A torque screwdriver contains: a main body; a driving head and a torque mechanism disposed in the main body and the driving head engages with the driving head; a grip bar installed on a top end of the main body and having two ends which are a long end and a short end so that a configuration of the grip bar and the main body is in a T shape; an insertion hole defined in a top face of the grip bar, wherein a center of the insertion hole is located at the central axis of the torque mechanism. Thereby, the torque screwdriver is operated in a narrow space easily. A force rod can be inserted into the insertion hole, and a forcing position of the force rod for driving the torque screwdriver is identical to a center of the torque mechanism, thus acquiring a precise torque value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invent relates to a hand tool, and more particularly to a torque screwdriver which is extra provided with a forcing arm.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional screwdriver is a hand tool for screwing a screw element. To screw the screw element accurately, a torque screwdriver has been developed so as to set a torque force for screwing the screw element, such that the screw element will not be locked overly or inadequately. Accordingly, such a torque screwdriver is practical for precise equipment.
With reference to FIG. 1, a conventional torque screwdriver 10 contains a body 12 in which a torque mechanism 14 is mounted; and a screwing rod 16 disposed on a bottom end of the body 12 and coupling with the torque mechanism 14, such that when a force exerting on the screwing rod 16 reaches a preset torque, the torque mechanism 14 will slip off so that the screwing rod 16 cannot be rotated. In order to hold and operate the torque screwdriver securely, the body 12 has a grip bar 13 fixed on a top end thereof, and a connection shape of the body 12 and the grip bar 13 forms a T shape handle so as to form a forcing arm of the screwdriver.
Although the T shape handle serves as a forcing arm, the effect of the forcing arm is limited. In the case that a user desires to produce a large torque, the handle is rotated by the user forcefully, but such an operation is against operating requirement to torque mechanism due to the screwdriver is rotated laboriously, inappropriately and rapidly. As for a hand tool with a torque mechanism, a force exerting time to the torque hand tool must be temperate (within 4 to 6 seconds), and a force exerting speed to the torque hand tool must be appropriate. When the force exerting time is too long or too short, or the force exerting speed is inappropriate, the accuracy of the torque mechanism will be affected.
To comply with a precise torque requirement, a force rod 18 is fitted with the grip bar 13 to form a larger forcing arm, thus it is able to screw the screwing element in a large torque and with appropriate force exerting time and force exerting speed.
Nevertheless, such a conventional torque screwdriver has the following disadvantages:
For ergonomic consideration, a peripheral wall of the grip bar 13 is formed with a concave and convex surface, so the force rod 18 cannot fit with the grip bar 13 securely, and is easy to slip from the grip bar. It is thus uneasy to operate, and at the moment when the force rod 18 is slipping from the grip bar 13, the force exerting on the screwdriver changes intensely, thereby causing torque imprecision.
As the force rod 18 rotates the grip bar 13, a forcing position is not located at a center of the torque mechanism 14, i.e., an operation difference generates on the center of the torque mechanism 14, thus causing torque imprecision.
Moreover, the grip bar 13 of the T shape handle cannot be operated smoothly in a limited space.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

