The invention relates to the herbal extract having anti-viral activity. More specifically, it relates to the herbal extract produced by extracting the comminuted Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (privet fruit), Rhizoma Polygonati (sealwort), Herba Agrimoniae (agrimonia), Radix Rehmanniae Glutinosae Conquitae (steamed glutinous rehmannia) or the mixture thereof, with a low polar solvent, and to the method for in vitro antagonizing virus by contacting the herbal extract with viruses.

(A) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the herbal extract having anti-viral activity. More specifically, it relates to the herbal extract produced by extracting privet fruit, sealwort, agrimonia, steamed glutinous rehmannia or the mixture thereof, with a low polar solvent, and to the method for in vitro antagonizing virus by contacting the herbal extract with viruses.
(B) Description of Related Art
Viruses introduce a variety of diseases by spreading through different infection routes, such as air, droplet, or contact. Every year in spring and autumn, Taiwan is attacked by infectious diseases of digestive tract, which considerably affect the islands and threat the public, especially infants and children. Enteroviruses infect persons who make contact with oral or nasal secreta, excrement, or spray of patients. They are subject to spreading in places where high population density is available. Since no specific treatment has been found to conquer enterovirus infection, doctors often employ supporting treatment to defend from viruses. In addition, there exist a vast variety of changeable enteroviruses. Therefore, even if a person has been infected by a certain type of enterovirus, he or she obtains no life-long immunity to other types. The method to prevent from being infected by viruses is to wash hands whenever necessary, live in a clean and ventilated house, wear a respirator, and keep from contacting with infected persons.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,350 relates to aqueous extracts from fruits of Ligustrum lucidum and/or L. japonicum. It reveals a method to prepare said extracts in the following steps: Fruits of Ligustrum lucidum and/or L. japonicum or mixture thereof are exposed to water to remove insoluble contents thereof; aqueous solution is acidified to get acid precipitate, which is then purified. Said patent reveals that said aqueous extracts from fruits of Ligustrum lucidum and/or L. japonicum may be used to treat Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C(HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,527 relates to aqueous extracts from tea. Said extracts that contain active catechin and black tea polyphenols are used to antagonize fungus, bacteria, and influenza virus.
Until now, no publicized document has been found on how to obtain extracts from fruit of Ligustrum lucidum by using low polarity solvents, or how to use such extracts to antagonize viruses, especially enteroviruses, a subgroup of picornaviruses. In addition, since water is a high polarity substance and different viruses act differently and are considerably specific to medicines, none of the previous technologies illustrated hereinabove may be extended to either the concept or the implementation of the present invention. Moreover, there exists demand to prevent or treat viral diseases or symptoms with herbal medicines.

Herbal extract having anti-virus activity and preparation of same

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A first transfer unit having a monochrome image frame in which a monochrome image primary transfer roller is supported, and a second transfer unit having a color image frame in which a plurality of color image primary transfer rollers are supported, are linked such that they can swing at a rotating shaft of a first rotating cam and a second rotating cam.

The present invention relates to a transfer belt device that transfers a developer image formed on an image bearing member to a recording medium or a transfer belt, and an image forming apparatus provided with this transfer belt device.
In recent years, there has been active development of image forming apparatuses from the two aspects of converting to color and increasing speed. In the colorization of image forming apparatuses, instead of quad-rotational process systems using one image forming station, tandem systems using multiple image forming stations that are able to increase speed have become mainstream.
Tandem image forming apparatuses are provided with a transfer belt device having an endless transfer belt that forms a transport path that transports a recording medium or a developer image, and multiple image forming stations corresponding to each hue arranged in parallel along the transport path, and can perform both color image formation and monochrome (black and white) image formation.
Also, in tandem image forming apparatuses it is possible to set different image forming performance for a color image forming mode that forms color images and for a monochrome image forming mode that forms monochrome images.
For example, there are tandem image forming apparatuses with a configuration wherein the image forming speed is made faster in the monochrome image forming mode, increasing the volume of image formation in monochrome image forming mode. Also, as disclosed in JP 2000-242057A, there are tandem image forming apparatuses with a configuration wherein the diameter of the image bearing member for monochrome images is made larger than the diameter of image bearing members for color images, making the usable time period of the image bearing member for monochrome images equal to that of the image bearing members for color images.
This is because ordinarily, in a single image forming apparatus the frequency of monochrome image formation is higher than that of color image formation. The image bearing member for monochrome images included in the image forming station for monochrome images is used for both color image formation and monochrome image formation, and so its frequency of use is higher than the image bearing members for color images included in the image forming station for color images. Thus, in comparison to the image bearing members for color images, the image bearing member for monochrome images will have a shorter usable time period even if the lifetime is the same.
Accordingly, it is possible to set the specifications for image forming performance, for example changing the speed of image formation in the monochrome image forming mode, for each model of tandem image forming apparatus. Also, in order to set the specifications for image forming performance that differs in each tandem image forming apparatus, specifications are ordinarily set for the color and monochrome image forming stations in each apparatus, and for the transfer belt device, according to the purpose of the image forming apparatus.
On the other hand, the transfer belt device provided in the tandem image forming apparatus is configured from a plurality of rollers that tightly stretch the transfer belt and a transfer unit that supports these multiple rollers. The transfer unit is configured from a plurality of transfer rollers arranged inside the transfer belt. The transfer roller is arranged such that it faces the image bearing member of each image forming station via the transfer belt, and transfers a developer image formed on the surface of the image bearing member of each image forming station onto the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt or a recording medium transported on the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt.
In recent years, there have been transfer belt device with a configuration wherein a monochrome image transfer roller and a plurality of color image transfer rollers are raised and lowered for each monochrome image forming mode and color image forming mode, changing the contact states between the transfer belt and the image bearing members in each mode. By doing so, in the monochrome image forming mode, the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt only touches the monochrome image bearing member due to lowering the monochrome image transfer roller, and only the developer image formed on the surface of the monochrome image bearing member is transferred to the transfer belt.
On the other hand, in the color image forming mode, the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt contacts the monochrome image bearing member and the color image bearing members due to lowering the monochrome image transfer roller and the plurality of color image transfer rollers, and the developer image formed on the surface of the monochrome image bearing member and the developer images formed on the surface of the plurality of color image bearing members are transferred to the transfer belt one on top of the other.
However, in the transport belt apparatus described above, because the transfer belt is tightly stretched by the plurality of rollers supported by the transfer unit, work to remove the transfer belt from the transfer unit and exchange it with a new one takes time. Accordingly, in the transfer belt device of recent years, as disclosed in JP H8-69238A and JP 2004-109267A, configurations have been adopted wherein a first transfer unit and a second transfer unit are linked together in the axial direction of the plurality of rollers by a parallel axle such that they can swing.
Thus, by swinging the first transfer unit or the second transfer unit into a V-shape, the tightly stretched transfer belt loosens and it becomes easy to exchange the transfer belt.
However, in a transfer belt device provided with a configuration wherein the transfer rollers are raised and lowered in each image forming mode, because the mechanism that raises and lowers the transfer rollers is disposed in a transfer unit, it is difficult to simply adopt the sort of configuration disclosed in JP H8-69238A and JP 2000-109267A. Even when such a configuration has been adopted, it is necessary to swing the transfer unit after first removing the configuration that raises and lowers the transfer rollers, and work to replace the transfer belt becomes troublesome.
It is an object of this invention to provide a transfer belt device wherein even if a configuration is provided that raises and lowers the transfer rollers in each image forming mode, a plurality of transfer units are linked with a simple configuration and can easily swing, making it possible to improve the workability of transfer belt replacement; and to provide an image forming apparatus provided with this transfer belt device.

