The present invention aims to solve problems caused in forming multiple images on the same transfer sheet in response to an original by using black toner and color toner, and prevents a shade of the original from being developed by the color toner which results in the indistinct copy image. To this end, according to the present invention, an area developed by the color toner is made narrower than an area developed by the black toner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system such as an electrophotographic copying machine, and more particularly, it relates to a multi-color image forming system for effecting the multi-color printing. More specifically, the present invention relates to a multi-color image forming system wherein a multi-color image is formed with at least two colors during one copy cycle, by forming a first electrostatic latent image on a uniformly charged electrostatic latent image bearing member by the first exposure, and then by developing the electrostatic latent image with developer (referred to as "toner" hereinafter) as a first toner image, then by charging the image bearing member again, then by forming a second electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member by the second exposure, and then by developing the second latent image with toner having the different color from the first one as a second toner image.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, electrophotographic and electrostatic image forming systems have been used terminal printers of information processing equipments such as a computer, facsimile, CAD and the like. Such a printer can obtain a record image by writing an information signal on a photosensitive member as an electrostatic latent image bearing member by a laser beam, LED, LCD or the like, then by visualizing the information signal as a toner image by a developing device, then by transferring the toner image onto a transfer sheet, and then by fixing the transferred image to the transfer sheet by a fixing device. In the past, the record image was usually a mono-color image.
However, recently, since the record images have been more clear and the information could have been more easily understood, printers which can obtain a color record image having two or more colors (for example, can indicate calculated values and data values with a color different from a color of the format or can indicate a portion of an image outputted by the CAD with a color different from a color of the other image) have been requested. Such electrophotographic apparatuses which can obtain the color image having two or more colors are mainly divided into the type that an image portion is exposed (here, "image exposure" wherein the light is applied to portions corresponding to dark portions of an original image) and then is subjected to the reversal development (referred to as "image exposure/reversal development type" hereinafter) and the type that a non-image portion in exposed (background exposure) and is subjected to the normal development (referred to as "background exposure/normal development type" hereinafter).
First of all, the image exposure/reversal development type will briefly be explained with reference to FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the reference numeral 1 denotes a drum-shaped (or belt-shaped) photosensitive member as an image bearing member rotated in a direction shown by the arrow a in FIG. 4 and having a photoconductive layer made of amorphous silicone or the like. Incidentally, the change in surface potential of the photosensitive member (photosensitive body) during the following steps is shown in FIGS. 6 to 11. First of all, the photosensitive member 1 is uniformly charged to for example+400 volts (FIG. 6) by a first charger 2, and then is exposed by the first image exposure 3.
The first exposure 3 is effected by a first laser beam emitted from a first semi-conductor laser 11 as a light source and modulated in response to a first image signal. The first laser beam is polarized by a polygonal mirror 13 rotated at a constant number of rotation by a motor 14 and then passes through a focusing lens 15 to reach a reflection mirror 16. Then, the first laser beam reflected by the reflection mirror 16 luster-scans the surface of the photosensitive member 1, so that the surface potential of the exposed portion is attenuated to for example +100 volts (FIG. 7), thereby forming a first latent image.
The first latent image is developed by a first developing device 4, for example, containing black one-component magnetic toner charged positively. A first reversal development of the first latent image is effected by applying to the first developing device 4 a bias voltage obtained for example by overlapping a DC voltage of +340 V to an AC voltage of 2000 Hz, 1300 Vpp (FIG. 8). The potential of a first toner image T1 (FIG. 8) formed in this way becomes about +200 volts since it is increased by the toner charge by about +100 volts.
After the first reversal development, the photosensitive member 1 is charged again by a second charger 5, thereby increasing the potential of the first toner image to +420 volts, for example (FIG. 9). Then, the photosensitive member 1 is exposed by the second exposure 6. The second exposure 6 is effected by a second laser beam emitted from a second semiconductor laser 12 as a light source and modulated in response to a second image signal. The second laser beam is polarized by a rotating polygonal mirror 13 and then passes through a focusing lens 15 to luster-scan the surface of the photosensitive member 1, so that the potential of the exposed portion is attenuated to for example +60 volts (FIG. 10), thereby forming a second latent image.
The second latent image is developed by a second developing device 7, for example, containing red one-component non-magnetic toner charged positively. A second reversal development of the second latent image is effected by applying to the second developing device 7 a bias voltage obtained for example by overlapping a DC voltage of +400 V to an AC voltage of 1600 Hz, 1300 Vpp (FIG. 8), thereby forming a second toner image T2 (FIG. 11).
The two different color toner images T1, T2 formed on the photosensitive member 1 in this way are transferred onto a transfer sheet P by a transfer device 8 and then are fixed to the transfer sheet by a fixing device 9. On the other hand, the residual toner remaining on the photosensitive member 1 is removed and collected by a cleaning device 10.
Next, the background/normal development type will be explained also with reference to FIG. 4. Incidentally, the change in surface potential of the photosensitive member 1 during the following steps is shown in FIGS. 12 to 17.
In this background/normal development type, after the photosensitive member 1 is uniformly charged to for example +400 volts by a first charger 2 (FIG. 12), a non-image portion is exposed by the first exposure 3. The first exposure 3 is effected by a first laser beam emitted from a first semi-conductor laser 11 as a light source and modulated in response to a first image signal. The first laser beam is polarized by a polygonal mirror 13 rotated at a constant number of rotations by a motor 14 and then passes through a focusing lens 15 to reach a reflection mirror 16. Then, the first laser beam reflected by the reflection mirror 16 luster-scans the surface of the photosensitive member 1, so that the surface potential of the exposed portion is attenuated to for example +40 volts (FIG. 13), thereby forming a first reversal latent image.
The first latent image is developed by a first developing device 4, for example, containing black one-component magnetic toner charged negatively. A first normal development of the first latent image is effected by applying to the first developing device 4 a bias voltage obtained for example by overlapping a DC voltage of +110 V to an AC voltage of 2000 Hz, 1300 Vpp (FIG. 14). The potential of a first toner image T1 (FIG. 14) formed in this way becomes about +320 volts since it is decreased by the toner charge by about +80 volts.
After the first normal development, the photosensitive member 1 is charged again by a second charger 5, thereby increased the potential of the first toner image to +420 volts, for example (FIG. 15). Then, the photosensitive member 1 is exposed by the second exposure 6. The second exposure 6 is effected by a second laser beam emitted from a second semiconductor laser 12 as a light source and modulated in response to a second image signal. The second laser beam is polarized by a rotating polygonal mirror 13 and then passes through a focusing lens 15 to luster-scan the surface of the photosensitive member 1, so that the potential of the exposed portion is attenuated to for example +40 volts (FIG. 16), thereby forming a second reversal latent image.
The second latent image is developed by a second developing device 7, for example, containing red one-component non-magnetic toner charged negatively. A second normal development of the second latent image is effected by applying to the second developing device 7 a bias voltage obtained for example by overlapping a DC voltage of +150 V to an AC voltage of 1600 Hz, 1300 Vpp (FIG. 17), thereby forming a second toner image T2.
The two different color toner images T1, T2 formed on the photosensitive member 1 in this way are simultaneously transferred onto a transfer sheet P by a transfer device 8 and then are fixed to the transfer sheet by a fixing device 9. On the other hand, the residual toner remaining on the phtosensitive member 1 is removed and collected by a cleaning device 10.
It is surely possible to obtain the two color image according to the above-mentioned exposure/development types. However, as a result that the image was obtained by the above conventional exposure/development technique, it was found that, at the peripheral zone of the copied or formed image, the color toner was adhered at areas where any images should not have exist essentially, with the result that the copied two color image was not distinct. Such indistinct image was formed not only by the reversal development but also by the normal development. Several reasons seems to be considered. For example, particularly, in case of a thicker original, when the original rested on an original support is read by a scanner to convert image information into an image signal, a shade is likely to occur at a peripheral area of the original, with the result that the shade is also converted into the image signal (particularly, although depending upon color discriminating techniques, such shade is likely to be discriminated as a color signal). If the color toner is adhered to the peripheral zone of the image, the image will be indistinct considerably.


