A power amplifier based on EER technology or ET technology extracts an amplitude-modulated component from a modulated signal as an input signal which includes the amplitude-modulated component and a phase-modulated component, and decomposes the amplitude-modulated component into two control signals whose product is proportional to the amplitude-modulated component. One of the control signals is amplified by a highly efficient amplifier, and thereafter is used to amplitude-modulate an output from an RF amplifier. The other control signal is converted by a pulse modulator into a rectangular-wave signal, which is then mixed with the phase-modulated component or the modulated signal and input to the RF amplifier.

Power amplifiers for transmission which are included in wireless communication devices consume much electric power among other components in the wireless communication devices. Therefore, improving the power efficiency of power amplifiers is an important task to be accomplished in the development of wireless communication devices. In recent years, the wireless communication standards have seen mainstream efforts directed to an amplitude modulation scheme for improving the spectral efficiency. According to the amplitude modulation scheme, since strict requirements are imposed on signal distortions, power amplifiers need to be operated in a high backoff (low input power) state for better linearity. However, if a power amplifier is operated in the high backoff state, then the power amplifier has its power efficiency lowered. Recently, EER (Envelope Elimination and Restoration) has been intensively researched as a technology for increasing the power efficiency of power amplifiers and keeping linearity between input and output signals.
The EER technology is a scheme for amplifying highly efficiently an input signal (modulated signal) including an amplitude-modulated (AM) component and a phase-modulated (PM) component. Specifically, only the PM component that is left by removing the AM component from the input signal is amplified, and the amplified PM component is amplitude-modulated with the removed AM component, thereby linearly amplifying the input signal and restoring the original waveform thereof. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a power amplifier according to the background art which is based on the EER technology.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the power amplifier according to the background art which is based on the EER technology.
As shown in FIG. 1, the power amplifier according to the background art which is based on the EER technology comprises signal generating circuit 147, RF (Radio Frequency) amplifier 109, pulse modulator 104, driver amplifier 116, switching amplifier 105, low-pass filter 106, and bandpass filter 107.
Signal generating circuit 147 extracts an AM component included in an input signal, and outputs the extracted AM component as amplitude component signal 111 through terminal 145 to pulse modulator 104. Signal generating circuit 147 also extracts a PM component included in the input signal, and outputs the extracted PM component as phase component signal 112 through terminal 146 to RF amplifier 109.
Pulse modulator 104 pulse-modulates amplitude component signal 111 to generate a rectangular-wave signal, and outputs the rectangular-wave signal to driver amplifier 116.
According to the rectangular-wave signal output from pulse modulator 104, driver amplifier 116 drives switching amplifier 105 to amplify the rectangular-wave signal efficiently. The amplified rectangular-wave signal is smoothed by low-pass filter 106, and then supplied through terminal 142 to RF amplifier 109.
RF amplifier 109 comprises transistor 101, input power supply circuit 108, and output power supply circuit 140. RF amplifier 109 amplifies phase component signal 112 output from signal generating circuit 147. An output signal from RF amplifier 109 is amplitude-modulated with the smoothed rectangular-wave signal supplied from switching amplifier 105 through low-pass filter 106 and terminal 142, i.e., amplified amplitude component signal 114.
Input power supply circuit 108 that is connected to the gate of transistor 101 is usually supplied with a constant DC voltage from a power supply device, not shown, through terminal 141.
The signal amplified by RF amplifier 109 (output signal 115) is processed by bandpass filter 107 to remove unwanted band components therefrom, and then supplied through terminal 144 to an antenna device, not shown, or the like.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configurational example of the signal generating circuit shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another configurational example of the signal generating circuit shown in FIG. 1. Signal generating circuit 147 shown in FIG. 2 is of a configuration optimum for an application wherein an RF signal is input to input terminal 143 of the power amplifier, and signal generating circuit 147 shown in FIG. 3 is of a configuration that is optimum for an application wherein a baseband signal is input to input terminal 143 of the power amplifier.
Signal generating circuit 147 shown in FIG. 2 comprises amplitude detector 103 for extracting an AM component from an RF signal as an input signal and outputting the extracted AM component as amplitude component signal 111, and limiter 102 for removing the AM component of the input signal. Amplitude detector 103 extracts the AM component of the input signal (RF signal) input from terminal 143, and outputs the extracted AM component as amplitude component signal 111 from terminal 145. Limiter 102 removes the AM component of the input signal (RF signal) input from terminal 143, and outputs phase component signal 112, which represents a remaining PM component, from terminal 146. Signal generating circuit 147 shown in FIG. 2 also includes delay corrector 153 which is capable of adjusting the delay time difference between amplitude component signal 111 and phase component signal 112.
Signal generating circuit 147 shown in FIG. 3 comprises baseband signal processing circuit 150 and VCO 151. Baseband signal processing circuit 150 should preferably comprise a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and a D/A (digital-to-analog) converter. Baseband signal processing circuit 150 outputs amplitude component signal 111, which represents the AM component of the baseband signal as the input signal, to terminal 145, and also outputs a phase component signal, which represents the PM component of the baseband signal, to VCO 151. In baseband signal processing circuit 150, the DSP calculates and extracts the AM component of the baseband signal input from terminal 143 according to a digital processing process, and the D/A converter converts the AM component into an analog signal and thereafter outputs the analog signal as amplitude component signal 111 from terminal 145. Furthermore, the DSP calculates and extracts the PM component of the baseband signal input from terminal 143 according to a digital processing process, and the D/A converter converts the PM component into an analog signal and thereafter outputs the analog signal as a phase component signal from terminal 145. Baseband signal processing circuit 150 controls VCO 151 with the same phase component signal.
VCO 151 is controlled by the phase component signal from baseband signal processing circuit 150 to output a phase component signal which has been up-converted into an RF signal.
With the power amplifier shown in FIG. 1, signal generating circuit 147 outputs phase component signal 112 with sufficiently large electric power to keep transistor 101 of RF amplifier 109 saturated state in operation at all times. The drain of transistor 101 of RF amplifier 109 is supplied with amplitude component signal 114 through terminal 142 and output power supply circuit 140 to amplitude-modulate phase component signal 112 amplified by transistor 101 with amplitude component signal 114. Therefore, the power amplifier can amplify the input signal with high power efficiency and maintain linearity between the input and output signals.
On the other hand, ET (Envelope Tracking) is known as another technology for increasing the power efficiency of power amplifiers and keeping linearity between input and output signals.
The ET technology is a scheme for amplifying an input signal including an AM component and a PM component, extracting the AM component of the input signal, and amplitude-modulating the amplified signal with the extracted AM component for thereby increasing the power efficiency and keeping linearity between input and output signals. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of a power amplifier according to the background art which is based on the ET technology.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the power amplifier according to the background art which is based on the ET technology.
As shown in FIG. 4, the power amplifier according to the background art which is based on the ET technology is different from the power amplifier based on the EER technology shown in FIG. 1 as to configurational and operational details of signal generating circuit 148. The configurational and operational details of the other components are the same as those of the power amplifier based on the EER technology shown in FIG. 1 and will not be described below. In FIG. 4, components other than signal generating circuit 148 are denoted by the same reference characters as those of the power amplifier shown in FIG. 1.
Signal generating circuit 148 extracts an AM component included in an input signal, and outputs the extracted AM component as amplitude component signal 111 through terminal 145 to pulse modulator 104. Signal generating circuit 148 outputs modulated signal 149 that is proportional to the amplitude of the input signal which includes the AM component and a PM component, through terminal 146 to RF amplifier 109.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configurational example of the signal generating circuit shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another configurational example of the signal generating circuit shown in FIG. 4. Signal generating circuit 148 shown in FIG. 5 is of a configuration that is optimum for an application wherein an RF signal is input to input terminal 143 of the power amplifier, and the signal generating circuit shown in FIG. 6 is of a configuration that is optimum for an application wherein a baseband signal is input to input terminal 143 of the power amplifier.
Signal generating circuit 148 shown in FIG. 5 comprises amplitude detector 103 for extracting an AM component from an RF signal as an input signal and for outputting the extracted AM component as amplitude component signal 111. Amplitude detector 103 extracts the AM component of the input signal (RF signal) input from terminal 143, and outputs the extracted AM component as amplitude component signal 111 from terminal 145. The input signal input from terminal 143 is supplied to amplitude detector 103 and is also output as modulated signal 149 from terminal 146. Signal generating circuit 148 shown in FIG. 5 also includes delay corrector 153 which is capable of adjusting the delay time difference between amplitude component signal 111 and modulated signal 149.
Signal generating circuit 148 shown in FIG. 6 comprises baseband signal processing circuit 150 and quadrature modulator 152. In baseband signal processing circuit 150, the DSP calculates and extracts the AM component of the baseband signal input from terminal 143 according to a digital processing process, and the D/A converter converts the AM component into an analog signal and thereafter outputs the analog signal as amplitude component signal 111 from terminal 145. Furthermore, the D/A converter converts the input baseband signal into an analog signal and thereafter outputs the analog signal to quadrature modulator 152.
Quadrature modulator 152 up-converts the baseband signal output from baseband signal processing circuit 150 into an RF frequency signal, and outputs the RF frequency signal as modulated signal 149 from terminal 146.
With the power amplifier shown in FIG. 4, signal generating circuit 148 outputs modulated signal 149 with sufficiently large electric power to keep transistor 101 of RF amplifier 109 saturated state in operation at all times, thereby enabling RF amplifier 109 to have the function of limiter 102 shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the power amplifiers based on the EER technology and the ET technology operate according to common principles except that the PM component of the input signal is input to RF amplifier 109 according to the EER technology and modulated signal 149 including the AM component and the PM component is input to RF amplifier 109 according to the ET technology. Therefore, the power amplifier based on the ET technology can also amplify the input signal with high power efficiency and maintain linearity between the input and output signals.
If the power amplifier shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 4 is employed to power-amplify an RF signal having a bandwidth of several MHz such as those used in the W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) communication process, then driver amplifier 116 and switching amplifier 105 need to perform a switching operation in a frequency range from several tens to several hundreds MHz. Furthermore, if the EER technology and the ET technology are applied to power amplifiers provided in radio base stations, then it is necessary for switching amplifier 105 to output a high voltage of several tens of volts. According to the present device and circuit technologies, however, driver amplifier 116 and switching amplifier 105 that operate under a high voltage of several tens of volts have a switching rate that is limited to about several hundreds kHz at maximum. A scheme for avoiding such an operational limitation on driver amplifier 116 and switching amplifier 105 has been proposed by JP-A No. 2005-244950, for example.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing another configurational example of the power amplifier according to the background art which is based on the EER technology. The power amplifier shown in FIG. 7 is illustrated in FIG. 24 of JP-A No. 2005-244950.
Data generator 301 shown in FIG. 7 outputs an amplitude component signal and a phase component signal of a transmission signal. The phase component signal is added to an RF signal by angle modulator 303 and output to amplitude modulator 305. The amplitude component signal is decomposed into a low-frequency amplitude component signal and a high-frequency amplitude component signal by frequency discriminator 302. Amplitude modulator 305 amplitude-modulates the phase component signal with a high-frequency amplitude component signal generated by high-frequency voltage controller 304, and amplitude modulator 307 amplitude-modulates the phase component signal with a low-frequency amplitude component signal generated by low-frequency voltage controller 306. According to this arrangement, high-frequency voltage controller 304 may have relatively small output power though the operating frequency thereof is high, and low-frequency voltage controller 306 may have a relatively low operating frequency though the output power thereof is large. Therefore, high-frequency voltage controller 304 and low-frequency voltage controller 306 shown in FIG. 7 do not need to have both high-voltage output and fast switching operation, but may be realized by the present device and circuit technologies.
However, the above power amplifiers according to the background art are problematic in that the power efficiency of RF amplifier 109 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 is lowered when the voltage (power supply voltage) supplied to output power supply circuit 140 of RF amplifier 109 is lowered. FIG. 8 shows power efficiency characteristics when the RF amplifier 109 shown in FIG. 1 is supplied with a constant power supply voltage (when it is in conventional operation), and also shows power efficiency characteristics when the RF amplifier 109 shown in FIG. 1 is in EER operation.
As shown in FIG. 8, RF amplifier 109 has its power efficiency made better when it is in EER operation than when it is in conventional operation. However, even when RF amplifier 109 is in EER operation, the power efficiency thereof is low at the time that the output power thereof is small. The reduction in the power efficiency of RF amplifier 109 at the time that the output power thereof is small is responsible to a reduction in the average power efficiency of the overall power amplifying circuit.
The power amplifiers according to the background art are also disadvantageous in that the power efficiency of switching amplifier 105 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 is lowered when the output voltage (average voltage) of switching amplifiers 105 is lowered. As with the reduction in the power efficiency of RF amplifier 109 described above, the reduction in the power efficiency of switching amplifier 105 is responsible for a reduction in the average power efficiency of the overall power amplifying circuit.
Specifically, in the case where the amplitude component of the input signal has a large dynamic range and the output power of the power amplifier is small, the power efficiency of the RF amplifier and the switching amplifier of the power amplifiers according to the background art based on the EER technology and the ET technology is lowered and cannot be sufficiently improved.
Furthermore, if the power amplifiers according to the background art shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 are employed to power-amplify an RF signal having a wide bandwidth, then driver amplifier 116 and switching amplifier 105 needs to have both high-voltage output and a fast switching operation. However, such requirements cannot be met by the present device technologies. Accordingly, the power amplifiers shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 have a limited range of applications.
The power amplifier shown in FIG. 7 does not require driver amplifier 116 and switching amplifier 105 to have both high-voltage output and fast switching operation. However, the arrangement has a problem in that a signal representative of the input signal which is highly accurately restored cannot be produced as the output signal.
According to the arrangement shown in FIG. 7, when amplitude modulator 307 is saturated state in operation, the output amplitude of amplitude modulator 307 is nearly independent of the output amplitude of amplitude modulator 305. Therefore, the output signal of amplitude modulator 307 does not reflect the amplitude of the high-frequency amplitude component signal generated by high-frequency voltage controller 304. Conversely, when amplitude modulator 307 is linearly operated, the output amplitude of amplitude modulator 307 is virtually unchanged by the low-frequency amplitude component signal generated by low-frequency voltage controller 306. Therefore, the output signal of amplitude modulator 307 does not reflect the amplitude of the low-frequency amplitude component signal generated by low-frequency voltage controller 306. Consequently, since the output signal reflects only either the amplitude component signals generated by high-frequency voltage controller 304 or low-frequency voltage controller 306, it is difficult to produce a signal representative of the input signal which is highly accurately restored, as the output signal.


Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, an apparatus of a user equipment (UE) to operate in a New Radio (NR) system comprises one or more baseband processors to determine if two or more uplink signals partially overlap, determine a multiplexing rule, a dropping rule, or a priority rule for the two or more uplink signals, and to multiplex, drop, or prioritize the two or more uplink signals for transmission according to the multiplexing rule, dropping rule, or priority rule, and a memory to store two or more uplink signals.

Mobile communication has evolved significantly from early voice systems to the highly sophisticated integrated communication platform of today. The next generation wireless communication system, Fifth Generation (5G), or new radio (NR), will provide access to information and sharing of data anywhere, anytime by various users and applications. The NR standard is expected to be a unified network or system designed to meet vastly different and sometimes conflicting performance dimensions and services. Such diverse multi-dimensional requirements are driven by different services and applications. In general, NR systems will evolve based on the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-Advanced) standard with additional potential new Radio Access Technologies (RATs) to enrich lives with better, simpler, and more seamless wireless connectivity solutions. The NR standard will enable everything connected by wireless and deliver fast and rich contents and services.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and/or clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, if considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding and/or analogous elements.

Handling overlapping of PUCCH and PUSCH for new radio systems


A source of liquid soap for washbasins and the like is provided by a flexible, collapsible bag filled with liquid soap. A hollow open tipped needle is penetrably inserted through the material of the bag, which penetration develops a seal about the needle. The needle is connected through a conduit to a dispenser for the soap. A source of vacuum in communication with the conduit, the force of gravity or a force externally imposed upon the bag to compress it, actuates a flow of soap from the bag through the needle for discharge from the dispenser. As liquid soap is evacuated from the bag, the bag collapses. Upon depletion of the soap, the needle is withdrawn and inserted into a replacement bag of soap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to soap dispensers and, more particularly, to collapsible containers for dispensing liquid soap.
2. Description of Related Art
Dispensation of soap at a washbasin is quite common. Usually, such dispensers include a fixed container of liquid soap into which is inserted a plunger having an outlet tube. When a user depresses a knob at the end of a stem associated with the plunger, soap is hydraulically forced from the soap container and through the outlet tube. Periodically, the liquid soap in the container is replenished. The requisite touching of the structure attendant the soap dispenser tends to have the effect of spreading disease as a result of bacteria, viruses and other micro-organisms being transferred to the structure and from the structure to the hands of a subsequent user. For the handicapped or infirm, the required manipulation may be very difficult or impossible and result in a failure to use the soap available and is a potential unnecessary spread of disease.
Various soap dispensers have been used that dispense soap from a flexible bag by squeezing or compacting the soap bag directly or through a lever. Such mechanisms require a certain amount of forceful manipulation that may be beyond the capability of a handicapped or infirm person. Furthermore, the resulting pressurization of the soap bag may cause it to burst, particularly if the mechanism is manipulated with excessive force.
Gravity feed soap dispensers, whether dispensing soap from a rigid or flexible container, have been used. Such devices dispense soap in response to manipulation of a valve mechanism for opening a discharge outlet/tube. The flow rate of such devices is primarily a function of the head pressure and congestion at and about the outlet. As liquid soap has a tendency to form a crust due to evaporation, the size of the outlet may become compromised to prevent any or only an insignificant amount of soap dispensation.

International Sanitary Ware Manufacturing CY, S.A.


