A method is disclosed for applying a mildewcide compound laden film to surfaces by applying an aqueous, film-depositing composition onto said surfaces, allowing to stand momentarily, and rinsing with water. After rinsing, a residual, durable, virtually invisible film remains. This film is mildew resistant, paintable and its sheen closely mimics that of the surfaces prior to application of the aqueous composition. The aqueous composition comprises a mildewcide compound, a non-ionic surfactant, water, and at least one film-former.

Mildew is a problem the world over. Any warm, damp surface is an open invitation for airborne mildew spores to take root and grow. Growing rapidly in the right environment, mildew quickly become visible as dark black-green spots.
Whether in a bath, closet, basement or on outside walls, mildew is an unwelcome guest. Homeowners in particular fight to remove this stubborn unsightly fungus.
Thankfully, there are products available in the retail market for killing mildew and bleaching stains caused by mildew. Most widely used are chlorine-containing compositions. Regular cleaning with these compositions can control the mildew, but multiple cleanings can damage painted surfaces by removing some of the paint and roughening the surface. Eventually, those areas dry and crack allowing water to more easily penetrate past the protective paint. The resulting moisture-laden cracks are the prefect environment for mildew regrowth.
It is desirable to both inhibit this regrowth and limit the possible damage caused by repeated harsh cleanings.
A solution to both problems has evolved over the last twenty years whereby concentrated mildewcide "additives" are purchased by the consumer and mixed with coatings prior to application.
However, this method of mildew control is not without problems. Among them are:
1. An E.P.A. requirement that all mildewcide additives be registered in every state in which they are sold. PA1 2. The likelihood of confusion as to concentration. The recommended dosage for one product is only nine grams while that of another is almost ninety grams. PA1 3. Freedom for consumers to add too much or too little product which can lead to too little protection, yellowing, chalking, or graying of the dried coating. PA1 4. Finite length of time an additive will be effective. The U.S. Navy tests of 1985-1986 and the National Bureau of Standards tests of 1975-1976 show that tested additives began losing effectiveness within months after outdoor exposure in hot, humid climates. PA1 5. The cost of labor and materials required to recoat for the sole purpose of controlling mildew can often be exorbitant. PA1 1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,476,235 to Benignus discloses a soaked-in or brushed-on treatment for fibrous materials and textiles to imbue long-term fungal resistance under weathering conditions. The fungicide is a metallic salt of hydroxyquinoline or pentachlorophenate in a modified alkyd resin which may contain an aqueous wax suspension to provide waterproofing to the treated surface. PA1 2. U.S. Pat. No. 2,486,961 to Meyer describes an aqueous or nonaqueous bath for imparting mildew-resistance to cellulose textiles. Dihydroxybenzophenone-based mildewcides are used as the active ingredient. The composition may contain a water-repellant such as a wax emulsion. PA1 3. U.S. Pat. No. 2,818,344 to Buckman discloses mildew-resistant paint compositions using barium borates and/or barium borosilicates in an oil or oil emulsion vehicle. PA1 4. U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,081 to McCall et al. discloses a fungistatic and bacteriostatic soap, wax polish, or plastic composition in which the active ingredient is an aromatic hydroperoxide. PA1 5. U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,969 to Coleman teaches a fungicidal, tacky aqueous coating as a dip or spray to treat air filters. This employs quaternary ammonium salts as an antimicrobial. PA1 6. U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,981 to Long describes a fungicidal coating, a method of surface application, and mildew-resistant paper products produced thereby. This composition employs metal salts of quinolinolate, and a binder of a wax or wax-resin emulsion especially one containing paraffin wax. PA1 7. U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,757 to Groszek et al. teaches an aqueous wax emulsion which is brushed or sprayed on as a biocidal coating to be used on underwater surfaces to combat bacterial and algal growth. PA1 8. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,347,266 and 4,525,501 to Norman et al. discloses an aqueous, anti-soiling pre-coat spray of polymer for use on water-resistant articles. It is used to form a sacrificial undercoat film on, e.g., automobiles. This composition may contain a little biocide such as orthophenoxyphenol. PA1 9. U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,255 to Hein describes a water-proofing and preserving composition for use on permeable substrates such as wood, fiber, and concrete. An aqueous dispersion of saturated hydrocarbon wax is mixed with an oil-soluble metal salt of a carboxylic acid. The latter has fungicidal properties. A moldicide may also be added. Hein also disclosed a method of treatment, and his composition may be brushed, sprayed, painted, or used as a dip or soak or for pressurized or vacuum-treatment. PA1 10. U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,411 to Chapin discloses a high-gloss, germicidal, hard surface buffing composition comprising a solution of a solid waxy polyethylene glycol and a somewhat fungicidal quaternary ammonium chloride compound. PA1 11. U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,458 to Mineck teaches a non-wax, antiseptic polish in which the active ingredient is the microbicide, Povidone-Iodine. PA1 12. U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,366 to Sedun discloses a method for protecting wood from fungi and mold using an environmentally safe antifungal composition. The fungicide is one of the alkyl sulfosuccinates which is combined with an adjuvant and an oil, such as paraffinic mineral oil, and may also contain an antifoaming agent. An aqueous liquid wash concentrate or a powdered concentrate is produced. When diluted, this product is sprayed or used as a dip for freshly cut wood. PA1 13. U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,250 to Steele et al. discloses an antimicrobial hydrophilic coating for heat exchanger surfaces and a method of application. An inorganic wetting agent such a silica or a silicate is combined with an inorganic binder and an antimicrobial agent such as silver oxide. The resulting slurry is sprayed or painted or dipped onto heat exchangers such as are used in zero-gravity environments. PA1 14. U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,345 to Scarborough et al. teaches an aqueous water repellant coating, its method of manufacture, and its method of use. It is comprised of an organic water-repellant composition containing oil, wax, or an organometallic wax and a modified polyacrylate polymer emulsifier. An antimildew preservative may be added to the composition. PA1 15. U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,767 to Howard teaches the use of sodium silicate and a surfactant in aqueous solution to kill and prevent moss and fungi growth on porous surfaces such as roofing material, ceramic, wood siding, concrete, and asphalt. He also discloses a method of spray application and notes that prior art describes the use of zinc and copper ion-based algicidal and fungicidal coatings on roofing granules (citing U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,684 to Little). PA1 16. U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,644 to Thomassen discloses aqueous mildew-resistant coating compositions. These are used as clear or pigmented paints or as stain-blocking primers. The composition contains an organic mildewcide which is, e.g., isothiazolinone-based. PA1 1. Apply: To put on or spread on via brush, roller, spray apparatus or by dipping. PA1 2. Mildewcide Compound: Any substance that kills or inhibits the growth of mildew or its spores. PA1 3. Mildewcide Compound-Containing Mixture: Any mixture, especially a commercially available mixture, containing at least one mildewcide compound. PA1 4. Laden: Having added to; loaded, enriched. PA1 5. Film: A fine, thin skin, surface, layer, or coating. PA1 6. Surfaces: The outer faces or exteriors of either flexible or rigid objects. PA1 7. Durable: Lasting or continuing to exist after having been repeatedly subjected to low-pressure water spray. PA1 8. Mildew Resistant: Retarding, hindering or opposing the growth of mildew. PA1 9. Paintable: The ability to be uniformly and durably coated with a mixture of a pigment with oil, water etc. in a liquid form applied using a brush, roller, or spray gun. PA1 10. Sheen: Shininess or luster. PA1 11. Mimic: Inclined to copy, imitate, or closely resemble. PA1 12. Sacrificial: Having the nature to allow destruction or permit injury to. PA1 13. Film-Former: A substance which may be dissolved or suspended in an aqueous solution, and upon application of said solution or suspension to a solid surface, will be deposited as a film which remains upon said surface when rinsed about 20 to about 90 seconds after application. Examples include waxes, wax-fat mixtures, and wax-fat-silicone mixtures which are dissolvable or suspendable in an aqueous solution. PA1 14. Film-Depositing Composition: A film-former-containing composition that is able to deposit said film-former(s) as a film upon a surface where that composition is applied to the surface and that surface is then rinsed within about 20 to about 90 seconds after application of the composition, and where that film remains after this rinsing. PA1 15. Wax: A plastic substance which is typically harder when cold and easily molded when warm. Any waxlike substance yielded by plants or animals. Any of a group of substances with a waxy appearance made up variously of esters, fatty acids, free alcohols, and solid hydrocarbons. PA1 16. Natural Wax: Any waxlike substance yielded by or derived from plants or animals. PA1 17. Paraffinic Wax: A waxy solid substance consisting of a mixture of straight-chain, saturated hydrocarbons obtained chiefly from the distillation of petroleum. PA1 18. Invisible: That cannot be seen; not apparent; imperceptible; indistinct by simply viewing with the human eye. PA1 1. Film durability after spray application to various substrates; PA1 2. Ability to mimic the sheen of difference substrates after application; PA1 3. Recoatability of treated surfaces using latex and alkyd based paints; and PA1 4. Dissolvability of Busan 1030 in the aqueous dilution. PA1 1. At least one wax. The preferred waxes are natural waxes, more preferably carnauba wax. The concentration of wax in the composition is preferably about 0.1% to about 2% wt/wt, more preferably about 0.2% to about 0.5% wt/wt. PA1 2. At least one fatty amine, preferably at least one fatty amine conforming to the following structure: EQU CH.sub.3 (CH.sub.2).sub.n NH.sub.3.sup.+, CH.sub.3 C(O)O-- PA1 3. At least one amino silicone, preferaby at least one amino silicone conforming to the following structure: ##STR1## wherein: Me is a methyl group (--CH.sub.3); a is 100-1000, preferably 150-500; b is 1-10, preferably 2-5; and c is 2-4, preferably 2. The concentration of amino silicone in the composition is preferably about 0.01% to about 1%, more preferably about 0.1% to about 1%. PA1 4. At least one mildewcide compound selected from: PA1 5. At least one non-ionic surfactant, preferably at least one non-ionic surfactant conforming to the following structure: ##STR2## wherein: d is an integer ranging from 5 to 12, preferably 9; and e is an integer ranging from 4 to 12, preferably 9. The concentration of surfactant is preferably about 0.1% to about 5% wt/wt, more preferably about 0.5% to about 1% wt/wt. And PA1 6. An aqueous solvent, preferably water or an aqueous solution, and most preferably water (the balance). Typically about 85% to about 99% water may be used.
Among the mildewcidal and fungicidal products and treatment methods which have been developed are various inventions. These include:
Though applied in many ways, none of the above referenced patents teaches an alternative to the apply and dry method. Furthermore, the important issue of surface "sheen" and dried coating "sheen" is not broached therein. A specific example of sheen mismatch involves applying a clear coating which dries "flat" (i.e. to low or no luster) on both a high gloss (shiny luster) surface and a flat surface in the same operation. The flat dried coating upon the flat surface is virtually invisible. However, the flat dried coating upon the high gloss surface would be easily visible especially if viewed from the side. None of the above references addresses this problem.

