The present invention relates to a network device and a method for providing content compatibility between network devices having different respective digital rights management methods. The method includes exchanging security program lists of the network devices, comparing the security program list of one network device with the security program list of the other network device based on the exchanged security program lists, and installing a security program required for using content of the other network device according to the comparison result. Accordingly, there is an advantage in that the network devices using the different respective DRM-based security programs can exchange content with one another and use the content of the other network device by using the predetermined security program update methods.

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2003-0041979 filed on Jun, 26, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a network device and a method for providing content compatibility between network devices having different respective digital rights management methods. More particularly, the present invention enables network devices having different respective digital rights management methods to transfer and use content between them, by using a security program management module for installing into a specific network device a security program required for using content of other network devices having a security program based on a different digital rights management method through a security program update method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as digital content becomes more widely distributed, various technologies have been actively developed such that reliable distribution environments capable of efficiently protecting against illegal copying of digital content, allowing transaction parties to use digital content in a lawful manner, and making profit from the use of digital content can be provided or established.
Particularly, digital rights management (DRM) has recently attracted public attention. DRM is a system that protects, manages and distributes digital content, and in a wide sense, is also defined as a technique, procedure, processing and program for managing digital rights, including hardware and software for enabling reliable licensing, secure and safe rights and authentication, and reliable environments and infrastructure.
Among the basic functions of DRM, a security technique has been widely used to protect against the illegal distribution of digital content, which can protect the content owner's rights and also provide consumers with easy and legal availability of digital content.
DRM protects digital content transmitted between network devices within one system or other systems connected thereto. In such a case, only the network device having a specific security program complying with the DRM technique is allowed to receive and use the digital content.
Thus, network devices having different respective DRM-based security programs cannot exchange or use digital content with one another.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a related art network system configuration.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a network device 11 operating on a predetermined network 10. If another network device 12, which uses a DRM-based security program different from that of the network device 11, is connected to the network 10, the newly connected network device 12 is unable to use the digital content or can use only digital content of which security is released, because it uses a security program different from that of the network device 11 operating on the network 10.
That is, even though a specific network device using a different DRM method has been registered into a network service through an authentication process according to networking techniques, DRM characteristics for managing digital content through domain management and encryption make it impossible for the specific network device to communicate with other network devices.
Thus, there is a problem in that content provided from a broadcasting station 30 or a network device 21 operating on a network 20 connected via the Internet 40 cannot be used, and the content of the network device 11 operating on the same network 10 also cannot be used.
Accordingly, there is still a need for a method by which digital content can be exchanged and used between specified network devices, even though security programs using different DRM methods are employed therein.

Network device and method for providing content compatibility between network devices having different respective digital rights management methods


A safety relay system includes one or more additional input units each for sending safety input from a safety component, a master unit for receiving the safety input from the additional input unit and providing safety output to operate a safety relay based on the safety input, a safety information line for transferring safety information between the units, a non-safety information line for transferring non-safety information separate from the safety input, the non-safety information being information concerning an operation state of each safety component or each unit, and a non-safety information output section for outputting the non-safety information transferred on the non-safety information line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-reliability safety relay system suited for use, for example, to drive a target load only if a plurality of input conditions concerning safety check, etc., all hold.
2. Description of the Related Art
A safety measure apparatus is used from the necessity for a safety measure in various quarters. For example, a machine tool, a pressing machine, a robot, a packing machine, an elevator, and the like are used at a manufacturing location, and various safety measures become necessary to protect workers from the machines, the apparatus, etc. For example, when an anomaly occurs, power supply to the machine is cut off, thereby stopping the mechanical operation for securing safety for workers. To construct such a system, a safety relay apparatus is used.
The safety relay apparatus opens and closes electrical contacts to control energization. Some safety relay apparatus, for example, contain a plurality of relays each with a forcible guide and also include a self-holding function, duplexing of relay contacts, a back check function based on relay NC contacts, a heterostructure, and the like. The relay with a forcible guide is a relay of the type wherein when one normally open contact (NO) is welded, a different normally closed (NC) contact becomes open in a coil non-excitation state and when one normally closed contact is welded, a different normally open contact becomes open in a coil excitation state (for example, JP-A-11-162317). The self-holding function is a function intended so as not to restart the system if safety information is entered by operating an emergency stop switch, etc., for example, and then the state is restored (reset). Further, the duplexing of relay contacts is also called redundancy; as contacts are provided in parallel, if one contact is welded, it is made possible to provide function by another contact provided in parallel. Further, the back check function based on relay NC contacts is a function for detecting a failure of contact welding, etc., of a relay or a contactor and checking the contact state. The heterostructure (diversity structure) is a structure wherein as different types of members are used in combination, even if trouble of a bug, etc., occurs in a specific member, if the trouble is proper to the type, the same trouble does not occur at the same time and therefore it is made possible to provide function by another member.
In recent years, the number of countries and regions in which the safety measure standard is made a legal requirement has increased and particularly demand has grown for a safety relay apparatus or system of the specifications compliant with such a safety measure standard. As the safety standards, ISO, IEC, EN, JIS, and the like are defined in response to the standard targets and regions. Particularly, demands for machine safety are enhanced in response to "guidelines for comprehensive safety standard of machines" notified by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in June 2001, ISO12100, and the execution schedule of incorporating ISO12100 into JIS. For example, to receive certification of category 4, the highest safety level based on EN954-1 of a standard concerning machine safety of the European standards, a redundant structure, a heterostructure, always making self-inspection of data for maintenance of circuitry or parts, and the like are required.
FIG. 9 shows a configuration example of a system for stopping a machine with one safety component to secure safety. The safety component is an element for sending a command for cutting off power supply to any desired machine upon reception of specific operation to secure safety of workers. For example, it corresponds to output of an emergency stop button for the worker to stop the operation of a drive motor for a tooling change, teaching, or adjustment of a machine, output of a safety door switch for detecting a safety door being released to allow the worker to enter the work area of a machine, output of a light curtain for optically detecting the worker approaching a dangerous area, or the like. A safety component 1 is used with a safety output unit 2 for implementing a safety relay apparatus in combination to make up a safety circuit. A safety component switch 3 of normally closed break type is connected to the safety circuit shown in FIG. 9. When the safety circuit is closed, the safety output unit 2 determines that the state is normal, and closes a relay 4 for maintaining power supply to the connected machine. On the other hand, if the safety circuit is opened as the safety component switch 3 is operated manually by the worker or the user or is operated according to output of a sensor, etc., the safety output unit 2 determines that the state is unsafe, and releases the relay 4 for cutting off power supply to the connected machine to stop the operation thereof.
To provide the system with redundancy, a dual-redundant safety circuit made up of two safety circuits is formed as shown in FIG. 9 and as the safety component switch 3 is operated, both safety circuits are opened. Accordingly, if one of the safety circuits becomes defective or fails due to contact welding, etc., the other safety circuit functions, so that the machine can be stopped. Further, self-inspection is made, whereby an anomaly of contact welding, etc., can be detected and accumulating of failures can be prevented. The system also adopts a heterostructure for preventing the same defectiveness from occurring at the same time.
To make the apparatus or system compliant with the various standards including EN954-1, etc., described above, it is necessary to duplex the circuitry for handling safety information and provide a self-check function and generally the circuit design becomes complicated. On the other hand, even if the system is configured so as to be able to check the safety state by duplexing the circuitry, etc., if the cause, location, etc., of an accident when the system becomes down cannot be detected or determined without any measure. Since the cause of the accident needs to be removed to recover the system, it is desirable that the cause and the location of the accident should be able to be detected to recover the system early. Thus, a circuit for outputting or displaying various pieces of information for facilitating safety check and danger detection may be added to an input unit to which a safety component is connected or a safety output unit to which a safety relay is connected. For example, detailed information concerning safety information, such as the state of the safety component and error information, can be added for easily determining trouble, etc.
However, if such detailed information concerning safety information is used as safety input, the circuit for handling the information also requires facilities of duplexing, self-check, etc., for safety, and the circuitry becomes furthermore complicated; this is a problem. If design change occurs in the system, construction of the safety system responsive to the design change needs to be again designed, and the job is extremely intricate. Construction of the system compliant with the condition to receive standard certification is urgently required particularly under the present circumstances in which extreme importance tends to be placed on reception of certification of various safety standards combined with making the safety standard a legal requirement and the demands for the safety measures in recent years.


A user's device will periodically send short PTT bursts to an application talkgroup and wait for an acknowledgement (ACK). The acknowledgement will allow the software application to execute the application as part of the site license. If the site license is used up (i.e., a maximum number of simultaneous users has been reached), then a negative acknowledgment (NACK) will be sent to the device, and the software will deny the user access to the software.

A site license is a type of software license that allows the user to install/execute a software package in several devices, such as at a particular site (facility), across devices, or across a corporation. Depending on the amount of fees paid, the license may be unlimited or may limit simultaneous use of the software to a certain number of users. A site license that limits the number of simultaneous uses of software is sometimes referred to as a concurrent site license.
For example, assume a public-safety entity purchased a site license for crime-prediction software, and installed this software on devices used by public-safety officers. If a concurrent site license was purchased, that license may restrict the simultaneous use of the software to a particular number of devices (e.g., 50).
Because push-to-talk (PTT) functionality is so ubiquitous in the public-safety realm, it would be beneficial if PTT functionality and a talkgroup selector could be used to control access to software on a device as part of a concurrent site license management system.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required.

