A method of patterning a block copolymer layer, the method including: providing a substrate with a guide pattern formed on a surface thereof; forming a block copolymer layer on the substrate with the guide pattern, the block copolymer layer including a block copolymer; and directing self-assembly of the block copolymer on the substrate according to the guide pattern to form n/2 discrete domains, wherein the guide pattern includes a block copolymer patterning area having a 90-degree bending portion, and an outer apex and an inner apex of the 90-degree bending portion are each rounded, the outer apex having a first curvature radius r1, and the inner apex having a second curvature radius r2, respectively, and the width of the patterning area W, the first curvature radius r1 and the second curvature radius r2, satisfy Inequation 1:

1. Field
A method of patterning a block copolymer layer and a patterned structure are disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, demand for lithography technology for forming a high-resolution nano-sized pattern for fabricating a semiconductor memory or a logic circuit has increased in accordance with a decrease in a size of electronic devices and an increase in an integration degree of semiconductor devices. Conventional photolithography technology have difficulties in providing a nano-sized pattern, in particular, a nano-pattern having features of less than or equal to about 20 nm due to the wavelength resolution limit. In this regard, a method of forming a higher resolution pattern using a resolution enhancement technique ("RET") has been suggested, and research to develop optical lithography using an extreme ultraviolet ("EUV") wavelength of 13.5 nm or non-optical patterning lithography, such as directed self-assembly lithography (hereinafter referred to as "DSA") is ongoing.
Thus there remains a need for an improved patterning method to provide materials suitable for semiconductor fabrication.

Method of patterning block copolymer layer and patterned structure

Abstract: 2          +                      2                    -                                                    (                                  1                  +                                      2                                                  )                            [                                                                    (                                          n                      +                      2                                        )                                    2                                                  n                                                        (                                          n                      +                      1                                        )                                                              ]                                      1              3                                      ≤                                            r              1                        -                          r              2                                W                ≤                  2          +                      2                    -                                                                      (                                      1                    +                                          2                                                        )                                [                                                                            (                                              n                        -                        2                                            )                                        2                                                        n                                                              (                                              n                        -                        1                                            )                                                                      ]                                            1                3                                      .                                              Inequation                                                  1

YONSEI UNIVESITY, UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY FOUNDATION(UIF)


A portable, self mounting shelf is made of a plurality of generally tubular legs and cross members. A first adjustable leg and second adjustable leg are held within the same horizontal plane by a center adjustable crossbar and a rear adjustable crossbar. A holding foot is affixed each to the first leg and the second leg at the end opposite the rear crossbar. Pivotal attachment are included capable of allowing rotation of the legs about the crossbars in a pivoting manner along the same horizontal plane.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable shelving and, more particularly, to a universally adjustable, portable shelving unit that is nonpermanently mounted and vertically adjustable without rigid fasteners
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, many improvements are known for adjustable shelves. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,013, issued in the name of Santucci, an adjustable self supporting shelf is disclosed which allows the user to adaptable include a portable shelving unit without rigid fasteners. However, a shelf made in accordance with the Santucci disclosure requires placement between two relatively parallel, vertical surfaces in order to remain self supporting.
Another example of an improved shelf is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,246, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,969, both issued in the name of Maxworthy. Such shelves, however, require a horizontally slatted wall to insert into for support. Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,056 issued in the name of Krikorian, a wire shelf and bracket therefor are disclosed requiring some form of vertical, slatted surface for support.
Further, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,209, issued in the name of Schafer, a shelf of laminated material is disclosed, wherein the improvement appears to be an otherwise conventional horizontal shelf having improved vertical rigidity. Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,616, issued in the name of Gray, a shelf with end flange caps is disclosed, also providing improved vertical rigidity.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,711, issued in the name of Solomon, an adaptable frame is disclosed for portably and adjustably supporting a horizontal shelf. The frame as envisioned in Solomon, however, although envisioned as a stand-alone support frame, is required to rest upon a stable, flat, horizontal surface in order to safely support a shelf.
Although these and other shelf designs provide adaptable, portable support for a variety of items and under a variety of circumstances, there remains many unique situations where such a need remains unfulfilled. The present invention is directed to providing adaptable shelving capable of adjusting to portably grip in a positive seated manner to any shape column, configured panel, door, or the like.

Universally adjustable, portable shelving unit


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor module incorporated with an optical isolator making use of a Faraday rotator formed of a magnetic garnet film in which a magnetically saturated condition is maintained even without any external magnetic field, in which, at the time the magnetic garnet film is exposed to a temperature of 100° C. or more in a step during manufacture, an external magnetic field is applied in the same direction as the direction of magnetization of this magnetic garnet film. This manufacturing method has an advantage that the high-coercivity film magnetic garnet film is not removed from its magnetically saturated condition even when heating steps are present in the course of manufacture.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for manufacturing semiconductor modules such as semiconductor laser modules and semiconductor amplifier modules used in optical communication. More particularly, this invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor module, in which a high-coercivity film (a film with high coercive force) is not removed from its magnetically saturated condition when a semiconductor module is manufactured and which is incorporated with an optical isolator making use of a high-coercivity film magnetic garnet film in which a magnetically saturated condition is maintained even without any external magnetic field.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the semiconductor laser modules and semiconductor amplifier modules used in optical communication, optical isolators are incorporated in order to stop light from returning to semiconductor elements such as semiconductor lasers. An example thereof is described with reference to FIG. 1.
First, a semiconductor laser module of this type is chiefly constituted of, as shown in FIG. 1, a housing 11, a photodiode 4 disposed in this housing 11 along an optical axis P, a semiconductor laser element 1, a focusing lens 5, an optical isolator 7, and also an optical fiber 8 guided into the housing 11 through a ferrule 9 fitted to a sidewall of the housing 11.
Then, this semiconductor laser module is manufactured through the steps of an assembly described below.
First, the semiconductor laser element 1 is mounted on a semiconductor laser carrier 3 via a heat sink 2. This semiconductor laser carrier 3 is soldered to a base 6 to which the focusing lens 5 has been fastened together with the photodiode 4. On this base 6, the optical isolator 7 is also mounted, and the optical fiber 8 guided into the housing 11 through the ferrule 9 is optically adjusted to the optical isolator 7. Thereafter, these are each fastened.
The base 6 is also fastened to the housing 11, which is made of a metal, through a Peltier element 10, and also the ferrule 9, which protects the optical fiber, is soldered to the housing 11 at its optical-fiber guide-in hole 15.
The semiconductor laser module is further electrically connected to a lead (not shown) in the housing 11 by wiring making use of a bonding wire; the lead projecting to the outside of the housing 11. Thereafter, the housing 11 is closed by fastening thereto a metallic cover 12 at its opening by soldering, and the interior of the housing 11 is made air-tight by hermetic sealing, thus the semiconductor laser module is completed.
Incidentally the optical isolator 7 is constituted of a Faraday rotator formed of a magnetic garnet film and a pair of polarizers disposed on both sides, and a small-sized and strong permanent magnet for saturating the Faraday rotator magnetically is disposed around the Faraday rotator.
Now, in recent year, there is an increasing demand for making the semiconductor laser module compact. With this demand, the space inside the metallic housing has come narrower.
In order to meet the demand for making it compact, a Faraday rotator has been developed which is formed of a special magnetic garnet film that requires no magnet (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H9-185027).
This magnetic garnet film is called a high-coercivity film because, after it has initially magnetically been saturated by applying an external magnetic field, the magnetically saturated condition is maintained even when the external magnetic field is removed.
Where an optical isolator is made using the Faraday rotator formed of this high-coercivity film, the space inside the metallic housing can be made narrower insofar as it requires no magnet, and such an optical isolator has an advantage in respect of cost.
Now, in the manufacture of semiconductor modules such as the semiconductor laser module, there are various heating steps for the above soldering after the optical isolator has been incorporated in the housing. In some cases, the fastening itself of the optical isolator is carried out by soldering. Also, even where the optical isolator is fastened with an adhesive in place of soldering, heating to about 120° C. is necessary in order to solidify the adhesive, and hence there still is the step of heating.
Even in such a semiconductor module manufacturing process having the steps of heating, there has been no particular problem in the case when the above conventional optical isolator making use of a permanent magnet is incorporated.
However, in the case when the optical isolator making use of a high-coercivity film is incorporated, there has been a problem in that the high-coercivity film that has been fastened with much trouble is undesirably removed from its magnetically saturated condition as a result of the heat treatment for soldering, to return to the original condition of a multiple magnetic domain.
Also in the case when the method is employed in which the optical isolator is fastened with an adhesive in place of soldering, the high-coercivity film may be removed from its magnetically saturated condition as a result of the heat treatment when the adhesive is made to solidify. Once the high-coercivity film has been removed from its magnetically saturated condition, the optical isolator no longer functions as the optical isolator, and hence, where the optical isolator making use of a high-coercivity film is incorporated in the semiconductor module, it has been necessary for the adhesive to be solidified at a relatively low temperature, or to again saturate the high-coercivity film magnetically (hereinafter called "re-magnetize") after the semiconductor module has been assembled.
However, the fastening with an adhesive has had a problem that it involves a lower reliability than the soldering. Also, in order to re-magnetize the high-coercivity film after the semiconductor module has been assembled, it is necessary to heat the semiconductor module to about 100° C. and apply a magnetic field of as strong as 1.6×105 A/m or more from the outside. Hence, this requires an elaborate magnetic-field generation system, and also has caused a problem that the high-coercivity film can not be re-magnetized because no magnetic field is applicable thereto if a magnetic material is present in the semiconductor module.
The present invention has been made taking note of such problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor module manufacturing process in which the high-coercivity film is not removed from its magnetically saturated condition even when the step of heating at 100° C. or more is present in the course of manufacture when the semiconductor module incorporated with the optical isolator making use of a high-coercivity film is manufactured.
Accordingly, the present inventors have made extensive studies in order to achieve such an object. As a result, they have reached a technical finding as stated below.
That is, they have discovered that, although the high-coercivity film is removed from its magnetically saturated condition upon an increase in temperature to come into the condition of a multiple magnetic domain so as to not function as the Faraday rotator, it is not removed from its magnetically saturated condition as long as an external magnetic field is present in the same direction as the direction of magnetization of the high-coercivity film even when the magnetic field is weak, namely, where the film is exposed to a temperature at which the Faraday rotator comes to have a small coercive force, its magnetization is retained as long as it is cooled in a state in which an external magnetic field not lower than the coercive force after having been reduced is applied.
The present invention has been accomplished based on such a technical finding.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor module


