A light receiving layer is formed with an array of photodiodes for accumulating signal charge produced by photoelectric conversion of incident light. A wiring layer provided with electrodes and wiring for controlling the photodiodes is formed behind the light receiving layer in a traveling direction of the incident light. In the light receiving layer, there is formed a projection and depression structure in which a pair of inclined surfaces have symmetric inclination directions and each inclined surface corresponds to each photodiode. Each inclined surface makes the incident light enter each photodiode by a light amount corresponding to an incident angle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging device and a manufacturing method thereof, and more specifically, relates to a so-called rear surface irradiation type soli-state imaging device, which allows incidence of light on a rear surface side being an opposite side from a surface formed with electrodes and wiring.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
Conventionally, a CMOS imaging device is widely known as an imaging device to be mounted in a digital camera or the like. The conventional CMOS imaging device (hereinafter simply called imaging device) has a silicon substrate formed with photodiodes (hereinafter called PDs) on its surface, and electrodes, wiring, and the like provided on the silicon substrate to scan the photodiodes. Furthermore, a color filter, microlenses, and the like are formed on layers of the electrodes, the wiring, and the like, so light from an object passes through the microlens and the color filter and then is incident upon the PD through space between the electrode and the wiring and the like.
In the so-called front surface irradiation type imaging device as described above, it is known that the electrode, the wiring, and the like limit an aperture ratio. Especially, when increase in pixel number downsizes each individual pixel, it is known that layers of the electrode, the wiring, and the like have to be deep and the aperture ratio is further reduced.
Considering above, a rear surface irradiation type imaging device is known as an imaging device having such a structure that increase in a pixel number does not contribute reduction in an aperture ratio (U.S. Pat. No. 8,420,434 corresponding to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-150463). The rear surface irradiation type imaging device is an imaging device that is provided with electrodes, wiring, and the like on a back side of PDs when viewed from a light incident direction, so incident light passed through a microlens and a color filter reaches the PD without being blocked by the electrode, the wiring, and the like. Thus, the rear surface irradiation type imaging device facilitates increase in an aperture ratio, as compared with the front surface irradiation type imaging device.
Also, a widely available digital camera or the like of recent years has a focus detection function, which allows automatic focus adjustment. As a method of focus detection, there is known a so-called phase difference AF method in which two types of images having a horizontal (or vertical) phase difference are obtained and a focus position is calculated based on the distance between the images. For example, in a digital camera or the like that performs the phase difference AF, an imaging device is provided with a pair of pixels, composed of a first pixel having an asymmetric structure likely to receive light from a left direction with respect to an optical axis and a second pixel having an asymmetric structure likely to receive light from a right direction, as pixels (hereinafter called phase difference pixels) for use in the phase difference AF, and the focus position is calculated based on pixel values of these pixels.
In recent years, since the automatic focus adjustment is a standard function of a digital camera or the like, it is desired that the rear surface irradiation type imaging device is also provided with the phase difference pixels to allow performance of the phase difference AF. However, for example, the horizontally asymmetric structure of the phase difference pixel is formed by a light shielding film provided in front of the PD, and there is a problem that forming the asymmetric structure of the phase difference pixel using the light shielding film impairs performance originally expected of the rear surface irradiation type imaging device, i.e. increase in the aperture ratio.

Solid-state imaging device and manufacturing method of solid-state imaging device


A wall mount light assembly having a mounting base and a light housing. The mounting base has a base wall, and a plurality of walls extending outwardly therefrom that terminate at a distal end. The foregoing cooperatively defining a front opening perimeter. The base wall and the front opening perimeter are oblique to each other. The light housing comprises a lens portion and a mating perimeter. The lens portion and the mating perimeter are oblique to each other. The mating perimeter of the light housing and the front opening perimeter are configured to matingly engage in at least two different orientations. In each of the orientations, the position of the base wall relative to the lens portion is different, so as to direct a light emanating through the lens portion in a different direction.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The invention relates in general to lighting, and more particularly, to a wall mount light assembly which can be configured to provide light in particular directions through reconfiguration.
2. Background Art
The use of lighting is ubiquitous. Among other lighting options, it is often the case that a wall mount or side mount light is utilized where illumination is desired either below or outwardly and downwardly from the wall. To achieve the same, it is often necessary to produce multiple different lights. For example, one housing and lens combination directs light in a downward direction, generally perpendicular to the wall. A second light (housing and lens combination) directs the light in a downward and outward direction. Due to the different desired orientations, it is necessary to produce a number of different components.
It would be advantageous to have a single light assembly that includes different mounting options so as to direct the light in at least two different orientations.
It would be advantageous to also produce a single light assembly that can be mounted in at least two orientations, wherein in each orientation, the direction of the light is different.
It would also be advantageous to produce a single light assembly that can be changed without fully dismounting the light from the wall or other generally vertical surface.


A method, computer program and system for generating code of the vocal interface of a software application by reading the persistent data of an application designed by a data meta model using a design language such as UML (Unified Modeling Language) defining a hierarchical organization of classes, their attributes and the relations between classes.

It is a challenge to automate the generation of vocal user interface code while starting from the data model of the entire software application. The current development tools today allow the developers to generate a vocal user interface code by firstly designing a dialog flow from which the vocal user interface code is then automatically generated. As vocal interface ergonomic is usually extremely sensitive, the developers need to modify and customize the vocal user interface code which has been generated in the first step. This development concept has been captured and formalized by OMG in the UML Profile for Voice (OMG).
There is a need that the vocal user interface code of software applications could be automatically generated from a modelization of the data to be captured by the application, for instance a meta data model such as UML class diagrams. However, no such method to automatically generate vocal user interface code directly from a meta data model has been found to date, and even OMG modelization attempt remains highly focused on the interface and dialog flow.
In parallel to the existing software development tools for user interface development, there is a raising number of business applications incorporating highly understandable wizards as graphical user interface. Wizards are interactive software, helping a user using step-by-step pages to achieve complex business operations through a graphical user interface in a guided way. Similarly, a guided way equivalent to wizards for graphical user interface applications is required for vocal user interface applications. It is not possible today to automatically generate directly from a meta data model of a software application, vocal user interface code which allows the user to enter application data in a guided way as done through wizards of a graphical user interfaces.
It is noted that, with the existing prior art, it is not possible today to automatically generate wizard code of a graphical user interface code from a meta data model. For graphical user interfaces there are tools for generating code implementing dialogs of an application starting from a high-level design of the application such as an entity-relationship model. Automatic generation of dialog code has been, and it is still used, by many different software tools, but mostly in development tools like the DynamicTMN® CMIP MIT Browser. It is noted that all of SNMP or CMIP based management systems create the user interface dynamically based on a persistence model. One example is described at the Internet address: http://www.monfox.com/dtmn/java-cmip-mit-browser.html where the user interface is created automatically based on an OO model captured in a CMIP definition. The DynamicTMN® CMIP MIT Browser proposes a treeview of the data model objects in conjunction to a generic property-value table editor in the form of what the Eclipse EMF framework provides. It also proposes more advanced dialogs, still using a entity-relationship model associated with additional graphical inputs, manual ones, like what is defined in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,567 describing an automatic interface layout generator for database systems.
There is thus a need to automatically develop vocal user interface code starting from a meta data model of the software application which include vocal user interfaces. Furthermore, in order to help the user to perform operations in a guided way, there is a need for developing vocal interfaces guiding the user for entry of data in a similar way as wizards when they are used in the graphical user interfaces of the software applications.

Generating vocal user interface code from a data meta-model

Abstract: Similarly to the wizard for graphical user interface the vocal interface code comprises dialog unit code, which is Forms when VoiceXML language is used, to allow at execution time, entry of data for the application in a guided way.

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention relates to fluorescence methods for measuring enzyme activity, in particular enzyme cleaving and joining activities. The invention also relates to fluorogenic substrates which are useful for measuring enzyme activity and as in vitro and in vivo imaging probes.