Method and apparatus for limiting a number of simultaneous users of software


Process for the preparation of a derivative or analog of baccatin III or 10-desacetyl baccatin III having a C9 substituent other than keto in which the C9 keto substituent of taxol, a taxol analog, baccatin III or 10-desacetyl baccatin III is selectively reduced to the corresponding hydroxy group.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of taxol, baccatin III and 10-desacetyl-baccatin III derivatives or other taxanes having new C9 functional groups.
Taxol is a natural product extracted from the bark of yew trees. It has been shown to have excellent antitumor activity in in vivo animal models, and recent studies have elucidated its unique mode of action, which involves abnormal polymerization of tubulin and disruption of mitosis. It is currently undergoing clinical trials against ovarian, breast and other types of cancer in the United States and France and preliminary results have confirmed it as a most promising chemotherapeutic agent. The structure of taxol and the numbering system conventionally used is shown below; this numbering system is also applicable to compounds used in the process of the present invention.
In Colin U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,470, it was reported that a taxol derivative, commonly referred to as taxotere, has an activity significantly greater than taxol. Taxotere has the following structure:
The tetracyclic core of taxol and taxotere bear a C9 keto substituent which, if modified, would lead to the preparation of a series of taxol analogs having improved water solubility. To date, however, the selective manipulation of the C9 keto group has presented a formidable problem.
Among the objects of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of a process for selectively manipulating the C9 keto substituent of baccatin III, 10-deactylbaccatin III and other taxanes; and the provision of such a process which is relatively straightforward.
Briefly, therefore, the present invention is directed to a process for the preparation of analogs or derivatives of taxol, baccatin III, 10-desacetyl baccatin III or other taxanes in which the C9 keto substituent is reduced to the corresponding hydroxy group. Optionally, the C9 hydroxy substituent may thereafter be selectively replaced by another functional group and/or other substituents of the taxane may be replaced by other functional groups to yield a taxane having the formula:
wherein
R1 is hydrogen, hydroxy, protected hydroxy or together with R14 forms a carbonate;
R2 is hydrogen, hydroxy, xe2x80x94OCOR31, or together with R2a forms an oxo;
R2a is hydrogen or together with R2 forms an oxo;
R4 is hydrogen, together with R4a forms an oxo, oxirane or methylene, or together with R5a and the carbon atoms to which they are attached form an oxetane ring;
R4a is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cyano, hydroxy, xe2x80x94OCOR30, or together with R4 forms an oxo, oxirane or methylene;
R5 is hydrogen or together with R5a forms an oxo;
R5a is hydrogen, hydroxy, protected hydroxy, acyloxy, together with R5 forms an oxo, or together with R4 and the carbon atoms to which they are attached form an oxetane ring;
R6 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, or heteroaryl, hydroxy, protected hydroxy or together with R6a forms an oxo;
R6a is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, or heteroaryl, hydroxy, protected hydroxy or together with R6 forms an oxo;
R7 is hydrogen or together with R7a forms an oxo;
R7a is hydrogen, halogen, protected hydroxy, xe2x80x94OR28, or together with R7 forms an oxo;
R9 is hydrogen;
R9a is hydrogen, hydroxy, protected hydroxy, or acyloxy;
R10 is hydrogen or together with R10a forms an oxo;
R10a is hydrogen, xe2x80x94OCOR29, hydroxy or protected hydroxy, or together with R10 forms an oxo;
R13 is hydroxy, protected hydroxy or
R14 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, or heteroaryl, hydroxy, protected hydroxy or together with R1 forms a carbonate;
R14a is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, or heteroaryl;
R28 is hydrogen, acyl, or hydroxy protecting group;
R29, R30 and R31 are independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, monocyclic aryl or monocyclic heteroaryl;
X1 is xe2x80x94OX6, xe2x80x94SX7, or xe2x80x94NX8X9;
X2 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, or heteroaryl;
X3 and X4 are independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, or heteroaryl;
X5 is xe2x80x94COX10, xe2x80x94COOX10, xe2x80x94COSX10, xe2x80x94CONX8X10, or xe2x80x94SO2X11;
X6 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, or hydroxy protecting group;
X7 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, or sulfhydryl protecting group;
X8 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, or heterosubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl or heteroaryl;
X9 is an amino protecting group;
X10 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, or heterosubstituted alkyl, alkenyl alkynyl, aryl or heteroaryl;
X11 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, xe2x80x94OX10, or xe2x80x94NX8X14; and
X14 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, or heteroaryl.
The present invention is additionally directed to a derivative of baccatin III or 10-desacetyl baccatin III having the following formula which is a key intermediate in the synthesis of a new series of tetracyclic taxanes
wherein R2, R4a, R7a, R10a and R14 are as previously defined and R13 is hydroxy or protected hydroxy.
Other objects and features of this invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
As used herein xe2x80x9cArxe2x80x9d means aryl; xe2x80x9cPhxe2x80x9d means phenyl; xe2x80x9cAcxe2x80x9d means acetyl; xe2x80x9cEtxe2x80x9d means ethyl; xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d means alkyl unless otherwise defined; xe2x80x9ctBuxe2x80x9d means t-butyl; xe2x80x9cTESxe2x80x9d means triethylsilyl; xe2x80x9cTMSxe2x80x9d means trimethylsilyl; xe2x80x9cTPAPxe2x80x9d means tetrapropylammonium perruthenate; xe2x80x9cDMAPxe2x80x9d means p-dimethylamino pyridine; xe2x80x9cDMFxe2x80x9d means dimethyl-formamide; xe2x80x9cLDAxe2x80x9d means lithium diisopropylamide; xe2x80x9cLAHxe2x80x9d means lithium aluminum hydride; xe2x80x9cRed-Alxe2x80x9d means sodium bis(2-methoxyethoxy) aluminum hydride; xe2x80x9c10-DABxe2x80x9d means 10-desacetylbaccatin III; protected hydroxy means xe2x80x94OR wherein R is a hydroxy protecting group; sulfhydryl protecting groupxe2x80x9d includes, but is not limited to, hemithioacetals such as 1-ethoxyethyl and methoxymethyl, thioesters, or thiocarbonates; xe2x80x9camine protecting groupxe2x80x9d includes, but is not limited to, carbamates, for example, 2,2,2-trichloroethylcarbamate or tertbutylcarbamate; and xe2x80x9chydroxy protecting groupxe2x80x9d includes, but is not limited to, ethers such as methyl, t-butyl, benzyl, p-methoxy-benzyl, p-nitrobenzyl, allyl, trityl, methoxymethyl, methoxyethoxymethyl, ethoxyethyl, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrothiopyranyl, and trialkylsilyl ethers such as trimethylsilyl ether, triethylsilyl ether, dimethylarylsilyl ether, triisopropylsilyl ether and t-butyldimethylsilyl ether; esters such as benzoyl, acetyl, phenyl-acetyl, formyl, mono-, di-, and trihaloacetyl such as chloroacetyl, dichloroacetyl, trichloroacetyl, trifluoro-acetyl; and carbonates including but not limited to alkyl carbonates having from one to six carbon atoms such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, t-butyl; isobutyl, and n-pentyl; alkyl carbonates having from one to six carbon atoms and substituted with one or more halogen atoms such as 2,2,2-trichloroethoxymethyl and 2,2,2-trichloroethyl; alkenyl carbonates having from two to six carbon atoms such as vinyl and allyl; cycloalkyl carbonates have from three to six carbon atoms such as cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl and cyclohexyl; and phenyl or benzyl carbonates optionally substituted on the ring with one or more C1-6 alkoxy, or nitro. Other hydroxyl, sulfhydryl and amine protecting groups may be found in xe2x80x9cProtective Groups in Organic Synthesisxe2x80x9d by T. W. Greene, John Wiley and Sons, 1981.
The alkyl groups described herein, either alone or with the various substituents defined hereinabove are preferably lower alkyl containing from one to six carbon atoms in the principal chain and up to 15 carbon atoms. They may be straight or branched chain and include methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, aryl, hexyl, and the like.
The alkenyl groups described herein, either alone or with the various substituents defined herein-above are preferably lower alkenyl containing from two to six carbon atoms in the principal chain and up to 15 carbon atoms. They may be straight or branched chain and include ethenyl, propenyl, isopropenyl, butenyl, isobutenyl, aryl, hexenyl, and the like.
The alkynyl groups described herein, either alone or with the various substituents defined herein-above are preferably lower alkynyl containing from two to six carbon atoms in the principal chain and up to 15 carbon atoms. They may be straight or branched chain and include ethynyl, propynyl, butynyl, isobutynyl, aryl, hexynyl, and the like.
The aryl moieties described herein, either alone or with various substituents, contain from 6 to 15 carbon atoms and include phenyl. Substituents include alkanoxy, protected hydroxy, halogen, alkyl, aryl, alkenyl, acyl, acyloxy, nitro, amino, amido, etc. Phenyl is the more preferred aryl.
The heteroaryl moieties described herein, either alone or with various substituents, contain from 5 to 15 atoms and include, furyl, thienyl, pyridyl and the like. Substituents include alkanoxy, protected hydroxy, halogen, alkyl, aryl, alkenyl, acyl, acyloxy, nitro, amino, amido, etc.
The acyloxy groups described herein contain alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl or heteroaryl groups.
The substituents of the substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl groups and moieties described herein, may be alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl and/or may contain nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, halogens and include, for example, lower alkoxy such as methoxy, ethoxy, butoxy, halogen such as chloro or fluoro, nitro, amino, and keto.
In accordance with the present invention, it has been discovered that the C9 keto substituent of a taxane having a C9 keto and a C7 hydroxy substituent may be selectively reduced to yield the corresponding C9 xcex2-hydroxy derivative. The reducing agent is preferably a an aluminum hydride or a borohydride such as triacetoxy-borohydride, more preferably a tetraalkylborohydride or tetraalkylaluminumhydride, and most preferably, tetrabutylammoniumborohydride (Bu4NBH4).
As illustrated in Reaction Scheme 1, the reaction of baccatin III with Bu4NBH4 in methylene chloride yields 9-desoxo-9xcex2-hydroxybaccatin III 5. After the C7 hydroxy group is protected with, for example, the triethylsilyl protecting group, a suitable side chain may be attached to 7-protected-9xcex2-hydroxy derivative 6 as set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,924,011 and 4,924,012 or by reaction with a xcex2-lactam as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,315 or copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/949,107. Removal of the remaining protecting groups thus yields 9xcex2-hydroxy-desoxo taxol or other 9xcex2-hydroxy-tetracylic taxane having a C13 side chain.
Alternatively, the C13 hydroxy group of 7-protected-9xcex2-hydroxy derivative 6 may be protected with trimethylsilyl or other protecting group which can be selectively removed relative to the C7 hydroxy protecting group as illustrated in Reaction Scheme 2, to enable further selective manipulation of the various substituents of the taxane. For example, reaction of 7,13-protected-9xcex2-hydroxy derivative 7 with KH causes the acetate group to migrate from C10 to C9 and the hydroxy group to migrate from C9 to C10, thereby yielding 10-desacetyl derivative 8. Protection of the C10 hydroxy group of 10-desacetyl derivative 8 with triethylsilyl is yields derivative 9. Selective removal of the C13 hydroxy protecting group from derivative 9 yields derivative 10 to which a suitable side chain may be attached as described above.
As shown in Reaction Scheme 3, 10-oxo derivative 11 can be provided by oxidation of 10-desacetyl derivative 8. Thereafter, the C13 hydroxy protecting group can be selectively removed followed by attachment of a side chain as described above to yield 9-acetoxy-10-oxo-taxol or other 9-acetoxy-10-oxotetracylic taxanes having a C13 side chain. Alternatively, the C9 acetate group can be selectively removed by reduction of 10-oxo derivative 11 with a reducing agent such as samarium diiodide to yield 9-desoxo-10-oxo derivative 12 from which the C13 hydroxy protecting group can be selectively removed followed by attachment of a side chain as described above to yield 9-desoxo-10-oxo-taxol or other 9-desoxo-10-oxotetracylic taxanes having a C13 side chain.
Reaction Scheme 4 illustrates a reaction in which 10-DAB is reduced to yield pentaol 13. The C7 and C10 hydroxyl groups of pentaol 13 can then be selectively protected with the triethylsilyl or another protecting group to produce triol 14 to which a C13 side chain can be attached as described above or, alternatively, after further modification of the tetracylic substituents.
Taxanes having C9 and/or C10 acyloxy substituents other than acetate can be prepared using 10-DAB as a starting material as illustrated in Reaction Scheme 5. Reaction of 10-DAB with triethylsilyl chloride in pyridine yields 7-protected 10-DAB 15. The C10 hydroxy substituent of 7-protected 10-DAB 15 may then be readily acylated with any standard acylating agent to yield derivative 16 having a new C10 acyloxy substituent. Selective reduction of the C9 keto substituent of derivative 16 yields 9xcex2-hydroxy derivative 17 to which a C13 side chain may be attached. Alternatively, the C10 and C9 groups can be caused to migrate as set forth in Reaction Scheme 2, above.
9-desoxo tetracyclic taxanes having alternative C2 and/or C4 esters can be prepared using baccatin III and 10-DAB as starting materials. The C2 and/or C4 esters of baccatin III and 10-DAB can be selectively reduced to the corresponding alcohol(s) using reducing agents such as LAH or Red-Al, and new-esters can thereafter be substituted using standard acylating agents such as anhydrides and acid chlorides in combination with an amine such as pyridine, triethylamine, DMAP, or diisopropyl ethyl amine. Alternatively, the C2 and/or C4 alcohols may be converted to new C2 and/or C4 esters through formation of the corresponding alkoxide by treatment of the alcohol with a suitable base such as LDA followed by an acylating agent such as an acid chloride.
Baccatin III and 10-DAB analogs having different substituents at C2 and/or C4 can be prepared as set forth in Reaction Schemes 6-10. To simplify the description, 10-DAB is used as the starting material. It should be understood, however, that baccatin III derivatives or analogs may be produced using the same series of reactions (except for the protection of the C10 hydroxy group) by simply replacing 10-DAB with baccatin III as the starting material. Derivatives of the baccatin III and 10-DAB analogs having different substituents at C9 and at least one other position, for instance C1, C2, C4, C7, C10 and C13, can then be prepared by carrying out any of the other reactions described herein and any others which are within the level of skill in the art.
In Reaction Scheme 6, protected 10-DAB 3 is converted to the triol 18 with lithium aluminum hydride. Triol 18 is then converted to the corresponding C4 ester using Cl2CO in pyridine followed by a nucleophilic agent (e.g., Grignard reagents or alkyllithium reagents).
Deprotonation of triol 18 with LDA followed by introduction of an acid chloride selectively gives the C4 ester. For example, when acetyl chloride was used, triol 18 was converted to 1,2 diol 4 as set forth in Reaction Scheme 7.
Triol 18 can also readily be converted to the 1,2 carbonate 19. Acetylation of carbonate 19 under vigorous standard conditions provides carbonate 21 as described in Reaction Scheme 8; addition of alkyllithiums or Grignard reagents to carbonate 19 provides the C2 ester having a free hydroxyl group at C4 as set forth in is Reaction Scheme 6.
As set forth in Reaction Scheme 9, other C4 substituents can be provided by reacting carbonate 19 with an acid chloride and a tertiary amine to yield carbonate 22 which is then reacted with alkyllithiums or Grignard reagents to provide 10-DAB derivatives having new substituents at C2.
Alternatively, baccatin III may be used as a starting material and reacted as shown in Reaction Scheme 10. After being protected at C7 and C13, baccatin III is reduced with LAH to produce 1,2,4,10 tetraol 24. Tetraol 24 is converted to carbonate 25 using Cl2CO and pyridine, and carbonate 25 is acylated at C10 with an acid chloride and pyridine to produce carbonate 26 (as shown) or with acetic anhydride and pyridine (not shown). Acetylation of carbonate 26 under vigorous standard conditions provides carbonate 27 which is then reacted with alkyl lithiums to provide the baccatin III derivatives having new substituents at C2 and C10.
10-desacetoxy derivatives of baccatin III and 10-desoxy derivatives of 10-DAB may be prepared by reacting baccatin III or 10-DAB (or their derivatives) with samarium diiodide. Reaction between the tetracyclic taxane having a C10 leaving group and samarium diiodide may be carried out at 0xc2x0 C. in a solvent such as tetra-hydrofuran. Advantageously, the samarium duiodide selectively abstracts the C10 leaving group; C13 side 10 chains and other substituents on the tetracyclic nucleus remain undisturbed. Thereafter, the C9 keto substituent may be reduced to provide the corresponding 9-desoxo-9xcex2-hydroxy-10-desacetyoxy or 10-desoxy derivatives as otherwise described herein.
C7 dihydro and other C7 substituted taxanes can be prepared as set forth in Reaction Schemes 11, 12 and 12a.
As shown in Reaction Scheme 12, Baccatin III may be converted into 7-fluoro baccatin III by treatment with FAR at room temperature in THF solution. Other baccatin derivatives with a free C7 hydroxyl group behave similarly. Alternatively, 7-chloro baccatin III can be prepared by treatment of baccatin III with methane sulfonyl chloride and triethylamine in methylene chloride solution containing an excess of triethylamine hydrochloride.
Taxanes having C7 acyloxy substituents can be prepared as set forth in Reaction Scheme 12a, 7,13-protected 10-oxo-derivative 11 is converted to its corresponding C13 alkoxide by selectively removing the C13 protecting group and replacing it with a metal such as lithium. The alkoxide is then reacted with a xcex2-lactam or other side chain precursor. Subsequent hydrolysis of the C7 protecting groups causes a migration of the C7 hydroxy substituent to C10, migration of the C10 oxo substituent to C9, and migration of the C9 acyloxy substituent to C7.
A wide variety of tricyclic taxanes are naturally occurring, and through manipulations analogous to those described herein, an appropriate side chain can be attached to the C13 oxygen of these substances. Alternatively, as shown in Reaction Scheme 13, 7-O-triethylsilyl baccatin III can be converted to a tricyclic taxane through the action of trimethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate in methylene chloride solution. The product diol then reacts with lead tetraacetate to provide the corresponding C4 ketone.
Recently a hydroxylated taxane (14-hydroxy-10-deacetylbaccatin III) has been discovered in an extract of yew needles (CandEN, p 36-37, Apr. 12, 1993). Derivatives of this hydroxylated taxane having the various C2, C4, etc. functional groups described above may also be prepared by using this hydroxylated taxane. In addition, the C14 hydroxy group together with the C1 hydroxy group of 10-DAB can be converted to a 1,2-carbonate as described in CandEN or it may be converted to a variety of esters or other functional groups as otherwise described herein in connection with the C2, C4, C9 and C10 substituents.

