A single-use fluid dispenser cartridge, installable or installed into a host fluid dispensing apparatus, is described. The single-use fluid dispenser cartridge is provided with a fluid reservoir, a fill tube assembly, and means for controlling pressure within the cartridge by gating gas into or out of the reservoir and/or the fill tube assembly. The gas gating mean enables, in certain embodiments, use of a fluid reservoir that is “substantially rigid”.

Numerous types of fluid dispensing apparatuses exist for filling bottles. One type of fluid dispensing apparatus which is in widespread use is positive displacement fillers. Positive displacement fillers typically include moving parts which contact and displace the fluid being dispensed. For example, one type of positive displacement filler uses a piston and cylinder arrangement. In this type of positive displacement filler, the backward movement of the piston draws fluid into the cylinder through an inlet port and the forward movement of the piston expels the fluid through an outlet port. Another type of positive displacement filler uses a rotary pump to move the fluid.
Positive displacement pumps have gained widespread use in the United States for two reasons. First, positive displacement pumps can operate at relatively high speeds, filling as many as six hundred bottles per minute. Additionally, positive displacement pumps are accurate up to about ±0.5%.
Despite the widespread use of positive displacement fillers, they nevertheless have several disadvantages. One disadvantage with positive displacement fillers is that the fluid comes into contact with moving parts. As the moving parts wear, particulate matter enters the fluid causing particulate contamination. If severe enough, particulate contamination can render the product unusable. Another disadvantage with positive displacement fillers involves the difficulty in cleaning and sterilizing the moving parts in contact with the fluid. In positive displacement pumps, the critical tolerances between pads, such as the piston and cylinder, precludes effective cleaning in place. Thus, the user must disassemble the apparatus for cleaning and sterilization. This process is not only time consuming, but may result in biological contamination of the pads when they are handled by the mechanic during re-assembly.
Another type of fluid dispensing apparatus is the time/pressure filler. Generally speaking, the time/pressure filler includes a fluid reservoir which is maintained under a relatively constant pressure. The fluid is dispensed from the reservoir through a compressible line. Fluid flow is shut off by a pinch type valve which squeezes and collapses the discharge line. A pre-determined volume of fluid is dispensed by opening the discharge line for a pre-determined period of time and then closing the line. If the pressure within the fluid reservoir is maintained constant, an equal amount of fluid should be dispensed each time the cycle is repeated. However, time/pressure fillers do not work as well in practice as they do in theory.
Another type of fluid dispensing apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,594 which discloses a volumetric fluid dispensing apparatus. The volumetric dispensing apparatus measures a predetermined volume of fluid in a measuring cup or fill tube which is subsequently dispensed into a receptacle. Volumetric fillers, while slower than positive displacement fillers, are highly accurate and avoid the problems of microbial and particulate contamination. However, volumetric fillers, like time/pressure fillers, depend on a relatively constant pressure. For this reason, it is impractical to use clarification filters in volumetric fillers since the pressure drop across the filter may result in inaccurate filling.
Another type of fluid dispensing apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,063, issued to Keyes et al. on Jan. 2, 1996. Keyes et al. describe an apparatus having no moving parts in contact with the fluid being dispensed. The fluid-dispensing apparatus includes a fluid chamber containing the fluid to be dispensed and a fill tube communicatively connected to the fluid chamber. The fill tube forms a circuit with the fluid reservoir. In operation, fluid is transferred from the chamber into the fill tube. When the fluid level in the fill tube reaches a predetermined height, filling is terminated and fluid dispensed from the fill tube into a container. See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,960, issued to Keyes et al., on Oct. 28, 1997.
Despite the approaches embodied in the aforementioned patents, there is a continuing need for improvements to and/or alternative configurations for fluid dispensing apparatuses, particularly those implementing disposable single-use, fluid handling components.


A blood lancet is disclosed having a lancet needle with a sharpened lancet tip. The lancet tip is covered before use. The lancet tip end of the lancet needle extends through a slidable proximal needle piece while the opposite end of the lancet needle is immovably embedded in a distal needle piece. The distal needle piece is connected to the proximal needle piece through a pair of opposed normally bowed flexible arms. After pricking the user's skin with the lancet tip, the bowed flexible arms are pinched towards each other which pushes the proximal needle piece into a position over and enclosing the lancet tip. The flexible arms each have an arrow shaped protrusion or catch that engages a correspondingly shaped receptacle on the distal needle piece to lock the proximal needle piece in position over the lancet tip. In one embodiment, a removable cap covers the lancet tip. In another embodiment, the proximal needle piece is formed around the lancet tip. In this embodiment, the lancet is pinched along the length of the lancet needle thereby pushing the lancet tip through the proximal needle piece into the user's finger.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to lancets and more particularly to a blood lancet with a protective movable cover for the lancet tip that is lockable into a tip covering position.
2. Description of Related Art
Many patient illnesses, such as diabetes, require the patient to take a small sample of blood for analysis purposes. Typically, this blood sample is obtained by pricking the patient's skin so that a drop of blood is produced. The patient's skin is typically pricked by means of a lancet. Originally these lancets consisted of a sharp pointed object that was manually pushed through the patient's skin creating a small wound through which the blood drop would flow.
A problem with such lancets is that the sharp lancet tip, after piercing the patient's skin, is exposed and therefore able to accidentally reprick the patient or others. For this reason, lancets having caps that cover the exposed lancet tip before use have been developed. In these devices, the cap may be replaced over the lancet tip after use to prevent inadvertent contact with the sharpened lancet tip. Examples of such devices are U.S. Pat. No. 3,358,689 issued to J. L. Higgins on Dec. 19, 1967; U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,633 issued to D. R. Hufnagle on Jan. 13, 1987; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,548 issued to H. Enstrom on Dec. 15, 1987.
A problem with these devices is that, although the lancet tip is covered by the cap when it is in place, the lancet tip is exposed if the cap is inadvertently dislodged from its protective place. Consequently, it is desirable produce a lancet having a lancet tip that is not exposed after use and that may not be inadvertently exposed after use.
Another approach to preventing accidental contact with the sharpened lancet tip has been to bias the lancet tip in a non-exposed position before and after use. The bias is usually accomplished by means of a spring. When the patient desires to draw a sample of blood, the bias of the lancet tip is overcome thereby exposing the lancet tip which contacts the patient's skin so that a drop of blood may be drawn. Thereafter, the bias moves the needle into a retracted position. Examples of this type of blood lancet are U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,239 issued to J. W. Mausteller on Aug. 29, 1967; U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,856, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,565, issued to Cornell et al. on Mar. 12, 1985, and Apr. 8, 1986 respectively; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,676,244 and 4,738,261 issued to H. Enstrom on Jun. 30, 1987 and Apr. 19, 1988, respectively; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,724 issued to R. L. Nieto et al. on Dec. 11, 1990.
A problem with this type of device is that the devices are relatively complicated and difficult to manufacture. In view of this, it is desirable to produce a lancet that is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
Another problem with these devices is that, although the lancet tip is retracted before and after use, after use, the lancet tip may inadvertently be re-exposed by inadvertently overcoming the bias holding the lancet tip in the retracted position. When the lancet tip is re-exposed, inadvertent contact may occur. This is a situation to be avoided.


An organic light emitting diode display includes: a panel; a data driver connected to a data line formed on the panel; a gate driver crossing the data line in an insulated manner and connected to gate lines formed on the panel; an input line for receiving clock signals from the outside; a first connecting line electrically connected to the input line to supply the clock signal to the gate driver; a second connecting line electrically connected to the input line; and a third connecting line extended from the second connecting line to electrically connect the second connecting line and the first connecting line.

Field of the Invention
The described technology relates generally to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. More particularly, the described technology relates generally to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display including a gate driver.
Description of the Related Art
Display devices display images, and the organic light emitting diode display among them has been in the spotlight.
The OLED display has a self luminance characteristic and does not require a separate light source, unlike a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and thus can have reduced thickness and weight. Further, the OLED display represents high quality characteristics of low power consumption, high luminance, and a high reaction speed.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional organic light emitting diode (OLED) display.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes a panel 1, a data driver 3, a gate driver 4, and a pixel (PE).
The pixel (PE) is formed at a crossing region of gate lines (S1 to Sn) and data lines (D1 to Dm). Although not shown, drive power lines can be formed to face the data lines (D1 to Dm). The pixel (PE) is selected to charge a voltage corresponding to a data signal when a gate signal is provided, and it emits light with predetermined luminance in correspondence with the charged voltage.
The data driver 3 supplies a data signal to the data lines (D1 to Dm) when a gate signal is provided from the gate driver 4.
The gate driver 4 sequentially supplies a gate signal to the gate lines (S1 to Sn). Here, the gate driver 4 is formed to be installed on the panel 1 when the pixel (PE) is formed. For this purpose, the gate driver 4 includes an input line 5 and a connecting line 6 provided between an input line 5 and the gate driver 4.
The input line 5 receives a clock signal from a flexible printed circuit (FPC) (not shown). The connecting line 6 is electrically connected to the input line 5, is formed in parallel with the data lines (D1 to Dm), and supplies the clock signal to a stage (not shown) included in the gate driver 4.
Here, the connecting line 6 formed on the panel 1 is provided to be overlapped on the cathode 2. When the cathode 2 is overlapped on the connecting line 6, the connecting line 6 and the cathode 2 form a capacitor to delay the clock signal. In order to overcome such a problem, a plurality of flexible printed circuits (FPCs) 7 are conventionally installed with predetermined intervals so as to be connected to the panel 1, and the clock signal is additionally provided to the connecting line 6 by using the FPCs, which however increases the production cost and thus deteriorates the production yield.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Samsung-ro, Giheung-Gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-Do


A liquid hydrophobic phase transition substance is provided that may improve the safety of a battery and restrain the deterioration in performance of the battery without deteriorating the properties of the battery. The liquid hydrophobic phase transition substance includes a hydrophobic salt having a melting point of 80° C. or more and a hydrophilic salt of an alkali or an alkaline earth.