The present invention relates to fluorescence-based assays for measuring enzyme activity, particularly cleaving and joining reactions.
Assays for measuring enzyme activity, particularly enzyme cleaving activity such as hydrolysis, are widely employed in the biological and pharmaceutical sciences. With the advent of combinatorial chemistry and high throughput screening, there is a growing need for simple, sensitive and cost-effective assays to screen for potential modulators of enzyme activity. Of particular interest to the pharmaceutical industries are methods for detecting proteolytic enzyme cleavage.
Fluorescence-based assays offer significant advantages over radiochemical, ELISA, antibody and more traditional techniques for measuring enzyme cleaving activity in terms of simplicity of handling, sensitivity, cost and ease of automation. Thus, for example, hydrolysable fluorescent substrates are known in the art which, when cleaved, provide fluorescent dyes (EP 0231125) which can be used to measure enzyme activity. Similar substrates are reported in EP 0004256 for use in determining protease activity following proteolytic release of fluorogenic groups. Peptides which are intramolecularly quenched by virtue of synthetic quenching groups (e.g. DABCYL) have been disclosed which have utility as imaging probes (e.g. WO 02/056670). Whilst such fluorogenic labels may provide an effective means of determining enzyme activity they are generally detectable at long wavelengths, typically in the region of 500-600 nm.
More recently there has been considerable interest in the application of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays which involve the use of substrates having donor and quenching acceptors on the same molecule. WO 94/28166 reports the use of such FRET labels attached to a polypeptide substrate which fluoresce more intensely on hydrolysis by a protease. A similar principle is employed in the fluorogenic substrates disclosed in EP 0428000 wherein the peptide substrate has a viral protease enzyme-cleavable site. U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,137 also discloses the use of a fluorogenic substrates to detect viral proteases which comprise internal donor and acceptor/quenching groups.
Methods for fluorescently labelling and quenching peptides have also recently been disclosed. Thus WO 02/081509 describes the use of tryptophan, tyrosine or histidine residues to internally quench fluorescence intensity within fluorescently labelled peptides. The peptides can be used to detect endo- and exo-peptidase activity.
While FRET techniques offer greater sensitivity and reliability for use in screening assays than simple fluorescent intensity techniques, the substrates are considerably more expensive to prepare and purify due to their complex nature. Thus the preparation of FRET labels is demanding in terms of both analytical and/or purification and material costs. Furthermore the only method for distinguishing conventional fluorescent or FRET labels is by their absorption and emission spectra.
Fluorescence lifetime measurements that may be utilised in the present invention offer significant advantages over conventional fluorescence techniques that are based solely on quantifying fluorescence intensity. Fluorescence lifetime is determined from the same spectrally resolved intensity signal, but is additionally resolved in the temporal domain. Fluorescence lifetime techniques provide greater discrimination because the signal is largely unaffected by 'background noise'. A further advantage with this technique is that several different events can be measured simultaneously by selecting labels having distinguishable lifetimes, thus enabling multiplexing. In addition, measurements of fluorescence lifetime are unaffected by concentration effects and photobleaching.
There is therefore a continued need in the biological and pharmaceutical sciences for improved fluorescence-based assays for measuring enzyme cleaving activity. Such assays may have one or more of the following attributes: high sensitivity, good reliability, robustness, simplicity of use, low cost, ease of automation, label specificity and/or more than one form of detection for distinguishing labelled compounds. Preferably the improved assays display more than one of these features and preferably they display all of these features.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a method of measuring the activity of an enzyme in cleaving a substrate comprising a single fluorescent label and an enzyme cleavable linkage group. It is also an object of the invention to provide a method of screening agents which affect or modulate enzyme cleaving activity. It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of measuring cellular location and distribution of a labelled substrate.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for measuring the activity of an enzyme to join a substrate to a reactant.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Disclosed are a mobile terminal for controlling a 3D image using proximity touch, and a 3D image controlling method thereof. Aligning, moving and re-aligning a specific 3D object inside a 3D object group are performed, through proximity hovering. And, depth of the 3D object is automatically controlled by the various operations. This may provide various 3D-related interfaces to a user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a mobile terminal, and particularly, to a mobile terminal capable of controlling 3D images and performing inter-image movement using proximity touch, and a 3D image controlling method thereof.
2. Background of the Invention
As a user can view videos or television programs by receiving broadcasting or multicast signals through a mobile terminal, a battery of a larger capacity is required. However, a battery having a sufficient capacity has not developed despite of continuous research. This may cause the user not to view videos or television programs through the mobile terminal, unless a charging operation is not performed by determining a charging time and a charging method based on the remaining amount of the battery.
As functions of the terminal become more diversified, the terminal can support more complicated functions such as data and voice communications, capturing images or video by a camera, voice storing, reproducing music or video files through a speaker system, displaying images or videos, and the like. Some mobile terminals include an additional function for playing games, and other mobile terminals include are implemented in the form of a multimedia device. Recent mobile terminals are configured to allow a user to view videos or TV programs by receiving broadcasting or multicast signals.
Various attempts have been made to implement enhanced functions of the mobile terminal not only by structural improvements, but also by hardware or software improvements. A touch function of the mobile terminal allows even a user having a difficulty in inputting buttons or keys to conveniently operate the mobile terminal, by using a touch screen. Recently, this touch function is considered as an important function of the mobile terminal, together with a User Interface (UI) as well as simple input. Accordingly, developing a suitable UI is required more.
Recently, a mobile terminal is being developed to display 3D images for depth perception or stereovision, in a more advanced manner than displaying 2D images. Accordingly, contents is being provided in the form of 3D images not only in the field of film and TV, but also a mobile terminal.
However, a user interface (UI) for allowing a user to conveniently enjoy 3D images on a mobile terminal is not sufficiently provided.

Mobile terminal and 3D image controlling method thereof


A tissue retraction system includes a dilator and a first retractor member and a retraction assembly. The dilator is configured to be inserted into a tissue body and also includes at least one engagement member. The first retractor member includes a body and at least one engagement member that is configured to attach to the at least one engagement member of the dilator so as to removably attach the retractor member to the dilator body. The retraction assembly includes a retractor body and at least a second retractor member that is movably supported by the retractor body. The retractor body is configured to be attached to the first retractor member. The tissue protection system may also include a neuromonitoring member configured to determine a characteristics of the tissue.

In some surgical procedures, surgeons employ open surgery or minimally invasive techniques to access a target site within the patient's body. Open surgery techniques typically require large incisions and high amounts of tissue displacement to gain access to the surgical target site. Due to the large incisions and high amounts of tissue displacement, patients who undergo open surgery usually require a relatively long recovery time. Minimally invasive techniques, in contrast, involve significantly smaller incisions and require less tissue displacement. As a consequence, patients who undergo minimally invasive procedure have significantly shorter recovery time than patients who undergo open surgery.
In view of the advantages of minimally invasive procedures over open surgery, surgical access systems have been developed to access a surgical target site using a minimally invasive approach. For example, surgical dilators, retractors, and systems typically displace or retract tissue to establish an operative corridor to a surgical target site. Surgeons have employed known surgical access retractors and systems in different kinds of surgeries. In spinal surgeries, for example, spinal access systems can be used to retract tissue in order to perform posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF), anterior lumber interbody fusion (ALIF), or any other suitable spinal approach and surgery. A surgical target site can also be accessed via antero-lateral access, postero-lateral access, and direct-lateral access.


Four glycoproteins of apparent molecular weights 300,000, 140,000, 125,000, and 36,000 (gp300, gp140, gp125, and gp36) are detectable in human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) infected cells. The gp125 and gp36 are the external and transmembrane components, respectively, of the envelope glycoproteins of HIV-2 mature virions. The gp300, which is a dimeric form of gp140, the precursor of HIV-2 envelope glycoprotein, is probably formed by a pH dependent fusion in the endoplasmic reticulum. Such a doublet is also observed in cells infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), a virus closely related to HIV-2. On the other hand, the envelope glycoprotein precursor of HIV-1 does not form a dimer during its processing. Experiments carried out with various inhibitors of oligosaccharide trimming enzymes suggest that transient dimerization of the glycoprotein precursor is required for its efficient transport to the Golgi apparatus and for its processing. The gp300 is useful for detecting antibodies to HIV-2 antigens in human body fluids and for raising antibodies to gp300.

This invention relates to viral proteins and glycoproteins, to compositions containing these proteins, to methods of preparing the proteins, and to their use in detecting viral infection.
The etiological agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the retrovirus referred to as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Montagnier et al., 1984). To date, two related but distinct viruses, HIV-1 and HIV-2, have been identified (Barre-Sinoussi et al., 1983; Popovic et al., 1984; Levy et al., 1984; Wain-Hobson et al., 1985a; Clavel et al., 1986a; Brun-Vezinet et al., 1987; Guyader et al., 1987). HIV-2 is closely related to simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), which causes an AIDS-like disease in macaques (Daniel et al, 1985; Sonigo et al., 1985; Chakrabarti et al., 1987).
HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV show all the features of retrovirus family members (Wain-Hobson et al., 1985b; Montagnier and Alizon, 1987; Guyader et al., 1987; Chakrabarti et al., 1987). Their proviral genomes contain two long terminal repeats (LTRs) and three essential genes required for virus replication encoding the viral internal structural proteins (gag), the reverse transcriptase (pol), and the envelope glycoproteins (env) of the virus. In addition to these genes, both HIVs and SIV contain additional genes encoding the proteins which regulate viral expression (tat and art/trs) and three other genes encoding proteins of unknown function (Q or sor, F or 3'orf, and R). The only notable difference in the genetic organizations of HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV resides in the open reading frame referred to as X, which is absent in HIV-1.
Alignments of the nucleotide sequences of HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV reveal a considerable homology between HIV-2 and SIV. These two viruses share about 75% overall nucleotide sequence homology, but both of them are only distantly related to HIV-1 with about 40% overall homology (Guyader et al., 1987; Chakrabarti et al., 1987). At the protein level, the gag and pol proteins of HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV are antigenically cross-reactive, whereas env proteins are cross-reactive only between HIV-2 and SIV (Clavel et al., 1986b, 1987).
HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV are both tropic and cytopathic for CD4 positive T lymphocytes (Dagleish et al., 1984; Klatzman et al., 1984; McDougal et al., 1985; Clavel et al., 1986b, 1987; Kannagi et al., 1985; Fultz et al., 1986). A great number of studies have indicated that CD4 functions as the cellular receptor for HIV-1 (for references see Weiss, 1988).
The HIV-1 env gene codes for a 160Kd glycoprotein that is proteolytically cleaved to yield the extracellular and transmembrane proteins, gp120 and gp41, respectively (Montagnier et al., 1985). It has been demonstrated that HIV-1 recognition of CD4 is mediated by gp120. This complex gp120-CD4 can be identified by co-immunoprecipitation using antibodies specific for the CD4 antigen (McDougal et al., 1986). Following the binding of gp120 to CD4, the entry of HIV-1 into the cell might occur by viral envelope cell membrane fusion (Lifson et al., 1986; Sodroski et al., 1986; Stein et al., 1987; McClure et al., 1988). A putative fusogenic domain in gp41 (Kowalski et al., 1987), which has a sequence homologous to other fusion peptides (Phe-Leu-Gly; Gallaher, 1987), might provide at least one HIV fusion site necessary for this process (Marsh and Dalgleish, 1988).
In the case of HIV-2, a high molecular weight protein of about 130Kd to about 140Kd has been associated with the major envelope glycoprotein (Clavel et al., Science, 233:343-346, 1986). Another glycoprotein having a molecular weight of 120Kd has been associated with the external glycoprotein of HIV-2 (Guyada et al., Nature, 362:662-669, 1987). Nevertheless, detailed information for HIV-2 envelope proteins and glycoproteins and their cleavage products and precursors is lacking.
There exists a need in the art for additional information on the structure and in vivo processing of HIV-2 proteins, and especially HIV-2 envelope proteins and glycoproteins. Such information would aid in identifying HIV-2 infection in individuals. In addition, such findings could aid in elucidating the mechanism by which HIV-2 infection and virus proliferation occur and thereby make it possible to devise modes of intervening in viral processes.

