A viscosity index improver containing a copolymer (A) whose essential constituent monomer is a monomer (a) having a number average molecular weight of 800 to 4,000 represented by the following formula (1), the copolymer (A) having a solubility parameter in the range of 9.00 to 9.40:

Lubricating oils such as ATF, CVTF, and MTF for automobile transmissions become less viscous as the temperature increases. For practical use, however, it is preferred that the viscosity hardly changes in a broad range from low to high temperatures, i.e., the viscosity index is high. Recent means to increase the fuel efficiency include reducing the viscosity of a lubricating oil to reduce the viscosity resistance. Yet, reducing the viscosity of a lubricating oil may cause various problems such as oil leakage and galling due to too low viscosity at high temperatures.
As a means to improve the fuel efficiency, a method that uses a viscosity index improver has been proposed. A lubricating oil having a higher viscosity index has lower viscosity resistance at low temperatures, leading to an improvement of the fuel efficiency. Thus, a method including adding a viscosity index improver to a lubricating oil to improve the temperature dependence of the viscosity has been widely used. Known examples of such a viscosity index improver include a methacrylic acid ester copolymer (Patent Literature 1), an olefin copolymer (Patent Literature 2), and a macromonomer copolymer (Patent Literatures 3 to 8).
Yet, the lubricating oil composition is still insufficient in viscosity index-improving effect, long-term shear stability, and low-temperature characteristics at start up.

Viscosity index improver and lubricating oil composition

Abstract: wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; —X1— is a group represented by —O—, —O(AO)m—, or —NH—, AO is a C2-C4 alkyleneoxy group, m is an integer of 1 to 10, each AO may be the same or different when m is 2 or more, and the (AO)m moieties may be randomly bonded or block-bonded; R2 is a residue after removal of one hydrogen atom from a hydrocarbon polymer whose essential constituent monomer is butadiene in which the butadiene is present in a proportion of 50% by weight or more based on the weight of R2, or after removal of one hydrogen atom from a polymer formed by partial hydrogenation of the hydrocarbon polymer; and p represents a number of 0 or 1.


The present invention is directed to a scratch-resistant composition for golf equipment comprising at least one polysiloxane having at least one functional group, at least one reactant having a functional group that is reactive to the at least one functional group of the at least one polysiloxane, and a plurality of particles further comprising inorganic, organic and composite particles, wherein the composition shows an improvement in scratch resistance. The present invention is also directed to golf equipment such as golf ball coated with the scratch-resistant composition. The present is also directed to methods of coating golf equipment with the scratch-resistant composition.

Materials used in forming golf ball covers, such as balata, SURLYN®, and urethane elastomer, suffer from scratching, abrasion and shear produced by multiple oblique hits by a golf club. It is known that coatings can be applied to the surface of golf balls to increase the abrasion resistance of the coated surfaces but the results achieved with the use of such coatings have not entirely met the requirements of the golfing public. Thus, there is a need to improve the scratch resistance of such coating materials.
More than five hundred million golf balls are produced each year. Most of these balls have covers molded from the ionomeric resin SURLYN® or its counterparts and, to a lesser extent, balata (i.e., trans polyisoprene) and polyurethane. Conventionally, coating compositions are applied to the ball surface to protect the ball, the identifying indicia and any paint layers, and to add a pleasing appearance to the ball due to their high gloss. Typically such coatings comprise a clear primer coat and a clear top coat, and for certain applications a single top coat may suffice. The primer layer is applied to promote adhesion or to smooth the surface roughness before the top coat(s) are added to the golf ball. Coating compositions are generally free of pigmentation and are water white. However, they may contain small amounts of dye, pigment, and optical brighteners so long as they still allow for a bright ball cover. In golf balls of the type described above, the various identifying indicia may be applied either directly upon or alternatively upon the cover, the primer coat or the top coat.
Coating composition materials are well known in the art. Generally, they consist of urethanes, urethane hybrids, polyesters and acrylics. In particular, a cured polyurethane top coat is most widely used as a protective coating composition material. Polyurethane systems are typically either "one component" or "two component" systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,491 to Hatch et al., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, relates to a polyurethane topcoat composition for golf balls comprising at least three components: (a) a polyol component, (b) an isocynate component, and (c) a hydroxyl functional, polyether-modified polysiloxane copolymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,837 to Hogge et al., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, relates to golf equipment having a coating comprising (a) a reactive component A of a polyol, (b) a reactive component B of an isocyanate, (c) a colloidal silica, (d) a coupling agent to react with the colloidal silica, and (e) a solvent.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,657,001 to Anderson et al., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, relates to coating compositions comprising (a) one or more polysiloxanes having at least one reactive functional group, (b) at least one reactant having one reactive functional group, and (c) a plurality of particles selected from inorganic particles and composite particles. However, the coating composition according to this reference is used only as automotive coatings, and the use of the composition on golf equipments is not taught or suggested in this reference.
There remains a need for scratch-resistant coating compositions for golf equipment comprising at least one polysiloxane having at least one functional group, at least one reactant having a functional group that is reactive to the at least one functional group of the at least one polysiloxane, and a plurality of particles such as inorganic, organic or composite particles, such that these compositions may be applied to golf equipment, in particular golf balls, range balls, golf clubs, golf shoes, drive heads, and golf bags, for improving the scratch resistance of the coated surfaces.

Scratch resistant coating compositions for golf equipment


The present application discloses a negative electrode active material and a method for preparation thereof, a secondary battery, and an apparatus including the secondary battery. The negative electrode active material includes a core and a coating layer covering a surface of the core, the core includes artificial graphite, the coating layer includes amorphous carbon, the negative electrode active material has a surface area average particle size D(3,2) denoted as A, the negative electrode active material has a surface area average particle size D(3,2) denoted as B after powder compaction under a pressure of 20 kN, and the negative electrode active material satisfies: 72%≤B/A×100%≤82%.

Secondary batteries have been widely used because of their characteristics such as reliable performance, no pollution, and no memory effect. For example, with the increasing attention to environmental protection issues and the increasing popularity of new energy vehicles, the demand for power-type secondary batteries is showing an explosive growth. However, as the application range of secondary batteries becomes wider and wider, severe challenges are also posed to the performance of secondary batteries. Energy density affects endurance of secondary batteries (that is, usage time after one charge). Therefore, the development of secondary battery technology needs to be based on high energy density. However, the inventors found that, when the energy density of a battery is relatively high, its fast charging performance and cycle life are usually relatively poor.
Therefore, how to enable a secondary battery to have high energy density, fast charging capability and cycle performance at the same time is an important aspect in the research and development of the secondary battery.

Negative electrode active material and method for preparation thereof, secondary battery, and apparatus including secondary battery

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited


A data sending method and a base station is provided. The method includes: determining a coverage zone set to a covered state in a cell at a current moment, where the cell includes multiple coverage zones, at least one set to the covered state in the cell at one moment, and coverage zones set to the covered state at different moments are different; obtaining a common channel beam of the cell at the current moment, where the common channel beam of the cell at the current moment points to the coverage zone set to the covered state in the cell at the current moment; and sending the common channel beam of the cell at the current moment to the coverage zone set to the covered state in the cell at the current moment.

As a mobile service develops, the mobile service imposes an increasingly high requirement for spectral efficiency of wireless communications. A manner to improve the spectral efficiency is a multiple-antenna technology, that is, a base station is configured with multiple antennas. Different user terminals in a cell of the base station require different service data. Therefore, the base station can perform BF (beamforming) on data carried by a service channel to obtain service channel beams of different user terminals, and then send the service channel beams to the user terminals by using the multiple antennas, thereby efficiently using channel spatial irrelevance.
However, data carried by a common channel needs to provide a service for UEs in an entire cell. Therefore, the base station broadcasts the data carried by the common channel across the entire cell. As shown in FIG. 1, for the data carried by the common channel, the base station uses a sending manner of broadcasting, and for the data carried by the service channel, the base station uses a sending manner of BF. Consequently, a coverage area of the data carried by the common channel is smaller than a coverage area of the data carried by the service channel.


A hydraulic grapple assembly couples to a link pivot and to a dipper pivot of an arm of an equipment. The assembly includes a grapple having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw. The fixed jaw extends in a direction substantially parallel to an imaginary line drawn between the link pivot and the dipper pivot when the grapple assembly is coupled to the arm. A distal end of the fixed jaw is positioned closer to the link pivot than to the dipper pivot when the grapple is coupled to the arm. The movable jaw has a proximal end coupled to a proximal end of the fixed jaw by an articulation. A hydraulic grapple actuator moves a distal end of the movable jaw between open and closed positions relative to a distal end of the fixed jaw. The grapple assembly can include a hydraulic swinger mechanism that rotates the grapple about an axis that is approximately aligned with the imaginary line through the dipper pivot and the link pivot.

