Continuous system and procedure of sterilization and physical stabilization of pumpable fluids, food, or other type of fluids, through ultra-high pressure homogenization (UHPH) includes a first heat exchanger 1 which preheats the fluid at temperature Tp between 40 and 90° C.; an ultra-homogenizer 3 through which fluid at temperature Tp is introduced at a pressure Pu between 200 and 600 MPa increasing its temperature up to a final value Tu. A second heat exchanger 4 has its cooling temperature adjusted at value Te. An aseptic tank 5 receives the cooled down fluid at value Te, from which it is pumped by sterile air pressure into an aseptic packaging machine, for the packaging of the final product.

Sterilization is a treatment that allows the destruction of vegetative forms and microbial spores and the prolonged conservation of a product stored at room temperature. Usually, heat treatments at higher temperatures than 100° C. are used. It is obvious that after a treatment with such conditions effects over the organoleptic properties can be seen, and in the case of food there can be important loses of nutritive value. On the other hand, many products cannot support these conditions and they physically destabilize. Food and other products sterilized by this system have a shelf life longer than six months (depending on its composition) if kept at room temperature. Sterilization process can be applied before or after packaging, requiring for each case different technologies as we will see later. Sterilization goes always along with food stabilization. In the case of solids, it is necessary to apply additives that protect colour and texture and strengthen flavour. In the case of liquid foods of colloidal nature, in order to avoid phase separation, mechanical treatments are employed such as the conventional homogenization and stabilizers are added (emulsifiers, feed thickeners, protectors for salt precipitation, etc.) depending on the food complexity.
In the case of sterilization of packed products, the heat treatment applies to the whole group of package and its content (food), and depending on the production requirements, a load system or a continuous one can be used.
When the food to be sterilized is a liquid the viscosity of which allows for it to be pumped, it is possible to use a sterilization system preceding packaging, associated to a subsequent aseptic packaging. In this case, the product circulates in a closed circuit in which there is a successive procedure of preheating, sterilization, cooling and aseptic packaging. Generally, sterilization is performed at high temperature: 135-150° C., which allows a very short time for processing: 4-15 sec. This treatment is usually known as Ultra High Temperature (UHT). UHT processes were implemented at industrial level on the 60's for liquid milk treatment, thus, obtaining products with characteristics more similar to the pasteurized milk than the ones obtained with conventional sterilizers that were used to sterilize bottled milk. From the 60's to the present day, others UHT processes have also been developed for other dairy products (concentrated milk, fresh cream, shakes, fermented products, ice creams, desserts . . . ) and for soups, sauces and purées, etc.
Compared with the sterilization of packed products, UHT process saves time, power, space and manpower. Nowadays, in the market there exist two UHT treatments: direct systems where the product is heated by direct contact with the heating medium (water steam), and indirect systems where heat is transmitted through a separation surface, in a heat exchanger.
In these sterilization processes and depending on the type of food, mainly on those that have an emulsion of the type oil in water (for example, milk, dipping sauces, shakes with dairy base or ice cream mix) it is necessary to introduce a homogenization process before or after the heat treatment. Homogenizers action reduces droplets size in the dispersed phase in order to stabilize the product in case there is a creaming phenomenon during its storage. Pressure homogenizers are built with a high pressure pump that works at 10-70 Mpa having a homogenization valve at the discharge side. When pumping liquid from the space between the valve and its support, the high pressure generated moves the liquid at high speed. At the valve end, the liquid movement speed drops abruptly and the extreme turbulence generated produces an intense shear rate. Other forces intervening in the process of reducing particle size are the collapsing of air bubbles (cavitation) and the impact forces created at the valves during the liquid trajectory. In some food, milk for example, there is sometimes an abnormal distribution of particles which produces additives. A second valve, similar to the first one and installed at the liquid trajectory, breaks these additives once more.
Heat treatment has, on the one side, beneficial effects over the food such as the microbial inactivation, however, in a parallel way; it generates undesired chemical and physicochemical changes, which can affect nutritional, organoleptic and/or technological properties depending on the applied treatment.
Flavour (aroma+flavour+consistency) is a very important parameter to consider as a quality aspect for the consumer of one of the most widely consumed sterilized food, such as milk, even more if it is consumed as a drink. Heat treatment has an important effect over milk flavour which can affect it in a higher or lower scale depending on the applied treatment intensity. An UHT sterilized milk (135-150° C., 2-20 s) is identified by a cooked aroma, mainly caused by the presence of H2S released after protein denaturalization, along with "caramel" aroma and another typical one associated to ketones formation. During a sterilization treatment in conventional bottle (105-120° C., 10-40 min) there is a strong cooked, ketone and caramel aroma, the later one caused by the formation of certain products from the Maillard reaction and caramelization products, which can even disguise cooked aroma. Other physical and biochemical phenomena these heat treatments can cause are product instability during its storage at room temperature due to protein precipitation, phases separation, creaming (separation of fat even though the product was previously homogenized), which makes it necessary for us to use certain additives such as emulsifiers, stabilizers or pH regulators in order to minimize or soften these effects derived from heat treatment. In less complex food, such as juices, there is a drastic loss of their vitamin content (vitamin C and other hydrosoluble vitamins), great alterations in their original flavour and aromas (volatile components loss), as well as changes in their colour.
Ultra High Pressure Homogenization (UHPH) Technology is based under the same principles as conventional homogenization with this one big difference that it can reach pressures higher than 200 Mpa, thanks to the valve design and the use of new materials. UHPH treatment can be associated to emerging physical techniques since its action results from combined forces of shear, turbulence, cavitation and impact caused by the application of dynamic high pressures. Nevertheless, this technology must not be mistaken with another technology that uses high pressures as well such as High Hydrostatic Pressure treatment (HHP). This technology, like UHPH, was developed as an alternative to the conventional heat treatments in the destruction of pathogenic and altering microorganisms, but the systems or work equipment as well as the mechanism of microbial inactivation which acts in this technology are totally different compared with UHPH as we will describe below. HHP equipment works with loads (discontinuous process) of product previously packed in flexible materials and closed guarantying their watertightness; this equipment is basically formed by a cylinder containing a pressure transmitting static fluid which is normally water (that is why it is called hydrostatic), a pressure generating system (low pressure pump and pressure intensifier). In this technology, packed food is introduced in the pressure cylinder filled with the pressure transmitting liquid (usually water) until selected pressure conditions are met, 400-1000 Mpa; (in industrial equipment of food applications up to 600 Mpa), and it is kept during the desired time. During this time, pressure is isostatically transmitted, which implies that the product is treated by homogenization, regardless its shape or size, and at the same time it prevents its deformation during the treatment. Then, after depressurising the cylinder, it is opened in order to extract the product from the machine.
As regards microbial inactivation mechanisms, HHP technology can inactivate microorganisms inducing changes in their morphology, biochemical reactions, genetic mechanisms or in their cell membrane. Normally, spores resist these treatments unless treatments combined with high temperatures are applied.
UHPH equipment developed so far are capable of processing fluids or pumpable food systems up to pressures of 400 MPa working in continuous processes. Up to now, different high pressure homogenization equipment has been employed in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, specially food and biotechnology in order to emulsify, diffuse, mix and process their products.
In ultra-homogenizers, the homogenization valve is made with materials (such as ceramics) which are able to withstand pressures of up to 400 MPa (and its evolution to reach even higher pressures is probable) and temperatures over 100° C. Furthermore, the geometry of the valves is different from the classic APV-Gaulin valve found in conventional homogenizers.
This technology produces the disruption of dispersion particles including microorganisms. Particles can have a varied nature and are common in colloidal food such as milk, vegetables shakes, cloudy juices, etc. Among possible physical processes implied in microbial breakdown (main mechanism of microbial inactivation) during UHPH we can find: sudden pressure drop, impact forces, cut and torsion, turbulence and cavitation. The temperature increase of the product after passing through the valve contributes to microbial inactivation (including spores), since it is an additive effect to the physical forces developed at the homogenizer valve.
Even though we can consider UHPH technology as an alternative to the heat treatments, during UHPH process there is a marked increase of the product temperature due to: (1) the pressure increase occurring inside the intensifier and in the pipes located before the valve which generate a compression of the fluid and (2) the forces to which the fluid is subjected when passing through the high pressure valve and the conversion of kinetic energy into heat energy.
The pressure increase preceding the homogenization stage and the friction caused by the fluid high speed elevate product temperature approximately 2-2.5° C. every 10 MPa (a temperature increase of 20° C. to 50° C. in a homogenization cycle of 150 MPa). However, this heat effect, which applies in ultra-short periods (<0.5 s) can optionally be cancelled or minimized to the maximum by introducing a cooling equipment which, after the product pressure drop, controls temperature in a quick and efficient way. Likewise, that temperature increase caused by the homogenization cycle could be favoured and maximized if we expose the product to 40-90° C. temperatures, getting even sterilization temperatures (up to 150° C.), in flash way, after the first homogenization stage.
As regards the UHPH technology application in food fluids, it has been suggested that this treatment can cause pasteurization of several products such as milk, vegetable shakes, eggs, juices, etc. (Donsi, F., Ferrari, G., & Maresca, P. 2009. High-Pressure Homogenization for Food Sanitization. Chapter 19, pages 309-335. 2 In: Global Issues in Food Science and Technology. Ed. Barbosa-Cánovas, G. et al. Academic Press. Burlington, Mass., USA.). However, employed equipment and processes have shown to be insufficient to reach the sterilisation of studied products. For instance, Puig et al. (2008) studied the effect of UHPH treatment (200 MPa, inlet temperature 6-8° C.) over the microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of grape must, obtaining a residual microbiota in the product but with excellent sensory characteristics. Donsi et al (High-Pressure Homogenisation for Food Sanitisation. Proceedings of the 13th World Congress of Food Science and Technology 'Food is Life', Nantes, 17-21 Sep. 2006, 1851-1862, doi:10.1051/IUFoST:20060497) studied the effect of different UHPH cycles at 250 MPa in orange, apple and pineapple juices, evaluating microbial inactivation and quality loss of such treated products. UHPH was an effective treatment for obtaining pasteurized fruit juice, thus extending their shelf life and keeping their sensory characteristics for 28 days, refrigerating the product at 4° C.
Other researchers have suggested the addition of antimicrobial components to improve microbial inactivation produced by a UHPH treatment. In that way, Pathanibul et al. (2009. Inactivation of Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua in apple and carrot juices using high pressure homogenization and nisin. International Journal of Food Microbiology 129, 316-320.) studied the addition of nisin (0-10 Ul/ml) in apple and carrot juice inoculate with Escherichia coli or Listeria innocua (˜7 log ufc/ml) and treated by UHPH (0-350 MPa), they observed important microbial reductions (˜5 log ufc/ml) but their complete elimination was not reached.
The problem of ultra-homogenizers is that they do not guarantee by themselves the sterilization and subsequent packaging of food in aseptic conditions. That is to say, it is necessary to combine a series of equipment in a "System" which allows the sterilization (including the destruction of resistance spores), the stabilization without additives or with a higher control of their concentration and the packaging in aseptic conditions.