The present invention relates to a hot-meltable curable silicone composition for compression molding or laminating and a laminate provided with at least one layer comprising the composition, as well as a semiconductor device using these and a method of manufacturing the same. In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to efficiently manufacture a semiconductor device provided with a hemi-spheroidal lens- or dome-shaped seal. In the present invention, it is easy to control the shape of the seal, and the seal does not contain any bubbles. In the present invention, it is also easy to control the thickness of the coating layer of the semiconductor device apart from the seal.

Examples of molding methods used to seal semiconductor elements include transfer molding and compression molding. Transfer molding has problems of sealing resin-induced wire displacement, wire deformation, filling defects, and the like. Meanwhile, compression molding has problems that, when a liquid sealing resin flows into a mold, the sealing resin involves bubbles. In addition, since the thickness of the coating layer of the semiconductor element varies according to the amount of liquid sealing resin flowing into the mold, control of the balance between precise control of the amount of resin flowing in and the viscosity of the sealing resin is required. However, it is hard to control the valance.
Then, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-258634A discloses using a laminated photosemiconductor sealing sheet provided with a sealing resin layer and a phosphor-containing layer to obtain a sealed piece via compression molding. However, the sealing resin layer and the phosphor-containing layer are each obtained by drying a solution obtained by dissolving a silicone elastomer and a modified silicone resin in an organic solvent, and do not involve a hot-meltable hydrosilylation reaction-crosslinkable silicone composition. Thus, it is difficult to control the shape of the seal.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-123915A discloses laminating an LED using a phosphor sheet of phosphor-containing silicone, but a hot-meltable hydrosilylation reaction-crosslinkable silicone composition is not used, and it is difficult to obtain a hemi-spheroidal lens- or dome-shaped seal.

Hot-melt type curable silicone composition for compression molding or laminating


An image forming apparatus has the following three power saving modes: (1) a first power saving mode for cutting off power supply to the load; (2) a second power saving mode for cutting off power supply to the load and setting at least the CPU of the controller to STR state; and (3) a third power saving mode for providing power supply only to a wireless LAN module and the power supply cutoff controller, wherein to recover the image forming apparatus from the power saving mode, an external terminal implements both a second method of transmitting a certain type of packet to the wired LAN module and a third method of transmitting a certain type of packet to the wireless LAN module when the external terminal accesses the image forming apparatus at the application level.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to: an image forming system provided with: an image forming apparatus having multiple power saving modes; an external terminal capable of accessing the image forming apparatus via a network to remotely operate the image forming apparatus; a method for the image forming system to recover the image forming apparatus from power saving mode; the image forming apparatus; the external terminal; and recoding medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
There has been known an image forming apparatus such as a multi-function peripheral (MFP), i.e., a multifunctional digital machine, having the following three power saving modes by which to internally provide power supply in different manners:
(1) a first power saving mode for cutting off power supply to a load;
(2) a second power saving mode for cutting off power supply to a load and switch at least a CPU of a controller to suspend-to-ram (STR) state; and
(3) a third power saving mode for providing power supply only to a wireless LAN module and a power supply cutoff controller that determines whether power supply to a load should be cut off or provided.
When recovering from the second power saving mode, an image forming apparatus needs to switch its behavior depending on the cause of recovery; however, if recovering from the second power saving mode by the method of recovering from the third power saving mode, an image forming apparatus could not switch its behavior because of not being able to detect the cause of recovery.
An external terminal, a portable one for example, may access an image forming apparatus via multiple access paths; however, it would be hardly possible for such a portable terminal to detect the power saving mode which the image forming apparatus is presently in.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-144676 teaches a technique of improving the convenience of a user when he/she conducts a wireless communication by operating an image forming apparatus having a wireless communication function. Specifically, the technique is a multifunctional machine having power saving mode and standby mode, and the multifunctional machine is provided with: a receiver that is capable of detecting wireless information signals from a terminal apparatus; and a controller that switches the operation mode to standby mode if the receiver receives a wireless information signal from a terminal apparatus while the multifunctional machine is in power saving mode.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-144676, the multifunctional machine is at least allowed to terminate power saving mode if receiving a wireless signal from an external terminal while it is in power saving mode and there is no disclosure of such a method as described above for an external terminal to recover an image forming apparatus having multiple power saving modes, from any of the power saving modes.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.

Image forming system and method for recovering image forming apparatus from three different power saving modes


A FLOTOX EEPROM of the invention includes: a plurality of floating gates 11 arranged in array, each having a tunnel window 12 and allowing electron injection and extraction via the tunnel window; a plurality of select gates 13 provided in one-on-one correspondence to the plural floating gates 11; a control gate 16 shared by the plural floating gates 11; a source 17 shared by the plural floating gates 11; and a drain 18 shared by the plural floating gates 11. Therefore, the FLOTOX EEPROM does not encounter the decrease of junction breakdown voltage of a drain region, allowing the application of sufficiently high write voltage. Further, cell area can be reduced.

An electrically writable/rewritable EEPROM can find extensive applications because it allows on-board rewrite and rewrite in units of pages or bytes. To be adapted for such extensive applications, the EEPROM is required of high reliability design and further miniaturization.
As a known miniaturizing technique for EEPROM, Patent Document 1, for example, proposes a technique of achieving miniaturization by preventing the degradation of tunnel oxide.
Patent Document 2 proposes a technique of miniaturizing memory cell by forming a microscopic tunnel window.
Further, Patent Document 3 proposes a technique of miniaturizing a floating gate.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-013197    Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-183763    Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-005731


The invention provides for the incorporation of dentifrice preparations, which are commonly accessed from a container on a tray during teeth cleaning, internally within the housing of a disposable prophy angle. Auger, baffle or piston members are used to move the preparations from the housing through passages in the head of the prophy angle to a moving prophy cup. If a reusable autoclavable prophy angle is being used, the invention provides for an annular chamber containing the dentifrice preparation that interfits as a sleeve over the prophy angle body. In such case, the prophy angle head is enlarged and includes an inlet connection with the annular chamber. Passageways in the head direct the dentifrice preparation to the prophy cup and a piston ring is used to move the dentifrice preparation from the chamber through the passageways. Alternatively, an external pressurized supply of the dentifrice preparation may be connected to a conduit which is attached to the body in place of the annular chamber. The conduit interconnects the external supply with the enlarged head inlet for providing dentifrice preparation to the prophy cup. In all cases, the prophy cup may include a one-way valve to prevent backflow of unwanted materials.

This application claims priority from Provisional Patent Application No. 60/011,460, filed on Feb. 12, 1996.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates, generally, to improvements in implements wherein a moving tool part utilizes a flowable material for cleaning, bleaching, polishing or abrading a workpiece. More particularly, it relates to incorporation of dentifrice dispensing systems into disposable prophy angles. It also relates to the incorporation of dentifrice dispensing means with reusable prophy angles.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, two general types of prophy angles (i.e., dental prophylaxis right angle hand pieces) have been available. One type is a relatively expensive reusable type formed of metal parts suitable for repeated usage and requiring sterilization after each use. Another general type is formed of plastics and is disposable after one time use.
In recent years, concern has increased for preventing the transmission of diseases during dental procedures. Disposable prophy angles were conceived in an attempt to prevent spread of disease from patient to patient. Some disposable prophy angles incorporate blocking devices to prevent migration of buccal matter from the patient's mouth back through the prophy angle to the dentist's handset thus also protecting the operator. An example of such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,658 to Brahler. This device uses sealing rings to block buccal matter and auger flights to propel such matter from the head end.
Both of the above prophy angles include a prophy cup for receiving dentifrice preparations and applying the preparations to a patient's teeth. To accomplish this, the cup is dipped into a container of dentifrice material which is usually located on a tray a few feet from the patient. Once the cup is filled, it is then transported to the patient's mouth to continue prophylaxis. Typically, the dentifrice material is dissipated fairly quickly. To completely clean a patient's teeth, it is necessary to repeat the above steps numerous times. Applicant is unaware of any prophy angle that will avoid the above sequence of time consuming cumbersome steps.

Prophy angles with dentifrice dispensing systems


A cellular telephone call administration system processes detailed call records from a cellular switch as the calls are processed. This arrangement expedites automatic, electronic distribution of detailed call records to resellers and service provider billing facilities and to the roam billing clearing house. The call administration system, without operator intervention, provides a metered billing class of service to customers as an aid to controlling their cellular communication expenses; and provides for registration of roam sets for service on a cellular switch without need for a billing agreement with the set's home carrier.

