An improved process for preparing a superconducting composition having the formula M.sub.W A.sub.E Cu.sub.V O.sub.K wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Bi, Tl, Y, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm Yb and Lu; A is at least one alkaline earth metal selected from the group consisting of Ba, Ca and Sr; x is at least 6; w is at least 1; z is at least 2 and v is at least 1; said composition having a superconducting transition temperature of above 77K, preferably above about 90 K; said process consisting essentially of (a) forming a suspension having an M:A:Cu atomic ratio of w:z:v by mixing A(OH).sub.2, AO or AO.sub.2 and M.sub.2 O.sub.3 with an aqueous solution of cupric carboxylate or cupric nitrate at a temperature from about 50.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C., or mixing A(OH).sub.2 with an aqueous solution of Cu carboxylate, nitrate or a mixture thereof and M carboxylate, nitrate or a mixture thereof at a temperature from about 50.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C.; (b) drying the suspension formed in step (a) to obtain a precursor powder; and (c) heating and cooling the powder under specified conditions to form the desired superconducting composition which can be formed into shaped articles.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved process for making copper oxide-containing superconductors.
2. Description of Related Art
Bednorz and Muller, Z. Phys. B64, 189-193 (1986), disclose a superconducting phase in the La-Ba-Cu-O system with a superconducting transition temperature of about 35 K. Samples were prepared by a coprecipitation method from aqueous solutions of Ba-, La- and Cu-nitrate in their appropriate ratios. An aqueous solution of oxalic acid was used as the precipitant.
Chu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 405-407 (1987), report detection of an apparent superconducting transition with an onset temperature above 40 K under pressure in the La-Ba-Cu-O compound system synthesized directly from a solid-state reaction of La.sub.2 O.sub.3, CuO and BaCO.sub.3 followed by a decomposition of the mixture in a reduced atmosphere. Chu et al., Science 235, 567-569 (1987), disclose that a superconducting transition with an onset temperature of 52.5 K has been observed under hydrostatic pressure in compounds with nominal compositions given by (La.sub.0.9 Ba.sub.0.1).sub.2 CuO.sub.4-y, where y is undetermined. They state that the K.sub.2 NiF.sub.4 layer structure has been proposed to be responsible for the high-temperature superconductivity in the La-Ba-Cu-O system (LBCO). They further state that, however, the small diamagnetic signal, in contrast to the presence of up to 100% K.sub.2 NiF.sub.4 phase in their samples, raises a question about the exact location of superconductivity in LBCO.
Cava et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 408-410 (1987), disclose bulk superconductivity at 36 K in La.sub.1.8 Sr.sub.0.2 CuO.sub.4 prepared from appropriate mixtures of high purity La(OH).sub.3, SrCO.sub.3 and CuO powders, heated for several days in air at 1000.degree. C. in quartz crucibles. Rao et al., Current Science 56, 47-49 (1987), discuss superconducting properties of compositions which include La.sub.1.8 Sr.sub.0.2 CuO.sub.4, La.sub.1.85 Ba.sub.0.15 CuO.sub.4, La.sub.1.8 Sr.sub.0.1 CuO.sub.4, (La.sub.1-x Pr.sub.x).sub.2-y Sr.sub.y CuO.sub.4, and (La.sub.1.75 Eu.sub.0.25)Sr.sub.0.2 CuO.sub.4.
Bednorz et al., Europhys. Lett. 3, 379-384 (1987), report that susceptibility measurements support high-T.sub.c superconductivity in the Ba-La-Cu-O system. In general, in the La-Ba-Cu-O system, the superconducting phase has been identified as the composition La.sub.1-x (Ba,Sr,Ca).sub.x CuO.sub.4-y with the tetragonal K.sub.2 NiF.sub.4 -type structure and with x typically about 0.15 and y indicating oxygen vacancies.
Wu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 908-910 (1987), disclose a superconducting phase in the Y-Ba-Cu-O system with a superconducting transition temperature between 80 and 93 K . The compounds investigated were prepared with nominal composition (Y.sub.1-x Ba.sub.x).sub.2 CuO.sub.4-y and x=0.4 by a solid-state reaction of appropriate amounts of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO in a manner similar to that described in Chu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 405-407 (1987). Said reaction method comprises more specifically heating the oxides in a reduced oxygen atmosphere of 2.times.10.sup.-5 bars (2 Pa) at 900.degree. C. for 6 hours. The reacted mixture was pulverized and the heating step was repeated. The thoroughly reacted mixture was then pressed into 3/16 inch (0.5 cm) diameter cylinders for final sintering at 925.degree. C. or 24 hours in the same reduced oxygen atmosphere. The material prepared showed the existence of multiple phases.
Hor et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 911-912 (1987), disclose that pressure has only a slight effect on the superconducting transition temperature of the Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductors described by Wu et al., supra.
Sun et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1574-1576 (1987), disclose the results of a study of Y-Ba-Cu-O samples exhibiting superconductivity with transition temperatures in the 90 K range. The samples were prepared from mixtures of high-purity Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO powders. The powders were premixed in methanol or water and subsequently heated to 100.degree. C. to evaporate the solvent. Two thermal heat treatments were used. In the first, the samples were heated in Pt crucibles for 6 hours in air at 850.degree. C. and then for another 6 hours at 1000.degree. C. After the first firing, the samples were a dark-green powder, and after the second firing, they became a very porous, black solid. In the second method, the powders were heated for 8-10 hours at 1000.degree. C., ground and then cold pressed to form disks of about 1 cm diameter and 0.2 cm thickness. The superconducting properties of samples prepared in these two ways were similar. X-ray diffraction examination of the samples revealed the existence of multiple phases.
Cava et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1676-1679 (1987), have identified this superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O phase to be orthorhombic, distorted, oxygen-deficient perovskite YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.9-.delta. where .delta. is about 2.1, and have presented the X-ray diffraction powder pattern and lattice parameters for the phase. The single-phase YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.9-.delta. was prepared in the following manner. BaCO.sub.3, Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and CuO were mixed, ground and then heated at 950.degree. C. in air for 1 day. The material was then pressed into pellets, sintered in flowing O.sub.2 for 16 hours and cooled to 200.degree. C. in O.sub.2 before removal from the furnace. Additional overnight treatment in O.sub.2 at 700.degree. C. was found to improve the observed properties.
Takita et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L506-L507 (1987), disclose the preparation of several Y-Ba-Cu compositions with superconducting transitions around 90 K by a solid-state reaction method in which a mixture of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, CuO, and BaCO.sub.3 was heated in an oxygen atmosphere at 950.degree. C. for more than 3 hours. The reacted mixture was pressed into 10 mm diameter disks for final sintering at 950.degree. or 1000.degree. C. for about 3 hours in the same oxygen atmosphere.
Takabatake et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L502-L503 (1987), disclose the preparation of samples of Ba.sub.1-x Y.sub.x CuO.sub.3-z (x=0.1, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8 and 0.9) from the appropriate mixtures of BaCO.sub.3, Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and CuO. The mixture was pressed into a disc and sintered at 900.degree. C. for 15 hours in air. The sample with x=0.4 exhibited the sharpest superconducting transition with an onset near 96 K.
Syono et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L498-L501 (1987), disclose the preparation of samples of superconducting Y.sub.0.4 Ba.sub.0.6 CuO.sub.2.22 with T.sub.c higher than 88 K by firing mixtures of 4N Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, 3N BaCO.sub.3 and 3N CuO in the desired proportions. The mixtures were prefired at 1000.degree. C. for 5 hours. They were ground, pelletized and sintered at 900.degree. C. for 15 hours in air and cooled to room temperature in the furnace. They also disclose that almost equivalent results were also obtained by starting from concentrated nitrate solution of 4N Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, GR grade Ba(NO.sub.3).sub.2 and Cu(NO.sub.3).sub.2.
Takayama-Muromachi et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L476-L478 (1987), disclose the preparation of a series of samples to try to identify the superconducting phase in the Y-Ba-Cu-O system. Appropriate amounts of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO were mixed in an agate mortar and then fired at 1173.+-.2 K for 48-72 hours with intermediate grindings. X-ray diffraction powder patterns were obtained. The suggested composition of the superconducting compound is Y.sub.1-x Ba.sub.x CuO.sub.y where 0.6<x<0.7.
Hosoya et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L456-L457 (1987), disclose the preparation of various superconductor compositions in the L-Ba-Cu-O systems where L=Tm, Er, Ho, Dy, Eu and Lu. Mixtures of the proper amounts of the lanthanide oxide (99.9% pure), CuO and BaCO.sub.3 were heated in air. The obtained powder specimens were reground, pressed into pellets and heated again.
Hirabayashi et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L454-L455 (1987), disclose the preparation of superconductor samples of nominal composition Y.sub.1/3 Ba.sub.2/3 CuO.sub.3-x by coprecipitation from aqueous nitrate solution. Oxalic acid was used as the precipitant and insoluble Ba, Y and Cu compounds were formed at a constant pH of 6.8. The decomposition of the precipitate and the solid-state reaction were performed by firing in air at 900.degree. C. for 2 hours. The fired products were pulverized, cold-pressed into pellets and then sintered in air at 900.degree. C. for 5 hours. The authors found that the sample was of nearly single phase having the formula Y.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7. The diffraction pattern was obtained and indexed as having tetragonal symmetry.
Ekino et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L452-L453 (1987), disclose the preparation of a superconductor sample with nominal composition Y.sub.1.1 Ba.sub.0.9 CuO.sub.4-y. A prescribed amount of powders of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO was mixed for about an hour, pressed under 6.4 ton/cm.sup.2 (14 MPa) into pellet shape and sintered at 1000.degree. C. in air for 3 hours.
Akimitsu et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L449-L451 (1987), disclose the preparation of samples with nominal compositions represented by (Y.sub.1-x Ba.sub.x).sub.2 CuO.sub.4-y. The specimens were prepared by mixing the appropriate amounts of powders of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO. The resulting mixture was pressed and heated in air at 1000.degree. C. for 3 hours. Some samples were annealed at appropriate temperatures in O.sub.2 or CO.sub.2 for several hours. The authors noted that there seemed to be a tendency that samples annealed in O.sub.2 showed a superconducting transition with a higher onset temperature but a broader transition than non-annealed samples.
Semba et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L429-L431 (1987), disclose the preparation of samples of Y.sub.x Ba.sub.1-x CuO.sub.4-d where x=0.4 and x=0.5 by the solid state reaction of BaCO.sub.3, Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and CuO. The mixtures are heated to 950.degree. C. for several hours, pulverized, and then pressed into disk shape. This is followed by the final heat treatment at 1100.degree. C. in one atmosphere O.sub.2 gas for 5 hours. The authors identified the phase that exhibited superconductivity above 90 K as one that was black with the atomic ratio of Y:Ba:Cu of 1:2:3. The diffraction pattern was obtained and indexed as having tetragonal symmetry.
Hatano et.al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L374-L376 (1987), disclose the preparation of the superconductor compound Ba.sub.0.7 Y.sub.0.3 Cu.sub.1 O.sub.x from the appropriate mixture of BaCO.sub.3 (purity 99.9%), Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 (99.99%) and CuO (99.9%). The mixture was calcined in an alumina boat heated at 1000.degree. C. for 10 hours in a flowing oxygen atmosphere. The color of the resulting well-sintered block was black.
Hikami et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L347-L348 (1987), disclose the preparation of a Ho-sa-Cu oxide, exhibiting the onset of superconductivity at 93 K and the resistance vanishing below 76 K, by heating a mixture of powders Ho.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO with the composition Ho:Ba:Cu=0.246:0.336:1 at 850.degree. C. in air for two hours. The sample was then pressed into a rectangular shape and sintered at 800.degree. C. for one hour. The sample looked black, but a small part was green.