Continuous system and procedure of sterilization and physical stabilization of pumpable fluids by means of an ultra-high pressure homogenization


A lamp lock for assembly of a fluorescent lamp with a lamp fixture is provided. A wafer-like body portion is made of electrically insulating material capable of use in the temperature range experienced by bi-pins of the fluorescent lamp. In use, the body portion is inserted between an axial end of the lamp and an adjacent face of the lamp fixture. The body portion has a leading edge and is provided with a slot extending through the leading edge for reception of the bi-pins. The lock further has a first lateral edge for sliding proximal engagement with a planar surface proximate to the lamp fixture for preventing the lock and the lamp from rotating, thereby securing the lamp to the lamp fixture. Preferably, the slot extends between, and in parallel alignment with, the first lateral edge and a second lateral edge of the body portion, such that the distance between the first lateral edge and the slot is greater than the distance between the second lateral edge and the slot. In this way, the lock may be used with at least two types or sizes of lamp fixtures, each of which having different spacing between the lamp holder surface and the bi-pins.

Fluorescent lamps are removed from conventional lamp holders on fluorescent lighting fixtures by rotating the lamp such that bi-pins of the lamp become aligned with a slot in the lamp holder, thereby allowing the bi-pins to pass through the slot and freeing the lamp. While installation and removal of fluorescent lamps is therefore relatively simple, conventional fluorescent lamp holders give rise to the possibility of the lamp being inadvertently rotated and disengaged from the lamp holder, such as during shipping or during an earthquake, for example. Such inadvertent disengagement of the lamp from the lamp holder can cause injury to persons below such lamps, especially in the case where such lamp fixtures are installed on a ceiling or high upon a wall. As such, an inexpensive and simple means by which to "lock" fluorescent lamps in their lamp holders is needed.
A locking means for fluorescent lamps is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,945 to Detch on Mar. 27, 1973. Such a device consists of a wafer-like member that is inserted between the end of a lamp and the lamp holder. Such a device has no less than two slots for engaging the bi-pins of the lamp, as well as a lug or two guide ribs or both. In use, the slots of the device engage the bi-pins of the lamp and the lug and/or guide ribs of the device engage the lamp holder. This combination prevents the lamp from rotating with respect to the holder. However, several considerable drawbacks exist with such a device. In lamp fixture installations on a ceiling, for example, the force of gravity tends to urge such a device away from its locking position. Such a device, therefore, may become inadvertently dislodged from the lamp relatively easily. Further, as one section of such a device protrudes from the lamp holder, objects moving past a fluorescent lamp fitted with such a device might inadvertently snag the device. Such a lateral impact on a device of this type imparts a rotational force on the device and, hence, the bi-pins of the lamp. As a result, such forces actually tend to dislodge the lamp from the holder rather than preventing the lamp from rotating. Further, such a device necessarily requires two slots, one slot for each pin of the lamp and a specific configuration to match the particular lamp holder. As different sized lamps may have different spacing between pins and different lamp holder designs having different dimensions and shapes, a variety of sizes of such devices must be manufactured and correctly chosen from by the end user.
Clearly, then, there is a need for a locking device for fluorescent lamps that does not tend to become dislodged once installed. Such a needed device would not have protruding portions that could inadvertently be snagged by passers by. Further, such a needed device would fit all bi-pin type lamps, and would make suitable provision for lamp holders having different dimensions and sizes. Such a needed device would be extremely inexpensive to manufacture, and would not interfere in the normal operation of the lamp. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.


The screen of the invention comprises an oriented film having a direction of maximum scattering (scattering axis) and a direction of minimum scattering (transmitting axis) for linear polarized light, and containing macromolecular fine particles in a macromolecular matrix, wherein the refractive index of the macromolecular fine particles is within a specified range and the matrix and macromolecular fine particles satisfy a specified relationship. The screen reproduces bright and high-quality projected images with virtually no moire effect or glare, and is therefore highly useful as a transmissive or reflective projector screen.

Projection display devices are in increasing demand because they allow large-screen display to be realized relatively easily, with minimal device size and at low cost compared to direct-view display devices. Projection display devices having projectors that employ liquid crystal display elements as two-dimensional optical switch elements differ from projection display devices employing CRT projection tubes, in that they use a dot matrix display allowing reproduction of images displayed to high precision without blurring up to the peripheral sections of the screen. This technology therefore offers the most potential for high-definition digital televisions.
Their images are projected onto a screen. The screens are largely of two types, namely reflective screens that are observed from the projector side and transmissive screens that are observed from the side opposite the projector with the screen in the middle.
Transmissive screens are normally composed of a fresnel lens sheet and a lenticular lens sheet. A lenticular lens has rectilinearly shaped lenses situated in a regular pattern, and therefore images are prone to the moire effect.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI No. 2-77736 discloses a transmissive screen have a construction wherein spherical lenses are spread over a transparent base and the lenses are fixed with a transparent resin. A screen having this construction does not require a die for manufacture and hence no limits are placed on its size during manufacture. Consequently, it is possible to realize a large-picture transmissive screen without seams. In addition, incident light from the spherical lens side is condensed by the lens effect and isotropically scattered, thereby producing a wide-angle display both horizontally and vertically. However, glare often occurs depending on the angle, and may reduce the display quality.
Transparent screens that are attached to show windows and produce images of moving or still advertisements are also known. Such transparent screens ordinarily employ hologram elements, whereby projected light from a projector provided on the opposite side of the viewer from the hologram element is projected onto the hologram element to form an image, and the hologram element diffracts and scatters the projected light forward allowing the viewer to recognize an image. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI No. 11-202417)
However, hologram elements are extremely expensive, while they are limited in their diffraction and scattering angles and thus have restricted viewing angles. Furthermore, because hologram elements require strict placing of the projector, screen and viewer, they offer very little freedom of installation.
On the other hand, it has been attempted to provide reflective screens with improved contrast by selective reflection of only certain specific polarized light.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI No. 5-107660 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-17751 disclose circular polarized reflective screens employing cholesteric liquid crystals. These exhibit enhanced contrast by reflecting specific circular polarized light and absorbing the opposite circular polarized light. The invention described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-17751 controls the reflective properties to reduce glare caused by mirror reflection.
Japanese Patent Public Inspection No. 2002-540445 discloses a reflective screen of a type which reflects specific linear polarized light by a multilayer structure. This screen has a mirror surface that causes glare, and therefore it has not been developed. Also, International Patent Publication No. WO03/098346 describes an invention whereby the aforementioned reflecting polarizing plate and scattering polarizing plate are combined to reduce glare.


When a pressure contact terminal fitting 20 is correctly inserted, a protruding member 26 makes contact with a receiving member 16 to resist a pressing-in force applying on the posterior end of the terminal fitting 20. Since the receiving member 16 and the protruding member 26 are located approximately in the center along the lengthwise direction of the terminal fitting 20, the terminal fitting is less likely to buckle than the case where the fitting force is resisted by the anterior end of the terminal fitting.

