The invention relates to a control means and method for a transistor switch circuit controlling a power supply circuit for providing electric power to a load, comprising: a power supply stage having an LC circuit with an inductor, and a control stage having an estimation of the inductor current as a feedback signal. According to the invention, the current through the inductor is measured by means of a measuring winding (17) and an integrator having the function of an RC network. The current measuring circuit is very stable and absolutely free from any source of offset signals. Also, it has no frequency limitations.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a special type of switch circuit for power electronics, intended to supply electric power to any type of load. The load may be an electric motor, an electric lamp, an electric loudspeaker or any other type of system that needs a controlled supply of voltage and current. The power level can be from less than a watt to hundreds of kilowatts. The direction of power flow can also be regenerative, i.e. from the load to the power supply. The major purpose of the special switch circuit is to supply controllable electric power with low electric losses in the switch circuit and with low electric noise at the input and output of the switch circuit.
A current comparator compares the measured inductor current with a pre-set reference value of inductor current and reacts when the measured current exceeds the pre-set value.
It is not easy to measure the inductor current in a simple, accurate and economical way. The present invention discloses a method and means to measure the current by means of a measuring winding in the inductor and a very simple integrator circuit.
2. Prior Art
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,309 "Method and Means for Controlling a Bridge Circuit" describes a special switch circuit. In the following, "switch circuit" refers to this special switch circuit. It is a classical bridge circuit, consisting of two transistor switches and two free-wheel diodes connected in series between a positive and a negative power bus. The bridge circuit is combined with an LC filter at the output of the transistor bridge plus a control circuit with a special switch sequence for controlling the bridge circuit. The primary purpose of the LC filter is to isolate the bridge current from the load current in such a way that the bridge current can go to zero during each switching cycle, while the load current is constant or approximately constant. Such a load current is typical for all applications with inductive load, for example an electric motor. Thanks to the LC filter and the special switch sequence it is possible to turn on the upper or lower transistor at zero transistor current and essentially zero transistor voltage. This eliminates the high electric stress and the electric losses that occur during turn on of conventional bridge circuits. A secondary purpose of the LC filter is to isolate the switching transients in the bridge circuit from the output of the switch circuit. Thanks to this it is possible to control high electric power with low electric noise at the output of the switch circuit.
The switch circuit is suitable for use in so called "frequency inverters" for control of electric AC motors. Then one switch circuit is needed for every motor phase. Only one switch circuit is described in the following.
The control system for the switch circuit requires a feedback signal representing the inductor current. In the prior art a circuit with operational amplifiers has been used for estimation of the inductor current. The present invention provides a simplified measuring circuit for integrating an induced voltage in a measuring winding on the inductor to obtain a representation of the inductor current. This solution is much simpler, costs much less and is more reliable and accurate. The current measuring circuit is very stable and absolutely free from any source of offset signals. Also, it has no upper frequency limitations.

Control means and methods for a transistor switch circuit


Continuous, woven and non-woven glass fibers are impregnated with certain silanes before use of the fibers to make reinforced thermoplastic composites using pultrusion or compression molding. Continuous, woven and non-woven glass fiber reinforced composites are also made by concurrently combining the fibers with certain silanes and a thermoplastic matrix material using pultrusion or compression molding.

The present invention relates to fiber reinforced thermoplastic materials.
The production of thermoplastic material of poly(arylene sulfide) resins reinforced with unidirectional glass fibers by pultrusion has been disclosed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,224. At least one fiber strand of continuous filaments is contacted with a poly(arylene sulfide) resin in the form of a powder or a slurry. The impregnated strand or strands are then pulled through a temperature controlled die for producing a composite which can have the form of, for example, a tape, a rod or a sheet.
The glass fiber reinforced pre-preg tapes produced in this manner are useful for such applications as structural members, aircraft parts, doctor blades, and the like.
Aliphatic sulfide type silanes have been used in glass reinforced poly(phenylene sulfide) compositions to improve hydrolytic stability. These have not been used for continuous unidirectional fiber reinforced poly(phenylene sulfide) and do not address the object of improving transverse tensile properties in prepreg tapes.
For some applications the continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic prepreg tape will be more useful with improved transverse tensile strength and improved hydrolytic stability. For example, doctor blades used to process aqueous-based materials require materials of construction that have good hydrolytic stability. Likewise, structural members subjected to multi-directional high loads require materials of construction with, among other properties, good transverse tensile strength. Good transverse tensile strength also avoids continuous fiber composite microcracking and mitigates the propagation of microcracking under loaded conditions.
It is known in the art to produce materials of woven glass fibers impregnated with poly(arylene sulfide) resins by means of lamination processes. These materials have been used for such applications as structural members and aircraft parts. These materials can also benefit from improved hydrolytic stability and from improved interply strength.

Poly(arylene sulfide) resins reinforced with glass fibers


A synthetic method of fabricating highly crystalline and monodisperse nanoparticles of metals, multi-metallic alloys, monometallic oxides and multi-metallic oxides without a size selection process are disclosed. A typical synthetic method comprises the steps of, synthesis of a metal surfactant complex from the reaction of a metal precursor and a surfactant, high temperature thermal decomposition of the metal surfactant complex to produce monodisperse metal nanoparticles, and completing the formation of synthesized metal, metal alloy or metal oxide nanoparticles by adding a poor solvent followed by centrifuging. For obtaining highly crystalline monodisperse nanoparticles, additional steps are necessary as described in the invention. The resulting nanoparticles have excellent magnetic property for many applications.

The advent of uniform nanoparticles has made a significant impact on many different technological areas such as high density magnetic data storage elements, high density single-electron transistor devices and highly efficient laser beam sources. These nanometer-sized particles possess new and interesting electrical, magnetic and optical properties compared to the existing and widely known particles in the sizes larger than micrometer range.
The surface property of nanoparticle materials is very critical, because nanoparticles have high surface to volume ratio and high surface defect ratio in comparison with bulk materials. In addition, quantum confinement effect of nanoparticles, which have intermediate sizes between molecules and macroscopic bulk materials, has increased the scientific and technological interests. These nanoparticles find applications in nanodevices, nonlinear optical materials, catalysts, and data storage devices. In particular, in the era of information and multimedia, there are increasing demands for the development of magnetic data storage devices with high density, high speed, low electrical power consumption, and ultra-low weight. Recently intensive research has been conducted for the development of magnetic storage devices using magnetic nanoparticles. As a result, the synthesis of monodisperse nanoparticles with controllable sizes has been intensively pursued. However the synthesis of monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles turned out to be very difficult because of strong electromagnetic interaction between nanoparticles. [Science, 267 (1995) 1338, Journal of Applied Physics, 61 (1987) 3323, IEEE Transactions on Magnetism, 27 (1991) 5184]
Maghemite(γ-Fe2O3), a ferrimagnetic iron oxide material, has been commonly used as magnetic storage media for commercial magnetic tape and hard disk device applications since 1937, and even today it is being used widely as an important magnetic material essentially for storage media. However, due to the fact that the size of the existing maghemite particles are in the range of micrometers and the minimum area required for a magnetic storage element is determined by the size of the magnetic particles, the density of the magnetic media is limited by the size of the magnetic particles.
Recently, intensive research has been conducted for synthesizing uniform nanometer-sized magnetic nanoparticles for their applications to high density magnetic data storage media. In the conventional magnetic data storage media, the minimum magnetic storage element, which is called a magnetic domain, is the minimum magnetic unit oriented along the applied magnetic field, and the conventional magnetic storage element is an aggregate of many small crystals of magnetic materials. However, unlike the conventional magnetic data storage media, the nanoparticles with uniform size and shape, if used as magnetic storage media, increases the storage area density significantly, whereby a magnetic storage density of so-called multi-terabits/in2 based on the prospect of one particle-on-one bit system can be achieved. There exist already various synthetic methods for producing uniform spherical magnetic nanoparticles. Some of the examples are "Thermal decomposition of organometallic precursors", [Journal of Physical Chemistry, 84 (1980) 1621], "Sonochemical decomposition of organometallic precursors", [Journal of American Chemical Society, 118 (1996) 11960], "High temperature reduction of metal salts", [Journal of Applied Physics, 85 (1999) 4325, also Korean Patent KR2000-0011546], and "Reduction of metal salts in reverse micelles", [Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 103 (1999) 1805].
In particular, "Method of short-burst of nucleation induced by rapid injection of precursors into a hot surfactant solution followed by aging", [Journal of American Chemical Society, 115 (1993) 8706], has been most widely used for synthesizing monodisperse nanoparticles. In other methods, rod-shaped magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized through the use of oriented growth of spherical nanoparticles [Journal of American Chemical Society, 122 (2000) 8581] and [Science 291 (2001) 2115].
However, the size of the nanoparticles produced using these synthetic methods is not uniform. In addition, compared to the nanoparticles of II-VI semiconductors and noble metals such as gold, silver, and platinum, relatively very little research has been conducted for the synthesis of monodisperse nanoparticles of transition metals and oxides. Also, it is a well-known fact that synthesizing uniform nanoparticles in their size and shape is not an easy task.
Meanwhile, Alivisatos, et al. disclosed the synthesis of nanoparticles of transition metal oxides such as iron oxide[gamma-Fe2O3, maghemite], manganese oxide[Mn3O4] and copper oxide[Cu2O] by thermally decomposing metal Cupferron[N-nitrosophenylhydroxylamine[C6H5N(NO)O−] precursors at high temperature in the presence of surfactant. However, the resultant nanoparticles are irregular in size and their crystallinity is very poor, and therefore, it is very difficult to form superlattices for the applications to magnetic data storage media. In addition, very expensive metal Cupferron complex precursor is used [Journal of American Chemical Society, 121 (1999) 11595].
Therefore, the main objective of the present invention is to disclose a method of synthesizing nanoparticles that overcome the deficiencies aforementioned.