Matsushita et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L332-L333 (1987), disclose the preparation of Ba.sub.0.5 Y.sub.0.5 Cu.sub.1 O.sub.x by mixing appropriate amounts of BaCO.sub.3 (purity 99.9%), Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 (99.99%) and CuO (99.9%). The mixture was calcined at 1000.degree. C. for 11 hours in a flowing oxygen atmosphere. The resultant mixture was then pulverized and cold-pressed into disks. The disks were sintered at 900.degree. C. for 4 hours in the same oxygen atmosphere. The calcined powder and disks were black. A superconducting onset temperature of 100 K was observed.
Maeno et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L329-L331 (1987), disclose the preparation of various Y-Ba-Cu oxides by mixing powders of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO, all 99.99% pure, with a pestle and mortar. The powders were pressed at 100 kgf/cm.sup.2 (98.times.10.sup.4 Pa) for 10-15 minutes to form pellets with a diameter of 12 mm. The pellets were black. The heat treatment was performed in two steps in air. First, the pellets were heated in a horizontal, tubular furnace at 800.degree. C. for 12 hours before the heater was turned off to cool the pellets in the furnace. The pellets were taken out of the furnace at about 200.degree. C. About half the samples around the center of the furnace turned green in color, while others away from the center remained black. The strong correlation with location suggested to the authors that this reaction occurs critically at about 800.degree. C. The pellets were then heated at 1200.degree. C. for 3 hours and then allowed to cool. Pellets which turned light green during the first heat treatment became very hard solids whereas pellets which remained black in the first heat treatment slightly melted or melted down. Three of the samples exhibited an onset of superconductivity above 90 K.
Iguchi et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L327-L328 (1987), disclose the preparation of superconducting Y.sub.0.8 Ba.sub.1.2 CuO.sub.y by sintering a stoichiometrical mixture of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO at 900.degree. C. and at 1000.degree. C. in air.
Hosoya et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L325-L326 (1987), disclose the preparation of various superconducting specimens of the L-M-Cu-O systems where L=Yb, Lu, Y, La, Ho and Dy and M=Ba and a mixture of Ba and Sr by heating the mixtures of appropriate amounts of the oxides of the rare earth elements (99.9% pure), CuO, SrCO.sub.3 and/or BaCO.sub.3 in air at about 900.degree. C. Green powder was obtained. The powder samples were pressed to form pellets which were heated in air until the color became black.
Takagi et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L320-L321 (1987), disclose the preparation of various Y-Ba-Cu oxides by reacting mixtures containing the prescribed amounts of powders of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO at 1000.degree. C., remixing and heat-treating at 1100.degree. C. for a few to several hours. An onset temperature of superconductivity at 95 K or higher was observed for a specimen with the nominal composition of (Y.sub.0.9 Ba.sub.0.1)CuO.sub.y.
Hikami et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L314-L315 (1987), disclose the preparation of compositions in the Y-Ba-Cu-O system by heating the powders of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO to 800.degree. C. or 900.degree. C. in air for 2-4 hours, pressing into pellets at 4 kbars (4.times.10.sup.5 Pa) and reheating to 800.degree. C. in air for 2 hours for sintering. The samples show an onset of superconductivity at 85 K and a vanishing resistance at 45 K.
Bourne et al., Phys. Letters A 120, 494-496 (1987), disclose the preparation of Y-Ba-Cu-O samples of Y.sub.2-x Ba.sub.x CuO.sub.4 by pressing finely ground powders of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO into pellets and sintering the pellets in an oxygen atmosphere at 1082.degree. C. Superconductivity for samples having x equal to about 0.8 was reported.
Moodenbaugh et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1885-1887 (1987), disclose superconductivity near 90 K in multiphase samples with nominal composition Lu.sub.1.8 Ba.sub.0.2 CuO.sub.4 prepared from dried Lu.sub.2 O.sub.3, high-purity BaCP.sub.3 (BaCO.sub.3 presumably), and fully oxidized CuO. These powders were ground together in an agate mortar and then fired overnight in air at 1000.degree. C. in Pt crucibles. This material was ground again, pelletized, and then fired at 1100.degree. C. in air for 4-12 hours in Pt crucibles. Additional samples fired solely at 1000.degree. C. and those fired at 1200.degree. C. show no signs of superconductivity.
Hor et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1891-1894 (1987), disclose superconductivity in the 90 K range in ABa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.6+x with A=La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Ho, Er, and Lu in addition to Y. The samples were synthesized by the solid-state reaction of appropriate amounts of sesquioxides of La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Ho, Er, and Lu, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO in a manner similar to that described in Chu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 405 (1987) and Chu et al., Science 235, 567 (1987).
Morgan, "Processing of Crystalline Ceramics, Palmoor et al., eds., Plenum Press, New York, 67-76 (1978), in discussing chemical processing for ceramics states that where direct synthesis is not immediately achieved, the use of co-precipitation, even if not completely homogeneous on a molecular scale is so vastly superior for uniform powder preparation to the use of ball milled oxides, that it should be the method of choice. He further discusses conditions for preparing perovskites or potassium nickel fluoride type structures using the oxides of Ca, Sr, Li, lanthanides, etc. and hot solutions of transition metal nitrates and acetates.
C. Michel et al., Z. Phys. B - Condensed Matter 68, 421 (1987), disclose a novel family of superconducting oxides in the Bi-Sr-Cu-O system with composition close to Bi.sub.2 Sr.sub.2 Cu.sub.2 O.sub.7+.delta.. A pure phase was isolated for the composition Bi.sub.2 Sr.sub.2 Cu.sub.2 O.sub.7+.delta.. The X-ray diffraction pattern for this material exhibits some similarity with that of perovskite and the electron diffraction pattern shows the perovskite subcell with the orthorhombic cell parameters of a=5.32 A (0.532 nm), b=26.6 A (2.66 nm) and c=48.8 A (4.88 nm). The material made from ultrapure oxides has a superconducting transition with a midpoint of 22 K as determined from resistivity measurements and zero resistance below 14 K. The material made from commercial grade oxides has a superconducting transition with a midpoint of 7 K. In each case a mixture of Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3, CuO and SrCO.sub.3 was heated at 800.degree. C. for 12 hours in air, sintered at 900.degree. C. for 2 hours in air and quenched to room temperature.
Akimitsu et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26, L2080 (1987) disclose a Bi-Sr-Cu-O composition with a superconducting onset temperature of near 8 K made by firing well-dried mixtures of Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3, SrCO.sub.3 and CuO powders at about 880.degree. C. in air for 12 hours.
H. Maeda et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 27, L209 (1988), disclose a superconducting oxide in the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system with the composition near BiSrCaCu.sub.2 Ox and a superconducting transition temperature T.sub.c of about 105 K. The samples were prepared by calcining a mixture of Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3, SrCO.sub.3, CaCO.sub.3, and CuO powders at 800.degree.-870.degree. C. for 5 hours. The material was reground, cold-pressed into pellets at a pressure of 2 ton/cm.sup.2, sintered at about 870.degree. C. in air or oxygen and furnace-cooled to room temperature.
The commonly assigned application, "Superconducting Metal Oxide Compositions and Process For Making Them", Ser. No. 153,107, filed Feb. 8, 1988, now abandoned, a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 152,186, filed Feb. 4, 1988, now abandoned, disclose superconducting compositions having the nominal formula Bi.sub.a Sr.sub.b Ca.sub.c Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x wherein a is from about 1 to about 3, b is from about 3/8 to about 4, c is from about 3/16 to about 2 and x=(1.5 a+b+c+y) where y is from about 2 to about 5, with the proviso that b +c is from about 3/2 to about 5, said compositions having superconducting transition temperatures of about 70 K or higher. It also discloses the superconducting metal oxide phase having the formula Bi.sub.2 Sr.sub.3-z Ca.sub.z Cu.sub.2 O.sub.8+w wherein z is from about 0.1 to about 0.9, preferably 0.4 to 0.8 and w is greater than zero but less than about 1. M. A. Subramanian et al., Science 239, 1015 (1988) also disclose the Bi.sub.2 Sr.sub.3-z Ca.sub.z Cu.sub.2 O.sub.8+w superconductor and a method for preparing it. Single crystals were grown from a mixture of Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3, CaCO.sub.3, SrO.sub.2 /Sr(NO.sub.3).sub.2 and CuO in proportions such that the atomic ratio Bi:Sr:Ca:Cu=2:2:1:3. The mixture was heated to 850.degree. to 900.degree. C., held for 36 hours and cooled at the rate of 1.degree. C. per minute.
L. F. Sohneemeyer et al., Nature 332, 422 (1988), disclose an alkali chloride flux method to grow superconducting single crystals in the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system. Pre-reacted Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O mixtures were prepared from high-purity Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3, SrCO.sub.3, Ca(OH).sub.2, and CuO by slowly heating to 800.degree.-850.degree. C. with intermediate grinding steps. Charges consisting of 10-50 wt % Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O mixtures thoroughly mixed with NaCl, KCl or other alkali halide salt or salt mixtures were placed in crucibles, heated above the melting temperature if the salt or salt mixture, and cooled at rates of 1.degree.-10.degree. C. per hour.
S. Kondoh et a)., Solid State Comm. 65, 1329 (1988), disclose a superconductor composition in the Tl-Ba-Cu-O system with an onset of superconductivity as high as 20 K. These superconductors were prepared by heating a mixture of Tl.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaO and CuO at about 650.degree. C. for 12 hours. The producy was reground, pressed into pellets and heated again at 700.degree. C. for about 20 hours.
Z. Z. Sheng et al., Nature 332, 55 (1988) and Z. Z. Sheng et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 60, 937 (1988) disclose superconductivity in the Tl-sa-Cu-O system. These samples are reported to have onset temperatures above 90 K and zero resistance at 81 K. The samples were prepared by mixing and grinding appropriate amounts of BaCO.sub.3 and CuO with an agate mortar and pestle. This mixture was heated in air at 925.degree. C. for more than 24 hours with several intermediate grindings to obtain a uniform black oxide Ba-Cu oxide powder which was mixed with an appropriate amount of Tl.sub.2 O.sub.3, completely ground and pressed into a pellet with a diameter of 7 mm and a thickness of 1-2 mm. The pellet was then put into a tube furnace which had been heated to 880.degree.-910.degree. C. and was heated for 2-5 minutes in flowing oxygen. As soon as it had slightly melted, the sample was taken from the furnace and quenched in air to room temperature. It was noted by visual inspection that Tl.sub.2 O.sub.3 had partially volatilized as black smoke, part had become a light yellow liquid, and part had reacted with Ba-Cu oxide forming a black, partially melted, porous material.
Z. Z. Sheng et al., Nature 332, 138 (1988) disclose superconductivity in the Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O system. Samples are reported to have onset temperatures at 120 K and zero resistance above 100 K. The samples were prepared by mixing and grinding appropriate amounts of Tl.sub.2 O.sub.3, CaO and BaCuO.sub.4. This mixture was pressed into a pellet with a diameter of 7 mm and a thickness of 1-2 mm. The pellet was then put into a tube furnace which had been heated to 880.degree.-910.degree. C. and was heated for 3-5 minutes in flowing oxygen. The sample was then taken from the furnace and quenched in air to room temperature.
R. M. Hazen et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 60, 1657 (1988), disclose two superconducting phases in the Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O system, Tl.sub.2 Ba.sub.2 Ca.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.10 and Tl.sub.2 Ba.sub.2 CaCu.sub.2 O.sub.8 and the method of preparation. Appropriate amounts of Tl.sub.2 O.sub.3, CaO, and BaCu.sub.3 O.sub.4 or Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.4 were completely mixed, ground and pressed into a pellet. A quartz boat containing the pellet was placed in a tube furnace which had been preheated to 880.degree.-910.degree. C. The sample was heated for 3 to 5 minutes in flowing oxygen and the furnace cooled to room temperature in 1 to 1.5 hours.
Subramanian et al., Nature 332, 420 (1988) disclose the preparation of superconducting phases in the Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O system by reacting Tl.sub.2 O.sub.3, CaO.sub.2 or CaCO.sub.3, BaO.sub.2 and CuO at 850.degree.-910.degree. C. in air or in sealed gold tubes for 15 minutes to 3 hours.