Torque screwdriver capable of enhancing torque and maintain torque accuracy


An ultrasonic image analyzing apparatus determines, on the basis of ultrasonic tomographic image information on a body portion being inspected, the properties of the tissues of the inspected portion, and causes a lesion portion to be displayed on a color image screen or the like, thereby allowing a diagnosis. The apparatus enables appropriate parameters for image analysis which correspond to the object organ, a body mark, and the type of ultrasonic probe used, to be automatically set. The apparatus also enables the size, the shape, the manner of scanning, etc. of regions of interest (ROIs), which are provided on the image of the portion being observed for the purpose of calculating the parameters, to be set in correspondence with the directions in which the ultrasonic wave from the probe propagates. Accordingly, the apparatus makes it possible to perform optimal image analysis with respect to the observation-object portion, and hence, perform correct diagnosis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic image analyzing apparatus and, more specifically, to an ultrasonic image analyzing apparatus which performs, on the basis of observation image information in an ultrasonic diagnosis system, image analysis of a body portion being observed.
2. Related Background Art
As is well known, an ultrasonic diagnosis system is adapted to determine, on the basis of ultrasonic tomographic image information on a portion being inspected (such as an affected portion of the body), the properties of the tissues of the inspected portion, and to display a lesion portion caused by cancer or the like as a color image on a screen, etc, so as to allow a diagnosis. Also, a great number of proposals have been made concerning diagnosis methods which can be carried out by such a system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,911 describes art entitled "ULTRASONIC TISSUE CHARACTERIZATION", which relates to the following diagnosis method: in an ultrasonic diagnosis system, a scatterer number density (SND) is calculated by obtaining a sum of scatter components from a tissue, and compared with predetermined parameters, thereby determining the properties of the tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,015 describes art entitled "HIGH SPEED TEXTURE DISCRIMINATOR FOR ULTRASONIC IMAGING", which relates to the following ultrasonic tissue-property diagnosis method: first, a region of interest (hereinafter abbreviated to "ROI") is set in a portion being inspected, and then, an abnormality of the properties of the tissues is determined on the basis of two of the four parameters consisting of a value b indicating the square of the mean of intensities of the echos reflected from the ROI, a value t indicating a sum of a total average of the backscatter, a noise power spectrum d bar, and an integrated value p of the difference obtained by subtracting a Gaussian noise component from the noise power spectrum d bar.
In recent years, however, while computer image processing has advanced, various efforts have been made, in ultrasonic diagnosis systems, to apply texture analysis to quantitative diagnosis employing endoscopic ultrasonography (hereinafter abbreviated to "EUS") with a view to improving the reliability of the results of diagnosis. For example, an example of such analysis is published in the following Japanese document: "Quantitative Diagnosis Employing Texture Analysis over Ultrasonic-Endoscopic Image (First Report)" (GASTRORENTEROL. ENDOSC. 32:1363-1368, 1990). The above-mentioned EUS is an apparatus which performs scanning of, for example, the inside of an alimentary canal by an ultrasonic probe comprising an ultrasonic vibrator so that an ultrasonic image is obtained to allow diagnosis of an affected portion. An example of a conventional ultrasonic diagnosis system employing such texture analysis will be described with reference to FIG. 15 et seq.
As shown in FIG. 15 (a structural block diagram), an ultrasonic observation apparatus 1, including an ultrasonic scope having an ultrasonic probe, observes a portion being inspected with an ultrasonic wave, and obtains a tomographic image of the inspected portion, which image is displayed on a display 2 consisting of a Tv monitor. A signal outputted from the ultrasonic observation apparatus 1 to the display 2 (alternatively, a signal outputted from a VTR, not shown) is also inputted to an image processing unit 3. The inputted signal is converted into a digital signal by an A/D converter 4, and written into a frame memory 5. The frame memory 5 has, as shown in FIG. 16, a multiplicity of pixels, for example 640.times.512 pixels, within which a ROI 5A is set, the ROI consisting of, for example, 9.times.9 pixels, as shown in FIG. 17. A signal from the ROI 5A is inputted to a characteristic amount calculating section 6, which section 6 calculates characteristic amounts of the image.
Said texture analysis is used as a means for calculating such characteristic amounts. Texture analysis per se is already known, as described in, for instance, "Fundamentals of Image Recognition (II)" (a Japanese Document published by Ohm-sha, pages 195 to 200), and includes methods such as a method employing density co-occurrence matrices, a density level difference method, and a density level run-length method and a power spectrum method.
The texture analysis method employing density co-occurrence matrices is fundamentally based on the evaluation of a two-dimensional combined probability density function f (i, j.vertline.d, .theta.). The function f (i, j.vertline.d, .theta.) is a probability density function indicating the probability that a pixel which is away from another pixel having a density value i by a distance d in the direction .theta., has a density value j. Thus, density co-occurrence matrices express f (i, j.vertline.d, .theta.) with respect to each (d, .theta.) in the form of matrices, and i and j respectively indicate the position of a row and the position of a column. Normally, parameters expressed by the following formulae (1) to (5) are used as effective characteristic amounts: ##EQU1## In the above formulae, S.theta.(i, j.vertline.d) represents an element in the row i and in the column j of a matrix S.theta.(d), and NG represents the number of density levels of the image. The density averages Vx and Vy, as well as the fractions .sigma.x and .sigma.y are expressed by the following formulas (6a) to (6d): ##EQU2##
The density level run-length method is a method which may be effectively used when the relevant object is of a certain kind, such as a stripe pattern, whose image can be effectively analyzed by run-length coding. A density level run is a set of pixels which are linearly adjacent to each other and which have the same density value, and its length is the number of pixels contained in the density level run. If a calculation is made as to how many times a run having a density value i and a length j occurs in the .theta. direction of the image being processed, and if it is assumed that a density level run matrix R (.theta.) is a matrix expressing the results of the calculation with respect to each direction .theta., the density level run matrix R (.theta.) is expressed by the following formula where r (i, j.vertline..theta.) is a matrix element: EQU R (.theta.)=[r (i, j.vertline..theta.)]
Using the above R (.theta.), the following characteristic amounts are defined as parameters: ##EQU3## where NG represents the number of the density levels, NR represents the number of run lengths in the matrix R(.theta.), TR represents the total number of runs in the direction .theta. counted regardless of the length and density value, and TP represents the total number of pixels of the image.
The above description is that of texture analysis. Referring to FIG. 15, the values calculated using the above parameters are compared by a determination section 8 with threshold values .alpha. and .beta. set in a control section 7 of the processing unit 3 through a keyboard 9 or a track ball 10. If the calculated values are between the threshold values .alpha. and .beta., a display control section 11 operates for the color display of an image portion corresponding to the ROI 5A so that the values are converted by a D/A converter 12, mixed with a synchronizing (hereinafter abbreviated to "SYNC") signal from a TV SYNC signal generating section 13 by a mixer 14, and displayed on a TV monitor 15. The ROI 5A is moved in up-down and light-right directions to process the whole image. The region to be processed can be set through the keyboard 9 or the track ball 10. When the inside of the body cavity is to be observed by employing the ultrasonic scope, a body mark, consisting of an image illustrating the stomach, the duodenum, the great intestine or the like is simultaneously displayed on the TV monitor screen so that the position of observation is indicated.
Before such image analysis is performed by an ultrasonic image analyzing apparatus, the observer observes a tomographic image of a portion (the object of observation) on the monitor 2. At this time, the observer manually adjusts the density, the sharpness and the luminance of the image so as to facilitate observation by eye. The adjustment has hitherto been effected by an adjusting circuit accommodated in the ultrasonic observation apparatus 1 for adjusting the gain, the contrast and the sensitivity time control (hereinafter abbreviated to "STC") of the output to be transmitted and received from the endoscope.
Also, in the conventional image analyzing apparatus, when calculating the parameters for each ROI set on data on the relevant image, certain fixed size and certain fixed shape of the ROIs are used. Further, the position of ROIs is, at the time of the calculation, scanned by performing scanning in the horizontal and vertical directions on a plane of the image. Furthermore, the parameters are not particularly changed in correspondence with differences in the position of the ROIs.
In the conventional image processor having the above-described function, the parameters for the image analysis have been hitherto set by the operator. That is, it is necessary that parameters for use in calculating characteristic amounts in image analysis be suitably changed in accordance with the object organ or an object body portion being inspected, or the measurement conditions under which the observation apparatus performs observation (such as the type of the ultrasonic probe and the scanning method). Thus, the conventional apparatus has a drawback in that it is difficult to suitably set the parameters if the operator does not have sufficient experience and technical sense.
On the other hand, in the conventional ultrasonic observation apparatus employing the ultrasonic probe, if the probe is, for instance, a mecha-radial scanning type ultrasonic probe 16, such as that shown in FIG. 18, the ultrasonic probe 16 is rotated about a central point O, and the rotation allows tomographic image data in the directions Z in which the ultrasonic wave propagates to be obtained. The ultrasonic probe 16 is secured to the forward end of a flexible shaft 17. If the probe is of an electronic-radial scanning type, vibrator elements are arranged in a circular shape at a forward end, and the vibrator elements to be operated are electrically switched so that, similarly to the case of the mecha-radial type, image data indicating the conditions of the observation-object portion in the ultrasonic-wave propagation directions Z is obtained.
When topological image is obtained by the observation apparatus, the detection width increases with increases in the distance from the ultrasonic probe 16 to the portion being observed (i.e., as the observation-object position becomes relatively farther from the probe to the periphery thereof), thereby causing a reduction in resolution. In addition, as shown in FIG. 19, the beam diameter B has a certain relationship with the distance in each ultrasonic-wave propagation direction Z such that the beam diameter B increases with increases in the distance (i.e., increases at positions away from the position of the probe 16). This also causes the resolution to be lower at peripheral positions than at central positions. Also, the output .vertline.P (f).vertline. influenced by the spatial frequency characteristics of the ultrasonic probe 16 is such that, if the position of detection is close, a good characteristic is exhibited in a relatively wide range with respect to the reference frequency F.sub.0, as shown in FIG. 20, whereas if the position of detection is distant, great attenuation occurs in a high-frequency range, as shown in FIG. 21. Accordingly, it can be said that there is another risk of the resolution at peripheral positions being lowered.
In view of these risks, the conventional system has other drawbacks. As explained before, when calculating the parameters, the size and the shape of each ROI are fixed, and the position of ROIs is scanned by performing scanning in the horizontal and vertical directions on an image plane. This results in image data, varying in resolution, being subjected to the same processing. As a result, the calculation inevitably involves unnecessary calculating operations, thereby rendering the system disadvantageous in terms of time and level of precision. Furthermore, since the resolution is high at positions close to the ultrasonic probe 16, the probe 16 is usually brought into a position close to the portion to be observed. However, the conventional system performs the same processing regardless of the distance from the probe, thus failing to be favorable in terms of the level of precision.
When determining the structure of the tissues of the portion being observed, those calculated values of parameters, among calculated values of parameters such as the above-described short run emphasis and the long run emphasis, which lie between predetermined threshold values are used as characteristic amounts, and the tissue structure is determined from a combination of the parameters. However, in the conventional system, no consideration is given to the contribution ratio of parameters with respect to the calculation threshold values therefor, the combinations thereof and the determination based thereon, nor is consideration given to using calculation formulae including information on how far the object portion is from the ultrasonic probe 16. As a result, it has been difficult to realize correct determination and appropriate processing with respect to all of the regions of image data having different levels of resolution.
Before image analysis processing takes place in the conventional image analyzing apparatus, the gain, contrast and STC of the output to be transmitted and received from the endoscope is, as described before, adjusted by the observer (who specifies the density, etc. of the image) through the adjusting circuit provided within the observation apparatus 1. However, since this image adjustment is liable to be influenced by perception of individual operators, the condition created by the image adjustment cannot always be optimal to the image processing, such as texture analysis, which follows the adjustment.


Methods and systems for quantizing a physical quantity, such as light, are provided. In one example, an apparatus comprises an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter configured to generate raw digital outputs based on performing at least one of: (1) a first quantization operation to quantize a physical stimulus within a first intensity range based on a first A/D conversion relationship, or (2) a second quantization operation to quantize the physical stimulus within a second intensity range based on a second A/D conversion relationship; and a raw output conversion circuit configured generate a refined digital output based on a raw digital output obtained from the A/D converter and at least one predetermined conversion parameter. The at least one conversion parameter compensates for a discontinuity between the first A/D conversion relationship and the second A/D conversion relationship.

The disclosure relates generally to image sensors, and more specifically to pixel cell structure including interfacing circuitries for determining light intensity for image generation.
A typical image sensor includes a photodiode to sense incident light by converting photons into charge (e.g., electrons or holes). The image sensor further includes a floating node configured as a capacitor to collect the charge generated by the photodiode during an integration period. The collected charge can develop a voltage at the capacitor. The voltage can be buffered and fed to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC, or A/D converter), which can quantize the voltage into a digital value representing the intensity of the incident light. The image sensor can generate multiple digital values for different light intensities. The digital values can be provided to support various applications, such as image feature extraction, depth sensing, location determination, etc.


