A connector guide mechanism in which misregistration of two connectors with each other can be easily absorbed, and the amount of movement of the reception connector can be set to a small value. In the connector guide mechanism, a connector mounting hole is formed in a connector mounting surface, and a reception connector is mounted in the connector mounting hole, and is movable in a direction parallel to the plane of the connector mounting surface. A pair of parallel, opposed surfaces are disposed perpendicular to the connector mounting surface in such a manner that the reception connector is disposed between the opposed surfaces. An equipment-side connector is mounted on a rear surface of an equipment, and can be fitted relative to the reception connector. A pair of guide bars project rearwardly from the equipment, and the distance between distal ends of the guide bars is smaller than the distance between the opposed surfaces, and the distance between proximal ends of the guide bars is generally equal to the distance between the opposed surfaces. A guide mechanism is provided on each of the opposed surfaces and each of the guide bars so as to limit a direction of insertion of the guide bar to a direction perpendicular to the connector mounting surface.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector guide mechanism for guiding the fitting of a pair of connectors (which can be fitted together) mounted respectively on an equipment and a mounting member to which this equipment is to be attached.
2. Background
When mounting an equipment on a vehicle body, and particularly when mounting an electric equipment, such as a radio, on the vehicle body, there has, in many cases, been used a construction in which one of a pair of connectors, which can be fitted together, is mounted on the equipment while the other connector is mounted on the vehicle body, and simultaneously when attaching the equipment to the vehicle body, the two connectors are fitted together. In this case, because of dimensional tolerances of the parts, it is difficult to position or register the two connectors with each other simultaneously when mounting the equipment in position on the mounting member. Therefore, in such an equipment mounting construction, there has, in many cases, been used a construction in which one of the two connectors is movable so as to serve as a so-called reception connector so that misregistration of the connectors with each other can be absorbed.
A connector mounting hole, larger in size than a housing of the reception connector, is formed in a connector mounting surface of the mounting member, and the housing is mounted in this connector mounting hole through elastic retaining arms. Therefore, even if the two connectors are misregistered with each other, the reception connector can be moved in the connector mounting hole, for example, by abutting guide surfaces of the connectors against each other, thereby absorbing the misregistration, so that the connector on the equipment can be fitted in the reception connector.
However, in the connector fitting construction using the above reception connector, if the misregistration-absorbing range is made large, the connectors are increased in size because of increased sizes of the connector guide mechanism (including the guide surfaces, guide posts and so on), and also the connector mounting hole must be increased in size, which results in a problem that the strength of the mounting member is reduced.
If the connector mounting hole is made small in order to secure the adequate strength of the mounting member, the misregistration-absorbing range becomes small, so that the connectors can not be fitted together easily. This lowers the efficiency of the mounting operation. In addition, the connector must be moved forcibly. That is, the connector is forcibly moved or turned up and down and right and left in order to register it with the mating connector or to bring it into agreement with the mating connector which can not be viewed. Therefore, the connector interferes with other parts, so that there is a possibility that the connector, the other parts and wires are damaged.
In the connector fitting construction using the reception connector for absorbing the misregistration, the connector mounting hole must be small, and also the strength of the mounting member must be increased, and on the other hand, the function of absorbing the misregistration of the two connectors with each other must be enhanced. Thus, these contradictory effects must be achieved, and therefore the design has been difficult.


The invention concerns semiconductor latches capable of memorizing any programmed information even after power supply has been removed. Used is a μm BiCMOS EPROM process but it is applicable in any other process having hot electron injection devices like EPROM, Flash EEPROM. Suggested is a bi-stable latch circuit having a pair of cross-coupled branches (I,II), each branch including a complementary driver and a load connected between a drain line and a source line and a non-volatile memory cell having a program transistor and a read transistor, at least one of said drivers and loads including said read transistor, said driver and load of said branch connected in series at a respective output node, said read transistor and program transistor having a common floating gate and separate control gates, said control gate of said program transistor connected to a program voltage, the drain of said program transistor connected to a respective input node, said control gate of said read transistor in said branch connected to said output node of the other branch (II).

Several types of non-volatile semiconductor latches are known in the prior art. They use different kind of non-volatile memory elements like fuses, MNOS transistors, EPROM transistors, standard EEPROM transistors, Flash EEPROM transistors, etc. Normally the transistor memory elements need a programming voltage relatively higher than the normal power supply. For many technological processes this means that almost all transistors in the non-volatile latch have to be made by high-voltage (HV) transistors instead of normal low-voltage (LV) transistors. As a result, the non-volatile latch area, a critical parameter, may increase a lot in size.
Additional problems exist in the non-volatile latches using hot-electron injection devices like EPROM and Flash EEPROM transistors. Normally they need a large current for programming, for example 0.5 to 1.0 mA/bit, in contrast to the standard EEPROM transistors using Fowler-Nordheim tunnel injection which takes, for example about 10 pA/bit. So, a disposal of hot-electron injection devices in a non-volatile latch, for example in the way described in GB-A 2 054 303 ("Hughes"), will require a large programming current flowing though the data line, respectively very large transistors along the drain programming path of the hot-electron injection devices. This will cause an additional increase of the non-volatile latch area and the area of its periphery.
In Hughes, the WHOLE non-volatile element, IGFET Q3, is included in the complementary driver (Q3, Q5—FIG. 1) or in the complementary load (Q1, Q3—FIG. 5). The same applies for the IGFET Q4 in the other branch. In the embodiments the non-volatile element (cell) is split in two parts—a read transistor and a program transistor. Only the read transistor T5 is included in the complementary driver (T1, T5—FIG. 1). The same applies for T6 in the other branch. The other part of the non-volatile element (cell) in the embodiments, the program transistor T7, is not included in the complementary driver (compare to GB 2 054 303, there CLAIMS, lines 46 to 49). The same applies for T8 in the other branch.
In Hughes the input data for programming the non-volatile (NV) latch are provided through a WRITE transistor Q9 (and Q11 in FIGS. 3 and 4) and applied to the respective nodes X (and Y in FIGS. 3 and 4). In the embodiments the input data for programming of the NV latch are applied on the drain of the program transistors T7 and T8, therefore the input data are decoupled from the respective output nodes Q and Q|(quer).
In Hughes the NV-latch is programmed by applying a high voltage (HV) on the control gate of the transistors Q3 or Q4 (See FIGS. 1 and 5), i.e. on the respective nodes X or Y. (See also rows 56 to 61 of the patent background). It means that all transistors (except Q10 and Q12) of this latch may be put under HV during programming. In the embodiments the NV latch is programmed by applying HV only on the node 19 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). Therefore the HV is decoupled from the respective output nodes Q and Q| and only the gates of the program transistors T7 and T8 are put under HV during programming.
In Hughes the NV-latch needs buffers (Q7, Q8) and/or READ transistors (Q10, Q12) between the respective nodes X and Y from one side and the DATA line from other side. (See also rows 53 to 56 of the claims). In the embodiments the NV latch nodes Q and Q| can be used directly as respective NV latch outputs.
The above-listed problems are solved by U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,571 to Atsumi et al. ("Atsumi"), which discloses splitting the hot-electron injection device into two parts: A reading transistor and a writing transistor with a common floating gate. But a limitation of this design solution is the use of depletion transistors that are not available in each process. Another limitation of this approach is that the threshold voltage of the depletion-type reading transistor has to be increased to positive values to avoid a static current in the non-volatile latch. This leads to strong requirements to the latch programming and decreases the data retention time of the latch.
In Atsumi the reading transistor (T4, all Figures) is depletion type (see also claims 1 and 12) whereas the writing transistor (T3, all Figures) is enhancement type. In the embodiments both the read transistor (T5, T6) and the program transistor (T7, T8) are enhancement type.
In Atsumi the NV latch needs additional protection means like the depletion transistor T2 (see also claims 1 and 12). In the embodiments the NV latch does not need such protection means. There is no depletion transistor at all in the proposed NV latch.
In Atsumi, the reading and the writing transistors have got a common control gate connected to Vpp/Vss (FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5). Only in FIG. 3 a variant with two control gates is shown but the control gate of the reading transistor T4 is connected to ground (Vss). In the embodiments the non-volatile cell (T5, T7) has got two separate control gates. The control gate of the read transistor T5 is connected to the respective output node Q|. The same for the other memory cell (T6, T8).
A Comparison between the inventive embodiments and U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,522 to Kotecha ("Kotecha") is as follows. In Kotecha, the non-volatile element 12 (FIG. 1) used in the RAM cell is ONE transistor with common drain 34, common source 36, common floating gate 24 and two control gates (30 and 46). The same applies for the other non-volatile element 14. Also in the inventive embodiments "a said transistor (i.e. one transistor) having first and second control gates, a floating gate". In the embodiments the non-volatile element (cell) used in the NV latch consists in fact of TWO transistors (T5 and T7) with only common the floating gate 13. In could be seen in all Figures that the drain (Q), the source (21) and the control gate (15) of T5 are different from the drain (D), the source (ground) and the control gate (17) of T7. The same for the non-volatile element (cell) used in the other branch—it also consists of TWO separate transistors T6 and T8 with only common the floating gate 14.

