The present invention provides a fructosylamine oxidase which is obtainable by culturing Fusarium proliferatum, and purifying two types of fructosylamine oxidase (FAO) with different substrate specificities from the culture, and which is useful in the measurement of amadori compounds.

Amadori compounds are formed when a reactive substance having an amino group(s) such as protein, peptide or amino acid co-exists with a reducing sugar such as glucose in blood and food product. Thus, they combine together non-enzymatically and irreversibly through the amino group and aldehyde group, which is followed by amadori rearrangement to form an amadori compound. Since the production rate of an amadori compound is a function of concentration of reactive substances, contacting period, temperature, and the like, various information about a sample containing such reactive substances can be obtained from the amount of amadori compound. Therefore, analysis of amadori compounds is useful in the fields related to medicine, food, and the like. In the medical field, attention is particularly focused on the glycated protein as an index for diagnosis and control of conditions of diabetes. Diabetes causes various systemic symptoms (complications) such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, and the like, and is the leading cause of blindness and introduction of dialysis. These complications are linked not only to the restriction of daily life and social activity of patients but also to the swelling medical expenses and raise a serious social problem. The importance of early detection and the following adequate control of blood glucose level has been indicated. As an index for controlling blood glucose in diabetes, glycohemoglobin reflecting the mean glucose level for the past about 1 to 2 months, glycoalbumin reflecting the mean glucose level for the past about 2 weeks, or fructosamine corresponding to glycated protein having reducing ability in serum is measured. Glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) is a glycated hemoglobin wherein α-amino group of valine at N-terminus of hemoglobin β chain is glycated. The measurement of HbA1c plays an important role in control of blood glucose level of diabetic patients.
The determination of amadori compound in enzymatic assay is carried out by contacting an amadori compound with an oxidoreductase, and measuring the amount of hydrogen peroxide produced or that of oxygen consumed. Fructosylamino acid oxidase, one of oxidoreductases, has generally been purified from microorganisms. See, for example, JP-H06-65300B, JP-H03-155780A, JP-H07-289253A ([00319, [0037]), JP-H08-154672A (Claim 2 and [0027]), JP-H11-243950A ([0037]) and JP-H05-192193A.
Enzymes described in these publications are explained in brief below. Enzymes from Corynebacterium include those specific for an amino acid glycated at α-amino group but not active on fructosyl lysine (hereinafter, it may be referred to as "FL"), which are poorly heat stable (90% or more activity is decreased by treatment at 45° C. for 10 minutes) and hence lack in sufficient practical usefulness (JP-H06-65300B). Enzymes from Aspergillus include those less active on FL compared to fructosyl valine (hereinafter, it may be referred to as "FV"); however, it is unknown whether or not the enzyme is active on glycated protein or hydrolysates thereof (JP-H03-155780A). Enzymes from Gibberella include those showing high specificity to fructosyl N α-Z-lysine (hereinafter, it may be referred to as "FZL"), of which α-amino group is protected, and being active on fructosylpolylysine but not active on fructosyl valine (JP-H07-289253A, [0031] and [0037]). Enzymes from Fusarium include those having the same or higher activity for fructosyl lysine compared to fructosyl valine (JP-H08-154672A, Claim 2 and [0027]). Other enzymes from Fusarium or Gibberella include those inactive on fructosyl valine but specific for fructosyl lysine (JP-H 11-243950A, [0037]).
However, these existing enzymes are not satisfactory in terms of, for example, activity in the determination of glycohemoglobin, and therefore there has been a demand for an enzyme with high activity and excellent specificity. For instance, although these existing enzymes are active on glycated amino acids or poly-lysines produced by fragmentation with protease treatment or the like, they are almost inactive on glycated peptides in which the α-position is glycated. Accordingly, in the case of glycohemoglobin, wherein α-amino group of N-terminal amino acid is glycated, it is necessarily to release the N-terminal fructosyl valine certainly beforehand.
To measure glycated proteins accurately using an existing fructosylamino acid oxidase, it is generally inevitable to surely release the glycated amino acid as a substrate of the enzyme. However, there have not been provided any methods by which the glycated amino acid of interest can be surely released or proteases which are highly specific enough to make it sure the same. One of strategies to solve this issue is to use a fructosylamine oxidase reactive on peptide itself which is glycated at N-terminus. It is particularly important to use a fructosylamine oxidase that is also active on glycated peptides as fragmentation products so that one can measure accurately the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) which is significant in control of diabetes.


A vehicle torque converter for forming a circulation path of an oil and transmitting a rotary torque is provided which includes an impeller, turbine and stator, each having a plurality of blades. Each blade of at least one of the impeller and the turbine has a radially inner half portion, a radially outer half portion, and a boundary fence that extends along the circulation path and separates the radially inner half portion and radially outer half portion from each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the structure of a torque converter used in a power transmission system of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As known in the art, a torque converter is principally constructed to have three wheels, namely, an impeller, a turbine and a stator, and its interior is filled with an oil. The impeller that is connected to an input shaft of the torque converter converts rotary force from the engine into flow of the oil, and the turbine that is connected to an output shaft of the converter receives the flow of the oil and converts it into torque. In the meantime, the stator changes the direction of flow of the oil from the turbine, so as to perform a function of increasing the transmitted torque.
Since the oil is a transmitting medium that circulates between the input side and output side of the torque converter, the impeller and turbine connected to the input and output shafts of the converter are allowed to slide relative to each other, to function as a clutch so as to make it easy for the vehicle to be started, and absorb shocks. Due to these advantages as well as the above-described torque increasing function, torque converters are widely used in passenger cars and other types of motor vehicles. On the other hand, there has been a strong demand for reduction of the size of the torque converter, in order to permit the converter to be installed on a front drive vehicle, or incorporate a lockup clutch mechanism, for example. To this end, many torque converters have a reduced axial dimension, and assume a flat shape as seen in its cross section. Thus, the torque converter has been desired to improve its performance while meeting the demand for reduction in the size.
FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are views schematically showing the flow of an oil in a torque converter. As shown in FIG. 13, a stator 53 serves to change the direction of flow of the oil so as to cause an impeller 51 to be further rotated, thereby to increase the torque as described above. Thus, a large torque ratio t (=torque of output shaft/torque of input shaft) can be obtained where the speed ratio of the output shaft to the input shaft (rotating speed of the output shaft/rotating speed of input shaft) is small.
As the speed ratio approaches 1 where the impeller 51 and turbine 52 are rotated at substantially the same speed, the direction of flow of the oil into the stator 53 is changed, causing a reverse effect. In this case, therefore, the stator is brought into an idling condition by means of a one-way clutch, so as not to reduce the torque ratio. As a result, the oil flows into and out of the stator 53 in substantially the same direction, as shown in FIG. 14. Since the stator does not exert a force to change the flow direction, it does not perform the torque increasing function. This point of operation is called "coupling point".
The performance of the torque converter may be represented by the above-indicated speed ratio e, torque ratio t, transmission efficiency .eta. (=horse power of the output shaft/horse power of the input shaft) and torque capacity T (=required torque for the rotating speed of the input shaft), which are indicated by operating characteristic curves as shown in FIG. 15. When the speed ratio e is in a region smaller than the coupling point, the torque converter performs its torque increasing function, so that the torque ratio exceeds 1, and reaches its maximum of about 2 upon stalling when the output shaft is stopped. With the torque thus increased, the transmission efficiency .eta. reaches its maximum just before the coupling point.
During normal running of the vehicle, in general, the torque converter operates in a region where the speed ratio is larger than that of the coupling point. When a large accelerating force is needed as in the case where the vehicle is being started or accelerated to pass another vehicle, the torque converter operates in a region in which the speed ratio is small, so as to provide the torque increasing function. However, the actual frequency of use of each region is also influenced by the torque capacity.
The torque capacity represents torque that can be received at a certain rotating speed. If this torque capacity is small, the frequency of use of a region having a relatively large torque ratio is increased with a result of improved accelerating performance, but the fuel economy is deteriorated. If the torque capacity is large, on the other hand, the frequency of use of a region having a relatively high transmission efficiency is increased, but the accelerating performance is deteriorated.
When the torque converter has a flat shape in cross section, to be thus small-sized as described above, however, flow separation tends to occur at portions where the flow of the oil is suddenly changed in direction, as indicated by x, y in FIG. 16, which also results in reduction in the effective flow path area and reduced torque capacity.


Methods and systems for providing multi-track video content includes, receiving a user request for multi-track video, the multi-track video including a plurality of videos, each of the plurality of videos corresponding to a track, each of the plurality of videos being divided into time-based video segments; requesting a first video of the plurality of videos, the first video corresponding to a first track of the multi-track video; receiving first video segments corresponding to the first video; sequentially transferring the first video segments to a player for displaying the sequentially transferred first video segments; receiving second video segments of a second video of the plurality of videos instead of receiving the first video segments, the second video segments corresponding to a second track of the multi-track video; and sequentially transferring the second video segments to the player for displaying the sequentially transferred second video segments.