FIG. 7 of this specification shows a prior pressure contact connector. It comprises a connector housing 1 and a female pressure contact terminal fitting 2, the female terminal fitting 2 being housed inside a cavity 3 formed in the connector housing 1. The female terminal fitting 2 has a long and narrow box shape, an electric wire W making pressure contact with a pressure contact blade 4 formed at its posterior end. A resilient contact member 5 at an anterior end allows a tab (not shown) of a corresponding terminal fitting to be fitted thereto.
The operation of housing the female terminal fitting 2 into the cavity 3 is performed by an automatic device. A posterior end face of the female terminal fitting 2 is pushed by a pushing member (not shown) of the automatic device into the cavity 3 from an opening in the posterior face of the connector housing 1. The female terminal fitting 2, when pushed in this manner, makes contact with an anterior face wall 3A of the cavity 3. A receiving face 6 of the automatic device makes contact with the anterior face wall 3A. Accordingly, a pressing-in force that applies from the automatic device on to the posterior end face of the female pressure contact terminal fitting 2 is resisted by the receiving face 6 via the anterior face wall 3A of the cavity 3, and as a result the female pressure contact terminal fitting is clamped from its anterior and posterior ends.
However, since the female terminal fitting 2 forms a long and narrow box shape in the anterior-posterior direction, in the case where the pressing-in force from the automatic device is strong, there is a possibility of the female terminal fitting 2 buckling under the force and changing shape inside the cavity 3.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to prevent change of shape due to buckling of a pressure contact terminal fitting when it is inserted into a cavity.


A method and system for handling assertion libraries in verification of a design are disclosed. The method and system include structuring and implementing at least one verification component in at least one of the assertion libraries with at least one standard assertion language supported by at least one verification tool, creating an assertion library element for a specific requirement for verification of the design without dependence on the at least one verification tool for the assertion library element, and resolving assertion status. With the disclosed method and system, visualization of assertion status at various levels of design hierarchy and at verification component level may be achieved, and implementing verification techniques may include optimization techniques during and/or after verification.

1. Field
The field of the present invention relates to verification technology of digital designs, and in particular, to a method and system for handling assertion libraries in functional verification.
2. Description of Related Art
For logic verification of digital designs, various techniques, such as formal verification, simulation and acceleration, are used. One of the verification mechanisms that are used in these techniques is Assertion Based Verification (ABV).
In ABV, assertions monitor design behavior against behavior specified in the assertion. Assertions provide a terse way to specify the behavior to be checked and are usable in the verification flow. Assertions may be written on the interface of the block being checked or on the internal signals. Assertions may specify a variety of behavior including safety assertions for specifying that something bad should not happen and liveness assertions for specifying that something good should eventually happen.
Typically, a single assertion in itself specifies only a part of the behavior. In general, to specify the behavior of a design block, a set of assertions is needed. Assertions are categorized based on whether it specifies the behavior of the inputs (or environment) or the outputs (current design under test). This bifurcation assists in making the input assertions as constraints for formal verification.
Assertions specify behavior in a variety of temporal logics. The most commonly used temporal logics are LTL (Linear-Time-Logic) and CTL (Computation Tree Logic). Assertion languages are used to specify this behavior. Some of the standard languages for assertions are IEEE 1850 PSL (Property Specification Language) and IEEE1800 SVA (System Verilog Assertions). In general, these languages provide basic constructs to specify design behavior. Design behavior is coded by a set of assertions that specify a part of the behavior.

Method and system for handling assertion libraries in functional verification


A cooling device and method useful for reducing the total injection molding cycle time of an injection molded tube, and more particularly to applying cooling to areas of a preform that are not in direct contact with the water cooled inside surface of a take out tube.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a cooling device useful for reducing the total injection molding cycle time of an injection molded tube, and more particularly to applying cooling to areas of a preform that are not in direct contact with the water cooled inside surface of a take out tube.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
The manufacture of hot-fill polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers employs an initial step of forming a parison or preform by an injection molding process. Performs are generally in the shape of a hollow cylinder closed at one end and tapering to form an open end, known as a finish, that can have a diameter that is narrower than the diameter of the closed end. Performs having an open end that is narrower than a closed end are known as reverse taper style performs. To form a reverse taper perform, molten plastic is injected into a mold formed by a cavity and a core and partially cooled before being ejected from the mold. Typically, the preform is only in the mold cavity long enough to form an inner skin and an outer skin. Once the preform is hard enough to be ejected from the mold, the preform is taken off of the core and ejected into a take out tube for additional cooling. Using a take out tube greatly reduces the injection molding cycle time because the preforms do not remain in the mold for an extended length of time.
Conventional take out tubes consist of a straight right cylinder having internal water cooling channels designed to cool the inside walls of the take out tube, and hence the outer surface of the preform that makes intimate contact with the inside walls of the take out tube. However, conventional take out tubes are not effective in cooling reverse taper style preforms because they fail to make intimate contact with the entire length of the preform. This failure to cool the entire length of the preform causes an increase in the molding injection cycle time because more time is required to cool those portions of the preform that do not make intimate contact with the inside walls of the take out tube. Thus what is needed is a take out tube that can cool the entire length of a reverse taper style preform.
Many attempts have been made in the past to improve post-mold cooling systems. However, these attempts have not resulted in a substantial reduction of the molding injection cycle time. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,905 to Valyi discloses a means for cooling a preform by cooling the walls of a mold that make contact with the preform. The problem with this approach is that the apparatus only cools the portion of the preform that makes direct contact with the cooled walls of the mold. Furthermore, this approach does not disclose cooling the preform outside the mold, which results in an increased injection molding cycle time. Additionally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,176,871 and 5,232,715 disclose cooling a preform by blowing air around the preform. The principle problem with the apparatus and method shown in these patents is that the preform is retained in the mold core and this retention significantly increases injection molding cycle time. Thus, a take out tube that cools the entire length of the perform, particularly a reverse taper perform represents a solution to a long standing problem in the art. Specifically, such a take out tube can reduce injection molding cycle time for reverse taper performs.


Data arriving from a plurality of channels asynchronously to each other are respectively stored in separate FIFOs (10). A controller (12) monitors the status of the FIFOs (10), retrieves the stored data in a predetermined order, and multiplexes the data, together with timing data indicating the presence or absence of the data, into a serial signal having a frame structure in which time slots are fixedly assigned to the respective channels. On the serial data, the same value appears successively as data, and when the data is valid, the corresponding timing data changes from a 0 to a 1. When the data is invalid, the value of the corresponding timing data does not change.

Trunk transmission equipment conforming to the SONET/SDH standards is being installed in trunk transmission lines. In this type of equipment, overall unit size has been decreasing because of the use of large-scale ASICs and the reduced size of the optical modules. Further, the demand for higher transmission capacity is driving the need to increase the line accommodating capacity per piece of equipment (shelf). For these reasons, and for purposes of achieving efficient line switching control, termination control of overhead information (especially, APS (Auto Protection Switch) information as switching information) arriving from many different lines is being managed centrally.
In this case, overhead data from a plurality of lines are concentrated and terminated at one overhead data terminating block where APS, DCC (Data Communication Channel), OW (Order Wire), etc. are separated. Of these, DCC, OW, etc. are all supplied to a lower-order processing block for processing. Accordingly, as the number of signal lines between the overhead data terminating block and the lower-order processing block becomes enormous as the number of accommodated lines increases, the number of signal lines must be reduced by multiplexing the signals. Reduction in the number of signal lines is mandatory particularly when the overhead data terminating block is implemented on one ASIC, because there is a limit on the number of pins on the LSI.
On the other hand, as the data phases of the DCC and OW signals contained in the overheads from the different lines are asynchronous between the lines, if they are multiplexed as they are, processing at the receiving end will become complex, resulting in the problem that the amount of circuitry increases.
Furthermore, in the case of DCC, not only the data phase but also the bit rate may differ. In such a case, if signals of the same bit rate are multiplexed together, as many signal lines as the number of bit rates used would become necessary.

Multiplexing method and apparatus suitable for transmission of overhead data arriving from many communication lines


The invention relates to an activatable adhesive label comprising a flexible web-shaped viewing material. At least one adhesive layer made of a moisture-activatable adhesive that is not adhesive in the dry state is applied onto one side of the flexible viewing material, wherein at least one central layer is provided which is designed to be adhesive and which is arranged between the viewing material and the adhesive layer.

