A charging apparatus suitable for use with a wireless device, which is capable of eliminating the occurrence of an electric shock and an electrical short due to an operator's contact with charging terminals of the wireless device upon non-charging of the wireless device. The charging apparatus comprises a charger including a wireless device placement portion, a pair of charging terminals exposed to the wireless device placement portion, a charging circuit portion for supplying power for charging the wireless device to the charging terminals, and a built-in magnet; and the wireless device including a secondary battery, a pair of power receiving terminals respectively provided at positions where they are brought into contact with the charging terminals when the wireless device is placed in the wireless device placement portion, and a magnetic switch. When the wireless device is placed in the wireless device placement portion and the magnetic switch detects magnetism of the magnet, the secondary battery is electrically connected to the pair of power receiving terminals so as to charge the secondary battery.

The present invention relates to a charging apparatus suitable for use with a wireless device, and particularly to a charging apparatus suitable for use with a wireless device, which is capable of stopping the application of a voltage across power receiving terminals upon usage of the wireless device by a simple circuit configuration without a change in the sizes of the wireless device.
A manually-operated wireless device, e.g., a bar-code scanner for reading bar codes has heretofore utilized a battery incorporated therein as a power supply. Once the built-in battery wears, the bar-code scanner does not read each bar code with accuracy. Thus, when the bar-code scanner is not in use, i.e., when the reading of the bar code is not being performed by the bar-code scanner, the bar-code scanner is normally electrically connected to a charger so that the battery incorporated in the bar-code scanner is charged by charging power produced from the charger.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are a perspective view showing examples of configurations of an already-known bar-code scanner and a charger therefor. FIG. 3A illustrates one example of the configuration of the bar-code scanner and FIG. 3B shows one example of the configuration of the charger.
FIG. 4 shows a state in which the bar-code scanner shown in FIG. 3A has been connected to the charger shown in FIG. 3B, i.e., FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating one example of a configuration of a charging apparatus suitable for use with the known bar-code scanner.
As shown in FIG. 3A, the bar-code scanner 30 comprises a main body 31, a bar-code reader 32, a pair of power receiving terminals (not shown) mounted to the main body 31, and a built-in power battery (not shown). Upon operation of the bar-code scanner 30, the main body 31 is gripped with hand and the bar-code reader 32 is turned toward a bar code 32a. Thereafter, the bar-code reader 32 suitably scans over the bar code 32a to read the bar code 32a.
As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the charger 35 comprises a main body 36, a bar-code scanner placement portion 37 provided on the upper side of the main body 36, a pair of charging terminals 38 exposed to the bar-code scanner placement portion 37, a charging circuit portion 39 provided on the side of the main body 36, and a communication control unit 40 provided on the rear side of the main body 36. When the bar-code scanner 30 is placed in the bar-code scanner placement portion 37 as shown in FIG. 4, the pair of charging terminals 38 are respectively electrically brought into contact with the pair of power receiving terminals on the bar-code scanner 30 side so that charging power outputted from the charging circuit portion 39 serves so as to charge the built-in power battery of the bar-code scanner 30 through the charging terminals 38 and the power receiving terminals. In this case, the communication control unit 40 performs wireless communications with the bar-code scanner 30 and controls communications with a host computer (not shown).
The known charging apparatus suitable for use with the bar-code scanner has a problem in that since the pair of charging terminals 38 mounted to the bar-code scanner placement portion 37 on the charger 30 side projects from the bar-code scanner placement portion 37 upon reading the bar code 32a by the bar-code scanner 35, an operator or others do not experience an abrupt impact due to an electric shock when being accidentally placed in contact with the pair of charging terminals 38, and an electrical short occurs across the pair of charging terminals 38 when a foreign matter composed of a conductor is brought into contact with the pair of charging terminals 38.
In order to solve such a problem, a charging apparatus suitable for use with a bar-code scanner has already been proposed which is capable of stopping the supply of power to the pair of charging terminals 38 when the bar-code scanner 30 is not placed in the bar-code scanner placement portion 37, thereby preventing the occurrence of the abrupt impact and electrical short due to the electric shock. A charging apparatus suitable for use with a bar-code scanner, which has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-151231, is known as one example.
In the charging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-151231, a lead switch is provided on the charger 35 side so as to be placed between a charging circuit portion 39 and a pair of charging terminals 38. Further, a magnet is disposed on the bar-code scanner 30 side. When the bar-code scanner 30 is placed in a bar-code scanner placement portion 37, the lead switch on the charger 30 side is closed under the supply of a magnetic field produced from the magnet on the bar-code scanner 30 side so as to connect the charging circuit portion 39 and the pair of charging terminals 38 to each other, whereby charging power is supplied to the pair of charging terminals 38. On the other hand, when the bar-code scanner 30 is not placed in the bar-code scanner placement portion 37, i.e., when the bar-code scanner 30 is used to read a bar code 32a, the supply of the magnetic field from the magnet on the bar-code scanner 30 side is interrupted so as to open the lead switch on the charger 30 side thereby to disconnect the charging circuit portion 39 from the pair of charging terminals 38, whereby the supply of the charging power to the pair of charging terminals 38 is stopped.
Since the supply of the charging power to the pair of charging terminals 38 on the charger 35 side is stopped when the bar-code scanner 30 is not placed in the bar-code scanner placement portion 37, i.e., the reading of the bar code 32a by the bar-code scanner 30 is being performed, the charging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-151231 can prevent the abrupt impact and the electrical short from occurring on the charger 35 side due to the electric shock.
However, the charging apparatus referred to above has a new problem in that since a voltage produced from a built-in power battery remains applied to a pair of power receiving terminals exposed on the bar-code scanner 30 side, an operator of the bar-code scanner 30 will experience an abrupt impact due to an electric shock when the operator accidentally makes contact with the pair of power receiving terminals.
Further, the above-described charging apparatus has a further new problem in that since it is quite common that a conductive material such as waterdrops or the like is attached to each of products if considering where the charger 35 doubles as a terminal device of a POS system and each of bar codes marked on the products is read by the bar-code scanner 30, the exposed pair of power receiving terminals is electrically short-circuited by the conductive material such as the waterdrops, so that the power battery incorporated into the bar-code scanner 30 is suddenly used up.

Charging apparatus for wireless device with magnetic lead switch


The present disclosure relates to a dose detection system and method for a medication delivery device. The dose detection system may include a dosing component attached to an actuator and rotationally and axially moveable relative to a coupling component attached to a dose setting member. The dose detection system may further comprise a module including an electronic sensor operative to detect a relative rotation of the coupling component and the dosing component to detect a dose delivered by the medication delivery device.

Patients suffering from various diseases must frequently inject themselves with medication. To allow a person to conveniently and accurately self-administer medicine, a variety of devices broadly known as injector pens or injection pens have been developed. Generally, these pens are equipped with a cartridge including a piston and containing a multi-dose quantity of liquid medication. A drive member is movable forward to advance the piston in the cartridge to dispense the contained medication from an outlet at the distal cartridge end, typically through a needle. In disposable or prefilled pens, after a pen has been utilized to exhaust the supply of medication within the cartridge, a user, who then begins using a new replacement pen, discards the entire pen. In reusable pens, after a pen has been utilized to exhaust the supply of medication within the cartridge, the pen is disassembled to allow replacement of the spent cartridge with a fresh cartridge, and then the pen is reassembled for its subsequent use.
Most injector pens and other medication delivery devices do not include the functionality to automatically detect and record the amount of medication delivered by the device to the patient during the injection event. Rather, a patient must manually keep track of the dose amount and time of each injection. Accordingly, there is a need for a device that is operative to automatically detect the dose delivered by the medication delivery device during each injection event. Further, there is a need for such a dose detection device to be removable and reusable with multiple delivery devices.

Dose detection module for a medication delivery device


Disclosed herein are methods of treating neurodegenerative diseases comprising administering to the subject a compound having the structure:

It has been estimated that neurodegenerative diseases presently affect 20 million individuals worldwide. The cost for medical care of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), for example, was $91 billion in 2005 and is predicted to increase to $160 billion by 2010 (Burke 2007). Despite considerable research on the etiology and pharmacologic treatment of these diseases, no therapy is known to delay their progression (Schapira and Olanow 2004, Burke 2007). Recently, enhancing the activity of a ubiquitous regulatory protein Akt kinase has beneficial effects upon neurons of the substantia nigra of the midbrain of animals. The increased signaling of Akt mediates the improvement in the health of these neuronal cells in adult normal and aged neurons and confers almost complete protection against neurotoxin induced cell death in rodents (Ries et al, 2006).
AD and other neurodegenerative diseases are called tauopathies because they are characterized by the accumulation of aggregates of the tau protein in neurons. Tau proteins promote the assembly and stabilization of microtubular structures in neurons. The function of tau is regulated by phosphorylation at multiple serine and threonine sites (Sontag et al 1996; Tian and Wang 2002). The state of phosphorylation of tau influences its ability to bind to and enhance the polymerization of microtubules in neurons (Gong et al 2005; Meske et al 2008).
The basis by which increased Akt signaling produces neuroprotection is not certain (Burke 2007). It has been suggested that increased Akt signaling in neurons results in a decrease in the generation of deposits of neurofilaments within neurons leading to their dysfunction and eventual death (Gong et al, 2005. These filaments are composed of a structural protein called Tau. Tau proteins are susceptible to hyper-phosphorylation. Hyper-phosphorylation of tau proteins renders them inactive and results in their aggregation into paired helical filaments. These tangles of tau protein along with plaques of β-amyloid (AB) are the characteristic pathologic features of AD and the other tauopathies (Gong et al 2005).
Control of tau activity by phosphorylation is accomplished by several serine-threonine kinases, particularly glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). GSK-3β itself is regulated by other serine-threonine kinases especially Akt (Grimes and Jope 2001; Liu et al 2005). Activated (phosphorylated) Akt maintains GSK-3β in an inhibited (phosphorylated state). A decrease in Akt activity, that is reduced amounts of phosphorylated Akt, results in activation, that is, decreased phosphorylation of GSK-3β. Activated GSK-3β leads to hyper-phosphorylation of tau, which leads to neuronal cell death (Kaytor and Orr 2002; Baki et al 2008).
There is strong evidence from studies of human Alzheimer's disease and from a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease that failure of adequate levels of phosphorylation of GSK-3β by Akt results in hyper-phosphorylation of tau, generation of tau and amyloid plaques, and neuronal degeneration and death. In early onset familial AD (FAD) there is a defect in presenilins, trans-membrane proteins critical to normal development (Shen et al, 1997; Wong et al 1998). A member of this family, presenilin-1 (PS1), regulates PI3K/Akt signaling (Sherrington et al 1995; Baki et al 2004; Kang et al 2005; Uemura et al 2007). In primary neuronal cultures of cells from PS1 −/− mice, Baki et al (2008) showed that there was inadequate PI3K-Akt signaling resulting in decreased phosphorylation of GSK-3β, hyper-phosphorylation of tau, and progressive neurodegeneration. The addition of normal presenilin-1 or of PI3K-Akt increased GSK-3β phosphorylation and suppressed neuronal cell death.
Ries et al. (2006) showed that increasing the concentration of activated Akt inhibits cell death of dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra in mouse model of Parkinson's disease induced by 6-hydroxy dopamine. Increasing Akt activity in the brain of normal adult and also aged mice enhanced the integrity and function of existing dopamine neurons (Ries et al., 2006). In a mouse model of AD, animals with genetically engineered increased amounts of GSK-3β in the forebrain have all the histologic and, to the extent that they can be assessed in the mouse, functional defects of human AD. Elimination of over-expression of GSK-3β by suppression of the transgene results in a return toward normal of all histologic and functional signs of AD (Engel et al 2006).
Neurodegenerative diseases such as AD are frequently characterized by impaired learning and memory. The mechanism(s) responsible for these most troublesome symptoms are associated with death of neuronal cells. At a molecular level, the basis for changes in memory formation and consolidation has been linked to the activity of histone deacetylases chromatin structures (Korzus et al, 2004; Levenson et al, 2004). Beglopoulos and Shen (2006) found that inhibitors of phosphodiesterase 4 and histone deacetylases reduce memory deficits and neurodegeneration in animal models of AD affecting cAMP response element (CRE) genes. Recently, Fischer et al (2007) reported improved learning behavior and access to long-term memories after significant neuronal loss and brain atrophy can be reestablished in a mouse model by environmental enrichment and by treatment with inhibitors of histone deacetylases (see reviews and commentaries by Sweat, 2007; Mangan and Levenson 2007; Albert 2007; Abel and Zukin; 2008).
Acetylation and deacetylation have a critical role in regulation of gene expression, cellular proliferation, development and differentiation, with aberrant deacetylation leading to a multitude of disorders (Abel and Zukin, 2008). Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in models of stroke and Alzheimer's disease (AD) (Abel and Zukin, 2008). Inhibitors of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2Ai), primarily the shellfish toxin, okadaic acid, have neuroprotective effects in some model systems but are injurious in others (Tian and Wang, 2002).
Thus, there is substantial evidence that AD is a pathologic condition resulting from inadequate activity of the enzyme Akt and excessive activity of GSK-3β and that reduction of GSK-3β activity may reduce the severity of precipitated tau proteins, with a lessening of neurological deficit. In addition, there appears to be a poorly understood component of neurodegenerative diseases related to excessive histone deacetylase activity, or at least a condition of reduced acetylation of certain histones that is corrected by increased acetylation resulting in improved learning and memory. Non-toxic drugs that protect and foster the survival of acute and chronically diseased neurons are urgently needed.
The compounds described herein reduce the activity of GSK-3β and increase the acetylation of neuronal histones.

Neuroprotective agents for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract: wherein α and R1-R8 are described herein, or a compound having the structure:

Abstract: wherein Y, Z, and R21, R24, R25, and R31-R33 are described herein.


A dashboard user interface method comprises displaying a navigable list of at least one target disease, displaying a navigable list of patient identifiers associated with a target disease selected in the target disease list, displaying historic and current data associated with a patient in the patient list identified as being associated with the selected target disease, including clinician notes at admission, receiving, storing, and displaying review's comments, and displaying automatically-generated intervention and treatment recommendations.

One of the challenges facing hospitals today is identifying a patient's primary illness as early as possible, so that appropriate interventions can be deployed immediately. Some illnesses, such as Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and pneumonia, require an immediate standard action or pathway within 24 hours of the diagnosis. Other illnesses are less acute but still require careful adherence to medium and long-term treatment plans over multiple care settings.
The Joint Commission, the hospital accreditation agency approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has developed Core Measures that have clearly articulated process measures. These measures are tied to standards that could result in CMS penalties for poor performance. For example, the measures set forth for Acute Myocardial Infarction include:
Set Measure ID #Measure Short NameAMI-1Aspirin at ArrivalAMI-2Aspirin Prescribed at DischargeAMI-3ACEI or ARB for LVSDAMI-4Adult Smoking Cessation Advice/CounselingAMI-5Beta-Blocker Prescribed at DischargeAMI-7Median Time to FibrionolysisAMI-7aFibrinolytic Therapy Received within 30 minutesof Hospital ArrivalAMI-8Median Time to Primary PCIAMI-8aPrimary PCI Received within 90 minutesof Hospital ArrivalAMI-9Inpatient Mortality (retired effective Dec. 31, 2010)AMI-10Statin Prescribed at Discharge
To date, most reporting and monitoring of accountable measure activities are done after the patient has been discharged from the healthcare facility. The delay in identifying and learning about a particular intervention often makes it impossible to rectify any situation. It is also difficult for a hospital administrator to determine how well the hospital is meeting core measures on a daily basis. Clinicians need a real-time or near real-time view of patient progress and care throughout the hospital stay, including clinician notes, that will inform actions (pathways and monitoring) on the part of care management teams and physicians toward meeting these core measures.
Case management teams have difficulty following patients' real-time disease status. The ability to do this with a clear picture of clinician's notes as they change in real-time as new information comes in during a patient's hospital stay would increase the teams' ability to apply focused interventions as early as possible and follow or change those pathways as needed throughout a patient's hospital stay, increasing quality and safety of care, decreasing unplanned readmissions and adverse events, and improving patient outcomes. This disclosure describes software developed to identify and risk stratify patients at highest risk for hospital readmissions and other adverse clinical events, and a dashboard user interface that presents data to the users in a clear and easy-to-understand manner.