The invention relates to a hydraulic grapple for attachment to a movable arm.
Hydraulic grapples have two jaws that can move relative to each other to clamp onto objects. Similar to many other construction industry tools, such as buckets and the like, grapples can couple to a dipper stick at the end of an articulated arm of a heavy construction equipment. Grapples typically include structure that couples to the end of the arm's dipper stick at a dipper pivot, and structure that couples to a linkage to the arm's bucket cylinder at a link pivot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,471 describes a grapple that includes a front jaw strut that is articulated from the dipper pivot and is coupled to the link pivot. The rear jaw is articulated from a part of the front jaw that extends past the dipper pivot. A strut extends from the back side of the rear jaw and connects to the underside of the dipperstick. Extending the rod of the bucket cylinder on the arm closes the front jaw against the rear jaw, and retracting the bucket cylinder rod opens the grapple.
Strut-type grapples can also couple indirectly to the equipment arm with the use of a tool coupler. For example, the QC Grapple, provided by Wain-Roy, Inc. of Hubbardston, Mass., is designed to work with the Wain-Roy TOOLHITCHO.RTM. Coupler System, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,428.
Other grapples lack the strut to the rear jaw. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,929 describes a clam-type grapple having two movable jaws, each articulated from a coupling portion and each actuated by a hydraulic cylinder. The coupling portion connects to both the dipper pivot and to the link pivot.
Some strutless grapples include a rotation mechanism. For example, the clam-type grapple described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,929 includes a mechanism that rotates the grapple about an axis that bisects the angle between the jaws. The rotation axis is approximately perpendicular to an imaginary line that extends through the dipper pivot and the link pivot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,114 also describes a grapple having a mechanism for rotating the grapple about a similarly oriented axis. This grapple differs from the clam-type grapple in that it has a fixed jaw attached to the rotation mechanism. A proximal end of a movable jaw is articulated from a proximal end of the fixed jaw closest to the coupling to the arm of the equipment. The fixed jaw is substantially aligned with the rotation axis. A single grapple cylinder actuates the movable jaw. In both types of grapples with rotation mechanisms, extending and retracting the bucket cylinder rotates the entire grapple around the dipper pivot.