The present invention relates to an activatable adhesive label comprising a web-shaped viewing material, wherein at least one adhesive layer made of a moisture-activatable adhesive that is not adhesive in the dry state is applied onto one side of the flexible viewing material.
Such adhesive laminates (adhesive labels) are used, for example, as labels, but also as adhesive tapes, in particular for logistics applications, but also for conventional label applications for decorating, labeling and sealing.
Labels are usually made of a viewing material that is provided with a printing, as well as an adhesive layer.
Many of these labels also have a removable layer (e.g. siliconized liner) which covers the adhesive layer on the side facing away from the viewing material. This additional layer serves to prevent sticking of the labels, for example, if they are in roll form, with the closest layer of the viewing material. The disadvantage here is that the additional layer makes a further layer of material necessary and, moreover, this layer must be disposed of after removal from the adhesive layer. In particular, if automated labeling is provided, this additional layer poses additional problems and requirements for production.
Moreover, in the prior art there are labels in which a release coating is provided on the side of the viewing material facing away from the adhesive layer, which prevents the adhesive layer from being anchored to the viewing material in an adhesive manner. This increases costs and, moreover, such materials are not printable at will.
Furthermore, these systems, which provide a release coating on the side of the viewing material opposite the adhesive layer, are more difficult to process due to the permanent adhesiveness of the adhesive layer.
Therefore, there has long been a desire for activatable adhesive labels for labeling applications or as adhesive tapes which work as so-called "linerless systems," i.e. do not require a release layer on the adhesive layer and also no release coating on the side of the viewing material opposite the adhesive layer. Such systems are known, for example from stamps, etc., and have as adhesive layer an adhesive which is activatable. Suitable activating agents are, for example, moisture, but also radiation or heat.
Thus, for example, EP 2 924 088 A1 describes a so-called "liner-free" or "linerless" label and an adhesive composition for use therewith, wherein two different hydrophilic polymer materials are present in the adhesive composition, and the one provides a fast initial adhesion upon activation with a fluid if it comes in contact with the activating fluid, and the second, more hydrophobic polymer component then provides the final adhesion.
The setting of desired adhesive forces, in particular a fast initial adhesion, but also a permanent adhesion, therefore, continues to be a goal.


A server and/or a client stores a metadata hash map that includes one or more entries associated with keys for data records stored in a cache on a server. Each of the entries stores metadata for a corresponding data record, wherein the metadata comprises a server-side remote pointer that references the corresponding data record stored in the cache, as well as a version identifier for the key. A selected data record is accessed using a provided key by: (1) identifying potentially matching entries in the metadata hash map using the provided key; (2) accessing data records stored in the cache using the server-side remote pointers from the potentially matching entries; and (3) determining whether the accessed data records match the selected data record using the provided key and the version identifiers from the potentially matching entries.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to database management systems performed by computers, and in particular, to an RDMA-optimized high performance distributed cache.
2. Description of Related Art
Today's customer demand for instant responsiveness drives applications to exploit various caching schemes. Small-scale applications can rely on local caching and replication. However, when scaling out Internet applications, and the use of clouds, where server-affinity across requests cannot be guaranteed and the data volumes involved are massive, local caching cannot be used anymore. Instead, systems have to rely on partitioned and distributed caches (e.g. WebSphere Extreme Scale™ or Oracle Coherence™) that have to be accessed remotely.
A conventional key-value cache architecture is such that the client sends a request for data to a server over a network passing a key as a parameter. The server performs a key lookup (usually hash-based) in its cache for the associated object-value, e.g., a handle for or pointer to a data object. If found, the data object is serialized and returned to the client. Upon receiving the serialized data object, the client deserializes it and returns it to the requesting application.

RDMA-optimized high-performance distributed cache

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A MOS transistor structure comprises a substrate including a bulk semiconductor region, a first gate formed in a first trench, a first drain/source region, a second drain/source region, wherein the first drain/source region and the second drain/source region are formed on opposing sides of the first gate. The MOS transistor structure further comprises a second gate formed in a second trench, a third drain/source region, wherein the third drain/source region and the second drain/source region are formed on opposing sides of the second gate and a channel region formed in the bulk semiconductor region, wherein the channel region, the first drain/source region, the second drain/source region and the third drain source region share a same polarity.

The semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth due to improvements in the integration density of a variety of electronic components (e.g., transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.). For the most part, this improvement in integration density has come from shrinking the semiconductor process node (e.g., shrink the process node towards the sub-20 nm node). As semiconductor devices are scaled down, new techniques are needed to maintain the electronic components' performance from one generation to the next.
As semiconductor technologies evolve, metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors have been widely used in today's integrated circuits. MOS transistors are voltage controlled device. When a control voltage is applied to the gate a MOS transistor and the control voltage is greater than the threshold of the MOS transistor, a conductive channel is established between the drain and the source of the MOS transistor. As a result, a current flows between the drain and the source of the MOS transistor. On the other hand, when the control voltage is less than the threshold of the MOS transistor, the MOS transistor is turned off accordingly.
MOS transistors may include two major categories. One is n-channel MOS transistors; the other is p-channel MOS transistors. According to the structure difference, MOS transistors can be further divided into three sub-categories, planar MOS transistors, lateral double diffused MOS transistors and vertical double diffused MOS transistors.
As semiconductor technologies further advance, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) based junction-less MOS transistors have emerged as an alternative technique to simplify the manufacturing process of MOS transistors. In a junction-less MOS transistor, a channel region of the junction-less MOS transistor is of the same polarity and the same doping concentration as the drain/source regions of the junction-less MOS transistor.
Corresponding numerals and symbols in the different figures generally refer to corresponding parts unless otherwise indicated. The figures are drawn to clearly illustrate the relevant aspects of the various embodiments and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A method of facilitating a silence period in a directional communication network is provided. The method may comprise initiating, by a first apparatus, a listening period mode, wherein the listening period mode comprises ceasing at least a portion of current communication and configuring the first apparatus to receive a request to initiate a new communication, determining whether a request is received during a time period in the listening period mode, and transmitting a response if the request to initiate the new communication is received during the time period in the listening period mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to provide a silence period in a directional communication network.
2. Background
In order to address issues associated with increasing bandwidth usage that may be seen in wireless communications systems, different schemes have been developed to allow multiple user terminals to communicate by sharing channel resources while achieving high data throughputs. Multiple Input or Multiple Output (MIMO) technology represents one such approach that has recently emerged as a popular technique for the next generation communication systems. MIMO technology has been adopted in several emerging wireless communications standards such as the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard. IEEE 802.11 denotes a set of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) air interface standards developed by the IEEE 802.11 committee for short-range communications (e.g., tens of meters to a few hundred meters). For example, 802.11 ad/ac/a/b/g/n.
Generally, wireless communications systems, specified by the IEEE 802.11 standard, have a central entity, such as an access point (AP)/point coordination function (PCF) that manages communications between different devices, also called stations (STAs). Having a central entity may simplify design of communication protocols. Further, although any device capable of transmitting a beacon signal may serve as an AP, for an AP to be effective it may have to have a good link quality to all STAs in a network.
Referring to one example device (e.g., STA), a mobile wireless communications devices (WCD) (e.g., laptops, smartphones, etc.) may have comparatively reduced capabilities to that of a traditional AP due to factors such as cost, power, form factor, etc. For example, antenna steering capability may be limited to a small sector bound, available power may be limited, location may be variable, etc. Even with these limitations, STAs may be asked to perform as APs to form peer-to-peer networks for various purposes, such as side-loading, file sharing, etc. For example, STAs may be asked to form peer-to-peer networks where no device may efficiently transmit to and receive from all other devices. As such, a method and apparatus for providing effective directionally based communication schemes between multiple devices is desired.

Methods and apparatus for providing silence periods in directional communications networks


A method of error detection in an inkjet printing apparatus having a host coupled to a print head. The method comprises the acts of communicating a first data stream between the host and the print head, inserting a reference data stream into the first data stream, and validating the first data stream based on the reference data stream.

The invention relates to inkjet printing apparatus, and particularly to communication between an inkjet print head and a print controller.
An inkjet printing apparatus such as inkjet printer, all-in-one device, multifunction device, typically uses a print controller or a printer host to control and to communicate with an inkjet print head. A thermal inkjet print head generally has a heater chip. The heater chip typically includes logic circuitry, a plurality of power transistors, and a set of heaters or resistors. A hardware or software printer driver will selectively address or energize the logic circuitry such that appropriate resistors are heated for printing. In some heater chip designs, the heater chip includes memory used to store information about the print head. Data stored in the memory is used to identify the print head to determine if the print head is a monochrome print head, a color print head or a photograph quality print head. Data stored in the memory is used to keep track of ink usage.
To communicate data from the print head to the printer, the printer issues a command to the print head. The print head then responds by sending data via electronic digital communication to the printer in order to complete the command. For example, the printer may store ink usage information in memory to read upon print head power up. Upon print head power up, the printer issues a memory read command of the print head ink usage memory. The print head receives and decodes the command, reads the print head memory and responds to the printer with the data. Errors may occur during the electronic digital communication between the print head and printer. For example, a print head may lose mechanical and thus electrical contact during a memory read operation of ink usage. The loss of mechanical contact corrupts the print head memory read operation. The printer may thus interpret the corrupt data as an incorrect level of ink usage, prompting an incorrect indication to the user of the ink level that causes the user to think that the print head has failed to meet the print head's page yield specification.

