A new hand-activated brake device and method particularly for in-line roller skates is shown having numerous forms and mounting locations. All forms use direct hand pressure to activate the brake. Optimum slowing, stopping and balance is achieved to include when used in hilly areas. For skaters of all levels: beginner to advanced. Left and right skates can be operated simultaneously or singly. A brake assembly is retrofitted or manufactured to the skate and a rod is pushed by hand. An optional padded elastic strap assembly is provided for holding a rod in an easy to reach position along the outer lower leg area and skate. A brake pad contacts the skating surface and automatically retracts to maintain a desired ground clearance when hand pressure is released. The user need not maintain a constant grip on anything. Has unique safety and convenience features and options.

1. Field of Invention
This hand-activated brake assembly relates to foot-mounted wheeled vehicles. The most emphasis is placed on in-line roller skates due to their popularity.
2. Description of Prior Art
In-line skates allow users great freedom of personal movement. These skates provide a nonpolluting and quiet means for transportation, fitness and fun.
The number-one question in-line skaters have is: "How do I stop these things?" In-line skating is thrilling. But when you can't control your speed, the thrill can have detrimental consequences. The number-one cause of skate accidents is the inability to control speed. High speeds can be attained by beginners.
Consequentially, many beginning in-line skaters fall often and may lose interest in the sport, unable to attain braking proficiency. This has made many new skaters reluctant to use in-line skates, store them away or return them for a refund. This has also damaged the reputation of in-line skating. Much of the public and media considers the sport unsafe and insane.
These problems associated with ineffective skate brakes must be solved in order to allow in-line skating to become a reputably safe as well as an enjoyable sport.
Inventing an effective and practical device for slowing and stopping skates has always been challenging. There is only a small amount of space to place skate brakes, unlike other vehicles where limited space is not a major concern. In-line skate brakes cannot protrude anywhere on the inside of the skate because it would scrape upon the ground during leg strokes and could easily interfere with the other skate.
In-line skate brakes should use the direct power of the skater's hand. Direct hand pressure to activate the brake will allow the skater to use the total body to maintain the desired balance at all times when braking. The brakes should not use indirect hand pressure with cables to activate the brake. If the brake is mechanically activated, it should have an emergency brake which can be used in the event of a malfunction in the first brake used.
In-Line Skating Basics (1996) by Cam Millar describes that "If at any time you feel off-balance or out of control on your skates, bring your hands to your knees. By doing this, you make sure that your knees are slightly bent and that your upper body is in a slightly forward position. This will prevent you from falling backwards. A beginner's stance is hands on knees. Skaters should keep their hands on their knees while gliding. Keep your knees bent at all times when skating downhill. Bring your hands to your knees, stay low, and try to use your brake." It is obvious that the desired skate braking system should be located at the user's knees for activation because this is where skaters should put their hands immediately upon a need for braking or control. This will also allow for a lower center of gravity and prevent any fall backwards.
Skate brakes should offer body movement without the interference of cables, levers, belts and straps above the knees. Cable brakes take more time and skill to install. Bulky parts make cable brakes expensive to the consumer. Brake pad wear affects the performance of cable, cuff-activated and heel brakes. Cable and other hand held brakes generally do not allow skaters to wear standard protective wrist guards.
The brake should not require the user to hold any type of device in the hand while not engaging the brake. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,312,135 (1994), 5,388,673 (1995) and 5,653,468 (1997) show rods that must be constantly held, severely restricting body movement and balance.
Many attempts have been made to market a skate brake that slows one or more skate wheels. This is the wrong approach. There is not enough wheel surface contact with the ground to brake effectively without quickly stripping the vulnerable wheels. When in-line skate wheels are dragged sideways for a skilled "T-stop" the wheels wear quickly and unevenly. As a result, these expensive wheels must be replaced more often and more time is needed to change them. These methods for braking the skate's wheels quickly make random flat spots on the wheels, creating a bumpy and dangerous ride. Braking the wheels gently to avoid flat spots on the wheels will not provide enough braking power to safely and ideally control speed.
The most widely used skate brake is the standard heel brake. It requires the skater to shift the weight of the non-braking foot, thrust the braking foot forward, and glide on the opposite foot all while re-shifting body weight to the braking foot to engage the ground with the brake pad of the braking foot. Sound confusing? It is, especially in practice. It is like a golf swing. You have to do a lot of things right--all at once. According to Popular Mechanics Magazine, "this method has serious drawbacks and does not deliver genuine stopping power." The required pivot arc forces the skater to jeopardize balance in order to apply the brake. If not precisely mastered, the skater will lose control and spin. But that's not all. As the brake pad wears, the required pivot arc increases. This further complicates balance.
The longer the wheel frame on any skate, the more problematic the standard heel braking technique becomes. A longer frame such as those found on speed and fitness skates is difficult to pivot on the rear wheel. It becomes more like trying to pivot a ski. Consequently most speed skaters do not or cannot use the standard heel brake. The desired brake does not require this pivot and can be used on fitness and speed skates.
When skaters pivot a toe up and a heel back, they do not use a strong muscle group. They use a weak leg muscle group. The desired brake should use stronger arm muscle groups where more energy is available when legs get tired from skating a length of time. Skaters can skate for a longer time due to less leg stress with such a brake.
Because the standard heel brake requires the skater to "ride" on the brake with all but one wheel off the ground, it is particularly dangerous on rough surfaces, bumps and gravel. The desired brake can be more safely activated on these surfaces.
The cuff-activated brake, currently dominated by one company, is activated by thrusting the equipped skate forward and putting pressure against the cuff (upper portion) of the one skate. This causes discomfort due to the pressure applied against the user's upper ankle. The brake is problematic because it's brake requires the user to hyper-extend a knee, especially as the brake pad wears. Hyper extending a knee can easily aggravate the knee if it is less than strong, This type of brake must have a brake pad placed dangerously close to the ground at all times and therefore can be unintentionally activated. As the brake pad wears, the skater must slide the braking foot farther forward. Therefore adjustments are often needed. The desired skate brake should not require inconvenient adjustments and should not demand unhealthy knee extensions.
Another disadvantage of both the cuff-activated and standard heel brakes is the problem of brake pad wear while descending long hills. As the brake pad wears the skater must constantly compensate for the pivot arc or the sliding of the braking foot. This is a major safety hazard when descending long hills because the user cannot adjust the brake pad if equipped with a cuff-activated brake while skating as the brake pad wears. The skater cannot replace the standard heel brake while skating as the brake pad wears. As a result the brake could fail when it is needed the most. The desired skate brake will never require any adjustments to compensate for brake pad wear for safety and convenience reasons.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,924 (1994) Richards, Sr. et. al. shows in its first embodiment a heel-activated braking system for in-line skates that is activated by tilting the equipped skate to release a normally compressed spring system that pushes a braking pad to the ground.
There are many problems with the first embodiment. In order to activate the brake, the skater must pivot the braking foot. Thus the brake has the same problems associated with other heel-activated brakes such as the awkward pivot arc, steps to be proficient at and raising wheels off the a ground.
In order to deactivate the brake the skater must come to a complete stop, squat down and reach behind the skate to grasp the hand knob, pivot the foot, lifting the front wheels off the ground to compress the spring and insert a flat rod into another rod slot. The brake is complex and difficult to manufacture and/or retrofit onto existing skates. Brake pad wear increases the required pivot arc for activation.
There are many problems with the second embodiment of the patent of Richards Sr., et al. There is a great risk that the skate will be lifted from the rear when the skater pulls on the cable. This would cause the skater to lose balance control as the rear wheels lift off the ground. Braking power is increased in conjunction with how hard the skater pulls up on the handle. The harder the cable is pulled, the more the rear wheels lift off the ground; therefore optimum braking power cannot be achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,599 (1997) Visger et al. shows a hand-activated braking system that includes a semi-rigid shaft. The shaft is pulled upwardly for activation. This has the following serious problems: Like the Richards, Sr. et al. device described above, pulling upwards produces more stress upon the fingers than if the hand were pushing downwardly. A bulky hand knob is required. Braking power is limited because as the user pulls upwardly, the rear of the skate is also lifted because the axle is pulled upon. This is very dangerous. The system is designed for minimum ground clearance; therefore a larger, longer wearing brake pad cannot be used. The system does not have an automatic means for retraction and can therefore drag upon the skating surface. A means for retraction would cause the frontal area to be dangerously close to the skating surface.
Many patents show hand-activated cable-assisted skate brakes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,718 (1996) describes a system, like all other cable-assisted brakes, intended for the sole purpose of cable assistance where the user inconveniently routes a long cable and band grip up his or her body. It is not intended for use with a rod that would provide direct hand pressure to the movable brake pad. It is permanently confined to the skate and is difficult to retrofit onto other skates.
Structurally complicated solutions have been proposed. They require the use of many parts and are difficult to industrialize. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either in combination or singly, describes the structure, function and result of the instant hand-activated brake and method claimed.


A method for registering an electronic device includes receiving from a point-of-sale interface a transaction code and purchaser information associated with a purchase of an electronic device. While the transaction code is associated with the purchase of the electronic device, it does not uniquely identify the electronic device purchased. The method also includes receiving from the electronic device the transaction code and a device identifier that uniquely identifies the electronic device. The purchaser information and the device identifier are associated via the transaction code for registering the electronic device.

