A displacement joint includes an outer joint part having circumferentially spaced recesses to form tracks. A tripod is mounted in fixed rotative engagement to a driveshaft and includes a tripod spider which has spherical arms spaced circumferentially in symmetric disposition for engaging the recesses. Roller bearing assemblies are fitted in the outer joint part to support the tripod arms, with each tripod arm guided by two roller bearing assemblies. Each roller bearing assembly has a bearing shell, which receives the tripod arm, rolling members fitted with clearance in a cage and disposed between the track of the outer joint part and a contact surface of the bearing shell. The cage is guided by shoulders of the outer joint part, which laterally bound the track, wherein the cage has opposite collars in parallel relationship to the shoulders for providing an axial stop for the rolling members and the bearing shell.

The present invention relates, in general, to a constant velocity universal joint of the tripod type for installation in driveshafts of motor vehicles, and especially to a displacement joint for use in a constant velocity universal joint. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a configuration of roller bearing assemblies used in constant velocity universal joints.
Typically, a constant-velocity universal joint of a tripod type is arranged in an outer joint part, normally bell-shaped, and includes a tripod mounted in fixed rotative engagement to a driveshaft and having a tripod spider provided with symmetrically distributed spherical tripod arms. Each tripod arm is supported on roller bearing assemblies for slideably guiding the joint in recesses of the outer joint part. Each roller bearing assembly includes a bearing shell which is supported by the spherical arm of the tripod spider. In constant velocity universal joints of this type, the components within the joint for executing the angular and translational motions of the joint are separated from another. At a transitional movement, as encountered during operation of the driveshaft at a diffraction angle, the sliding friction is replaced by a combined sliding and rolling friction or rolling friction. At the same time, the axial force required for implementing a shift of the joint decreases.
German Pat. No. DE 34 40 105 C2 describes a constant velocity universal joint having a roller bearing assembly including a bearing shell which is supported on the spherical arm of the tripod spider via a ball socket. The rolling members are configured as needles and disposed between the bearing shell and a track provided in the outer joint part. Contacting rolling members are placed in a cage which has collars of half-round configuration along the longitudinal sides, whereby terminal conical projections of the rolling members engage in the collars. A positioning device in the form of a H-shaped needle spring is arranged in parallel relationship to the plane of the rolling members and disposed between the bearing shell and a terminal end of the rolling member cage for acting upon the cage and thus for centering the rolling members in relation to the bearing shell. The positioning device is provided to support the bearing shell independently from the diffraction angle of the driveshaft over the entire width of the rolling members so as to establish a substantially constant load or surface pressure between these components.
This conventional constant velocity universal joint has many shortcomings. The respective conical end surfaces of the rolling members cause increased manufacturing costs and their installation is complicated. Moreover, the neighboring, contacting rolling members, configured as needles, in the cage cause increased friction as a result of the fully needled arrangement, accompanied by an increased axial force which also adversely affects the noise development.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved displacement joint for a constant velocity universal joint, which obviates prior art shortcomings and which is so configured as to realize an optimum support of the bearing shell on rolling members while still being easy to install and allowing the use of conventional rolling members.


A multiplier capable of removing nonlinear current using current mirror circuits. The multiplier uses MOSFET and BJT devices by the BiCOMS processes. The multiplier includes three current mirror circuits. A first current mirror includes a BJT Q.sub.3 and a BJT Q.sub.5 and also the BJT Q.sub.3 is coupled in series to the n-channel MOSFET M1 between the voltage V.sub.1 and a ground voltage level. A second current mirror includes a BJT Q.sub.7 and a BJT Q.sub.8. A third current mirror includes a BJT Q.sub.4 and a BJT Q.sub.6. Consequently, input voltage signals V.sub.1 and V.sub.dc applied to the n-channel MOSFETs M1 determine the current I.sub.1 and input voltage signals V.sub.1 and V.sub.2 applied to the n-channel MOSFET M2 determine the current I.sub.2.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Multiplier using MOSFETs operating in a nonsaturation region, and more particularly to a multiplier capable of removing nonlinear current using current mirror circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the development of the VLSI technology, it is required that an analogue system be integrated with a digital system. The reason why the digital system is integrated with the analogue system is because the digital technology is employed not only in a specific use, such as a computer system, but also in various scopes such as telecommunications and neural networks.
On the other hand, in the conventional analogue multipliers, it is difficult to obtain exact results of multiplication and also they are subject to restriction in their dynamic characteristics. The different complementary circuits, which are added to the multipliers for solving the above problems, may be subject to another restriction. Typical restriction may be issued in speed, integration and complexity. In particular, the conventional analogue multipliers are subject to restriction in high-frequency band, such as video signals, due to the use of symmetrical polarity signals and operational amplifiers.

Analogue multiplier using MOSFETs in nonsaturation region and current mirror


There is described an image forming system including an image forming section, a finishing process section, wherein restriction contents of finishing process function are set in the image forming system, and a finishing process function resetting section that resets the restriction contents of the finishing process function in accordance with a recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system provided with a finishing process device.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been used commonly finishing work apparatuses each conducting finishing process such as stapling processing and folding processing for the sheet on which images are formed by an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine and a printer. The number of sheets to be processed in terms of finishing process is sometimes restricted, depending on finishing process functions.
For example, in TOKKAIHEI No. 11-2999), there is proposed an image forming apparatus capable of establishing the number of sheets to be stapled suitable for each finishing work apparatus, in accordance with a finishing work apparatus connected with the image forming apparatus.
Further, in TOKKAI No. 2004-123306), there is proposed an image forming apparatus capable of establishing a limited value of the number of sheets to be processed, depending on a sheet size, a sheet thickness and a type of a finishing process function, because the number of sheets capable of being subjected to finishing process varies for each sheet.
However, in the market of color machines such as POD (Print On Demand), there are used recording sheets in a wide variety. Since it is difficult to guarantee operations of an image forming apparatus for all kinds of recording sheets, specifications of the apparatus have been determined under the condition of a typical recording sheet serving as a designated sheet, and the restricted number of sheets has been determined under the designated sheet that serves as a criteria even for each finishing process function. Therefore, there is caused a problem that the finishing process function cannot be conducted even for the recording sheet that can be processed in terms of finishing process without any problem.