9-desoxotaxanes and process for the preparation of 9-desoxotaxanes


A cooling system for use in a portable communication device includes a detection module, a cooling module and a central control module. The detection module detects whether the portable communication device is in a communication state and generates an acknowledgement signal. The cooling module includes a fan and a driving unit. The central control module is electrically coupled to the detection module and the driving unit, detects an operational temperature of said device, and generates a detected temperature value corresponding to the detected operational temperature. The central control module controls the fan to operate in a silent mode or a cooling mode. The central control module controls the fan to operate in the silent mode if the central control module receives the acknowledgement signal when the detected temperature value is smaller than a temperature threshold value, else the central control module controls the fan to operate in the cooling mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a cooling system for use in a portable communication device and, more particularly, to a cooling system that is installed in a portable communication device for expelling the heat from the interior of the portable communication device when the temperature of the portable communication device increases, ensuring the performance of the portable communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern portable communication devices with mobile communication functions, such as cellular phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) or the like, often overheat due to waste heat generated during the operation thereof. This results in breakdown of the portable communication devices. To solve the problem, a cooling system is installed somewhere in the portable communication device where heat is generated, so as to prevent the portable communication device from overheating.
Taiwan Patent No. I307261 discloses a conventional cooling system for use in a portable communication device such as a cellular phone or a PDA. The cooling system includes an air-guiding module having at least one fan adapted to cool down the portable communication device, ensuring normal operation of the portable communication device.
In the above patent, the cooling system provides improved cooling effect for the portable communication device, preventing the portable communication device from overheating. Since the portable communication device has a call function, a user often holds the portable communication device somewhere by his/her ear when using the portable communication device to converse with another one. In this regard, the noise generated by the fan of the cooling system may interfere with the user's conversation. The noise may disturb the ability of the user to hear clearly or even disturb the remote user on the call. As a result, the call quality is affected. In addition, a great deal of heat is generated when the portable communication device operates in a long duration of time. Thus, it has been an important subject to provide satisfactory call quality as well as required cooling effect.

Cooling system for use in a portable communication device

SUNONWEALTH ELECTRIC MACHINE INDUSTRY CO., LTD


A method for producing an electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte battery which improves charge/discharge characteristics such as a discharge capacity and a charge/discharge cycle life and which provides improved physical properties of a coating film.

