There is provided a manufacturing method for a transparent substrate excellent in bending property, flexibility, impact resistance, and external appearance. A manufacturing method for a transparent substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a step A of applying a thermoplastic resin (A) composition solution onto a support backing having solvent permeability to form an applied layer; a step B of attaching at least one surface of an inorganic glass and the applied layer to each other via an adhesive composition to form a laminate; a step C of subjecting the laminate to a first heat treatment to reduce an amount of a solvent remaining in the applied layer to a predetermined amount; and a step D including peeling the support backing from the laminate and subjecting the resultant to a second heat treatment to dry the applied layer, thereby forming a thermoplastic resin layer.

In recent years, reductions in weight and thickness of each of a display apparatus such as a flat panel display (FPD: a liquid crystal display apparatus or an organic EL display apparatus, for example) and a solar cell have been advanced through development of a visual communication technology. A glass substrate has hitherto been used as a substrate for use in each of the display apparatus and the solar cell in many cases. The glass substrate is excellent in transparency, solvent resistance, gas barrier property, and heat resistance. However, when one attempts to reduce the thickness of glass for forming the glass substrate, the glass substrate is reduced in weight and simultaneously exhibits excellent flexibility, but there arises a problem in that the glass substrate becomes difficult to handle because of its insufficient impact resistance.
In order to improve handling property of a thin glass substrate, there have been proposed a flexible substrate obtained by applying a resin solution onto a glass surface, followed by drying (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2) and a flexible substrate including a resin film attached to a glass surface (see, for example, Patent Literature 3). However, even in the case of using any of those technologies, a flexible substrate satisfying sufficient impact resistance in a manufacturing step of a display device which requires high reliability under high temperature and high humidity has not been obtained yet.
Further, the flexible substrate obtained by applying a resin solution onto a glass surface, followed by drying, has a problem in that the resin solution foams during the applying step and the drying step, resulting in deterioration in external appearance. Meanwhile, the flexible substrate including a resin film attached to a glass surface has a problem in that a stress, which is necessary for enhancing impact resistance of glass, is not sufficiently applied to glass, and hence sufficient impact resistance cannot be obtained. In addition, when a resin solution or a solvent is used as an adhesive for attaching the resin film, a wrinkle is liable to occur in the film. The wrinkle in the film not only causes a problem in an external appearance of a flexible substrate but also causes a problem in that the film ruptures when a measure for preventing the occurrence of the wrinkle is taken.

Manufacturing method for transparent substrate


Multilayer reflective polarizers are disclosed that utilize a thick film multilayer stack and that are suitable for use in liquid crystal display devices. The disclosed polarizers can be mechanically stiff and suitable for use as a plate or substrate for other light control films within the display. The polarizers can also include diffusing means to scatter transmitted light of the pass state, reflected light of the block state, or both.

Recent years have seen tremendous growth in the number and variety of display devices available to the public. Computers (whether desktop, laptop, or notebook), personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, and thin LCD TVs are but a few examples. Although some of these devices can use ordinary ambient light to view the display, most include a backlight to make the display visible.
Many such backlights fall into the categories of "edge-lit" or "direct-lit". These categories differ in the placement of the light sources relative to the output face of the backlight, which output face defines the viewable area of the display device. In edge-lit backlights, a light source is disposed along an outer border of the backlight construction, outside the area or zone corresponding to the output face. The light source typically emits light into a light guide, which has length and width dimensions on the order of the output face and from which light is extracted to illuminate the output face. In direct-lit backlights, an array of light sources is disposed directly behind the output face, and a diffuser is placed in front of the light sources to provide a more uniform light output. Some direct-lit backlights also incorporate an edge-mounted light, and are thus capable of both direct-lit and edge-lit operation.
It is known to use an array of cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) as the light sources for direct-lit backlights. It is also known for the diffuser to be in the form of a stiff sheet or plate that is mounted in a frame at a fixed position from the light sources. The mechanical stiffness of the plate helps keep the diffuser at a nominally fixed position relative to the light sources across the surface of the output face under normal handling conditions, using only edge mounting around the periphery of the diffuser. The diffuser also functions as a stable substrate against which additional light management films can be placed. Such additional films are often thin and flexible relative to the stiff diffuser plate, and can include in some cases an additional thin diffusing film, a prismatic brightness enhancement film such as Vikuiti™ brand Brightness Enhancement Film (BEF) available from 3M Company, and a reflective polarizing film such as Vikuiti™ brand Dual Brightness Enhancement Film (DBEF) available from 3M Company.
Thin film multilayer reflective polarizers can be made by an extrusion process in which a multitude of alternating light-transmissive polymer materials are coextruded through a die, optionally passed through one or more layer multipliers, then cast onto a casting wheel or surface, and subsequently stretched to form a refractive index mismatch Δnx between adjacent layers along an in-plane x-direction and a refractive index match (Δny=0) along an orthogonal in-plane y-direction. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,486,949 (Schrenk et al.); 5,882,774 (Jonza et al.); 6,531,230 (Weber et al.); and 6,827,886 (Neavin et al.). Such all-polymer thin film multilayer reflective polarizers do not require a separate substrate for formation or handling, but are often sold in the form of thin flexible films or sheets.
In general, the physical size of optical components such as diffuser plates and polarizers used in liquid crystal displays should substantially match the size of the output screen. As the demand for larger screen sizes grows, so too does the requirement for physically larger samples of such optical components, including reflective polarizers. However, most reflective polarizers used in displays are thin film multilayer devices that rely on coherent constructive or destructive interference of light from neighboring layer interfaces. Such constructive or destructive interference is a strong function of the individual layer thicknesses, as well as other geometric factors. Great care is typically needed to ensure that the layers are controlled to within a narrow tolerance to ensure proper operation of the reflective polarizer. Even greater care is necessary as the physical size of these polarizers increases. Increasing the physical size of thin film reflective polarizers also magnifies potential mechanical problems such as wrinkling, warping, and delamination.

Multifunctional thick film reflective polarizer for displays


A system and method for estimating agricultural parameters for growing crops is well suited for promoting efficient utilization of agricultural inputs (e.g., water consumption). Sensors collect data via one or more vehicles equipped with location-determining receivers. A transmitter transmits the collected environmental data to a data processing system. The data processing system applies the collected environmental data to an agronomic model for determining an agricultural management parameter. A prescription is made available for application of an agricultural input (e.g., water) to a crop in a particular location consistent with the collected environmental data and the agronomic model.

Stationary weather stations or other agronomic sensing stations may be positioned in a field to determine environmental parameters for raising agricultural crops. However, the cost, maintenance, and other drawbacks of stationary weather stations discourage the wide-spread deployment of such agronomic sensing stations. Batteries of sensing stations may need to be replaced or recharged periodically. Sensing stations may be vulnerable to theft or vandalism. The placement of sensing stations in the field can make them susceptible to collisions or entanglement with machinery, tractors or implements, for example.
The success of growers depends upon an adequate supply of water (e.g., rainfall) and other agricultural inputs for raising crops. The cost of providing irrigation or other agricultural inputs to crops is based on the quantity, frequency and rate of application of the agricultural input to a field. Accordingly, there is need for providing low cost and accurate agricultural management parameters to growers to reduce or optimally allocate agricultural inputs (e.g., water consumption and irrigation expenses) to the extent practical.