Image forming system including a finishing process function resetting section

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


A small, scalable, and inexpensive semiconductor diode laser system is described that includes a diode laser beam combiner comprising a cylindrical microlens, a lens array, and a fan window that optically combines energy outputs of at least two diode laser emitters or emitter groups. The diode laser beam combiner first collimates the diode laser energy and then optically combines the energy along a pre-determined axis, thus limiting effects due to space between the diode laser emitters. A chosen spot size and shape can be achieved by manipulating the number and size of lens array and fan window steps. Maximum power density and beam brightness available from the diode laser emitters or emitter groups is thus available at a work or treatment site.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices that yield maximum available power density and beam brightness while combining outputs of semiconductor diode lasers into a substantially rectangular shaped spot.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Semiconductor diode lasers have distinct advantages over classical lasers including smaller size, lower power consumption, and lower maintenance costs. Employing inexpensive semiconductor laser arrays would be preferable for many industrial applications since these lasers offer simple alignment and can easily be substituted for service repair. Such diode lasers could replace conventional laser sources for welding, cutting and surface treatment, or could be used for pumping solid state lasers and optical fiber lasers or amplifiers.
The necessary power for these applications exceeds the power available from a single low-cost diode laser because both the power density on the facet and the heat generated by the diode limits the output power. Therefore, to obtain higher output power, diode laser devices usually consist of several emitters or emitter groups that are combined to form an array of emitters on one or more substrates. Higher output power is attained with this set up, but the effective width of the combined beam also increases, thus making it difficult to focus a beam to a required spot size and divergence.
Suitable optics must be employed to effectively combine highly divergent semiconductor diode laser outputs. Ideally, these optics would combine the outputs into a substantially circular or square shape, which can be focused to a small spot with low divergence to provide the maximum power density and beam brightness available at a work or treatment site. In practice, however, it is difficult to provide maximum power density and beam brightness when combining diode laser outputs.
The maximum transmittable power density and beam brightness that may be available at a work or treatment site is limited to the original beam quality. A measure of beam quality is beam propagation parameter, M.sup.2, which can be calculated and analyzed to determine how well a laser beam may be focused. Generally, the highest quality beam is associated with the highest focusability to the smallest spot size, which corresponds with the highest power density. FIG. 1 shows the variables used to determine M.sup.2, which is directly related to the product of a beam's minimum near-field diameter, W, and beam divergence angle, .theta., in the far field for a specific emission wavelength, .lambda.: EQU M.sup.2 =.pi.W.theta./4.lambda. (1)
Laser beams with M.sup.2 =1 are ideal, and larger M.sup.2 values indicate decreasing focusability of a laser beam; M.sup.2 values less than 1 are unattainable.
The near field is the region at, or very close to the output aperture of the diode laser emitter, which is characterized by disordered phase fronts, and is often called the Fresnel zone. In the near field, shape, size, profile and divergence can vary rapidly with distance along the beam path. The extent of the near field depends on the laser type and for a highly divergent source such as a diode laser, it can be as short as a few microns from the output facet. In contrast, the near field of an excimer laser might be many meters.
At longer propagation distances from the laser, the phase fronts become ordered, leading to stable beam characteristics This is known as the far field, or Fraunhofer zone. A very rough approximation of the distance to the onset of the far field region can be obtained by taking the square of the beam's minimum near field diameter, W, divided by the wavelength, .lambda.: EQU F=W.sup.2 /.lambda. (2)
For example, for a typical HeNe laser having a circular output (W=1 mm, .lambda.=632.8 nm), the distance to the far-field begins at about 1.5 m, while for a typical YAG laser having a circular output (W=10 mm, .lambda.=1064 nm), the far field distance begins nearly 100 m from the source.
The quality of a diode laser beam is typically examined with respect to the fast axis, which is the high divergence axis, perpendicular to the pn-plane of a semiconductor diode, and with respect to the slow axis, which is the lower divergence axis, parallel to the pn-plane of a semiconductor diode. FIG. 2 shows that emitted laser beam 24 from semiconductor laser diode 21 propagates along the z-axis and diverges rapidly along the y-axis, termed the fast axis, which is along the minor axis of diode laser stripe 23. Concurrently, emitted laser beam 24 diverges slower along the x-axis, termed the slow axis, which is along the major axis of diode laser stripe 23. Near the source, emitted laser beam 24 is elliptically shaped with the x-axis being the long axis. The minimum near field diameter, W, is therefore different along the fast and slow axes. For M.sup.2.sub.slow calculations, W is assumed to be the effective diameter along the major axis, or x-axis, and for M.sup.2.sub.fast calculations, W is assumed to be the effective diameter along the minor axis, or y-axis. Since the effective diameter, W, is so much larger along the slow axis compared to the fast axis, M.sup.2.sub.slow typically are larger than M.sup.2.sub.fast, indicating that beam quality is greater along the fast axis. M.sup.2 for a beam is equal to the square root of the product of the M.sup.2 values for both axes, i.e. M.sup.2 =(M.sup.2.sub.fast M.sup.2.sub.slow).sup.1/2.
As emitted laser beam 24 propagates away from the source, it diverges more rapidly along the y-axis than the x-axis. After some distance, laser beam 24 will be circular for an instant, and thereafter, the long axis of the ellipse becomes the y-axis. Generally, for many high power laser diodes, the fast axis diverges at about 40.degree. and the slow axis diverges at about 20.degree..
Adding diode laser emitters to form an array leads to an M.sup.2 value for the "enveloped" beam where "enveloped" is used to describe the combined beams of the diode laser emitters, and is given by: EQU M.sup.2.sub.enveloped >.SIGMA. M.sup.2.sub.n (3)
where n is the number of emitters. M.sup.2.sub.enveloped increases as the effective width of the "enveloped" beam increases, and is greater than the sum of the M.sup.2 values for the individual beams because the effective width includes the space between the emitters. It thus would be advantageous to increase beam quality by employing suitable optics to combine the beams and limit the effects of the space between the emitters. If the beams can efficiently be combined, M.sup.2.sub.enveloped can be decreased, and therefore, greater power density and beam brightness is available at a work or treatment site.
The maximum power density and beam brightness available at a work or treatment site is based upon the original "enveloped" beam without any free space between the emitters. In other words, the highest quality "combined" beam (M.sup.2.sub.minimum) that may be obtained is equal to the sum of the M.sup.2 values of the diode laser beams. This maximum beam quality is hereinafter referred to as M.sup.2.sub.min.
Most gas or solid state lasers emit beams with a divergence angle of about a milliradian, meaning that they spread to about one meter in diameter after traveling a kilometer. Semiconductor lasers have a much larger beam divergence and require suitable optics to reshape the beam and limit the divergence. However, according to Krivoshlykov et al. (U.S. Pat. No 5,751,871), these optics may decrease the focusability of the beam, and further limit the beam quality due to large aberrations of the system resulting from large non-paraxial angles of the laser beam rays, mode mismatches, and tight alignment tolerances. A diode laser device that could simply maintain beam quality would thus be advantageous.
If beams from multiple diode lasers can efficiently be combined, M2enveloped can be minimized within the shaping optics to M.sup.2.sub.mim, and laser energy can be tightly focused to maximum high power densities for welding, cutting and surface treatment. Additionally, decreasing M.sup.2.sub.enveloped to M.sup.2.sub.min, yields maximum transmittable laser brightness for use in pumping solid state lasers and optical fiber lasers or amplifiers.
Various methods have been previously employed to combine the outputs of multiple diode laser emitters. Neuberger et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,903, describes the state of the prior art which simply comprises coupling radiation from each diode laser emitter into a single optical fiber, and the fiber is then bundled together with other similar fibers. This prior art is efficient in power through-put, but inefficient in maintaining beam quality because the free space of the optical fiber is too large compared to the laser beam, and thus the energy density dissipates as it fills the free space while propagating through the fiber. Products are now available from companies like Opto Power or CeramOptec Industries Inc. that utilize this round optical fiber coupling with diode arrays operating with different geometry and wavelengths.
Additionally, in an alternative embodiment, Neuberger et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,903) teaches the beam combining device displayed in FIG. 3. Radiation from diode laser emitters 301-304 propagates through flat surface 310 and is reflected and focused by shaped side surfaces 306-309 in the direction parallel to the axis of optical fiber 305 which collects radiation from diode laser emitters 301-304. These state of the art systems can be very complicated and expensive. Moreover, these systems still make it difficult to reach the goal of M.sup.2.sub.min. Thus, to effectively take advantage of the diode laser and address one or more of the above problems, there is a need for a diode based laser system that is small, scalable, inexpensive, and capable of transmission of tightly focusable radiation.


A computer-mediated reality system electronically communicates computer-mediated presentation information for a product to a purchaser device. The computer-mediated reality system electronically receives a selection of the product. The computer-mediated reality system automatically places a product code for the product in an electronic shopping cart. The computer-mediated reality system electronically communicates computer-mediated offer information for a contractor service to the purchaser device. The computer-mediated reality system electronically receives a selection of the contractor service. The computer-mediated reality system automatically places a service code for the contractor service in the electronic shopping cart, the service code electronically received from a mapping computer system, the service code automatically derived by the mapping computing system programmed to map the product with the contractor service. The computer-mediated reality system electronically communicates electronic shopping cart information to the purchaser device with a request to complete a purchase of the product and the contractor service.

Many computer-mediated reality systems may be employed by e-commerce service providers to offer products for sale to purchasers. Many computer-mediated reality systems may be employed by purchasers to visualize product characteristics (for example, size, fit, color, and/or texture) prior to product purchase.
Many potential purchasers of products may hesitate purchasing products that may require a contractor service such as installation. Some contractors may not be certified. Finding a certified contractor may be difficult for some purchasers. Finding an available contractor may be difficult for some purchasers. Many potential purchasers may be concerned with being overcharged by contractors. Many contractors may be concerned about getting paid by purchasers after a contracted service has been completed for the purchasers. Many potential purchasers may be uncomfortable disclosing banking data directly to contractors.
Many e-commerce providers recognize that some potential product sales may be lost due to leaving the burden of finding a contractor to purchasers. A contractor may be desired to complete a contractor service related to a potential product purchase. Many e-commerce providers recognize the liability of recommending third-party contractors. Some e-commerce providers may hire and/or certify contractors directly. However, this may be a time-consuming process. Furthermore, a plurality of third-party contractors in a plurality of locations covering a plurality of contractor service types may be needed to cover a plurality of products offered for sale through a computer-mediated reality system available on a global network such as the Internet. Automated systems, stored programs, and methods are needed to map products to contractor services and communicate product and contractor service information to purchasers employing computer-mediated reality systems.
Many e-commerce providers realize that some potential sales may be lost if purchasers are not offered transactions that are easily understandable and immediate. Automated systems, stored programs, and methods are needed to improve e-commerce transactions for purchasers employing computer-mediated reality systems.

Product and contractor service mapping for computer-mediated reality systems


An SDRAM initialization and power on system includes a configuration validation circuit for registers in a Memory Controller Unit and a Power On Sequence State Machine. The validation circuit asserts a status signal Config.sub.-- OK if the configuration of the memory control unit is correct. The signal Config.sub.-- OK enables the Power On Sequence State Machine. A status signal PowerOn.sub.-- OK is asserted once the SDRAMs have been initialized. The SDRAMs are not accessible for normal operation unless Config.sub.-- OK and PowerOn.sub.-- OK are asserted. By monitoring the two signals Config.sub.-- OK and PowerOn.sub.-- OK, debugging can be much more efficient and corruption of SDRAMs with bad data can be avoided.

Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) has been developed to reduce or avoid time delays caused by access time and cycle time of slower conventional Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). SDRAMs take in external signals in synchronization with an externally applied clock signal which allows precise cycle control and input/output transactions on every clock cycle. However, SDRAMs require initialization before any operational use can be made of the SDRAM. If SDRAMs are not correctly initialized, the SDRAMs will not function properly. Current systems which initialize SDRAM typically assume that proper initialization has occurred and proceed to operational use of the SDRAM without verification that a memory controller has been properly programmed.