The present invention relates to a method for producing an electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte battery, and more particularly to a method for producing a non-aqueous electrolyte battery electrode which includes an electrode active material layer containing an active material having a composition of LixNiyMzO2 (where x satisfies 0.8 less than x less than 1.5, y+z satisfies 0.8 less than y+z less than 1.2, z satisfies 0xe2x89xa6z less than 0.35, and M is at least one element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Mn and Fe) and having excellent battery characteristics and excellent physical properties of the active material layer.
Recent development in the electronic field is remarkable, and reduction in size and weight of devices such as video cameras, liquid crystal cameras, portable telephones, laptop computers, and word processors is now taking place. There are increasing needs for development of batteries with reduced size and weight and having a high energy density as power sources for these electronic devices.
Conventionally, lead batteries or nickel-cadmium batteries have been used for these electronic devices. These conventional batteries cannot sufficiently meet the needs for reduction in size and weight and achievement of a high energy density.
As batteries that meet these demands, development of non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries employing metal lithium or a substance capable of being doped and undoped with lithium as a negative electrode has been carried out, whereby those using a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) as a positive electrode material are already in practical use. This battery has a property of having a high voltage and a high energy density as compared with the conventional small secondary batteries. Therefore, they are greatly expected as a power source for driving a cordless devices, so that secondary batteries which are smaller and lighter than the conventional batteries can be fabricated.
Also, in order to achieve further reduction in size and weight and to obtain a further high energy density, development and research of active materials etc. is eagerly conducted, and a lithium nickel composite oxide LiNiO2 is proposed as a positive electrode active material.
Here, in the electrode of a non-aqueous electrolyte battery, an electrically conductive agent is used because the active material has a poor electric conductivity except for some active materials.
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 1-105,459/1989 discloses a non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery including a positive electrode containing LiMn2O4 and graphite as major components, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolytic solution, wherein a graphite content in the total amount of the above LiMn2O4 and the graphite is 8 to 22 wt %. This means that, in using graphite as an electrically conductive agent, effects are not produced unless the graphite is added in a large amount.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 4-215,252/1992 discloses use of a flake graphite as an electrically conductive agent for a positive electrode in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery. In this way, although there are disclosures on electrically conductive agents made of graphite, the prior art fails to disclose a method of preparing a slurry.
Generally, the larger the amount of the electrically conductive agent is, the easier it is to draw out the efficiency of the active material. However, if a large amount of the electrically conductive agent is incorporated in the electrode, the amount of the active material per unit volume will decrease, so that as a result the capacity as a battery will decrease. Therefore, attempts are made to reduce the amount of the electrically conductive agent while drawing out the efficiency of the active material.
However, according to the conventional methods of preparing an electrode mixture-coating material, a large amount of the electrically conductive agent must be added in the electrode mixture in order to obtain a sufficient electrode conducting property. As a result, there arises a problem that the charge/discharge capacities per unit electrode volume or per unit electrode weight decreases.
Also, non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries get deteriorated in that their capacity decreases in accordance with their repeated use. One of the factors that cause such a deterioration of the batteries is considered to be that the contact of the active material and the electrically conductive agent in the electrode gets poorer, making it difficult to draw out an electricity to the outside.
In view of these facts, it is desirable to maintain a good contact of the active material and the electrically conductive agent in the electrode while reducing the amount of the electrically conductive agent of graphite as much as possible.
Accordingly, the purpose of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a method for producing an electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte battery with improved charge/discharge characteristics such as a discharge capacity and a charge/discharge cycle life and with improved physical properties of a coating film.
The present inventors have made an eager research and found out that an electrode having good charge/discharge characteristics and stable physical properties of the coating film can be obtained even with a small amount of an electrically conductive agent by wet-kneading a slurry containing an active material and the electrically conductive agent and then performing a special dispersion process in preparing an electrode active material mixture-coating material, thereby completing the present invention.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for producing an electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte battery by preparing an electrode active material mixture-coating material containing at least an active material having a composition of LixNiyMzO2 (where x satisfies 0.8 less than x less than 1.5, y+z satisfies 0.8 less than y+z less than 1.2, z satisfies 0xe2x89xa6z less than 0.35, and M is at least one element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Mn and Fe), an electrically conductive agent and a binder, and by applying said active material mixture-coating material on a collector, said method comprising the steps of wet-kneading a slurry containing at least said active material, said electrically conductive agent, said binder and an organic solvent, and then performing a dispersion process on said wet-kneaded slurry by means of a narrow-gap-type dispersing apparatus to prepare the mixture-coating material.
In the present invention, a concentration of solid components in the slurry at the wet-kneading step is preferably 70 to 90 wt %.
Also, in the present invention, the wet-kneading step is performed preferably in an atmosphere of air, nitrogen gas, or a rare gas having a moisture dew point of not more than xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C.
According to the present invention, since the slurry is wet-kneaded and then subjected to the dispersion process by means of the narrow-gap-type dispersing apparatus in preparing the active material mixture-coating material, a sufficient electric conductivity of the electrode can be obtained with a small amount of the electrically conductive agent. As a result, an amount of the active material per unit electrode volume can be increased and large charge/discharge capacities per unit electrode volume can be obtained. Also, physical properties of a coating film can be stabilized.
The active material to be used in the present invention is a lithium composite oxide represented by the general formula: LixNiyMzO2 (where x satisfies 0.8 less than x less than 1.5, y+z satisfies 0.8 less than y+z less than 1.2, z satisfies 0xe2x89xa6z less than 0.35, and M is at least one element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Mn and Fe).
In the present invention, an average particle diameter of the above-mentioned lithium composite oxide is preferably within the range of 1.0 to 30 xcexcm, more preferably within the range of 2.0 to 20 xcexcm. A half-value width at the average particle diameter of its particle size distribution is preferably within the range of 2.0 to 50 xcexcm. The particle size distribution is measured by the laser diffraction/scattering method.
An example of a method for producing such a lithium composite oxide is, for example, a process in which a basic metal salt and an alkaline water-soluble lithium compound containing respectively an anion that volatilizes at the time of calcination of LiMetal3+O2 (where the Metal contains Ni as a major component and further contains at least one element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Mn and Fe) are allowed to react in an aqueous medium to obtain a slurry, which is then dried and calcined.
The basic metal salt is represented by the general formula: Metal2+(OH)2-nk(Anxe2x88x92)kxc2x7mH2O. Here, the Metal2+ is an ion containing Ni as a major component and possibly containing at least one element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Mn and Fe. Anxe2x88x92 represents an anion with n valences (where n=1 to 3) such as a nitrate ion, a chloride ion, a bromide ion, an acetate ion, or a carbonate ion. Further, k satisfies 0.03xe2x89xa6kxe2x89xa60.3; and m satisfies 0xe2x89xa6m less than 2.
The basic metal salt represented by the above-mentioned formula can be produced by adding to an aqueous solution of Metal2+ an alkali of about 0.7 to 0.95 equivalent, preferably about 0.8 to 0.95 equivalent, relative to the Metal2+, and reacting them under a reaction condition of about 80xc2x0 C. or less, and then maturing the reaction product at a temperature of 40xc2x0 C. to 70xc2x0 C. for 0.1 to 10 hours, followed by washing with water to remove the by-products. The alkali to be used in the reaction may be a hydroxide of an alkali metal such as sodium hydroxide, a hydroxide of an alkali earth metal such as calcium hydroxide, an amine, or the like.
A basic metal salt selected from the compounds represented by the above-mentioned formula and one or more lithium compounds selected from lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, hydrates thereof, and the like are allowed to react in water at a concentration in the range of 5 to 25 wt % and at a temperature in the range from room temperature to 100xc2x0 C. to obtain a slurry, which is then subjected to spray drying for improvement of uniformity in the shape of the composition to be obtained.
The lithium composite oxide can be obtained by subjecting the dried product to a thermal treatment for calcination in an oxidizing gas atmosphere containing air, oxygen, ozone, or the like in a temperature range of about 700 to 1000xc2x0 C. for about 0.1 to 20 hours.
Another example of a method for producing a lithium composite oxide to be used in the present invention is a process that uses a water-soluble lithium compound and a basic metal carbonate obtained from a water-soluble metal compound.
The water-soluble metal compound to be used in this process is a nitrate, a sulfate, a metal chloride, or the like. This water-soluble metal compound may contain a nickel compound as a major component and may be mixed with a given amount of another water-soluble metal compound so that at least one element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr. Al, Mn and Fe may be blended therewith.
The basic metal carbonate may be obtained by filtrating and drying a precipitate obtained by allowing a mixture of the above-mentioned water-soluble metal compounds to react with a compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali carbonate, an alkali bicarbonate, ammonium carbonate and ammonium bicarbonate in water, or a precipitate obtained by allowing sodium hydroxide to be present for reaction in the above-mentioned reaction system. In this case, in order to produce a good precipitate, it is preferable to use a little excessive amount of the carbonate, and also it is important to control the stirring condition so as to control the specific surface area of the precipitate.
To the basic metal carbonate thus obtained, a powder of a water-soluble lithium compound such as lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide is added at a desired ratio of the metal to Li. The resultant mixture in a powder state is first heated to 300 to 500xc2x0 C. in the presence of an inert gas or an oxygen-containing gas. This heating allows only the decomposition of the basic metal carbonate to proceed, whereby carbonic acid gas in the crystal structure is released. This heating is continued until the generation of the carbonic acid gas substantially stops so as to convert all of the basic metal carbonate into a metal oxide having numerous fine pores.
After the generation of carbonic acid gas substantially stops, the temperature is further raised to allow the molten water-soluble lithium compound to penetrate into the fine pores of the metal oxide, whereby the two compounds will be in an extremely close contact. At this moment, the resultant product is calcined at a temperature of 700 to 900xc2x0 C. in the presence of oxygen gas or an air rich in oxygen, whereby Ni is turned from bivalent to trivalent to produce a Li composite oxide.