Cellular telephone service is widely available in major population centers through competing cellular carriers. The owner of each cellular "set" is a customer of a particular "home" cellular carrier and is assigned to a "home" switching area. Each cellular set has a unique manufacturer's identification number, Electronic Serial Number (ESN), which is employed in making calls. Additionally, the "home" cellular carrier assigns a telephone number in the national numbering plan to each set. A cellular set may "roam" beyond its "home" area; however, "roam" service to a set is generally provided by foreign carriers that have a working billing agreement with the set's home carrier. Certain carriers permit a roam set to be manually registered for credit card billing for service rendered by the carrier.
There are several unique aspects of cellular telephone service which are in stark contrast to land telephone service.
In land telephone service, there are dominant carriers with little or no overlap in the provision of basic switching services in any geographical area. In cellular telephone service there can be two or more cellular carriers serving the same geographical area.
In land telephone service, a carrier provides service to a fixed physical address, and a deposit may be required to assure the payment of monthly charges. However, in cellular service, although each cellular "set" has a unique manufacturer's identification number, it is extremely difficult for a carrier to get a good physical fix on customers who choose to avoid payment for services. Cellular sets can be moved throughout the country and registered with different cellular carriers. Many cellular customers maintain service over short periods of time and switch from carrier to carrier, often without paying for prior services. Such losses to carriers lead to higher charges for all customers.
Fraud and billing delays associated with "roam" cellular sets has created hardship for cellular carriers. Since each cellular carrier is responsible for long distance charges placed as a 1+ call, many cellular carriers, as a matter of operating policy, will not permit a roam set to place 1+ long distance call. This policy is dictated by fraud associated with many roam sets; and the long delay in processing and receiving payment for billing to a roam set customer. Although manual temporary registration of a roam set is available in some areas, the registration and billing processes are so cumbersome that there is little reason for a carrier to offer the option or for a customer to use the option.
Roam customers are frustrated by such limited available service while they are outside the service area of their home carrier; and by their inability to receive service in cities where no agreement exists with their home carrier.
As in land telephone systems, service resellers create operational challenges for a carrier. In cellular telephone systems, there are two general classes of service resellers who buy air time at bulk rates and charge their customers at a premium rate.
The first class of reseller, purchases a block of numbers from a carrier and assigns those numbers to sets owned by customers who buy service for substantial periods of time e.g., months or even years. A reseller sells service to such established customers and assumes the risk of loss associated with all calls processed by the customer. The reseller advises the carrier when to activate and deactivate a set in the cellular switch. Typically, the reseller sends a FAX message to the cellular carrier with orders to activate and/or deactivate numbers within the reseller's block of numbers. This class of reseller is generally billed monthly for all air and long distance services; and prompt payment is expected by the cellular carrier. With such infrequent billing, a reseller cannot take advantage of cyclic billing which spreads the billing activities and receipts through a month.
The second class of reseller, owns sets which are leased to a customer for short periods of time e.g., daily or weekly. When a set is rented, the reseller requests that the set be activated in the switch; and when the set is returned the reseller requests deactivation of the set. In this type of reseller service, there is a need for "immediate billing" at the time that a set is returned. Since a reseller, generally, does not have immediate access to detailed call records, such as those that are available at a PBX of a hotel in a land telephone system, the reseller has no way of rating calls, for either air time or long distance service.
In land telephone systems, a company can easily control its telephone expenses through various call screening and billing features which are available in PBX and other business telephone systems.
However, employees who have company provided cellular sets tend to ignore the relatively high cost of cellular air time and, thus, incur large monthly bills. Because of their inability to control expenses, many companies severely limit the number of cellular sets that they place in service. From the viewpoint of both the carriers and the companies who buy cellular services, there is a definite need for services which help a company contain their cellular communication expenses.

Cellular telephone real time account administration system


A solenoid coil formed by winding a conductive foil tape upon a sleeve and method for making same. The coil includes a free standing wire termination which is wound into the coil. Alternately, the end of the foil tape can be folded to form a coil termination.

This invention relates in general to solenoid valves for anti-lock brake systems and in particular to foil wound coils for actuating the solenoid valves.
An Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is often included as standard equipment on new vehicles. When actuated, the ABS is operative to control the operation of some or all of the vehicle wheel brakes. A typical ABS includes a plurality of solenoid valves mounted within a control valve body and connected to the vehicle hydraulic brake system. Usually, a separate hydraulic source, such as a motor driven pump, is included in the ABS for reapplying hydraulic pressure to the controlled wheel brakes during an ABS braking cycle. The pump is typically included within the control valve body while the pump motor is mounted upon the exterior of the control valve body.
An ABS further includes an electronic control module which has a microprocessor. The control module is electrically coupled to the pump motor, a plurality of solenoid coils associated with the solenoid valves and wheel speed sensors for monitoring the speed and deceleration of the controlled wheels. The control module is typically mounted upon the control valve body to form a compact unit which is often referred to as an ABS electro-hydraulic control unit.
During vehicle operation, the microprocessor in the ABS control module continuously receives speed signals from the wheel speed sensors. The microprocessor monitors the speed signals for potential wheel lock-up conditions. When the vehicle brakes are applied and the microprocessor senses an impending wheel lock-up condition, the microprocessor is operative to actuate the pump motor and selectively operate the solenoid valves in the control unit to cyclically relieve and reapply hydraulic pressure to the controlled wheel brakes. The hydraulic pressure applied to the controlled wheel brakes is adjusted by the operation of the solenoid valves to limit wheel slippage to a safe level while continuing to produce adequate brake torque to decelerate the vehicle as desired by the driver.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a sectional view of a typical ABS solenoid valve 10 mounted upon an ABS control valve body 11. The valve 10 includes an axially shiftable armature 12 which is biased in an upward direction by a spring 13 such that a ball valve, generally represented by a reference numeral 14, is maintained in a normally open position. The ball valve 14 cooperates with a valve seat member 15 which is mounted in the valve body 11. The armature 12 is slideably disposed within a valve sleeve 16 having a closed end. A solenoid coil 20 is carried by the valve sleeve 16 and surrounds the armature 12. The coil 20 is enclosed by a metal flux return casing 21. An annular flux ring 22 is disposed within the open end of the flux casing 21. The flux return casing 21 flux ring 22 complete a magnetic flux path which passes through the armature 12 and the valve seat member 15.
The solenoid coil 20 is of conventional design, comprising a winding 23 formed from multiple turns of an insulated magnet wire having a round cross section, such as #28 1/2 magnet wire. The coil wire is helically wound upon a plastic bobbin 24. A pair of terminal pin supports 25 extend in an axial direction from the top of the bobbin 24. Each of the supports 25 is molded over a terminal pin 26. An end 27 of the coil winding wire is wound around the base of each of the terminal pins 26 and soldered thereto. The pins 26 are electrically coupled to the ABS microprocessor.
When it is necessary to actuate the valve 10 during an anti-lock braking cycle, an electric current is supplied through the terminal pins 26 to the coil 20. The current establishes a magnetic field in the armature 12 which pulls the armature 12 in a downward direction, closing the ball valve 14. When the current is interrupted, the magnetic field collapses, allowing the spring 13 to return the armature 12 to its original position, thereby reopening the ball valve 14. An ABS control unit also typically includes other solenoid valves, such as normally closed solenoid valves (not shown), which have structures similar to the normally open valve 10 described above.


A moveable lens apparatus for digital camera includes a CCD lens set, a first motion mechanism having a bracket pivotally holding the lens set and a first gear set for driving the bracket and the lens set to rotate left or right angularly, and a second motion mechanism having a guide slidably engageable with a rear end of the lens set, a gear rack vertically attached to the guide and a second gear set for driving the gear rack and the guide up or down so that the lens set may be swung pivotally up or down. The first and second gear set may be actuated manually or by motors. The lens set thus may be moved and rotated smoothly and precisely without a user's hand directly touching the lens set.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a moveable lens apparatus for digital camera (e.g., CCD camera) and particularly to a moveable lens apparatus for digital camera that can move the camera lens freely and precisely within a certain angular range.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional digital camera such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,732 includes a moveable CCD camera lens which can rotate about a shaft (i.e., an one dimensional axis rotation). During operation of the CCD camera, a user has to use hand to move the lens directly. Such an aspect generally results in the following disadvantages:
1. The lens is prone to smear by the hand, and thus may result in poor image quality. PA1 2. Adjustment by hand could easily be overdone with too strong force and is prone to damage the lens mechanism. Hand movement also creates vibration or dislocation of the camera, and makes fine tuning and precise positioning of the lens difficult.
Because of aforesaid shortcomings, conventional digital camera is mostly used in relatively low price product category. It is not suitable for high value products which require clean lens and precise fine tuning function.