Structure and method for memory initialization and power on


A water powered sump pump has a control housing connected to a source of water under pressure and to a drain pipe located in a sump. An outlet pipe leads from the control housing to a suction generating assembly in communication with the drain pipe for entraining water from the sump for discharge elsewhere. A diaphragm closure normally closes a water passage in the housing and divides the housing into two chambers. A passageway through the diaphragm enables the pressure of water in the two chambers to be equalized. A bleed line communicates between one of the chambers and the sump. A valve responsive to the rise of water in the sump initiates the flow of water through the bleed line, thereby enabling lowering of the pressure in the chamber with which the bleed line communicates and enabling the pressure of water in the other chamber to unseat the diaphragm and open the passage.

The use of a sump pump in the basement of a residence or other building is conventional for the purpose of avoiding flooding of the basement. Most sump pumps rely upon normally inactive, electrically driven motors to operate the pump in response to a predetermined rise in the level of water in the sump. In many instances, however, a storm or other condition which causes a rise in the water level also causes electrical power failure, thereby rendering the sump pump useless at the very time that the need for it is greatest.
Other sump pumps rely upon float-actuated valves in conjunction with magnetic devices for controlling the operation of the sump pump. Such magnetic devices, however, loose their magnetism over a period of time, thereby rendering them ineffective to actuate the sump pump when needed.
A sump pump constructed in accordance with the invention relies solely upon the flow of pressurized water, such as potable water provided by a municipality, thereby eliminating the need for reliance upon an electrical or any other external power source.


A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named xe2x80x98Eckahearnxe2x80x99, characterized by its inflorescences with bright red-colored flower bracts; dark green-colored leaves with red-colored petioles; uniform and mounded plant habit; early flowering; and excellent post-production longevity.

Euphorbia pulcherrima.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Eckahearnxe2x80x99.
The new Poinsettia a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars having flower bracts with desirable colors, uniform plant habit and excellent post-production longevity.
The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a unnamed proprietary induced mutation, not patented, that originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Eckabish, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,200, to gamma radiation. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within a population of plants of the irradiated selection on or about Aug. 19, 1998, in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Encinitas, Calif., since October, 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Eckahearnxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Eckahearnxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Inflorescences with bright red-colored flower bracts.
2. Dark green-colored leaves with red-colored petioles.
3. Uniform and mounded plant habit.
4. Early flowering, natural season flower maturity date is November 26 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.; response time, about 8.5 weeks.
5. Excellent post-production longevity.
Plants of the new Poinsettia are most similar to plants of the cultivar Eckabish. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Eckabish in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were slightly taller, but not as wide as plants of the cultivar Eckabish.
2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had longer leaves than plants of the cultivar Eckabish.
3. Leaves of plants of the new Poinsettia had red-colored veins on the lower surface whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Eckabish had green-colored veins on the lower surface.
4. Flower bract color of plants of the new Poinsettia was darker red than flower bract color of plants of the cultivar Eckabish.


In a light power generation system, a control device, a control method, and a program, efficient power can be supplied. The maximum power detection unit operates a MOSFET in a power converter circuit and open-circuits both ends of a solar cell panel in the maximum power detection mode. After that, the maximum power detection unit short-circuits both ends of the solar cell panel, detects a maximum power by monitoring the output power of the solar cell panel during a period from the open state to the short-circuited state, and defines the voltage of the solar cell panel as an optimal voltage when detecting the maximum power. In a tracking operation mode, the control unit performs PWM control with respect to the MOSFET by defining the optimal voltage to be a reference signal. Operations are repeated between the maximum power detection mode and the tracking operation mode.

There is known a solar power generation system which assembles a plurality of solar cells to configure a solar cell panel and supplies the electric power generated by that solar cell panel to a load.
A solar cell fluctuates in output power according to the irradiance of the incident sunlight or the ambient temperature. The maximum power operation point also greatly fluctuates. For this reason, a maximum power point tracking (hereinafter abbreviated as MPPT) control method of detecting the maximum output power of a solar cell panel, which fluctuates according to the irradiance or other conditions, has been proposed.
Further, in a grid interconnection type solar power generation system in which a solar cell panel is connected to a load, there is proposed MPPT control using the so-called "hill-climbing method" of searching for the maximum output power of the solar cell panel (for example, PLT 1, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-234733 A1).
In the above MPPT control, in order to search for the maximum power point of the solar cell panel with a high precision, it is sufficient that the control processing system reduce the amount of change of the width of the pulse which is applied to a gate of a switching element in a DC-DC converter used as the power converting means. However, in order to reduce the amount of change of the pulse width, it becomes necessary to raise the switching frequency of the DC-DC converter or suitably improve the processing capability of the control processing system. For realization of that, there are restrictions in practical use in terms of technology, price, etc.
For example, if reducing the amount of change of the pulse width, a longer time is taken for finding the maximum power point in response to a change of the irradiance of the light irradiated to the solar cell panel and therefore the response becomes a problem. There was therefore a limit to raising the efficiency of power conversion.
On the other hand, if increasing the amount of change of the width of the pulse which is applied to the gate of the switching element in order to improve the response, the power greatly fluctuates in the steady state, therefore the efficiency of power acquisition falls.
The inventors of the present application came up with an invention which improves the control method already in practical use in grid interconnection (for example PLT 2, Japanese Patent No. 4294346).
Below, the invention disclosed in PLT 2 will be summarized.
In the maximum power detection mode, the system controls the switching element configuring the DC-DC converter to change the output current of the solar cell panel which flows to an inductor configuring the DC-DC converter from zero to a short-circuiting current and thereby instantaneously scan a current-voltage (I-V) characteristic of the solar cell panel.
Then, in the tracking operation mode, the system controls the switching element in the DC-DC converter using the detected output current of the solar cell panel as the optimal solar cell current so as to track the output current of the solar cell panel using this optimal solar cell current as the reference signal and operates the panel at the obtained maximum power operation point.
By alternately performing the operation in the maximum power detection mode of detecting the maximum power and the operation in the tracking operation mode of performing an operation for tracking the optimal solar cell current detected in this way and by repeatedly operating in cycles of the maximum power detection mode and tracking operation mode, the maximum power point is reliably and strictly found, and power output control can be performed which tracks the optimal solar cell current in accordance with the maximum power point found.

Solar power generation system, control device used for solar power generation system, and control method and program for same


A gravity feed dispensing holder which is adapted to receive and dispense cans directly from the open end of a multi-can carton. The open end of the multi-can carton fits into the holder which supports the carton on its side so the long axes of the cans are horizontal and at right angles to the direction of movement of the cans toward the open end of the carton. The holder tilts the carton towards its open end to cause gravity flow of the cans toward the open end of the carton into an outer extension of the holder. The holder substantially surrounds the bottom side, the open end and the lower front portion of the top and bottom of the carton. The outer extension of the holder has an upwardly facing opening from which the cans are successively removed. Gravity feed of the cans confined in the carton causes them to roll towards the opening for dispensing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to gravity-feed dispensers for cans, more particularly, beverage cans. Such dispensers are usually placed in refrigerators to provide ready access to already cooled beverages.
All of the dispensers known to applicant include tracks or guide ramps for moving individual cans toward a dispenser access opening. The subject device has no built-in tracks or guide ramps, but relies solely on the downwardly tilted bottom side of the multi-can carton and the top, bottom and side walls of the carton to guide the cans towards the access opening of the holder adjacent the open end of the carton.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,964 describes a storage and dispensing bin for beverage containers which snap-fits into a refrigerator below a shelf. The individual containers must be removed from their factory carton and put into the bin one-by-one. U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,628 is directed to a dispensing bin for bottles and cans. The bottles or cans must be placed in the bin individually, and the rack unit comprises a box-like exterior frame having a pair of rigid side walls and includes upper and lower ramp-like shelves disposed within the rack which support the beverage containers.
Acme International, Inc., Newark, N.J. presently sells a gravity-feed, space-saving refrigerator can dispenser which rests on a refrigerator shelf. The Acme dispenser is similar to other known dispensers in that the individual cans must be loaded into the dispenser one at a time.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,287,992: 4,763,963; 4,785,945; and 4,911,309 all describe types of gravity-feed dispensers for cylindrical containers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,739 discloses a gravity-feed shelf for dispensing packaged goods. All of the above dispensers must be stocked one container at a time. This invention eliminates the time-consuming step of individual can loading.

Holder for dispensing cans from a multi-can carton


A new and distinct cultivar of Torenia plant named ‘Sunrenicopalave’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading, semi-prostrate and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching and vigorous growth habit; large violet-colored flowers; freely and continuous flowering habit; and tolerance to high temperatures and rain.