Here, the larger the specific surface area of the basic metal carbonate to be used is (for example, more than 100 m2/g), the more preferable it is, because gas discharge and generation of fine pores after preliminary calcination will be more efficiently performed.
The electrically conductive agent to be used in the present invention is not specifically limited and may be any electron-conducting material that does not undergo a chemical change. Examples of the electrically conductive agent typically include graphites such as natural graphite (scaled graphite, scale-like graphite and others) and artificial graphite, carbon blacks such as acetylene black, Ketjen black, channel black, furnace black, and thermal black, electrically conductive fibers such as carbon fiber, carbon fiber grown in gaseous phase, and metal fiber, and metal powders such as copper, nickel, aluminum, and silver. Among these, scale-like graphite is preferable.
Specifically, the electrically conductive agent may be one of the LF series manufactured by Chuuetsu Kokuen Kogyosho Co., Ltd., the UFG series manufactured by Showa Denko Co., Ltd., the KS series manufactured by LONZA Co., Ltd., MICROCARBO-G series manufactured by Kansai Netsukagaku Co., Ltd., Ecoscarbons manufactured by Ecos Giken Co., Ltd., and others.
The amount of the electrically conductive agent to be blended is preferably 1 to 15 wt %, more preferably 2 to 10 wt %, in a dried coating film, although it depends on the specific surface area of the active material and the like.
The binder to be used in the present invention is one or a mixture of two or more of thermoplastic resins or polymers having a rubber elasticity. Examples of the binders to be used include fluorine-type polymers, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, regenerated cellulose, diacetyl cellulose, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene, polypropylene, EPDM, sulfonated EPDM, SBR, polybutadiene, polyethylene oxide, and the like.
Among these, the fluorine-containing polymer preferably has an atomic ratio of fluorine atoms/carbon atoms in the range of 0.75 to 1.5, more preferably in the range of 0.75 to 1.3. If this value is larger than 1.5, it tends to be difficult to obtain a sufficient capacity of the battery. On the other hand, if it is smaller than 0.75, the binder is likely to be dissolved in the electrolytic solution.
Examples of such fluorine-containing polymers include polytetrafluoro-ethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, vinylidene fluoride-ethylene trifluoride copolymers, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymers, propylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymers, and the like. A fluorine-containing polymer with its hydrogen in the main chain substituted by an alkyl group(s) may be used as well.
Among these, those showing a selective solubility (having a low solubility in the electrolytic solution and being soluble in some solvents). For example, vinylidene fluoride-type polymers are only slightly soluble in a carbonate-type solvent that is used as the electrolytic solution or the like, but are soluble in a solvent such as N,N-dimethylformamide or N-methylpyrrolidone.
The amount of the binder to be added is preferably 1 to 15 wt %, more preferably 2 to 10 wt %, in a dried coating film, although it depends on the specific surface areas and the particle size distributions of the active material and the electrically conductive agent, the strength of the intended electrode, and the like.
The solvent to be used for the preparation of the electrode active material mixture-coating material is not specifically limited and may be a general organic solvent. Examples of the organic solvents include saturated hydrocarbons such as hexane, aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene and xylene, alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol, ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, diisobutyl ketone, and cyclohexanone, esters such as ethyl acetate and butyl acetate, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, and diethyl ether, amides such as N,N-dimethylformamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, and N,N-dimethylacetamide, halogenated hydrocarbons such as ethylene chloride and chlorobenzene, and the like. Among these, ketone-type and amide-type solvents are preferable because they can dissolve the fluorine-containing polymers. These solvents may be used either alone or as a mixture of two or more thereof.
In the present invention, a slurry containing the active material, the electrically conductive agent, the binder and the organic solvent as mentioned above is wet-kneaded and then subjected to a dispersion process by means of a narrow-gap-type dispersing apparatus to prepare a mixture-coating material. Through these steps, it is possible to remove efficiently a secondary agglomeration or a stack of the electrically conductive agent, whereby a sufficient electrically conductive effects are produced even if only a small amount of the electrically conductive agent is added. Also, the physical properties of the coating film is stabilized.
For example, an explanation will be given on a case where graphite is used as the electrically conducive agent. Since graphite has a cleavage property, graphite having a large particle diameter can be cleft to increase its specific surface area with little decrease in the particle diameter. However, graphite is liable to form a stack and, if a strong shear stress or the like is applied in a dry process to loosen the stack, it is likely to be stacked to a greater extent. For example, if an attempt is made to crush graphite with a ball mill or the like, there arises a problem that the graphite is liable to be stacked, although it can be crushed. Therefore, it was difficult in the prior art to cleave the stack without breaking the graphite particles. According to the operation of the present invention, the stack of graphite can be effectively removed, and sufficient electrically conducting effects can be obtained even with addition of only a small amount of graphite.
Further, an explanation will be given on a case where acetylene black is used as the electrically conductive agent. Acetylene black is liable to form large secondary agglomerates. By a conventional dry process or a conventional dispersion method, it is not easy to loosen the agglomeration of acetylene black particles, so that a large amount of acetylene black had to be added in the electrode mixture-coating material in order to obtain sufficient electrical conductivity. According to the operation of the present invention, it is possible to loosen the secondary agglomerates of acetylene black, whereby sufficient electrically conducting effects can be obtained even with addition of only a small amount of acetylene black.
In the present invention, the wet-kneading is conducted in a kneading apparatus such as a kneader, a planetary mixer, a two-roll rolling mill, a three-roll rolling mill, a Banbury mixer, and the like. The kneader is an apparatus that gives a shear between a rotating blade and a kneading tank. The kneader may be of a single-process type or a continuous-process type. Either of these two types may be used.
Examples of single-process type kneaders include an open-type kneader, pressure-type kneader, and the like. Since the open-type kneader is open at its top, voids are generated, so that it is rather unsuitable for achieving the object of the present invention. The pressure-type kneader can produce the effects of the present invention in the most efficient manner because the voids can be controlled to the minimum. Also, the kneader of continuous process type does not decrease the effects of the present invention because it has a feeding structure, although it slightly generates voids as compared with the pressure type. The kneader of continuous process type is preferable because it can carry out the steps continuously including the preprocesses such as preliminary mixing and the postprocesses such as kneading, dilution, and dissolution.
Examples of the rotating blade to be used in such a kneader include a xcexa3-type blade, a Z-type blade, a cam-type blade, a roller-type blade, an S-type blade, a fishtail-type blade, and a Banbury-type blade.
Examples of the kneader include single-type kneaders such as an MS-type pressure-type kneader manufactured by Moriyama Co., Ltd., continuous kneaders such as KRC kneaders manufactured by Kurimoto, Ltd., and extruders manufactured by a Fuji Powdernel, Kobe Seitetsusho, Toshiba Machine Co., Ltd., and further, small-type kneaders such as a desktop-type kneader manufactured by Irie Shokai Co., Ltd., a kneader manufactured by Takabayashi Rika Co., Ltd., a Laboplastomill and a Blavender manufactured by Toyo Seiki Co., Ltd.
A concentration of solid components in the slurry at the time of the wet-kneading step is preferably within the range of 70 to 90 wt %. If the concentration is too larger or too smaller than the above range, it is not possible to obtain a sufficient shear force.
Also, the wet-kneading step is preferably carried out in an atmosphere of air, nitrogen gas, or a rare gas having a moisture dew point of not more than xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C. If the slurry is wet-kneaded in such an atmosphere, it is possible to prevent the above-mentioned LixNiyMzO2, which is the active material, from undergoing a decomposition reaction, so that the charge/discharge capacities do not decrease.
A slurry temperature at the time of the wet-kneading step is preferably within the range of 30 to 90xc2x0 C. If the slurry temperature is below 30xc2x0 C., it will be difficult to obtain a sufficient shear force. On the other hand, if the slurry temperature exceeds 90xc2x0 C., the organic solvent in the slurry is likely to evaporate, thereby changing the concentration of solid components in the slurry.
By means of the above-mentioned kneading apparatus and the kneading operation, the slurry containing the active material, the electrically conductive agent, the binder and the organic solvent is sufficiently kneaded. The kneaded slurry is then diluted to have a suitable viscosity and dispersed in a narrow-gap-type dispersing apparatus.
The narrow-gap-type dispersing apparatus to be used in the present invention may be a Gaulin homogenizer, a high-speed stone mill, an ultradisper, or the like. Any of the above-mentioned dispersing apparatus gives a shear by passing a kneaded coating material through a narrow gap. By performing such a dispersing process, fine portions such as stacks of graphite or secondary agglomerates of acetylene black can be dispersed to a higher degree. Therefore, the maximum effects of the electrically conductive agent can be obtained with addition of the minimum amount of the electrically conductive agent.
Also, in accordance with the needs, a final adjustment may be made by dispersion in a stirring mixer, such as a hyper mixer or a dissolver, so that the electrode active material mixture-coating material may meet the condition of a coating apparatus.
The prepared mixture-coating material is applied onto a collector and dried. The collector is not specifically limited and may be any electron-conducting substance that does not undergo a chemical change when it is formed into a battery. For example, the collector may be formed of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, nickel, stainless steel, titanium, or the like. Besides these metals, aluminum or stainless steel whose surface is treated with carbon, nickel, or titanium may be used as well. Especially, aluminum or an aluminum alloy is preferable. The collector may have a foil-like, film-like, net-like, porous, foamed, or the like shape. The thickness of the collector is 1 to 100 xcexcm, preferably 1 to 50 xcexcm.
The electrode active material mixture-coating material is applied onto the collector by an ordinary well-known coating method such as the reverse roll method, direct roll method, blade method, knife method, extrusion nozzle method, curtain method, gravure roll method, bar coat method, dip method, kiss coat method, squeeze method, and the like. Among these, it is preferable to adopt the extrusion nozzle method, whereby a good surface state of the coating layer can be obtained by suitably selecting the solvent composition of the mixture and the drying condition so that the coating material is applied onto the collector at a coating speed of 5 to 100 m/min.
The drying temperature is preferably 30 to 150xc2x0 C., more preferably 50 to 140xc2x0 C. If the drying temperature is less than 30xc2x0 C., the solvent will not be sufficiently dried. On the other hand, if the drying temperature exceeds 150xc2x0 C., the binder may not be distributed uniformly on the surface of the electrode because the evaporation speed of the solvent is too high, thereby leading to deterioration in the electrode properties.
Here, the thickness, length, and width of the coating layer is determined by the final size of the battery to be obtained. The thickness of the coating layer is preferably adjusted by the ordinarily-adopted calendar processing after the coating step. The processing pressure is preferably 0.2 to 10 t/cm, and the processing temperature is preferably 10 to 150xc2x0 C.