A radiation image storage panel having a phosphor layer formed by a gas phase-accumulation method, in which the phosphor layer is made of an europium activated alkali metal halide stimulable phosphor (in which the alkali metal atom is Rb and/or Cs and the halogen is Cl, Br and/or I), and the phosphor layer gives off a stimulated emission whose afterglow at 0.24 millisecond observed after excitation with a stimulating light has an intensity of 1/102.1 or less of a maximum intensity of the stimulated emission (the stimulated emission and afterglow is observed after the phosphor layer is exposed to radiation and then excited with the stimulating light).

When exposed to radiation such as X-rays, an energy-storing phosphor (stimulable phosphor, which gives off stimulated emission) absorbs and stores a portion of the radiation energy. The phosphor then emits stimulated emission according to the level of the stored energy when exposed to electromagnetic wave such as visible or infra-red light (i.e., stimulating ray). A radiation image recording and reproducing method utilizing the energy-storing phosphor has been widely employed in practice. In that method, a radiation image storage panel, which is a sheet comprising the energy-storing phosphor, is used. The method comprises the steps of: exposing the storage panel to radiation having passed through an object or having radiated from an object, so that radiation image information of the object is temporarily recorded in the panel; sequentially scanning the panel with a stimulating ray such as a laser beam to emit stimulated light; and photoelectrically detecting the emitted light to obtain electric image signals. The storage panel thus treated is subjected to a step for erasing radiation energy remaining therein, and then stored for the use in the next recording and reproducing procedure. Thus, the radiation image storage panel can be repeatedly used.
The radiation image storage panel (often referred to as energy-storing phosphor sheet) used in the radiation image recording and reproducing method has a basic structure comprising a support and a phosphor layer provided thereon. However, if the phosphor layer is self-supporting, the support may be omitted. Further, a protective film is normally provided on the free surface (surface not facing the support) of the phosphor layer to keep the phosphor layer from chemical deterioration or physical shock.
Phosphor layers of various kinds are known. Examples of the known phosphor layers include a phosphor layer comprising a binder and an energy-storing phosphor dispersed therein, a phosphor layer which is formed by a gas phase-accumulation method or by a firing method and which comprises agglomerate of an energy-storing phosphor without binder, and a phosphor layer comprising energy-storing phosphor agglomerate impregnated with a polymer material.
A variation of the radiation image recording and reproducing method is known. While an energy-storing phosphor of the storage panel used in the conventional type plays both roles of radiation-absorbing function and energy-storing function, those two functions are separated in the method. In the method, a radiation image storage panel comprising an energy-storing phosphor (which stores radiation energy) is used in combination with a phosphor screen comprising another phosphor (radiation-absorbing phosphor) which absorbs radiation and emits ultraviolet or visible light. The disclosed method comprises the steps of: causing the radiation-absorbing phosphor of the screen to absorb and convert radiation having passed through an object or having radiated from an object into ultraviolet or visible light; causing the energy-storing phosphor of the panel to store the energy of the converted light as radiation image information; sequentially scanning the panel with a stimulating ray to emit stimulated light; and photoelectrically detecting the emitted light to obtain electric image signals. The present invention can be also applied to the radiation image storage panel used in this type of the method.
The radiation image recording and reproducing method (or radiation image forming method) has various advantages as described above. Even so, however, it is still desired that the radiation image storage panel used in the method have as high sensitivity as possible and, at the same time, give a reproduced radiation image of high quality (in regard to sharpness and graininess).
In order to improve the sensitivity and the image quality, it is proposed that the phosphor layer of the storage panel be prepared by a gas phase-accumulation method such as vacuum vapor deposition or sputtering. The process of vacuum vapor deposition, for example, comprises the steps of: heating to vaporize an evaporation source comprising a phosphor or materials thereof by means of a resistance heater or an electron beam, and depositing and accumulating the vapor on a substrate such as a metal sheet to form a layer of the phosphor in the form of columnar crystals.
The phosphor layer formed by the gas phase-accumulation method contains no binder and consists of the phosphor only, and there are cracks among the prismatic crystals of the phosphor. Because of the cracks, the stimulating ray can stimulate the phosphor efficiently and the emitted light can be collected efficiently, too. Accordingly, a radiation image storage panel having the phosphor layer formed by the gas phase-accumulation method has high sensitivity. At the same time, since the cracks prevent the stimulating ray from diffusing parallel to the layer, the storage panel can give a reproduced image of high sharpness.
When excited with, for example, a stimulating ray, the phosphor layer of the panel gives off emission (stimulated emission) accompanied by afterglow, which is emitted from the phosphor layer consecutively after the stimulated emission. Since causing noises to lower the S/N ratio in reading the radiation image information, the afterglow is preferably made as weak as possible in consideration of the image quality such as sharpness. The afterglow of the phosphor is a serious problem particularly in the case where the emission from the panel is detected in a point-scan detecting system with a photomultiplier since the scanning speed in that case is very high.
JP-A-4-240600 discloses a process for preparation of a radiation image storage panel giving stimulated emission accompanied by a small amount of afterglow. In the process, a layer of alkali metal halide stimulable phosphor such as RbBr:Tl or matrix thereof is formed by a gas phase-accumulation method such as the vapor deposition process, and then is subjected to heat treatment under an atmosphere containing an activator and an oxygen compound.
JP-A-62-156191 discloses improvement of the stimulated emission afterglow. In the Publication, powdery alkali metal halide stimulable phosphor such as RbBr:Tl is fired together with an oxygen-containing compound, so that the obtained phosphor contains oxygen to give stimulated emission improved in the afterglow.
WO 01/03156A1 discloses a CsX:Eu stimulable phosphor and a phosphor screen comprising a phosphor layer formed by a gas phase-accumulation method. In the publication, a film comprising the CsX:Eu stimulable phosphor layer formed by the vapor-deposition process is excited with a ultraviolet light (wavelength: 280 nm), and thereby emitted instant emission is observed. The instant emission spectrum shown in the publication has a sharp emission peak at approx. 440 nm, but it is not clear whether another emission peak is observed at approx. 490 nm or not. The publication is silent with respect to a peak at approx. 490 nm.


A chromonic nanoparticle mixture prepared by combining (i) a continuous water-soluble polymer phase and (ii) a discontinuous chromonic phase comprising a chromonic material; and non-covalently crosslinking the resulting chromonic nanoparticles with a polyvalent cation salt.