Synthesis of mono-disperse and highly crystalline nano-particles of metals, alloys, metal-oxides, and multi-metallic oxides without a size-selection process

Seoul National University Industry Foundation


The liquid crystal display device of this invention includes a plurality of picture element regions each defined by a first electrode provided on a face of a first substrate facing a liquid crystal layer and a second electrode provided on a second substrate so as to oppose the first electrode via the liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween. In each of the picture element regions, the first electrode has a plurality of openings and a solid portion, the liquid crystal layer is in a vertical orientation state when no voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, and when a voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, a plurality of liquid crystal domains each in a radially-inclined orientation state are respectively formed in the plurality of openings and the solid portion by inclined electrode fields generated at respective edge portions of the openings of the first electrode.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, it relates to a liquid crystal display device having a wide viewing angle characteristic capable of producing a high quality display.
Recently, a thin and light liquid crystal display device is used as a display device for a display of a personal computer and a display unit of portable information terminal equipment. Conventional twist nematic (TN) or super twist nematic (STN) liquid crystal display devices have, however, a disadvantage of a narrow viewing angle, and various techniques have been developed for overcoming this disadvantage.
A typical technique to improve the viewing angle characteristic of a TN or STN liquid crystal display device is a method of additionally providing an optical compensator. Another technique is a lateral field method of applying, through a liquid crystal layer, an electric field in a direction horizontal to the substrate surface. Liquid crystal display devices of the lateral field method are recently mass-produced and regarded as promising devices. A still another technique is DAP (deformation of vertical aligned phase) in which a nematic liquid crystal material with negative dielectric anisotropy is used as a liquid crystal material and a vertical alignment film is used as an alignment film. The DAP is a kind of an ECB (electrically controlled birefringence) method, and the transmittance is controlled by utilizing the birefringent property of the liquid crystal molecules.
Although the lateral field method is one of effective methods for increasing the viewing angle, the production margin is very small in the production process as compared with that of a general TN liquid crystal display device, and hence, there is a difficulty in stable production of this type of liquid crystal display devices. This is because gap irregularity between substrates and shift of the transmission axis of a polarizing plate (polarization axis) from the orientation axis of a liquid crystal molecule largely affect the luminance and the contrast ratio of display. In order to stably produce the liquid crystal display devices of the lateral field method by highly precisely controlling these factors, the technique should be further highly developed.
In order to produce an even display free from display unevenness by a liquid crystal display device of the DAP method, it is necessary to control orientation. For controlling the orientation, an alignment treatment is carried out by rubbing the surface of an alignment film. When the surface of a vertical alignment film is subjected to a rubbing treatment, however, rubbing streaks are easily caused in a displayed image. Therefore, this treatment is not suitable to mass-production.
On the other hand, for controlling the orientation without the rubbing treatment, a method for controlling the orientation direction of liquid crystal molecules by an inclined electric field generated by forming a slit (opening) in an electrode has been proposed (as described in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 6-301036 and 2000-47217). However, the present inventors have found the following as a result of examination: The orientation state of a region of a liquid crystal layer corresponding to the opening of the electrode is not specified in the methods disclosed in these publications, and the continuity of the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is not sufficient. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain a stable orientation state over an entire picture element, and hence, a displayed image becomes disadvantageously uneven.


An anti-theft device for attachment to a steering wheel of an automotive vehicle having a movable tubular member fitting movably around an elongate rod member to adjust the distance in relation to the rod member so as to catch hold of a portion of a steering wheel with a double hook and a stop plate provided at one end of the rod member and a bent plate provided under the tubular member, and the tubular member being locked at an adjusted position by means of a lock including a steel ball engaging one of annular grooves provided on a portion of the rod member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to vehicle steering locks attachable to steering locks attachable to steering wheels to prevent unauthorized use of the vehicles.
2. Prior Art
Automobile steering locks are well known in the prior art. However, such prior art devices generally have extended lengths and are heavy which increases the difficulty in handling and is inconvenient for storing the devices when not in use.