Transfer belt device and image forming apparatus


A device for collecting and gathering loose material such as grain, rocks, leaves, grass clippings, and the like. The device includes a substantially flat sheet with handles associated with opposite edges of the sheet. The sheet may be of various shapes. The device also includes one or more obstructing members that extend outward from a top surface of the sheet. The handles and the obstructing members are sized and shaped such that, when the sheet is rolled in a manner circumscribing the obstructing members, the obstructing members cooperate to obstruct or block one end of a container formed by the sheet and the handles are in close proximity to each other to enable a person to grasp the handles with a single hand. A user may gather material onto the sheet in a planar configuration and then roll the sheet to form a temporary container with the material kept inside by the sheet and the obstructing members. The rolled sheet and obstructing members cooperate to form a temporary container for transporting loose material.

Most people are familiar with the chore of gathering leaves or grass clippings from around the yard. Generally, the leaves, grass clippings, twigs, garbage, and other loose material (hereinafter "loose material") are collected into piles, which are then placed into garbage containers or disposable plastic bags. Getting the loose material from a pile and into a garbage container can be the most difficult step in the process.
Conventionally, a user repeatedly lifts part of the loose material, either by hand or using a combination of a hand and a rake or shovel, and places the loose material in the garbage container. This repeated movement is undesirable, as it may cause stress and strain on the user. Furthermore, this procedure may be messy and inconvenient if the loose material is wet. In addition, wind may scatter the loose material out of the pile such that the user must return to rebuilding the pile. While the task of moving the loose material from the pile to the garbage container is challenging, the task is easier with two or more workers. Nevertheless, a single user typically does the job.
Generally, the loose material, such as leaves and clippings, is gathered and collected for disposal. Those of skill in the art, however, will recognize that the same problems described above exist regardless of the nature of the loose material. For example, material such as grain, sand, small rocks, or the like may be gathered in bags or containers for purposes other than disposal. Numerous devices have been provided to facilitate moving a collection of loose material into a container for disposal or otherwise.
One solution provides a flat sheet. The loose material is gathered in a pile on the sheet. Then, the sheet is rolled or folded to form a cylinder or other generally prism shape having two open ends. The loose material is gathered within the prism shape. Next, the prism-shaped sheet is lifted and tipped to dump the loose material out one end of the cylinder.
Unfortunately, the prism-shaped sheet includes two open ends. The loose material tends to fall out one end or the other when the prism-shaped sheet is transported and/or dumped. Other devices, such as netting, may be formed into a temporary "bag" by gathering each corner together to enclose the loose material inside such that no loose material is lost. Such a "bag," however, proves difficult in practice to empty into a typical garbage container.
Another solution includes walls-configured to seal one open end when the sheet is formed into a prism shape. These devices, however, generally do not lie completely flat. The walls may impede gathering of the loose material onto the sheet. For example, a user may be required to rake or sweep loose material onto the sheet in a single direction, much like a dustpan. Other devices lie substantially flat, but with such devices, the loose material often gets blown or raked across the sheet instead of collecting into a pile as is generally desired.
While some of the problems with conventional devices may be resolved by using two workers, none of the conventional devices provides an effective, simple, lightweight, inexpensive tool to assist someone performing the chore alone. Accordingly, what is needed is a device that overcomes the problems and disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, the device should lie flat for collection of loose material onto the device and include an obstructing member that assists in preventing the loose material from being raked across the device. The device should be transformable into a cylinder or other temporary prism-shaped container that retains the loose material inside and closes one end of the container for effective transport of the loose material to a desired location. The device should be capable of being locked in the temporary container configuration. Furthermore, the device should be lightweight, sturdy, durable, simple, and inexpensive. The present invention provides these advancements in a novel and useful way.


A food or beverage or animal feed composition which includes an antimycotic effective amount of propionibacteria metabolites with the proviso that such metabolites not solely contain propionic acid is provided. Also disclosed is the addition of a potentiator in combination with such metabolites.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to substances which inhibit yeast and mold spoilage in food and animal feed products.
2. Technology Description
Relevant Prior art may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,096,718 and 5,260,061 and the references cited therein. These patents disclose the use of certain propionic metabolites in certain foods to increase the shelf life of the resulting products.
JP 07-115950 suggests the combination of bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria of propionibacterium in combination with either organic acids and their salts, fatty acid esters of polyhydric alcohols, amino acids, antibacterial peptides and proteins, polysaccharides comprising sugars, saccharic acids and amino sugars and their partial decomposition products, spices and their essential oils and plant components; and alcohols. The reference fails to suggest that the combination can be used to prevent the deterioration of foods as a result of mold and yeast (i.e., provide an antimycotic effect) by using the combination of bacteriocins with organic acids and their salts, fatty acid esters of polyhydric alcohols, amino acids, antibacterial peptides and proteins, polysaccharides comprising sugars, saccharic acids and amino sugars and their partial decomposition products, spices and their essential oils and plant components; and alcohols. The only mention in this reference in the treatment of foods having a pH of greater than 5.5, is in connection with a hamburger composition, which, by definition would not suffer from mycotic bacteria (i.e., yeast and mold spoilage).
Despite the above teachings, there still exists a need in the art for expanding the use of propionibacteria metabolites to high pH foods, animal feeds and baked goods and to use such metabolites in combination with potentiators to provide a synergistic effect on antimycotic activity.