Method of applying a mildewcide laden film and composition for the use therewith


An object detection apparatus is installed in a movable body and detects an object. The apparatus includes a first detection section which transmits search waves in a moving direction of the moving object, and receives reflected waves as detection information to detect the object, a second detection section which transmits search waves in the moving direction, and receives reflected waves as detection information, an obstacle determination section which determines that an obstacle is present in the moving direction, based on detection results of the first and second detection sections, and a crossing determination section which determines that the obstacle has crossed, in a state where the obstacle determination section determines that the obstacle is present, if the determination that the obstacle is present is made by continuous detection, and if a state where the object is continuously detected changes to a state where the object is not detected.

(Technical Field)
The present invention relates to an object detection apparatus which detects a peripheral object.
(Related Art)
Conventionally, techniques are proposed in which a range sensor such as an ultrasonic sensor is installed in an own vehicle to detect objects present around the own vehicle, the objects including a preceding vehicle, a pedestrian, and an obstacle. In addition, based on the detection results, various controls for improving running safety of the own vehicle are performed such as operation of the brake unit and providing an alarm to the driver.
JP-A-2005-70943 discloses an object detection apparatus for detecting an object around an own vehicle. In the object detection apparatus, the position of the object is detected, and a path along which the own vehicle travels is predicted, to determine whether or not the own vehicle can come into contact with the object based on the result of the prediction.
When performing control so that an own vehicle and an object do not contact each other by predicting the contact between the own vehicle and the object, a situation can be assumed in which, for example, another vehicle parked in a state of blocking the anterior direction of the vehicle starts running. Even when the other vehicle starts running, the path along which the own vehicle will run crosses the position of the other vehicle until the other vehicle exits from the position ahead of the own vehicle. Thereby, control for restraining the start of the own vehicle is performed. Meanwhile, if the other vehicle leaves the position ahead of the own vehicle after starting, the driver of the own vehicle may determine that the own vehicle is unlikely to come into contact with the other vehicle when starting the own vehicle. Hence, the driver starts the own vehicle. In this case, if the own vehicle is performing control for restraining the start of the own vehicle, the control is against the intention of the driver.


A method to produce dispersion of magnetic metal particle aggregates is provided. FePt nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed with the particles separated at controlled inter-particle spacing. The magnetic metal particle aggregate is composed of magnetic metal particles whose main components and the contents thereof are represented by the following general formula (1):[TXM1−X]YZ1−Y,   (1)                where        T is one or both of Fe and Co,        M is one or both of Pt and Pd,        Z is at least one member selected from the group composed of Ag, Cu, Bi, Sb, Pb and Sn,        X represents 0.3˜0.7, and        Y represents 0.7˜1.0,        the balance being impurities unavoidably incorporated during production,        wherein        the proportion of face-centered tetragonal structure is in the range of 10˜100%,        the particles have an average diameter of 30 nm or less, and        the particles are in a dispersed state spaced apart from one another.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a magnetic metal particle aggregate whose particles contain Fe and Pt as alloying elements which can be used in high-density magnetic recording media, nanoscale electronic devices, permanent magnet materials, biomolecular labeling agents, drug carriers and the like, and to a method of producing the magnetic metal particle aggregate.
2. Background Art
In order to increase the recording density of a high-density magnetic recording medium, it is necessary to reduce the bit size, which is the basic unit for recording. However, conventional media using sputter-formed films are approaching the recording density limit because of problems in areas such as thermal fluctuation, particle refinement and variance of particle size. Recently, therefore, attention has been focused on FePt-based magnetic metal nanoparticles that posses high anisotropy, exhibits strong coercivity and resists thermal fluctuation as a candidate for high-density magnetic recording medium.
Japanese Patent No. 3258295 (JPA-No. 2000-54012; herein after called Reference 1) discloses a method to synthesize such magnetic metal nanoparticles, namely a method for the synthesis of monodispersed FePt alloy particles by thermally decomposing iron pentacarbonyl and reducing platinum (II) acetylacetonate by polyol, simultaneously. On the other hand, in the Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 87, No. 9, 1 May 2000, p.5615-5617 (Reference 2), a method of reducing metal ions using boron hydride is reported. Here, the reaction site is a water/oil type reversed micelle utilizing an octane oil phase and CTAB (cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide) as a surfactant.
The nanometer size FePt particles obtained by these methods has a disordered fcc (face-centered cubic) crystal structure, and exhibit superparamagnetism at room temperature. These particles could be made ferromagnetic by heat-treating the same and transforming the crystal structure to an L10 ordered fct (face-centered tetragonal) type.
The heat treatment has to be conducted at or above the crystal structure transition (disordered to ordered phase) temperature (Tt), which is 500° C. or higher. During heat treatment, the particle size distribution broadens owing to particle growth caused by heat-induced coalescence among the particles. As a result, the particles consist of a mixture of single and multi-domain structures that makes them unsuitable for a high-density magnetic recording media. Therefore, in order to obtain FePt particles having ferromagnetism while maintaining their particle diameter immediately after synthesis, it is effective to coat the particles with a protective agent for preventing inter-particle coalescence or to lower Tt by some method so that the heat treatment can be conducted at lower temperature.
Denshi Zairyo (Electronic Materials) January 2002, p61-67 (Reference 3) reports that the addition of third elements such as Ag, Cu, Sb, Bi and Pb during synthesis of FePt particles by the polyol process makes it possible to reduce the crystal structure transition (from fcc to fct structure) temperature (Tt). However, the iron source used was iron (III) acetylacetonate, and not iron pentacarbonyl. Another research article appeared in Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 42 (2003) Part 2, No. 4A, L350-L352 (Reference 4) reported on the use of polyol process for the direct synthesis of fct-FePt particles. The researchers synthesized FePt particles by heating a solution of Fe (acac)3 and Pt (acac)2 in tetraethylene glycol under stirring and refluxing at different temperatures up to the boiling point. They found that the products synthesized at reaction temperatures above 280° C. exhibited XRD peaks of 001 and 110 lattice planes corresponding to fct-FePt and concluded that the FePt particles including fct structure can be directly synthesized from liquid phase. However, the transmission electron micrographs of the FePt particles suggested that the particles were not in a dispersed state but were coalesced.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Magnetic metal particle aggregate and method of producing the same