The present invention relates to the removal of subsurface contaminants and methods of using same. In more particular, but not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to an integrated method for remediating subsurface contaminants through the use of a low concentration surfactant solution (and methods of making and using novel surfactant solutions) followed by an abiotic polishing process to thereafter achieve a substantially reduced subsurface contaminant concentration that surfactant flushing alone cannot achieve. The present invention is focused on remediation of high viscosity hydrocarbons, such as heating oils or coal tars, with a combination of pre-injection of bio-co-solvent and surfactant (and polymer) flush approach.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the removal of subsurface contaminants and methods of using same, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, the presently claimed and disclosed invention(s) relate to an integrated method for remediating subsurface contaminants through the use of a low concentration surfactant solution (and methods of making and using novel surfactant solutions) followed by an abiotic polishing process to thereafter achieve a substantially reduced subsurface contaminant concentration that surfactant flushing alone cannot achieve. Additionally, the surfactant solution alone can be used to achieve a substantially reduced subsurface contaminant concentration. Finally, the presently claimed and disclosed invention(s) include the use of a biodegradable co-solvent capable of substantially reducing subsurface contaminants having a viscosity of from 50-1500 cp and/or a low aqueous solubility.
2. Background Information Relating to the Invention
Surfactant enhanced subsurface remediation (SESR) is a unique technology for expediting subsurface remediation of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). Studies known to those in the art have previously evaluated the SESR technology in both laboratory scale studies and field scale demonstration studies. Traditionally, the surfactant system in SESR (typically an anionic or nonionic surfactant), is designed to remove organic contaminants (including chlorinated solvents) from contaminated soil. Surfactant systems significantly increase the solubility of hydrophobic organic compounds and, if properly designed and controlled, also significantly increase the mobility of NAPLS. A significantly reduced remediation time thereby results, as well as increased removal efficiency (up to 3 or 4 orders of magnitude) and reduced cost of NAPL removal through use of surfactant system for subsurface remediation.
Surfactant flushing solutions, typically, can be designed to be effective under most subsurface conditions. In most cases, the effectiveness of the surfactant flushing solutions is not reduced due to the presence of more than one contaminant. Naturally-occurring divalent cations and salts may affect the performance of certain surfactants, as well as the removal efficiency for cationic heavy metals. It is possible, however, to design an effective surfactant system for removal of the target contaminants under any of these conditions. A number of factors influence the overall performance and cost effectiveness of SESR systems. These factors include: local ground water chemistry; soil chemistry (e.g. sorption, precipitation); ability to deliver the surfactant solution to the area of contamination; surfactant effects on biodegradation of the NAPL compounds as well as degradation of the surfactants; public and regulatory acceptance; cost of the surfactant; recycle and reuse of the surfactant, if necessary; and treatment and disposal of waste streams. Bench scale tests (treatability studies) must be conducted on site specific soils and NAPL (if available) to ensure the optimal system is selected for a particular site.
Surfactant flushing can remove a large portion of the mass of subsurface contaminant liquid. In general, it is not expected that surfactant flushing alone will have a high probability of reducing the subsurface contaminant concentration to a level necessary to allow the site to be considered "remediated." Therefore, a treatment train (or integrated) approach is necessary to speed up or achieve the closure of the site. It is to such an integrated approach involving a pre-selected surfactant solution flush coupled with an abiotic oxidation polishing step and methods thereof that the presently disclosed and claimed invention(s) is directed.
Typically, the viscosities of contaminants or NAPLs are between one to ten centipoises (cp, or 10−2 g cm−1sec−1) and, in some occasions, they may reach tens up to one hundred centipoises. Prior art (crude) oil recovery industries that used surfactant flushing for removal of highly viscous oils would generally apply a polymer solution (or so called "polymer drive") in order to increase the sweep efficiency and oil recovery from the porous media and/or soils. Other generally known methods involve the addition of heat to reduce the oil viscosity, or the injection of foam in order to gain better mobility control to achieve higher oil recovery.
Such generally known methods are limited with respect to recovering significant amounts of complex viscous liquid contaminants, such as coal tars (commonly found at former manufactured gas plants), heating oils, bunker oils, creosotes (used as wood preservatives), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and motor oils. Some of these complex waste oils might contain tens to hundreds of different compounds. Unfortunately, these complex wastes found at contaminated sites could also sometimes reach viscosities of from 50 to 1500 cp. In addition to these high viscosities, the low aqueous solubility of these complex organic fluids also poses a significant challenge for any attempt to remediate the impacted soil and groundwater.
Therefore, an improved surfactant flushing system is herein claimed and disclosed that is capable of substantially reducing the subsurface contamination of complex viscous NAPLS.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

In-situ surfactant and chemical oxidant flushing for complete remediation of contaminants and methods of using same


A data processing system (CAR), particularly a smart card coupled to a communication device (MOB), communicating with a remote entity (OP). The data processing system has a location for storing a file (F) which can be downloaded from said remote entity, A program (GS) of the data processing system performs the following steps: before performing data correction in the system, a checking step in which said program (GS) checks whether a file (F) has been downloaded, if such a file (F) is present, the program (GS) modifies the application (APP) on the basis of the data stored in the file (F).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention deals with a method to correct data in a data processing system remotely. The example chosen to illustrate the invention is that of the smartcard, particularly a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card coupled to a Portable object (Mobile phone, PDA, etc.).
Generally, this invention can be applied to all the smart card industry and not only the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) industry. That means for all other smart cards product with an Over The Air system or any smart card product with a remote system management.
The invention will be very useful to new business proposals regarding maintenance system.
2. Description of the Related Art
GSM SIM Card manufacturers face a big issue when they have to deal with defect corrections on cards that are already on the field. They provide from thousands up to millions of card to Telecommunications operators. They also provide various kinds of applications with various level of complexity.
Sometimes, even after a long integration and validation phase, a problem is discovered on some of these applications when they are already on the field.
A correction of these defects is very painful for the Telecommunication operators and Card manufacturer industry. Because they have to deal with a huge number of cards, it will always cost a lot of money to correct the defects, even if the problem is minor. In many situations, the cost is so prohibitive that no correction can be done.
A smart card is based on a chip. In the heart of this chip, more particularly in a ROM (Read Only Memory), Card manufacturers put their operating system called "hardmask", and load their applications on a EEPROM (Electrically Erasable programmable Read Only Memory). These applications can be a mix of "softmask" and applets.
A mask is a software dedicated for a smart card microcontroller.
Once the applications are loaded on the card and when the personalization is done, the card is locked. At that time no more softmask applications can be downloaded. With a Java smartcard it is possible to download another applet but the previous one has to be deleted entirely. Cards are released on the field and no further correction can be done. Only smartcard file system management (creation or deletion) is possible with the Over The Air services.


The method and apparatus of this invention is related to measuring a flow rate of a liquid having a density .rho. from a vessel having an inner cavity and a pouring channel. A flow sensor introduces a first gas flow into the liquid in the cavity at a first position, the inner cavity having a cross-sectional area A.sub.1 at the first position, and a second gas flow into the liquid in the pouring channel at a second position, the pouring channel having a cross-sectional area A.sub.2 at the second position, there being a vertical distance z between the first and second positions. A transducer provides an output signal proportional to a pressure differential p.sub.1 -p.sub.2 between the first and second gas flows. A processor receives the output signal and determines the liquid flow rate m through the pouring channel according to the proportional relation ##EQU1## where g is gravity.

The mass flow rate of liquid being poured from a vessel is an important parameter in a number of processes, such as the casting or the atomization of liquid metals. Improved process control can be provided with an accurate, substantially instantaneous measurement of the liquid metal flow rate poured from the vessel. However, conventional flow rate sensors such as venturi meters, ultrasonic probes, turbine sensors, and vibrating tube mass flow meters are unsuitable for measuring the flow rate of corrosive or high temperature liquids, such as molten metals. Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus for measuring the flow rate of aggressive, corrosive, or high temperature liquids.
To meet this need the National Institute of Standards and Technology has initiated a program to develop a method and apparatus utilizing an eddy current sensor for measuring the flow rate of liquid metal. For example, see "Eddy Current Liquid Metal Flow Rate Sensor," L. C. Phillips, A. H. Kahn, NIST/Industrial Consortium on Intelligent Processing of Rapidly Solidified Metal Powders by Inert Gas Atomization, Semi-Annual Report, Mar. 1 to Aug. 31, 1992, pp. 13-17, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md.
An aspect of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for measuring the flow rate of a liquid from a continuously filled vessel having a pouring channel.
Another aspect of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for measuring the mass flow rate of aggressive, corrosive, or high temperature liquids from a vessel having a pouring channel.

Apparatus and method for measuring the mass flow rate of liquid from a vessel


This disclosure provides a shift register unit comprising an access control module and a shift register module. The access control module is used for controlling access of an input signal and a reset signal. The shift register module is used for outputting the accessed input signal or reset signal under the driving of a clock signal. The access control module comprises a depletion field effect transistor. The shift register unit further comprises a connection control module arranged between the access control module and the shift register module for blocking the connection between the access control module and the shift register module when the shift register module performs outputting. By means of the design of the connection control module in this disclosure, when the shift register unit performs outputting, its high potential leakage path is blocked, so as to reduce the leakage current greatly, and ensure normal output of the shift register unit. This disclosure further provides a gate driving circuit comprising the shift register unit and a display panel comprising the gate driving circuit.