Consumers have the flexibility to purchase electronic devices in the comfort of their homes by logging on to any one of hundreds of online retailers, selecting an electronic device, and providing payment information, such as a credit card number, to the retailer to purchase the electronic device. For those who prefer to see and hold the electronic device or who do not have access to online retailers, the option of visiting a store to purchase the electronic device is typically available. In either instance, the consumer eventually receives the electronic device and is typically asked to register with a manufacturer of the device. The registration process usually requires the purchaser to complete and mail back to the manufacturer a postcard that includes registration information, e.g., the purchaser's name and address, and the device's serial number and model number. Alternatively, the purchaser can log on to a registration webpage provided by the manufacturer and provide the registration information.
For manufacturers and purchasers, device registration is an important and useful process. By registering the device, the purchaser can receive from the manufacturer upgrades, recall notices, safety warnings, and other pertinent information related to the device. In addition, if the purchaser has questions regarding the device, the manufacturer can quickly determine the make and model of the device and provide prompt customer support. The manufacturer can easily determine whether a defective device is under warranty based on the registration information and also can develop cross-selling strategies to increase its sales revenue.
Nevertheless, for a number of reasons, purchasers frequently do not take the time to register their devices with manufacturers. For instance, some purchasers are reluctant to provide personal information for fear that the information will be misappropriated, e.g., sold to third party vendors. Some purchasers are simply too busy to register. As a result, the manufacturer cannot track the device to the purchaser and cannot provide beneficial information and services to the purchaser, and the purchaser cannot receive upgrades and information related to the device. In many cases, warranties on the devices are not activated.
Several processes have been implemented to try to improve the rate of device registration. Some processes focus on device registration at the point-of-sale, e.g., the store, when the device is purchased. For example, some manufacturers provide barcodes on each electronic device that identify the make/model and serial number of the device so that an employee of the retail store can scan the barcodes when the device is purchased and send the registration information to the manufacturer. These processes, however, can be cumbersome and time-consuming because the employee is required to locate the barcodes, which are often on the device itself inside of packaging. In this case, the employee must remove the device from its packaging before he or she can scan the barcodes.
Moreover, these processes are not generally feasible for online retailers, particularly for those retailers who serve as general distributors or clearinghouses for several other retailers. In this instance, the online retailer typically facilitates the online transaction, and then hours, or more commonly, days later, the device is delivered from a warehouse to the purchaser. The online retailer does not have physical access to the device purchased, and therefore collecting the registration information at the point-of-sale is virtually impossible.

System and method for registration of an electronic device


Direct current (DC) solid state series wound motor drives for hoist and crane applications. A microprocessor controlled electronic system is employed to control the speed, direction, acceleration and deceleration of a direct current DC solid state series wound motor drive for a hoist or a crane (bridge or trolley). The operation can be via an operator, radio remote, or computer communication link. The system requires a speed and direction command from the operator controls; it then configures the motor and varies the speed while offering certain protection circuits. The DC series wound motor drive includes a DC series wound motor comprising an armature and a series wound field that is supplied with DC voltage power from an external source. The DC voltage power supply can either be generated DC or rectified alternating current (AC). High speed insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) switching elements are provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to direct current (DC) solid state series wound motor drives for hoist and crane applications.
2. Description of Related Art
Series wound motors on hoists have been controlled with contactor resistor controls. Such arrangements are a maintenance problem and very energy inefficient. Moreover, they have the problem of not being able to provide high torque at low speed because the speed limiting resistors also limit current into the motor, and they can only provide the same value of current to the motor that is drawn from the supply.
Power distribution collector bars to the cranes are by necessity of heavy construction and the power supply has to be capable of providing very high currents when accelerating heavy loads. These heavy currents are transmitted to the crane by collector brushes, which are a maintenance item. The series motor can be abused by such systems. If the motor is overloaded and all the control resistors are shorted off, then full stall current can be applied to the motor. The hoist has to be protected from being pulled into its own mechanism, thus stalling the motor and full stall torque causing the cable to break and drop the load.
A second existing method of control is by AC/DC conversion (phase control) which can provide a stepless control; but it too has severe torque limits at low speed, must have an AC supply and does not provide significant current amplification.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,063, issued on Nov. 29, 1966 to Brooks H. Short, describes a series motor having parallel connected transistors that control the current flow through the field of the series motors such that the field winding is divided into smaller segments which are connected respectively in series with the transistors. Short does not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,771, issued on Oct. 10, 1967 to Robert S. Sutton, describes a digital electronic speed control governor which is designed to hold the speed of an internal combustion engine at 3600 r.p.m. plus or minus 10 r.p.m., between full load and no load conditions, so that the generator connected to the engine output and operating at a frequency of 60 cycles per second at 120 volts would maintain this frequency within one cycle per second and the voltage within 2 volts. Sutton does not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,605, issued on Oct. 20, 1970 to John A. Halvorson et al., describes a static reversing chopper shunt motor hoist control system with a limit stop and a backout control means operable in combination therewith for applying dynamic braking and mechanical braking to stop a load, for reversing the mechanical brake and for providing reduced negative torque to drive the load down in response to lowering operation, and for limiting the backout speed at both no load and full load conditions in the event the limit stop and backout control means do not reset. Halvorson et al. do not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,279, issued on Dec. 15, 1970 to Max S. Knasinski et al., describes a static control system for a shunt motor having an armature winding and a shunt field winding to provide an improved voltage bootstrap circuit for lowering the control voltage on a gating type switching circuit as soon as it is fired into conduction, thereby minimizing the firing circuit power requirements for a plurality thereof connected to the same voltage supply. Knasinski et al. do not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,551,771, issued on Dec. 29, 1970 to Robert L. Risberg et al., describes a static control system for the shunt motor field of a crane hoist having a static field supply and a solid state reversing chopper supplied from a constant potential bus for armature control with a first semiconductor controlled rectifier (SCR) controlled resistor loop for 75 percent second quadrant retarding torque and a second SCR controlled resistor loop usable with the first one for 150 percent fourth quadrant retarding torque. The Risberg et al. '771 patent does not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,554, issued on Jan. 5, 1971 to Robert L. Risberg, describes a constant potential bus static reversing chopper hoist static shunt motor control system with improved means for providing control retarding torque upon the hoist, which is controllable from zero to a first value limit, and for providing additional retarding torque upon lowering that is controllable from a zero to a larger value. The Risberg '554 patent does not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,384, issued on Jan. 12, 1971 to John A. Halvorson et al., describes a static, constant potential bus, shunt motor control system having a static chopper circuit with means serving the dual function of protecting the switching devices from excessive supply voltage and decaying the commutating energy after it has performed its function. Halvorson et al. do not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,385, issued on Jan. 12, 1971 to Robert L. Risberg, describes a static, constant potential bus, shunt motor control system having smooth regenerative braking control means with static anti-plugging control means. The Risberg '385 patent does not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,954, issued on Jul. 17, 1973 to Asa H. Myles et al., describes a hoist control system for operating a direct current series motor from a single-phase or three-phase alternating current source. Myles et al. do not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,266, issued on May 24, 1983 to Albert E. Sloan, describes a pulse control circuit for a DC series motor which has an armature and two oppositely-wound field windings, that includes two semiconductor static switching devices, such as thyristors. The control means is adapted, when the mark-to-space ratio of one of the static switching devices has been brought to a predetermined maximum value, to cause simultaneous operation of the other static switching device at a lower mark-to-space ratio thereby energizing the associated field winding so as to reduce the net flux in the motor and further increase the motor speed. Sloan does not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,200, issued on Mar. 19, 1985 to Walter Datwyler et al., describes a control system for operating a shunt wound DC motor by controlling the motor to follow the operating characteristics of a conventional shunt wound motor when this characteristic is optimal and to follow alternatively the operating characteristics of a conventional series wound motor when this second characteristic is optimal. Datwyler et al. do not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,647, issued on Jan. 27, 1987 to Bonne W. Posma, describes a controller for controlling at least one series motor that includes connecting rectifier means in series with the motor such that the current to the field winding of the motor is always in the same direction irrespective of the plurality of the input voltage. Further, the controller provides for applying an energizing current to the field winding to ensure that the field winding always produces some flux during operation of the motor such that a counter EMF always exists whenever the motor rotates. Posma does not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,356, issued on Jun. 30, 1987 to Haruhiro Tsuneda et al., describes a drive motor device that detects and measures the level of the motor drive current, and when the drive control device detects that the motor drive current exceeds a predetermined target value, a gating circuit in the path of the forward and reverse drive signals is directed to invert the forward and reverse drive signals thereby reversing the direction of the motor direction drive current. This results in a braking action. Tsuneda et al. do not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,541, issued on Dec. 28, 1993 to Shin Kimura et al., describes that in a module using a high speed switching element, such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), for a high speed inverter, a matching condition is established between the switching characteristic of the IGBT and the recovery characteristic of a diode connected thereto in an antiparallel fashion. The oscillating voltage appearing in the inverter circuit, as a result of the IGBT, is suppressed to prevent erroneous operation of the inverter system. Kimura et al. do not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,954, issued on Jul. 26, 1994 to Robert Lankin, describes an electric controller for a motor that has an H-bridge circuit for controlling a field current of the motor. The controller may be configured with a series wound or a separately excited DC traction motor. Lankin does not suggest the DC solid state series wound motor drive according to the claimed invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.