A method of dynamically adjusting the number of task requests is provided, which is applicable to an Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) protocol. When a target receives a task request transmitted by an initiator or the target completes the task request, the number of transmissible tasks is calculated according to an average access data volume, an current access data volume, and an allowable access data volume in the target, and returned to the initiator, such that the number of the task requests transmitted simultaneously by the initiator does not exceed the number of transmissible tasks, thereby achieving flow control. The allowable access data volume is obtained through interactive and dynamic adjustment between the target and the initiator.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method of dynamically adjusting the number of task requests, and more particularly to a method of dynamically adjusting the number of task requests through the sum of the access data volume of temporarily stored task requests currently.
2. Related Art
The Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) protocol (RFC3720) is a protocol for storage devices using the Internet to transmit SCSI instructions to perform read and write. Two terminals employing the iSCSI protocol to communicate with other are referred to as an initiator and a target, respectively. The initiator is used to send a task request with SCSI instructions to the target. The target receives the task request, accesses the storage device, and transmits an access result to the initiator after the SCSI instructions are executed. In the iSCSI protocol, the initiator may send a plurality of tasks to the target simultaneously, and the target may temporarily store the received plurality of tasks in a queue to wait for process, thereby enhancing utilization of the Internet and execution efficiency of the initiator and the target.
However, if the initiator fails to well control the total number of the task requests simultaneously transmitted to the target, the target uses up resources after receiving so many task requests. At this time, if the initiator continues to transmit a task request to the target, the task request will be lost or a system becomes abnormal. Therefore, the initiator cannot continue to transmit a task request until the task requests temporarily stored in the target are reduced to having resources. Such a process is called a "flow control." That is, the flow control of the iSCSI protocol is to control the frequency of transmitting the task requests from the initiator to the target in the iSCSI protocol, i.e., the number of the task requests that are allowed be transmitted to the target within a certain period of time.
In fact, the flow control of the iSCSI protocol is restricted by the speed of the target processing the task requests. The speed of processing the task requests is influenced by many aspects, mainly including a memory, network bandwidth, computation capability of a processor, and the accessing performance of a storage medium. The greater the memory is, the more the temporarily stored task requests are; the wider the network bandwidth is, the more the data volume transmitted back per unit time is; the better the computation capability of the processor is, the greater the processing speed of the task requests is; and the higher the accessing performance the storage media is, the shorter the time for reading and writing the task requests on the storage medium is. However, currently, the access speed of the storage media cannot satisfy the capacity of the memory, the computation capability of the processor, and the broadband of the network, so the most significant factor affecting the flow control is the accessing performance of the storage media. Since the access speed of the storage media is a fixed value during a specific time period, the critical factor affecting the stability of the accessing performance lies in the amount of the access data volume. In spite of that, the conventional flow control is merely directed to the memory, the processor, and the bandwidth, and it is obvious that the conventional flow control is not directed to the portion which actually causes the bottle-neck of the flow, i.e., the performance of the storage media. Therefore, it has become a problem urgently to be solved that how to provide a function of adjusting the number of the task requests that may be further received according to the performance of the storage media.

Method of dynamically adjusting number of task request


The methods and compositions of the invention and the compounds used in the invention involve a novel immunosuppression mechanism, accelerated lymphocyte homing immunosuppression (ALH-immunosuppression). For example, the compound FTY720 specifically directs lymphocytes to the peripheral lymph nodes, mesenteric lymph nodes, and Peyer's patches. By reversibly sequestering lymphocytes in these tissues, the compounds can inhibit an immune response in a mammal. Understanding these mechanisms provides a novel immunosuppression therapy that can synergistically interact with other immunosuppressive compounds. Screening methods for identifying similar ALH-immunosuppression compounds are also described. The invention allows better treatments and therapies wherever an immunosuppression regimen is desired.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the chemistry and biology of compounds with immunosuppressive and lymphocyte homing activities and, more specifically, this invention relates to methods and comprises compositions for accelerating lymphocyte homing in a mammal.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, compounds used to suppress the immune response attack certain immune cells. By either removing these cells from the immune system or hampering their ability to respond to chemical messengers, the number of cells participating in any immune response decreases. With fewer cells responding, the immune system cannot mount the same response reaction. The result is immunosuppression.
The use of these compounds follows directly from our understanding of the immune response and the function of immune cells. Numerous publications in the art describe the molecular and cellular aspects of the immune response. Generally, the immune system responds to an antigen first by processing and presenting the antigen through antigen presenting cells (APCs). Over the last decade, intensive research has resulted in a deep and detailed knowledge of this process at the molecular level (1-3). Following the APCs action are the T lymphocytes or T cells. Activated by a process involving antigen presentation by the APC, T cells then initiate the development of a variety of effector immune cells. The activities of phagocytes, natural killer cells, cytotoxic T cells, and B cells and other effector cells each arise from the cytokines secreted from activated T cells. The cytokines, then, are the chemical messengers that trigger the immune response mechanisms that the effector cells perform.
By killing or modifying the cells or messengers of the immune system, certain compounds can be used as treatments and therapies for suppressing the immune response. Our understanding of the immune response has led to two general groups of immunosuppressive compounds, those compounds effecting cytokine action and those directly effecting immune cell metabolism and activity.
In the first group are cyclosporin A (CsA), tacrolimus (TRL) and rapamycin (4-5). CsA, a cyclic peptide, is produced from the Trichoderma polysporum fungus (6-7). TRL, or FK-506, is a macrolide from Streptomyces tsukubaensis (8-10). These compounds cut out the cytokine messengers of the immune response by preventing their synthesis. The immune effector cells, therefore, cannot be recruited to complete the immune response. Rapamycin, on the other hand, blocks the cytokine signal from effecting the immune cells (34).
More specifically, CsA suppresses the immune response by inhibiting production of the cytokine interleukin 2 (IL-2) in antigen-stimulated helper T cells, a subset of T cells. TRL inhibits antigen-induced T cell proliferation by inhibiting IL-2 production in helper T cells. CsA and TRL act by binding to two different proteins (11), called cyclophilin and FKBP respectively. After the binding, both of the CsA/cyclophilin and TRUFKBP complexes inhibit the phosphatase activity of a protein called calcineurin, which activates nuclear factor (NF-AT) in activated T cells. NF-AT promotes IL-2 gene transcription and thus IL-2 production. However, when the CsA/cyclophilin and TRLUFKBP complexes inhibit activation of NF-AT, production of IL-2 is also inhibited.
Since CsA and TRL have almost the same mechanism of action, these drugs also show quite similar side effects, such as renal and liver toxicity (12). Multiple drug therapies with either CsA or TRL, using steroids or other immunosuppressants such as azathioprine and mizoribine (13-14), were widely used in order to reduce the side effects of individual immunosuppressants. However, the similar side effects of CsA and TRL prohibits their use together. New immunosuppressant compounds should not only be highly safe but should also possess a mechanism of action distinct from CsA and TRL so that they can be concomitantly administered.
Compounds from the second group of similarly-acting chemicals each interfere with nucleoside synthesis in the immune cells, arresting their metabolism and their immune activity. The group includes azathioprine (35), mizoribine (36), mycophenolic acid (37), and brequinar sodium (38). These compounds can also result in toxic side effects.
Researchers and clinicians use these compounds in human therapies. Those employing CsA have made great contributions to the prevention of acute rejection in human organ transplantation. Immunosuppressants are also used to treat autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, and pollinosis. However, because of the toxic side effects of the currently used compounds, new, more effective and less toxic methods to suppress the immune response are needed in the art.

Compositions and methods of using compositions with accelerated lymphocyte homing immunosuppressive properties

Yoshitomi Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd.


A system is disclosed that provides an improvement in detecting a faulty hydrophone channel in a hydrophone array. The disclosed technique operates on pairs of hydrophones or, to generalize, on groups of two or more hydrophones; this is in contrast with operating on only one hydrophone at a time. As a result, the technique is able to use correlation data from the multiple hydrophones, in order to detect a fault. The technique also operates on received echo signal information that is associated with ongoing SONAR solution processing. The use of the relatively deterministic, echo signal information further enhances the performance. By using correlation products made up of the received echo signal information, the disclosed technique is able to leverage the SONAR solution processing that already relies upon the hydrophone array, such as spatial or temporal correlation SONAR, thereby reducing the additional processing incurred. Once a failed hydrophone channel has been identified, it is then excluded from the ongoing SONAR solution processing.