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Torenia plant, botanically known as Torenia sp., and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Sunrenicopalave.
The new Torenia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program was to create new compact Torenia cultivars with attractive flower coloration.
The new Torenia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor on Jun. 27, 2002 in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan of the Torenia sp. cultivar Cyclone Burgundy, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Torenia sp. cultivar Torenia Concolor, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Torenia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings at Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since September, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Torenia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


Arrangement for mounting a propulsive system on an aircraft airframe by an external pylon which connects the engine with the airframe, the pylon 4comprising a plurality of spars intruding into the airframe and units for attaching the spars to the internal airframe structure, the cited units being dampers, shock absorbers or active actuators with characteristics chosen so that the units are particularly suited for the efficient reduction of attachment and internal dynamic loads arising mainly but not only from hard landing events and aircraft flight manoeuvres, and for damping sustained vibrations of the propulsive system-airframe assembly, the arrangement allowing the easy removal of the pylon 4 from the rest of the airframe and the interchangeability of the pylon 4 between different aircrafts, being also the cited arrangement tolerant to damage or complete failure of at least one of the spars.

Modern aircraft propulsive systems tend to have increasingly large by-pass ratios in order to achieve the high energetic efficiencies desirable for their operation. The said aircraft propulsive systems may be of the cowled type (like turbofans) or uncowled (including systems having propellers and those variously referred to as unducted fan engines (UDF), open rotor engines, prop-fans or high speed turbo-prop engines).
All the modern high by-pass engines used in the aircraft industry have a characteristically large diameter which imposes geometric constraints to their installation on the airframe, particularly when the propulsive system is mounted on the fuselage as a certain clearance must be maintained between the airframe and the engine cowl or open rotor blade tips, depending on whether the propulsive system is cowled or uncowled. In the case of fuselage mounted engines, aerodynamic considerations favour a concept of installation consisting on a single slender strut or pylon extending between the airframe and the engine. Examples of this engine mounting arrangement can be seen in patents U.S. Pat. No. 2,863,620 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,812, presenting specific design problems particularly in respect of the large static and dynamic loads that arise at the attachment of the pylon to the airframe.
There exist solutions in the state of the art which have the problem of presenting high structural discontinuities or apertures in the airframe, like it is described for example in document U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,959, which discloses a configuration of branch or yoke that does not allow the dismounting of the engine support structure or that needs big cuts in the airframe for allowing the dismounting of the structure. The possibility of dismounting the engine support structure is highly desirable for allowing the easy change of said support structure in the case of damage produced for example by engine FIRE or by the accidental impact of objects onto the support structure.
The present invention comes to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks.

Arrangement for mounting an engine on the airframe of an aircraft


A system for preventing the remote detection and decoding of computer data from RF or conducted signal emissions is disclosed. A simulator is coupled to the computer for emulating signal emissions in order to mask the computer signal emissions. The simulator includes an emulation generator coupled to the computer to radiate signals that fully emulate those radiated by the computer to be protected. The emulated signal emissions are synchronized with the computer signal emissions by a special control unit which receives timing instructions from the computer. A random sequence generator randomizes and convolutes the sequence of the emulated signal emissions so that the composite signal emissions formed by the computer and the simulator cannot be decoded to render meaningful data indicative of that being processed by the computer. The simulator is coupled with a computer to be protected by connection to the I/O interface port of the computer.

Electronic data processing (EDP) equipment such as main-frame computers, minicomputers, personal computers (PCs), word processors and related devices radiate electronic or electromagnetic radio frequency (RF) signals known as Tempest emissions. The term Tempest originates from the name of a government program concerned with the study and control of spurious electronic signals emitted from computers. Tempest emissions typically occur at several different frequencies within the range of a few kilohertz (KHz) to several hundred megahertz (MHz), and are often of sufficient strength and intensity to be received at distances exceeding several hundred meters. Within this reception range, it is possible, using sophisticated receiving and signal processing equipment, to receive and decode Tempest emissions to reveal the original information or data being processed by the source computer. Thus, signal emissions from computers are vulnerable to being received at considerable distances and decoded by unauthorized persons possessing appropriate equipment. Since computers are frequently used to process information that must be kept secret for defense, political or commercial reasons, such signal emissions are of concern to those wishing to protect sensitive data.
Awareness of the ability to remotely receive and decode computer signal emissions in order to obtain computer data has existed since the early 1960's. Both federal government agencies and private entities have expended considerable effort in attempting to protect computer data from unauthorized access through such signal emissions. One method used to protect computer data is to employ electromagnetic shielding which reduces the level of the signal emissions emanating from the computer, thus preventing effective reception at reasonable distances. Such shielding typically takes the form of a metal shield which encases the individual components of the computer, particularly the the central processing unit (CPU), video display unit (VDU), and all interconnect cables. The shield is used in conjunction with an effective AC power-line filter. The AC power-line filter is used to prevent signal emissions generated by the computer from being conducted along the AC power line and thereafter being intercepted by what is referred to as the "AC conduction mode." Where multiple, co-located computers require protection, they are often placed within a shielded-room or "vault" which incorporates a specially-designed shielded door that must be kept closed when sensitive information is being processed.
The available arrangements for shielding EDP equipment are unsatisfactory for many reasons. Shielded rooms are expensive to build and require considerable time for installation. As a practical matter, the doors of shielded rooms are seldom kept closed because of inconvenience factors and because they are difficult to open and close as a result of their weight and the close tolerances needed for an effective RF seal. Individually shielded computers are relatively expensive when compared to those without shielding. Further, certification-testing is required to verify the effectiveness of the shielding to contain the signal emissions. The sensitivity of antennas and receivers of the type that might be employed to receive computer signal emissions have improved sufficiently to render ineffective most available shielding arrangements.
Other attempts to prevent data detection from computer signal emissions involve generating a sufficiently intense, broad band, random-noise type of emission in close physical proximity to the computer in an effort to mask the signal emissions. However, these configurations typically violate Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations pertaining to stray radio frequency emissions, and further provide little protection against the unauthorized recovery of data from computer signal emissions detected using sophisticated receiving and advanced signal-processing technologies.

System for preventing remote detection of computer data from tempest signal emissions


One embodiment of an improved piano tuning hammer which eliminates the tilting force which, when a tuner operates a conventional “L”-shaped tuning hammer, invariably accompanies the application of a turning force to a tuning pin mounted in a pin block. The improved hammer has an overall shape like the letter “C,” so that its handle lies substantially in the plane of the pin block, allowing the tuner to turn the pin without tilting it. The embodiment presented is lightweight and rigid, and clears the case structures of most pianos.