Process for making superconductor powder


A tailgate arrangement which is located in the region of the rear opening (12) of a vehicle and in the closed position borders a cargo space (16), has an upper tailgate part (18) which is coupled in the region of the upper edge (20) of the rear opening (12) and a lower tailgate part (22) which is coupled in the region of the lower edge (24) of the rear opening (12) of the vehicle and is aligned essentially horizontally in the open position. An expansion element (28) is detachably fixed on the inside of the lower tailgate part (22) and in the open position of the lower tailgate part (22) expands the cargo space (16) and closes it relative to the exterior of the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a tailgate arrangement which is located in the region of the rear opening of a vehicle and in the closed position borders the rear of a cargo space in which the tailgate has an upper tailgate part and a lower tailgate part which is coupled in the region of the lower edge of the rear opening of the vehicle and is aligned essentially horizontally in the open position
2. Description of Related Art
German Patent Application DE 196 19 126 A1 discloses a tailgate arrangement of a motor vehicle which is located in the region of the rear opening of the vehicle and which in the closed position borders the rear of a cargo space. The tailgate arrangement comprises an upper tailgate part and a lower tailgate part. The upper tailgate part is coupled in the region of the top edge of the rear opening and can be pivoted up for opening. The lower tailgate part is coupled in the region of the bottom edge of the rear opening of the vehicle and is aligned essentially horizontally in the open position.
The lower tailgate part in tailgate arrangements made in this way can generally be opened individually, i.e., independently of the upper tailgate part. Long articles can thus be transported such that they emerge to the rear out of the cargo space through the region of the rear opening of the vehicle which remains due to the opened lower tailgate part. However, there is then the problem that dirt and exhaust gases can penetrate into the interior of the vehicle via this opening region.


Telephone traffic is displayed on a screen so a message source and a message destination are represented by lines, such as vertical lines, for example, each with a label denoting its location. An arrow joining the location lines points in the same direction as the message and has an associated label indicating message identity. Further message source and destination locations are denoted by further lines, such as vertical lines, for example, only if the location is additional to a location already displayed. Otherwise an already displayed line denotes the relevant location. Further labelled arrows denote further messages. Each successive monitored message is denoted by a further arrow at a lower place on the display than the arrows denoting previous messages so successive items are added in a non-overlapping bottom-down manner. The resultant display is a telephone network traffic pictorial representing the occurrence and progress of monitored messages selected for fault analysis, call-tracing, and fraud prevention.

This invention relates to a method of and a display system for monitoring a signalling network, and relates more particularly but not exclusively to a method and display system for the monitoring of telephone network traffic.
In contemporary systems for monitoring telephone network traffic, information about a xe2x80x9ccall modelxe2x80x9d (i.e. sequence, direction, type, source and destination of each message) is generally in the form of string of alpha-numeric characters, and is displayed as such on a monitor screen (i.e. the display screen of a video display unit). An operator may find it difficult to interpret such data, particularly as the data are cryptic, frequently complex and covering a wide range of variables, and may be changing rapidly. It has been realised that the traffic data can be more easily interpreted if at least basic traffic parameters were presented in a logical graphic form.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for displaying graphically the inter-relationship of a sequence of events in a signalling network, the method comprising deriving parameters of a said events from said network and displaying said parameters by means of respective lines on a display.
According to a-second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for monitoring a signalling network, the method comprising receiving information in the form of data representative of the source and the destination of a monitored message carried by the signalling network, processing such received data to derive a display-driving signal for visual data display means which display-driving signal causes the display means to display a first line indicative of the source of the monitored message, and to display a second line indicative of the destination of the monitored message, the display-driving signal additionally causing the display means to display a transverse arrow linking the two lines from the source to the destination as indicated by the direction of the arrow.
Further according to the present invention there is provided a display system for monitoring a signalling network, the display system comprising a visual data display means and further comprising information processing means coupled to a traffic monitoring system to receive therefrom information comprising data representative of the source and the destination of a monitored message carried by the telephone network, characterised in that the information processing means functions to process such received data to derive a display-driving signal for the visual data display means which display-driving signal causes the display means to display a first line indicative of the source of the monitored message, and to display a second line indicative of the destination of the monitored message, the display-driving signal additionally causing the display means to display a transverse arrow linking the two lines from the source to the destination as indicated by the direction of the arrow.
The first and second lines are preferably displayed on the display means as substantially vertical lines, the lines preferably being mutually laterally displaced on the display means so as not to overlie one another and so as to be visually distinct. The display-driving signal preferably further causes the display means to display a label against each of the lines, each label being indicative of the respective locations of the source and of the destination. The display-driving signal preferably also causes the display means to label the arrow with an indication of the message identity and/or other selected message parameters or attributes.
The transverse arrow preferably extends from the source line to the destination line. The arrow may be horizontal or be such that the head of the arrow (indicating the message destination) is lower than the tail of the arrow (indicating the message source).
The information processing means is preferably such as to receive from the traffic monitoring system information comprising data representative of the source and the destination of a further monitored message subsequently carried by the telephone network, the information processing means functioning to process such received data to determine if the location of the source of the further monitored message coincides with the location of either the source or the destination of the or each message previously monitored and still displayed, and if there is no coincidence, to derive a further display-driving signal which causes the display means to display a further line indicative of the source of the further monitored message, the information processing means also functioning to process the received data concerning the further monitored message to determine if the location of the destination of the further monitored message coincides with the location of either the source or the destination of the or each message previously monitored and still displayed, and if there is no coincidence, to derive a further display-driving signal which causes the display means to display a further line indicative of the destination of the further monitored message, the further display-driving signals additionally causing the display means to display a further transverse arrow linking the two lines respectively denoting the source and the destination of the further monitored message, the arrow linking these two lines from the source to the destination as indicated by the direction of the arrow.
The or each such further line is preferably displayed on the display means as a substantially vertical line, and the or each such further line is preferably displayed together with an adjacent label indicative of the location of the source or destination of the further monitored message. The further display-driving signal preferably also causes the display means to label the further arrow with an indication of the identity and/or other selected parameters of the further message.
The further transverse arrow should normally not overlie the or any of the transverse arrow(s) still displayed in respect of previous message(s), and the further transverse arrow is preferably displayed below the or each transverse arrow still displayed whereby transverse arrows are added to the display in a non-overlapping manner.