In accordance with a rapid spread of information relevant apparatuses and communication apparatuses such as a personal computer, a video camera and a portable telephone in recent years, the development of the battery to be utilized as a power source thereof has gained recognition. The development of the high-output and high-capacity battery for an electric automobile or a hybrid automobile has been advanced also in the automobile industry.
The battery having an electrolyte and a pair of electrodes holding the above-mentioned electrolyte therebetween is used as such a battery. Further, metallic lithium and a sulfide-based solid electrolyte have been widely used as a material composing the electrodes and the electrolyte.
However, the above-mentioned metallic lithium and sulfide-based solid electrolyte have properties of reacting with water, and the problem is that heat is generated by contacting with water and performance is deteriorated in accordance with the generation of hydrogen sulfide.
To respond such a problem, in the field of an air battery using oxygen as a cathode active material and metallic lithium as an anode layer, a method for restraining metallic lithium from contacting with water by using as an electrolyte a hydrophobic nonaqueous liquid electrolyte, which transmits oxygen and water with difficulty, is disclosed (Patent Literature 1).
In the field of a sulfide-based solid state battery comprising a solid electrolyte layer having a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, a method for coating a power generating element comprising the above-mentioned solid electrolyte layer and a cathode and an anode for holding this therebetween with an ionic liquid is disclosed in Patent Literature 2.
In order to improve the air tightness of the battery, a method for using a predetermined gasket material is disclosed in Patent Literature 3.
Further, Patent Literature 4 discloses a lithium battery comprising a cathode laminated body and an anode laminated body, in which the cathode laminated body and the anode laminated body are laminated, and an intervention layer made of an ionic liquid between both of the laminated bodies for the purpose of improving the adhesion properties of the above-mentioned two laminated bodies.
However, the above-mentioned hydrophobic nonaqueous electrolyte used in the above-mentioned Patent Literature 1 is liquid in the use temperature of the battery for the reason that the melting point thereof is 60° C. or less. Thus, even though the hydrophobic nonaqueous electrolyte has a hydrophobic property, moisture may not be prevented from mixing in and water mixes into the electrolyte (liquid) with the passage of time. Accordingly, in the method using the above-mentioned hydrophobic nonaqueous liquid electrolyte, the problem is that moisture may not sufficiently be prevented from mixing in.
The ionic liquid used in the above-mentioned Patent Literature 2 is liquid, so that water necessarily mixes in by the distribution coefficient of water, and the problem is that moisture may not sufficiently be prevented from mixing into the above-mentioned solid electrolyte layer. Further, the solid electrolyte layer is soaked in the ionic liquid having no ion used for the battery, such as Li+ in a lithium battery, Na+ in a sodium battery and Ca2+ in a calcium battery, so that there lies a problem in that the properties of the battery are deteriorated due to resistance increase caused by mixing in of the ionic liquid. In addition, an ionic liquid having chloroaluminate and tetrafluoroborate has been used as the ionic liquid used in the above-mentioned Patent Literature 2, and there is a problem in that these are inappropriate as a material for preventing moisture from mixing in by reason of having a hydrophilic property to promote the mixing in of moisture.
In the method disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Literature 3, the problem is that it is difficult to completely restrain moisture from mixing in and no effects are exhibited in the case where moisture mixes in during production.
Further, the ionic liquid used in the above-mentioned Patent Literature 4 is liquid as described above, so that the problem is that water may not sufficiently be restrained from mixing in, similarly to the above-mentioned Patent Literature 2.

Liquid hydrophobic phase transition substance, and battery comprising same


A communications system for transporting connectionless datagrams over a connection-oriented network is arranged to remove the address resolution function and the connection setup function from a sending host and combine them in a third-party connection server in conjunction with channel management at connection-oriented routing points. The third party request protocol can be used for Classical connectionless over a connection oriented network, legacy LAN emulation and Routing Over Large Clouds.

This invention relates to communications systems and more specifically to a method and a system for transmitting connectionless datagram packets using connection-oriented networks.
The exponential rate of increase in the processing power of computers has fueled the demand for sophisticated software programs, including communications-oriented software programs, such as real-time collaborative workgroup applications. The challenge presented in finding the wherewithal to move the vast amount of data created by those applications has been met with the development and implementation of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology which is a connection oriented scheme. Unfortunately, implementation of ATM technology in end-points connected to ATM networks sometimes necessitates costly and significant, and sometimes wholesale, replacement of existing networking hardware and software in those end points where datagrams to be communicated are connectionless oriented. In an attempt to leverage users"" considerable existing networking investmentxe2x80x94especially in softwarexe2x80x94network designers have developed evolutionary solutions to transition today""s private lines-based local area and wide area networks to full-blown ATM connectivity with global addressing of end points. Those solutions include the so-called xe2x80x9cClassical Internet Protocol (IP) over ATMxe2x80x9d method, the xe2x80x9cLocal Area Network Emulationxe2x80x9d proposal and the xe2x80x9cRouting Over a Large Cloudxe2x80x9d method that are summarized by Chao et. al in the article xe2x80x9cIP on ATM Local Area Networksxe2x80x9d, IEEE Communications Magazine, August 1994, pp. 52-59, hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Referring to FIG. 1 prior art Classical IP over ATM involves three general steps. First, assuming no ATM connection between the source IP host 110 and a destination host, source host 110 sends an ATM Address Resolution Protocol (xe2x80x9cARPxe2x80x9d) request to IP-ATM-ARP server 120 on a pre-established connection with a well known Virtual Channel Identifier (xe2x80x9cVCIxe2x80x9d). Server 120 resolves the destination IP address to an ATM address and returns the ATM address to source host 110. Second, Q.2931-based signaling software 112 in source host 110 generates a SETUP message with the destination ATM address as a parameter, and an ATM connection is established through a series of ATM switches 130. The virtual path/virtual channel connection identifier (xe2x80x9cVPI/VCIxe2x80x9d) to be used on the ATM interface from the sending node, is returned in a CONNECT message if it was not specified in the SETUP message. Finally, the IP address to VPI/VCI mapping is stored in cache 111 in source host 110. IP packets with the given destination ATM address are now routed on the VPI/VCI specified in the mapping table. As a result of this scheme, the ATM interface equipment serves as a subnet and a physical channel for communicating IP datagrams.
Upon receiving a Q.2931 signaling SETUP message, the destination host (or gateway/router) sets the specified VPI/VCI to deliver calls to the ATM Adaptation layer (xe2x80x9cAALxe2x80x9d). Connections are released when the cache manager in a sending node times out on an IP-address to VPI/VCI mapping entry and decides to remove the entry by issuing a RELEASE message.
LAN emulation (LE) on ATM today works much like the xe2x80x9cClassical IPxe2x80x9d case except the ATM ARP server is replaced with an LE-ARP server. In general, the network protocol layer sends a network Protocol Data Unit (PDU) and next-hop address to The Medium Access Control (xe2x80x9cMACxe2x80x9d) encapsulation layer for the case of the Ethernet, where traditional ARP is performed to obtain the MAC address. The network PDU is encapsulated into a MAC frame and then passed to the ATM layer. The source host extracts the MAC address from the frame and uses the LE-ARP server to map it to an ATM address. Signaling software on the host then sets up a connection using the ATM address. The VCI obtained from this connection is then cached in an ATM address-to-VCI cache for future use. The frame is then segmented into one or more ATM cells and sent on this VCI. After a period of inactivity on the VCI, the connection times out and is released.
The third prior art scheme is Routing Over a Large Cloud (xe2x80x9cROLCxe2x80x9d). A collection of end-points, routers or hosts, connected over a fabric such that direct communication can be established between any pair of end-points subject to policy restrictions employed within the fabric is generally referred to as a xe2x80x9cLarge Cloud.xe2x80x9d An ATM fabric might typically consist of a set of private and public ATM networks, interconnected via User Network Interfaces (UNI) or Private Network to Network Interfaces (PNNI). While the Classical IP model, when IP networks are overlaid over an ATM-based large cloud, requires end-points that do not share the same network prefix to communicate via an intermediate router, ROLC enables end-point communication directly at the ATM level (e.g. via an ATM Switched Virtual Connection (xe2x80x9cSVCxe2x80x9d)) even when end-points do not share the same network prefix. There are several techniques for routing over large clouds. One technique is based on the Next Hop Resolution Protocol (xe2x80x9cNHRPxe2x80x9d). NHRP is used to return a binding between a destination connectionless address and the corresponding ATM address to a requesting source connectionless host. Current work in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is considering two modes of NHRP server operation: server mode, where one server may cover several subnets; and fabric mode, where there is an NHRP server associated with each router. In the first case, the servers have their own tables for forwarding NHRP requests and would be used in early deployment of NHRP while in the latter case, the same tables that are used to find the next hop address at the routers are used to forward the NHRP requests.
All of these techniques, Classical IP, LE-ARP and ROLC propose a two-step method of a) mapping a connectionless destination address such as an IP address to a connection-oriented destination address, such as an ATM address, and b) setting up and establishing a connection over a network to permit exchange of data between a source node and a destination node. As used herein a node includes an end host, router or bridge. In all three solutions, IP addresses are mapped to ATM addresses using a form of ARP. Connections are most commonly established with signaling protocol such as ITU-T (Q. 2931), found in ITU-T, xe2x80x9cDraft Text of Q. 2931,xe2x80x9d Nov.-Dec. 1993, hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, and the ATM Forum, found in the ATM Forum, ATM User-Network Interface Specification, Version 3.1 (Jul. 21, 1994).
Of particular significance is the fact that these solutions require the source and destination hosts to be loaded with signaling software to obtain datagram-to-ATM address resolution services from the network, and perform signaling message generation and processing functions for establishing a connection, including tracking all the VCIs assigned to all associated connections. These solutions expend a significant amount of network resources devoted to the processing of the considerable number of signaling messages generated for address resolution and connection request functions and delay the call setup procedure associated with these procedures.
Accordingly the present invention is directed to a communications system that combines the address resolution function and the connection setup function in a third-party connection control and which operates in conjunction with channel management at connection-oriented routing points to enable quick connection setup procedures and reduce or eliminate the need for endpoint signaling software for communicating connectionless datagrams over connection-oriented networks.
In one embodiment of the invention, a source host that has a datagram to transmit to a destination host checks its internal storage devices to determine whether a connection is already established between it and that destination host. In the absence of such a connection, the source host sends a request containing the destination host connectionless address to a connection request server located at a well known VCI. The connection request server is arranged to perform the address resolution functions as well as the connection setup functions in a single round trip communication between transmitting host and server, in contrast to the two round trips required by the prior art. Specifically, the server maps the datagram or connectionless packet address into an ATM address and then uses this address to establish a connection to the destination host. Thereafter, the connection request server returns a VC1 to the transmitting host that identifies the connection for exchange of subsequent data packets.