Method and system for estimating an agricultural management parameter


A light emitting device includes a first light emitting diode (LED) emitting a first light emission of at least a first wavelength, and a second light emitting diode emitting a second light emission of at least a second wavelength. The second LED is placed in close proximity to the first LED such that after a mixing length from the first and second LEDs, a combination of the first and second lights is perceived as one color in the human vision. In use, the first and second LEDs are alternately driven by a power source in the time domain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to light emitting devices using light emitting diode(s) to generate lights of desired color(s).
2. Background of the Invention
With the development of efficient LED devices that emit bluish or ultraviolet (UV) light, it has become feasible to produce LED devices that generate white light through phosphor conversion of a portion of the primary radiation emission of the light emitting structure of the LED device to longer wavelengths. Conversion of primary emission to longer wavelengths is commonly referred to as down-conversion of the primary emission. An unconverted portion of the primary emission combines with the light of longer wavelength to produce white light. LED devices that produce white light through phosphor conversion are useful for signaling and illumination purposes.
Recent developments have been focused on the phosphor materials to improve the production of white lights by using LED devices. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,925 entitled "Light emitting device having a nitride compound semiconductor and a phosphor containing a garnet fluorescent material" filed by Shimizu et al on Jul. 29, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 6,501,102 entitled "Light emitting diode (LED) device that produces white light by performing phosphor conversion on all of the primary radiation emitted by the light emitting structure of the LED device" filed by Mueller-Mach et al on Aug. 28, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,642,652 entitled "Phosphor-converted light emitting device" filed by Collins, III et al on Jun. 11, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,686,691 entitled "Tri-color, white light LED lamps" filed by Mueller et al on Sep. 27, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 6,812,500 entitled "Light-radiating semiconductor component with a luminescence conversion element" filed by Reeh et al on Dec. 6, 2000.
However, as stated in the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN article, titled "In Pursuit of the Ultimate Lamp", published in the February 2001 issue, the use of phosphor material in the production of white light is "inherently less efficient, because energy is lost in converting ultraviolet or blue light into lower-energy light (that is, light toward the red end of the spectrum). Moreover, light is also lost because of scattering and absorption in the phosphor packaging." (Page 67).
There have been few discussions about reduction of energy consumptions in the production of white color light. The conventional use of phosphors in the production of white color light may even result in higher energy consumption.

Light emitting device with at least two alternately driven light emitting diodes

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.


Described herein are centering systems, including cartridge reels, reel drivers, and methods of using them. Aspects of the invention may include cartridges, tape drives, and systems of using the cartridge reels and reel drivers. A centering system may comprise a cartridge reel having gear teeth and a guide channel. The guide channel may mate with an alignment ring on a reel driver to center the cartridge reel with respect to the reel driver so that gear teeth on the reel driver may properly engage the gear teeth on the cartridge reel. Thus, the centering system (or components of the centering system) may be used to prevent misalignment and slipping between a cartridge reel and a reel driver.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to media storage devices, and more specifically to devices, systems and methods of aligning media cartridges with rotatable reels within tape drives.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic tape cartridges have been used to conveniently and efficiently store and handle magnetic recording media for tape drives. One type of tape cartridge consists of a substantially rectangular exterior cartridge housing and a single cartridge reel containing a magnetic tape positioned within the housing. The cartridge housing includes an upper housing section and a lower housing section that substantially enclose the magnetic tape, which includes a cartridge leader. The cartridge leader becomes exposed through an opening in the cartridge housing during insertion of the cartridge into the tape drive. The tape drive is then able to engage and retrieve the tape from the cartridge for recording and/or playback.
The cartridge reel may include a hub, one or more flanges, and a plurality of teeth (cartridge reel gear teeth) that are exposed through an access opening in the lower housing section. A reel driver may include a drive clutch for engaging these cartridge reel gear teeth to rotate the cartridge reel. Typically, a spring within the cartridge housing biases the reel toward the lower housing section. If the gears (e.g., teeth) on the reel driver properly engage the gears (e.g., teeth) on the cartridge reel, the tape drive may exert a force against the reel, urging the reel toward the upper housing section, thereby partially compressing the spring to promote a secure engagement between the reel driver (e.g., drive clutch) and the reel. The tape drive may then rotate the reel and guide the tape across a data transducer that reads data from and/or writes data to the tape. The cartridge reel can move at least somewhat radially (e.g., perpendicular to the rotational axis of the cartridge reel) within the cartridge housing, to allow for drive tolerances (e.g., variations in drive and/or cartridges).
While some radial movement may be desirable, radial movement may become problematic when mating the cartridge reel with a drive. Typically, during normal operation in a tape drive, cartridge reel gear teeth mate with reel driver gear teeth on the drive clutch region of the reel driver. If the cartridge reel and reel driver centerlines are not axially aligned, the gears will have difficulty mating. This may result in slipping or miscoupling, commonly referred to as "whir," due to the sound the gears make when not engaged.
Miscoupling due to radial misalignment prevents the proper functioning of the cartridge. Miscoupling is common enough that most commercially available drives are designed to detect when gears are not properly mated, and to conduct a retry. Furthermore, miscoupling may damage the cartridge or drive gears, and may generate debris that may further interfere with cartridge function.
Centering the cartridge reel with a reel driver within a tape drive may be made even more difficult when a cartridge is placed on its end, so that the tape reel axis is parallel to the ground (e.g., the tape reel is "upright" rather than "flat"), because the cartridge reel may be shifted radially (e.g., perpendicular to the axis of rotation) by gravity. Thus, devices such as cartridge storage libraries, automatic tape cartridge loading devices, and robotic cartridge handlers may exacerbate the problem of miscoupling by shifting the cartridge reel within a tape cartridge housing.
Accordingly, the need exists to provide cartridge reels, a tape drives, and centering systems that reduce or eliminate radial miscoupling. Further, the need exists to provide a cost-effective, efficient method of centering a media cartridge and tape drive that promotes increased accuracy in coupling the tape cartridge and drive.


A lens driving device which is small in size and good in focus adjustment and hand-shake correction disclosed, including: a housing, including a fixing base having a circuit substrate and a cover forming a receiving space; a spring piece connecting a lens module and a supporting frame; a supporting component for supporting the supporting frame and a second supporting frame in the housing; a first magnet steel, mounted and fixed on the supporting frame; a first drive coil, mounted on the lens module to enable a movement in an optical axis direction under an electromagnetic action; and a second drive coil, disposed on the fixing bases, and oppositely disposed near a horizontal plane of a gravity center of the lens module above a second magnet steel so that the second magnet steel mounted on the supporting frame moves along a direction orthogonal to the optical axis under the electromagnetic action.

With the rapid development of photographic technology, lens driving devices are widely applied to numerous photographic devices. The lens driving devices may be applied to different portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones and tablet computers. In this way, the lens driving devices are acceptable especially for consumers.
A driving mechanism of a lens driving device applicable to a common portable electronic device is usually formed by a coil and a magnet steel, where the coil is fixed to an outer circumference of a camera lens frame. When a current is applied to the coil, the coil enables the camera lens frame to move along an optical axis direction of a lens under the action of an electromagnetic force, thereby achieving focusing. However, when a user takes a photograph while holding an electronic device with a hand, it is impossible to avoid a jitter of the lens driving device caused by a hand shake. Therefore, the lens, sometimes, will move continuously in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the lens. In this case, an impact caused by the hand shake cannot be avoided in the lens driving device, resulting in lowered quality of a photographed image.
In addition, in an ordinary hand-shake correction device, a drive noise is generated in a nearby camera sensor by a drive circuit of an electromagnetic driving device that is at the bottom of the lens driving device and disposed at a side of the camera sensor, or an image jitter is caused by rotation of a hand-shake correction component of the lens driving device. Further, it is required to drive a gravity center of a lens module at a high location away from the drive circuit. Therefore, a stronger force is required to correct the jitter in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis.
Thus, it is necessary to provide a new lens driving device for solving the above problem.