1. Field
This application relates to piano tuning hammers, a type of wrench used by piano tuners to adjust the pitch of a piano's strings.
2. Prior Art
Current Practice
A string in a piano is stretched between two pins: a hitch pin, which is fixed; and a tuning pins, which is moveable. A piano tuner adjusts the tension, and thereby the pitch, of a string by moving its attached tuning pin.
A tuning pin is a short, thick section of steel rod held by friction in a hole in a laminated wooden pin block. It has an exposed, squared head at one end, providing a means by which a piano tuner can engage it; a through hole, providing a means of attaching music wire to it; and a threaded portion which is gripped by the pin block, the threads providing a means of backing the tuning pin out of the pin block when necessary.
A tuning pin mounted in a pin block can move in two different ways: it can turn, and it can tilt. Broadly speaking, a piano tuner turns a tuning pin to effect a relatively large change in the pitch of its attached string; while he or she tilts it to effect a relatively small change in the attached string's pitch without further turning the pin. Both types of motion are used by professionals in piano tuning.
Extremely small changes in the position of a tuning pin typically result in significant changes in the pitch of its attached string. Therefore, the better control a tuner has over both the turning and tilting motions of a tuning pin, the better control he or she has over the pitch of the string.
Presently, all professional piano tuners use tuning hammers of the same general design. These conventional tuning hammers are shaped like the letter "L." The short leg of the "L" comprises a tip region that engages the exposed, squared head of the tuning pin; and a head region, axial to the tip region, that elevates the tool above interfering structures in the piano. The long leg of the "L" comprises a shank region, substantially straight and substantially radial to the head region, that gives the operator adequate leverage to move the tuning pin without excessive effort; and a handle region that gives the operator a convenient and comfortable spot to which to apply force. U.S. Pat. No. 777,281 to Eklandsen (1904) depicts a tuning hammer which exemplifies this conventional "L" shape.
A necessary consequence of the elevated position of the shank and handle of a conventional tuning hammer is that some percentage of a turning force applied to its handle, intended to turn the tuning pin, is always diverted to tilting the tuning pin instead. A conventional tuning hammer can be manipulated so as to tilt a tuning pin without turning it, if the operator lifts or depresses its handle; however, the same tuning hammer cannot be manipulated so as to turn the pin without tilting it.
This prying effect is well-known to piano tuners. It is mentioned in many tuning textbooks and manuals, and many techniques of tuning hammer manipulation are designed to compensate for it. The effect is accurately described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/004,215 from Fujan (2004) (Description, Background, Section [0008]):
"Since the handle of a tuning hammer is not in the same plane as the pin block, there will be a prying effect at the tuning pin, and consequently at the pin block. Reduction of this extra prying effect . . . serves to increase the predictability of the tuning process."
This well-known inability of an operator of a conventional hammer to turn a tuning pin without tilting it poses an obstacle to the operator's ability finely to control the pitch of its attached string. It would be of great benefit to a piano tuner to be able to turn a tuning pin without tilting it, but such control is impossible with a conventional tuning hammer.
Prior Art Patents
No efforts in the prior art have gone towards reducing or eliminating the unintended tilting that accompanies every turning motion of a conventional tuning hammer, even though a number of patened tuning hammers do have as their stated purpose to give their operator greater control over the motions of the tuning pin.
A number of patents seek to improve the operator's control over the tuning pin by giving more options for the radial position of the handle than would be possible with a conventional tuning hammer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 458,568 to Fuchs (1891) describes a tuning hammer with a double tip to provide the operator with twice as many possible handle positions than would be the case with a single tip. U.S. Pat. No. 140,450 to Affleck (1873) shows a tuning hammer in which a ratchet system accomplishes a similar goal.
Several patents seek to improve fine control over the turning of the tuning pin by increasing leverage. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,693,292 to Frattenberger (1928) shows a tuning hammer provided with an offset connection between the shank and head with the stated purpose of increasing the tool's leverage. Other patents describe tuning hammers whose leverage is increased through the use of gears. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,802,388 to Luckenbach (1957) describes a tool that uses gearing axial to the shank to increase fine control of the tuning pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,512,699 to Korach (1924) discloses a tool that uses gearing as well. In this instance, the tool itself is axial to the tuning pin, and therefore it does not tilt the tuning pin when the pin is turned. However, this advantage over conventional tuning hammers goes entirely unmentioned in the patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,805 to Leftly (1956) describes a tool that also uses gearing to increase leverage. The tip in this tool engages the pin near nearer its base than a conventional tip. As the patent notes, this reduces the tilting of the pin: "This [bending] effect is reduced to a minimum by engagement of the pin 11a with the inner flange 22a much closer to the base of the pin . . . " (Description, Column 3, Lines 23-25). However, this reduction of bending or tilting of the pin is clearly seen as an ancillary benefit, and is not at all the purpose of the patent.
Failure of Prior Art Patents
None of these, or any other, patented improvements to the conventional tuning hammer have been adopted by those skilled in the art. None are mentioned in tool catalogs to the trade; and none are currently in use among professional piano tuners. Instead, every professional piano tuner uses a tuning hammer of the conventional "L" shape.
A prominent deficiency among the patented improvements is their inability to allow the operator directly to perceive the condition of the tuning pin. While tuning, a piano tuner not only continually monitors the pitch of the string being tuned, he or she also continually monitors the condition of the tuning pin. He or she does so because if the pin is not left free of residual stress at the end of the tuning process, it may move slightly after the hammer is removed, and thereby spontaneously change the pitch of its attached string.
A conventional tuning hammer generally has an overall rigidity which allows it to function, not only as a means of applying force, but also as a sensor. In order to be workable, in other words, a tuning hammer must be able not only to transfer force from its operator to the tuning pin; it must also be able to transfer information about the tuning pin back to its operator. By introducing a level of complexity and detachment between the tuning pin and the tuner, many of the prior art improvements reduce the ability of the tool to act as a sensor. Therefore, such tools function in practice less well than a simple, rigid, conventional tuning hammer.


In order to provide novel compounds which are useful as liquid crystal materials for low voltages in several liquid crystal displays, have a large dielectric anisotropy, and are low in viscosity; and to improve characteristics of liquid crystal compositions, difluorooxymethane derivatives expressed by the following general formula (I) and liquid crystal compositions containing the compound are proposed ##STR1## wherein each of l, m, and n is 0 or 1, rings A.sub.1 to A.sub.3 independently represent six-membered rings such as trans-1,4-cyclohexylene and 1,4-phenylene, Z.sub.1 to Z.sub.3 independently represent a bonding group such as covalent bond and --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --, L.sub.1 to L.sub.4 independently represent hydrogen atom or halogen atom, and X represents a group such as halogen atom and OCF3.. They are useful as liquid crystal materials for low voltages in several modes such as active matrix mode and STN mode.

Liquid crystal display devices employ optical anisotropy and dielectric anisotropy of liquid crystal materials. As display mode, twisted nematic (TN) mode, super twisted nematic (STN) rode, dynamic scattering (DS) mode, guest-host (G-H) mode, and DAP mode are known. Further, as driving mode of the devices, static driving mode, time division driving mode, active matrix driving mode, and dual frequency driving mode are know,. While the properties of liquid crystal materials used for such liquid crystal display devices are different depending on their applications, it is required to any liquid crystal material that the material is stable against external environmental factors such as moisture, air, heat, and light, that the material exhibits a liquid crystal phase at a range of temperatures as wide as possible with room temperature being at its center, that the material has a low viscosity, and that the material is low in its driving voltage. Besides, liquid crystal materials used for liquid crystal display devices are usually composed of several kinds or 10-odd kinds of liquid crystalline compounds in order to obtain optimum dielectric anisotropy (.DELTA..epsilon.) or optical anisotropy (.DELTA.n) required to each display device. Accordingly, the miscibility with other liquid crystal compounds, miscibility at low temperatures is desired for liquid crystal materials from the recent needs of being used under several environments in particular.
On the other hand, active matrix mode, particularly TFT (thin film transistor) mode is popularly adopted recent years as a display mode for television or viewfinder from the aspect of display performances such as contrast, display capacity, and response time. Also, STN mode which is simple in manufacturing process and less expensive in production cost while having a large display capacity is largely adopted as display for personal computers and others.
As the trend in recent years, development in this field is being advanced with miniaturization of liquid crystal display devices or their downsizing to portable dimensions being centered, as typified by televisions which are characterized in that they are small-sized, light weight, and portable, and by notebook type personal computers. From the aspect of materials, development is being carried out with liquid crystalline compounds and liquid crystal composition having a low driving voltage, that is, a low threshold voltage as its center from the aspect of withstand voltage of IC.
It is known that threshold voltage can be expressed by the following equation (H. J. Deuling et al., Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst., 27 (1975) 81): EQU V.sub.th =.pi.(K/.epsilon.0.DELTA..epsilon.).sup.1/2
wherein K is an elastic constant and .epsilon.0 is a dielectric constant in vacuum. From the equation mentioned above, it is a common way to use a material having a large dielectric anisotropy (.DELTA..epsilon.) in order to reduce the threshold voltage, and thus, development of compounds having a large value of dielectric anisotropy is being actively carried out.
On the other hand, in liquid crystalline compounds having fluorine atom as substituent, it is known to be effective to increase the number of substitution on the molecule with fluorine atom for increasing dielectric anisotropy. However, the number of substitution on the molecule of compounds with fluorine atom has a proportional relationship with viscosity, and it is also empirically known among the person skilled in the art that when the number of substitution with fluorine atom is increased, mesomorphic range will be narrowed. Accordingly, it is considered to be difficult to increase only dielectric anisotropy while suppressing the raising of viscosity and narrowing of mesomorphic range.
As examples of conventional liquid crystalline compounds substituted with multiple number of fluorine atoms, the followings are disclosed: ##STR2##
Any of compounds (a) and (b-1) to (b-4) has several fluorine atoms at the terminal of the molecule. The value of dielectric anisotropy of the compounds are compared and arranged in the order of the value as follows:
(b-3)>>(b-1), (b-2), (b-4)>(a)
Compound (b-3) has an ester bond as bonding group between molecular skeletons. It is considered that the large polarization of an ester carbonyl group effectively contributes to the dielectric constant of major axis of compound molecule and thus the compound exhibit an extremely large dielectric anisotropy. On the other hand, however, (b-3) can not be said to be preferable compound in the aspect of response speed from the fact that the compound has a remarkably high viscosity than (a), (b-1), (b-2), and (b-4). With respect to compound (c), it can not be said to be the compound which satisfies the requirements since it has a viscosity as high as (b-3) while (c) has a comparatively high dielectric anisotropy.
In this connection, compounds having --CF.sub.2 O-- at a terminal of the molecule have already been disclosed in patent publications as the compounds having a partial structure of --CF.sub.2 O-- in the molecule in liquid crystalline compounds. However, as the compounds having a partial structure which crosslinked two benzene rings as a bonding group in the structure of the compound, only compounds (d) and (e) shown above have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 2-289529 and 5-112778, respectively. Besides, whereas the structural formula of the compounds have been described, physical data of the compounds and specific value of physical properties for evaluating the utility as liquid crystalline compound have not been disclosed in the publications. Accordingly, the properties of liquid crystalline compounds having a partial structure in which two benzene rings are bonded with --CF.sub.2 O-- group are not known at all. The present inventors had presumed that the dielectric constant in the direction of major axis of the molecule is offset in compound (d) since the polarization of --CF.sub.2 O-- group which is a bonding group in the molecule is arranged toward the direction opposite to the polarization of fluorine atom at the terminal of the molecule, and thus a large dielctric anisotropy can not be expected. Even with respect to compound (e), it was considered that a high clearing point can not be expected since it is a bicyclic compound in its skeltal structure while a comparatively large dielectric anisotropy can be expected from the contribution of polarization of --CF.sub.2 O-- group. As explained above, it was the actual situation that the effect of --CF.sub.2 O-- bonding group as well as the effect of compounds (d) and (e), particularly the knowledge on the relationship between dielectric anisotropy and viscosity were not known at all.