Communications system for transmission of datagram packets over connection-oriented networks


An advanced electronic signal conditioning circuit and associated housing elements. In one embodiment, the circuit comprises a plurality of coupled inductors and capacitors arranged in a signal filtering configuration which achieves enhanced voice- and DSL-band performance through the use of complex-impedance modeling during the circuit design phase. Free-standing and fixed device housings are also disclosed. Methods for manufacturing the aforementioned components are also described.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic signal conditioning elements and particularly to an improved design and method of manufacturing a signal filtering and conditioning assembly, which may be adapted for use in, inter alia, digital subscriber line (DSL) applications.
2. Description of Related Technology
With the increasing use of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and home networking technologies, it is often desirable to have DSL signals, home networking signals, or both present on a home telephone wiring network simultaneously with voice-band signals. Voice-band signals are commonly referred to as POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) signals. Providing DSL service, home networking, and POTS over standard telephone lines permits the home telephone wiring network to operate effectively as a local area network (LAN), while at the same time permitting voice-band and DSL service to be transmitted across the home telephone wiring network.
Despite the advantages of providing DSL, home networking, and POTS signals simultaneously over a common home telephone wiring network, mechanisms are needed to prevent DSL and/or home networking signals from reaching voice-band/POTS appliances coupled to the home telephone wiring network. It is also desirable to prevent POTS device impedance effects from entering onto the home telephone wiring network and potentially degrading the transmission of DSL data signals. Voice-band appliances may include, for example, telephones, answering machines, facsimile machines, V.90 or similar modems, and the like. DSL or home networking signals may cause nonlinear behavior of the voice-band appliances to create noise into the POTS connection.
Voice-band appliances typically undergo impedance changes during operation. In one situation, it has been observed that the change of state from "on-hook" to "off-hook" of the telephone equipment and sometimes the telephone terminal equipment even being "on-hook" can create a resonance effect to occur so as to drop the impedance value to a comparatively low level, even at comparatively high frequencies. Preventing DSL and home networking signals from reaching voice-band appliances also protects the DSL and home networking transports from high-frequency inter-modulation products of the voice-band appliances.
Second-order low-pass Butterworth filters are well known in the signal conditioning and filtration arts, and are commonly inserted between the home telephone wiring network and an associated POTS device to prevent DSL signals (e.g., ADSL signals), on the home telephone network from affecting the POTS device. These devices also act to prevent transient noise from POTS devices from interfering with the proper operation of a DSL modem coupled to the home network, and vice-versa.
The second-order Butterworth filter circuit is inherently asymmetrical and generally includes one coupled inductor (or two uncoupled inductors) and one capacitor. This design requires, for proper operation, that the filter be oriented between the POTS device and the home telephone wiring network such that the coupled inductor is disposed between the home telephone wiring network and the capacitor. If the capacitor is disposed adjacent to the home telephone wiring network, high frequency signals, such as DSL signals, on the home telephone wiring network are likely to short across the capacitor, thereby potentially interfering with the operation of the DSL modem.
Another disadvantage of conventional second-order Butterworth filter designs is that they often do not provide sufficient attenuation of DSL signals. For example, a typical second-order Butterworth filter may be designed with a low insertion loss throughout the pass band (including the POTS band) and has a cutoff frequency above the POTS signal band and below the ADSL transmission band (i.e. below about 20 kHz). The attenuation achieved at the higher ADSL frequencies is generally insufficient, and allows a significant amount of DSL transmit signal leakage through the filter, which can result in interference with the associated POTS device, particularly if the associated POTS device is a data device, such as a modem or facsimile machine.
The T1.421 In-Line Filter Standard of the Standards Committee T1 (Telecommunications) of the American National Standards Institute, also formerly the T1E1.4/2000-110 draft (hereinafter "Standard") is a standard relating to in-line filters used in the telephone and data communication industries for protection of typical POTS devices when high speed digital services (e.g., ADSL, G.lite, etc.) are deployed on the same telephone line. The Standard is intended to allow complete interoperability between vendors and reduce maintenance of POTS and related equipment. The Standard specifies a variety of specific performance objectives and criteria, including (i) reduced DC impedance through the filter; (ii) enhanced attenuation of higher frequency data signals in the voice band; (iii) the minimization of voice-band transmission effects for up to five (5) installed filters; and (iv) maintaining voice-band signal levels such that operation of currently deployed devices such as V.90 modems are not impaired.
Existing prior art approaches to signal conditioning and filtration (such as the aforementioned Butterworth circuits) fail to meet these more stringent objectives due in part to their less than optimal design process, which does not effectively account for complex impedances on the load and/or source end of the conditioning/blocking circuit(s).
Another desirable attribute of "consumer" filtration and conditioning circuits is low cost of production. Significant factors in determining the cost of producing a filter include (i) the number of components that make up the filter, and (ii) the relative cost and performance of the components used. In general, the higher the number of components that make up the filter, the higher the cost will be to produce the device. Obviously, more components can also impact the space required to accommodate the device, and can necessitate larger housings and internal PCBs. Consequently, it is desirable to keep the component count and component size of a given filter design low to keep the production cost low.
Based on the foregoing, a need exists to provide improved apparatus and methods for preventing signals from DSL and home network signal carriers from reaching voice-band appliances such as telephones, facsimile machines, and modems. Additionally, such improved apparatus would provide isolation of DSL devices and HPNA (Home Phoneline Network Alliance) standard devices from the impedance fluctuations of voice-band appliances. Ideally, such methods and apparatus would be easy and cost efficient to implement and manufacture, respectively. The apparatus would also exhibit enhanced electrical performance, such as for example compliance with more stringent performance standards such the previously described T1.421 standard.