A slidable assembly has a cylindrical section with an upper passageway and an axial slit. The slidable assembly also has a support section with an upper strip extending from the upper end of the cylindrical section and a lower strip extending from the lower end of the cylindrical section. A flag has upper and lower edges supported by the strips. A liftable assembly has a wing shaped component and a central passageway. A short projection extends upwardly press fit into the lower end of the cylindrical section of the slidable assembly. An intermediate cylindrical passageway is formed as a coupling between the lower and upper passageway.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antenna flag system and more particularly pertains to slidably positioning a flag on a vehicle antenna and then raising and lowering the flag in response to the speed of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of flag assemblies of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, flag assemblies of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of positioning flags through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,439,644 issued Dec. 19, 1922 to Scharek relates to a Flag Ornament. U.S. Pat. No. 6,748,683 issued Jun. 15, 2004 to Schultz relates to a Boat Antenna Flag System. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,510 issued Mar. 28, 2006 to Nair relates to a Artificial Wind Producing Flag Pole Assembly.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe an antenna flag system that allows slidably positioning a flag on a vehicle antenna and then raising and lowering the flag in response to the speed of the vehicle.
In this respect, the antenna flag system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of slidably positioning a flag on a vehicle antenna and then raising and lowering the flag in response to the speed of the vehicle.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved antenna flag system which can be used for slidably positioning a flag on a vehicle antenna and then raising and lowering the flag in response to the speed of the vehicle. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A saddle stitcher for producing personalized saddle stitched brochures includes a stitching station, at least two folded sheet feeders for the feeding of nonpersonalized folded sheets, an assembly chain, a drive system, and at least two card gluers arranged along the assembly chain which glue personalized printed matter onto the nonpersonalized folded sheets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a saddle stitcher for folded sheets including a stitching station, at least one folded sheet feeder, an assembly chain, a drive unit, and at least two card gluers along the assembly chain for dispensing personalized printed matter onto the folded sheets on the assembly chain.
2. Description of the Related Art
Saddle stitchers are paper processing machines with which an end product, such as a brochure, is assembled from several folded sheets that are stitched together. Printed folded sheets are disposed in folded sheet feeders so as to be lying or standing on their backs in stacks. Subsequently, the printed folded sheets are separated from each other, opened up and placed on the assembly chain. The folded sheets to be stitched are gathered and lined up on the assembly chain by pushers. The assembly chain transports the assembled folded sheets to the stitching station, where they are stapled together by stitching heads. A trimmer is usually provided to cut off the edge of the stitched product, from which the end product is further transported to a delivery. A conventional saddle stitcher is disclosed in European Patent EP 917 965 B1.
However, the mere assembling of folded sheets into a brochure is often not sufficient to make a printed product commercially attractive. There is a demand for a saddle stitcher that provides an added value to the printed product. This added value arises, for example, from additional processing steps that are performed on the folded sheets during assembly. One way to create added value is to enclose additional elements with the printed product, such as samples of goods like perfume or cream, or advertising cards. It is especially favorable to address the reader personally, either because he is known from having subscribed to the printed product or because it is a mass mailing campaign. The additional personalization can be accomplished, for example, by a glue-on advertising card, which is printed with the name and address by a digital printing device for a particular group of customers and glued at a particular place in the printed product at a saddle stitcher. Such product sample gluers or card gluers are known in the art.

Saddle stitcher including card gluers for dispensing personalized printed cards and method therefor


A robust spindle motor is provided having added shock resistance for fluid containment. In an aspect, a high-speed centrifugal capillary seal contains a fluid reservoir extending between similarly rotatable components. Fluid is recirculated through the motor and substantially around a counterplate. Proper axial positioning of motor components and stiffness is maintained in motors supporting heavy loads such as a disk drive memory system having a weighty disc pack. In an aspect, two separate thrust surfaces provide oppositely directed axial forces acting on motor components. In an aspect, a single thrust plate that is comparatively small is utilized, reducing power consumption. Also, a thrust bearing situated inboard of a capillary seal forms a comparatively small diameter thrust plate gap. The comparatively small diameter thrust plate gap increases efficiency and characteristics including surface flatness, run out and perpendicularity are improved.

Disc drive memory systems are being utilized in progressively more environments, and design and performance needs have intensified including improved robustness and reduced power consumption. Besides traditional computing environments, disc drive memory systems are used more recently by devices including digital cameras, digital video recorders, laser printers, photo copiers, jukeboxes, video games and personal music players. Disc drive memory systems store digital information that is recorded on concentric tracks of a magnetic disc medium. Several discs are rotatably mounted on a spindle, and the information, which can be stored in the form of magnetic transitions within the discs, is accessed using read/write heads or transducers. A drive controller is conventionally used for controlling the disc drive system based on commands received from a host system. The drive controller controls the disc drive to store and retrieve information from the magnetic discs. The read/write heads are located on a pivoting arm that moves radially over the surface of the disc. The discs are rotated at high speeds during operation using an electric motor located inside a hub or below the discs. Magnets on the hub interact with a stator to cause rotation of the hub relative to the stator. One type of motor is known as an in-hub or in-spindle motor, which typically has a spindle mounted by means of a bearing system to a motor shaft disposed in the center of the hub. The bearings permit rotational movement between the shaft and the sleeve, while maintaining alignment of the spindle to the shaft. The read/write heads must be accurately aligned with the storage tracks on the disc to ensure the proper reading and writing of information.
Spindle motors have in the past used conventional ball bearings between the sleeve and the shaft. However, the demand for increased storage capacity and smaller disc drives has led to the design of higher recording area density such that the read/write heads are placed increasingly closer to the disc surface. A slight wobble or run-out in disc rotation can cause the disc to strike the read/write head, possibly damaging the disc drive and resulting in loss of data. Conventional ball bearings exhibit shortcomings in regard to these concerns. Imperfections in the raceways and ball bearing spheres result in vibrations. Also, resistance to mechanical shock and vibration is poor in the case of ball bearings, because of low damping. Vibrations and mechanical shock can result in misalignment between data tracks and the read/write transducer. These shortcomings limit the data track density and overall performance of the disc drive system. Because this rotational accuracy cannot be achieved using ball bearings, disc drives currently utilize a spindle motor having fluid dynamic bearings between a shaft and sleeve to support a hub and the disc for rotation. One alternative bearing design is a hydrodynamic bearing.
In a hydrodynamic bearing, a lubricating fluid such as gas or liquid or air provides a bearing surface between a fixed member and a rotating member of the disc drive. Hydrodynamic bearings eliminate mechanical contact vibration problems experienced by ball bearing systems. Further, hydrodynamic bearings can be scaled to smaller sizes whereas ball bearings have smallness limitations. However, hydrodynamic bearings suffer from sensitivity to external loads or mechanical shock. Fluid can in some cases be jarred out of the bearing by vibration or shock events. Further, bearing fluids can give off vaporous components that could diffuse into a disc chamber. This vapor can transport particles such as material abraded from bearings or other components. These particles can deposit on the read/write heads and the surfaces of the discs, causing damage to the discs and the read/write heads as they pass over the discs.
Effective sealing is critical in the case of hydrodynamic bearings, and efforts have been made to address these concerns. A capillary seal is typically employed to ensure fluid is maintained within a bearing. Here, a fluid meniscus is formed between two component walls and capillary attraction retains the fluid. Recent designs employ a radial capillary seal having diverging walls wherein the diverging walls form an enlarged fluid reservoir for fluid lost due to evaporation. Further, in a reservoir having larger volume, lower viscosity oil may be used, lowering power loss due to viscous friction. However, with a larger reservoir having diverging walls, the capillary seal gap is widened and thus the oil retention capability is lowered. Moreover, although a radial capillary provides some shock resistance, its shock resistance is limited and fluid can be dislodged from a reservoir.
Mobile applications require higher resilience to shock events than desktop or enterprise products. Laptop or portable computers can be subjected to large magnitudes of mechanical shock as a result of handling. Also, as motors become shorter due to a trend to reduce axial height, the spacing between bearing components decreases, minimizing the angular or rocking stiffness of the bearings. It has become essential in the industry to design disc drives having smaller dimensions, motor stability and capable of withstanding substantial mechanical shock, while maintaining reduced power consumption. Additionally, since motors are being designed having reduced power consumption, maintaining proper axial positioning of motor components is made increasingly difficult. This is especially a concern for motors that support a heavy load such as a large disc pack.