In a multi-beam scanning optical system, when at least three light fluxes emitted from a light source having at least three light-emitting points are deflected and reflected on a deflection unit and guided to a surface to be scanned by a scanning optical unit, at least three light fluxes are entered into a deflection surface of the deflection unit at irregular angles within a main-scanning section and entered into the surface to be scanned at an angle within a sub-scanning section, and provided that a variation in lengths of scanning lines which is caused when each of the at least three light fluxes is entered into the surface to be scanned at an angle within the sub-scanning section is represented as ΔY1, a variation in lengths of scanning lines which is caused when each of the at least three light fluxes is allowed to enter as a non-parallel light flux to the deflection surface within the main-scanning section is represented as ΔY2, and a variation in lengths of scanning lines which is caused from a difference of wavelength between at least two of the at least three light fluxes is represented as ΔY3, values of ΔY1, ΔY2, and ΔY3 are set so as to satisfy |ΔY1+ΔY2+ΔY31<|ΔY1|.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-beam scanning optical system. In particular, the present invention relates to a multi-beam scanning optical system suitable to an image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer, a digital copying machine, or a multifunction printer, which employs, for example, an electrophotographic process, in which a plurality of light fluxes (laser light) emitted from a light source unit are deflected and reflected on a polygon mirror serving as an optical deflector and then a surface to be scanned is scanned with the light flux through a scanning optical unit to record image information.
2. Related Background Art
Up to now, in a scanning optical system used for an image forming apparatus, a light flux emitted from a light source (light-emitting region) serving as a light source unit is guided to a deflection unit through an incident optical unit including a collimator lens and a cylindrical lens (cylinder lens) . The light flux which is deflected and reflected on the deflection unit is imaged in a spot shape onto a surface to be scanned through a scanning optical unit, and optical scanning using the light flux is performed.
In recent years, with improving the performance and the function of the image forming apparatus, a need for high speed scanning of the scanning optical system has been increased. For meeting such a need for high speed scanning, one solution is to use a plurality of light sources. For example, a scanning optical system has been proposed, in which a multi-beam laser chip, which emits a plurality of light fluxes aligned on a straight line from a single chip, is used as a light source (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. H09-054263).
Now, in the case where the surface to be scanned is flat or cylindrical, when there is an instant at which a light flux is perpendicularly entered into the surface to be scanned, return light to a light source is generated. In the case where such a phenomenon is caused, a streak or the like is caused on a printed image in some cases. To prevent the phenomenon, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the light flux is generally allowed to enter at an angle relative to a sub-scanning direction. Note that, in FIGS. 11A and 11B, reference numeral 98 denotes a housing member that houses the light source, an optical deflector, and the like and reference numeral 99 denotes a photosensitive belt or a photosensitive drum, which serves as an image bearing member.
However, when a plurality of scanning lines are drawn at the same time in the cases shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, because an imaging position is deviated in the sub-scanning direction, the optical path lengths of respective light fluxes are different from one another as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B. As a result, the lengths of the scanning lines are not equal to one another.
FIG. 12A is a schematic view showing a state in which four light fluxes are entered into the surface of the cylindrical photosensitive drum 99. In the case shown in FIG. 12A, an optical path length of a light flux located on the uppermost side in the figure becomes longer than an optical path length of a light flux located on the lowermost side by a distance D. At this time, with respect to a region other than a central region of the photosensitive drum 99, the respective light fluxes are entered into the surface of the photosensitive drum 99 at an angle relative to a main-scanning direction. Therefore, the incident positions of the respective light fluxes are deviated in the main-scanning direction according to a difference among the optical path lengths.
FIG. 12B shows a relationship among the lengths of the scanning lines in such a state. A scanning line located on the right side in FIG. 12B indicates a scanning line drawn by the light flux located on the uppermost side in FIG. 12A. In addition, a scanning line located on the left side in FIG. 12B indicates a scanning line drawn by the light flux located on the lowermost side in FIG. 12A. As shown in FIG. 12B, a difference between a length of the scanning line drawn by the light flux having the longest optical path length and a length of the scanning line drawn by the light flux having the shortest optical path length corresponds to a distance J on each side. In the case where such a phenomenon is neglected, a printing quality deteriorates on both sides of a printed image.

Multi-beam scanning optical system, image forming apparatus, and color image forming apparatus


A network resource security services control system comprises an integrated arrangement of security services, that are operative to control the ability of an information storage and retrieval network user to have access to and communicate with one or more information resources within the network. The security access control mechanism monitors activity associated with a user's attempt to and actual conducting of data communications with respect to a system resource, and controllably modifies one or more security relationships of a security association that has been established among the users and resources of the system, in dependence upon one or more characteristics of the monitored activity, in such a manner that affects the ability of the system user to conduct data communications with respect to a system resource.

The rapid expansion of the data communications industry, in particular the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW), sometimes referred to as the superinformation highway, has provided data processing system users with what is effectively a global communication network interconnecting a vast number of databases and other network users. The local link between the network and the user is typically by way of a phone line (e.g., analog or ISDN, for example) of a public communication service provider, with the workstation hardware including a modem or terminal adapter equipment that allows dial-up access between the user and a remote party. Since a user's workstation is coupled directly to such interface equipment, any network user ostensibly has the ability to access any information resource coupled to a network node.
As a reduced complexity, non-limiting example, FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a network user workstation 10 which is coupled via a communication link 11 to a local area network (LAN) 20 by way of a LAN interface 13. LAN interface 13 also provides access to an external network, such as a public communication services (PCS) network, including the Internet 30, that provides potential access to any network information resource (e.g., processor-accessible digital database). The local area network 20 to which user 10 is connected customarily includes one or more computer-based units, such as the illustrated workstations 21 and 22, network server 23 and printer 24, which are interconnected via a hub 25. The hub 25 is connected to the LAN interface 13, so that the end user workstation 10 may access any `local` information resource of the LAN 20. In order to connect to the external network 30, the network interface 13 may be coupled through an electronic mail gateway 32 and a modem 33, whereby a dial-up connection may be provided to an Internet connection or other global resource provider 34, through which access to any node in the overall network is achieved.
Because the network provides a potential window into any information resource linked to any of its nodes, it is customary to both wrap or embed all communications in a `security blanket` (some form of encryption) at a communication sourcing end, and to employ one or more permission (authorization and authentication) layers that must be used to gain access to another system resource (e.g., another computer). Once installed, such schemes operate as micro security systems, primarily as binary permission filters--the user is either permitted or denied access to a destination information resource, and are customarily limited to a relatively limited (and often fixed) set of access permission criteria. Now, while such schemes provide some measure of access control, they do not provide a macro perspective or control of all of the resources for which a given network security system may be configured.