SONAR (SOund Navigation And Ranging) is the generic name of the technology that is used to locate objects underwater. SONAR is used in marine, geological, and biological research, undersea mapping and navigation, and various commercial and military applications.
An "active" SONAR system is a type of SONAR system in which a "projector" emits a pulse of sound and underwater microphones called "hydrophones" receive underwater sounds to be signal processed. If the transmitted pulses encounter an underwater object (a "target"), a portion of the sound is reflected as an "echo." Knowing the speed of sound in water and the time for the sound wave to travel to the target and back, the distance between the listening-post vessel (e.g., ship, etc.) and the target can be calculated. Active sonar systems generally use highly directional beams of sound when searching for targets, which enable them to determine direction to the target, as well as the distance.
Another application of active SONAR processing is for measuring the velocity of the sound-projecting vessel itself. The SONAR source of the vessel directs sonic pulses towards the ocean floor, and the receivers detect echoes of those pulses. The velocity of the vessel is then calculated based upon the distance traveled by the vessel between the transmission and reception of a first pulse and a second pulse. Examples of velocity-measurement SONARs are spatial correlation SONAR and temporal correlation SONAR, which rely on selecting a maximum "correlation" between hydrophones in the case of spatial correlation or pulses in the case of temporal correlation.
Although hydrophones can be used singly, they are often used in an array. A hydrophone array is made up of a plurality of hydrophones that are placed in known locations. For example, hydrophones can be placed in a line on the seafloor, moored in a vertical line in the water column, or towed in a horizontal line behind a ship or submarine.
A hydrophone array is much better at detecting a single specific sound than a single hydrophone. This is because the array is able to filter out noise coming in from all directions and focus on sounds arriving from a specific direction. The increased signal-to-noise ratio allows sounds that normally could not be detected by a single hydrophone to be heard. Furthermore, if a hydrophone array is being used to receive a specific sound source, the source can be quieter, yet still be detected.
Although specifics can vary depending upon the algorithm used, a hydrophone array determines the direction of the source of a sound in the following manner. Consider a sound arriving at a hydrophone array from a distant source, such as a submarine. The sound will reach each hydrophone in the array at slightly different times based on their different positions in the array and as a function of the direction from which the sound is coming. This time difference is known as the time-of-arrival-difference. Using this information from all the hydrophones in the array, and knowing the specific location of each hydrophone in the array, the direction from which the sound is coming can be determined.
It will be appreciated that if one or more of the hydrophones in a hydrophone array malfunction, the malfunction can degrade the performance of the associated SONAR system. While the performance degradation issue can be addressed, the more vexing issue is detection. That is, how does one detect if a hydrophone is malfunctioning or has failed? This is a critical issue because if undetected, a malfunctioning hydrophone can result in inaccuracies in the solutions obtained from the SONAR system. Even worse, the inaccuracies might not be recognized as such.
In order for SONAR systems to provide reliable information, the hydrophones that provide the SONAR data must be reliable. Determining the reliability of the hydrophones requires that hydrophone channel health tests be performed. A "hydrophone channel" is defined herein as including a hydrophone and all associated cabling, signal routing, and processing of that hydrophone's output.
Various techniques in the prior art exist for testing the hydrophone channels. Those techniques include a "low-noise" test, a "reverberation" test, and a "high-noise" test. The low-noise test is designed to detect a low noise level in a situation where a higher noise level is normally expected. Disadvantageously, this test only works properly in a high-noise environment and is susceptible to variable sea noise effects. The reverberation test is designed to detect an echo from close-in, own-transmission reverberation off the water volume and then to compare the level of the detected echo against a predetermined threshold; the test declares the associated hydrophone channel as having failed if the compared level is insufficient. However, this test is only designed to detect a low signal, not noise intrusion, and it might not detect a failing hydrophone. The high-noise test is designed to detect a high noise level. But as with the low-noise test, this test's shortcoming is that it is also susceptible to variable sea noise effects.
What is needed is an improved technique for performing fault detection on hydrophone channels, without some of the disadvantages in the prior art.

Method and apparatus for hydrophone array fault detection and exclusion


In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes: capturing image data for physical content, where the physical content includes a recipient image indicative of at least one desired recipient; performing image recognition on the captured image data to identify the recipient image; matching the recipient image with corresponding contact information to obtain address information for the at least one desired recipient; and addressing an electronic communication to the at least one desired recipient using the address information, where the electronic communication includes the captured image data for the physical content.

This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived, implemented or described. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Electronic devices and media enable additional methods and techniques for communication, such as wireless phones, e-mail and text messaging, as non-limiting examples. In view of such electronic communications, electronic devices can provide users with recognizable interfaces to allow ready usage of and access to these techniques. For example, the device can allow a user to originate a phone call by selecting an image on a touch screen. As another example, contact information can be associated with an image or photograph (e.g., of the individual in question) and vice-versa. Such an association can make it easier for a user to select a desired address or contact the individual (e.g., while viewing a photograph containing the individual).
Electronic devices and media also may be used to assist with customization and provisioning of traditional, previously non-electronic communications, such as mail. For example, electronic devices and systems can be used to provide customized or vanity postage stamps. As another example, electronic devices and systems can enable a user to print stamps at their own printer and have an account that is correspondingly debited.

Image-based addressing of physical content for electronic communication


The present invention relates to a disc detecting method in a multi-disc optical storage apparatus, which comprises receiving an electronic signal and determining whether to perform a complete disc detecting process or not when the multi-disc optical storage apparatus is turned on or a multi-disc magazine is inserted into the multi-disc optical storage apparatus. If the multi-disc optical storage apparatus decides not to perform the complete disc detecting process, the multi-disc optical storage apparatus can enter to be standby to wait for further commands from users. If the multi-disc optical storage apparatus decides to perform the complete disc detecting process, the detecting result will be then stored in a memory for providing a reference to the subsequent accessing.

Optical disc has advantages of a large storage capability, easily preservation and maintenance, a long shelf period, low cost, and excellent data protection. It is increasingly used to substitute for conventional magnetic storage medium and thus becomes a popular optical storage medium for people not only in business but also in daily life. In general, various disc loading mechanisms for optical storage apparatus have been developed such as a single-disc tray and a multi-disc magazine. Regarding the multi-disc optical storage apparatus, it is necessary to use a multi-disc magazine for allowing an optical pickup unit to select-and read the disc appointed by user. Such multi-disc magazine is also found in some home video and audio equipments. Since such multi-disc magazine can carry plural of discs at one time, it can play and read discs sequentially for a long period without replacing new ones. Thus such multi-disc magazine design has also found in car-use audio equipment for drivers to enjoy their favorite music.
As above-mentioned, such a multi-disc optical storage apparatus capable of carrying plural of discs at one time generally equips with a multi-disc magazine to accommodate the discs. In the multi-disc magazine, there are plural of trays for holding each disc. However, according to a user's habit, not all trays of the magazine carry discs. Generally, the conventional multi-disc optical storage apparatus will first perform a complete disc detecting process while it is turned on. FIG. 1 shows a flow chart for a disc detecting process found in current multi-disc optical storage apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, when a multi-disc optical storage apparatus is turned on or a multi-disc magazine is inserted in the apparatus (e.g. Step S110), the multi-disc optical storage apparatus performs a complete disc detecting process (e.g. Step S112), then the multi-disc optical storage apparatus is standby to perform the next action requested by user (e.g. Step S114). In current multi-disc optical storage apparatus, it detects the disc-carrying status in the multi-disc magazine through the complete disc detecting process and records the detected result in the memory of the storage apparatus for providing a reference to subsequently access the discs carried in the magazine.
FIG. 2 shows a flow chart for a complete disc detecting process found in current multi-disc optical storage apparatus. As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus starts the complete disc detecting process (e.g. Step S210) to select a tray which has not yet been detected (e.g. Step S212) and then detect whether the detected tray has carried a disc (e.g. Step S214). If the detected tray carries a disc, the process is going to the Step S216 to read the information on the disc and then going to the Step S218 to determine whether all trays have already been detected. In Step S214, if the detected tray does not carry a disc, the process is going to the Step S218 to determine whether all trays have already been detected. In Step S218, if it determines that all trays have already been detected, the process is going to the Step S220 to show that the disc detecting process is completed. If it determines that not all trays have been detected, the process returns to the Step S212 to continue detecting the remaining tray which has not yet been detected. Thereby, the multi-disc optical storage apparatus will automatically omit the disc reading procedure on the tray if that carries no disc during the subsequent playing. Therefore, the time either for repetitive accessing or detecting empty tray is saved.
However, since the complete disc detecting process performs when the multi-disc optical storage apparatus is turned on or the multi-disc magazine is inserted in the apparatus, user should take time to wait for the completion of the disc detecting process. If all trays in the magazine have carried disc, it seems not necessary to perform such a complete disc detecting process to detect whether each tray has already carried a disc. In this regard, the complete disc detecting time is wasted for a user when the multi-disc optical storage apparatus is turned on or the multi-disc magazine is inserted in the apparatus.