Clinical dashboard user interface system and method


A carton for use with a plurality of primary packages or containers, such as juice cartons, includes a generally rectangular bottom panel, side panels and top panels to provide for sealing of the carton. The carton is prepared from a rectangular blank and a pair of partial end panels are formed from the material of the bottom panel and tuck flaps at the lower edge of the opposite ends of the respective side panels. The carton yields substantial board savings when compared to prior art containers. Method for assembly of the carton are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the art of folding cartons or other secondary packages used for containing one or a plurality of articles. More specifically, a preferred form of the present invention relates to a carton which is designed to contain a plurality of primary packages, e.g., those having rectangular or square horizontal cross-sections. In its most preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to a folding carton for containing a plurality of individual beverage packages, such as those commonly used for juice drinks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Individual serving beverage products which are individually packaged and wrapped for sanitation purposes are very popular. They are formed with a rectangular base and side walls and are typically packaged with a straw which is inserted through a small, foil covered opening to allow access to the contents. These modern containers provide numerous advantages over cans, bottles and the like because they may be packaged in a more efficient way for shipping, storage and display. The products have a long shelf life and may be sold in packs of three, four, six, eight, nine and twelve or more individual packages.
A number of relatively common folding carton features can be added to secondary packages for such products, such as tear strips, handles and the like. One carton which is currently being used for such products is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,199 issued Apr. 15, 1986 to Schuster for "Carton and Blank Therefor" and its corresponding Reissue Pat. Re. 32,956 issued Jun. 20, 1989. The preferred carton shown in this patent includes a tear strip and/or a handle. The production blank includes a generally rectangular main blank portion with partial end panels extending from the sides thereof. The end panels include tuck flaps and score lines which are offset from the bottom score lines to insure that when the end panels are raised to a position where they are perpendicular to the base, the end panels will be bowed slightly inward, thereby facilitating fill on the machinery used to insert the primary packages. The tuck flaps that are part of the blank which extend beyond the rectangular central portion are formed with a tuck score line which does not extend at a 45 degree angle with respect to the hinge score lines of the tuck flap area.
A large number of prior art patents are referenced in the aforementioned Schuster reissue patent, some of which art is identified in the information disclosure statement accompanying this specification. Most relate to beverage containers for bottles and the like and, in many instances, the end containment for the beverage primary container includes partial top and/or bottom panels which are formed integrally with the base and extend outwardly therefrom. For example, the "Article Carrier" shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,203,584 issued Aug. 31, 1965 to Forrer shows a carton for holding six beverage cans and which includes a bottom seal. More importantly for purposes of this specification, the carrier includes cut-outs for the cans to assist in holding them vertically when the package is lifted with thumb and finger holes. The carrier also includes partial end flaps extending down from the top and made from board which extends beyond the generally rectangular center section of the carrier. Almost the reverse situation is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,309 issued Nov. 17, 1964 to Chidsey, et al. for "Carrier Carton for Cylindrical Articles" where the package is designed to contain six bottles and cut-outs are provided at the top. The bottom of this carton includes partial end panels and tuck flaps which, again, extend outwardly from the main portion of the blank.
In some of the prior art references, top and bottom panels are provided for the ends and in numerous instances full closure is provided. In that regard, see Guyer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,723,027 issued Nov. 8, 1955 for "Carton Handle".
Several issues now face carton designers and, in fact, the designers of all types of packaging. With an increased focus on the environmental "friendliness" of all types of packaging, whether paper, plastic or other materials, the amount of packaging material used to perform a specific job becomes increasingly important. The amount of material affects not only the environmental friendliness of the resulting product, but also perceptions of the consumer about that issue. Important to the manufacturers of the packaging and their customers is the cost of the product, which in many cases is directly related to the amount of board required to produce the carton. Also of considerable importance is the ease with which the carton can be filled and closed in automated, high-speed equipment.
A carton which would be easy to fabricate, easy to assemble, fill and close, and which would consume less board would be a significantly improved product representing a substantial advance in this art.


An apparatus, such as a doorbell, may include a doorbell housing. The doorbell housing may include a front surface facing exterior of a premises and a rear surface facing interior of the premises. A camera, doorbell activator, motion sensor, and/or light source may be at least partially positioned within the doorbell housing. An antenna may be positioned within the doorbell housing. The antenna may be configured to send a wireless signal comprising data to a data receiving device inside the premises. A reflective member may be positioned within the doorbell housing and configured to reflect at least a portion of the wireless signal that is sent toward the front surface of the doorbell housing.

Video doorbells and video cameras have become an increasing feature for home security. Conventional video doorbells and cameras can wirelessly transmit video and/or audio content from an environment adjacent to the video doorbell or camera to a user device (e.g., an access point, a mobile device, laptop computer, or desktop computer) and/or a storage device. For example, the video doorbell or camera can be disposed exterior of a premises, and include an antenna configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals containing the video and/or audio content to the user device and/or storage device that is internal to the premises. The antenna may transmit the RF signals out in a number of directions from the device. The result is that only a small portion of the RF signals being transmitted by the antenna are able to be received by the user device, such as an access point. These and other shortcomings are identified and addressed by the disclosure.

Video device with electromagnetically reflective elements


The present invention relates to a solid solution semiconductor laser element material which can be used for a laser element which oscillates within an inflated region of wavelength range of 0.4-8 .mu.m, can vary wavelength and can be operable in the vicinity of room temperature. The present invention more particularly relates to a material which can be used for a laser element having a lattice matching type double hetero-structure or lattice matching type quantum well structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-solution semiconductor laser element material consisting of a solid-solution semiconductor having the general chemical formulae Pb.sub.1-x Ca.sub.x X, where 0<x.ltoreq.0.5 and X is S or Se, and Pb.sub.1-x (Ca.sub.1-y Y.sub.y).sub.x X, where 0<x.ltoreq.0.5, 0<y<1, and Y is Sr or Ba, which oscillates within a wide infrared region of wavelength of 0.4-8 .mu.m, and is operable in the vicinity of room temperature. The present invention also relates to a laser element which uses this material.
An object of the present invention is to provide a solid solution semiconductor laser element material which can produce a laser element oscillating within an infrared region of wavelength of 0.4-8 .mu.m, varying the wavelength and operating in the vicinity of a room temperature, particularly a laser element having a lattice matching type double hetero-structure or lattice matching type quantum well structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The structure of a semiconductor laser element is explained by referring to FIG. 1. FIGS. 1(A), 1(B) and 1(C) show a lattice matching type double hetero-structure laser element and a lattice matching type quantum well structure laser element, respectively, wherein a laser beam is emitted from an active layer 2 sandwiched by cladding layers 1, 1 in an arrow direction by flowing a current through electrodes 3.
In case of the semiconductor laser element, a laser beam is only faintly different from that of gas lasers, so that recent attempts have been made to increase luminous efficiency of a laser by using a complicated structure which divides an active layer into a barrier layer 4 and a quantum well 5 as shown in FIG. 1(C).
As a task required for the above-described semiconductor laser, it is important to increase an operating temperature and to have a good junction between a cladding layer and an active layer.
Known materials as an active layer and a cladding layer of a semiconductor laser element emitting laser beams with variable wavelength within an infrared region of wavelength of 0.4-8 .mu.m are Hg.sub.1-a Cd.sub.a Te, where 0<a.ltoreq.1, as a II-VI group compound semiconductor, InAs or InSb as a III-V group compound semiconductor and each kind of IV-VI group compound semiconductors.
From the view points of high operating temperature and the degree of wavelength variability, the IV-VI group compound semiconductor is noted as the most highly usable material in the above semiconductors, and there have hitherto been known Pb.sub.1-a Cd.sub.a S.sub.1-b Se.sub.b or Pb.sub.1-a Eu.sub.a Te.sub.1-b Se.sub.b and the like as a quaternary lead salt solid solution semiconductor.
A laser element is formed by making a cladding layer of Pb.sub.1-a Cd.sub.a S.sub.1-b Se.sub.b or Pb.sub.1-a Eu.sub.a Se.sub.b Te.sub.1-b by double hetero-structure substantially coincide with the charge carrier and the lattice constant of the cladding layer and the active layer wherein an active layer is formed by one element selected from the group consisting of PbS and Pb.sub.1-a Eu.sub.a Se.sub.b Te.sub.1-b. Operating temperatures are 200 and 241 K, respectively, but are attained by pulse oscillation, and they have a further shortcoming which is lowered by continuous oscillation and these cannot practically be used.
In general, in order to increase an operating temperature of the above-described injection-type semiconductor laser, it is desired that a laser element is formed by lattice matching type double hetero-structure or lattice-matching type quantum well structure coincide with each lattice constant of charge carrier and cladding layer and active layer, and that an energy gap of the cladding layer is larger than that of the active layer and its difference is sufficiently large. However, in either one of Pb.sub.1-a Cd.sub.a S.sub.1-b Se.sub.b or Pb.sub.1-a Eu.sub.a Se.sub.b Te.sub.1-b, its difference is small, so that the low operating temperature is disadvantageous.
In the case of forming a laser element by lattice-matching type double hetero-structure or lattice-matching type quantum well structure, it is necessary to form a laser element by jointing materials having a larger energy gap of a cladding layer than that of an active layer, their large difference and substantially equal crystalline structures and lattice constants. In a general chemical formula of Pb.sub.1-a Cd.sub.a S.sub.1-b Se.sub.b or Pb.sub.1-a Eu.sub.a Se.sub.b Te.sub.1-b of a quarternary solid solution having a rock salt type crystalline structure, materials having different energy gaps and substantially equal lattice constants are obtained by separately controlling the composition (a) of an element of Cd or Eu and the composition (b) of an element of Se, so that it is possible to form a laser element by joining them.
However, in the case of actually manufacturing a laser element, a large amount of solid solution of Pb series cannot be expected from the limitation such as manufacturing condition and the like, and a quarternary solid solution is manufactured by a very small amount of solid solution at present. The above-described materials pulse-oscillated at 200 K and 241 K is understood that the compositions (a) of Cd and Eu in the above quarternary solid solution are 0.05 and 0.018, respectively, and a solid solution rate to Pb is small. Therefore, in case of producing them as a beam cladding layer, a difference between energy gaps of a cladding layer and an active layer is very small such as 0.18 (eV) at 300 K at most, 0.094 (eV) at 241 K, and a laser element having a high operating temperature cannot be obtained.
The demand for a highly efficient laser element has recently been increased, and it is particularly important to develop a solid solution semiconductor laser element operable in the vicinity of room temperature. That is, in order to increase an operating temperature of a semiconductor laser, it is an urgent task to obtain a novel solid solution semiconductor having a larger energy gap of a cladding layer than that of an active layer and a sufficiently large difference therebetween.

Solid-solution semiconductor laser element material and laser element including Pb, Ca and S

The Foundation: The Research Institute of Electric and Magentic Alloys


This invention provides novel libraries of olfactory receptor odorant/ligand-binding domains and methods of making and using them. The invention also provides libraries of vectors and cells comprising these nucleic acid constructs. The compositions and methods of the invention are used to identify novel ligand-binding domains for olfactory neuron odorant receptors and their ligands. Thus, the compositions and methods of the invention can be used to generate novel odorants, to screen for toxic odorants, or to manipulate an animal's olfactory response.