Integrated network security access control system


A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, including the steps of: loading into a processing chamber a substrate having a high dielectric gate insulating film and a metal electrode, with a side wall exposed by etching; applying oxidation processing to the substrate by supplying thereto hydrogen-containing gas and oxygen-containing gas excited by plasma, with the substrate heated to a temperature not allowing the high dielectric gate insulating film to be crystallized, in the processing chamber; and unloading the substrate after processing from the processing chamber.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device for processing a substrate having a high dielectric gate insulating film and a metal electrode, and a substrate processing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, with high integration and high speed of a semiconductor device, a finer transistor and a thinner film are being developed. When the thinner film of a gate insulating film is progressed by this finer transistor, leak current of the gate electrode due to tunnel current, etc, is increased in a silicon oxide film (SiO2 film) that has been used heretofore as the gate insulating film. Particularly, the gate insulating film does not function as an insulating film when the leak current is increased, unlike a capacitor insulating film, and therefore the leak current must be suppressed. Also, in the gate electrode, it is necessary to make electricity resistance small, increase conductivity, and accelerate operation characteristics. Therefore, study on the semiconductor device, with the gate insulating film made of a high dielectric material and the gate electrode made of metal, is being pursued. The gate insulating film made of a high dielectric material is called a high dielectric also called High-k gate insulating film, and the gate electrode made of metal is called a metal electrode hereinafter.
FIG. 9 shows main steps and typical processing contents of a process flow of a MOS transistor. In order to manufacture the MOS transistor, first, the gate insulating film is formed using the high dielectric material such as HfO and HfSiO on a silicon substrate (gate insulating film forming step).
Next, the gate electrode is formed using a metal material such as tungsten(W), ruthenium(Ru), titanium nitride(TiN), tantalum(Ta), molybdenum(Mo) instead of conventional polysilicon (gate electrode forming step).
Subsequently, processing of the gate electrode and the gate insulating film is performed by dry etching, through formation and processing of an etching mask (etching step). Thereafter, an etching damage of the gate electrode, namely, a physical roughness of a processing surface generated by etching is restored by thermal oxidation (restoration step of the gate electrode). When the restoration step is ended, ion implantation is performed to the surface of the silicon substrate, to thereby form source and drain. Subsequently, dopant (phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), and boron (B), etc, implanted to channel, source, and drain) is activated by annealing.
However, when the gate electrode is made of metal, the gate electrode is excessively oxidized in the restoration step of the gate electrode, and a resistance value is increased in some cases by oxidation.
As a method of suppressing excessive oxidation of the gate electrode, a method of reducing oxidation of the gate electrode by using hydrogen as a reducing agent, in a processing pressure of mixed gas of oxygen gas and hydrogen gas, with a temperature of the silicon substrate set to be a prescribed temperature of 850° C. or more, can be considered.
However, high dielectric materials such as hafnium (HfO), hafnium silicate (HfSiOx, also called HfSiO hereunder), hafnium nitride silicate (HfSiON), and aluminum oxide (AlOx) are sometimes crystallized, for example, by a thermal history of about 400° C. to 1000° C. Accordingly, when the silicon substrate is heated as described above to 850° C. or more, a High-k gate insulating film made of high dielectric material is sometimes formed into a polycrystal structure. A crystal grain boundary exists in the High-k gate insulating film having polycrystal structure, and therefore current flows through defects of the crystal grain boundary when a voltage is applied to the gate electrode, resulting in an increase of leak current.

Manufacturing method of semiconductor device and substrate processing apparatus


The invention provides RSV fusion (F) protein ectodomain polypeptide sequences and nucleotide sequences encoding them, as well as cells containing the invention's polypeptide and nucleotide sequences. The invention further provides VLPs that contain the invention's polypeptides, and methods for using the VLPs for protein expression and vaccine formulation. Also provided are methods for distinguishing between subjects immunized with the invention's compositions and subjects infected with RSV.

Human Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease in infants and young children, and may repeatedly cause infection in the same individual. RSV also causes disease in immune-compromised adults and in the elderly.
To date, there is no safe and effective vaccine against RSV and against other infective agents (virus, bacteria, etc.). Thus, there remains a need for vaccines against RSV and vaccines against other infective agents.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) sequences for protein expression and vaccines


The present invention is directed to a three-phase encryption method and a three-phase decryption method, and an apparatus implementing the three-phase encryption method and/or the three-phase decryption method. To encrypt a message according to the three-phase encryption method, a content of a message is converted from a first form M to a second form M′; the content of the message is separated according to a spacing pattern; and the content of the message is scrambled according to a scrambling pattern. To decrypt the message encrypted using the three-phase encryption method, the scrambling and spacing patterns are reversed, and the content of the message is converted from the second form M′ to the first form M.

With the proliferation of communications networks, and in particular, communications networks implemented in whole or in part over wireless media, data security has become increasingly important. Wireless networking technologies are relatively new compared to wired networking technologies. As such, current techniques for securing wireless networks have been derived from the techniques developed for and used in wired networks. For example, one technique for securing a network, whether wired or wireless, is to encrypt the communications. This inhibits comprehension of the communications by an unauthorized party should the network be compromised. Current encryption techniques are satisfactory for direct wired network paths, which include no intermediate wireless portions. To compromise encrypted transmission, an attacker typically needs to listen to multiple transactions in order to break the encryption algorithm. For example, in order for an outside party to gain access to a transaction over direct cable connections, the outside party may gain access to the wire or to a server coupled therewith and closely monitor data streams until the outside party can determine when one transaction has been received or transmitted by the server. Alternatively, the outside party may try to access the data contained on the server, such as any secure databases stored thereon. Once accessed, and enough data is gathered, the attacker may be able decrypt the data. Techniques are known for protecting data stored on a server and the relative inaccessibility of the wired media makes accessing and intercepting wired communication inherently difficult. However, when transmitting communications wirelessly, the wireless signals carrying the communications are often broadcast omni-directionally, thereby making them accessible to anyone within range who cares to listen. Accordingly, techniques implemented to protect a transaction at the server, or over the communications media, from attacks, do little to protect transactions traveling at least partially over wireless networks, where the data cannot be protected by the server and the wireless signal cannot be securely constrained. When a transaction travels at least partially over wireless networks, anyone may attempt to intercept the data stream. This increases the probability that a given encryption algorithm will be compromised by an attacker.
In any transaction using wireless networks, one of the main concerns is the ability of an outside party to intercept a transaction and decrypt the transaction, where it has been encrypted for protection, to obtain personal and/or secure information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and social security numbers. Therefore, it is desirable to protect wireless transactions to prohibit an outside party from intercepting and decrypting transactions.