Advanced electronic signal conditioning assembly and method


When the states of a large number of objects must be transferred to another device, the overhead can be greatly reduced and the object states can be synchronized in a short period of time. At the time of creating an object, an object creation function arranges the internal state of the object into a byte sequence in a region for transfer, and sets mapping data in a mapping management table. When an application program has manipulated the internal state by using an accessor method, the state is set in the byte sequence in the region for transfer, or obtained therefrom. A transfer function transfers the byte sequence in the region for transfer and the mapping management table to a receiver, where a reproduction function reproduces the object based on the received data.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device incorporating a Java (registered trademark) virtual machine, and more particularly relates to an object state transfer method an object state transfer device, an object state transfer program, and a recording medium for the program which make it possible to reduce the overhead of transferring an object state to another host and to increase the capability of the overall system when synchronizing object states.
2. Description of the Related Art
In existing Java technology, to transfer the internal states (individual data for an object known as an instance variable) of a plurality of objects to an external device, the instances must be converted one by one into a byte sequence by a method known as serialization; the byte sequence is then transferred to the external device. This generates a large overhead when serializing. To perform serialization, the state of each individual member variable must be extracted by accessing each member variable which represents the internal state of each instance, and the extracted states must be copied to a region for transfer where the byte sequence is to be stored, consequently increasing the overhead.
For example, in a cluster comprised of a plurality of hosts, when one of the hosts comprising the cluster has for some reason become incapable of continuing service, another host continues to supply the service in its place, keeping the system reliable. For another host to take over supplying the service, data (object state) relating to the service must be replicated by synchronization between the hosts comprising the cluster.
Serialization is performed at such a time, and the internal states of the plurality of objects are converted into a byte sequence, which is transferred to the other host, but the resultant overhead greatly affects the performance of the overall system.
A system utilizing the abovementioned cluster configuration is described in a document published on the Internet (at URL: http://edocs.beasys.co.jp/e-docs/wls/docs70/cluster/failover.html); in this example, session takeover is achieved at failover by using serialization to replicate the session state.
In the conventional art described above, when a large amount of object states must be transferred, such as when synchronizing object states among a plurality of nodes (hosts) comprising a cluster in order to increase reliability, other processing becomes congested, leading to a considerable effect on the performance of the overall system.

Object state transfer method, object state transfer device, object state transfer program, and recording medium for the program

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


A package structure including a redistribution circuit structure, an insulator, a plurality of conductive connection pieces, a first chip, a second chip, an encapsulant, a third chip, and a plurality of conductive terminals is provided. The redistribution circuit structure has first and second connection surfaces opposite to each other. The insulator is embedded in and penetrates the redistribution circuit structure. The conductive connection pieces penetrate the insulator. The first and second chips are disposed on the first connection surface. The encapsulant is disposed on the redistribution circuit structure and at least laterally covers the first and second chips. The third chip is disposed on the second connection surface and electrically connected to the first and second chips through the conductive connection pieces. The conductive terminals are disposed on the second connection surface and electrically connected to the first chip or the second chip through the redistribution circuit structure.

In recent years, electronic devices have become increasingly important to human life. In order to accelerate the integration of various functions, multiple active chips can be integrated into one package structure. Therefore, how to improve signal transmission quality or efficiency between the chips has become an urgent issue to be solved.

Package structure and manufacturing method thereof


An amplifier with increased bandwidth by current injection and a method thereof. The amplifier includes an input stage for receiving a first input signal, a load stage coupled to the input stage for generating a first output signal, a first current source coupled to the input stage for allowing a predetermined current to flow, and a second current source, coupled to the input stage, for injecting a first current into the input stage for outputting the first output signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an amplifier, and more particularly, to an amplifier with increased bandwidth by current injection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Operational amplifiers are one of the most widely used structures in modern day engineering. They can have many applications ranging from buffers and filters to analog-to-digital converters. Where high performance is required, such as a high speed, high resolution analog-to-digital converter, an operational amplifier having both high gain and high bandwidth is necessary.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a conventional telescopic operational amplifier 10. It comprises a plurality of transistors M1-M9. Matched transistors M1 and M2 serve as an input stage 12 for respectively receiving a non-inverting input Vip and an inverting input Vin, while transistors M3-M8 biased by voltages Vbn, Vbp1, Vbp2 act as a load stage 14 (i.e., an active load). The remaining transistor M9 is biased by voltage Vcmfb, and is the tail transistor acting as a current source for sinking a constant reference current IQ, thereby steering the currents I1 and I2. Since transistors M5 and M6 are a matched pair and transistors M7 and M8 are a matched pair, currents I1 and I2 therefore have the same current value. If both transistors M1 and M2 are turned on, I1 is equal to half IQ, and I1 is equal to I2. As shown in FIG. 1, both the non-inverting output Von and the inverting output Vop are coupled to an output capacitor C0. A telescopic configuration is often a preferred configuration because telescopic operational amplifiers consume less power than other topologies. They also have the added advantage of high speed. The telescopic configuration is well known to those skilled in the art, and therefore is not described in detail here.
The frequency response of an operational amplifier is the response of the circuit in the frequency domain. In other words, if the circuit is given a sinusoidal input the response should be a sinusoidal output of the same frequency, but amplified by the open loop gain, A0. This frequency response can be modeled as a low pass function.
                                          H                                                                                (              s              )                                =                                    A              0                                      1              +                              s                                  ω                  p                                                                                where                                                                                ω              p                                                                                is                                                                          the                                                                          dominate                                                                          pole                                                                          and                                                                          s                    =                      j                                                                          ω                                              Equation                                                            (          1          )
For frequencies much greater than ωp, i.e. ω>>ωp, we can approximate the gain, A, to be:
                              A                                (            jω            )                          =                                            A              0                                                  ω              p                                jω                                    Equation                                                            (          2          )                                                                        A                                      (              jω              )                                                =                                            A              0                                                  ω              p                                ω                                    Equation                                                            (          3          )                    Therefore, putting this result back into equation (1), we can obtain the unity-gain bandwidth ωu:ωu=A0ωp  Equation (4)
The unity gain bandwidth can also be written in terms of device transconductance, gm, and output resistance, r0. Equation (4) then becomes:
                              ω          u                =                                            gm              ×                              r                0                                                                    r                0                                                          C                0                                              =                      gm                                          C                op                            +                              C                load                                                                        Equation                                                            (          5          )
From equation (5) it can be seen that the unity gain bandwidth ωu is a function of device transconductance gm, and total output capacitance C0. The total output capacitance includes parasitic junction capacitance Cop, and capacitive load Cload driven by the operational amplifier 10. Therefore, the way to increase bandwidth is by increasing gm or by decreasing the output capacitance C0. Cload cannot be decreased because it is determined by circuit specification and hence cannot be decreased for a specific application. Furthermore, the parasitic capacitance dominates the capacitive load, so decreasing Cload would only have a minimal effect. To increase gm would require a larger device, which then leads to more parasitic capacitance, as the device size cannot be increased without limits. This gain-bandwidth relation therefore creates an upper level bandwidth limit.

Amplifier with increased bandwidth and method thereof


An apparatus for doffing textile bobbin tubes from tube support members having posts projecting therefrom for supporting tubes thereon as the tube support members are conveyed along a transport path by a transport device with the tube support members being slidably supported on the transport device to allow stoppage of a tube support member as a tube is doffed without deactivating the transport device is disclosed. The tube doffing apparatus comprises a pair of opposed tube engaging and doffing devices having tube engaging surfaces which may be conveyor belts with guide and support rollers straddling the path of posts of support members traveling along the transport path and extending away from the transport path in the general direction of projection of the support member posts. These devices are disposed for engaging a tube on a post of a support member supported on the transport path and thereby stopping the support member while removing the tube from the post. The surfaces converge transversely in the downstream direction of the transport path from an upstream spacing therebetween greater than the transverse extent of the tube on a support member to a downstream spacing less than the transverse extent of a tube and greater than the transverse extent of the post of the tube support member to allow a support member from which a tube has been removed to resume travel along the transport path past the doffing apparatus.

Tubes that accumulate after bobbins have been unwound in a textile winding machine and that are conveyed on tube support members having posts on which the tubes are supported must be doffed from the posts before full bobbins are mounted on the posts for conveyance to the spinning machine. Various kinds of equipment have been proposed for this purpose.
Doffers that operate with grippers such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,367 have gained widespread acceptance. Such doffers are relatively complicated and do not permit a high throughput capacity. The throughput capacity of such doffers can be improved, by providing a plurality of grippers. For example, in Swiss Patent 424 568 the grippers are moved synchronously with the posts of the bobbins on a spinning machine for a predetermined portion of the path. An apparatus of this kind is also relatively complicated and requires a closely and accurately spaced arrangement of the bobbins.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,636 discloses a doffer that doffs the tubes by use of an endless belt and an opposed plate that move against a tube positioned therebetween. It requires actuating devices, so as to be actuated in a synchronous manner tuned to the delivery of the tubes to be doffed. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,636 has a single substantially vertically extending doffing belt as well as a roller. Both the doffing belt and the roller are movable from a retracted position out of engagement with a tube to a tube engaging position. Once again this requires synchronization of the device with the bobbins and also requires a mechanism for moving the components into and out of operating position.
German Patent Document 4024787Cl discloses a device for doffing of tubes having two opposed doffing belts inclined obliquely upward in a wedge-like fashion to grasp the lower ends of tubes and progressively remove them from posts fixed to a main conveyor belt as the conveyor advances. This requires synchronization of the movement of the doffing belts and the posts fixed to the main conveyor.