The present invention provides a charge control agent, adapted to control charging ability of resins or compositions containing resins, comprising a copolymer that comprises a polymer block A and a polymer block B, the polymer block A is prepared by copolymerizing a maleimide, which being unsubstituted or substituted for a hydrogen atom of an imide group by an electron-donating group, and styrene or a styrene derivative, and the polymer block B is formed of a polymer of styrene or a styrene derivative.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to charge control agents, toners containing the charge control agents, and toner producing methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
The processes to develop electrostatic images using toners in image forming apparatuses like electrophotography are broadly classified into two; that is, processes that utilize two-component developers in which toners and carriers are mixed and processes that utilize one-component developers containing only toners. In the processes by use of the two-component developers, a toner and a carrier are stirred and charged into different polarities, and the charged toner visualizes electrostatic images having reverse polarity thereof; specific examples are magnet brush processes by use of iron-powder carriers, cascade processes by use of beads carriers and fur brush processes. The processes by use of the one-component developers are exemplified by powder cloud processes in which toners are used in a spray condition, contact development processes in which toners are directly contacted with latent electrostatic images and developed, non-contact development processes in which latent electrostatic images are developed by slightly separated toners, etc.
The toners applied in theses developing processes contain a colorant such as carbon black and pigments dispersed into binder resins. Magnetic toners are also conventional that contain these ingredients and further a magnetic material like magnetites. As described above, toners used in various developing processes are positively or negatively charged depending on the polarity of electrostatic images to be developed. In order to charge toners, the charging ability of resins in the toners may be made use of; however, the charging ability is typically insufficient when arising solely therefrom, thus the resulting images tend to be foggy and unclear. Therefore, charge control agents are typically included into the binder resins in addition to the colorants in order to provide toners with an intended charging ability. Conventional charge control agents with negative polarity are exemplified by metal complexes of mono azo dyes, nitrofumic acid and salts thereof; metal complexes of acids such as salicylic acid, naphthoic acid and dicarboxylic acid and metals such as zinc, aluminum, cobalt, chromium and iron; sulfonated copper phthalocyanine pigments, etc.
However, the charge control agents described above are typically of complex structure and inconsistent properties, lack stability, and often change their charging ability depending on environments. Moreover, most of the metal complexes are color compounds, which thus tend to affect adversely color reproducibility of colorants in developed images when used in color toners. Furthermore, compounds with heavy metals should often be addressed in terms of their influence on safety and environment.
Therefore, various polymer compounds have been proposed as charge control agents containing no metal. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 63-184762 discloses a copolymer of styrene and acrylamide with a sulfonic acid group; JP-A No. 2003-98752 discloses a copolymer of a monomer with a sulfonic acid group and a halogen-substituted phenylmaleimide. However, the toners containing these polymer compounds are not sufficiently improved with respect to the tendency to decrease their charge amount under high temperature and high humidity conditions. In addition, JP-A No. 08-95305 reports that a copolymer of phenylmaleimide substituted by an electron attractive group such as halogen and nitro group is used for a charge control agent. However, this charge control agent is also insufficient in rating property of charging ability and stability of charge amount. Japanese Patent No. 3550638 discloses a copolymer of N-substituted maleimide and methylstyrene as a maleimide-styrene copolymer. The copolymer is disclosed merely as to a secondary nonlinear optical property with proper thermal stability.

Charge control agent, toner and toner producing method


Provided are a drill blank, a method for manufacturing a blank, a drill, and a method for manufacturing a drill which allow a step of brazing to be easy and allow the brazing to be precise.

As a drill to be used for drilling, there is known a solid drill having a flute groove formed from the cutting edge at the distal end, and which is adopted in drilling of a substrate on which electronic components are mounted, for example. Since a bore diameter to be processed becomes smaller in accordance with miniaturization of such electronic components, a drill having a smaller diameter is also required.
In order to manufacture such drill, as described in PTL 1, for example, a method is employed in which a blank is produced by cutting a molded body to have a predetermined length, which is molded into a fibrous shape through extrusion molding and by firing the molded body. Then, a step forming process, a flute groove forming process, and the like are performed on the blank to complete the drill. As a method for molding a blank, a press-molding method such as the method described in PTL 2 has been studied.

Drill blank, method for manufacturing drill blank, drill, and method for manufacturing drill

Abstract: A drill includes a drill blank brazed thereto in an elongated columnar-shape and made of cemented carbide. In the drill blank, both dA and dB are equal to or smaller than 2 mm, dA≧dB>dC, a ratio of the length to dA is equal to or larger than 3, and dB/dA=0.96 to 1 and dC/dA=0.9 to 0.995 in a longitudinal direction, where dA indicates the diameter of one end of both ends, dB indicates the diameter of the other end thereof, and dC indicates the minimum diameter of a central portion. Brazing of the drill blank is easy and precision in brazing is enhanced.


Packaging for medicaments such as blister packs contain a plurality of recesses which hold contents. A lidding foil closes off the packaging and protects the contents. The contents such as tablets are pushed through the lidding foil whereupon the lidding foil breaks. The lidding foil features at least one conductive strip and the medicament packaging can be connected to a computer. On pushing the contents through the lidding foil, the lidding foil breaks and the computer recognizes the impulse emitted as a result of this action. The conductive strips contain, as current carrying fraction, an SnO.sub.2 /SbO.sub.3 hydroxide mixture on a mica substrate.

Lidding foil with conductive strips for medicament packaging which may be connected to a computer, said medicament packaging containing a plurality of recesses holding contents.
Known is e.g. from EP-B 0 129 785 a device for storing and reminding patients to take a required medicament, said device comprising a medicament packaging and a signal transmitter. On removing a dose of medicament, an impulse is emitted via an impulse conductor from the signal transmitter. The impulse conductor is cast into a push-through second foil and the dragees in the medicament packaging are cast into a first foil featuring recesses and the push-through second foil.
This known medicament container represents a form of packaging for medicaments known in the field as a blister pack.
The impulse conductors are housed in the lidding foil of these known medicament container. Medicament containers of this kind i.e. blister packs in general are manufactured in large numbers in a continuous manner. Thereby, as a rule, a plastic film or plastic film laminate is provided with recesses by a deepening process. The contents, such as dragees or also tablets, capsules, ampoules and the like are added to the recesses and finally the lidding foil sealed on to it. Blister packs are as a rule produced continuously from strip-shaped films and only after being filled with their contents and receiving their lid are they cut to the required size and if desired placed in an outer form of packaging.


A light-emitting device has spherical photo-electric converting elements that have a substantially spherical acceptance surface, respectively; a light emitting diode powered by the spherical photo-electric converting elements; a control circuit; and a sealing member that integrates the spherical photo-electric converting elements, the light emitting diode and the control circuit. The control circuit is equipped with a light emitting control circuit including a photo-detecting sensor, a charge control circuit and a condenser.

Conventionally, various self light-emitting devices, which allow one or more luminous bodies to emit light using electric power generated by a photo-electric converting element, such as a solar battery, have been proposed. For example, in the publication of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Hei 9-49213, a road installation type signaling device equipped with a flat solar battery, multiple light emitting diodes arranged around the solar battery and a storage cell where electric power generated by the solar battery is accumulated is proposed. In this signaling device, the entire device is buried and installed in the road, and the electric power generated by the solar battery is accumulated in the storage cell during the day, and the light emitting diodes blink due to the electric power accumulated in the storage cell during the night.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Hei 8-199513, a light emitting indicator equipped with a flat solar battery, plural light emitting diodes, a storage cell and an electric circuit, and in which these constructional elements are buried into transparent epoxy resin, is proposed. Even in this light emitting indicator, the electric power generated by the solar battery is accumulated in the storage cell during the day, and the light emitting diodes blinks using the electric power during the night. Burying the construction elements into the epoxy resin results in improved weather resistance.
However, in the devices described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Hei 9-49213 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Hei 8-199513, since electric power is generated by a flat solar battery, high power electricity cannot be always generated during the day, but the high power electricity can be generated only for several hours when the sunlight enters almost vertically into the solar battery at a small angle of incidence. In other words, since the electric power required at night has to be accumulated during several hours, the light receiving area of the solar battery has to be large, with the problem that the device becomes excessively large.
When installing the devices described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Hei 9-49213 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Hei 8-199513 on a flat road, electric power can be accumulated in the storage cell. However, if the devices are installed on a slope, such as a slope formed on an inclined plane on the north side, since a great deal of sunlight is reflected on the surface of the solar battery, the desired electric power cannot be accumulated in the storage cell and the light emitting diodes cannot emit light during the night, making it difficult for drivers in vehicles traveling on the road to drive safely.
In recent years, a low cost, small and light weight self light-emitting device used for the purpose of safety at night by attaching it to a bicycle, a bag or a cap has been desired. When attaching these devices, a self light-emitting device is often installed close to a vertical state, and the electric power, which is supposed to accumulate in the storage cell cannot be generated because the sunlight enters almost parallel to the acceptance surface, making it impossible to practically use.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a self light-emitting device, where electric power to be generated is not affected by the installation location, and which can be manufactured at a low cost and is small and light weight.

