An electrically conductive polymer composition comprises a moldable organic polymer having hollow carbon microfibers and an electrically conductive white powder uniformly dispersed therein, the carbon fibers being present in an amount of 0.01 wt. % to less than 2 wt. % and the electrically conductive white powder being present in an amount of 2.5-40 wt. %, each percent range based on the total weight of the composition, the amounts of carbon microfibers and white powder being sufficient to simultaneously impart the desired electrical conductivity to the composition and white pigmentation to the composition.

It is well known to disperse an electrically conductive material in an electrically insulating polymer to prevent static charge or other purposes and obtain an electrically conductive polymer (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 58-39175). As electrically conductive materials which are admixed with polymers, ionic or nonionic organic surfactants, metal powders, electrically conductive metal oxide powders, carbon black, carbon fibers, and the like are generally used. There are dispersed in a polymer by melting and kneading to form an electrically conductive polymer composition, which is shaped to obtain an electrically conductive article having a volume resistivity of 10.sup.0 -10.sup.10 .OMEGA..multidot.cm.
It is also known that use of a material having a large aspect ratio such as flakes or whiskers as the conductive material can provide a polymer with electrical conductivity using a relatively small amount. This is because a conductive material having a large aspect ratio increases the number of contact points between the material for the same unit weight, so it is possible to obtain electrical conductivity using a smaller amount.
However, a conventional electrically conductive polymer composition has problems with respect to stability at high temperatures (heat resistance and dimensional stability), moldability, and color.
For example, when an organic surfactant is used as the conductive material, the heat resistance is poor, and the electrical conductivity is easily influenced by humidity. An inorganic conductive material is usually in the form of spherical particles, so it is necessary to mix a large quantity exceeding 50 wt % based on the total weight of the composition, so the physical properties of the polymer worsen, and its moldability into filaments or films is decreased.
Even with flake-shaped or whisker-shaped conductive materials having a large aspect ratio, it has been conventionally necessary to use them in an amount exceeding 40 wt % based on the total weight of the composition. When such a large amount of an electrically conductive material is mixed in a polymer, a directionality (anisotropy) develops at the time of shaping, and the moldability and electrical conductivity are worsened.
In the case of carbon black, if the amount required to impart electrical conductivity (generally at least 10 wt % based on the total weight of the composition) is used, the composition becomes black, and a white or colored formed product can not be obtained.
Carbon fibers, and particularly graphitized carbon fibers, have good electrical conductivity, and it has been attempted to disperse carbon fibers into a polymer as a conductive material. In particular, carbon fibers formed by vapor phase growth method (pyrolysis method) and graphitized, if necessary, by heat treatment, and which are hollow or solid with a fiber diameter of from 0.1 .mu.m to several .mu.m have high electrical conductivity and have attracted attention as a conductive material. However, even with such carbon fibers, when they are admixed in an amount sufficient to impart electrical conductivity, the polymer composition ends up becoming black.
Recently, carbon microfibers with a far smaller fiber diameter than carbon fibers formed by the vapor phase growth method (referred to below as hollow carbon microfibers) have been developed. See, for example, Japanese Patent Publications (Kokoku) Nos. 3-64606 and 3-77288, Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) Applications Nos. 3-287821 and 5-125619, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,220. These microfibers have an outer diameter of less than 0.1 .mu.m, and normally on the order of several nanometers to several tens of nanometers. As they have a slenderness of the nanometer order, they are also referred to as nanotubes or carbon fibrils. They are usually extremely fine hollow carbon fibers having a tubular wall formed by stacking of layers of graphitized carbon atoms in a regular arrangement. These hollow carbon microfibers are used as a reinforcing material in the manufacture of composite materials, and it has been proposed to mix them into various types of resins and rubber as a conductive material. (See, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) Applications Nos. 2-232244, 2-235945, 2-276839, and 3-55709).
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) Application No. 3-74465, a resin composition is disclosed which is imparted electrical conductivity and/or a jet black color and which is formed from 0.1-50 parts by weight of carbon fibrils (hollow carbon microfibers) in which at least 50 wt % of the fibers are intertwined to form an aggregate, and 99.9-50 parts by weight of a synthetic resin. In that application, it is described that it is preferred to use at least 2 parts by weight of hollow carbon microfibers to impart electrical conductivity, and when imparting only a jet black color, the amount used is preferably 0.1-5 parts by weight.
As described above, carbonaceous conductive materials have excellent heat stability and can impart electrical conductivity to a polymer by using in a relatively small amount, but they have the drawback that they end up blackening the polymer. Uses for conductive polymers include antistatic mats, electromagnetic wave shield materials, IC trays, building materials, and packaging for film, and in each of these uses, there is a strong need to be able to freely perform coloring, either for reasons of visual design or to permit differentiation of products (such as in the case of IC trays).
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrically conductive polymer composition which has excellent electrical conductivity, heat resistance, and moldability, and which can be used to form a white or colored product by any melt-molding method including melt spinning, melt extrusion, and injection molding.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a white or freely colored electrically conductive polymer composition which uses a carbonaceous conductive material and which can be used to form a product of a desired color.

Electrically conductive polymer composition


Systems for providing emotional tone-based notifications for communications and related methods are provided. In this regard, a representative system includes an electronic device having a network/communication interface operative to facilitate communication over a networked environment. The electronic device is operative to automatically associate information corresponding to an emotional tone of the communication with the communication such that a recipient of the communication is informed of the emotional tone.

A user of a mobile device may receive many different types of alerts associated with events, such as phone calls, social network updates, emails, text messages, etc. Typically, the user is notified of an event by an alert (e.g., a sound and/or vibration emitted by the mobile device). These alerts may be provided based on default settings of the device and/or may be preconfigured by the user to identify the type of event. For example, a user may select one type of alert for an incoming text message and another type for incoming email.


Melt-processable compositions having silicone-containing polymeric process additives and synergists.

Siloxanes are known to be effective polymer processing additives (PPAs). Low molecular weight polydimethyl silicone (PDMS) PPAs were reported as early as 1985 (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,113). Further, high molecular weight siloxane PPAs have more recently become available, for instance, from Dow Corning. The efficacy of these materials, however, is generally inferior to fluoroelastomer PPAs such as FX-9613 (available from 3M Company). Further, the tacky nature of such siloxane PPAs can make them difficult to handle and as such they are only provided as concentrates.
Siloxane block copolymers have also demonstrated efficacy as PPAs. For instance, 3M has developed a siloxane-polyamide PPA, and siloxane-polyurea block copolymers (SPU) are available from Wacker. These materials are thermoplastic and generally are more easily handled. Although effective as PPAs, they are typically less efficacious than fluoroelastomer based PPAs.
In practice, PPAs are added to melt-processable thermoplastic hydrocarbon polymers in order to improve their characteristics, for instance, in blow molding or injection molding. Such molded products often contain hindered amine light stabilizers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Melt-processable compositions having silicone-containing polymeric process additive and synergist


A vaccine effective against infection caused by Group B Neisseria meningitidis microorganism is provided which comprises a purified protein antigenic complex weighing from 65 to 95 kDa, vesicles, and capsular polysaccharide. This vaccine is extracted from the cell membranes of the live microorganisms using detergent and enzyme.