The invention provides an inspection apparatus and an inspection method for detecting defects, a punching apparatus, and a method for controlling a punching apparatus, for the purpose of immediate detection of debris from being lifted toward the surface of an insulating film for film carrier tape, which debris tends to occur during punching of the insulating film for film carrier tape by use of a punching mold, whereby the number of pieces having defects on the film surface caused by attachment of debris from being lifted or foreign matter is reduced to a minimum possible number. In the present invention, an insulating film for film carrier tape is irradiated with parallel rays having passed through a first polarizing filter, the insulating film having been punched and being conveyed; the rays having passed through or having been reflected by the insulating film for film carrier tape is caused to pass through a second polarizing filter; the rays having passed through the second polarizing filter, is received by means of an image pickup device; and the image input to the image pickup device is subjected to image processing as a difference of brightness, whereby defects of the insulating film for film carrier tape are detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for inspecting insulating film (in the form of a long tape or sheet) for use in production of a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components thereon, such as a TAB (tape automated bonding) tape, a COF (chip on film) tape, a CSP (chip size package) tape, a BGA (ball grid array) tape, a μ-BGA (μ-ball grid array) tape, a FC (flip chip) tape, a QFP (quad flat package) tape, or an FPC (flexible printed circuit) tape (hereinafter such tapes are collectively referred to simply as film carrier tapes); to an inspection apparatus for detecting defects of an insulating film for film carrier tape for mounting electronic components thereon (hereinafter referred to simply as "an insulating film for film carrier tape "); to a punching apparatus for punching an insulating film for film carrier tape; and to a method for controlling a punching apparatus for punching an insulating film for film carrier tape. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for inspecting an insulating film for film carrier tape-through employment of a light source of parallel rays, two polarizing filters, an image pickup device, and an image-processing means; to an inspection apparatus for detecting defects of an insulating film for film carrier tape; to a punching apparatus for punching an insulating film for film carrier tape; and to a method for controlling a punching apparatus for punching an insulating film for film carrier tape.
2. Background Art
Film carrier tapes for mounting electronic components thereon are produced through, for example, the following procedure. An insulating film (e.g., polyimide film) is punched to form sprocket holes for conveyance, round holes for mounting solder balls or metal bumps, device holes for mounting, and other holes. After provision of copper foil of a surface of the film, the copper foil is patterned while the insulating film is conveyed by the mediation of, for example, sprocket holes, thereby forming a wiring pattern. If required, a solder resist layer is formed on the wiring pattern, or a metal plating layer is formed on terminal portions. In the production of film carrier tapes such as a BGA tape, an insulating film is punched to form holes such as round holes, and metal bumps, solder balls, or similar conductors are inserted into the round holes, whereby the wiring pattern is connected to electronic components.
Conventionally, during continuous punching of an insulating film for film carrier tape coiled by a reel or a similar part by use of a forward-feeding press or a similar means, sampling inspection during punching has been avoided, from the viewpoint of productivity. Therefore, after punching of a conveyed insulating film for film carrier tape, operators visually find defects such as dents and fins through observation under a microscope. Since the inspection is carried out visually, inspection accuracy has varied among the operators, and some operators have failed to find such defects. Thus, in some cases, defects such as dents remain in a subsequent step and, furthermore, in the products for clients.
In consideration of productivity of punched insulating film for film carrier tapes, more rigorous inspection of the defects such as dents must be carried out at the time of starting punching of coiled insulating film, at the time of replacing insulating film, at the time of terminating punching, and at the time of a periodical quality control procedure. However, when a punched insulating film for film carrier tape is dented due to debris from being lifted or similar abnormality in a punching mold during production thereof or when an insulating film for film carrier tape is dented due to a foreign matter attached on the film per se, a lot of failure pieces are not detected and must be discarded, thereby lowering production yield with respect to the starting material.
In view of the foregoing, Japanese Patent Application laid-Open (kokai) Nos. 10-288586 and 10-293018 and other documents disclose an apparatus for automatically detecting dents of a lead frame, wherein the lead frame conveyed is illuminated, image data of the lead frame are pickuped by a CCD camera, and the pickuped image is processed.
Japanese Patent Application laid-Open (kokai) No. 2000-351025 discloses a method for detecting defects (e.g., dents) of a lead frame during pressing, the method including irradiating a punched lead frame with light emitted from a light-emitting device (i.e., light-emitting diode (LED)) and receiving the light reflected at the surface of the lead frame by a photoreceptor (i.e., photodiode (PD)), thereby detecting abnormalities on a surface of the lead frame.

Method for inspecting insulating film for film carrier tape for mounting electronic components thereon, inspection apparatus for inspecting the insulating film, punching apparatus for punching the insulating film, and method for controlling the punching apparatus


A system described herein uses data obtained from a wearable device of a first user to identify a second user and/or to determine that the first user is within a threshold distance of the second user. The system can then access an account of the second user to identify one or more items and retrieve model data for the item(s). The system causes the wearable device of the first user to render, for display in an immersive 3D environment (e.g., an augmented reality environment), an item associated with the account of the second user. The item can be rendered for display at a location on a display that is proximate to the second user (e.g., within a threshold distance of the second user) such that the item graphically corresponds to the second user. The item rendered for display may be an item of interest to the first user.

Conventionally, a user can view an item of interest via a web site on a display screen in a two-dimensional ("2D") environment. For instance, the user may be researching information about the item, or even further, the user may be interested in acquiring the item. In these types of scenarios, the user experience is most likely limited to an online experience. In other words, these types of scenarios typically lack the ability for personal interactions (e.g., a face-to-face conversation) between the user and a source (e.g., another user) with knowledge of the item. Accordingly, the user may spend a considerable amount of time trying to find and research an item online. This, in turn, can result in unnecessary utilization of computing resources such as processing cycles, memory, and network bandwidth.
A wearable device has the ability to display virtual content to a user, in an augmented reality ("AR") environment, as the user goes about a day's activity (e.g., walks to the bus stop, eats in a restaurant, shops in a store, etc.). As use of wearable devices becomes more prevalent, it has become difficult to effectively display virtual content that is of interest to the user. That is, conventional wearable devices lack the ability to effectively display a model of an object (e.g., an item) at an appropriate time and/or at an appropriate location, particularly given a situation where a user wearing the wearable device happens to be physically proximate to a source (e.g., another user, a physical structure, etc.) associated with the item.
Consequently, the user can become confused when viewing a model of an item that has been rendered at an inappropriate time and/or at an inappropriate location in an AR environment. This might, in turn, result in inadvertent or incorrect user input to the wearable device rendering the environment. Inadvertent or incorrect user input can also unnecessarily utilize computing resources such as processing cycles, memory, and network bandwidth.
It is with respect to these and other technical challenges that the disclosure made herein is presented.

Method, system, and computer-readable storage media for rendering of object data based on recognition and/or location matching


A two-part curable foaming composition comprising:                (A) A first part comprising:                    (i) an alkoxysilyl capped prepolymer; and            (ii) a polyhydrogen siloxane;            (iii) optionally a catalyst which accelerates both foaming and cross-linking through said alkoxysilyl groups; and                        (B) A second part comprising:                    (i) a nitrogen-containing compound having an active hydrogen;            (ii) water; and            (iii) optionally a catalyst which accelerates both foaming and cross-linking through said alkoxysilyl groups;provided that at least one of the parts contain a catalyst and wherein after mixing together the first and second parts a cured elastomeric foam is formed.