An image display apparatus includes an image generator for displaying an image on a display surface constituted by a plurality of pixels, an illuminator for illuminating the image, and an optical system for guiding a light beam outgoing from the illuminated image to the pupil of the obesever. This causes the observer to observe a virtual image formed by the light beam image. In addition, a angle converter sets a first direction and a second direction substantially perpendicular thereto on the plane of formation of the virtual image and causes the light beam outgoing from each pixel to be incident on the optical system making diverging angles in the first and second directions different.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus, and more particularly to an image display apparatus for guiding the light beam containing the image information from image generating means to the eyes of the observer through the optical system thereby displaying an enlarged virtual image of the image displayed on the image generating means, and adapted for use as so-called head mounted display (hereinafter defined as HMD) to be mounted on the head of the observer.
2. Related Background Art
The head mounted display (HMD) is an apparatus for guiding the light beam, containing the image information and generated from an image displayed on the image generating means such as a liquid crystal display apparatus (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT), to the pupils of the observer through the optical system thereby presenting an enlarged virtual image of the above-mentioned image, wherein the observer achieves observation by matching the exit pupil of the HMD optical system with the pupil position of the observer.
Also the HMD is preferably compact and light in weight since it is to be mounted in use on the head of the observer and, for this reason, the image generation means is often constituted by a small-sized LCD. In the HMD utilizing LCD, the light beam diverging from each of the LCD pixels shows the highest contrast in a direction which is very slightly displaced from in the normal direction to the display surface of the LCD. For this reason, the optical system of the HMD is preferably so constructed as to have the entrance pupil of the LCD side at an approximately infinite position, thereby realizing so-called telecentric system at the entrance side, and most of the proposed HMD""s have the optical system of such entrance side telecentric configuration. Also in the HMD""s utilizing small-sized CRT, the entrance side of the HMD is usually constructed as a telecentric system.
While the exit pupil of the optical system of the HMD is fixed, the pupils of the observer are movable by the movement of the visual axis. For this reason, the exit pupil of the optical system of the HMD is preferably made large, so as to be able to cover the movement of the pupils of the observer.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the range of movement of the pupil of the observer, resulting from the movement of the visual axis, wherein a schematically represented eyeball 100 of the observer rotates about a center 101 of rotation when the visual axis moves. IC indicates the pupil of the observer, with a pupil diameter p, when the visual axis of the observer is directed straight ahead. The pupil IC is positioned at a distance r from the center of rotation of the eyeball. For an entire angular width w of the displayed image, the pupil of the observer moves to a position IR when the visual axis is shifted to the right-hand end, or a position IL when the visual axis is shifted to the left-hand end.
Consequently, with the movement of the visual axis within the field of view w, the pupil of the observer moves within a range represented by a line segment AB, of which length s is given by the following equation (1):
s=2xc2x7{rxc2x7sin (w/2)+(p/2)xc2x7cos (w/2)}xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
The diameter of the exit pupil of the HMD optical system is preferably at least equal to the length s given by the equation (1). Consequently, the length s is called the desirable exit pupil diameter. In the equations of the present text, a markxc2x7indicates multiplication.
In general, the field of view WH of the HMD in the horizontal direction is selected larger than that WV in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the light illuminating the LCD is generally symmetrical about the axis perpendicular to the light-emitting face of the light source and, if certain means is provided, for example for increasing the numerical aperture of the illuminating light beam, in order to obtain an exit pupil diameter sufficiently large for the image display angle in the horizontal direction, the exit pupil diameter may become excessively large for the vertical direction to deteriorate the efficiency of utilization of the LCD illuminating light.
On the other hand, because of the characteristics inherent to the LCD, within the light beam outgoing from each of the liquid crystal pixels, the light beam showing a high contrast and suitable for image display is limited to a certain diverging angle (xcex1/2) with respect to the normal line to the display surface of the LCD. The entire width a will be called an effective viewfield angle of the LCD.
FIG. 7 is a view showing the relationship, in the optical system of HMD, among the effective viewfield angle xcex1, the size h of the LCD display area, the field of view w of the HMD and the exit pupil diameter q of the optical system, wherein shown are a schematically illustrated optical system 2 of the HMD, an LCD 3 and an exit pupil 3 of the HMD optical system. The light beam entering from the LCD 3 into the HMD optical system 2 is assumed to be telecentric (a ray outgoing from the display surface of the LCD 3 perpendicularly thereto being the principal ray). In this state there stands the following relation (2) wherein f is the focal length of the HMD optical system 2 and h is the width of LCD:
f=h/{2xc2x7tan (w/2)}xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
As the virtual image displayed by the HMD optical system 2 is generally distanced from the pupil by as large as 1 to 2 meters, the light beams from the different points on the display surface of the LCD reach the exit pupil of the optical system in substantially parallel light beams. As shown in FIG. 7, a pair of peripheral rays R1, R2 outgoing from a point C on the LCD 3 within the diverging angle a in the plane of drawing become parallel light beams after passing the optical system 2 and pass the exit pupil plane in this state. The distance between a pair of peripheral rays R1, R2 at the position of the exit pupil represents the exit pupil diameter q in the direction of the plane of drawing paper.
Consequently the following relation (3) stands among the effective viewfield angle xcex1 of the LCD, the entire focal length f of the HMD optical system 2 and the exit pupil diameter of the optical system:
q=2xc2x7fxc2x7tan (xcex1/2)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(3)
The relations (2) and (3) lead to the following relation among the exit pupil q, the field of view w of the HMD and the size h of the LCD display surface:
q=hxc2x7tan (xcex1/2)/tan (w/2)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(4)
The value q represented by the equation (4) indicates the maximum exit pupil diameter formed by the light beam of high image contrast within the effective viewfield angle xcex1 of the LCD and will be called the exit pupil diameter of the optical system.
By substituting, for the distance r from the center of the eye to the pupil and the pupil diameter p, r=13 mm and p=2 mm as the average values for human being in the equation (1) and also substituting xcex1=30xc2x0 as the effective viewfield angle of ordinary small-sized LCD""s in the equation (4), there are obtained:
desirable exit pupil diameter s=2xc2x7{13xc2x7sin (w/2)+cos (w/2)}xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
optical system exit pupil diameter q=hxc2x7tan (15xc2x0)/tan (w/2)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(4)
and the comparison of the equations (1)xe2x80x2 and (4)xe2x80x2 indicates that the desirable exit pupil diameter of the HMD optical system increases with the increase of the entire angular display width w while the exit pupil diameter q of the optical system, formed by the light beam within the effective viewfield angle xcex1 of the LCD decreases with the increase of the field of view w.
Consequently, for a given size h of the LCD display surface, the field of view w becomes limited if the display is made with the light beam of high image contrast within the effective viewfield angle xcex1 of the LCD.
Also according to the equation (4)xe2x80x2, the exit pupil diameter q of the optical system is proportional to the size h of the LCD display surface. In case of HMD, the size of the LCD cannot be made very large for mounting on the head of the observer, so that the field of view w of the HMD cannot be made large.
On the other hand, a larger field of view w is a preferred factor in the virtual reality which is a representative application of the HMD, so that the limitation in the field of view w is a significant drawback.
Furthermore, as having, already explained in the foregoing, the field of view WH of the HMD in the horizontal direction is generally selected larger than that WV in the vertical direction, while the effective viewfield angle xcex1 of the LCD is generally symmetrical about the normal line to each point on the display surface of the LCD and, if certain means is provided, for example for increasing the effective viewfield angle of the LCD, in order to obtain an exit pupil diameter qH sufficiently large for the field of view WH in the horizontal direction, the exit pupil diameter qH for the vertical direction may become excessively large whereby the efficiency of utilization of the LCD illuminating light becomes deteriorated.
The object of the present invention is to provide an image display apparatus adapted for use in a head mounted display characterized in that in illuminating image generation means with an illuminating light beam from an illuminating panel light source and guiding the light beam, from the image displayed on the image generation means, to the pupils of the observer thereby causing the observer to observe a virtual image of the above-mentioned image, to convert the light beam of high intensity from the illuminating panel light source or the light beam of high contrast suitable for image display, from the image generation means, into the light beam having different diverging angles in the horizontal and vertical directions, and to realize, with such light beam, an exit pupil diameter of the optical system satisfying the desirable exit pupil diameter corresponding to the horizontal and vertical image display angles of the image display apparatus, thereby providing a bright or high-contrast image without eclipse of the pupil at the peripheral image angle even when the observer shifts the visual axis.
The above-mentioned object can be attained, according to an aspect of the present invention, by an image display apparatus comprising:
image generation means for displaying an image on a display surface constituted by a plurality of pixels;
illumination means for illuminating the image;
an optical system for guiding the light beam outgoing from the illuminated image to the pupils of the observer thereby causing the observer to observe a virtual image of the above-mentioned image formed by the light beam; and
diverging angle conversion means for setting a first direction and a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction in the forming plane of the virtual image, and causing the light beam outgoing from each pixel to enter the optical system with different diverging angles in the first and second directions.
The light beam having the different diverging angles in the first and second directions and entering the optical system forms, after outgoing therefrom, an exit pupil having different diameters in the first and second directions.
The diverging angle conversion means is positioned between the illumination means and the image generating means, and the light beam outgoing perpendicularly to the light-emitting surface of the illumination means and directed toward one of the pixels illuminates the image with a predetermined diverging angle formed by the diverging angle conversion means and then enters the optical system in the form of a light beam of a substantially same diverging angle.
In the light beam outgoing perpendicularly from the light-emitting surface of the illumination means and directed toward one of the pixels, two pairs of peripheral rays in the first and second directions are converted by the diverging angle conversion means into a pair of peripheral rays having different diverging angles in the first and second directions to illuminate the image and, after passing the optical system, at the exit pupil position thereof, a pair of peripheral rays in the first direction are mutually separated by a distance qH represented by:
2.4xc2x7{13xc2x7sin (WH/2)+cos (WH/2)}xe2x89xa7qHxe2x89xa72xc2x7{13xc2x7sin (WH/2)}
while a pair of peripheral rays in the second direction are mutually separated by a distance q, represented by:
2.4xc2x7{13xc2x7sin (WV/2)+cos (WV/2)}xe2x89xa7qVxe2x89xa72xc2x7{13xc2x7sin (WV/2)}
wherein WH stands for the field of view of the virtual image in the first direction, and WV stands for the field of view of the virtual image in the second direction.
The diverging angle conversion means is positioned between the image generation means and the optical system, and the light beam suitable for image display, outgoing from the pixel is subjected to the conversion of the diverging angle by the diverging angle conversion means and then enters the optical system.
In the light beam suitable image display, outgoing from the pixel, two pairs of peripheral rays in the first and second directions are converted by the diverging angle conversion means into a pair of peripheral rays having different diverging angles in the first and second directions to illuminate the image and, after passing the optical system, at the exit pupil position thereof, a pair of peripheral rays in the first direction are mutually separated by a distance qH represented by:
2.4xc2x7{13xc2x7sin (WH/2)+cos (WH/2)}xe2x89xa7qHxe2x89xa72xc2x7{13xc2x7sin (WH/2)}
while a pair of peripheral rays in the second direction are mutually separated by a distance qV represented by:
2.4xc2x7{13xc2x7sin (WV/2)+cos (WV/2)}xe2x89xa7qVxe2x89xa72xc2x7{13xc2x7sin (WV/2)}
wherein WH stands for field of view of the virtual image in the first direction, and WV stands for the field of view of the virtual image in the second direction.
The diverging angle conversion means includes an anamorphic microlens having different focal lengths in the first and second directions.
The diverging angle conversion means includes plural cylindrical microlenses having different focal lengths in the first and second directions.
The present invention will be clarified in detail by embodiments thereof to be explained in the following.


Disclosed is a voice recognition apparatus connected via a network and sharing a voice recognition function. The voice recognition apparatus includes: a microphone configured to receive a voice signal from a user's speech; a communicator configured to communicate with at least one external voice recognition apparatus; a voice recognizer configured to determine a wake-up word involved in the voice signal; and a controller configured to transmit the voice signal to the external voice recognition apparatus corresponding to the determined wake-up word. Thus, it is possible to overcome a limited voice recognition distance caused by a physical characteristic of a microphone and expand a spatial range where voice recognition is possible, thereby providing various voice recognition services to a user in more places.

In general, technology of voice recognition detects a user's analog voice through a microphone, makes the detected voice to subjected to some processes of a client, transmits data to a server, makes the data be subjected to natural language understanding (NLU), a digital manager (DM), and the like processes, and provides a service through third-party service interworking.
To detect a voice, the microphone is required. In this case, there is a limit to a recognition distance between the microphone and a user. To overcome such a limit, a physical effort to widen the recognition distance using a lot of microphones has been made along with technique development for various algorithms. Further, a voice may be input through a microphone of a remote controller directly paired with a device. However, despite such efforts, there is a spatial limit to the voice recognition. For example, when a voice recognition device is in a room, a voice command issued in a living room is not recognized due to the limit of the recognition distance.
In particular, many voice recognition apparatuses are different from one another in service supported therein. For example, a smart TV is mostly configured to support services for recognizing a broadcast program and video content, while a smart phone is configured to support services for music and the like customized content.
Likewise, various service domains are present. Therefore, with regard to various voice recognition apparatuses, a user has no choice but to differently make requests for services respectively suited for the voice recognition apparatuses.