Non-volatile semiconductor latch using hot-electron injection devices


In a misfire detecting device for an internal combustion engine, a crank angle detector detects the crank angle of the engine, a speed detector detects the speed of the engine from the crank angle thus detected, a load detector detects the load of the engine from the speed thus detected; and a misfire detector detects the misfire rate of the engine from the load thus detected, and outputs a misfire detection signal when the misfire rate thus detected exceeds a misfire rate determining value set according to a certain amount of load.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a misfire detecting device for an internal combustion engine which detects a misfire which occurs in the engine for instance when the ignition system is out of order.
2. Prior Art
For instance when, in an internal combustion engine, the ignition system becomes out of order, a large quantity of gas is discharged, so that the catalyst generates an abnormally high temperature. In order to prevent this difficulty, a device has been proposed in the art which detects the variation of an operating parameter, such as the angular speed of the crank shaft of the internal combustion engine or the cylinder internal pressure, representing the state of combustion, thereby to inform the operator of the abnormal condition by means of an alarm lamp or the like. Conventional misfire detecting devices of this type have been disclosed by Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No's 19532/1983 and 26345/1987 (the term "OPI" as used herein means an "unexamined published application").
The device disclosed by the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 19532/1983 operates as follows: When the difference between the crank shaft's angular speeds before and after the stroke of expansion in the internal combustion engine is smaller than a predetermined value, it is determined that a misfire has occurred. On the other hand, the device disclosed by the Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 26345/1987 operates as follows: The cylinder internal pressure of the engine is detected with a cylinder internal pressure sensor, and a crank angle is obtained with which the cylinder internal pressure is maximum. When the crank angle is within a predetermined crank angle range, it is determined that the combustion is normal.
That is, it is determined from the angular speed of the crank shaft or the cylinder internal pressure every combustion cycle whether the combustion is normal or the misfire occurs, and when a misfire occurrence rate (the frequency of occurrence of misfires per 100 combustion cycles or 100 revolutions of the engine) is larger than a predetermined value, a misfire detection signal is produced to turn on an alarm lamp or the like.
The conventional misfire detecting device is designed as described above. Hence, in the device, in order to prevent the generation of the abnormally high temperature by the catalyst due to misfires, or in order to make protection even in the operation highest both in speed and in load which is most greatly affected by misfires, a low threshold value is provided for determination of the misfire occurrence rate; that is. the sensitivity of detection is decreased.
Therefore, even in a low speed and low load operation in which the rotation is liable to be changed by factors other than the misfire for instance as in the case where an internal combustion engine operated vehicle is shocked or vibrated during traveling, and in which no actual damage occurs even when misfires occur to the extent that the misfire occurrence rate exceeds the criterion, the misfire detection signal is erroneously produced. That is, the misfire detecting operation is low in reliability.
Furthermore, the misfire detecting device disclosed by the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 19532/1983 is so designed as to detect misfires in all the operating conditions. When the load of the internal combustion engine is considerably light as in the case where it is run at high speed with no load, the friction loss of the internal combustion engine is small, or the inertial energy is large, and therefore the variation in angular speed of the crank shaft due to misfires is smaller than in the case where the load is heavy. As a result, it is impossible for the device to accurately detect misfires, or, even if the detection sensitivity is increased, misfires are erroneously detected because of external noises. That is, the result of detection provided by the misfire detecting device is low in reliability. Hence, for instance in the case where the device is coupled to a display unit, to indicate a failure in the ignition system according to the result of detection, to inform the operator of it thereby to request for repair, the following difficulties may be involved: Although the combustion is abnormal, it is not indicated; or although the combustion is normal, it is indicated as abnormal. That is, the operator cannot rely on the indication based on the result of detection provided by the device.

Misfire detecting device for internal combustion engine


The invention relates to a light pipe for use in particular in an electronic display arrangement, and designed to transmit light signals from one of its ends referred to as an entry surface to its other end referred to as an exit surface going towards the eye of a user for viewing a virtual image, the pipe including a diffractive component on one surface, referred to as its improved surface, said diffractive component being an element satisfying the equation of an aspherical body of revolution. According to the invention, said diffractive component is formed directly on said entry surface.

Such a display arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,372 and is shown in plan view in FIG. 1.
Such an arrangement 10 comprises a housing assembly 16 comprising a first housing 20 containing a circuit for receiving data or images and containing an image-generator assembly. The light transmitted by the image-generator assembly is relayed via an optical device 14 to the eye of the user, e.g. through a lens 24 of a pair of spectacles. This light pipe 14 comprises a transparent rectilinear optical relay 26 transmitting light along its longitudinal axis A-A′, and a deflector assembly 28 comprising a mirror 30 disposed on a surface that is inclined relative to the first axis A-A′ and an aspherical lens 32 disposed in register with the inclined wall and having an axis of revolution B-B′ which, in this example, is perpendicular to the first axis A-A′. The housing assembly 16 is mounted on one of the temples 34 of a frame for a pair of spectacles by a fastener arrangement 36.
The pipe presents a given maximum height Hmax outside the thickness of the lens, and a given mean length Lmoy along its longitudinal axis A-A′. By way of example, such a prior art light pipe presents a maximum height Hmax of 11 millimeters (mm) and a mean length Lmoy of 32 mm. With such a prior art arrangement, it is possible to obtain an image as seen by the user that has an apparent angular size of 11.5°.
The pipe is advantageously made of thermoplastic material.

Light pipe for making an electronic display arrangement


An illumination unit includes a first heat conducting plate and a plurality of light source modules to emit a plurality of lights having different colors, each light source module having at least one LED mounted on the first heat conducting plate and at least one corresponding collimator to collimate the lights emitted from the at least one LED.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an illumination unit having an LED and an image projecting apparatus employing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an image projecting apparatus includes an illumination unit to illuminate an optical modulation element. A metal halide lamp or a super high-pressure mercury lamp are typically used as a light source of the illumination unit. Since the metal halide lamp and the super high-pressure mercury lamp are very large, the illumination unit is also large. Additionally, since the life span of these light sources are several thousands of hours at best, the light sources need to be replaced frequently. In an effort to solve these problems, an LED having a relatively longer life span has been used as the light source. For example, U.S. Patent Publication Application No. 2003-0133080 entitled "LED-Illumination-Type DMD Projector and Optical System Thereof" discloses an image projection apparatus using an LED.
However, heat is typically generated when the LED is operated, and an optical efficiency of the LED depends on a temperature thereof. FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating changes in relative optical power of the LED according to changes in temperature. Referring to FIG. 1, when the relative optical power corresponding with 45° C. is assumed to be 100%, the relative optical power increases as the temperature decreases. Similarly, the relative optical power decreases as the temperature increases. Thus, a heat radiating structure which can effectively dissipate heat generated by the LED is required. Korean Patent Publication Application No. 2004-37523 discloses a heat radiating structure including a heat radiating fin that is disposed around the LED in a circular manner.
The amount of light generated by the LED is smaller than that generated by the metal halide lamp or super high-pressure mercury lamp. Thus, in order to obtain an appropriate amount of light, an LED array is used. In particular, an illumination unit of the image projecting apparatus includes a plurality of LEDs emitting lights having different colors. In this case, since more than one heat radiating structure disclosed by Korean Patent Publication Application No. 2004-37523 is applied to each of the LEDs, the size of the illumination unit increases.