In recent years, there has been increasing research effort to develop metal structures in the nanoscale range (that is, in the 0.1 to 100 nm range) for a variety of technological applications such as, for example, electronic and optical devices, labeling of biological material, magnetic recording media, and quantum computing.
Metallic nanoparticles, having a diameter of about 1-100 nanometers (nm), are important materials for applications that include semiconductor technology, magnetic storage, electronics fabrication, and catalysis. Metallic nanoparticles have been produced by gas evaporation; by evaporation in a flowing gas stream; by mechanical attrition; by sputtering; by electron beam evaporation; by thermal evaporation; by electron beam induced atomization of binary metal azides; by expansion of metal vapor in a supersonic free jet; by inverse micelle techniques; by laser ablation; by laser-induced breakdown of organometallic compounds; by pyrolysis of organometallic compounds; by microwave plasma decomposition of organometallic compounds, and by other methods.
It is known that metallic nanoparticles possess unique optical properties. In particular, metallic nanoparticles display a pronounced optical resonance. This so-called plasmon resonance is due to the collective coupling of the conduction electrons in the metal sphere to the incident electromagnetic field. This resonance can be dominated by absorption or scattering depending on the radius of the nanoparticle with respect to the wavelength of the incident electromagnetic radiation. Associated with this plasmon resonance is a strong local field enhancement in the interior of the metal nanoparticle. A variety of potentially useful devices can be fabricated to take advantage of these specific optical properties. For example, optical filters or chemical sensors based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) have been fabricated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,272 (Oldenburg et al.) describes nanoparticles comprised of a nonconducting inner layer that is surrounded by an electrically conducting material. The ratio of the thickness of the nonconducting layer to the thickness of the outer conducting shell is determinative of the wavelength of maximum absorbance or scattering of the particle. The reference notes that a serious practical limitation to realizing many applications of solid metal nanoparticles is the inability to position the plasmon resonance at desired wavelengths. For example, solid gold nanoparticles of 10 nm in diameter have a plasmon resonance centered at 520 nm. This plasmon resonance cannot be controllably shifted by more than approximately 30 nanometers by varying the particle diameter or the specific embedding medium.
Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) is the resonant excitation of oscillating free charges at the interface of a metal and a dielectric. When SPR spectra are generated and collected, they can be used to determine specificity, kinetics, affinity, and concentration with respect to the interactions between two or more molecules, where one of the molecules is attached to a solid sensing surface. Reaction kinetics corresponds to both an association and a dissociation rate at which an analyte interacts with the bound detection molecule. Affinity refers to the strength with which an analyte binds to the detecting molecule. Specificity refers to the propensity of a molecule to bind to the detecting molecule to the exclusion of other molecules. SPR spectra have been used in studies involving many types of molecules including proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and low molecular weight substances (e.g., hormones and pharmaceuticals).
SPR based bio-sensing, has been developed to enable direct measurements of the association of ligands with receptors, without the use of indirect labels, such as fluorescent markers and radioactive molecular tags. This label free direct sensing technique reduces the time and workload required to perform assays, and minimizes the risk of producing misleading results caused by molecular changes induced by the use of indirect labels. Another important aspect of the bio-sensing technique is that SPR based bio-sensing enables bio-molecular interactions to be measured continuously and in real-time, thereby enabling the determination of association and dissociation kinetic data in contrast to traditional "end point" analytical methods.
Recently, sensor devices have been developed in the known art to exploit the unique optical properties of these nanoparticles. SPR measurements have been made using gold nanoparticle suspensions to detect biomolecular interactions in real time by monitoring the absorbance of colloidal suspensions.
Over the past decade, interest in the unique optical properties of metallic nanoparticles has increased considerably with respect to the use of suspensions and films incorporating these nanoparticles for the purposes of exciting surface plasmons to enable the detection of SPR spectra. In addition, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) for infrared absorbance spectral information and surface enhanced fluorescence for enhanced fluorescence stimulation can also be detected. Nanoparticles are particles that are less than 100 nanometers in diameter. Metallic nanoparticles display large absorbance bands in the visible wavelength spectrum yielding colorful colloidal suspensions. The physical origin of the light absorbance is due to incident light energy coupling to a coherent oscillation of the conduction band electrons on the metallic nanoparticle. This coupling of incident light is unique to discrete nanoparticles and films formed of nanoparticles (referred to as metallic island films). Achieving SPR with ordinary bulk materials requires the use of a prism, grating, or optical fiber to increase the horizontal component of the incident light wave vector (i.e., to achieve the required coupling).
The delivery of a bioactive compound to a living organism is generally affected by a number of parameters beyond the actual chemical identity and pharmacological activity of the bioactive compound. Formulation additives other than the bioactive compound are commonly used to alter the physicochemical properties of a product having bioactive function. As an example, pharmaceutical dosage forms (i.e., dosages containing a drug or active pharmaceutical ingredient) typically contain one or more non-pharmaceutically active ingredients that are referred to as excipients. There are a wide variety of purposes for excipients, just a few examples of which are adjusting the physical form of a dosage (e.g., tablet formation, viscosity adjustment in semi-solids), aiding in drug solubilization or stabilization, or enhancing the uptake of drug in a living organism (e.g., permeation enhancement, selective site targeting).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Chromonic nanoparticles containing bioactive compounds


A winch cable storage device includes a cable-tensioning mechanism for attachment to a cable winch. The manual cable tensioner is removably attached to the cable winch and includes a level wind feature. The level winder includes a flexible frame attached between the cable winch and the cable-tensioning mechanism. The cable-tensioner includes a clamp housing and a pair of opposed, spring-loaded friction pads.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to level wind mechanisms for cable winches. In particular, the present invention relates to a cable tensioning and level wind mechanism for properly storing wire or nylon winch cables.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cable winches are a common part of our automotive culture. Off-road vehicles, recovery vehicles and tow trucks use cable winches regularly. Use of cable winches has become commonplace, but proper usage and cable storage procedures are less well known. Any kinks, binding or uneven winding can damage or seriously weaken the cable. Proper storage techniques must be followed to avoid damaging the cable. To maximize the life of a cable, the cable must be wound on the drum tightly. There must be no space between windings. Each layer must be completed before the next layer is started. Any space between windings may permit the overriding layer to fall down to the lower layer and become jammed or wedged between the lower windings. A cable jammed in such a manner is easily frayed, kinked and damaged.
Numerous devices have been developed to simplify the use of cable winches. These devices include various level-wind mechanisms to distribute winch cables evenly. However, these devices are needlessly complex and incapable of being retrofitted to existing cable winches. Some of these devices have bars or plates that ride against the cable and the cable drum to hold the cable down against the drum, to prevent the cable from coming loose. These bars or plates are biased against the drum with springs or similar mechanisms. The bars and plates do hold the cable against the drum, but they do not ensure that the cable is wound evenly and tightly on the drum.
Up until now, the choices of procedures for properly winding and tensioning a cable were quite limited. First, the cable is unwound from the winch. The end of the cable is secured to an immovable object, such as a utility pole, large rock or tree. The vehicle to which the winch is attached is backed away from the cable anchor point to place some tension on the cable. Next, the vehicle's brakes are applied to permit the vehicle to roll, but only if pulled or pushed with some effort. This is to ensure that tension is applied to the cable as it is wound onto the winch. Finally, the winch is turned on to wind the cable onto the winch drum against the resistance of the vehicle's brakes. The cable will have the proper tension as it is wound onto the winch, but this procedure alone will not evenly wind the cable onto the winch.
If the user wants to level wind the cable onto the winch, he must steer the vehicle slowly from side to side as the winch winds the cable. Generally this also requires a second person to guide the cable by hand.
Therefore, there has been and continues to be a need for a simple, rugged level wind apparatus for a winch cable that is easy for one person to use and effectively and properly winds cables for storage on a cable drum.


A golf ball with a precise spin rate is disclosed. The distribution of weight among the layers within the golf ball relative to a centroid radius is realized to precisely control the moment of inertia of the ball. In accordance to one aspect of the present invention, a high spin rate golf ball with a dense center, which is positioned radially inside of the centroid radius, and a low specific gravity mantle is provided. In accordance to another aspect of the present invention, a low spin rate golf ball with an inner core and a thin dense layer disposed radially outside of the centroid radius is provided.