Voice recognition system having expanded spatial range


The present invention is directed to sustained release microparticle formulation for parenteral administration of biologically active substances, especially drugs. More specifically it relates to coated drug containing microparticles, wherein the coating is a synthetic, bioabsorbable, biocompatible polymeric wax that is the reaction product of a polybasic acid or derivative thereof, a polyol and a fatty acid, the polymeric wax having a melting point less than about 70° C., as determined by differential scanning calorimetry.

Many drugs, proteins and peptides for use in medical therapy are susceptible to degradation at the site of administration. In addition, many of these therapeutic agents have very short in vivo half-lives. Consequently, multiple injections or multiple oral doses are required to achieve desirable therapy. It is desirable to increase the therapeutic efficacy of these therapeutic agents containing active ingredients by using parenterally administrable sustained release formulations with controlled release of the therapeutic agents.
A formulation intended for parenteral use has to meet a number of requirements in order to be approved by the regulatory authorities for use in humans. It has to be biocompatible and biodegradable and all substances used and their degradation products should be non-toxic. In addition, particulate therapeutic agents intended for injection have to be small enough to pass through the injection needle, which preferably means that they should be smaller than 200 microns. The agent should not be degraded to any large extent in the formulation during production or storage thereof or after administration and should be released in a biologically active form with reproducible kinetics.
Various dosage forms have been proposed for therapeutic agents that require parenteral administration. For example, an agent may be microencapsulation by a phase separation process using a coacervation agent such as mineral oil, vegetable oils or the like, resulting in the formation of a microparticle containing the agent.
Another microencapsulation method entails formation of a three-phase emulsion containing a therapeutic agent, a polymer, and water. A drying step yields microparticles of the agent microencapsulated in the polymer.
Also reported is the formation of microparticles by spray drying, rotary disc, or fluidized bed techniques combining biodegradable polymers and therapeutic agents.
As mentioned above, there is a need to control the release of the microencapsulated therapeutic agent from a parenterally administrable sustained release formulation of microparticles in an accurate way. Often, the initial release rate of agent is large. This is known as the initial burst of the agent from the microparticle. In many of the controlled release systems based on biodegradable polymers, the release rate and initial burst of the therapeutic agent is largely dependent on the amount of agent incorporated into the microparticle. This is due to the formation of channels in the microparticles at higher agent loadings.
A well-known way of controlling the release of therapeutic agent from solid core is to apply a synthetic, biodegradable polymer coating that produces a rate controlling film on the surface of the core particles. The release rate and initial burst of the therapeutic agent is controlled by factors including the thickness of the coating, the diffusivity of agent through the synthetic polymer comprising the coating, and the rate of biodegradation of the polymer.
Often, the method of applying the coating requires use of solvents to dissolve the coating polymer prior to the coating process. This is done in cases where the melting temperature of the polymer is high enough to cause changes in the performance of the agent.
Synthetic polymers may include aliphatic polyesters, polyanhydrides and poly(orthoester)s. Synthetic absorbable polymers typically degrade by a hydrolytic mechanism. Such synthetic absorbable polymers include homopolymers, such as poly(glycolide), poly(lactide), poly(e-caprolactone), poly(trimethylene carbonate) and poly(p-dioxanone), and copolymers, such as poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(e-caprolactone-co-glycolide), and poly(glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate). The polymers may be statistically random copolymers, segmented copolymers, block copolymers or graft copolymers.
Alkyd-type polyesters prepared by the polycondensation of a polyol, polyacid and fatty acid are used in the coating industry in a variety of products, including chemical resins, enamels, varnishes and paints. These polyesters also are used in the food industry to make texturized oils and emulsions for use as fat substitutes.
There is a great need for polymers for use as coatings in parenteral therapeutic agent delivery, where the polymers have both low melting temperatures and low viscosities upon melting, thus permitting for solvent-free processing techniques in preparation of parenteral therapeutic agent delivery compositions, can crystallize rapidly, and biodegrade within 6 months.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Polymer coated microparticles for sustained release


A cartridge packing is provided for an automatic or semiautomatic firearm. The cartridge packing includes an operational loader having a magazine filled with cartridges. The operational loader and cartridges are enclosed in a protection piece for protection against shocks and pollution. The protection piece includes a rigid cap and a tearable bag.

The object of the present invention is a cartridge packing for automatic or semiautomatic firearms comprising at least one container element filled with a given number of cartridges, and at least one closure element for said container element.
In the best-known cartridge packings today, the container element consists of a simple box and the closure element is formed of a cover which can be swung by folding or is removable by pulling out.
The cartridges are arranged in the box either loosely or in a holding element such as, for instance, a honeycomb frame.
Upon the operation of loading his firearm, the marksman manually transfers a desired number of cartridges from the boxes into the loader of the firearm before introducing the loader into it.
This transfer operation in not without drawbacks.
Equipping a loader with cartridges in fact requires careful and laborious manipulations, particularly in the case of a large capacity loader, without taking into account the fact that in the case of the latter the operation can become rather lengthy.
Upon the introduction of each cartridge into the loader, it is necessary to overcome the resistance of a spring which is contained in the loader and is applied against a piston which receives the first cartridge introduced, this while sliding the cartridge to be introduced beneath the two bent edges of the open end of the body of the loader which form retention lips for the cartridges introduced. The use of both hands is indispensable for this operation, since it is necessary to hold the loader firmly at the same time.
Due to this, the operation of filling a loader is difficult and it may happen that it escapes the hands of the marksman, particularly when the resistance of the spring is great.
In the event of this clumsiness, and depending on where and on what the loader falls, slight deformations which are not readily apparent may be produced which escape the notice of the marksman but result in consequences of greater or lesser seriousness.
Thus, for instance, the region of the first cartridge, and particularly the retaining lips of the loader which also have the function, during the firing and by their orientation, of suitably presenting each cartridge in front of the guide ramp leading to the firing chamber of the firearm, may suffer deformations which may cause the jamming of the chamber.
These difficulties in the filling of a loader and this risk of jamming of the firearm, although acceptable on training, may become critical in a combat situation.
In an attempt to improve this state of affairs, partial solutions have been proposed and placed in effect.
Thus, for example, with respect to the filling of a loader of known type, the loader is provided on a side wall with a sliding push button which is connected to the piston in order to compress the spring by the thumb of the hand which holds the loader, while a cartridge which is held between the thumb and the index finger of the other hand is slipped below the lips and introduced into the loader. This system, however, requires brief relaxation of the piston of the loader after each insertion of a cartridge in order for the cartridges to be correctly positioned; furthermore, upon this subsidiary operation, one must avoid pulling too strongly on the piston and then relaxing it suddenly, since in this way one risks damaging the lips of the loader and inevitably causing defects in the feed.
Furthermore, with regard to the filling operation, in the case of another loader of known type a storing tool has been created in the form of a slide member which can be applied to the wall of the loader and is provided with a push member which comes against the piston or a cartridge which has already been introduced can be lowered by pressing this tool against the action of the spring, and the cartridge to be stored, held between the thumb and the index finger of the other hand, can thus be slid below the lips and easily introduced into the loader.
In addition to the drawbacks already mentioned relative to the push button, this storage tool, however, does not eliminate all risk of a false maneuver, and it can be forgotten or lost due to its nature as a separate, additional tool and furthermore, it does not dispense one from the necessity of introducing the cartridges one by one into the loader.
In order to avoid this need of filling the cartridges one by one, a removable magazine which is independent of the magazine of the loader has been created in order to be able to fill the latter with all its cartridges by a single push of one hand while the other hand holds the loader. There is concerned here a removable magazine or "clip" which is particularly suitable for a loader which is wider than it and in which the cartridges are stored not one on top of the other in the same plane as in this clip but, on the contrary, staggered, by lateral offset of one with respect to the other, which permits the clip to be introduced between the lips of this loader. This clip has a lateral opening which allows all of the cartridges to be seen and makes it possible to push them manually so as to transfer them into the loader. The operation is very fast and this clip is then withdrawn and discarded, or else kept in order to be reloaded and reused subsequently.
The advantage produced by this clip is, however, limited in its application to said type of loader alone. It furthermore does not eliminate all risks of improper transfer, resulting in the falling of the loader, since it is necessary to present the clip correctly and align it well with respect to the loader at the start of the transfer operation, avoiding any skewing.
Finally, between the time of its filling and the time of its use, a loaded loader has no protection against the possible action of outside contaminating agents such as dust, sand and water.

Cartridge package for automatic or semiautomatic firearms


Techniques for improving the performance of a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (“LDAP”) server are described. The server computes the priority of an LDAP request and enqueues it on a priority queue according to the priority. A high-priority LDAP request is removed from the queue to prepare a corresponding LDAP response. Systems and software to implement similar techniques are also described and claimed.

