of self-contained, wearable, transdermal (especially electrotransport) devices will permit such devices to become more commercially acceptable.

Self-contained transdermal drug delivery device


Binding polypeptides comprising specific amino acid sequences are disclosed that bind B Lymphocyte Stimulator (BLyS) protein or BLyS-like polypeptides. The binding polypeptides can be used in methods of the invention for detecting or isolating BLyS protein or BLyS-like polypeptides in solutions or mixtures, such as blood, tissue samples, or conditioned media.

B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor ("TNF") superfamily that induces both in vivo and in vitro B cell proliferation and differentiation (Moore et al., Science, 285: 260–263 (1999)). BLyS is distinguishable from other B cell growth and differentiation factors such as IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-13, IL-15, CD40L, or CD27L (CD70) by its monocyte-specific gene and protein expression pattern and its specific receptor distribution and biological activity on B lymphocytes. BLyS expression is not detected on natural killer ("NK") cells, T cells or B cells, but is restricted to cells of myeloid origin. BLyS expression on resting monocytes is upregulated by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). The gene encoding BLyS has been mapped to chromosome 13q34.
BLyS is expressed as a 285 amino acid type II membrane-bound polypeptide and a soluble 152 amino acid polypeptide (Moore et al., 1999, supra). The membrane-bound form of BLyS has a predicted transmembrane spanning domain between amino acid residues 47 and 73. The NH2-terminus of the soluble form of BLyS begins at Ala134 of the membrane-bound form of BLyS. Both the soluble and membrane-bound forms of the protein form homotrimers. Soluble recombinant BLyS has been shown to induce in vitro proliferation of murine splenic B cells and to bind to a cell-surface receptor on these cells (Moore et al., 1999, supra). Soluble BLyS administration to mice has been shown to result in an increase in the proportion of CD45Rdull, Ly6Dbright (also known as ThB) B cells and an increase in serum IgM and IgA levels (Moore et al., 1999, supra). Thus, BLyS displays a B cell tropism in both its receptor distribution and biological activity.
Based on its expression pattern and biological activity, BLyS has been suggested to be involved in the exchange of signals between B cells and monocytes or their differentiated progeny. The restricted expression patterns of BLyS receptor and ligand suggest that BLyS may function as a regulator of T cell-independent responses in a manner analogous to that of CD40 and CD40L in T cell-dependent antigen activation.
Accordingly, molecules that specifically bind BLyS would find a variety of uses in the study of the BLyS cytokine, in the manufacture and purification of BLyS in commercial and medically pure quantities, and in the development new therapeutic or diagnostic reagents.

Binding polypeptides for B lymphocyte stimulator protein (BLyS)


A verbena cultivar particularly distinguished by its violet-purple colored flowers with a white background, vigorous, free-branching with multiple secondary lateral branches, upright growth habit becoming slightly spreading and decumbant, and tolerance to powdery mildew is disclosed.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of verbena, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'Lan Uppurmos'. The new cultivar originated in 2003 in Gilroy, Calif. from the sib (two unnamed sister line cross) cross of '1773', an unpatented purple mosaic flowered proprietary verbena.
The seeds produced by the pollination were sown in June 2004. A single plant selection was chosen for further evaluation and for asexual propagation in September 2004.
The new cultivar was created in 2004 in Gilroy, Calif. and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and tissue culture in Gilroy, Calif. and Andijk, The Netherlands over a two-year period. The plant has also been trialed at Gilroy, Calif., Andijk, The Netherlands and Hillscheid, Germany. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.
Plants Breeder's Rights for this cultivar have been applied for in Switzerland on Oct. 30, 2006.


A contact assembly of a robotic garden tool charging device 10 . The contact assembly 100 is arranged to engage a contact element 200 of a robotic garden tool 20 for a charging operation. The contact assembly 100 comprises a contact member 110 having a plurality of connection points 121 , arranged to provide a plurality of points of contact 30 between the contact member 110 and the contact element 200 . The contact member is configured to be pivotably and translatably connected to a body portion 11 of the charging device 10 . The contact assembly 100 comprises a biasing member 140 arranged to interconnect the contact member 110 and the body portion 11, so as to bias the contact member 110 towards the contact element 200 during the charging operation.