Neisseria meningitidis has the typical envelope of Gram-negative bacteria, consisting of a cytoplasmic membrane, a peptidoglycan layer and an outer membrane with three layers, which, together with the capsular polysaccharide, constitute the bacterial wall.
From an immunological point of view, those structures which may interact with the immune system in any of the stages of the microorganism-host relationship and especially the first stages, i.e., the most external components, are of greater importance. Classification of this microorganism has been made on the basis of groups, types and subtypes, through techniques utilizing polyclonal (Frasch, C. E. and Chapman, 1973, J. Infect. Dis. 127: 149-154) or monoclonal antibodies (Hussein, A., Monoclonal Antibodies and N. meningitidis. Proefschrift. Utrecht, Nederland, 1988).
Nowadays 12 serogroups are known: A, B, C, X, Y, Z, 29-E, W-135, H, I, K, and L (Ashton, F. E. et al., 1938, J. Clin. Microbiol. 17: 722-727; Branham, S. E., 1956, Can. J. Microbiol. 2: 175-188; Evans, A. C., 1920, Lab. Bull. 1245: 43-87; Shao-Qing, et al., 1972, J. Biol. Stand. 9: 307-315; Slaterus, K. W., 1961, Ant. v. Leeuwenhoek J. Microbiol. Serol. 29: 265-271). Such groups have been differentiated according to the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) which vary among each of these groups in certain antigenic determinants (Branham, S. E.,1940, Bacteriol Rev. 4: 59-96; Frasch, C. E. et al, 1985, Rev. Infect. Dis. 7: 504-510).
In spite of variations in epidemiology in different regions of the world and a lack of adequate systems of sanitary control in some countries, it has been possible to establish that, among all these groups, at present only groups A, B, C, Y, and W-135 are responsible for more than 90% of the meningitidis cases in the world (Abdillahi, H., 1988, Proefschrift, pg. 13 Utrecht, Nederland). Other authors ascribe more than 95% (Frasch, C. E. Eur. J. Microbiol. 4: 533-536) of cases to these five groups.
The capsular polysaccharides, purified and characterized, and used so far as vaccines have proved efficient enough to control the outbreaks and epidemics of the groups A, C, Y, and W-135, as mono-, di, tri, or tetravalent vaccines (Gold et al., 1969-1970, Bull. WHO 45: 272-282; Gotschlich et al., 1969, J. Exp. Meal. 129: 134-136; Hankins, 1982, Proc. Soc. Biol. Med. 169: 54-57). In spite of deficiencies still to be solved such as: poor or no-response to polysaccharide C in children under 2 years of age; thermalability of polysaccharide A; difficulties regarding the induction of tolerance after re-vaccination with polysaccharides A and C, to the point that in some places increase of meningitidis cases has been detected (Marzochi, K. B. F. Meningitidis Meningococcica. Tese (doutorado) Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (328 pg.), 1985). Now the polysaccharide vaccines are an effective enough weapon in the struggle against disease caused by groups A, C, Y, and W-135, but not against group B, the capsular polysaccharide of which is a very poor immunogen (Wyle et al., 1972, J. Infect. Dis. 126, 514-522; Zollinger, et al., 1979, J. Clin. Invest. 63: 836-834; Jennings et al., 1981, J. Immunol. 127: 104-108). It may be due to different causes such as the cross reactivity with antigens of the host itself (brain sialoglycopeptides), conformational changes suffered by these polysaccharides when they are purified, and their great sensitivity to enzymatic and other types of degradation occurring in the organism, such as: rapid esterification, etc. (Lifely, M. R. and Moreno, C., 1986, Lancet, Jan. 25, 214-215). The final result is that, despite the intense work of important researchers and companies such as, the Wellcome Foundation, it has been impossible until now to produce from the group B polysaccharide a satisfactory immunogen. Because of these reasons, the general methods for vaccines from the other polysaccharide groups used for vaccines do not work for group B. Because serogroup B is today the main cause of the meningococcal disease in most temperate counties, as well as other regions throughout the world, it is desirable to obtain alternative vaccines. Every attempt at finding these alternative vaccines should therefore be based upon non-capsular antigens, especially those in the outer membrane, taking into account their significance in the microorganism-host relationship.
Almost every research group has focused its attention on the proteins, since the other relevant components would be the lipopolysaccharides (LPS), but their highly toxic nature, their high pyrogenic activity and their mitogenic capacity have prevented considering this element as a vaccine option, although it is the most important in the pathogenesis of the meningococcal disease.
The principal proteins in the outer membrane, both from groups B and C give rise to subdivisions of these groups in serotypes (from now on we shall only refer to group B). They are based on the immunologic specificity of these principal proteins detected in reactions with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies in different techniques (Abdillahi, H. Proefschrift, Utrecht, Nederland, 1988). Group B has already been subdivided into more than 18 serotypes.
Preferred techniques include double immunodiffusion, counterimmunoelectrophoresis, radioimmunoassay, ELISA, SPRIA, coagglutination using protein A coated Staphylococcus aureus to fix monoclonal antibodies or other solid carriers, agglutination by latex, etc. (Gold, R. and Wyle, F. A., 1970, 1: 479-484; Jones, O. M. and Tobin, B. M., 1976, J. Clin. Pathol.29: 746-748; Zollinger, W. D. and Mandrell, R. E., 1977, Infect. Immun. 5: 98-102; Frasch, C. E. and Chapman, S. S., 1973, Infect. Dis. 127: 149-154; Danielsson, D. and Olsen, 1979, J. Clin. Pathol. 32: 136-142).
With the aid of monoclonal antibodies it has even been possible to subdivide further different serotypes correlating them with their degree of "virulence", e.g. serotype 2 was subdivided into 2a, 2b and 2c (Abdillahi, H. and Poolman, J. T.,1988, Proefschrift. Ch. 6 pg. 69-78, Utrecht, Nederland; Poolman, J. T. et al., 1980, J. Gen. Microbiol. 116: 465-473).
It is obvious that, by using the principal proteins of the outer membrane as a basis for the immunogen, we are preparing a specific serotype immunogen. In spite of the fact that it has been found that among all the serotypes only a few are disease agents (Frasch, C. E., et al, 1972, Seminars in Infectious Diseases, Vol. 1, S.I.M. Book Corp., N.Y. 304-337) while others seldom are, it would be impossible to prepare an immunogen based on a serotype, which would have sufficient antigenic determinants for all the serotypes causing disease. Therefore, serotype vaccines as such have a small range of effectiveness, aiming only at the specific serotype with which the vaccine was elaborated. This has been the history of almost all the protein vaccines prepared in the last few years and that has been among several others, one of their major limitations. Vaccines based on serotype 2a proteins have been prepared from vesicles of the outer membrane (Frasch, C. E. et al., 1982, Infect. Immun. 37: 271-280) and certain variants of those vaccines have been studied regarding their immunogenicity and toxicity in animals (Peppler et al., 1982, Infect. Immun. 37: 264-270) and assessed for their safety and immunogenicity in voluntary adults (Frasch, C. E. et al., 1982, Sem. Infect. Dis., 4; Zollinger et al, 1979, J. Clin. Invest. 63: 836-848).
Other research work also reveals the importance of the solubility of these vaccines (Frasch, C. E. et al., 1982, Sem. Infect. Dis., 4; Frasch, C. E., 1978, J. Exp. Med. 147: 629-644).
The benefits of the use of capsular polysaccharides and different adjuvants of aluminum hydroxide or phosphate have also been reported by numerous authors (Frasch, C. E., 1983, Med. Microbiol. Vol. 2 Acad. Press, N.Y.). In some cases a careful study has been carried out on the correlations among the proportions of those components, their electron microscopy picture and their response in different animals, including primates and humans of different age groups (Campa, C. et al, 1986).
In our research work we even found the solution for the lack of immunogenicity in children under 2 years of age.

Method of producing Neisseria meningitidis B vaccine, and vaccine produced by method