Dimer of the precursor of HIV-2 envelope glycoprotein


A boring bar, such as for internal turning, includes a front pocket that is defined by a shelf-like surface and a ramp surface, an insert seat that is countersunk in the shelf surface and disposed asymmetrically in relation to a center axis, a chip flute that is countersunk in the outside of the bar is disposed on the same side of the center axis as the insert seat, and an internal channel that supplies a fluid to the front part of the bar. The fluid channel ends in an outlet mouth disposed on the side of the bar that is opposite the insert seat in order to guide a flow of the fluid past the insert seat toward the front opening of the chip flute.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a boring bar intended for internal turning, e.g., in a hole in a workpiece. Preferably, the boring bar includes a center axis that extends toward a front part. The front part may include a front end surface and a pocket, which includes a shelf-like surface and a ramp surface. Preferably, the ramp surface extends obliquely/rearward from the shelf surface. A turning insert may be disposed in an insert seat, which is countersunk in the shelf surface and displaced toward one side of the center axis. A chip flute is preferably recessed into an exterior surface of the bar and disposed on the same side of the center axis as the insert seat. Preferably, the chip flute includes a front opening at the ramp surface.
2. Description of Related Art
Internal turning may be carried out in pre-drilled holes, pre-formed holes, etc. in cast, extruded, or otherwise manufactured workpiece blanks, e.g., metal workpiece blanks. Open holes are through going, i.e., open at opposite ends, while closed holes have only one opening and end in a bottom. Internal turning is frequently used in applications with stringent requirements for dimensional tolerances and surface finish. As compared to external turning, there are certain specific difficulties associated with internal turning including a limited boring depth because unacceptably strong vibrations may occur when the boring bar is too long and slender. Accordingly, internal turning is conventionally limited to holes having a depth that is at most 3 to 6 times the diameter of conventional boring bars. Another difficulty is chip evacuation. Insofar as it is generally desirable to provide a hole with a good surface finish, it is preferably that the chips formed by internal turning should not be allowed to aggressively contact the finished hole surface inasmuch as the chips commonly have sharp edges that may mar the finish. In other words, it is preferable to quickly and efficiently evacuate the chips from the hole. Conventionally, this may be achieved as long as the hole is open and/or has a diameter that is sufficiently great to receive a conventional boring bar that has a considerably smaller diameter. That is to say, conventional boring bars need ample space between the envelope surface of the bar and the hole surface so as to allow chips to pass fairly freely. However, the problem of chip evacuation is accentuated when it is desired to turn small, closed holes, i.e., holes having bottoms and diameters of 12 millimeters (mm) or less, e.g., 6 mm or less. However, in order to provided a boring bar that is stable, i.e., that is as vibration free as possible, and that has the ability to carry a replaceable turning insert, conventional boring bars are made with a diameter that is just slightly less than the diameter of the hole. Consequently, the annular space available between the envelope surface of a conventional boring bar and the hole surface is reduced to a minimum size (frequently 1 mm or less). In order to even be able to evacuate the chips from a closed hole under such circumstances, a related boring bar is provided with an external chip flute, e.g., a groove that is countersunk in the envelope surface of the related boring bar and that extends a distance rearward from a forward pocket in which the turning insert is mounted. However, a shortcoming of this related boring bar is that the chips may move in an uncontrolled way in the forward pocket, i.e., without any guidance toward the chip flute.
Conventional turning tools for external turning are per se usually made with internal channels for feeding cooling liquid to the turning insert. However, the mouth of the cooling-liquid channel is conventionally disposed to feed the cooling liquid forward from behind the turning insert, i.e., not a rearward direction toward a chip flute opening.


Fibers having increased strength and small diameters can be produced from compositions comprising long chain branched syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymers derived from the polymerization of a vinyl aromatic monomer in the presence of from 10 to 1000 ppm, based on the amount of vinyl aromatic monomer, of a multifunctional monomer having more than one olefinic functionality. Due to the increased fiber strength, less strand breakage occurs during processing which increases process productivity and yield.

The present invention relates to syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymer fibers and applications thereof.
Syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymers such as syndiotactic polystyrene (SPS) are useful polymers having a high melting point and crystallization rate as well as excellent heat and chemical resistance. However, in some applications such as in cast-tenter films and fibers, the melt strength is insufficient at processing temperatures to obtain desirable properties.
Syndiotactic copolymers have also been developed having superior heat and chemical resistance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,402 issued to Funaki et al. utilizes a difunctional monomer to form a syndiotactic copolymer with styrene, however, the polymer fully crosslinks at high temperatures, forming a thermoset and cannot be melt processed.
Fibers have been made previously from linear syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymers as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,631 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,288 issued to Jezic. However, due to melt strength limitations, these fibers are limited by their diameter and strength.
Therefore, it would be useful to obtain fibers having smaller fiber diameters, increased strength and improved processability, from a syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymer which retains good melt strength and melt processability at high temperatures.

Fibers made from long chain branched syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymers


A projection display device capable of selectively operating in a front projection mode and a rear projection mode, comprises a projector (300) disposed in a cabinet, a rear projection screen formed in a wall of the cabinet, and a front projection screen disposed outside the cabinet. To permit selection between the front and rear projections, the projector may be detachably mounted on the cabinet: when it is mounted the image rays (110) are introduced into the cabinet for the rear projection, while when it is detached it can be used for the front projection. In another embodiment, a selective light guide directs the image rays either to the rear projection screen or to the front projection screen. In a further embodiment, the rear projection screen can change between transparent and translucent states. When it is transparent, the image rays are passed therethrough to the front projection screen.