The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol ("LDAP") is a standard computer networking protocol for querying and modifying entries in a database. The basic protocol is defined in a group of Internet Engineering Task Force ("IETF") Request for Comments ("RFC") documents; various aspects of the current version of the protocol (version 3) are described in RFCs listed in the "LDAP Technical Specification Road Map" (RFC4510, published June 2006). The databases reachable through LDAP may contain any sort of data, but most commonly contain identity and contact information for people and organizations.
LDAP may be viewed as a communication framework within which a client and server establish and conduct a conversation. The client issues one or more requests, and the server responds with a similar number of replies. The client generally need not wait for a response to one request before sending another request, and the server is generally not required to respond to multiple outstanding requests in the same order they were issued. Many LDAP requests can be answered very quickly, but some requests can cause the server to dedicate large amounts of memory or many computing cycles to prepare a response.
Since LDAP servers are often deployed in applications where they must respond to queries from an enormous number of clients (many of which may only issue one or two simple requests), it is important that the server's design address the issue of computationally expensive queries, to attempt to mitigate the effect of such queries on the quality of service enjoyed by less demanding clients.

Priority queue to determine order of service for LDAP requests


A spring-assisted fold mechanism for a child's stroller is operable to collapse the stroller frame into a storage configuration upon actuation of a release mechanism controlling the stroller fold latch mechanism. The stroller includes a spring device interconnecting two of the pivotally connected frame components to urge the pivotal movement thereof into a collapsed, folded configuration. An anti-fold latch mechanism is associated with the stroller seat to move from an inoperative position into a locking position whenever a child is placed into the stroller seat to prevent the fold mechanism from collapsing the frame of the stroller until the child is removed from the seat. The spring device can be configured as a gas spring, a torsion spring, a compression spring or an elastomeric member that can be stretched to exert a biasing force on the stroller frame to urge movement into the collapsed position.

Strollers for transporting young children are commercially available in many styles and configurations. Strollers are normally configurable in an operative position in which the child is placed on a seat forming part of the stroller to be transported from one place to another by a caregiver pushing the stroller manually, and in a compact storage configuration in which the stroller is folded into a position in which the frame is collapsed and is unusable for the normal function of transporting young children until the stroller is returned to the operative position. These strollers can be folded from the operative configuration into the storage configuration in a number of different ways to achieve a storable size for the stroller frame.
Known commercially available strollers can be very difficult to fold into the storage configuration. Many times, the caregiver needs to fold the stroller from the operative configuration into the storage configuration while holding the baby that was being transported in the stroller. To affect the folding of the stroller, the frame components are pivotally connected to one another and a latch mechanism that locks the frame members into an expanded configuration corresponding to the transport position. The latch mechanism is operatively controlled by a latch release apparatus that is often located near the center of the steering handle. The release mechanism can typically be activated using one hand, which is often referred to as a One Hand Fold Mechanism in the industry. Even with the one hand fold release mechanism located at a convenient location and being able to be activated by one hand, the person trying to collapse the stroller into the storage position will normally need to use his or her other hand to move the frame components and cause the stroller frame to fold into the storage position.
Complicating the folding of the stroller frame into a compact storage configuration, particularly when the caregiver is not yet familiar with the structure of the stroller, the different manufacturers and models of strollers utilize many different means of folding and unique folding geometries such that it is not always easy to understand how the stroller frame is to fold or even which direction the frame actually folds. For instance, some strollers fold by moving the steering handle up and toward the front of the stroller and other strollers fold by moving the steering handle down and toward the rear of the stroller. Many times, when a new user interacts with their stroller for the first time, they can activate the one hand release mechanism but then do not know which way to move the handle to initiate the folding process. Thus, folding the stroller is typically done by trial and error and usually requires the use of two hands.
One Hand Fold Mechanisms will typically provide an actuator that provides the caregiver with a large mechanical advantage when initiating the folding process. This extra leverage requires less grip force from the caregiver and, therefore, makes the activation of the folding process easier to accomplish. Additionally, a secondary lock mechanism is desirable to ensure that the folding mechanism remains deactivated until the caregiver consciously decides to activate it using two separate and distinct motions relating to the activation of the release mechanism. Even when the release mechanism and the secondary lock mechanism are provided for the folding apparatus of a stroller, an additional anti-fold latch corresponding to the presence of the child within the structure of the stroller can be desired to prevent the unintentional actuation of the folding apparatus whenever the child is still seated within the stroller.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,116, issued on Mar. 25, 1975, to Gianluca Perego, a spring mechanism is utilized to bias the movement of a portion of the stroller toward a collapsed position; however, the entire collapsing of the stroller from the operative position to the storage position is not accomplished through this spring biasing mechanism. An auxiliary safety structure is disclosed for a child's stroller in U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,116, granted to Shum Chen on Apr. 21, 1992, whereby a spring-loaded block preventing the pivotal movement of the stroller frame is overcome by the weight of a child seated in the stroller to prevent the stroller from being collapsed when the child is seated in the stroller. Once the child is lifted out of the stroller seat, the spring releases the block from engagement with the corresponding frame member to allow pivotal movement thereof into the collapsed storage position. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,783, issued on Apr. 6, 2004, to Wayne Hanson, et al, a gas spring is utilized to lock the positions of pivotally connected stroller frame members so that the selected height of the seat can be secured.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved stroller folding mechanism that will normally be operable through manipulation of the release mechanism whenever the child is not seated within the stroller structure.

Stroller with spring-assisted fold mechanism


An axial vane rotary power device comprises a rotor arranged to turn within an annular chamber having two end plates with mutually facing undulating cam surfaces. Vanes retained in angularly spaced slots in the rotor reciprocate axially as the rotor turns. Transfer passages, interleaved between the vanes, connect each working chamber to a respective transfer port at the central bore of the rotor. A tubular inner stator member, about which the rotor turns, has two sets of peripheral ports that provide fluid communication between the working chambers and intake and exhaust channels as the rotor turns. Various configurations of the device allow it to function as either a two- or four-phase internal combustion engine, a fluid driven motor, a pump, a compressor or an expander.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to rotary devices of the axial vane type, in which a volume change occurs between adjacent vanes and cam surfaces on each side of the rotor and in which the vanes translate axially with respect to the rotational axis of the rotor. More particularly, the present invention relates to an internally supercharged and turbocharged axial vane rotary device and a method for vane actuation in axial vane rotary devices.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical prior art axial vane rotary device (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,084 to Cherry et al.) comprises an external stator enclosing a cylindrical chamber having an annular outer wall and end walls. Each end wall has an axially undulating cam surface parallel with respect to the other end so that high portions of the cam surface of one end align with low portions of the cam surfaces at the opposite end. A rotor is rotatably mounted within the chamber. The rotor has an annular outer wall and a plurality of angularly spaced apart, axially extending slots extending therethrough. A vane is slidably received in each slot. The vanes reciprocate axially and alternately expand and contract volumes between adjacent vanes and the axially undulating end walls as the rotor rotates. Each axially undulating end wall has alternating first and second portions. The second portions are further away from the rotor than the first portions. The first portion of one end wall is aligned with a second portion of the opposite end wall so that the axial distance between them remains constant. The slots extend radially outwards on the rotor to the outer wall thereof. The outer end of each vane slidably engages the annular outer wall of the stator. The outer wall of the stator may have a guide cam and vanes may have a follower received by the guide cam. The guided cam is shaped to cause the vanes to reciprocate axially with respect to the rotor as the rotor rotates. Each vane may have resiliently biased first seals extending along the inner edge and second seals along end edges thereof.
In the above prior art, as the rotor rotates, the vanes move outward due to centrifugal force and make sliding contacts on the annular outer wall, which may be lubricated by an oil film, and the side edges of the vanes make sliding contact with the axially undulating cam surfaces, thus causing the vane to reciprocate as the rotor rotates. This arrangement is adequate in a small axial vane rotary device or in one operating at low speed with provision for appropriate lubrication at the outer and side edges of the vanes. In axial rotary devices that are large or that operate at high speed, excessive centrifugal forces and shear forces cause large outer and edge tip loading of the vanes and result in excessive wear and damage to wall surfaces and vanes. In effort to overcome these problems, the reciprocating motion of the vane is actuated by a pin projecting from the vane, equipped with an anti-friction shoe, as the follower that is received by the guide cam. Although this arrangement alleviates the outer and side tip loading by conveying such loading to the pin, the pin itself often can not withstand such large friction forces without breaking.
In the above prior art, the intake and exhaust ports comprise passages through the undulating end walls. This arrangement makes the fabrication of such surfaces more complex.
In the above prior art, the design of the engine does not permit inclusion of internal supercharging or turbo-charging capability and thereby any such charging has to be performed externally. The advantage of internal super- and turbo-charging is the efficient utilization of space and a reduction of pressure losses associated with conduit inter-connection, as well the reduction of the complexity associated with such inter-connection.