Field
Example embodiments relate to a multi-track video content service method and system for providing multi-track video content.
Description of the Background
Conventional video content has been provided to users by recording an image edited during a creation process and by playing the image using a single screen. However, a plurality of images may be provided with respect to single content item.
For example, a device and method for video media recording and playing with multiple tracks is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2005-0121345, published on Dec. 27, 2005. However, in the related art, each of a plurality of videos already recorded for single video content is played by simply configuring a plurality of screens. Accordingly, a relatively large amount of traffic is used for a streaming service of video content including multiple tracks according to the related art. For example, when single video content includes a number N of videos, about N times the amount of traffic are likely to be used when compared to video content including a single video.
Furthermore, multiple tracks of the related art may provide a plurality of videos captured with respect to single content at the same time, and thus, the systems and methods of the related art may not switch and thereby provide a plurality of contents in the same manner as single content.

Service method and system for providing multi-track video contents


Systems and methods for enhanced runtime hosting are described. In one aspect the runtime hosting interface includes a host abstraction interface. The HAI allowing the runtime to configure host execution environment parameters and/or notify the host of a runtime event. In particular, the host abstraction interface (HAI) corresponds to execution environment abstractions supported by a host application. Responsive to an action or event, the runtime invokes an identified HAI or an associated object during execution of runtime managed code.

In today's complex computer-program and networking environments, code sharing, scalability, and integration with other cross-platform frameworks are generally desired. Use of a runtime by a hosting application (i.e., hereinafter often referred to as a "host") generally allows application developers to write managed code with cross-platform compatibility, increased scalability, a common type system, multiple-language support, automatic memory management, and so on. Runtimes include, for example a Common Language Runtime (CLR), a Java Virtual Machine (VM), and/or the like.
Most hosts consist of both managed code and unmanaged code. Managed code is code that executes under the control of a runtime. Conversely, unmanaged code is code that runs outside of the runtime. Common object model (COM) components, ActiveX® interfaces, and WIN32® API functions are examples of unmanaged code. Unmanaged hosting code is used by a process to configure a runtime, load it into the process, and transition the process into managed code.
Once the process, which includes the host and the runtime, is executing, integration between the host and the runtime in the execution environment is very limited and basic. Other than the described interactions of configuring, loading, and transitioning the runtime by the host, the host will typically only direct the runtime to perform a specific task, and/or receive an event/message from the runtime that a particular runtime task has completed. Thus, the host and the runtime are essentially separate, non-integrated entities of the process. This means that a hosting application has little or no control over many of the services provided by the runtime.
Relying on hosted runtime service(s) when the host expects use of its own service implementation can be problematic, and may even break the host application's expected performance, results, and/or the like. For instance, the host may have tuned specific threading, memory, synchronization, and/or security implementations over time, for example, for improved scalability and performance. Thus, although the host may desire the benefits of a runtime (e.g., cross-platform compatibility, reduced coding efforts, etc.), the host's specially tuned implementation may be incompatible with corresponding runtime services. In such a situation, the host may only load a runtime that relies on host-supplied services, or may completely bypass runtime services altogether by directly accessing underlying OS services. Such work-around(s) do not allow application designers to leverage the benefits that runtimes were designed to provide, resulting in less integrated and portable products.
Accordingly, systems and methods to increase execution environment control between a host and a runtime are greatly desired.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A managed node may determine that a current public key and a current private key associated with a managed node will expire within a threshold period of time. A current managed node certificate may include the current public key and be associated with the current private key. The managed node may create a request for a new certificate for the managed node. The request may be created prior to expiration of the current managed node certificate. The managed node may sign the request for the new certificate using the current private key. The managed node may send the request for the new certificate to a core server.

With the prolific use of the Internet, many people and businesses have come to rely on network communications. Because of this reliance, the need for secure means of transmitting data has become significant for individuals and businesses alike. As a consequence, there is an ever present need for evolving security in communications over networks and the Internet. In particular, there is a need for improved approaches to ensuring the confidentiality of private information.
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties. Public-key cryptography, which is also known as asymmetric cryptography, refers to a cryptographic algorithm that requires two separate keys: a private key and a public key. These keys may be referred to collectively as a key pair. The private key is kept secret, but the public key is widely distributed. A private key and its corresponding public key are mathematically linked, but the parameters are chosen so that calculating the private key from the public key is extremely difficult.
Public-key cryptography facilitates the use of digital signatures. In particular, a message that is digitally "signed" (i.e., processed in accordance with an appropriate cryptographic algorithm) using the sender's private key may be verified by anyone who has access to the sender's public key. A valid digital signature gives a recipient reason to believe that the message was actually created by the sender.
One issue associated with the use of public-key cryptography is related to determining whether a particular public key is authentic, i.e., whether the public key is correct and belongs to the person or entity claimed, and has not been tampered with or replaced by a malicious third party. Typically, a public-key infrastructure system is used to address the issue of authenticity. Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to improvements related to management of public-key infrastructure systems.

Systems and methods for providing a self-maintaining PKI infrastructure among loosely connected entities


A liquid-crystal display device comprising a polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer capable of coming into a light scattering state when no voltage is applied, and first and second transparent electrodes capable of forming an electric field to the polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer. The first transparent electrode has a first electrode pattern and a second electrode pattern disposed adjoiningly to the first electrode pattern via a boundary area between them. The boundary area has a width adequate to make transparent the polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer at its area corresponding to the boundary area, by the action of an electric field formed by the second electrode pattern and second transparent electrode. This liquid-crystal display device enables any desired display to be superimposed on the background image while preventing the difficulty that the wiring area extending to a display mark is displayed or only the edging of the display mark is displayed.