Hydraulic grapple assembly with side rotation mechanism


This invention relates to a digital/analog converter circuit, a level shift circuit, a shift-register containing this level shift circuit, a sampling latch circuit and a latch circuit as well as a liquid crystal display (LCD) device. The LCD device includes an integrated drive circuit integrated and a digital/analog converter circuit. The digital/analog converter circuit has a matrix of polysilicon thin film transistors positioned on the substrate, as switching devices for the pixels. The shift register includes a level shift circuit and a sampling latch circuit These circuits may be incorporated into a single scanning type structural circuit with the drive circuit-integrated LCD device to provide an LCD panel with a narrow picture frame, stable level shift operation, stable sampling & latch operation in a circuit having an extremely small number of components, low power consumption and a small surface area.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a digital/analog converter circuit and a liquid crystal display (LCD) incorporating the digital/analog converter circuit and relates in particular to a so-called drive-circuit-integrated liquid crystal display in which a reference voltage selector type digital/analog converter circuit and a drive circuit containing this digital/analog converter circuit are integrally formed on a substrate on which polysilicon thin film transistors are arrayed in a matrix as switching devices for the pixels.
This invention also relates to a level shift circuit, a shift register using this level shift circuit and a liquid crystal display device incorporating this level shift circuit and shift register, and relates in particular to a level shift circuit having a basic structure comprised of CMOS latch cells, a shift register utilizing this level shift circuit in each level shift of the clock signal at each transfer stage, and a so-called drive-circuit-integrated liquid crystal display incorporating this level shift circuit or shift register as a circuit to configure the scanning circuit.
This invention also relates to a sampling latch circuit, a latch circuit and a liquid crystal display (LCD) incorporating the latch circuit and relates in particular to a sampling latch circuit having a level shift function and a basic structure comprised of CMOS latch cells, a latch circuit and a so-called drive circuit-integrated liquid crystal display device incorporating the sampling circuit and the latch circuit as circuits to configure the scanning circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital interface drive circuit integrated onto the same substrate as the pixel section by thin film transistors (TFT) and comprising a drive-circuit-integrated liquid crystal display of the related art is shown in FIG. 34. A first and a second horizontal drives 702, 703 are mounted above and below an effective pixel region 701 arrayed with pixels in a matrix, and for instance, a vertical drive system 704 is installed on the left side in FIG. 34 and integrated onto the same substrate (hereafter called LCD panel) along with the effective pixel region 701 of thin film transistors.
The first horizontal drive 702 is comprised of a horizontal shift register 721, a sampling & first latch circuit 722, a second latch circuit 723 and a DA (digital/analog) converter circuit 724. The second horizontal drive 703 is comprised, the same as the first horizontal drive 702 of a horizontal shift register 731, sampling & first latch circuit 732, a second latch circuit 733 and a DA (digital/analog) converter circuit 734. The vertical drive system 704 is comprised of a vertical shift register 741.
A significant problem that occurs when the above described drive circuit/liquid crystal display device of the related art is fabricated is the size of the surface area forming the drive circuit on the LCD panel or in other words, the peripheral area (hereafter called the picture frame) of the effective pixel region 701. The circuit surface area of the DA converter circuits 724, 734 is particularly important because the size of the LCD panel picture frame is determined by these DA converter circuits 724, 734 area. A reference voltage selector type is widely utilized as the DA converter circuit for the drive-circuit-integrated liquid crystal display. The reason being that the reference voltage selector type has less variation in terms of output voltage potential.
The circuit structure of a reference voltage selector type DA converter circuit is shown in FIG. 35. This circuit shows a 3-bit 8-step DA converter structure. In this DA converter circuit as clearly shown in FIG. 35, step selector units 708-0 through 708-7 comprising a selector circuit 705, latch circuit 706 and decode circuit 707 are formed for each step (reference voltages Vref F0 through Vref7).
However, in the structure shown for the DA converter structure, since a latch circuit 706 and decoder circuit 707 are formed for each step, as clearly shown in the circuit structure of FIG. 35, an extremely large number of elements comprises the circuit so that when attempting to form a multi-step DA converter circuit of TFT components, the surface area of the circuit becomes extremely large. Consequently, when mounting the converter circuit on the liquid crystal display device, the TCD panel picture frame size is large, creating the problem that the overall device cannot be made compact.
A method was proposed for a circuit structure combining the reference voltage selector type DA converter circuit with a switching capacitor in order to reduce the size of the circuit surface area. However, this circuit structure required a buffer circuit so that the current consumption required just by the buffer circuit created the problem of a large increase in overall circuit power consumption.
An example of a level shift circuit comprised of CMOS devices is shown in the related art 1 in FIG. 13. In the level shift circuit of this related art 1, a CMOS latch cell 101A has a basic structure comprised of a an N channel MOS (hereafter simply NMOS) transistor Qn101A with a source connected to ground and a gate supplied by an input signal in1, an NMOS transistor Qn102A with a source connected to ground and a gate supplied with an input signal in2, a P channel MOS (hereafter simply PMOS) transistor Qp101A connected between power supply VDD and drain of NMOS transistor Qn101A with a gate connected to the drain of NMOS transistor Qn102A, a PMOS transistor Qp101A connected between the drain of NMOS transistor Qn102A and power supply VDD with a gate connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor Qn101A.
In the level shift circuit of the related art 1 for instance, a low voltage amplitude signal of 3 volts is input as signal in1, and a signal in2 is input as an inverted signal of in1. These low voltage amplitude three volt input signals in1 and in2 appear in the drains of the NMOS transistors Qn101A, Qn102A as the amplitude of the power supply VDD circuit. The respective drain outputs of the NMOS transistors Qn101A, Qn102A are output as an inverted output signal xout by way of the inverter 103A and an output signal out by way of the inverter 102A. In this way, the low voltage amplitude signals in1, in2 are level-shifted to a high voltage amplitude signal out and xout of the power supply VDD.
A level shift circuit of the related art 2 is shown in FIG. 14A. In the level shift circuit of this related art 2, a CMOS latch cell 201A has a differential amplifier structure comprised of a an N channel MOS (hereafter simply-NMOS) transistor Qn201A with a source connected to ground and a gate supplied by an input signal in1, an NMOS transistor Qn202A with a source connected to ground and a gate supplied with an input signal in2, a diode-connected P channel MOS transistor Qp201A connected between power supply VDD and drain of NMOS transistor Qn201A, and a PMOS transistor Qp202A connected between the drain of NMOS transistor Qn202A and power supply VDD and sharing a common gate with the NMOS transistor Qp201A.
In the level shift circuit of the related art 2 for instance, a low voltage amplitude signal of 3 volts is input as signal in, and a signal in2 is input as an inverted signal of in1. This low voltage amplitude three volt input signal in1 appears in the drains of the NMOS transistors Qn202A as the amplitude of the power supply VDD circuit. The drain output of the NMOS transistor Qn202A is output as an output signal out by way of the inverter 202A. In this way, the low voltage amplitude signal in1 is level-shifted to a high voltage amplitude signal out of the power supply VDD.
However, in the above level shift circuits of the related art 1 and 2, a voltage sufficient to tun on the NMOS transistors Qn101A, Qn201A or the NMOS transistors Qn102A, Qp202A is required as the amplitude of the input signals in1, in2. In other words, a transistor threshold voltage of Vth or higher is required and when this condition cannot be satisfied, the level circuit will not operate. Accordingly, when attempting to shift the level of the applicable circuit to the required high voltage by using a level shift circuit input comprised of an output signal for example of a CMOS-LSI device of approximately three volts utilizing a TFT (thin film transistor) with a large threshold voltage Vth, the problem occurs that a stable level shift sometimes cannot be obtained.
Also, though the level shift circuit of the related art 2 has a small area and high speed operation compared to the level shift circuit of the related art 1, since the PMOS transistors Qp201A, Qp202A comprise the current mirror circuit, when the NMOS transistor Qn202A is on, current is flowing in the PMOS transistors Qp201A, Qp202A so that the related art 2 has the problem of large current consumption.
The circuit structure shown in FIG. 15A was proposed to resolve the above problems with the level shift circuits with TFT (thin film transistors). This level shift circuit of the related art 3 was basically comprised of a CMOS latch cell 30 having a differential amplifier structure comprising NMOS transistors Qn301A, Qn302A, and PMOS transistors Qp301A, Qp302A. In this circuit, the input signals in1, in2 were not input as is, into the gates of the NMOS transistors Qn301A, Qn302A of the CMOS latch cell (differential amplifier) 301A, instead, an input was made to these gates after performing a DC shift to a level higher than the threshold voltage of these transistors.
In other words, the input signals in1, in2 were input to the NMOS transistors Qn301A, Qn302A by way of the NMOS transistors Qn303A, Qn304A. At the same time, signals with a polarity opposite the gate input of the NMOS transistors Qn301A, Qn302A, or in other words the input signals in2, in1 were input to the sources of the NMOS transistors Qn301A, Qn302A in order to reliably compare the input signals in1, in2. A current mirror was therefore comprised of the NMOS transistors Qn303A, Qn304A connected to a diode-connected NMOS transistor Qn305A through a common gate.
Also in the circuit of the related art 3, the PMOS transistors QP303A, Qp304A, Qp305A were connected between the power supply VDD and the drains of the NMOS transistors Qn303A, Qn304A, Qn305A. These PMOS transistors QP303A, Qp304A, Qp305A comprise a current mirror circuit by means of a common gate connection with the diode-connected PMOS transistor Qp306A. The source of the NMOS transistor Qn305A was directly connected to ground and the PMOS transistor Qp306A was connected to ground by way of the power supply I.
Therefore, the level shift circuit of the related art 3 satisfied the conditions necessary to permit achieving a stable level shift operation, by supplying the input signals in1, in2 to the gates of the NMOS transistors Qn301A, Qn302A after applying a DC shift, so that the amplitude of the input signals in1, in2 was a voltage sufficient to turn on the NMOS transistors Qn301A, Qn302A, even in a level shift circuit of TFT (thin film transistors) with a large threshold voltage Vt. However, lowering the supply voltage VDD to maintain a dynamic range for the circuit was difficult, and consequently the problem occurred that a TFT circuit system with low power consumption could not be achieved.
A sampling latch cell circuit of the related art having a level shift function comprised of CMOS devices is shown in FIG. 10B. This latch cell circuit of the related art is comprised basically of a comparator structure CMOS latch cell 101 having an N channel (hereafter simply NMOS) MOS transistor Qn101B with the input signal in1 as the gate input and a source connected to ground, an NMOS transistor Qn102B with the input signal in2 as the gate input and a source connected to ground, a P channel MOS transistor (hereafter simply PMOS) Qp101B connected between the power supply VDD and the drain of NMOS transistor Qn101B and having a gate connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor Qn102B, and having a PMOS transistor Qp102B connected between the power supply VDD and the drain of NMOS transistor Qn102B and having a gate connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor Qn101B.
The drain outputs from the NMOS transistor Qn102B and Qn101B in this CMOS latch cell 101B are latched in a latch circuit 106B by way of the inverters 102B, 103B and sampling switches 104B, 105B. The other latch output of the latch circuit 106B is inverted by the inverter 107B and supplied as an output signal out, and the other latch output is inverted by the inverter 108B and supplied as xout, which is a signal inversion of the output signal out.
In the structure of the above described sampling latch circuit of the related art, a 3 volt low voltage amplitude signal is for instance input as in1, and an inverted in1 signal input as in2. These 3 volt low voltage amplitude signals inland in2, are temporarily boosted up to the power supply voltage VDD in the CMOS latch cell 101B, and then, after passing via the inverters 102B and 103B are sampled by the sampling pulse SP in the sampling switches 104B, 105B and stored in the latch circuit 106B. After inversion by the inverters 107B and 108B, these signals sent as the output signals out, xout.
However, the above described sampling latch circuit of the related art, the circuit is comprised of many circuit devices (or elements) so that a small surface area is cannot be achieved. Further, when comprised of circuits utilizing devices having a large threshold voltage Vth such at TFT (thin film transistors), then the voltage amplitude of the input signals in1 and in2 is too small versus the threshold voltage Vth and consequently the transistors cannot be turned on reliably, rendering the problem that the sampling operation will not function.
In contrast, the related art shown in FIG. 11B operates easily, even if the device has a high threshold voltage Vth. The sampling latch circuits of the other related art have a structure that shifts the DC level of the signal by means of a capacitor. In other words, the outputs of the switch 201B that inputs the signal in1, and the switch 202B to input the signal in2 are connected in common, and one end of the switch capacitor 203B is connected to that common point. The other end of this capacitor 203B is connected to one end respectively of the switches 204B and 205B as well as the input of the inverter 205B.
The output end of the inverter 207B is connected to the other end of the switch 205B. The other end of the switch 204B, the output of the inverter 206B and the input of the inverter 207B are connected in common, and the input of the inverter 208B is connected to that common point, and an output signal out is sent from the output of the inverter 208B.
In the structure of the above described sampling latch circuit of the related art, a switch-capacitor 203B is utilized as the comparator and the circuit operation is as follows. First of all, circuit reset is performed by setting the switches 202B, 204B on in response to an equalizing pulse Eq. Afterwards however, a low voltage amplitude input signal in1 is sampled by turning on a switch 201B in response to an equalizing pulse SP. Next, this sampled signal in1 is level shifted while being compared with the input signal in2 in the capacitor 203B, and finally latched in latch circuits 206B, 207B by a switch 205B turning on in response to a latch pulse LT.
In this way, the above sampling circuit of the related art, even with a circuit comprised of TFTs having a high threshold voltage can be easily operated by shifting the DC level of the input signal in1 by means of a capacitor 203B, and stable sampling and latch operation can be achieved. However this circuit has the problem that low current consumption is difficult to achieve since direct current must flow in the circuit during reset. Further, many types of pulses are required for circuit operation and a complex control circuit is also needed because of difficult timing control and therefore a small circuit surface area cannot be achieved.
A latch circuit of the related art 1, having a CMOS structure with a level shift function is shown in FIG. 10C. This latch circuit of the related art 1 has a structure comprised of a first and second switch 101C, 102C for inputting the first and second input signals in1, in2 in response to the latch pulse, a CMOS latch cell 103C for latching each of the signals input by means of these switches 101C, 102C, and a level shift circuit 104C to shift the level of the latch data of the CMOS latch cells 103C.
Here, the CMOS latch cell 103C is comprised of two CMOS inverters 107C and 108C connected in parallel between the power line 105C of the positive power supply VDD and the power supply line 106C of the negative power supply voltage (for instance, ground level) VSS1. The input terminal of the CMOS inverter 107C is connected to the output terminal of the other CMOS inverter 108C, and the input terminal of the CMOS inverter 108C is connected to the output terminal of the other CMOS inverter 107C.
The level shift circuit 104C is connected between the power line 105C and the power line 109C (negative power supply voltage) for voltage VSS2 having a lower voltage than the negative power supply voltage VSS1. The data latched at a low level in the CMOS latch cell 103C is level shifted from power supply voltage VSS1 to power supply voltage VSS2.
In this latch circuit of the related art 1, a low voltage amplitude signal between VDD and VSS was input as in1, and an inversion of the in1 signal was input as in2. These low voltage amplitude signals in1 and in2 are latched in the CMOS cell circuit 103C by the switches 101C and 102C turning on in response to a latch pulse, and then level shifted to a signal with an amplitude between VDD and VSS (VSS<VSS1) by means of the level shift circuit 104, and finally output as the output signals out1 and out2.
The latch circuit of the related art 2 having a level shift function is shown in FIG. 11C. This latch circuit of the related art 2 is comprised of a first and a second switch 201C and 202C to input the first and second input signals in1, in2 in response to a latch pulse, and a CMOS latch cell 203C to latch each of the signals input by way of the switches 201C and 202C.
Here, the CMOS latch cell 203C is comprised of two CMOS inverters 206C and 207C connected in parallel with a power supply line 204C and a power supply line 205C for a power supply voltage VSS2 lower than a power supply voltage VSS1. The input terminal of the CMOS inverter 206C is connected to the output terminal of the other CMOS inverter 207C, and the input terminal of the other CMOS inverter 207C is connected to the output terminal of the other CMOS inverter 206C.
In this latch circuit of the related art 2, a low voltage amplitude signal between VDD and VSS is input as in1, and an inversion of the signal in1 is input as in2. These low voltage amplitude signals in1 and in2 are latched as an amplitude signal between VDD and VSS2 in the CMOS cell circuit 203C by the switches 101C and 102C turning on in response to a latch pulse, and these amplitude signals are then output unchanged, as the output signals out1 and out2.
However, in the latch circuit of the related art 1, the installation of a level shift circuit 104C in the latter stage of the CMOS latch cell 103C was necessary so the number of devices (elements) comprising this latch circuit became large creating the problem that a circuit with a compact size (small area) could not be achieved. In the latch circuit of the related art 2 however, though installation of a level shift circuit was not necessary and the number of devices in the circuit was small compared to the latch circuit of the related art 1, the low voltage amplitude signal had to be rewritten in order to latch as a high voltage amplitude signal so that the size of the signal buffer of the previous stage was too large, also creating the problem that a circuit with a compact size (small area) could not be achieved.
However, when fabricating a drive-circuit-integrated liquid crystal display comprising a digital interface drive circuit integrated with a pixel section of polysilicon TFT on a glass substrate (liquid crystal panel) with silicon TFT (thin film transistors) arrayed in two-dimensional matrix as the pixel switching devices, a latch circuit with a small surface area is an essential factor in narrowing the width of the peripheral area (picture frame) of the pixel forming the drive circuit.
In other words, in an drive-circuit-integrated liquid crystal display, the latch circuit must be provided for each column line/each bit. Since this latch circuit is required in quantities equivalent to the number of horizontal dots times the number of bits, the inability to make the latch circuit smaller consequently leads to the problem that the width of the picture frame of the liquid crystal panel has to be made larger.
Further, in the drive-circuit-integrated liquid crystal display, mounted with a latch circuit having the above described level shift function, the current flow in the second power supply (for example the VSS2 power supply) may sometimes have to be reduced to an extremely small amount. In the drive-circuit-integrated liquid crystal display made with TFT (thin film transistors) for example, a latch circuit with a circuit configuration for horizontal drive system may be installed, while at the same time attempting to fabricate a second power supply generator circuit with TFT (thin film transistors).
In such cases, the total current flow to the second power supply generator circuit will become large on account of the large number of latch circuits with level shift function that are required. However, fabricating a power supply generator circuit with TFT (thin film transistors) that can maintain a sufficient current capacity is extremely difficult. Consequently, integrating a second power supply generator circuit onto a glass substrate with thin film transistors is difficult to achieve and leads to the problem of an increased size (surface area) of the peripheral circuit.
The latch circuit of the related art 1 and 2 is configured to perform a level shift of low voltage amplitude signals in1 and in2 between. VDD to VSS1, to a signal amplitude between VDD and VSS2 however, a level shift to a third power supply voltage VDD2 (VDD2>VDD) may also be performed.
The related art is shown in FIG. 12C and FIG. 13C. FIG. 12C is an example of the related art 3 corresponding to FIG. 10C. FIG. 13C is an example of the related art 4 corresponding to FIG. 13C. The latch circuit of the related art 3 is comprised in the latter stage of a level shift circuit 104C, of a second level shift circuit 111C connected between the power supply line 109C of the power supply voltage VSS2 and the power supply line 110 of the power supply voltage VDD2 higher than the power supply voltage VDD. The latch circuit of the related art 4 on the other hand, is a CMOS latch cell. 203C and connected between the power supply line 205C of the power supply voltage VSS2 and the power supply line 208C of the power supply voltage VDD2 with a voltage higher than the power supply voltage VDD.
The latch circuit of the related art 3 and the latch circuit of the related art 4 also have problems identical to the previously described latch circuit of the related art 1 and the latch circuit of the related art 2.