Elastomeric foaming compositions have been developed for a variety of purposes. For example, the resiliency of elastomeric foamed compositions have advantages as noise and vibration dampening materials. Additionally, gaps can be filled by the expansion of the composition as it foams and eventually thermosets its shape during final cure. Additionally, foaming elastomeric compositions have been used in thermal insulation and electrical applications as well as flame resistant barrier applications. Many commercially available products are known and promoted for these purposes.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,634 discloses a curable foaming silicone composition containing a vinyl polysiloxane, a hydride polysiloxane, a hydroxyl source selected from organic alcohol or organic alcohol in combination with water or hydroxylated organosiloxane, from 1 to about 250 ppm of platinum catalyst and a ketoximine compound effective to lower the foam density. Foam is created through the reaction of the hydride polysiloxane with the hydroxy source to liberate hydrogen gas. The platinum catalyst is necessary for cure and the ketoximine is recited as a critical element in the composition for reducing the density of the resultant foam.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,975 also relates to organosiloxane elastomeric foams. The '975 patent incorporates a triorganosiloxy end-blocked polydiorgano siloxane, an organohydrogen siloxane, a platinum catalyst, an a, β, ω-diol and a resinous copolymer containing siloxy vinyl groups. The combination of the specific diols and the resinous copolymer are recited as providing reduced density foams. Foaming is produced as a result of the reaction of the polyhydrogen siloxane and the alcohol which liberate hydrogen gas.
Numerous patents disclose the addition of blowing agents to effectuate foams. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,110,982 and 5,373,027.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,730 B1 discloses an epoxy composition to which is added thermoplastic shell microspheres for inhibition of seepage of the epoxy through porous substrates. The microspheres may encapsulate a gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,898 B1 discloses epoxy resins useful as photocurable paints which use chemical or mechanical expansion agents to create foams.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,940 discloses a fine pored silicone foam which is formed by mixing a vinyl silicone, an organo-platinum catalyst, fumed silica, and water as a first part, with a second part which includes a silicone polymer having at least two double bonds per molecule, finned silica and polydimethylhydrogensiloxane. The two components are mixed and the reaction is subsequently pressurized, using air or nitrogen, so that the pressurized gas is present in the mixture in a dissolved form. Subsequently, the reaction mixture is heated and the dissolved gas is released, thereby forming a fine pored silicone foam.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,430 discloses silicone foaming compositions which contain an organopolysiloxane containing a specified amount of an alkenyl group and/or a hydroxyl group, an organohydrogenpolysiloxane, a compound having an active hydrogen, such as an alcohol, a platinum catalyst and an acetylenic alcohol compound. Foaming occurs during the cure process by the reaction of the compound having an active hydrogen group, i.e., an alcohol, with the organohydrogenpolysiloxane compound to release hydrogen gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,973 discloses a foamable silicone composition that evolves neither toxic gas or hydrogen. The foamable silicone composition comprises a thermosetting liquid silicone and 0.1 to 30 parts by weight of a thermally expansible hollow plastic micro particles. The thermosetting liquid silicone is a diorganopolysiloxane component containing alkenyl groups. An organopolysiloxane that contains at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in each polymer and a platinum metal catalyst are also included. The inclusion of the hollow plastic micro particle functions as a blowing or foaming agent that causes the composition to yield the foam.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,736 discloses foamable silicone compositions useful as fire-resistant joint-sealing members. The compositions disclosed contain a diorganopolysiloxane, a finely divided reinforcing silica filler, a powder of a ferrite such as a divalent metallic element such as manganese, copper, nickel, from 10 to 70 parts by weight of a finely divided inorganic material, such as mica or glass powders, finely divided platinum metal, a curing agent for silicone rubbers such as a peroxide or condensation catalyst, and the blowing agent is a composition which produces a foaming gas when exposed to elevated temperature, such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, azobisiobutyronitrile. The blowing agent is present in the range of about 1 to 10 parts by weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,274 discloses a reinforcement web for a hollow structural member having layer of expandable foam dispersed on its principal surfaces. The foam is a resin-based material containing a blowing agent.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,575,526 and 6,092,864 also disclose laminates which have support members or beams bonded together with a structural foam layer. A synthetic structural resin is combined with a cell-forming agent (blowing agent) and hollow microspheres to produce the structural foam layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,218,442 B1 discloses a corrosion-resistant foam formulation which includes one or more thermosettable synthetic resins, one or more curatives, one or more blowing agents and one or more organic titanates or zirconates. The disclosed synthetic resins include epoxies.
Notwithstanding the state of the art, there is a continued need for curable foaming compositions which do not require the addition of blowing agents for creation of the foam, but rather rely on the in situ formation of hydrogen gas which is liberated during the curing process.


Device for the labeling of clothes including a label printer (1) and a fastening station (12), and a device for the transfer of the labels and holding these in position for fixing that includes a guide or slide plane next to which the printer is arranged so that the labels are ejected along the guide or plane. The guide is slightly curved in the label feed out direction. An endless belt is arranged above the guide in the label feed direction so that it can press the labels against the guide bringing the labels along to the fastening station (12). The label guide has essentially the same width as the labels and U-shaped upfolded and infolded edges for the guiding the labels.

At the selling of clothes it is in general necessary to provide these with labels indicating size, price etc. Since the indications of size as well as in particular the prize may vary from country to country and from vending place to vending place it is in reality frequently necessary for the selling shop or wholesaler to provide each article of clothing with a label. It is at this known to print labels with computer controlled printers, which labels then more or less manually are applied to the garments in question. For this different types of fastening machines are used, that may be constituted by electric staplers with steel staples or machines that use plastic fixings. Despite fastening and printing of the labels being supported by machinery this labeling or marking of clothes is comparatively time consuming and thereby costly. Furthermore it is a type of work that easily result in wear injuries since it is very repetitive and it may be the same person that for long times stands and do this work.
In view of the above problems the object of the invention is to facilitate the labeling of clothes.


An agricultural bagging machine including a feed hopper having a sloped front wall and a sloped back wall with the sloped walls being substantially parallel to one another to reduce or prevent bridging of the material in the hopper.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an agricultural bagging machine and more particularly to an agricultural bagging machine having a hopper designed to substantially reduce the bridging of the silage material or the like within the hopper.
2. Background Information
Agricultural bagging machines have been employed for several years to bag or pack silage or the like into elongated plastic bags. Two of the earliest bagging machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,687,061 and 4,046,068. In most prior art bagging machines, silage or the like is supplied to the forward or intake end of the bagging machine and is fed to a rotor which conveys the silage into a tunnel on which the bag is positioned so that the bag is filled. In most prior art bagging machines, the rotor is located at the lower end of a hopper. Ordinarily, the hopper includes a sloped forward wall and a substantially vertically disposed back wall. The sloped front wall is sometimes referred to as a hopper panel while the back wall is sometimes referred to as a face panel.
Inasmuch as the front wall of the conventional hopper is sloped and inasmuch as the back wall of the conventional hopper is substantially vertically disposed, the vertical cross section of the hopper has a funnel shape. When the feed stuffs or silage are put in the hopper of the machine, the funnel-shape may cause the material to build up until the material bridges over the rotor causing the rotor to take in less feed or none at all depending on the degree of bridging.


A self-adhering modified bituminous roofing tile underlayment material for tile roof assemblies that comprises an APP modified bitumen compound on the front side, and a factory-applied self-adhesive compound on the back side of a reinforcement carrier sheet, and granules embedded on the APP modified bitumen compound to provide a non-skid surface. A method of manufacturing such composite comprising coating an APP compound on the top surface and affixing a self-adhesive compound to the bottom surface of a reinforcement carrier support sheet, and applying a release liner to the tacky self-adhesive layer during manufacture, stripping the release liner, salvage release film and end lap film from the membrane immediately prior to use, subsequently placing the surface of the membrane directly on to the upper surface of the roof deck, base sheet or underlayment, and applying force directly to the sheet to enhance the bond between the composite and the underlying surface that is created by the tacky self-adhesive compound. The present invention relates generally to roofing underlayments residential roofing assemblies using tiles made of clay or concrete as the exposed surface.