Illumination unit having an LED and image projecting apparatus employing the same


An XY plotter includes a pair of grip and pinch rollers for feeding recording paper in one direction while gripping the recording paper therebetween, a pen carriage arranged to be movable in the direction perpendicular to the one direction, a pen supported by the pen carriage for performing recording on the recording paper, a grip roller shaft provided parallel to the traveling direction of the pen carriage, the grip roller shaft having a non-circular section, a movable stand arranged so that the position thereof is adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the grip roller shaft, and the grip and pinch roller including a movable partial grip roller and a pinch roller, the movable partial grip roller being mounted on the movable stand so that the movable partial grip roller is not rotatable relative to the grip roller shaft but is movable on the grip roller shaft in the longitudinal direction thereof, the pinch roller being supported on the movable stand so that the pinch roller is made to come into contact against a circumferential surface of the movable partial grip roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an XY plotter for use for recording images and characters, and particularly relates to the structure of a recording paper feeding portion in the XY plotter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As well known, in an XY plotter for use, for example, for recording character information or graphic information in a computer or the like, recording paper is fed in one direction by grip rollers and pinch rollers for grasping the recording paper, and recording is performed on the recording paper by use of a recording pen supported by a pen carriage movable in the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the recording paper.
In such a conventional recording paper feeding portion of the XY plotter, however, variously sized sheets of recording paper are used. Therefore, an elongated rod-like grip roller to be driven by a driving source such as a pulse motor or the like is provided in the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the recording paper, and a pinch roller which is detachable from the circumferential surface of the grip roller is positionally adjustably attached to a fixing portion of the the apparatus. In another case, a grip roller shaft is provided in place of the elongated grip roller, and partial grip rollers are mounted on the grip roller shaft at a plurality of portions thereof in its longitudinal direction. The position of the pinch roller is changed in accordance with the size of recording paper to be used so that one portion of the recording paper is grasped by the partial grip rollers and the pinch roller so as to accurately feed the recording paper. In the former structure, however, there is a problem in the situation where an elongated grip roller having a considerably large mass is used so that the inertia mass of the grip roller is so large that the recently increased demand for rapid feeding of the recording sheet cannot be sufficiently realized. In the latter structure, although the whole inertia efficiency becomes smaller than that of the former structure, there is a problem in that if the number of kinds of the size of recording paper to be used becomes large, it is necessary to mount a number of partial grip rollers onto the grip roller shaft, so that the inertia efficiency of the movable portions cannot be reduced as desired, and it is impossible to handle recording paper having modified sizes.

Recording paper feeding portion in an XY plotter


The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for producing molded polyester articles. More particularly, the invention concerns an apparatus and method for continuously producing molded polyester articles having low acetaldehyde content from a melt prepared by continuously reacting polyester precursors. The polyester is prepared and formed into useful shaped articles in a single, integrated, continuous melt-to-mold process without an intermediate solidification of the melt.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for producing molded polyester articles. More particularly, the invention concerns an apparatus and method for continuously producing molded polyester articles having low acetaldehyde content from a melt prepared by continuously reacting polyester precursors. The polyester is prepared and formed into useful shaped articles in a single, integrated, continuous melt-to-mold process without an intermediate solidification of the melt.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the art that polyesters are widely used in the manufacture of molded objects, such as food and beverage containers. These polymers are generally made by batch or continuous melt phase polycondensation reactions as are well know in the art. The polymers are then pelletized and used in various extrusion or molding operations. During the preparation and processing of polyesters in the melt phase, certain by-products are formed. One such by-product is acetaldehyde, and its presence in molded food containers, beverage bottles, water bottles, and the like is quite deleterious. Particularly in the case of taste sensitive beverages such as cola, beer, and water, it is highly desirable to produce preforms having less than about 10 ppm of acetaldehyde. Achieving this low level of acetaldehyde is difficult because acetaldehyde is continually formed as a by-product during the polymerization and subsequent melt processing of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and similar polymers.
The prior art has made various attempts to reduce the acetaldehyde content of molded polyester articles. A three stage process has been universally used to provide polyester polymers suitable for uses in applications where it is important to minimize the presence of acetaldehyde. Such a process typically involves the preparation of a relatively low molecular weight precursor polymer by melt phase polymerization techniques that are well known in the art. The acetaldehyde content of such a precursor may range from about 30 ppm to in excess of 150 ppm, depending on the reaction conditions chosen. This precursor is then cooled, shaped into pellets, crystallized, and subjected to further solid-state polymerization at a low temperature. Typically, an inert gas is used to strip glycols, acetaldehyde, and other reaction by-products from the pellets so that at the end of the solid-state process, the acetaldehyde content has been reduced to below about 1 ppm or less. The product so prepared must still be heated and melted in a third step in order to be formed into a useful shape, such as a beverage bottle preform, and this process typically causes an increase in acetaldehyde content of from less than 1 ppm in the pellets, up to about 5 to about 10 ppm or more in the shaped article. This dramatic increase in acetaldehyde occurs despite the fact that the molding process takes typically less than one or two minutes to complete.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,891 describes an improved process for lowering the acetaldehyde content of molten PET to levels suitable for direct use in articles for food packaging by using an inert gas purge to contact the molten polyester. U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,243 describes an injection molding machine for plastics provided with a plasticizing device which consecutively plasticizes material and feeds a plurality of injection devices in regular sequence. German Patent DE19505680 describes a process for the production of bottle preforms from a melt wherein an inert gas is admitted into the continuous flow of the polyester melt and the acetaldehyde content is reduced to below 10 ppm. German Application DE19503053 describes the direct production of molded packagings that impart no taste from thermoplastic polyesters using conventional catalysts. Inert gas is dispersed into the polyester melt immediately after leaving the reactor, and vacuum degassed just before the molding machine. The inert gas is dispersed by means of stationary pipeline mixers and degassing is accomplished in an enlarged pipe segment or flash vessel under vacuum with an optional stirrer. Also, a polyamide type acetaldehyde reducing agent is added near the inert gas feed point. Japan Application Hei 5-315154 describes a method and apparatus for water injection, dispersion, bubbling, and degassing whereby volatiles present in the said polymer are vaporized and removed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,845 describes a method of removing low molecular weight substances from polymeric materials by mixing a supercritical extraction gas into the molten polymer under pressure in an extruder, and then transferring the mixture to a second extruder operated under reduced pressure where the gas, along with the extracted impurities, are vented and the polymeric material substantially free from impurities is discharged. U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,168 describes a process for treating an impure thermoplastic polymer using an extrusion apparatus to remove low molecular weigh compounds. The extrusion apparatus has a heated housing, in which there is a first low pressure zone, a high pressure zone where a separating agent is introduced into the molten polymer; an extraction zone where part of the separating agent and low molecular weight compounds are removed; a second low pressure zone, where the remainder of the low molecular weight compounds and separating agents are removed; a final high pressure zone; and an extruder head through which the purified polymer is recovered. U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,525 describes a method for injection molding polyethylene terephthalate by employing a vent type injection unit as means for omitting preliminary drying of the resin. The unit does not develop a poor screw biting, and even when the molding material is an undried, uncrystallized or crystallized PET, it can feed a certain amount of the material at all times to injection mold a molded form such as a preform to produce a thin-wall container. This patent discusses the need to keep the temperature of the molten polymer at a minimum in order to minimize formation of additional AA.
It has now been found that an apparatus and method may be employed whereby polyesters such as PET and similar polymers may be prepared continuously in a melt and transferred to this apparatus where it is purified of excess acetaldehyde and other by-products, and molded directly from the melt into useful shaped articles such as beverage bottle preforms, having a low acetaldehyde content. Not only does the apparatus of the present invention avoid the costly additional steps of conventional processing, such as cooling, chopping, drying, crystallizng, sold-state polymerization, and remelting, but the shaped articles produced additionally have low acetaldehyde content, better color, less loss of molecular weight due to polymer breakdown, and the freedom from defects know as "bubbles" and "unmelts" which are sometimes formed during the conventional molding process.

Apparatus and method for molding of polyester articles directly from a melt


Methods and systems for facilitating communications and commerce between remote device users and merchants or sponsors, particularly adapted for small-screen portable devices such as cellular telephones and personal digital assistants. The invention enables sponsors to quickly and easily, without the requirement for specialized or expensive equipment, establish Web sites to advertise their products and services. The invention provides unique, intuitive graphical interfaces enabling users to find Web sites of interest easily and quickly amongst many sites. In addition to real-time, direct sponsor-user communications, the system further includes features such as response time prioritization, which enable users to quickly determine the relevance of a sponsor response.