The disclosures of the Japanese Applications Nos. 2000-008572, 2000-010963, 2000-175774 and 2000-387282, are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid-crystal display device making use of a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal.
2. Related Background Art
In liquid-crystal display devices which make use of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal to perform efficient action, usually the display is made utilizing two states that the liquid crystal is brought into a non-transparent state (made to stand non-transparent: light scattering state) by non-electrification and is brought into a transparent state (made to stand transparent: light non-scattering state) by electrification. Stated specifically, in the liquid-crystal display devices of such a type, a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal is so disposed as to be held between opposing transparent electrodes. Upon application of in-phase alternating-current signals to both the transparent electrodes, the liquid crystal comes into a light scattering state where no voltage is applied, and, upon application of out-of-phase alternating-current signals to both the transparent electrodes, it comes into a transparent state where a voltage is applied. The driving of liquid crystal in this way brings patterns into the transparent state and their surroundings into the light scattering state, whereby transparent regions can be displayed on a white background similar to ground glass; or brings patterns into the light scattering state and their surroundings into the transparent state, whereby white regions can be displayed on a transparent background.
Where transparent regions are displayed on a white background, any particular problem does not arise even in apparatus constructed as described above. However, where it is attempted to display white regions on a transparent background, the following problems may arise.
Think about display regions set like islands in a transparent background. In such a case, even when the background region which surrounds display regions is kept into a transparent background by applying a voltage thereto, wiring areas extending to the display regions come into question. More specifically, where the island-like display regions stand non-electrified, i.e., the voltages applied to the both electrodes are in phase, the wiring areas extending to those regions have of course the same phase as the opposing transparent electrodes. This means that, when the island-like display regions are displayed in the light scattering state, the wiring areas extending there to the display regions also come into the light scattering state and are inevitably simultaneously displayed.
In liquid-crystal display devices, the fact that the island-like display regions are displayed in the background standing transparent means that, when a liquid-crystal display panel is incorporated in an optical system, display marks are so displayed as to come up to the surface as white regions in a state what is called xe2x80x9csuperimposedxe2x80x9d to image formed by light beam transmitted through a transparent region. In such a case, to the display mark, wiring through which a voltage is supplied thereto is connected, and hence the voltage is applied to the liquid crystal via the wiring, so that all the segments that constitute the display mark look like as if strings are attached corresponding to the wiring areas extending from the margin of a picture, to spoil the light beam image transmitted through the transparent region.
In addition, at the boundary between a background area and a display mark, there is a boundary between the segments that constitute the transparent electrodes corresponding to the both, and this boundary remains inevitably as a blank area where no electrode pattern is present. In this blank area, no electric field comes up to the liquid-crystal region present opposingly to this blank area, and hence the light scattering state is always maintained. Namely, what is to be displayed when the background area is made transparent and the display mark is also made transparent is displayed as a white region as if the blank area is an edging of the display mark. When the display mark area is made white, a display mark is formed in which both the blank area and the display mark area are painted out as a white region.
Thus, in conventional liquid-crystal display devices, the display mark can not completely be made to disappear even when it is unnecessary, and there comes to be a disadvantage on display that the wiring area goes on and off concurrently every time the display mark goes on and off. Such a disadvantage provides a great obstacle when any desired display is optically superimposed on a background image. That is, the display to be superimposed is desired not only to be simply displayed, but also to disappear completely when it is unnecessary.
As for the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal, it responds more slowly as temperature is lower, and hence may cause a problem that the brightening of display segments does not agree with the timing of illumination as long as the illumination is merely performed.
For example, at a normal temperature of 25xc2x0 C., the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal takes about 10 msec as a time taken to change from the light scattering state to the transparent state and about 60 msec as a time taken to change from the transparent state to the light scattering state, changing almost instantaneously. However, at a low temperature of xe2x88x9210xc2x0 C., it takes about 300 msec as a time taken to change from the light scattering state to the transparent state and about 1,400 msec as a time taken to change from the transparent state to the light scattering state, showing a very slow response.
Hence, where one of a plurality of segments is selected by a selector, the liquid crystal responds so slowly at low temperature that the illumination may end before the selected segment changes into the light scattering state, and further that a segment having been selected before that is illuminated. Thus, there is a problem that any selected segment is not accurately illuminated. This problem has not been solved under existing circumstances.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide, as first invention of the present application, a liquid-crystal display device that enables any desired display to be superimposed on the background image while preventing the difficulty that the wiring area extending to a display mark is displayed or only the edging of the display mark is displayed.
To achieve the above object, the liquid-crystal display device of the first invention comprises a polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer capable of coming into a light scattering state when no voltage is applied, and first and second transparent electrodes capable of forming an electric field in the polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer;
the first transparent electrode having a first electrode pattern and a second electrode pattern disposed adjoiningly to the first electrode pattern via a boundary area between them;
the boundary area having a width adequate to make transparent the polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer at its area corresponding to the boundary area, by the action of an electric field formed by the second electrode pattern and second transparent electrode.
According to the first invention, when in the above device the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern come into the transparent state upon application of a voltage to the both, the surrounding electric field strays into the polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer lying in a region opposing to the boundary area of the both patterns, so that the boundary area of the both patterns is not displayed and not seen.
In the liquid-crystal display device of the first invention, preferably the first electrode pattern may be a display pattern, the second electrode pattern may be a background pattern, and boundary area may have a width substantially equal to the layer thickness of the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal layer.
In the liquid-crystal display device of the first invention, also preferably the first electrode pattern may be a wiring pattern, the second electrode pattern may be a background pattern, and the first electrode pattern and the boundary area may have a total width substantially equal to the layer thickness of the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal layer.
An object of a second invention of the present application is to provide, a liquid-crystal display illumination device that enables appropriate illumination of the selected segment even when there are changes in temperature.
The second invention provides a liquid-crystal display illumination device comprising;
a display panel having a plurality of display segments having sealed a polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer capable of switching a light scattering state where light is scattered and a transparent state light non-scattering state where light is transmitted;
a selection part which selects at least one display segment of the plurality of display segments of the display panel;
a drive circuit which brings into the light scattering state the display segment selected by the selection part and drives an unselected region in the transparent state;
an illumination part which illuminates the display panel;
a temperature detection part which detects the temperature of the polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer or its vicinity; and
an illumination control part which controls delay time and/or light-emission time in accordance the temperature detected by the temperature detection part; the former being the time after the selection part has been operated and until the illumination part starts illumination, and the latter being the time after the illumination part has started illumination and until it ends the illumination.
In the liquid-crystal display illumination device of the second invention, preferably the delay time in the illumination control part may be set longer than the time for which the display segment of the display panel at the detected temperature switches from the light scattering state to the transparent state.
In the liquid-crystal display illumination device of the second invention, also preferably the delay time in the illumination control part may be set shorter than the time for which the display segment of the display panel at the detected temperature switches from the transparent state to the light scattering state.
In the liquid-crystal display illumination device of the second invention, still also preferably the light-emission time in the illumination control part may be set equal to or longer than the time for which the display segment of the display panel switches from the transparent state to the light scattering state.
In the liquid-crystal display illumination device of the second invention, still also preferably the device may further comprise;
a photometric part which measures the brightness of the display panel or its vicinity; and
a light emission inhibition part which inhibits the illumination part from emitting light when the photometric value measured by the photometric part is higher than a preset luminance.
In the liquid-crystal display illumination device of the second invention, still also preferably the illumination part may comprise a light source which generates light and a light guide member which guides to the display panel the light emitted from the light source.
The polymer-dispersed liquid crystal may also be used in a view finder of a camera.
In the liquid-crystal display device making use of this polymer-dispersed liquid crystal, the liquid-crystal layer can be switched into two modes of light non-scattering state/light scattering state by switching a voltage applied to the liquid-crystal layer, and any desired information can be displayed by making the shape of the electrode (transparent electrode) have any desired shape (construct the display panel).
Accordingly, the liquid-crystal display device thus constructed may be disposed in the vicinity of a screen in the view finder of a camera so that any optical image formed on the screen can be recognized through the liquid-crystal display device. In this state, the voltage applied to the liquid-crystal layer may be controlled, whereby any desired information can appropriately be displayed superimposingly on the optical image formed on the screen.
In such a case, the liquid-crystal display panel of the liquid-crystal display device may consist basically of two sheets of transparent substrates provided with a plurality of transparent electrodes and a polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer sealed between the two sheets of transparent substrates, and the transparent electrodes having the desired shapes and opposing each other, interposing this polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer may constitute the display segment. Then, the polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer held between the transparent electrodes to which a voltage has been applied does not scatter light (light non-scattering state) and only the polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layer to which a voltage has not been applied scatters light (light scattering state).
Thus, the display segment can be displayed on the liquid-crystal display panel in any desired form by selectively applying the voltage to a plurality of transparent electrodes constituting a plurality of display segments disposed in the liquid-crystal display panel.
In view finder devices of electronic optical instruments such as single-lens reflex cameras, there is a demand that, when a plurality of display segments provided in a view finder are selected in order to show their use conditions and so forth, the selected display segments are desired to be displayed in a state contrasting distinctively with other display segments so that these are visually clearly recognizable by a photographer.
For example, in a single-lens reflex camera so constructed that one focus area is selected from a plurality of focus areas to perform focusing, the information on what focus area stands selected at the time of photo-taking is one of those which are desired to be clearly recognized by a photographer through a display segment corresponding to the selected focus area (hereinafter often xe2x80x9cindication segmentxe2x80x9d).
A third invention of the present application was also made taking account of such circumstances, and has its object to provide a liquid-crystal display device that enables the indication segment (a specific display segment selected by a photographer from among a plurality of display segments) to be clearly recognized in a state contrasting distinctively with other display segments.
The third invention provides a liquid-crystal display device comprising;
a liquid-crystal display panel having an indication segment comprising a plurality of indications capable of making selective display by selection operation, and a display segment comprising an indication other than the former indications;
a light source;
a light guide means for guiding to the liquid-crystal display panel the light emitted from the light source;
selection means for performing the selection operation;
control means for controlling the display segment and the indication segment selected by the selection operation, into a light scattering state or a light non-scattering state; and
an action-detecting means for detecting the state of action of an electronic optical instrument in which the liquid-crystal display panel is incorporated;
the control means being capable of forcedly controlling into the light non-scattering state the display segment having come into the light scattering state, to make the light source emit light, at the time the action-detecting means has detected, as the state of action, a state of action which requires to make sure of the selected indication. This enables the indication segment to be clearly recognized in a state contrasting distinctively with other display segments, even in an instance in which any other segment stands provisionally selected when a specific segment is selected.
In the liquid-crystal display device of the third invention, the control means may preferably be so made up that it makes the light source emit light for a given period and, after lapse of the given period, makes return into the light scattering state the display segment forcedly changed into the light non-scattering state. This enables the indication segment to be clearly recognized by a photographer in a state contrasting distinctively for a given period, and thereafter enables another display segment to be recognized by the photographer.
The liquid-crystal display device of the third invention may also comprise photometric means for measuring the luminance of the liquid-crystal display panel or its vicinity, connected to the control means;
the control means being capable of inhibiting the light source from emitting light when the luminance measured by the photometric means is higher than a preset value. This enables the selected indication segment to be illuminated by the light from the light source to become visually recognizable with ease when the environment around the liquid-crystal display panel is dark, and enables the selected indication segment to be brought into the light scattering state to look dark to become visually recognizable with ease when the environment around the liquid-crystal display panel is bright.
In the liquid-crystal display device of the third invention, the electronic optical instrument may be an autofocus camera having a plurality of focus areas, where the state of action which requires to make sure of the selected indication is at least one of an autofocusing state and a focus-area-selected state. This makes it possible, in the state of autofocusing action, to make sure of the focus area standing selected by the indication segment, and makes it easy, in the focus-area-selected state, to select a new focus area while making sure of the focus area standing already selected.