System and method for three-phase data encryption


This disclosure provides an array substrate for use in an IPS-LCD device which includes substantially zigzag-shaped pixel and common electrodes. The pixel electrodes and the common electrodes are connected with a connecting line and the common line, respectively. However, if each pixel and common electrode forms an acute angle with each connecting and common lines, liquid crystal molecules are strangely rotated and produce extraordinary domains in the intersection when the voltage is turned ON. Moreover, disclination occurs around the intersection. In order to overcome these problems, substantially sawtooth-shaped bases are employed of where the pixel and common electrodes meet the connecting and common lines, respectively. So each electrode forms an obtuse angle with each respective line, and thus the rotational direction of the liquid crystal molecules are the same in regions of the pixel area when the voltage is supplied. Accordingly, disclination is prevented, and the aperture ratio and the response characteristic are improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display device implementing in-plane switching (IPS) where an electric field to be applied to liquid crystal molecules is generated in a plane parallel to a substrate.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display device uses the optical anisotropy and polarization properties of liquid crystal molecules to produce an image. Liquid crystal molecules have a definite orientational alignment as a result of their long, thin shapes. That orientational alignment can be controlled by an applied electric field. In other words, as an applied electric field changes, so does the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules. Due to the optical anisotropy, the refraction of incident light depends on the orientational alignment of the liquid crystal molecules. Thus, by properly controlling an applied electric field a desired light image can be produced.
While various types of liquid crystal display devices are known, active matrix LCDs having thin film transistors and pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix are probably the most common. This is because such active matrix LCDs can produce high quality images at reasonable cost.
Recently, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices with light, thin, and low power consumption characteristics are used in office automation equipment and video units and the like. Driving methods for such LCDs typically include a twisted nematic (TN) mode and a super twisted nematic (STN) mode. Although TN-LCDs and STN-LCDs have been put to practical use, they have a drawback in that they have a very narrow viewing angle. In order to solve the problem of narrow viewing angle, in-plane switching liquid crystal display (IPS-LCD) devices have been proposed. The IPS-LCD devices typically include a lower substrate where a pixel electrode and a common electrode are disposed, an upper substrate having no electrode, and liquid crystals interposed between the upper and lower substrates.
A detailed explanation about operation modes of a typical IPS-LCD panel will be provided referring to FIGS. 1 to 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, upper and lower substrates 1 and 2 are spaced apart from each other, and a liquid crystal layer 3 is interposed therebetween. The upper and lower substrates 1 and 2 are called color filter substrate and array substrate, respectively. Pixel and common electrodes 4 and 5 are disposed on the lower substrate 2. The pixel and common electrodes 4 and 5 are parallel with and spaced apart from each other. The pixel and common electrodes 4 and 5 apply a horizontal electric field 6 to the liquid crystal layer 3. The liquid crystal layer 3 has a negative or positive dielectric anisotropy, and thus it is aligned parallel with or perpendicular to the horizontal electric field 6, respectively.
FIGS. 2A and 2B conceptually illustrate operation modes of a conventional IPS-LCD device. When there is no electric field between the pixel and common electrodes 4 and 5, as shown in FIG. 2A, the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules maintain an angle from a line perpendicular to the parallel pixel and common electrodes 4 and 5. Herein, the angle is 45 degrees, for example.
On the contrary, when there is an electric field between the pixel and common electrodes 4 and 5, as shown FIG. 2B, there is an in-plane horizontal electric field 6 parallel with the surface of the lower substrate 2 between the pixel and common electrodes 4 and 5. The in-plane horizontal electric field 6 is parallel with the surface of the lower substrate 2 because the pixel and common electrodes 4 and 5 are formed on the lower substrate 2. Accordingly, the liquid crystal molecules are twisted so as to align, for example, the long axes thereof with the direction of the horizontal electric field 6, thereby the liquid crystal molecules are aligned such that the long axes thereof are parallel with the line perpendicular to the pixel and common electrodes 4 and 5.
By the above-mentioned operation modes and with additional parts such as polarizers and alignment layers, the IPS-LCD device displays images. The IPS-LCD device has wide viewing angles since the pixel and common electrodes are together placed on the lower substrate. Moreover, the fabricating processes of this IPS-LCD device are simpler than those of other various LCD devices.
However in the IPS-LCD device, a color-shift which depends on the viewing angle still remains. It is already known that this color-shift cannot be acceptable for full color-image display. This color-shift is related to a rotational direction of the liquid crystal molecules under application of electric field when the applied voltage is greater than the threshold voltage. Moreover, this color-shift is caused by increasing or decreasing of an optical retardation (Δn·d) of the liquid crystal layer with viewing angle.
For the sake of discussing the above-mentioned problem of the IPS-LCD device, with reference to FIG. 3, the specific pixel structure of the IPS-LCD device is employed and will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 3, the pixel and common electrodes 7 and 8 have bend angle α. These bend electrode's structure allows the liquid crystal molecules 9 to rotate in opposite direction in each pixel when the voltage is supplied to the bend electrodes. Therefore, the bend electrodes 7 and 8 and the oppositely directed liquid crystal molecules 9 divide the pixel into two different regions with different viewing angle characteristics. And thus, the color-shift can be effectively compensated by this multi domain structure.
However, when the voltage is turned ON, extraordinary domains appear around the bottom edges of driving electrodes. These extraordinary domains degrade the picture quality and reliability of the IPS-LCD device having the bend electrodes. Namely, disclination appears at the edges of the pixel areas, and thus this disclination manifests as positional non-uniformities in the transmittance of light.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are enlarged partial plan views of pixel and common electrodes. These figures illustrate arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules and the electric field when the voltage is turned ON. As shown, a common electrode 11 is extended from a common line 23, and a pixel electrode 21 is disposed parallel with the common electrode 11. The common electrode 11 forms an acute angle with the common line 23 as depicted in a portion "A" of FIG. 4A while the pixel electrode 21 forms an obtuse angle with the common line 23 as shown in a portion "D" of FIG. 4A. When the voltage is supplied to the common and pixel electrodes 11 and 21, the electric field occurs between the common and pixel electrodes 11 and 21. However at this time, a distortion of the electric field appears around the acute and obtuse angels, the portions "A" and "D". Thereupon, reverse rotational deformation is caused by this distortion of the electric field around the portions "A" and "D".
Referring to FIG. 4B, when the voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes 11 and 21, the liquid crystal molecule 41 located in the parallel electric field area turns clockwise while the liquid crystal molecule 51 located in the distorted electric field area turns counterclockwise. So the orientation direction of the liquid crystal is different between the parallel electric field area and the distorted electric field area, and thus the disclination occurs in the distorted electric field area. This disclination causes a decrease in the aperture ratio, and a change of the orientation direction causes traces of the extraordinary domains. These features also affect response characteristic of the liquid crystal layer, and an afterimage phenomenon occurs in the display area

In-plane switching mode thin film transistor liquid crystal display device with wide viewing angle


Apparatus for horizontally scanning an image corresponding to electronic video input information utilizing a Bragg Diffraction cell in which collimated light from a laser directed through the cell is modulated by a real-time fourier transform of a line of video input information, thereby to produce a one line acoustic hologram in the cell which is reconstructed at a infinity as a stationary image corresponding to the horizontal line of video information. Using a suitable lens system, the stationary image is re-imaged at a plane positioned at a fixed distance from the Bragg Diffraction cell. The scanner is useful in image projection systems, in which the horizontal line image is vertically scanned by a galvanometer driven mirror vibrating in synchronism with the vertical blanking interval of the input video.