Personal communication devices have become ubiquitous amongst users. Today, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, networked computers, and numerous other communication devices are found everywhere. Many types of communication channels and methodologies facilitate these devices, for example: local- and wide-area wired and wireless networks, broadband communication networks, and many others as are well known to the reader.
Concomitant with the explosive growth of communication technologies has come the development of very inexpensive storage. The inexpensive and readily available proliferation of communication devices, communication methodologies and inexpensive storage has resulted in the development of huge quantities of instantly available data and information to those with communication devices. One well-known method of accessing and distributing information is the Internet, accessible today using all of the various communication devices and methodologies described above. However, many other methods and systems for accessing and distributing such information are available and known to the reader, for example: mobile telephone networks, personal digital assistant networks, conventional dial-up networks, and others.
Ready access to huge amounts of information, however, is not necessarily a panacea for businesses and consumers. While improving the ability for businesses to present information to consumers, the prolific growth of information has resulted in many challenges to both parties. One well-known problem is that of consumers being overwhelmed with too much data. While useful information may be readily available, it can be very difficult to find. Further, the costs and complexities of establishing information sources, for example Web sites on the Internet, can be prohibitively difficult and expensive for small businesses.
In addition to the challenge of actually finding useful information, customers are further challenged by having to interpret the often impersonal nature of the information. This is particularly true in the field of services. While service providers may make their basic contact and availability information known on the Internet, it is very difficult for a consumer to be able to read such information and determine whether the services, hours of business, fees, etc. meet the consumer's needs. For example, while it may be relatively easy for a customer to find the telephone number of a plumber in an emergency, it may be difficult and time consuming for the customer to determine if that plumber can timely meet his needs. As another example, while it may be relatively easy for a customer to locate a restaurant of a particular food type or in a particular location, it may be more challenging to determine if that restaurant can meet that customers individual needs for seating, reservations, etc.
As noted above, it is often difficult and expensive for smaller merchants to adequately advertise their services and capabilities to consumers. The costs and complexities associated with the Internet and networked electronic communications make the use of such methods and communication channels challenging for small businesses. Ironically, it is these very same small businesses that may provide the most personalized and useful services to customers if the customers were able to receive and use the business advertisements and information.
The present inventors have determined that there is a significant need in the marketplace for methods and systems of facilitating communications between merchants and customers that enables merchants to effectively communicate, and customers to readily and effectively receive and use, individual, personalized information. The need is particularly significant with respect to the above-described electronic communications, pervasively in use today. The need is particularly challenging as to communicating large quantities of information in a useful, space-efficient manner.

Methods and systems for displaying information on a graphical user interface


A time delay release mechanism has a brake actuator including an actuation member movable between engaged and released positions. The actuation member, when in the engaged position, operatively engages a fire barrier for preventing closure thereof. The actuation member, when in the released position, is operatively disengaged from the fire barrier such that the release mechanism does not prevent closure thereof. A timer includes a magnet which is powered by voltage applied to a capacitor. The magnet is, in turn, connected to the actuator member. When power is interrupted, the capacitor disengages for a predetermined time period. At the conclusion of the time period the magnet releases the actuator which, in turn, releases the brake and causes the fire barrier to close.

Fire barriers, such as fire doors for buildings and the like, may include a brake which allows closure of the barrier in response to certain emergencies, such as a fire. Such a brake may be electrically connected to the electrical power supply of the building such that when the supply of electricity to the building is interrupted, as often happens during a fire, the brake releases the fire barrier.
A problem with such a brake is that any power interruption, however brief and for whatever reason, causes the brake to release the fire barrier, frequently resulting in closure thereof. It is well known that not all power failures are the result of an emergency. For example, in the absence of a fire, a power failure may be produced by a false alarm of a smoke detector or the like, by maintenance or repair of the electrical wiring in the building, by an electrical disturbance in the transmission lines leading to the building, or by an electrical storm. In the absence of a fire, a power outage need not and preferably does not produce closure of the fire barrier. Shortly after a fire barrier closes due to a power failure, it is usually necessary to reset the fire barrier to the position thereof just before the power outage. Opening and positioning a fire barrier is typically time-consuming and may also be arduous.
It is known to add a timer mechanism to the brake which, when the supply of electricity to the building is interrupted, prevents the brake from closing the fire barrier for a duration no longer than a predetermined time period, which is typically 30 seconds or less. If the power interruption exceeds the predetermined time period, in which event the power outage is assumed to be the result of a fire or other emergency warranting closure, the brake releases the fire barrier for effecting closure thereof.
If the power supply to the building is restored within the predetermined time period, then the timer mechanism is reset thereby avoiding unnecessary closure of the fire barrier. Resetting the timer mechanism entails returning the timer mechanism to the state from which the timer mechanism may automatically respond to a power interruption in the aforesaid advantageous manner. A known timer mechanism may, at the end of a power interruption which is less than the predetermined time period, automatically reset itself. The timer mechanism is then ready to respond to subsequent power failures.
Such prior art timer mechanisms suffer a drawback in that they must be manually reset so that the timer mechanism will respond to a subsequent power outage.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a timer mechanism for a fire door which can be automatically reset following a power outage and which uses relatively few components so that the cost of the timer mechanism is affordable.

Time delay release mechanism for a fire barrier


A semiconductor device containing an enhancement mode GaN FET on a III-N layer stack includes a low-doped GaN layer, a barrier layer including aluminum over the low-doped GaN layer, a stressor layer including indium over the barrier layer, and a cap layer including aluminum over the stressor layer. A gate recess extends through the cap layer and the stressor layer, but not through the barrier layer. The semiconductor device is formed by forming the barrier layer with a high temperature MOCVD process, forming the stressor layer with a low temperature MOCVD process and forming the cap layer with a low temperature MOCVD process. The gate recess is formed by a two-step etch process including a first etch step to remove the cap layer, and a second etch step to remove the stressor layer.

An enhancement mode gallium nitride field effect transistor (GaN FET) includes a recessed gate extending into a stressor layer and barrier layer, and vertically separated from a low-doped gallium nitride (GaN) layer. Forming the gate recess by etching to have a desired vertical separation from the low-doped GaN layer is problematic. Timed etching results in unacceptable variation in the separation from the low-doped GaN layer. Forming the gate recess using etch-blocking layers produces defects in the barrier layer and/or the stressor layer.


A method for improving packetized speech transmitted over a wireless LAN is disclosed. Speech packets transmitted over the wireless LAN are monitored for errors. Any of the speech packets found to have errors are replaced with synthesized speech packets. The synthesized speech packets may be created from a vocal tract model generated from the received speech packets during periods of time when there are no errors.

Speech transmission over wireless radio-based LANs (Local Area Networks), such as IEEE 802.11 LANs, are currently implementing protocol enhancements in the MAC layer, which can allow better transport of time-sensitive traffic, like speech. These protocols frequently utilize reservation techniques to minimize loss of packets due to contention.
However, most wireless LAN modems are implemented with radio architectures which either do not offer space diversity (sampling of an electromagnetic wave at more than one point in space) or utilize only switched diversity (use of a second antenna when the primary is found to be in a "null"). As a consequence, these implementations may, even with a contention free MAC protocol, experience some packet loss.
Some types of radio communication systems, such as cellular, utilize special voice compression coding techniques which were designed to cope with packet loss due to propagation. In general, these coding techniques were designed for use with specific standards (e.g. ANSI-136, VSELP, GSM LPC-RPE, etc.). However, the trend today is to use packet radio systems to convey multimedia coding identical to that used in the wireline network (G.711 64 Kbps PCM, etc.). Such coders were designed to operate with error rates considerably below those normally experienced in radio environments. Accordingly, some exhibit audible impairments when subjected to substantial packet losses.
Since wireless LANs are now being contemplated as a means for voice transport as well as data transmission in enterprise, home, and public environments, it is important that users experience the same quality of service (QoS) as they would obtain with a wireline connection. Although combinational diversity (simultaneous sampling of an E-M wave at two or more points in space using separate receivers with intelligent algorithms to minimize error rate) combined with improved forward error correction (FEC) coding may become a feature of next-generation wireless LAN systems, the cost, size and power dissipation of such solutions currently makes them unattractive to consumers.
Accordingly, what is needed is a wireless LAN system and method that will allow voice and data transport and provide a high QoS, with a more reasonable cost, size and power dissipation than conventional systems and methods.

Method and apparatus for QoS improvement with packet voice transmission over wireless LANs