Inkjet print head synchronous serial output for data integrity


A washing machine comprises a washing/dehydrating tank, a water storage tank in which the washing/dehydrating tank is disposed, and a sensor for detecting an electric conductivity of washing water in the washing/dehydrating tank and the water storage tank. The sensor is provided with a pair of electrodes to take into account a variation of an electric resistance of the washing water therebetween, which is representative of the electric conductivity of the washing water, thereby controlling a washing operation of the washing machine. The sensor has a CR oscillation circuit including a resistance which represents the electric conductivity of the water between the electrodes. A variation of the electric conductivity of the washing water is converted into an oscillation frequency variation of the oscillation circuit, and the operation of the washing machine is controlled on the basis of the thus varying oscillation frequency.

The present invention relates to a washing machine which detects a detergent content and a soiled condition of washing water to control a washing operation, and also to a conductivity detecting sensor for detecting an electric conductivity of the washing water.
In a conventional washing machine, a detergent content and a soiled condition of washing water are surmised by detecting transmittance of light through the washing water to control an washing operation of the washing machine.
Detecting means of the light transmittance includes a transparent pipe provided in a drain passage of the washing machine, a luminous element and a light receiving element which are provided opposite to each other, with the transparent pipe being interposed therebetween. In this type of detecting means, the detection accuracy is adversely affected when the pipe gets contaminated. That is, even if there is no water in the washing machine or the water in the washing machine is clean, the detecting means erroneously detects that the water is soiled due to contaminants on the pipe.


An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device free from color displacement and having improved contrast ratio as well as an improved aperture ratio. The object is attained by the following structure comprising a substrate having a pixel electrode and a driving element, liquid crystal layers stacked on a substrate, a transparent pixel electrode interposed between the stacked liquid crystal layers, and a driving element provided on the substrate. The transparent pixel electrode is electrically connected to the driving element through an opening formed in a specified region of the liquid crystal layer. Each of the liquid crystal layers is composed of microcapsules each containing a liquid crystal and a binder for binding the microcapsules. An insulating layer is provided between the pixel electrode on the substrate and the liquid crystal layer or between the pixel electrode interposed between the liquid crystal layers and the liquid crystal layer. The wall films of the microcapsules, the binder, and the insulating layer are composed of a photosensitive polymer material.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and a manufacturing method therefor. More particularly, it relates to a liquid crystal display device and a manufacturing method therefor, wherein a plurality of liquid crystal layers are stacked on a substrate to achieve bright, full-color display of an image.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A typical liquid crystal display device is composed of a liquid crystal sealed between two glass substrates joined together with a specified spacing maintained therebetween.
There have been used liquid crystals in various modes in accordance with the orientation of liquid crystal molecules. Among them are: a twisted nematic liquid crystal (hereinafter referred to as TN liquid crystal), which is the most prevalent liquid crystal; a birefringence liquid crystal in homeotropic (perpendicular) alignment or in homogeneous (parallel) alignment; and a guest-host liquid crystal.
A monochrome liquid crystal display device using the TN liquid crystal is typically constituted such that a TN liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy is sealed between a pair of substrates that have undergone parallel orientation treatment and are formed with pixel electrodes and a counter electrode. The pair of glass substrates are disposed between a polarizer and an analyzer placed with their respective planes of polarization orthogonal to each other.
The monochrome liquid crystal display device as mentioned above achieves display based on the following principle. When no voltage is applied between the electrodes, the alignment of the TN liquid crystal is parallel to the glass substrates with a stable twist of 90.degree.. While passing through the TN liquid crystal, light incident through the polarizer has its plane of polarization rotated 90.degree. in accordance with the twisted alignment of the TN liquid crystal, so that it is allowed to pass through the analyzer. When a voltage is applied between the electrodes, on the other hand, the alignment of the TN liquid crystal is perpendicular to the glass substrates. Accordingly, the light incident through the polarizer passes through the TN liquid crystal with its plane of polarization unrotated but cannot pass through the analyzer since it is absorbed therein. The transmission or blocking of the light Is controlled by the presence or absence of the applied voltage between the electrodes, which provides white or black display.
A color liquid crystal display device using the TN liquid crystal is similarly constituted to the monochrome liquid crystal display device, except that a higher-definition liquid crystal panel and a micro color filter having red, green, and blue regions corresponding to each set of three adjacent pixel electrodes are combined to compose the color liquid crystal display device. Such a color liquid crystal display device achieves full-color display by additive color mixing.
However, the color liquid crystal display device using the TN liquid crystal has difficulty in providing sufficiently high brightness. This is because the micro color filter has a low light transmittance and only the component of incident light having a plane of polarization coincident with that of the polarizer is allowed to pass through the polarizer. Accordingly, the overall transmittance obtained is 10% or lower.
The liquid crystal display device using the birefringence liquid crystal also has a similar problem resulting from the polarizer provided therein.
These problems are particularly remarkable when the foregoing constitution is applied to a reflection-type liquid crystal display device utilizing external light source. In that case, brightness is lowered to a point where color is barely recognizable.
To achieve bright color display, a liquid crystal display device using a guest-host liquid crystal having dichroic dyes is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication SHO 61-238024 or HEI 3-238424.
The liquid crystal display device using the guest-host liquid crystal has a plurality of liquid crystal panels stacked in layers, each composed of a liquid crystal containing a dichroic dye of a different color sealed between a pair of glass-substrate. The glass substrates are normally formed with transparent pixel electrodes and a transparent counter electrode, each composed of indium tin oxide. More specifically, the liquid crystal display device is composed of three liquid crystal panels having therein respective liquid crystals containing yellow, magenta, and cyan dyes to selectively absorb blue, green, and red light depending on the voltage applied. If each of the liquid crystal panels absorbs light of the corresponding color, the liquid crystal display device displays black. If some of the liquid crystal panels absorb light of the corresponding colors, the liquid crystal display device achieves color display. If none of the liquid panels absorbs light, the liquid crystal display device displays white. In short, the liquid crystal display achieves full-color display by subtractive color mixing. Since the liquid crystal display device does not comprise a micro color filter nor polarizer absorbing a large amount of light, it can display relatively bright images compared with the color liquid crystal display device using the TN liquid crystal.
However, even the conventional liquid crystal display device using the guest-host liquid crystal cannot display by far brighter images, whether it is of transmission type having a backlight or of reflection type having a reflector plate. This is because, in the liquid crystal display device of transmission type, light emitted from the backlight should pass through the six glass substrates and the six transparent electrodes. In the liquid crystal display device of reflection type, the incident light through the front plate and the reflected light from the reflector plate should pass through the total of twelve glass substrates and the total of twelve transparent electrodes.
On the other hand, the high-definition liquid crystal display device having a pixel pitch much smaller than the thickness (normally on the order of 1 mm) of the glass substrate has a serious drawback of color displacement experienced when viewed obliquely under the great influence of parallax. To reduce the parallax, a plastic substrate, which can be reduced in thickness more easily than the glass substrate, may be used instead of the glass substrate. However, if consideration is given to the handing of the plastic substrate in the manufacturing process including a lamination step, even a film-like plastic substrate needs a minimum thickness of 0.05 mm or more, normally a thickness of about 0.1 to 0.3 mm, so that it is still difficult to eliminate the influence of parallax.
Since the liquid crystal display device of this type is composed basically of a lamination of three liquid crystal panels, it is necessary to repeat three times the step of joining a pair of glass substrates together and injecting a liquid crystal into the space therebetween, which corresponds to approximately triple the process of manufacturing the liquid crystal display device using the TN liquid crystal, resulting in higher manufacturing cost.
To eliminate the color displacement due to parallax and reduce the manufacturing cost, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI 6-337643 has proposed a liquid crystal display device of so-called polymer dispersed type, which is shown in FIG. 20. The polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device is composed of liquid crystal layers 295 to 297 and transparent pixel electrodes 292 to 294 stacked on a single glass substrate 291 to form a multi-level structure. In the liquid crystal layer 295, 296, or 297, tiny droplets of a liquid crystal 299 are dispersed and contained in a polymer 298 that has been solidified.
In the liquid crystal display device, since the liquid crystal 299 is held in the solidified polymer 298, it is unnecessary to prepare a glass substrate for each of the liquid crystal layers 295 to 297, which eliminates the color displacement resulting from parallax and reduces the size and weight of the liquid crystal display device. Moreover, each of the liquid crystal layers 255 to 297 can be formed by applying the fluid polymer 298 onto the glass substrate 291 or onto another liquid crystal layer 295 or 296 with a roll coater or spinner and sintering the applied polymer 298 such that it is solidified, resulting in simpler manufacturing process.
However, the polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device has the following drawback.
In recent years, a majority of liquid crystal display devices have adopted an active matrix addressing system wherein switching elements composed of TFTs (Thin Film Transistors) are provided for the respective transparent pixel electrodes of the individual liquid crystal layers to control switching between the application and no application of a voltage to the transparent pixel electrodes. The active matrix addressing system is for increasing a display response speed up to a point where dynamic images can be displayed. When the active matrix addressing system is applied to the foregoing liquid crystal display device, however, switching elements corresponding to transparent pixel electrodes 293 and 294 of the second and third liquid crystal layers 296 and 297 are formed on a glass substrate 291 on which the first liquid crystal layer 295 has been formed since the second and third liquid crystal layers 296 and 297 do not have their own glass substrates, as described above. In addition, it is also necessary to provide multi-level interconnections between the switching elements and the transparent pixel electrodes 234 and 294.
In view of the foregoing, the liquid crystal display device proposed in the foregoing publication has used a negative photosensitive polymer as the polymer 298 which is cured on exposure to UV light. Specifically, the polymer 298 applied to the glass substrate 291 is cured on exposure to UV light except for portions located in the vicinities of the switching elements, while the unexposed portions are removed in a developing agent or the like, resulting in openings. The transparent pixel electrodes 293 and 294 are connected to the switching elements via the openings. However, the exposure of the polymer 298 containing the liquid crystal 299 to UV light causes the degradation of the liquid crystal 299 (particularly the dye contained therein).
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication HEI. 8-146456, the present inventors have proposed a liquid crystal display device wherein a transparent pixel electrode can easily be connected to a switching element, which is fabricated as follows. The portions of a glass substrate corresponding to individual pixels are subjected to etching using a solution containing a hydrofluoric acid as the main component to form concave portions. To the concave portions, a polymer containing a liquid crystal is transferred by printing or like technique, similarly to the foregoing liquid crystal display device, resulting in a liquid crystal layer. This reduces the distance between the transparent pixel electrode formed on the liquid crystal layer and the surface of the unetched portion of the glass substrate, so that the transparent electrode is easily connected to the switching elements. However, the liquid crystal display device is disadvantageous in that the step of forming the concave portions requires considerable labor.
In the foregoing liquid crystal display device with the liquid crystal layers 295, 296, and 297 formed from the polymer 298 applied onto the glass substrate 291, a pinhole is easily formed in the applied polymer 298 due to uneven coating or residual bubbles, while projecting or depressed portions are frequently observed on the surfaces of the liquid crystal layers 295, 296, and 297 because of the droplets of the liquid crystal 299 broken and flowing out due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the polymer 298 and the liquid crystal 299. The pinhole causes a short circuit between the transparent pixel electrodes 292 to 294, while the projecting or depressed portions cause discontinuities (disconnections) in the transparent pixel electrodes 292 to 294. Even when no pinhole is observed, if the uneven coating of the polymer 298 has an extremely thin portion, a short circuit is caused by a dielectric breakdown when a voltage is applied to the transparent electrodes 292 to 294. In any case, normal display is prohibited.
Moreover, the walls of the polymer 298 containing the droplets of the liquid crystal 299 should be formed sufficiently thick (0.3 to 0.5 .mu.m) not to be broken easily. Accordingly, the portion without the liquid crystal accounts for an area ratio of about 30% to 60%, which is considerably high. As a result, the effective aperture ratio is reduced and satisfactorily high contrast cannot be obtained.
The present inventors have also proposed another liquid crystal display device with a view to eliminating the color displacement resulting from parallax and providing improved contrast, which is fabricated as follows. A resist patterned into a specified configuration is formed on a glass substrate, followed by an insulating film and a transparent pixel electrode formed thereon. The resist is then exposed to UV light and removed in a developing agent so as to form a gap between the glass substrate and the insulating film, into which a guest-host liquid crystal is injected. Similarly to the foregoing gap, openings for providing connection between the transparent pixel electrode and a switching element on the glass substrate, such as those described above in the polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device, are also formed easily.
Since the liquid crystal display device comprises, in place of a thick glass substrate, the insulating film that can be formed extremely thin to seal the liquid crystal, the color displacement resulting from parallax is eliminated. In addition, since the gap is filled with the liquid crystal and does not contain a foreign substance (a polymer resin as a dispersed phase), the contrast can easily be increased to a certain extent. However, the liquid crystal display device has the following problem to be solved.
Since the resist dissolved in the developing agent is blocked by the insulating film and less likely to be diffused, the resist is not equally removed when an inlet for the developing agent is small, which may lower the production yield. If the inlet for the developing agent is enlarged, on the other hand, it becomes difficult to provide an aperture ratio greatly higher than the aperture ratio of the foregoing polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device.
The following are problems common to some of the foregoing conventional liquid crystal display devices, which concern a reduction in display performance.
A typical liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal layer composed of a liquid crystal filled in a space between a pair of glass substrates or sealing films employs spacers to maintain the liquid crystal layer at a given thickness, exclusive of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device. In the case of using transparent spacers, they form luminescent spots, which are inevitably displayed on a screen. In the case of using black spacers, they form black spots, which are inevitably displayed on the screen. Since each layer has spacers in a liquid crystal display device of tri-layered structure, the area occupied by the spacers is large relative to the entire area of the screen. Consequently, the spacers exert a great influence on the conventional liquid crystal display device of tri-layered structure.
In a reflection-type color liquid crystal display device having three guest-host liquid crystal layers of cyan, magenta, and yellow as well as a reflector film disposed on the back surface, even when the liquid crystal layers are stacked by measuring the respective absorption spectra of the individual colors and determining the dye concentrations and thicknesses of the liquid crystal layers such that monochrome display is achieved in the ON or OFF state, both white and black are slightly tinted with a color, especially with the color of the foreground liquid crystal layer.