This invention relates to image projection systems and, more particularly, to an improved laser scanner system for an image projector useful for large screen display of electronic video information, such as high definition television.
A known scanning scene projector, in which the scene is painted onto the image plane using a high intensity light source, is the Scophony scanner developed at the Scophony Laboratories outside London during the 1930's, wherein an amplitude modulated video signal is modulated onto a collimated beam of light in an acousto-optic cell; the collimated beam fills a large portion of the acousto-optic aperture. The acousto-optic cell produces Bragg diffraction from the phase grating caused by spatially periodic variations of refractive index. By spreading the beam across the acousto-optic aperture, several "points" of the image are simultaneously modulated. This fan of information is scanned in the horizontal direction and imaged in the real image plane; because the image moves at the speed of sound in the acousto-optic cell, in order to view the scene an offsetting motion is provided to make the information stationary in the image plane. This is achieved in the Scophony system by a lens following the acousto-optic cell which produces a fourier transform plane at the plane of a multifaceted spinner rotating in the opposite direction so that even if the acoustic image is moving at the speed of sound, the offsetting motions freeze the image in space.
While the Scophony type of scanner, using a gas laser as the source of light, has adequate resolution for high definition projectors and has been produced commercially in the United States, Japan and Great Britain, it has not enjoyed wide acceptance for two reasons: (1) the low electrical-to-optical efficiency and high cost of gas lasers, and (2) the complexity and high cost of manufacturing and assembling the rotating multifaceted polygonal spinner.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved image projection system.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide a laser scanner for an image projection system which does not require the use of a multifaceted polygonal spinner for stabilizing the image.
Another object is to provide, at a cost lower than for prior art scanners, a scanner capable of producing colored high resolution images.

Projection television display utilizing Bragg diffraction cell for producing horizontal scan


A calla lily plant particularly distinguished by orange flowers and sagittate leaves is described.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of calla lily, botanically known as Zantedeschia spp., and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'Picante'. The new cultivar was asexually reproduced from vegetative cuttings and tissue culture resulting from the cross of the female parent 'Pot of Gold' (unpatented) and the male parent, 'Neroli' (unpatented).
'Picante' is a product of a planned breeding program intended to create new calla lily plants with orange spathes.
The new cultivar was created in Tauranga, New Zealand and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by tissue culture in New Zealand. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.


According to one embodiment of the present invention, a broadcast signal transmission device comprises: one or more source modules for outputting a timed media data stream and a timed metadata stream for the timed media data stream, wherein the timed metadata stream includes a position metadata stream having position information of the one or more source modules, or an orientation metadata stream having orientation information of the one or more source modules; and a transmission interface for transmitting a data signal, wherein the timed media data stream and the timed metadata stream are respectively formatted into a file format based on an ISO BMFF in sample units, and the transmission interface can transmit, through a transmission network, a data signal including an ISO BMFF file, which includes the timed media data stream and the timed metadata stream.

In accordance with the end of analog broadcast signal transmission, various technologies for transmitting and receiving a digital broadcast signal are developing. A digital broadcast signal can include an amount of video/audio data greater than that of an analog broadcast signal. In addition to the video/audio data, the digital broadcast signal can further include a variety of additional data. And, a recent broadcast system can include contents/services capable of providing a user with various and realistic experiences.

Broadcast signal transmission device, broadcast signal reception device, broadcast signal transmission method, and broadcast signal reception method


A cylinder arrangement for use with a reverse osmosis membrane array that receives pressurized fresh brine and generates fresh water and pressurized spent brine includes a hollow cylinder with an internal volume subdivided by a piston into two chambers. An arrangement of flow connections directs the pressurized spent brine to one chamber so as to act on the piston, thereby applying pressure to fresh brine within the other chamber for delivery to the reverse osmosis membrane array. The cylinder arrangement includes a pressure vessel enveloping substantially the entirety of the hollow cylinder, so as to define an enveloping volume in fluid flow communication with one of the chambers of the cylinder. Preferred implementations employ a pair of cylinders coaligned, and with their pistons interconnected by a common piston rod.

The present invention relates to equipment for desalination of seawater by reverse osmosis.
Seawater reverse osmosis desalination systems have been used for obtaining fresh water from seawater in which the concentration of salt is typically 40,000 ppm. The seawater, also referred to as "fresh brine", is passed over the reverse osmosis semi permeable membrane by a pump at high pressure, typically in the range of 20-120 bar. The percentage of fresh brine converted to fresh water (the "recovery ratio") is typically on the order of 40%-70%. In order to reduce energy wastage, energy should be recovered from the remaining 30%-60% high pressure brine before the liquid is discarded.
One example of such an energy recovery system based on a double-piston end-to-end cylinder arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,783 to Andeen. High pressure spent brine delivered to one cylinder applies pressure to fresh brine on the other side of the piston to supply the fresh brine into the reverse osmosis membrane array. A difference in surface area between the two sides of the piston (due to the piston rod) results in slight pressure amplification. At the same time, the motion of the piston rod causes expulsion of the spent brine from the paired cylinder and draws in fresh brine to the other cylinder, ready for the reverse stroke.

Cylinder arrangement and method of use for energy recovery with seawater desalination


A sealing member and a battery comprising the sealing member are provided. The sealing member comprises a sealing part, an operation part having a supporting portion, an operation protrusion disposed on an upper surface of the supporting portion, and a deformable leg depending from a bottom surface of the supporting portion. The sealing member also comprises a connecting part connecting the sealing part and operation part. The sealing part has a maximum diameter greater than that of the connecting part.

Batteries such as lithium ion batteries are widely used due to their small volume, high energy density, non-pollution, etc. Active materials in the battery need to be activated by a pre-charging process (also known as a transformation process), before the battery can work normally. In the transformation process, gas may be generated inside the battery. In the existing transformation process, the gas sometimes cannot be successfully discharged from the interior of the battery, or the moisture in the environmental air may be brought into the battery, causing the moisture content of the electrolyte to be over a certain limit. If the gas generated in the transformation process cannot be discharged successfully from the battery, gas expansion will occur. Gas expansion in the battery may seriously affect the properties and operation of the battery. Thus, in the transformation process, whether the gas generated inside the battery can be discharged successfully via a sealing structure of an injection hole has a great influence in the performance of the battery.

Sealing member and battery comprising the same


A set of exterior aircraft lights, comprises a main landing light, which comprises at least one main landing light source and is configured for emitting a main landing light beam around a main landing light beam direction (L), and at least one of a taxi light and a runway turn-off light. The taxi light is configured for emitting a taxi light beam around a taxi light beam direction (T) and for emitting a first auxiliary landing light beam around a first auxiliary landing light beam direction (AL1), wherein the first auxiliary landing light beam direction (AL1), when projected onto a vertical plane, is angled downwards between 5° and 15° with respect to the straight ahead direction. The runway turn-off light is configured for emitting a runway turn-off light beam around a runway turn-off light beam direction (Ra, Rb).