A sensor for electrochemical measurement is disclosed which includes a chamber made of an electrically insulative material and having an open end portion, a super absorbent polymer material filled in the chamber and absorbing at a selected rate a liquid electrolyte, an electrode disposed in the chamber, and a screen which covers the open end portion of the chamber and which prevents the super absorbent polymer material from dropping out from the chamber but permits the liquid electrolyte to transmit through the screen. A method is also disclosed which uses the sensor to measure the degree of degradation of a coating film on metal or the corrosion protective properties of a rust film created on the surface of steel.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sensor for various types of electrochemical measurement and a method which uses the sensor to measure quantitatively the corrosion protective properties of a coating film on metal or of a rust film created on the surface of steel materials for the purpose of diagnosing the degree of degradation of the coating film and the corrosion protective properties of the rust film.
2. Description of Related Art
In electrochemical measurement wherein an electrode such as a counter electrode or a reference electrode is used to measure potential or current/ voltage characteristics at the surface of a metal material to be measured or impedance at the metal surface under the application of a small AC current for the purpose of measuring the degree of corrosion in the metal surface or the corrosion rate, an electrolyte dissolved in either water or organic solvent or molten salt is used as liquid electrolyte. In any case, the electrochemical measurement using liquid must be carried out in a container such as beaker or cell and has applicability limited to measurement conducted in laboratories.
Therefore, a sensor capable of permitting electrochemical measurement of the surface of metal such as steel materials used in existing structures directly in the field has been proposed by JP-A-62-229056 or the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,849 issued to Kihira et al on Feb. 21, 1989 and entitled "Method and Apparatus for Diagnosing Degradation of Coating Film on Metal Material". In the proposal, a cylindrical chamber made of silicon rubber has an open mouth portion in which a sponge impregnated with a liquid electrolyte is filled and when conducting measurement, the open mouth portion is brought into intimate contact with the surface of a metal material to be measured so that the sealing function of the open mouth portion may eliminate a gap through which the liquid electrolyte leaks.
Further, considering that during measurement the liquid electrolyte remains, in great amounts, on the object being measured and evaporation and leakage of the liquid takes place through the sealing portion, the proposed sensor has conveniently an additional liquid electrolyte supplementing apparatus. Moreover, since in diagnosis of an actual structure, non-uniformity of degradation of coating film is found from one location to another, the aforementioned U.S. Patent also proposes a method, by which a great number of points are measured to determine a statistical distribution and a two-dimensional distribution of impedance of the coating film for the purpose of diagnosing quantitatively the degree of degradation of the coating film, as well as simultaneous measurement for efficient implementation of the method by using a plurality of sensors.
On the other hand, there is available a steel material as represented by weathering steel which utilizes a rust film created in natural environment so as to be improved in corrosion resistance. The corrosion protective properties of such a rust film can be diagnosed quantitatively by means of an apparatus as disclosed in JP-A-60-100751 which measures and evaluates AC impedance of the rust film by using two sensors, like the sensor of the aforementioned U.S. Patent, holding a liquid electrolyte.
The electrochemical measurement using the electrolyte in liquid state is convenient for measurement of a sample placed in a container such as beaker but is inconvenient for direct measurement of part of an actual structure in the field because sealing for prevention of leakage of liquid is needed and particularly, it is conducted only at the cost of very degraded efficiency when there are many measurement points.
The conventional sensor for diagnosing the degree of degradation of a coating film on metal faces first of all a problem that the liquid electrolyte tends to leak and adhere to a portion outside the open mouth portion of the sensor and electric current leaks through the liquid electrolyte remaining at the portion not being under measurement, and a second problem that bubbles remaining in the open mouth portion sometimes cause inequality between the area of the open mouth portion and the actual contacting area and it is rather difficult to mount the sensor without causing variations in contacting area.
Further, to cope with gradual drying of the sponge accommodated in the sensor, the sensor of the aforementioned U.S. Patent employs the additional liquid electrolyte supplementing apparatus which transports the liquid electrolyte under pressure, whereby a proper amount of liquid electrolyte can be supplemented to control wettability and the liquid electrolyte can sufficiently penetrate into the gap at the interface between the surface to be measured and the sensor.
However, when the area of the conventional open mouth portion is increased larger than 1.2 cm.sup.2, a liquid electrolyte supplementing apparatus of larger capacity is required and in addition bubbles tend to remain at the interface to make the contacting state unstable resulting in variation of effective contact area, while when the area is decreased smaller than 1.2 cm.sup.2, the surface tension creates a droplet which is larger than the area of the open mouth portion and a very small area can not be measured.
When multi-point simultaneous measurement is desired to be conducted by arranging many sensors on an object being measured at a time, many liquid electrolyte supplementing apparatus, identical in number to the sensors, are needed and checking each sensor for its sealing condition and the presence or absence of bubbles at the interface is very laborious and time-consuming.
Incidentally, coated metal is used in a variety of fields of social capital and industrial capital including civil engineering and construction such as bridges, roofs, wall members, tanks, piping and steel towers and transportation equipments such as ships, trains, automobiles and containers. For these structures, coating specifications complying with their purposes are available to offer various kinds of coating films ranging from coating film of relatively low impedance to that of very high impedance.
However, the measurement typically uses a constant pulse current which is small enough not to damage coated films and such a small pulse current generator limits the maximum measurable impedance to about 200 megohms (M ohm). Accordingly, measurable objects are limited and the measurement can be applied to only a painting system of relatively low impedance in which an oil paint is used for the top coating and a red lead paint is used for the ground coating.
In coated metal used for structures, the coated film is considered to be electrically equivalent to a parallel circuit of resistances within the range in which the coated film is considered to be uniform from the standpoint of macroscopic impedance measurement and hence the resistance value measurable by the conventional impedance measuring method increases with increasing of the area of the open mouth of the sensor which is in a range of 1 to 100 cm.sup.2.
Therefore, the application of the conventional impedance measuring method would be advantageously extended to a coating system using coat of higher impedance by increasing the area of open mouth of the sensor in the above range. In the conventional method, however, compatibility between the increase in the area of the object to be measured and the steady contacting state of the sensor as well as unimpairment of ease of handling is difficult to achieve.

Sensor for electrochemical measurement and method for diagnosing corrosion protective properties of metal surface coating by using the sensor


A suspended microstructure process assembly includes a first microstructure assembly, with a temporary substrate having a first surface and a first microstructure fabricated on the first surface; a second microstructure assembly, including a final substrate having a second surface and a second microstructure fabricated on the second surface; connecting elements for joining the first microstructure assembly to the second microstructure assembly with a predetermined separation and alignment; and a removable bond temporarily securing the first microstructure assembly to the second microstructure assembly until the temporary substrate is removed. The connecting elements may be electrically conductive contacts or electrically nonconductive spacers. Electrically conductive contacts may be supplied to the first microstructure from a back side of the first microstructure assembly. The first microstructure fabricated on the first surface may incorporate a removable layer to enable multiple level suspended structures.

This invention is concerned with the fabrication of microstructures composed of multiple substructures which must be prepared using incompatible processing steps but which must be integrated in close physical association in the ultimate microstructure end product.
Suspended microstructures have been developed for a variety of applications, primarily those requiring thermal or mechanical isolation for their operation. In the thermal isolation category, the microbolometer is probably the best example. A microbolometer uses an array of small thermal sensors which is suspended above a multiplexing integrated circuit using conventional surface micro machining techniques.
The category of devices suspended for mechanical isolation includes many micromechanical applications. Numerous discrete devices, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, microphones, pressure sensors, and moving mirror displays, have been made using both surface and bulk processing techniques.
The current state of the art for infrared bolometer arrays is best represented by the Honeywell process, which involves the deposition, etching, and patterning of various materials directly on top of a silicon integrated circuit. Because of the sensitivity of the integrated circuit to such conditions as high temperature, ion bombardment, or chemical environment, these additional processing steps are severely restricted. Compromises are required in the processing, the selection of materials, and the resulting device quality.

Method of making suspended microstructures


Disclosed herein are a heterogeneous catalyst for the preparation of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HPA) from allyl alcohol, and a method for the preparation of 3-HPA from allyl alcohol using the catalyst. In the presence of the heterogeneous catalyst containing gold on a carrier, a liquid-phase reaction is conducted to produce 3-HPA from allyl alcohol at high yield.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a heterogeneous catalyst for preparing 3-hydroxypropionic acid (hereinafter referred to as "3-HPA") from allyl alcohol, and a method of preparing 3-HPA from allyl alcohol using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of preparing 3-HPA from allyl alcohol at a high yield by performing a liquid phase reaction in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst including gold supported on a carrier composed of cerium oxide (CeO2) or a composite oxide containing cerium oxide.
2. Description of the Related Art
Acrylic acid is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid, consisting of a vinyl group connected directly to a carboxylic acid terminus, and is a main raw material of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), which are synthetic polymer materials having a capacity for absorbing 500 to 1000 times their own weight in moisture. Although practical for use in sanitary items, SAPs find now applications in a variety of fields including raw materials in soil conditioners for horticulture, water stopping agents for civil engineering and construction applications, sheets for raising seedlings, freshness preservatives for food distribution, goods for fomentation, and the like, in addition to sanitary items such as disposable diapers for children. Therefore, SAPs, known to have superior water absorbency as compared to conventional water-absorbing polymers, have become increasingly more widely used in practical applications, and thus their market value has become higher. Further, acrylic acid, used as a raw material of SAPs, has an important market value, too. Additionally, acrylic acid is used as an essential raw material of various kinds of goods (3000 or more), such as acrylic fibers, paints, adhesives, coating agents and the like.
Currently, the production of acrylic acid generally uses the route from fossil fuel through propylene and acrolein to acrylic acid. Since the first oil shock, there has arisen concern about the depletion of petroleum resources. Accordingly, it has become important to secure raw materials and various chemical bases from natural resources other than petroleum resources in terms of not only provision against the depletion of such petroleum resources, but also stability of industry basis substances independent of the price change of petroleum resources.
Meanwhile, with the rise of pro-environmental issues, biomass conversion techniques have attracted keen attention thanks to their advantage of utilizing various bio-based raw materials. The development of biomass-based acrylic acid is increasingly required, inter alia. There are suggested various reaction routes to biomass-based acrylic acid, including the glycerol-allyl alcohol-3HPA-acrylic acid route.
Glycerol is produced as a by-product in the process of producing a biodiesel from vegetable oils. Production of acrylic acid from allyl alcohol derived from glycerol enjoys the advantage of utilizing environment-friendly biomass rather than fossil fuel, as a source. WO 2008/092115 A1 discloses a method of obtaining allyl alcohol at a high yield by the reaction of glycerol and formic acid, without a catalyst. Therefore, the production of acrylic acid from allyl alcohol allows for the effective utilization of glycerol, a by-product of biodiesel, thereby improving the use efficiency of biodiesel, with the expectation of effective production from glycerol.
To date, many research reports have been established on the production of allyl alcohol from glycerol or the production of acrylic acid from 3-HPA, but with insufficiency found on the production of 3-HPA from allyl alcohol. Establishment of a process of producing 3-HPA from allyl alcohol would, therefore, complete the reaction route from glycerol to acrylic acid. For this, demand is placed on the development of a novel catalytic process.
Accordingly, there is a need for research into a novel method for preparing 3-HPA from allyl alcohol at high yield under a special synthesis condition.