With the development of the panel display, a-Si and p-Si technologies are usually applied in shift register circuits, and the shift register circuits using these technologies serve as the basic units to form a gate driving circuit of a narrow frame display panel with a high resolution. The oxide thin film transistor (TFT), as a very promising semiconductor technology, is simpler than the p-Si process, has a lower cost, and has a higher mobility than the a-Si, therefore, it has more wide application prospects.
However, the oxide TFT is a depletion transistor, while the a-Si and p-Si mentioned above are both enhancement transistors, the gate source voltage-source current characteristics of the two are as shown in FIG. 1 (enhancement type) and FIG. 2 (depletion type) respectively, the vertical axis thereof is the source current, the horizontal axis thereof is the gate source voltage. From FIG. 1 it can be seen that the source current iD is zero when the gate source voltage vGS is zero, which shows that the enhancement transistor is completely turned off when vGS is 0V. However, as for the depletion transistor in FIG. 2, iD is far greater than zero when vGS is 0V; and iD is zero only when vGS is −6V. That is to say, the depletion transistor is still in the turn-on state when vGS is 0V and cannot be turned off. Therefore, when the shift register circuit that can work normally using a-Si or p-Si in the prior art is fabricated using the depletion transistors, since it cannot be turned off normally, the leakage current is relatively large, the circuit cannot work normally.
Specifically, refer to the conventional shift register unit circuit as shown in FIG. 3. When the circuit is fabricated using enhancement transistors, the circuit can work normally, just as shown in the solid line parts in the work timing diagram of the circuit in FIG. 4. However, if the circuit is fabricated using depletion transistors, since the leakage current is too large, such that the potential of the PU point in the figure cannot be held, and the circuit cannot output normally, the circuit fails, as shown in the dotted line parts in FIG. 4.

Shift register unit, gate driving circuit and display panel

CHENGDU BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Present technology is directed to preferred processing and the verification of diagnostic signatures for a plurality of network defect. The disclosed optimization process is based on expressing each Diagnostic Signature as a minimal sum of product Boolean function of associated network commands, followed by ranking of each command reference in the product terms of the Boolean expression as well as each Boolean product terms of the SOP Boolean expressions, and constructing a decision tree based on the provided rankings to thereby determine a minimum set of commands along with an preferred command dispatch sequence for evaluating a Diagnostic Signature. Further aspects include the translation of both the optimization computation (interpretation of network conditions associated with a network defect) and the computed workflow (dispatch of the command) into a series of declarative rules that can be processed by a machine reasoning engine to thereby automate the optimization process.

A network service team generally creates a Diagnostic Signature for each reported network defect. A Diagnostic Signature serves as a signature that identifies a set of network conditions linked to the presence of a network defect or security vulnerability to which a particular network element may be susceptible. The existence of, or susceptibility to, a network defect or a security vulnerability for a network device may be determined by an examination of certain key information with regards to device attributes, operational state, hardware platform, operating system version, and/or any configuration data that may be applied to a particular feature or protocol on a system. This information may be provided in a Diagnostic Signature associated with a particular network defect or security risk. Moreover, Diagnostic Signatures may also be used by a network operator to determine whether an outstanding service request or a network defect reported on a particular network element or customer premise device, corresponds to an already reported network defect. As the volume of network defect signatures increases as a consequence of increasing network size and complexity, the scalable and resource efficient implementation of such network defect technologies becomes a primary concern.

Optimized detection of network defect exposure in network environment


A magnetic recording medium has a substrate and an non-magnetic underlayer formed on the substrate and a magnetic layer formed on the non-magnetic layer. The magnetic layer include a magnetic powder and a binder for binding the magnetic powder on the non-magnetic layer. The binder includes at least a resin component containing at least an aminoquinone structure selected from an aminoquinone structure group shown with formulas (1-1) and (1-2) as a constitutional unit. As the magnetic powder, a metal magnetic powder mainly made of Fe and having a saturation magnetization .sigma.s is used. The magnetic layer has a saturation flux density Bm of 3500 to 5000 G and a coercive force of 1800 to 3000 Oe and a surface roughness SRa of 1 to 10 nm and a thickness of not more than 1.0 .mu.m.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements of coating type magnetic recording mediums, particularly, relates to the magnetic recording mediums suitable for high density digital signal recording without degradation of electromagnetic conversion characteristics and running durability even when the thickness of the magnetic recording medium is reduced.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Recently, as the demand for high density recording increases, the recorded signal wavelength in the magnetic recording is becoming shorter.
Responding to the demand for the high density recording, there has been proposed a coating type magnetic recording medium employing ferromagnetic metal powder and a deposition type magnetic recording medium employing a metal thin layer as a magnetic layer. Between the two types, the coating type magnetic recording medium is more excellent in productivity and has erosion resistance to the oxidation of the magnetic layer.
As to the high density recording, there is a problem regarding the thickness of the magnetic recording medium.
An excessive thickness of the recording medium causes a reduction of an output level in high frequency signals (short wavelength signals) due to a self-demagnetization loss in recording and a thickness loss in reproduction, thus, an overwriting characteristic is also degraded. Accordingly, the recording medium used for the high density digital recording is required to have a small thickness of the. recording layer. In order to provide a thin recording layer, there is proposed a multilayer recording medium having a non-magnetic layer as an underlayer provided under the recording layer.
Further, in order to satisfy the demands for a long playing time of the recording medium along with demands for the size reduction of the apparatus, attempts to reduce an overall thickness and a width of the recording medium are being made.
However, the reduction of the thickness of the recording medium reduces the stiffness of the recording medium thus degrades a head-medium (for instance, a head-tape) contact characteristic, resulting in degradation of the electromagnetic conversion characteristics.
Therefore, there have been proposed a several counter-measures to improve the head-tape contact characteristic.
Exemplarily, in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication S63-191315/1988, there is proposed an improvement of the head-tape contact characteristic by providing a non-magnetic underlayer containing polyisosyanate so that it serves as a cushion.
Further, in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication H4-325917/1992, there is proposed an improvement wherein a thermosetting polyisocyanate is interposed between the non-magnetic underlayer and the magnetic layer. This proposition intends to improve the head-tape contact characteristic by giving a stiffness to the underlayer.
The abovementioned head-tape improvement methods may be effective in such a case as the underlayer is allowed to be coated at a thickness of 3 .mu.m, for instance, in the magnetic tape having a total thickness of 13 .mu.m used in 8 mm VTR. However, the above methods can not be employed in the high density digital recording medium where a further reduction of the thickness thereof (total thickness of 7 .mu.m) is demanded because the thickness of the underlayer has to be reduced inevitably. This poses the problem of insufficient head-tape contact characteristic.
There has not been realized such a magnetic recording medium as satisfies both conditions of the high density digital recording and the extended playing time without increment of the mass of the medium.
Further, the recording signals to be applied are not limited to high frequency signals (short wavelength signals) in the high density digital recording. Such low frequency signals (long wavelength signals) as control signals are also used. Thus, the recording medium is required to have an excellent output level over a wide range from the low frequency signals to the high frequency signals.
Recently, among the recording mediums aimed at reducing the thickness thereof to improve the overwriting characteristic, there are emerged recording mediums employing the magnetic metal powder having an average long axis length of not more than 0.1 .mu.m and a saturation magnetization as of not less than 130 emu/g intended to record the short wavelength of not more than 0.5 .mu.m. However, they do not necessarily display their inherently excellent electro-magnetic conversion characteristics because of difficulty of dispersion of such magnetic particles as highly energized fine particles.


A power converter device for converting power from a mains power supply (201) to power a solid state lighting load (280) includes a converter (230) and a control circuit (350). The converter (230) includes a half-bridge inverter (220) that functions as a boost inverter and output stage inverter, the half-bridge inverter having multiple switches (221, 222). The control circuit (350) is configured to control a mains input current and an output current of the device independently by providing a switching signal (S_HB) to the switches in the half-bridge inverter, where the switching signal has a duty cycle, a frequency and a cycle skipping duty cycle.

Digital lighting technologies, i.e. illumination based on semiconductor light sources, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), offer a viable alternative to traditional fluorescent, HID, and incandescent lamps. Functional advantages and benefits of LEDs include high energy conversion and optical efficiency, durability, lower operating costs, and many others. Recent advances in LED technology have provided efficient and robust full-spectrum lighting sources that enable a variety of lighting effects in many applications. Some of the fixtures embodying these sources feature a lighting module, including one or more LEDs capable of producing different colors, e.g., red, green and blue, as well as a processor for independently controlling the output of the LEDs in order to generate a variety of colors and color-changing lighting effects, for example, as discussed in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,016,038 and 6,211,626.
Typically, an LED-based lighting unit or LED load that includes multiple LED-based light sources, such as a string of LEDs connected in series, is driven by a power converter, which receives voltage and current from mains power supply. There is a variety of power converters that have integrated power factor correction ("PFC"), particularly in connection with fluorescent ballasts. Generally, power converters may be divided into two groups. The first group includes power converters that feed back part of inverted power to the rectified mains power supply to shape the mains input current. This is accomplished based on feed back current and/or voltage. The second group includes power converters having relatively straightforward integration, in which a boost or buck-boost inverter is combined with an output stage inverter. The output stage may be a resonant type or a buck derived converter.
With respect to the power converters in the second group, duty cycle of the rectified input voltage is modulated only to control output current. Such power converters only provide coverage of narrow load ranges. Also, soft switching of a boost inverter is able to occur only in parts of the operational range, or not at all.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a power converter having a half-bridge inverter functioning as an integrated mains rectifier, boost inverter and output stage inverter, and providing power factor correction with respect to a solid state lighting load, and a method of operating the same.