Light-emitting device with spherical photoelectric converting element


A biosensing device for detecting biological analytes, and methods of use and manufacture, are disclosed. The device includes a biosensing element that can remain implanted for extended periods of time. The biosensing element is connected to an optical fiber terminating outside of the body. The optical fiber is also connected to an information analyzer. The information analyzer directs light through the optical fiber into the biosensing element. The light excites fluorophores, created by a chemical reaction between analytes and biosensing material within the biosensing element. Emitted fluorescent light is redirected through the optical fiber to the information analyzer. Optical gratings within the filtering member of the information analyzer selectively deflect fluorescent emissions into a cladding layer. Detectors attached to the cladding layer detect the deflected fluorescent emissions and, according to their determined wavelength, report the presence or quantity of specific analytes to the patient on an external display.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to implanted devices and methods for repeated detection of biochemical analytes.
2. General Background and State of the Art
In order to detect or manage certain diseases or conditions, it is useful to make frequent measurements of specific biochemical analytes, hereinafter referred to as "analytes," within a patient's body over an extended period of time. For example, glucose levels in a patient's body can be monitored to guide the dosage of insulin required to treat diabetes mellitus. Another example would be monitoring the tissue concentration of therapeutic drugs such as anticoagulants, immunosuppressive agents and anticancer drugs, all of which can lead to serious complications if the tissue levels are too high or too low. Monitoring the presence and levels of such analytes in a patient's body is often a cumbersome process, making it difficult to accomplish over extended periods of time. For example, glucose monitoring is frequently performed through invasive means utilizing external glucose meters. Typically, glucose measurements are taken by pricking a patient's finger, extracting a drop of blood, and applying the blood to a test strip containing chemicals that are sensitive to the glucose in the blood sample. An optical meter is then used to analyze the blood sample on the test strip and provide the patient with a numerical glucose reading. Because readings show only a "snap shot" of blood glucose levels, repeated painful finger pricks are required over time. Also patients must carry supplies to take repeated measurements. These factors lead to patient non-compliance.
Less invasive methods for detecting analytes in a patient's body are known and practiced, but have limited effectiveness for other reasons. For example, certain transcutaneous optical absorption techniques for quantification of glucose can be based on selective absorption of light by the glucose molecule. However, such in vivo measurements are susceptible to inaccuracies due to differences in skin pigmentation, hydration, blood flow, probe placement and probe pressure. Because skin is a highly scattering medium, optical measurements taken through the skin are adversely affected by attenuation and low signal-to-noise ratio.
Thus, there is a need for a minimally invasive device and method for repeated detection of a broad range analytes from patients. There is also a need for a compact and portable, yet accurate system for detection.

Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California


The present invention provides an improvement in the process of producing pitch-based carbon fibers comprising the steps of spinning a spinnable pitch, treating the resulting pitch fibers for rendering infusible, and carbonizing the same, the improvement comprises the step of removing the surface layer from the carbon fibers obtained in said process.

Pitch-based carbon fibers have a higher elastic modulus than PAN (polyacrylonitrile)-based carbon fibers, and therefore, are used in making composite materials based on plastics, metals, carbon, ceramics and so forth. Furthermore, it is expected that they will find a wider field for applications, for example as lightweight structural materials or heat-resistant materials for use in aircraft, spacecraft and equipment, automobiles and the like.
A method of producing pitch-based high-modulus carbon fibers is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Kokai Tokkyo Koho No. 120112/1988. The method disclosed in the above-cited publication is characterized by reducing, in rendering spun pitch fibers infusible (stabilization), the thickness of the infusible layer to thereby suppress the formation, in the product carbon fibers, of a surface layer with a low Young's modulus. In this method, however, the thickness of the infusible layer may occasionally become insufficient, so that fusion may occur in the step of carbonization.
Another method proposed for increasing the modulus of carbon fibers comprises carrying out the heat treatment for carbonization, which follows treatment for rendering pitch fibers infusible, at an increased temperature. However, this method is disadvantageous in that the yield is low and in that the physical properties of the product carbon fibers, such as tensile strength and elongation percentage, tend to decrease.

Pitch-based high-modulus carbon fibers and method of producing same

Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Incorporated


The invention relates to a novel derivative of kojic acid of formula (I) and to its use, in a composition for topical application as a depigmenting and/or bleaching agent for skin: ##STR1## The invention also relates to a process for depigmenting and/or bleaching skin, which includes applying to the skin a composition that contains 5-hydroxy-4-oxo-4H-pyran-2-ylmethyl 2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel derivative of kojic acid and to its use in a composition for topical application as a depigmenting and/or bleaching agent for skin.
2. Discussion of the Background
Skin color depends on different factors such as the seasons of the year, race, and sex. Skin color is mainly determined by the concentration of melanin produced by the melanocytes. In addition, at different periods in life, certain individuals develop dark and/or colored blemishes on the skin and more especially on the hands, making the skin non-uniform in color. These blemishes may also arise due to a high concentration of melanin in the keratinocytes at the skin surface.
For several years, it has been sought to decrease and/or slow down the production of melanin in order to depigment or bleach the skin by acting on one or more of the points in the intracellular biochemical synthesis of melanin. To achieve this end, various compounds have been tested and used as depigmenting or bleaching agents for human skin.
The mechanism of skin pigmentation, i.e., forming melanin, is particularly complex and is believed to involve the following steps:
Tyrosine.fwdarw.Dopa.fwdarw.Dopaquinone.fwdarw.Dopachrome.fwdarw.Melanin PA1 applying, to human skin, a composition containing a skin depigmenting effective amount of a 5-hydroxy-4-oxo-4H-pyran-2-ylmethyl 2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate compound having the formula (I): ##STR6## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. PA1 contacting melanocytes with a melanin production inhibiting effective amount of a 5-hydroxy-4-oxo-4H-pyran-2-ylmethyl 2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate compound having the formula (I): ##STR7## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof PA1 mixing kojic acid, dissolved in acidic medium, with hydrobromic acid, heating the reaction mixture, cooling it and filtering it; PA1 reacting the bromo derivative obtained with L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid, in the presence of potassium carbonate; PA1 heating the reaction mixture, cooling it and filtering it.
Tyrosinase is the essential enzyme involved in the above reaction sequence. In particular, tyrosinase is believed to catalyze the reaction for converting tyrosine into dopa (dihydroxyphenylalanine) and the reaction for converting dopa into dopaquinone. Tyrosinase is believed to act only when it is in the mature state, under the action of certain biological factors.
Generally, a substance is recognized as being depigmenting if it acts directly on the viability of the epidermal melanocytes in which melanogenesis takes place and/or if it interferes with one of the steps in the biosynthesis of melanin either by inhibiting one of the enzymes involved in melanogenesis or by becoming intercalated as a structural analogue of one of the chemical compounds in the melanin synthesis chain, described above, whereby the chain is effectively blocked thus ensuring depigmentation.
The substances most commonly used as depigmenting agents in compositions are, for example, vitamin C, vitamin C derivatives, vitamin E derivatives, arbutin, hydroquinone, kojic acid, placental derivatives, and glutathione and its derivatives.
The above compounds are believed to act on the synthesis and/or activity of tyrosinase, the enzyme involved in the synthesis of melanin, or to reduce the amount of melanin formed, or, alternatively, to stimulate the removal of melanin via the keratinocytes. Unfortunately, the compounds are either toxic, in the case of hydroquinone, or unstable in solution, in the case of vitamin C and kojic acid, and are therefore difficult to manufacture, or else they have unpleasant sulfurous odors, for example, glutathione. Consequently, use of the above compounds is limited.
Thus, there is a need for a novel skin-bleaching agent which is at least as effective as the conventional agents but does not have their disadvantages, i.e., one that is stable in a composition, is non-toxic when applied to the skin, and has no unpleasant odor.

Derivative of kojic acid and its use as a depigmenting agent


A novelty bow or ornament that is securable to a conventional gift package. The bow or ornament includes a concealed sound generator module having a battery, a tilt sensor, a data storage means, and a playback means which drives a speaker to emit prerecorded life-like sounds whenever the device is tilted more than 30° from its normally level position. Sounds may include a breaking glass, cat screaming, a dog barking, a car starting and peeling out, or the like. A power switch provides a means to extend battery life.

On festive occasions such as birthdays, parties, holidays, and the like, it is a tradition that gifts are exchanged or presented to celebrate the event. The gift is typically concealed by the use of a package having wrapping paper for decoration.
The wrapping of a gift provides an element of surprise to the person since the contents of the packaged gift are not known until the wrapping paper is removed. Items that draw attention to the package further enhance the level of anticipation to the recipient. The use of brightly-colored paper, bows and ribbons are commonly used to draw attention to the package as well as add a festive and attractive appearance.
Packaging adds a level of anticipation by heightening the curiosity of the gift receiver including all those who may see the gift wrapped package. For this reason, novelty items that further draw attention to the gift package add to the visual appeal and hence the enjoyment of receiving and opening the package.
No prior device is known to exist that provides a festive and merry ornament to the gift package that makes sounds upon movement of the bow. Such a novelty device would add to the visual attractiveness of the wrapped gift and add an audio portion to the gift which could exhibit a number of different sounds befitting humorous and or otherwise appropriate sounds that may lend themselves to the occasions where gifts are given or exchanged.
Such a gift-package ornament should be self-contained and be able engage other parts of a wrapped gift, such as ribbons or the like, to add visual interest and attraction to the wrapped gift.


Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having an active region which contains semiconductor material. The active region includes first, second and third source/drain regions within the semiconductor material, includes a first channel region within the semiconductor material and between the first and second source/drain regions, and includes a second channel region within the semiconductor material and between the second and third source/drain regions. The semiconductor material includes at least one element selected from Group 13 of the periodic table. A digit line is electrically coupled with the second source/drain region. A first transistor gate is operatively proximate the first channel region. A second transistor gate is operatively proximate the second channel region. A first storage-element is electrically coupled with the first source/drain region. A second storage-element is electrically coupled with the third source/drain region. Some embodiments include methods of forming integrated assemblies.

Semiconductor materials may be incorporated into integrated assemblies. For instance, the semiconductor materials may be utilized as active regions which comprise channel regions and source/drain regions of transistors. The transistors may be utilized as access devices in memory arrays, or in other applications.
It would be desirable to develop improved active region arrangements suitable for utilization in integrated assemblies, and to develop integrated components utilizing the improved arrangements. It would also be desirable to develop improved memory-cell configurations, and improved memory-array configurations.

Integrated assemblies, and methods of forming integrated assemblies


A radio frequency noise reduction device and methods of operation are presented. The radio frequency noise reduction device identifies radio frequency noise on an isolated power plane of an electronic apparatus and generates an electrical signal that is injected into the isolated power plane and cancels the identified radio frequency noise. The generated electrical signal matches the frequency spectrum and amplitude of the identified radio frequency noise but the phase of the generated electrical signal is shifted by 180 degrees from the identified radio frequency noise.

Touch screen displays are widely used in many different types of products. A few examples of electronic products that use touch screen displays are tablet computers, smart phones, laptop computers, automatic teller machines (ATM) and point of sale (POS) terminals. There are multiple technologies that can be used to implement the touch screen component of a touch screen display. Each of the technologies has advantages and disadvantages. Some of the technologies reduce the amount of light transmitted by the display while other methods have good light transmission characteristics, but are susceptible to radio frequency noise which causes identification of a touch when no actual touch occurred.
Most countries require that electronic products sold in their country meet certain minimum safety and security requirements. The requirements are typically codified in statutes, regulations, standards or documents that specify the tests and measurements that electronic products must comply with for a given country. Products that fail to meet the requirements for a country cannot be sold in that country. The requirements are typically maintained by a government agency, an organization or a company. Some examples of entities that maintain requirements are Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
Some product requirements, such as the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements from the IEC, specify different levels of compliance for the same apparatus based on how the apparatus is used or the function performed by the system that uses the apparatus. For example, a touch screen display used on a tablet computer is generally held to a lower standard of EMC compliance than the same touch screen display used on a point of sale terminal or an automatic teller machine (ATM). Touch screen displays used on a point of sale terminal or an ATM are held to a higher level of EMC compliance because these systems perform financial transactions and any failure is considered to be critical. If these products are to meet the higher EMC standard, certain technologies cannot be used. For example, certain touch technologies experience failures in the presence of radio frequency noise which cause the apparatus to fail the higher EMC standard.

Device and method for active reduction of radio frequency noise


Provided are techniques for processing a query. A query including constraints for at least two vertically partitioned, inverted indexes is received. The constraints in the query are separated based on the vertically partitioned, inverted indexes. A document identifier iterator is obtained for each of the constraints, wherein each document identifier iterator is associated with a posting list, and wherein each posting list is ordered by document identifier order. A run-time join of the posting lists is performed to obtain a final result set.

Embodiments of the invention relate to real-time search of vertically partitioned, inverted indexes.
The users of documents in a repository often annotate one or more documents or parts of a document using annotations (also referred to as markers). Also, users who search for information in documents, either on the World Wide Web (i.e., WWW or web) or in content repositories, sometimes annotate documents. These user annotations are potentially useful to their creators at a later time or are useful to other users immediately.
These annotations may be notes, comments, tags, instructions to other team members, etc., and are auxiliary content that is distinct from the content of the document. An annotation may be as short as a one-word tag or as long as a multi-paragraph remark. Annotations attached to a document may contain helpful notes for the user the next time they refer to the document or contain information or instructions to communicate to other users. Annotations also make it easier to find the document in the repository. As the use of annotations increases, some annotations become more popular than others.
As annotations are used more, they are also more useful for searching.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Real-time search of vertically partitioned, inverted indexes

International Business Machines Corporation


A system and method of transmitting data across a first link aggregation formed by an intermediate switch and a downstream switch, the intermediate switch adopting a Media-Access Card (MAC)-address-based load sharing algorithm for distributing traffic among links to the downstream switch interfaced with a final destination device. The method comprises: receiving a packet having a MAC header and an IP header at an input port of an upstream switch for transmission from the upstream switch to the intermediate switch, the upstream switch and intermediate switch forming a second link aggregation; re-writing, at the upstream switch, the source MAC address of the received packet to a different source address; sending the packet through the second link aggregation to the intermediate switch, the intermediate switch implementing the load sharing algorithm for sending the packet to the downstream switch along a link through the first link aggregation to the destination device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to data processing systems and more particularly to switching of data transmissions in a network.
2. Background Information
In a networking environment, it is typical that a plurality of devices will be linked together for the purpose of transmitting data from one device to another in the network. In a large network, it would be uneconomical to provide a specific data link connecting each device to each of the other devices in the network. In order to provide connectivity from each device to each of the other devices in the network in an efficient and economical manner, a plurality of methods have been developed.
One known method of distributing data between devices within a network is through switches. Switches may be utilized within the network to receive data from a plurality of devices and distribute the data to a plurality of devices to reduce the amount of data lines required to distribute data. To utilize switches to communicate between devices, each device has a specific address. For example, in an Ethernet switching environment, each device in the network has a Media Access Control (MAC) address, which uniquely identifies the device in the network. Frames of data are delivered to a MAC Destination Address (DA) and senders are recognized by a MAC Source Address (SA). Each switch, and each port on a switch, supports a finite number of MAC addresses. Ideally, the overall number of MAC addresses distributed by a switch should be large, so the switch can support a large number of devices.
In addition to supporting a large number of devices, a switch should comprise the ability to handle the transfer of large amounts of data through a network. For a switch to quickly handle the transfer of large amounts of data, link aggregation is utilized. Link aggregation allows a switch to support a higher bandwidth interface which increases the rate of data transfer. Link aggregation is a technique that allows parallel physical links between switches or between a switch and a server to be used simultaneously which multiplies the bandwidth between the devices. Link aggregation may be further defined as a method of grouping physical link segments of the same media type and speed, and treating them as if they are part of a single, logical link segment. For example, two 100 Mbps links between switches may be grouped into a link aggregation and treated as a single 200 Mbps link to create a higher bandwidth interface between the two switches.