Apparatus for doffing bobbin tubes from support members


A liquid-droplet jetting apparatus includes a first common liquid chamber which supplies a liquid to first pressure chambers communicating with first nozzles and extending in a predetermined direction; and a second common liquid chamber which supplies a liquid to second pressure chambers communicating with second nozzles and extending in the predetermined direction. The first and second common liquid chambers are overlapped in a plan view, and each having a substantial width. A damper for attenuating pressure wave which propagates to the first and second common liquid chambers is formed at a portion in which the first and second common liquid chambers are overlapped. Each of the first common liquid chamber, the second common liquid chamber and the damper is formed to have a width overlapping with one of the first and second pressure chambers, thereby making it possible to attenuate the pressure wave efficiently.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid-droplet jetting apparatus which jets a liquid droplet from a jetting port.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an ink-jet head (liquid-droplet jetting apparatus) which jets an ink from jetting ports of nozzles by applying pressure to the ink in pressure chambers, when pressure is applied to the ink in a certain pressure chamber among the pressure chambers, pressure wave is generated in the pressure chamber, and the generated pressure wave is propagated to a common liquid chamber communicating with the pressure chambers. This pressure wave is attenuated in the common liquid chamber to prevent the pressure wave from propagating further to another pressure chamber, thereby suppressing the variation in ink-jetting characteristics such as change in droplet speed. For example, an ink-jet type recording head (ink-jet head) described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-127354, a plurality of pressure generating chambers (pressure chambers) communicating with nozzles respectively are communicated with an ink storage chamber (common liquid chamber) via ink supply channels, respectively; and a recess is formed in a head case at an area corresponding to the ink storage chamber. Further, a metallic vibration plate has an area overlapping with the area of the head case at which the recess is formed, and this area of the vibration plate functions as a damper which releases the pressure variation (damps or attenuates the pressure wave) in the ink storage chamber.
However, with respect to the ink-jet head described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-127354, when an attempt is made to realize the high densification and miniaturization of the ink-jet head, it is necessary to decrease the size of the common liquid chamber, and if the common liquid chamber is decreased in size, there is a fear that the pressure wave is not sufficiently attenuated in the common liquid chamber. In such a case, it is conceivable to form a member, such as the vibration plate which functions as the damper, of a material with a low elasticity such as polyimide. This, however, in turn causes a problem such that, when this member is heated together with another member made of metal and joined to the another member, warpage deformation occurs due to the difference in linear expansion coefficient between the members.
An ink-jet head described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-309877 is provided with two reservoirs which supply an ink to pressure generating chambers communicating with nozzles, respectively, such that the reservoirs are overlapped in an up and down direction. The two reservoirs are partitioned by a partition plate which is provided with a pressure-absorbing section for absorbing a pressure wave generated when the ink droplets are discharged and directed in a direction opposite to openings of the nozzles. The partition wall is formed by joining a thin plate and a sealing plate which has a recess formed therein, and the pressure wave is absorbed by the thin plate and a thin wall defining the recess.


This invention relates to halide glasses which have particular utility as hosts for rare earth elements in order to provide optical amplification by laser activity. The glasses are characterized in that the metal content is similar to conventional ZBLAN glasses except that it has been discovered that the replacement of Al by Y and In and the use of more than one alkali metal fluoride, e.g., NaF, CsF and LiF, has synergistic benefits. The synergistic benefits are good lasing performance (due to the low content of aluminum) and good stability in spite of the low content of aluminum. Pr.sup.3+ constitutes a good lasing species for amplifying telecommunications signals at 1300 nm using pump radiation at 1020 nm.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to halide glass compositions and more particularly to halozirconate glass compositions which, have good properties as hosts for rare earth elements as lasing dopants.
2. Related Art
It has long be recognised that the rare earth elements display fluorescence and this fluorescence can be utilised in the form of lasing either for the generation of optical signals or for the amplification of optical signals. Usually the lasing species is a trivalent ion of a rare earth element. In particular the trivalent ion Pr.sup.3+ (praseodymium) constitutes a lasing species for providing radiation at 1300nm. This property is of interest because optical telecommunications uses signals at 1300nm and the ion Pr.sup.3+ is capable of amplifying such signals by laser action. It will be apparent that, in order to take advantage of this property, it is necessary to provide the active species in a suitable waveguiding structure, eg. a fibre waveguide.
While the element Pr is of particular interest for telecommunications it should be recognised that all the rare earth elements are capable of lasing at a variety of different wavelengths for a variety of different purposes. In other words the lasing properties extend throughout the group of rare elements and there is, therefore, general interest in providing all of the rare earth elements as lasing species in suitable host glasses.
The halide, eg fluoride, glasses have been recognised since 1978 and a wide range of compositions have been reported and their properties studied. It has been recognised that the halide glasses form good hosts for the rare earth elements as lasing species but the identification and selection of compositions having favourable properties remains difficult. In particular the prior art has failed to identify the glass compositions capable of lasing at 1300 nm with sufficient efficiency for use in telecommunications networks. This invention relates to compositions which have good properties. It is now convenient to discuss the properties of the class required in a lasing device such as a fibre amplifier. These properties will be considered under three different headings.
General Glass Properties
It is important that all glasses shall remain in the glass state, ie. they shall not devirtify under condition of use. It is also important that the glasses shall not be subject to crystallisation which might be considered as incipient devitrification. In addition it is also necessary that the compositions shall be suitable for use in glass forming and further processing. In particular it is necessary that a composition be stable in the melt, that it shall be capable of withstanding practical cooling rates and the conditions necessary for fibre forming, eg. during the pulling of a fibre preform into a fibre. It will also be apparent that chemical stability of the various glass components is important, eg it is desirable to avoid water soluble ingredients and, even more important, to avoid hygroscopic ingredients.
Attenuation
Lasing devices usually include waveguiding structures and it is clearly important to avoid unnecessary attenuation of either the signal wavelength or the pump wavelength. The requirement for low attenuation means that it is desirable to avoid components which have unnecessarily high absorptions at wavelengths of interest. It is also necessary to avoid scatter which emphasises some of the fundamental glass properties, ie. that the glass shall not form crystals even on a small scale.
Host Properties
It also appears that there is interaction between the host glass and the lasing species. For example, the lasing species may undergo what is often called "non-radiative decay". This implies that the lasing species looses energy other than by the intended lasing transitions. Non-radiative decay represents a loss of energy and it is, therefore, an undesirable effect. It appears that the host glass may participate in non-radiative decay either in the sense that it may assist this undesired effect or help to inhibit it. Nevertheless, whatever the reason, it is established that the host glass can affect the efficiency of the lasing process and it is desirable to select the host so as to achieve good lasing efficiencies.
The hosting properties of the glass appear to have substantial effects upon the efficiency of a laser, eg. the ratio of signal power output to pump power input. This efficiency is of substantial importance in telecommunications because it may define the available gain of an amplifier. In experimental work, it is often convenient to utilise the lifetime of the excited state as a measure of the efficiency; the two quantities can be regarded as proportional to one another. In some theoretical papers it is considered that the multi-phonon absorption of the host affects the lifetime of the excited state and hence the efficiency of lasers based thereon.
It is important to recognise that the selection of a lasing composition, and especially the host glass, must take into account all of these features. Thus it is not necessarily appropriate to select ingredients solely on the basis of their effect upon the lasing performance if these components are liable to give rise to glass instability and high attenuations (which high attenuations may be the result of glass instability). In other words, selecting on the basis of one desirable feature is unlikely to produce acceptable results if this selection is accompanied by adverse effects.
It has been mentioned that the prior art has disclosed and evaluated a very wide range of different halide (fluoride) glasses. This range includes a well recognised group usually known as fluorozirconates. This sub-group of fluoride glasses has been recognised because its members perform well in respect of all of the above features. The chemical composition of the fluorozirconate glasses will now be described.
The major component is ZrF4 which usually constitutes about 40-65 mole % of the total composition. In some variants the content of ZrF4 is reduced in order to adjust the refractive index, eg. by incorporating PbF2 or HfF2. (Refractive index adjustment is important in the design of waveguiding structures). A fluorozirconate composition usually contains about 10-39, eg. 15-25, mole % of an alkali metal fluoride, usually NaF. In addition, the composition often contains a substantial amount, eg. 10-mole % of BaF2 with smaller amounts, eg. 2-6 mole %, of LaF3 and AlF3. It is emphasised that the halide content of a fluorozirconate glass is entirely fluoride. In the case of a lasing composition, the fluorozirconate host will also contain up to 4 wt % of the cation of a rare earth metal, eg 0.001 to 0.1 wt % (ie 10-1000 ppm. wt) of Pr.sup.3+.