Power converter device for driving solid state lighting load


A second resist film is formed on a first resist film and then patterned. Thereafter, an SOG film is formed on the entire surface of the resultant structure to cover the second resist film. Subsequently, the SOG film and the second resist film and the first resist film are removed to pattern the SOG film and the first resist film. After that, using the patterned the first resist film as a mask, a trench is formed.

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-069230, filed Mar. 13, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device characterized by comprising a step of patterning a film such as an insulating film by using a masking material.
When a micro pattern is formed by a conventional method, an insulating film or a metal film is processed by using a patterned resist as a mask. The method of micro-processing the insulating film will be explained with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14.
First, as shown in FIG. 11, a first resist film 22 is formed on an insulating film 21 and subsequently a Spin-On-Glass (SOG) film 23 is formed on the first resist film 22. A second resist film 24 is coated on the SOG film 23, followed by being patterned.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 12, the SOG film 23 is removed until the surface of the first resist film 22 is exposed. As a result, the SOG film 23 is patterned. During this process, the resist film 24 is partly removed.
As a next step, as shown in FIG. 13, using the patterned SOG film 23 as a mask, the first resist film 22 is removed until the surface of the insulating film 21 is exposed. In this way, the first resist film 22 is patterned. In the patterning process, the second resist film 24 is also removed. After that, the patterned SOG film 23 is removed.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 14, using the patterned first resist film 22 as a mask, the insulating film 21 is removed by dry etching. As a result, a trench 25 is formed in the insulating film 21.
In the aforementioned conventional method, the trench 25, which must be finely processed, is formed by using the patterned first resist film 22 as a mask.
Since the micro-processing requires improvement in resolution, the thickness of the first resist film 22 serving as a mask has to be reduced. On the other hand, to form a fine trench 25 by dry etching using the first resist film 22 as a mask, the first resist film 22 serving as a mask must have a thickness sufficient to ensure an appropriate etching selective ratio.
Therefore, a micro-processing method is required for stably processing a film such as the insulating film while ensuring a sufficient lithographic margin and a sufficient film thickness of a masking material during dry etching.
The present invention was made to overcome the aforementioned problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by micro-processing while ensuring a sufficient lithographic margin and a sufficient film thickness of a masking material during dry etching.
The present invention employs the following means to attain the aforementioned object.
The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present invention comprises the steps of:
forming a first organic layer on an insulating film;
forming a second organic layer on the first organic layer;
patterning the second organic layer;
forming a silicon oxide film or a metal-containing inorganic film on an entire surface of the patterned second organic layer, thereby covering the second organic layer;
removing the silicon oxide film or the metal-containing inorganic film, the second organic layer, and the first organic layer, by dry etching, thereby patterning the first organic layer and the silicon oxide film or the metal-containing inorganic film;
removing the silicon oxide film or the metal containing inorganic film and the insulating film by using the patterned first organic layer as a mask, thereby exposing the surface of the patterned first organic layer and simultaneously forming a trench in the insulating film; and
removing the first organic layer.
Furthermore, another method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention may further comprise a step of forming an anti-reflection film on the first organic layer after the first organic layer is formed. The anti-reflection film used herein is an organic anti-reflection film formed of flare, silk, polyimide, fluorocarbon, or tri-acetylene.
The first organic layer is formed of a resist film, a coating-type carbon film, a sputtering-type carbon film, or a low dielectric film.
It is desirable that the silicon oxide film should be one selected from the group consisting of an SOG film, coating-type organic silicon oxide film, coating type organic silicon film, or coating-type inorganic silicon film.
It is desirable that the metal-containing inorganic layer should contain a coating-type inorganic layer containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of WO3, Al2O3, TiO2, and TiN.
The second organic layer is a negative resist film. Furthermore, the second organic layer is patterned by electron beam drawing. Moreover, the second organic layer is thinner than the first organic layer.
Another method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present invention may further comprise a step of irradiating the entire surface of the resulting structure with ultraviolet rays after the second organic layer is patterned.
As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by micro-processing while ensuring a sufficient lithographic margin and a film thickness of a mask material during dry etching.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor device


A cutter insert for disc-milling cutters, in particular, for milling crankshafts. The insert has upper and lower surfaces and circumferential lateral surfaces, which connect the upper and lower surfaces to one another. The insert includes raised swellings and/or projections on the upper surface, at least in the region of two corners, which preferably extend over the entire length of one side of the cutter insert, so that, in a view perpendicularly toward a cutting face formed by at least one of the lateral surfaces, the edge which defines the transition from the upper surface to the cutting face, has a portion projecting relative to the central edge section in the region of each of the two ends of this edge.

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §§ 119 and/or 365 to Patent Application Ser. No. 102 18 630.8 filed in Germany on Apr. 25, 2002 the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a disc-milling cutter, especially for milling crankshafts, and a cutter insert for use therein. A disc-milling cutter comprises a milling disc on which cutter inserts are mounted.
Milling is a material-removing process wherein the tool rotates, and relative movements between the workpiece and the tool take place perpendicular to the rotational axis of the tool. The tool is fitted with cutters, which produce the cutting motion during the rotation of the tool about the central tool axis. Feeding movements can be made in various directions. Such feeding movements may be performed either by the tool or by the workpiece or even by both. By way of distinction from turning or drilling, the cutters are not constantly engaged with the workpiece. On the contrary, after one cut on the workpiece, the cutters are returned to the starting position. This provides the advantage that the cutters can cool down and material chips can be removed from the chip spaces.
In the context of milling, cutter inserts, which provide the appropriate cutting edges, are generally attached to the tools used. Cutter inserts of this kind, which are also referred to as tool tips, have been known in principle for a considerable time.
By "crankshafts" is generally meant machine elements which convert linear movements into rotating movements or vice versa. Forging or casting methods are generally used in the mass production of crankshafts. Modern engine design places increasing demands on the performance and smooth running of crankshafts. Costs must also be kept to a minimum. Essential requirements include a higher engine performance for a given piston stroke, an improved level of efficiency, that is, reduced loss due to friction, and a reduction in weight. This means that all design parameters, such as dimensions, material properties and surface treatment, in particular low surface tolerances, must be optimized. At the same time, in order to reduce production costs during the manufacturing of crankshafts, grinding has frequently been replaced by material removal with a defined cutting edge, for example, turning, turn broaching or milling, wherever possible.
In particular for the machining of crank bearings on crankshafts, external milling using the pendulum process has recently proved successful. In this context, a distinction is made between rough-milling and finishing milling; milling cutters with a diameter of 700 mm and up to 270 indexable inserts have been widely used.
In the context of finishing milling, the milling cutters are generally fitted with diameter cutters and recess cutters. The diameter cutters produce the diameter of the bearing, which will be ground to a finish in a subsequent operation, and the recess cutters produce the finished bearing width, that is, the opposing surfaces of the stop collar (also called the oil collar) for the connecting rod, and the recess which is used as a grinding outlet in the transitional region between the bearing neck and the stop collars mentioned above on the radially internal portion of the crank webs.
By way of example, FIG. 1 shows a crankshaft 5 in the mounted condition. The crankshaft 5 has main bearings A, B, C, B and E and crank bearings 1, 2, 3, 4. The individual crank bearings are processed by means of the disc-milling cutter 6 using the pendulum process. In the context of the pendulum process, the crankshaft rotates around its axis of rotation during machining. The disc-milling cutters 6 rotating at the desired cutting speed follow the corresponding movement of the crank bearings 1, 2, 3,4. The processing of the crank bearings 1,2, 3,4 of the crankshaft 5 is essentially completed after each complete rotation of the crankshaft 5. The circumferential surfaces of the crank webs can also be processed in the same operation.
FIG. 2 shows an enlargement of the machining of the crank bearing 3 from FIG. 1. In this case, the disc-milling cutter 6 is fitted with diameter cutters 7, arranged in a cross-toothed manner, and recess cutters 8. The diameter cutters 7 are arranged tangentially, while the recess cutters 8 are arranged laterally. The known laterally-arranged recess cutters are designed as an indexable insert with four cutting edges, which engage with the workpiece in dependence upon the direction of installation.
In particular when connecting rods are guided axially through a crankshaft, considerable demands are also placed on the surface of the stop collar and/or oil collar 27 of the crankshaft 5 in the meantime, so that these must be manufactured with particular care. Current disc-milling cutters have an optimum run-out tolerance of approximately 20 μm, so that the stop collars 27 can generally not be manufactured using milling processes alone, but also require subsequent grinding or precision turning.
WO 01/76796 proposes a cutter insert for camshaft milling cutters. In case of a camshaft milling cutter, the cutting edge of the cutter insert provides several cutting edge portions with an initial, straight portion, a second, straight portion adjoining the first portion and enclosing with it an angle between 90° and less than 180°, and a third cutting edge portion providing a convex curved course. The convex portion in this context forms the recess cutter. However, this camshaft milling cutter also has run-out tolerances in the order of magnitude of 20 μm.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a cutter insert and a milling cutter, which is suitable for the increasing demands of engine design and, in particular, which allows a significantly reduced run-out tolerance, so that the surfaces of the stop collars on crankshafts can also be processed in one milling operation without follow-on grinding. Moreover, the object of the present invention is to provide a cutter insert, which can be used in a cost-favorable manner for this purpose.