Method of and display system for monitoring a signalling network


A magnetic head includes a medium facing surface, a coil, and a pole layer that generates a write magnetic field. The pole layer includes: a track width defining portion having a first end located in the medium facing surface and a second end opposite to the first end; and a wide portion connected to the second end. The first end defines the track width. The track width defining portion has a width taken in the track width direction, and the wide portion has a width taken in the track width direction that is greater than the width of the track width defining portion taken in the track width direction. The coil is helically wound only around the track width defining portion of the pole layer, and has a portion located between the medium facing surface and the wide portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording that is used for writing data on a recording medium by means of a perpendicular magnetic recording system, and to a head assembly and a hard disk drive each of which includes such a magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording.
2. Description of the Related Art
For magnetic read/write devices such as magnetic disk drives, higher recording density has been constantly required to achieve a higher storage capacity and smaller dimensions. Typically, magnetic heads used in magnetic read/write devices are those having a structure in which a reproducing (read) head having a magnetoresistive element (that may be hereinafter referred to as an MR element) for reading and a recording (write) head having an induction-type electromagnetic transducer for writing are stacked on a substrate.
Write heads include those of a longitudinal magnetic recording system wherein signals are magnetized in the direction along the surface of the recording medium (the longitudinal direction) and those of a perpendicular magnetic recording system wherein signals are magnetized in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the recording medium. Recently, the shift from the longitudinal magnetic recording system to the perpendicular magnetic recording system has been promoted in order to achieve higher recording density of magnetic read/write devices.
A write head for the perpendicular magnetic recording system includes a coil for generating a magnetic field corresponding to data to be written on the recording medium, and a pole layer for allowing a magnetic flux corresponding to the magnetic field generated by the coil to pass therethrough and generating a write magnetic field for writing the data on the recording medium. The pole layer has an end located in a medium facing surface, and the width of this end defines the track width.
The pole layer includes, for example, a track width defining portion having a first end located in the medium facing surface and a second end opposite to the first end, and a wide portion coupled to the second end of the track with defining portion and having a width greater than that of the track width defining portion. The track width defining portion has a nearly uniform width. The width of the first end of the track width defining portion defines the track width. The wide portion has two front end faces that are located at outer positions relative to the track width defining portion along the track width direction and that face toward the medium facing surface.
A magnetic head used for a magnetic disk drive such as a hard disk drive is typically provided in a slider. The slider has the medium facing surface mentioned above. The medium facing surface has an air-inflow-side end and an air-outflow-side end. The slider slightly flies over the surface of the recording medium by means of the airflow that comes from the air-inflow-side end into the space between the medium facing surface and the recording medium. The magnetic head is typically disposed near the air-outflow-side end of the medium facing surface of the slider. In a magnetic disk drive, the magnetic head is aligned through the use of a rotary actuator, for example. In this case, the magnetic head moves over the recording medium along a circular orbit centered on the center of rotation of the rotary actuator. In such a magnetic disk drive, a tilt of the magnetic head with respect to the tangent of the circular track, which is called a skew, occurs according to the position of the magnetic head across the tracks.
In a magnetic disk drive of the perpendicular magnetic recording system that exhibits a better capability of writing on a recording medium than the longitudinal magnetic recording system, in particular, if the above-mentioned skew occurs, there arise problems such as a phenomenon in which, when data is written on a specific track, data stored on a track adjacent thereto is erased (that is hereinafter referred to as adjacent track erase), or unwanted writing between two adjacent tracks. To achieve higher recording density, it is required to suppress adjacent track erase. Unwanted writing between two adjacent tracks affects detection of servo signals for alignment of the magnetic head and the signal-to-noise ratio of a read signal.
One of causes of the occurrences of the above-mentioned adjacent track erase and unwanted writing is flux leakage occurring in a portion of the medium facing surface other than the end face of the pole layer. Such flux leakage occurs because of a magnetic flux that leaks from the front end faces of the wide portion to the outside of the pole layer and then reaches the medium facing surface. To prevent the problems resulting from such flux leakage, a possible measure is to reduce the value of current fed to the coil. However, this will cause degradation in write characteristics such as an overwrite property that is a parameter indicating an overwriting capability. On the other hand, if an attempt is made to improve write characteristics, the above-mentioned flux leakage can increase and the problems resulting from the flux leakage will be encountered.
JP 2003-006814A discloses a magnetic head including: a bottom pole; a top pole that is opposed to the bottom pole in a front gap portion with a gap layer disposed in between and that touches the bottom pole in a back gap portion; a pole tip portion that partially touches the top pole and that is opposed to the bottom pole with a write gap layer disposed in between; and a coil. In this magnetic head, the coil is helically wound around the top pole and the pole tip portion. In this magnetic head, however, the coil does not have any portion located between the medium facing surface and the end face of the top pole facing toward the medium facing surface. Because of this, in the magnetic head, a magnetic flux leaking from the end face of the top pole and reaching the medium facing surface is likely to occur. This magnetic head is therefore incapable of sufficiently suppressing the foregoing problems resulting from the flux leakage.

Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording with coil wound around pole layer


Robotic system (100) includes a processing device (512) and a plurality of robot actuators (501) to cause a specified motion of the robot (102). The processing device (512) responds to one or more user robot commands (115) initiated by a control operator input at a remote control console (108). A user robot command will specify a first movement of the robot from a first position to a second position. The processing device will compare a current pose of the robot to an earlier pose of the robot to determine a difference between the current pose and the earlier pose. Based on this comparing, the processing device will selectively transform the user robot command to a latency-corrected robot command which specifies a second movement for the robot which is different from the first movement.

1. Statement of the Technical Field
The inventive arrangements relate to teleoperation systems, and more particularly to teleoperation systems that operate in a high latency environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Teleoperation involves the manipulation and control of objects and devices over long distances. A teleoperation system usually includes an unmanned robotic system and a user control console. A data link facilitates communications between the control console and the unmanned robotic system so that user commands can be provided to the unmanned robotic system which is usually located some distance away. Most unmanned robotic systems are controlled over a wireless link. Unmanned remotely controlled systems include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) and robotic manipulators. An unmanned remotely controlled system as described herein can sometimes include a movable vehicle portion (e.g. a tracked base unit in the case of a UGV) and a robotic arm with a grasping element for manipulating objects in the field.
A control console for an unmanned robotic system will generally include some type of user input device for receiving user control inputs. The user input device can take many forms. A typical arrangement can include a joystick or movable grip handle which the user can urge in various directions to cause appropriate movements or actions of the unmanned robotic system. In systems that include a movable vehicle portion and a robotic arm portion, the user input device can be used to control the vehicle position, robot arm position, or both. If the robotic arm includes a grasping device, the user input device can include a suitable control element for opening and closing mechanical fingers provided on the grasping device.
An imaging system is typically provided to facilitate remote control operation of an unmanned robotic system. The imaging system will usually include a camera mounted to a portion of the unmanned robotic system and a display unit located at the operator console. The system is arranged so that live motion images (video) collected by the camera is communicated using the data link to the operator console, where the live motion images are then presented to the user on the display unit. In an ideal scenario, the live motion images will be communicated to the user display on a near instantaneous basis so that the user will always have an accurate visual basis for understanding the position or pose of the robot relative to its environment. However, due to data link latency and low bit rates this ideal scenario is not always realized. In fact, in scenarios where the data link is operating at very low bit rates camera feedback to the operator can be relatively infrequent. For example, in some scenarios, a new image may be presented to the operator only once every five seconds.
When data link latency is substantial it can lead to a mismatch as between user intent and resulting robot motion. Consider that input commands from a user are generally based on feedback from the robot environment in the form of the live motion images and telemetry as described herein. In situations where high data link latency is present the visual imagery and telemetry data presented to a user at the control console may not represent the actual current operating state of the unmanned robotic system. More particularly, the information presented to the user in such a scenario can be latent imagery and latent telemetry communicated from the robotic system at an earlier time. The latency of this feedback data means that it may no longer accurately represent a current pose or state of the robotic system. Such latent imagery can therefore cause a user to misunderstand the control inputs that are required to achieve a desired end. Ultimately, latent feedback data as described herein will negatively impact teleoperation, potentially causing damage to the robotic system and/or objects in the robot environment.