Method of producing electrode for non-aqueous electrolytic cells including a narrow-gap dispersing process

Abstract: The method includes the steps of wet-kneading a slurry containing an active material having a composition of LixNiyMzO2 (0.8 less than x less than 1.5, 0.8 less than y+z less than 1.2, 0xe2x89xa6z less than 0.35; M is at least one element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Mn and Fe), an electrically conductive agent, a binder and an organic solvent, and then performing a dispersion process on the wet-kneaded slurry by means of a narrow-gap-type dispersing apparatus to prepare a mixture coating material, which is then applied onto a collector.

Duracell, a division of the Gillette Company


An estimation apparatus includes: a learning prohibition unit, configured to prohibit a learning unit from executing a learning control and retain a learning value, which is set just before prohibiting, as a fixed learning value which is a fixed value, when the fuel component amount estimation condition is satisfied; an air-fuel ratio correction amount computation unit, configured to compute a correction amount of the air-fuel ratio based on the feedback correction value and the fixed learning value, when the fuel component amount estimation condition is satisfied; an injection correction value change rate computation unit, configured to compute a change rate of the correction amount; an alcohol component correction value computation unit, configured to compute an alcohol component correction value based on the change rate; and an alcohol component amount estimation unit, configured to estimate an alcohol component amount in fuel based on the alcohol component correction value.

This invention relates to an estimation apparatus of an alcohol component amount in fuel.
A vehicle installing an engine that can use composite fuel containing a gasoline component and an alcohol component has been developed. Such a vehicle is known as a name of FFV (Flexible Fuel Vehicle).
In fact, the ratio between the gasoline component and the alcohol component (fuel property) in the composite fuel supplied to such an FFV engine is not always constant.
For example, assume that composite fuel having an alcohol concentration of 80% is stored in a fuel tank. Then, fuel having an alcohol concentration of 0% (namely, fuel having a gasoline concentration of 100%) may be supplied to the fuel tank or fuel having an alcohol concentration of 100% (namely, fuel having a gasoline concentration of 0%) may be supplied to the fuel tank. The fuel supply amount varies from one time to another.
In the engine using such composite fuel, there is a demand for appropriately adjusting the fuel injection amount in response to the fuel property of the composite fuel.
In other words, in the FFV, it is necessary to directly detect or estimate the fuel property of the composite fuel. There is an example of an art of estimating the fuel property of the composite fuel (refer to Japanese Patent No. 3903925).
However, the estimation accuracy of the fuel property according to the art disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3903925 may be insufficient.
For example, in the art disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3903925, the alcohol concentration is estimated and updated based on the correlation between the air-fuel ratio sensitivity correction total amount, which is the product of the air-fuel ratio correction amount and the fuel property component correction amount, and the alcohol concentration. The air-fuel ratio correction amount is calculated from an air-fuel ratio feedback correction coefficient and an air-fuel ratio learning correction coefficient.
Thus, the air-fuel ratio learning correction coefficient for compensating for the effect of the engine's individual difference (variations in performance) and the effect of variation with time is reflected on the estimation of the alcohol concentration and the accuracy of the alcohol concentration estimation value is degraded.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent No. 3903925 also discloses an art of estimating the alcohol concentration from the product of the air-fuel ratio feedback correction coefficient and the fuel property component correction amount, without the air-fuel ratio learning correction coefficient.
However, also in this case, the accuracy of the alcohol concentration estimation value still worsens because the effect of the engine's individual difference, etc., on the fuel injection amount is not considered.
On the other hand, a technique of providing a sensor for directly detecting the fuel property in a fuel tank is also possible, but such a sensor is expensive and an increase in the cost is incurred.

Estimation apparatus of alcohol component amount in fuel

Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


An apparatus in one embodiment has: a positioning functionality that sequentially locates, at a predefined bight, coupons of a continuous web of coupons; a burst functionality whereby a foremost coupon is separated at the predefined bight from a next coupon of the continuous web of coupons; a staging functionality whereby the separated foremost coupon is moved to a staging position; and an insertion functionality whereby the first coupon is inserted into a container. In another embodiment the first coupon is inserted into a container only after the next coupon is separated from the continuous web. In another embodiment after the second coupon is sensed, the first coupon is burst and inserted into a container.

The goal of coupon inserters is to consistently place coupons into bags of cereal, candy, rice, coffee, and snack food, and into boxes and packages of pretzels, pasta, cookies, crackers, and more. Inserters operate at speeds over 300 pieces per minute, utilizing the continuous perforated or non-perforated coupon format. Known inserters can be utilized to insert both overwrapped and non-overwrapped pieces in a bandolier or roll format.
Reliability and consistency is extremely important for coupon insertion at the high rates of speed that are required. Such reliability and consistency needs improvement in the area of coupon inserters that use a bursting operation to remove a coupon from a coupon web and then insert the coupon into a container.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved coupon inserter.