Heterogeneous catalyst for production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid from allyl alcohol, and method for preparation of 3-hydroxypropionic acid from allyl alcohol using the same


A wiring board includes a substrate having an opening, and an electronic part placed in the opening, wherein a space left in the opening is filled with an embedding resin having a base color tone selected from black, blue, green, red, orange, yellow, and violet.

The present invention claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2000-398871 filed on Dec. 27, 2000 in Japan, 2001-255780 filed on Aug. 27, 2001 in Japan, and 2001-352486 filed on Nov. 19, 2001 in Japan, which are all hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wiring board and a method for fabricating a wiring board, and more particularly, to a multi-layer wiring board or a package for storing semiconductor elements and a method for fabricating a multi-layer wiring board or package.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In recent years, various studies have been performed on multi chip modules (MCMs) in which a number of semiconductor elements are mounted on a build-up wiring board. Typically, by use of solder, electronic parts, such as chip capacitors, chip inductors, and chip resistors, for example, are mounted on the surface of a wiring layer formed on the surface of the wiring board.
Electronic parts that require predetermined regions for mounting are mounted on the surface of the build-up wiring board. Therefore, a limitation is imposed on miniaturization of the wiring board. Also, depending on the layout of wiring for surface mounting, parasitic inductance of the wiring, which is an undesirable property, becomes large. This factor hampers incorporation of such wiring boards into electronic devices of higher frequency.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, various studies have been performed on methods for embedding electronic parts in an insulating substrate. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 11-126978 discloses a method in which electronic parts are mounted by use of solder, in advance, on a wiring board having a transfer sheet formed from metallic foil, and then the parts are transferred. However, the method is problematic in terms of accuracy in positioning of the mounted parts.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2000-124352 discloses a multi-layer wiring board in which an insulating layer is built up on electronic parts embedded on a core substrate. Where electronic parts are embedded in a substrate such as a core substrate, after a space between the substrate and the electronic parts is filled with an embedding resin, and an insulating layer and a wiring layer are built up on the substrate, the electrode of the electronic part must be electrically connected to the wiring formed on the insulating layer, through a metalization technique such as electroless plating.
The embedding resin is desirably colored black in order to prevent random reflection of light, which would otherwise raise problems when a wiring pattern is formed on the built-up insulating layer through exposure and development, or to reduce non-uniformity in color of the resin during curing of the resin. Therefore, carbon or a similar material must be incorporated, as a coloring agent, into the resin. However, when carbon, which is electrically conductive, is excessively incorporated into the embedding resin, the insulating property of the resin deteriorates. Therefore, it is important to design the method for coloring the resin black so that random reflection of light is prevented and non-uniformity in color of the resin is reduced during curing of the resin, with the insulating property between electronic parts or between wiring portions formed on the insulating layer being maintained.
A problem arises when a wiring board is used under high-frequency conditions in that there is loss of electrical signals in high-frequency regions. In order to reduce loss of electrical signals, an embedding resin used for embedding electronic parts in the wiring board must have low dielectric constant and exhibit low dielectric loss.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a wiring board and a method for fabricating a wiring board that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a wiring board having improved insulating properties, and for preventing random reflection of light, and reducing non-uniformity in color of the resin.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for fabricating a wiring board having improved insulating properties, and for preventing random reflection of light, and reducing non-uniformity in color of the resin.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the wiring board includes a substrate having an opening, and an electronic part placed in the opening, wherein a space left in the opening is filled with an embedding resin having a base color tone selected from black, blue, green, red, orange, yellow, and violet.
In another aspect, a method for fabricating a wiring board includes forming a first opening in a first substrate, placing a first electronic part in the first opening, and filling a space in the first opening with an embedding resin having a base color tone selected from at least one of black, blue, green, red, orange, yellow, and violet.
It is understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

Wiring board and method for fabricating the same


In a rectifying device of a vehicle ac generator, a positive-side radiating fin and a negative-side radiating fin are arranged to oppose each other in an axial direction and a terminal board is interposed therebetween. One of the fins, which is directly fixed to a frame, is substantially in an arc shape having a circular arc angle of equal to or more than 180 degrees and separated into two partial radiating fins at a substantially middle part in a circumferential direction. Each of the partial radiating fins has two fixing portions near its radially outer end. Screws are inserted into the fixing portions and tightened to threaded holes provided in the frame to fasten the rectifying device to the frame. Instead of separating the fin into the partial radiating fins, a groove is provided on a surface of the fin.

In a rectifying device of a vehicle ac generator disclosed in JP-A-2000-253625 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,188), a positive-side radiating fin and a negative-side radiating fin are stacked in an axial direction and a terminal board having connecting terminals is interposed therebetween. Positive-side diodes and negative-side diodes are press-fitted and soldered in through holes provided in both of the radiating fins in the axial direction. The negative-side radiating fin is directly fixed to the outer end surface of a housing with screws and grounded.
When the negative-side radiating fin is fixed to the housing, the negative-side radiating fin is likely to be deformed due to steps on fixing surfaces of the negative-side radiating fin and the housing. As a result, the through holes for fixing the negative-side diodes are deformed and a soldering as a jointing material causes cracks.
In a rectifying device disclosed in JP-A-56-45062, a positive-side radiating fin and a negative-side radiating fin are arranged in one plane surface with a predetermined space. The negative-side radiating fin is directly fixed to the inner wall of a housing forming the outer case of a vehicle ac generator. In this rectifying device, water and the like entering the vehicle ac generator are likely to accumulate and cause corrosion and the like therein.


Systems, methods, and computer program embodiments are disclosed for providing network management services for a telecommunications network. In an embodiment, a request may be received for a service provided by an operations support system (OSS). Data may be retrieved from a network management database based on the received request. The network management database may store a plurality of network management data, and the stored data may be correlated to a service information model that defines a plurality of base network entities used to represent the architecture of the network. An information model template may then be read by the OSS that specifies one or more provider-specific network entities that extend the base network entities defined by the service information model. The retrieved data may then be operated on by the OSS, and the resulting output may be customized based on the provider-specific network entities of the information model template.

Field
This disclosure generally relates to telecommunications network management and operations support.
Background
Network data usage has increased rapidly in recent years. Network service users demand higher bandwidth with better quality and secure connectivity. Modern network service providers operate local, regional, and nationwide networks to provide connectivity to users. These networks are built with a variety of equipment to perform various tasks, and such equipment may be manufactured by multiple vendors. Each piece of equipment may be complex enough to handle hundreds to thousands of simultaneous connections, and different pieces of equipment may be widely dispersed across a region. Wireless base stations, for example, may be geographically distributed across a city to optimize coverage and efficiency.
To meet user demand, network operators are investing heavily in network infrastructure and new applications to increase network capacity and maintain consistent performance. Today's network infrastructure is evolving faster than ever due to significant innovations in high-speed mobile broadband, cloud-based applications, network functions virtualization (NFV), software-defined networking (SDN), carrier Ethernet, and IP virtual private networks (VPNs). These advances in network technologies are impacting the underlying networks upon all network service providers. Service providers introduce 4G technology, cloud-based infrastructure, NFV, and SDN to better scale and manage their services and infrastructure assets. These dynamics have been fueling a transformation from TDM-based bandwidth services to carrier Ethernet and layer 3 IP services such as IP-VPN and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) connectivity.
For example, NFV and SDN are two emerging technologies that are expanding the transformation of service provider network services. NFV uses virtualization technologies to design, deploy, and manage network services. NFV decouples the network functions, such as firewall, network address translation (NAT), domain name service (DNS), load balancing, WAN optimization, and intrusion detection, from dedicated hardware appliances so that these network functions can execute in software and processes running within virtual machines. SDN separates control and forwarding functions, centralizes management, and programs network behavior using well-defined interfaces. SDN enables network control to become directly programmable, and the underlying infrastructure can be abstracted from applications and network services. With SDN and NFV, service providers can provide differentiated, revenue-generating service offerings to their end customers while reducing operational costs and simplifying network management.
Another extension is Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE), which allows service providers to offer voice communication services over their high speed 4G LTE infrastructures that was traditionally used for data only, maximizing the value of service providers' investment. VoLTE is moving into mainstream production globally. As service providers are deploying VoLTE, service providers are also leveraging NFV technology to build out their VoLTE infrastructure more efficiently and cost effectively.
These disruptive technologies lead to significant challenges for network service providers because network transformation is complex and labor-intensive. Service providers need to build out network infrastructure leveraging emerging technologies while also operating within their existing infrastructure and maintaining the high quality of service end users expect.
Accommodating new technologies can increase the complexity of network operations. The increased operational complexity may include, for example, lengthy circuit turn-up time, inventory inaccuracy, challenges in accurately resolving faults, or unreliable performance for high value applications such as video and VoLTE. To handle this complexity, today's mobile, wire line, and cloud data center service providers are looking for new ways to design, implement, and manage their network infrastructures.
Conventional operations support systems (OSSs) can no longer simply be tweaked to support end-to-end management of increasingly complex network infrastructures. Conventional OSSs are systems used by service providers to manage their networks (e.g., telephone networks or data networks). Conventional OSSs provide functionality including network inventory, fault management, service provisioning, and network configuration. Conventional OSSs often utilize well-known, existing network management models to manage their network elements in service providers' network infrastructures. Well-known examples of network management models include FCAPS and OAMPT.
FCAPS stands for fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security, which are categories that define network management tasks. FCAPS is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Telecommunications Management Network model and framework for network management. Fault management is related to identifying, correcting, and logging network problems (i.e., faults) to minimize network downtime. Configuration management is related to gathering configurations from network devices and applying configurations to network devices. Configurations may be hardware and programming changes, including the addition, deletion, or modification of network equipment and programs in the communications network. Accounting management focuses on gathering network usage statistics so that individual users, departments, or business units can be properly billed for accounting purposes. Performance management is concerned with managing the overall performance of the network and ensuring that network performance remains at acceptable levels. Security management is related to protecting the network against unauthorized access.
Another well-known network management model is OAMPT. OAMPT stands for operations, administration, maintenance, provisioning, and trouble shooting. OAMPT describes five types of network management tasks: operational management, administration, maintenance, provisioning, and troubleshooting. Operational management is concerned with day-to-day normal network operations. Administration includes support procedures for day-to-day operations. The support procedures can include, for example but not limited to, common passwords, equipment and tools access, and customer service report. Maintenance focuses on configuration and hardware changes in response to system deterioration. These changes include, for example but not limited to, scheduling service provider maintenance, standard network equipment configuration changes, routine equipment checks, hardware changes, and software/firmware upgrades. Provisioning is related to configurations that add, update, and remove network hardware equipment and network services. Troubleshooting involves diagnosis of network failures.
Regardless of the management model used, existing OSSs need to be highly customized to adapt to differing network architectures of different service providers. Providers are constantly adding new services and infrastructure, and OSS software constantly needs to be updated to continue to provide useful network management applications. This often requires collaboration between separate network engineers and software developers and can lead to increased costs and development complexity.