This invention relates to bituminous roofing adapted for the waterproofing and sealing of substrate structures and to the method of manufacturing such materials. More particularly, the present invention is in the field of roofing membranes used as underlayment, which may optionally have a factory-applied self-adhesive layer on the bottom surface and a thermoplastic modifier such as Atactic Polypropylene (APP) modified bituminous compound on the top surface in order to provide easy and problem-free field application by roofing personnel.
It is well known to use bituminous compositions for manufacturing waterproofing membranes, generally for roof covering and roofing underlayments. Modified bituminous prepared roofing, also referred to as modified asphalt roofing membrane, is typically manufactured using, as a core, a reinforcement carrier support sheet made of fabric such as polyester, fiberglass, or a combination of both, saturating and coating the front and back sides of the carrier with a modified bituminous coating material based on Atactic Polypropylene (APP), Amorphous Poly Alpha Olefin (APAO), Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO), Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS), Styrene-Ethylene-Butadiene-Styrene (SEBS), synthetic rubber or other asphaltic modifiers, that will enhance the properties of asphalt.
Roofing membranes are used in commercial, industrial and residential applications. Two major classifications of modified bitumen roofing materials, which are used mostly in industrial and commercial applications are (1) cap sheet and (2) base sheet. Shingle roofing materials, however, are used primarily in residential applications, and are exposed to the elements, and hence can be considered as 'cap' as well. A cap sheet or shingle membrane can be modified using Atactic Polypropylene (APP), Amorphous Poly Alpha Olefin (APAO), Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO), Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS), Styrene-Ethylene-Butadiene-Styrene (SEBS), synthetic rubber or other asphaltic modifiers, and is generally reinforced with a polyester carrier or a combination of polyester and fiberglass. These sheets can be smooth or granular surfaced and are typically greater than 2.8 mm in thickness. The top surface of the cap sheet is exposed to the elements and hence the name "cap".
A base sheet is typically modified using any of the same modifiers as a cap sheet, but due to economic considerations, is modified using smaller quantities of less expensive polymers such as Atactic Polypropylene (APP) or Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS). A base sheet is generally reinforced with a fiberglass carrier (which costs significantly lower than polyester) and is smooth surfaced. The thickness of such base sheet typically ranges from 1.0 mm to 2.5 mm depending upon the job specifications. In a typical field installation, a base sheet is first applied to the roof deck using mechanical fasteners, via hot mopping or using cold application techniques.
Cap sheets or shingles are applied on top of the base sheets, with the seams of adjacent rolls in offset relation. Most APP-modified bitumen membranes are torch-applied, i.e., by heating the back side of the sheet to melt the compound and using the molten compound to form a heat weld. Most SBS-modified bitumen membranes are set during in-field application in hot mopping asphalt, torch-applied or adhered with cold-process adhesives, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,911 issued to Wentz, et al., on Sep. 1, 1992. Modified bitumen membranes which do not have factory-applied granule or foil surfacing need some form of field-applied ultraviolet protective coating.
Of the two general types of bituminous sheet materials used for roofing applications, i.e., bitumen-SBS and bitumen-APP materials, the bitumen-SBS products are more elastic, with greater flexibility at low temperatures. APP-based products, however, are more heat-resistant (due to a higher softening point), are more resistant against the effects of the atmosphere (especially ultra-violet rays) and more resistant to foot traffic.
The manufacture of bituminous roofing material with multiple layers is well known. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,893,889; 4,755,409; 4,871,605; and EP Patent No. 903435 disclose membranes comprised of a core and a plurality of different layers of waterproofing material. The '409 patent also discloses a release sheet applied to the one side of the membrane for purposes of protection. Products are in the market, which combine the more flexible and elastic bitumen-SBS upper layer with a self-adhesive lower surface. An example of such a product is Plura AD self-adhesive sold by Pluvitec S.p.A., described on the website of the seller at http://www.pluvitec.com. Application of a primer is recommended when using this material in order to ensure adherence of the self-adhesive layer to a substrate, and the use of added heat, i.e., by a torch, is also recommended.
Roofing underlayment materials are used in roofing systems such as modified bituminous roofing membranes as well as shingles, tiles, slates, cedar and metal roofing. Some underlayments such as asbestos fiber roofing felts were used during the early part of the 20th century but are no longer used due to health hazards associated with asbestos fibers. The most commonly used underlayment is asphalt-saturated roofing felt, commonly known as No. 15, No. 30 or No. 50 felt. These have been in use for a very long time and are the least expensive form of underlayment available. Roofing felt is made from a base sheet made of paper coated with filler-modified asphalt and as such is very inexpensive. Several roofing companies produce such materials. The main objective of using felt is to provide a protective barrier on the deck when applying roofing membranes by means of hop mopping, torching or self-adhesive applications. Several building code bodies such as Miami Metro Dade County authority dictates the use of slip sheet in all roofing applications under its jurisdiction. This is to ensure that the roof deck such as plywood is not damaged during 'roof tear off' when replacing the roof.
Roofing felts have been in short supply periodically and due to supply-demand factors, the price of felt has continued to rise over the years. Interestingly, felts have several limitations. It is well known that roofs undergo significant expansion and contraction as they heat and cool throughout the day. Because of such thermal cycling, felts experience shrinkage when exposed to the elements and exhibit deterioration in a relatively short period of time. Moreover felts are not watertight when roofing nails or staples are driven through them, making it necessary to cover the felt underlayment with the next course of roofing material immediately upon installation of the felt to the deck. These limitations, coupled with frequent shortage of felt underlayments, have forced roofers and contractors to search for alternate materials.
Sheets which are sold as membranes in roll form are sometimes cut into smaller sections to form shingles for use on roofs with greater slope. Shingles are typically nailed into place, and are most commonly used in residential roofing.
Another category of roofing membranes are "underlayments", which are widely used in residential applications, and may also be designed for use in regions with colder climates, where ice-dam protection is required. Underlayments, commonly utilized under shingle roofing material, metal roofing panels or tile roofing, provide waterproofing characteristics and are typically reinforced with fiberglass. However, there are a few products in the market place that have no carrier such that these consist of simply a coating of self-adhesive compound on a polyolefinic film. Polystick P made by Polyglass USA, Grace Ice & Water Shield and Grace Vycor Ultra manufactured by W. R. Grace & Company are examples of such materials. These non-carrier based underlayments are typically very soft and are ideally suited for use in areas of roofs such as perimeters, hips, valleys, etc. where ice darn formation may occur during winter. Underlayments are typically used in steep slope roofing applications and, therefore, it is preferable that they provide good traction for the safety of the roofer installing the material. A typical underlayment installation involves mechanically fastening the same to the plywood substrate or adhering the underlayment to the plywood substrate using an adhesive compound.
Most underlayment materials designed to be used under metal roofing are based on SBS. Upon installation of such underlayment, metallic panels may be mechanically fastened to the top of the roofing underlayment. It is essential to note that metal generates substantial excess heat and therefore necessitates the use of a self-adhering underlayment that can withstand high temperature. Also granular surfaced products, whether APP or SBS based, are not recommended since the mineral surface can cause abrasion of the metal. This poses severe problems for the installer of such roofing underlayments in that these products are generally modified with styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) compound, which is soft and flows at temperatures above 110 degrees Celsius. Hence it is necessary to develop a product that has high heat resistance and a non-abrasive surface on the exposed side.
Upon installation of the underlayment, in the case of tile roofing, corresponding tiles that may be made of clay or concrete, are loaded to the top of the roofing underlayment. This poses several problems for the installer of the roof in that underlayments are generally thin (less than 2 mm in thickness), smooth surfaced, modified with SBS compound which is soft, and are reinforced with a fiberglass sheet that imparts very poor tear resistance properties to the membrane. Especially when the slope of the roof, commonly referred to as roof pitch, is steep, tiles that are stacked on top of the roof and can weigh from 80 to 100 lbs. per square foot of area, depending upon the type of tiles and the height of stacking, begin to slide down the roof and eventually fall on the ground. Obviously this poses a great risk to people working on the roof and in the vicinity of the same, in addition to damage caused to the underlayment material, and lost installation time. Consequently, there is a need for a material that is very easy to install as well as durable enough to offer high temperature resistance and resistance to tile slippage. There is also a need for a tile underlayment that is tough enough and that connects well to the roof substructure to withstand and work effectively with the attachment of tiles to the underlayment by any of several methods, such as mechanical fastening and the use of adhesives such as foam adhesives.
One object of the present invention is to provide a sheet that permits easy installation by means of a factory-applied, properly placed, self-adhesive compound applied to the membrane under controlled conditions prior to use in the field. This also allows enhanced adhesion of the tacky self-adhesive to the roof deck because the self-adhesive compound is applied in the factory under controlled conditions rather than in the field where contamination and variation in application techniques are considerably more of a problem.
Base sheets, cap sheets and underlayments are applied to the underlying surface using a variety of methods such as using mechanical fasteners, which is a slow and cumbersome process. During installation of a roof, roofing underlayments are attached to the wood deck by 'mechanically fastening' using roofing nails or staples. Based on the roof specifications, another course of material such as No. 90 felt is applied on top of the No. 15 or No. 30 felt, usually via hot asphalt mopping. Tiles or shingles are attached to the upper surface of the exposed membrane via mechanical attachments or using foam adhesive such as Polyurethane. In the former method, tiles are fastened or mechanically attached to the surface of the inventive tile underlayment using roofing nails. In the latter method, Polyurethane foam is sprayed on the top surface and roofing tiles are 'set' on the foam adhesive.
One method of application is referred to as "torching", in which the back surface of the rolls are heated. Heating of the bitumen-based roofing membranes is typically carried out by use of propane gas burners or torches. When the flame, which has a typical temperature of 1,000 to 1,300 degrees Celsius is directed towards the bottom surface of the sheet, APP compound from the bottom surface reaches a molten state and starts to flow on to the substrate and then cools to form a waterproofing bond. It is obvious that torching is dangerous considering the risk of fire caused by the utilization of a torch and other similar equipment.
Similarly, hot mopping, in which drums or cartons of hot asphalt are used, although poses a reduced risk of fire versus torch application, still poses an operational problem. Hot-mopping application, which requires a fair amount of labor, especially in larger projects, also results in waste cartons with chemical residue. These dirty cartons must be disposed of properly, for example, in landfills, and may become unsafe for the environment. In addition, disposal of the waste materials become costly and labor-intensive. Alternatively, hot asphalt is directly pumped to the roof from the ground using a hose. Whereas this method eliminates the aforementioned problems associated with disposal of cartons, etc., it poses other problems in that it is very difficult and dangerous to pump hot asphalt to the roof level, especially in the case of high-rise buildings.
Another way of connecting membranes to sub-roofing is by using cold adhesives, which generally come in buckets or pressurized spray can systems. Use of cold adhesive poses its own problems related to disposal of empty buckets or aerosol cans. Additionally, cold adhesives contain solvents that are not desirable from an environmental point of view. For example, they produce VOC (volatile organic compound) and emissions that are harmful to the environment and to people. Moreoever, there is a potential for the release of airborne pollutants with this system of application.