Liquid crystal display device and method of manufacturing the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The TFT electric characteristic is ready to be influenced by the channel region in the neighborhood of an interface between a semiconductor and a gate insulating film. The present invention provides TFTs reduced in electric characteristic deviations and a method for manufacturing the same. The invention forms a region or layer containing an inactive element, or rear gas element, in the channel region. As shown in FIG. 1, a rear gas element is contained at least in an upper layer of the channel region.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor device having a circuit configured with thin film transistors (hereinafter, referred to as TFTs) and a method for manufacturing the same, e.g. an electro-optical device represented by the liquid crystal display panel and an electronic apparatus mounted with such an electro-optical device as a part.
Incidentally, in the description, the semiconductor device refers to the device overall operable by making use of a semiconductor property, wherein the electro-optical device, the semiconductor circuit and the electronic apparatus, in any, are a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, development has being proceeded for the semiconductor device that thin film transistors (TFTs) are configured with using a semiconductor film (in a thickness of nearly several to several hundred nm) formed on a substrate having an insulating surface thus having a large-area integrated circuit formed with the TFTs. The known representative examples include active-matrix liquid crystal modules, EL modules and contact-type image sensors. Particularly, the TFT using a crystalline silicon film (typically a polysilicon film) in an active layer (hereinafter, described polysilicon TFT) is high in electric-field mobility and allowed to form various functions of circuits.
For example, the liquid-crystal module mounted on a liquid-crystal display device has pixel-circuit-controlling driver circuits, such as a pixel circuit for image display based on a function block, a shift register circuit on the basis of CMOS circuits, a level shifter circuit, a buffer circuit and a sampling circuit, formed on one substrate.
Meanwhile, the pixel circuit of an active-matrix liquid crystal module has TFTs (pixel TFTs) respectively arranged in several tens to several millions of pixels wherein each pixel TFT has a pixel electrode. The counter substrate, sandwiching liquid crystal, has a counter electrode to form a kind of capacitor using a liquid crystal as dielectric. The voltage to be applied to each pixel is controlled by TFT switching function to control the charge onto the capacitor, thereby driving the liquid crystal and hence controlling transmission light amount for image display.
The TFT electric characteristic is ready to be influenced by the channel region in the neighborhood of an interface between a semiconductor and a gate insulating film. The present invention provides TFTs reduced in electric characteristic deviations and a method for manufacturing the same.

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to an arrangement at a cellular mobile telephone apparatus (1), comprising a protective hatch or flip (2) pivotably arranged on a housing (3) of said apparatus (1). The flip (2) is pivotable around an axis and arranged to at option physically cover at least parts of a front surface (5) on said apparatus (1), said axle comprises at least one active hinge means arranged in a cavity (7) each, at the end of said housing (3), of which at least one of said hinge means is aimed to positively urge said flip (2) to take a certain predetermined open position, when released. The active hinge means (6) comprise a shaft arrangement, colinear with said axis, comprising at least one unit (6) built from an end piece (9) and an elongated core (10) fixedly connected thereto, around which core (10) a torsion spring (11) is arranged. The spring (11) has at its respective ends fingers (12, 13) as counteracting parts for acting against a limit stop ridge (29) in the housing, for allowing said spring (11) to reach an equilibrium position corresponding to an open flip (2) at 120-170xc2x0 from said closed position.