Difluorooxymethane derivative and liquid crystal composition


Turbo-coding in a communications system involves coding/decoding information in stages in order to avoid retransmission of a full L-bit packet upon occurrence of a packet error. In addition to a set of code bits generated by an encoder using a turbo-coding scheme, a punctured set of code bits is generated and stored in transmitter memory. The original set of code bits is transmitted as an L-bit data packet to a receiver which stores received data samples corresponding to the original set of code bits. The receiver decodes the data packet using a turbo-decoder and determines whether the data packet has been received in error. If so, the received data samples are maintained in memory, and a request for more information is made. Some or all of the punctured information is then forwarded from the transmitter to the receiver. A second stage of turbo-decoding combines the new data samples with the stored original received data samples such that there is a high likelihood that decoding is correct at this point, but additional stages of decoding may be used.

The present invention relates generally to coding in communications systems and, more particularly, to turbo-coding information in stages.
Turbo-coding is known in the art as another term for parallel concatenated convolutional coding. More specifically, turbo-coding involves encoding an information sequence twice, the second encoding being performed after a random interleaving of the information sequence. Decoding is performed iteratively, and the result is reliable communication.
In many communications systems, data is transmitted in L-bit packets, where L is typically on the order of between ten and several hundred. If the receiver determines that the packet has been received in error, there may be a request to retransmit the information, referred to as an automatic repeat request (ARQ). Disadvantageously, this results in the transmission of a total of 2L bits.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus for turbo-coding which does not require a full L-bit packet to be retransmitted upon occurrence of a packet error.

Turbo-coding with staged data transmission and processing


Disclosed are a maximum transmission unit (MTU) negotiation method and a data terminal. The method comprises: a data terminal receiving a first request message sent by a user terminal during establishment of a communication protocol link and carrying an MTU of the user terminal; updating the MTU of the user terminal carried in the first request message to be a path MTU; sending a second request message carrying the path MTU to a server; receiving a first reply message returned by the server and carrying an MTU of the server; updating the MTU of the server carried in the first reply message to be the path MTU; and sending a second reply message carrying the path MTU to the user terminal. The method and data terminal provided by the present invention can improve network performance.

With the development of technology, a network using a variety of communication protocols plays an important role in various aspects of daily work, study, and life. Performance of such a network is thus a major concern. A Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) refers to a maximal size of a data packet that can pass through a layer of a communication protocol, and is defined as the sum of a Maximum Segment Size (MSS) and a header length in bytes. In establishing a link of a communication protocol such as a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), a user terminal and a server will negotiate and exchange MTUs with each other through handshake messages. The smaller MTU of the MTU of the user terminal and the MTU of the server is selected as an MTU to be used in network data transmission after the link is established. In establishing the TCP link, no data packet sent by the user terminal or the server will have a size exceeding the negotiated MTU.
A path MTU is a maximal size of a data packet that can pass through a network path. Both a data packet sent by a user terminal and that by a server may be transmitted as a whole via the path when the path MTU is no less than the negotiated MTU. For example, both the MTU of the user terminal and the MTU of the server may be 1,500 bytes. Then the negotiated MTU negotiated by the user terminal and the server may also be 1,500 bytes. When the path MTU is no less than 1,500 bytes, a data packet sent by the user terminal or the server may be transmitted in its entirety via the network path. However, when the path MTU is smaller than the negotiated MTU, for example, when the path MTU is smaller than 1,500 bytes, a data packet sent by the user terminal or the server may be transmitted as segments, leading to reduced network performance.

Maximum transmission unit negotiation method and data terminal


This invention relates to optical discs that preferably include multiple data layers and are configured to receive analytes which can be detected by an optical disc reader. The optical disc reader may be a standard optical disc reader or an optical disc reader modified therefrom. The optical disc may include (1) a first layer including optically readable structures which have encoded tracking information, and speed information enabling an optical disc reader to rotate the optical disc at a speed that is determinable from the speed information; (2) a second layer including optically readable structures; and (3) an analyte section capable of receiving an analyte which can be read by the optical disc reader.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to optical discs that include multiple data layers and are configured to receive analytes which can be detected by an optical disc reader.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical discs have been used for detection and characterization of biological and chemical samples. For instance, see WO 96/09548 (Gordon), EP A 392475 (Idemitsu), EP A 417 305 (Idemitsu), EP A 504432 (Idemitsu), and WO 98/12559 (Demers), all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other examples of using optical discs to detect investigational samples can be found in U.S. Provisional Application 60/252,725, entitled "Optical Bio-Disc Including Microfluidic Circuit for Separation and Quantification of Agglutinated Microparticles or Cells and Methods Relating Thereto", U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/252,726, entitled "Bioactive Solid Phase for Specific Cell Capture and Optical Bio-Disc Including Same", and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/257,705, entitled "Surface Assembly for Immobilizing DNA Capture Probes and Bead-Based Assay Including Optical Bio-Discs and Methods Relating Thereto" all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Some of these previously described optical discs, however, are not designed to be read by standard optical disc readers, such as standard CD or DVD readers. For instance, the optical discs disclosed in EP A 392 475 (Idemitsu), EP A 417 305 (Idemitsu) and EP A 504 432 (Idemitsu) are not designed to be read by standard CD or DVD disc readers. The discs described in WO 96/09548 (Gordon) require the use of two optical detectors, one to detect the tracking information and the other to detect surface structures. In contrast, reading a standard CD or DVD needs only one optical detector.
Therefore, there is a need to design and manufacture an optical disc configured to receive an investigational sample that can be detected by a standard optical disc reader or an optical disc reader modified therefrom.
Over the past decade, scanning laser microscopy (SLM) has revolutionized life science imaging. However, SLM demands expensive and specialized optical equipment. Consequently, there exists a need to provide an inexpensive, generic device which can carry out laser scanning over microscopic specimens.
The present invention discovers that the minimum mechanical requirements for SLM, i.e. laser, focusing and detection optics, precision scanning means, and computer interface, may all be provided by a standard optical disc reader or an optical disc reader modified therefrom. Therefore, it is desirable to create an optical disc that can hold a microscopic sample that can be scanned by a standard optical disc reader. Such an optical disc presents a marked advantage over existing SLM technologies.
In order for a standard optical disc reader to operate an optical disc, the optical disc reader is typically required to be able to (1) accurately focus above the operational surface of the optical disc, (2) accurately follow the spiral track or utilize some form of uniform radial movement across the optical disc surface, (3) recover enough information to facilitate a form of speed control, such as CAV, CLV, CBR, or ZCLV, (4) maintain proper power control by logical information gathered from the optical disc or by signal patterns detected in the operational surface of the optical disc, and (5) respond to logic information that is used to control, for example, the position of the objective assembly, the speed of rotation, or the focusing position of the laser beam.
A typical optical disc system uses elements of the optical medium itself to satisfy at least some of these operational requirements. For instance, in a typical CD, the disc substrate is impressed with a spiral track made up of a series of embossed or impressed pits and lands. Light reflected from these pits and lands can be used to generate signals. These signals are used by the optical disc reader to maintain proper focusing and tracking. In a CD-R disc, a wobble groove is used to generate operational signals during disc recording. Dye marks are created during disc recording, and these dye marks may provide the requisite tracking structures during subsequent reading. Generally, under each of conventional optical disc standards, the structures that encode data may simultaneously serve to provide operational signals that enable an optical disc reader to operate the optical disc.
Conventional optical disc standards make no provision with respect to acquisition of information from investigational features, such as biological, chemical, or biochemical specimens, that are disposed on the disc. Investigational features disposed on the disc may disrupt the tracking of the disc. In addition, investigational structures or features may be sufficiently separated from operational structures, therefore preventing an optical disc reader from tracking the disc and detecting the investigational features concurrently and discriminably.
Therefore, there is a need to provide an optical disc that allows an optical disc reader to detect the investigational features without disrupting the tracking of the disc. There also exists a need to provide an optical disc that allows an optical disc reader to track the disc and read the investigational features concurrently and discriminably.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multiple data layer optical discs for detecting analytes


A bioremediation device in the form of a cylindrical cartridge having an open mesh side wall and end-caps forming an enclosed volume and which contains a suitable media. The cartridge is removeably mounted in and supported on opposite sides by wall halves in the form of near semi-circular housing halves. The wall halves further contain inlet and outlet openings to permit a liquid and gaseous flow through the cartridge and the contained media.