PDLC display device including first electrode pattern and second electrode pattern disposed adjoiningly to the first via a boundary area


It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical disc device that achieves more accurate time search. Thus, in a DVD playback device including time search function of performing playback from specified time, control is performed so that, when the specified time for the time search has been inputted, playback inside the device starts from a top of a VOBU including the specified time, and outputting a video and an audio starts from time when a playback frame agrees with a frame corresponding to the specified time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc device including time search function of performing playback from specified time.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, as a video device recording and playing back videos and audios, an optical disc device is typically frequently used. As a recording medium of the optical disc device, there are recently a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a BD (Blu-ray Disc), and an HD DVD (High Definition DVD). Then one of features of the optical disc is that playback can be done quickly from a desired section. For this, various methods have been suggested.
For example, JP-A-2006-202402 discloses an information playback device and an information playback method including for each data unit a table where addresses of a plurality of data units to be played back within a time range including the current time are recorded. In these device and method, the number of data units to be interlace-played back in accordance with playback speed is obtained, it is judged whether the address in accordance with the obtained number in the table is valid or invalid, when the address is valid, playback is performed based on this valid address, and when the address is invalid, playback is performed based on a valid address in the addresses of the data unit to be played back at time closer to the current time than the playback time for the data unit with this invalid address.
JP-A-2007-80329 discloses a still image switching position search device for a disc provided with: a reading part for reading recording information from a disc where management information related to video data including a moving image or a still image recorded in a user data area; a judge part for receiving the management information read by the reading part, obtaining title information on the video data, and based on address data of a top video object unit in cell information forming each title, judging whether or not still image information is included in the video data; and a control part for, when the still image information is included, obtaining from the management information on playback position time of this still image information and controlling a display part to display on a display screen a title number of each still image information and time of its switching position thereof.
JP-A-2005-346911 discloses a recording device in which a system controller performs playback control based on address information which indicates video information to be actually played back in angle block playback or parental block playback, and which is included in VOB unit search information included in DSI data separated from a demodulated demodulation signal by a system buffer.
JP-A-2004-213728 discloses a DVD playback device which, when playback position is specified by time, reads C_PBTM where playback time for each cell included in PGCI is written, makes comparison with the specified time while sequentially adding each C_PBTM to detect a cell including the specified time, obtains a difference between the specified time and time at the top of the cell including the specified time, defines as a temporary VOBU number a value obtained by dividing the obtained difference by 0.5 and then adding 1 to the obtained value, reads C_ELTM where playback time of each VOBU included in the cell is written, adds together C_ELTM up to the obtained temporary VOBU number to obtain total elapse time, makes comparison with the specified time while adding or subtracting C_ELTM in accordance with VOBU numbers before and after the total elapse time to detect the VOBU agreeing with the specified time, and performs playback from a top address of the detected VOBU.
JP-A-2006-66025 discloses an optical disc reproduction device in which, upon time search request, a search destination address is determined based on analyzed search time, a navigation pack for the detected search destination address is obtained, when there is no video data in the obtained navigation pack, a top address of a front stage video object unit having video data is obtained from the data search information included in the obtained navigation pack, data of the obtained top address is read and only the video data is obtained based on general information of the data search information included in the navigation pack, and a still image corresponding to audio data is outputted.
In performing time search in conventional optical disc devices including those described in the above five publications, playback has been practiced from the top of a VOBU (video object unit) including time for search destination. It is because playback can be done only in units of VOBUs. Thus, when the time for search destination is located at the rear of the VOBU, playback is started at a position a maximum of approximately 0.5 seconds before specified time.
For example, assuming that when the time for the specified search destination is 1h00m00s00f (1 hour 0 minutes 0 seconds 0 frame), the top of a VOBU including this time is 0h59m59s17f, playback is started from there. At this point in time, when playback elapse time is OSD-displayed, playback for the OSD display is started in a state of 1h00m00s, and processing is performed so that the OSD display is updated to 1h00m01s when playback position at 1h00m01 s00f has been reached. That is, time until when the OSD display at 1h00m00s is updated to 1h00m01s is actually one second or more.
As described above, conventionally, a difference between specified time and actual playback start time has been compensated by such processing that deludes OSD display. Therefore, accurate time search has not been necessarily achieved.


Optical systems for endoscopes, borescopes, dental scopes, and the like which are characterized by having three groups of lenses of positive optical power and an external entrance pupil. Typically, all three groups of lenses are displaced from the pupil and focal planes. As a consequence, the displaced groups take part in the image transfer as well as in the pupil transfer. The optical power requirements can thus be shifted from one group to another, distributing as well as reducing the overall power requirement. Moreover, the aberration correction can also be shared between these groups. The first group, which conventionally has the highest optical power, and consequently a large amount of aberrations to be corrected, can in this way transfer some of the optical aberration correction to the other groups. The sharing of the optical functions and aberration correction results in a fully integrated optical system. The reduction in the total amount of optical power is so large that a line-of-sight deviating prism can be readily accommodated between the entrance pupil and the first lens group. The resulting simplicity of the optical system makes it suitable as a disposable item.

In endoscopy and related fields, such as borescopes and dental scopes, the complete optical system is thought of as consisting of four basic and separate optical functions. Those functions are, in sequence of the direction of the travelling light, as follows:                1. an objective which forms the first image of an object under surveillance,        2. a field lens which images the pupil of the objective onto the next image transfer lens,        3. an image transfer lens which reimages the first image onto the next field lens. The pupil and image transfer steps are repeated as often as is needed to obtain a desired tube length, and        4. a focussing lens which presents the final image to a sensor, like a person's eye, a CCD camera, or a photographic film.
This approach is the classical approach, and it is appropriate for the following reasons:                1. The design of the optical system is broken up into parts with single and clearly defined and separate functions, functions to each of which an optical designer may bring considerable experience, and        2. The light transfer capacity and information transfer capacity of an endoscope is at a maximum when the optical power is concentrated at the image planes and pupil planes. The expedience of this approach is brought out by numerous U.S. patents on endoscopes which consistently treat the objective, the relay system, and the eyepiece as separate parts of the total system.
The disadvantage of treating the different optical components as separate entities is that the distribution of the optical powers is very uneven and that certain aberrations are naturally at a maximum, like astigmatism, field curvature, and chromatic aberrations. The correction of these aberrations require relatively short radii. These short radii are difficult to fabricate, require tight tolerances, and they are therefore the main contributors to the considerable cost of the fabrication of an endoscope. A truly inexpensive endoscope, sufficiently inexpensive to be offered as a disposable item, is presently not practical with conventional designs.

Integrated optical system for endoscopes and the like


The present invention relates to an integrated infrared sensor device, comprising a sensor substrate and a filter substrate. The sensor substrate has a back surface and a front surface opposite the back surface, in which the back surface has a cavity defined therein and the front surface has at least one infrared sensing element formed therein or arranged thereon, covered with a cap for protecting the at least one sensing element, e.g. against mechanical damage and dust, and/or against stray radiation. The filter substrate is arranged on the back surface of the sensor substrate such that the filter substrate at least partially covers the cavity. The filter substrate is adapted in shape and composition to transmit infrared radiation and to attenuate radiation in at least part of the visible light spectrum.