Control synchronization for high-latency teleoperation


Data filing system for filing documents in a data file memory as image data is disclosed. The data filing system includes means for registering each document size in the data file memory together with image data, an output means for outputting an image of a designated document, an input means for designating an output size of the designated document and means for warning when the designated output size is different from the registered document size.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filing system capable of searching a designated document information among it.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, a highly systematic information society has been developed and information of large volume is generated day by day. In order to utilize such information efficiently, it is demanded to construct an efficient system in information management. In the field of patent management, an efficient system is desired for utilizing and managing voluminous patent related documents and information such as laid-open patent and/or utility model publications. Japanese patent information organization (JAPIO) is now ready to start information service in connection with laid-open patent and utility model in order to satisfy such needs as mentioned above.
In Japanese laid-open patent publications, for example No. 78251/1972 and 78255/1972, a filing apparatus is proposed. In the filing apparatus, information contained in documents is read optically by two-dimentional scanning and stored as image data in a data file memory device. When search data is input thereinto, the data file is searched at a high speed and, then, designated information is outputted on a display or as hard copies.
In the filing apparatus mentioned above, a size equal to a size of the document is assigned for memorizing a document in the data file memory as a registered size in order to utilize the data file memory efficiently. As the result of that, various sizes of image data are mixed in the memory.
Meanwhile, image data to be outputted is once transmitted from the data file memory to so called page-buffer memory upon outputting them and one unit of image data which is defined in the page memory is outputted to a display apparatus or a copy machine. An image size (output size) to be outputted can be designated by an operator.
However, if an output image size designated is different from a registered image size, some inconveniences are caused. Namely, if an output size smaller than a registered size with respect to image data to be outputted is designated, image data more than volume determined by the designated output size is transmitted to the page-buffer and, therefore, image data having been stored already outside of the designated output size in the page-buffer for composing two images might be destroyed by the image data transmitted thereto, since the data transmission from the data file memory to the page-buffer is controlled in the above mentioned filing apparatus in accordance with the registered size irrespective of the designated output size. Further, if the image data is written into the designated area of the page-buffer from the top address thereof, bottom portion of the image data is not entered.
On the contrary to the above, if an output image size larger than a registered image size is designated, image data other than those to be outputted is outputted together with the latter.


A testing method of semiconductor integrated circuit wherein the quality of diffusion for semiconductor chips can be tested before the semiconductor chips become packaged semiconductor integrated circuits is provided. Input data is set, and circuit current values I(L) and I(H) obtained for each of a plurality of circuit areas are compared with first test pass ranges I1(L) and I1(H) to extract articles within the first test pass (S2), and the current values of the circuit areas determined to be articles within the first test pass and second test pass ranges I2(L), and I2(H) determined based on these current values are compared, thereby conducting a retest to extract circuit areas within the second test pass. The current values may be replaced by the voltage values.

For semiconductor integrated circuit testing, a high temperature burn-in test has been conducted. In the high temperature burn-in test, a semiconductor integrated circuit is set in a high-temperature environment to enter a high-temperature state at the completed product stage, that is, after a semiconductor chip cut out from a wafer is mounted on the base of a package, the semiconductor chip and external connection terminals of the package are electrically connected, and the package is molded, and an input signal in an operating state is supplied to an input terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and whether or not an output signal of that semiconductor integrated circuit is in a predetermined output state is tested.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, in a semiconductor integrated circuit, an input of a preceding circuit 1 consisting of MOS transistors is connected to an external connection terminal 2, an output of a succeeding circuit 3 consisting of MOS transistors is connected to an external connection terminal 4, and between an output of the preceding circuit 1 and an input of the succeeding circuit 3, an internal circuit 5 consisting of MOS transistors is interposed. A semiconductor integrated circuit containing in the package thereof a semiconductor chip 6 having the aforementioned semiconductor integrated circuit, upon occurrence of a defective crystal, a crack or an oxide film abnormality, etc., may normally operate at room temperature, but if the temperature becomes high, the semiconductor integrated circuit may become defective in that the delay time fluctuates due to leakage current of the integrated MOS circuit, or may also become defective in that a logic level error occurs on the way to transmit a signal from the input side to the output side.
Even though it has turned out that such defects are caused by the leakage current of the MOS circuit, the leakage current of the circuits that cannot be directly monitored, such as an input terminal or output terminal of the internal circuit 5, cannot be measured, so a high-temperature burn-in test has been conducted by inputting a direct current voltage or pulses in a high-temperature environmental condition to determine whether or not the logic circuit exhibits an output of a regular logic output level (H level/L level), thereby determining whether the circuit is non-defective or defective. When a logic circuit containing a counter is a test target, a so-called functional test has been conducted, the functional test determining whether the logic circuit is non-defective or defective based on whether or not the logic circuit exhibits a logic output according to the number of pulses input.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-52247
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-29301
In order to conduct such high-temperature burn-in test, it is necessary to wait until the packaged semiconductor integrated circuit becomes stable at a high temperature, so the test can not be conducted in a short period of time, which is not suitable for mass production. Also, the quality of diffusion for the semiconductor chips cannot be tested until the final stage in which the semiconductor chips become completed packaged semiconductor integrated circuits, and as a result, the overall yield has been lowered.
An object of the present invention is to provide a testing method of semiconductor integrated circuit capable of testing the quality of diffusion for semiconductor chips before the semiconductor chips become packaged semiconductor integrated circuits.

Testing method of semiconductor integrated circuit and information recording medium


This disclosure relates to a mast having an elongated arm movable between a deployed position and a service position. The elongated arm is attached by a rotatable hub. A receiver is spaced from the hub and configured to selectively prevent rotation of the mast.

Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to a mast having an elongated arm movable between a raised, deployed position and a lowered, service position. The elongated arm is attached to a rotatable hub which is connected to a base. A receiver is spaced from the hub and configured to selectively prevent rotation of the mast towards the service position.
Description of the Related Art
The invention relates to a rotary mounting apparatus for the kinds of mast that are used, for example, in the reception and transmission of wireless signals, installation of solar panels, signs, utility devices, and the like. The invention may be applied to mast mountings in which, to install and maintain, the upper portion of the mast has to be accessed by a service technician while maintaining a sufficient vertical position for proper positioning. An exemplary use is such as to receive and transmit wireless signals. Such masts are used, for example, adjacent to railroads and highways.
In the past, mast, such as antenna masts, were initially expensive to install and were subsequently costly to maintain due to their heavy and bulky construction. Antenna mast installations utilized metal support trusses which were anchored to the ground and required two or more service technicians to install the antenna mast or remove the antenna mast when it was serviced. When the antenna mast needed service, a cherry picker would often be employed to reach the antenna. Because of the weight of the antenna mast and associated hardware, once the antenna mast was unsecured from the supporting trusses, the unbalance antenna could cause the mast to rapidly fall or tumble from its vertical position. Previous types of antenna mast mechanisms required ancillary means, such as, additional service technicians or purpose built tools, in order to prevent the antenna mast from dropping suddenly and causing damage to the remaining antenna assembly and/or service technician.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved mast that is easy to install and service while providing sufficient vertical positioning for optimum reception and transmission of wireless signals, installation of solar panels, signs, utility devices, and the like.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An attachment (A) coupled to a belt clip (B) including a rigid beverage holder frame, and a catch and catch release belt or appliance clip device. The beverage holder comprising a free swinging, rigid, cylindrical frame to perpendicularly harbor a beverage container (C) contained within or not an insulated drink container sleeve (E) attaching to belt clip device (B), providing the wearer convenient mobile storage while minimizing tipping spills and further providing the user freedom of either or both hands for other activities or tasks.