Moveable lens apparatus for digital camera


A workpiece clamping apparatus for clamping various types of workpieces comprises a pair of finger members adapted to be moved toward and away from each other, a first command position setting device for setting a first command position according to the outer configuration of a workpiece to be clamped, a second command position setting device for setting a second command position closer to the position of the workpiece than the first command position and, a driving device for moving the finger members to the second command position past the first command position. A first clamping force setting device sets the workpiece clamping force to be exerted by the finger members to a first clamping force level during movement of the finger members from the first command position to the second command position, and a second clamping force setting device sets the workpiece clamping force to a second clamping force level which is different from the first clamping force level during the movement of the finger members towards the first command position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a work, or workpiece, clamping apparatus for clamping a work by a pair of fingers.
2. Description of the Related Arts
A work clamping apparatus has been known in which a work is clamped by a pair of fingers. In general, this type of clamping apparatus employs a sensing system incorporating a sensor such as a limit switch, an optical fiber, a proximity switch or the like capable of sensing the state of clamping of the work.
A problem, however, is encountered when this type of sensing system is applied to general-purpose fingers such as those mounted on an NC machine. Such general-purpose fingers are broadly used since they ar designed to be adaptable to a variety of types of works or parts. Since these fingers engage with various works in a variety of postures and positions, sensing of the state of the clamp may fail according to the position of the clamp.
More specifically, when a cylindrical first work b is clamped by fingers a as shown in FIG. 1A, state of clamp can be sensed through a sensor c regardless of the size of the cylindrical work b because the sensor c always opposes a part of the cylindrical work b. However, when a second work d having a stepped portion is clamped by the fingers a as shown in FIG. 1B, no portion of the work d opposes the sensor c, so that the sensor cannot sense the state of the clamp. In consequence, another set of clamping fingers with a sensor specifically set for the detection of the work d has to be used. Thus, the use of general-purpose fingers, which inherently have wide adaptability to a variety of types of works, is undesirably limited due to difficulty in sensing such a variety of types of works.

Work clamping method and apparatus using multi-positional finger members


A device for producing a track of perforations transverse to a paper web including a support for advancing the web past the device, a rotatable shaft at one side of the web, a perforating comb supported on and rotatable on the shaft when the shaft is rotated. A web support body on the opposite side of the web from the shaft contains a groove in the underside of the web support body into which the perforation comb teeth extend when the perforation comb rotates past the web. The web contacts the underside of the web support body and also the ends of transverse ribs which divide the groove in the web support body into individual sections.

The invention relates to a device for producing a perforation track in an advancing web, e.g. a paper web, by comb teeth piercing the web.
A preferred use for this device is in a winding machines, in which a web is wound up to form a reel. For performing a reel change, a perforation track running transverse to the web running direction is produced in the web by the device. Following this, the web is severed along the perforation track.
Perforation track forming devices are disclosed in:
(1) DE 36 11 895 C2 PA1 (2) DE 40 34 997 C1 PA1 (3) DE OS 1 938 234
Known devices for perforating a running paper web have disadvantages. The perforation device according to FIG. 2 in document (1) has a shaft with a comb which cooperates with a mating roll having a resilient cover. When the perforation device is not operating, the perforation comb is located at a position in which it does not contact the paper web. To lay a perforation track in the paper web, the shaft makes one revolution. The perforation comb is thereby moved into and then out of the paper web and it leaves a perforation track. This device has the disadvantage that its construction is very complex. Its control means must operate very precisely because the shaft and the mating roll must run in synchronism with the paper web. Otherwise, premature severing of the web results.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1 in document (1), the shaft runs in the opposite direction to the paper web. This leads to an undefined perforation and to the risk of a web break during the perforation process.
Document (2) discloses a device for severing a paper web. In this case, while the machine (e.g. the winding machine) is stationary, pressure is applied to the web which is resting on a supporting roll, in order to crush the web and hence to weaken it. The web is then completely severed by increasing the web tension. This device has the disadvantage that the winding machine must be stopped for the purpose of weakening the web. As a result, the reel change process takes a relatively long time. In addition, there is a risk of damage to the surface of the supporting roll.
Document (3) shows a supported web being pierced by comb teeth, but does show a support not for piercing transversely across a web, which is the problem with which the invention is concerned.


A degassing apparatus is provided that accomplishes the connecting of a degassing element and a connecting member and/or the joining of a vacuum (reduced-pressure) chamber and the connecting member without using a fastening structure screwed together with the connecting member. A degassing apparatus includes: a reduced-pressure chamber having a through port for flowing a degassing target liquid therethrough; a degassing element, accommodated in the chamber, for passing the liquid therethrough; and a tubular connecting member joined to the chamber at the through port. The degassing element includes a gas-permeable tube, for passing the liquid therethrough, being covered with a joint piece at an end portion of the gas-permeable tube. The degassing element is fixed to the chamber by heat sealing the connecting member and the joint piece together.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a degassing apparatus for removing a gas contained in a liquid.
2. Description of Related Art
The gases dissolved in a liquid can cause various problems, such as corrosion of the pipes through which the liquid flows, a decrease in the pressure or heat exchange rate because of the formation of bubbles, and unevenness in the coating of the liquid because of the bubbles formed. For this reason, degassing is necessary, depending on the purposes and uses of the liquid. For example, sufficient degassing is desired prior to the use of a liquid for cleaning wafers or the like in a semiconductor device manufacturing process.
Degassing a liquid (a degassing target liquid) may be carried out with the use of a degassing apparatus disclosed in JP 9-57009A (see FIG. 11). In the degassing apparatus 101 shown in FIG. 11, a degassing element 103 is placed in a vacuum chamber 102, and the ends of the degassing element 103 are fixed to the vacuum chamber 102 by connecting members 104. The degassing element 103 has a structure in which joint members 106 are fitted onto the ends of a tube bundle 105, in which two or more gas-permeable tubes are bundled together. Each of the connecting members 104 and the degassing element 103 are connected by inserting an end portion of the degassing element 103 together with the joint member 106 into the interior of the connecting member 104 and screwing a fastening means 108 onto the connecting member 104 in conjunction with a fastening ferrule 107. Each of the connecting members 104 and the vacuum chamber 102 are joined by inserting the connecting member 104 into an opening of the vacuum chamber 102 and screwing a fastening means 110 onto the connecting member 104 while disposing an O-ring 109 between the inner wall of the vacuum chamber 102 and the connecting member 104. The O-ring 109 also serves to enhance the hermetic sealing of the interior of the vacuum chamber 102.
A degassing apparatus disclosed in JP 9-187602A, for example, also may be used for degassing a liquid. This degassing apparatus has a structure similar to the above-described degassing apparatus 101, in which a degassing element is placed inside a vacuum chamber, but the way in which the degassing element is fixed to the vacuum chamber is different from the degassing apparatus 101. The method of fixing the degassing element in the degassing apparatus disclosed in JP 9-187602A is described with reference to FIG. 12. A degassing apparatus 121 shown in FIG. 12 has a structure in which an end portion of a degassing element 123 is fixed to a vacuum chamber 122 by a connecting member 124. The degassing element 123 has a structure in which a tube bundle 125 including at least two gas-permeable tubes bundled together is inserted in an outer tube 126 made of a fluoropolymer and the tube bundle 125 and the outer tube 126 are hermetically heat-sealed together. The connecting member 124 and the degassing element 123 are connected by inserting an end portion of the degassing element 123 into the interior of the tubular connecting member 124 so that the end portion is abutted to a pipe 127, which has a tapered end portion, and thereafter screwing a fastening element 130 onto the connecting member 124 so that the outer tube 126 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the connecting member 124. The connecting member 124 and the vacuum chamber 122 are joined by screwing the connecting member 124 into the vacuum chamber 122 so as to fit a male screw portion 128 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting member 124 onto a female thread portion 129 formed on the inner peripheral surface of an opening of the vacuum chamber 122.
In the degassing apparatuses disclosed in JP 9-57009A and JP 9-187602A, the connecting of the degassing element and the connecting members or the joining of the vacuum chamber and the connecting members is accomplished by a fastening structure that is effected by screwing a fastening means that engages with a connecting member.
In order to accomplish this type of fastening structure, however, various members used for the connecting and joining, such as connecting members, fastening means, joining members, and fastening ferrules, are required to have high dimensional accuracy. Therefore, the just-mentioned fastening structure has been a cause of high manufacturing cost of the degassing apparatus.
In addition, the fastening structure effected by screwing a fastening means may suffer from a decrease in the screwing force (torque) over time. Consequently, the above-described connections and joining may become deficient over time, thereby lowering the hermetic sealing of the vacuum chamber or causing leakage of the liquid from the portions where the connecting members and the degassing element are connected. Although it is possible to retain the connections and joining more reliably by increasing the screwing force of the fastening means, an excessively large screwing force may result in breakage of the connecting members and the fastening means, which means that there is a limit to the amount that the screwing force can be increased.
Furthermore, depending on the purpose of use of the degassing apparatus, such as the use in a manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, the connecting members and fastening means may be made of a resin such as a fluoropolymer, in order to prevent the liquid from being contaminated by ion component. In such cases, the decrease in the screwing force over time is more apt to occur than when those members are made of a metal, and moreover, the increasing of the screwing force is more likely to result in breakage of the connecting members and fastening means.


A quadrifilar helical antenna for communicating in a plurality of different frequency bands comprises at least two ports. Each port is operationally coupled with a port-specific set of helical filars, the port-specific set of filars including at least one band-specific filar for each of said plurality of the different frequency bands. At least two of the band-specific filars, the band-specific filars belonging to different band-specific filars and different port-specific sets adjacent to each other, have mutual coupling between the ports, the mutual coupling resulting in a destructive phasing of the frequency bands between the at least two of the band-specific filars.