Furthermore, the end result of the above-described in field applications is also not successful each and every time. Several of these modified bitumen compositions are known. However, these products are based on application methods that pose environmental and operational hazards during the application of the roofing membrane. There is, therefore, a need to provide a modified bitumen roofing membrane which reduces labor and installation costs, provides good bonding properties at high and low temperatures, reduces VOCs and emissions from hot mopped or torched in-field roofing membrane applications. The present invention permits a more simplified, safer and economical roof installation without compromising structural integrity and lap sealing capabilities. It also offers a suitable means to dramatically reduce field labor by offering a 'dual compound' product, which eliminates the numerous undesirable aspects of the prior art.
During installation of the underlayment, in the case of tile roofing, corresponding tiles that may be made of clay or concrete are loaded to the top of the roofing underlayment. This poses several problems for the installer of the roof in that underlayments are generally thin (less than 2 mm in thickness), smooth surfaced, modified with filler alone or with an SBS compound which is soft, and are reinforced with a fiberglass sheet that imparts very poor tear resistance properties to the membrane. Especially when the slope of the roof, commonly referred to as roof pitch, is steep, tiles that are stacked on top of the roof and can weigh from 80 to 100 lbs. per square foot of area, depending upon the type of tiles and the height of stacking, begin to slide down the roof and eventually fall on the ground. Obviously this poses a great risk to people working on the roof and in the vicinity of the same, in addition to damage caused to the underlayment material, and lost installation time. Therefore an important factor to take into consideration before selecting roofing underlayments is that these materials are usually used in steep slope roofing applications and, therefore, must provide good traction for the safety of the roofer installing the material. Consequently, there is a need for a material that is very easy to install as well as durable enough to offer high temperature resistance and resistance to tile slippage. Such material must also be economical, thereby making use of commercial roofing membranes as underlayment materials cost prohibitive.
The inventions described herein deal with roofing tile underlayment sheet based on dual compound technology whereby a harder and tougher layer of modified bituminous compound is used to form the top surface of the membrane and a self-adhesive compound is used to form the bottom layer of the membrane. Both the top and bottom layer are carried by a reinforcing material that lies between the top and bottom layers. This dual compound technology allows enhanced adhesion of the tacky self-adhesive material to the roof deck because the self-adhesive compound is applied in the factory under controlled conditions rather than in the field where contamination and variation in application techniques are considerably more of a problem.
This membranes described herein are "dual compound" in that different top and bottom materials are carried by the reinforcement carrier sheet—for example, a compound based on Atactic Polypropylene (APP) or Amorphous Poly Alpha Olefin (APAO) or Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) on the top surface, and a separate heat-and-pressure-activated adhesive compound to the bottom surface of the reinforcement carrier sheet. One object of the present invention is to provide a 'dual compound' self-adhered cap sheet, with APP compound on the weathering surface and a self-adhesive compound on the back surface. Such membranes are ideal for regions where SBS based membranes (torch, mop, cold applied or self-adhered) are unsuitable due to high temperature conditions, and APP torch membranes are undesirable due to legislative restrictions on use of torch or prohibitive insurance costs.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide membranes with well-embedded, non-abrasive, high temperature resistant and tough fabric surface that is highly durable.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a unique APP modified bitumen compound on the top surface that is very "hard". When metal panels heat up during the daytime, especially in summer, heat is transferred to the underlayment below. This transfer of heat softens the modified compound, more profoundly in the case of SBS, which has been the preferred modifier in most existing underlayments. However, SBS compounds become softer when heated to relatively lower temperatures than other compounds, and can cause the SBS compounds to flow. Use of a hard APP compound alleviates this problem. Typical softening point temperatures of APP modified compound is in excess of 150 degrees Celsius, whereas that of conventional SBS modified compound is approximately 120 degrees Celsius.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide membranes with well-embedded mineral granular surface that is coarse enough to resist any movement of the tiles in a downward fashion by offering a non-skid surface.
When roofing tiles begin to move, they first "sink" into the soft SBS compound used in most existing underlayments, causing damage to the fiberglass reinforcement. The softening of SBS compounds at lower temperatures can result in the tiles sliding downward, particularly on steeper sloped roofs. Use of a hard APP compound makes it less likely that the tiles will "sink" into the compound. Thus, the use of APP compounds helps to prevent damage to the fiberglass mat used as support.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide APP modified bituminous, self-adhesive shingles, referred to as modified shingles, reinforced with a combination of polyester and fiberglass reinforcements.
Shingles, commonly employed in residential applications and typically manufactured using filler modified asphalt and fiberglass support, are applied to the roof deck using nails. However APP modified and SBS modified shingles exist in the market. A feature of the membranes described herein is that the membrane can be cut into shingles that will have "dual compound" structure—APP modified compound on the top surface and self-adhesive compound on the bottom surface. Such shingles are reinforced with a dual carrier—polyester and fiberglass—to impart the best characteristics of both reinforcements to the shingles.
APP modified bitumen compound by itself does not possess any adhesive properties to directly adhere to any substrate. Similarly, self-adhesive compounds have "very poor" weathering characteristics, thereby undergoing premature degradation with exposure to the elements. Dual compound combines the best of an APP and a self-adhesive compound. The advantage of a "dual" compound is the ability to add a "true" roofing compound such as an APP modified bitumen on the top (weathering) surface and a self-adhesive compound on the bottom surface. The thickness of such cap membranes is between 1.0 mm and 5.0 mm. Typical weight of a one square roll (1 roofing square equals 107.6 square feet) is between 60 pounds and 115 pounds, depending upon thickness of the membrane. Such membranes may be reinforced with a polyester, fiberglass or polyester/fiberglass combination mat. Generally, fiberglass is used as a carrier in tile underlayment sheets due to their low cost.
A release liner, typically made of polypropylene, polyethylene or polyester, of thickness ranging from 40 to 80 microns, and treated with a silicone adhesive on one side (the side that comes in contact with compound), is applied to the self-adhesive compound to prevent sticking of adjacent sections of the roofing material and to the packaging when the finished membrane is stored and transported in the form of rolls.
The present invention involves roof coverings in the form of roofing membranes, including shingles, having a top layer of an APP modified bituminous compound, whose composition utilizes bitumen (asphalt), APP plastomeric modifiers and fillers, and a bottom layer of a self-adhesive compound, whose composition utilizes bitumen (asphalt), elastomeric modifiers, tackifying resins, and fillers. A typical APP compound may contain 5% to 25% of polypropylene modifiers, 8% to 70% of filler such as limestone or talc, and remaining portions of asphalt. In order to achieve fire ratings as classified by Underwriters' Laboratories (UL), special fire retardant additives may be used as filler. A typical self-adhesive compound may contain 3% to 10% of Styrene-butadiene-styrene modifiers, 0% to 5% of Styrene-isoprene-styrene modifiers, 6% to 25% of hydrocarbon tackifying resins, 8% to 40% of filler such as limestone, talc, fly ash, volcanic ash, graphite, carbon black, silica or china clay, and remaining portions of asphalt.
The inventive membrane has a carrier that supports a dual compound modified asphalt, namely, an APP modified asphaltic compound which is positioned on top of the carrier sheet, and a self-adhesive modified asphaltic compound which is positioned below the carrier sheet. The adherent material serves to affix the membrane to the roof deck (in the case of an underlayment), to the base sheet or underlayment (in the case of a cap sheet).
In order to provide adhesion and a watertight seal between the roofing membrane and either the base sheet, underlayment or the roof deck, a self-adhesive compound that is compatible with the modified bituminous coating layer must be utilized. The factory-applied self-adhesive compound provides an adhesive layer to the roofing membrane having sufficient surface tack ("quick grab"), as well as adequate strength for use in adhering roofing sheet membranes to the roof deck, underlayment or base sheet.
Furthermore, when applying the present invention to underlayments, surfacing agents can be applied to the upper surface of the roofing membrane. In the case of metal roofing underlayments, a suitable surfacing agent such as polyester or polypropylene fabric, of thickness 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm and of unit weight 20 to 60 grams per square meter, can be applied to the weathering surface of the roofing membrane to provide high temperature resistance. Polyester and polypropylene materials have higher softening point and, therefore are less susceptible to heat than polyethylene; hence the selection of these fabrics for this invention.
Similarly, in the case of tile roofing underlayments, a suitable surfacing agent such as mineral granules can be applied to the weathering surface of the roofing membrane to provide slip resistance. When selecting granules for this application, it is critical to note that the granule size must not be too small so as not to provide the required slip resistance and not too big to pose a problem in manufacturing. Typical granule screen grading are as follows: 40% to 55% by weight passing U.S. standard sieve #16, 15% to 45% by weight passing U.S. standard sieve #20. Whereas the color of the granules does not affect slip resistance, lighter color granules possess higher reflectivity and thereby maintain the underlayment surface cooler. Tile underlayments surfaced with darker color granules absorb more heat and hence the APP compound gets softer leading to sliding of tiles stacked on the top. It is therefore preferable to use lighter color granules for tile underlayment applications.
Another suitable surfacing agent that can be applied to the upper surface of a sheet of the present invention when it is to be used as an underlayment for tile roofs is film material. Such film material must have treatment on the exposed surface to achieve non-skid properties. If the top surface is too smooth, it may not provide the necessary skid resistance for the installer of the product. Hence it is essential to provide a non-skid treatment on the exposed side. Such film must also exhibit high temperature resistance and resistance to the harmful effects of sun's ultraviolet rays. Polyolefinic films are used in a variety of applications including roofing membranes, food packaging, grocery bags, etc. and are usually made of polypropylene or polyethylene. PCL Packaging of Massachusetts, Sipa of Italy, and Cartenplast of Italy are sources of such films. During manufacture of these films, anti-skid additives can be incorporated to aid in providing skid resistance properties. When selecting film for laminating to the upper side of the modified bituminous compound, it is critical to note that the film must not be too thick that it may not get sufficiently embedded in the modified bituminous compound. For the manufacture of the inventive metal underlayment material, film based on polyethylene is chosen. Further high density polyethylene (HDPE) is preferred for this application. Polyethylene films are readily available and are economical. HDPE film selected for this lamination was of thickness ranging from 2 mil (50 microns) to 4 mil (100 microns) in order to facilitate ease of lamination to the modified bituminous compound. However the preferred thickness is 2.8 mil (70 micron). Whereas the color of the film does not affect skid resistance, lighter color fabrics possess higher reflectivity and thereby maintain the underlayment surface cooler. Metal underlayments surfaced with darker colored fabrics absorb more heat and hence the modified bituminous compound gets softer. It is therefore preferable to use lighter color films for metal underlayment applications. The HDPE film of the present invention is treated with an anti-skid coating on the upper surface. Such coating is usually in the form of straight lines or a geometric pattern and consists of adhesives such as Ethyl Vinyl Acetate (EVA), Amorphous Poly Alpha Olefin (APAO), PolyAmide or Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSA). For this invention, an EVA adhesive called Jowatherm Hot Melt Adhesive from Jowat Corporation, North Carolina was chosen.
Non-woven fabrics have low strength, and as such may be unable to resist movement of tiles on rooftops. Whereas non-woven polypropylene fabric may be used as the top layer in laminate in the case of metal underlayment, a stitch-bonded polypropylene fabric is the preferred choice for the top layer of the laminate for the underlayment when it will be employed as a roofing tile underlayment. Stitch-bonded polypropylene is lightweight as well but possesses very high tear strength due to its process of manufacture and unique construction. Tie-Tex International of South Carolina is a leading manufacturer of such material. When underlayment of the present invention is manufactured using stitch-bonded polypropylene on the upper surface, the resultant material is well suited for use as a roofing tile underlayment.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Self-adhering modified bitumen underlayment for tile roofs