British Telecommunications public limited company


The present invention provides a start developer wherein an output voltage of a sensor in the start developer having a particular toner density is not less than 0.9 times an output voltage of the sensor in a developer having the same toner density in a time period during which image characteristics are stabilized after repeating image formation by an image forming apparatus and is less than a threshold value at which the supply of toner is started and a method of controlling the toner density using the start developer. According to the present invention, good images can be always formed irrespective of the variation in characteristics between sensors in image forming apparatuses and from the early stage of image formation to the stable time period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a two-component start developer having toner and a carrier mixed with each other in a predetermined ratio which is used for an image forming apparatus utilizing a so-called electrophotographic method such as an electrostatic copying machine or a laser beam printer and a method of controlling the toner density in forming images usint the start developer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In this electrophotographic method, a photoreceptor is first exposed to form an electrostatic latent image on its surface. A developer containing toner is then brought into contact with this electrostatic latent image, to develop this electrostatic latent image into a toner image. This toner image is transferred to the surfaces of paper sheets from the surface of the photoreceptor and is fixed to the surfaces of the paper sheets by, for example, applying pressure and heat.
As the developer used in the above described electrophotographic method, a two-component developer containing toner and a carrier is generally used. The carrier is made of a magnetic material such as ferrite powder and circulates in a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image into a toner image with the toner being electrostatically adsorbed thereon.
A developer first used in newly manufacturing an image forming apparatus utilizing the above described electrophotographic method or after maintenance such as repair and a check of the image forming apparatus is one having toner and a carrier mixed with each other in a predetermined ratio according to the conditions such as the image densities of images, which is referred to as a start developer.
In the start developer, the image density of an image in the early stage of image formation and the amount of charge based on, for example, the presence or absence of occurrence of scattering of toner at the time of image formation are defined in addition to the above described mixing ratio of the toner to the carrier.
However, there have been conventionally problems irrespective of the above described definition that the image formed is fogged, the toner is scattered in the image formed and the image forming apparatus, and the resolution of the image formed is decreased in addition to the problem that the image density is significantly lowered as shown in FIG. 8 from the early stage of image formation to a time period during which image characteristics are stabilized (referred to as "stable time period" hereinafter) after repeating image formation approximately 3000 times.
Furthermore, when the same type of start developers are used for a plurality of image forming apparatuses, there is a problem that the degree of occurrence of defects such as fogging varies in addition to the problem that the image density varies for each image forming apparatus as image formation is repeated.
The inventors of the present application have found the following cause and effect relation between the start developer and inferior images as a result of examining the causes of occurrence of various defects from the early stage of image formation to the stable time period from various viewpoints.
More specifically, the toner density (T/D %) of the developer and an output voltage (V) of a magnetic sensor in measuring the permeability of the developer by the magnetic sensor are in the relation represented by a solid line in a graph of FIG. 7(a) (referred to as T/D-V characteristics hereinafter). In the conventional image forming apparatus, therefore, the permeability of the developer is measured by the sensor and the toner density is estimated from a carve of the T/D-V characteristics to control the supply of toner. That is, in this image forming apparatus, operations are programmed so as to judge that the toner density of the developer is below a predetermined value when the output voltage of the sensor exceeds a threshold value V.sub.T at which the supply of toner is started to automatically supply toner.
Meanwhile, the above threshold value V.sub.T corresponds to the output voltage of the sensor in a case where the toner density of a developer in the stable time period is D.sub.b, as shown in FIG. 7(a). When the developer having a toner density of D.sub.b in the stable time period is used, it is found that an image having an image density I.sub.T is obtained from the relation between the toner density (T/D %) of the developer and the image density (ID) of an image transferred to a paper sheet (referred to as T/D-ID characteristics hereinafter) which is represented by a solid line in a graph of FIG. 7(b).
In a conventional start developer, however, the output voltage of the sensor is slightly higher or lower than that in the developer in the stable time period, so that some shift may occur between the toner density analogized from the T/D-V characteristic curve and the actual toner density. Particularly when a start developer is used in which the output voltage of the sensor is lower than that in a developer in the stable time period and the T/D-V characteristic curve is shifted on a lower voltage side from the T/D-V characteristic curve in the developer in the staple time period (represented by the solid line in FIG. 7(a)), as represented by a two-dot and dash line in FIG. 7(a), the above described defects such as lack of image density, fogging, scattering of toner and decrease in resolution are liable to occur.
The foregoing will be described in more detail.
More specifically, consider a case where the start developer in which the T/D-V characteristic curve is shifted on the lower voltage side from the T/D-V characteristic curve in the developer in the stable time period is used as described above. In this case, if toner is consumed, the toner density of the developer is gradually decreased from D.sub.a which is its initial value and correspondingly, the output voltage of the sensor is gradually increased from V.sub.S which is its initial value along the T/D-V characteristic curve represented by the two-dot and dash line. When image formation is repeated approximately 100 times, the output voltage of the sensor reaches the above described threshold value V.sub.T at which the supply of toner is started.
However, the actual toner density of the developer in which the output voltage of the sensor reaches the threshold value V.sub.T is decreased to D.sub.c which is lower than the toner density D.sub.b in the developer in the stable time period because there is some shift between the T/D-V characteristic curve (represented by the two-dot and dash line) in the start developer and the T/D-V characteristic curve (represented by the solid line) in the developer in the stable time period.
Moreover, in this start developer, a curve of T/D-ID characteristics is also shifted to the side of a lower image density (on the lower side in FIG. 7(b)) from the T/D-ID characteristic curve (represented by the solid line in FIG. 7(b)) in the developer in the stable time period, as represented by a two-dot dash line in FIG. 7(b).
Consequently, the image density significantly drops, as indicated by an arrow represented by a two-dot and dash line in FIG. 7(b), resulting in lack of image density.
Furthermore, the toner density of the start developer has been conventionally set to a higher value D.sub.a such that an image having a predetermined image density (I.sub.T as described above) can be obtained at the time of starting the use of the developer, as represented by the two-dot and dash lines in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b). Consequently, excessive toner exists in the developer in the early stage of image formation, as compared with the developer having a toner density of D.sub.b at which an image having the same image density I.sub.T can be obtained in the stable time period. Consequently, fogging, scattering of toner and the like occur and the resolution is decreased due to the excessive toner.
After the output voltage of the sensor reaches the above described threshold value V.sub.T, the following pattern is repeated. More specifically, toner is supplied when the output voltage slightly exceeds the threshold value V.sub.T. After the toner is supplied, image formation is repeated. Consequently, the output voltage slightly exceeds the threshold value V.sub.T, so that toner is supplied again. In addition, when image formation is repeated as described above, the T/D-V characteristics in the developer gradually approach the solid line from the two-dot and dash line, in FIG. 7(a).
In this stage, therefore, the output voltage of the sensor and the toner density are shifted, as represented by a zigzag line in FIG. 7(a). Correspondingly, the toner density and the image density are shifted, as represented by a zigzag line in FIG. 7(b), to gradually increase the image density. However, image formation must be repeated approximately 3000 times as described above to a time period during which the T/D-V characteristic curve in the developer coincides with the T/D-V characteristic curve in the developer in the stable time period which is represented by the solid line and the T/D-ID characteristic curve in the developer coincides with the T/D-ID characteristic curve in the developer in the stable time period, that is, the stable time period. Accordingly, during that repetition, the defects such as lack of image density shown in FIG. 8 and fogging continuously occur.
Furthermore, in the shift stage represented by the zigzag lines, a phenomenon occurs that the output voltage of the sensor is not changed irrespective of the gradual increase in the actual toner density. Accordingly, the supply of toner becomes excessive. As a result, occurrence of the defects such as fogging is promoted.
The reason why the image density varies and the degree of occurrence of defects such as fogging varies when the same type of developers are used for a plurality of image forming apparatuses is that there is a variation in characteristics between sensors therein.
More specifically, if there is a variation in characteristics between the sensors, there arises a difference between output voltages of the sensors when developers having the same permeability are measured. Consequently, the above described T/D-V characteristic curve is shifted up and down for each sensor and for each image forming apparatus, as shown in FIG. 9.
In the conventional image forming apparatuses, however, the threshold values V.sub.T have been always set to a constant value irrespective of the above described variation in characteristics between the sensors. Therefore, even if the developers having the same properties are used for a plurality of image forming apparatuses, the actual toner density of the developer in which the output voltage of the sensor reaches the threshold value V.sub.T is shifted for each image forming apparatus. As a result, the image density varies and the degree of occurrence of defects such as fogging varies for each image forming apparatus.

Start developer and method of controlling toner density


The bottom annular end of a vertical collar that extends into the vertical tubular portion of a T-housing and is fastened therein by resilient fingers extending radially outward from the collar, is contacted by a resilient finger of a filter inserted through the collar into the tubular portion, a radially inward extending shoulder in the collar is contacted by the bottom of an annular horizontal plate on the filter, and a liquid level alarm system housing is attached to the outer surface of the vertical tubular portion by a plurality of vertically spaced apart catches or studs received in slots on the alarm system housing, a tapered pipe having a first end fastened to a horizontal exit joint on the T-housing and a second tapered end force fit into an exit pipe of a septic tank.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a T-housing system for a septic tank outlet. More particularly the invention pertains to filter retention within a vertical portion of the T-housing, an adaptor for filter retention, and liquid level sensor mounting on the vertical portion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is described below with respect to FIGS. 1-4.
Tank 20 receives waste 22 from home sinks, toilets, etc. through inlet pipe 24. The waste is digested in the tank so that solids 26 fall to the bottom and liquid exits outlet pipe 34 by flowing upward 28 in the center of filter cartridge 30 within T-housing 32.
In some filter designs the liquid flows upward over the outside of the filter, through the sides of the filter to the center of the filter and from there to the exit pipe. The direction of liquid flow through the sides of the filter has no bearing upon the invention.
Filter cartridge 30 is loaded into the T-housing by removing cover 38 that contains water level sensor 40, and pushing the cartridge down in vertical tube portion 46 of the T-housing by handle 47 until outwardly elastically biased finger 44 snaps outward into exit tube 48 of the T-housing so that the finger 44, latched into exit tube 48, prevents the cartridge from being forced upward and outward of portion 46 by buoyancy of the filter with entrained waste particles and upward flow of the exiting liquid. The filter has an arrow mark on upper plate 50 to indicate to the installer person which way to position the filter about vertical axis 54 so that finger 44 lines up with exit tube 48. It is difficult to line up the filter properly in the field when the upper plate is contaminated with soil, mud, etc. and is being moved down into a subterranean hole.