An ink cartridge has a storage space that receives a porous material for absorbing ink and having a pair of side walls opposed to each other, a first cover member, and a spacer member projecting from the first cover member into the storage space so as to occupy a predetermined space, the spacer member having an outer circumferential wall, a bottom wall and a support wall, the outer circumferential wall extending substantially along an inner surface of the storage space in section, the bottom wall covering a porous-material-side end portion of the outer circumferential wall, the support wall extending in a direction crossing the pair of side walls of the casing to be connected to inner surfaces of two sides of the outer circumferential wall. A space surrounded by the outer circumferential wall is made open to the outside through an opening portion formed to penetrate the first cover member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink cartridge, and particularly relates to an ink cartridge capable of reducing the ink capacity without changing the shape of its casing and capable of suppressing deterioration in degree of deaeration of ink.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been hitherto known inkjet recording apparatus in which a black ink cartridge and a color ink cartridge are mounted so that ink is supplied from each ink cartridge to a recording head, and the ink is ejected from the recording head to a recording medium. In this inkjet recording apparatus, color ink is less frequently used than black ink in the use condition where the greater part of print data is text data. Thus, the validity of the color ink expires before the color ink is used up. As a result, there is a problem that the color ink cartridge is obliged to be exchanged for a new one so that the running cost increases. On the contrary, the black ink is less frequently used than the color ink in the use condition where the printing amount of color images is large. Thus, the validity of the black ink may expire before the black ink is used up. Further, when the inkjet recording apparatus itself is not frequently used, the validity of each ink may expire though both the black ink and the color ink are still in existence.
In order to solve the problem, it can be considered to manufacture an ink cartridge whose volume is reduced to reduce the ink capacity. However, there is a problem that a mold of such a low-volume ink cartridge has to be built up so that the cost increases. In addition, to mount the small ink cartridge on the inkjet recording apparatus, the shape of the mounting portion have to be changed. Thus, there is a problem that the cost increases more.
JP-A-9-262988 proposes an ink cartridge in which filler is charged into a bottom portion of a container forming a normal volume of the ink cartridge so as to reduce the ink volume. According to this ink cartridge, the ink filling amount can be reduced by charging the filler without changing the shape of the container. However, the shape of a porous material near an ink supply port is deformed. The ink supply port has the strongest influence on the ink outflow property with which ink flows into the recording head. Thus, there is a problem that there may occur a fluctuation in the print properties.
JP-A-2001-121715 proposes an ink cartridge including a container body communicating with an ink chamber through a supply port, a porous material to be impregnated with ink being received in the ink chamber, and a cover for sealing an opening portion of the container body, wherein a spacer is attached between the cover and the porous material. According to this ink cartridge, the ink filling amount can be reduced without changing the shape of the container while keeping the ink outflow property.


A first communication device receives an ATM cell bound for a second ATM device from a first ATM device via an ATM interface, and then the first communication device sends a data frame including the ATM cell to the second ATM device via wide area Ethernet. In addition, the first communication device sends a synchronization frame to the second ATM device via the wide area Ethernet continuously at a predetermined time interval in accordance with a clock frequency of the first ATM device. A second communication device receives the synchronization frame and measures a clock frequency of the first ATM device in accordance with a time interval of receiving the synchronization frame so as to reproduce a clock having the same frequency as the measured clock frequency. After that, the second communication device sends the clock to the second ATM device via an ATM interface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method for supporting communications among plural ATM devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 23 shows a conventional method for connecting ATM devices 5. A device such as an ATM terminal or an ATM exchange having an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) interface (hereinafter referred to as an "ATM device 5") performs communication with other ATM devices 5 via an ATM network as shown in FIG. 23. The ATM network enables a fast communication of multimedia data or the like. Therefore, a service for connecting ATM devices 5 to each other via the ATM network so as to establish a WAN (Wide Area Network) or the like is widespread.
However, a cost necessary for constructing and managing the ATM network is high, so a method for establishing a WAN at a lower cost is desired strongly.
On the other hand, as a method for establishing and operating a WAN, a method of connecting devices using a wide area Ethernet network has gained the spotlight. According to this method, a WAN can be established at a low cost.
Therefore, a method of replacing the existing ATM network for connecting ATM devices 5 with a wide area Ethernet network is possible. However, in such a method, it is difficult to predict a delay or a degree of dumping of frames in the wide area Ethernet network. Therefore, it is difficult to synchronize a clock of a lower order ATM device 5 with a clock of a higher order ATM device 5 of communication in the wide area Ethernet network. Accordingly, communication between ATM devices 5 cannot be performed well in the above-mentioned method.
As described in Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 7-264207, there is proposed a method of connecting a terminal device that is used in an Ethernet LAN (Local Area Network) environment to an ATM exchange simply. However, there is not proposed a method in which a wide area Ethernet network is used instead of the ATM network for communication between ATM devices 5.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System for supporting communications among ATM devices, device for supporting data transmission, method for sending data, and computer program product


A wireless charging device for use in providing electrical power to one or more portable electronic devices is provided. The wireless charging device includes a transmission coil coupled to an electrical power source. The transmission coil selectively transmits power from the electrical power source to at least one receiving coil in a first portable electronic device of the one or more portable electronic devices. The wireless charging device also includes a positioning system coupled to the transmission coil. The positioning system is configured to selectively rotate said transmission coil about a first axis and about a second axis.

The present disclosure relates generally to wireless charging coils, and more particularly to methods and systems for using wireless charging coils with a wireless charging device.
Known portable electronic devices, e.g., without limitation, smartphones, tablets, netbooks, e-readers, PDAs, and other similar devices have become increasingly prevalent in modern society. Many such electronic devices are battery powered, such as by a lithium ion battery, in order to enable the electronic device to be operated while detached from a power source. However, known battery powered devices must be periodically recharged for continuous use, because batteries lose charge during operation of the electronic device. In known systems, recharging the electronic device may include attaching the battery of the electronic device to an electrical power source through a cable or wire. In more recently known systems, a wireless charging device charges the battery using inductive coils that do not require a direct physical connection. More specifically, known wireless charging devices transmit electrical power from a charging coil in the wireless charging device to a receiving coil in the electronic device.
However, as wireless charging efficiency is at least partially related to the orientation of the charging coil with respect to the receiving coil, known wireless charging systems require the electronic device to be precisely positioned with respect to a wireless charging device. Generally wireless charging becomes more efficient as the coils are oriented parallel to each other, and charging efficiency is reduced as the coils become oriented perpendicularly to each other. Therefore, in some known systems, the wireless charging device includes shelves or slots that receive the electronic device and orient the electronic device in a particular position to enable a static charging coil to operate efficiently. In other known systems, the wireless charging device includes a flat charging pad that includes a charging coil that may be movable within an X-Y plane defined by the flat charging pad.
However, each of the known systems requires at least some predetermined positioning of the electronic device, either by placing the device into a slot, or by positioning the device on a flat charging pad. Further, known systems rapidly lose charging efficiency as the electronic device is oriented at an increasing planar angle with respect to the wireless charging device.

Method and apparatus to align wireless charging coils


A novel diode bar, side-pumped laser cavity design having high optical to optical conversion efficiency and a high slope efficiency is provided. A slab geometry with a single, high angle of incidence internal reflection permits gain to be accessed near the pump face of a laser material which absorbs strongly at the pump wavelength.

With the rapid development of diode-pumped solid-state lasers during the past few years, a number of approaches have been adopted with the aim of optimizing the overall efficiency of such devices. In small, diode-pumped systems, high optical to optical conversion is most easily achieved with longitudinal/end-pumping configurations, and the potential scalability of this technique has been demonstrated convincingly with the tightly folded resonator (TFR) design. This particular configuration, which uses a slab geometry, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,839 issued Jan. 16, 1990 in the name of T. Baer. Baer discloses a pumping scheme with a plurality of spaced apart laser diode pumping sources positioned along a lateral side of a block of laser material. An optical resonator incorporating the block is configured in a tightly folded zig-zag configuration with the aim of optimizing the degree of spatial overlap between the pumped laser material and the optical resonator mode.
The alternative to end pumping is side-pumping, where the direction of pumping is transverse or orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the laser cavity. Continuous wave (CW) or quasi-CW diode bars have been used in this configuration with relatively high power systems, however this approach tends to be much less efficient than end-pumping and considerable care must be taken to ensure that there is a high degree of overlap between the laser mode and the pumped volume. A major source of inefficiency in most side-pumping schemes is that the pump light is absorbed preferentially near the surface while the laser mode is located in the interior of the active medium. Partial solutions to this problem are: the use of a low absorption material with a large mode volume; partial focusing of the pump light in order to increase the pump intensity at the location of the mode; or, to use a slab geometry which makes direct use of the gain at the air/material interface. This last approach has the advantage that gain and refractive index non-uniformities are averaged-out by the mode as it interacts with the pumped region of the laser material. It is an object of this invention to provide a side-pumping configuration which is less complex but comparable in efficiency to the TFR scheme of Baer. Contrary to Baer's method this invention includes a laser cavity configured to have a reflection within the laser material at a high angle of incidence with respect to the normal rather than a tightly folded zig-zag configuration.

High efficiency transversely pumped solid-state slab laser


A tubular fuel cell module having improved current collecting efficiency. In one embodiment, the fuel cell module includes: a fuel cell unit; a first current collector extending along an outer side of the fuel cell unit; and a second current collector wound around the first current collector and around the outer side of the fuel cell unit. Here, the outer side of the fuel cell unit is a curved outer side, the first current collector has a curved inner side facing the curved outer side of the fuel cell unit, and the curved inner side of first current collector is shaped to match the curved outer side of the fuel cell unit.