High-speed centrifugal seal for a spindle motor


Anti-accretion additives utilize silicone chemistry to prevent bituminous and heavy oil materials from sticking to metals surfaces such as drill bits, drillstring, casing and the like. Organopolysiloxanes and/or copolymers thereof are added directly to an aqueous drilling fluid or are first diluted in a solvent for adding to the drilling fluid. Further, an alkyl polyalkylene oxide may also be added. If a silicone oil is used as the solvent, the anti-accretion additive has the increased functionality of minimizing the amount of bituminous or heavy oil material which is retained in the drilling fluid when returned to surface and permits removal of the bituminous or heavy oil materials with the solids using conventional solids control equipment.

There are numerous deposits of heavy oil and bitumen across the globe. Canada and Venezuela (Speight, 1990), in particular, have been estimated to account for greater than 3 trillion barrels of oil with the major reserves being split therebetween. The Canadian oil sand reserves play a significant role in the supply of oil for both Canada and the US today, and will for many years to come.
Drilling efficiency, using water-based drilling fluids or muds, is influenced to a large extent by the formations that are being drilled. Certain formations like the McMurray formation found in Alberta, Canada and the Orinoco Basin found in Venezuela are primarily made up of bitumen which can have a significant effect on the drilling efficiency due to the naturally sticky nature of the bitumen.
Bitumen is known to be a sticky, tar-like form of petroleum which can be so thick and heavy that it must be heated or diluted to encourage it to flow. At present there are two main methods that are used to recover bitumen from the oil sands in Alberta, Canada. The two methods are truck and shovel surface mining for subsequent extraction and steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). SAGD is used when the depth of the bitumen formation, such as in the Fort McMurray formation in Canada, is too deep to access and retrieve via the truck and shovel method. Two horizontal wells are drilled, one on top of the other with approximately 5 meters spacing therebetween. The shallower horizontal well is the injector well and is used to pump steam into the formation in order to treat and soften the bitumen and allow it to flow. The deeper horizontal well is the production well which collects the heated bitumen for pumping to surface. Typically SAGD wells are not deep wells and therefore water-based drilling muds do not require large volumes of weighting agents, such as calcium chloride, to be added during drilling.
During drilling, the bitumen may stick to the drill bit, bottom-hole assembly (BHA), drill-pipe and generally any of the drilling apparatus that has contact with the drilling fluid, which can lead to significant delay to the drilling operation. This delay may be due to trouble sliding the drilling apparatus and drillstring when orientating the drill string for drilling horizontal sections of SAGD wellbores as a result of the accretion of bitumen thereon, significantly affecting the rate of penetration (ROP). Delays may also be attributed to time required to clean the drill-pipe when tripping out of the hole. Further, delays are attributed to the need to slow the mud pumps while shaker screens, coated with bitumen, are changed and further to a slow down of the ROP with the slower mud pump speed.
SAGD drilling operations were initially plagued with severe issues due to the sticky nature of bitumen. Drilling fluids used conventionally at the time contained no additives to overcome the problems of drilling in bitumen and, as a result, the bitumen stuck to everything including the drill-string, casing and surface equipment which resulted in rig down-time and significant expenditure by the operator.
As a result of the earlier experiences with drilling in bitumen-containing formations, it became known to use additives within the fluid systems to attempt to inhibit bitumen accretion and, as a result, improve ROP. In the last ten years there have been a number of patents filed for drilling fluid systems or additives to overcome the problems associated with drilling SAGD wells.
The prior art anti-accretion systems or additives used to prevent bitumen from sticking are typically classed as either solvent and/or surfactant chemistry or encapsulator-type chemistry.
The first generation of solvent/surfactant systems worked by separating the bitumen from the sand and dissolving the bitumen so that it flowed easily and did not stick. The solvent and/or surfactant systems used either a solvent like D-limonene, as described in Canadian Patent 2,454,312 to McKenzie et al., or a hydrocracked base oil, as described in Canadian Patent 2,481,543 to Baltoiu et al, to solvate the bitumen. It was found however that by solvating the bitumen, problems with odor and tank cleaning arose due to the fact that the solvated bitumen floated on top of the returned drilling fluid in the mud pits.
A next generation of systems/additives utilized a surfactant, such as taught in Canadian Patent 2,451,585 to Wu et al., to emulsify the free bitumen into the returned drilling fluid therefore preventing it from separating and causing problems with odor and cleaning.
In the solvent and/or surfactant systems described herein, the major drawback is that the drilling fluids increasingly retain bitumen therein as the fluids are used, limiting the number of wells that can be drilled before the drilling fluids need to be stripped of the built-up bitumen. Further, each of the prior art solvent and/or surfactant systems generate at least two waste streams: partially oil-coated sand and solvated or emulsified bitumen.
The encapsulator-type chemistry system as described in Canadian Patent 2,508,339 to Ewanek et al., utilizes a cationic polyacrylamide and works by charge attraction to the anionic sites on the bitumen molecules. The cationic polyacrylamide water-wets the bitumen with the polymer coating through ionic attraction and keeps the bitumen and sand intact so that there is no dispersion. Only one waste stream is produced and the returned drilling fluid can be reused indefinitely as there is substantially no bitumen build-up in the system. The major drawback to the use of cationic polyacrylamides is that the cationic polyacrylamides make the drilling fluid extremely susceptible to flocculation of anionic polymers used for viscosity control in the drilling fluids. The addition of relatively small amounts of a cationic polyacrylamide reduce the effectiveness of Xanthan gum, a conventional anionic viscosifier, and thus higher concentrations of the Xanthan gum are required. If too high a concentration of cationic polyacrylamide is added, the drilling fluid system will flocculate causing the anionic polymers and solids to precipitate from the water phase which results in plugging or screen-out of the shale shakers. When the shale shakers screen-out, fluid cascades over the shale shaker rather than passing therethrough. The precipitation of polymers from the drilling fluid is extremely costly to the operator as it results in a need to stop the drilling process while a new fluid system is mixed. Additionally, cationic polyacrylamides are available as solids and must be hydrated prior to use.
Further, cationic polyacrylamides have a propensity to oil-wet sandstone which can cause formation damage.
Ideally, what is required is a drilling fluid or additive for drilling fluid which prevents bitumen from sticking to metal surfaces, which would solve many of the known problems related to the drilling of SAGD wells. Preferably, the drilling fluid would be easily mixed without detrimental effects or only minimal detrimental effects to the properties of the drilling fluid. Further, there is great interest in the industry to provide a fluid that not only prevents sticking, but which would also allow bitumen to be removed from returned drilling fluid, preferably using conventional solids control equipment.