The present invention relates to a projection display device which permits selective implementation of two projection methods, a rear projection method and a front projection method.
FIG. 19 illustrates a prior art front projection display device comprising as described, for example, in Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 120192/1989.
A projector 300 is mounted on a suitable table or mount 175 facing a reflecting, front projection screen 5F, and image rays 110 from the projector 300 are projected on the screen 5F, to display an enlarged picture. An observer 400 faces the front projection screen 5F on the same side as the side on which the image rays 110 from the projector 300 are projected, and sees the displayed picture. Since the observer 400 sees the picture on the same side as the side on which the image rays 110 are projected, the method implemented by the arrangement of FIG. 19 is called a front projection method.
Details of the projector is shown in FIG. 21. As illustrated, it comprises a light source 1 comprising a lamp 120 and parabolic mirror 130 that directs white light 2 toward dichroic mirrors 14B and 14G. The projector 300 also comprises mirrors 11a, 11b and 11c, liquid crystal display panels 3R, 3G and 3B, a dichroic prism 15, a projection lens 4 and a reflecting, front projection screen 5F. The lamp 120 may be a metal halide lamp, xenon lamp, halogen lamp or other white light source. The lamp 120 is at the focal point of the parabolic mirror 130 to produce a collimated beam of white light. The dichroic mirror 14B transmits red and green light, but reflects blue light. The dichroic mirror 14G reflects green light but transmits red light. By means of the dichroic mirrors 14B and 14G, white light 2 is decomposed into three primary colors. The mirrors 11a and 11b reflect red light, the dichroic mirror 14B and the mirror 11c reflect blue light and the dichroic mirror 14G reflects green light. The reflected light is directed to the respective one of the liquid crystal display panels 3R, 3G and 3B, each of which produces a monochromatic image of the respective color, under control of an operating circuit, not shown. The three monochromatic images for the respective colors are combined by the dichroic prism 15 into a single light image of a full color. The above-described elements make up an image-forming device 200.
The lens 4 enlarges the combined image light and projects the enlarged image light 110 onto a large front projection screen 5F. In order to achieve an image of a high quality, it is necessary to control optical aberrations, so the lens 4 is in the form of a compound lens comprising a number of lens elements (not illustrated as such in the drawing). The image is focused by moving some or all of the constituent lens elements of the compound lens 4 parallel to the light axis. The image-forming device 200 and the lens 4 make up a projector 300.
FIG. 20 shows a second example of the prior art described for example in Japanese Utility Model Kokai Publication No. 115778/1989.
This example uses a rear projection method in which the observer sees the displayed picture on the side opposite to the side onto which the image rays 110 are projected.
In this example, the projector 300, similar to the one shown in FIG. 21, a first mirror 150 and second mirror 160, are placed in a cabinet 170, and an enlarged picture is displayed on a translucent, rear projection screen 5R forming part of the wall of the cabinet 170. More specifically, color image rays 110 emitted from the projector 300 follow an optical path through the lens 4, the first mirror 150, and the second mirror 160, are projected, onto the rear projection screen 5R to display an enlarged image. Because of the translucency (semi-transparency) of the screen 5R, the picture can be seen from outside the cabinet 170, i.e., on the side opposite to the side onto which the image rays 110 are projected. The mirrors 150 and 160 are used to lengthen the light path thereby to enable adequate magnification of the image with a given field angle of the lens 4, and within a limited size of the cabinet 170. Since the observer 400 sees the picture on the side opposite to the side on which the image rays 110 are projected, the method implemented by the arrangement of FIG. 20 is called a rear projection method.
The length of the optical path in the front projection method (FIG. 19) is not restricted by the size of the cabinet 170, so the light path, i.e., the projection distance (in FIG. 19 the distance between the lens 4 and the front projection screen 5F) can be made long. Compared with the rear projection method (FIG. 20) the front projection can give a greater magnification of the image displayed on the liquid crystal display panels. However, the front projection is associated with the following problems.
(1) If a person enters the space between the projector 300 and the front projection screen 5F, the projection of the image may be disturbed. Furniture, or the like may also interfere with the projection of the image.
(2) In order to project a picture of a high visibility, the front projection screen 5F is normally made of a highly reflective material. A dark room is therefore required to prevent ambient illumination from washing out dark parts of the picture, causing a loss of contrast. Thus it is difficult to read, do housework or do other chores while watching the displayed picture.
(3) If the front projection screen 5F is near a wall (which in many cases is a convenient position) it may be that, in order to maintain an appropriate distance between the projector 300 and the front projection screen 5F, the projector 300 must be disposed somewhere in the middle of the room, restricting the layout of the room.
Compared with the front projection method, the rear projection method has the following advantages:
(1) The picture is projected from the inside of the cabinet 170 onto the rear side of the rear projection screen 5R, so people or furniture will not obstruct the picture.
(2) The rear projection screen 5R may be provided with black stripes, or the rear projection screen 5R may be made of a material that selectively transmits only the spectral components of the image rays 110, thus providing good contrast in the presence of ambient illumination.
(3) Because of the relatively small size of the cabinet 170, it is easy to find a suitable place against a wall or in a corner that does not spoil the layout of the room.
In the rear projection, the picture size is limited. It can be increased by (1) lengthening the optical path or (2) enlarging the field angle of the lens 4. However the measure (1) will unavoidably lead to increase in the size of the cabinet as well, requiring more space for the installation. The measure (2) requires a large number of lens elements, increasing the price of the picture display device considerably. For obtaining large pictures, the front projection method is superior. The rear projection display devices typically have a diagonal picture size of 40-70 inches, while the front projection typically provides a 60-200 inch diagonal picture.
Thus, the front projection method gives a larger picture but has many limitations with regard to the installation (layout of the room) and illumination. The rear projection method gives a smaller picture but has relatively few limitations with regard to the installation and illumination. In the prior art the user has to choose between the two types of projection devices. Providing both of the two types, of course, is disadvantageous in terms of cost and in requiring more space for the installation.

Projecting method for picture display apparatus


An apparatus for closing wide skin defects may be used with two long interdermal needles configured for insertion underneath skin close to margins of a skin defect. The skin closing apparatus may include two retaining members (70, 71) configured as a flange connecting two legs (20) and forming a U-shaped profile. Each of the legs may include either a sharp book (23) or a blunt skin insertion element at the end of the leg adapted for percing the skin and engaging one of the long interdermal needles. Alternatively, the retaining members may include topical engagement elements for engaging portions of the interdermal needles which are located above the skin surface. A contracting mechanism such as a screw (82) may connect the retaining members and approximate the interdermal needles, while bringing the skin margins together until final closure of the skin defect results. One of the retaining members may be fixed to the screw shaft while the other may be releasably connected to the screw shaft by an intergral locking mechanism (85). The skin closing apparatus may also include a clutch mechanism (110) configured to disengage the screw from a knob (81) or handle, when a predetermined force is met or exceeded. Each retaining member of the skin stretching device may include a base segment connected to a pivotal needle carrier by a flexible pivot segment (132). Each retaining member may also include a base segment, which carries the skin insertion needles, removably connected to the body of the skin stretching device. Each base segment may further include a male and/or female connector (143, 144) for engaging a connector (146, 148) on an opposing base member. The retaining members of the skin stretching device may also include skin insertion needles which may be adjustably positioned. The apparatus may further include a device for shielding (176) the sharp points of the skin insertion needles.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for stretching skin to cover an open wound, and more particularly, to an apparatus for use before or during an operation for closure of skin defects or otherwise damaged skin areas.
2. Description of the Related Technology
U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,680 discloses a method and apparatus for stretching skin over a wound by load cycling. A force may be applied on opposite skin margins during several periods interrupted by relaxation periods, so skin may be stretched over a wide area. A surgical stretching apparatus according to that patent may include two pins for insertion into the skin along both edges of a wound.
The pins may be gradually pulled together by a flexible strap. The tension or pulling load on the pins may be applied in intervals to allow the collagen fibers of the skin to rearrange for further stretching. The pins may be substantially shaped as safety pins exhibiting a loop for attachment to a flexible strap. The strap may exhibit projections or apertures for engaging a ratchet-shaped device that may hold the pins in forceful apposition.
A disadvantage of the above-described apparatus is manifest when the pins have been drawn together, as no space or room is provided for suturing the approximated skin margins. Another drawback resides in the rather crude manner for approximating the pins, i.e., manually pulling on the flexible strap, as the pulling force cannot be minutely controlled. Another drawback is the two pins grip only relatively narrow strips of skin along both edges, therefore, it is not possible to close a wide wound in a single pulling operation.
There exists a need for a skin closing or skin stretching device that closes a wide skin defect in a single pulling operation. There further exists a need for a skin closing apparatus that provides a visual or auditory indication of the tension or force applied to the wound margins during a pulling operation, and may limit the amount of force applied to the wound margins by disengaging a clutch mechanism.