The invention relates in general to a bioremediation system, and more specifically to a system which utilizes multiple horizontally oriented media filled cartridges which are stacked vertically one above the other in the form of a wall panel or placed horizontally side by side in the form of a ceiling or floor panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,924,140 utilizes cartridges having a solid wall outer shell to hold the media and includes top and bottom grilles to permit vertical airflow and liquid flow through the enclosed media. Multiple cartridges are inserted side by side into and between top and bottom structures that include provisions for the introduction and removal of air and liquid flow through the cartridges in a parallel method of operation.
In a contaminated airflow through a cartridge or bioreactor, remediation efficiency diminishes with increased distance traveled from inlet to exit. Also, microbial activity produces a biomass buildup which requires the media to be cleaned or replenished on a regular basis. It can therefore be seen that there is a need for an improved bioremediation system which overcomes the problems of the prior art described herein. Considering these factors it is beneficial to subdivide a biofiltration system into smaller cartridges having shorter airflow paths to improve performance.


The present invention is directed towards an air circulation device. The air circulation device is capable of producing and directing an air current to a desired location. The air current is used to circulate stagnant air which, in turn, provides a cooling effect. Advantageously, the device is electrically powered by 12-volt direct current (DC) but is capable of producing an air current of a magnitude similar to or greater than that produced by air circulation devices which are powered by 120-volt alternating current (AC). Further, the device contains at least one retractable elongated support which allows the device to stand upright on a flat surface when the support is in an extended position. When the device is not in use, the support may be retracted so as to be protected from being damaged during transport. Still further, the device is manufactured of a polymeric material and the motor and bearings of the device are sealed. As a result, the device may be easily and safely cleaned using a liquid solution applied by a high pressure device such as a hose.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to air circulation devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a water-resistant, 12-volt direct current, self-supporting, box fan.
2. Background of the Invention
Air circulation devices are commonly used to produce and direct air current to a desired location. The air current can be used to circulate stagnant air and produce a cooling effect. Common air circulation devices consist of rotating fans with angled fins such that rotation of the fins pulls air from behind the device and propels air through the device, to produce an air current. Accordingly, a person situated in front of the device is subject to a constant flow of cool, circulating air. Exposure to such an air current results in the person being more comfortable when atmospheric conditions become undesirably warm.
Air circulation devices such as that described above, are often manufactured to be easily transported devices operated by a 12-volt direct current (DC) power source, such as that supplied by a motor vehicle cigarette lighter outlet or a watercraft power outlet. Such air circulation devices are also often manufactured to include a support mechanism so as to allow the air circulation device to independently stand upon or be suspended from a surface with varying features. However, such air circulation devices traditionally have a small fin diameter, are of a small overall size, contain support mechanisms which extend beyond the boundaries of the device, are made of materials which are not water resistant, and contain exposed motor components and bearings. Consequently, such air circulation devices are only able to produce an air current of minor strength when compared to an air current produced by a device powered by a standard household electrical outlet which produces 120-volts of alternating current (AC). Additionally, because the support mechanisms extend beyond the boundaries of the device, they are subject to being easily damaged during the jostling that such a device is subject to during transport as well as during normal everyday use. Further, because the current devices are not water resistant, are subject to corrosion, and have exposed motor components and bearings, the devices are vulnerable to being damaged as a result of contact with water, a cleaning solution, or other liquids applied by either high pressure spraying or simple hand application using a towel or rag.
While many air circulation devices exist and have proven to be commercially acceptable for their intended applications, they are all subject to improvement. In this regard, it is desirable to develop a 12-volt DC air circulation device which has a large fin diameter, the fins being rotated at such a speed so as to produce and direct an air current with a magnitude similar to or greater than that produced by 120-volt AC powered air circulation devices. In addition, it is desirable to produce an air circulation device with a support stand having extended and retracted positions. In the extended position the support stand extends beyond the device to provide upright support for the device. In the retracted position the support stand does not extend beyond the device and thus the support is shielded from being damaged during transport or when subject to normal everyday jostling. Still further, it is desirable to produce an air circulation device generally made of a non-corrosive, water resistant polymeric material. The device further having a liquid impermeable, rigid motor casing which is able to protect the motor from being damaged by external forces or liquids, such as rain water or water used to clean the device applied by a high pressure hose.


After identifying a set of initial game designations to produce a game ending winner for a bingo game, one or more additional game designations may be considered, that is, compared against a bingo card in play in the bingo game. Considering these additional game designations in addition to the set of initial game designations may produce additional matched locations on the bingo card and may produce a winning pattern that would not have been produced considering only the set of initial game designations. This use of additional game designations provides additional opportunities for players to obtain a winning result.

The game referred to generally as "bingo" is played with predetermined bingo cards that include a number of designations randomly arranged in a grid, matrix, or other layout of spots or locations. The bingo cards may be physically printed on paper or another suitable material, or may be represented by a data structure which defines a bingo card representation having the various card locations and designations associated with the locations. In the traditional bingo game sequence, a number of the predetermined bingo cards are first sold for a particular bingo game. After the sale of bingo cards is closed for a given game, designations are randomly selected from a pool of available designations and matched to the designations on each bingo card that is in play in the bingo game. This matching of bingo designations randomly selected for a game and bingo designations associated with a bingo card in play in the game is commonly referred to as daubing the card. Daubing a card results in an arrangement of matched spots or card locations for the card.
In traditional bingo games, daubing was done manually by the player holding the bingo card, and then by a game administrator to verify a win in the game. More recent bingo gaming systems automatically check for winning patterns on a bingo card as designations are randomly selected for a game. Regardless of how the bingo cards in play in a game are daubed, the first bingo card which is daubed to achieve a predefined game ending pattern is considered a winning card for the game and a prize may be awarded to the player holding the winning card. Other prizes may be awarded for bingo cards achieving other patterns of daubed locations in the course of a bingo game.
One problem with bingo-type games is that the probability of winning or losing with a particular bingo card is always determined by a fixed set of constraints. These constraints include the number of designations available in the pool of designations, the predetermined pattern or patterns to be matched, and the number of locations on the bingo card. For a given set of constraints, the probabilities of winning and losing are generally fixed. Although it is possible to vary these bingo probabilities by varying these constraints, varying the constraints may be cumbersome. Also, even varying the constraints for the bingo game has only a limited effect on the resulting bingo probabilities of winning a prize in a particular bingo game.

Bingo prize mapping system with additional ball draw


An electronically controlled diesel engine for a vehicle which may act as an air compressor in addition to acting as a power source for the vehicle. When acting in the air compressor function, one end cylinder is converted to the function to provide compressed air to air tanks on the vehicle. The air from this combination compressor and power cylinder may be used to fill air tanks which provide air for braking in vehicles such as heavy trucks. The combination compressor and power cylinder has an exhaust isolation valve in the exhaust manifold to isolate an air collection area and a relief/check valve engaged on an upstream side to the air collection area and to an air tank in the air system for the vehicle on the downstream side. An electronic controller means controls the fuel injector for the combination compressor and power cylinder and the exhaust isolation valve. Various types of diesel engines may be modified to become an electronic engine-air compressor system in accordance with this invention.

The present invention relates to an electronically controlled diesel engine for a vehicle which may act as an air compressor in addition to acting as a power source for the vehicle. When acting in the air compressor function, one end cylinder is converted to the function to provide compressed air to air tanks on the vehicle. The air from this combination compressor and power cylinder may be used to fill air tanks which provide air for braking in vehicles such as heavy trucks. Various types of diesel engines may be modified to become an electronic engine-air compressor system in accordance with this invention.
Prior Art
Heretofore, diesel engines have existed which may be temporarily act as air compressors. One type of prior art diesel engine which could act as an air compressor involved tapping off pressurized air output from the turbo charger from the intake manifold. This prior art diesel engine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,532. Diesel engines have a sets of combustion cylinders which have pistons which cycle in the cylinders when the engines are operated. Should fuel be shut off to the fuel injectors of one of these combustion cylinders during engine operation while maintaining the piston movement, efficient compression of air entering the cylinder will occur and exhausting to the exhaust manifold. The prior art diesel engine shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,532 did not take advantage of this air compression in the cylinder to pressurize air for the vehicle air system.
Diesel engine cylinders have an intake valve and an exhaust valve. The intake valves, exhaust valves and injection valves cycle open and closed to allow the pistons to reciprocally move in the cylinders through an intake stroke, a compression stroke, an expansion stroke, and an exhaust stroke. Another prior art diesel engine electronically varied the movement of two or half of the pistons in the cylinders of an in-line four cylinder diesel engine to reverse motor the impacted cylinders. The fuel injectors in the reverse motoring cylinders would be shut off and the compressed gas would be discharged via the intake valves to the intake manifold. An example of this type prior art engine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,401. Although this engine did involve air compression in an engine cylinder starved of fuel, there was a complex scheme involved in varying the movement of the intake and exhaust valves from their normal cycling for combustion. Additionally, the engine shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,401 was not engaged to the vehicle's air system to allow controlled delivery of pressurized air. Air compressed in this prior art engine was redirected to the intake manifold to assist in engine pollutant reduction.
Another type prior art engine with a compressor function is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,934 where some of the cylinders may be converted to a compressor function. An engine internal switching means was required to accomplish the dual function so as to vary intake and exhaust valve cycling.
None of the prior art mentioned diesel engines with air compressor functions could be easily manufactured from simple modifications to an existing diesel engine exhaust system without varying intake and exhaust valve cycling.
Heretofore, an electronically controlled diesel engine for a vehicle which may act as an air compressor has not been suggested which utilizes the exhaust stroke of one piston of a cylinder of the engine, is capable of discharging the exhausted air to the vehicle air system, does not vary the cycling of the engine intake and exhaust valves and which may be easily manufactured with simple modifications to an existing diesel engine.