Digital/analog converter circuit, level shift circuit, shift register utilizing level shift circuit, sampling latch circuit, latch circuit and liquid crystal display device incorporating the same


A structure and a manufacturing method for an OTP-EPROM in an embedded EEPROM integrated circuit structure. The structure has a substrate that includes a surface region. The structure has a gate dielectric is overlying the surface region. The structure also a first OTP-EPROM gate overlying the gate dielectric layer in a first cell region, and an EEPROM floating gate and a select gate overlying the gate dielectric layer in a second cell region. An insulating layer is overlying the first OTP-EPROM gate, the EEPROM floating gate and the select gate. An OTP-EPROM control gate is overlying the insulating layer and coupled to the first OTP-EPROM gate. An EEPROM control gate is overlying the insulating layer and coupled to the EEPROM floating gate.

The present invention relates to an integrated circuit that employs a combination of multiple non volatile memory cell structures. More particularly the present invention relates to a highly integrated circuit and a fabrication method for an one time programmable (OTP) memory integrated device in an embedded EEPROM array. Merely by way of example, the invention has been applied to an one time programmable erasable programmable read only memory (OTP EPROM) device in an embedded EEPROM array. But it would be recognize that the invention has a much broader applicability.
Integrated circuits have evolved from a handful of interconnected devices fabricated on a single chip of silicon to millions of devices. Conventional integrated circuits provide performance and complexity far beyond what was originally imagined. In order to achieve improvements in complexity and circuit density (i.e., the number of devices capable of being packed onto a given chip area), the size of the smallest device feature, also known as the device "geometry", has become smaller with each generation of integrated circuits.
Increasing circuit density has not only improved the complexity and performance of integrated circuits but has also provided lower cost parts to the consumer. An integrated circuit or chip fabrication facility can cost hundreds of millions, or even billions, of dollars. Each fabrication facility will have a certain throughput of wafers, and each wafer will have a certain number of integrated circuits on it. Therefore, by making the individual devices of an integrated circuit smaller and integrating more functions on a single chip, more devices may be fabricated on each wafer, thus increasing the output of the fabrication facility. Making devices smaller and integrating device function on a single chip is very challenging, as each process used in integrated device fabrication has a limit. That is to say, a given process typically only works down to a certain feature size and for certain device structure, and then either the process or the device layout needs to be changed.
As an example in digital systems, various types of memory devices have been proposed. Such memory devices include, among others, read only memory, commonly called ROM devices. The read only memory (ROM) device such as a mask ROM can be used in code storage on portions of the array of memory units. As merely an example, conventional mask ROM often includes a program photo mask set be used to input the codes in manufacturing process. Although such mask ROMs have been successful, conventional mask ROMs have certain limitations. That is, such conventional mask ROMs often suffer from a long coding lead time and inflexibility. The result is higher manufacturing cost.
From the above, it is seen that an improved and cost effective method for fabricating semiconductor devices including memory devices is desired.

Method and structure of an one time programmable memory device in an embedded EEPROM

Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation


A plurality of images obtained by capturing a recognition target object from different viewpoint positions is acquired, and a portion set on the recognition target object in the image is received as a set portion for each of the images. A plurality of feature points is set in each of the images so as to set a larger number of feature points at the set portion than at an unset portion other than the set portion. The recognition target object is learned using image feature amounts at the feature points.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recognition technique.
2. Description of the Related Art
As one recognition technique, extensive studies have been made to cause a computer to learn a feature amount extracted from a target object image obtained by an image capturing unit and recognize the type of object in an input image. It has also been studied to estimate not only the type but also the position and orientation using object model information or the like. An application example of this technique is position/orientation recognition of parts to perform work such as advanced assembly by a robot.
Non-patent literature 1 (B. Leibe, "Robust Object Detection with. Interleaved Categorization and Segmentation", IJCV Special Issue on Learning for Vision for learning, August 2007) proposes a method of making a feature in a code book obtained from learned images correspond to a detected feature, and estimating the center position of an object by probabilistic voting (implicit-shape-model). This method can estimate not only the type but also the object position.
In patent literature 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-257649), a feature point is extracted from an input image, and its feature amount is calculated. A feature point having almost the same feature amount as that of a feature point in a learned image is set as a corresponding point. The reference point is voted for each corresponding point in the input image based on the feature amount (including position information) of a feature point in the learned image, thereby recognizing a target object and estimating its position.
However, the object recognition technique using an image takes a long processing time because a feature is extracted from an image and made to correspond to a feature obtained from a learned image. Further, not all features are useful for recognizing the target object.
In patent literature 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-37640), a partial region used for learning is sequentially changed in pattern recognition (character recognition). Every result obtained by recognizing a learning pattern is evaluated, selecting a plurality of partial regions used for learning.
For some recognition target objects, a portion useful for identifying the type, position, and orientation of a target object is known in advance. For example, when the type, position, and orientation of a part are to be recognized in automatic assembly by a robot and part of a rotationally symmetrical member has a notch, the orientation can be determined uniquely by recognizing the notch. However, it is generally difficult to efficiently learn and recognize the notch of the part.
However, patent literature 1 does not describe a method for defining feature points used for learning. When the method in patent literature 2 is applied, selection of a partial region takes a very long time because a learning pattern is recognized and evaluated every time a partial region is added.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method


Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to utilize non-volatile memory for computer system boot. An example processor platform includes a non-volatile memory coupled to a processing unit via a bus, and a microcontroller to: configure the processing unit to store, on the non-volatile memory, a heap and a stack for execution of boot code, and configure the processing unit to execute the boot code stored on the non-volatile memory.