Almost all aircraft are equipped with exterior aircraft lights. In particular, large passenger airplanes have a wide variety of exterior aircraft lights. Examples include take-off and/or landing lights, taxi lights, navigation lights and anti-collision lights.
Landing lights are configured for illuminating a landing area, in particular a runway, in front of the aircraft during a landing approach in a dark environment, in particular at night. When projected onto a horizontal plane, a landing light beam, emitted by a landing light, is directed in a straight-ahead direction, which coincides with or is oriented parallel to a longitudinal direction of the aircraft.
While such an orientation of the landing light beam provides for good illumination during normal landings, in which the direction of flight, when projected onto a horizontal plane, corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the straight ahead orientation of the landing light beam may result in an insufficient illumination of the landing area in situations, such as cross-wind landings, in which the nose of the aircraft is not directed straight ahead towards the landing area.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide exterior aircraft lighting which allows for improving the illumination of the landing area during a landing approach, in particular under circumstances in which the nose of the aircraft is not directed straight ahead towards the intended landing area.

Set of exterior aircraft lights and aircraft comprising such a set of exterior aircraft lights


Disclosed is a sanitary tampon including: an applicator composed of an outer tube having a front nose and a rear opening and a pusher inserted into the outer tube through the rear opening; and a tampon body contained in the outer tube and allowed to come out of the front nose when pushed by the pusher. The outer tube is provided with marks which serve as a measure of insertion distance of the outer tube into the vaginal cavity of a user. The marks are spaced away from the front nose of the outer tube.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sanitary tampon having a tampon body to be inserted into the vaginal cavity with an applicator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sanitary tampons are frequently used with applicators. Such applicators are generally composed of an outer tube made of synthetic resin and a pusher inserted into the outer tube through an opening formed at a rear end of the outer tube. At its front end, the outer tube has a nose formed with a plurality of deformable petal tips. A tampon body capable of absorbing and retaining liquid is contained in the outer tube. When using the sanitary tampon, the outer tube of the applicator is inserted into the vaginal cavity and the tampon body in the outer tube is pushed by the pusher to come out of the nose into the vaginal cavity.
Because a sphincter surrounds the vaginal opening, the tampon body will compress the sphincter to give a user an unpleasant feeling unless the tampon body is located in the deep part of the vaginal cavity beyond the sphincter.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-279445 discloses an applicator whose outer tube is sufficiently longer than a tampon body to have a rear portion which serves as a holding rod. Inserting the outer tube into the vaginal cavity with holding the holding rod enables the front end of the outer tube to reach the deep part of the vaginal cavity, so that the tampon body can be easily located in the deep part of the vaginal cavity beyond the sphincter.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-279446 discloses an applicator whose outer tube is provided with a largest outside diameter portion near the front end. The outside diameter of the outer tube increases gradually rearward from the front end and further gradually diminishes rearward after arriving at the largest outside diameter portion. In this invention, as the outer tube of the applicator is inserted into the vaginal cavity, the largest outside diameter portion of the outer tube easily reaches the deep part of the vaginal cavity after passing the sphincter around the vaginal opening. As a result, the tampon body can be easily located in the deep part of the vaginal cavity.
In both Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2000-279445 and 2000-279446, the outer tube is enabled to reach the deep part of the vaginal cavity, facilitating the deep insertion of the tampon body into the vaginal cavity.
However, these applicators may sometimes be inserted more deeply than necessary. It may also happen that the tampon body pushed out of the outer tube is located shallower than expected and in the vicinity of the vaginal opening surrounded by the sphincter, which results in compressing the sphincter to give a user an unpleasant feeling.
The depth of the vaginal cavity varies between individuals depending on the body height etc. The location and size of the sphincter also vary between individuals. In addition, they vary with the growth even for the same person. Accordingly, users are not uniform in suitable location of the tampon body in the vaginal cavity, and therefore, users are not uniform in suitable insertion distance of the applicator into the vaginal cavity, either.


Acrylic polymer composites which are moldable to form building veneers, panels, facades, decorative trims, planters and the like which include natural cellulose fibers, alpha-gypsum, melamine resin, hardening agents, inert fillers and water.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to moldable synthetic or plastic building materials of the type utilized for decorative facing, veneers, building facades, panels, decorative trim, planters and the like, and more particularly, to moldable building material composites formed of acrylic polymers in which natural cellulose fibers are blended in order to obtain an end product which is not only water resistant and therefore suitable for both interior and exterior uses, but also an end product which exhibits substantial structural integrity. The products molded from the composites of the present invention exhibit sufficient strength and rigidity to be self-supporting and securable to other substructural elements utilizing conventional fasteners including nails and screws. The formed products may have a variety of surface characteristics so as to simulate quarried stone including coral, natural travertine, limestone, dolomite, or fossil rock.
2. History of the Related Art
In an effort to create lightweight and durable building components which simulate natural building materials, such as stone, efforts have been made to utilize various plastic polymers and resins including acrylic polymers to form moldable panels, veneers, decorative trimming, and the like. One such composite material which can be molded to form such construction elements is Jemonite.TM., which is a formulated plaster resin composite which is glass fiber reinforced and is marketed by Forton BV, under license from Parnel Kraft-Benncroft Ltd. The composite plaster resin is moldable to form products having a variety of surface finish characteristics and is particularly suitable for interior uses but is also capable of exterior applications when the end product is coated or sealed. Jemonite.TM. is a water base thermoset acrylic including 50% polymer solid and 50% water. A modified glass fiber reinforced gypsum is blended with the acrylic, together with melamine resin solids and ammonium chloride as a hardening agent. The structural integrity or strength of units formed from the composite is provided by adding type "E" fiberglass roving and chopped strands to the composite prior to molding. In some instances, continuous strand and surface veil mats are used when hand laminating panels from the acrylic resin. It has been noted, however, that the end products such as veneers and decorative wall panels formed often exhibit brittleness which makes it difficult to mount them to substructures utilizing conventional tools such as air driven nails or screws. In addition, the use of the glass fiber within the molded composite produces environmental drawbacks not only during the molding but when handled during construction. Due to the brittleness of the Jemonite.TM. material, it has not been possible to form large sheets of durable veneers without the likelihood of cracks being produced when the sheets are impacted by fasteners.


An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a transfer-receiving member conveyed from a first side to a second side, and a fixing device disposed on a side of the image forming unit closer to the second side, and configured to fix the image formed on the transfer-receiving member. A conveying path formation member is configured to form a conveying path along which the transfer-receiving member is conveyed from the image forming unit to the fixing device. The conveying path formation member includes a first member having first through holes in the up-down direction, and a second member having second through holes in the up-down direction, wherein the second member faces the first member such that the second through holes do not overlap the first through holes when projected in the up-down direction.