Service information model for managing a telecommunications network


Gripping cutters have either shearing blades or blade-and-anvil cutting members. Attached to one lateral side of each cutting member is a movable jaw arranged to grip the elements being cut when the cutter is closed and to release the elements when open. Each jaw has a pair of elongate parallel pins extending from its rear face. A pair of supports affixed to each lateral side have an aperture for slidably receiving a pin. A compression spring on the pin forces the jaws together and an adjustable stop on the pin limits the extent of the jaw movement so that the relative position of the blades at the moment of release of the cut elements may be adjusted. Resilient jaw faces may be provided for gripping small and large branches simultaneously.

This invention relates to cutting devices and more particularly to cutters having two operating elements which are moved together to bring cutting elements together to cut hedges, branches, wires and other elongate elements while holding onto the distal, cut-off portion of the elements as long as the operating elements are held together.
When trimming hedges, shrubs, small tree branches and the like, the cut material may fall to the ground or into the remaining vegetation where it would be unsightly if not removed. After trimming, a second chore of clearing away the cut material must therefor be performed. When the cut vegetation is thorny, the effort may be compounded. A cutting tool that would hold the cut material until released over a waste receptacle would resolve the clean up problem. Cutting tools for cutting wire, nails and the like pose another problem. So much force is required for cutting, that the elastic energy stored in the metal is suddenly released when the cut is completed. The cut off pieces may fly off with considerable force, presenting a danger to the user as well as compounding the clean up task. A cutter that would grip the material to be cut off before the cut is completed would overcome the problem.


A transition of an address input of a memory device is detected in a CMOS circuit having a pair of AND gates Or'ed together. One AND gate receives the input bit and a delayed complement of this bit. The other AND gate receives the complement of the input bit and a delayed version of the true bit. The delays are RC circuits with time constants longer than the transition times. The output of the gates uses a pull-up device to restore a zero level after each transition is indicated. A number of these transition detectors may be OR'ed together to monitor all of the address bits of a memory device.

This invention relates to semiconductor circuits, and more particularly to a CMOS circuit for detecting transitions in an address input.
In semiconductor dynamic read/write memory devices of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,993, issued to McAlexander, White, and Rao, for example, it is sometimes desirable to detect the transition of the address bits. When static column decode is employed, a change in the column address will produce a new data output; it is preferable, however, to have an internal indication that an address transition has occurred.
It is the principal object of this invention to provide an improved address transition detector circuit, as may be used in a dynamic read/write memory device, or the like. Another object is to provide a simplified, low-power, CMOS circuit for detecting the change in an address on the input terminal of a memory device.

High speed address transition detector circuit for dynamic read/write memory


A automated manufacturing system is provided for performing a manufacturing operation along a contoured surface of a workpiece. The automated manufacturing system includes a movable member; a tool disposed on the movable member for performing a manufacturing operation; a path planning subsystem which is operable to generate path data based on dimensional data for the workpiece, where the path data is indicative of a path for traversing the tool along the surface of the workpiece; and a controller adapted to receive the path data from the path planning subsystem and operable to move the moveable member in accordance with the path data, thereby performing the manufacturing operation along the surface of the workpiece.

The present invention relates generally to an automated manufacturing system and, more particularly, a system and method for planning a tool path along a contoured surface of a workpiece in an automated manufacturing application.
Within the last decade, computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) have been extensively applied in the manufacturing industry. CAD technology is typically used to design one or more parts of a manufactured article. In the manufacturing process, automated robotic equipment is then used to weld, paint, gauge and assemble the parts into a manufactured article. For instance, a part may be painted using a paint gun that is moved along the surface of the part by a robot. Similarly, a part may be inspected for defects using a non-contact gauging sensor that is moved along the surface of the part by a robot. In either instance, CAM technology may be used to guide the motions of the robotic equipment.
In recent years, there has been a focus on how to use CAD information as a basis for determining the motions of robotic equipment used in the manufacturing process. In particular, it is desirable to use the CAD information to determine the path of the paint gun or the sensor as it moves along the surface of a part. Current approaches for planning the path of a tool along the surface of a part requires extensive human involvement. In other words, tool configuration and path planning are programmed by human operator into the controllers of the robotic equipment. As a result, the tool path planning process is time-consuming and prone to error.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an automated system and method for planning a tool path along a surface of a workpiece in surface-based manufacturing applications. As a result, the set-up time and cost to make a new part can be significantly reduced and thereby improve the quality of the manufacturing process.
In accordance with the present invention, an automated manufacturing system is provided for performing a manufacturing operation along a contoured surface of a workpiece. The automated manufacturing system includes a movable member; a tool disposed on the movable member for performing a manufacturing operation; a path planning subsystem which is operable to generate path data based on dimensional data for the workpiece, where the path data is indicative of a path for traversing the tool along the surface of the workpiece; and a controller adapted to receive the path data from the path planning subsystem and operable to move the moveable member in accordance with the path data, thereby performing the manufacturing operation along the surface of the workpiece.
For a more complete understanding of the invention, its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following specification and to the accompanying drawings.

System and method for planning a tool path along a contoured surface

Board of Trustees operating Michigan State University


A portable facial vaporizing device comprising first and second opposing fabric sections joined together along a bottom edge thereof and at adjacent portions of back and front edges thereof to form an interior pocket adapted to contain a volume of hot water. A hanging arrangement is disposed on upper back portions of said fabric portions for supporting said device on a spigot of a bath or sink such that hot water leaving said spigot will flow into said interior pocket and form a contained volume of hot water therein. At least a major portion of upper edges of said fabric portions are unjoined or free and thus form an opening for admitting and surrounding the face of a person using the device such that the person's face is exposed solely to warm vapors from said volume of hot water in said interior pocket. A disposable version may be formed from an inexpensive fabric. The device may be used for aromatherapy by placing an essential oil in the interior pocket to combine vapors therefrom with the warm water vapors bathing the user's face.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to facial vaporizing devices and more specifically to a facial vaporizing device adapted to utilize hot water flow from the spigot of a bath tub or sink to produce hot water vapor for a facial treatment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The benefits of facial sauna and vaporizing treatments for complexion care and improvement are well known and many devices have been designed for this purpose.
Many of the facial sauna and facial vapor treatment devices of the prior art utilize an electrically heated or flame heated vapor generating device together with various structural members forming a housing and means for channelling the generated vapors to an opening where the face of a person may be positioned for treatment. Examples of this type of prior art facial sauna or vaporizer systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,616,122, 4,621,641, 3,712,307, and 949,623. All of these types of devices are relatively expensive to manufacture and are difficult and time consuming to set up and operate.
Caldwell U.S. Pat. No. 1,148,953 discloses a facial steamer that relies on the hot water vapor from a pool of water sitting in a sink. The Caldwell device relies on a cylindrically shaped hood formed of a pliable material and having a bottom gasket which can seal against the sides of a round sink. A coiled spring with widely spaced coils holds the pliable material in a cylindrical configuration. The Caldwell device can only be utilized with a round sink basin and is thus inapplicable to the many different shapes of bathroom sinks which are in vogue today. Furthermore, the Caldwell device requires a relatively complicated set up of the coiled spring and fabric housing before the facial treatment can be initiated, and it is well-known that any item which requires substantial set up time tends to be used less often than a device which is simple and easy to use.
Jeffrey U.S. Pat. No. 2,032,804 teaches a lather mask which is applied to the face of a person such that virtually the entire surface area of the mask is contact with the skin of the person. Jeffrey's lather mask has a band fastened to the corners which is adapted to pass around the crown of the person's head to hold the mask snugly against the chin, mouth and cheek portions of the person's face. Thus the Jeffrey mask is not designed for treating the face with hot vapor but to put major regions of the skin of a person's face directly in contact with hot water
Graham U.S. Pat. No. 1,106,300 teaches a toilet device which may be alternatively used as a face cloth, beard softener (i.e. lather mask), or a compress. A layer or two of non-absorbent material is used as a backing for the water absorbing cloth so that the device can be packaged when wet. The Graham device is intended for direct application of a wet cloth to the surface of the skin, not for treating the skin with hot water vapor without contact of the skin area being treated with the hot water itself.
Becker U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,952 teaches a facial mask with a composite of water pervious material on the inside and water impervious material as the outside layer. The area of water pervious cloth is intended to be saturated with water and then placed against a major portion of the person's face so that the water soaked cloth is directly in contact with the skin. Thus this device is not a vapor treatment device in which only the hot vapor reaches the surface of the skin being treated.