The present invention relates to an arrangement at a cellular mobile telephone apparatus, comprising a protective hatch or flip pivotably arranged on a housing of said apparatus, said flip being pivotable around an axis and arranged at option to physically cover at least parts of a front surface on said apparatus, said axle comprises at least one active hinge means arranged in a cavity each, at the end of said housing, of which at least one of said hinge means is aimed to positively urge said flip to take a certain predetermined open position, when released.
Mobile telephones provided with such a flip or a hatch, have for covering a key pad on such telephones been used by most manufacturers for some years. The main purpose with such a flipxe2x80x94being to protect parts of a front surface of such a telephone, most often said keypad, and in that case protecting it from inadvertent manipulationxe2x80x94has by other manufacturers been tackled electronically through the use of key pad locks, being activated/deactivated by inserting a certain code for disabling/enabling the keypad.
Mobile telephones have by now become so small that it is almost a must to use such a flip for establishing the right distance between the earpiece and a sound receiving means, namely a sound channel leading to a microphone or the microphone itself. For obtaining the best possible fidelity of the sound registered by said microphone, it should preferably be placed in said flip.
It is for practical reasons desired that the flip on such a small mobile telephone should be made positively openable by for instance pressing a button on the side of the mobile telephone and that thereafter the flip be kept in a certain angular use-position. For geometrical reasons this can not be achieved by a conventional cam follower mechanism in the hinge means, frequently used until now.
Neither can such cam followers both establish the positions of the flip mentioned above and achieve an override function. An override function is a function enabling the flip in its open position to be turned beyond its speaking or use position, being about 160xc2x0 separated from the closed position, up to maybe 180xc2x0, when e.g. laid upside down on a table and pushed down unintentionally.
It is furthermore undesirable to have a design that results in residue axial stress on ears of the housing or the flip of such a telephone, which is the case when a cam-follower mechanism is used and which in the long run may cause endurance failures. Consequently other solutions (often more complicated than previous ones for obtaining almost the same functionality), like the one according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,309, for achieving the same function has seen the light of day. According to said patent an axle for a flip has two active hinges, the first one for keeping said flip in a closed position during pre-stressing of a spring in the second active hinge to a predetermined extent, and the second one supposed to after release of the urge from the first active hinge, pivot the flip into a predetermined potential speaking position, in which it is yieldably held by the first active hinge. The complexity of this and other solutions has given rise to inventive activity with the aim of achieving a somewhat simpler, implicitly thereby also more cost effective solution, which due to its simplicity also is better suited for automatic assembly.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mobile telephone apparatus with improved means for positively opening such a flip.
To meet this object said active hinge means comprise a shaft arrangement, colinear with said axis, comprising at least one unit built from an end piece and an elongated core fixedly connected thereto, around which core a torsion spring is arranged, said spring having at its respective ends fingers as counteracting parts for acting against a limit stop ridge in the housing, for allowing said spring to reach-an equilibrium position corresponding to an open flip (2) at 120-170xc2x0 from said closed position.
By this arrangement no axial force is exerted by said spring, which is enclosed in the arrangement and will therefore not affect the flip in any undesired way and will consequently only urge the flip towards an open use position. This gives the advantage that it eliminates the risk for fatigue cracking of the outer parts of the flip due to a constant tension from said spring. In the inverted case, in which ears for the hinge function are arranged only on the housing, the same goes for these ears.
Another object with the present invention is to simultaneously achieve an override function, i.e. a function that with the flip in an open position makes it possible to over-pivot, which for example takes care of the situation when the telephone is laid upside down and pressed upon without destroying essential parts, as also mentioned above.
According to an embodiment of the invention an end piece and a core together surrounds the torsional spring, giving the advantage that either one or the other ear of the spring is fixed while the other is pivoted under the indirect influence of said flip.
Almost unexpectectedly an override function of a most simple construction is achieved by letting one of the fingers of said spring be actuated by the flip when overridden, thus affecting said equilibrium position of the spring.


A system for use in monitoring, measuring, computing and displaying the rate of compression of aircraft landing gear struts experienced while aircraft are executing either normal or hard landing events. A high speed computer attached to high speed cameras, or range-finders, mounted in relation to each of the landing gear struts are used to monitor, measure and record the landing gear compression rates and aircraft touch-down vertical velocities experienced by landing gear struts, as the aircraft landing gear initially comes into contact with the ground. The system also determines through landing gear strut compression rates if aircraft landing limitations have been exceeded.

An aircraft is typically supported by plural pressurized landing gear struts. Each landing gear strut is designed much like, and incorporates many of the features of, a typical shock absorber. Designs of landing gear incorporate moving components which absorb the impact force of landing. Moving components of an aircraft landing gear shock absorber are commonly telescopic elements. An alternate type of landing gear incorporates a trailing arm design which forms a triangle shape, where the main supporting body of the landing gear is hinged with a trailing arm, and a typical shock absorber functions as the third side of the triangle. The shock absorber of both types of landing gear comprise internal fluids, both hydraulic fluid and compressed nitrogen gas, and function to absorb the vertical descent forces generated when the aircraft lands.
Aircraft have limitations regarding the maximum allowable force the aircraft landing gear and other supporting structures of the aircraft can safely absorb when the aircraft lands. Landing force limitations, which are often related to aircraft vertical velocity (sink-rate) at initial contact with the ground, are a key factor in determining the maximum landing weight for aircraft.
Aircraft routinely depart from an airport with the aircraft weight less than the maximum take-off weight limitation, but greater than the maximum landing weight limitation. During the flight, in-route fuel is burned to reduce the aircraft weight, below the maximum landing weight limitation. Situations often arise where an aircraft has left the departure airport, and the pilot discovers the need to immediately return and land, without the time or opportunity, to burn-off the planned in-route fuel. This causes an overweight landing event. When an overweight landing occurs, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and aircraft manufacturer require the aircraft be removed from service and a manual inspection performed to check for damage of the landing gear and the connection fittings of the landing gear to the aircraft.
Title 14—Part 25, Chapter §25.473 of the current FAA regulations define the assumed maximum vertical velocity at which an aircraft would come into contact with the ground as being ten feet per second (10 fps). The origination of this rule comes from the Civil Aeronautics Board—Civil Air Regulations, Part 4, Chapter §4.24, dated: Nov. 9, 1945. Today an aircraft's maximum landing weight (MLW) limitation is determined by the manufacturer, who must design and demonstrate the structural integrity of the aircraft and landing gear, to allow for the weight of that aircraft to land at maximum landing weight, with a vertical velocity of 10 fps. FAA Regulations assume the aircraft is landing with each of the main landing gear simultaneously touching the ground and the landing force being equally distributed between the two main landing gears. However, cross-wind landings are a common occurrence. In cross-wind situations, the pilot will adjust the lateral angle of the aircraft to lower the wing pointed in the direction of the cross-wind. Lowering this windward wing aides in stabilizing the aircraft against a sudden gust of stronger cross-wind; but also increases the possibility that the aircraft will have an asymmetrical landing gear touch-down. Currently there are no devices certified by the FAA and installed on aircraft to measure and monitor individual landing gear compression rates nor the aircraft descent velocity at initial contact with the ground.
As the aircraft descends towards the runway, the landing gear is extended. Each of the landing gear maintains an internal pre-charge pressure within the shock strut. The pre-charge pressure is a relatively low pressure, which is maintained to insure the landing gear shock absorber component is extended to full strut extension, prior to landing. At full extension, the shock absorber can absorb its maximum amount of landing force. As the landing gear comes into initial contact with the ground, the strut begins to compress, thereby increasing the pressure within the shock absorber. Increases in pressure, beyond the pre-charge pressure, creates additional resistance to the compression rate of the landing gear strut, which helps reduce the vertical velocity of the aircraft.
The FAA requires flight data recorders (FDR) on transport category aircraft. The FDR incorporates multi-axis accelerometers (located at the center of gravity of the aircraft hull) which measure various shock loads that become evident during an abrupt landing event. The accelerometer data is usually not available unless an accident has occurred, and the FDR is removed from the aircraft, the data downloaded, and then analyzed. Assuming one might attempt to determine landing gear compression rate from the FDR data, the information would be merely calculations from measurements taken not at the respective landing gear locations of the aircraft, but along the center-line of the aircraft. The FDR calculations would not be associated with the compression rate of any respective landing gear strut, but rather any changes in acceleration for the aircraft hull as a whole.
Research of prior art identifies numerous systems which measure whole aircraft descent velocity. Though it is advantageous for pilots to know the average descent velocity or sink-rate of the aircraft while approaching a runway for landing, the actual descent velocity can vary drastically due to non-pilot actions including such factors as varying wind conditions. The descent velocity of the whole aircraft hull the does not necessarily indicate the compression rate of any respective landing gear strut as it comes into initial contact with the ground.
Prior art to determine aircraft descent velocity is well documented. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,1228—Harris; U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,001—Scully, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,154—Brodeur. These and other patents describing similar but subtly different techniques teaching the use of various range-finder devices, attached to the aircraft hull, which measure the distance between the aircraft hull and the ground, as well as the rate of change of those measurements. The prior art does not measure the compression rate of each respective landing gear, as they come into contact with the ground; nor do they take the approach of using more advanced, short-range, high accuracy, targeted sonic or laser measuring devices, to measure the actual compression rate of the landing gear strut, by measuring closure rates between the relatively short distance from a targeted point of the lower moving portion of the landing gear strut as compared to the fixed portion of the upper strut, or the under surface of the aircraft hull. Reducing the range of the measurement increases the accuracy of the measurement.
As an aircraft approaches a runway for landing, if the pilot properly flares the aircraft, the sink-rate of the aircraft will dramatically reduce, just above the runway surface. During the aircraft flare procedure, a cushion of air is developed by the downward force of air generated by the wing coming near the ground surface. This cushion of air is often referred to as "ground effect" and will substantially reduce the descent velocity of the aircraft. In ground effect, the aircraft is reaching a stall situation which reduces the lifting force generated by the wings. Aircraft wing oscillation can occur, where the aircraft wings flutter from side to side. This is another situation where an asymmetrical landing gear touch-down will occur. Aircraft sink-rate, measured with accelerometers along the centerline of the aircraft, will not detect wing oscillation and will not determine the initial compression rate experienced by each individual land gear, when the aircraft comes into initial contact with the ground.
Additional search of prior art relating to landing gear identified U.S. Pat. No. 2,587,628—King, which teaches an apparatus for testing "yieldable load carrying structures" such as aircraft landing gear. King teaches monitoring the rate of deceleration of the mass supported by the landing gear and the effects on other connected landing gear elements. King teaches the relationship between the telescopic compression of the landing gear, as compared to shear deflection to other structural members of that same landing gear. King teaches apparatus used as a tool to determine the effective change in the fatigue life limitations of a particular landing gear structural component, by tracking the rate of change in force applied to the shock absorbing components attached to said fatigue life limited structural component. King does not teach landing gear strut rate of compression, as related to aircraft sink rate at initial contact with the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,550—Leventhal, teaches the relationship of comparing internal strut pressure increases, as related to the rate of landing gear strut compression, thereby determining the rate of change in descent velocity. Though the approach may appear valid, it is subject to error by its inability to verify, at any given landing event, the exact proportion of gas volume in relation to hydraulic oil volume, within the landing gear strut.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,951—Nance, teaches the measuring of strut pressure within each landing gear strut, as well as determining the current proportion or ratio of gas to hydraulic oil within each respective landing gear strut. Internal strut pressure, compared to strut extension, is not a linear relationship. Commonly aircraft maintenance technicians observed landing gear struts which appear near deflated, due to hydraulic oil having escaped through the strut seals. Mistakenly assuming the landing gear has lost nitrogen gas, the technician adds additional gas to the strut, thus the landing gear strut is now over-charged with gas. The now changed and unknown volume of gas being compressible and that variance in volume of gas as compared to the unknown volume of non-compressible hydraulic oil having changed, would thereby vary the compression rate of the landing gear strut and generate errors in the velocity calculation. Also, pressure within a landing gear strut is contained by the friction of the landing gear strut seals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,586—Nance teaches distortions in landing gear strut pressure measurements caused by landing gear strut seal friction. Landing gear strut seal friction can distort internal strut pressure measurements by as much as 5% of the applied weight. Attempts to determine initial aircraft touch-down velocity at the landing gear strut would be subject to errors caused by the friction of the strut seals distorting pressure measurements and delaying any increases in internal landing gear strut pressure. These delays in any increase in strut pressure due to strut seal friction would distort the accuracy of a direct comparison of rate of internal pressure increases to strut compression.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,193,530; 7,274,309; 7,274,310—Nance teach the measurement of the rate of compression of landing gear strut by a different means than that of the new invention described in this application. The prior art of Nance teaches the use of mechanical rotation sensors to measure rotation rates of rotating elements (scissor links) of the telescopic landing gear, then using geometry to determine the rate of landing gear strut compression; combined with the pressure sensors monitoring internal strut pressure increases, as a cross-check function to increase confidence in the accuracy of the mechanical measurement.