Multifilar helical antennas are usually made for a specific, relatively narrow frequency band or bands. Traditionally dualband quadrifilar helical antenna has two filars per port, one for each operation band to enable the dual band operation. Quadrifilar helical antennas and particularly the small ones have limited efficiency and bandwidth in dual/multiband operation. Hence, there is a need to improve the multifilar antennas for overcoming the interference.

Quadrifilar helical antenna for communicating in a plurality of different frequency bands


A semiconductor device includes a switching element, a control circuit, and a first and second temperature detectors. The control circuit controls the switching element and have an overcurrent detection circuit for the switching element. The first temperature detector detects the temperature of the switching element and the second temperature detector detects the temperature of the control circuit. The control circuit includes a reference correction circuit for correcting an overcurrent reference value of the overcurrent detection circuit on the basis of a first detection value and a second detection value detected by the first and second temperature detectors and outputting a corrected overcurrent reference value.

In the related art, configurations obtained by modularizing power switching elements such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) (hereinafter, referred to as switching element modules) have been known.
Such switching element modules have various protection methods (protection functions), and as one of such methods (functions), an overcurrent protection method is provided.
The overcurrent protection method includes at least a diode for chip temperature detection attached to a switching element and an IC for performing a protection operation as components. The diode for chip temperature detection may be integrated with the switching element (see Patent Literature 1 for instance), or may be provided on the same circuit board separately from the switching element or be provided together with the switching element in the same resin case (see the second embodiment of Patent Literature 2 for instance, and this is shown in FIG. 24 of this specification). Herein, a circuit board is an insulating substrate having a predetermined circuit pattern and having electronic components mounted thereon.
FIG. 18 is a view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of an intelligent power module (IPM) of the related art which is a kind of switching element module.
In an IPM 300 shown in FIG. 18, an inverter for outputting three-phase AC voltage is configured. Therefore, the IPM 300 has a positive power supply terminal P, a negative power supply terminal N, and output terminals U, V, and W, and includes six IGBTs 301 to 306. The IGBTs 301 to 306 are connected in reverse parallel by protective diodes 311 to 316 mounted on the same circuit pattern, respectively. Between the positive power supply terminal P and the negative power supply terminal N, the IGBT 301 the IGBT 303, and the IGBT 305 are connected in series with the IGBT 302, the IGBT 304, and the IGBT 306, respectively, so as to form three sets of arm parts. Further, the intermediate connection parts of the individual arm parts for U, V, and W phases are connected to the output terminals U, V, and W, respectively (Patent Literature 1).
The IGBTs 301 to 306 have temperature detection diodes having p-n junctions on the centers of their front surfaces (emitter terminals) with insulating layers interposed therebetween. As a result, each of the IGBTs 301 to 306 can observe the chip temperature close to the junction temperature by monitoring the forward voltage depending on the temperature of the temperature detection diode.
Furthermore, the gate terminals and the temperature detection diodes of the IGBTs 301 to 306 are connected to control ICs 321 to 326. The control ICs 321 to 326 perform switching control on the IGBTs 301 to 306, and apply constant currents to the temperature detection diodes, thereby detecting overheat conditions of the IGBTs 301 to 306.
FIGS. 19 to 24 show semiconductor element modules which are a kind of switching element modules, and module units each of which includes a plurality of such semiconductor element modules. FIG. 19 is a bird's eye view of the internal structure of a semiconductor element module 500. On an insulating substrate 403 provided on a bottom metal substrate 409, an emitter pattern 404 and a collector pattern 405 are provided, and on them, an IGBT 401 and a diode element 402 are further provided, and the IGBT is electrically coupled with a gate pattern 406 and a control emitter pattern 408 by metal wires 407 such that the gate pattern 406 and the control emitter pattern 408 are connected to a gate terminal 413 and a control emitter terminal 414. FIG. 20 is a view illustrating the semiconductor element module 500 as seen from above, and FIG. 21 is a side view of FIG. 20 as seen from an arrow A. FIGS. 20 and 21 show that the internal structure shown in FIG. 19 has been formed in a resin case 410, and a main emitter terminal 411, a main collector terminal 412, and so on have been provided on the emitter pattern 404 and the collector pattern 405. FIG. 22 is a view illustrating a module unit having eight semiconductor element modules 500, and FIG. 23 is a side view of FIG. 22 as seen from an arrow B. Although IGBTs 401, the semiconductor element modules 500 including them, and a control board 420 exist, the control board 420 is mounted outside the semiconductor element modules 500. Reference symbols "501" and "502" indicate the unit frame. FIG. 24 shows the second embodiment in which a thermistor 432 for detecting the temperature in a semiconductor element module 600 has been provided on an intermediate insulating substrate 431 and is covered with a resin case (Patent Literature 2).
In the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference symbols. Further, the maximum value and minimum value of operating temperature assumed for a power semiconductor device are denoted by TH and TL.
In FIG. 13, an example of a power semiconductor device of the related art is shown. The power semiconductor device includes a control circuit 1, a switching element 2, and a diode 8 for switching-element temperature detection. The control circuit 1 includes an overcurrent reference voltage circuit 5a, an overcurrent detection comparator 6, a sense voltage detection resistor 7, an overheat detection comparator 9, an overheat reference voltage circuit 10, and a filter 13.
The control circuit 1 is connected to the switching element 2 as shown in FIG. 13. In other words, the control circuit 1 has an output terminal OUT for outputting a gate voltage, an overcurrent detection terminal OC, and an overheat detection terminal OH.
The output terminal OUT is connected to the gate terminal of the switching element 2, and the overcurrent detection terminal OC is connected to the emitter terminal of the switching element 2 for current sensing. The emitter terminal of the switching element 2 is connected to ground potential.
In the control circuit 1, the overheat detection terminal OH is connected to a constant-current source 11 and the inverting input terminal of the overheat detection comparator 9, and the non-inverting input terminal of the overheat detection comparator 9 is connected to the overheat reference voltage circuit 10. The overheat detection terminal OH is connected to the anode terminal of the diode 8 for switching-element temperature detection, and the cathode terminal of the diode 8 for switching-element temperature detection is connected to ground potential.
A constant current produced by the constant-current source 11 always flows into the diode 8 for switching-element temperature detection, so forward voltage corresponding to the chip temperature of the switching element 2 is applied to the inverting input terminal of the overheat detection comparator 9. Herein, it is assumed that the diode 8 for switching-element temperature detection has a negative temperature characteristic, and the overheat reference voltage circuit 10 outputs an overheat reference voltage VOH1 corresponding to the temperature TH. In this case, the overheat detection comparator 9 outputs a low-level protection operation signal when the chip temperature is lower than TH, and outputs a high-level protection operation signal if the chip temperature becomes a temperature equal to or higher than TH. If this high-level protection operation signal is output, the control circuit 1 outputs an alarm signal from an alarm output circuit and simultaneously performs control to turn off the switching element 2.
In the control circuit 1, the overcurrent detection terminal OC is connected to the sense voltage detection resistor 7 and the inverting input terminal of the overcurrent detection comparator 6, and the non-inverting input terminal of the overcurrent detection comparator 6 is connected to the overcurrent reference voltage circuit 5a. The output part of the overcurrent detection comparator 6 is connected to the input part of the filter 13, such that voltages other than a voltage proportional to the collector current are removed.
In general, as an overcurrent detecting method, a method of shunting a current of about one ten thousandth of the emitter current in the switching element 2, and comparing a voltage (sense voltage) which is obtained when the corresponding current flows in the sense voltage detection resistor 7 with an overcurrent reference voltage VOC which is generated in the overcurrent reference voltage circuit 5a of the overcurrent detection comparator 6, thereby detecting the current, and determining the magnitude of the current on the basis of the magnitude of the sense voltage, and performing alarm output and gate shut-off by a logic circuit for protection operation signal transmission is known.
In FIG. 15, a condition for overcurrent detection/determination is shown. The relation between collector current and sense voltage is a relation in which the sense voltage becomes higher as the collector current increases as shown by a line 201, and when the sense voltage is compared with a predetermined reference voltage value VB, if the sense voltage exceeds the reference voltage value, the collector current is regarded as exceeding the collector current value IC of the intersection of the predetermined reference voltage and the above-mentioned line, and is determined as being an overcurrent.
The sense voltage becomes higher as the temperature of the switching element 2 rises, and the current detection voltage becomes higher as the temperature of the control circuit rises.
In FIG. 16, an overcurrent protection operation of a power semiconductor device of the related art is shown. A reference symbol "202" indicates sense voltage when the temperature is TH, and a reference symbol "204" indicates sense voltage when the temperature is TL. Further, a reference symbol "VBH" indicates reference voltage when the temperatures are TH, and a reference symbol "VBL" indicates reference voltage when the temperatures are TL.
In general, the temperatures of the switching element and the control circuit are almost the same, or the temperature of the switching element is slightly higher.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, when both temperatures are TH, the sense voltage is represented by the line 202, and the reference voltage is VBH. Therefore, an overcurrent detection value becomes the intersection 203 of them, and a range equal to or higher than a collector current ICTH becomes an overcurrent protection range. When both temperatures are TL, the sense voltage is represented by the line 204, and the reference voltage is VBL. Therefore, an overcurrent detection value becomes the intersection 205 of them, and a range equal to or higher than a collector current ICTL becomes an overcurrent protection range.    [Patent Literature 1] WO 2016/039342    [Patent Literature 2] JP2002-184940A
The case where the temperature of the switching element and the temperature of the control circuit are extremely different may occur. Especially, in the case where the control circuit is provided outside the switching element as disclosed in Patent Literature 2, heat generated on one side may not be sufficiently transmitted to the other side, so such a case may occur.
In the case where the temperature of the switching element is extremely higher than the temperature of the control circuit, an overcurrent detection value which is calculated in the related art becomes a value lower than a value originally required, so excessive protection is performed.
For example, in the case where the temperature of the switching element is TH, and the temperature of the control circuit is TL, the intersection 206 of the sense voltage 202 and the reference voltage VBL becomes an overcurrent value, and a range equal to or higher than a collector current ICmin becomes an overcurrent protection range. However, when the temperature of the switching element is taken into consideration, originally, a range equal to or higher than ICTH is an overcurrent protection range, and when the collector current is between ICmin and ICTH, originally unnecessary protection is performed.
Therefore, in the related art, the overcurrent protection range has a redundant region 207.