Many computing systems rely on a basic input/output system (BIOS) enabling cache as random access memory (RAM) (CAR) so a processor cache can serve as a data store for early boot code until main memory is initialized upon resuming operation (e.g., from a sleep state such as the S5/S4/S3 sleep states). The cache is utilized in the early boot environment to provide a heap and call stack for code execution (e.g., C code execution). Once main memory is initialized, the BIOS copies code and data (sometimes including decompressing the code) from a non-volatile storage medium (e.g., flash memory such as Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) NOR flash memory) to main memory and disables CAR mode. In platforms with non-volatile block media that do not support the ability to be memory mapped (e.g. eMMC, UFS, NVMe) the code is additionally executed from CAR.
The figures are not to scale.

Methods and apparatus to utilize non-volatile memory for computer system boot


A leg-plate joinery assembly includes a metal plate portion having a first set of one or more apertures and a second set of one or more apertures, a leg portion having one or more bore holes, wherein each bore hole includes a narrow portion and a wide portion, a first set of one or more mechanical fasteners configured to pass through corresponding apertures of the first set of one or more apertures such that each mechanical fastener is received in a corresponding, aligned one of the one or more bore holes, and a second set of one or more mechanical fasteners, wherein each mechanical fastener in the second set of one or more mechanical fasteners configured to pass through a corresponding aperture of the second set of one or more apertures. An epoxy composition is configured to be received in each of the one or more bore holes.

The present invention relates to a supporting assembly and, more particularly, to a joinery assembly, for example for tables and chairs. The joint structure has a metal plate affixed in one direction to a furniture leg and immobilized by high-strength epoxy composition, and in the opposite direction to a furniture surface, such as the bottom surface of a tabletop or a bottom surface of a chair seat.
Various types of furniture are known. Existing table legs are often attached to aprons of a tabletop for structural strength and support. In order to provide adequate support to the table legs, an apron must typically be about 3 inches wide or more. Attempts to build a table with aprons that have sufficient, lasting structural support and provides adequate leg clearance for certain individuals and compliance with federal laws are encountered with difficulty, as the apron width required to provide support reduces the amount of leg clearance space. Building tables without aprons helps to avoid the leg clearance issue but is encountered with different difficulties in ensuring the legs are sufficiently well-attached to the table to provide lasting structural support and withstand use. As furniture is used, movement causes the furniture joints to loosen, requiring tightening, adjusting, or other maintenance over time. Prior attempts to address this problem, for example, by permanently fixing the furniture legs to the furniture body are undesirable due to the difficulty of transporting or storing such furniture.
The present disclosure contemplates a leg-plate joint capable of secure attachment that maintains structural integrity through use over time while also allowing the legs to be removably attachable for ease of transportation and storage.
The present disclosure provides an improved leg joinery assembly that overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.
It will be recognized that the present development is not limited to use with wood furniture, including tables, chairs, benches, stools, sofas, and other furniture having legs, but may be used with any structure requiring a stable attachment, including for example vertical or upright support posts for rails or handrails, e.g., porch or deck railings or handrails wherein the vertical supports for the rails may likewise be secured to a base surface such as a stair tread or the porch or deck surface, and other applications.


The present invention is a game and table for playing table tennis with six players simultaneously. Each side of the table includes a pair of lobes formed by angled edges, having arcuate edges and being arranged on either side of a central region that defines a playing surface upon which a central player or center plays. Wingmen stand behind the arcuate edges and play on either side of the center.

The invention is generally directed to a novel type of table for use in playing table tennis and a method for playing table tennis. More specifically, the invention is directed towards a table having an extended surface area and that contains two lobes on each side of the table that widens the table in a manner that allows for six players to play three-on-three table tennis. A plan view of the table shows that it is substantially hour glass shaped.
Table tennis is a popular game that is played throughout the world. Typically the game is played on a rectangular playing surface that is supported and lies in a horizontal plane above a floor. A net is arranged in the middle of the table to divide it into a pair of playing surfaces. Each of the pair of playing surfaces is divided into halves by a white line that runs parallel to the sides of the table and intersects the net in a perpendicular fashion while extending from one end of the table to the other. A white line extends along the edges and ends of the table. Ordinarily, the table is hinged by a pair of hinges such that the table may be easily stored.
A standard prior art table for playing table tennis is one hundred eight inches (108″) long by sixty inches (60″) wide. The length of the table is divided into halves by the net. Thus, the effective playing area for each player or two person team is fifty four inches (54″) by sixty inches (60″). By maintaining each player fifty four inches away from the net, allows the average player the ability to stand at the edge of the table while adequately reaching the ball at the front of the playing area when a ball barely clears the net.
The prior art table may be used to play either singles or doubles. When playing singles, a player uses the entire playing surface of one side. When playing doubles, a pair of players divides the playing surfaces into equal parts and play the shots that enter their particular playing area, or the pair of players alternate turns playing the shots effectively playing a single player game with two players. The size of the playing surface is inadequate for facilitating the playing of three-on-three games of table tennis.

Method for playing a table tennis game and playing table


A cooling jacket and dispenser system for a container of liquid beverage comprises a flexible sheet of thermally insulating material designed to circumferentially fit around the container to be cooled thereby. The sheet has a cooling line coil disposed in serpentine fashion upon an interior facing surface thereof for direct or indirect contact with the external side periphery of the container to be cooled thereby. The cooling line coil is operatively connected to a cooling bath fluid supplied by and recirculated to a liquid dispenser assembly.

1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates generally to a cooling sleeve or jacket for use with containers of liquids, such as a keg of beer, and a pre-chill dispensing system therefor, particularly, a cooling jacket suited for operative connection with a coolant bath chilled by a refrigerant cooling line of a liquid dispenser assembly which pre-chills the container of liquid prior to a dispensing of the liquid thereof by the liquid dispenser assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art.
The dispensing of beer or other beverages from kegs is well known. Keg beer provides an economical method of packaging beer.
It is generally known to cool beer kegs (e.g., ponies, quarter barrels, half barrels, tappers, and the like) by immersing the keg in an open container such as a washtub or cut down drum filled with ice. Such a practice is somewhat inconvenient, messy, and involves considerable effort: and labor before and after use. The ice will often melt significantly prior to the keg being empty, creating water. As the keg is emptied, it becomes lighter and will often float in this water before it is fully emptied. This creates problems in pumping the keg to maintain internal pressure. Additionally, ice, apart from being costly, is often not available at points of beverage consumption.
Attempts have been made to maintain a cooled temperature to the liquid of a keg container.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,884 to Kotschwar there is disclosed a beverage cooler which comprises a segmented foam cooler structure that envelopes a keg and includes a pocket which when filled with a relatively small portion of ice seeks to maintain the keg at a sufficiently cold temperature.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,993 to Johnson there is disclosed an insulated barrel cooler comprising a cylindrical, open-ended, insulated cloth sleeve or jacket that slips over a beer keg or the like to keep the barrel cold. The insulated cloth sleeve has a plurality of vertically stitched seams displaced equal distance around the sleeve which creates internal pockets into which are placed plastic bags of frozen water or the like to cool the barrel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,290 to Byren, there is disclosed a beer keg ice sleeve comprising a slip-over ice sleeve open at the bottom and top and having inner and outer sleeve members with an ice pocket therebetween for reception of ice cubes, chipped ice or the like. A drain valve is provided at the lower portion of the outer liner.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,089 to Raab, there is disclosed an adjustable refrigeratable beverage wrap around holder which circumferentially encloses the beverage container and includes a plurality of individually disposed freezable masses consecutively positioned along an exterior layer of insulated material. The freezable masses form an inner diameter for receiving the exterior walls of the beverage container. When frozen, the freezable masses will absorb heat from the beverage and container and thus cause the beverage to remain chilled for an extended period of time.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,941 to Marshall, there is disclosed a system to insulate and retain cold temperature comprising a series of layers of materials, namely, a hard durable plastic layer of polyvinyl chloride or similar material, a layer of retardant aluminum, a layer of styrofoam, a layer of neoprene, and a cavity having an input valve at the top of the system wherein liquid dry ice is initially introduced, and upon stabilization the liquid dry ice becomes sold. The system is constructed in the outer shape of a keg to constitute a jacket therefor which would be removable with hinges and buckles to keep kegs cold without refrigeration or ice. When the dry ice converts from a sold to a gas, the gaseous fumes can be released from the system from an escape or purge valve at the bottom of the system.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,568 to Rankin, Sr. there is disclosed an insulating cover for keg beer. The cover consists of a relatively flexible insulating material which substantially surrounds one or more kegs of beer. The insulative properties are sufficient to maintain a relatively constant cold temperature without the use of ice, although multiple-use sealed freeze packs may be placed within a cover for the system.
The container cooling jacket and pre-chill dispensing system therefor of the present invention advantageously pre-chills, maintains, and preserves a cool temperature to the liquid of a container, such as beer of a beer keg, prior to the dispensing of the liquid through a liquid dispenser assembly without resort to ice or cold packs. The container cooling jacket is designed to externally extend, advantageously for either short or long distances, and recirculate a coolant bath fluid chilled by a refrigerant cooling line of the liquid dispenser assembly. The container cooling jacket can be placed around the external periphery of the keg or container to thereby pre-chill, maintain cool, and preserve the liquid therein prior its dispensing through the liquid dispenser assembly. Thus, the liquid of the container is dual-cooled; first by a pre-chill maintenance of the liquid within its container, and second by a cooling of the liquid as it is dispensed through a liquid line of the liquid dispenser assembly. The coolant bath fluid of the liquid dispenser assembly thus circulates in a cooling coil line of the container cooling jacket to cool a container external of the liquid dispenser assembly and the coolant bath fluid is also used to cool the liquid of the container when it is drawn into a liquid line internal of the liquid dispenser assembly for dispensing. This dual cooling capacity gained by use of the container cooling jacket and liquid dispenser assembly allows for an efficient, quick servicing of greater quantities of remote sources of cooled beverages, particularly during peak and high demand times therefor, such as, for example, during catering events or intermissions of a sporting or other social event. The present invention also achieves advantages of portability since the cooling jacket and associated liquid dispenser assembly can operate from an electric or gas or gasoline power source. The present invention also eliminates the need for cold storage rooms for containers or kegs or the transport of the same therefrom. Also, the extensions of the coolant bath fluid cooling line can be of short or long length.