Robotic garden tools, such as robotic lawnmowers are well known.
A robotic lawn mower is generally driven by an internal power source such as a rechargeable battery. The robotic garden tool may be configured to autonomously move over a ground surface that is to be treated. Battery charging is performed when the robotic garden tool is docked to a charging device, to which the robotic garden tool will automatically return when required. During a battery charging operation, electric current will be transferred from the charging device to the battery via one or several charging contacts. A charging contact may comprise a first contact member provided on the charging device and a second contact member provided on the robotic garden tool. When the robotic garden tool is properly docked to the charging device, the first and second contact members are interconnected in one or several points of connection, so as to allow transfer of electric current via the points of connection.
However, since the robotic garden tool is configured to approach the charging device autonomously, and since the ground on which the charging device is positioned may be rough and/or inclined, the robotic garden tool may sometimes arrive to the charging device in a direction which is not aligned with the docking device and/or with a lateral displacement relative to the docking device. An angular and/or lateral displacement of the robotic garden tool relative to the charging device may also occur due to other reasons, such as an unfavorable position of the robotic garden tool when initiating its movement towards the charging station.

Contact assembly of a robotic garden tool charging device


The present invention provides a disconnector apparatus including: a support ring provided in a differential casing and configured to support a pinion gear mounted therein; a clutch ring having one end penetrating the differential casing, provided in the differential casing, and configured to be coupled to or decoupled from the support ring; an actuator configured to press the other end of the clutch ring to couple the support ring and the clutch ring; and an elastic member coupled to an exposed portion of the clutch ring positioned outside the differential casing, the elastic member having one end in contact with the differential casing and the other end in contact with the actuator.

In general, a disconnector apparatus refers to an apparatus mounted in a differential assembly and capable of minimizing an unnecessary loss of power by switching between two-wheel driving (2WD) and four-wheel driving (4WD) by engaging or disengaging a differential shaft depending on a traveling situation.
In the case of most of the disconnector apparatuses in the related art, a control system such as a hydraulic motor or a pneumatic motor is used to move a sleeve to cut off power of an input part such as a motor or an engine or an output part such as a vehicle wheel, thereby switching the driving mode from the four-wheel driving (4WD) to the two-wheel driving (2WD).
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a disconnector apparatus in the related art. Referring to FIG. 1, a disconnector apparatus 200 in the related art is connected to a differential assembly 100. A differential gear set is mounted in a differential casing 101 of the differential assembly 100. The differential gear set includes two first and second side gears 111 and 112 and two pinion gears 121 and 122 engaging with the first and second side gears 111 and 112.
The disconnector apparatus 200 in the related art includes: a differential shaft 210 provided in the differential casing 101 and connected to the first side gear 111 positioned at the right side in FIG. 2; a hub 220 connected to a right vehicle wheel; a ball screw shaft 240 connected to a motor 230 and configured to be rotated by an operation of the motor 230; a nut 250 configured to move along the ball screw shaft 240 when the ball screw shaft 240 operates in a state in which the nut 250 is coupled to the ball screw shaft 240; and a fork 280 configured to be movable along a guide rail 260 by an operation of the nut 250 and move a sleeve 270 to connect or disconnect the differential shaft 210 and the hub 220.
In the disconnector apparatus 200 in the related art, the ball screw shaft 240 is rotated by the operation of the motor 230 including a position sensor. The rotation of the ball screw shaft 240 moves the fork 280 together with the nut 250 that moves along the ball screw shaft 240. When the fork 280 moves, the sleeve 270 connected to the fork 280 moves, such that the differential shaft 210 and the hub 220 engage with each other to connect the power. The power is cut off as the differential shaft 210 and the hub 220 disengage from each other. Specifically, when the ball screw shaft 240 is rotated in one direction by the operation of the motor 230, the sleeve 270 moves toward the differential shaft 210, and the differential shaft 210 and the hub 220 engage with each other, such that the power is transmitted to the right vehicle wheel. On the contrary, when the ball screw shaft 240 is rotated in the other direction by the operation of the motor 230, the sleeve 270 moves toward the hub 220, and the differential shaft 210 and the hub 220 disengage from each other.
However, in the case of the disconnector apparatus in the related art, the structure for connecting the differential shaft and the hub, which are separated from the motor, through the ball screw shaft, the fork, and the sleeve, is complicated, which excessively increases an overall length, increases an assembly space and a weight, and makes vehicle mountability disadvantageous. Further, electric power consumption (20 A) required to operate the motor is excessively high, and a stroke of a BLDC motor needs to be precisely controlled, which complicates the operation of the control system and increases manufacturing costs. In case of two-wheel driving of a four-wheel drive vehicle having disconnected auxiliary driving wheels, a final reduction gear is stopped when a rotation of an input part is stopped. When the vehicle travels straight at a high speed in the state in which the differential shaft and the hub are disconnected, there is a fatal problem in that a high differential motion of the pinion gear, which rotates at a high speed in conjunction with the rotation of the left side gear, causes noise and vibration.
In contrast, the present invention provides a disconnector apparatus including: a differential casing configured to transmit input torque; a differential gear set configured to perform a differential motion; a support ring configured to support a pinion gear of the differential gear set; a clutch ring configured to disconnect the differential casing and the support ring; an elastic member configured to elastically support the clutch ring; and an actuator configured to control an operation of a ball ramp using non-contact eddy current braking force between a magnetic coil and a rotary conductor plate. Therefore, it is possible to implement a mechanism having a structure in which the differential casing and the support ring are separated so as not to cause a high differential motion. Further, the new concept applied with the non-contact eddy current makes the disconnector apparatus compact and has an advantage in reducing noise.