Infrared sensors are used in a wide range of applications, for example, for contact-less measurement of the temperature of thermal sources, such as in remote monitoring of high-temperature industrial processes or in thermal insulation assessment of buildings, or for presence detection of humans. For example, typical application areas of infrared sensors may be found in security, e.g. intruder detection, or in automotive industry, e.g. for monitoring the driver and/or passengers of a vehicle. In many applications, the cost and complexity of the infrared sensor may be an important constraint. Thermopile sensors may be considered as cheap and robust detection means for infrared sensing, which, unlike for example direct photodetection in the infrared range, can operate in room temperature conditions, e.g. without requiring active cooling.
Integrated infrared sensor devices may typically comprise at least one infrared sensing element. For example, in known sensor devices, the infrared sensor device may comprise a volume of infrared absorbing material arranged on the semiconductor wafer such that it can be exposed to incident infrared radiation. A temperature difference between this absorber and the surrounding material, which forms or thermally connects to a heat sink, may be used to generate an appropriate signal indicative of the incident radiation, e.g. a voltage, current, resistance or other electrical quantity which is influenced by the temperature difference.
The temperature difference may for example be detected by one or more thermocouples having hot junctions in or near the absorber and cold junctions in or near the surrounding material. A thermistor element may further be provided to determine a reference temperature of the surrounding material.
Good thermal isolation between the absorber and the surrounding material, such that an optimal thermal flow is channeled through the at least one thermocouple, is known to be advantageous. Therefore, the absorbing material may be arranged such that contact with the wafer material is minimized, for example, by arranging the absorber on a thin support structure, e.g. on a membrane supported by the wafer or on a bridge structure formed by removing a portion of the wafer by etching. Furthermore, the absorber may be encapsulated in a cavity, e.g. a gas-filled cavity, such as a cavity filled with air, or a vacuum cavity. Manufacturing thin support structures, such as a membrane or bridge structure, may require advanced processing techniques which are known in the art for applications in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS).
Integrated infrared sensor devices, as known in the art, may also comprise processing means for converting the signal produced by the infrared sensing element or elements into a convenient output signal. This processing means, e.g. an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), may apply amplification, signal filtering, analog-to-digital conversion, and/or reference temperature correction, or may apply other processing known for this purpose in the art.
In integrated infrared sensor devices known in the art, the processing means, e.g. ASIC, may be implemented on a separate semiconductor die, and the infrared sensing element and ASIC may be operably connected by wiring and mounted in an enclosure, e.g. a transistor outline (TO) package. The top surface of such TO package may be provided with an infrared window, e.g. a filter which blocks or significantly attenuates electromagnetic wavelengths outside the infrared range, while substantially transmitting the incident infrared radiation.
However, in many applications it is desirable to obtain an integrated infrared sensor device in a compact enclosure, e.g. in a chip-level package or wafer-level package. It may be particularly advantageous to provide an integrated infrared sensor device with a reduced height profile, for example, such that the device when mounted on a carrier, e.g. on a printed circuit board (PCB), extends less than 2 mm above the mounting surface of the carrier, for example extends 1 mm above this surface or even less than 1 mm. For example, a package may need to remain lower than 1 mm above the mounting surface when mounted in order to be compatible with typical integration techniques used in the art.
In United States patent application No. US 2011/0147869, an infrared sensor is disclosed which is integrated into a wafer-scale chip package. Such package has the advantage that a larger enclosure having an infrared window provided therein, e.g. a TO package in particular, is not required. A cavity is provided below the radiation sensitive element, e.g. by etching a thin layer of epitaxial silicon, in order to thermally insulate this radiation sensitive element from the substrate. The back side of the sensor chip can be used, in accordance with this prior disclosure, as a window for infrared radiation which functions as a visible light filter. An optical element, such as a Fresnel lens, can also be formed directly on the back surface of the chip, for example by conventional photolithography processing. This sensor device further comprises bonding pads to connect the sensor device to mounting conductors through bumps, such that the device can be mounted in a low height profile arrangement on a carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,180,064 discloses another related sensor device. In this device, a cavity is etched in a silicon substrate. A membrane is arranged over this cavity which comprises the radiation sensitive elements. Additional layers of absorbing or reflecting material may be provided on the membrane. The backside surface of the substrate is further provided with an antireflective coating, and an entry window is formed in an outer coating on the backside surface.


A gallium nitride compound semiconductor light-emitting device uses a sapphire substrate as a support and has n- and p-type electrodes on the top and bottom surfaces. A trench is formed in the sapphire substrate. This trench has two side wall surfaces which extend from the top surface to the bottom surface and so incline as to converge downward. A buffer layer is formed on the sapphire substrate. A gallium nitride compound semiconductor multiple layer having an n-type layer and a p-type layer are formed on the buffer layer. This semiconductor multiple layer has two side portions arranged along the two side wall surfaces of the trench and a central portion positioned between these two side portions and formed integrally with the two side portions. N- and p-type electrodes are so formed as to oppose each other on the two sides of the central portion of the semiconductor multiple layer.

The present invention relates to a gallium nitride compound semiconductor light-emitting device using a sapphire substrate as a support and having n- and p-type electrodes on both the top and bottom surfaces.
As light-emitting devices such as semiconductor lasers or LEDs, gallium nitride compound semiconductor light-emitting devices using a sapphire substrate are used. In light-emitting devices of this sort, since a sapphire substrate is insulating and it is difficult to form holes in the substrate, n- and p-type electrodes are formed on the same surface. Consequently, the chip size is increased, and this decreases the number of chips obtainable from one wafer and increases the cost. Also, since the electrode gap cannot be narrowed, the device resistance increases. Additionally, the light emission efficiency is decreased because uniform carrier injection becomes difficult to perform. Furthermore, if the electrode gap is narrowed, an electric short circuit may occur.
To solve these problems, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 7-202325 and 7-221347 have disclosed light-emitting devices in which n- and p-type electrodes are formed on both the top and bottom surfaces of a gallium nitride compound semiconductor multiple layer stacked on a sapphire substrate. In the fabrication of the light-emitting devices disclosed in these references, a gallium nitride compound semiconductor multiple layer having n- and p-type layers is stacked on a sapphire substrate. Subsequently, a portion of the sapphire substrate is removed from the bottom surface to expose the bottom surface of the semiconductor multiple layer. Thereafter, n- and p-type electrodes are formed on the top and bottom surfaces of the semiconductor multiple layer.
That is, in the light-emitting device fabrication methods disclosed in the above patent publications, a gallium nitride compound semiconductor multiple layer is stacked on a sapphire substrate, and then holes for forming electrodes are formed in the sapphire substrate. These holes are formed by means of a physical processing technique using, e.g., a dicer, or an etching technique such as dry etching or wet etching. However, these techniques have the following problems.
When the physical processing technique such as a dicer is used, it is essentially impossible to cut only the sapphire substrate with a high controllability without giving any damages to the stacked gallium nitride semiconductor layers.
When sapphire is to be processed by dry etching, it is necessary to use ion energy larger than ion energy when a gallium nitride semiconductor is etched. This increases the contribution of physical sputtering and decreases the etching selectivity between the sapphire and the gallium nitride semiconductor. As a result, it becomes difficult to stop etching with a high controllability at the interface between the sapphire substrate and the gallium nitride semiconductor layers. This gives etching damages to the gallium nitride semiconductor layers.
Also, the etching rate of sapphire is very low in dry etching or wet etching. For this reason, it is practically difficult to form holes in a sapphire substrate usually having a thickness of 350 .mu.m or more without damaging gallium nitride semiconductor layers.
As described above, the conventional techniques give damages to gallium nitride semiconductor layers when processing a sapphire substrate. This leads to serious problems of a decrease in the yield of devices and degradation of the device characteristics.

Gallium nitride compound semiconductor light-emitting device


A compensator (for example, for a liquid-crystal display device) comprising a retardation foil with a tilted optical main axis and, in addition, a second optically active layer, can be manufactured in a simple manner by providing the retardation foil and the second layer on different sides of a transparent support.

The invention relates to a compensator comprising a retardation foil at least one optical main axis of which is tilted relative to the normal to a surface of the retardation foil.
A tilted optical main axis is to be understood to mean in this context that the optical main axis makes an angle .alpha., where 0.degree.<.alpha.<90.degree., with the normal to the surface of the retardation foil.
The invention further relates to a liquid-crystal display device comprising such a compensator and a retardation foil as well as to a method of manufacturing a retardation foil.
A retardation foil is to be understood to mean in this context a layer which may or may not be self-supporting and which is made of a birefringent material, or a layer having an optically compensating or delaying effect (an optically anisotropic layer). In the case of birefringence, the refractive index varies as a function of the direction of the vector of the electric field, which direction is associated with a light ray. Birefringent material has only one axis for which applies that a light ray whose vector of the electric field extends along said axis is refracted with an extraordinary refractive index n.sub.c. Said axis is also referred to as the optical main axis of the material. In the case of light rays whose vector of the electric field extends perpendicularly to this axis, the refractive index may be the same in all directions (ordinary refractive index n.sub.o). If, at right angles to this axis, the refractive index varies, then the material is referred to as biaxial material. In this application, "the optical main axis of a layer (foil)" is to be understood to mean the average optical main axis across the thickness of the layer (the foil). Dependent upon the type of material and the structure of the layer, the optical main axis of the material may vary, for example, only in a plane at right angles to the layer. The variation occurs, for example, in the angle which the optical main axis makes with the plane of the layer, so that the effective refractive index varies across the thickness of said layer. Viewed at right angles to the layer, it is also possible, however, that the direction of the optical main axis varies in the plane of the layer. In the former case, complete extinction can be brought about between polarizers crossing each other at 90 degrees; in the latter case, there is always some residual transmission.
The display devices are generally used, for example, in monitors, TV applications and, for example, display devices in motorcars and for measuring instruments. The compensators can also be used in polarizing beam splitters or in laser-optical systems for optical recording.
A compensator of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph is described in PCT application WO 96/06380 (PHN 15.171 or U.S. Pat. No. 8,516,904). In said compensator use is made of an optically anisotropic layer of a cholesterically ordered polymeric material in order to counteract grey-scale inversion in a twisted nematic display device. The polymeric material is ordered in such a manner that a molecular helix can be distinguished, the axis of the helix making an angle with a surface and with the normal to one of the substrates.
In said Patent Application, the possibility of successively arranging a plurality of anisotropic layers having different properties is suggested. A problem which may occur in such a structure is that different anisotropic layers influence each other via the interface. In addition, the manufacture of such an assembly of anisotropic layers is complex because a layer cannot be provided until after the preceding layer has cured.