Container cooling jacket and pre-chill dispensing system therefor


Methods and formulations are provided to reduce pigmentation in skin, using an array of compounds selected from benzimidazoles, phenylthioureas, phenyltiols, phenylamines, bi- and multicyclic phenols, thiopheneamines, and benzothiamides. The compounds preferably inhibit pigment synthesis in melanocytes through the tyrosinase pathway. The methods can be used for lightening skin, and for treating uneven skin complexions which result from hyperpigmentation-related medical conditions such as melasma, age spots, freckles, ochronosis, and lentigo. The compounds can be used medically or cosmetically.

Melanogenesis is the process of production and subsequent distribution of melanin by melanocytes within the skin and hair follicles [1, 2]. Melanocytes have specialized lysosome-like organelles, termed melanosomes, which contain several enzymes that mediate the production of melanin. The copper-containing enzyme tyrosinase catalyzes the oxidation of the amino acid tyrosine into DOPA and subsequently DOPA-quinone. At least two additional melanosomal enzymes are involved in the eumelanogenesis pathway that produces brown and black pigments, including TRP-1 (DHICA oxidase), and TRP-2 (DOPAchrome tautomerase). Depending on the incorporation of a sulfur-containing reactant (e.g. cysteine or glutathione) into the products, the melanogenesis pathway diverges to produce pheomelanins (amber and red pigments).
The perceived color of skin and hair is determined by the ratio of eumelanins to pheomelanins, and in part on blood within the dermis. The balance in skin hue is genetically regulated by many factors, including but not limited to: (a) the levels of expression of tyrosinase, TRP-2, and TRP-1; (b) thiol conjugation (e.g. with glutathione or cysteine) leading to the formation of pheomelanins; (c) the α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and melanocortin receptor, which is coupled to the adenylate cyclase/protein kinase A pathway; [15] (d) the product of the agouti locus, agouti signal protein, which has been documented to down-regulate pigmentation of hair melanocytes in rodents; [16] and (e) yet unknown mechanisms that regulate the uptake and distribution of melanosomes in recipient epidermal and hair matrix keratinocytes. [2, 13, 14]
Abnormalities of human skin pigmentation occur as a result of both genetic and environmental factors. Exposure of skin (especially Caucasian) to ultraviolet radiation, particularly in the UVB (i.e. intermediate) wavelengths, upregulates synthesis of melanocyte tyrosinase resulting in increased melanogenesis and thus tanning. However, acute or persistent UVB exposure can result in the formation of hyperpigmented lesions or regions of skin, including malignant melanoma skin cancer. [17] Both actinic damage and constitutional abnormalities can produce affected regions such as melasma, age spots, liver spots, freckles and other lentigenes. [3, 18, 19]
Vitiligo is the converse of hyperpigmentation, in which cutaneous melanocytes are either ablated or fail to produce sufficient pigment. [17, 18, 20] Although it would be desirable to restore lost pigmentation in vitiligo-affected skin with topical therapies, this has proven to be quite difficult to accomplish in a high proportion of subjects. As an alternative to PUVA therapy or cosmetic camouflage with dihydroxyacetone sunless-tanning lotions, [18] one might reduce the normal pigmentation of the unaffected skin to reduce contrast. Furthermore, a global market demand has developed for skin-lightening agents as "vanity" cosmeceutical products, because lighter skin color is preferred by some dark-skinned individuals in many countries and races, for psychological or sociological reasons. [4, 5]
Some purportedly "active" or "functional" agents for lightening skin color (e.g. arbutin, kojic acid, niacinamide, licorice, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, among others) have not been demonstrated yet to be clinically efficacious when critically analyzed in carefully controlled studies [5, 6, 25]. The U.S. FDA-approved pharmaceutical products containing 2-4% hydroquinone ("HQ") are minimally to moderately efficacious. However, HQ has been demonstrated to be cytotoxic to cultured mammalian melanocytes, and mutagenic in Salmonella and mammalian Chinese hamster V79 cells [3-6, 10, 11, 25]. HQ appears to be an important intermediate in the bioactivation of the carcinogen benzene [12]. Although it has been repeatedly asserted in the dermatologic literature for many years, without substantiation, that HQ is an inhibitor of tyrosinase, this compound is not an effective inhibitor of the mammalian enzyme [5, 6, 25]. Hydroquinone's in vitro mechanism of action appears to be primarily a melanocytic cytotoxic effect. Its clinical mechanism of action on whole skin remains uncertain.
In view of these biochemical disadvantages of the standard skin bleaching agent, HQ, it is highly desirable to identify other compounds with improved efficacy and safety characteristics. Methyl gentisate ("MG"), the methyl ester of gentisic acid (GA; 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid), is a moderately potent inhibitor of melanin accumulation in a murine melanocyte cell culture primary screen [6, 25]. GA is a natural product from the root of the genus Gentiana, named after Gentius, an Illyrian (Greco-Roman) king of the 2nd century B.C., said to have first discovered the medicinal properties of the plant [7]. The sodium salt of GA is thought to be an analgesic and an anti-inflammatory agent. GA is a ubiquitous metabolite, produced not only by plants, but also by Penicillium patulum and Polyporus tumulosus, and is excreted into the urine of mammals following ingestion of salicylates [8, 9]. MG and GA are simple phenolic compounds structurally similar to HQ, yet lacking the mutagenic activity of HQ [25]. MG has not been developed as a commercially available topical skin lightener product to date.
Two patent publications of Sansei Seiyaku also disclose a number of compounds, which allegedly are active as either tyrosinase inhibitors or as skin lightening agents, JP 5-124925 and JP 5-124922. The compounds are various benzimidazolethiols, but have not been developed as commercially available topical skin lightener products to date. In addition, phenylthiourea (PTU) has been reported as an inhibitor of tyrosinase, but has not been developed as a commercially available topical skin lightener product to date [30-32].
It is an object of this invention to provide methods and compositions for reducing pigmentation in skin from mammals, including humans.
Another object is to provide methods and compositions for reducing pigmentation of skin for cosmetic, beauty-enhancing, or esthetic effects.
It is another object to provide methods and compositions for treating hyperpigmentation-related medical conditions such as melasma, age spots, freckles, ochronosis, postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, lentigo, and other pigmented skin blemishes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide methods and compositions for inhibiting mammalian melanocyte tyrosinase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the production of melanin from tyrosine and DOPA.
Still another object of the invention is to provide methods and compositions to absorb ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and thus to protect skin from UVR and photoaging.
An additional object of the invention is to provide antioxidant compositions that protect skin from oxidative damage, and/or to prevent oxidative decomposition of product formulations.
Another object is to facilitate discovery of compounds that inhibit mammalian tyrosinase in cell-free extracts from mammalian melanocyte or melanoma cells, using either a colorometric DOPA oxidation or a radiolabeled tyrosine or DOPA substrate assay (IC50≦300 μM).
Another object is to facilitate discovery of compounds that inhibit de novo pigment production (synthesis and/or accumulation) in cultured mammalian melanocyte or melanoma cells (IC50≦300 μM).
Another object is to facilitate evaluation of compounds for toxicity in mammalian melanocyte, melanoma, or other cell cultures (IC50≦300 μM.
Another object is to provide composition of matter and/or identity of compounds that are efficacious and/or exhibit reduced toxicity using one or more of the bioassays described in other objects, with biochemical characteristics equivalent to or superior to hydroquinone or methyl gentisate.
Another object is to provide active and/or functional compounds from diverse structural classes, including but not limited to the following examples: benzoimidazoles, phenylamines, phenylthioureas, phenols, and phenylthiols.
Still another object is to provide synthesis of derivatives of active and/or functional compounds of the invention, including by organic synthesis, combinatorial chemistry, medicinal chemistry, X-ray crystallography, rational drug design, and other methods.
Another object is to provide the use of formulations of the present invention for cosmetic, cosmeceutical, over-the-counter drug, and prescription drug products.
Another object is to provide formulations of the present invention for the purpose of reducing or preventing pigmentation in hair, albeit during the biosynthesis of hair, as a result of blocking pigment production within the melanocytes of hair follicles.
Another object is to provide the active and/or functional compounds of the present invention for use in inhibiting tyrosinase or tyrosinase-like enzymes from non-mammalian species, for instance for use in the food science industry for the inhibition of enzymatic browning.
Still another object is to provide the active and/or functional compounds of the present invention for use in inhibiting tyrosine hydroxylase enzymes, in order to reduce the biosynthesis of DOPA and/or catecholamines.