The present invention provides a system and methods for motion-based scrolling of a relatively large contents view on an electronic device with a relatively small screen display. The user controls the scrolling by changing the device's tilt relative to a baseline tilt. The scrolling control can follow a Proportional Scroll mode, where the relative tilt directly controls the screen position over the contents view, or a Dynamic Scroll mode where the relative tilt controls the scrolling speed. The present invention obtains a criterion for automatically selecting the best scrolling mode when the dimensions of the contents view change. The baseline tilt is updated when the screen reaches an edge of the contents view to eliminate the creation of a non responsive range of tilt changes when the user changes tilt direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosed embodiments relate generally to electronic devices with a display operable to scroll a virtual display of contents which may be larger than the actual size of the device's physical display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hand held devices with a small physical display must often show a virtual stored or computed contents display that is larger than the screen view of the physical display. Only a portion of the virtual display can be shown at any given time within the screen view, thus requiring an interactive process of view navigation that determines which particular portion of the virtual display is shown. This process must allow the user to scroll the entire virtual display. Various methods have been used to control view navigation, including keyboards, joysticks, touch screen gestures, voice commands, rotational and movement sensors, and visual gestures.
Today's most popular user interface in hand held devices is the touch screen display. The touch screen display enables the user to perform single-touch and multi-touch gestures (also called "touch commands") to navigate (or "scroll") the display as well as to activate numerous functions and links. The versatility of these touch screen gestures caused the gradual disappearance of traditional means of view navigation like keyboards and joysticks.
As a result, most contemporary mobile devices employ the Flick and the Drag (panning) touch screen gestures to control the view navigation process. These gestures normally require cumbersome, two-hand operation as the user holds the device with one hand and performs the gesture with the other. These touch gestures may cause unhealthy ergonomic strains on users, particularly when the user attempts to perform a single hand Flick gesture. Even if the user is somehow able to perform touch commands with only one hand, the fingers that touch the screen are still always in the way, obstructing the screen view. Touch screen gestures often cause unintended activation of links that may be present on the screen during scrolling, and result in fingerprints and dirt being left on the screen. When the virtual display size is much larger than the screen size, many repeated touch screen commands are necessary for scrolling the contents.
Various methods have been proposed as an alternative to touch screen commands for performing screen scrolling. A promising alternative is a view navigation system based on motion, which allows the users to scroll the display using only one hand and without obscuring the screen view by the fingers that are used for touch commands. In this disclosure, the term 'motion' refer to device motion that can be translated into a rotation (or tilt) change relative to a given baseline. This view navigation system of a mobile device may utilize a set of rotation and movement sensors like the gyroscope, tilt sensor, camera tilt detector, magnetic sensor, Infra Red multiple camera rotation sensor, and any combination of these sensors.
An early motion-based view navigation system is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,466,198 and 6,933,923 which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. These patents have been commercialized under the trade name "RotoView" and their development has been chronicled online at http://www.rotoview.com. The "RotoView" system is well adapted to navigate the device's screen view across an arbitrarily large contents view. Among other features, "RotoView" introduced the fixed mode and navigation (e.g. scrolling) mode so that the screen view does not continue to follow the tilt changes when the view navigation system is brought back to the fixed mode at the end of the scrolling mode. Another "RotoView" feature is its ability to provide various fine and coarse modes of scrolling. At the fine scrolling mode, relatively large tilt (or "orientation") changes cause only a small amount of scrolling. Conversely, at the coarse scrolling mode, relatively small tilt changes cause large amounts of scrolling.
A motion-based view navigation system works in a closed control loop between the user and the device, where the user iterates the rotational motion in response to the actual scrolling occurring on the screen. If a motion-based scrolling device is first rotated beyond the edge of the contents view and then rotated back, the user experiences an undesired range of no response to the back rotation. If the rotation beyond the edge is significant, the undesired non-responsive range of rotation is quite large, during which the closed control loop between the user and the device is temporarily broken, as the user perceives no responses while changing the tilt of the device.
It should be noted that the user gains the best viewing experience when the screen surface is held perpendicular to her eyes. An often encountered challenge in motion-based view scrolling system is the viewing quality experienced during the tilting of the device, when the device is held at an oblique angle to the line of sight.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide methods and systems that can reduce or eliminate the above deficiencies and improve the user's experience during motion-based view scrolling. Such methods should also reduce the cognitive burden on the user and produce a more efficient user interface that is intuitive and easy to use.

Motion-based view scrolling with proportional and dynamic modes


An apparatus is disclosed comprising a suite of sensors for measuring instant static and dynamic pressure and the speed and acceleration of a vehicle, such as a bicycle. A microprocessor receives data from the sensors and calculates power expended by the rider or other power source by finding the total of all forces impinging upon the vehicle and rider, thereafter multiplying by the speed of the ground vehicle. In some embodiments accuracy is improved by calibration techniques, user input of data, or temperature compensation of certain factors. Other data, such as wind speed, distance traveled, altitude, or surface grade may be presented to the user. In one embodiment data is stored for later analysis.

Human powered vehicles, such as bicycles, often have indicators of performance, from a simple speedometer to sophisticated computers which report such data as distance, average and instantaneous speed, and such. Most depend upon simple manipulation of data derived from wheel speed and number of rotations. GPS products have added the notion approximate altitude, location, navigation, even tracking. Some products, such as heart monitors, report performance or status of a human powering the vehicle.
It is also desirable to measure performance indications such as the power produced and the total energy expended. As athlete training continues to be more and more sophisticated, some training is conducted indoors under controlled conditions, where typically large or stationary equipment is used. However many athletes and trainers want to monitor performance in real time under actual conditions. Some products measure pedal torque, power output and energy expended by direct or indirect measurements of the forces that the rider is applying to drive a vehicle forward. Examples include mechanical strain gauges installed in crank mechanisms or wheel hubs to measure the applied forces and speeds, and thus derived indications corresponding to power and energy.
The prior art includes solutions wherein expensive sensors are installed in the crank or rear hub of a bicycle. Many such systems require the user to use a customized crank or hub, which is difficult to install or move to another vehicle, often requiring installation by a trained technician.

Apparatus for measuring total force in opposition to a moving vehicle and method of using


A throttle value spindle (3) is rotatably fixed to a throttle body (1). A recess is provided within the throttle body at one side of the throttle value spindle along the axial direction of the throttle valve spindle. A holder (6) is fixed to the throttle valve spindle within the recess and has brushes (7) at the opposite side of the throttle valve spindle, which rotates together with the throttle valve spindle. Resistors (12) are mounted on a ceramics circuit board (8) fixed on a housing (12). The housing engages with the recess in such a manner that the resistors contact with the brushes. When the brushes slide on the resistors corresponding to the rotation of the throttle value spindle, an electric signal is outputted continuously from the resistors.

As a prior art throttle sensor, there has been proposed one wherein, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 99109/1982 published on June 18, 1982 entitled "Throttle open degree detector", a sensor element is of the stand-alone type, and the sensor element including a bearing is mounted on a throttle body, thereby to detect the rotational angle of a throttle valve spindle.
The prior art throttle sensor has been structurally such that, since the sensor element and the throttle body are separated each other, the former has the bearing portion, a joint etc. Therefore, the structure of the sensor element has become complicated causing such problems as a large size and a high cost.


A data indexing system including a plurality of servers and a tracked resource set client is provided. Each of the servers includes a plurality of resources that are part of a resource set. Each of the servers also includes a tracked resource set corresponding to the resource set. The tracked resource set describes the plurality of resources located in the resource set. The server identifies the plurality of resources using rules of linked data. The tracked resource set client is in communication with the plurality of servers. The tracked resource set client has a data index. The data index is built and kept up to date using the tracked resource set of each of the plurality of servers.

The present invention generally relates to an approach for extracting data, and more specifically, to a data index using a linked data standard.
A single query may be performed on information that is stored on multiple computer programs, databases, files, or other types of data sources. One existing approach for performing the query involves extracting the data from individual sources, transforming the data into an architected organization, and then loading the data into a data warehouse. The data warehouse stores data from the various computer programs, databases, files or other data sources, where the data may be queried, analyzed, or reported. This approach may be referred to as an extract, transform, and load (ETL) process for building a data warehouse.
The ETL approach may have several drawbacks. For example, the ETL process may be relatively time-consuming. Thus, the ETL process is generally executed only once or twice in a day. As a result, the data contained in the warehouse may be relatively stale. Moreover, the ETL process is relatively complex and may be difficult to maintain, especially if new data types are introduced, or if changes are made to existing data types. Also, it may not be possible to automatically enforce various types of data control rules from the data sources on the data that is stored in the data warehouse.

International Business Machines Corporation


A heating assembly, an atomizer and an electronic atomizing device are disclosed. The heating assembly includes a chassis and a heating component. The chassis may include a first wall having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, the first wall defining an air vent extending through the bottom surface, an air entering plate being connected with the first wall and covering the air vent, the air entering plate defining at least one air entering hole communicating with the installation space and the air vent, wherein the first wall and the second wall define the installation space. A heating component may be disposed in the installation space, a length of the at least one air vent is greater than that of the air entering hole in a direction from the bottom surface to the top surface.