A better understanding of the vertebrate olfactory system would provide improved means to manipulate this process and possibly prevent disease or injury. For example, means to manipulate human olfactory neuron odorant receptors from healthy individuals and from individuals with neuro-psychiatric illnesses would offer systems for testing possible odorant/ligands for therapeutic and toxic effects. However, our ability to detect and discriminate between the thousands of beneficial or toxic odorants is complicated by the fact that odorant receptors belong to a multigene family with at least 500 to 1000 members. Furthermore, each olfactory receptor neuron may express only one, or at most a few, of these olfactory receptors. Any given olfactory neuron cell can respond to a small, arbitrary set of odorant-ligands. Odorant discrimination for a given neuron may depend on the ligand specificity of the one or few receptors it expresses. Thus, given this systems' complexity, information about odorant/ligand-receptor recognition remains meager.
To analyze odorant/ligand-receptor interactions and their effects on cell physiology, it is first necessary to identify specific odorant/ligand(s) and the olfactory receptors to which they specifically bind. Such analysis requires isolation and expression of olfactory receptor polypeptides. However, despite the fact that many putative olfactory receptors have been cloned, only limited progress has been made in the functional expression of these receptors because present systems fail to efficiently translocate these 7-transmembrane proteins to the plasma membrane. This may be because olfactory receptors are a subclass of 7-transmembrane-domain receptors. For example, expression of one rat olfactory receptor in insect cells resulted in only a modest elevation in second messengers when exposed to a mixture of odorants; responses to single compounds were not seen (Raming (1993) Nature 361:353–356). The present invention addresses these and other needs.

Olfactory receptor expression libraries and methods of making and using them


A method for adjusting a position of a vehicle seat from a reclined position to a pre-determinable safety position. The method includes detecting an imminent or ongoing frontal or semi-frontal collision, pretensioning a seat belt associated with the vehicle seat, the seat belt being directly or indirectly attached to a backrest of the vehicle seat, and adjusting the position of the vehicle seat from the reclined position to the pre-determinable safety position by means of a seat adjustment means associated with the vehicle seat, the seat adjustment means being actuated by a collision force generated by the imminent or ongoing frontal or semi-frontal collision and applied via a seat occupant and/or the seat belt to the vehicle seat. The present invention also relates to an occupant safety arrangement for a vehicle seat.

With the purpose of ameliorating and/or preventing injuries to occupants of a vehicle in case the vehicle is involved in a collision, the vehicle is commonly equipped with several safety systems, such as seat belts and airbags. The positive effect of seat belt use and air bag deployment benefits from good timing in the activation of the systems as well as that the occupant, and thus the vehicle seat, is in a position for which the safety systems are set to give as good protection as possible.
However, occupants may make comfort adjustments to the position of the vehicle seat freely within a certain range, even to such an extent that the position is not in the optimal range for the safety systems to work properly. In some prior art solutions, in case of a detected imminent collision, active means—for example pyrotechnic devices and electrical engines—are triggered that try to achieve a displacement of at least parts of the seat into a position that will improve the function of the safety systems. However, depending on how far "out-of-position" the occupant is situated, meaning how far from a desirable safety position the occupant is situated, the active means may not be fast enough to move the seat to an appropriate position from a safety system point of view. Further, such active means make up rather complicated and expensive systems including a plurality of parts and requiring space and time to be installed. Also, as mentioned above, the active means may not function fast enough to move the occupant into an appropriate position for the safety system to work in time for the collision.
With the introduction of vehicles with AD capabilities, i.e. autonomous drive capabilities, there is a potential for the occupants to move and adjust the vehicle seat even more freely than is possible today. In particular, a more reclined position than allowed today may be desirable, or at least more frequently used, in particular by a driver of the vehicle when the vehicle is driving autonomously.
As such, there is a desire for further improvements in assuring that a vehicle seat is in a safety position, in case the vehicle is involved in a collision, such that the safety systems can work appropriately to protect the seated occupant.

Method for adjusting a position of a vehicle seat


A system for resolving write pressure includes a primary storage unit, a backup storage unit, and a processor. The primary storage unit comprises a primary storage unit input buffer and a volume storage unit. The backup storage unit comprises a backup storage unit input buffer and a volume backup storage unit. The processor is to: store a first set of input data in the backup storage unit input buffer in the event that the primary storage unit input buffer is unable to store the first set of input data and transfer the first set of input data to the primary storage unit input buffer as space is available after storing data from the primary storage unit input buffer in the volume storage unit.

For a typical storage system, platforms are used for their inherent capabilities and are treated as separate silos. For example, a primary storage system is used for current working storage and a backup storage system is used for backing up the primary storage system. However, this can lead to higher costs as each silo'ed system must have all of its own resources.

Resolving write pressure using existing backup appliance as additional primary storage


The invention is directed to computer-implemented method for designing a staggered pattern of objects in a computer-aided design system. The method comprises providing a rotation axis that is the origin of two or more concentric circles, providing a reference object to be multi-instantiated, defining the number of objects to be instantiated from the reference object on each concentric circle, defining an angular shift, instantiating the number of objects from the reference object on each concentric circle, the instantiated objects being spaced according to an angular deviation between two consecutive instantiated objects on a given concentric circle, in one of every two concentric circle, shifting the instantiated objects in accordance with the angular shift.

A number of systems and programs are offered on the market for the design, the engineering and the manufacturing of objects. CAD is an acronym for Computer-Aided Design, e.g. it relates to software solutions for designing an object. CAE is an acronym for Computer-Aided Engineering, e.g. it relates to software solutions for simulating the physical behaviour of a future product. CAM is an acronym for Computer-Aided Manufacturing, e.g. it relates to software solutions for defining manufacturing processes and operations. In such computer-aided design systems, the graphical user interface plays an important role as regards the efficiency of the technique. These techniques may be embedded within Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems. PLM refers to a business strategy that helps companies to share product data, apply common processes, and leverage corporate knowledge for the development of products from conception to the end of their life, across the concept of extended enterprise.
The PLM solutions provided by Dassault Systèmes (under the trademarks CATIA, ENOVIA and DELMIA) provide an Engineering Hub, which organizes product engineering knowledge, a Manufacturing Hub, which manages manufacturing engineering knowledge, and an Enterprise Hub which enables enterprise integrations and connections into both the Engineering and Manufacturing Hubs. All together the system delivers an open object model linking products, processes, resources to enable dynamic, knowledge-based product creation and decision support that drives optimized product definition, manufacturing preparation, production and service.
CAD systems provide an intuitive and flexible user interface for designing precise 3D mechanical parts, from sketching in an assembly context to iterative detailed design. Such a solution is provided by CATIA Part Design (trademark) application which combines the power of feature-based design with the flexibility of a Boolean approach, offers a highly productive and intuitive design environment with multiple design methodologies, such as post-design and local 3D parameterization.
During the process of mechanical parts design, the designer may need to create several identical features from an existing one and to simultaneously position them on a part. To this aim, the designer generally uses patterns that allow to duplicate an original feature at a location chosen in the part by the designer. Common patterns are rectangular pattern and circular pattern. The designer may also need a particular pattern (also referred to as user pattern) that is created by hand by the designer. For instance, the designer selects a set of points on which the original feature will be duplicated.
The creation of a circular staggered pattern of objects requires performing several steps, as illustrated on FIGS. 2 to 4. First, the designer creates an initial part comprising a reference object and a duplicate reference object; for instance, on FIG. 2, a circular pad 200 comprises a first hole 202 that is the reference object and a second hole that is the duplicate reference object 204. The duplicate reference object is placed on the pad with an angular shift θ from the reference object and a distance d2 from the centre O of the pad which is larger that the distance d1 between the reference object and the centre O of the pad. Next, the designer creates a first pattern by duplicating the reference feature according to a circular pattern, as shown on FIG. 3. Then, the designer creates a second pattern for duplicating the duplicate reference feature according to a circular pattern. Finally, the first and second patterns are combined or merged for obtaining the requested staggered pattern, as illustrated on FIG. 4.
The creation of a staggered pattern of objects can also be performed by using a user pattern. It consists in creating a sketch of point representing each location of duplicate reference features, and creating a pattern by selecting a reference feature to duplicate and the sketch of points. Again, several steps are required.
Likewise, the modification of a pattern requires the designer to perform several steps. For instance, starting from a circular staggered pattern of objects as the one illustrated on FIG. 4, the designer has to modify the angular shift of the duplicate reference feature (such as the duplicate reference feature 204 on FIG. 2) in relation with reference feature (such as the reference feature 200 on FIG. 2). Then, the designer has to edit the first and second patterns and reduce the number of instances of the reference feature. Finally, the modified part is obtained.
The creation and the modification of a circular staggered pattern of objects thus require the designer to perform several steps. It requires added actions to create the geometry (e.g. creation of an angular shift, creation of two patterns, or creation of sketch), which is a cumbersome task and time consuming as well.
Within this context, there is still a need for an improved method for designing a circular staggered pattern of objects in a computer-aided design system.