Semiconductor device and overcurrent protection method


The invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules, designated FAIL, which encode polypeptide molecules containing Ig and Ig-like domains and which are homologous to FcγRI. The invention also provides antisense nucleic acid molecules, expression vectors containing the nucleic acid molecules of the invention, host cells into which the expression vectors have been introduced, and non-human transgenic animals in which a nucleic acid molecule of the invention has been introduced or disrupted. The invention still further provides isolated polypeptides, fusion polypeptides, antigenic peptides and antibodies. Diagnostic, screening and therapeutic methods utilizing compositions of the invention are also provided.

Many secreted proteins, for example, cytokines and cytokine receptors, play a vital role in the regulation of cell growth, cell differentiation, and a variety of specific cellular responses. A number of medically useful proteins, including erythropoietin, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, human growth hormone, and various interleukins, are secreted proteins. Thus, an important goal in the design and development of new therapies is the identification and characterization of secreted and transmembrane proteins and the genes which encode them.
Many secreted proteins are receptors which bind a ligand and transduce an intracellular signal, leading to a variety of cellular responses. Other secreted proteins are extracellular proteins that act as ligands by binding a receptor which leads to transduction of intracellular signals and ultimately results in downstream cellular responses. The identification and characterization of receptors and/or ligands permits identification of other molecules and of the signal transduction pathways associated with the receptors and/or ligands, permitting one to identify or design modulators of activity, e.g., receptor agonists or antagonists, modulators of signal transduction, and modulators of downstream cellular responses.
Virtually all cell types respond to extracellular and intercellular cues and induce one or more signal transduction pathways. Among such cell types are cells involved in the development, differentiation, activation, function, and maintenance of hematopoietic cells. These cell types include ones (e.g., B cells and T cells, and subpopulations thereof, such as T helper (TH) cells, including TH1 and TH2 cells) involved in a variety of immune and autoimmune responses, such as inflammatory responses. These responses can contribute to such diverse disorders as pulmonary disorders such as asthma and emphysema, arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, graft-versus-host disease and tissue rejection. As such, identification of secreted proteins involved in some aspect of these cell types is particularly desirable.


This invention encompasses DNA compositions encoding novel chimeric glycoproteins which are useful for preparing virus specific immune responses against human respiratory syncytial virus. The DNA compositions include structural genes coding for the glycoproteins and expression and replication plasmids containing the structural genes. Host cells transformed with the above DNA compositions, vaccines made from the glycoproteins and methods for protecting humans by inoculation with said vaccines are also part of this invention.

HRSV was discovered in 1956 and is found worldwide. It causes upper and lower respiratory tract disease particularly in infants and young children. About 30 percent of hospitalized young children with acute respiratory disease have respiratory syncytial virus infection. In older children and adults the disease is milder. In infants this severe illness often requires hospitalization.
Infections with respiratory syncytial virus are referable to all segments of the respiratory tract, are usually associated with fever, cough, runny nose, and fatigue, and are diagnosed clinically as bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, croup, or viral infection. In older children and adults the virus is generally limited to replication in the upper respiratory tract. Infants may be more severely involved when the virus extends into the lungs. Lung damage can be permanent.
Primary infection with respiratory syncytial virus occurs early in life, usually before 4 years of age. Among children, illness caused by this virus tends to occur at least once each year in rather sharply defined outbreaks of several months duration. Epidemics are sharply circumscribed, generally for 3 to 5 months. In family studies, children in early school years frequently introduce the virus into the home, infecting younger members of the family more severely than other family members. The clinical consequence of infection is most severe on first experience and becomes milder in older individuals who are immunologically experienced.
Secondary effects of respiratory syncytial virus can range from inapparent infection to severe pneumonia and death. Inflammation of the respiratory tract is responsible for most symptoms. Complete recovery in most cases occurs in one to three weeks with the production of antibody which appears to persist throughout life. In the United States about 30 percent of 1-year-old infants and 95 percent of 5-year-old children have circulating respiratory syncytial virus antibody. Reinfections in older infants, children, and adults with antibody are mostly mild upper respiratory illnesses in the form of colds.
Although low yields of virus in cell culture have hindered HRSV research, the virus has been well studied. HRSV is a paramyxovirus containing a single negative strand of RNA which is transcribed into 10 predominantly monocistronic messengers. The messengers have been isolated and translated in vitro. The products have been characterized by gel electrophoresis, peptide mapping and immuno-precipitation as being similar to structural proteins isolated from virions. The structural proteins include a major nucleocapsid protein (N; MW ca. 42,000), a nucleocapsid phosphoprotein (P; MW ca. 34,000), a large nucleocapsid protein (L; MW ca. 200,000), an envelope matrix protein (M; MW ca. 26,000), a matrix glycoprotein (ca. 22,000) and two envelope glycoproteins, the fusion glycoprotein (F; MW ca. 68,000 to 70,000) and a second, methionine poor glycoprotein (G; MW ca. 84,000 to 90,000). In addition, a virally encoded protein of about 9,500 daltons and other small proteins are known to be present in infected cells, Collins, et al., Identification of a tenth mRNA of HRSV and assignment of polypeptides to the 10 viral genes, J. of Virol. 49:572-578 (1984) and references cited therein. Additional work describing the molecular biology of HSRV includes: (1) Collins, et al., Nucleotide Sequence of the gene encoding the fusion (F) glycoprotein of human respiratory syncytial virus, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA, 81:7683-7687 (December 1984) disclosing the gene sequence for the F glycoprotein: (2) Collins, et al., The 1A Protein Gene of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Nucleotide Sequence of the mRNA and a Related Polycistronic Transcript, Virology, 141:283-291 (1985) disclosing the gene sequence for the 1A protein; (3) Collins, et al., The Envelope-Associated 22K Protein of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Nucleotide Sequence of the mRNA and a Related Polytranscript, J. of Virol., 54(No.1):65-71 (April 1985) disclosing the gene sequence for the 22K protein; (4) Wertz, et al., Nucleotide sequence of the G protein gene of human respiratory syncytial virus reveals an unusual type of viral membrane protein, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA, 82:4075-4079 (June 1985) disclosing the gene sequence for the G glycoprotein; and (5) Collins, et al., Correct Sequence for the Major Nucleocapsid Protein mRNA of Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Virology, 146:69-77 (1985) disclosing the gene sequence for the .infin. protein.
The F and G glycoproteins of HRSV have similar counterparts in the other paramyxoviruses. Like HRSV, other paramyxoviruses have an F glycoprotein which is associated with fusion of cell membranes, P. W. Choppin and A. Scheid, Rev. Infect. Dis. 2:40-61, (1980); Merz, et al., J. Exp. Med. 151:275-288, (1980). The active paramyxovirus F protein consists of two disulfide-linked subunits, F.sub.1 and F.sub.2, which are generated from an inactive precursor (F.sub.0) by a specific internal cleavage by cellular proteases, Scheid and Choppin, Virol. 80:54-66 (1977). The second major glycoprotein for most paramyxoviruses is termed the HN protein, and is associated with the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase activities of these viruses. Although the HRSV G protein does not have the above enzymatic activities, both the G and HN glycoproteins are associated with attachment of virus. Also, these glycoproteins are structurally similar in that they have an unusual hydrophobic signal/anchor region at their amino-terminus, Wertz, et al., PNAS 82:4075-4079 (1985); Elango, et al., J. Virol. 57:481-489 (1986).
There are no available effective vaccines to combat HRSV. Multiple attempts have been made to obtain an effective vaccine against HRSV. Friedewald, et al., Journal of the American Medical Association, 204:690-694 (May 20, 1968), describe the propagation of respiratory syncytial virus in bovine embryonic kidney tissue culture. Virus grown at 34.degree. C. or 28.degree. C. did not decrease in infectivity or virulence. HRSV grown at 26.degree. C., while associated with a decrease in infectivity for adults, could not be considered for use in prevention of infection in adults since the virus had limited infectivity and was poorly immunogenic.
Kim, et al., Pediatrics, 48:745-755 (November 1971) disclose that inactivated respiratory syncytial virus vaccine prepared from virus grown at 26.degree. C. stimulated the development of high levels of serum antibody in infants and children from 6 months to 13 years in age but did not prevent infection.
McIntosh, et al., Pediatric Research, 8:689-969 (1974) discuss two experimental live respiratory syncytial virus vaccines, one prepared from virus grown at 26.degree. C. and the other, prepared from a temperature sensitive mutant which grew well at 32.degree. C. and not at all at 37.degree. C. or higher. The first vaccine was unsatisfactory as it did not protect against infection when the interval between vaccination and challenge was greater than 4 months. The second vaccine was also unsatisfactory in that it apparently lost its temperature sensitivity in some vaccinees.
Craighead, Journal of Infectious Diseases, 131:749-753 (June 1975) discusses tests conducted in 1966 wherein several groups of investigators tested in infants and young children a formaldehyde-treated, alum-precipitated virus grown in tissue culture. Upon subsequent exposure to wild virus the vaccine recipients exhibited an accentuated pattern of respiratory tract disease. Craighead concludes that immunization with formaldehyde treated virus enhanced the severity of the disease.
Wright, et al., Journal of Pediatrics, 88:931-936 (June 1976) describe the evaluation in infants of a temperature sensitive live attenuated respiratory syncytial vaccine. While this vaccine when administered at a dosage level sufficiently high to infect all seronegative infants caused mild upper respiratory illness, lowering the dose did not achieve an acceptable level of infectivity. The virus was also genetically unstable as there was evidence of loss of temperature sensitivity in one vaccinee. There was no evidence for potentiation of natural illness with this vaccine and reinfection occurred among vaccinees.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,122,167 and 4,145,252 describe a method for attenuating virions by serial passage through human diploid lung fibroblasts and U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,304 discloses a method for producing immunogenically active HRSV proteins upon the cell membranes of susceptible cells grown in culture. These cells are then injected into a host to elicit an immune response.