A mobile enforcement reader (MER) includes an antenna, a reader coupled to receive signals from the antenna and a control/display unit (CDU) coupled to the reader. The CDU selects a receive direction and processes signals provided thereto from the reader. When the MER and a transponder are in proximity, the MER interrogates the transponder and receives information related to toll payment. The MER allows enforcement officials to monitor payment by single occupancy vehicle (SOV) traffic for use of high occupancy traffic (HOT) lanes.

As is known in the art, a toll road is a road on which an agency (either a private agency or a public agency) collects money from users who wish to drive vehicles on the road. Typically, users pay a toll at so-called toll booths located at toll plazas which are established at certain locations along the road. The tollbooths sometimes include a gate which prevents a vehicle from passing through the toll booth unless a toll is paid. Once the toll is paid, the gate is raised to allow the vehicle to pass. Thus, to pay the toll at the tollbooth, the driver typically slows down the vehicle (or stops the vehicle if the toll booth has a gate) at the tollbooth and either pays a person acting as a toll collector or deposits money in a collection bin which registers payment of the toll.
As is also known, there is a trend on toll roads to automate the collection of the toll. Some automated toll collection systems allow electronic payment of the toll. To allow such automated electronic toll payment, users who wish electronically pay the toll place a transponder in their vehicle (sometimes referred to as a "toll transponder"). The vehicle transponder communicates with one or more reader systems which are mounted at predetermined locations (typically at toll plazas) along the toll road. Such automated toll systems do not require any gates, barriers or any physical impediments to free traffic flow on the highway. With this technique, tolling can be accurately and reliably conducted substantially at highway speeds (i.e. vehicles having transponders mounted therein need not slow down significantly for the toll to be collected).
In particular, on certain roadways, single occupancy vehicle (SOV) users are permitted to use the high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes if they use a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) transponder (also sometimes referred to as a toll transponder) to pay the appropriate toll posted at a toll gate which may, for example, be located at the vehicle's point of entry on the road. Thus, automatic toll collection systems do not require any toll plazas, gates, barriers or any physical impediments to free traffic flow on the highway. Furthermore, tolling can be accurately and reliably conducted at or near highway speeds.
It is possible, however, for an SOV driver to use the HOV lane but to either not have an approved transponder, or to hide or shield the transponder to avoid having the toll collected. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a system and technique which can detect these situations.


The present invention relates to the use of mutant glycoproteins from pathogenic bacteria lacking one or more phosphorylcholine and/or glycosylation post-translational modifications as immunogens. These post-translational modifications act as masking structures that elicit an immune response which does not confer protection on an infected individual. The removal or modification of these masking structures alters the protein such that it elicits a stronger immune response to the protein and/or the bacterial pathogen. Particular examples are pilin proteins and nitrite reductase glycoproteins of Neisseria bacteria.

Disease caused by Group B Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis) remains a significant health problem worldwide. There are currently no effective vaccines available for this Group, although effective treatment for meningococcal infections is available with antibiotics. However, the progression of the infection can be so rapid that in some cases treatment cannot be administered in time to be effective. The threat of meningococcal disease would be most appropriately dealt with by prevention with a generally effective vaccine. There is also no vaccine to prevent infection by the related pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoea (N. gonorrhoeae). Although effective treatment of gonococcal infections is currently available with antibiotics, resistance is increasing. Furthermore, in gonococcal infections, asymptomatic carriage (particularly common in women) can result in greater susceptibility to HIV, and may also lead to pelvic inflammatory disease.
Pili of pathogenic Neisseria are typical of a family of adhesins, type IV fimbriae, found in a wide range of Gram-negative pathogens. These long polymeric proteins protrude from the bacterial surface and have a crucial role in both colonization of the host and adhesion to host cells (Virji et al., 1991; McGee & Stephens, 1984). Although there are other accessory proteins, pili are composed primarily of thousands of subunits, called pilin. Pili of pathogenic Neisseria are major virulence factors associated with adhesion, cytotoxicity, twitching motility, auto-aggregation and DNA transformation.
Typical of many surface proteins of pathogenic Neisseria, pili display both phase and antigenic variation (reviewed in Seifert, 1996) and are post-translationally modified (reviewed in Virji, 1997). Four different types of modifications have been described. A phosphodiester-linked glycerol substituent has been reported at serine 93 of the pilin molecule (Stimson et al., 1996), a phosphate group has been reported at serine 68 in N. gonorrhoeae (Forest et al., 1999), pili of both N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae are glycosylated at serine 623 with a trisaccharide molecule, Gal (β1-4) Gal (α1-3) 2,4-diacetimido-2,4,6-trideoxyhexose (Stimson et al., 1995) or a disaccharide Gal (α1-3) GlcNAc (Parge et al., 1995; Marceau et al., 1998). Covalently linked phosphorylcholine (ChoP) has been reported in N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae (Kolberg et al., 1997; Weiser et al., 1998) and is found on surface-exposed moieties of many different pathogens of the respiratory tract (Gillespie et al., 1996 J Med Microbiol 44:35-40). In H. influenzae, S. pneumoniae and commensal Neisseria, ChoP is attached to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the biosynthetic pathway is well understood (Serino and Virji, 2000 Microbiology 35:1550; Weiser et al., 1989 57:3045-52; Zhang et at, 1999 Mol Microbiol 31:1477)
However, in pathogenic Neisseria, ChoP is covalently attached to the surface exposed pili but is not found attached to the LPS (Weiser et al., 1998 Infection & Immunity 66:4263). The position of the ChoP modification has been determined in N. gonorrhoeae at Serine 68 in strain MS11 (Aas et al., 2006 Journal of Biological Chemistry. 281:27712-27723). The transferase required for the ChoP to pilin of N. meningitidis, pptA, has been identified previously (Warren and Jennings, 2003 Infection and Immunity 71:6892-68928).
The same gene was subsequently identified in N. gonorrhoeae (Hegge et al., 2004 Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101: 10798-10803).
The role of phosphorylcholine in disease caused by pathogenic Neisseria is not known, nor has the function of pili post-translational modifications in host-pathogen interactions been resolved.

Mutant bacterial glycoproteins and uses thereof


A filter for suspensions with an impeller generating controlled turbulence for suspended solids, comprising an inclinable filter body 1 which shelters a filtrating element consisting of a filtrating sleeve (10) and an impeller (11) working together. The sleeve (10) is mounted on filter body (1) by means of supports (12) and it shelters a part of the impeller (11), comprising an axle (13) which is subject to a motor assembly (14), located outside body (1) and around which are mounted radial blades defining two phases: an inlet phase (15) and a processing phase (16), the latter being lodged inside the sleeve (10) and a washing device (31) for the sleeve (10). The inlet phase (15) comprises blades (20) in the form of a short pace propeller to give axial impulse, and no radial impulse, to the liquid to be filtrated. The processing phase (16) comprises blades in the form of a long pace propeller (21) to give impulse of great radial intensity, and small axial intensity, to the liquid. The blades (21) of the processing phase (16) provide a convex dragging surface (22) for the liquid and give impulse to the material to be filtrated, which is the result of tangential components to the convex surface. The system of forces on the liquid to be filtrated, coming from blades (21) in the form of a long pace propeller and from the convex dragging surface (22) of the processing phase (16) of the impeller (11) make the liquid move according to a vortex along the whole extent of sleeve (10), which is widened in the direction of the inlet ends towards the outlet end, providing a self-cleaning washing effect to sleeve (10).