System and method of load balancing for ethernet link aggregation


A method for analyzing and resolving problems in a process server is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, such a method may include receiving a log file associated with an application running on the process server. The application may be made up of higher-level service component artifacts, and lower-level implementation artifacts used to implement the higher-level service component artifacts. The method may further include identifying error messages in the log file and determining which implementation artifacts are associated with the error messages. The method may further include mapping the implementation artifacts to service component artifacts associated with the implementation artifacts. The error messages may then be displayed along with their relationship to the service component artifacts. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed and claimed herein.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to Service Component Architecture (SCA), and more particularly to apparatus and methods for analyzing and resolving SCA runtime errors in process servers, such as WebSphere Process Server.
2. Background of the Invention
Service Component Architecture (SCA) is a set of specifications which describe a model for building applications and systems using a service-oriented architecture (SOA). SCA extends and complements prior approaches to implementing services, and builds on open standards such as Web services. WebSphere Process Server (WPS) is one example of a runtime engine that supports SCA artifacts.
WebSphere Integration Developer (WID) is an integrated development environment for building applications based on SOA. WID is the primary authoring tool for WPS. WID users typically use SCA to build their applications and services using SOA. SCA provides a layer of abstraction that hides the underlying implementation details from the user. This allows users to focus on business-level concepts without worrying about actual implementation of the services. The service implementation can be virtually anything, such as conventional object-oriented programming languages (e.g., Java, C++) and XML-centric languages (e.g., BPEL, XSLT).
WebSphere Process Server reports the states and activities of applications deployed on the process server using log files. Everything from system printouts to errors and exceptions may be written to these log files. As a result, these log files are the most primitive tool to diagnose and correct application problems on the process server. However, since all services and applications running on the process server may record their status in log files, the log files can grow quickly and become very large. This can make it very difficult to identify records of interest in the log files.
In WID, the conventional "console" view monitors log files that are generated by the WPS process server. Instead of manually locating the log files in the file system, the console view creates a live session that monitors the log files (e.g., the "SystemOut.log" and "SystemErrlog" log files) in real time. The console view is a plain text view that displays the messages written to the log files. It does not provide advanced features such as filtering and message correlation. As a result, when an error occurs, users may have a difficult time finding log messages that describe the error. If multiple errors occur at the same time, the users may become more frustrated since there is no easy way to correlate exceptions with particular problems they have observed. Furthermore, some services on the WPS dump error details called First-Failure Data Capture (FFDC) in separate files. These files can be very difficult to locate because they are assigned random names. These random names make it easy to make a mistake when retrieving or examining FFDC files.
The Test and Performance Tools Platform (TPTP) log analyzer provides another mechanism for analyzing log files generated by the WPS process server. The TPTP log analyzer is a standalone Rich Client Platform (RCP) application that displays log messages in a sequential order. Although the TPTP log analyzer is better suited for problem determination, it is not suited to WID users because it provides information regarding errors and problems only at the J2EE abstraction layer. This is the low-level layer used to implement most WPS high-level artifacts and not the high-level abstraction level that users are coding in. This means that WID users must know how the high-level abstractions are implemented in order to perform the necessary mapping from the low-level implementation artifacts to the high-level artifacts.

Tool for analyzing and resolving errors in a process server

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A reinforced bulk bin, and methods for making same, wherein a collapsible bulk bin, preferably fabricated from paper, paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard, is provided with a reinforcing plastic sleeve, which is placed on the bin while in its collapsed configuration. When in place, and prior to the bin being deployed, the sleeve is under tension. When the bin is deployed, the sleeve exerts restraining force, distributed over the surfaces of the side walls of the bin. The sleeve may be positioned on the collapsed bin either manually or mechanically.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to bulk bins for transportation of goods, particularly bulk bins fabricated from paper, paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard. The present invention also relates to such bulk bins which are collapsible, when not actually in use transporting goods.
2. Background Art
Collapsible bulk bins, that are fabricated from single- or multi-thickness wall corrugated paperboard material, are known. Such bins are typically formed from a blank, having a first end and a second end, wherein the blank is divided by vertically extending parallel fold lines or creases into a plurality of wall panels. One or two additional wall panels are disposed at one or both ends, so that when the blank is folded into a tube, wall panels at opposite ends of the blank overlap to form a manufacturer's joint. Emanating from the bottom edges of several or each of the side walls are bottom flaps or panels which are configured to be overlapped, to form a bottom wall of the bin. These panels, while overlapping, may not completely cover all of the available area of the "bottom" of the bin, and typically are not adhered to one another, so that once the bin has completed one cycle of use (raised, filled, transported), the bottom panels can be unfolded, and the bin flattened, for transportation. Such bins are usually erected, on top of a pallet or skid sheet, and then filled with product for shipping.
Depending upon the kind, shape, density and per unit weight of the articles that are placed in the bin, fully loaded, the sides of the bin may bulge, leading to spilling of product, structural degradation issues, as well as effectively increasing the "footprint" of each bin.
Accordingly, various methods have been devised for reinforcing the sides of such bulk bins, to reduce bulging and/or otherwise strengthen the bins. Such methods have included the use of plastic girdling straps (usually 5 or so), strings (as many as sixteen), wrapping the raised and/or filled bulk bin with plastic wrap, or providing tape (referred to as "sesame" tape) that is laminated into the corrugated material. Each of these methods, while effective in providing reinforcement, may be undesirable for one or more reasons, such as increased material and/or manufacturing costs (such as the sesame tape), or increased overall operational costs and/or setup time/steps. In addition, in many of these designs, particularly those that involve the placement of external reinforcement (plastic strapping, wound plastic wrap or strings), because the reinforcement is provided after the bin has been raised, the reinforcement members' force is directed typically mostly on the corners of the bin, and not on the bulging sidewall surfaces.
It would be desirable to provide a reinforced bulk bin construction for collapsible bulk bins of the type fabricated in whole or in part, from corrugated paperboard materials, which is simple in form, and which does not significantly increase material and manufacturing costs.
It would also be desirable to provide a reinforced bulk bin construction wherein the reinforcement "force" is more evenly distributed about the sidewalls of the bulk bin.
These and other desirable characteristics of the invention will become apparent in view of the present specification, claims and drawings.

Reinforced bulk bin and methods for making same

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc.


The present invention discloses a universal serial bus (USB) charging circuit, comprising: a charging path for charging a battery from a USB host; a charging switch located on the charging path; a current sensing circuit for sensing current information on the charging path; a maximum available current detection circuit for detecting the maximum available current from the USB host; and a loop controller circuit for controlling the charging switch so that the charging current on the charging path is substantially equal to the maximum available current detected by the maximum available current detection circuit, wherein the maximum available current detection circuit detects the maximum available current during circuit initialization and stores it.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a universal serial bus (USB) charging circuit and a charging method, in particular to a USB charging circuit having a simpler circuit structure and providing better protection to other peripheral devices connecting with the USB host, and a charging method.
2. Description of Related Art
In current state of the art, a USB does not only provide signal transmission but is also capable of providing power, e.g., to charge a mobile phone. However, because a USB host is usually dynamically connected with multiple different devices, its load varies dynamically; it is therefore preferred that a USB host provides a charging current which changes according to the load, instead of providing a constant current.
US patent publication No. 2006/0033474 discloses a USB charging circuit which provides a charging current that changes according to the load. A simplified form of this conventional circuit is shown in FIG. 1, in which the charging circuit 1 includes a transistor 11 operating as a charging switch, to charge a battery 10 from a voltage node Vbus at the USB host. A loop control circuit 12 controls the transistor 11 to determine its conduction, i.e., the current charging the battery 10. The loop control circuit 12 determines the charging current according to a current sense signal obtained from the path A, a voltage signal obtained by dividing the voltage at the node Vbus, and an upper limit set by a current setting circuit 14; the upper limit may be decided by an external input. The loop control circuit 12 also obtains the voltage of the battery 10 from the node B, and decides whether to switch the charging mode depending on whether the voltage at the node B reaches a predetermined level. An error amplifier 16 compares the dividend voltage from the node Vbus with a reference voltage Vref, to determine the difference between the voltage at the node Vbus and a preset minimum voltage.
The conventional circuit is characterized by a compensation circuit 18, and a charge reduction loop 20 formed among the location for sensing current, the resistor R1, the parallel circuit of the compensation circuit 18 and the error amplifier 16, and the summation circuit 19. When the charging current is too high such that the voltage at the node Vbus drops below the preset minimum voltage, the charge reduction loop 20 functions to bring the voltage at the node Vbus back to or above the preset minimum voltage. In other words, this conventional circuit provides current as largest as possible to charge the battery 10 from the node Vbus, while maintaining the voltage at the node Vbus above the preset minimum voltage.
Although this conventional circuit might provide a charging current as largest as possible, it has the following drawbacks: first, it has a complicated circuit structure because it needs to constantly detect the voltage variation at the node Vbus; second, at an instance when the charging current is too high that the voltage at the node Vbus drops below the preset minimum voltage, a peripheral device which is connected with the USB host may be adversely affected, suffering data loss if data is being transmitted from/to the device.
In view of the foregoing drawbacks in the prior art, it is desired to provide a USB charging circuit having a simpler circuit structure and providing better protection to other peripheral devices connecting with the USB host, and a charging method.

Universal serial bus charger circuit and charging method


In an external disk drive system comprising a disk drive, a bridge controller comprising a plurality of Bridge Controller Host (BCH) interfaces adapted to establish communication between the external disk drive system and an external device via a plurality of different communication mediums, a method for switching from a first BCH-interface communicating with the external device via a first communication medium to a second BCH-interface during the operation of the external disk drive system. The method comprising sensing a connecting of a second communication medium to the external disk drive system via the second BCH-interface; determining an interface priority of the second communication medium over an interface priority of the first communication medium; dismounting the disk drive from the first communication medium based on the determining; and mounting the disk drive to the second communication medium wherein the external disk drive system remains operational during the dismounting an mounting.