Compensator, liquid crystal display device and retardation foil


An improved lower die assembly is provided which allows a given lower die in a pressing machine to be replaced with another easily and in a short period of time relative to a die holder. In the lower die assembly in which a lower die is received and securely held in a die holder, the improvement comprises: a clamp means whereby the lower die when unclamped is received in the die holder so that the lower die can be extracted from the die holder upwards and then when clamped is securely held therein; and a lift means disposed below the lower die and whereby the lower die when unclamped is raised above an upper end of the die holder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lower die assembly for use in a pressing machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a pressing machine, especially for cold forging, a lower die or die set is typically received in a die holder anchored to a bolster.
The conventional lower die arrangement has had a design such that a lower die set is received and securely held in the die holder that can be decomposed into a plurality of holder segments. When the die set is taken out of the die holder for the alteration of a formed product, it has been necessary to unclamp the die set from the die holder and then to hang and move one by one die members that make up the die set with a chain hoist or the like.
Consequently, it has been time-consuming to change die sets each having a plurality of die members from one to another, and it has also been laborious and cumbersome to set about such a requirement.


The invention provides processes for producing precomposite particles by mixing silicon particles, polyacrylonitrile and one or more carbon additives (C additives) based on one carbon polymorph, optionally one or more organic pore formers and optionally one or more inorganic additives, each in the form of a powder, wherein no solvent is added before and during the mixing, and the inorganic additives are selected from the group comprising halides of the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, carbonates of the alkali metals, zinc oxide, magnesium carbonate and nickel sulfide, wherein the polyacrylonitrile, the silicon, particles and/or the C additives are wholly or partly initially charged prior to the mixing or are wholly or partly metered in during the mixing, with the proviso that, without polyacrylonitrile in the initial charge, the silicon particles and/or the C additives are at least partly metered in together with polyacrylonitrile or after addition of polyacrylonitrile. The invention further provides processes for producing Si/C composite particles, characterized in that the aforementioned precomposite particles are subjected to thermal treatment.

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are currently the electrochemical energy stores available commercially that have the highest energy densities, of up to 250 Wh/kg. They are utilized first and foremost in the area of portable electronics, for tools, and also for means of transport, such as bikes or automobiles, for example. Particularly for application in automobiles, however, it is necessary to achieve further significant increases in the energy density of the batteries, so as to extend the ranges of the vehicles.
Used presently as negative electrode material ("anode") in practice, first and foremost, is graphitic carbon. Graphitic carbon is notable for its stable cycle qualities and its decidedly high handling reliability by comparison with lithium metal, which is used in lithium primary cells. During incorporation and release of lithium, graphitic carbon undergoes only slight changes in volume—in the region of 10%, for example, for the limiting stoichiometry of LiC6. A disadvantage, however, is its relatively low electrochemical capacity of theoretically 372 mAh/g, which corresponds to only about one tenth of the electrochemical capacity attainable theoretically using lithium metal.
Conversely, silicon, at 4199 mAh/g, possesses the highest known storage capacity for lithium ions. Disadvantageously, silicon-containing electrode active materials suffer from extreme changes in volume during charging and discharging with lithium, of up to around 300%. This change in volume places a severe mechanical stress on the active material and on the electrode structure as a whole, and this stress, through electrochemical milling, leads to loss of the electrical contacting and hence to the destruction of the electrode, with loss of capacity. Moreover, the surface of the silicon anode material used reacts with constituents of the electrolyte to form, continuously, passivating protective layers (Solid Electrolyte Interface; SEI), resulting in an irreversible loss of mobile lithium.
In order to resolve the problems associated with the severe volume expansion of the active material and the formation of SEI in Si-containing anodes, a variety of approaches have been pursued in recent years to the electrochemical stabilization of Si-containing electrode active materials, as described for example by A. J. Appleby in J. Power Sources 2007, 163, pages 1003 to 1039. In many cases, silicon-containing active material is employed in combination with carbon. In one approach, the Si-containing active material in the form of a physical mixture with graphite is to be inserted into the electrode coating, as taught in EP 1730800 B1. In another approach, the two elements silicon and carbon are combined structurally to form a composite material, as summarized in an overview article by M. Rossi in J. Power Sources 2014, 246, pages 167 to 177.
Of critical importance to the processing and also the electrochemical performance of such particles are their structure and their size. There is a desire, accordingly, for spherical microparticles based on silicon and conductive carbon, since these particles, by virtue of their spherical structure, are able to absorb the isotropic volume expansion of silica in all spatial directions more evenly than nonspherical particles.
Spherical, microscale Si/C composite particles are produced in an established way via a spray drying step. This is done by spraying dispersions of silicon particles, carbon precursors (sugar or pitch, for example), and optionally further carbon-containing additives to form droplets which, in the course of drying, maintain their drop shape and drop size and so form spherical precomposite particles. Subsequent carbonization of the carbon precursors converts the precomposite particles into Si/C composite particles. One process of this kind is described, for example, in U.S. 2011165468. The spray drying processes of B. Li lead, to composite particles which in their interior contain a porous mesh of carbon and Si nanoparticles (Electrochem. Comm. 2014, 49, 98). F. Su (RSC Adv. 2014, 4, pages 43114 to 43120) describes a similar approach using conductive carbon black, nano-silicon, and sucrose. X. Hou (J. Power Sources 2014, 148, pages 721 to 728) describes a two-stage process for producing Si/C composite particles, in which, first, nano-silicon is spray-dried together with graphite and citric acid as C precursors. After temperature treatment, the products of drying were coated with pitch, after which they were subjected to spray drying and, lastly, to pyrolysis.
Spray drying operations, disadvantageously, entail the use of considerable quantities of solvents, often times organic solvents, which are evaporated, with consumption of energy, during the spraying operation and are condensed again after the product has been removed. Solvents and spraying gas must then be laboriously separated again and recycled. Moreover, the atomization of dispersions comprising organic solvents requires inert spraying gases, such as nitrogen or argon, and this is a further cost factor.
With commonplace spray drying processes, additionally, the problem exists that in the course of the spray drying, different particles stick to or fuse with one another and so form aggregated particles, also called secondary particles. Further aggregation of particles may occur during the carbonization of conventional spray drying products, by different particles sintering to one another. The resulting Si/C composite particles no longer have a spherical structure and also contain considerable fractions of coarse particles and exhibit a wide particle size distribution, which is a disadvantage for their further processing as anode active material for lithium-ion batteries.
For these reasons there is a need for methods which lead to suitable Si/C composite particles for anode active materials, without the use of solvents. Dry mixing operations have been discussed for this purpose, where silicon particles are mixed or ground with other components in dry form and are subsequently converted by thermal carbonization into Si/C composites.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,999,581 describes the production of Si/G/C particles, where first of all metals or semimetals, such as silicon, for example, and graphite (G) are converted by means of a rotor mill into assembled (semi)metal/graphite spheres; the assembled (semi)metal/graphite spheres are subsequently coated with pitch-based amorphous carbon; and the resulting intermediate, lastly, is carbonized. A multistage mixing and coating method of this kind is costly and inconvenient. Moreover, only methods using solvent have been specifically described. CN101339987 describes methods for producing core-shell particles that involve first mixing silicon powder and graphite by joint grinding to produce the core particle, and then adding bitumen or polymers, such as pitch, tar, polyvinyl alcohol or epoxy resin, as carbon precursors, for the shell. Finally, the carbon precursors are carbonized, and the products are ground and sieved. US2009208844, for example, describes particles produced by carbonization of mixtures comprising active materials such as silicon and also expanded graphite and further carbon precursor material, such as pitch or organic polymers, examples being polyaromatics, polyvinyl alcohol, phenolic resin, or starch. Oversize and aggregates are separated off in a separate sieving step. EP2018677 describes core-shell composite particles having a core made of metals, such as silicon, and metal oxides, and also an amorphous carbon coating, and also a crystalline carbon coating, as a shell. The amorphous carbon coating is applied by the CVD method or by coating of the core with organic carbon precursors, such as pitch, phenolic resins, polyvinyl chloride or polyvinyl alcohol, with subsequent thermal carbonization. WO13155397 as well describes composite particles based on silicon particles, carbon material, such as conductive carbon black, and organic polymers. In WO13155397, silicon particles are ground in the presence of buffering particles, examples being oxides or carbides of silicon, aluminum, titanium, or boron.


At least one embodiment of the invention relates to an arrangement for thermocyclization of a substance. At least one embodiment of the invention also relates to a method for the thermocyclization of a substance, including: the controllable valves automatically close the PCR chamber after the test fluid has been introduced into the PCR-chamber, and the properties for the memory metal or bimetal elements are used for closing the valves when a predetermined temperature has been exceeded. As a result, the mechanical actuator, which is used to actuate the valves, is thermally coupled to the heating/cooling element in order to carry out the thermocyclization.