A starter for cranking an internal combustion engine includes an electric motor, an output shaft, and a one-way clutch for transmitting a rotational torque of the electric motor to the output shaft. The one-way clutch is composed of a clutch-outer driven by the electric motor, a clutch-inner spline-coupled to the output shaft, and rollers disposed between the clutch-outer and the clutch-inner. A portion of the clutch-inner is utilized as an inner ring of a ball bearing rotatably supporting the clutch-inner. A ball-groove rotatably supporting the bearing balls and retaining lubricant therein is formed on the outer circumference of the clutch-inner. In this manner, an original inner ring of the ball bearing can be eliminated without adversely affecting the lubricating function.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a starter for cranking an internal combustion engine, the starter having a one-way clutch.
2. Description of Related Art
An example of a starter having a one-way clutch is disclosed in JP-U-6-23742. A relevant portion of this starter is shown in FIG. 5 attached hereto. The one-way clutch 140 of this starter has a clutch-inner 130 that is coupled to an output shaft 150 by means of a helical spline. The clutch-inner 120 is rotatably supported by a ball bearing 100 which is held in a frame 110. A front portion 120 of the clutch-inner 130 is inserted into an inner ring of the ball bearing 100. The output shaft 150 having a pinion at its front end is pushed forward toward a ring gear of an engine so that the pinion engages with the ring gear. A rotational torque of an electric motor contained in the starter is transmitted to the output shaft 150 via the one-way clutch 140. In a starter disclosed in JP-U-58-96059, a ball bearing is arranged so that balls of the ball bearing directly contact a rotating shaft, thereby eliminating an inner ring of the bearing.
In the starter disclosed in JP-U-6-23742, the outer diameter of the clutch-inner 130 that carries the ball bearing 100 thereon cannot be freely designed because the outer diameter has to fit the inner diameter of the inner ring of the ball bearing 100. If the outer diameter of the clutch-inner 130 is enlarged to increase its mechanical strength, a larger ball bearing 100 has to be used. This makes the size of the starter large. It may be possible to use a specially designed ball bearing to suppress the size of the starter. This makes the starter expensive.
In the starter disclosed in JP-U-58-96059, the balls of the ball bearing directly contact a cylindrical outer circumference of the rotating shaft. Accordingly, it is impossible to retain lubricant on the shaft. If there is some lubricant adhering to the rotating shaft, the lubricant would be positioned apart from the balls when the rotating shaft shifts forward. Therefore, when the rotating shaft is driven by the engine via the pinion at a high speed, it is highly possible that seizing (or burn-in) occurs between the bearing balls and the rotating shaft. This is highly detrimental to durability of the starter. Further, foreign particles or dusts on the rotating shaft will be rolled in to the balls, thereby causing high abrasion.

Starter with one-way clutch for cranking internal combustion engine


An apparatus and method for performing remote financial transactions over an interactive network using a user operated payment module such as an initialized remote control device. The secure remote financial transaction system uses password security as well as a secure method for selecting and implementing personal passwords.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for securing and conducting financial transactions from remote locations, in which there is communication between the remote location and off-site transaction recording or processing locations.
Various techniques have been developed for maintaining security and secrecy of remotely conducted financial transactions. Such techniques commonly rely on the use of secret passwords, which typically are called personal identification numbers, or PINs. In a transaction, the PIN generally is used in conjunction with a second form of identification which is physically scanned by a reading device.
One known technique for remote transactions are bank automatic teller machines ("ATMs") and electronic fund transfer at point-of-sale terminals ("EFT-POS" terminals). Typical ATMs and EFT-POS terminals require the user to insert a card containing an encoded magnetic strip. Information is read from the magnetic strip. For example, Track 1 information may be read, including the user's name, account number, card validation value ("CVV") and expiration date. In addition, the user typically is required to input a PIN in order to commence any transactions. The PIN typically is assigned by a registering institution, such as a bank or credit card company. In one approach, the registering institution assigns the PIN to the user. In other approaches, the user is able to self-select a PIN. In a self-selection system, the user can personally visit the registering institution and make the selection there. The automatic teller machine typically is at location removed from the user's home.
ATM and EFT-POS networks are also known. One such network is described in the ANSI X9.24 standard. In such a network, ATM (or EFT-POS) machines from different financial institutions are connected through a central processing institution. Using such networks, for example, a user with an account at a particular bank may conduct financial transactions, such as bank account withdrawals, from a different bank. Such networks are widely known and have such trade names as "NYCE", "PLUS" and "CIRRUS". In a typical network, the ATMs of one bank are connected to a data processing unit of that bank. Other banks connected to the network have similar ATM arrangements. The data processing units of each bank on the network are in turn connected to a central processing institution. The central processing institution thereby acts as a router or a financial network switch sending transaction requests to the appropriate bank on the network.
ATM systems have been subject to various forms of hostile attack. For example, the PINs are accessible because users must input them into the system by the user in an unencrypted form. Although the ATM terminals typically encrypt the PINs before transmitting them from the terminals over the ATM network, they typically use one encryption key for multiple PINs. Thus, they also have been subject to dictionary attack in which a known PIN is used as an attack base. When the known encrypted PIN is intercepted by a monitor (such as by detecting the associated unencrypted account information), and when an identical encrypted PIN is intercepted (corresponding to a different account), then the PIN for that account is known because the same encryption key is used.
Various techniques are known for selecting and encrypting the PIN from a remote site, rather than in person at the registering institution. A paper encryption system is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,870,683 and 4,885,779. Using the paper encryption system the user may select and encrypt the PIN at home and then mail it to the registering institution. The user also may transmit the encrypted PIN to the registering institution over the telephone lines. In another known technique for selecting and encrypting a PIN at a remote site, the user communicates with the encryption system electronically (such as via modem communication) and sends an identifier and receives back an encrypted identifier. Such a system is described in commonly-assigned co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/029,833.
Various unsecured at-home purchasing systems are known. One such system is television home shopping. Typical television home shopping systems include the QVC network and the Home Shopping Channel. In such television home shopping systems, broadcast programming is received by a television receiver. The programming typically includes a description of the product being sold, a video display, a price and ordering instructions. Typically, the user is provided a toll-free telephone number, such as an "800" number to call for placing an order. The user may order using a credit card in which various information must be given to the order taker. Such a system is unsecured because the telephone lines are subject to hostile attack, such as by monitors or eavesdroppers. Likewise, the credit card information is not encrypted, so the attackers may obtain information, either through the telephone lines or at the order receiving facility.
Other kinds of television services offer unsecured interactive ordering through a television receiver. One such service commonly is offered in hotels for remote check-out processing from the hotel room. In such a service, the hotel guest is offered various check-out options on the in-room television receiver. For example, the guest may be offered various options, including reviewing charges to the room, such as meal, daily board and telephone fees, and automatic check-out without personally visiting the registration services desk in the hotel's lobby. The options are offered in a menu system appearing on the television screen typically through a cable. The guest scrolls through the menus and selections using a remote control device, such as a typical television infra-red hand-held controller. Likewise, the different menu options are selected using the hand-held controller. Such a system does not enable payment directly through the television. Typically the hotel receives pre-payment, such as by presentation of a credit card (and optionally additional identification) upon check-in registration at the front desk. In addition, the system is subject to hostile attack through intercepting the television signal, such as through the cable system, and through access to the hotel records pertaining to guest credit card information.
Another interactive television ordering system is used for ordering or blocking pay-per-view movies. One such pay-per-view service, such as offered in hotel rooms, gives the user a selection of various movies to request (while the fee is added to the hotel bill), as well as the option to block out certain movies or all pay-per-view selections. As with the check-out system, the user may use a typical hand-held television or VCR remote control to scroll through the menus and make selections. Again payment may not be made directly by the user. Instead, the fees are added to the hotel or cable bill. Like the check-out system, this movie ordering system is subject to hostile attack.
Computer bulletin board services provide another form of at-home purchasing. One such service is Compuserve, 5000 Arlington Centre Blvd., P.O. Box 20212, Columbus, Ohio 43220. In such systems, the user typically communicates to a remote computer system from a personal computer. A modem typically is used to initiate a telephone contact between the remote computer and the bulletin board system. The user may have the option of browsing various services and products offered for sale. Payment typically is made by credit card or by check through the mail. Such a system is subject to hostile attack, such as through telephone eavesdroppers and monitors, monitors with direct access to the bulletin board computer, hacker attack from off-site locations, or through access to the mail.


A communication processing apparatus is disclosed which performs a process for establishing a connection upon receipt of a communication connection request. The apparatus includes a controlling element for performing a connection availability determination process upon receipt of the connection request. The controlling element performs a user identification process for identifying a user representing a connection request sender based on data in the connection request. The controlling element further carries out the process for establishing the connection if communication processing resources allocated for the user having a user identifier acquired in the user identification process are judged to be available.