The invention relates to a light-emitting key with multiple independently-illuminated messages for fitting to an equipment front panel, in particular for aviation equipment, the key comprising a bearing rim and a hollow key body terminated by a front, drive face covered by a mask etched with messages to be illuminated, said key body being connected to said bearing rim by means of a peripheral ligament, said body, said ligament, and said rim being made as a single piece of flexible material. According to the invention, a slab of translucent material subdivided into blocks by at least one opaque partition extending substantially perpendicularly to the front face is received inside the key body so as to extend as far as the front, drive face of the key.

The invention relates to light-emitting keys, in particular to light-emitting keys having multiple independently-illuminated messages for equipment panels, in particular in the aviation or automotive industries.
The term xe2x80x9cmessagexe2x80x9d is used to designate any type of pattern, of symbolic or alphanumeric type, generally carried on the front face of a key or a button, indicating the function of the button and, where appropriate, the state of one or more actions controlled by said key or said button.
Light-emitting keys used for aviation equipment must perform several functions in spite of their small size, which contributes to presently-encountered keys being complex. These keys must simultaneously provide both an electrical contact by applying pressure on a contactor installed on the panel, and also information by means of light signaling, in general making use of a transparent front face fitted with a message-forming mask, which is back-lit by internal lighting.
With some keys, it is advantageous to be able to have at least two different sources of light, so as to be able to illuminate two or more different messages selectively, e.g. ON and OFF, with ON being illuminated in green and OFF in red. This kind of key is referred to herein as a light-emitting key with multiple independently-illuminated messages. The light sources can be of the same color or of different colors.
Keys are known that comprise a base fitted with an electrical contactor and at least two light sources, and including a pushbutton in register with the contactor and the light sources, said button projecting from the panel. Reference can be made to document U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,718, for example. The button is constituted by a rigid body made by injection molding, which body has an internal housing for a pusher fitted with a spring forming resilient button return means and actuating the contactor. The front face of the button is closed by a label (or xe2x80x9cslidexe2x80x9d) carrying the two messages for illumination in the form of transparencies. The inside of the button body is partitioned so that each light source illuminates only one message. The inside of the button body is generally painted white so as to improve light diffusion. In addition, a gasket is fitted around the button body so as to be clamped between the button body and the panel.
The structure of such a key makes use of numerous parts, thereby making the product expensive to manufacture and to maintain. In addition, building up strips of keys on a common base is difficult. Furthermore, such keys are not completely leakproof and moisture can infiltrate between the button body and the panel in spite of the sealing gasket.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,396 describes a pushbutton of design analogous to the above pushbutton, but made in simpler manner. It comprises a partitioned cage having two translucent blocks engaged therein, the cage being inserted in a body between a slide and a light-emitting diode (LED) support, and the end result forming a rigid assembly that is associated with a return spring. In that arrangement, the translucent block performs an optical function only.
Also known are keys comprising a button that is integral with a bearing rim, to which it is connected by a flexible peripheral ligament forming the resilient return member. Electrical contact is obtained by the presence of an internal central finger integrally molded with the button and pressing against an electrical contactor carried by the panel. To obtain light-emitting keys, that type of button is molded out of a translucent material, and then its outside is painted black. The front face is then etched or fitted with a slide, e.g. by adhesive. A light-emitting key is thus obtained very simply. Unfortunately, it is not possible with that kind of key to obtain independent illumination of a plurality of messages, because the transparency of the material used would mean that the various light sources would illuminate all the messages carried by the front face equally, giving rise to confusion as to the message being signaled.
The state of the art is also illustrated by document JP-A-1 173 838. That document describes a pushbutton having a unitary element of flexible design, comprising a bearing rim and a hollow key body connected by a peripheral ligament, the body being compartmentalized by a central partition. Nevertheless, the key body is covered in a rigid cap, whose presence is made necessary by the absence of a translucent block inside the key.
Reference can also be made to document JP-A-01 211 195 which describes an analogous arrangement.
An object of the invention is to provide a light-emitting key with multiple independently-illuminated messages and that does not present the above-mentioned drawbacks and limitations.
More particularly, the invention provides a light-emitting key with multiple independently-illuminated messages for fitting to an equipment front panel, in particular for aviation equipment, the key comprising a bearing rim and a hollow key body terminated by a front, drive face covered by a mask etched with messages to be illuminated, said key body being connected to said bearing rim by means of a peripheral ligament, said body, said ligament, and said rim being made as a single piece of flexible material. According to the invention, a slab of translucent material subdivided into blocks by at least one opaque partition extending substantially perpendicularly to the front face is received inside the key body so as to extend as far as the front, drive face of the key.
The translucent block of the above-mentioned light-emitting key serves not only to convey light, but also to stiffen the body of the key which is of flexible design, thereby eliminating the need for a rigid cap.
Thus, if the panel is fitted with two different light sources, each block channels the light from one of the sources independently, with each light path being separated from the other by an opaque partition. Each source can thus illuminate a different message forming part of a common mask, each message being in register with one of the blocks.
Advantageously, the bearing rim is shaped to present a peripheral projection projecting towards the front panel and acting as a sealing gasket. Sealing is thus provided without it being necessary to fit a gasket.
In a first embodiment of the key, the blocks are joined together at the front face.
The opaque partition separates them, but the blocks are always held together by a thin ligament sandwiched between the partition and the mask. This makes the blocks easier to handle during manufacture of the key, particularly when more than two blocks are used. In addition, the above-mentioned ligament reinforces the front face of the key body.
In a variant embodiment, the blocks are separate. The two light paths are thus totally separated, optically, since the opaque partition can extend as far as the mask.
In a first aspect, the mask is a label carrying the messages to be illuminated as transparencies.
This makes it very easy to fit the mask on the front face, thus making it possible to produce light-emitting keys that are all the same and to distinguish them by the labels they carry.
In a second aspect, an opaque covering covers the drive face, allowing the messages for illumination to show through in the drive face.
The messages are easily obtained by laser etching methods. Depending on circumstances, these messages can be invisible when the light is out, or they can be made legible in daylight by means of a translucent paint.
For keys of the type including an internal finger for driving an electrical contactor of the panel, the finger is advantageously carried by the opaque partition.
In a first method of manufacturing the key, the blocks are secured in the key body by means of adhesive.
In a second implementation, the blocks snap-fasten in the key body.
In a third implementation, the key body and its partition(s), together with the associated bearing rim, are overmolded onto the blocks, being made of a material that is opaque.
The invention also provides a strip of light-emitting keys, the strip being constituted by a plurality of juxtaposed keys presenting at least one of the above-specified characteristics, the bearing rim of said keys forming a peripheral bearing rim for said strip.

Light-emitting key with multiple independently-illuminated messages, in particular for an aviation equipment panel, and a strip constituted by such keys


Methods and systems for processing transaction packets at a serial interface are disclosed. The method includes receiving transaction information at a serial interface. The method further includes executing one or more pipelined operations based on the transaction information, where the operations relate to processing of the transaction packet. The method is performed such that the serial interface is configured to send and receive transaction packets at a line speed of the serial bus.