A solid state imaging device of claim 1, wherein the silicon carbide crystal layer is formed on a silicon substrate such that the insulating film is interposed between said silicon carbide crystal layer and said silicon substrate. Since the charge transfer part and the imaging part are formed in the silicon carbide layer, the device can normally operate even in a high-temperature or intensive radioactive ray environment the method for producing the device is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a solid state imaging device, and more particularly to a solid state imaging device usable under high-temperature atmosphere or radioactive ray.
A charge coupled device developed in 1970 by Bell Laboratories has been promoting the development of solid state imaging devices. In addition, use of a silicon substrate in solid state imaging devices has enabled to improve rapidly productivity. Now, the solid state imaging device has started to be used in a wide range of applications from apparatus for consumer use such as a video apparatus, an office computer, a facsimile to machines for industrial use as machine's eye such as measuring instruments and manufacturing machines.
A solid state imaging device of the conventional type comprises an imaging part composed of a photodiode having pn junction on a silicon semiconductor crystal substrate, an accumulation part for accumulating electric charge as an image information, and a charge transfer part transferring electric charge for information processing.
Recently, there has been a tendency to use a solid state imaging device as a monitor or the like in a severe environment as in a blast furnace in which ambient temperature is high, in a location which receives intensive radioactive ray in a nuclear power plant, or under such a sever environment that blizzard is blowing in the Arctic or temperature change is remarkable in a desert. Therefore, the solid state imaging device needs to withstand a high-temperature or intensive radioactive ray.
However, semiconductor devices using silicon crystal are said to have an upper temperature limit of about 140.degree. C. for practical use. (Refer to "Semiconductor Engineering" by Shirafuji, publication of Kyoritsu Shuppan Co., Ltd, pp. 30-35; called reference A, hereinafter). This is because the energy gap .epsilon..sub.g of silicon is as small as 1.1 eV. If this value can be increased, the semiconductor device would be able to operate normally even at a higher temperature. Accordingly, there is a problem that the solid state imaging device using silicon crystal cannot operate normally at a temperature of 140.degree. C. or more.
Furthermore, application of radioactive ray to the semiconductor device causes a so-called "single event" phenomenon to degrade device characteristics. In the single event phenomenon, radioactive ray causes to generate pairs of electron positive hole which are then collected to an electrode in a short time to locally increase in potential, causing malfunction. The resistance against the single event phenomenon increases as the density of generated charge decreases. To decrease density of generated charge, semiconductor crystal needs to have a smaller atomic density, smaller mean atomic number and larger band gap. (Refer to "Basic Research for Development of Radiation-Resistant Electronic Device" by Nashiyama, transactions of The Institute of Electorical Engineer's of Japan 1991, pages S.4-11 to S.4-14 called reference B, hereinafter).
In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a solid state imaging device using a semiconductor crystal having an excellent thermal stability and radioactive ray resistance property, which method is capable of realizing mass production of the device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a solid state imaging device excellent in heat resistance and radioactive ray resistance.