1. Field
The following description relates to a fuel cell module, in particular to a fuel cell module having a structure capable of increasing its current collecting efficiency.
2. Description of Related Art
Since fuel cells have various output ranges and uses, it is possible to select the fuel cells suitable for particular purposes. Among the fuel cells, a lot of attention has been directed to solid oxide fuel cells for distribution power generation, commerce, and home, because these fuel cells have advantages in that position control of an electrolyte is relatively easy, the electrolyte is hardly exhausted due to the fixed position of the electrolyte, and the life of the material is long due to high corrosion resistance. Further, solid oxide fuel cells are cells that operate at relatively high temperature of about 600˜1000° C., and have several advantages in that they have the highest efficiency and cause little air pollution compared to a variety of fuel cells in the related art, do not need a fuel reformer, and allow for composite power generation.
However, such solid oxide fuel cells may not achieve sufficient voltage with only an individual fuel cell unit, such that, if necessary, the fuel cell units are stacked to be connected with each other, and these fuel cell units can be largely categorized as either a tube type or a flat plate type. It is envisioned that although the tube type has a decreased power density in the stack itself as compared with the flat plate type, the power density of the entire system is about the same. Further, the tube type makes it possible to easily seal the fuel cell units of the stack, has high resistance against thermal stress, and also has high mechanical strength of the stack, such that research about the tube type has been actively conducted as an advanced technology for manufacturing products having a large area.
Further, the tube type solid oxide fuel cell can be classified as either a cathode-supported fuel cell using the cathode as a support or an anode-supported fuel cell using the anodes as a support. The anode-supported fuel cell is an advanced type, such that the solid oxide fuel cells are now being developed for the anode-supported type.
A method of winding a wire made of silver (Ag) around a cathode to collect current has been used for current collectors in the related art


An integrated process is provided for the production of propylene oxide from propane wherein propane is dehydrogenated to propylene and hydrogen and the resulting propylene, propane, and hydrogen mixture together with added oxygen is reacted over a palladium on titanium silicilite catalyst to form propylene oxide, the molar ratio of oxygen to hydrogen in the reaction feed being at least about 2/1.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of propylene oxide by a process wherein propane is dehydrogenated and the product mixture comprised of propylene, propane and hydrogen from the dehydrogenation, together with added oxygen, is reacted to form propylene oxide.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Integrated processes have been proposed wherein propane is dehydrogenated to form propylene with the propylene being epoxidized, using a hydroperoxide or hydrogen peroxide, to form propylene oxide. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,956. Such prior procedures have required the costly separation of propylene from hydrogen in the dehydrogenation product prior to the epoxidation of the propylene to propylene oxide.
In addition, methods have been proposed such as suggested in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,990,632 and 5,008,412 wherein propane is dehydrogenated and the resultant propylene is oxidized to propylene oxide using a catalyst such as silver oxide; oxygen is eliminated by oxidation from the recycle stream.
Further, in EP 0850936 a process is described wherein propane is dehydrogenated, oxygen is added to the dehydrogenation product and the resulting mixture is epoxidized over a gold catalyst with oxygen being eliminated from the recycle stream.
The instant invention represents a significant improvement over prior procedures in that the mixture of propylene, propane, and hydrogen from the propane dehydrogenation is used, without separation of the components, to form propylene oxide over a Pd/TS-1 catalyst with recycle of oxygen to the epoxidation.


A plurality of flat templates, each of which has the outline of an electric outlet box cut therein. A pair of slot-like openings are also cut in the template for weaving the template onto a wallboarder's square, or a carpenter's square. The template slides along the long member of the square to position and install the outlet boxes according to the building specifications. The template is then used to accurately position the corresponding cutout openings in the corresponding wallboard, sheeting or paneling. The apparatus can also be used to install ceiling outlets, and to accurately position the corresponding cutout openings in the ceiling wallboard, sheeting or paneling.

This invention relates to a simple template system adapted for use with a wallboarder's square to position electrical outlet boxes and openings on paneling, sheeting and wallboard. It is important that the outlet boxes be positioned uniformly on the studs, and that the openings in the paneling, sheeting or wallboard be accurately positioned over the outlet boxes.


Provided is an optical system having an image rotating function disposed on an image side with respect to an image pick up lens, which makes it possible that its optical performance is satisfactory, an eclipse amount is small, a field angle and an F number intended by a photographer are obtained, and compactness is achieved. The optical system is an optical system mountable to the image pick up lens. The optical system includes: an image rotator which is disposed on the image side with respect to a first imaging plane of the image pick up lens and has an incident optical axis and an emission optical axis made coaxial to each other; a first lens unit having a negative optical power which is disposed between the image pick up lens and the first imaging plane; a second lens unit having a positive optical power which is disposed between the first imaging plane and the image rotator; and a third lens unit having a positive optical power which is disposed on the image side with respect to the image rotator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical system having an image rotating function, and more particularly to an optical system having an image rotating function mounted in an optical apparatus, such as a film camera, a television camera, or a video camera on an image side with respect to an image pick up lens thereof.
2. Related Background Art
As a means for rotating an image in an image pick up optical system or an observation optical system, there has been known a method of disposing an image rotator in an optical path of an optical system. The image rotator includes odd-numbered reflection surfaces and has an incident optical axis and an emission optical axis made coaxial to each other. When the image rotator is rotated with an optical axis of the image pick up optical system as a rotation axis by a predetermined angle, the image is rotated by twice the predetermined angle.
FIG. 20 is a conceptual diagram of such an image rotator. As a related art example where the image rotator is disposed in an observation optical system, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-014283 discloses an observation optical system in which an image rotator prism is disposed, and the image rotator prism is used to correct an image rotation accompanying a rotational movement of a rotating mirror.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. S50-034552 discloses an image pick up optical system provided with a relay optical system having an image rotator disposed on an image side with respect to an image pick up lens, and rotating a first image of the image pick up lens to effect reimaging.
When the above-mentioned image rotators are used, there is a demand to rotate an image in real time for achieving a special effect in photography. However, an image pick up lens to be used varies depending on photograph application, and may be a wide angle lens, a telescopic lens, a zoom lens, or the like. Therefore, to cope with the above demand, mounting an optical system having an image rotating function to an existing lens as an adapter results in high versatility and is more advantageous than the case where a specific lens is prepared for inserting an image rotator in an observation optical system as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-014283.
In addition, regarding an arrangement position of an optical system for image rotation in an image pick up optical system, to avoid an influence from change in viewing angle of an image pick up lens or change in viewing angle due to zooming, an image rotator is preferably disposed on an image side with respect to an image pick up lens as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 50-034552. At this time, it is preferable in practical use that degradation in optical performance of an image be small, a field angle and an F number intended by a photographer be obtained, quantity of light in periphery be secured, and the like. Furthermore, it is important for an entire apparatus to be compact from a practical standpoint.
Incidentally, in Japanese Patent Application No. S50-034552, a field lens is disposed on a first imaging plane of an image pick up lens, its optical power is appropriately controlled, and a pupil of a relay lens is set to be disposed in a vicinity of a center of an image rotator prism, thereby realizing the compact image rotator prism. However, according to such a structure, when an on-axis or off-axis marginal ray having high divergence characteristic enters the image rotator prism, there is a problem in that eclipse occurs in mid-course of an optical path within the image rotator. Therefore, the prism needs to be made large in order to avoid the eclipse, which is disadvantageous to produce a compact optical system.
Also, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. S50-034552, the image rotator is constituted by a prism, and therefore there is a problem in that various kinds of aberration are generated in the image rotator, degrading its optical performance. When an attempt is made to correct the aberrations, a large number of lenses for correcting those aberrations are required, which is disadvantageous to produce the compact optical system.

Optical system having image rotating function, and optical apparatus


Automatic Protection Switching (APS) and error signal processing coordination apparatus and methods are disclosed. If a communication module that enables communication signals and error signals to be exchanged with a remote communication module is configured in an APS protection group, error signal processing by the communication module is restricted. This prevents Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) T1/E1 Remote Defect Indication (RDI) signal processing, for example, from interfering with Synchronous Optical Network/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SONET/SDH) unidirectional One-plus-One APS. Under certain conditions, however, a restricted communication module may be allowed to perform a restricted error processing operation or revert to normal unrestricted error signal processing.

In Synchronous Optical Network/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SONET/SDH) Unidirectional One-plus-One APS, the same traffic is transmitted on two ports that are part of the same protection group. User traffic in a transmit direction of a SONET/SDH port therefore runs independently of any defects in the receive direction of the SONET/SDH port, and vice versa. This means that a defect in the receive direction of a SONET/SDH port, for example, cannot disrupt the user traffic in the transmit direction of that port.
In Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) technology, however, when a defect is detected in the receive direction of a T1/E1 circuit, a Remote Defect Indication (RDI) signal is transmitted in the transmit direction of the T1/E1 circuit. A remote end device that receives the T1/E1 RDI signal is required, according to T1/E1 standards, to overwrite the user traffic on the T1/E1 circuit with a fixed Trunk Conditioning (TC) bit pattern. A defect in the receive direction of a T1/E1 circuit, which may be carried by a SONET/SDH port, would therefore lead to disruption of user traffic in the transmit direction of the T1/E1 circuit.
As a result of this incompatibility between SONET/SDH Unidirectional One-plus-One APS requirements and T1/E1 standards, SONET/SDH Unidirectional One-plus-One APS cannot operate properly on a SONET/SDH port that carries and terminates T1/E1 circuits.
Thus, there remains a need for techniques to coordinate APS and error signal processing.