The present invention relates to a communication processing apparatus, a communication processing method, and a computer program. More specifically, the invention relates to a communication processing apparatus, a communication processing method and a computer program for allowing a server or like equipment connected to a network to restrict the amount of available resources in processing illustratively TCP-based communication connections depending on the party it communicates with, thereby preventing an inordinately high volume of communication traffic with low-priority users from hampering the communications of high-priority users.
The widespread use of high-speed, continuous-connection Internet services today is allowing a growing number of individuals to use their PCs as servers maintaining always-on connection with the Internet. Where the PC is used as a server in the typical household, there may be three kinds of server users: the server owner, the server owner's family members and friends, and others (i.e., general public).
These days, more and more people are inclined to disclose their diaries, web pages, digital photo images, and self-created images and/or sound data through their servers on the Internet. Individuals' servers are thus as likely to be accessed by the general public as any corporate or institutional servers. In such cases, the individuals server owner may well wish to prioritize the availability of the server service. Specifically, the owner's use should preferably be given top priority over those service requests by the general public which could hamper the owner from utilizing his or her own server as desired.
The trouble is that conventional servers have no capability of setting priorities depending on the profile of users when establishing TCP connections for the server service. A predetermined amount of TCP traffic processing resources (memory areas and disc areas) is always allocated for each user. The same resources are allocated in unrestrained fashion to every user being processed for a TCP connection or a connection request.
In an environment such as individuals' servers where users should preferably be prioritized but cannot, the resources for TCP traffic processing could be exhausted by low-priority users. The latter users, by using up the available resources, could bar high-priority users from making use of the server service. There are two cases in which the TCP traffic processing resources can be exhausted by low-priority users:
(Case 1)
This is a case in which numerous TCP connections are established by a plurality of low-priority users.
(Case 2)
This is a case where low-priority users have launched DoS (denial of services) attacks on the resources for TCP traffic processing. The DoS attack is a hacking action carried out by unscrupulous parties exhausting or disabling the resources that should be made available for legitimate users but are denied to them. Illustratively, the DoS attack involves sending large amount of data or invalid packets to the server system in question or transmitting illegal commands to the server through a loophole in the OS or an application program with a view to shutting down the system.
There are two major types of DoS attacks on TCP traffic processing resources: a SYN flood attack, and a DoS attack aimed at establishing a large number of TCP connections.
The SYN flood attack takes advantage of the limited data size of the queue for managing halfway states of TCP/IP connections being established during what is known as a three-way handshaking procedure. The attack involves sending to the target server a large number of SYN packets each requesting establishment of a TCP connection. Because the three-way handshaking procedure is never completed, numerous halfway states are being generated to flood the halfway state management queue of the target server. The server is thus disabled temporarily from establishing new TCP connections.
The DoS attack aimed at establishing a large number of TCP connections takes place generally as follows: there is a predetermined maximum number of TCP connections that can be processed at a time, dictated by the need to use limited resources such as the memory and CPU every time a TCP connection is established. If multiple machines were employed to establish numerous TCP connections with the target server and thereby exhaust all available resources, the server would become incapable of establishing any more TCP connections. Depending on its capabilities, the target server may then have to reduce its processing speeds or may undergo a system down.
One conventional countermeasure against DoS attacks is the use of a firewall or a router for filtering purposes. The filtering scheme is designed conditionally to restrict sender IP addresses and usable ports upon establishment of TCP connections; any TCP connection request failing to meet relevant conditions is rejected.
The use of the server service by users can thus be limited by the filtering method preventing DoS attacks by any unscrupulous users not authorized for service usage. However, there exists no distinction between authorized users in their right to utilize TCP connection resources of the server. For this reason, it is impossible to prevent the above-described irregularities of both case 1 and case 2.
The SYN flood attack has been countered conventionally by a method called "SYN cookies." This is an optional feature provided by kernel versions 2.0.30 or higher of Linux OS. In a conventional TCP connection request process, resources for the connection are allocated upon receipt of a SYN packet representing the request. By contrast, the SYN-cookies feature returns a SYN-ACK packet in response to the received SYN packet without allocating any resources. The resources are allocated only after the connection is established upon receipt of an ACK packet, whereby the SYN flood attack is forestalled.
The foregoing method can prevent the SYN flood attack of case 2 above but is incapable of prioritizing users as in the convention TCP traffic processing. The incapacity to prioritize leaves the resources exhausted by TCP connections of low-priority users in case of the DoS attack aimed at establishing numerous TCP connections in both case 1 and case 2 above.
Another countermeasure against the SYN flood attack has been introduced by Microsoft Corporation with its Windows NT4.0 SP2 or higher. This feature involves taking such defensive measures as increasing the queue size and reducing time-out period settings when SYN flood attacks have flooded the queue for managing halfway states of TCP/IP connections being established. The feature is fairly effective in thwarting the SYN flood attack but, as with the SYN-cookies scheme, it can let the resources be exhausted by low-priority users launching the DoS attack requesting establishment of numerous TCP connections in both case 1 and case 2 above.
In an environment such as individuals' servers where users should preferably be prioritized somehow but cannot, the exhaustive use of the resources for TCP traffic processing by low-priority users will hamper high-priority users from making any use of the server. Problems then occur in the above-described two cases which are paraphrased as follows:
(Case 1) This is a case where a plurality of low-priority users have established numerous TCP connections.
(Case 2) This is a case in which low-priority users have launched DoS attacks on the resources for TCP traffic processing.
In each of these two cases, it is necessary that high-priority users be enabled to establish TCP connections to utilize the server.

Communication processing apparatus, communication processing method, and computer program


A business form is provided ideally suited for use by an organization that delivers products, and/or which relies heavily on phone orders. A first paper sheet has a face, back, and first size. Indicia is disposed on the face, and a first pattern of repositional adhesive is disposed on the back. A second sheet having a face and a back, and a size much smaller than the first size, has indicia disposed on its face including a phone number, and a second pattern of repositional adhesive is disposed on its back. The second sheet back is readily removably attached to the face of the first sheet by the second pattern of repositional adhesive. The size of the second sheet is such that it will fit on the hand set of a telephone between the ear piece and mouth piece, and the first indicia includes an illustration of how to place the second sheet on a telephone hand set. The form may also comprise a coupon portion. The form is made by applying the second sheets (labels) to a moving web of paper, which is subsequently formed into the first sheets, and which first sheets can be constructed into a pad.

There are many businesses which offer delivery of products as part of their business, or for which delivery of products is their whole business. These, and other business, especially retail business, often rely on phone orders from individual customers as the primary source of their business. It would be highly desirable if such businesses had an easy way to encourage repeat phone orders.
According to the present invention, a business form, and a method of manufacture of the business form, are provided which encourage repeat telephone orders for businesses as described above. The business form of the invention includes two major components, a first sheet which preferably has a repositional adhesive on its back and indicia on its front and a large size, and a second sheet, typically a label, which has a much smaller size than the first sheet, and repositional adhesive on its back, with indicia on its front including a phone number. The label is placed on the first sheet at a particular location, and the first indicia on the first sheet face preferably includes indicia illustrating use of the label.
The label has a phone number on it, as well as other indication indicating the products offered by calling the phone number, the name of the organization, or the like, and has dimensions such that it will easily fit on a telephone hand set between the ear piece and mouth piece thereof. The first indicia preferably includes an illustration showing how the label is applied to a telephone hand set.
To maximize advertising and to further encourage repeat orders, it is desirable to provide a portion of the first sheet as a coupon, including having coupon indicia and separated from the rest of the first sheet by indicia or a line of weakness.
In a typical utilization of the form according to the invention, a plurality of forms are provided in a pad at, for example, a restaurant that offers pizza delivery. When the restaurant receives a phone order, one of the forms according to the invention is removed from the pad, and placed on the cardboard box containing the pizza. When the pizza is delivered to the purchaser, with the form attached, the form provides three functions. First, it is clearly visible (contrasting in color from the cardboard box) advertising for the restaurant. Secondly, it provides the removable label, with repositional adhesive, as well as instructions and/or illustrations for its use, which encourages the consumer to put the label on their phone hand set so that the number is readily available, thereby encouraging repeat business. Finally, by providing a coupon portion, the consumer is given incentive to retain the form, and again an encouragement for repeat business is provided.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of making business forms utilizing a first web of paper having a face and a back, and a plurality of labels with repositional adhesive, is provided, comprising the steps of: (a) Moving the first web of paper in a first direction. (b) As the first web of paper is moving in the first direction, applying the repositional adhesive labels to the face of the web in spaced relationship so that there is a regular substantial spacing between the labels in the first direction. (c) Forming the first web into sheets, each sheet having one repositional adhesive label on the face thereof. (d) Providing a pattern of repositional adhesive on the back of each sheet. And, (e) forming the sheets into a pad.
Step (a) is preferably practiced at a speed greater than 100 feet per minutes (e.g. about 128 feet per minute), and step (d) is also preferably practiced before step (b). Also, the labels are dimensioned to fit on a telephone hand set between the receiver and mouth piece, and there are the further steps of: (f) Printing indicia at a first location on the first web for each sheet illustrating the removable label on a hand set of a telephone; and (g) Printing a phone number on the label. Step (b) is practiced by placing a removable label adjacent each first location.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple business form which is easy to use and encourages repeat telephone orders. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.