Aircraft landing gear compression rate monitor


A watch band changing cradle for a smart watch eliminates the need to use a finger nail to press release buttons on the backside surface of a smart watch when changing or swapping watch bands using slide-in band attachment fittings. The cradle is configured so that the smart watch nests and naturally aligns itself in the cradle so that release protrusions in the cradle can be used reliably to depress the release buttons on the backside of the smart watch. The cradle can be adapted to hold a disc-shaped induction charging pad which is magnetically attracted to the smart watch. The cradle can make the smart watch easier to stow when charging, and the magnetic attraction helps to align and hold the smart watch in the cradle.

When using a slide-in attachment mechanism, the smart watch includes a first slide-in channel on one side of the watch housing and a second slide-in channel on the other side of the watch housing. One part of the watch band is connected to a first slide-in, band attachment fitting that is inserted and slid into the first slide-in channel. The other part of the band is connected to a second slide-in, band attachment fitting that is inserted and slid into the second slide-in channel. Each slide-in channel has an internal recess extending towards the backside of the smart watch housing. A spring biased locking mechanism on the band attachment fitting locks into the recess in the channel when the band attachment fitting is properly aligned within the channel.
The underside of the housing on the Apple® watch includes a circular sensor cap. It also includes two spring-biased release buttons. One of the release buttons is located near the first slide-in channel on one side of the watch and releases the locking mechanism on the band attachment fitting locked into the recess in the first slide-in channel. The other release button is located near a second slide-in channel on the other side of the smart watch, and releases the band locking mechanism on the attachment fitting locked into the second slide-in channel. To replace or swap the watch band, the smart watch owner or another person presses the release mechanism on the respective side of the watch, and slides the band attachment fitting from the slide-in channel. The new band is attached by sliding the band attachment fitting on the new band into the slide-in channel. U.S. Pat. No. 10,264,857 entitled "Attachment System for an Electronic Device," by Perkins et al., is assigned to APPLE, INC., describes the band attachment mechanism and is incorporated herein by reference.
The band attachment mechanism is designed to enable convenient swapping of watch bands. Owners of the Apple Watch® often have multiple watch bands for various dress, casual and sports activities. For example, different watch bands can be worn to match different outfits.
The release buttons are designed to be depressed with a fingernail. For some people, it is difficult to press the release button and simultaneously slide the watch band from the channel. It can be difficult for those with long or stick-on finger nails, or those with very short finger nails. Many do not want to use their finger nails to remove the band because it might break the finger nail. It can be especially difficult for the elderly or those that have compromised dexterity or eyesight to press the release button with a finger nail and contemporaneously slide the fitting from the channel. If one is having difficulty removing a band, the issue could be that grime or other impediments are in the channel, or that the release mechanism is not fully engaged, or perhaps that the release mechanism or the locking mechanism are broken. In these situations, it is difficult to determine the issue at hand, and it is annoying to have to keep pressing the release button with a fingernail even for those normally capable and willing to do so.
The primary object of the invention is provide a tool that is convenient to use and avoids the need to press the release buttons using a finger nail when changing or swapping watch bands using a slide-in, band attachment system.

Watch band changing cradles for smart watches


A marker suitable for use under conditions of sudden darkness comprising at least one phosphorescent indicium which provides a relatively high level of illumination for a relatively short period of time following exposure to light, sufficient to permit a person's eyes to adjust to darkness and at least one tritium illuminated indicium providing a relatively low level of illumination for a relatively long duration, which level of illumination is sufficient so as to be seen by a person once the person's eyes have adjusted to darkness.

Various types of illuminated signs and markers are known, inter alia for use in emergency situations. Such markers include exit signs, directional markings leading to exits and markers indicating critical items or locations. Emergency electrical lighting, such as battery powered lighting, has been used for this purpose, as have tritium illuminated markers, although they provide a much lower light level. Phosphorescent markers are also known, although many of the applications thereof are in novelty items.
Electrically illuminated markings have the advantage that they shine brightly when power is available. They have the following disadvantages: They require wiring, bulbs and batteries for emergency operation. Installation is relatively expensive and continual maintenance and monitoring is required. Electrically illuminated markings are not readily retrofitted in existing installations and equipment.
Tritium illuminated devices have the advantage that they provide constant, no-maintenance, generally uniform level of illumination. They have disadvantages in that they provide a relatively low level of light, so low that they may not be readily seen during the first moments when a person is plunged into darkness and the person's eyes have not yet become adapted to the darkness.
Phosphorescent devices have the advantage that they can be conveniently located and require no power source, other than exposure to light. They provide a relatively high level of illumination immediately following exposure to light. They have the disadvantage that the level of illumination falls off very quickly, such that they become totally useless within 5-20 minutes after exposure to light, depending on the materials employed.


A new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant named ‘Berner’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; strong and sturdy stems; dark green-colored leaves; large mophead-type inflorescences with numerous dark pink-colored sterile flowers; and reblooming habit.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant, botanically known as Hydrangea macrophylla and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Berner'.
The new Hydrangea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new reblooming Hydrangea plants with strong stems and attractive foliage and flower coloration.
The new Hydrangea plant originated from an open-pollination in July, 2003 of the Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer', disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,298, as the female, or seed parent and an unknown selection of Hydrangea macrophylla as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hydrangea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor in May, 2005 as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by softwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since June, 2005 has shown that the unique features of this new Hydrangea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.