Electronic engine - air compressor system

Navistar International Transportation Corp.


A device and method as disclosed relates to a bed mountable restraining device for confining a living being such as an infant, or a small animal, to a mattress of a bed. The device includes a base including a sheet of pliable material which is suitably sized to fit on the top surface of the mattress. A plurality of mounting straps are fixed to the base. An enclosure is attached to the base, whereby the adjustable straps may be releasably attached to the mattress by securing the straps over portions of the mattress.

There is no admission that the background art disclosed in this section legally constitutes prior art.
In the past, parents or other child care providers traveling to other people's homes or hotels with infants or small children would typically transport portable cribs or other restraining devices to confine their infants for purposes of sleeping or for conveniently playing in a secure area. These portable cribs or other restraining devices were not entirely convenient for some applications to transport due to their size, or weight, or their general lack of ease of portability. Alternatively, parents or child care providers who desire to travel with their infants and who desire to place their infants in a confined location would sometimes place the infants or small children on a bed and surround the infant with pillows. In this manner, the infant would be less likely to inadvertently roll off the bed and possibly sustain an injury.

Bed mountable restraining device and method for using same


The coil winding apparatus is for manufacturing a coil by winding a wire rod around a winding core rotated by a rotating mechanism, wherein the winding core has a base plate and a plurality of winding pins erected on the base plate, and a circumferential groove into which a wire rod are put is formed on the periphery of the plurality of winding pins. The rotation mechanism is provided with a rotatable rotating plate, a drive mechanism for rotating the rotating plate, and a pair of columnar members erected on the rotating plate so as to put a rotation center with between a pair of the columnar members. An inner base plate is mounted to a tip of the pair of columnar members, and the coil winding apparatus is provided with an outer winding core moving mechanism.

Conventionally a stator of a generator or a motor has a cylindrical stator core including a plurality of teeth (magnetic poles) arranging radially and protruding radially in a row in the inner diameter direction and a plurality of slots opening between the teeth, and a stator coil assembled to a stator core by storing peripheral parts of the coil in the slots. With respect to the assembly of the stator coil, JP2000-245120A discloses a so-called inserter method of assembling the stator coil, in which the stator coil and the stator core are individually pre-made in advance, and then the stator coil is housed in each slot of the stator core.
On the other hand, in recent years, an efficient dynamoelectric machine for energy saving has been demanded from the market, and generally, by improving a density of the coils installed in the slot of the stator core, that is, a space factor, dynamoelectric machines are able to achieve a higher efficiency. In order to improve such the space factor, JPH10-271733A discloses a technique for mounting a regularly wound coil in a slot. The coils are pre-regularly wound outside the slot into bundles of cross-sections corresponding to the cross-sectional section of the slot, and the coils are inserted in the radial direction from the opening side of the slot, while retaining their shape. The coil is inserted in the radial direction of the slot from the opening side of the slot with a width equal to the width of the slot, while retaining the shape of the coil.
However, even if a coil aligned and wound on a bundle of cross-sections corresponding to the cross-section of the slot is made outside the slot, if peripheral parts of the coil shapes cannot be maintained until it is inserted into the slot, a problem arises that it becomes difficult to insert peripheral parts of the coil into the slot.
In view of this point, the applicant has proposed a coil manufacturing apparatus, the coil manufacturing apparatus is provided with a bundling mechanism, the bundling mechanism has an outer circumference corresponding to an inner circumference of the coil to be made, and is configured to bundle the suspending the wire rod in a winding core having flanges formed at both ends of a drum member in which a wire rod is wound around the outer circumference, wherein a recess is formed on the drum member, the wire rod is suspended in the recess, and the floating wire rod is bundled in the recess (for example, refer to JP2016-39719A).
In this coil manufacturing apparatus, the shape of peripheral parts of the coil can be maintained until the coil is inserted into the slot because the wire rod suspending at the recess are bundled.

Coil winding apparatus and coil winding method and a coil manufacturing method using thereof


In one embodiment, a display device includes a plurality of gate lines transmitting normal gate signals, a plurality of data lines crossing the gate lines and transmitting data voltages, and a plurality of storage electrode lines extending in parallel to the gate lines and transmitting storage signals. The display device may further include a plurality of pixels arranging in a matrix, each pixel having a switching element connected to the gate line and the data line, a liquid crystal capacitor connected to the switching element and a common voltage, and a storage capacitor connected to the switching element and the storage electrode line. The display device may further include a plurality of pseudo gate driving circuits generating pseudo gate signals based on the normal gate signals, and a plurality of storage signal generating circuits generating the storage signals based on the pseudo gate signals.

(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display.
(b) Related Art
In general, liquid crystal displays include two display panels having pixel electrodes and a common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer having an anisotropic dielectric interposed therebetween. The pixel electrodes are arranged in a matrix and connected to switching devices such as thin film transistors (TFTs) to sequentially receive data voltages by rows. The common electrode is disposed over the entire surface of the display panel and applied with a common voltage. The pixel electrode, the common electrode, and the liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween constitute a liquid crystal capacitor. The liquid crystal capacitor together with the switching element connected thereto form a pixel.
Liquid crystal displays may be used to display images by applying an electric field to a liquid crystal layer between the two display panels and adjusting the transmittance of light passing through the liquid crystal layer by controlling the electric field strength. If a one-directional electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer for a long period of time, degradation of the liquid crystal display may occur. In order to prevent such degradation, the polarities of the data voltages with respect to the common voltage may be inverted for each frame, pixel row, or pixel.
However, in the case of row inversion, the range of data voltages that may be used for image display is small in comparison with the range of data voltages that may be used for pixel inversion (i.e., dot inversion). Therefore, if the threshold voltage for driving liquid crystals is high, such as in a vertical alignment (VA) mode liquid crystal display, the data voltage range used to represent grayscales for displaying images may be significantly reduced if a high threshold voltage is required for driving the liquid crystal. As a result, desired luminance cannot be obtained.
In the case of medium-sized or small-sized display devices such as mobile phones among the liquid crystal displays, row inversion (e.g., where the polarities of the data voltages with respect to the common voltage are inverted in units of a pixel row) may be performed so as to reduce power consumption. However, since the resolution of the medium-sized or small-sized display devices is gradually increasing, the power consumption associated with such devices is also increasing.


A substrate 1 for growing nitride semiconductor has a first and second face and has a thermal expansion coefficient that is larger than that of the nitride semiconductor. At least n-type nitride semiconductor layers 3 to 5, an active layer 6 and p-type nitride semiconductor layers 7 to 8 are laminated to form a stack of nitride semiconductor on the first face of the substrate 1. A first bonding layer including more than one metal layer is formed on the p-type nitride semiconductor layer 8. A supporting substrate having a first and second face has a thermal expansion coefficient that is larger than that of the nitride semiconductor and is equal or smaller than that of the substrate 1 for growing nitride semiconductor. A second bonding layer including more than one metal layer is formed on the first face of the supporting substrate. The first bonding layer 9 and the second bonding layer 11 are faced with each other and, then, pressed with heat to bond together. After that, the substrate 1 for growing nitride semiconductor is removed from the stack of nitride semiconductor so that a nitride semiconductor device is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fabrication method of a nitride semiconductor device comprising a nitride semiconductor (InxAlyGa1−x−yN, 0≦x, 0≦y, x+y≦1), such as a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD); light receiving devices such as a solar cell, a photosensor; or electronic devices such as a transistor, a power device; and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Owing to the stability in the high temperature ammonia atmosphere in its epitaxial growth process, it has been proved that sapphire is a desirable substrate for growing a light emitting device of a high efficiency made of nitride semiconductor. Practically, a nitride semiconductor device grown on a sapphire substrate is employed for a high brightness blue emitting LED, a pure green LED, and LD (laser diode) and it is applied for full color displays, signal display apparatus, image scanners, light sources such as a light source for optical disks and for media such as DVD that stores a large quantity of information, or printing apparatus. Further, applications to electronic devices such as field effect transistors (FET) are expected.
Although a nitride semiconductor is a promising semiconductor material, its bulk crystal production is difficult. For that, presently, hetero-epitaxial techniques for growing GaN by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on a hetero-substrate of such as sapphire, SiC and the like are widely used. Especially, in the case of using a sapphire substrate, a method involving forming AlGaN as a buffer layer at a temperature as low as about 600° C. on a sapphire substrate and then growing a nitride semiconductor layer thereon is employed. Crystallinity of the nitride semiconductor layer is improved by such a method. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-154900 discloses a structure comprising a GaxAl1−xN as a buffer layer and a crystal of a gallium nitride-based compound semiconductor grown thereon.

Nitride semiconductor device comprising bonded substrate and fabrication method of the same