Milling cutter with precision adjustment


Leveling devices and methods are provided for use in tuning and installing accessories on archery bows such as compound bows. For example, devices and methods are provided for leveling bow risers and arrow rest components of archery bows to enable proper accessory installation and tuning of archery bows.

Bowhunting has become an increasingly popular form of recreational hunting. In the early days of bowhunting, hunters used traditional archery bows such as a longbow or a recurve bow. However, the introduction of the compound bow revolutionized the sport of archery and bowhunting, as the compound bow design has proven to be easy to use and can provide higher arrow velocity and precision arrow flight, as compared to traditional bows. In general, archery bows require frequent adjustment, repair, installment, and tuning of bow strings and peep sights, and other accessories such as arrow rests and sighting devices. When tuning an archery bow or installing accessories on an archery bow, it is important to maintain the archery bow in a level orientation. In particular, to ensure precise alignment and proper installation of accessories such as arrows rests, peep sights and sighting devices on a compound bow, for example, it is imperative to fixedly position the compound bow in level vertical orientation prior to and during such installation.

Leveling devices and methods for use in tuning and installing accessories on archery bows


Facilitating feedback to a third generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) or subsequent network is described herein. By way of example one or more blocks of downlink transmission resources (e.g., downlink channel) can be correlated to one or more blocks of uplink transmission resources (e.g., uplink channel) during scheduling of a transmission allocation period. For instance, the correlation can identify to terminal devices a particular uplink channel that can be used to transmit, among other things, a negative acknowledgement (NACK) related to a particular downlink channel. Additionally, multiple uplink resources can be employed to facilitate a quantitative and/or qualitative determination of severity of data loss. Furthermore, a limiting factor can reduce a number of terminal devices responding to lost data simultaneously, reducing feedback interference. As described, the subject innovation can provide for dynamic and/or static feedback in LTE networks to ensure robust service transmissions for such networks.

I. Field
The following description relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to providing feedback for LTE networks to indicate un-received or indecipherable blocks of transmission data.
II. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as, for example, voice, data, and so on. Typical wireless communication systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power,). Examples of such multiple-access systems may include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and the like.
Generally, wireless multiple-access communication systems may simultaneously support communication for multiple mobile devices. Each mobile device may communicate with one or more base stations via transmissions on forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from base stations to mobile devices, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from mobile devices to base stations. Further, communications between mobile devices and base stations may be established via single-input single-output (SISO) systems, multiple-input single-output (MISO) systems, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, and so forth.
MIMO systems commonly employ multiple (NT) transmit antennas and multiple (NR) receive antennas for data transmission. A MIMO channel formed by the NT transmit and NR receive antennas may be decomposed into NS independent channels, which may be referred to as spatial channels, where NS≦{NT, NR}. Each of the NS independent channels corresponds to a dimension. Moreover, MIMO systems may provide improved performance (e.g., increased spectral efficiency, higher throughput and/or greater reliability) if the additional dimensionalities created by the multiple transmit and received antennas are utilized.
MIMO systems may support various duplexing techniques to divide forward and reverse link communications over a common physical medium. For instance, frequency division duplex (FDD) systems may utilize disparate frequency regions for forward and reverse link communications. Further, in time division duplex (TDD) systems, forward and reverse link communications may employ a common frequency region. However, conventional techniques may provide limited or no feedback related to channel information.

Multicast/broadcast reporting for wireless networks


A foamed resin adhesive and its use for glueing wood based panels and boards such as plywood. The adhesive comprises 40-80% of an aqueous resin solution, 2-10% of an organic filler or fillers, 1-10% of a cationic acrylamide copolymer, and 0.05-1% of a surface active agent.

The present invention relates to a foamed resin adhesive and its use for glueing wood based panels such as plywood.
With respect to glueing wood based panels and boards, quality and environmental requirements have clearly increased recently. The main purpose has been the reduction of the inevitable emissions in the working environment due to the application of the adhesive, for instance with the conventional spraying technique. On the other hand, there is a need to decrease the amount of the adhesive used for economic and ecologic reasons. Further, if the production of such wood based panels is fluctuating the premature setting of the adhesive can occasionally cause problems.
In comparison to traditional alternative spreading methods, uniform and adequate glueing results are obtained with present methods using less foamed phenolic resin adhesives. The foaming of the phenolic resins helps to reduce the contamination of the surroundings of the production lines. The foam also binds possible emissions and odours better than common methods. The foaming of the resin to increase its volume reduces the need of water and thus failures of the glue line due to excessive moisture are avoided during hot pressing. Foamed phenolic resin adhesive can be spread extremely evenly on the surface to be glued that may even be rough and irregular. The adhesive penetrates less into the materials being glued and it sets more slowly. In most common methods using foamed phenolic resin as an adhesive the foaming and the simultaneous stabilizing of the foam is accomplished with dried and powdered animal blood from slaughterhouses. The blood protein in combination with a surface active agent foams the adhesive quickly and stabilizes the foamed adhesive to a useful form for a time period required.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,921 describes a rapidly foaming and setting phenolic resin adhesive especially for glueing plywood panels. A basic 30-45% resin solution containing as a resin a condensation product of a phenol and an aldehyde, especially of a phenol and formaldehyde is mixed with 5-30% dried powdered animal blood, water. and a suitable amount of glyoxal or other aldehyde to control the viscosity of the adhesive. This blood was collected from the floors of slaughterhouses, then dried, and powdered. However, such an animal blood from slaughterhouses can be a potential source of causative agents of sicknesses that can be transmitted from this blood to humans. Accordingly, the use of such an animal blood can be questionnable for health and ecologic reasons. Moreover, the quality of this blood varies causing uncontrolled changes in the properties of the adhesive.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,013 relates to a foamable thermosetting adhesive for the production of plywood. This adhesive comprises a phenolic resin such as a phenol-formaldehyde resin mixed with a fatty acid amide or tertiary amine oxide as a surface active agent necessary for foaming. The foam is stabilized with clay, for instance attabulgit, which is mainly a crystalline hydrated magnesium aluminium silicate. The adhesive comprises further a thickener, such as flour from wheat, rye, potato, or natural rubber etc. A basic compound such as sodium carbonate is also added to the adhesive to adjust its pH above 9. The components of the adhesive are brought together and mixed, then air, nitrogen or any other gas inert to the mixture is fed into it with vigorous agitation to foam the adhesive.
A convenient extrusion equipment for foaming the adhesive and spreading it on wooden boards is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,789. In this equipment a liquid adhesive mixture is fed via a pump through a separate line to a foaming unit for mixing a gas, typically air, to it. The obtained foam is fed through a spreading head onto the surfaces being glued.
The foamed adhesive could also be applied on wood based boards according to the process described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,178, further comprising the steps of mechanical prepressing and the actual hot pressing.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,088 discloses a process for producing plywood panels. In this intermittent process a foamed plywood adhesive is applied uniformly on moving surfaces being glued.
The object of the present invention is to provide a foamable resin adhesive for glueing wood based boards such as plywood panels without any animal products to foam and stabilize the adhesive. Another object of the invension is to provide a foamable adhesive that can be foamed easily and quickly, the stability, density, viscosity and other properties of the foamed adhesive being suitable for glueing especially of wood based panels and boards such as plywood, chipboard, hardboard, oriented strand board, and wafer board.
The characteristic features of the foamable resin adhesive and its use to glue wooden boards according to the present invention are presented in the appended claims.
The resin adhesive of the present invention comprises a thermosetting resin such as phenol-formaldehyde, resorcinol-formaldehyde, urea-formaldehyde, or melamine-formaldehyde resin, or mixtures or combinations thereof, an organic filling material or materials, a cationic acrylamide copolymer, a surface active agent, water, and a base. The components are mixed together in a conventional manner, for instance according to the U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,013. The proportion of the resin that is preferably added as an aqueous phenol-formaldehyde resin solution is in the range of 40-80%, preferably 50-75%. The dry matter content of this phenol-formaldehyde resin is between 35 and 65%, preferably between 40 and 50%, and the molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol varies between 1.8 and 2.8. The resin was produced by using inorganic alkaline catalysts with hydroxyl correlation of 3-10%. Preferable inorganic alkaline catalysts include alkaline and alkaline earth metal hydroxides, oxides and salts of weak acids. The filling material such as wheat, rye or potato flour, starch, natural rubber, wood flour, cellulose derivatives or alginates is added in an amount of 2-10%, preferably 5-8%. The proportion of the cationic acrylamide copolymer is between 1 and 10%, preferably 2 to 5%, this copolymer being typically added as a 10-50% aqueous solution with a cationic ratio of 20-100%, preferably 30-80%, a molecular weight of 10,000-300,000, preferably more than 50,000, and with a pH-value between 2 and 4. Further, it is preferable to add to the adhesive an anionic or neutral surface active agent such as sodium alkyl sulfate. sulfonized alcohol ethoxylate, alfa-olefin sulfonate, or alkyl benzene sulfonate. The cationic acrylamide copolymer can be produced from monomers comprising acrylamide or monomers in a copolymeric cationic form such as a quaternary alkyl-N-alkylamine of acrylamide, a secondary or tertiary alkyl-N-alkylamine of acrylamide or a primary acrylamine, an ester of an acrylic acid, the alcohol moiety of which being a quaternary N-alkylamine alkoxide, or a secondary or tertiary N-alkylamine alkoxide or a primary aminealkoxide. The most preferable surface active agent is sodium (2-ethylhexyl)sulfate to be added in the proportion of 0.05-1%, preferably 0.1-0.5%. Moreover, a base like sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate or any other basic compound with which the pH of the mixture can be adjusted above 9, and 5-50% water can be added to this adhesive mixture. The foaming of the mixture is preferably accomplished using high shear, for instance with known foaming devices, by introducing into this mixture a gas inert to it, such as nitrogen or air, preferably air.