Apparatus for the closure of wide skin defects by stretching of skin

by Lee Ann Borgia, as legal representative


In a liquid crystal display device, a field sequential liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel having an upper substrate, a lower substrate and a liquid crystal layer therebetween; a backlight device under the liquid crystal panel for irradiating light to the liquid crystal panel and having three color light sources; and an image signal processor controlling a sequential lighting order and combination of the three color light sources.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an active-matrix liquid crystal display (AM LCD) device, and more particularly, to a field sequential liquid crystal display device and a method for displaying color images using the field sequential liquid crystal display device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Until now, the cathode-ray tube (CRT) has been generally used for display systems. However, flat panel displays are increasingly beginning to be used because of their small depth dimensions, desirably low weight, and low power consumption requirements. Presently, thin film transistor-liquid-crystal displays (TFT-LCDs) have been developed with a high resolution and small depth dimensions.
Generally, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. The upper and lower substrates respectively have electrodes opposing to each other. When an electric field is applied between the electrodes of the upper and lower substrates, molecules of the liquid crystal are aligned according to the electric field. By controlling the electric field, the liquid crystal display device provides various transmittances of incident light to display images.
In these days, an active-matrix liquid crystal display (AM LCD) device is the most popular because of its high resolution and superiority in displaying moving images. A typical active-matrix liquid crystal display has a plurality of switching elements and pixel electrodes, which are arranged in an array matrix on the lower substrate. Therefore, the lower substrate of the active-matrix liquid crystal display is alternatively referred to as an array substrate.
The structure of a conventional active-matrix liquid crystal display will be described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 1, which illustrates a cross section of a pixel region. The liquid crystal display 10 consists of a liquid crystal panel 15 and back light 50. The liquid crystal panel 15 includes a color filter substrate (i.e., an upper substrate) 20 and an array substrate (i.e., a lower substrate) 40 which face each other across a liquid crystal layer 30. Within the color filter substrate 20, a color filter consisting of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) and a black matrix 22b are formed on a transparent substrate 1 for preventing a light leakage. The common electrode 24, which functions as one electrode for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer 30, is formed on the color filter 22a and black matrix 22b.
Within the lower substrate 40 of FIG. 1, a thin film transistor "T" functioning as a switching element is formed over the transparent substrate 1 facing the upper substrate 20. A pixel electrode 42, which is electrically connected to the thin film transistor "T" and serves as another electrode for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer 30, is formed over the transparent substrate 1 of the array substrate 40. The back light 50 is disposed under the array substrate 40 to irradiate light to the liquid crystal panel 15. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the thin film transistor generally comprises a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode.
This liquid crystal display device described above uses an optical anisotropy and polarization property of liquid crystal molecules for displaying a desired image. That is, applying a voltage to the liquid crystal molecules having a thin and long structure and pretilt angle changes an alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules. Thereafter, light incident from the back light device is polarized due to the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal molecules. And lastly, the polarized light is modulated by passing through the color filter layer, and thus color images are displayed.
But the conventional active-matrix liquid crystal display device has some problems as follows. Firstly, the material used for the color filter is expensive, resulting in an increase of the manufacturing cost. Secondly, because the transmissivity of a material used for the color filter is less than 33% so that a brighter back light is required in order to display a color image effectively, which results in the increase of the power consumption.
Research and development have been conducted recently in an effort to overcome these problems. Therefore, a field sequential liquid crystal display (FS LCD) device, which displays a full color without the color filters, is suggested as an alternative.
The conventional active-matrix liquid crystal display devices display the color image by constantly transmitting white light from the back light to the liquid crystal panel, whereas the FS LCD devices display the color image by sequentially and periodically turning on and off the light sources having Red, Green and Blue colors. Though the field sequential liquid crystal display device has not been popular until recently because of the lack of a short response time of the liquid crystal molecules, it can be popularized in the field thanks to a development of new liquid crystal molecules having a short response time, such as Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal (FLC), Optical Compensated Birefringent (OCB) and Twisted Nematic (TN).
In addition, the Optical Compensated Birefringent (OCB) mode is generally used for the field sequential liquid crystal display device because the OCB mode forms a bend-structure and the response time thereof is less than about 5 msec when the voltage is applied thereto. Therefore, the OCB mode liquid crystal cells of the OCB mode are suitable for the field sequential liquid crystal display device owing to the short response time leaving no residual image on a screen.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the schematic cross section of the conventional field sequential liquid crystal display device. The conventional field sequential liquid crystal display device 60 includes an upper substrate 64 (referred to as a color filter substrate), a lower substrate 66 (referred to as an array substrate), a liquid crystal layer 70 interposed therebetween and a back light device 72 consisting of three light sources Red (R), Green (G) and Blue (B) to irradiate light to the liquid crystal panel 62. A black matrix 61 is formed between the common electrode 65 and the transparent substrate 1 of the upper substrate 64 in order to prevent leakage of light in a non-display region other than a region for a pixel electrode 67. A thin film transistor "T", which functions as a switching element and is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 67, is formed over the transparent substrate 1 of the lower substrate 66. The thin film transistor "T" corresponding to the black matrix 61 consists of gate, source and drain electrodes (not shown).
The biggest difference of the field sequential liquid crystal display (FS LCD) device 60 with the conventional liquid crystal display of FIG. 1 is that the FS LCD device does not need the color filters in the upper substrate 64 and has a back light device that includes three different light sources that are sequentially and selectively turned on and/or off. The light sources having Red (R), Green (G) and Blue (B) colors are driven respectively by an inverter (not shown) and each of Red, Green and Blue light sources is turned on and off sixty times per second, resulting in one hundred and eighty times per second in all.
Therefore, a color image caused by the mixture of three colors (red, green and blue) is displayed using an afterimage (i.e., residual image) effect of human vision. Though the Red, Green and Blue light sources are turned on and off one hundred and eighty time per second, the perception by the naked eye is that the light sources are kept on due to the afterimage (or residual image) effect. For example, if the Red light source is turned on and then the Blue light source is sequentially turned on, a mixed color (i.e., violet) is shown owing to the residual image effect.
Since the FS LCD devices do not need the color filters, the FS LCD devices overcome the problem that the conventional active-matrix liquid crystal display devices cause the decrease of the luminance due to the color filters. In addition, the FS LCD devices are suitable for the liquid crystal display devices of a large scale because they can display a full-color using three-color light sources whereby they can display an image of high luminance and high resolution. Though the conventional active-matrix liquid crystal display device is inferior to CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) in terms of price or resolution, the field sequential liquid crystal display device can solve these problems.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart schematically showing an operation of a field sequential liquid crystal display device according to a conventional color image display method. In the initial step "st1", a single frame as an image display unit is divided into three subframes each having one—one hundred eightieth of a second ( 1/180 second) period. In step "st2", electric signals are applied to pixels of the FS LCD panel at 1/180 second interval. At this time when the electric signals are applied, the thin film transistors are operated as switching devices such that the liquid crystal molecules are arranged according to the signals. Further within one frame, the primarily arranged liquid crystal molecules of one pixel continue to maintain their status until the liquid crystal molecules of the last pixel are arranged. In step "st3", when the liquid crystal molecules of the designated frame are all arranged, the light sources are turned on in the designated pixel. Namely, the light sources of the backlight device of the conventional FS LCD device are turned on sequentially, respectively, periodically and repeatedly without the additional control devices.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing a gray level of the emitted light depending on a light source. In general, the liquid crystal panel for the FS LCD device does not include the color filter contrary to the conventional LCD device, such that the liquid crystal panel displays a black color unless the light source irradiates light. The gray level of the initially inputted signal is defined by multiplying a gray level of the black-and-white liquid crystal panel by a gray level of backlight. As shown in FIG. 4, the Red, Green and Blue light sources forms one frame "1f" and are sequentially turned on/off. The brightness of Red, Green and Blue light sources is respectively represented by L1, L2 and L3 in FIG. 4. In this graph of FIG. 4, if the gray level of inputted signal and the gray level of black liquid crystal level are maintained at fixed values, it is obvious the picture brightness depends on the backlight.
However, since the Red, Green and Blue light sources are sequentially turned on and off in the conventional FS LCD devices without extra control devices, the maximum brightness is limited to 1b that represents the brightness L2. Namely, when the brightness L2 of the Green light source is calculated in gray level (i.e., 1b), the gray level 1b represents the maximum brightness among the light sources such that the maximum brightness of the Red, Green and Blue light sources is less than the gray level 1b.
FIG. 5 is a graph of the lighting time of the subframes, plotted as a function of the time according to the Red (R), Green (G) and Blue (B) light sources. As shown in FIG. 5, 1/60 second as one frame (1f) is divided into first sf1, second sf2 and third sf3 subframes. At this time, each Red (R), Green (G) or Blue (B) light source of the subframes is substantially turned on for less than 1/180 second because the duration of each subframe sf1, sf2 or sf3 takes into account the duration of applying the electric signal, aligning the liquid crystal molecules and turning on the backlight device. Therefore, if each light source of the subframe is thoroughly turned on for 1/180 second, the light leakage can occur because the light is irradiated before the aligning of the liquid crystal molecules. Furthermore, the color interference may occur between the light sources of the subframes. In other words, switching on and off the light source of each subframe is carried out after applying the electric signals and aligning the liquid crystal molecules, and depends on the thin film transistors and the condition of the liquid crystal molecules.
However, since the conventional FS LCD devices does not have a control device controlling the light sources of the backlight device, the light leakage and the decrease of display quality occur in the conventional FS LCD devices whenever the design of the thin film transistor changes.