In multiprocessor computing environments and other complex computing systems, high frequency, high throughput data communication buses are necessary to avoid latencies incurred in moving data among components of a computing system, such as processors, memories, and other peripheral devices. Many modern systems use high speed serial communication channels as system buses to transmit data among the components of the system.
One such high speed serial communication channel is a PCI Express system bus. PCI Express system buses require a PCI Express compatible interface associated with each component to which the bus connects. The interface sends and receives data from the system components connected to the PCI Express bus. To do so, the interface must send and receive transaction packets on the bus and manage the parallelization/serialization of that data. The interface must also determine the type of transaction to be performed using header information contained in the received data, or must prepare transaction packets for other systems/interfaces to decode.
Many serial interfaces implement a single finite state machine controller which, using the header information, distributes commands based on the transaction to be performed based on the transaction packet. Such serial interfaces generally receive a serial transaction packet in its entirety, then process the header information contained in the packet and manage the data in the packet according to the decoded header information. The header decoding and/or data management can consume a number of system clock cycles to accomplish in the finite state machine controller, which can cause delay in processing the transaction packet.
An example operational flow of an existing serial interface state machine controller is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In such an existing system, header receipt, data receipt, data processing, and data management steps occur sequentially, introducing latency into the system based on the processing time for the interface to decode the header and generate data routing signals.
Certain serial bus protocols do not prohibit sending or receiving a transaction on each bus clock cycle. For example, a PCI Express system bus may operate using a two nanosecond clock cycle, and may hold a separate transaction on each clock cycle. Systems using a slow-processing finite state machine controller may not be able to support such line speed bus activity. This is because certain transactions can take more than one bus clock cycle to decode the header information and appropriately route the data in the transaction packet. In these cases, latency may need to be introduced into the system, such as by storing and delaying processing of an inbound transaction packet, or by introducing an idle character onto the bus. Adding latency to the system bus lowers the maximum throughput, or bandwidth, at the interface.
For these and other reasons, improvements are desired.

Line speed sequential transaction packet processing


A variable displacement vane compressor for an air conditioning system used in an automobile has a cylinder assembly having a bore which receives a rotor to form at least one crescent or compressing chamber between the rotor and the bore. The crescent chamber receives a refrigerant which is returned from the air conditioning system. The rotor has vanes which are extendably fitted therein so that the free end of the vanes are in contact with the circumferential inner surface of the bore during the rotation of the rotor, whereby when the vane passes through the crescent chamber, the refrigerant received therein can be compressed. The amount of the refrigerant introduced into the crescent chamber is adjustable in response to a change of a cooling load at the air conditioning system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary vane compressor for an air conditioning system used in a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly, relates to a variable displacement vane compressor which comprises a cylinder assembly including a cylindrical body having a bore and opposed end wall members secured to the opposed ends of the cylindrical body, respectively, for closing open ends of the bore, and a rotor disposed within the bore for rotation so as to form at least one crescent chamber between the rotor and the bore of the cylinder assembly for receiving a refrigerant, the rotor having at least one vane which is extendably fitted in the rotor so that the free end of the vane is in contact with the circumferential inner wall surface of the bore during the rotation of the rotor, whereby when the vane passes through the crescent chamber, the refrigerant is capable of being compressed, wherein an amount of the refrigerant which is introduced into the crescent chamber is adjustable in response to a change of a cooling load at the air conditioning system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a variable displacement vane compressor used in an air conditioning system for a vehicle such as an automobile is driven by the motor of the automobile, and the room temperature of the automobile is adjustable to a temperature at which a driver and passengers feel comfortable under ambient conditions. When a cooling load which the air conditioning system must bear becomes very high, the compressor must be run at the maximum cooling capacity thereof, whereas when the cooling load becomes lower, the compressor must be run at a lower cooling capacity. When the room temperature once reaches a comfortable temperature, preferably the compressor is run at the low cooling capacity at which the comfortable temperature can be maintained.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No 59-99089, filed by the same applicant, discloses a variable displacement vane compressor wherein an amount of the refrigerant, which is introduced into the crescent chamber, is adjustable in response to a pressure change of the refrigerant returned from the evaporator of the air conditioning system to the compressor. Particularly, the compressor is constructed so that an opening area for introducing the refrigerant from a suction chamber of the compressor, which is connected to the evaporator of the air conditioning system, into the crescent chamber can be throttled in response to a pressure change of the refrigerant within the suction chamber. When the air conditioning system is under a high cooling load, a large amount of the refrigerant is evaporated in the evaporator and the pressure of the refrigerant is increased within the suction chamber. Accordingly, in the compressor, as the pressure of the refrigerant is further increased in the suction chamber, the opening area is made larger so that a larger amount of the refrigerant is introduced from the suction chamber into the crescent or compressing chamber, whereby the compressor can be run at a higher cooling capacity. Conversely, when the air conditioning system is under a low cooling load, the refrigerant pressure of the suction chamber is further lowered. In this case, the throttling of the opening area for introducing the refrigerant from the suction chamber into the compressing chamber is increased so that a smaller amount of the refrigerant is introduced from the suction chamber into the compressing chamber, whereby the compressor is run at a lower cooling capacity.
This conventional compressor can be run efficiently at a high operation speed, because the best throttling effect of the opening area can be obtained only at such a high operation speed. Namely, at a low speed operation, it is impossible to obtain the optimum throttling effect of the opening area. This is because, although the opening area is throttled and made small, a relatively large amount of the refrigerant may be introduced from the suction chamber into the compressing chamber due to the low speed operation, and thus the compressor cannot operate at optimum efficiency at the low cooling capacity during a low speed operation. The running or operation speed of the compressor depends upon the engine speed of an automobile, and when the automobile is driven at a low speed, the compressor must run at a low operation speed. Accordingly, if the compressor is required to be run at a low cooling capacity, it is impossible to meet this requirement for the reasons mentioned above.
The same inventors have proposed a variable displacement vane compressor wherein a compression stroke carried out by the vane is adjustable in response to a pressure change of the refrigerant within the suction chamber of the compressor, whereby an amount of the compressed refrigerant discharged from the compressor into the air conditioning system can be varied in response to a change of a cooling load at the air conditioning system. Particularly, this compressor includes an annular plate member rotatably disposed between one of the end wall members of the cylinder assembly and the cylindrical body thereof. The annular plate member has an actuator slot formed therein which is extended in a direction of rotation of the vane and which opens into the crescent or compressing chamber. The vane passes through the crescent chamber in such a manner that it divides the crescent chamber into a front section and rear section, with a volume of the front section being gradually decreased while a volume of the rear section is gradually increased. While the vane advances along the arcuate slot of the annular plate member, a part of the refrigerant received in the front section is allowed to escape into the rear section through the arcuate slot, and thus a compression stroke carried out by the vane starts just after the vane have passed through the arcuate slot of the annular plate member. With this arrangement, it is possible to adjust the compression stroke by moving the annular plate member having the arcuate slot in a direction of rotation of the vane; the movement of the annular plate member being carried out in response to a pressure change of the refrigerant within the suction chamber of the compressor.
This vane compressor can be run at optimum efficiency only when a speed of operation thereof, which depends upon the engine speed of the automobile, is low. This is because, when the speed of operation is high, a part of the refrigerant received in the front crescent chamber section cannot properly escape into the rear crescent chamber section through the arcuate slot of the annular plate member, due to the inertia of the refrigerant gas.

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho


An annealing process for a TMR or GMR sensor having an amorphous free layer is disclosed and employs at least two annealing steps. A first anneal at a temperature T1 of 200° C. to 270° C. and for a t1 of 0.5 to 15 hours is employed to develop the pinning in the AFM and pinned layers. A second anneal at a temperature T2 of 260° C. to 400° C. where T2>T1 and t1>t2 is used to crystallize the amorphous free layer and complete the pinning. An applied magnetic field of about 8000 Oe is used during both anneal steps. The mechanism for forming a sensor with high MR and robust pinning may involve structural change in the tunnel barrier or at an interface between two of the layers in the spin valve stack. A MgO tunnel barrier and a CoFe/CoB free layer are preferred.