Foamed resin adhesive and the use thereof of glueing wood based panels and boards


This disclosure relates to a drying rack for wet equipment constructed to support wet equipment having absorbent and non-absorbent sides. The drying rack supports the equipment such that absorbent sides of the wet equipment are generally oriented in a single windward direction relative to an external airflow source.

This disclosure relates to a sports equipment storage and drying rack, particularly for hockey equipment.
Many sports, including hockey, have associated protective equipment like pads and a helmet. Many articles of protective equipment have a hard plastic exterior with a padded foam or fabric interior. Protective equipment commonly gets wet during use because the padded interiors accumulate the wearer's sweat. Wet equipment is frequently dried evaporatively, which can be facilitated by air circulation near wet portions of the equipment.
Racks for drying and organizing protective equipment exist in multiple varieties. Drying racks are commonly designed to "wear" equipment similarly to a person, such that the padded sides are directed inward, contacting the rack. Such a rack may be placed near an external fan or other source of airflow. Other racks have internal passages for circulating a drying airflow from an integral source against the padded interiors of the equipment.


A system for protecting golf clubs and a golf bag from exposure to natural elements such as rain. The system includes a protective cover comprising a club head protector for covering the head of a respective golf club, a compartment, such as a hidden pocket, located on the club head protector, and a sack-like waterproof hood attached, by its closed end, to the inside of the hidden pocket. The system further includes a method of use of the protective cover which includes storing the hood out of view when the hood is not being used. If rainfall or other hazardous condition appears imminent, the method includes drawing the hood outwardly from the pocket and reversing the hood so that the club head protector is moved from a first position outside the hood to a second position inside the hood. After the rain or other hazardous condition has passed, the method includes reversing the hood a second time and reinserting the hood back into the compartment in such a manner as to trap and maintain the water droplets or other deposited matter inside the hood and so as to prevent drainage of water, for example, onto objects that are external to the protective cover.

The present invention relates to protective covers for golf clubs and golf bags and, in particular, to such a cover that will protect one or more golf clubs, while all the clubs are arranged together in a golf bag, against exposure to natural elements of the type likely to be encountered on a golf course.
There are several different types of naturally-occurring conditions which are found on a golf course that can damage a golf club and bag. For example, if the clubs and bag are left uncovered during a light rain, water can collect inside or drain into the bottom of the bag, so that unless the bag is thoroughly dried after each use, the bottom of the bag can begin to mold or rot. Furthermore, because each golf club is normally stored with its handle toward the bottom of the bag, moisture can seep into and damage the material used to form the handle. Similarly, on a windy day, grains of sand particles may be blown toward the bag and may cling to the inside of the bag or on the clubs. Subsequent movement between the clubs and the bag, or between the clubs and each other, can damage the surface finish on the clubs. In addition to rain, sand, and dust, in some areas there is such a large number of birds which congregate on the course that fouling of the bag by bird droppings is also a problem.
In order to protect the clubs and the bag against these and other types of natural hazards, various protective systems have evolved. For example, Pilney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,164 discloses a hood-like rain fly on the central underside of which is attached a sock. After the sock is fitted over the head of one of the clubs in the bag, the mouth of the rain fly can be lifted over the remaining clubs and over the open upper end of the golf bag thereby protecting the clubs and the interior of the bag under a waterproof canopy.
If, however, the Pilney device is stored for use in ready position on one of the golf clubs, the loosely draped rain fly gives the device an untidy and gimmicky appearance. Moreover, in the event that a light breeze begins to blow, the rain fly can easily become a noisily flapping distraction. To avoid this problem, the owner may store the Pilney device inside a compartment of the golf bag, but this requires that the owner remember to always look inside the compartment, as when leaving the house for example, to check whether the device is in place.
Additional problems with the Pilney device occur after the rain fly has served its protective function. After exposure to rain, for example, the hood-like rain fly will be covered with water droplets. With the rain fly in this condition, it is unlikely that the owner will want to continue to carry the rain fly. In particular, it is not likely that the owner will want to carry the rain fly inside a compartment of the golf bag, because water can leak from the compartment into the bottom of the bag and cause damage, as already described, to the handles of the clubs or to the bottom portion of the golf bag. Although it is possible to tie the rain fly outside the bag, such as to one of the straps connected to the bag, when the owner has finished playing and has loaded the bag into his or her vehicle, the rain fly is then able to drain onto the seats or inside the trunk or wherever else the bag has been placed.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for protecting a golf club and golf bag from exposure to natural elements.
A related object of the present invention is to provide a system which is attractive in use and which does not require special effort on the part of the owner in terms of remembering to bring non-sport related equipment.
A further related object of the present invention is to provide such a system that specifically protects against rain and that can be conveniently carried after such an exposure without draining water to external items not a part of the system.

Protective system for golf clubs and bag


At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an image forming apparatus which can form a stable dot pattern to be used with a digital pen. The dot pattern used by a digital pen can be formed by changing an image forming condition, which is read by the digital pen. The image forming condition can be set based on a reading of an experimental test dot pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, paper fill-out forms such as an application form, questionnaire, or answer sheet are filled out by a person to express his intentions by selecting an answer to a question among the given alternatives and marking a predetermined place on the form using a writing instrument such as a pencil, ballpoint pen, or a fountain pen. If a wrong place is marked with a pencil, the incorrect mark is erased with an eraser and the correct place is remarked. In the case where a ballpoint or a fountain pen is used, an incorrect mark is crossed out, and another place is marked.
In recent years, such paper forms have come to be digitized and used as electronic forms. An electronic form is represented by electronic data that includes entry spaces as a plurality of fields corresponding to the entry columns of a paper fill-out form. When such an electronic form is used, the user uploads the electronic form on his computer system and displays it on a display device, and the necessary information is inputted by operating an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse pointer. The inputted information is obtained by the system as electronic data and can be sent to the organization to which the form is to be submitted, for example through a network.
However, a user who does not have sufficient knowledge of how to operate a personal computer, or is not very good at keyboard input, often finds it difficult to use such electronic forms skillfully. Rather, it is easiest for such user to fill out a conventional paper form using a conventional writing instrument.
More recently, a pen-style input device referred to as a "digital pen" or an "electronic pen" has been introduced as an effective input device for such a user. (In the present specification, the input device will be referred to as a "digital pen" hereinafter.) A digital pen is used in pairs with a "special paper" on which a prescribed dot pattern is formed. In addition to a conventional ink-type pen nib, the digital pen is equipped with a miniature camera for reading a dot pattern on the special paper, as well as a wireless communication unit. When the user writes a character on the special paper with the digital pen, the miniature camera detects the dot pattern on the special paper with the movement of the pen, and inputted data such as the character written by the user is obtained. This data is sent to a terminal device such as a personal computer or a cellular phone in the vicinity of the digital pen by the wireless communication unit. A system which uses this digital pen can be used as an input device in place of a keyboard or a mouse pointer, and it is easy to use for a user who has difficulties with operating a personal computer or a keyboard. Contemporaneously, it can be used for organizations such as a public office or a financial institution to which the form can be submitted, in that the entry of the user can be acquired as inputted electronic data instead of a conventional paper fill-out form, so that the data can be used directly in electronic processing. (For example, refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,756).
A paper printed by an offset printing machine using a form plate on which a dot pattern is originally set up is generally used as the above-mentioned special paper for the digital pen. The dot pattern can also be printed by an electrophotographic image forming apparatus connected to a computer. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus is very useful in that a number of special papers can be printed as needed.
However, it can be difficult for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to always stably output a dot pattern, due to the environment in which the apparatus is placed or the wear pattern of the photosensitive drum or the developing device. Therefore, depending on the circumstances, the dot pattern can become too light for the digital pen to read, or the dot pattern can become too dark that it becomes overly conspicuous. In the case where the dot pattern is too dark, it also leads to wasteful toner consumption.