Disk drives are commonly used to store large amounts of data in a readily available form. Typically, the primary components of a disk drive are a head disk assembly and a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) which, when fixed to one another, form a functional unit that is then connected to a computer.
One form of disk drive in use today is an external disk drive system which is a standalone unit that communicates with one or more host computers, generally via an external cable such as a universal serial bus (USB) cable or Firewire™ cable. In some configurations, other storage device peripherals such as a flash memory card reader may be integrated with the external disk drive system to communicate with the host via the external interface cable. An external disk drive system may also be adapted to connect to one or more hosts via more than one type of interface cable thus allowing the user to optimize a data transfer based on the characteristics of a selected cable, as well as using different cables for each of the external disk drive and the card reader.
Currently, however, connecting a second interface cable, such as a Firewire™, to an external disk drive system which is already in communication with a host via a first interface cable, such as a USB, may cause an undefined state in the external disk drive system wherein the second interface cable remains in a dismounted state and thus unused. As such, it is often required for the external disk drive system to be power cycled before the second interface cable becomes mounted to the external disk drive system, thus causing delays and suspensions in the operational status of the external disk drive system.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved method for switching interfaces in an external disk drive.

Switching interfaces in external disk drives


A medical instrument includes: a medical device; a sheet type attaching member having an attachment surface that is attachable to a subject; and a fixing tool fixing the medical device to the attaching member. The fixing tool includes: a first engaging member located on the medical device; and a second engaging member located on a side of the attaching member opposite the attachment surface, the second engaging member being engageable with the first engaging member by rotation of the first engaging member with respect to the second engaging member.

The present disclosure relates to a medical instrument and a fixing tool.
According to the related art, it is known to use a medical instrument attached to skin of a subject when a subject continuously uses the medical instrument fora period of several days to several weeks. For example, Japanese Patent No. 5102350 discloses a case in which a delivery device for delivering a fluid, such as a liquid medicine, is attached to the skin of a subject to thereby be used.


Inverted metamorphic multijunction solar cells having a heterojunction middle subcell and a graded interlayer, and methods of making same, are disclosed herein. The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a solar cell using an MOCVD process, wherein the graded interlayer is composed of (InxGa1-x)y Al1-yAs, and is formed in the MOCVD reactor so that it is compositionally graded to lattice match the middle second subcell on one side and the lower third subcell on the other side, with the values for x and y computed and the composition of the graded interlayer determined so that as the layer is grown in the MOCVD reactor, the band gap of the graded interlayer remains constant at 1.5 eV throughout the thickness of the graded interlayer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of solar cell semiconductor devices, and particularly to multijunction solar cells including a metamorphic layer. Such devices also include solar cells known as inverted metamorphic multijunction solar cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photovoltaic cells, also called solar cells, are one of the most important new energy sources that have become available in the past several years. Considerable effort has gone into solar cell development. As a result, solar cells are currently being used in a number of commercial and consumer-oriented applications. While significant progress has been made in this area, the requirement for solar cells to meet the needs of more sophisticated applications has not kept pace with demand. Applications such as concentrator terrestrial power systems and satellites used in data communications have dramatically increased the demand for solar cells with improved power and energy conversion characteristics.
In satellite and other space related applications, the size, mass and cost of a satellite power system are dependent on the power and energy conversion efficiency of the solar cells used. Putting it another way, the size of the payload and the availability of on-board services are proportional to the amount of power provided. Thus, as the payloads become more sophisticated, solar cells, which act as the power conversion devices for the on-board power systems, become increasingly more important.
Solar cells are often fabricated in vertical, multijunction structures, and disposed in horizontal arrays, with the individual solar cells connected together in a series. The shape and structure of an array, as well as the number of cells it contains, are determined in part by the desired output voltage and current.
Inverted metamorphic solar cell structures such as described in M. W. Wanless et al., Lattice Mismatched Approaches for High Performance, III-V Photovoltaic Energy Converters (Conference Proceedings of the 31st IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Jan. 3-7, 2005, IEEE Press, 2005) present an important conceptual starting point for the development of future commercial high efficiency solar cells. The structures described in such reference present a number of practical difficulties relating to the appropriate choice of materials and fabrication steps.
Prior to the present invention, the materials and fabrication steps disclosed in the prior art have not been adequate to produce a commercially viable and energy efficient solar cell using an inverted metamorphic multijunction cell structure.

Heterojunction subcells in inverted metamorphic multijunction solar cells


Fluid liners and container assemblies for a spraying apparatus and related methods of use are provided. The disclosed liners include a side wall defining a fluid-containing portion and an open end, a flange extending outwardly from the side wall, and a latching member coupled to the flange, where the latching member includes a retaining feature for releasably coupling the side wall to a lid compatible with the liner. Disclosed fluid containers include a lid having a fluid outlet adapted to couple the lid to the spraying apparatus and a collapsible liner, where either the liner or lid comprises a latch that releasably couples the liner and the lid to each other. Advantageously, the fluid liners and fluid containers can provide enhanced storage options for container contents between spraying operations.

Handheld spray guns are commonly used in a variety of commercial and industrial applications, including for example automotive refinishing. Such spray guns can be used with any of a number of coating media, including primers, paints, clearcoat, slurries, fine powders, and other fluid media capable of being atomized and directed through a spray nozzle onto a substrate. Applications for spray guns include painting and texturizing architectural surfaces such as walls and ceilings, as well as painting and body repair for marine and automotive exteriors.
Spray guns usually have a reusable gun platform connected with a compressed air source and liquid pipeline in communication with a spray nozzle. The air and liquid are generally directed into a flow channel, where the air atomizes the liquid into fine droplets that are propelled out of the nozzle. Some spray gun setups, including some used in automotive and industrial refinishing applications, have fluid reservoirs that use disposable collapsible liners that are received in rigid containers called paint cups. Commonly, these reservoirs also employ disposable lids and a corresponding retaining collar that releasably couples the lid to the rigid container. Advantageously, the liner and lid collectively protect the non-disposable components from becoming exposed to the paint, or other fluid, to be dispensed. After use, the liner and lid can be removed together from the rigid paint cup and discarded. These configurations are used, for example, in the PPS brand Paint Preparation System and HG ACCUSPRAY brand System (3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.).


Powder metallurgically produced ferritic stainless steel articles are strengthened by alloying the ferritic material with a small amount of nickel (up to 3.0% by weight). Alloying is carried out by either admixing nickel powder to the ferritic alloy powder or by pre-alloying the stainless steel powder with nickel. Conventional sintering procedures, either in a hydrogen atmosphere or in a partial vacuum, are applicable. High strength stainless steel parts made in this manner are suitable for demanding applications, including automotive exhaust flanges and HEGO bosses.