Automatic protection switching and error signal processing coordination apparatus and methods


An acoustic resonator device includes a bottom electrode disposed on a substrate over an acoustic reflecting feature, a piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode and a top electrode disposed on the piezoelectric layer, where an overlap between the top electrode, the piezoelectric layer and the bottom electrode over the acoustic reflecting feature define an active region of the acoustic resonator device. The acoustic resonator device further includes at least one of a wing having an outer edge extending beyond at least a portion of an outer edge of the top electrode, and a first frame formed in one of an outer region or a center region of the top electrode. The at least one of the wing and the first frame has an apodized shape, such that no edges are parallel to one another, the apodized shape of the at least one of the wing and the first frame being different from an electrode shape defined by an outer edge of the top electrode.

Acoustic resonators can be used to implement signal processing functions in various electronic applications. For example, some cellular phones and other communication devices use acoustic resonators to implement frequency filters for transmitted and/or received signals. Several different types of acoustic resonators can be used according to different applications, with examples including bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators such as thin film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs), solidly mounted resonators (SMRs), coupled resonator filters (CRFs), stacked bulk acoustic resonators (SBARs), and double bulk acoustic resonators (DBARs). An FBAR, for example, includes a piezoelectric layer between a bottom (first) electrode and a top (second) electrode over a cavity. BAW resonators may be used in a wide variety of electronic applications, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), electronic gaming devices, laptop computers and other portable communications devices. For example, FBARs operating at frequencies close to their fundamental thickness extensional resonance frequencies may be used as a key component of radio frequency (RF) filters and duplexers in mobile devices.
An acoustic resonator typically comprises a layer of piezoelectric material sandwiched between two plate electrodes in a structure referred to as an acoustic stack. Where an input electrical signal is applied between the electrodes, reciprocal or inverse piezoelectric effect causes the acoustic stack to mechanically expand or contract depending on the polarization of the piezoelectric material. As the input electrical signal varies over time, expansion and contraction of the acoustic stack produces acoustic waves that propagate through the acoustic resonator in various directions and are converted into an output electrical signal by the piezoelectric effect. Some of the acoustic waves achieve resonance across the acoustic stack, with the resonant frequency being determined by factors such as the materials, dimensions, and operating conditions of the acoustic stack. These and other mechanical characteristics of the acoustic resonator determine its frequency response.
In general, an acoustic resonator comprises different lateral regions that may be subject to different types of resonances, or resonance modes. These lateral regions can be characterized, very broadly, as a main membrane region and peripheral regions, where the main membrane region is defined, roughly, by an overlap between the two plate electrodes and the piezoelectric material, and the peripheral regions are defined as areas outside the main membrane region. Two peripheral regions, in particular, are defined as a region located between the edge of the main membrane region and edge of the air cavity, and a region of an overlap of at least one plate electrode and the piezoelectric material with the substrate. The main membrane region is subject to electrically excited modes generated by the electric field between the two plate electrodes, and both the main membrane and the peripheral regions are subject to certain derivative modes generated by scattering of energy in the electrically excited modes. The electrically excited modes comprise, for instance, a piston mode formed by longitudinal acoustic waves with boundaries at the edges of the main membrane region. The derivative modes comprise, for instance, lateral modes formed by lateral acoustic waves excited at the edges of the main membrane region and the peripheral regions.
The lateral modes facilitate continuity of appropriate mechanical particle velocities and stresses between the electrically driven main membrane region and the essentially non-driven peripheral regions. They can either propagate freely (so called propagating modes) or exponentially decay (so called evanescent and complex modes) from the point of excitation. They can be excited both by lateral structural discontinuities (e.g., an interface between regions of different thicknesses in the main membrane region, or an edge of a top or bottom electrode) or by electric field discontinuities (e.g., an edge of a top electrode where the electric field is terminated abruptly).
The lateral modes generally have a deleterious impact on the performance of an acoustic resonator. Accordingly, some acoustic resonators include ancillary structural features designed to suppress, inhibit, or mitigate the lateral modes. For example, an air-ring (e.g., including air-bridges and/or air-wings) may be formed under the top electrode by an extended wing of the acoustic resonator in order to eliminate the transducer effect over the substrate. In another example, a frame may be formed by a conductive or dielectric material within the boundary of the main membrane region to minimize scattering of electrically excited piston mode at top electrode edges and improve confinement of mechanical motion to the main membrane region.

Acoustic resonator device with structures having different apodized shapes

Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


A belt mounted hat clip is provided including a rear portion having belt coupling mechanism for being removably mounted to a belt. A front portion is included having a rest orientation for gripping a visor of a hat and a biased orientation for allowing the hat to be removed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to belt clips and more particularly pertains to a new belt mounted hat clip for securing a hat to a belt of a user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of belt clips is known in the prior art. More specifically, belt clips heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art belt clips include U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,036; U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,236; U.S. Pat. Des. 251,345; U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,934; U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,728; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,829.
In these respects, the belt mounted hat clip according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of securing a hat to a belt of a user.


A simple, efficient method for immobilization of enzymes on siliceous supports is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a siliceous support having surface hydroxyl groups such as silica gel is contacted with a solution of a polyaldehyde cross-linking agent such as glutaraldehyde to produce a modified support containing bound cross-linking agent. After separation from the solution, the modified support is contacted with a solution containing an enzyme to bind the enzyme to free aldehyde functions of the cross-linking agent. Owing to properties peculiar to siliceous supports, the resulting immobilized enzyme is much more stable than enzymes immobilized on other supports. Consequently, much less enzyme is required. The immobilized enzymes generated via this process are ideally suited for continuous enzymatic production of commodity chemicals and pharmaceuticals such as L-DOPA, and for other enzyme-mediated industrial processes.

This invention relates to a method for the immobilization of enzymes onto siliceous support materials and the use of such immobilized enzymes in continuous enzyme-based processes such as the production of pharmaceuticals. Immobilized enzymes prepared according to the invention have potential applications, however, in a wide range of synthetic and materials treatment processes such as the production of specialty commodity chemicals, waste water treatment and pulp and paper processing.
The industrial use of enzymes is often limited by their high cost and rapid inactivation. In particular, the use of soluble enzymes necessitates regular replenishment of the enzymes, lost with the product at the conclusion of a process. To improve their economic feasibility in industrial processes, enzymes are generally immobilized onto a matrix. Immobilization facilitates re-use of the enzymes, and may affect the selectivity and stability of the enzyme. Immobilization research has focused upon means to enhance the transfer of enzymes onto the support, and upon means to ensure that the transferred enzymes remain active.
A number of different organic and inorganic support matrices and enzyme immobilization techniques have been tried with a view to achieving a high level of enzyme uptake with a minimum of enzyme degradation or inactivation. One such approach is the immobilization of an enzyme by its physical entrapment within a gel, microcapsule or similar polymeric structure. An example is afforded by U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,751 (Messing) which teaches the adsorption of an enzyme to the inner surface of a porous, essentially non-siliceous ceramic body having an average pore diameter at least as large as the largest dimension of the enzyme.
While entrapment is a simple process and generally affords a high uptake of enzyme without appreciable inactivation during the immobilization process, the enzyme once bound is surrounded by a matrix imposing a mass transfer barrier. In the result, the observed activity may be much lower than the intrinsic activity of the enzyme. On the other hand, direct physical adsorption of the enzyme to a substrate, without any entrapment, is generally characterized by relatively weak binding between enzyme and support, leading to significant enzyme desorption.
Another approach is the direct covalent bonding of an enzyme to a suitably chemically modified support medium. While this leads to strong bonding between the enzyme and the support, a labour-intensive and expensive multi-step procedure is usually involved (including the step of "activating" the support). Too, low enzyme yields are not uncommon, owing to inactivation of the enzyme by the harsh conditions employed in the immobilization process.
A further, widely used approach to enzyme immobilization might be referred to as the "covalent cross-linking" process and is exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,071,409 (Messing et al.); 4,258,133 (Mirabel et al.); and 4,888,285 (Nishimura et al.). According to the teachings of these patents a support medium is modified or coated to present functionalities which can then be linked by way of a cross-linking agent to free functional groups on the enzyme. Thus, Nishimura et al. modifies a silica gel or porous glass support surface by reaction with an aminosilane derivative in an organic solvent. The resulting aminated support is then linked to the enzyme in the presence of a polyfunctional cross-linking agent (glutaraldehyde), a phenoxycarboxylic acid (tannic acid) and, optionally, a basic polysaccharide (e.g. chitosan). Nishimura et al. asserts that the tannic acid and chitosan stabilize the enzyme, so as to reduce inactivation by the cross-linking agent during the immobilization process.
According to the aforementioned Mirabel patent, which affords a second example of the covalent cross-linking technique, an inorganic support having surface hydroxyl groups (e.g. brick, alumina, aluminosilicates) is modified with compounds containing an alcohol or phenol group (e.g. monoethanolamine, amino-1 pentanol, p-aminophenol) to generate an ester linkage on a "grafted" support. The resulting grafted support is then coupled to the enzyme, usually in the presence of a bifunctional reagent.
Known enzyme immobilization proceedings employing covalent cross-linking involve in many cases, time consuming modifications to the substrate surface and/or the use of expensive or hazardous reagents (either solvents or the grafting agents themselves).
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and efficient method for the immobilization of enzymes on siliceous supports, requiring no prior modification of the support material to avoid the disadvantages attendant on such modification. Our approach is based on the discovery that polyaldehyde cross-linking agents may be used to immobilize enzymes onto previously unmodified siliceous support materials, to produce water-insoluble immobilized enzyme complexes exhibiting high yields of enzyme activity and stability.
It is a further object of the invention to provide immobilized enzymes which may usefully be applied to continuous enzymatic reactions with a variety of industrial applications, including waste water treatment, production of pharmaceuticals and other commodity chemicals, and pulp and paper processing.