A TMR sensor otherwise known as a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) is a key component (memory element) in magnetic devices such as Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) and a magnetic read head. A TMR sensor typically has a stack of layers with a configuration in which two ferromagnetic layers are separated by a thin non-magnetic insulator layer. The sensor stack in a so-called bottom spin valve configuration is generally comprised of a seed (buffer) layer, anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) layer, pinned layer, tunnel barrier layer, free layer, and capping layer that are sequentially formed on a substrate. The free layer serves as a sensing layer that responds to external fields (media field) while the pinned layer is relatively fixed and functions as a reference layer. The electrical resistance through the tunnel barrier layer (insulator layer) varies with the relative orientation of the free layer moment compared with the reference layer moment and thereby converts magnetic signals into electrical signals. In a magnetic read head, the TMR sensor is formed between a bottom shield and a top shield. When a sense current is passed from the top shield to the bottom shield (or top conductor to bottom conductor in a MRAM device) in a direction perpendicular to the planes of the TMR layers (CPP designation), a lower resistance is detected when the magnetization directions of the free and reference layers are in a parallel state ("1" memory state) and a higher resistance is noted when they are in an anti-parallel state or "0" memory state. Alternatively, a TMR sensor may be configured as a current in plane (CIP) structure which indicates the direction of the sense current.
A giant magnetoresistive (GMR) head is another type of memory device. In this design, the insulator layer between the pinned layer and free layer in the TMR stack is replaced by a non-magnetic conductive layer such as copper. A GMR-CPP configuration is more desirable than a GMR-CIP design for ultra-high density applications because a stronger output signal is achieved as the sensor size decreases, and the magnetoresistive (MR) ratio is higher for a CPP structure.
In the TMR stack, the pinned layer may have a synthetic anti-ferromagnetic (SyAF) configuration in which an outer pinned layer is magnetically coupled through a coupling layer to an inner pinned (AP1) layer that contacts the tunnel barrier. The outer pinned (AP2) layer has a magnetic moment that is fixed in a certain direction by exchange coupling with the adjacent AFM layer which is magnetized in the same direction. The tunnel barrier layer is so thin that a current through it can be established by quantum mechanical tunneling of conduction electrons.
A TMR sensor is currently the most promising candidate for replacing a GMR sensor in upcoming generations of magnetic recording heads. An advanced TMR sensor may have a cross-sectional area of about 0.1 microns×0.1 microns at the air bearing surface (ABS) plane of the read head. The advantage of a TMR sensor is that a substantially higher MR ratio can be realized than for a GMR sensor. In addition to a high MR ratio, a high performance TMR sensor requires a low areal resistance RA (area×resistance) value, a free layer with low magnetostriction (λ) and low coercivity (Hc), a strong pinned layer, and low interlayer coupling (Hin) through the barrier layer. The MR ratio (also referred to as TMR ratio) is dR/R where R is the minimum resistance of the TMR sensor and dR is the change in resistance observed by changing the magnetic state of the free layer. A higher dR/R improves the readout speed. For high recording density or high frequency applications, RA must be reduced to about 1 to 3 ohm-um2.
A MgO based MTJ is a very promising candidate for high frequency recording applications because its tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) ratio is significantly higher than for MTJs with an AlOx or TiOx tunnel barrier. An MR ratio of ˜200% has been achieved at room temperature in epitaxial Fe(001)/MgO(001)/Fe(001) and polycrystalline FeCo(001)/MgO(001)/(Fe70CO30)80B20 MTJs as reported by Yuasa et. al in "Giant room-temperature magnetoresistance in single crystal Fe/MgO/Fe magnetic tunnel junctions", Nature Materials 3, 868-871 (2004) and by Parkin et al in "Giant tunneling magnetoresistance at room temperature with MgO (100) tunnel barriers", Nature Materials 3, 862-867 (2004). S. Yuasa et al. also reported in "Giant magnetoresistance up to 410% at room temperature in fully epitaxial Co/MgO/Co magnetic tunnel junctions with bcc Co(001) electrodes", Applied Phys. Letters 89, 042505 (2006) that a TMR ratio as high as 410% at RT can be achieved in a fully epitaxial Fe(001)/Co(001)/MgO(001)/Co structure. In addition, Djayaprawira et. al showed that MTJs having a CoFeB/MgO(001)/CoFeB structure made by conventional sputtering can also have a very high MR ratio (230%) with the advantages of better flexibility and uniformity in "230% room temperature magnetoresistance in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions", Physics Letters 86, 092502 (2005). However, RA values in the MTJs mentioned above are in the range of 240 to 10000 ohm-um2 which is too high for read head applications.
K. Tsunekawa et. al in "Giant tunneling magnetoresistance effect in low resistance CoFeB/MgO(001)/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions for read head applications", Applied Physics Letters 87, 072503 (2005) found a reduction in RA by inserting a DC-sputtered metallic Mg layer between a bottom CoFeB layer and RF-sputtered MgO. The Mg layer improves the crystal orientation of the MgO(001) layer when the MgO(001) layer is thin. The MR ratio of CoFeB/Mg/MgO/CoFeB MTJs can reach 138% at RA=2.4 ohm-μm2. The idea of metallic Mg insertion was initially disclosed by Linn in U.S. Pat. No. 6,841,395 to prevent oxidation of the bottom electrode (CoFe) in a CoFe/MgO/NiFe MTJ structure where the MgO tunnel barrier is formed by RF sputtering. Furthermore, a Ta getter pre-sputtering prior to the RF-sputtered MgO layer can achieve a 55% TMR ratio with RA=0.4 ohm-μm2 as reported by Y. Nagamine et al. in "Ultralow resistance-area product of 0.4 ohm-μm2 and high magnetoresistance above 50% in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic junctions", Applied Phys. Letters 89, 162507 (2006).
Although a high MR ratio and low RA has been demonstrated in MTJs based on a MgO tunnel barrier, the remaining challenge is to make the free layer magnetically soft (low Hc and low λ) without sacrificing TMR ratio to meet the requirement of high performance read head applications. In order to achieve a smaller Hc but still maintain a high TMR ratio, the industry tends to use CoFeB as the free layer in a TMR sensor. Unfortunately, the magnetostriction (λ) of a CoFeB free layer is considerably greater than the maximum acceptable value of about 5×106 for high density recording applications. A free layer made of a CoFe/NiFe composite has been employed instead of CoFeB because of its low λ and soft magnetic properties as described in US Patent Application 2007/0015293. In related US Patent Application 2007/0111332, a Mg/MgO/Mg barrier layer, CoFe/NiFe free layer, and a low temperature anneal of 250° C. to 300° C. is disclosed. However, when using a CoFe/NiFe free layer, the TMR ratio will degrade.
U.S. Patent Application 2007/0063237 describes a first annealing to set the pinned layer and a second annealing at a lower temperature and lower magnetic field to achieve an offset angle for the free layer magnetization with respect to the pinned layer magnetization direction.
U.S. Patent application 2006/0255383 discusses changes in MTJ resistance and TMR ratio as a function of annealing temperature between RT and 350° C.
In U.S. Patent Application 2007/0012952, an annealing process involving a temperature between 150° C. and 250° C. and a magnetic field from 200 to 2000 Oe is disclosed. U.S. Patent Applications 2007/0263429 and 2007/0176251 teach a higher temperature annealing in the range of 340° C. to 360° C.
It is also known in the art that a CoFe/CoFeB, CoFeB, or CoB free layer is able to achieve high dR/R and low λ with relatively low annealing temperature (<300° C.). However, the magnetic properties of a CoFeB. CoFe/CoFeB, or CoB free layer are very sensitive to the annealing process due to structural change of the amorphous CoFeB and CoB materials during anneal. With high annealing temperature and long annealing time, a high dR/R can be realized because of crystallization of the amorphous CoFeB or CoB layer, especially near the interface with the tunnel barrier. Unfortunately, crystallization of CoFeB or CoB may lead to harder magnetic properties such as high Hc in Co-rich CoFeB or CoB. One must also be concerned about the effect of the annealing temperature on pinning strength in MTJ devices. Therefore, the annealing process for MTJs based on MgO tunnel barriers and amorphous free layers needs further improvement in order to meet all the requirements of a high performance read head.

Two step annealing process for TMR device with amorphous free layer


A color solid state image pick-up apparatus comprises an optical system which separates incident light into a brightness light component and a plurality of color light components, a first solid state image pick-up device having photoelectric converting units disposed at a position of a light image of the brightness light component and a group of second solid state image pick-up devices with their photoelectric converting units disposed at positions respectively corresponding to positions of light images of the color light components.. Each one of the second solid state image pick-up devices includes charge transfer electrodes and a charge detection element. There are provided first drive circuit which drives the first solid state image pick-up device for sequentially detecting signal charges corresponding to respective photoelectric converting units of the first solid state image pick-up device, and a second drive circuit which drives the second solid state image pick-up devices so as to synthesize signal charges which are sequentially transferred through portions beneath at least two charge transfer electrodes of at least one second solid state image device to enter into the charge detection elements thus producing a color signal.

This invention relates to a color solid state image pick-up apparatus utilizing a solid state image pick-up device comprising a charge transfer element.
Generally, a solid state image pick-up device comprising a charge transfer element utilizes polycrystalline silicon as an electrode for transfering electric charge and in most cases incident light is irradiated from the side of such charge transfer electrode so that the incident light is absorbed by the polycrystalline silicon thus degrading the sensitivity. According to one method of improving the sensitivity, a semiconductor substrate of the solid state image pick-up device is made thin so as to irradiate the incident light on the side of the substrate opposite the charge transfer side (that is the rear surface) thereby decreasing the adverse effect caused by the polycrystalline silicon. But until today, a sensitivity comparable with that of such image pick-up tubes as Visicon and Saticon (both tradenames) could not be attained.

Color solid state image pick-up apparatus