Disc detecting method in a multi-disc optical storage apparatus


An electric component (electric-power convertor) and a pair of air-conditioning ducts are arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction. In case in which a rear end portion of the electric component is located in back of an outlet of the air-conditioning duct, the electric component is formed in a notch shape such that a duct-side edge portion thereof extends obliquely rearward and in a specified direction, in the vehicle width direction, away from the air-conditioning duct. Accordingly, it can be properly prevented that a conditioning air toward a passenger seated in a rear seat is blocked with the electric component arranged between a seat cushion of a front seat and a floor panel and receives any improper influence of heat emitted by the electric component, or the electric component receives any damage from the conditioning air.

The present invention relates to an electric component arrangement structure of a vehicle which is equipped with an electric component arranged between a seat cushion of a front seat and a floor panel and emitting heat.
It is known as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-341373, for example, that a power unit is arranged between a seat cushion of a front seat (a driver's seat or a passenger's (assistant's) seat) and a floor panel forming a bottom face of a vehicle compartment.
Herein, in case in which the electric component emitting heat is arranged between the seat cushion of the front seat and the floor panel like the above-described conventional arrangement of the power unit, the arrangement location of the electric component is in the vehicle compartment, so that the reliability of the electric component can be improved and a space below the front seat can be utilized properly.
Meanwhile, in some vehicles, a conditioning air is supplied from an air-conditioning unit provided in an instrument panel toward a passenger seated in a rear seat arranged in back of the front seat via an air-conditioning duct. In general, this air-conditioning duct is arranged on the floor panel and extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction, passing below the seat cushion of the front seat.
In a case in which the above-described electric component is arranged below the front seat of the vehicle equipped with the air-conditioning duct, it is necessary to properly arrange the air-conditioning duct and the electric component in a limited space below the front seat. Thus, there exists some problem of location relationship of these members. That is, there is a concern, depending on a particular location relationship, that the conditioning air supplied from the air-conditioning duct may be blocked with the electric component or may receive an improper influence of the heat emitted by the electric component and thereby change the temperature thereof unstably. Further, when the conditioning air is a hot air, a smooth radiation of the heat emitted by the electric component may be restrained by this hot air, so that the electric component may receive some damage improperly.

Electric component arrangement structure of vehicle


A normally closed (on) switch with an on-off fixed structure comprises at the center a seat having a sleeve inside which a push part and an elastic component; a top cover provided on the seat, of which the center is formed with a piercing hole corresponding to the sleeve; a movable ring provided in the hole, of which one end is formed with a flange around that is provided with a guidance groove corresponding to each pillar, and inside which more than one recessed portions are formed; and a movable button provided in the ring and associated with the push part, of which one end is formed with a raised part corresponding to more than one recessed portion formed inside the fringe of ring and the other end is formed with a groove. The button is pushed, rotated at a certain angle, and released to enable and disable the switch.

Conventionally, in order to control the persons getting in and out of an office building, a magnetic-attraction door lock is generally installed on a door for the persons in and out. Also a sensor is provided outside the door, while a button switch (normally on) is provided inside the door. The button switch stays in a normal condition and is electrically looped with the magnetic-attraction door lock. When the button switch is pushed, the circuit is instantly at a power-off state; when a person enters, the magnetic-attraction door lock is disabled by means of magnetic card induction so that the magnetic-attraction door lock stays at a disable state to open the door. When the person is going out, s/he pushes the button switch to instantly power off and disable the magnetic-attraction door lock, thereby the magnetic-attraction door lock staying at a disable state. With an oil pressure device, the door automatically opens for the person to go out.
Although the button switch may be used to power off the magnetic-attraction door lock, the magnetic-attraction door lock may be disabled to stay at a disable state, which thus make the door open for the person to go out. However, after the person goes out, the door is automatically close because being provided with the oil-pressure shut device.
Thus, for the conventional button switch, when more persons pass in and out of the building through the door, for example, at the time of on duty and off duty, because the button of the switch cannot be firmly fixed, an electrical conduction part and an electrically conductive pad stays at the power-off state for long time. Thus, a person is requested to push the button of switch, in order for the power-off state to not make the electrical conduction part contact the electrically conductive pad, or alternatively an iron chain or a rope is used to fix the opened door, which, as a result, is inconvenient to a user. Accordingly, the conventional button-based normally closed (on) switch is impractical and does not satisfy the user.

Normally closed (on) switch with an on-off fixed structure


A benzo[k]fluoranthene derivative represented by the following formula (1):

In order to realize an organic EL device with excellent luminous efficiency, driving voltage and luminous lifetime, there have hitherto been developed a variety of compounds. For the purpose of enhancing electron injection properties from a cathode, there are proposed compounds containing a heterocyclic structure of every sort as an electron transporting material.
Patent Document 1 discloses compounds having a 1,10-phenanthroline structure or a bipyridine structure. However, luminance, half-lifetime and luminous efficiency of organic EL devices containing these compounds described in the working examples are merely relative values on the basis of organic EL devices using comparative compounds. Actual measured values which enable one to decide whether or not these compounds realize a practically effective EL device performance are not shown.
Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose anthracene compounds having two 2,2′-bipyridin-5-yl groups. Though the compounds disclosed in Patent Document 3 improve the lifetime, a driving voltage thereof tends to become high.
Though Patent Document 4 discloses anthracene compounds having a 1,10-phenanthrolinyl group, a more improvement in the lifetime is desired.
Patent Documents 5 and 6 describe that benzo[k]fluoranthene compounds having a benzoimidazolyl group or a substituent analogous thereto are used as an electron transporting material.    [Patent Document 1] JP-A-2003-123983    [Patent Document 2] WO2007/086552    [Patent Document 3] JP-A-2009-275013    [Patent Document 4] WO2007/018004    [Patent Document 5] WO2009/148269    [Patent Document 6] KR-A-2009-0059849

Benzo[k]fluoranthene derivative and organic electroluminescence device containing the same

Abstract: wherein R1 to R12 are as defined in the specification. The benzo[k]fluoranthene derivative represented by the formula (1) reduces a driving voltage of an organic electroluminescence device and makes it possible to realize light emission with high efficiency and long lifetime.


A developing device includes a developer bearer, a magnetic field generator provided inside the developer bearer, a casing including an opening to partly expose a surface of the developer bearer, and a lateral end cover to cover an axial end portion of the exposed surface of the developer bearer. The lateral end cover includes a wide portion extending more to an axial inner side of the developer bearer than a downstream portion of the lateral end cover positioned downstream from the wide portion in a direction of rotation of the developer bearer. A downstream end of the wide portion is downstream from an upstream end of the development range in the direction of rotation of the developer bearer.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a developing device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having at least two of coping, printing, facsimile transmission, plotting, and scanning capabilities, that includes a developing device.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, image forming apparatuses include a developing device to develop latent images formed on a latent image bearer with developer. For example, there are two-component developing devices that employ two-component developer consisting essentially of toner particles and carrier particles. In two-component developing devices, a casing to contain developer includes an opening to partly expose the surface of a developer bearer (such as a developing roller), and the exposed surface of the developing roller faces the surface of the latent image bearer (such as a photoreceptor). A magnetic field generator provided inside the developing roller generates a magnetic field to generate a magnetic brush of developer on the developing roller, and the magnetic brush contacts the photoreceptor in a range where the developing roller faces the photoreceptor. Thus, toner is supplied to the latent image on the photoreceptor, developing it into a toner image.
In such a developing device, the magnetic field generator inside the developing roller does not extend to the outer ends in the axial direction, and the magnetic brush is not generated on the surface of the developing roller in areas adjacent to the outer ends (hereinafter "axial end portions"). If the amount of charge is insufficient, toner in the developing device is not adsorbed to carrier and floats. The floating toner can be transported by airflow generated by rotation of the developing roller and scatter outside from the opening. The scattering of toner can result in contamination inside the apparatus and substandard images.
The developing device further includes a developer regulator (such as a doctor blade) disposed upstream from the opening in the direction of rotation of the developing roller. In the area on the surface of the developing roller where the magnetic brush is formed (hereinafter "magnetic brush area"), the magnetic brush fills in clearance between the developer regulator and the surface of the developing roller. This prevents toner borne on the airflow from passing through a gap (i.e., a regulation gap) between the developer regulator and the surface of the developing roller, thus preventing the occurrence of toner scattering.
By contrast, since clearance is present in the axial end portions of the developing roller, where magnetic brush is not present, toner borne on the airflow passes through the regulation gap. Then, the toner is transported along the surface of the developing roller to the opening and can scatter outside from the axial end portions of the opening.
To inhibit scattering of toner from the axial end portion of the opening, there are configurations (such as JP-S60-010276-A, JP-S61-198260-A, JP-2006-145815-A, and JP-2005-321762-A) in which a lateral end cover constructed of flexible, elastic sheet is used to cover the area adjacent to the axial end of the developing roller from the side of the photoreceptor facing the developing roller in the opening.
Such configurations using the lateral end cover can inhibit toner transported through the regulation gap by airflow from colliding against the face of the lateral end cover on the side of the developing roller and scattering outside through the opening.
For example, JP-560-010276-A proposes a configuration in which the lateral end cover covers, in addition to the portion where the magnetic brush is not present on the surface of the developing roller, an area adjacent to the axial end of the magnetic brush area so that the lateral end cover covers the portion where the magnetic brush is not present on the surface of the developing roller to inhibit toner from scattering through the axial end portion of the opening.