Field sequential LCD device and color image display method thereof


An MTJ (magnetic tunneling junction) device particularly suitable for use as an MRAM (magnetic random access memory) or a tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) read sensor, is formed on a seed layer which allows the tunneling barrier layer to be ultra-thin, smooth, and to have a high breakdown voltage. The seed layer is a layer of NiCr which is formed on a sputter-etched layer of Ta. The tunneling barrier layer for the MRAM is formed from a thin layer of Al which is radically oxidized (ROX), in-situ, to form the layer with characteristics described above. The tunneling barrier layer for the read sensor formed from a thin layer of Al or a HfAl bilayer which is naturally oxidized (NOX), in-situ, to form the barrier layer. The resulting device has generally improved performance characteristics in terms of GMR ratio and junction resistance.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) devices such as MRAMs and read-heads and more particularly to the use of a novel seed layer that allows the formation of a junction layer of superior physical properties.
2. Description of the Related Art
The magnetic tunneling junction device (MTJ device) is essentially a variable resistor in which the relative orientation of magnetic fields in an upper and lower very thin dielectric layer (the tunneling barrier layer) formed between those electrodes. As electrons pass through the upper electrode they are spin polarized by its magnetization direction. The probability of an electron tunneling through the intervening tunneling barrier layer then depends on the magnetization direction of the lower electrode. Because the tunneling probability is spin dependent, the current depends upon the relative orientation of the magnetizations of magnetic layers above and below the barrier layer. Most advantageously, one of the two magnetic layers (the pinned layer) in the MTJ has its magnetization fixed in direction, while the other layer (the free layer) has its magnetization free to move in response to an external stimulus. If the magnetization of the free layer is allowed to move continuously, as when it is acted on by a continuously varying external magnetic field, the device acts as a variable resistor and it can be used as a read-head. If the magnetization of the free layer is restricted to only two orientations relative to the fixed layer (parallel and anti-parallel), the first of which produces a low resistance (high tunneling probability) and the second of which produces a high resistance (low tunneling probability), then the device behaves as a switch, and it can be used for data storage and retrieval (a MRAM).
Magnetic tunneling junction devices are now being utilized as information storage elements in magnetic random access memories (MRAMs). Typically, when used as an information storage or memory device, magnetic fields produced by orthogonally intersecting current carrying lines (digit and bit lines) orient the magnetization of the free layer so that it is either parallel or anti-parallel to the pinned layer; at a later time a sensing current passed through the MTJ indicates if it is in a high (antiparallel) or low (parallel) resistance state.
When used as a read head, (called a TMR read head, or "tunneling magnetoresistive" read head) the free layer magnetization is moved by the influence of the external magnetic fields of a recorded medium, such as is produced by a moving hard disk or tape. As the free layer magnetization varies in direction, a sense current passing between the upper and lower electrodes and tunneling through the barrier layer feels a varying resistance and a varying voltage appears across the electrodes. This voltage, in turn, is interpreted by external circuitry and converted into a representation of the information stored in the medium.
Whether it is used as an MRAM or as a TMR read head, fabrication of a high quality MTJ device presents considerable difficulties due to the necessity of forming layers of extreme thinness. Sun et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,079) provides a particularly well written statement of some of these difficulties. First, to obtain effective spin polarization of the conduction electrons, the magnetization of the electrode layers must be strong. This is itself a problem, since the layers are exceptionally thin. Second, the resistance of the tunneling barrier layer is typically high, which results in a poor ratio of signal-to-noise (S/N) in read head applications. If the resistance of the barrier layer is lowered by excessively thinning that layer, then fabrication processes such as lapping the air-bearing surface of the read head can create shorts through the barrier layer. Sun et al. teach the formation of a thin barrier layer within a general configuration of the following form:Ta/NiFe/CoFe/Barrier/CoFe/Ru/CoFe/PtMn/Tawith Ta/Cu/Ta used as top and bottom leads. In the configuration of Sun et al. shown above, Ta is a seed layer, NiFe/CoFe is a free layer, CoFe/Ru/CoFe is a pinned (fixed) layer, PtMn is a pinning layer and Ta is a protective capping layer. Sun et al. find that a preferred barrier layer within the given configuration is a layer of oxidized NiCr, ie NiCrOx. The barrier layer so formed yields a junction resistance, RA, (area of junction, A, times total resistance, R) of about: RA=6.6 Ωμm2.
Applicants have discovered other recent prior art (commercially produced) TMR read head configurations analogous to that taught by Sun et al., including:Ta/NiFe/MnPt/CoFe(10%)/Ru/CoFe(50%)/Al/NOX/CoFe—NiFe(18%)/TaTa/NiFe/IrMn/CoFe(16%)/Al(4.5)Hf(1.5)/NOX/CoFe—NiFe(18%)/Ta
In the above notation Al/NOX refers to an aluminum layer that has been naturally oxidized to form an insulating barrier layer. Al(4.5)Hf(1.5)/NOX refers to a 4.5 angstrom aluminum layer over which is deposited 1.5 angstroms of Hafnium, with the composite layer then being naturally oxidized. CoFe(16%) refers to a CoFe alloy with 16% Fe by number of atoms. In each of the above configurations NiFe is a buffer layer for growing the antiferromagnetic layer of MnPt or IrMn.
Applicants have found that a tunneling junction with improved performance over those of the prior art, particularly those cited above, can be made using a novel seed layer and method of forming it. The tunneling junction so formed, which can also be used in either a TMR configuration or an MRAM configuration, is capable of producing a junction resistance of RA≅1 Ωμm2 and a GMR ratio, DR/R>10% and a dielectric breakdown voltage, Vb>0.5 volts.

Buffer (seed) layer in a high-performance magnetic tunneling junction MRAM


A hopper (20) with a bias member (21) for coacting with a catch (12) for a sliding door (11) on a cartridge (10). Catch (12) has two abutments (13,14) for abutting with bias member (21). When cartridge (10) is inserted into hopper (20), bias member (21) abuts a bottom surface (15) of abutment (13) to force sliding door (11) to open and thereby create an outlet (18). Outlet (18) is on the bottom of cartridge (10) and allows transfer of components (23) into a receiving portion (22) of hopper (20). When cartridge (10) is removed from hopper (20), bias member (21) abuts a top surface (16) of abutment (13) to force sliding door (11) to close and thereby stop the transfer of components (23).

Conventionally, printed circuit boards (PCBs) are placed with electrical components using placement machines. These components are provided to the placement machines from component feeders that include bulk feeders such as hoppers. Typically, hoppers in a manufacturing assembly line are grouped close to each other and to the placement machines for efficient delivery of components.
A hopper typically has a receiving portion for receiving components that are loaded in bulk. These components are directed from the receiving portion into a channel which feeds the components individually to a pick up location for a placement machine. Such a hopper needs to be replenished when depleted of components so that the placement machine can operate continuously without stopping for lack of components.
Typically, a hopper is replenished with components from a cartridge. A door of the cartridge is manually opened for the components to transfer into the receiving portion. Proper engagement of the cartridge to the receiving portion prevents spilling of components into adjacent hoppers. However, as hoppers are generally small and are grouped close together, it is difficult for an operator to manually open the door without spilling the components.


A method for positive emission tomography (PET) target image segmentation is provided. The method comprises capturing and digitizing image data of a selected target, determining an initial concentration ratio based on an initial source background ratio and an initial volume estimate of the selected target employing a concentration ratio table, determining a desired threshold from the initial concentration ratio and the initial volume estimate employing a threshold table, and determining a final volume estimate of the selected target based on the determined desired threshold.

Positron emission tomography (PET) using glucose analog [18F]2-fluoro-D-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) has been developed essentially as a diagnostic tool for neoplasms. Recently, FDG-PET has been used for staging, treatment response, restaging after therapy and prognosis for lymphoma, lung cancer, head and neck tumors, thyroid carcinoma, breast cancer, and many other malignances. Besides its use as a diagnostic tool in oncology, FDG-PET is increasingly used in target volume definition as a planning tool for radiotherapy. The role of FDG-PET in radiation therapy treatment planning has been investigated for several malignancies including lung, head and neck, brain, cervix and other tumor sites. FDG-PET imaging has had a great impact on the gross tumor volume (GTV) definition, especially for lung cancer. Unfortunately, in recent literatures, there is no general agreement about a uniformly applicable method for accurate target volume delineation.
The accuracy of GTV definition is essential in conformal radiation therapy such as intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Conventionally, GTV was based on volume data derived from CT scanning. However, CT has relatively low contrast for soft tissue which makes it difficult to differentiate the malignancy when the tumor has similar electron density with normal tissue. Previous investigation suggests that FDG-PET has the potential to provide more accurate GTV definition and reduce inter-observer variability. The research shows FDG-PET based GTV definition is superior to those by CT alone for a moving target. However, comparing to CT or MRI images, FDG-PET images have low spatial resolution, high partial volume effect and insufficient anatomical details which result in difficulty to define the exact border of tumor. More attention and efforts are considered necessary to incorporate PET functional imaging information into radiation therapy treatment planning.
Currently, thresholding segmentation is the most widely used automatic method for PET target delineation in research and clinical application although other techniques are also under investigation. A relatively simple thresholding method using fixed threshold of 40% of maximal image intensity or standardized uptake value (SUV) of 2.5 as a cut off factor is still employed in clinical application. Many recent investigations indicate that the fixed thresholding or absolute value thresholding is of limited accuracy, especially for targets with small volume or low contrast. The optimal threshold which can best define the actual target volume depends on source/background image intensity ratio (S/B ratio) and target volume.
Accordingly, an adaptive thresholding method was developed using a computer tomography (CT) volume as the initial estimate of target volume. In this method, a family of exponential threshold-volume curves for different S/B ratios was obtained from fitting data of an initial sphere phantom study. Depending on measured target S/B ratio, the given CT volume was applied to the corresponding curve to yield the desired threshold for target delineation. Based on the same hypothesis, an iterative method was developed recently. Instead of using CT volume as a prior knowledge, the threshold deriving from fitted curves and thresholding segmentation procedures were performed iteratively until the yielded threshold would not change. Another local contrast based method employed similar iterative technique slice-by-slice to obtain the desired threshold for each slice instead of one global threshold for the whole volume. The adaptive thresholding method had good performance if given the target CT volume which is not always available in clinic. The iterative methods do not need the CT volume as initial estimate of target volume. However the convergence of the iterative procedure is questionable when applied to a target volume smaller than 4 mL. Moreover, these methods confuse the S/B ratio with physical FDG concentration ratio of target and background. Unlike the above techniques, Black's mean SUV method employed a linear relationship between threshold SUV and mean target SUV iteratively to yield desired threshold SUV. Because the SUV are machine-specific and patient-specific values, this linear relationship needs to be modified to accommodate different scanners.