1. Field of the Invention
The purpose of the present invention is a filter with an impeller belonging to the field of equipment for separating fluids or liquids and solids in suspension, which received original construction for providing controlled turbulence for solids, obtained with an impeller with adequate characteristics for impelling the liquid to be filtrated inside a filtrating sleeve and according to a vortex movement.
2. Description of Relevant Art
A filter for separating liquids and solids of products in suspension is already known such as, for example, fruit juices in general and others. The filter comprises a filter body, an end of which provides a feeding inlet for the product to be filtrated. The middle portion of said body contains a filtrating element, and a lower outlet for the filtrated material. The opposite end of said filter body provides an outlet for solids. The filter body is mounted on a carrying structure through articulations and an adjustable inclination device. The filtrating element comprises a filtrating sleeve, the inlet of which is close to the inlet of the filter body. The middle portion said sleeve shelters a portion of a winged impeller and the other end of the filtrating sleeve, is located at the outlet for solids of the filter body. The winged impeller is subject to an actuating assembly external to the filter body.
In the usual form of construction for this type of filter, its impeller is formed by two portions of different wings defining two phases, namely: an inlet phase located close to the inlet end of the filtrating sleeve, and consisting of a propeller to give an axial movement to the product to be filtrated; and a processing phase consisting of flat radial blades impelling the liquid radially against the filtrating sleeve. Completing the impeller, a self-cleaning device is provided for the filtrating sleeve, comprising, for example, a helicoidally wound-up thread or wire around the radial processing blades close to the inner face of the filtrating sleeve which mechanically drags the solid material retained in the sleeve towards the outlet thereof.
With reference to the utilization of such filter, it has many problems. One first problem concerns the fact that the liquid to be filtrated suffers a quick change of direction between the phases for the inlet and processing of the impeller--it passes from axial movement to radial movement--and is also subject to impacts against the inner surfaces of the impeller, thus causing a great loss of axial hydrodynamic impulse. The loss of impulse causes the liquid to be concentrated as it goes through the initial region of the filtrating sleeve. This brings about differentiated efforts to the sleeve and, depending on the material of its construction, there may occur elastic deformations to the detriment of a good performance. Only a small part of the filtrating area of the sleeve is effectively used in the processing of the material.
Another problem arising from the usual filter as described above, concerns the fact that the mechanical self-cleaning device, depending on the concentration level of the solid material suspended in the liquid, causes squeezing and crushing of the solids against the filtrating sleeve. This may cause chockings and wear and tear on the screen which are harmful to it and/or a certain malfunction of the equipment, thus making it operate rather forcedly.

Separation filter with turbine generating controlled turbulence for solids suspended in liquid


The present invention relates to the field of communications, and in particular, relates to a method for obtaining an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol version 6 (DHCPv6) server, a DHCPv6 server, and a DHCPv6 communication system. The method is applied in a scenario of communication through a DHCPv6 relay agent, and includes: receiving, by a DHCPv6 server, a message of a DHCPv6 client forwarded by a DHCPv6 relay agent; sending, by the DHCPv6 server, a response message to the DHCPv6 client through the DHCPv6 relay agent, in which a payload of the response message carries an IP address of the DHCPv6 server, so that the DHCPv6 client obtains the IP address of the DHCPv6 server from the response message.

In a broadband network, if a client sends a network access request, a server which is in the network and is responsible for IP address allocation allocates an IP address to the client sending the network access request, so that the client may access the network. At present, the servers involved in network access of the client in the broadband network are a DHCPv6 server and a DHCPv6 relay server using a standard DHCP protocol. When the client accesses the network, the client sends a DHCP request message to the DHCPv6 relay server, for applying for accessing the network; the DHCPv6 relay server receives and forwards the request message to the DHCPv6 server; after receiving the DHCP request message of the client, the DHCPv6 server records network initialization information including an IP address allocated to the client and its own IP address in a DHCP reply message, and sends the DHCP reply message to the DHCPv6 relay server; and the DHCPv6 relay server forwards the DHCP reply message received from the DHCPv6 server to the client, so that the client obtains the IP addresses, and accesses the network.
In the DHCPv6 protocol, when the client and the DHCPv6 server are not in the same link, a DHCPv6 relay configuration function and a message forwarding function can be implemented on a router, and a DHCPv6 relay agent can effectively solve the problem of address configuration, so as to enable the client to successfully apply for the IP address.
When the client sends the message to the DHCPv6 server, the IP address of the client is not lost in a relayed process; and when the DHCPv6 server returns a message to client, as the relay agent strips a message header of the message sent back from the DHCPv6 server in forwarding the message sent back from the DHCPv6 server, so that the IP address of the DHCPv6 server carried in the message header is discarded. Therefore, the client cannot know the IP address of the DHCPv6 server, so that the client cannot perform source address authentication on the message from the DHCPv6 server, and the client cannot effectively protect the message sent between the DHCPv6 server and the DHCPv6 client.

Method for obtaining IP address of DHCPV6 server, DHCPV6 server, and DHCPV6 communication system


In a notebook type personal computer, the operation mode of this personal computer is switched into a low power consumption mode even while a screen saver function is actuated. A display apparatus used in such a notebook type personal computer is arranged by a display screen for displaying thereon image data sent from a main apparatus; memory means for storing thereinto screen protecting image data; and display control means for displaying the screen protecting image data stored in the memory means on the display screen under such a condition that the main apparatus is not actually operated for a predetermined time period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a display apparatus for displaying characters and figures (hereinafter referred to as "image") in a computer system. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a display apparatus equipped with a screen saver function in the computer system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 6 (PRIOR ART) (schematically represents a display system employed in a so-called "DOS/V" type personal computer system. This display system displays character data (text data), and image data (graphic data). It should be noted in this specification that a term "image" apparently contains images, figures, characters, graphics and the like. For example, image data may correspond to character data itself.
In this drawing, reference numeral 100 indicates a CRT display apparatus. This CRT display apparatus 100 is connected to a computer main frame, and may display thereon the text data and the graphic data. In this computer main frame, there are provided a central processing unit (CPU) 101, a graphic controller 102, a video sequencer 103, a video RAM (VRAM) 104, an attribute controller 105, a video DAC 106, and a CRT controller 107.
The VRAM 104 is such a memory for temporarily storing data used to display dots on a display screen. Image data processed by the CPU 101 is temporarily stored into this VRAM 104. The VRAM 104 is so arranged that for instance, a plurality of video planes having capacities of 64 KB (kilobytes), or 128 KB are combined with each other.
The graphic controller 102 sequentially writes the image data processed by the CPU 101 into the VRAM 104 in accordance with the image sequence defined by the sequencer 103. Since all of the video planes of the VRAM 104 are rewritten by the image data within one time, this graphic controller 102 executes a logic calculation between the data supplied from the CPU 101 and the display screen, and thus can draw images at a high speed. In the text mode, the graphic controller 102 converts the data outputted from the VRAM 104 into parallel digital data, whereas in the graphic mode, the graphic controller 102 converts the data derived from the VRAM 104 into serial digital data, and then outputs either the parallel or the serial digital data to the video DAC 106.
The attribute controller 105 contains a palette register used to produce a 6-bit color code from 4-bit display data outputted from the VRAM 104 and to output this 6-bit color code.
The video DAC 106 converts the image data (digital data) supplied via the attribute controller 105 into an analog signal to be displayed on the display 100.
The CRT controller 107 generates a vertical scanning signal and a horizontal scanning signal used in the display 100, and further generates a read address used to read the image data from the VRAM 104. Then, in accordance with the image display sequence defined by the sequencer 103, the image data outputted from the VRAM 104 is displayed on the display 100 under control of the CRT controller 107.
The foregoing description is made of a basic arrangement VGA (Video Graphics Array) used to display a screen image. Now, a sequential operation of displaying a Japanese language on such a DOS/V type personal computer will be described as a concrete example. In this case, text data is displayed on the CRT display 100.
First, when this DOS/V type personal computer is initiated, a predetermined storage area is secured in an extended memory, and a Japanese character font is stored into this extended memory area.
On the other hand, a virtual VRAM (namely, virtual text VRAM) area is secured in a conventionary memory. This conventionary memory implies the most major memory area having the capacity of 640 KB within the main memory device. When a Japanese character is entered from a keyboard, a code of this inputted character is written into this virtual VRAM.
Subsequently, a Japanese character font corresponding to the character code written into this virtual VRAM is received, and then the received Japanese character font is written into the graphic VRAM (namely, above-described video memory) to be represented on the display 100.
Such a font representation is carried out by a wordprocessor operated, or accessed on this DOS/V type personal computer. There are many possibilities that the personal computer is not actually operated for a predetermined time period, because a computer operator takes a rest while this operator forms a document, or this computer operator interrupts this document forming work, so that entries of the Japanese characters are stopped.
In such a case, if the same content of the display screen is continuously represented for a long time duration, then a so-called "image sticking" phenomenon may occur. To avoid this difficulty, a so-termed "screen saver" program has been developed. In accordance with this screen saver program, when a computer is not actually operated for a predetermined time period, screen protecting image data is slightly moved on a display screen.
However, since even such a screen saver program constitutes a portion of a computer program, this screen saver program is loaded on a main memory of a central processing unit (CPU) employed in a computer. Then, this screen saver program is executed by this CPU, and thus, the screen protecting image data is displayed on a display unit under control of a graphic controller and a CRT controller.
As a result, even when the conventional computer is not actually operated by operators, the central processing unit and the respective controllers must be actually operated, so that the electric power is continuously consumed.
This power consumption causes a very serious problem in a portable notebook type personal computer, namely a battery capacity thereof is limited.
On the other hand, a certain type of portable notebook personal computers is equipped with a low power consumption mode. In this low power consumption mode, a screen image representation is stopped when this type of personal computer is not actually operated within a preselected time duration.
In this stopping condition of the screen display, the above-explained "image sticking" phenomenon may be avoided even when a such a screen saver program is not introduced. However, since the screen display is stopped, no operator can confirm as to whether or not the notebook type personal computer itself is operated under initiation condition, resulting in inconvenient operation.

Display apparatus including screen saver function