The present invention relates to golf balls and more particularly, the invention is directed to improving the control of the spin rate of golf balls and to a method for varying the spin rate of golf balls.
The spin rate of golf balls is the end result of many variables, one of which is the distribution of the density or specific gravity within the ball. Spin rate is an important characteristic of golf balls for both skilled and recreational golfers. High spin rate allows the more skilled players, such as PGA professionals and low handicapped players, to maximize control of the golf ball. A high spin rate golf ball is advantageous for an approach shot to the green. The ability to produce and control back spin to stop the ball on the green and side spin to draw or fade the ball substantially improves the player""s control over the ball. Hence, the more skilled players generally prefer a golf ball that exhibits high spin rate.
On the other hand, recreational players who cannot intentionally control the spin of the ball generally do not prefer a high spin rate golf ball. For these players, slicing and hooking are the more immediate obstacles. When a club head strikes a ball, an unintentional side spin is often imparted to the ball, which sends the ball off its intended course. The side spin reduces the player""s control over the ball, as well as the distance the ball will travel. A golf ball that spins less tends not to drift off-line erratically if the shot is not hit squarely off the club face. The low spin ball will not cure the hook or the slice, but will reduce the adverse effects of the side spin. Hence, recreational players prefer a golf ball that exhibits low spin rate.
Reallocating the density or specific gravity of the various layers or mantles in the ball is an important means of controlling the spin rate of golf balls. In some instances, the weight from the outer portions of the ball is redistributed to the center of the ball to decrease the moment of inertia thereby increasing the spin rate. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,964 discloses a golf ball with a reduced moment of inertia having a core with specific gravity of at least 1.50 and a diameter of less than 32 mm and an intermediate layer of lower specific gravity between the core and the cover. U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,126 discloses a ball with a dense inner core having a specific gravity of at least 1.25 encapsulated by a lower density syntactic foam composition. U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,838 discloses another golf ball with a dense inner core having a diameter in the range of 15-25 mm with a specific gravity of 1.2 to 4.0 and an outer layer with a specific gravity of 0.1 to 3.0 less than the specific gravity of the inner core. U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,285 discloses another golf ball with reduced moment of inertia by reducing the specific gravity of an outer core to 0.2 to 1.0.
In other instances, the weight from the inner portion of the ball is redistributed outward to increase the moment of inertia thereby decreasing the spin rate. U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,393 discloses a golf ball with a hollow inner core with one or more resilient outer layers, thereby giving the ball a soft core, and a hard cover. U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,887 discloses an increased moment of inertia golf ball comprising one or more mantle layers made from metals, ceramic or composite materials, and a polymeric spherical substrate disposed inwardly from the mantle layers.
These and other references disclose specific examples of high and low spin rate ball with ranges of specific gravity, ranges of diameter for the core and ranges of thickness for the outer layers, etc. They, however, do not offer any universal guidelines to control the spin rate of golf balls. Hence, there remains a need in the art for an improved golf ball with controlled spin rates.
The present invention is directed to a golf ball with a controlled moment of inertia.
The present invention is also directed to a golf ball with a controlled spin rate.
The present invention is further directed to a method for controlling the moment of inertia of a golf ball.
The present invention is preferably directed to a ball comprising a core and a cover wherein the weight or mass of the ball is allocated radially relative to the centroid, thereby dictating the moment of inertia of the ball. When the weight is allocated radially toward the centroid, the moment of inertia is decreased, and when the weight is allocated outward away from the centroid, the moment of inertia is increased. A method for determining the centroid radius is also provided.
In accordance to one aspect of the invention, a low moment of inertia ball comprises a dense inner core having a specific gravity of at least higher than 1.8 encased by a low specific gravity layer, which has its specific gravity reduced by an agent. The specific gravity layer has a specific gravity of at least less than 0.9. The ball may also have an additional intermediate mantle and a cover. The core can be made from any high density material and can be solid or hollow. The core is preferably disposed radially inside of the centroid radius.
In accordance to another aspect of the invention, a high moment of inertia ball comprises a thin dense layer encasing an inner core. The thin dense layer has a specific gravity of at least greater than 1.2 and a thickness from 0.001 to 0.050 inch, and the outer surface of the thin dense layer is located at a distance ranging from 0.030 inch to 0.110 inch from the land surface. The thin dense layer is preferably located radially outside of the centroid radius.

Golf ball and a method for controlling the spin rate of same


A measuring device for measuring optical properties of transparent substrates includes a light transmitter and/or light receiver comprising a hollow cylinder having a highly reflective and diffusely dispersive inner surface. The light transmitter comprises a light source arranged in its interior and a light exit opening at a distance from the light source. The light receiver has a light sensor instead of the light source, at a distance from a light entrance opening. The light source and light sensor are arranged at such a distance from the light exit opening and light entrance opening respectively, given a corresponding direction of propagation of the light, that light emitted by the light source or received by the light sensor and multiply reflected in the hollow cylinder emerges as diffuse light from the light exit opening or is incident on the light sensor.

The invention relates to a light transmitter, a light receiver and a measuring device with the use of such a light transmitter or light receiver for measuring optical properties of transparent substrates.
There are light transmitters or light receivers comprising a hollow body having a highly reflecting and diffusely dispersive, i.e. white, inner surface, a light source and/or light sensor arranged inside the hollow body and light exit opening and a light entrance opening at a distance therefrom. Apart from the light transmitter, which emits diffuse light for illuminating the substrate to be measured, the measuring device largely comprises a light receiver, which is arranged in the optical path of the light, which is emitted from the light transmitter and has passed through the substrate or has been reflected by the substrate.
Usually, collimated radiographic light is aligned on the sample for measuring the transmission and reflection properties of various transparent media like glass, films, coatings or glass filters. Subsequently, the light passing through is once again displayed in an optical characteristic and analyzed in accordance with the measuring task.
This measurement geometry fails to work in the case of concave objects like spectacle lenses, coated lenses or in the case of dispersive, randomly deflective substrates i.e. radiation without intensity loss, like diffusion disks for signal systems. Here, as also in the case of cloudy liquids, it is necessary to measure with diffuse light. In this case, the requirements are extremely customized and depend on properties of the objects. The design generally comprises a light source, arranged in an integration sphere or integrating sphere with its exit opening facing a light receiver that absorbs the emerging light. Likewise, it is also possible to collimate the optical path of a light source and align it on the sample opening of the integrating sphere. In both the arrangements, the device to be measured is introduced in the optical path close to the sphere opening.
An integration sphere or integrating sphere is a hollow sphere having an inner surface with absolutely matte reflection properties. The light of a light source arranged inside the sphere is multiply reflected so that each surface section of the interior surface as well as an exit opening is illuminated equally brightly and its luminous density is proportional to the total luminous flux.
Depending on the direction of the optical path, the substrate along with its surface section to be measured positioned directly at the exit opening or incidence opening of the integration sphere is either diffusely illuminated, i.e. penetrating from a number of various directions or the light dispersed in the substrate is completely absorbed with the sphere. According to each of the selected measurement geometries, a light receiver or a light transmitter is arranged across the substrate facing the exit or incidence opening of the sphere with a defined angular orientation.
E.g. description of a measuring device is given in EP 0 458 223 A2, which uses an integrating sphere as a light receiver for measuring absorption of transparent samples with irregularly arranged surfaces. The samples to be measured are arranged in the integrating sphere automatically or in a volume linked with the sphere, whose surface indicates the same multiply dispersive properties like the inner surface of the sphere. However, such an arrangement is suitable only for small sample geometries.
During the manufacture and/or quality control of optical products, it is often necessary to determine their optical properties for e.g. the reflection and transmission characteristics, and monitor in-situ in order to control the manufacturing process. This is especially the case, if, in a coating process, thin coatings with great uniformity, defined coating thickness and defined optical properties are to be applied on laminar substrates.
For instance, as the angle-dependent transmission of substrates is modified by applying thinner, sputtered coatings for instance, the coating growth is to be observed and controlled from the point of view of quality and thickness by means of the in-situ measurement of transmission during the manufacturing process. The dispersion in the thin coatings itself is in this case insignificant.
In order to measure the reflection and transmission of the coated substrate, photometers are used in the coating chamber, for instance, for the viability of short optical paths, which capture the monochromatic transmission and/or reflection signal of the substrate and a reference signal of the light source of the photometer.
The measuring device described in DE 10 2005 010 681 A1 is suitable for plasma or ion beam-aided processes, where the optical path is clearly extended on account of the significantly great distance of the coating, ion or plasma source from the substrate and on account of the protection required by the measuring device against spurious material deposits. Even in this device, the substrate to be measured intersects the optical path between a light source and a light receiving unit and in any case, there exist high standards in the adjustment of the light transmitter in particular. The protection of the measuring device against the coating source takes place in the last-mentioned device by means of a diaphragm.
A measuring device for the measurement of transmission and reflection for the purpose of the quality control of tape-like paper is described in GB 2 147 413 A. An integrating sphere for measuring the reflected light and light emitted through the substrate is arranged above and below the substrate.
However, the use of an integration sphere as a light transmitter or light receiver for measuring dispersive substrates, for instance, is advantageous neither for measuring in a coating chamber nor for the in-situ measurement of a continuous manufacturing process on account of the susceptibility of such a measuring arrangement to damage and its high costs. Furthermore, in the case of thicker substrates with a high degree of transmission and two reflecting surfaces, the face-to-face arrangement of the light receiver and light transmitter leads to the falsification of the measurement results due to the parts entering into the light receiver, which would be repeatedly reflected between the substrate surfaces.