In order to carry out a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) in a "lab-on-a-chip" system, according to our own application PCT/EP2005/055303 with the same application priority, the PCR chamber is filled via a feed channel and emptied via a discharge channel. Temperatures of between 50 and 95° C. are set up during the thermocycling for the PCR. Owing to degassing of dissolved air and thermal expansion of water, the pressure in the chamber thereby increases and displacement of the liquid can take place, leading to uncontrolled conditions during the PCR. In order to avoid this, both the feed and the discharge of the PCR chamber must be closed.
In order to close the PCR chamber, a mobile, resilient membrane or foil may be pressed onto the respective channel, for example the feed channel. To this end, a mechanical force must be exerted. Various valve-drive systems are known from the prior art.
WO 2004/042357 A2 discloses the use of microvalves for microfluidic instruments according to the "lab-on-a-chip" type. This document refers to a prior publication in Micromechanics & Microengineering, New York, N.Y., US, vol. 4, No. 4, December 1994, pages 157 to 171, ISSN XP000863761, in which an overview of a very wide variety of valve designs in microfluidic instruments of the associated actuators are given. As examples, electromagnetically, electrostatically, pneumatically, piezoelectrically or by means of shape changes by memory metals or bimetals in conjunction with counter pressure springs are given. A specific application in connection with a PCR is not revealed therefrom.
For the development of a cost-effective, small-volume device, especially for PCR on a "lab-on-a-chip" arrangement, a suitable principle must be selected from the known systems since increasing the complexity would entail an increase in the costs and the device volume.

Method for controlling valves during the thermocyclization of a substance for the purpose of polymer chain reaction (PCR) and associated arrangement


A memory card capable of connecting to a host device includes a flash memory, a host interface unit which transfers data between a host device and the memory card, and a transfer mode control unit which changes a data transfer mode based on a command from the host device. The transfer mode control unit outputs status data containing an error code to the host device if a transfer mode change command is inputted from the host device, instructing the memory card to change to a transfer mode not supported by the host interface unit of the memory card.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device equipped with a semiconductor memory unit and, more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device equipped with a transfer mode control unit which changes a transfer mode for data transfer to/from a host device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, semiconductor memory device such as flash memory cards which are non-volatile semiconductor storage media have been developed and put into widespread use as external storage devices for information devices such as digital cameras which are host devices. With increases in amounts of data handled by the host devices, flash memories have been growing in packaging density and storage capacity.
NAND-type flash memory, which features large storage capacity, is a type of flash memory which has recently been used particularly widely.
With the NAND-type flash memory, charge injected from a channel to a charge storage layer via an insulating film by means of a tunnel current is used as a digital bit information storage unit and information is read out by measuring conductance changes of a field-effect transistor based on the amount of charge. Unlike a DRAM, data can be read from the NAND-type flash memory multiple times without data corruption.
High read and write speed is required of semiconductor memory device, requiring a high bus transfer rate of a transfer bus. Therefore, for example, high speed specification is prescribed for a memory card bus with its transfer clock frequency raised from 25 MHz of normal mode to 50 MHz of high speed mode, enabling a higher data transfer rate.
Furthermore, for a higher data transfer rate, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-11788 discloses a memory card which provides an ultra-high speed mode capable of obtaining twice the data transfer rate using the same clock frequency as a high speed mode by transmitting and receiving data in sync with rising edges and falling edges of a clock signal supplied from a host device.
Memory cards have been designed to support various transfer modes, prescribed in advance, for data transfer with host devices. For example, the SD Memory Card (registered trademark) standard (SD standard) provides an SD mode and SPI mode. The SD mode further includes a 1-bit mode and 4-bit mode to accommodate different data transfer bus widths. Furthermore, each of the above modes includes a normal mode, high speed mode, and ultra-high speed mode which differ in the transfer rate.
The memory cards which support various transfer modes are convenient for users. However, complex control strategies are required to perform control in all the transfer modes. Also, the memory cards may become larger and more complex. On the other hand, a memory card which does not support transfer modes prescribed in advance is not convenient for the user because when trying to start data transfer in a transfer mode not supported by the host device, the memory card may cause errors such as a freeze-up.
Incidentally, there is a method which increases the transfer clock frequency of the memory card to increase the data transfer rate. However, increases in the transfer clock frequency can result in the need to shield spurious radiation of electromagnetic waves, i.e., take measures for EMI (Electro Magnetic Susceptibility). Also, increases in the transfer clock frequency will cause increases in power consumption of the memory card.

Semiconductor memory device and control method for semiconductor memory device


A lightweight metal or plastic form that when collapsed can be installed on the inside of a temporarily suspended manhole casting and expanded by a mechanism having numerous arms connected at a center point and extending outwardly to spaced and positioned spring encasing brackets that compensate and adjust slightly the pressure that the arms project to the outer walls of a slotted circular shaped form. By a cam effect the handle locks into a over center position that is maintained without the aid of clamps or additional hardware so that the form will stay in position until the user lifts the handle upwardly which removes the device from the manhole and at the same time collapses the form. The inventions primary purpose is to provide a seal between a temporarily blocked up manhole metal casting and the manhole precast concrete riser rings so that cement may be applied around the outside of the manhole and vibrated into position without danger of any cement contaminating or plugging the sewer system. Other features include quick installation and speedy removal along with reusability yielding cost effectiveness.

Sewer systems in the United States are typically constructed of sections of plastic, tile or cement pipe connected and bedded below the ground surface for the transmission and directional flow of waste water. Access to this system is achieved by precast sections of large diameter concrete pipe manufactured in various standard heights and stacked atop one another so any desired distance from ground level of the live sewer can be obtained for inspection or maintenance. This is commonly called a manhole. Once the sections of the manhole are placed and bedded with compacted sand, gravel or loam material, a metal casting and a cover lid, with standard dimensions is set in place so that it inner fits with the precast riser rings of the manhole. This casting assembly is engineered and installed so that it is flush or even with the roadway. This casting assembly is commonly referred to as a manhole cover. Due to varying surface conditions and the changing elevation found necessary to arrive at an engineered percent of fall for natural flow, the casting assembly is positioned above the flow line at predetermined elevations. The precast riser rings mentioned in line eighteen of page one can presently be obtained in heights of two, three or six inch variations to achieve an approximate finished elevation at the manhole cover. However, exact finish elevation can not be achieved by this precast product. Therefore it is common in the construction industry to use small cement or steel blocks to temporarily position the manhole casting at the desired elevation above the precast riser rings and mixed cement is poured into the void created by the blocks. In the past, to avoid uncontainable cement from falling into the sewer system a wooden form is constructed and placed inside the riser rings. Many times no form at all is used. With this method the cement is mixed very stiff and pushed into the void by hand and can not withstand much vibration which increases the density and the eventual strength of the concrete.
Another common situation requiring the relocation of a manhole casting assembly is when a asphalt roadway needs to be paved again or as the industry calls it "overlaid". All manholes must be chipped out with jackhammers and raised up as much as ten inches to match and be flush with the new pavement. If the road bed needs to be leveled or a change in the grade is required, the manholes castings finish elevations may need to be decreased or lowered. Sometimes a fraction of an inch is necessary for arriving at proper finished elevation and the precast riser rings are ineffective.
Although the desirability of being able to have a lightweight, reusable form that can be easily installed and expanded to contain vibrated cement for this procedure, no one has been able to provide a suitable apparatus with an instantaneous locking feature for this specialized forming operation. This invention allows a handicapped individual with limited knowledge and strength or a person with one arm to accomplish the forming operation. Alternatives to this concept of a standardized collapsible unit is a costly and time consuming process to perform this task. These methods include thin strips of plywood or metal curved and formed to the shape of the inside of the manhole and held in place by a plurality of nails and braces, which if not properly installed can fall and risk plugging a sewer pipe. Known designs are generally for large diameter applications and require extra tools to facilitate their use and equipment to place a form in position.
In addition the present invention is intended to assist with the alignment of the metal casting assembly with the riser rings, thereby performing another useful function. As well, this invention shall not be limited to the relocation of manholes, but upon their initial installation.

Expanding form for pouring mixed cement to reposition manhole castings


A method and apparatus for real-time transmission of compressed data wherein, useful data and filling data are received as a data stream with a constant data rate via a circuit-switched connection of a first communication network, the filling data contained in the data stream with the constant data rate is removed, and the useful data contained in the data stream with the constant data rate is reformatted and sent as a data stream with a variable data rate via a packet-oriented connection of a second communications network. Efficient utilization of the transmission bandwidth is accomplished by the removal of the superfluous filling data which are received in the data stream with the constant data rate via the circuit-switched connection, and the reformatting of the useful data for the data stream with the variable data rate via the packet-oriented connection. This has a particularly favorable effect if the real-time transmission of the compressed data leads into a mobile communications network with a radio interface which is limited in terms of transmission bandwidth.