Developing device and image forming apparatus and process cartridge incorporating same


Method and on chip circuitry for testing integrated circuits, for instance, flip chip integrated circuits. Provided on the integrated circuit in addition to the conventional circuitry is additional circuitry including a photosensitive element such as a photodiode, the output terminal of which is connected via a Schmidt trigger to the clock terminal of an on-chip flip-flop. The node of the integrated circuit to be tested, for instance, the output terminal of a logic gate, is connected to the D input terminal of the same flip-flop. Hence, light incident on the photosensitive element clocks the flip-flop, allowing sampling of the state of the output signal from the logic gate. Advantageously, the photodiode need not be a specially made structure but in one version is the conventional PN junction provided by, e.g., the drain of a standard CMOS transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to testing of integrated circuits, in particular to measurements of voltage transitions on internal nodes of integrated circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Measurements of voltage transitions on internal circuit nodes are needed during the development and testing of complex integrated circuits (xe2x80x9cICsxe2x80x9d hereafter). In some instances mechanical probing and beam (electron beam) probing can provide the requisite information. However, when flip-chip packaging technology is used, mechanical and beam probe access to the front (metal connection) side of the IC die is blocked.
It is known to use a light beam to measure voltage at an internal circuit node in a conventional flip-chip packaged IC. (An example of a circuit mode is an output or input terminal of a logic gate but it may be any point on an electrical connection in the circuitry on the IC.) An example of a conventional system for measuring circuit voltage at an internal circuit node of an IC using light is the IDS2000 system manufactured by Schlumberger Limited, and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,577. Such a light beam is focused on a circuit element such as a diode (P-N junction) in the IC where the measurements are desired. The diode is electrically connected to the circuit node. At the same time, the IC is conventionally exercised by applying to its input terminals electrical signals in the form of commands defining test patterns. In response to the applied test patterns (vectors), voltage transitions take place at the circuit node, which is merely a point on an electrical connection to the circuit element. The light reflected from the circuit element is modulated by changes in the electrical state of the circuit node, in response to the test patterns. Thus the reflected light provides a measure of voltage transitions (signals) at the circuit node.
There are drawbacks associated with this method. First, the modulation of the reflected light beam is very weak and averaging techniques must be used to obtain low noise measurement waveforms. Second, as semiconductor device (transistor) feature sizes shrink on ICs, it is expected that this modulation will become weaker. Third, many circuit problems are intermittent, (e.g., in logic circuits) so that test averaging will produce false results unless the IC activity is exactly repeated for every test pattern cycle.
Electrical access to such internal circuit nodes can be achieved by providing an on-chip circuit called a scan chain. This test method modifies the otherwise conventional flip-flops used in the IC, providing a two input data selector to the D input terminal of each flip-flop. The data selector control signal for all the flip-flops is a common signal called Scan Enable. With Scan Enable in the low logic state, the data selector is set for normal IC operations. However, the Q output terminal of each flip-flop is coupled to the normally unused data selector input of another flip-flop. When Scan Enable is in the high logic state this path is enabled, forming a continuous shift register structure from all the modified and connected flip-flops. Thus serial data representing an arbitrary logic state can be loaded from one of the IC input pins into the shift register with Scan Enable high, and normal IC operation begun from this arbitrary internal state by switching Scan Enable low. Also at any point in the normal operation of the IC, Scan Enable can be made logic high, thus latching the logic state of all internal nodes into the shift register. The contents of the shift register can then be clocked to an output pin for analysis. For a detailed description of scan test methods see Alfred L. Crouch, xe2x80x9cDesign For Test For Digital IC""s And Embedded Core Systems,xe2x80x9d Prentice Hall, 1999.
However, the scan chain operations cannot be performed at full device operating speed. Thus at low speed all faults may be located, but faults occurring only at high speed may elude isolation in time and position. Latching of the scan chain can be done with the DUT (device under test, referring to the IC under test) operating at full clock speed, thereby obtaining a xe2x80x9csnap shotxe2x80x9d of the IC internal nodes at an instant in time. However, it is difficult to distribute simultaneously to the scan chain the latching clock pulse, or at least distribute the latching clock pulse within a small fraction of the device clock period. Because of this, the data obtained in this manner is suspect. The on-chip time relationship between voltage transitions on two nodes is not accurately represented in the data obtained in this manner. This latching pulse skew distribution problem becomes worse as the number of active circuits contained in a DUT (Device Under Test) increases.
Thus it is desirable to provide high timing accuracy diagnostic latching ability inside a DUT to obtain reliable measurements of faults occurring at high speed and also intermittent faults. It is desirable to provide high timing accuracy latching at any location in a DUT, and to provide high timing accuracy latching simultaneously at two or more nodes. It is further desirable to provide high timing accuracy latching with a predetermined and controlled delay.
This disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus that overcome aforesaid shortcomings of the prior art. The method and apparatus are non-invasive and non-destructive of the IC under test and do not affect normal operation of the IC.
This disclosure is mostly directed to testing of, e.g., flip-chip packaged integrated circuits (ICs) and also conventionally packaged ICs with access to the backside of the IC die (the die is the semiconductor substrate without its leads, heat sink, or package). Each IC to be tested using the method and apparatus of this disclosure is fabricated with on-chip light sensitive devices, such as diodes. The light sensitive devices are each electrically coupled to one or more on-chip (on-die) D type flip-flops (flip-flops hereafter) or similar storage elements. Each circuit node whose electrical state is of interest is also coupled to one of the flip-flops. The IC device under test (DUT) is prepared for testing by opening the package, thereby exposing the backside of the die without disturbing its electrical functioning. The back side is the side opposite the principal surface on which the transistors are formed. In case of a flip-chip package, the backside is the side opposite the surface on which the bond between the die and the substrate is formed. The exposed die surface can be thinned, polished, and anti-reflection coated to improve optical transmission. In one embodiment, the light sensitive devices (e.g., photodiodes) are spaced apart from the remainder of the IC circuitry and from each other so that, e.g., laser illumination incident thereon can be focused thereon without need for extreme accuracy in terms of location.
A die packaged to allow optical access to the front surface only could also tested by the described method, if the optical path to the light sensitive element was clear of opaque obstructions such as metal lines and power planes. A detailed description of relevant chip mounting technologies is given in xe2x80x9cLow Cost Flip Chip Technologiesxe2x80x9d by John H. Lau, McGraw Hill 2000.
The DUT, prepared as described above, is conventionally exercised (tested) by a suitable computer generated test program run on an IC test apparatus applying a test pattern to the signal input pins (terminals) of the DUT. While the test pattern is being run, a light pulse is directed by conventional beam steering and focusing optics in the test apparatus through the exposed backside surface of the DUT die onto one or several of the on-chip light sensitive devices. In response, each such light sensitive device generates an electrical pulse. This electrical pulse is used as clock pulse to latch the logic state of the associated circuit node at the instant of the clock pulse into an associated on-chip flip-flop. The logic state of the circuit node at the instant of the clock pulse is thus stored in the flip-flop, and can be read out later. The readout can be accomplished by having a direct connection between each flip-flop output terminal and one of the DUT pins. Another readout method is to use a conventional scan chain. In this case the flip-flop output terminals are treated as extra nodes whose state can be read out serially by using additions to the DUT scan chain. The pin count of the DUT is not increased.
After the data in each such flip-flop is readout and stored in the conventional data analysis equipment associated with the test apparatus, the cycle is repeated. The cycle of running the test pattern, sampling, and storing can be repeated many times with the sampling time having different values each repetition. The stored results represent the change in logic state of the tested node during these times. The light pulse can be directed at light sensitive devices at separate locations on the DUT without any appreciable change in its time of arrival at these various locations. Therefore it is possible to obtain logic data from widely separate circuit nodes with confidence that the recorded time relationships are a very accurate representation of the actual on-chip electrical activity.