Provided are a method of forming an oxide thin film using hydrogen peroxide, and a method of fabricating an oxide thin film transistor using hydrogen peroxide. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods of forming an oxide film, including: mixing hydrogen peroxide with a precursor solution in which a precursor material is dissolved in a solvent; applying the precursor solution mixed with the hydrogen peroxide to a substrate; heat treating the substrate.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to methods of forming an oxide thin film and fabricating an oxide thin film transistor by using hydrogen peroxide.
An a-Si:H-based thin film transistor is used as a switching element for a display panel. However, the a-Si:H-based thin film transistor has drawbacks in that mobility and transmittance are low and production costs are high. To this end, an oxide thin film transistor that can achieve high mobility, high transmittance and cost reduction has come to prominence as a next generation switching element.
Such an oxide thin film transistor may be fabricated by using a vacuum evaporation, a printing technique, a solution process, or the like. Among these, the solution process has been introduced as a simplified process technique that may overcome the vacuum evaporation having high cost and low productivity.
However, since the solution process has a high defect occurrence rate in a thin film due to the use of an organic material as an assistant material, the solution process has drawbacks in that electrical performance and operation reliability are reduced. In order to improve the quality and reliability of a thin film, various techniques, such as a heat treatment using ozone, a heat treatment using vacuum, irradiation of ultra violet rays, and the like have been studied, but these techniques have drawbacks in that post-process costs increase and productivity is reduced.

Method of forming oxide thin film and method of fabricating oxide thin film transistor using hydrogen peroxide

Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University


The disclosure relates to an integrated circuit comprising a transistor comprising first and second conduction terminals and a control terminal. The integrated circuit further comprises a stack of a first dielectric layer, a conductive layer, and a second dielectric layer, the first conduction terminal comprising a first semiconductor region formed in the first dielectric layer, the control terminal comprising a second semiconductor region formed in the conductive layer, and the second conduction terminal comprising a third semiconductor region formed in the second dielectric layer.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a vertical bipolar transistor, and a method of fabricating thereof. The disclosure also relates to a memory cell comprising such a transistor.
Description of the Related Art
Resistive random access memory (commonly abbreviated as RRAM or ReRAM) is a type of non-volatile memory wherein data is represented by the resistance value of resistive storage elements, each comprising a resistive material between two metal electrodes. When a voltage is applied across the electrodes, conductive paths appear in the resistive material, causing its resistance value to vary between at least two states. A selection element, such as a diode or transistor, is commonly associated with each storage element for selective access thereto.
FIG. 1 shows a nonvolatile memory MEM comprising an array MA of resistive memory cells MC, M wordlines WLm (WL0 to WLM−1), N bitlines BLn (BL0 to BLN−1), a row decoder RDEC, and a column decoder CDEC. The array MA comprises M×N memory cells MC arranged in rows and columns. Each memory cell MC is coupled to the row decoder RDEC by one wordline WLm and to the column decoder CDEC by one bitline BLn. Each memory cell MC comprises a data storage element SE and a transistor T. The transistor T comprises a control terminal B coupled to a wordline WLm, a first conduction terminal E coupled to ground, and a second conduction terminal C coupled to a first electrode of the corresponding storage element SE. The storage element has a second electrode coupled to a bitline BLn.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the memory cell MC. The transistor T is formed in a semiconductor substrate 1 of a first conductivity type (N, P). The substrate comprises a doped well 2 of a second conductivity type (P, N), a doped region 3 of the first conductivity type formed in the well, and shallow trench isolations 4 on each side of the well 2. For a transistor T of the NPN bipolar junction transistor type, the substrate 1 and the region 3 are N-doped and form conduction terminals (E, C), and the well 2 is P-doped and forms the control terminal (B) of the transistor. The substrate 1 is grounded and the well 2 further forms a wordline WLm for all memory cells formed in the well.
The storage element SE is formed above the top surface of the substrate and comprises a bottom electrode 5-1, a top electrode 5-2, and a resistive material 6 between the electrodes. The bottom electrode 5-1 is coupled by means of a supporting bottom plate 7-1 and a lower contact 8-1 to the doped region 3, and the top electrode 5-2 is coupled by means of a top plate 7-2 and a top contact 8-2 to a conductive path 9, which forms a bitline BLn. Each of the elements 5-1, 5-2, 6, 7-1, 7-2, 8-1, 8-2, 9 is formed in one or more dielectric layers, not shown for the sake of clarity.
FIG. 3 is a top view of four conventional memory cells formed at the intersections of one wordline WLm and four adjacent bitlines, BLn to BLn+3. For the sake of clarity, only the transistors T are shown for each memory cell. A wordline contact 2′ is provided to couple the well 2 to the row decoder RDEC (not shown).
Generally only a small number of memory cells can be formed within a single well, otherwise the series resistance of the well is too high. In order to reduce the resistance, the upper surface of the substrate may be silicided. Nevertheless, such a silicidation process short-circuits the well 2 and the doped regions 3, of opposite conductivity types, unless spacers 10 are previously formed above the junctions of the well 2 and regions 3. However, providing such spacers increases the size of each memory cell, determined by the width d1 and the separation d2 of the spacers 10 in one direction, and the width d3 and the separation d4 of the wells 2 in the other direction.
It may therefore be beneficial to provide a transistor of reduced size.


A digital audio system (20) can include a receiver (24) coupled to an RF modulator (30), a source signal modulated by the RF modulator to provide a modulated signal, and an external antenna (32) for receiving the source signal and for transmitting the modulated signal. The receiver can be a satellite radio receiver or any digital source such as an FM radio or MP3 player for example. The system can further include a coupling network (26) coupled between the receiver and the external antenna and between the RF modulator and the external antenna. The system can further include an internal antenna (34) coupled to the RF modulator for radiating the modulated signal via a second path. The digital audio system can be a satellite digital audio radio system for a vehicle 31 with the external antenna placed outside the vehicle and the internal antenna placed inside the vehicle.

Satellite radio operators are providing digital radio broadcast services covering the entire continental United States. These services offer over 120 channels, of which nearly 50 channels in a typical configuration provides music with the remaining stations offering news, sports, talk and data channels. Briefly, the service provided by XM Satellite Radio includes a satellite X-band uplink to two satellites which provide frequency translation to the S-band for re-transmission to radio receivers on earth within a coverage area. Radio frequency carriers from one of the satellites are also received by terrestrial repeaters. The content received at the repeaters is retransmitted at a different S-band carrier to the same radios that are within their respective coverage areas. These terrestrial repeaters facilitate reliable reception in geographic areas where LOS reception from the satellites is obscured by tall buildings, hills, tunnels and other obstructions. The signals transmitted by the satellites and the repeaters are received by SDARS receivers which can be located in automobiles, in handheld or in stationary units for home or office use. The SDARS receivers are designed to receive one or both of the satellite signals and the signals from the terrestrial repeaters and combine or select one of the signals as the receiver output.
Existing FM radio receivers or other customized FM radio receivers can be retrofitted to receive the satellite digital radio broadcast and enable one to listen to the programming via an unused FM frequency using an RF modulator. As shown in FIG. 1, an audio system 3 can include an FM modulator 5 that is connected to a head unit 6 (via an FM switch) and corresponding FM antenna 6 via a coaxial cable or transmission line 9 to enable a full frequency response. To receive the satellite digital audio radio transmission, the audio system 3 further requires a satellite antenna 4 and an antenna module 2 coupled to a satellite receiver 1 via another coaxial cable or transmission line 8. The required cabling in an automotive environment for such a set up as shown in FIG. 1 can be a little cumbersome and involve additional cost in terms additional wiring. Currently, satellite radios must either be permanently installed in vehicles or connected to a car stereo via the cassette deck. Permanent installation is costly and requires professional installation, which is unattractive to many consumers. Moreover, many vehicles do not have cassette decks. Thus, a need exists for a way to eliminate additional cabling when retrofitting or initially installing a radio system to receive a source signal such as a satellite digital audio radio signal or other digital source signal.
Furthermore, vehicles come in various configurations and various factory installed antenna arrangements. Since the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) requires that an FM modulated signal radiating a source signal must be below a predetermined power level, the effective arrangements for wirelessly re-broadcasting a source signal via an FM modulator are limited. There are currently no existing FM modulator arrangements that can effectively cover all the existing FM antenna arrangements for automobiles unless cumbersome cabling or wiring is used. For example, automobile FM receive antennas can be embedded in a front or rear windshield which can possibly receive a internally radiated FM modulated signal without cabling, but will likely fail to reach a common external FM receive antenna. If a externally radiated FM modulated signal is provided without cabling to a common external FM receive antenna, placement will be critical due to the low power requirements. In the scenario of a satellite digital audio radio system where an external satellite antenna is required, no existing FM modulation scheme is suitable for all existing arrangements of automobile FM receivers unless additional cabling is provided.