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for real-time transmission of compressed data.
The transmission of compressed data in the field of telecommunications is usually effected on line-connected connections. Thus, by way of example, video data is generated in the course of a video conference or during video telephony by ISDN terminals (Integrated Services Digital Network) and is transmitted in real time exclusively via circuit-switched connections of an ISDN fixed network with a constant data rate; i.e., on one or two 64 kbit/s paths. Depending on the motion of the objects in the recorded picture, the coding device responsible for the data compression generates data streams with greatly varying data rates. For transmission in the ISDN fixed network, the data streams—with the varying data rates—are brought to the respective constant data rate by the suitable addition of filling data (bit stuffing) to the compressed video data. Real-time transmission of the compressed data, that has been conditioned with filling data, into a communications network with data streams with a variable data rate (e.g., a mobile communications network with a radio interface), is uneconomical since the precious transmission bandwidth available on the radio interface must be utilized as efficiently as possible with regard to useful data transmission.
An object of the present invention is to employ a method and an apparatus by which it is possible to obtain economical real-time transmission of compressed data from one communications network to another communications network.

Method and apparatus for real-time transmission of compressed data


An array of programmable non-volatile devices, such as a nominal OTP cell, is operated such that a Vt representing a particular binary logic state is changed over time. This allows for re-programming and emulating a few times or multi-time programmable device.

One time programmable (OTP) and multi-time programmable (MTP) memories have been recently introduced for beneficial use in a number of applications where customization is required for both digital and analog designs. These applications include data encryption, reference trimming, manufacturing ID, security ID, and many other applications. These devices now occupy an important segment of the Non-volatile Memory market and applications. In addition OTP and MTP devices are optimal choices for extremely low cost, fast solid state random access memory for write once, read-many applications. The savings in cost are derived chiefly by the removal of overhead required to support the erase operation. This is particularly important for maturing services such as social networks and other platforms that are heavy users of multi-media data that is created and stored, but then rarely changed (i.e., pictures, audio, videos, etc.) The archiving of these massive data necessitates a low cost flash memory that are stripped of any traditional cumbersome overhead, yet still maintain the ability to support low number of re-write.
Traditionally, OTP devices are implemented with either EPROM device structures or antifuse structures, where the devices are designed to be (and can be) single bit and programmed only once. The most commonly used EPROM structure is typically a floating gate storage device where electrons are injected and stored on the floating gate. The injection mechanism for programming can either be channel hot electron injection or Fowler-Nordheim electron tunneling. The advantage of these OTP implementations is that they are CMOS/logic compatible, and usually require very few additional masking/processing steps. In most instances, since an integrated circuit includes a high voltage driver component, the floating gate oxide manufacturing can be integrated as part of a high voltage I/O transistor processing module.
An OTP memory array offers simple non-volatile data storage on integrated circuits. The low cost of implementing an OTP makes it a good solution for applications that rarely (or never) require re-programming of the stored data. The low cost of current OTP implementations mainly comes from the fact that no complicated schemes and support circuitry are required to facilitate an erase operation. That is, a typical erase operation would require voltage of opposite polarities, as compared to a programming operation. This is especially true for a NVM device that is implemented with storage of injected electrons unto a floating gate.
While OTP devices are useful in many applications, there are other high-value applications requiring multi-time programmable (MTP) memory that can provide the ability for the device to be updated. Among other reasons, some devices become degraded from aging or changes in their operating environment. In addition some applications may benefit from so-called multi-level or multi-bit capability in which the state of a cell can be set to something more than just two states, including in some instances an odd number of states. Thus, for example it may become necessary to re-calibrate and re-trim a mixed signal circuit like a high-performance DAC that is frequently are integrated in today's complex SoCs. Other examples known in the art, including access key revocation, upgrading to code revisions, periodic data logging, etc. also benefit from few-time or multi-time programmable capability.
MTP memory, such as EEPROM or flash memory, is repeatedly programmable to update data, and has specific circuits for erasing, programming, and reading operations. Unlike MTP memory, OTP memory does not use an erasing circuit, so the circuit for controlling the operations of the OTP memory is simpler than the circuit for controlling the operations of the MTP memory, even though it lacks multi-programmable capability. To emulate a multi-time programmable array and implement more than one programming/erase cycle, the prior art is limited typically to an OTP redundancy scheme that mimics multiple programming features. That is, a separate OTP array with separate cells is programmed for each cycle. An example of this is offered by Kilopass under the trade name Itera. In that approach a memory block there consists of a memory array and analog and digital circuits including high voltage switches, charge pump, bandgap, controller, etc. The memory array is partitioned in into separate sub-arrays, one for each desired program cycle. Thus when the device is programmed for the first time, a controller writes to the first sub-array and when the device is reprogrammed, the controller writes to the second sub-array and so on. In essence, one or more completely redundant arrays of cells is used for each time the array needs to be updated. While these cells are small, this scheme costs additional silicon real estate.
Thus it is desirable to have a new type of OTP device that can have more than one program/erase cycle, so that it can effectively implement a multi-time or few-time programmable array. It would also be desirable for such OTP memory to minimize the overhead cost of implementing an erase operation/erase algorithm and additional die space.
A recent filing by Bisen (US Pub. No. 2013/0265830—incorporated by reference herein) attempts to rectify these kinds of deficiencies in the art. While Bisen proposes a multiple writes with a flash memory cell that uses shifting Vts, he nonetheless still uses an erase circuit which adds complexity and overhead and thus is not a true OTP implementation. Furthermore his scheme suffers from a few drawbacks, including the fact that the data of the system is not erased between program operations, but only at the end when he has run out of available higher Vt states. Bisen simply over-writes his old data while adding new data, meaning that there is some remnant of the prior data, rather than configuring all the data to an initial common state. This can result in potential data breaches, security issues, etc.

Method of operating incrementally programmable non-volatile memory


A communication apparatus and a method for MMI displaying are provided, wherein the communication apparatus equipped with at least one subscriber identification module (SIM) cards, comprising: a detector, arranged to detect an amount of the SIM card(s) inserted on the communication apparatus; and a processor, providing different man-machine interfaces (MMIs) to be displayed on a display apparatus according to the amount of the inserted SIM card(s); and wherein when the amount of the inserted SIM card(s) equals to one, the processor provides a single card MMI for a subscriber; when the amount of the inserted SIM cards larger than one, the processor provides a multi-card MMI for the subscribers and examines whether there is a predetermined SIM card being determined; and the different MMIs is displayed based on the predetermined SIM card.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus with a plurality of user identification cards, and in particular, relates to a multi-card communication apparatus and a method for displaying MMI thereof.
Description of the Related Art
In accordance with the needs and developments of the all-around access calculating and internet, various kinds of wireless communication technologies have been developed, such as GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, W-CDMA, CDMA2000, TD-CDMA, WiFi, WiMAX, LTE, LTE-A and TD-LTE. Generally, one mobile phone can only support one wireless communication technology. Regardless of the location, a smart and continuous mobile communication can be provided to the subscriber by the supported wireless communication technology. However, in the modern business society, mobile phones have become necessary tools for efficient business communications. Especially for a businessman, having another mobile phone for business proposes has become necessary. Carrying another mobile phone can be a good choice to save or manage the charge fees of a wireless service. However, it may be inconvenient to carry another mobile phone, and the inter-switching between mobile phones can be another problem. Multi-card mobile phones have been developed to provide a convenient option for multi-user identification cards. Multi-card mobile phones are featured by two or more wireless communication modules, and each of the communication modules utilizes an independent user identification card respectively for transmission and receiving of the communication apparatus. Multi-card technology allows users to set up communications and receive a call simultaneously or non-simultaneously. Therefore, multi-card mobile phones are suitable for business or family users, or for travelers between different cities and countries.
Multi-card mobile phones can meet the needs of using a plurality of user identification cards, however, so far the design of multi-card mobile phones are not friendly. Traditionally, regarding mobile phones having several sockets, the options corresponding to user identification cards are displayed on the interface of the mobile phone. The socket not inserted by a user identification card can be displayed by a grey color to indicate that this user identification card has not been initiated. Similarly, on an actual application or scenario, several options of the cards are all displayed at an MMI (Man-Machine Interface) in an arranged form. The importance, user preference and user status can not be displayed between several cards. Particularly, the lack of the correlation between the functional charts of the several cards is not smart for the options of users. Specifically, when the user wants to select a functional application, a predetermined user identification card can be recommended by the traditional technology. During the operation of user identification cards, the user has to make a choice on an option menu. This traditional design does not analyze the operating scenarios of users for processing the possible preference of similar operations. For many subscribers having the needs of multi-card mobile phones, their needs have not been satisfied.

Communication apparatus and method for displaying MMI