Designing a circular staggered pattern of objects


A composition containing a fatty phase containing at least one polyol ether, at least one oil and at least one wax, wherein the wax has a polarity which is the reverse of that of the oil.

Compositions in solid form, particularly those in the form of a stick, generally contain waxes to solidify the composition and to aid in formation of a baton (stick). However, the presence of an excessively large amount of wax results in a stick composition which has inadequate cosmetic qualities such as, for example, difficulty in spreading and/or providing low deposition on the skin or the lips.
To improve the cosmetic properties of such stick compositions containing waxes, oils have been added in an attempt to obtain better spreading and deposition of the compositions. However, compositions containing wax and oil generally melt at temperatures of less than or equal to 37° C., which is problematic because such compositions are fragile. Also, such compositions have an oily appearance and exude strongly.
Efforts have been made to overcome these drawbacks by adding fillers which have the advantage of helping the stick compositions maintain their shape during a rise in temperature and improving the cosmetic qualities of the sticks. However, the addition of fillers may yield brittle and hard, or even sometimes rough, sticks.


A method, system, and apparatus, the apparatus including a metal layer on silicon, photo-resist material disposed on the metal layer, a bump pad reservoir adjacent to the metal layer, a quantity of interconnect metal disposed in the bump pad reservoir, and a resist opening in resist material disposed on a surface of the bump metal and adjacent the interconnect metal. The resist opening may be wider at an open end thereof than at an end in contact with the interconnect metal.

In a process of attaching a die to a substrate, a number of stresses and forces may be introduced and transfer the stresses onto the die, the substrate, and a solder bump joining the die and substrate. Processes to attach the die to the substrate in the manufacture and packaging of integrated circuits (ICs) may include subjecting the die and the substrate to high temperatures and pressures. Due in part to the different materials used in the manufacture of ICs, the materials composing the die and the substrate, for example, may expand and contract at different rates. That is, the die and substrate may have different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE).
Heating and cooling materials attached at a common interface and having different CTEs may introduce stresses at the interface. For example, shear and peeling stresses may be introduced at an interface between a die and a substrate of an IC during the manufacture and processing of the IC due to the cycling of temperature. Such stresses may contribute to a delamination of the die, the solder bump, and the substrate.

Method, system, and apparatus for gravity assisted chip attachment


In a synchronous semiconductor memory, there is provided a write pulse generating circuit receiving a pipeline enable signal, a write enable signal and an internal synchronous signal which is generated by delaying an output of an internal synchronous signal generating circuit by a first delay. This write pulse generating circuit includes a second delay, and is configured to generate a write pulse which is put into an inactivate condition for a constant time corresponding to a delay time of the second delay when the internal synchronous signal is brought to a high level, and thereafter, is maintained in an activate condition until the next internal synchronous signal is supplied. Thus, by adjusting the delay amount of the first delay and the delay amount of the second delay, a column selection line is never switched during a period that a write data is being supplied to write bus pairs, so that the write data is accurately written into a sense amplifier. Thus, the write execution time depends upon the cycle time, with the result that the cycle time for the writing can be shortened.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory, and more specifically to a write control circuit for use in a synchronous semiconductor memory.
2. Description of Related Art
With a recent speed-up of microprocessors, a demand for elevating an access speed of a semiconductor memory is increasing. However, this demand has not yet been satisfied because of physical limits in micro-fabrication and an increased chip size attributable to an increased memory capacity. One of the approaches for realizing the speed-up of the semiconductor memory is a synchronous semiconductor memory having an internal pipeline structure, some examples of which have been disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication JP-A-61-148692, JP-A-6-076566 which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,341, and Japanese Patent Application No. 232732/1994 which was laid open as JP-A-8-096573 on Apr. 12, 1996, which corresponds to EP-A-0704848 published on Apr. 3, 1996. The disclosure of these publications is incorporated by reference in their entirety into this application.
This synchronous semiconductor memory having the internal pipeline structure, is featured in that, at the time of reading, an address access path is divided into a plurality of stages, and the reading is carried out in a time-division manner, so that a cycle time is shortened. Therefore, at the time of writing, it is necessary to write data into a sense amplifier during the shortened cycle time.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a block diagram illustrating one example of the prior art synchronous semiconductor memory.
An input section of the shown semiconductor memory includes a plurality of input circuits connected to receive a plurality of bits of an input address ADD. These input circuits are represented by only one input circuit 1 for simplification of drawing. The input section also includes a plurality of input circuits 2 to 5 connected to receive a plurality of control signals RASB, CASB, WEB and CSB, respectively, an input circuit 6 connected to receive an external clock CLK, and an input circuit 7 connected to receive data DQ from a data input/output terminal.
An internal circuit of the shown semiconductor memory includes a synchronous signal generating circuit 8 connected to an output of the input circuit 6 for generating a synchronous signal ICLK1, a delay DL3 receiving the synchronous signal ICLK1 for generating another synchronous signal ICLK1D by delaying the received synchronous signal ICLK1 by a predetermined constant time, a command decoder 9 connected to receive outputs of the input circuits 2 to 5, for generating a read enable signal REN and a write enable signal WEN in synchronism with the synchronous signal ICLK1, and a pipeline enabling circuit 10 receiving the read enable signal REN, the write enable signal WEN and a burst end signal BSTEND explained hereinafter, for generating a pipeline enable signal PEN.
The internal circuit of the shown semiconductor memory also includes a burst counter 11 receiving an output of the input circuit 1, the pipeline enable signal PEN and the synchronous signal ICLK1, for generating a plurality of internal address signals IADD, plate selection signals PSEL1 and the above mentioned burst end signal BSTEND, a column decoder 12A receiving the plurality of internal address signals IADD, and having outputs connected to a plurality of column selection lines YSW, a buffer 19 receiving the plate selection signals PSEL1 for outputting plate selection signals PSEL2, another buffer 20 receiving an output of the input circuit 7 for outputting a write data to a write bus WBUS1, a write pulse generating circuit 13 receiving the pipeline enable signal PEN, the write enable signal WEN and the synchronous signal ICLK1, for generating a write pulse WP, an AND gate AN receiving the plate selection signals PSEL2 and the write pulse WP, for generating a write switch signal WSW, a write buffer 14 receiving the write switch signal WSW and the write bus WBUS1, for supplying a write data to write bus pairs WBUS2T/N, an array of memory cells 15, and sense amplifiers 16 connected to the column selection lines YSW and the write bus pairs WBUS2T/N, and also connected to the memory cell array 15 through digit line pairs DT/N.
The write pulse generating circuit 13 includes a NAND gate NAN3 receiving the pipeline enable signal PEN, the write enable signal WEN and the synchronous signal ICLK1, a delay DL4 receiving an output of the NAND gate NAN3 for generating a signal by delaying the received signal by a predetermined constant time, and a NAND gate NAN4 receiving the output of the NAND gate NAN3 and an output of the delay DL4, for outputting the write pulse WP.
Now, operation of the shown system will be described with reference to FIG. 2, which is a timing chart illustrating an operation of the prior art synchronous semiconductor memory.
If the control signals RASB, CASB, WEB and CSB are set to take respective levels indicative of a write command at a rising of the external clock CLK of a cycle C1, the command decoder 9 brings the write enable signal WEN to a high level in response to the synchronous signal ICLK1 which assumes a high level in response to the external clock CLK. Accordingly, the pipeline enable signal PEN is also brought to the high level by the pipeline enable circuit 10.
If the write command is inputted, the burst counter 11 generates an internal address IADD for a separately set "burst length". Here, the "burst length" means the number of bits of data to be written when one write command is applied, and is set at a time earlier than the cycle C1 in FIG. 2. The shown example illustrate the case that it is set to the "burst length"=2.
Therefore, the internal address IADD for the separately set "burst length" (2 bits) is generated in cycles C1 nd C2 by the burst counter 11, and then, a high level pulse is generated as the burst end signal BSTEND by the burst counter 11 in response to a rising of the synchronous signal ICLK1 of a cycle C3. In response to the burst end signal BSTEND, the pipeline enable circuit 10 brings the pipeline enable signal PEN to a low level.
In synchronism with the synchronous signal ICLK1, the plate selection signal PSEL1 and the internal address IADD (not shown in FIG. 2) are generated and the column decoder 12A receiving the internal address IADD selects one of the column selection lines YSW. In the shown example, the plate selection signals PSEL1 are not changed in the cycle C2, but the selected line of the column selection lines YSW is changed for each cycle. In addition, the content of the plate selection signals PSEL1 are transferred as the plate selection signals PSEL2, and a write data is transferred to the write bus WBUS1.
During the cycle C1, after both the write enable signal WEN and the pipeline enable signal PEN are brought to the high level, if the synchronous signal ICLK1D is generated with the predetermined constant delay time from the synchronous signal ICLK1, the output of the NAND gate NAN3 is brought to a low level (this is not shown in FIG. 2), and therefore, the write pulse WP is brought to a high level. Thereafter, if the synchronous signal ICLK1D is brought to the low level, the output of the delay DL4 is brought to the high level after the predetermined delay time (this is also not shown in FIG. 2), with the result that the write pulse WP is brought to the low level.
During the next cycle C2, the write pulse WP is similarly generated, but during the cycle C3, the write pulse WP is maintained at the low level, because the pipeline enable signal PEN is brought to the low level before the synchronous signal ICLK1D is brought to the high level, and therefore, the output of the NAND gate NAN3 remains at the high level. On the other hand, the write data is transferred to the write bus pairs WBUS2T/N when the write switch signal WSW (which is generated in response to the write pulse WP during a period that the plate selection signal PSEL2 is at the high level) is at the high level.
Here, it is sufficient if the rising timing of the synchronous signal ICLK1D is determined by adjusting the delay amount of the delay DL3 to the effect that the write switch signal WSW is brought to the high level after the column selection lines YSW, the plate selection signals PSEL2 and the write bus WBUS1 are changed, and if the delay amount of the delay DL4 is adjusted to ensure that the write switch signal WSW is brought to the low level after data has been accurately written into the sense amplifier 16.
As seen from the above, the write execution time, namely, the high level width of the write pulse WP is determined by the delay amount of the delay DL4. Assuming that the write execution time is t.sub.WP and the cycle time is t.sub.CK, the low level width t.sub.WPB of the write switch signal WSW is expressed as follows: EQU t.sub.WPB =t.sub.CK -t.sub.WP ( 1)
In addition, assuming that a minimum value of the low level width t.sub.WPB of the write pulse WP and the write switch signal WSW, required for changing the column selection lines YSW, the plate selection signals PSEL2 and the write bus WBUS1, is t.sub.WPBmin, the cycle time t.sub.CK is expressed as follows: EQU t.sub.CK >t.sub.WP +t.sub.WPBmin ( 2)
Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a timing chart illustrating an operation of the prior art synchronous semiconductor memory in the case that the cycle time t.sub.CK is long. As seen from comparison between FIGS. 2 and 3, even if the cycle time t.sub.CK is long, the write execution time t.sub.WP is the same as that of the example shown in FIG. 2. Namely, the write execution time t.sub.WP is constant independently of the cycle time t.sub.CK.
The required write execution time t.sub.WP is different from one semiconductor memory to another, because of a manufacturing process variation. Accordingly, it is necessary to determine the delay amount of the delay DL4 and to set the write execution time t.sub.WP, with a margin which makes it possible to perform an accurate writing in most of devices.
In other words, the write execution time t.sub.WP is set to meet with devices manufactured under the process condition which needs the longest write execution time, by taking the manufacturing process variation into consideration. As a result, in devices manufactured under a standard process condition, the write execution time t.sub.WP becomes longer than a required time, which results in an unnecessarily long cycle time t.sub.CK. Namely, all of devices have the same long cycle time t.sub.CK as that of the devices manufactured under the process condition which needs the longest write execution time.
At present, the cycle time for the reading is being speeded up, and therefore, the speed grade is often determined by the cycle time for the writing. In the above mentioned situation, only devices having a low speed grade can be manufactured.
If the write execution time t.sub.WP is set to meet with the devices manufactured under the standard process condition, the number of devices which cannot accurately write and therefore become defective, increases.
Under the above mentioned circumstance, in order to shorten the cycle time for the writing, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication JP-A-4-243085, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,347, proposes to provide two write buffers or drivers for one sense amplifier. The disclosure of these publications is incorporated by reference in their entirety into this application.
However, in this approach, the write execution time required for one writing cannot be shortened, and therefore, it was still necessary to set the write execution time t.sub.WP so as to meet with devices manufactured under the process condition which needs the longest write execution time.