The present invention relates to the strengthening of sintered ferritic stainless steels. Such steels are useful in demanding automotive applications such as flanges for exhaust systems.
Powder metallurgy (P/M parts are made by pressing metal (or alloy) powders into a compact, followed by sintering the compact at a high temperature in a protective atmosphere. P/M stainless steel parts are commonly made by using pre-alloyed powders of the desired composition. Water-atomized pre-alloyed, minus 100 mesh powders are typically used, since these offer good green strength and compressibility and are cost effective. Although fully pre-alloyed powders are commonly used, the powder metallurgy process is amenable to the use of additives for the enhancement of properties of the sintered parts. The high sintering temperatures (above ca. 2000.degree. F.) and long sintering times (>20 minutes) employed are in most instances sufficient for substantial diffusion and alloying of the additive metal in the matrix alloy.
P/M stainless steel parts offer cost advantages over their wrought counterparts, while maintaining the requisite mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance and elevated strength. The P/M process is quite flexible and allows enhancement of one or more critical properties for a given application by making only minor modifications in the alloy composition, use of additives and/or changes in processing parameters.
In some applications, however, the strength of P/M stainless steel parts may not be sufficient. Specific examples are the flanges used in automobile exhaust systems. These flanges are either welded or bolted onto the engine or onto other components of the exhaust system. Important properties for such flanges include corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, mechanical strength and impact resistance, at both ambient and elevated temperatures. High strength is essential for maintaining the leak-tightness of the flange-to-flange and flange-to-manifold bolted joints, so that the exhaust gases do not leak out of the exhaust system prior to entering the catalytic converter. Wrought stainless steel flanges perform satisfactorily, in general; however, the geometry and sizes of these flanges are such that the P/M process would be significantly less costly. The P/M process also offers more flexibility with the design of the flanges, permitting the selection of the optimum design for the best performance and weight control for specific locations and various automobile models.
Ferritic grades of stainless steels are almost always used in automobile exhaust systems for flanges, pipes, HEGO (Hot Exhaust Gas Oxygen Analyzer) bosses and other components. These grades of stainless steel are cost effective and offer adequate corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance and mechanical strength.
Ferritic stainless steels, however, are generally not heat treated because they do not undergo phase transformations that increase strength and hardness after heating and fast cooling. (Martensitic alloys, on the other band, can be hardened by heat treatment.) If an application, therefore, requires sintered ferritic stainless steels of higher strength, such added strength is usually achieved by increasing the sintered density or increasing the alloy content. For example, the commonly used ferritic P/M stainless steels are AISI types 409L, 410L, 430L and 434L; the strength increase associated with the change from the low alloyed 409L to the higher alloyed 434L is in the range of about 10 to 15 percent when expressed in terms of ultimate tensile strength (UTS). In some instances, such an increase may not be sufficient and, additionally, the higher alloyed grades cost more.
P/M stainless steels may also be sintered in an atmosphere of dissociated ammonia, in which case the steels absorb substantial amounts of nitrogen which provide significant solid solution strengthening. Without rapid cooling after sintering, however, corrosion resistance will be drastically reduced due to sensitization. Acceptable cooling rates are several hundred degrees C per minute, which are not commercially feasible at the present state of the art of sintering. Thus, this method of strengthening is generally not practiced when corrosion resistance is important.
In the area of wrought ferritic stainless steels, U.S. Pat. No. 2,210,341 discloses a nickel addition of 0.3 to 3% to welding rods containing from 8 to 15% Cr, 0.3 to 3% Mn, 0.3 to 3% Mo and 0.02 to 0.07% carbon, with the balance iron. The addition of nickel promotes a fine grain structure and makes the welds tough and ductile. Some of the more recent wrought ferritic stainless steels contain small amounts of nickel because of its beneficial effect on toughness, on lowering the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature, and on improving their passivity characteristics. P/M stainless steels do not undergo grain growth as the wrought stainless steels do, and hence do not require nickel addition to control grain structure. Even with the wrought ferritic stainless steels, nickel addition is much less frequently practiced due to the advent of nickel containing welding wires which can provide nickel to the weld zone.
Accordingly, it is desirable to increase the strength of sintered ferritic stainless steels without requiring rapid post-sintering cooling and without reducing corrosion resistance. An object of this invention is to produce sintered ferritic stainless steel compositions having such properties. Another object is to produce sintering powders comprising ferritic stainless powders containing nickel as a pre-alloyed and/or blended powder component.

Nickel-containing strengthened sintered ferritic stainless steels


A magnetic device includes a cylindrical outer pole having a central axis and formed of a ferromagnetic material including a circular base and a cylindrical sleeve defining an outwardly opening cylindrical cavity. A reversible magnetic unit located in said cavity includes a cylindrical core having a magnetic axis aligned with the central axis and a normal magnetic polarity in an inactive state. A cylindrical inner pole formed of a ferromagnetic material is operatively coupled to the core and inwardly radially spaced from said sleeve. An annular band between said sleeve and said inner pole formed of a permanent magnetic material has a magnetic polarity transverse to said central axis and magnetically aligned with said normal magnetic polarity of the core whereby an internal magnetic circuit is established in the inactive state through the poles, the core and the permanent magnet to the exclusion of said workpiece. When the polarity of the core is reversed an external circuit is established between the poles for magnetic coupling with the workpiece.

The present invention relates to magnetic workholding devices, and, in particular, to a compact modular switchable permanent-electro magnetic device that may be deployed with respect to other such devices without magnetic influence therebetween.
Magnetic holding systems employing electromagnets have been extensively used in applications requiring substantial magnetic force. In contrast with permanent magnets which have only one active state, the electromagnets may be selectively magnetized and demagnetized in achieving the desired activity. Inasmuch as the magnetized state is negated by intentional or inadvertent power loss, the possibility exists that magnetic field may be interrupted during lifting, transferring or holding activities thereby causing damage to surrounding property and personnel.
In an effort to overcome problems associated with power loss, switchable permanent-electromagnetic systems have been proposed. Therein, momentary activation reverses the polarity of a reversible magnet thus providing two stable magnetic states for the system; an active state wherein the magnetic field is coupled with the associated workpiece and an inactive state wherein the magnetic field is internalized. While performing satisfactorily in discrete environments, in order to achieve sufficient magnetic forces in larger applications involving substantial and irregular areas, a multiplicity of such magnets are generally required. Because of geometrical and deployment limitations, numerous problems can be presented. Generally, such systems must be arranged in prescribed biaxial arrays, generally based on square or rectangular poles. Accordingly, the flux paths are orthographically prescribed and dependent on surrounding poles. Such orientation results in excessive flux paths and heights in the workpiece as well as residual stray flux patterns in the workpiece that can undesirably reduce magnetic performance and attract particulate contaminants. Preferably the systems should operate at magnetic saturation in order to optimize performance and minimize sizing. Such operating conditions are difficult to attain in current geometrical arrays wherein the inherent variations in each magnetic subset also affect surrounding magnets. Accordingly time consuming assembly and testing is required, magnet by magnet, to avoid adverse cumulative effects in the assembled system. Furthermore, the need to maintain the prescribed pole patterns limits the ability to provide magnetic coupling at external or internal peripheries such as around workpiece openings and the like. Thus, notwithstanding advances over permanent magnet and electromagnet systems, the prior switchable permanent electromagnetic systems have not yielded uniform magnetic coupling, consistent manufacture, and flexibility of disposition.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,348 to Laubach discloses a permanent lifting magnet whereby an electromagnet is energized to neutralize the effect of a main permanent magnet thereby releasing workpieces being transported.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,317 to Pignataro discloses an electrically switchable magnet system wherein a solenoid switched magnet is used to selectively provide an active and inactive magnetic condition for the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,625 to Cardone et al. discloses a magnetic gripping apparatus wherein paired pole units having permanent magnets interposed therebetween may be switched between an active and inactive magnetic condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,162 to Cardone et al. discloses a magnetic anchoring apparatus using longitudinally spaced pole sets separated by a permanet bridging magnet wherein one pole is alternatively conditioned by a switchable permanent magnet to provide an active and inactive magnetic condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,635a to Cardone et al. discloses a magnetic anchoring apparatus having quadrangular arrayed square poles separated by permanent bridging magnets.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,678 to Gambut et al. discloses a longitudinal series of paired square magnetic poles that are solenoid switched between magnetic states.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,806 to Enderle et al. discloses an electromagnetic holding device having concentric annular poles coupled with a radially polarized permanent magnet with the inner pole being magnetically reversed by a solenoid to effect magnetic states.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,463 to Cory et al. discloses a magnetic fixture assembly having a base with a permanent magnet which normally clamps a plate thereto but which is disabled to release the plate when an electromagnet is energized.
Therefore, a need exists for a switchable permanent electromagnet that can be readily manufactured and assembled to consistent and optimum specifications, disposed in flexible arrays without interference with or interdependence on surrounding magnets, and consistently operated at magnetic saturation.
The present invention accomplishes the foregoing needs by providing a switchable permanent electromagnet module that operates readily at magnetic saturation and low flux heights with flexible orientation of coupling with the workpiece, individually or in combination with other modules.
The module comprises an annular switchable inner pole surrounded by an outer pole field of similarly equal planar surface area to the inner pole. The inner pole is coupled to the outer pole with an annular permanent magnet and with a switchable permanent magnet controlled by an electromagnetic field. In an inactive state, the flux path is internalized through the module allowing unrestrained movement of the workpiece. In the active state, a flux path is established externally, radially and circumferentially between the coupling surfaces of the inner pole and the outer pole, through the workpiece with a shallow flux height. The outer pole may be variably geometrically configured with respect to the inner pole, requiring only sufficient area to permit the inner pole to achieve saturation. In individual modules, the outer pole is preferably a concentric annulus capable of achieving saturation. However, the outer pole may constitute a surrounding field in which other modules are deployed. Therein, the modules may be oriented for optimum coupling with the workpiece, substantially without regard to the location of adjacent modules. Even when positioned within overlapping outer pole annuli, the radial and circumferential flux distribution accommodates saturation without affecting surrounding magnets. Because of the lack of magnetic interference, the modules may be manufactured and tested, prior to unit assembly, solely for individual module performance and without regard to surrounding conditions. Further, inasmuch as the modules, either with integral outer poles or field outer poles, only require machined bores for assembly the overall rigidity of the magnet holding device is not adversely affected, in contrast with geometrical pole arrays wherein substantial areas must be removed for housing the magnet system. In addition to flexible relative position, the modules may also be deployed in varying relationships. Generally, the pole faces lie in a single plane transverse to the magnetic axis. However, varying inclined, multiple plane and irregular surfaces may be magnetically coupled at saturation.