Measuring device for measuring optical properties of transparent substrates


The effects of paper/substrate noise are significantly reduced in multi-focal zone laser scanning systems by processing analog scan data signals with a scan data signal processor having a plurality of pass-band filters and amplifiers that are automatically selected for passing only the spectral components of an analog scan data signal produced when a bar code symbol is scanned at a particular focal zone in the laser scanning system. Two or more different pass-band filter structures can be provided for use in the scan data signal processor, wherein each pass-band filter structure is tuned to the spectral band associated with a particular focal zone in the laser scanning system. When a bar code symbol is scanned by a laser beam focused within the first focal zone or scanning range of the system, the pass-band filter structure associated with this focal zone or scanning range is automatically switched into operation using control signals derived by computing the beam spot speed of the laser beam at each moment of operation. Only spectral components associated with the produced analog scan data signal and noise existing over this pass-band are allowed within the analog signal processor. By virtue of the present invention, first and second derivative signals can be generated and processed to produce a corresponding digital scan data signal for use in subsequent digitizing and decode processing operations, without compromising system performance due to the destructive effects of thermal and substrate noise outside the spectral pass-band of interest for the bar code symbol being scanned.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an improved way of processing analog scan data signals generated from laser scanning bar code symbol reading systems, and more particularly, to provide an improved way of and means for processing analog scan data signals, including first and second derivative signals derived therefrom, so that the effects of thermal noise and substrate/paper noise alike are minimized in diverse laser scanning environments including, multiple focal zone scanning systems and large depth-of-field scanning systems alike.
2. Brief Description of State of the Art
Code symbol scanners are widely used in diverse environments for purposes of object identification, data-entry and the like.
During operation of such machines, a focused light beam is produced from a light source such as a visible laser diode (VLD), and repeatedly scanned across the elements of the code symbol attached, printed or otherwise fixed to the object to be identified. In the case of bar code scanning applications, the elements of the code symbol consists of a series of bar and space elements of varying width. For discrimination purposes, the bars and spaces have different light reflectivity (e.g. the spaces are highly light-reflective while the bars are highly light-absorptive). As the laser beam is scanned across the bar code elements, the bar elements absorb a substantial portion of the laser beam power, whereas the space elements reflective a substantial portion thereof. As a result of this scanning process, the intensity of the laser beam is modulated to in accordance with the information structure encoded within the scanned bar code symbol. As the laser beam is scanned across the bar code symbol, a portion of the reflected light beam is collected by optics within the scanner. The collected light signal is subsequently focused upon a photodetector within the scanner which generates an analog electrical output signal which can be decomposed into a number of signal components, namely: a digital scan data signal having first and second signal levels, corresponding to the bars and spaces within the scanned code symbol; ambient-light noise produced as a result of ambient light collected by the light collection optics of the system; thermal noise produced as a result of thermal activity within the signal detecting and processing circuitry; and xe2x80x9cpaperxe2x80x9d or substrate noise produced as a result of the microstructure of the substrate in relation to the cross-sectional dimensions of the focused laser scanning beam. The analog scan data signal has positive-going transitions and negative-going transitions which signify transitions between bars and spaces in the scanned bar code symbol. However, a result of such noise components, the transitions from the first signal level to the second signal level and vice versa are not perfectly sharp, or instantaneous, as in the underlying digital scan data signal. Consequently, it is difficult to determine the exact instant that each binary signal level transition occurs in detected analog scan data signal.
It is well known that the ability of a scanner to accurately scan a bar code symbol and accurately produce digital scan data signals representative of a scanned bar code symbol in noisy environments depends on the depth of modulation of the laser scanning beam. The depth of modulation of the laser scanning beam, in turn, depends on several important factors, namely: the ratio of the laser beam cross-sectional dimensions at the scanning plane to the width of the minimal bar code element in the bar code symbol being scanned, and (ii) the signal to noise ratio (SNR) in the scan data signal processor at the stage where binary level (1bit) analog to digital (A/D) signal conversion occurs.
As a practical matter, it is not possible in most instances to produce analog scan data signals with precisely-defined signal level transitions. Therefore, the analog scan data signal must be further processed to precisely determine the point at which the signal level transitions occur.
Hitherto, various circuits have been developed for carrying out such scan data signal processing operations. Typically, signal processing circuits capable of performing such operations include filters for removing unwanted noise components, and signal thresholding devices for rejecting signal components which do not exceed a predetermined signal level.
One very popular approach for converting analog scan data signals into digital scan data signals is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,397, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In this U.S. Letters Patent, a method and apparatus are disclosed for precisely detecting the time of transitions between the binary levels of encoded analog scan data signals produced from various types of scanning devices. According to this prior art method, the first signal processing step involves double-differentiating the analog scan data input signal Sanalog to produce a second derivative signal Sxe2x80x3analog. Then the zero-crossings of the second derivative signal are detected, during selected gating periods, to signify the precise time at which each transition between binary signal levels occurs. As taught in this U.S. Patent, the selected gating periods are determined using a first derivative signal Sxe2x80x2analog formed by differentiating the input scan data signal Sanalog. Whenever the first derivative signal Sxe2x80x2analog exceeds a threshold level using peak-detection, the gating period is present and the second derivative signal Sxe2x80x3analog is detected for zero-crossings. At each time instant when a second-derivative zero-crossing is detected, a binary signal level is produced at the output of the signal processor. The binary output signal level is a logical xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d when the detected signal level falls below the threshold at the gating interval, and a logical xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d when the detected signal level falls above the threshold at the gating interval. The output digital signal Sdigital produced by this signal processing technique corresponds to the digital scan data signal component contributing to the underlying structure of the analog scan data input signal Sanalog.
While the above-described signal processing technique generates a simple way of generating a digital scan data signal from a corresponding analog scan data signal, this method has a number of shortcomings and drawbacks.
In particular, thermal as well as xe2x80x9cpaperxe2x80x9d or substrate noise imparted to the analog scan data input signal Sanalog tends to generate zero-crossings in the second-derivative signal Sxe2x80x3analog in much the same manner as does binary signal level transitions encoded in the input analog scan data signal Sanalog.
Consequently, the gating signal mechanism disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,397 allows. xe2x80x9cfalsexe2x80x9d second-derivative zero-crossing signals to be passed onto the second-derivative zero-crossing detector thereof, thereby producing erroneous binary signal levels at the output stage of this prior art signal processor. In turn, error-ridden digital data scan data signals are transmitted to the digital scan data signal processor of the bar code scanner for conversion into digital words representative of the length of the binary signal levels in the digital scan data signal. This can result in significant errors during bar code symbol decoding operations, causing objects to be incorrectly identified and/or erroneous data to be entered into a host system.
Also, when scanning bar code symbols within large scanning fields volumes having multiple focal zones, as taught in co-applicant""s PCT International Patent Publication No. WO 97/22945 published on Jun. 26, 1997, Applicants"" have observed that the effects of paper/substrate noise are greatly amplified when scanning bar code symbols in the near focal zone(s) of the system, thereby causing a significant decrease in overall system performance. In the far out focal zones of the scanning system, Applicants have observed that laser beam spot speed is greatest and the analog scan data signals produced therefrom are time-compressed relative to analog scan data signals produced from bar code symbols scanned in focal zones closer to the scanning system. Thus, in such prior art laser scanning systems, Applicants"" have provided, between the first and second differentiator stages of the scan data signal processor thereof, a low-pass filter (LHF) having cutoff frequency which passes (to the second differentiator stage) the spectral components of analog scan data signals produced when scanning bar code elements at the focal zone furthest out from the scanning system. While this technique has allowed prior art scanning systems to scan bar codes in the far focal zones of the system, it has in no way addressed or provided a solution to the problem of increased paper/substrate noise encountered when scanning bar code symbols in the near focal zones of such laser scanning systems.
Thus, there is a great need in the art for improved analog scan data signal processing device and method which enables precise detection of signal level transitions in analog scan data signals produced when scanning bar code symbols using a multi-focal zone laser scanning system, while mitigating the effects of thermal and paper noise encountered when scanning bar code symbols in both the near and far focal zones thereof.
Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an improved signal processing method and apparatus which accurately and precisely determines the time of transitions between the binary levels in encoded analog data signals produced from various types of laser scanning bar code scanning systems in which the beam spot speed of the laser beam varies as a function of distance from the system, or focal zone of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved scan data signal processor having improved performance throughout the depth of field of its host scanning system by automatically tuning the scan data signal processor to an optimum setting for the focal zone being scanned at each moment of scanning system operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved scan data signal processor, wherein a variable first derivative signal pass-band filter is employed having pass-band filter characteristics that are dynamically controlled by the focal distance of the laser scanning beam producing the analog scan data signal being produced.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved scan data signal processor, wherein a different pass-band filter is dynamically switched into operation for pass-band filtering the first derivative of analog scan data signals produced by laser scanned bar code symbols within each predefined focal zone in the laser scanning system, in order to filter out spectral components of paper noise residing outside the frequency spectrum of the analog scan data signal scanned within the predefined focal zone.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved scan data signal processor that can be used in any flying-spot type light beam scanning system wherein the speed of the light beam spot varies significantly over the depth of the scanning range of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an improved scan data signal processor, which can be used within holographic laser scanning systems, polygonal-type laser scanning systems as well as any other type laser scanning systems having multiple focal zones or a large depth-of-field.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved scan data signal processor, wherein a time-domain non-linear substrate noise filter is employed before the first derivative signal generation stage of the processor so as to produce, as output, a substantially fixed zero-reference signal level whenever a signal level indicative of the substrate is detected, and the signal level of the analog scan data signal whenever a signal level indicative of a bar code element (e.g. dark bar) is detected.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a scan data signal processor having a bar code element detector for automatically enabling the second-derivative zero-crossing detector employed therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a signal processing method, wherein detection of second derivative signal zero-crossings is automatically activated (i.e. enabled) upon detection of bar element data encoded within the analog scan data signal, thereby preventing the detection of zero-crossings in the second derivative signal caused by thermal and paper noise during bar code scanning operations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a signal processing method, wherein after automatically enabling the detection of zero;crossings in the second derivative signal, second-derivative zero-crossing by detection is automatically disabled after a predetermined time period, and automatically re-enabled after redetection of subsequent bar code elements in the same bar code symbol or in subsequently scanned bar code symbol.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a signal processing method, wherein detection of zero-crossings in the second derivative of analog scan data input signals is enabled only when digital scan data elements encoded therein are detected.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of processing analog scan data signals, wherein gating signals for second derivative zero-crossing detection are automatically generated only when bar code element data is detected in the analog scan data input signal, thereby substantially improving the overall performance of the signal processor in the presence of thermal and paper noise.
Another object of the present invention is to provide novel signal processor for carrying out such a signal processing method within diverse types of bar code scanning devices and scanning environments (e.g. where data element stitching is employed).
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel scan data signal processor, wherein a real-time bar code element detector is used to automatically activate and deactivate a second-derivative zero-crossing detector in response to the detection of the presence and absence of bar code element data encoded within the analog scan data input signal, respectively.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel laser scanning bar code symbol reader, wherewithin the scan data signal processor of the present invention is embodied.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-focal zone laser scanning system which employs a scan data signal processor that allows reading of bar code symbols having bar code elements substantially narrower than the beam cross-section of the laser scanning beam.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-focal zone laser scanning bar code symbol reading system, in which the ratio of the minimum laser beam cross-section dimension (MBD) to the minimum bar element width (MBW) in each focal zone of the system is greater than or equal to 2.0.
Another object of the present invention it to provide a multi-focal zone laser scanning system, wherein a scan data signal processor is used having a higher overall signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), thereby requiring less modulation of the laser scanning beam during scanning operations, and decreasing the effective laser beam diameter (i.e beam spot size) at each focal zone in the system, and thus increasing the bar code scanning resolution of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-focal zone scanning system, wherein without increasing or otherwise changing the laser beam power characteristics, the length of each focal zone in the system can be increased to allow either more overlap between adjacent focal zones, or a larger overall depth of field in the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a laser scanning system that has an increased depth of field without increasing the power level of the laser scanning beams, or adding additional focal zones to the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a laser scanning system which employs a scan data signal processor having a plurality of first derivative signal pass-band filter structures that are electronically-switched into operation in response to control signals derived from information about the focal distance of the laser scanning beam at each instant in time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-focal zone laser scanning bar code symbol reading system, wherein each scan data producing channel includes a scan data signal processor which employs a variable first derivative signal pass-band filter dynamically controlled by the focal distance of the laser scanning beam producing the analog scan data signal being processed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a laser scanning bar code symbol reader employing a variable first derivative signal pass-band filter structure having frequency characteristics that are controlled in a real-time manner by measuring the time duration of binary signal levels in digital scan data signals produced in response to laser scanning bar code symbol elements located within the scanning range of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a laser scanning bar code symbol reader employing a variable second derivative signal pass-band filter structure having frequency characteristics that are controlled in a real-time manner by measuring the time duration of binary signal levels in digital scan data signals produced in response to laser scanning bar code symbol elements located within the scanning range of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a laser scanning bar code symbol reading system, wherein time measurement of bar code symbol elements is carried out using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip that compares real-time measurement of binary signal levels in digital scan data signals with predetermined time measures thereof, stored in an EPROM or like device, for bar code symbols of different resolutions and scanning distances from the bar code symbol reading system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a bar code symbol reading system, wherein a-rotating polygon-type mechanism is used to scan the laser scanning beam over the scanning field or volume of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a bar code symbol reading system, wherein a variable laser beam focusing mechanism and rotating polygon-type mechanism are used to produce an X-bar or like laser scanning pattern at varying depths of focus over the scanning field of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a laser scanning bar code symbol reading system mounted over a high-speed conveyor-belt system in order to identify packages, parcels and the like transported therealong in a highly reliable manner.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter and in the Claims to Invention.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING ANALOG SCAN DATA SIGNALS DERIVED WHILE SCANNING A BAR CODE SYMBOL USING A LASER BEAM, WHEREIN THE DETECTED BEAM SPOT SPEED OF SAID LASER BEAM IS USED TO DYNAMICALLY SWITCH INTO OPERATION OPTIMAL PASS-BAND FILTERING CIRCUITS