A wetness monitoring system is provided for an absorbent article, the wetness monitoring system including a signaling device including a counter to count the number of discrete insults, a timer to monitor the elapsed time that the article has been worn, and an alarm to indicate that the number of discrete insults has reached an insult limit or that the elapsed time has reached an elapsed time limit, whichever occurs first. The signaling device can be adapted to indicate one of first, second, and third conditions, the first condition being that the number of discrete insults has reached an insult limit, the second condition being that the elapsed time has reached an elapsed time limit, and the third condition being the first to occur of either of the first and second conditions, and wherein the condition to be indicated is selected by the wearer or by a caregiver.

The present invention relates generally to a method of detecting the presence of an insult in an absorbent article while it is being worn by a wearer and a monitoring system for performing the method.
Absorbent articles associated with wetness indicators have been proposed to signal to a caregiver when the absorbent article has been insulted. One way of monitoring a toilet-training child is by using a system that detects a change in an electrical property of the undergarment when the electrical property is a function of the wetness of the undergarment. For example, the electrical property may be resistance, conductance, impedance, capacitance or any other parameter which varies as the wetness of the undergarment varies. For example, a pair of spaced apart parallel conductors may be situated within the absorbent material of the undergarment. These conductors are in electrical contact with the absorbent material of the undergarment and are connected to a sensing circuit for monitoring the electrical property, the circuit includes a power source, such as a battery. For example, the circuit may comprise a voltage divider for detecting resistance between the conductors. The output of the circuit is an analog output voltage that corresponds to a resistance value. When the undergarment is dry, the resistance between the conductors is extremely high and relatively infinite, appearing as an open circuit. When the undergarment is wet, more particularly when the absorbent material of the undergarment between the conductors becomes wet, the resistance of the undergarment at that area drops to a relatively lower value because urine acts as a conductor.
Accordingly, in a conventional system a sensor monitors the resistance between the conductors and compares resistance values to a predetermined and fixed threshold resistance value. If a resistance value is less than the threshold resistance value, then the sensing circuit (herein sensor) sends a signal to an alarm device, which informs the caregiver and/or the wearer that the wearer has urinated. For example, the alarm device may be a device for producing an auditory signal, such as a song, a visual signal, such as a light, or a tactile signal, such as a change in temperature.
For potty training and enuretic use of absorbent articles, it is typically useful for the caregiver and/or user to know immediately when an absorbent article has been insulted to allow for corrective action and the training process. For other uses of absorbent articles, the caregiver can benefit from knowing how many times the absorbent article has been insulted without necessarily being required to change and discard the absorbent article. This can be the case for newborns and infants. Even if the absorbent article is insulted with urine, caregivers often will not change the absorbent article until it contains a bowel movement or the absorbent article feels saturated with urine. Especially with newborns, the urine insults are typically very frequent and in small amounts. Regardless, after some time the caregiver will need to change the absorbent article for skin health reasons.

Method and device for determining the need to replace an absorbent article


[Problem] To provide a method capable of forming an insulating film having homogeneous and high bulk density and less suffering defects.

In an electronic device such as a semiconductor element, semiconductor parts such as transistors, resistors and the like are generally arranged on a substrate. Those parts must be electrically insulated from each other, and hence it is necessary to provide areas among the parts so as to separate them. Those areas are referred to as "isolation areas", which have been hitherto generally provided by forming an insulating film selectively on the surface of a semiconductor substrate.
Meanwhile, in the field of electronic devices, the density and integration degree have been increased in recent years. According to the increase of the density and integration degree, it has become difficult to form isolation structures minute enough to meet the needed integration degree and hence it has been required to develop new isolation structures satisfying the needs. Those new isolation structures include a trench isolation structure, which is formed by carving fine trenches on the surface of a semiconductor substrate and then filling the trenches with insulating material so as to electrically separate a part positioned on one side from another part on the other side of each trench. The structure thus separating the parts can reduce the isolation area, as compared with the conventional structures, and is accordingly effective in achieving the high integration degree required in these days.
As a method for forming the above trench isolation structure, a process is studied in which a polysilazane composition is applied and then converted into silicon dioxide (e.g., Patent documents 1 and 2). This process generally comprises the steps of: applying a polysilazane composition onto a substrate surface having a trench structure, so as to fill the trenches with the composition; hardening the composition by curing or the like, so as to convert polysilazane into silicon dioxide; and then removing excess of the silicon dioxide formed on the surface by chemical mechanical polishing (hereinafter, referred to as "CMP").
However, insulating films formed by conventional methods often cannot fully fulfill their functions because very high precision is required to produce recent semiconductor elements. For example, in the case where the substrate surface has trenches of high aspect ratios, polysilazane is often insufficiently oxidized in the trenches. That is because, although enough amounts of oxygen and moisture are necessary to oxidize polysilazane, they are often insufficiently supplied to polysilazane in the trenches, particularly, at the bottoms (which are distant from the surface) in the deep trenches. Consequently, the resultant structure is densified so insufficiently that it cannot be successfully fabricated as designed in the wet-etching treatment and the like performed later.
Further, isolation structures other than the trench isolation structure are also required to be made more precise. However, there are rooms for improvement in insulating films and the like formed by conventional methods. Specifically, for example, in the case where a polysilazane-containing composition is applied and hardened to form an inter-metal dielectric film or a pre-metal dielectric film on the surface of a substrate, problems of cracks in the film and/or of crystal defects at the interface are often caused by large volume shrinkage in the course of hardening.

Abstract: [Means for solving] A substrate surface is coated with a silicon dioxide dispersion containing silicon dioxide fine particles, a polymer, a surfactant and a dispersion medium; and then further coated with a polysilazane composition; and thereafter heated to form an insulating film.


The main system printed circuit board of a computer is mounted on a tray structure that also supports other CPU components of the computer and is removably insertable into the housing portion of the computer. A specially designed card edge connector portion of the system board is operatively insertable into a socketed connector on another circuit board interiorly mounted within the housing. Electrically conductive signal fingers and grounding fingers are respectively mounted on first and second sides of the card edge, with the signal fingers being connected to the signal plane of the system board, and the grounding fingers being connected to its ground plane. A sacrificial grounding pad is positioned on the second side of the edge connector portion, between the grounding pads and its leading edge, and is initially engaged by the internal connector contact strips, as the card edge is being inserted into the connector, to equalize any voltage potential between the two circuit boards before the contact strips engage the signal and grounding fingers The grounding pad thus eliminates the necessity of incorporating clamping diodes in the system board circuitry to avoid ESD damage to its components. The initially engageable grounding pad also serves as a sacrificial contact wear member that lengthens the connectivity life of the system board by diminishing the mechanical wear-away of the signal and grounding fingers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to printed circuit board apparatus, and more particularly relates to card edge interconnect apparatus for printed circuit boards such as those used in computers.
2. Description of Related Art
In the printed circuit board art it is often necessary to operatively connect the circuitry on a first circuit board to the circuitry on a second board which will be oriented perpendicularly to the first circuit board This connection is conventionally made by forming electrically conductive fingers on a side surface of an edge portion of the first circuit board which is insertable into a socketed connector secured to a side of the second circuit board and having resiliently deflectable metal contact strips therein which are positioned and configured to engage the fingers to thereby electrically couple the circuitry of the first and second circuit boards.
Two problems potentially arise using this conventional "card edge" interconnection technique. First, due to the fact that the electrically conductive fingers of the first circuit board are subjected to forcible sliding contact with the resilient connector strips each time the connector edge portion of the board is inserted into or removed from the connector, mechanical finger "wear-away" occurs when the first circuit board is frequently coupled to and uncoupled from the second circuit board in this manner. At some point this mechanical wear-away will be sufficient to preclude the operative electrical interconnection of the two circuit boards.
Second, if the two circuit boards to be interconnected are at different voltage potentials their interconnection may cause an electrostatic discharge (ESD) from one board to the other board and damage one or more ESD-sensitive circuitry components on either or both of the boards A conventional method of protecting these ESD-sensitive circuitry components from such damage is to install clamping diode structures in the electrically conductive surface trace lined between the fingers and their associated components. Examples of such clamping diode structures, which function to limit the voltages transmitted to their associated circuitry components, include MOV's (metal oxide varistors), transorbs, transguards and back-to-back zener diodes.
While this approach typically provides satisfactory ESD protection to board circuitry components, it has the dual disadvantages of materially adding to the fabrication cost of the circuit board and occupying an appreciable amount of space thereon which would otherwise be available for additional operative circuitry components.
It can readily be seen from the foregoing that a clear need exists for improved card edge interconnect apparatus that eliminates or at least substantially reduces the above-mentioned problems, limitations and disadvantages commonly associated with conventional card edge interconnect apparatus. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such improved card edge interconnect apparatus.

Card edge interconnect apparatus for printed circuit boards