1. Field of Invention
This beverage holder device comprises a free swinging cylindrical frame beverage cup holder to harbor a beverage container either encased within an insulated beverage container sleeve or not, coupling to a belt clip device, providing convenient user mobile storage while minimizing spills and providing the user freedom of either or both hands for other activities or tasks.
2. Description of Prior Art
There have been many devices engineered and manufactured for the hands free containment of individual serving drink containers. A majority of these "beverage holders" are specifically designed as utility attachments for arm rests, chair backs, automobile consoles, water craft frames, handicap crutches, baby strollers, and cribs. One device is similar in theory but the physical, structural and effect differences are profound.
Collapsible article holders are known. As example, U.S. Patent Application 20080047986 by Will, Loring, Honerkamp, and Joseph, published date Feb. 28, 2008, describes a collapsible insulated collar with a flexible fold over bracket that forms a belt loop that can be stored in a users' pocket.
(a) The concept of such a collapsible device and accompanying hardware being capable of being stored in a users' pocket suggests impracticality.
(b) Collapsible beverage holder containers are subject to accelerated material fatigue at typical folding stress points and further subject to wear and material failure with repeated use.
(c) Attachment grommets, hooks and loops, snap buttons, mounting plates, etc., attachment points or anchoring media are equally subject to material fatigue and material failure with repeated use. That being said, durability and continued functionality issues of attaching closure hardware to collapsible material are evident.
(d) The extended length of the fold over bracket of such a device also suggests when used in a manner of the fold over bracket attaching to a belt coupling device, in its' extended character, clearly places the drink container far enough below the centerline of the wearers torso impacting removal and further demonstrating the potential interference of the negative vertical and horizontal (anterior, posterior, and sideward) angles created by drop distance and/or the resulting pivotal shifting of the collapsible beverage holder upon the wearers attempt at drink container removal.
(e) When used in a manner with the pivotal post extended to full length and attached to a belt device, friction produced between the wearers' clothing and the device would likely influence and effect radical pivoting of the beverage holder and potential spillage of the beverage.
(f) Attaching a collapsible insulated sleeve to a belt mounted container holder bracket also demonstrates that removing a beverage container from the friction producing insulated sleeve or when confronting the effect of less then a 180 degree perpendicular drink container retrieval lift, would likely require the use of both hands, one hand to lift the drink container, the second hand to secure the collapsible insulated drink container sleeve; being a drink container such as a 12 ounce beverage can would pose significant retrieval issues each time the wearer attempted to remove the drink container from the device. Likewise, when harboring a standard size, long neck bottle, a similar negative effect would likely take place.
(g) Removing a drink container from this devices' insulated collar substantially defeats the convenience and function of the ambient temperature impact design.
(h) Actions required to adjust the diameter of such a device to accommodate the diameters of various drink containers may negatively effect the value of other proposed benefits.
(i) Equally, any of the above or combination of the above conditions or results may be of such significant and substantial negativity as to seriously impair or limit the value of any or all of the desired benefits.
Rigid article holders that are attached to rigid frames are known. As examples, U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,325, to Rigsby, Jan. 31, 1995, describes an adjustable container holder housing having a first and second set of grasping jaws within the housing attaching to a rigid frame. U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,327, to Nipper et al, Sep. 8, 1998, describes an article container that is attached to the rigid frame of a handicap crutch. U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,471, to Izume, Jan. 4, 2005, describes a cup holder device which includes a case that attaches to the rigid frame of a baby stroller.
The prior art references does not contain any suggestion, express or implied, that they be combined, or that they be combined in any manner.
That being presented, this beverage holder device invention is designed and accomplishes a significant and substantial improvement to the art, being a beverage holder device comprising a rigid and durable cup holder frame, coupling to a catch and catch release belt clip designed to accommodate drink containers either encased within or without personal insulated drink container sleeves.
(a) Said beverage holder device is of predetermined size, omitting the need for accommodating adjustments to the frame diameter or swiveling bracket.
(b) Said beverage holder device is of rigid and impervious material design.
(c) Said beverage holder device is durable and manufactured of long lasting material.
(d) Said beverage holder device is of one piece construction.
(e) Said beverage holder device is of a length that allows the wearer comfort in a sitting or seated position.
(f) Said beverage holder device is of a length that promotes an independent free swivel axis upon the pivotal point coupling the beverage holder frame and the wearer mounted belt clip.
(g) The diameter of said beverage holder devices' containment annular frame allows ease of use for a single hand retrieval of any contained drink container either within or without an attached insulated drink container sleeve present on the drink container.
(h) Said beverage holder device maintains a perpendicular centerline responding to gravity.
(i) Said beverage holder device maintains an independent pivot point of vertical or perpendicular position not negatively influenced by routine or normal body movement.
(j) Said beverage holder device reduces the potential negative effect of friction produced by the wearers' clothing upon the cup holder frame, minimizing radical or undesirable device movement.
(k) Said beverage holder device does not require the removal of a insulated drink sleeve or exposes the beverage container to ambient elements when either docking or retrieval of a beverage container from the beverage frame device.
(l) Said beverage holder device ensures that a beverage container when contained within a insulated drink sleeve allows for the continued temperature maintenance benefit of the insulated drink sleeve preventing exposure of the contents to either undesirable ambient temperature gain or loss.
(m) Said beverage holder device responds to a trend of demand and maintains continual non-seasonal consumer interest by satisfying an existing need for such a durable, one piece, rigid, hand freeing device.
(n) Said beverage holder device also demonstrates the potential for a reduction in litter as the device conveniently contains and transports the empty drink container for later proper solid waste disposal or recycling.
(o) Said beverage holder devices' rigid and durable belt attachment with beverage holder device attaches to a person or appliance, employing a pivotal, spill preventing, axial point of partial rotation relative to the position of the device wearer or appliance.
(p) Said beverage holder device includes a rigid, one piece, open top, oblate solid or cross member weave bottom plate, cylindrical frame coupling to a pivotal point, cylindrical post and cylindrical stud button attaching to an inverted, U shaped clip spring hinged, clip release belt attachment combining to create and produce an unique hands free, spill preventing, personal drink container holder.
This invention relates to the temporary docking, storage and transport of an individual serving personal or commercial drink container within a swiveling, open top, oblate solid or cross member weave bottom plate, cylindrical frame attached to a belt or appliance by means of an inverted, U shaped clip spring hinged, belt clip containing an appropriate catch and catch release action. This device allows users to task or multi-task with free use of one or both hands while their individual serving personal or commercial drink container is temporarily harbored on their person. The beverage container is placed into and contained vertically within the self leveling, gravity spill and tipping resistant cylindrical frame of the device, allowing the user to retrieve the beverage container with the action of a single handed retrieval.
Consumers of single serving or multiple serving beverage containers, whether in a work or recreational environment, must often place or dock the drink container on a flat surface to allow the consumer the use of either or both hands. In the interest of drink consumption, this confines consumer mobility to the drink docking area or if the task results in the necessity of consumer mobility, requires the consumer to either transport the drink container or later return to the drink docking area to retrieve the drink container. This temporary "set-down" requirement of individual serving drink containers continues to represent negative motion and consumer nuisance. This "set-down" beverage management issue increases the potential for container tipping upsets and/or premature warming or cooling of drink temperatures.
Consumers have been plagued for centuries with "what to do with that beverage container" when the task requires free use of one or both hands. This invention eliminates the necessity of that concern when the consumer is confronted with a duty or task requiring the free use of either or both hands.


A retainer (1) for a connector (2) terminated to a signal transmitting cable (3) has a first bracket (4) interlocking with an opening (8) through a panel or chassis (6), and overmolding (17) on the connector (2) forming a second bracket (15) interlocking with the first bracket (4), and the first bracket (4) having latch arms (12) latched to the second bracket (15).

U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,010 discloses a known retainer to mount a connector to a panel. The known retainer provides a bracket on a connector, the bracket surrounds a mating end of the connector, and the bracket is secured to a panel by threaded fasteners that project through the panel. Although threaded fasteners have been the customary way to retain a connector to a panel, a need has developed for a retainer that mounts a connector to a panel without fasteners and without tools that assemble the fasteners to the connector.

Retainer to mount a connector in a panel


Disclosed is a process for commercial preparation of 3-(methylamino)-1-(2-thienyl)propan-1-ol (hereinafter abbreviated as “MMAA”) of the formula below:

1. Field in the Industry
The present invention concerns a process for preparing optically active 3-(methylamino)-1-(2-thienyl)propan-1-ol (hereinafter abbreviated as "MMAA"). The present invention concerns also novel diastereomeric salts obtained as the intermediates in the process for preparing the optically active MMAA. The optically active MMAA prepared by the present process is an important intermediate for synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly, for a new drug "Duloxetine" (EP273658) which is expected to be a useful pharmaceutical for treating depression and urinary incontinence.
2. Prior Art
For the preparation of Duloxetine the following synthesis route has been known. Optically active 3-(dimethylamino)-1-(2-thienyl)propan-1-ol (herein-after abrreviated as "DATP") is condensed with a naphthalene to form a naphthyl derivative, followed by demethylation to give Duloxetine (Chirality in industry II, p. 101–104 (1997); John Wiley & Sons: Yew York).

As the methods to carry out the above demethylation there has been known to treat the naphthyl derivative with trichloroacetyl chloride (Japanese Patent Disclosure 04-226948(1992), Tetrahedron Lett., 31(49), 7101 (1990)), or with phenoxycarbonyl chloride (Japanese Patent Disclosure 07-188065(1995)). These known methods, however, have such drawbacks that trichloroacetyl chloride itself is harmful, that the yield of synthesis is low, and that partial racemization occurs during the reaction. In other words, as far as the preparation method through the dimethylation route is applied, it cannot be avoided that the yield is low and the optical purity decreases due to the racemization during the step.
On the other hand, if MMAA, which is demethylated derivative of DATP, is used as the intermediate for preparation of Duloxetine, demethylation step is unnecessary, and it can be expected that condensation of MMAA with a naphthalene compound according to the known methods (such as that of EP273658) may easily give Duloxetine without any deterioration caused by demethylation step, as shown below.

In case where the optical resolution accompanies the preparation of Duloxetine, recovered (R)-MMAA from the mother liquor can be racemized by an ordinary racemization method and recycled to the next batch of the resolution step.
To date, however, there has not been known process for preparing optically active MMAA by optical resolution. Having noted this fact the inventors made research intensively on the optical resolution of MMAA and succeeded to develop a new resolution process suitable for a commercial scale production.

Process for preparing optically active 3-(methylamino)-1-(2-thienyl) propan-1-ol and intermediates for preparation

Abstract: The process is carried out by the diastereomeric salt formation method using optically active mandelic acid or its derivatives, or an optically active tartaric acid derivative as the resolving agent. The product compound, diastereomeric satls, is useful as the intermediate for producing pharmaceuticals, such as duloxetine.