Inhibitors of melanocyte tyrosinase as topical skin lighteners


An apparatus is provided for disposing a sheet adjacent a flexible member. The apparatus comprises a mechanism for transporting the sheet to a loading position and a mechanism, located adjacent the loading position, for receiving and holding the sheet. The receiving and holding mechanism is capable of moving the sheet into juxtaposition with a surface of the flexible member so that the sheet contacts the surface of the flexible member upon being released by the receiving and holding mechanism. The apparatus further comprises a mechanism for wrapping the flexible member about itself with the sheet interposed between opposed surfaces of the flexible member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a technique for handling a sheet, and more specifically to an apparatus and method for disposing the sheet adjacent a surface of a flexible member and wrapping the flexible member about itself with the sheet interposed between opposed surfaces of the flexible member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the art of electrophotography an electrophotographic plate comprising a photoconductive insulating layer on a conductive layer is imaged by first uniformly electrostatically charging the imaging surface of the photoconductive insulating layer. The plate is then exposed to a pattern of activating electromagnetic radiation such as light, which selectively dissipates the charge in the illuminated areas of the photoconductive insulating layer while leaving behind an electrostatic latent image in the non-illuminated area. This electrostatic latent image may then be developed to form a visible image by depositing finely divided electroscopic toner particles on the surface of the photoconductive insulating layer. The resulting visible toner image can be transferred to a suitable receiving member such as paper. This imaging process may be repeated many times with reusable photoconductive insulating layers.
The electrophotographic plate may be in the form of a flexible photoreceptor belt. These flexible belts include a substrate and a sensitive layer, the sensitive layer including an electrically conductive surface and at least one photoconductive layer. A common flexible photoreceptor belt comprises a substrate, a conductive layer, an optional hole blocking layer, an optional adhesive layer, a charge generating layer, a charge transport layer and, in some embodiments, an anti-curl backing layer.
These photoreceptor belts are usually thin and flimsy. Any considerable amount of handling of the belt, through, for example, shipping, can result in damage to the sensitive layer. Scratches, dents and other forms of damage to the sensitive layer, resulting from handling, can lead to degradation in image quality in printed material produced by the printing machine. Additionally, handling of the belt is made more difficult when the belt is in an unraveled state.
A technique for wrapping an elongate flexible loop with a sheet of protective paper is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,265 to Darcy et al., the relevant portions of which are incorporated herein by reference. As indicated in the Wrapping Application, an elongate flexible loop or photoreceptor belt is packaged by wrapping it tightly about itself. Under normal circumstances, with many types of belts, the tight packaging is desirable; however, at least one situation can arise in which the tight wrapping can be quite undesirable. In particular, due to their relatively low thermal coefficient of expansion, belts used on the Xerox Copier 1065 exposed to temperatures in excess of ambient levels, tend to expand readily. When one of these belts is wrapped tightly, and subsequently heated, it has "nowhere to go", so that shear forces between belt substrate portions can increase beyond manageable levels. The inability to compensate for these unmanageable levels of shear forces can cause distortion throughout the sensitive layer of the belt in the form of "dimpling." Use of a dimpled belt will inevitably result in unacceptable copy quality. Hence it would be desirable to provide a technique that would minimize shear forces under the above-mentioned conditions and thereby eliminate dimpling.

Apparatus for handling a sheet of separator material


An electric vacuum cleaner (1) of the invention is adapted for wipe off cleaning using a sheet wound about a rotary brush (25) incorporated in a suction device (10). In order to wind a sheet (50) around a periphery of the rotary brush (25), a brush motor (44) rotates the rotary brush (25) in a predetermined direction at a predetermined rotational speed. At the same time, suction force of an electric blower fan (42) is set to the lowest level. This achieves the following advantage in a case where a wet sheet is used as the sheet (50). During sheet winding, water and alcohol released from the wet sheet (50) can be prevented from being scattered on a surface (100) to be cleaned. Further, the released water and alcohol do not adversely affect the electric blower fan (42).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric vacuum cleaner. More particularly, the invention relates to an electric vacuum cleaner wherein a suction device incorporating therein a rotary brush driven by a motor is used as a suction device for sucking dirt and dust from a surface to be cleaned.
2. Description of Related Art
The electric cleaner generally includes an electric cleaner body for generating suction force, and the suction device attached to the cleaner body by unit of hose and pipe. The suction device known in the art includes a suction port opposed to the surface to be cleaned and incorporates the rotary brush in the suction port.
The rotary brush of the suction device is prone to become tangled with hair, lint and the like in conjunction with a cleaning operation. A proposal for easily removing the hair, lint and the like tangled about the rotary brush has been made by Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-133904 (1987), for example.
The proposal by Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-133904 (1987) is to previously cover a periphery of the rotary brush with a scavenging bag so that the filamentous dust tangled about the rotary brush can be easily removed by removing the scavenging bag from the rotary brush.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 05-192277 (1993) has made another proposal that the rotary brush incorporated in the suction device is driven by a motor, and that whether the suction device is moved forwardly or backwardly is determined so as to change the rotational direction of the rotary brush.
Seeking to enhance the cleaning performance of the electric vacuum cleaner, the present applicants have already proposed an electric vacuum cleaner adapted for wipe off cleaning using a commercially available wet sheet (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-304954).
In another approach to enhance the cleaning performance of the electric vacuum cleaner, the present applicants have already proposed an electric vacuum cleaner adapted for wipe off cleaning using a commercially available paper sheet such as paper towel (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-222739).
In a case where the proposal by Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-133904 (1987) is adopted for the removal of the hair, lint and the like tangled about the rotary brush, a user must periodically take the time to perform a manual operation of removing the scavenging bag. This is troublesome.
In a case where the rotary brush is driven by the motor, the rotational direction thereof can be switched from one direction to the other. However, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 05-192277 (1993) does not suggest that the hair, lint and the like tangled about the rotary brush can be removed by switching the rotation of the rotary brush between the two directions.
The arrangement disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-304954 permits the wipe off cleaning using the wet sheet. However, the arrangement of this patent document has a problem that the suction device is increased in size because the device comprises a roller only for winding the wet sheet thereabout.
The arrangement disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-222739 permits the wipe off cleaning using the paper sheet. However, this arrangement has a problem that a soiled sheet must be manually removed after the wipe off cleaning is finished, which causes discomfort to the user.


A printer with replaceable modules has a printer and an electronic expansion device. The printer has an operating panel mounted on a top thereof, a connecting mechanism formed on a bottom thereof, and at least one connector mounted on the bottom thereof. The electronic expansion device has a mating connecting mechanism removably assembled on the bottom of the printer, and a mating connector connecting with the connector on the bottom of the printer. The printer has an identification interface electrically connecting with the connector for identifying the electronic expansion device. The electronic expansion device can be a scanner, an entertainment device, a data-access device, or a battery.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer with replaceable modules, and especially to a printer that combines different function-electronic expansion devices.
2. Description of Prior Art
Inkjet printers are now very popular as an information output device of computer, and have an advantage of quietness and the automatic capability of color printing. The common structure of an inkjet printer comprises a paper inlet, a paper outlet, a paper feed assembly, a nozzle and an ink cartridge. However, its function is still confined to the printing of information or pictures, and it remains peripheral equipment of computer for user or R&D (research and develop) people. The printer must rely on a computer to access information, and this is a limitation for further development of an inkjet printer.
Analysis of consumer demand and market information shows that the market for inkjet printers seems to be reaching a bottleneck and even declining. Changing the direction of inkjet printer development thus is worthwhile.
By studying the disadvantage of the prior art and possible sustainable development directions, the inventor has invented this device. By adding novel functions, combining video recording products, digital camera or audio-visual products, the invention is more reasonable, flexible, effective and powerful, and probably will stimulate the consumer market.