People care more and more about their health. Damage of traditional tobacco to the human body has been more and more noticed. Thus, electronic atomizing devices have been created. An electronic atomizing device has similar appearance and smell as a traditional cigarette, but usually does not contain harmful ingredients such as tar, harmful aerosol, etc. Accordingly, damage of the electronic atomizing device to the user is much less than that of the traditional cigarette. The electronic atomizing device may be used to replace the traditional cigarette.
An electronic atomizing device is usually composed of an atomizer and a battery assembly.

Heating assembly, atomizer and electronic atomizing device


A drain-mast connector, for use in transportation vehicles such as aircraft, includes an interface pipe which extends through an outer skin of a fuselage of an aircraft via a nipple-like connector. Such a connector allows for simple plug connection of the drain mast pipe and allows less contamination of the fuselage due to grey water disposal. Such a plug-like connection does not require a complicated mounting process.

In civil aviation, outlet ports for aircraft sewage are designated as a drain-mast. The drain-mast is located beneath the aircraft fuselage and releases so-called greywater into the atmosphere, which generally comprises the condensate of the cargo spaces and the outer doors, as well as the washwater of all of the hand wash basins and accordingly, has contaminants (such as soap, for example) as well as colored contaminants, such as kitchen waste, like coffee, tea, or juices. The underside of the aircraft fuselage therefore may be soiled with the removal of the greywater into the atmosphere by these contaminants, whereby the function of flaps, valves and the like may be impaired. Because of these contaminants, the underside of the fuselage should either be cleaned or at least be monitored for possible contaminants.
DE 103 01 374, for example, discloses connecting the discharge port of the drain-mast via a bellows to the aircraft-internal grey water system. This connection, however, is complicated, since the mounting of the drain-mast must be done blind, that is, without an unobstructed view on the individual components, since the bellows is concealed in a recess behind the outer skin of the fuselage. In the worst case, therefore, the bellows may bend or snap off during mounting of the drain-mast, which can lead to a sealing of the connection, without this error being noticed immediately. As a result, a complete stoppage of the greywater system during the flight could occur. As a result of the badly accessible and deformable motor bellows design, therefore, a quick and simple exchange of a damaged drain-mast (for example as a result of stoppage, defective heating elements, mechanical damage) frequently is not possible. The design of the drain-mast described in DE 103 01 374 may be disadvantageous, because a separate ground wire must be installed for lightning protection, and a pressure range limit between the housing of the drain-mast and the cabin area in which the air leakage rate of the aircraft and also the energy consumption of the climate control unit increases, is not permitted.


The present invention discloses a method and a device for dynamically adjusting a sync-on-green (SOG) signal of a video signal, capable of extracting an SOG signal from an analog video signal so as to dynamically adjust the SOG signal in real-time so as to overcome the problems due to voltage shift or noise.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and a device for dynamically adjusting a sync-on-green (SOG) signal of a video signal and, more particularly, to a method and a device capable of extracting an SOG signal from a video signal so as to dynamically adjust the SOG signal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, with the development in video transmission technologies, a demand for better image quality and higher resolution has become stronger than ever. It has therefore attracted tremendous attention to exhibit high quality video precisely on a high resolution display.
During video transmission, a video signal often suffers from sources of interference which lead to distortion, color deviation, and even image jiggling. Generally, these undesirable problems result from incapable of precisely extracting the synchronization signal from the video signal. More specifically, the synchronization signal, often referred to as a sync-on-green (SOG) signal, is carried on the green color of the three primary colors RGB. The SOG signal is a clock signal and is hidden in the analog video signal. Therefore, it is crucial to extract the SOG signal from the analog video signal and determine the timing of the SOG signal.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram showing a conventional device for adjusting an SOG signal of a video signal in the prior art. In FIG. 1, a video signal is transmitted into a clamp circuit 110 so as to limit the voltage range and then is compared by a comparator 130 to a fixed clamp level defined by a fixed triggering level circuit 120. The prior art technology fails to dynamically adjust the SOG signal. Thus, the SOG signal cannot be extracted precisely when voltage shifting, noise and/or other sources of interference occur, which may cause serious problems.
Therefore, there is need in providing a method and a device for dynamically adjusting a SOG signal of a video signal, capable of extracting an SOG signal from a video signal so as to dynamically adjust the SOG signal and thus overcome the foregoing problems.

Method and device for dynamically adjusting sync-on-green (SOG) signal of video signal


The present invention provides a method for selectively removing silicon carbide from the surface of a substrate in preference to silicon dioxide. The method comprises abrading a surface of substrate with a polishing composition that comprises a particulate abrasive, at least one acidic buffering agent, and an aqueous carrier.

Compositions and methods for chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) of the surface of a substrate are well known in the art. Polishing compositions (also known as polishing slurries, CMP slurries, and CMP compositions) for CMP of surfaces of semiconductor substrates (e.g., integrated circuits) typically contain an abrasive, various additive compounds, and the like.
In general, CMP involves the concurrent chemical and mechanical abrasion of surface, e.g., abrasion of an overlying first layer to expose the surface of a non-planar second layer on which the first layer is formed. One such process is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,648 to Beyer et al. Briefly, Beyer et al., discloses a CMP process using a polishing pad and a slurry to remove a first layer at a faster rate than a second layer until the surface of the overlying first layer of material becomes coplanar with the upper surface of the covered second layer. More detailed explanations of chemical mechanical polishing are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,671,851, 4,910,155 and 4,944,836.
In conventional CMP techniques, a substrate carrier or polishing head is mounted on a carrier assembly and positioned in contact with a polishing pad in a CMP apparatus. The carrier assembly provides a controllable pressure to the substrate, urging the substrate against the polishing pad. The pad and carrier, with its attached substrate, are moved relative to one another. The relative movement of the pad and substrate serves to abrade the surface of the substrate to remove a portion of the material from the substrate surface, thereby polishing the substrate. The polishing of the substrate surface typically is further aided by the chemical activity of the polishing composition (e.g., by oxidizing agents, acids, bases, or other additives present in the CMP composition) and/or the mechanical activity of an abrasive suspended in the polishing composition. Typical abrasive materials include silicon dioxide (silica), cerium oxide (ceria), aluminum oxide (alumina), zirconium oxide (zirconia), and tin oxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,423 to Neville, et al., for example, describes a method for chemically-mechanically polishing a metal layer by contacting the surface of the metal layer with a polishing slurry comprising high purity fine metal oxide particles suspended in an aqueous medium. Alternatively, the abrasive material may be incorporated into the polishing pad. U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,233 to Cook et al. discloses the use of polishing pads having a surface texture or pattern, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,794 to Bruxvoort et al. discloses a fixed abrasive polishing pad.
A semiconductor wafer typically includes a substrate, such as silicon or gallium arsenide, on which a plurality of transistors have been formed. Transistors are chemically and physically connected to the substrate by patterning regions in the substrate and layers on the substrate. The transistors and layers are separated by interlevel dielectrics (ILDs), comprised primarily of some form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). The transistors are interconnected through the use of well-known multilevel interconnects. Typical multilevel interconnects are comprised of stacked thin-films consisting of one or more of the following materials: titanium (Ti), titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum (Ta), aluminum-copper (Al—Cu), aluminum-silicon (Al—Si), copper (Cu), tungsten (W), doped polysilicon (poly-Si), and various combinations thereof. In addition, transistors or groups of transistors are isolated from one another, often through the use of trenches filled with an insulating material such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, and/or polysilicon.
Silicon carbide (SiC) is a material with a unique combination of electrical and thermo-physical properties that make it well-suited for use in an electronic device. As disclosed in WO 2005/099388 to Kerr et al., these properties include high breakdown field strength, high practical operating temperature, good electronic mobility and high thermal conductivity. Silicon carbide has a significantly greater hardness and relative chemical inertness compared to many other materials that comprise an integrated circuit. This greater hardness and chemical inertness makes the removal of silicon carbide using CMP techniques difficult. Removing silicon carbide with conventional CMP compositions and methods frequently results in the unwanted removal of other materials such as silicon dioxide.
Although many of the known CMP slurry compositions are suitable for limited purposes, the conventional compositions tend to exhibit unacceptable polishing rates and corresponding selectivity levels to insulator materials used in wafer manufacture. Known polishing slurries tend to produce poor film removal traits for the underlying films, or produce deleterious film-corrosion, which leads to poor manufacturing yields.
In addition, known polishing compositions and methods do not provide the ability to selectively remove silicon carbide from a semiconductor wafer without removing materials such as silicon dioxide from the same wafer at unacceptably high levels. As the technology for integrated circuit devices advances, traditional materials are being used in new and different ways to achieve the level of performance needed for advanced integrated circuits. In particular, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, and silicon dioxide are being used in various combinations to achieved new and ever more complex device configurations. In general, the structural complexity and performance characteristics vary across different applications.
There is an ongoing need to develop new polishing methods and compositions that provide relatively high rates of removal of silicon carbide and to selectively remove silicon carbide in preference to other materials present on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The present invention provides such improved polishing methods and compositions. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.