Enzyme immobilization on a siliceous support with a polyaldehyde cross-linking agent


Systems and methods for measuring short wave infrared fluorescence and autofluorescent signals are disclosed. In some embodiments, for example, a method may include exposing a portion of tissue that does not include a fluorescent probe to an excitation source of the tissue, wherein at least a portion of the tissue has an autofluorescence spectrum which includes wavelengths greater than 900 nm, and imaging the tissue with a detector that is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths greater than or equal to 900 nm. In certain other embodiments, a system comprises a fluorescent probe including a fluorescent component attached to a carrier, an excitation source, and a detector that detects a tail portion of the fluorescence of the fluorescent component. Methods associated with such a system are also disclosed.

Current in vivo imaging technologies fail to provide high resolution, desirable penetration depths, and sensitivity simultaneously, which limits their widespread adoption for identifying diseases. For example, high resolution and high sensitivity imaging is straightforward on single cells using visible light imaging techniques. However, when imaging whole animals and their tissues, resolution and sensitivity of subsurface tissue features are drastically reduced due to scattering and absorption of light by surrounding tissue. Another major limitation of conventional in vivo imaging technologies is the intense background autofluorescence of tissue at the same wavelengths as the emission wavelengths of the fluorescent probes used to detect various conditions. This overlap of autofluorescence with the expected emission wavelengths of the associated fluorescent probes inhibits disease detection. In one such example, traditional imaging with visible and near infrared wavelengths suffers from poor contrast against the background autofluorescence signals from normal cells and tissues.

Device and method for imaging shortwave infrared fluorescence


A method of producing a substance utilizing an agravic effect, and an apparatus for carrying out the same. A container (3, 55, 65) containing materials for producing a substance is revolved about a horizontal axis, at least while a process of producing the substance is in progress, so as to meet an inequality: ##EQU1## where .omega. (radian/sec) is the angular velocity of the container, g (mm/s.sup.2) is gravitational acceleration, r (mm) is the distance between a unit mass and an axis of rotation of the container rotating about its own axis to generate a residual centrifugal force acting on the unit mass, and x is the upper limit of the ratio between centrifugal force acting on the unit mass at each cycle and the terrestrial gravity (gravitational acceleration g).

It has been considered that an agravic environment cannot be created in any way other than by creating an agravic environment in an artificial satellite or an aircraft in an agravic sphere, or allowing objects, for example, a mixture of the component substances of an alloy, to fall into a deep shaft, such as a pit in an abandoned mine. A huge amount of money has been invested in the development of means for creating an agravic environment, but the great expense incurred by this development is reflected directly by the cost of products manufactured by such a costly means. Accordingly, there is a demand for the development of a method of creating an agravic environment at an economically acceptable cost, and for an economically feasible apparatus for creating an agravic environment.

Apparatus for producing a substance utilizing agravic effect


Disclosed is a lens for treating the diplopia and amblyopia and glasses using the same including a concave and convex part wherein a concave part and a convex part are continuously and repeatedly formed on the overall surface of a lens body facing an eye ball of a person who wears the lens. Here, the concave pan has a radius of curvature of R and the convex part has a radius of curvature of r. The relation between R and r is R>>r. There is no esthetic defects ostensibly since an eye through the glasses using the lens look like a normal eye seen from the outside of the glasses and covers a normal eye on behalf of the conventional eye patch by hardly seeing an object of the outside seen from the inside of the glasses, thereby improving the eyesight of the patient suffering from the diplopia or the amblyopia.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens specially manufactured for treatment of a diplopia and a amblyopia and glasses using the same, and particularly to a lens for remedial treatment of a diplopia and amblyopia and glasses capable of increasing an effective treatment result and enhancing satisfaction of a wearer by compensating drawbacks in that a conventionally used eye patch has caused an inconvenience to a wearer and the wearer has avoided wearing the eye patch due to the deficiency in the esthetic sense.
2. Description of the Related Art
Amblylopia is defined as dimness of sight in one eye or in both eyes without an apparent organic defect, and most of the cases, it occurs in one eye. The Amblyopia is known to be caused by the interdiction of an appropriate visual impetus indispensable for development of eye sight in the early ages by strabismus, anisometropia, a heavy abnormal refraction and the like. However, it is a kind of disease curable to normalcy when treated in an early stage. The ratio of people suffering from the disease roughly amounts to 2% to 5% of the total population.
Diplopia is defined as a condition of vision in which a single object appears double caused by a facial muscle paralysis and the like. The diplopia is known to be originated from the generation of strabismus caused by the nervous paralysis of orbit muscle resulting from the circulatory disorders such as diabetes, a high blood pressure and the like, and most of the cases, it is possible to recover from diplopia within six (6) months since the disease has occurred.
In the case of the amblyopia, the eyesight can be improved by an appropriate treatment during the period of ages 9 to 10. It is conventionally known that a good eye or a normal eye of good eyesight is covered by an eye patch not to see, so that only the eye of amblyopia can see for improvement. In the case of the diplopia, it has been a customary for a patient of diplopia to wear the eye patch for improving the diplopia.
However, there are some problems and inconveniences in the method of covering the eye by using the eye patch as follows.
First, the eye patch should be periodically replaced due to the collection of the secretion at the inner surface of the eye patch where the eye contacts, and especially the case is worsened when the eye patch should be worn for a lifetime in case of amblyopia caused by a traumatic injury because the symptom of the amblyopia remains even after the surgery.
Second, the eye patch is frequently removed for reasons of its external appearance and lack of the esthetic look on the face, especially in the case of a child patient, thereby decreasing the remedial cooperation from the patient and lowering the curative effect.
Third, an eruption, dermatitis or an itchy symptom on a facial area is occasionally appeared caused by the adhesive tape for attaching the eye patch to the face.

Lens for diplopia and amblyopia and glasses using the same


In one implementation, a network device receives a series of video frames spanning a series time period from a network. The time period may be static of a specific duration or identified dynamically based on the timing of the video frames. The network device decodes the series of video frames and stores the decoded series of data frames in memory along with associated timestamps. A pause phenomenon in excess of expected delay is identified between two of the decoded video frames. The network device forwards or displays the series of decoded frames such that each successive pair of frames in the series of decoded frames are spaced by a resultant delay period that is less than a duration of the pause phenomenon.

Various standards have been developed in recent years for video encoding and compression in applications such as videoconferencing, digital storage media, television broadcasting, internet streaming, and other network communications. Image frames are encoded and/or compressed at one end of a transmission and decoded and/or decompressed at the other end of the transmission. The encoded or compressed version of the image frames are easily transmitted or stored. Data streams in the transmission may suffer from various types of errors. The errors may include noise in the transmission, packet loss in the network, device malfunctions, or delays.
Delays may be caused by the network or from hardware decoding. Delay from the network may occur when one or more video frames must be retransferred because of the errors (e.g., the frames were not received or were damaged). The time necessary to decode one or more video frames may undesirably be greater than normal or as expected.