On-chip optically triggered latch for IC time measurements


An optical connector socket includes: a body having an insertion section in which a socket-side optical element is arranged and into which an optical connector plug is inserted; a cover, covered on the body, having an opening communicated with the insertion section; a shutter, openably/closably attached to the cover, for closing the opening; and a herical spring for elastically urging the shutter in a constant-closing direction. The opening is larger than an outside dimension of the optical connector plug inserted into the cover and smaller than that of the shutter. Therefore, there is no light leakage and dust intrusion, the socket can be attached to a device or a wall so as to direct an opening toward a front face without a cap, and an inspection in a state where the socket is assembled in an electronic device can be performed without attaching/detaching the cap to/from the socket.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical connector socket.
2. Prior Art
This type of an optical connector socket is provided at a device for outputting and/or inputting a digital signal such as a stationary-type DVD, TV, STB (set top box: an adapter device for a satellite broadcast), CD, MD, amplifier or the like. Further, it has recently been used as an input/output terminal for computer communication using an optical fiber.
Conventional this type of optical connector sockets are those disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-131564 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-201663. These optical connector sockets have a body provided with an insertion section having a socket-side optical device at the backside and a shutter for approximately closing the insertion section of the body. The aforesaid shutter is attached to the body so as to be capable of opening and closing the insertion section. This shutter aims mainly to prevent a dust or the like from getting into the insertion section of the body.
However, the above-mentioned conventional optical connector socket has the following problems.
Specifically, the shutter of these optical connector socket is attached on, the front surface of the body so as to be displaced inwardly of the body by pushing the optical connector plug into the insertion section, so that the dimension of the used shutter is slightly smaller than the dimension of the opening section of the insertion section. Therefore, in a so-called two-way optical connector having a light-emitting device and light-receiving device as a socket-side optical device, light from the light-emitting device is likely to leak to the outside. Since a disorder such as a damage in retina or the like is likely to occur when a man looks the light from the light-emitting device in the eye, the optical connector socket is attached such that the opening section is directed diagonally downward because a safety takes priority over the difficulty in inserting the optical connector plug.
Further, there is an optical connector socket having no shutter. In this case, a cap is fitted to the opening section of the insertion section for preventing a light leakage and intrusion of dust or the like. However, this cap is small, so that it may sometimes be lost. Moreover, infants are likely to mistakenly drink the cap.
Additionally, during a check of electrical equipment to which this optical connector socket is installed, for example, during a check of a set top box, the configuration in which the cap is fitted to the optical connector socket requires an operation of pulling out the cap for inserting the optical connector plug, and then, inserting the cap into the optical connector socket.


Electrolyte-infiltrated composite electrode includes an electrolyte component consisting of a polymer matrix with ceramic nanoparticles embedded in the matrix to form a networking structure of electrolyte. Suitable ceramic nanoparticles have the basic formula Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) and its derivatives such as AlxLi7-xLa3Zr2-y-zTayNbzO12 where x ranges from 0 to 0.85, y ranges from 0 to 0.50 and z ranges from 0 to 0.75, wherein at least one of x, y and z is not equal to 0. The networking structure of the electrolyte establishes an effective lithium-ion transport pathway in the electrode and strengthens the contact between electrode layer and solid-state electrolyte resulting in higher lithium-ion electrochemical cell's cycling stability and longer battery life. Sold-state electrolytes incorporating the ceramic particles demonstrate improved performance. Large dimensional electrolyte-infiltrated composite electrode sheets can be used in all solid-state lithium electrochemical pouch cells which can be assembled into battery packs.

Non-aqueous lithium electrochemical cells typically include an anode, a lithium electrolyte prepared from a lithium salt dissolved in organic solvents, and a cathode of an electrochemically active material. Organic solvents are added to solvate the lithium salt which provides mobile ions. During the electrochemical discharge process lithium ions are transported through the electrolyte from the anode to the cathode. As lithium ions are taken up by the cathode, there is a simultaneous release of electrical energy.
Solid-state electrolyte (SSE) can replace conventional organic liquid electrolytes, which are generally flammable and toxic. Conventional electrode materials and lithium metal anodes can be employed with a SSE. Lithium anodes have high inherent high capacities (C) which increase the cell voltage (V) and thereby improves the energy density of the battery (E=VC). There are two critical challenges to achieving high performance batteries using SSE, which are (1) low ionic conductivities of many SSE, and (2) the low mechanical strengths of electrolyte materials do not adequately prevent Li dendrite growth. SSE which are being explored are typically inorganic-based (depending on the lattice structure, they are garnet, perovskite, glass-ceramics etc.) and polymer-based. Solid polymer electrolytes can be manufactured by relatively simple, inexpensive techniques whereas fabricating solid inorganic electrolytes with well-defined compositions or lattice structures requires high temperature processes. Due to the high degree of coordination between Li ions and the polymer chain in sold-state polymer electrolytes, the chain-assisted Li+ transport mechanism is less robust at room temperature or below the melting temperature of the polymer. The attendant poor ionic conductivity is attributed to interference with Li ion transport. The addition of plasticizers to the solid-state polymer-based electrolyte improves the polymer chain mobility at room temperature which results in an increase in the ionic conductivity, but the plasticizers also reduce the mechanical strength of the solid-state polymer-based electrolyte.
So-called all-solid-state batteries contain exclusively solid materials, and in particular solid-state electrolytes, in contrast to conventional batteries containing liquid electrolytes. One of the main concerns of current all solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLiB) is the poor contact between solid electrolyte and electrodes. The high contact resistance causes low rate capability and poor cycling stability. With solid polymer electrolytes, lithium dendrites, which develop as an electrochemical cell undergoes charging and discharging cycles, can penetrate through the 'plasticizer-softened' polymer electrolytes to short circuit the cell.

All solid-state lithium-ion battery incorporating electrolyte-infiltrated composite electrodes


A ripening room is disclosed for ripening perishable products, such as fruits and vegetables, and more particularly bananas, in which the air flow and temperature are closely controlled by the room construction and by a cooling control system that achieves uniform ripening of the fruit regardless of the physical location of the fruit within the room. These desired results are accomplished using a minimum quantity of energy and cooling capacity by use of an improved cooling controller that gradually changes the temperature setpoint over time to allow the cooling (refrigeration) system to operate near its full capacity without any periods of intense cooling (due to sudden changes of the temperature setpoint, as in the prior art). The uniform ripening is also achieved by an improved air distribution system that provides a greater back pressure in portions of a ripening room that, in conventional designs, receives far too much air flow.