Method to selectively polish silicon carbide films


A decorative sheet including a pattern with a third-dimensional appearance is provided. The decorative sheet has a reflective layer for reflecting incident light. On the reflective layer, a transparent layer is formed. On the transparent layer, a light shielding layer for shielding incident light is formed. A pattern layer is interposed between the light shielding layer and the reflective layer in such a manner, for example, that it is included in the rear surface of the light shielding layer or in the transparent layer. The light shielding layer is provided with a plurality of through holes for passing incident light toward the reflective layer and emission light which leads out a pattern image reflected in the reflective layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a decorative sheet designed to give a three-dimensional appearance to a pattern printed on a sheet surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical decorative sheet has a pattern such as a picture, letter or mark merely printed on a base sheet and is therefore lacking in a three-dimensional appearance or depth of the pattern. Various attempts have been made to give an enhanced three-dimensional appearance to a pattern. As this kind of decorative sheet, for example, a decorative sheet disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-6-182937 is known.
The known decorative sheet has a structure in which a printed pattern is formed on a transparent resin layer including squamiform particles. Thus, in the decorative sheet, the addition of the transparent squamiform particles to the transparent resin results in different looks of a distance from the surface of the transparent resin layer to the printed pattern according to position, thereby supplying perspective and a three-dimensional appearance to the pattern.
The aforementioned conventional decorative sheet supplies perspective with a large number of squamiform particles in the transparent resin layer with a limited thickness and therefore has a limit in largely increasing a three-dimensional appearance. In order to provide an improved three-dimensional appearance, it is required to increase the thickness of the transparent resin layer. However, the thicker the transparent resin layer is, the thicker the decorative sheet as a whole is, resulting in an inferior appearance. Further, when it is a flexible decorative sheet, increase in thickness of the transparent resin layer reduces flexibility of the sheet and thus is an inexpedient measure.
The present invention has been attained in view of the above problems. It is accordingly an object of providing a decorative sheet in which a three-dimensional appearance of a pattern is further improved without increasing the thickness of the decorative sheet.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a decorative sheet comprising a reflective layer for reflecting light, a transparent layer formed on the reflective layer, a light shielding layer formed on the transparent layer, a pattern layer containing a letter, figure, mark or the like interposed between the light shielding layer and the reflective layer, and a plurality of through holes provided in the light shielding layer for passing an incident light beam toward the reflective layer or an emission light beam which leads out a pattern image reflected in the reflective layer.
Thus, in the present invention, a pattern of the pattern layer interposed between the reflective layer and the light shielding layer is reflected in the reflective layer, and the reflected image of the pattern can be seen through the through holes from the light shielding layer side. Since what is seen is an image of a pattern reflected in the reflective layer, a path in which an incident light beam strikes the pattern layer, and via the reflective layer, reaches the through hole as an emission light beam is longer. The longer length of the path makes it possible to see the pattern as an image with an enhanced three-dimensional appearance, thereby eliminating the need for increasing the thickness of the decorative sheet.
Desirably, the pattern layer is provided on the rear surface of the light shielding layer.
It is preferred that each part of the pattern layer interposed between the reflective layer and the light shielding layer be interposed in an arbitrary different position because the length of an optical path in which an incident light beam strikes each part of the pattern, and via the reflective layer, reaches the through hole as an emission light beam is different from each other, resulting in a further enhanced three-dimensional appearance.
In the present invention, projections protruding toward the transparent layer and constituting a pattern can be integrally formed on the rear surface of the light shielding layer, and further projections protruding toward the transparent layer can be integrally formed on the internal surface of the reflective layer.
A protective layer made of light transmissive resin or glass is formed on the light shielding layer for protecting the decorative surface of the decorative sheet from damage. In this case, a refractive index of the protective layer is substantially equal to that of the transparent layer.
If a supplementary transparent layer having a light refractive index different from that of the transparent layer is formed on the light shielding layer, refraction of an emission light beam is changed. This makes it possible to set the opening width of the through holes arbitrary.
If a lining layer for reflecting light is interposed between the light shielding layer and the pattern layer, the contrast between the light shielding layer and the pattern layer is preferably clarified.


An apparatus and method is provided for applying building panels, such as siding panels, to building surfaces, such as walls. The panels are of a type which undergo expansion and contraction due to changes in temperature, and they are applied to a building surface, such as a wall, by nails, screws, staples or the like. In order to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the panels, the panels are provided with an attachment hem, preferably fabric-like in nature, and having a visually distinct fastener zone defined by one or more generally horizontal lines and/or horizontally spaced-apart locater spots, with said lines and/or spots being preferably different by color from the remainder of the attachment hem and from some or all of each other, to provide an installer with a preferred indication of where fasteners should be applied.

In the art of building construction, it is known to apply relatively rigid building panels, such as siding panels or the like, to a wall of a building. Frequently such panels are constructed of vinyl siding, hardboard, aluminum or the like. In many such instances, the siding, particularly in the case of vinyl siding and aluminum siding, is configured to simulate wood siding construction, and such siding may be extruded, bent, molded or otherwise configured to have lap zones or the like, whereby one edge, such as an upper edge of the panel will be provided with a nailing hem, which hem is in the covered condition after installation by means of the next-applied panel engaging a lap joint of the first-applied panel, and covering the nailing hem of the first-applied panel.
In connection with such prior art application of building panels, it is commonplace that the nailing hem be provided with a slotted hole to accommodate expansion and contraction of the panel due to variations in temperature. Such slotted holes or nailing slots allow the panels to be secured to a wall or other building surface by placing the nail generally in the center of the slot, and hammering it into the building surface, such that, after installation, a given panel is carried by a plurality of nails in similar nailing slots, whereby the panel may free-float on the nails, because the nails are not hammered tightly "home," into the building surface. However, it is not always practical to nail the nails into the center of a nailing slot, and if many nails are nailed toward the end of the nailing slot, the purpose of having a free-floating panel is not achieved, and the desired expansion and contraction in the panel due to changes in temperature will not be accommodated to the extent desirable. Additionally, constantly nailing such relatively "loose" or floating panels provides assembly difficulty. Furthermore, in nailing siding or other panels to building walls, it is inefficient to constantly be concerned about proper placement of the nail in the center of a slotted hole. Other means of assembly, such as power nailing, stapling and the like would be more efficient, if one did not have to be concerned with correct placement of the nail, staple or other fastener relative to the slotted hole.

Apparatus and method of applying building panels to surfaces


A semiconductor light emitting device includes a semiconductor light emitting portion having a first contact layer of a first conductivity, a second contact layer of a second conductivity and an active layer sandwiched between the first and second contact layers. The device further includes a transparent electrode which substantially entirely covers a surface of the second contact layer in ohmic contact with the surface of the second contact layer and is transparent to a wavelength of light emitted from the semiconductor light emitting portion, and a metal reflection film which is opposed to substantially the entire surface of the transparent electrode and electrically connected to the transparent electrode, and reflects the light emitted from the semiconductor light emitting portion and passing through the transparent electrode toward the semiconductor light emitting portion.