The invention provides a method and apparatus for providing signaling in a communication link to a sending node and a receiving node using the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) protocol. The invention is characterized by the fact that the signalling contains a predetermined bit pattern that indicates whether control information in the current transmission can be used alone for decoding, or whether some part of the control information from an earlier transmission must also be used. The basic idea is to inform only with one bit (‘TFCI flag’), whether the TFCI bits can be used for decoding the transport channel, using HARQ. If this bit is logical “1”, then it means that current TFCI can be used for decoding, i.e. that the number of information bits for this transport format equals the number that is defined also originally when TFCI has been defined. Alternatively, if this one bit is logical “0”, then it means that the receiving side has to assume the same number of information bits for this transport format as in the original transmission. Thus the number of information bits cannot be taken from the TFCI, when doing the decoding. Thus, typically, in the original transmission, the bit is logical “1”, in the retransmissions the bit is either logical “0” or “1”.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing L1 signalling to support the known hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) protocol (L1 retransmissions) in an uplink from user equipment (UE) to a receiving node for operating in a wireless network such as, for example, a third generation partnership project (3GPP) wireless network.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1A shows the UE communicating with one or more receiving nodes, such as nodes B1, B2 (e.g. base stations), via an uplink and a downlink in a third generation partnership project (3GPP) wireless network generally indicated as 10. The UE communicates with the receiving nodes B1, B2 via a dedicated channel (DCH), which is also known as an uplink DCH that includes a dedicated physical data channel (DPDCH) and a dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH) for transporting packet data, as shown by way of example in FIG. 1B.
In FIG. 1B, the known uplink DCH structure has 15 slots over a 10 millisecond (ms) radio frame. Each slot, e.g. slot 3, of the physical control channel (DPCCH) includes a pilot field (PILOT), a transport format combination indicator (TFCI) field, a feedback information bits field (FBI) and a transmission power control (TPC) field. Typically, the physical control channel (DPCCH) is transmitted continuously and rate information is sent with the TFCI, which includes information on the data rate of the current DPDCH frame, which includes the packet data in the form of 2560 chips as shown.
As an enhancement for the uplink transmission, a physical/MAC layer retransmission mechanism has been proposed. The idea is that the receiving Node B would acknowledge the correctly received blocks (send ACK) and request retransmission of the incorrectly received blocks (send NAK) and the transmitting UE would retransmit the requested blocks. Furthermore, a hybrid ARQ protocol with soft combining of the (re)transmitted blocks has been proposed. Soft combining of the blocks (first transmission and retransmissions) requires that the information bits of the combined blocks are the same. The channel coded bits (i.e., the bits actually sent in the channel) of the first and retransmissions can be different (e.g., the code words could be punctured in a different way).
However, there is a problem in the art if during an uplink transmission the number of channel bits changes between a previous or earlier transmission and a new transmission. In this case, the currently used TFCI, which tells the transport format for known rel99 transport channels, is not giving enough information. This is because the TFCI currently assumes that there is always a fixed mapping between a certain number of information bits to a certain number of channel bits, when using the current rules from the specifications.
In the prior art, the TFCI is an index to a transport format combination set (TFCS) which includes all the possible/allowed transport format combinations (TFC) for the present connection. For each transport channel a set of transport formats (TF) is defined. The transport format defines the transport block size (TBS) and the transport block set size (TBSS) as dynamic attributes (that can change from TTI to TTI) and transmission time interval (TTI), error correction scheme (e.g., turbo code, code rate and rate matching attribute) and size of CRC as semi-static attributes (that are not changed from TTI to TTI and which can only be changed via radio link reconfiguration). A physical layer can multiplex several transport channels. The TFCS defines which TFCs are allowed, i.e., in practice, which are the allowed transport channel data rate combinations. Once TFC is selected (in the transmitter), the TFCI is a pointer which tells the selected TFC for the receiver.
In the prior art, the TFCI defines the number of information bits for each transport channel (TBS and TBSS). Together with the other transport format (e.g., rate matching) parameters defined by the TF to the UE and rules on how these are used are given in the specifications, the UE knows how many channel bits the total number of information bits in each transport format combination will be mapped to. In a similar way, the receiving node knows how to do the decoding—mapping the channel bits back to information bits—when it gets the TFCI in each frame along with the data.
If the HARQ (L1 retransmissions) protocol is used, there can be different redundancy versions in different retransmissions, which means that the TFCI, together with the rate matching parameters, will no longer necessarily mean a fixed mapping between a certain number of information bits and a certain number of channel bits. This is because the transport format of some other transport channel may change in the next frame, while the retransmission for this transport channel still continues. This means that the number of channel bits might have either increased or decreased for the transport channel for which the retransmission have not yet been completed. Thus there has to be either some new rules in the specifications, or some additional L1 signaling bits sent together with the retransmission, so that the receiving side knows how to decode it.
It has been proposed already in the 3GPP, that there are separate L1 signaling bits (6-8) which tell the number of information bits for that transport channel which uses HARQ.
Then the idea is that the receiving node can first calculate the number of channel bits reserved for a certain transport channel in a certain transport format combination with the help of TFCI and rate matching parameters, in the way as defined in the known rel99 protocol. Then, if the newly defined L1 signaling bits are informing the number of information bits in that frame for that transport channel, then the receiving node knows how to do the decoding, since the coding rate (including both turbo coding and rate matching) in the retransmission is then:
      Coding                          rate    =      number                          of                          information                          bits                          per                          transport                                channel      /      number                              of                          channel                          bits                          per                          transport                          channel
In HSDPA, 6 bits are used for telling the transport block size. These bits are sent on HS-SCCH (High Speed Shared Control Channel). If the modulation scheme and/or the number of channelization codes used is changed a lot for the retransmission, then it is not possible to tell the transport block size with these 6 bits. Therefore, in HSDPA, one 6 bit word (111111) is reserved to tell that transport block size is not given in this control message and instead the transport block size from an earlier transmission should be used.
One disadvantage of this approach is that it requires 6-8 bits, which represents a large overhead percentage of the transport channel.

Method and apparatus for transport format signaling with HARQ


In one aspect, a mobile device is provided which includes a memory configured to store an original image and an output image, a display device configured to display the output image, and an image decoder. The image decoder is configured to receive the original image from the memory, to identify blocks included in the original image that are capable of being independently decoded, to generate the output image by pre-scaling each of the identified blocks on the basis of a size of a display image, and to store the generated output image in the memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to image decoding, and more particularly, to a method of decoding an image, an image decoder, and a mobile device including an image decoder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern mobile communication devices, such as cellular telephones, are commonly equipped with multimedia functionality. Examples including the playing of movies such as moving picture expert group (MPEG) files, the display of images such as joint picture expert group (JPEG) files, and the playing of audio files such as MPEG Layer 3 (MP3) files.
In the case of image files, such as JPEG files, it may be necessary to convert an original image file into a file which is suitable for display on the relatively small-sized display screen of the mobile device.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a process executed in a conventional mobile device to decode an original JPEG image to allow for display of the JPEG image on the screen of a mobile device.
The mobile device initially converts the original JPEG image 110 into a YUV image 120, and stores the YUV image in a YUV buffer memory. Generally, the size of the YUV image may be about twice that of the JPEG image. For example, if the size of the JPEG original image 110 is about 1.3 Megabytes, the size of the converted YUV image 120 may be about 2.6 Megabytes.
The mobile device then converts the YUV image 120 into an RGB image 130 (most display devices cannot directly display YUV formatted image data) which is stored in an RGB image buffer memory. For example, if the size of the YUV image 120 is about 2.6 Megabytes, the size of the converted RGB image 130 may be about 1.3 Megabytes.
The mobile device resizes the RGB image 130 into a final RGB image 140 that is suitable for the display screen of the mobile device. In the case of a liquid crystal display (LCD), the final RGB image 140 is stored in an LCD buffer memory. For example, the size of a final RGB image 140 suitable for display on the display device of the mobile device may be about 2.8 Kilobytes. In that case, an RGB image 130 of about 1.3 Megabytes, for example, would be converted into a final RGB image 140 of about 2.8 Kilobytes.
As is apparent from the above, substantial memory resources (e.g., the high capacity YUV buffer memory) are required to convert the JPEG original image 110 into the final RGB image 140.

Image decoder and mobile device including the same


Compositions suitable for treating keratinic fibers, in particular human hair, are disclosed, which compositions comprise: (i) at least one component selected from the group consisting of salt compounds of general formula I, enamine counterparts of salt compounds of general formula I, and mixtures thereof:

The invention relates to a substance for dyeing keratinic fibers, in particular human hair, which comprises specific 1-substituted 1,2-dihydro-3,4,6-trimethyl-2-oxopyrimidinium derivatives in combination with selected aldehydes as reactive carbonyl compound, to the use of this combination in substances for dyeing keratinic fibers, for freshening up the color or nuancing keratinic fibers which have already been dyed, and to a method of dyeing keratinic fibers, in particular human hair.
For dyeing keratinic fibers, either direct dyes or oxidation dyes, which arise as a result of oxidative coupling of one or more developer components with one another or with one or more coupler components, are generally used. Coupler and developer components are also referred to as oxidation dye precursors.
The developer components used are usually primary aromatic amines with a further free or substituted hydroxy or amino group located in the para or ortho position, diaminopyridine derivatives, heterocyclic hydrazones, 4-aminopyrazolone derivatives, and 2,4,5,6-tetraminopyrimidine and derivatives thereof.
Specific representatives are, for example, p-phenylenediamine, p-tolylenediamine, 2,4,5,6-tetraminopyrimidine, p-aminophenol, N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-p-phenylenediamine, 2-(2,5-diaminophenyl)ethanol, 2-(2,5-diaminophenoxy)ethanol, 1-phenyl-3-carboxyamido-4-aminopyrazol-5-one, 4-amino-3-methylphenol, 2-aminomethyl-4-aminophenol, 2-hydroxymethyl-4-aminophenol, 2-hydroxy-4,5,6-triaminopyrimidine, 2,4-dihydroxy-5,6-diaminopyrimidine and 2,5,6-triamino-4-hydroxypyrimidine.
The coupler components used are usually m-phenylenediamine derivatives, naphthols, resorcinol and resorcinol derivatives, pyrazolones, m-aminophenols and substituted pyridine derivatives. Suitable coupler substances are, in particular, α-naphthol, 1,5-, 2-7- and 1,7-dihydroxynaphthalene, 5-amino-2-methylphenol, m-aminophenol, resorcinol, resorcinol monomethyl ether, m-phenylenediamine, 2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol, 2-amino-4-(2-hydroxyethylamino)anisole (Lehmann's Blue), 1-phenyl-3-methylpyrazol-5-one, 2,4-dichloro-3-aminophenol, 1,3-bis(2,4-diaminophenoxy)propane, 2-chlororesorcinol, 4-chlororesorcinol, 2-chloro-6-methyl-3-aminophenol, 2-methylresorcinol, 5-methylresorcinol, 3-amino-6-methoxy-2-methylaminopyridine and 3,5-diamino-2,6-dimethoxypyridine.
With regard to further customary dye components, reference is made expressly to the "Dermatology" series, published by Ch. Culnan, H. Maibach, Verlag Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, Basle, 1986, vol. 7, Ch. Zviak, The Science of Hair Care, chapter 7, pages 248-250 (Direct Dyes) and chapter 8, pages 264-267 (Oxidation Dyes), and the "European Inventory of Cosmetic Raw Materials", 1996, published by the European Commission, obtainable in disk from the Bundesverband der deutschen Industrie- und Handelsunternehmen für Arzneimittel, Reformwaren und Körperpflegemittel e.V., Mannheim.
With oxidation dyes, although it is possible to achieve intense colorations with good fastness properties, the development of the color takes place, however, inter alia under the influence of oxidizing agents such as, for example, H2O2, which in some cases can result in damage to the fibers. The provision of oxidation hair colorations in the red range with adequate fastness properties, in particular with very good washing- and rubbing-fastnesses, continues to be problematic. Furthermore, some oxidation dye precursors or certain mixtures of oxidation dye precursors can sometimes have a sensitizing effect in people with sensitive skin. Direct dyes are applied under more gentle conditions, but their disadvantage is that the colorations often only have inadequate fastness properties.
The publication by H. Baumann et al., Liebigs Ann. Chem., 1968, 717, 124-136 describes reactions of pyrimidones as methylene bases. A hair colorant comprising 1,2-dihydro-2-oxopyrimidinium derivatives or the use of the disclosed hemicyanines for dyeing keratinic fibers is not proposed here.
In the German patent application DE-A1-2047431, cationic methine dyes for dyeing anionically modified fibers, such as acidically modified polyesters or acrylonitrile polymers are described. To synthesize the cationic methine dyes, use is made, inter alia, of 3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-4-methylenequinazol-2-one and 1,3,6-trimethyl-4-methylenepyrimidin-2-one and, mandatorily, terephthalaldehyde.
The German patent application DE-A1-2165913 proposes a method of producing bleaching-out formers using photosensitive dyes. The claimed photosensitive dyes belong to the class of pyrimidone and thiopyrimidone dyes.
The German patent application DE-A1-102 41 076 proposes 1,2-dihydro-2-oxopyrimidinium derivatives in combination with reactive carbonyl compounds as substances for dyeing keratin fibers. However, these substances are still in need of improvement with regard to the fastness of the colorations thereby achieved, in particular the fastness to light and washing.
In the knowledge of the printed specification DE-A1-2165913, it is known that the dyes based on pyrimidones are photosensitive. Although it was found in DE-A1-102 41 076 that these dyes are highly suitable for dyeing hair also with regard to the light fastnesses, it was precisely the parameter of light fastness which was still in need of improvement. It is thus an object of the present invention to provide colorants for keratinic fibers, in particular human hair, which, with regard to color depth, gray coverage and fastness properties, such as, for example, light-, rubbing- and washing-fastness, and also perspiration- and cold-wave-fastness, especially washing- and light-fastness, are superior in qualitative terms to the dyes according to DE-A1-102 41 076. Moreover, the colorants must have no or only a very slight sensitization potential.

Compositions for treating keratinic fibers, methods of treating such fibers therewith and compounds contained therein

Abstract: Where each Me represents a methyl group, R represents a substituent selected from the group consisting of an allyl group, a hydroxy-(C2-6)-alkyl group, a benzyl group, and substituted benzyl groups, and X− represents a physiologically compatible anion; and (ii) at least one aldehyde selected from the group consisting of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzaldehyde, 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxybenzaldehyde, 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzaldehyde, 3,4-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzaldehyde, 3-bromo-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3-methylbenzaldehyde, 3,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-benzaldehyde, 5-bromo-4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, 4-diethylamino-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-dimethylamino-2-methoxybenzaldehyde and mixtures thereof.


A magnetizing coil unit and a method of making a magnetizing coil unit is provided. The coil includes a solenoid coil having a coiled copper sheet in which the width of the copper sheet is equal to the height of the solenoid coil. A magnetizing assembly includes a plurality of magnetizing coil units.

This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for magnetizing a permanent magnet, and specifically to magnetizing a magnet used in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system.
There are various magnetic imaging systems which utilize permanent magnets. These systems include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance therapy (MRT) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) systems. MRI systems are used to image a portion of a patient's body. MRT systems are generally smaller and are used to monitor the placement of a surgical instrument inside the patient's body. NMR systems are used to detect a signal from a material being imaged to determine the composition of the material.
These systems often utilize two or more permanent magnets directly attached to a support, frequently called a yoke. An imaging volume is providing between the magnets. A person or material is placed into an imaging volume and an image or signal is detected and then processed by a processor, such as a computer.
The prior art imaging systems also contain pole pieces and gradient coils adjacent to the imaging surface of the permanent magnets facing the imaging volume. The pole pieces are required to shape the magnetic field and to decrease or eliminate undesirable eddy currents which are created in the yoke and the imaging surface of the permanent magnets.
The permanent magnets used in the prior art imaging systems are frequently magnet assemblies or magnet bodies which consist of smaller permanent magnet blocks attached together by an adhesive. For example, the blocks are often square, rectangular or trapezoidal in shape. The permanent magnet body is assembled by attaching pre-magnetized blocks to each other with the adhesive. Great care is required in handling the magnetized blocks to avoid demagnetizing them. The assembled permanent magnet bodies comprising the permanent magnet blocks are then placed into an imaging system. For example, the permanent magnet bodies are attached to a yoke of an MRI system.
Since the permanent magnets are strongly attracted to iron, the permanent magnet bodies are attached to the yoke of the MRI system by a special robot or by sliding the permanent magnets along the portions of the yoke using a crank. If left unattached, the permanent magnets become flying missiles toward any iron object located nearby. Therefore, the standard manufacturing method of such imaging systems is complex and expensive because it requires a special robot and/or extreme precautions.
In order to magnetize the prior art permanent magnet, a pulsed magnetic field is used. The pulsed magnetic field is generated in a coil which is conventionally fabricated by layer winding rectangular wire. Because it is difficult to fabricate long lengths of large cross-section rectangular wires, numerous short lengths of wire are joined together to make the coil. These joints are frequently mechanically and electrically weak. Also, for thick wire winding, the layer to layer transition is difficult. These transitions often result in corner to corner contact which may damage insulation and result in a short during operation. Further, the transitions often result in a lower packing factor, losing a ¼ turn or more at the end of each layer.
An additional issue with the conventional pulsed magnetic coil is Joule heating from the pulse. Typically, the conventional pulsed coil is cooled in liquid nitrogen prior to applying the pulse to lower the resistivity of the copper coil. Below a temperature of 77 K, the resistivity of copper drops approximately eight fold. However, the passage of current during the pulse typically heats the coil above 77 K, resulting in a tremendous increase in resistivity. Therefore, in order to apply a second pulse, the coil must be remove from the precursor and cooled again.

Method and apparatus for magnetizing a permanent magnet


In a lens antenna apparatus, a guide rail is formed along the outer surface of a hemispherical lens of a hemispherical lens antenna, and a plurality of radiators are positioned and fixed on the guide rail. When the lens antenna apparatus operates, the directivity of radio beams of the radiators is controlled by adjusting an AZ-axis rotating mechanism, an EL-axis rotating mechanism and an xEL-axis rotating mechanism.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens antenna apparatus utilizing a spherical lens that focuses radio beams, which is used in ground stations of a satellite communication system. More particularly, the invention relates to a lens antenna apparatus having a configuration suitable to be mounted on a mobile unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a lens antenna apparatus utilizing a spherical lens capable of focusing radio beams has been developed. Radiators are arranged in given positions on the lower hemisphere of the spherical lens, and the directivity of the radiators are aligned with the center of the spherical lens to form radio beams in a given direction. The radio beams can be oriented everywhere in the celestial sphere only by freely moving the radiators on the lower hemisphere of the spherical lens. The lens antenna apparatus therefore has the advantage that it need not rotate as a whole unlike a parabolic antenna apparatus and its driving system can easily be downsized.
Under the present circumstances, however, the lens antenna apparatus is difficult to miniaturize further because of constraints of downsizing of the spherical lens in itself. Further, the apparatus is not easy to handle during assembly since it is spherical. To resolve these problems, the following hemispherical lens antenna apparatus is disclosed in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publications Nos. 2002-232230and 2003-110352. An upper hemispherical lens, which is formed by halving a spherical lens, is placed on a radio reflector to focus radio waves from the celestial sphere, and the reflector reflects the radio waves, thus acquiring the radio waves on the outer surface of the hemispherical lens.
The hemispherical lens antenna apparatus has received attention as one mounted on a mobile unit since it is easy to miniaturize, whereas it needs to communicate with a plurality of stationary satellites on a stationary orbit. It is thus desirable to achieve a multibeam lens antenna apparatus having a simple and stable configuration.


An apparatus for managing a data rate based on an amount of available data for a predetermined time period includes a storage device storing machine-readable code and a processor executing the machine-readable code. The machine-readable code includes a determination module determining a target data rate for data communication over a network by a network device. The target data rate is based on an amount of available data for a predetermined time period and an amount of time remaining in the predetermined time period. The machine-readable code includes a data rate module maintaining the data rate at or below the target data rate in response to the determination module determining the target data rate.

Field
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to managing a data rate and more particularly managing a data rate based on an amount of available data for a predetermined time period.
Description of the Related Art
A consumer typically has one or more subscriptions for internet access from Internet Service Providers (ISPs), cellular telephone service providers, and the like. Often, as is the case with many cellular telephone service providers, the consumer has a limited amount of data in which the consumer is entitled within a predetermined time period.
The consumer may exceed the quota and face overage charges. In attempting to stay below the quota, the consumer often leaves data unused. Furthermore, a data quota may be used in other data environments besides cellular environments. Specifically, certain ISPs may begin implementing data quotas for home internet use.

Managing a data rate based on an amount of available data for a predetermined time period