Provided is an imaging device capable of appropriately displaying or printing a combined image including a print image and a captured image. The device includes: an imaging sensor for receiving an optical image of a photographing object and converting the optical image into an electric image signal; a focus position detection unit for detecting a focus position for the object; and a control unit for recording the image signal while correlating it with focus position information.

With the advancement of CCD (Charge Coupled Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) technologies, signal processing performance of imaging sensors are improving in recent years. Furthermore, since imaging sensors can be provided at low prices, digital still cameras and digital video cameras (hereinafter simply referred to as "digital cameras"), which can convert an optical image of a photographing object to an electrical image signal and output the image signal to a personal computer, are quickly becoming popular.
In order to print out an image photographed using a digital camera, the photographed image recorded in the digital camera generally needs to be imported in a personal computer first. The printing apparatus connected to the personal computer receives a printing command and prints out the photographed image on a sheet of paper.
However, the user needs to operate the personal computer, import and print out the photographed image. Users who are unfamiliar with personal computers naturally have difficulty printing out photographed images. Furthermore, carrying out printing operation requires that software for importing photographed images into the personal computer and software for outputting photographed images to the printing apparatus be installed in advance.
On the other hand, a printing apparatus that can be directly connected to a digital camera without a personal computer is proposed (Patent Document 1). By this means, the user does not have to operate the personal computer, thereby allowing users who are unfamiliar with personal computers to easily print photographed images. Furthermore, the printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 records in advance templates of calendars and picture postcards and so on and can print out composite images by arranging photographed images in the templates.
On the other hand, a camera that records additional information regarding photographed data such as the date and time of photographing, shutter speed and aperture with the photographed image is proposed. For example, the camera described in Patent Document 2 can record information showing the place where an image is photographed, as additional information. That is, the camera described in Patent Document 2 is provided with a GPS (Global Positioning System) to identify the location on the earth through a radio wave from an artificial satellite and displays the location information obtained through the GPS with the photographed image.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI10-107981    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-196933

Imaging apparatus, printing apparatus, printing system, printing method, display system, display apparatus, and display method