A lamp comprises a light guide, a light source and a subject member; wherein an exit surface of the light guide is arranged at a position exposed to a front side of the subject member or located on a rear side of the subject member while being visible from the front side; wherein a surface of a light-guiding part about the exit surface located on the rear side is covered with paint or an opaque member so that the exit surface seen from the front side appears to have the same color as with surroundings thereof; wherein the subject member is molded by an opaque material or the rear side about the exit surface is covered with the paint or the opaque member; and wherein the light guide and the subject member are molded integrally with each other.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lamp having a subject member made of a resin, glass, or the like, an LED serving as a light source, and a light guide for guiding the light emitted from an entrance surface to an exit surface.
Related Background Art
Examples of recent vehicles include those equipped with lamps having a novel lighting state with a three-dimensional feel for the purpose of differentiation and the like.
For instance, the prior art described in Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-216510) discloses, as FIG. 6A illustrates, a vehicle signal lamp comprising a lens 110A arranged at the front face of a lamp 110, a body 110B constituting the bottom and side faces of the lamp 110, and an LED 111 (light-emitting diode), a light guide 114, a heat shield plate 115, and an incandescent bulb 116 which are contained in the lamp 110. In the lamp 110, light L emitted from the LED 111 is reflected circumferentially by a first primary reflection surface 112A and obliquely rearward by a second primary reflection surface 112B. The circumferentially reflected part of light L is reflected forward to the lens 110A by a first secondary reflection surface 113A, while the obliquely rearward reflected part of light L is reflected forward to the lens 110A by a second secondary reflection surface 113B. The light L thus forward reflected by the first and second secondary reflection surfaces achieves a lighting state with a three-dimensional feel.
On the other hand, for example, the prior art described in Patent Literature 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H07-112640) discloses a warning lamp for a vehicle comprising, as FIG. 6B illustrates, a hologram 128 attached to the inside of a rear window 120 of the vehicle and a light guide 124 for guiding light L from a light source 121 directed from the rear side of the hologram 128 to the outside of the rear window 120. The hologram 128 is surrounded by a black ceramic mask layer 126, while the hologram 128 and its surrounding black ceramic mask layer 126 are covered with a frame 127. The frame 127 is secured to a vehicle body 123.


An acetabular shell for use in hip arthroplasty. The shell includes a first wall having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a rim. The shell further includes a second wall extending from the outer surface of the first wall. The second wall has an outer surface, an inner surface, and a rim. The rim of the second wall is spaced outwardly from the rim of the first wall.

A joint within the human body forms a juncture between two or more bones or other skeletal parts. The ankle, hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and wrist are just a few examples of the multitude of joints found within the body. As should be apparent from the above list of examples of joints, many of the joints permit relative motion between the bones. For example, the motion of sliding, gliding, hinge or ball and socket movements may be had by a joint. For example, the ankle permits a hinge movement, the knee allows for a combination of gliding and hinge movements and the shoulder and hip permit movement through a ball and socket arrangement.
The joints in the body are stressed or can be damaged in a variety of ways. For example, the gradual wear and tear is imposed on the joints through the continuous use of a joint over the years. The joints that permit motion have cartilage positioned between the bones providing lubrication to the motion and also absorbing some of the forces directed to the joint. Over time, the normal use of a joint may wear down the cartilage and bring the moving bones in direct contact with each other. In contrast, in normal use, a trauma to a joint, such as the delivery of a large force, from an accident, for example, an automobile accident, may cause considerable damage to the bones, the cartilage or to other connective tissue such as tendons or ligaments.
Arthropathy, a term referring to a disease of the joint, is another way in which a joint may become damaged. Perhaps the best known joint disease is arthritis, which is generally referred to as a disease or inflammation of a joint that results in pain, swelling, stiffness, instability, and often deformity.
There are many different forms of arthritis, with osteoarthritis being the most common and resulting from the wear and tear of cartilage within a joint. Another type of arthritis is osteonecrosis, which is caused by the death of a part of the bone due to loss of blood supply. Other types of arthritis are caused by trauma to the joint while others, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, and psoriatic arthritis destroy cartilage and are associated with the inflammation of the joint lining.
The hip joint is one of the joints that is commonly afflicted with arthropathy. The hip joint is a ball and socket joint that joins the femur or thighbone with the pelvis. The pelvis has a semispherical socket called the acetabulum for receiving a ball socket head in the femur. Both the head of the femur and the acetabulum are coated with cartilage for allowing the femur to move easily within the pelvis. Other joints commonly afflicted with arthropathy include the spine, knee, shoulder, carpals, metacarpals, and phalanges of the hand. Arthroplasty as opposed to arthropathy commonly refers to the making of an artificial joint. In severe cases of arthritis or other forms of arthropathy, such as when pain is overwhelming or when a joint has a limited range of mobility, a partial or total replacement of the joint within an artificial joint may be justified. The procedure for replacing the joint varies, of course, with the particular joint in question, but in general involves replacing a terminal portion of an afflicted bone with a prosthetic implant and inserting a member to serve as a substitute for the cartilage.
The prosthetic implant is formed of a rigid material that becomes bonded with the bone and provides strength and rigidity to the joint. Cartilage substitute members are chosen to provide lubrication to the joint and to absorb some of the compressive forces. Suitable material for the implant include metals and composite materials such as titanium, cobalt chromium, stainless steel, ceramic and suitable materials for cartilage substitutes include polyethylene. A cement may also be used to secure the prosthetic implant to the host bone.
A total hip replacement, for example, involves removing the ball shaped head of the femur and inserting a stem implant into the center of the bone, which is referred to as the medullary canal, or marrow of the bone. The stem implant may be cemented into the medullary canal or may have a porous coated surface for allowing the bone to heal directly to the implant. The stem implant has a neck and a ball shaped head, which are intended to perform the same functions as a healthy femur's neck and a ball shaped head.
A cup or shell may be positioned directly into the acetabulum. The cup or shell may include a porous coating for promoting bony in-growth to secure the shell to the acetabulum. Alternatively or in addition, the shell may include an opening or a plurality of openings for receiving bone screws to assist in the attachment of the shell to the acetabulum. The cup may be made of a metal, for example, cobalt chromium, stainless steel, or titanium. Alternatively, the cup may be made of a ceramic or of a polyethylene. In some embodiments, the cup directly engages the head. In other embodiments, a liner of some sort is inserted into the cup to articulate against the head. The liner may be made of metal, ceramic, or polyethylene.
When inserting a cup or a shell, the acetabular cavity is often reamed to a size smaller than the shell to be inserted. The shell is then press-fit into the bone. However, such press-fitting can exert loads large enough to deflect the shell. The deflection of the shell can lead to many intra-operative issues that can lead to surgery delay, patient harm, or product dissatisfaction.
Therefore, there is a need for a shell that can be press-fit into an under-reamed acetabular cavity but yet not deflect in such a way to affect the inside of the shell.


The present invention proposes a method for generating a real time billing information in a packet switching based network and a network element for implementing Interworking between a circuit switching based network and a packet switching based network, wherein a call is set up between a user of said packet switching based network and a user of a circuit switching based network, and a billing server is informed of at least a billing rate and an interval of billing, said method for generating a real time billing information comprising: generating a first message with a first token indicating the billing rate upon receiving a first charge message containing said billing rate from said circuit switching based network and based on said first charge message, and the billing server is informed of said billing rate; once said call having been set up, generating a second messages with a second token indicating the interval of billing upon receiving a subsequent charge message containing said interval of billing and based on said subsequent charge message, and the billing server is informed of said interval of billing; and generating a real time billing information by said billing server.