Synchronous semiconductor memory having a write execution time dependent upon a cycle time


A method for generating test patterns utilized in manufacturing a semiconductor device includes creating mini-data concerning a partial area pattern used in designing the semiconductor device, subjecting the mini-data to data processing in accordance with a condition of a manufacturing process of the semiconductor device, thereby creating processed mini-data, extracting a marginless point in the processed mini-data where a process margin is less than a predetermined threshold in a manufacturing process of the semiconductor device, determining a class of the marginless point in accordance with a criticality and a category of the marginless point, determining a parameter and a range of the parameter used for the marginless point in accordance with the class of the marginless point, and generating a plurality of test patterns to which different values of the parameter are respectively applied within the range.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for generating test patterns utilized in manufacturing a semiconductor device. The present invention also relates to a computer readable medium, a method for making a photo mask, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which are associated with a method for generating test patterns.
2. Description of the Related Art
In manufacturing semiconductor integrated circuits, the integration degree of devices formed in wafers is increased, and the design rule thereof is miniaturized. Consequently, influences of an optical proximity effect (OPE) have become prominent such that patterns are not transferred onto wafers in predetermined shapes or sizes. This problem requires a certain technique, such as optical proximity effect correction (OPC) or process proximity effect correction (PPC), which is performed on a mask to compensate for a process conversion difference due to the OPE, thereby ensuring that transferred shapes agree with predetermined design patterns. Use of the OPC or PPC makes it possible to suppress fluctuations in the critical dimension (CD) on a wafer, so that miniaturized patterns on the wafer are faithful to the design (for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-294551). Further, there are proposed or performed resolution enhancement techniques (RET) for improving resolution by adjusting the illumination and/or mask, such as insertion of auxiliary patterns smaller than the resolution limit (sub resolution assist feature: SRAF), a phase shift mask of the Levenson type, polarized illumination, and multi-phase light exposure.
Where mask data is created, at first, all the necessary verifications and/or corrections are applied to design data, and the data thus prepared is once fixed and taped out. Then, the data is subjected to various types of processes, such as OPC, to create mask data, in a mask data process. Then, the data is verified by a simulation of lithography and/or transfer onto wafers. As a result, pattern configurations (marginless points) may be found to bring about problems such that the process yield will be low due to open/short defects and process margins will come short. If a pattern configuration including a marginless point is present, and its criticality is high enough to require correction, the correction has to be made back to a design data level. In this case, it is necessary to re-perform various types of verification and process, such as design rule checking before tape-out, data transmission, data reception examination, mask data process, OPC, and mask data verification. This deteriorates the turnaround time (TAT) and cost of data preparation.
Accordingly, uncorrectable pattern configurations and margin-short shapes (marginless points) should be estimated in advance as early as possible, so that design rules, OPC rules, and/or verification rules can be amended to prevent these problems. However, estimation of marginless points in advance entails difficulties, as follows. For example, there is a case where high-accuracy etching simulation is not feasible enough and thus process estimation is difficult to accurately perform. In this case, it is necessary to actually form patterns on a wafer to accurately examine the conversion difference of a process including etching. Further, there is a case where a corrected pattern shape (correction amount) cannot be easily estimated from an input pattern shape. In this case, in order to find marginless points caused after OPC, it is necessary to actually apply an MDP (mask data process) and/or an OPC process to patterns in place of desk experiments, which requires complex calculation and much time. Furthermore, marginless points may generate open/short defects, depending on various combinations of the vertical and horizontal dimensions of shapes. Accordingly, the coordination of pattern categories with correction methods is complex and requires a number of tests for various combinations of pattern configurations.
In consideration of these problems, it is necessary to design a large number of combinations of conceivable test patterns to extract and verify marginless points while performing mask data creation, mask making, transfer onto a wafer, and electron microscope measurement. Consequently, uncorrectable pattern configurations and margin-short shapes even in a corrected state can be found in advance as early as possible, and fed back to design rules, OPC rules, and/or verification rules.
However, variation of pattern configurations that require verification is very broad. Test pattern design can be performed quickly to some extent by an automation tool, but electron microscope measurement entails much manpower and time. Accordingly, in order to perform the measurement within limited time and manpower, the measurement is typically performed only on a limited number of portions, such as portions at and near pattern configurations decided in advance. In this case, outside the measured portions, a hazard pattern or margin-short pattern present may be overlooked, and cannot be suitably fed back to design rules or verification rules. As described above, according to the conventional method, it is difficult to efficiently estimate and/or extract marginless points. Consequently, problems arise such that the TAT of semiconductor manufacturing processes is prolonged because real marginless points are overlooked or extracted with a delay, and/or the process yield is deteriorated due to insufficient process margins of marginless points.

Method for generating test patterns utilized in manufacturing semiconductor device


A fuel cell element comprising a tube of a solid electrolyte. An outer electrode is provided on an outside of the tube and an inner electrode is provided in the inside of the tube. A ring formed of an electrically conducting material is mounted to the tube and is electrically connected to the tube. The ring has a first surface intended to be mountable to and slidingly engageable with a substantially complementary shaped second surface of a wall of a conduit means to supply a gaseous consumable to an interior of the tube or to carry gas from the interior. The mounting of the ring to and the engaging of the ring with the second surface is to provide an electrical connection between the fuel cell element and the conduit means.

Fuel cell elements within a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack are made up of either planar or tubular elements which are stacked together in racks, One problem with such racks is the seals which separate fuel and oxidant compartments. Another problem is the electrical connections which must be made to the cells. Usually these two issues of sealing and electrical connection are solved separately. For example a standard planar stack described by de Haart et al, SOFC VII, eds. Yokokawa & Singhal, Electrochemical Society, Pennington N.J., 2001, p. 111-119 is sealed with glass around the plate edges while the electrical connection is made with metallic interconnect plates. Similarly in a Westinghouse design of tubular stack, the seal is made with a closed end tube into which an air feeder pipe extends, while the electrical connection is made using nickel mesh connectors outside the tubes. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,620, a small diameter tubular cell is sealed by a rubber joint at the cold end of the tube, whilst the electrical connection is made via wires passing inside and outside the tubes.
For their operation, fuel cells use gaseous consumables in the form of fuel and oxidant. Thus one gaseous consumable is an oxidant, for example oxygen or air, supplied to a cathode of the cell. Another gaseous consumable is the fuel, for example hydrogen or one or more compounds from which hydrogen can be obtained, supplied to an anode of the cell.