A blue light emitting diode element, for example, includes an InGaN semiconductor light emitting portion provided on a surface of a sapphire substrate, and electrodes respectively provided on P- and N-sides of the InGaN semiconductor light emitting portion (see Patent Document 1 listed below). However, it is necessary to provide the P-side and N-side electrodes on the InGaN semiconductor light emitting portion and route wires from the electrodes, because the sapphire substrate is insulative. Therefore, light from the InGaN semiconductor light emitting portion is blocked by the electrodes and the like, so that the light extraction efficiency is low.
This problem is alleviated by employing a flip-chip structure in which the InGaN semiconductor light emitting portion is bonded to a mounting board in opposed relation to extract the light from the side of the sapphire substrate (see Patent Document 2 listed below).
In the light emitting diode element of the flip-chip type, one surface of the sapphire substrate is defined as a light extraction surface, and the other surface of the sapphire substrate is defined as a device formation surface on which the InGaN semiconductor light emitting portion is provided. The InGaN semiconductor light emitting portion includes an InGaN active layer sandwiched between an N-type GaN contact layer and a P-type GaN contact layer. For example, the N-type GaN contact layer is disposed adjacent to the sapphire substrate, while the P-type GaN contact layer is disposed adjacent to the mounting board. In this case, a P-side electrode film is provided on a surface of the P-type GaN contact layer. An N-type electrode film is provided on a portion of the N-type GaN contact layer exposed by removing parts of the P-type GaN contact layer and the InGaN active layer.
Further, a P-side pad electrode and an N-side pad electrode are respectively connected to the P-side electrode film and the N-side electrode film. These pad electrodes are bonded to the mounting board in opposed relation, thereby achieving flip-chip bonding of the light emitting diode.
Not all the light emitted from the InGaN semiconductor light emitting portion is extracted through the sapphire substrate, but the light is partly directed toward the P-type GaN contact layer. In order to increase the light extraction efficiency, the P-side electrode film should be composed of a material which not only provides ohmic contact with the P-type GaN contact layer but also has a sufficient reflectivity. This imposes heavy restrictions on device production, making it difficult to form a P-side electrode film having a smaller contact resistance and a higher reflectivity.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No.    Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-224297


The motion assist device (200) is provided with an auxiliary oscillator generation element (150) configured to generate, on the basis of a second intrinsic angular velocity (ω2) set according to a first oscillator (ξ1) generated from a first motion oscillator (φ1) and a first model and a second oscillator (ξ2) generated from a second motion oscillator (φ2) and a second model, an auxiliary oscillator (η) which includes therein a first auxiliary oscillator (η1) denoting an elastic force originated from a virtual elastic element for assisting the motion of the user so as to approximate a value of a third motion oscillator (φ3) to a desired value (φ0+, φ0−) related to a desired motion scale of the user, and an auxiliary oscillator regulation element (160) configured to sequentially regulate the first auxiliary oscillator (η1) so as to approximate a motion index value of the user to a reference value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motion assist device for assisting a user in motion.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been proposed a device which assists a user in walk motion by applying a torque around a joint (a hip joint, a knee joint or an ankle joint) of a leg with respect to the body of the user. A control system has been disclosed for this kind of the walk assist device to maintain autonomy in a walk guiding rhythm of the walk assist device while following the variation of the walk motion rhythm of the user (refer to Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-73649).
However, in the device according to Patent Document 1, it is possible that a footstep or an angle of a leg joint becomes excessively great or small due to excessively insufficient assist force or excessively insufficient action distance thereof even though a walk assist rhythm of the walk assist device is appropriate. In other words, although the motion rhythm of the user for guiding the motion of the user is consistent with a desired motion rhythm, the assist force or the action distance for guiding the motion of the user may make a motion scale of the user deviate from a desired motion scale, which applies uncomfortable feeling or the like to the user. In this regard, there has bee disclosed a device capable of assisting a user in motion by matching the motion rhythm of the user to a desired motion rhythm thereof and matching the motion scale of the user to a desired motion scale thereof (refer to Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2007-61217).
According to the device disclosed in Patent Document 2, on the basis of a first oscillator generated by determining the motion of the user, a second oscillator is generated to match the motion rhythm of the user to the desired motion rhythm. On the basis of the generated second oscillator, a model containing elastic elements such as a virtual spring or the like is used to generate an auxiliary oscillator and to apply to the user a torque according to the auxiliary oscillator to perform the control so as to prevent the motion scale of the user from deviating from the desired motion scale.
Meanwhile, it is desirable for the walk assist device to assist a user in walking by maintaining a balance between a motion rhythm and a motion scale of the user. In particular, when a user is performing a walk motion for the purpose of training, it is desirable to walk in such a way that an index value denoting the balance between the motion rhythm and the motion scale of the user, such as a walk ratio, approximates to a predefined reference value.
The device according to Patent Document 2 is configured to perform controls so as to keep the motion rhythm consistent with the desired motion rhythm and the motion scale consistent with the desired motion scale, however, the balance between the motion rhythm and the motion scale has not been taken into consideration. Therefore, it is possible that the balance may not be maintained between the motion rhythm and the motion scale due to the affection from the elastic element model.


A power tool has an electric motor with field windings. Each field winding includes two coils. When the motor is first energized, the two coils of each field winding are connected in series, reducing in-rush current. Upon expiration of a soft start period, the two coils of each field winding are connected in parallel. In another aspect, the field windings that are connected in series with a separate start winding when the motor is first energized. Upon expiration of the soft start period, the start winding is bypassed. In another aspect, the field windings are connected in series with a start impedance when the motor is first energized and a time delay relay having a set of delay contacts coupled across the start impedance energized. Upon expiration of the soft start period, the time delay contacts close, bypassing the start impedance. In an aspect, the motor is a universal motor.

When the electric motor of a power tool is started, there is an in-rush current that greatly exceeds the steady state current. In many power tools, this in-rush current must be compensated for to avoid problems. For example, in larger electrical motors, such as four horsepower and above, the in-rush current is sufficient to trip a 20 amp circuit breaker, the typical size circuit breaker used to protect the electrical outlets in houses. To prevent the problems caused by the in-rush current when the power tool motor is first started, the motor is soft started in many power tools.
Two approaches are typically used for soft starting electric motors in power tools—phase control, sometimes referred to as electronic, and mechanical. In the phase control approach, a thyristor, such as a triac or silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) is used to switch power to the motor. When the motor is first started, turn-on of the thyristor is delayed a predetermined number of degrees out of each half cycle of the AC waveform. For example, turn-on of the thyristor might be delayed thirty degrees during each half cycle of the AC waveform so that the thyristor is not turned on in each half cycle until thirty degrees into the half cycle. After the motor reaches a predetermined speed, or an appropriate period of time elapses, the delayed turn-on of the thyristor ceases and the thyristor is turned-on at the beginning of each half-cycle.
In the mechanical approach, a power resistor is switched in series with the motor windings during soft starting. Once the speed of the motor reaches a predetermined speed, or an appropriate period of time lapses, the power resistor is bypassed. The switch used to switch power to the motor typically includes the appropriate contacts that connects the power resistor in series with the motor windings and then bypasses the power resistor.
Both the phase control and mechanical approaches have the disadvantages of taking up space and adding cost. In addition, the phase control approach reduces motor system performance because of the power loss from phase control. The mechanical approach additionally has the disadvantage that the power resistor must be able to withstand the in-rush current which typically dictates that a ceramic power resistor be used. The ceramic power resistor must be packaged in the power tool in such a manner to protect it from shock so that it won't break if the power tool is dropped.

Soft start for electric motor of a power tool