The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is the 3rd Generation Partnership Project's (3GPP) vision for a converged telecommunications architecture that merges cellular and Internet technologies to uniformly deliver voice, video, and data on a single network. Currently one of the hottest topics in telecom, IMS is rapidly becoming the architecture of choice for operators who wish to upgrade their existing cellular and fixed-line networks.
FIG. 1 shows a simplified view of the IMS architecture, which is divided into three parts: the service layer, the control layer and the access network. IMS applications are hosted in the service layer. This layer consists of SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) application servers (AS) which execute IMS applications and services by manipulating SIP signaling and interfacing with other systems. The control layer of the IMS network consists of nodes for managing call setup, management and release. At the heart of the control layer is a specialized SIP server called the Call Session Control Function (CSCF); all SIP signaling traverses this essential node. The CSCF inspects each SIP message and determines if the signaling should visit one or more application servers. Finally, the Media Gateway Control Function (MGCF) connects with circuit switch networks. The access network consists of IP routers and PSTN switches that provide access to the IMS network both from contemporary IP telephony devices and older circuit switch devices respectively.
In current IMS architecture, for an incoming PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) call, if a customer wants to get the IMS subscriber's billing information, it can only get therefrom CDR (Call Detailed Record) data by using CDR parsing tools. But the customer cannot obtain real-time billing records, which therefore needs additional CDR equipment for further analysis, especially during call talking.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a conventional call between an IMS network and a PSTN network, in which the billing server generates billing information based on the CDR sent by the AS at the end of the call, and the billing server cannot do the real time billing. The detailed signaling process is as follows:                when a SIP user wishes to begin a session with a PSTN user, the SIP node issues an INVITE request;        upon receipt of the INVITE request, the CSCF sends this request to the MGCF, and the MGCF maps it to an IAM (Initial Address Message) message and sends this IAM to the PSTN switch;        the PSTN switch indicates that the address is sufficient to set up a call by sending back an ACM (Address Complete Message) message;        the "called party status" code in the ACM message is mapped to a SIP provisional response 18x, which is returned to the SIP node;        when the PSTN user hangs off, the PSTN switch sends an ANM (Answer Message) message to the MGCF, and the MGCF maps it to an INVITE final response (200);        the INVITE final response is sent to the SIP node, and the SIP node sends back an ACK to acknowledge receipt;        the two users begin to talking;        when the PSTN user hangs up, the PSTN switch sends a REL message to the MGCF in order to cancel the call;        the MGCF maps the REL message to a BYE message;        the BYE is sent to the SIP node, and the SIP node sends back a 200 to confirm;        the MGCF maps the 200 to a RLC (Release Complete Message) message and sends this RLC to the PSTN switch;        the AS generates a CDR and sends it to the billing server.
A conceivable solution for getting the real time billing information is to encapsulate the ISUP (ISDN User Part) message in SIP MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) body. But in current IMS architecture, the application server cannot parse the SIP ISUP MIME body. Therefore, it is necessary to add different decode functions for different country variants. The AS must call different decode functions for the ISUP information in SIP MIME body with different country variants.
FIG. 3 shows the problem occurred in the above-described solution of real time billing. As shown in FIG. 3, the PSTN switch sends a charge message (CRG) indicating the billing rate of a call to the MGCF after receiving the IAM message, which CRG message is of the signaling No. 7 and includes billing information. Then, the MGCF encapsulates this CRG into the 18x message, which is a provisional response, and sends this 18x the AS. In order to obtain the billing rate, the AS must call different decode functions for the ISUP information in SIP MIME body with the different country variants. After the call having been set up, the PSTN switch sends another CRG message indicating the interval of billing of a call to the MGCF. The MGCF encapsulates this CRG message into an INFO message, which is a message carrying call related control information, and then sends the INFO message to the AS. As such, the AS must call different decode functions for the ISUP information in SIP MIME body with the different country variants for obtaining the interval of billing. In this way, the billing server could generate the real time billing information. It can be therefore seen that, the above solution is complex and costly.
For another approach, if a customer wants to get the almost real time billing information, the application server needs to transmit CDRs to the billing machine frequently, which will highly impact the application server performance.

Method for generating a real time billing information in a packet switching based network and network element


Internet-based lubricant evaluation and reporting system comprising an application service provider. A server operable by the application service provider includes an operating control system, an Internet connection and lubricant evaluation software executable on the control system to manage a database of lubricant related data. A hypertext markup language compliant page displays output generated by the lubricant evaluation software and an embedded function, and is operable to facilitate data communications related to the lubricant evaluation software over the Internet between the server an Internet browser running on a computer remote from the application service provider. The embedded function is operable to run at the server, when an Internet browser accesses the hypertext markup language compliant page, and the embedded function is selected, to thereby permit selected access by a user of the Internet browser to the lubricant evaluation software in order to access the lubricant related data.

It is common for an operator or owner of machinery, equipment, or commercial vehicles, and the like, including organizations and individuals, to have lubricant analysis performed on their machinery, equipment, and vehicles. Typically, lubricant analysis checks oil samples from the equipment, machinery and vehicles for foreign particles, such as wear particles, contaminants, and oil additives. Also, screening processes are used to check for white metal, babbitt, precipitate, silt, debris, and dirt. Such lubricant analysis can indicate many significant factors about machinery, equipment, and vehicles. Accordingly, such feedback about lubrication is vital to a proper and complete maintenance program, and is paramount to the ongoing operation of machinery, equipment, and vehicles, and leads to reduced breakdowns and increased mechanical longevity.
Typically, such an operator or owner is a client of an oil analysis company, and sends regular lubricant samples taken from the machinery, equipment, and vehicles, to a certified laboratory that conducts various types of tests on the lubricants. The laboratory might be part of the oil analysis company or might be an independent laboratory. Typically, a few days after the samples are shipped for analysis, the client would typically receive from the oil analysis company a written report setting forth and explaining the results of the tests.
In the event that a client has several locations, the lubricant samples may be sent to one specific laboratory, which may be undesirable due to the distances that lubricant samples might have to be shipped, especially if the client has operations in more than one country. Alternatively, the lubricant samples could be sent to local laboratories. However, this is undesirable since, in the industry, there is a lack of proper standardization of tests or test results.
Also, each location of a client's operation would most likely not be aware of the results of lubricants tests performed at other locations. This information is therefore typically not shared between various locations of a client's company.
Further, it is almost certainly not shared between companies, and also generally is not forwarded to lubricant suppliers, original equipment manufacturers, industry consultants, and so on. The client is only able to share in the knowledge and experience of the one oil analysis company, but has little opportunity to share in the knowledge and experience of the lubricant community in general. This lack of sharing of information extends beyond basic lubricant analysis data, since lubricant analysis data is also used to determine various characteristics of machinery, equipment, vehicles, and the like, and also suitability of lubricants, and so on.
The above discussed problems are largely due to the lack of cooperation within the industry, as a result of the normal level of competition that exists between companies. However, another even more significant reason for these problems has recently become apparent. There is a general lack of integrated information systems within the industry, or in other words, there is a lack of a common platform available to oil analysis companies and their clients, and to the industry in general. Most oil analysis companies offer their own version of a client-based oil analysis software package. However, these client-based software packages offer varying levels of functionality ranging from the ability to view oil analysis data and reports, to software packages that allow the client to fully manage their oil analysis program. Alternatively, a client can use a cumbersome oil analysis software package purchased at considerable expense from a software provider. Although the client can use several laboratories to perform oil analysis, the software is designed to view oil analysis data, and is not designed to be compatible with an oil analysis company's software. Accordingly, the system only accepts basic oil analysis data, which may be insufficient. Further, there is no way for the client to send data back to the oil analysis company.
Even more specifically, there is a lack of industry standards for data exchange, which completely precludes test results and other data from being readily exchanged. For instance, in the oil analysis industry, each one of over 250 commercial laboratories and 2000 private laboratories in North America operates its own Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Each of the above discussed software packages uses a proprietary format for the exchange of data between the oil analysis LIMS and the client software, thus virtually ensuring that test results and other data cannot be readily exchanged, thus keeping interaction between the client and laboratory essentially insular.
For these reasons, only a small percentage of clients actually use a client software package.
Furthermore, a client might need to switch from their present lubricant analysis laboratory to another lubricant analysis laboratory. At best, the client is faced with fragmentation of data, and possibly a complete loss of oil analysis data, which is completely unacceptable
The lack of sharing of lubricant related information also lessens the effectiveness of maintenance programs, especially within larger companies. Typically, for each location owned by a client, the maintenance data is stored in a separate system, generally with no way to collaborate data from any two systems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an Internet-based lubricant evaluation and reporting system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an Internet-based lubricant evaluation and reporting system, wherein there are lubricant standardized tests performed in a laboratory.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an Internet-based lubricant evaluation and reporting system, wherein the lubricant test result information can be shared between various locations of a client's company.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an Internet-based lubricant evaluation and reporting system, wherein lubricant analysis data is shared between clients, lubricant suppliers, original equipment manufacturers, industry consultants, and so on.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an Internet-based lubricant evaluation and reporting system, wherein lubricant analysis data is used to determine various characteristics of machinery, equipment, vehicles, and the like.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an Internet-based lubricant evaluation and reporting system, which evaluation and reporting system provides a common platform available to oil analysis companies and their clients, and to the industry in general.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an Internet-based lubricant evaluation and reporting system, wherein common industry standards for data exchange are used
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an Internet-based lubricant evaluation and reporting system, wherein clients can readily switch from one laboratory to another without loss of lubricant analysis data and use thereof.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an Internet-based lubricant evaluation and reporting system, which lubricant evaluation and reporting system is used to enhance the effectiveness of a maintenance program of machinery, equipment, vehicles, and the like.