Method and apparatus for wirelessly coupling a source signal to a radio frequency receiver


The invention relates to tumour therapy. In one aspect, the present invention relates to conjugates of a toxin and a target-binding moiety, e.g. an antibody, which are useful in the treatment of cancer. In particular, the toxin is an amatoxin, and the target-binding moiety is preferably directed against tumour-associated antigens. In particular, the amatoxin is conjugated to the antibody by linker moieties. In particular the linker moieties are covalently bound to functional groups located in positions of the amatoxin proved as preferred positions for the attachment of linkers with respect to optimum antitumor activity. In a further aspect the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such target-binding moiety toxin conjugates and to the use of such target-binding moiety toxin conjugates for the preparation of such pharmaceutical compositions. The target-binding moiety toxin conjugates and pharmaceutical compositions of the invention are useful for the treatment of cancer.

Antibody therapy has been established for the targeted treatment of patients with cancer, immunological and angiogenic disorders. The use of antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), i. e. immunoconjugates, for the local delivery of cytotoxic or cytostatic agents, i.e. drugs to kill or inhibit tumor cells in the treatment of cancer theoretically allows targeted delivery of the drug moiety to tumors, and intracellular accumulation therein, where systemic administration of these unconjugated drug agents may result in unacceptable levels of toxicity to normal cells as well as the tumor cells sought to be. Maximal efficacy with minimal toxicity is sought thereby. Efforts to design and refine ADC have focused on the selectivity of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as well as drug-linking and drug-releasing properties. Both polyclonal antibodies and monoclonal antibodies have been reported as useful in these strategies.

Amatoxin-armed therapeutic cell surface binding components designed for tumour therapy


A combination magazine rack and toilet paper dispenser is provided including a magazine holder having a rectangular configuration with a front face, a rear face, a bottom face, and a pair of side faces defining an interior space and an open top for releasably receiving a plurality of magazines therein. Further provided is a radio having a housing coupled to the magazine holder for emitting signals received via free space. Also included is a toilet paper dispensing assembly having a pair of elongated retaining members coupled to the bottom face of the housing of the radio and depending downwardly therefrom. A tube is removably coupled between bottom ends of the retaining members for allowing the removable coupling of a roll of toilet paper thereto.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination magazine rack and toilet paper dispenser and more particularly pertains to conveniently storing a plurality of magazines adjacent to a toilet paper dispenser.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of toilet paper dispensers is known in the prior art. More specifically, toilet paper dispensers heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of dispensing toilet tissue are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,105 to Cooker; U.S. Pat. Des. 247,077 to Gruber; U.S. Pat. Des. 286,330 to Sussman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,759 to Webber; U.S. Pat. Des. 308,612 to Cuevas; and U.S. Pat. Des. 267,607 to Peabody et al.
In this respect, the combination magazine rack and toilet paper dispenser according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of storing a plurality of magazines adjacent to a toilet paper dispenser.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved combination magazine rack and toilet paper dispenser which can be used for storing a plurality of magazines adjacent to a toilet paper dispenser. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Combination magazine rack and toilet paper dispenser


Polymers of (N-lower alkyl)dimethylglytarimide or (N-hydrogen)-dimethylglutarimide are resistant to molecular weight degradation and yellowing on exposure to heat and ultraviolet or visible light by inclusion of a hindered piperazinone stabilizer.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,374 discloses thermally stable polyglutarimide polymers which are useful as clear glazing or protective materials and have acceptable impact and modulus properties with a higher service temperature than other clear thermoplastics. U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,117 discloses polyglutarimides of improved chemical resistance, including water resistance, miscibility, and melt flow.
Poly(glutarimides) are among the best thermoplastics in resistance to weathering. However, they exhibit surface degradation on exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or from artificial light sources that causes cracking or crazing of the polymer surface, eventually affecting appearance, transparency and resistance to impact. Conventional ultra-violet (UV) stabilizers absorbing in the spectral range of the damaging ultraviolet radiation (ca. 300 nm wavelength) have proved effective in stabilizing samples not exposed to high temperatures, including stabilization of the interior of the polymer specimen.
Polygutarimides are used, for example, in the protection of high intensity discharge lamps, such as those used in street lamps, automotive lighting, and the like. Such lamps generate large amounts of heat and emit a portion of their radiation in the UV spectrum. Since it is often desirable to use as small a lamp enclosure as possible, a plastic protective unit for the lamp is designed so as to operate at as high a temperature as possible consistent with the maintenance of the plastic's shape and modulus. Poly(methyl methacrylate), otherwise a good choice for stability and clarity, fails because the service temperature is too low, and polycarbonate, which has adequate service temperature, fails because it cannot be readily stabilized against UV light.
Polyglutarimides, especially those with a high proportion of (N-methyl) dimethylglutarimide mers, exhibit adequate thermal stability up to at least about 15.degree. C. below the glass temperature. It is desirable to extend their stability to ultraviolet exposure, to lower the cost and extend the timing for replacement, especially as many potential uses are in installations difficult to access, such as street lights and the like.
Stabilization of polyglutarimides against these severe conditions may be accomplished with conventional UV stabilizers, such as benzotriazoles, but amounts exceeding one weight percent often are required, adding additional cost. It is known to stabilize methyl methacrylate polymers with hindered amine stabilizers which do not absorb in the sun-tanning wave length to prepare protective covers for ultra-violet lamps in sun-tanning baths. European Patent Application No. 90/3045557 discloses the use of certain types of hindered amine stabilizers, and benzotriazoles, and phosphorous anti-oxidants in polyglutarimides as especially effective against UV degradation, particularly under conditions of thermal stress. U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,774 discloses the use of a piperidine hindered amine light stabilizer in combination with a benzotriazole UV absorber in polyglutarimides.
None of these references teaches the stabilizing effect, particularly at relatively high use temperatures, imparted by the hindered piperazinone stabilizers in glutarimide polymers of the present invention, nor does any teach that the hindered piperazinone stabilizer may be used as the sole stabilizer in glutarimide polymers.
It is an object of this invention to provide stabilized polymer compositions which have reduced surface molecular weight degradation on exposure to ultraviolet or visible light, which exposure leads to surface crazing, especially at temperatures near the glass temperature of the polymer. Other objects are to provide a stabilizer which significantly reduces formation of color of the stabilized polymer on weathering; which is stable within the stabilized polymer to exposure to weather conditions such as rain, hail, sleet, and snow; that stabilizes against loss of polymer properties related to molecular weight, such as toughness; and which is useful at relatively low and economical levels. Another object is to provide a stabilized composition of poly(N-lower alkyl) dimethyl glutarimide or poly(N-hydrogen) dimethylglutarimide polymer useful in the manufacture of protective housings for lamps. It is a further object to provide a stabilizer with superior thermal stability and lower volatility, both properties being important for effective stabilization in improved high temperature applications using glutarimide polymers.


An electrical box extender with a grounding strap which includes an extender having a perimeter wall section and an integral bendable grounding strap connected to the wall section, wherein the grounding strap extends from the wall section and has a remote end that includes a spade or lug connector for attaching to a ground.

The use of grounded electrical boxes (also referred to herein as electrical outlet boxes or outlet boxes) for housing electrical devices and connecting wires is well known in the prior art. In new construction, an outlet box is typically attached to a wall stud and the front face of the box extends beyond the stud so that it will be flush with the surface of the wall. The box is then connected to a ground. For example, when the wall is formed from one-half inch thick sheet rock, the face of the box extends approximately one-half inch beyond the stud. When a receptacle is installed in the box and a cover plate attached, the cover plate lies flat on the surface of the wall.
However, the thickness of the wall can sometimes change when a new wall covering is installed over an existing wall. In these cases, the front face of an existing electrical box will not be flush with the new wall surface. In order to modify the boxes to fit the new wall thickness, a switch box extender must be attached to the box. Typically, the extender is made from sheet metal and it is attached to the front face of an existing metal outlet box so that the front face of the extender is flush with the surface of the new wall covering. Generally, no provision is made for grounding the extender.
When an extender is attached to an electrical box, the extender is ungrounded, except for the electrical ground path formed by the walls of the extender contacting the walls of the outlet box. This is not a reliable ground for the extender because the walls of the extender do not always tightly contact the outlet box to provide a continuous electrical connection. Presently, the electrical codes do not require the extenders to be grounded to the outlet box. Accordingly, the extenders that are being used do not have any provisions for grounding to the outlet box. Therefore, a reliable means of grounding the extender to the electrical box is needed. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a mounting bracket which allows for the use of a standard electrical box in old work or cut-in applications.