A spiral jet mixer for mixing fluids comprises an elongated body having a first inlet nozzle for introduction of a primary fluid, a mixing chamber having a diverging wall and a converging wall, a plurality of angled, helical passageways in the diverging wall for introduction of a secondary fluid into the mixing chamber in a spiralling turbulent, initially convergent flow pattern. Removable inlet nozzles allow a plurality of inlet nozzle orifice diameters.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates broadly to devices known as jet pumps. This invention relates particularly to an improved jet pump for intimately mixing a primary fluid with a secondary fluid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a multitude of requirements in an industrial setting for the mixing of a first fluid with a second fluid within an environment. Applications include, for example, mixing of liquids within a tank, combustion processes, chemical reactions, heat transfer processes, environmental control systems, and sprayers. In various applications, including waste treatment, it is desirable additional or independently, to entrain gases, including air, within a liquid.
Jet pumps or eductors are currently used to mix a first liquid with a second liquid by introducing the first liquid into the second mixture at a relatively high pressure through a restrictive flow orifice. Both jet pumps and eductors are based on the Venturi principle and the Bernoulli effect relating to the phenomenon of internal pressure reduction with increased stream velocity in a fluid.
Various commercially available eductors are described in product brochures, including DEX (TM) Tank Mixing Eductors. GEA Wiegand GmbH discloses liquid jet mixers. Fox Venturi eductors are commercially available to mix particulate solids with air and to Convey the air/solid mixture through a discharge outlet. Penberthy discloses jet pumps for pumping gases and circulating tank eductors to mix liquids in open or enclosed tanks.
Von Ohain, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,474 discloses an eductor having a convergent inlet section, a mixing section, and a divergent diffuser section with nozzles injecting high velocity primary jet fluids into the inlet section and by aspirator action inducing a secondary flow into the inlet.
Chambers U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,618 discloses a jet pump including a mixing chamber having a substantially constant static pressure throughout the mixing chamber wherein the induced flow of secondary fluid into the chamber is in a direction generally parallel to that of the primary fluid with the angle of divergence of the mixing chamber being approximately equal to the angle of expansion of the primary fluid in the mixing chamber, thereby minimizing energy losses.
Svantesson U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,511 discloses a method of forming a solution of gas and liquid and introducing such solution into a body of liquid comprising mixing a gas and liquid at sufficient pressure and for a sufficient period of time and then introducing the mixture, free of turbulence, into the body of liquid below the liquid surface level.
Alperin U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,529 discloses a jet diffuser ejector constructed for maximum thrust augmentation with minimal length comprising multiple primary injection nozzles arranged in spaced relationship at pre-selected angles.
Ho, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,423 discloses an apparatus for mixing fluids having at least one non-circular orifice, the orifice having unequal major and minor axis dimensions, and the mixing region extending downstream a distance at least equal to the minor axis dimension.
Straub, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,284 discloses a device for creating a pressure difference in the flow of a fluid comprising a double cone, the double cone consisting of two co-axial hollow cones linked at their smallest faces. A lateral connection is provided at the narrowest point of the double cone linking the faces. A negative pressure at the narrowest point produces a sucking effect at the lateral connection.
Schreiber, et al, U. S. Pat. No. 4,818,446 discloses an apparatus for introducing a gas into a fluid in which a diffuser pipe or a perforated distributor hose is mounted on a gas supply pipe.
Tharp, U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,546, discloses an improved mounting bracket for mounting diffusers on submerged lateral air supply pipes in a wastewater treatment system.
Ealba, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,678 discloses a diffuser with a thin convoluted wall member disposed upstream of the inlet which generates vortices having axes in the downstream direction. The vortices enhance mixing within the diffuser. Tharp, U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,493, discloses a staggered diffuser arrangement for wastewater treatment systems in which tubular diffusers are arranged with short and long diffuser assemblies
Emmett, Jr., et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,284, discloses a reactor vessel for use of treating slurries which contains a mixer arrangement and an air supply arrangement.
Tharp, U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,358 discloses a tubular diffuser for a wastewater aeration system comprising a pipe having spaced-apart outlet ports and a porous membrane sleeved around the pipe for discharging air and bubbles and an adjustable plug which can be located at various locations within the pipe to provide buoyant and non-buoyant use of the diffuser.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved jet pump for intimately mixing a primary fluid with a secondary fluid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved jet pump for intimately mixing a primary fluid with a secondary fluid within a relatively confined area.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved jet pump for mixing a primary fluid with a secondary fluid, the jet pump being disposed in an environment comprising the secondary fluid.


An apparatus for removing harmonic noise from a power transmission line transmitting electricity at a primary frequency includes a filter and a controller coupled to the sensor and to an actuator-generator. The filter separates electricity at a harmonic of a primary frequency from the electrical signal transmitted by the power transmission line. The controller is configured to modulate consumption of electricity from the power transmission line. The consumption is controlled by electrical actuation of the actuator-generator, such that the electrical actuation of the actuator-generator causes consumption of electricity from the power transmission line at a harmonic of the primary frequency. The actuator-generator is coupled to an elastically deformable component, such that electrical actuation of the actuator-generator generates tension in the elastically deformable component.

Power transmission lines generally have small amounts of harmonic noise (e.g., 120 Hz, 360 Hz). The harmonic noise, which occurs at multiples of the base frequency (for example multiples of 60 Hz) may result from a variety of activities including power transmission line switch operations, which may generate noise in a transmission that is on the order of 100 Hz or greater. Harmonic noise may also be introduced into the system by large end users.
Systems, such as flywheel systems, generally fail to correct noise on this order. Some implementations for removing harmonic noise include the use of noise filters locally installed by end users. While filtration systems may result in cleaner electrical power (power closer to a specified frequency), such systems generally attenuate the unwanted frequency in a manner that generates overall system losses and that reduce the overall power and efficiency of the delivered electrical energy.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for removal of harmonic noise


A tote for carrying electric meters includes a lid section having a hinged connection to a base section for pivotal movement between open and closed positions, and a latching system releasably securing the lid and base sections together. Each of the sections is provided with a plurality of cavities. When the lid section is closed, the cavities in the lid section confront the cavities in the base section to provide a plurality of pockets. Each pocket is adapted to receive and locate one of the meters. The sections may be separable from one another. The hinged connection permits the lid section to be raised to clear the meters prior to being pivoted open. The cavities in the two sections may be formed by panel inserts which are removable for replacement by other panel inserts adapted to accommodate larger or smaller meters.

Electric meters are employed to take readings of electrical usage at residential and commercial sites. Currently, electric meters are received from the manufacturer in corrugated cardboard boxes. The box are considered throw-away items and are discarded after the meters are removed and put into use by field personnel. What is needed is a tote for electric meters which may be used over and over, and not discarded after each use.


An alignment device may obtain a set of analog-to-digital converter (ADC) signals provided by an angle sensor operating in a homogeneous test mode. The set of ADC signals may be associated with a rotation of a target magnet relative to the angle sensor. The alignment device may identify a maximum ADC signal value based on the set of ADC signals. The alignment device may selectively position, by the alignment device, at least one of the angle sensor or the target magnet based on the maximum ADC signal value.

A magnetic angle sensor may sense a magnetic field produced or distorted by a rotating magnet wheel, such as a disc magnet, a ring magnet, a rectangular magnet, a tooth wheel, and/or the like. The magnetic angle sensor may output, based on the sensed magnetic field, a signal that identifies an angular position of the magnet wheel.

Sensor alignment using homogeneous test mode


This method for controlling an engine bench system is provided with: a speed control step in which speed control of a dynamometer is executed while an engine is maintained in a non-ignition state, and in which the speed control is ended when the rotational speed of the dynamometer has increased to a prescribed speed; a measuring step in which a shaft torque detection signal is acquired during a period from when, as a result of inertia, the rotational speed of the dynamometer is a prescribed measuring start speed until said rotational speed reaches a prescribed measuring end speed; a frequency analyzing step in which the frequency of the signal having the strongest intensity, from among the shaft torque detection signals acquired in the measuring step, is acquired as a resonant frequency; a design step in which a control gain of a dynamometer control device is determined using the acquired resonant frequency.