The droplet ejection head comprises: a nozzle through which a droplet of liquid is ejected; a pressure chamber which is connected to the nozzle and filled with the liquid to be ejected through the nozzle; a diaphragm which defines a part of the pressure chamber; an electromechanical transducer which is deformed to drive the diaphragm to apply pressure to the liquid inside the pressure chamber so as to cause the droplet to be ejected through the nozzle; and a mechanoelectrical transducer which determines oscillation state in the pressure chamber, wherein the electromechanical transducer and the mechanoelectrical transducer are arranged on the diaphragm in layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a droplet ejection head and an image recording apparatus, and more specifically to a droplet ejection head and an image recording apparatus having an improved configuration of an electromechanical transducer and a mechanoelectrical transducer for determining oscillation in a pressure chamber of the droplet ejection head using piezoelectric elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
One known example of an image recording apparatus is an inkjet recording apparatus having an inkjet head (print head) with an array of multiple nozzles (image recording elements), in which an image is formed on a recording medium by ejecting ink from the nozzles while moving the inkjet head and the recording medium relative to each other.
There are various ink ejection systems for the inkjet head of such an inkjet recording apparatus. Known examples include a piezoelectric system in which a diaphragm defining a pressure chamber is deformed by the deformation of a piezoelectric element (piezoelectric ceramics) to vary the capacity of the pressure chamber, ink is introduced into the pressure chamber through an ink supply channel during the capacity increase of the pressure chamber, and the ink in the pressure chamber is ejected as droplets from a nozzle when the capacity of the pressure chamber decreases; and a thermal inkjet system in which the ink is heated to create air bubbles and is ejected by the energy of expansion when the air bubbles increase in size.
For example, an inkjet head that uses a piezoelectric element has a stacked structure formed by stacking on a substrate a piezoelectric element, a diaphragm, a flow path plate with an ink supply channel and a pressure chamber formed therein, and a nozzle plate (orifice plate) with an ink ejection hole formed therein.
In such an inkjet head that uses a piezoelectric element, when air sometimes gets mixed in the ink held in the head, the variation of the pressure chamber capacity is absorbed by the air bubbles formed by this air, so that sufficient pressure cannot be applied to the ink any longer, and ink ejection thus becomes incomplete. Moreover, ink droplets cannot be ejected when the nozzle is clogged with dirt or the like, or when the ink does not fill the pressure chamber. In such a case, the state of oscillation in the pressure chamber differs from that during normal ink droplet ejection. Various methods have been proposed for determining the state of oscillation in the pressure chamber in order to detect ink ejection failure or incomplete ejection.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 55-118878 discloses an ink injector including an ink chamber (pressure chamber), which has an ink supply port through which ink is supplied from an ink tank and an ink droplet ejection port through which the ink is atomized and ejected. Part of a wall surface defining the ink chamber is provided with a vibrator that is displaced and varies the capacity in the ink chamber in response to an electrical signal, and another part of the wall surface is provided with a detector for determining the displacement. When an abnormal displacement is detected by the detector, either the operator is informed so as to perform an air discharge operation, or an automatic air discharge operation for forcing a predetermined amount of ink out of the ink chamber and simultaneously discharge of the admixed air is performed, whereby the problem of ink ejection failure is resolved. However, this composition has problems in that a sufficient surface area is required for the mechanoelectrical transducer used for determination to be bonded onto the diaphragm, so that the surface area occupied by the electromechanical transducer used for drive must be decreased in proportion to the space to which the mechanoelectrical transducer used for determination is to be attached, which is inconvenient in terms of driving efficiency.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 63-122549 discloses that a drive pulse voltage is sent to all of a plurality of electromechanical transducers provided to the side wall of the ink chamber to eject ink from the ink chamber during the recording operation, and that during an abnormality detecting process, a determination pulse voltage not causing ink ejection is sent only to some of the plurality of electromechanical transducers, and the rest of the electromechanical transducers are switched so as to be connected to an abnormality determination circuit, whereby abnormalities such as the presence of air bubbles are detected by determining the oscillation state in the pressure chamber. However, this composition has problems in that since some of the plurality of electromechanical transducers are used as mechanoelectrical transducers for determination by the switching circuit, the determination sensitivity is insufficient because the oscillation generated by some of the electromechanical transducers is determined on the adjacent diaphragm, and furthermore, the electromechanical transducer cannot be used for drive and ink cannot be ejected during the abnormality detecting process.

Droplet ejection head and image recording apparatus


Use of a viscosity increasing component in a diesel fuel composition, for the purpose of improving the fuel economy of an engine into which the fuel composition is or is intended to be introduced, or of a vehicle powered by such an engine, wherein the viscosity increasing component is a viscosity index (VI) improving additive, wherein the VI improving additive comprises a linear block copolymer, which contains one or more monomer blocks selected from ethylene, propylene, butylene, butadiene, isoprene and styrene monomers and wherein the VI improving additive is used at a concentration of from 0.001% w/w to 0.05% w/w.

Current emissions legislation in, for example, the US and Europe, sets strict limits on the acceptable levels of polluting gases that are tolerated in the exhaust gas emissions of compression ignition engines.
The typical approach taken by engine and fuel manufacturers to improving the combustion process and reducing the production of undesirable exhaust gas emissions is to utilise some form of "advanced combustion". Advanced combustion is an umbrella term that encompasses a number of different combustion modes, which typically involve one or more of the following features: fuel injection much advanced of Top Dead Centre (TDC); multiple fuel injections; high amounts of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR); and high injection pressures. All of these modes generally attempt to achieve very low levels of NOx and soot (particulate matter) emissions through improved fuel-air mixing and reduced combustion temperatures.
Many engines also include some form of after-treatment to reduce exhaust gas emissions to the level required by emissions regulations. Typical after-treatments include devices such as catalytic converters (e.g. for removing NOx emissions) and/or particulate filters (e.g. to remove soot from the exhaust gas stream).
Present means of controlling advanced combustion processes in an engine are based on monitoring various engine/combustion parameters, such as NOx production, and using an engine control unit to make adjustments to engine parameters to push the engine towards a set of conditions under which it is perceived that NOx production during the combustion process will be minimised. However, a problem with adjusting such a sensitive process as advanced combustion, especially when it is pushed in the direction of minimal NOx production levels—under which conditions combustion can become unstable—is that incomplete combustion can occur, resulting in increased production of soot/particulate matter (PM). Exhaust gas emissions from diesel engines can, therefore, be seen as a trade-off between NOx and PM emissions.
Thus, in modern diesel vehicles the engine is generally set-up to produce low NOx emissions and consequentially high PM emissions; and a PM trap is employed to subsequently remove PM from the emissions in order to meet the low overall emissions criteria. It is known in the literature that this set-up results in lower engine efficiency and significantly increased fuel consumption. However, alternative emission reduction strategies are much more complicated and costly and have only been implemented on a large scale in heavy-duty vehicles. In fact, even were NOx after-treatments widely available for e.g. passenger cars, the reliability of PM filters would likely ensure that the engine set-up remains much the same for the foreseeable future.
However, it should be appreciated that the control of advanced combustion and exhaust gas emissions is not merely a matter of air charge and engine controls, but also of fuel properties, such as cetane number, density, and presence of particular additives etc. Accordingly, during development, an engine's emissions are measured by reference to a tightly specified reference fuel, and engine set-up is, therefore, optimised to the properties of that reference fuel. A downside of this system is that any changes in the type of fuel that is used in an engine can have a significant impact on both engine performance (e.g. reduced efficiency) and emissions.
For example, to facilitate modern vehicle after-treatment technologies and to reduce vehicle emissions still further, fuel refineries have invested in supplementary systems such as sulphur reducing technologies. This has generally resulted in the availability of lower density diesel fuels. The increased flexibility offered by these technologies has also enabled refineries to optimise "energy give-away" by further reducing fuel density nearer to the lower limit of the relevant full specification. The density of fuels in the market place has, therefore, gradually moved away from the reference fuels used for engine calibration. This shift in the properties of some fuels means that the type of fuel that is actually used in a particular engine can have a significant impact.
In addition, since the amount of fuel injected into the engine of a vehicle is largely controlled by volume, the reduction in density of fuels has lead to a reduced amount of combustible fuel in the engine cylinder and a consequential reduction in the effective amount of energy that can be converted. This drives the emissions of the engine further in the direction of low NOx and high PM, but to the detriment of engine efficiency and increased fuel consumption. Even though there may be a small benefit in NOx emission, it has now been appreciated that this set-up does not provide the optimum balance between fuel economy and exhaust emissions that would be intended by a vehicle manufacturer.
In view of the above operating procedures and problems, it is difficult to approach the optimum balance between fuel economy and exhaust gas emissions simply using standard refinery fuels. Accordingly, there is a need for improved fuels and methods for improving the fuel economy of engines.
WO2012/076653 discloses the use of a viscosity increasing component in a diesel fuel composition, for the purpose of improving the fuel economy of an engine into which the fuel composition is or is intended to be introduced. There are examples in WO2012/076653 disclosing the use of SV200 in a diesel fuel composition for improving fuel economy. SV200 is a polystyrene/polyisoprene stellate polymer. In the examples the SV200 is used at concentrations of 1000 ppm and 2000 ppm. It would be desirable to find a viscosity increasing component which can be used at a lower concentration but which can still provide significant fuel economy benefits.
This invention aims to overcome or alleviate at least one of the problems associated with the prior art.


The invention includes a method of treating gastrointestinal diseases associated with species of genus Clostridium such as clostridium deficit in human patients with gastrointestinal disorders having an etiological component such as a microbial agent producing a toxin where treated with an antimicrobial composition an amount effective to inhibit or eliminate the microbial agent. The antimicrobial composition in a form of probiotic mixture can be administrated alone or in combination with an antimicrobial agent, such as a bacteriophage which is specific for a bacterium producing toxin or antibiotics which are then used to eliminate or inhibit the clostridial species overgrown in a patient's gastrointestinal tract. Disorders that can be treated by the method of the invention include diarrhea or inflammatory bowel diseases such as colitis or Crohn's disease.