A variable retaining wall system may include a block having a top, a bottom, and a hollow core area. At least one set of setback knobs may attach to the block. The at least one set of setback knobs may include a primary set of setback knobs and a secondary set of setback knobs of a different angle than the primary set of setback knobs. The at least one set of setback knobs may be removable.

The present invention relates to retaining walls and, more particularly, to a variable retaining wall system.
When using a knob to provide the correct set back of a retaining wall, a different setback degree requires a different stone, requiring additional product inventory for the manufacturer, distributor, and installer. Retailers of retaining wall products have limited space and capital for additional inventory. Customers sometimes change their minds, or local soils might require a different wall setback requiring a different product. There are times when walls need to have a smaller degree of setback and times when a larger degree is needed, depending on the space and height of the wall. The only choice at present is to have additional inventory for both degrees of setback, or have a double faced stone. When a knob or protrusion needs to be removed, it normally breaks above the surface and affects height, or it requires additional labor. The package for retaining walls requires additional labor and equipment. The cost of machinery, labor, and cribbing is a burden on all parties to make the package safe when retaining walls with knobs are packaged. The additional inventory and absence of options place a burden on the retailer and the end user. Retaining walls have a height specification that requires the height never vary more than ⅛ inch. When multiple walls are stacked on each other, variance can multiply, requiring the installer to spend time cleaning the protrusion to a point below the surface.
Currently, single-faced devices have only one choice for a setback degree. These devices require, while packaging, a machine to turn the stones over to interlock the knobs into the cores of the stones below, or they must add shimming support manually to keep the package flat. These devices require the removal of a protrusion that leaves a slight residue that must be ground down.
Current solutions require a special mold that allows insertion of a bottom groove in the stone, but requires the use of a stone with double faces. This is more costly to produce, and serves no purpose because retaining walls are only single sided and one side will face the retained soil.
As can be seen, there is a need for a variable retaining wall system that allows for multiple set backs from the same single-sided stone.


An audio conference system has a plurality of specially designed microphone housings into each of which a directional microphone is positioned. Each microphone housing is positioned entirely within the body of the audio conferencing system, the microphone housings are strategically positioned at each one of four corners of the audio conference system body in order to provide maximum exposure of a microphone to its operating environment, and the interior structure of the microphone housing is designing to reflect unwanted energy harmlessly away from the microphone. Each directional microphone is positioned in the microphone housing such that the most sensitive node in its polar response pattern is oriented normal (at right angles) to a line radiating outward from the center of the system.

A room audio system, such as a conference phone, can be used to conduct audio meetings between groups of participants that are remote with respect to each other. These devices allow the meeting participants to position themselves in a range of positions and orientations within a conference room or around a conference table in order to effectively participate in a conference call.
Among other things, conference phones or conference systems typically integrate loudspeakers into a housing with some number of microphones. Positioning a loudspeaker proximate to microphones creates a number of problems with respect to the capture and processing of audio signals (voice signals) from the local environment. The proximity of a loudspeaker to a microphone results in the microphone capturing energy from the loudspeaker (called acoustic coupling . . . far-end voice) which is then sent back as an acoustic echo to a far-end audio system where the participants hear their own voices as echo. This acoustic echo is distracting and denigrates the quality of an audio conferencing session. While it is possible to remove a certain amount of this acoustic echo in a microphone signal (maybe 25-30 db of acoustic echo energy) by applying acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) methods to the signal, the resulting audio signal can still include some acoustic echo energy.
One design technique that is typically used to mitigate the effects of acoustic coupling between a loudspeaker and microphone is to place the microphones as far away from the loudspeakers as is possible, and to position the microphones so that their positive polar pattern is oriented away (faces away) from the direction of loudspeaker energy waves. Typically, directional microphones are employed that exhibit a cardioid polar response pattern, where one side of the microphone is much less sensitive to acoustic energy than the other side. Moving microphones away from a loudspeaker and employing directional microphones further reduces the acoustic coupling between microphone and a loudspeaker proximate to them. A range of microphone polar response patterns are illustrated with reference to FIG. 1. Another advantage to the use of directional microphones is that they operate to pick up more of the direct sound waves and less of the reflected sound from the walls and ceiling than an omni-directional microphone. This makes the voices sound less reverberant and results in better intelligibility than with a single or multiple omnidirectional microphones. If directional microphones are used, typically a switching algorithm selects the microphone with the highest energy and mutes the remaining microphones.
Loudspeakers associated with audio conference systems are generally positioned at a central location with respect to the microphones comprising the audio system. Additionally, the microphones are typically located at the end of microphone arms that extend radially away from the central loudspeaker. The length of these microphone arms is dictated by the amount of echo return loss needed to provide a microphone signal that, after being processed, is relatively free from far-end voice energy. Alternatively, the entire body of an audio conference system can be extended laterally from a central loudspeaker location, and one or more microphones can be positioned at the outside radius or edges of the lateral body extension.
As described above, the directional microphones comprising an audio conference system are typically placed at the distal ends of these arms with respect to a central audio system location (loudspeaker position), and the microphones can be placed in a specially designed microphone housing that maximizes their exposure to a conference room environment while minimizing their exposure to loudspeaker energy. Such an audio conference phone arrangement is illustrated with reference to FIG. 2. As the directional microphones operate according to a pressure gradient difference between their front and back (as determined by their polar response pattern), anything that distorts this pressure gradient (reflected energy of any type) tends to reduce the directional characteristics of a microphone. It is critical to the operation of a directional microphone that the design of this microphone housing and placement of the microphone within the housing is affected as little as possible by reflected energy from the housing walls. Consequently, microphone housings are designed without side wall surfaces and with a back wall (behind the microphone) that is at least 2.5 cm away and sloped at an angle away from the microphone so that energy is reflected upward and away from the microphone.

Microphone housing arrangement for an audio conference system


A valve stem seal with significantly improved sealing performance while improving workability when fitting the valve stem seal to a valve stem guide. An inner peripheral surface of a fitting section 20B is provided with a plurality of annular seal protrusions which respectively include first inclined surfaces 25a and 26a each having a diameter that increases from a radially inward tip toward a seal section 20A side, and second inclined surfaces 25b and 26b each having a diameter that increases from a radially inward tip toward a side opposite to the seal section 20A. The first seal protrusion 25 which is closest to the seal section 20A is configured so that an inclination of the second inclined surface 25b is smaller than that of the first inclined surface 25a, and the second seal protrusion 26 which is farthest from the seal section 20A is configured so that an inclination of the first inclined surface 26a is smaller than that of the second inclined surface 26b.

An intake and exhaust valve system of an internal combustion engine is provided with a valve stem seal for sealing an annular gap between an insertion hole provided in a valve stem guide and a valve stem to be inserted into the insertion hole. A valve stem seal according to a conventional example will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the valve stem seal according to the conventional example.
A valve stem (not shown) is configured to be inserted into an insertion hole provided in a valve stem guide (not shown) and to be guided by an inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole. A valve stem seal 500 is provided in order to supply suitable amount of lubricating oil for forming an oil film in an annular gap between the insertion hole provided in the valve stem guide and the valve stem while sealing lubricating oil in a lubricating oil chamber.
The valve stem seal 500 according to the conventional example includes a reinforcement ring 510 and a rubber-like elastic body 520 integrally provided with the reinforcement ring 510. The rubber-like elastic body 520 includes a seal section 520A which is slidable on the valve stem and a fitting section 520B which is provided on an inner peripheral surface side of a cylindrical body section in the reinforcement ring 510 and which is fitted and fixed to the valve stem guide.
In the conventional example, a plurality of annular seal protrusions 521 are provided on an inner peripheral surface of the fitting section 520B in order to improve sealing performance while improving workability when fitting the valve stem seal 500 to the valve stem guide. The seal protrusions 521 include a first inclined surface 521a having a diameter that increases from a radially inward tip toward the seal section 520A and a second inclined surface 521b having a diameter that increases from a radially inward tip opposite the seal section 520A (refer to enlarged view of the seal protrusion 521 in FIG. 3). The first inclined surface 521a and the second inclined surface 521b are designed so that inclinations thereof are equal to one another. With the plurality of seal protrusions 521 configured as described above, penetration of oil (lubricating oil) from a lubricating oil chamber side toward an intake port or an exhaust port can be suppressed while gas leakage from the intake port side or the exhaust port side toward the lubricating oil chamber can be suppressed.
However, intake and exhaust pressure (port pressure) of turbo engines and engines with EGR system of recent years has increased. Accordingly, the valve stem seal 500 according to the conventional example is no longer capable of sufficiently preventing gas from leaking from the intake port side or the exhaust port side toward the lubricating oil chamber.


The invention provides a digital active EMI filter that removes, minimizes, or reduces unwanted interference (i.e., EMI noise) generated by a power circuit such as, for example, a power converter. Digital active filtering includes digital sampling of the incident noise signal amplitude and frequency, discrete time conversion of the EMI noise source, processing (e.g., inverting) the digital signal, and then constructing an analog output signal (i.e., an EMI compensation signal) which is injected to the input of the power circuit. A digital EMI filter as described herein may be used in both differential-mode and common-mode configurations, and overcomes limitations of passive and active analog EMI filters.