An engine bench system includes a test piece configured by combining an engine and a transmission thereof, a dynamometer coupled via a coupling shaft to this test piece, an engine control device which controls the throttle aperture of the engine, and a dynamometer control device which controls the dynamometer. In the engine bench system, by executing speed control, torque control or the like of a dynamometer by the dynamometer control device, while controlling the output of the engine by the engine control device, testing for measuring performance such as the durability, fuel economy and exhaust purification performance of an engine is carried out.
In such an engine bench system, the engine and the dynamometer are coupled via a transmission. In addition, since the clutch included in the transmission has non-linear spring stiffness, the mechanical resonance point thereof varies according to the load torque. In addition, with an actual engine, a pulsating torque which oscillates at a variable frequency according to the engine revolution speed occurs. Therefore, Patent Document 1 shows a dynamometer control device which controls the speed of a dynamometer while suppressing resonance, so that the mechanical system is not damaged due to this pulsating torque.
With the dynamometer control device of Patent Document 1, using a shaft torque estimated value calculated using a shaft torque detection value detected using a shaft torque sensor and/or an engine torque map, the mechanical resonance frequency which varies according to load as mentioned above is sequentially calculated, and gain schedule is performed so as to become a control gain according to the calculated mechanical resonance frequency. According to the dynamometer control device of Patent Document 1, by changing the control gain according to the mechanical resonance frequency which varies in response to load, it becomes possible to control the speed of the dynamometer while suppressing the resonance by the clutch.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5136247

Method for controlling engine bench system


A hearing device that is operated with a rechargeable battery pack has at least one contact element that is fashioned to accept a charging current in electrical connection with an external charging device. The contact element is resiliently mounted at the hearing device and can be pressed onto a charging contact of the external charging device during a charging state under the application of a positive force. The contact element is located in a first position in an operating state or rest state of the hearing device, and is moved into a second position in the charging state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a hearing aid of the type having a movable contact element which can be operated with a battery pack
2. Description of the Prior Art
Due to the development of more powerful rechargeable battery pack power supplies, it is possible to equip and to operate hearing devices with such a battery pack. A problem that results is that the battery pack must be recharged at periodic intervals, which typically occurs in a charging device. For this purpose, the battery pack typically must be removed from the device and be placed in the charging device. Since hearing devices, in particular in-the-ear (ItE) hearing devices, are quite small, it is difficult to remove the battery pack from the device. This is particularly true for older hearing device wearers. Hearing devices were therefore developed which exhibit a permanently installed battery pack. To allow the battery pack in the hearing device to be charged, it is known to design the battery pack so that it can be charged by induction. For example, such a hearing device with battery pack that can be charged via induction is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,498,455.
A battery pack that can be charged by induction is complicated in terms of design and requires additional space (which is always tightly allocated in a hearing device). The charging by induction also requires a complicated charging device and a high energy consumption.
EP 0630 549 B1 discloses a hearing device with chargeable battery pack wherein the device housing has openings through which the charging pins of a charging device can contact the charging contacts of the battery pack. The charging pins of the charging device protrude into the openings in the hearing device housing upon charging. This has the disadvantage that dirt can get into the openings during usage of the hearing device. This can lead to a contamination of the charging contacts, which can make further charging procedures more difficult.

Hearing device with rechargeable battery and movably mounted charging contacts


Disclosed is a method of inhibiting the binding of a cell bearing a cell adhesion protein to a molecule or cell bearing a carbohydrate determinant specific for the cell adhesion molecule. The method involves contacting the cell adhesion protein-bearing cell with an inhibitor molecule bearing the carbohydrate determinant. Also disclosed is a method of inhibiting the binding of the first member of a specific binding pair to the second member of the specific binding pair, involving contacting the first member with an antibody which is specific for the first member and which is covalently bonded to a carbohydrate moiety which interferes with the antibody's ability to fix complement and bind an F.sub.c receptor. The methods of the invention may be used, for example, to reduce inflammation.

This invention relates to therapeutic interference with interactions between cell adhesion proteins and their carbohydrate ligands.
ELAM-1 is an integral membrane adhesion protein. It possesses an extracellular domain including an N-terminal lectin-related segment, an epidermal growth factor related repeat, and multiple complement regulatory protein motifs (Bevilacqua et al., Science 243:1160, 1989; Stoolman et al., Cell 56:907, 1989). ELAM-1 is specifically expressed on the surface of endothelial cells activated by the cytokines IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (Bevilacqua et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:9238, 1987), or the peptide hormone Substance P (Matis et al., J. Invest. Dermatol. 94:492, 1990). It mediates adhesion of myeloid cells (e.g., neutrophilic granulocytes) to cytokine-activated endothelial cells (Bevilacqua et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 84:9238, 1987). It has been suggested that ELAM-1 is involved in the regulation of inflammatory and immunological events at the interface of the blood and the blood vessel wall (Bevilacqua et al., Science 243:1160, 1989).

Inhibition of cell adhesion protein-carbohydrate interactions


A method for processing a name when converting a numerical map of a low level into a numerical map of a high level in a geographic information system includes the steps of: sequentially determining a main name which is a criterion of comparison and a sub name which is an object of comparison according to priority with respect to names contained in the numerical map of the low level, and generating a main name box and a sub name box according to a position and an area in which the main name and the sub name are displayed on the numerical map of the high level; and checking whether a part or all parts of the sub name box is overlapped with the main name box, and erasing a corresponding name and a name designating coordinate point when there is an overlapped part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for processing a name of numerical map shape data in a geographic information system (GIS) and, more particularly, to a method for processing a name of shape data when converting a numerical map of a specific level to a numerical map of a multiple level.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, a geographic information system is used in a navigation system of a mobile object. The navigation system of the mobile objects such as ships, airplanes, automobiles, etc. has a position determination unit used in a global positioning system (GPS), and confirms the current position and moving speed of the mobile object or determines a moving path. The GPS position determination unit receives a radio wave indicating latitude, longitude and altitude from 3 or more artificial satellites belonging to the GPS positioned in 6 middle orbits, and calculates the current position of the mobile object. Map information including this current position is displayed so that a driver may see it. A typical navigation system reads the map information from an auxiliary storage device, for example, a CD-ROM, and displays the current position of the mobile object calculated from navigation information received from the satellites. To this, various numerical maps should be displayed. In order to efficiently manage the data, the numerical maps drawn on a small reduced scale are combined to obtain a numerical map drawn on a large reduced scale.
However, when making the numerical map drawn on the large reduced scale by using the numerical map drawn on the small reduced scale, there are no standards for processing road and terrain data. Moreover, there is large loss of material resources and manpower since such a process for making the numerical map depends on manual labor. In addition, if the numerical map is simply combined, the name is repeatedly indicated.

Method for processing name when combining numerical map shape data


A resin composition comprising: (A) a polypropylene polymer comprising a propylene/ethylene block copolymer, said polypropylene polymer having a melt flow rate of from 5 to 100 g/10 min as measured at 230.degree. C. under a load of 2.16 kg and containing components extractable with xylene at 20.degree. C., wherein the xylene-extractable components having an intrinsic viscosity as measured at 140.degree. C. in decalin of from 2.0 to 5.0 g/dl; (B) an ethylene/propylene rubber having a propylene content of from 40 to 60% by weight and a melt flow rate of from 0.5 to 10 g/10 min as measured at 230.degree. C. under a load of 2.16 kg; (C) a triblock copolymer having a melt flow rate of from more than 40 to 200 g/10 min as measured at 230.degree. C. under a load of 2.16 kg, a flat interface between said triblock copolymer and the 100.degree. C. xylene-insoluble components of said polypropylene polymer of ingredient (A) having a critical energy release rate of 20 J/m.sup.2 or higher as measured at a phase angle of from -2.degree. to -12.degree.; (D) a modified polyolefin polymer having a hydroxy group, said modified polyolefin polymer having a content of a hydroxy-containing unsaturated compound of from 0.5 to 7.0% by weight; (E) an oligomer having at least one terminal polar group, said oligomer having a number-average molecular weight of from 300 to 10,000; and (F) talc having an average particle diameter of 5 .mu.m or smaller.

Polymer blending techniques have been reported for improving the impact resistance of materials for automotive bumpers or for interior or exterior automotive parts. For example, a propylene polymer such as a propylene homopolymer, propylene/ethylene block copolymer or propylene random copolymer is blended with an ethylene/propylene copolymer (see JP-A-57-55952; the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"), an ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer (see JP-A-4-372637, JP-A-5-331348, JP-A-6-192500, and JP-A-6-192506), a hydrogenated styrene/diene block copolymer (see JP-A-7-53842), or the like.
A generally employed method for imparting paintability to those compositions is to add an EPR (ethylen-propylene rubber) having an extremely low molecular weight. Besides this, other techniques have been proposed which include a technique comprising adding a polyolefin modified with a compound having a polar group (see JP-A-6-157838), in particular, adding a polyolefin modified with an unsaturated compound having a hydroxy group (see JP-A-5-39383), and a technique comprising adding an oligomer having a terminal polar group (see JP-A-3-157168, JP-A-5-117458, and JP-A-5-320442).
However, materials produced using the above-described techniques are disadvantageous in that an EPR having an extremely low molecular weight or a chemically modified compound as described above should be added in a large amount in order to form a coating film having sufficient solvent resistance, and the incorporation thereof tends to significantly reduce impact resistance and other mechanical properties.
Furthermore, even if a material having a good balance between paintability and impact resistance is obtained with any of those conventional techniques, such a material has a drawback that its impact resistance, especially DuPont impact strength, is reduced by painting.
In the case of exterior automotive parts, in particular, a high degree of paintability is required so that the coated parts can withstand contacts with organic solvents, e.g., gasoline.

Resin composition and molded object thereof