Methods for positive emission tomography (PET) target image segmentation


A sheet conveying apparatus and an original reading apparatus according to the present invention can reduce a load of a drive system for rotating a convey rotary member and can be made compact. The apparatus includes an original convey roller rotatably supported by a frame, and a contact sensor holder rockably held by a contact sensor rotation shaft regulated in a thickness-wise direction of an original by a contact sensor holder rotation shaft holding portion of the frame and adapted to hold a second contact sensor in a confronting relation to the original convey roller. The second contact sensor is urged against the original convey roller by an urging spring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet such as an original, a recording sheet and the like, and more particularly, it relates to an original reading apparatus used with a facsimile system and the like.
2. Related Background Art
An example of a conventional original reading apparatus will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIG. 6, the reference numeral 51 denotes an original convey roller for conveying an original; 52 denotes an image sensor of complete contact type (referred to as "contact sensor" or "CS" hereinafter) acting as a reading device for reading image information on the original; 53 denotes a holder for locking and holding the CS 52; and 54 denotes an urging means for urging the CS 52 against the original convey roller through the holder 53. The holder 53 has a rotary support portion 53a for attaching the holder 53 to a body of the apparatus for a rocking movement, and a guide portion 53b for guiding the holder when the holder is engaged by the body of the apparatus.
When the original convey roller 51 is rotated in a direction (original conveying direction) shown by the arrow b, as shown in FIG. 7, in the case where the original 6 is pinched between the original convey roller 51 and the CS 52, the original 6 is subjected to a conveying force F1 (directing toward an original conveying direction shown by the arrow a in FIG. 7) from the original convey roller 51 due to friction between the original convey roller 51 and the original 6 and is also subjected to a resistance force F2 (directing toward a direction opposite to the original conveying direction a) due to friction between the original 6 and the CS 52. When F1>F2, the original 6 is conveyed in the original conveying direction a. To this end, the coefficient .mu.1 of friction between the original convey roller 51 and the original 6 must be greater than the coefficient .mu.2 of friction between the original 6 and the CS 52 (.mu.1>.mu.2). In order to surely convey various kinds of originals, a surface of the original convey roller 51 is constituted by elastic material such as rubber.
In the original reading apparatus shown in FIG. 6, when the original 6 is inserted into the apparatus, the original convey roller 51 is rotated in the original conveying direction b by detection of sensor(s) (not shown) and/or by manual input through an operation portion (not shown). When the original 6 is conveyed by the original convey roller 51, due to the friction between the original 6 and the CS 52, the CS 52 and the holder 53 for holding the CS are subjected to a conveying force F12 (in the original conveying direction a) corresponding to the above-mentioned resistance force F2, as shown in FIG. 7. By the way, the positioning of the CS 52 and the holder 53 for holding the CS regarding the original conveying direction a is effected by fitting a U-shaped notch 53c (FIG. 6) of the guide portion 53b of the holder 53 on a shaft 51a of the original convey roller 51.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, if there is no original 6 between the original convey roller 51 and the CS 52, as shown in FIG. 6, the CS 52 will be subjected to a conveying force F3 from the original convey roller 51 rotated in the direction b. Since an image information reading surface of the CS 52 is constituted by glass and the surface of the original convey roller 51 is constituted by rubber, the coefficient .mu.3 of friction between the original convey roller 51 and the CS 52 becomes greater than the friction coefficient .mu.2 (.mu.3>.mu.2), thereby establishing a relation F3>F2. Accordingly, if there is no original 6 between the original convey roller 51 and the CS 52, the conveying force acting on the CS 52 will be maximized.
Accordingly, if there is no original 6 between the original convey roller 51 and the CS 52, any load acting on an original convey driving system (not shown) such as a motor (drive source) for rotating the original convey roller 51 is also maximized. Since the U-shaped notch 53c of the guide portion 53b of the holder 53 is fitted on the shaft 51a of the original convey roller 51, the holder 53 is subjected to a force F4 (directing toward a direction opposite to the original conveying direction a) same as the above-mentioned conveying force F3 from the rotating shaft 51a of the original convey roller 51. However, in FIG. 6, since the guide portion 53b of the holder 53 is positioned above a point where the conveying force F3 of the original convey roller 51 acts on the CS 52 and the associated holder 53 (i.e., a contact point between the original convey roller 51 and the CS 52), couple of forces for rotating the CS 52 and the associated holder 53 around the rotary support portion 53a in a direction shown by the arrow c in FIG. 6 is generated by the above-mentioned forces F3 and F4.
Due to the generation of the couple of forces, the urging force of the CS 52 against the original convey roller 51 is increased. If such urging force is increased, the conveying force F3 received by the CS 52 from the original convey roller 51 is further increased, with the result that the couple of forces is further increased to further increase the urging force of the CS 52 against the original convey roller 51. As a result, the load acting on the drive system (not shown) of the original reading apparatus is greatly increased.
That is to say, in the arrangement of the conventional apparatus, when there is no original 6 between the original convey roller 51 and the CS 52 and the load acting on the drive system of the original reading apparatus is maximized, since the couple of forces is inevitably generated, thereby further increasing the load. As a result, the motor in the drive system is damaged or is out-of-phase. Further, with the arrangement as mentioned above, in FIG. 6, when an original discharge opening is provided at the left side of the original convey roller 51, it is necessary to reserve a space (for receiving the guide portion 53b) between the original discharge opening and the original convey roller 51, with the result that the entire apparatus is made bulky.

Sheet conveying apparatus with a reduced load driving system


A disc processor such as a disc burner and printer, is provided in a housing. A drawer is slidably mounted on the bottom wall of the housing and is positionable in a retracted position in a recess with a portion underneath the processor and is slidably extendable from the processor. The disc output storage drawer carries ramps that will, when the disc output storage drawer is extended move to a position to provide a guide surface to guide a disc dropped thereon into a storage bin on the disc output storage drawer, and when the disc output storage drawer is in its retracted position, the ramps are automatically pivoted to a folded position and stored underneath the processor.

The present invention relates to an extendable and retractable storage drawer that has guides for receiving finished processed substrates or discs, such as DVDs or CDs from a processor, and which, when extended, will direct the discs to a storage bin positioned to the exterior of the cabinet or housing for the processor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,760,052, shows a processor with a picker head that will pick up discs from a storage site or bin and will deposit them in a loading station of a printer and processor, and will also pick up discs from the loading station. The discs can be recorded and printed in sequential steps. After processing, the discs are picked up with the picker head and can be deposited in selected locations, including onto a slide that will cause the finished discs to slide forwardly out of the housing and drop into a storage bin.

Disc output storage drawer for processor


The subject of the disclosed technology is, when a crypto-processing is performed utilizing an information processing device buried in an IC card, etc., to decrease the relationship between the waveform of the consumption current and the contents of the crypto-processing as a countermeasure against a tamper which observes the waveform of a consumption current.

The present invention relates to a tamper-resistant crypto-processing method for high security media such as IC cards.
An IC card is a device which keeps tamper-prohibited personal formation or performs encryption of data or decryption of a ciphertext with the use of secret keys. An IC card itself does not have its own power supply, and when it is inserted into a reader/writer for an IC card, power is supplied to the IC card and it is made operable. After it is made operable, the IC card receives commands transmitted from the reader/writer, and following the commands the IC card processes, for example, transfer of data. A general explanation of an IC card is given in Junichi Mizusawa, "IC card", Ohm Corporation, compiled by the Society of Electronic Communication and Information, etc.
An IC card is constituted such that a chip 102 for an IC card is mounted on a card 101 as shown in FIG. 1. In general, an IC card comprises a power supply terminal VCC, a grounding terminal GND, a reset terminal RST, an input/output terminal I/O, and a clock pulse terminal CLK at the positions determined by the ISO7816 standards, and through these terminals an IC card is supplied power from a reader/writer or communicates with it (Refer to W. Rank1 and Effing: Smartcard Handbook, John Wiley & AMP; SONS, 1997, PP. 41).
The configuration of a chip for an IC card is basically the same as that of a typical microcomputer. The configuration is, as shown in FIG. 2, composed of a central processing unit (CPU) 201, a memory device 204, an input/output (I/O) port 207, and a coprocessor 202 (in some case, there is no coprocessor). The CPU 201 is a device which performs logical operation, arithmetical operation, etc. The memory device 204 is a device which stores programs 205, data, etc. The input/output port 207 is a device which communicates with the reader/writer. The coprocessor 202 is a device which performs crypto-processing itself or performs operation necessary for crypto-processing with a high speed. There is, for example, a special calculator for performing residue operation of RSA cryptogram or a cipher device which performs round processing of DES cryptogram. Some of the processors for IC cards comprise no coprocessor. A data bus 203 is a bus which connect respective devices to each other.
The memory device 204 is composed of ROM (read only memory), RAM (random access memory), EEPROM (electrical erasable programmable read only memory), etc. ROM is a memory which is not changeable and it is mainly used for storing programs. RAM is a memory which can be freely rewritable but when the power supply thereof is off, the stored contents of the RAM are erased. When an IC card is drawn out of a reader/writer, since the power supply is made off, the contents of the RAM disappear. EEPROM is a memory which holds the contents even when the power supply is stopped. EEPROM is used to store the data which are to be held thereon even when it is disconnected from the reader/writer in a case where rewriting is needed. For example, the number of prepaid times of a prepaid-card is rewritten every time it is used, and the data should be held even when it is taken off from the reader/writer. Therefore such data must be held on an EEPROM.
An IC card has programs and/or other important information enclosed in the chip, and is used to store important information or to perform crypto-processing therein. Conventionally, the difficulties to decrypt a ciphertext in an IC card have been considered to be equivalent to those to decrypt a cipher-algorithm. However if we observe and analyze the consumption current when an IC card is performing crypto-processing, it is suggested that the contents of crypto-processing or secret keys may be estimated easier than the decryption of crypto-algorithm. The consumption current can be observed by the measurement of a current supplied from a reader/writer. The details of this threatening attack are described on John Wiley & Amp; Sons, W. Rankl & Amp; W. Effing, "Smart Card Handbook", 184.108.40.206 Passive Protective Mechanisms (page 263).
CMOS which constitutes a chip of an IC card consumes current when its output conditions turn from 1 to 0 or from 0 to 1. In particular, in the data bus 203, because of the current for a bus driver, the static capacity of wirings and the transistors connected to the wirings, when the bus value is changed from 1 to 0 or 0 to 1, a large current flows. Therefore, when one observes the consumption current, there is a possibility that one may be able to estimate what is being operated inside the IC card chip.
FIG. 3 shows the waveform of a consumption current in a cycle of an IC card chip. Depending on the kind of data processing, the current waveform differs as 301 or 302 shown in the figure. The difference like this occurs depending on the kind of data flowing through the bus 203 or the data being processed in the CPU 201.
The coprocessor 202, in parallel to the CPU, for example, is able to perform a modular arithmetic operation of 512 bits. Therefore, it is possible to observe a consumption current of a waveform different from that of the CPU over a long time. By the observation of the characteristic waveform, the number of times of operations of the coprocessor can be easily estimated. If there is any relation between the operation times of the coprocessor and secret keys, there is a possibility that one can estimate the secret keys from the operation times of the coprocessor.
If there is a deviation depending on the secret keys in the contents of operation of the coprocessor, the deviation is obtained from the consumption current, and the secret keys can be estimated from it.
Also in the case of the CPU, similar circumstances exist. Since the number of bits of a secret key is known, if the consumption current is observed by changing the data to be processed, the influence of the bit value of the secret key might be able to be observed. If these waveforms of the consumption current are processed statistically, the secret key might be estimated.