Solid state imaging device having silicon carbide crystal layer


A corrosion resistant Faraday cage assembly includes an electrically conductive cover and a coated die cast housing having a ledge extending around the perimeter of the housing. A fence is positioned adjacent to the ledge and a track is positioned between the ledge and the fence. A plurality of serrated contact points are positioned on the fence and are used for making electrical contact with the electrically conductive cover extending over the track. The contact points are either masked prior to the protective coating process or they are mechanically or chemically modified afterward to expose a plurality of electrically-conductive surfaces to be in contact with the electrically-conductive cover.

Electronic Control Modules (ECMs) are now commonplace in under-hood vehicular applications and are used to provide computer control of various functions of the vehicle. The ECM enclosure or housing provides a number of functions including: (1) conducting thermal power away from the electronics to the environment; (2) protecting the electronics from environmental elements; and (3) providing a shield to minimize electromagnetic energy from entering or exiting the ECM. This invention leverages the state-of-the-art approaches to address each of these functions and integrates them into one design approach.
Current designs typically use die-cast aluminum material for the housing or enclosure. Die-cast aluminum is a cost-effective approach to provide part geometry and material properties to efficiently pull thermal power away from the electronics and transfer that heat to the larger environment. Unfortunately, these materials are susceptible to corrosion and/or deterioration over time. Additionally, The automotive industry continues to require ECM products to have higher reliability and endure a harsh environment for greater durations than used in prior vehicular applications. Consequently, corrosion resistance requirements for ECMs have increased significantly in recent years. The state-of-the-art has evolved to address this issue through the use of environmental coatings such as powder coats, epoxy electrostatic coatings, and anodizes, to protect the ECM enclosure from weather and a corrosive environment.
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) requirements such as radiated radio frequency (RF) emissions and electromagnetic interference (EMI) susceptibility have also become more stringent during this time frame. Additionally, increased microprocessor speeds, proliferation of communication buses, faster data transfer rates, and use of expanded memory modes have also become more prevalent thus generating more electromagnetic energy at higher frequencies. One solution to mitigate these issues is to create a Faraday cage around the circuit board assembly using the structure of the ECM. This cage is created by having continuous or closely spaced contact points between the ECM housing and the aluminum cover that covers, seals, and/or protects the module. This design approach requires electrical conductivity between the top half and the bottom half of the enclosure. Unfortunately, the environmental coatings discussed in the previous paragraph are typically electrically-insulating materials. Thus, the requirements to provide a protective coating and provide an electromagnetic shield, all in an integrated housing, are mutually exclusive with the current design approaches.
There are two methods to circumvent this problem. The first is to apply a protective spray to the completely assembled ECM in order to seal it from the environment. Unfortunately, the processes involved in coating the ECM after assembly can damage the electronics inside the assembly. The second approach that has been used in the past is for the assembly screws to electrically connect the top half and bottom half of the enclosure for creating the integrated Faraday cage. However, new design guidelines, based on high frequency operation, call for these connections to be less than 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) apart. This quantity of screws is neither cost-effective nor practical in many applications.

Corrosion resistant faraday cage electronic enclosure assembly