Expression system for RSV glycoprotein F and G


A sensor includes a substrate that includes an upper substrate and a lower substrate, and an electrode that is provided on the lower substrate, and the upper substrate, the lower substrate, and the electrode are formed by an optically transparent member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor and a measuring apparatus, and in particular to a sensor and a measuring apparatus for measuring biological information on a user using a reagent.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, in the field of medical analysis, a disposable analyzer in which a sample is supplied to a sensor has been widely used, due to ease of handling. For example, with a small mobile blood glucose meter, blood that serves as a sample is introduced by suction into a capillary formed in a small strip-like sensor, and reacts with a reagent that has been provided inside the sensor in advance. Moreover, an electric current value is measured by electrochemically measuring a reagent component that has reacted with glucose in the blood, and the measured electric current value is applied to a calibration curve to calculate a blood glucose level. Also, the blood glucose meter displays the calculated blood glucose level on a screen or the like.
Increase in usage of such a sensor has been accompanied by user demand for improvement in the usability of the sensor. For example, Japanese Patent No. 4085137 (Patent Document 1) discloses a measuring apparatus that includes a light source that illuminates a portion of a sensor to which a sample is supplied in order to easily supply the sample to the sensor in a dark place.
Also, for example, JP 2012-18010A (Patent Document 2) discloses a measuring apparatus (a blood glucose meter) that causes a display to display a glucose level in blood, and that emits light of a color corresponding to the glucose level from a backlight of the display at the same time. It is conceivable that according to the measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, a user is able to immediately know whether his or her blood glucose level is normal, and therefore, usability will be significantly improved.
However, in the case where the measuring apparatus is a blood glucose meter, the user is usually a patient suffering from diabetes and often has poor eyesight, and thus, usability of the measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is not sufficiently improved.
On the other hand, according to the measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, although usability is significantly improved, it is necessary to use a backlight that can emit light of a plurality of colors as a backlight of the display. Therefore, the measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 is problematic in that the manufacturing cost is high.

Sensor used for measuring biological information on user


The invention describes a highly improved, reproducible and a consistent method of transformation and regeneration that results in obtaining 12-15% transgenic plants. The present invention relates to a method of selecting genetically transformed Sunflower explants based on their ability to utilize Xylose as a sole carbohydrate source. Further disclosed is the nucleic acid sequence of the Xylose Isomerase gene, vector construction for incorporation of the selection marker gene and the process of Agrobacterium Mediated Transformation of target host plant with the vector comprising the gene encoding the enzyme Xylose isomerase under the functional combination of the heterologous regulatory sequences. Also disclosed is the method of selecting the putative transformants post transformation with the said vector that possess a metabolic advantage of utilizing Xylose as a sole carbon source. Increased efficiency of regeneration, better growth and survival has been observed on subjection to the described method of positive selection. The subject invention alleviates the disadvantages of negative selection methods such as the undesired elimination of the transformed cells and the potential environmental harm caused due to the dispersal of the antibiotic and the herbicide resistant genes.

Plant transformation is now a core research tool in plant biology and a practical tool for cultivar improvement; transformation of several plant species via Agrobacterium mediated transformation has become a routine technology. Sunflower is a major crop used worldwide for the production of edible oils; attempts to transform the species are being made for a number of decades—however, the sunflower is a recalcitrant species resistant to the methods of transformation used so far. Attempts to transform the species using Agrobacterium or biolistic methods, using different selectable markers have resulted in very low transformation efficiencies ranging from 0.6-6%.
When a population of plant cells is transformed, selection of the transformed cells is typically done using a selection marker. The major technical challenge in plant transformation is the development of selection markers for screening and selection of successfully transformed cells. This process of selection is extremely important, with the cost of screening for transformants sometimes exceeding the costs of transformation itself. The choice of the selectable marker gene, the selective agent, its concentration and the timing of the application is very important for a strict selection of transformed cells. On the other hand, regeneration should not be impeded. Hence though a strict selection regime is desirable, this should not impede the development potential of the transformants. The choice of conditions that rightly balances the two needs constitutes an art in itself.
Selectable markers identified today can be differentiated into two types that enable transgenic plants or cells to be identified after transformation. They can be divided into positive and negative markers conferring a selective advantage or disadvantage respectively. Negative selectable markers are those, which allow the selection of transformed cells, or tissue explants by their ability to grow in the presence of an antibiotic or herbicide. In addition to selecting of transformants, such markers can be used to follow the inheritance of a foreign gene in segregating population of plants.
These negative selection methods have considerable disadvantages. The most significant of them all is that the non-transformed cells are killed in the presence of the phyto-toxic product and in cases where a coherent tissue is used there is a risk that the transformed cells also die, due to the fact that the death of the non-transformed cells may cut off the supply of nutrients to the transformed cells or because of the damaged or dying non-transformed cells may excrete toxic compounds. Moreover the presence of an antibiotic resistance gene in ingested plants is a matter of concern. In addition, selection of cells or tissues using negative selection requires precise timing of expression of the introduced genes in relation to the selection process. If the transgenic cells are treated with a toxic compound before the detoxifying gene is expressed or before enough of the gene product is produced to ameliorate the action of the toxic compound, both the transgenic and the non-transgenic cells are killed. If selection is delayed, the selection of transgenic cells or tissues may be hindered by, for example, shoot or callus formation from non-transgenic cells or tissues, which forms a barrier to the penetration of the compound used to select the transformed cells.
The above-mentioned disadvantages are overcome to a substantial extent, by the method of positive selection whose operating principle is converse to negative selection. Rather than conferring resistance to a negative or toxic substance, positive selection involves conferring onto the transformed cell a metabolic, or other competitive advantage over non-transformed cells. These identify and select the genetically transformed cells without damaging or killing the non-transformed cells in the population.
Sunflower is an important oil-seed crop, which is reported to be recalcitrant to transformation and regeneration (Schrammeijer et al., Plant Cell Reports, 1990 9:55-60). Schrammeijer et al., have evaluated some of the potential problems with the regeneration from various explants of Sunflower, the transformants being selected by their ability to grow on negative selection based agents. Kanamycin and hygromycin are the most widely used selection agents for sunflower transformation although these are known to be detrimental to their organogenic potential (Everett et al., 1987; Muller et al., 2001).
Disclosed in this invention is a novel method of selecting transformants belonging to the species Helianthus annuus, specifically exemplifying a positive selection method that involves conferring to the transformed tissue explants an ability to metabolize certain compounds preferably Xylose; transformed explants are selected by simply culturing them on a medium containing the referred selection agent.
The method of selection disclosed herein relates to a method of screening and selecting suitable transformed explants for regeneration. A stable, precise, higher transformation and regeneration efficiency has been achieved through our method. The advantages of the technology described are lucid enough to distinguish it from the existing technologies.

Efficient transformation method for sunflower and oil seeds based on positive selection