Abstract: A solution means is shown in the following. When a decryption processing of an RSA cryptogram is performed according to CRT, in step 608, for every unit bit block of XP a modular exponentiation calculation is performed, and the partial result of CP up to the calculated bit block is stored in a memory. In step 609, for every unit bit block of XQ a modular exponentiation calculation is performed and the partial result of CQ up to the calculated bit block is stored in a memory. In step 606, a random number is generated, and in step 607, it is decided that step 608 is to be executed or step 609 is to be executed corresponding to the value of the random number.


A device for making a double-sided toothed belt has an inner mold having teeth and an outer mold. The outer mold includes segments arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the inner mold and mutually adjacent. The device has a force transmission element arranged on the radial outer side of the segments. A pressure vessel has a cylindrical wall surrounding the force transmission element. The force transmission element is formed as a bellows fastened with two ends in pressure-tight fashion to the pressure vessel. The force transmission element is arranged in a ring-shaped space formed between the wall of the pressure vessel and the radial outer side of the segments. The pressure vessel has a pressure medium bore which opens into the ring-shaped space radially outside the force transmission element. The segments and the inner mold each have one axial passage bore through which fluid can be conducted.

A manufacturing device of said type for producing a toothed belt which has teeth on its radially outer side and on its radially inner side is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,968. In comparison with the production method and production devices mentioned in the introduction in U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,968, the invention in said document evidently exhibits certain improvements. The applicant's new invention described below is intended to further develop the manufacturing device as per U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,968.
To make the advantages of the present invention clearly evident, the known manufacturing device and the production method that can be carried out therewith will firstly be discussed in detail. According to this document, to manufacture a double-sided toothed belt of the stated type, a material is firstly laid onto the teeth and tooth spaces of the inner mold. A cord is wound onto said material, and an elastomer material is then laid in multiple layers onto the windings of the cord, wherein the volume of the looped elastomer is sufficient to form the complete toothed belt together with its teeth. A material is then laid onto the elastomer. Finally, a segmented outer mold is formed by arranging a multiplicity of rod-shaped mold segments which are laid onto the upper material layer of said loop. On the axial ends of the mold segments there are formed axially protruding pegs which engage into respectively associated, radially extending recesses, which are radially open at one side and which are formed on ring-shaped flanges on the two face sides of the inner mold. After the outer mold has been assembled in this way, a deformable, hollow cylindrical shell is pulled over the mold segments of the outer mold. The mold thus assembled is subsequently arranged in an autoclave, into which vapor is then introduced at positive pressure, such that said vapor acts with a pressing force on the deformable shell from radially outside. Hot vapor is also introduced from the outside into the cylindrical cavity of the inner mold. Under the action of the pressure of the hot vapor acting radially on the outside of the shell, a radially inwardly pointing force acts on the mold segments, which force drives said mold segments radially inward until they make contact with the windings of the cord. In this way, the elastomer of the loop is, after being plasticised, pressed into all of the spaces of the mold, such that the teeth and tooth spaces of the toothed belt which is toothed on both sides are formed. The loop is subsequently vulcanized by the heat of the vapor that has flowed into the mold. Finally, the mold is removed from the autoclave and, after a short cooling time has elapsed, the deformable shell is pulled away from the mold segments. The mold segments, which are now free from radial load, are then removed from the loop, and the fully vulcanized loop can then be removed from the inner mold. Said fully vulcanized loop, which has teeth on both sides, is finally cut and separated into individual double-sided toothed belts each of a predetermined width.
Even though the described mold permits the production of generic double-sided toothed belts in an extremely progressive manner, certain severe disadvantages are nevertheless evident, because the assembly of the mold is labor-intensive, and the cycle time required for producing a fully vulcanized tooth-belt loop is relatively long. Aside from the assembly and disassembly effort mentioned, this also lies in the fact that the known mold must in each case be arranged in an autoclave and subjected to vapor pressure therein. Also, the cooling of the mold after the vulcanizing process in the autoclave to a temperature that places a low burden on persons takes a relatively long time.

Method and device for making a double-toothed belt


A backup file is generated to capture the current state of a computer. The computer state may be restored to the computer in a hybrid manner at a later time by accessing some files and/or data included in the backup file and downloading other files contained in a list in the backup file. By listing some files rather than including the actual files in the backup file, the backup file may be generated faster and require less processing and memory resources. When the computer state is restored, secondary files and computer state data contained in the backup file are installed to the computer. A list of primary files in the backup file is accessed, each primary file is retrieved from one or more remote publishers over a network, and the retrieved primary files are installed.

As computer technology develops and the use of the Internet becomes more widespread, computers are relied on to handle more tasks and manger more information for computer users. As this reliance increases, it becomes more important to provide an efficient, effective and simple way to backup data and restore a computer state in case a computer "crashes" or otherwise malfunctions.
Traditionally, a computer may be restored by installing a copy of all the data, files and settings on the computer that was saved prior to the computer malfunction or attempting to manually reinstall each computer file, application and computer setting after a malfunctioning state has developed. Saving a complete copy of the computer state requires processing and storage of a large amount of data as well as remembering to store the data at regular intervals. Generating the computer state manually does not require a large computer state image but does require the user have knowledge of what files, applications, drivers, operating system settings and other data were installed and configured on the user's computer. In some cases, this knowledge is in the backup application and not necessarily known to a user. Thus, a restore from anything other than a "full" copy of the computer state is highly risky and making that full copy has historically been expensive. A process of saving and restoring a computer state efficiently and effectively which saves processing and memory resources would be desirable.

Hybrid computer restore using network service


Ring protector made of non-elastic or elastic materials produced by common manufacturing techniques including, but not limited to, 3D printing or by skilled hands, to snuggly fit around a ring and completely surround the outside of a ring and any incorporated designs, stones or settings. The ring protector may contain padding or cushion material within any design recess to further protect the ring and any incorporated designs, stones or settings. Ring protectors made according to principles of this invention protect rings from damage while the ring both on and off the ring-wearer's hand.

Jewelry can be a significant investment for individuals and, in the case of certain jewelry such as class rings, championship rings, family heirlooms and engagement rings, can also carry substantial sentimental significance for jewelry owners and wearers. Due to the placement of a ring on a ring-wearer's body, a ring worn during daily activities can become damaged through physical contact to the ring with hard or abrasive surfaces. Similarly, due to their small size, rings that are stored off a ring-wearer's body (e.g., in bags, purses, pockets, jewelry boxes or drawers) have the real danger of becoming damaged though physical contact with other objects.
Such rings often include precious or semi-precious stones affixed to the ring through mechanical means such as settings which are known to skilled jewelers. The nature of how precious stones are affixed to rings make the risk of a stone becoming damaged, scratched, loosened, dislodged and ultimately lost real. Such risk is exacerbated when a ring comes into contact with hard or abrasive surfaces either on the ring-wearer's hand or while off the ring-wearer's hand.
Similarly, such rings often incorporate intricate or delicate designs that also risk damage when a ring comes into contact with hard or abrasive surfaces either on the ring-wearer's hand or while off the ring-wearer's hand.
Because of the risk damage to rings during every-day activities, there is a need for a ring protector that fits securely around a ring capable of protecting a ring and any incorporated designs, stones or settings while the ring is either on or off the ring-wearer's hand, Such ring protector should be capable of the following;                being placed on or removed from a ring whether the ring on or of a ring-wearer's finger;        remaining engaged on a ring whether the ring is on or off a ring-wearer's finger;        remaining on a ring when the ring is removed from or placed on a ring-wearer's finger; and        protecting a ring whether a ring-wearer is wearing the ring or not wearing the ring,