The composition of the normal gastrointestinal flora varies somewhat from individual to individual. Some bacterial species may be carried only transiently, but most are fairly permanent. Some members of the normal flora can become pathogenic if they acquire additional virulence factors (e.g., E. coli) or are introduced into normally sterile sites (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus). Normal flora is general beneficial—for example, the normal flora may prevent pathogenic microrganisms from proliferating in the body (a phenomenon known as colonization resistance), and may also produce essential nutrients (e.g., vitamin K is produced by the gut flora).
The use of antibiotics is ubiquitous among children and adults for bacterial infections, and they are often also prescribed for viral infections. This prolific use has come under criticism for various reasons, most notably for inducing microbial resistance to previously effective antibiotics and rendering them less effective or ineffective against dangerous human pathogens. For example, multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis seriously threaten tuberculosis (TB) control and prevention efforts. Administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics has a profound effect on the normal flora and can result in colonization with antibiotic-resistant organisms. Antibiotic-mediated disruption of the normal flora can lead to fungal infections, such as invasive candidiasis, or to antibiotic-associated colitis caused by Clostridium difficile.
Members of the genus Clostridium are Gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobic rods. These bacteria are ubiquitous in nature (including the human colon) and are readily found in soil. When stressed, the bacteria produce spores that tolerate extreme conditions that the active bacteria cannot. In their active form, some of these bacteria secrete powerful exotoxins that are responsible for such diseases as tetanus, botulism, and gas gangrene. Clinically important species of Clostridium include C. tetani, C. difficile, C. perfringens and C. botulinum, as well as several others.

Method of treating gastrointestinal diseases associated with species of genus

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs


A teaching device comprising a group of balls, a first counter, a second counter and a tray interconnecting the first counter to the second. The first counter represents the problem to be solved, and the second counter indicates the solution to the problem. Both counters include several parallel columns for holding several of the balls in a line, and a stop for at least one of the columns to limit the number of balls that can be held by that column. The tray is placed below the first counter so that balls placed in the first counter may be dumped into the tray by removing the stops from the columns of the first counter, and then pushed or allowed to fall from the tray into the second counter.

Teaching devices for use in teaching and learning basic mathematics are known, and include devices using marbles to represent numbers. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,875,529 and 3,400,472, incorporated herein by reference, disclose marble-based teaching devices with relatively limited capabilities. The teaching device disclosed in the '472 patent is designed only for use in teaching addition. The device in the '529 patent is described for use in teaching addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. However, the '529 device is relatively constrained in its application, and limits the tactile and aural involvement of the student in the learning process. More specifically, the flow of marbles in the '529 device is caused by the gentle tilting of the device, and the marbles are retained in partially enclosed channels. The gentle slope limits the impact-generated noise as the marbles move from one position to the next. The enclosed channels limit the ability of the student or teacher to touch or otherwise interact with the marbles.
Accordingly, there is a need for a computational teaching device that can be used to teach and learn counting and all four of the basic mathematical operations, and that will provide the opportunity for significant student involvement in the problem-solving process. There also is a need for a device that easily will demonstrate the connections between basic mathematical problems and patterns, fractions, different number bases, graphing, statistics, and negative numbers.


Boronic esters and boronic acids are synthesized at ambient temperature in an ethereal solvent by the reaction of Grignard reagents with a boron-containing substrate. The boron-containing substrate may be a boronic ester such as pinacolborane, neopentylglycolborane, or a dialkylaminoborane compound such as diisopropylaminoborane. The Grignard reagents may be pre-formed or generated from an alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, vinyl, or allyl halide compound and Mg0. When the boron-containing substrate is a boronic ester, the reactions generally proceed at room temperature without added base in about 1 to 3 hours to form a boronic ester compound. When the boron-containing substrate is a dialkylaminoborane compound, the reactions generally proceed to completion at 0° C. in about 1 hour to form a boronic acid compound.

Boronic esters and acids are widely used cross coupling reagents in medicinal and biological fields. Boronic acid based cross coupling reactions are often present in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, agrochemical compounds, and natural products. More recent advances in cross coupling involving boronic acids include copper(II) mediated oxygen and nitrogen arylation, as well as coupling between alkenes, alkynes, carbonyl compounds, and imines. The syntheses of chiral homoallylic alcohols and amines have also been achieved through catalytic asymmetric allylboration using allylboronate esters.
Boronic acids have wide application in organic synthesis and especially in the formation of C—C bonds through the Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reaction. This cross coupling reaction has become ubiquitous in the construction of asymmetric biaryl systems. Because of the value of the boronic acid starting materials, great effort has been put forward to find new and more efficient methods of synthesis. Major advancements in application and versatility of the Suzuki coupling continue to increase the demand for new methods of synthesizing boronic acids and esters.
A well established method for producing arylboronic acids is the Brown-Cole transmetallation of aryllithium reagents with an excess of trialkylborate, such as trimethyl-, triethyl-, or triisopropylborate, followed by acid hydrolysis. Due to the high reactivity of lithium reagents, the reaction must be carried out at −78° C. to avoid multiple additions. Several catalytic methods have also been developed for synthesizing arylboronic acids using transition metals, such as palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, and iridium. Arylboronic esters have also been prepared through metal catalyzed C—H activation. These routes to boronic acids are widely used in industry because of their functional group tolerance. The challenges associated with these methods are the high cost of the catalytic components, catalyst decomposition, regioselectivity and non-trivial isolation of the products free of heavy metal impurities.
Several other methods for synthesizing boronic esters and acids have been developed including the Miyarua-Masuda reaction, where arylboronate esters are obtained by palladium (Pd)-catalyzed borylation of aryl halides with dialkoxyboranes or tetraalkoxydiboron reagents. These Pd catalyzed methods are tolerable to a wide range of functional groups which allows for wide application in the pharmaceutical industry. Additionally, borylation via rhodium (Rh)-catalyzed C—H activation has been developed. The drawbacks of these methods include the invariable requirement of excess boron reagent, high cost associated with the catalysts, catalyst decomposition, and the isolation of products free of heavy metal impurities.
In comparison, Grignard reagents have found limited use in the synthesis of boronic acids. Direct reaction of Grignard reagents with trialkylborates invariably gives a mixture of products arising from multiple additions. This problem could be circumvented by using excess amounts of trialkylborate. Even so, mild, low-cost synthetic processes to produce boronic acids or boronic esters are desirable.
Dunach et al. have reported synthesis of aryl and benzyl boronate esters by reacting an aryl or benzyl halide with Mg0, followed by reaction with pinacolborane (WO2010/055245). However, the substrate scope was limited to aryl and benzyl groups, and the reported examples utilized stoichiometric amounts of base (e.g., triethylamine) under refluxing conditions in tetrahydrofuran for 15 h. Therefore, there remains a need for efficient reactions under mild conditions with expanded substrate scope to produce boronic esters and boronic acids.

Synthesis of boronic esters and boronic acids using grignard reagents

The Regents of the University of California


Example implementations relate to congestion management across a network fabric. An example implementation includes setting an uncongested sequence length threshold to a first value. A completed transaction received count may also be set to an initial value. The completed transaction received count may be incremented in response to a completion of a transaction request. In response to a detected congestion event, the injection rate may be decreased. A second value for the uncongested sequence length threshold may be determined from the CTR count, and the uncongested sequence length threshold may be set to the second value. Furthermore, in response to the CTR count being greater than or equal to the uncongested sequence length threshold, the injection rate may be increased.

A network may become congested with network traffic. The cause of network congestion may be due to any number of network bottlenecks. For example, network traffic may be directed from any number of source nodes to a destination node, and the link bandwidth to the destination node may be limited and overwhelmed with traffic. In another example, the processing speed of the destination node may be limited, such that the destination node cannot process data faster than it receives the data. A destination node may not keep pace with the data the destination node receives for a number of reasons, e.g. cache misses, memory bank conflicts, etc.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


A semiconductor device includes a first carrier including a first pad, a second carrier including a second pad disposed opposite to the first pad, a joint coupled with and standing on the first pad, a joint encapsulating the post and bonding the first pad with the second pad, a first entire contact interface between the first pad and the joint, a second entire contact interface between the first pad and the post, and a third entire contact interface between the joint and the second pad. The first entire contact interface, the second entire contact interface and the third entire contact interface are flat surfaces. A distance between the first entire contact interface and the third entire contact interface is equal to a distance between the second entire contact interface and the third entire contact interface. The second entire contact interface is a continuous surface.

The demand for ever higher circuit board density has resulted in small size semiconductors devices having a low profile. With the improvements on the packaging technology, methodology such as surface mounting technology (SMT) becomes popular for manufacturing a miniaturized semiconductor package. In the SMT, a carrier mounts and electrically connects with another carrier by various manner. For example, the carrier is mounted on a surface of another carrier through a number of solder balls. The solder balls dispose respectively on a number of pads of the carrier, then the solder balls dispose on corresponding pads on the surface of another carrier. The solder balls bond the pads of the carrier and the pads of another carrier by a heat treatment to form solder bumps, so that the carrier electrically connects and integrates with another carrier.
By bonding the carrier on another carrier through disposition of the solder bumps between the pads of the carrier and the pads of another carrier, an electrical resistance and a required space for occupying components and circuits are both reduced. However, a reliability of the solder bumps affects a manufacturing yield of the semiconductor package. A failure on a single solder bump causes a fatal malfunction of the semiconductor package. Different attempts have been made to improve a structure of the semiconductor package and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor package. Such improvements however each have their own deficiencies.

Interconnection structure including a metal post encapsulated by a joint material having concave outer surface

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.