Switching waveforms of power converters generate electromagnetic interference (EMI) at the fundamental switching frequency and its harmonics. The EMI (i.e., noise) is transmitted in two forms: radiated and conducted. Usually conducted noise is several orders of magnitude higher than the radiated noise in free space. The conducted noise consists of two categories commonly known as the differential mode and the common mode. The differential-mode noise is a current or voltage noise measured between the lines of the source. The common-mode noise is a current or voltage noise measured between the power lines and the ground. Both differential-mode and common-mode noises are taken into account in EMI filter design, with common-mode noise being the dominant factor.
Passive EMI filters employ only passive components and provide a rudimentary level of EMI filtering. Passive filtering technique is simple and cost effective in some applications; however, in applications where stringent noise reduction is required, the size, weight, effect of temperature, and reliability can present a significant design challenge.
Active analog EMI filters use active analog components such as op-amps to reduce EMI noise in circuits such as power converters. This technique samples the noise signal, processes it, and injects it back into the circuit to cancel the incident noise signal. The EMI noise is reduced by superposition of two signals with the same magnitude and opposite phase propagating in the same direction. Such active analog EMI filters provide better noise suppression over passive filters, are low cost, and are generally convenient to implement. At high frequencies the performance of analog active EMI filters is limited by the frequency characteristics of the active device. Hence, such a filter requires additional passive elements to complete the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) spectrum. At the same time, any negative impedance seen by the power converter, due to passive components of the EMI filter and the filter implementation, can have a negative impact on the power converter stability. In addition, analog filters may be bulky as their size is product-specific and varies with the input parameters of the power converter, such as rated current and voltage.


The invention relates to a device and a method for checking human vision, comprising an image-generating module for generating any test images, an imaging module, used to image the test image provided by the image-generating module on the retina of the eye as a stimulus, the imaging module containing at least one optical component having variable focal length, such that the test image of the image-generating module is perceptible to the eye from virtually simulated and variable distances, an accommodation measuring apparatus, a viewing direction measuring apparatus, and a control and evaluation module, which records and/or further processes the information. The accommodation of the eye can be stimulated by means of the particular test image, and the viewing direction of the eye can be measured simultaneously or in alternation, and fed to a control and evaluation module. Both eyes can be checked simultaneously by generating virtual binocular images.

Human binocular vision is essentially determined by the motility of the eye, the fixation ability, the convergence and fusion ability, the accommodation ability and the ability of stereoscopic viewing. The basic functions are interconnected and partly interdependent through physiological and neurological processes.
The fixation ability determines how much each eye can be oriented to a fixation point, such as an object, and follow a moving object. Thanks to a neurological control loop, the eye is turned via the eye musculature so that the image of the fixation point on the retina comes to lie constantly on the fovea centralis.
The convergence ability depends on how much both eyes can be oriented to the same fixation point during binocular vision. Normally, the directions of viewing of both eyes when looking at an infinitely remote object are parallel. At shorter distance from the object, a convergence angle results between the two directions of viewing, depending on the distance of the object. Thanks to neurological control loops, the deformation of the lens is regulated by the ciliary muscle so that the fixation point is imaged sharply on the fovea centralis.
Fusion is a neurological process in which the images of the two eyes are combined in the brain into a single overall image. The result is a "3D impression". This process plays out in the brain and cannot be observed from the outside. The ability of spatial or stereoscopic vision (stereopsis) is based on the ability of the brain to ascertain depth information from the differences between the two images on the basis of the adjusted convergence angle.
The accommodation ability determines the degree to which the refractive power of the lens can be changed by means of the ciliary muscle and adapted to the particular object viewing distance, so that objects from different distance can be imaged sharply on the retina. In the relaxed state of the eye in persons with normal vision, far removed objects are sharply imaged on the retina.
Accommodative convergence means the orientation of both eyes on the same fixation point. For close objects, the eyes are turned toward the nose, so that the two lines of sight approach each other (converge) and finally intersect at the object. The angle of convergence at which the lines of sight intersect is greater as the distance is less between observer and object.
Two neurophysiological processes determine the accommodation ability of the eyes. One is based on the autofocus principle, which is also used in cameras. The focus of the eye is slightly varied and a check made to determine if the image acuity has improved or grown worse. Depending on the result, the focus is restored or the adjustment is continued until an optimum is found. This process enables a focusing of the eye during monocular vision on objects at different distance. In binocular vision, a second neurophysiological process is at work, known as near focus strias. Accommodative convergence and accommodation stand in a fixed relation to each other, described by the so-called AC/A quotient. The near focus strias always "strives" to adjust this constant optimal value. If the angle of convergence is known, the distance of the viewed object can be determined from this, and also the required accommodation from the distance. This relationship is used in the brain by the neurophysiological coupling of convergence and accommodation.
In similar fashion, the CA/C quotient characterizes the ratio of convergence accommodation (CA) to convergence (C).
Patent WO 2011/107244 A1 specifies a device for subjective refraction determination, in which several objects with different focal positions are generated and shown to the test subject for comparison. In the binocular version, however, the convergence of objects in different focal positions which is necessary for natural vision is not taken into account. The two comparison symbols are thus not represented realistically. A disturbance of the near focus strias and a falsification of the subjective refraction are therefore possible.
A device and a method for determining the subjective refraction in binocular vision are also specified in patent US 2008/0246921 A1. While this device enables a stimulation of accommodation, vision test charts are used, which cannot produce any stimulus for convergence. Neither is there any viewing direction measuring apparatus for measuring the position of the eye. Thus, a correct stimulus for the near focus strias cannot be guaranteed. Yet the correct stimulation of the near focus strias as a binocular neurological control loop can be of decisive significance for just such a subjective binocular refraction measurement.
In patent DE 195 01 415 C2 an open view apparatus is described, in which virtual test objects can be displayed in the real environment. This is a binocular apparatus, which correctly simulated accommodation and convergence. However, accommodation and convergence are firmly coupled, so that the AC/A quotient is not variable. This is a problem, because the individual AC/A value fluctuates from one person to another on account of different eye spacings and other factors. Thus, one must expect a disturbance of the B near focus strias in persons with especially large or especially small eye spacing. Neither is it possible to simulate unnatural AC/A quotients, such as occur with virtual environments such as 3D movies or 3D television. Moreover, separate focusing for both eyes cannot be done. The accommodation cannot be measured with the apparatus, and the convergence can only be determined indirectly and subjectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,456 A specifies an apparatus for generating stereoscopic images in which convergence and size of the object are varied and compared to reference objects. It is supposed to investigate how a subject perceives relative and absolute distances subjectively. The device is in the form of spectacles and it generates a variable stereoscopic test character by means of displays. At the same time, eye-trackers ("gazing point detecting") are used to determine the fixation points of both eyes. However, there is no variation of the focal position. Thus, the lack of an accommodation stimulus results in an unnatural AC/A value. Thus, an unnatural vision condition is produced, which disturbs the near focus strias. Hence, it is also likely that the subjective distance perception investigated in the patent is falsified as a result.
A publication on a clinical trial describes a "Shutter-Spectacle Haploscope with Eye Tracker Control for Purposes of Fusion Therapy", see Klinische Monatsblätter Augenheilkunde 2003; 220: 629-633. With a shutter-spectacles and a computer monitor a stereoscopic image is produced. Using eye trackers, the fixation and convergence of the eyes are measured. There is a stimulus and a measurement for the convergence. A feedback control occurs by computer. The accommodation is not taken into account. Therefore, accommodation and convergence do not correspond, and a disturbance of the near focus strias is possible, which can lead to a falsification of the results of the study.
The above-described methods all have the problem that an unnatural AC/A quotient is produced during the simulation of a virtual three-dimensional environment or a vision test character. The AC/A quotient, i.e., the coupling of eye convergence and accommodation, is either not considered at all or is only correctly adjusted for persons with a particular eye spacing. This can cause a disturbance of the near focus strias and thus a falsification of the measurement results. Furthermore, either the convergence or the accommodation is investigated with the described methods/layouts.
DE 197 04 197 A1 specifies a monocular or binocular arrangement for the subjective refraction determination and other visual functions making use of test subject glasses provided with laser scanners. The arrangement is used subjective refraction determination. In the binocular variant of the arrangement, a beam path is provided for each eye to generate an image on the retina of the test subject, so that the images can be presented at the same time or in alternation. In the binocular visual impression, two images are merged into one.
JP 11 64 351 A specifies an ophthalmoscopic apparatus in which each eye is coordinated with an optical system, which can be adapted to the eye spacing as well as the points of fixation for the examination by means of adjustable carriers.
Many orthoptic studies today are performed manually by subjective methods. Due to the subjectivity, a comparability of the results of different examination apparatus is not possible without limitations. A direct linkage with EDP equipment and use of the associated capabilities of remote examination (such as telemedicine) are not given. Only "snapshot" measurements are possible with the aforementioned apparatus, measurements continuous over time are not possible.
Subjective methods only enable a limited number of measurements at relatively large intervals of time. A high-resolution time analysis of the accommodation process, for example, as compared to the stimulus, is not possible. Transient process of the convergence or the accommodation cannot be measured with the mentioned apparatus.
The mentioned apparatus cannot perform dynamic cover and uncover tests to determine tropia and phoria.

Device and method for checking human vision