A small-footprint portable modular cellular antenna site capable of being deployed on any substantially level, flat piece of ground, the cellular antenna site being easily assembled, disassembled, and moved without the aid of heavy equipment. The cellular antenna site does not require a permanent foundation, but instead is anchored by weighting with a non-damaging ballast material sufficient to support a small diameter 30 to 60 foot high antenna pole at wind speed ratings up to 100 miles per hour. The cellular antenna site includes a modular base configurable in different geometric arrangements that retains the ballast material and supports a segmented monopole antenna, an electrical cabinet, perimeter fencing with an access gate, and any auxiliary cabinets, enclosure, or shelters as may be required.

The present invention relates generally to devices for cellular telephone transmission equipment and more particularly to a self-contained cellular antenna site adapted to be small in footprint, quickly assembled without the use of heavy equipment, and easily disassembled for transporting.
The continued proliferation and widespread use of wireless telecommunications equipment has brought with it the need for more self-contained cellular antenna sites. Typical methods of deploying cellular antennas are on permanent structures such as towers or monopoles, or on rooftops. When based on the ground, the permanent structures are normally supported on conventional foundations such as reinforced concrete slabs or pads, and often the concentrated weight of a tall antenna tower has required a relatively substantial and separate foundation member such as a deep reinforced concrete pier. Therefore, these structures often require special zoning and permitting, soil core sampling, engineering, excavation, and the use of heavy equipment and cranes to perform installation, all of which may be costly and time consuming. In addition, the time required to pour and cure a concrete foundation may delay the erection of an antenna and ultimately the operation of the cellular site. Further, such a permanent tower or monopole is not readily removed and redeployed at another site, and even if the tower or monopole itself is removed, the permanent foundation remains.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,349 [Hill] illustrates an attempt in the prior art to eliminate the need for construction of a separate foundation to support a cellular antenna tower. However, the apparatus disclosed utilizes the supporting foundation of the adjacent telecommunications equipment enclosure to provide load bearing support for the cellular antenna tower and therefore this design is not self-contained, is integrally connected to a permanent foundation, and cannot be quickly assembled or easily removed and relocated.
Developments in the newer generations of wireless systems have allowed both the antenna systems and the signal processing electronics packages to become smaller. A smaller antenna atop a pole of approximately 6 to 12 inches in diameter and a total height of 30 feet to 60 feet can now provide reasonable cellular coverage, enabling the design of cellular sites with decreased visual impact and decreased wind loading requirements. The present invention is designed to take advantage of these developments to provide a cellular antenna site which is much more flexible in its deployment than sites presently available.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cellular antenna site that is modular and inexpensive, and can be easily and quickly assembled, disassembled, and moved by hand without the use of heavy equipment. It is another object of the present invention to provide a cellular antenna site that is sufficiently anchored to support a small diameter 60 foot tall antenna pole under the sufficient loading to meet a 100 mile per hour wind speed rating. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cellular antenna site that requires only a small footprint and can be situated on any relatively level and flat piece of ground.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cellular antenna site that creates minimal environmental and visual impact in order to potentially ease zoning and permitting requirements and in order to allow for deployment in environmentally sensitive areas. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a cellular antenna site that can accommodate an electrical cabinet and other required equipment, enclosures, or shelters, within a fenced and secure area.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.


A multi-compartment bag assembly for protecting and storing one or both hardtops of a coupe top automobile, the bag assembly comprising a first bag compartment defined by an overlying first outside compartment wall and an inside compartment wall joined along respective bottom and opposing side edges and including a first top lateral opening adapted for receiving at least one of the hardtops therein, and a second bag compartment defined by the inside compartment wall and a second outside compartment wall, the inside compartment wall and the second outside compartment wall being joined along respective bottom and side edges and including a second top lateral opening adapted for receiving at least one of the hardtops therein.

This invention relates to a bag particularly intended to protect one or both of the hardtops of a coupe top automobile or vehicle when those hardtops are not in use. As any coupe top automobile enthusiast will attest, a coupe top automobile (xe2x80x9ccoupexe2x80x9d) or other sports car owner who purchases a vehicle equipped with a removable hardtop typically does not intend to keep the hardtop installed on the vehicle year-round. Upon bringing a new coupe home, the owner will likely be inclined to remove the hardtop as soon as possible and take the vehicle out for a long, breezy test drive. Unfortunately, once removed from the vehicle, the unwieldy hardtop must be stored.
While many coupes include an interior storage compartment, the compartment typically only accommodates one hardtop, and offers no protection to the hardtop from scratches, dents and other damage caused by other objects simultaneously stored within the compartment. Furthermore, some coupes come equipped with both a glass hardtop and a hardtop made of metal or some other opaque substance. Even if there is room inside the compartment for both of the hardtops, they usually cannot be stored together because the surface of the opaque hardtop will likely become scratched, or the glass hardtop will bump the opaque hardtop while the automobile is being driven, and either crack or completely shatter. Under such circumstances, an owner wishing to drive the coupe without using a hardtop must store one of the hardtops in the storage compartment of the coupe and place the other hardtop in an alternate location away from the vehicle. More often than not, the xe2x80x9calternate locationxe2x80x9d is a high-traffic area such as a garage, where the hardtop is subjected to an increased risk of being damaged.
The invention of the present application addresses the problem of how to effectively store two hardtops simultaneously by providing a protective bag having dual storage compartments. The protective bag may be adapted for use in any coupe top automobile or other vehicle having one or more removable hardtops. The invention uses commonly available materials and components which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and supplied to the user in many different forms, resulting in a protective bag adapted for being securely anchored within the interior storage compartment of a coupe top automobile or used to store hardtops in an alternate location outside of the automobile. The bag takes advantage of padded dual compartments made of multi-layered, durable material to provide a unique alternative to coupe top vehicle owners who desire multiple options for safely and securely storing removable hardtops.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a bag for protecting and storing one or both hardtops of a coupe top vehicle, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the hardtops.
It is another object of the invention to provide a bag which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture from commonly available components.
It is another object of the invention to provide a bag which may be easily removed from the interior storage compartment of a vehicle while the hardtops are stored therein and then moved to an alternate storage location outside of the vehicle.
It is another object of the invention to provide a bag specifically designed to address the unique hardtop storage needs of coupe top automobile owners.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a multi-compartment bag assembly for protecting and storing one or both hardtops of a coupe top automobile. The bag includes a first bag compartment defined by an overlying first outside compartment wall and an inside compartment wall joined along respective bottom and opposing side edges. The first bag compartment has a first top lateral opening adapted for receiving at least one of the hardtops therein. A second bag compartment is defined by the inside compartment wall and a second outside compartment wall, the inside compartment wall and the second outside compartment wall being joined along respective bottom and side edges. The second bag compartment includes a second top lateral opening adapted for receiving at least one of the hardtops therein.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the bag assembly further includes a first closure flap integrally formed with the inside compartment wall adjacent the first top lateral opening and extending outwardly therefrom between the side edges. The first closure flap includes an inner face adapted for releasably engaging an outer surface of the first outside compartment wall adjacent the first top lateral opening for retaining one of the hardtops within the first bag compartment.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the bag assembly further includes a second closure flap integrally formed with the second outside compartment wall adjacent the second top lateral opening. The second closure flap extends outwardly from the second top lateral opening between the side edges and includes an inner face adapted for releasably engaging an outer surface of the inside compartment wall adjacent the second top lateral opening for retaining one of the hardtops within the second bag compartment.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, complementary fasteners are attached to the inner surface of the first closure flap and the outer surface of the first outside compartment wall for releasably engaging the inner surface of the first closure flap with the outer surface of the first outside compartment wall.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, complementary fasteners are attached to the inner surface of the second closure flap and the outer surface of the inside compartment wall for releasably engaging the inner surface of the second closure flap with the outer surface of the inside compartment wall.
The complementary fasteners preferably comprise patches of hook-and-loop material.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the inside compartment wall defines a first pair of spaced-apart holes adjacent the bottom edge, and the second outside compartment wall defines second pair of spaced-apart holes adjacent the second closure flap. Each of the holes is adapted for receiving a respective one of the floor mounts of the automobile therethrough for securing the bag within an interior storage area of the automobile.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the first bag compartment is offset from the second bag compartment, thereby offsetting the respective first and second lateral openings for permitting both of the hardtops of the automobile to be received in a respective one of the first and second bag compartments for being simultaneously stored within the interior storage area of the automobile.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the inside compartment wall, the first and second closure flaps, and the first and second outside compartment walls each comprise a flexible sheet of multi-layered, durable material.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the durable material is fabricated of an outer leather layer, an inner felt layer, and a protective flexible foam layer positioned between the outer leather layer and the inner felt layer for cushioning the hardtops stored within the first and second bag compartments.

Protective bag for a coupe top automobile