Ripening processes and ripening rooms, broadly defined as including ripening rooms, chambers, or truck containers, are generally known and have been used for many years in the fruit industry for ripening fruit, such as bananas. One important working principle in ripening room construction is that air pressure and air flow should be uniform throughout the air flow circuit in the room, which typically extends from above boxes and pallets containing bananas, through air flow pathways that circulate through the banana boxes, and back to ventilating fans, in order to effect uniform ripening of all bananas in the room.
Conventional ripening rooms are usually of either a "chamber" or truck "container" variety and typically comprise an operational area and a cooling area. In conventional ripening chambers, perishable fruit, such as bananas, are stacked on pallets or in boxes in a configuration known as a "tight-stack", in which two or more rows of tightly stacked boxes separated by a corridor are spaced-apart from the side walls of the chamber, while being positioned in the operational space of a substantially enclosed ripening room having generally rectangular walls, floor, and ceiling. In truck containers, the boxes are generally stacked in what is known as a "pyramid stack," in which each box in each row is spaced-apart from the next box in that row and the rows are also spaced-apart from each other, such that spaces are provided about all sides of the boxes. The next level of boxes in a pyramid stack would not be placed directly over the boxes below it, but rather would be placed offcenter, so that each box is partially stacked on top of two boxes below it, in typical pyramid fashion.
Boxes containing bananas typically have holes in them to encourage air circulation about the bananas. The ripening room is generally supplied with air which is cooled by a refrigeration system, in order to maintain a predetermined fruit temperature. The cooled air is circulated throughout the substantially enclosed room at discretely controlled temperatures for a fixed length of time, until the bananas ripen.
A typical ripening cycle would likely include a period of gassing in which ethylene gas, for example, is introduced into and circulated throughout the room at a fixed setpoint temperature, followed by a period of air circulation in which forced air (along with the ethylene mixture) is circulated throughout the room or container. Some of the ethylene gas may then be removed, followed by a relatively long period where air is circulated by the fan(s) while the setpoint temperature of the supplied air is lowered in discrete steps by a thermostatic controller. The thermostatic controllers for conventional ripening programs typically provide for distinct and sudden drops in the setpoint temperature at certain time intervals. For example, in a conventional four day ripening cycle, the air temperature setpoint temperature might be set to 18.degree. C. for two days, then instantaneously drop to 16.5.degree. C. for one day, and again instantaneously drop to 14.5.degree. C. for the final day.
Refrigeration systems have been used for many years of the type which use a compressor to provide a "refrigerant" also known as "coolant" flowing through a closed-loop system. The compressor increases both the pressure and the temperature of the vaporous refrigerant before the refrigerant is directed into a condenser. As it passes through the condenser, the vaporous refrigerant is cooled and condensed to a liquid, while releasing heat to the surrounding environment, usually with the aid of a fan. The liquid refrigerant is then directed to a thermal expansion valve which provides a somewhat controlled release of the high pressure liquid refrigerant into a series of coils, commonly called an evaporator. As it passes through the thermal expansion valve, the liquid refrigerant undergoes a change of state from a high pressure liquid to a lower pressure vapor, while extracting thermal energy from the atmosphere surrounding the evaporator. The vaporous refrigerant is then drawn into the compressor to close the loop and to restart the refrigeration process cycle.
The typical conventional ripening room cooling system operates in an on/off switching mode, in which cooling capacity variations are made by a solenoid valve, thereby shortening or extending the supply time of the cooling agent to the cooler. Changes in the cooling requirements and ambient temperature conditions throughout the ripening process affect the variable coolant evaporation temperature. However, conventional banana ripening rooms function based on a constant evaporation temperature, which may be set to a constant by a back pressure regulation valve in the suction line, calculated for the maximum capacity requirement of cooling during the peak of fruit respiration. As a result, conventional ripening room cooling control systems operate inefficiently.
The rear of the room (i.e., chamber or container) has a "cooling area," separated from the "operational area," which contains the refrigeration system that cools the air before it is supplied to the operational area of the room. Conventional cooling systems for ripening bananas generally consist of one or more air coolers with fans placed on a "supplemental" wall dividing the cooling area from the operational area, or under a roof in front of a supplemental wall toward the rear of the ripening room. The forced air fans are often placed behind the cooler in conventional ripening systems. In one example of a conventional ripening room, the supplemental wall closing off the cooling area from the operational area is a "reeled roller blind," which comprises a tarp that rolls on to and off of a rod much like a window shade, and which separates the chamber space into areas of high pressure and low pressure.
In conventional ripening rooms using a tight-stack configuration a typical air flow circuit path supplies air into an operational area over the top of the boxes (which may be partially or fully covered on top by a tarp), down along the spaces between the sides of the room and the banana boxes, through the holes of the sides of the boxed bananas, and into the corridor between the two rows of tightly stacked boxes. The air flow circuit then returns the air to a cooling area in the rear of the room behind the supplemental wall, where the air passes through a cooler/evaporator in the cooling area, through one or more fans between the cooling area and the operational area, and returns the air to the operational area where the bananas are stacked. This configuration is sometimes referred to as a "Del Monte" ripening room.
In conventional ripening containers using a pyramid stack configuration, the container is similarly divided into an operational area where the boxes are stacked, and a cooling area where the forced air is cooled. In this stacking configuration, some of the boxes typically are placed against the side walls of the operational area of the ripening container. A typical air flow circuit path in a pyramid stack configuration forms a single large loop starting at the cooler in the cooling area at the rear of the ripening container, to the front of the container, then back to the cooling area. More specifically, the fans supply air into the operational area (and ultimately to the front of the ripening container), in and around the top portions of boxes through the spaces between the boxes and the holes in the boxes, and the air returns to the cooling area via the bottom portions of the boxes. While most of the supplied air reaches the front of the ripening container, some of this air bypasses the route and is essentially short-circuited into the bottom portions of the boxes. As with the tightstack configuration, all of the air returns to the cooling area, then passes through the cooler, through the fans and back into the operational area.
The conventional ripening processes and rooms described above have exhibited several deficiencies which are known in the art but which, until now, have not been resolved. First, the bananas do not ripen uniformly and much of the fruit undergoes considerable shrinkage and lessened fruit quality when placed in conventionally constructed ripening rooms, because the cooling air does not circulate uniformly through the fruit. This lack of uniform air flow results in uneven air pressure, uneven cooling, and hence uneven ripening of the fruit. Whether the cooled air initially is forced over the top of the fruit or under the bottom of the fruit, the same circulation problem exists, particularly in chamber-type ripening rooms, because a relatively open free space separates the boxes from the conventionally constructed walls and ceiling of the room. As a result, the air flow is not equally distributed through all of the boxes.
For example, in a conventional tight-stack configuration, rather than descend along the sides of the ripening room walls, most of the air supplied from the fan(s) in the rear of the ripening room takes the path of least resistance, and passes over the fruit until reaching the front vertical wall (at the "far" end of the room from the fans), at which point the cooled air descends upon the bananas stacked near this front wall with a pressure that is greater than in other portions of the supply air pathway. The air is then drawn through the banana boxes by the same fan(s) in the rear of the ripening room. Because the higher air pressure in the front of the room causes the fruit situated there to receive a greater quantity of cooled air, those bananas stay greener in color, while the bananas in the middle and rear of the room remain at warmer temperatures and ripen to a yellow color much more quickly. The difference in the air pressure between the front and back of the ripening room is particularly pronounced in short ripening cycles. Consequently, a person entering the front of the room to check the ripeness of the bananas by color sees the green bananas and is misled into believing that the container or room is filled with unripe bananas.
Another problem associated with conventional cooling systems used for banana ripening is that they have operated in an "on/off" mode, where the temperature is controlled merely by turning the refrigeration system either "full" on or "full" off, rather than adjusting the amount or temperature of cooled air introduced into the operational area to some intermediate point. In such conventional cooling systems, the output cooling capacity is controlled, for example, by switching a solenoid valve either completely on or off to regulate the supply line of the cooling agent into the air cooler. Changes in fruit temperature during the ripening cycle are made by varying the setpoint temperature of the air in relatively large, sudden discrete steps, under the control of a temperature controller or automatic thermostat. These stepwise ripening programs used in the prior art are flawed in that they tend to cause dehydration and undercooling of fruit, particularly where temperature sensors are placed in the boxes among banana clusters at the air outlet so that the time delay in the sensing feedback loop is much longer than necessary. Suddenly changing the setpoint temperature, for example, from 18.5.degree. C. to 16.5.degree. C. causes the refrigeration system to work at full capacity and induces intensive cooling for long time periods, considerable dehydration, and lowering of fruit ripening quality.
The evaporating temperature of refrigeration systems in conventional ripening rooms varies because of the change in cooling requirements during the ripening process and the change of ambient temperature conditions in the enclosed space. However, conventional systems operate using thermostatic expansion valves based on a constant evaporation temperature, by using a back pressure regulation valve which adds to the problem of low relative air humidity and fruit dehydration.
Finally, yet another shortcoming of the conventional ripening room processes and designs is that the cooling systems run inefficiently, thereby expending excessive energy. As related above, the air circulation in the conventional rooms used for banana ripening purposes have installed air coolers with air fans at the rear of the ripening room on a wall, or under a roof in front of a wall. The bananas are generally packed in bags and the bags are put into the boxes. Both the bags and the boxes have holes to allow circulation throughout the boxes among the bags of bananas. The air is cooled in only one basic circuit, namely, drawn by fans from the boxes in the operational space, through the cooler in the cooling space, and back into the operational space to form a single loop. Consequently, in the conventional oneloop configuration, a refrigeration system with excessive cooling capacity is required to cool the entire volume of air throughout the cooling cycle.
There is a need in the art for an improved room construction and cooling system used in ripening perishable products such as bananas, in which air flow is uniformly distributed, setpoint temperature is accurately controlled and gradually varied to reduce energy expenditure, thereby improving the quality of the ripened products located throughout the ripening room. By using the principles of the present invention, the shortcomings of the prior art are overcome while uniformity of ripened bananas in the entire ripening room, lowering of banana shrinkage, and better banana quality is achieved.

Method and apparatus for ripening perishable products in a temperature-controlled room