1. Field
The disclosure relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic printer is provided with a photoconductor drum and a fixing device. The photoconductor drum carries a developer image thereon, which is to be transferred to a paper sheet. The transferred developer image is fixed with heat to the paper sheet by the fixing device.
In such a printer, the temperature of the fixing device becomes high. In order to prevent air heated by the fixing device from flowing toward the photoconductor drum, an air curtain (i.e., an air flow) has been provided between the photoconductor drum and the fixing device.
For example, an image forming apparatus is proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-305637 which is provided with a process cartridge, a fixing device, an electronic circuit board and a fan. The process cartridge is provided with a photoconductor drum. The electronic circuit board is located below the process cartridge and the fixing device via a partition plate which has an opening. The fan is for cooling the electronic circuit board. Ambient air introduced through the fan is made to pass between the process cartridge and the fixing device via the opening of the partition plate.

Image forming apparatus having a conveying path formation member including through holes


A cleanser composition suitable for use with oral appliances, which provides a sensory signal to the user. The sensory signal is such that the user believes the signal to indicate that cleansing of the oral device if occurring or, alternatively, that cleansing action has ceased.

Like teeth, dentures, partials, retainers, oral devices and even toothbrushes should be cleaned regularly to maintain good oral health and for cosmetic purposes. Of course, unlike teeth, these appliances can be removed from the oral cavity for cleaning.
For instance, dentures and partials (hereinafter, collectively, "dentures") are typically cleaned in one of two ways: either the dentures, once removed from the oral cavity, are brushed with dentifrices or specially formulated cleansing creams; or dentures are soaked for some time in a cleansing bath.
Brushing of the denture is similar to brushing of the natural teeth in that, a cream cleanser is applied to a dental brush, such as a toothbrush, and brushing of the denture to remove plaque, adhesive residue and debris follows. The cleansing routine is quick and no more cumbersome than the brushing of natural teeth and denture wearers are likely to partake of the practice.
Alternatively, the denture or device may be cleaned by submersion into a cleansing bath. Full immersion of the device in the bath allows the cleansing composition to reach all areas of the device or denture. Typically, a powder or tablet comprising the cleansing agents is dissolved in water to form a cleansing bath. Such formulations generally contain an effervescent system and strong chemical cleaning agents to supplement or altogether replace the need for brushing of the denture or device.
To encourage the use of denture and oral device cleansers, thereby promoting healthy remaining natural teeth and gums, recent developments have focused on improving speed of cleansing to increase user compliance with a cleansing regimen. To that end, cleansers, such as denture cleanser baths, have been produced, that work within five minutes or less to sufficiently clean the denture. However, not all denture and oral device wearers may be aware of these significant advances in speed of cleansing.
Thus, in an effort to educate consumers as to the fast cleansing action and to further improve compliance with a cleansing regimen for all oral devices, the present invention provides the consumer with a signal upon use. The consumer may perceive the signal as indicating that the cleanser is working or, alternatively that the cleanser has completed its disinfecting and cleansing action. More particularly, the present invention relates to cleansers, suitable for use on oral appliances, wherein said cleansers provide a sensory signal to the consumer.

Cleanser compositions comprising a gasified candy as a sensory signal


A coating die is disclosed, in which a slit-like spacing 29 is formed between a pair of die elements 25, 27 arranged in opposed relation to each other. A band-shaped electrode sheet 23 is movable along the length of the spacing 29. The sides of the slit-like spacing along the width of the electrode sheet 23 are enclosed. An electrode piling agent is supplied from an external source into the die element pair 25, 27 through supply flow paths 47, 49. Discharge ports 47a, 49a of the supply flow paths 47, 49 are open to the slit-like spacing 29. The portion of the spacing 29 downstream of the discharge ports 47a, 49a in the direction of movement of the electrode sheet 23 has a thickness equivalent to the thickness of the electrode sheet 23 plus the thickness of the electrode piling agent coated on the two sides of the electrode sheet 23. The portion of the spacing 29 upstream of the discharge ports 47a, 49a has a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the electrode sheet 23. The job of coating the electrode piling agent on the two sides of the electrode sheet can thus be performed with high accuracy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coating die for coating a coating liquid simultaneously on the two sides of a band-shaped base material moving in longitudinal direction. The invention also relates to a coating die capable of forming an intermittent coating layer on the two sides of a base material.
2. Description of the Related Art
A coating die for coating a coating liquid simultaneously on the two sides of a band-shaped base material is disclosed in JP-A-51-137760. This conventional coating die, as shown in FIG. 1, is an apparatus for coating the two sides of an aluminum foil 1 and bonding paper 3 to one of the coating surfaces to produce a cover of the cup for the cup noodle.
When the aluminum 1 is sent out to a pair of cooling rolls 5, a coating hot melt 9 is supplied from a T-die 7, and hot and molten polyethylene or the like molten resin 13 is supplied from a T-die 11. These coating materials are applied to the two sides of the aluminum foil 1, and the paper 3 supplied to the cooling rolls 5 adheres to one side of the aluminum foil 1 through the molten resin, thereby producing a product.
A spacing 15 is formed between the T-dies 7, 11. The air involved when the aluminum foil 1 passes through the spacing 15 is absorbed by fans 17 and discharged outside through pipes 19. The bonding failure of the coating resin thus is prevented. The thickness of the aluminum foil and the hot melt layer is adjusted by moving regulation plates 21 with respect to the aluminum foil 1.
This conventional coating die, although capable of coating the two sides at the same time, has the disadvantage described below since the the hot melt 9 and the molten resin 13 constituting the coating liquid are brought into contact with the aluminum foil 1 constituting the base material in the atmosphere.
(1) The coating liquid is liable to oxidize or otherwise degenerate in contact with the atmosphere before coming into contact with the base material.
(2) The coating pressure is nil and the coating is effected in an open environment. The coating strength is therefore difficult to improve, resulting in a low adherence of the coating film. Especially in the case where a porous, perforated or grooved base material is used, the coating liquid finds its way into the spacing of the base material difficult, thereby making it difficult to improve the production speed.
Another coating die of this type disclosed in JP-A-1-194265 is used for forming an intermittent coating layer on the two sides of a base material sheet in the process for manufacturing the electrode plates of a lithium-manganese secondary cell.
A coating die 300, as shown in FIG. 2, supplies a base material sheet 304 of an aluminum foil from a supply unit 303 with a coating material 302 held in a storage section 301. When the base material sheet 304 is moved along the direction of arrow, shutter members 305, 305 are slid in the direction of X (the position shown in FIG. 2) and then kept stationary for a predetermined length of time. Then, the shutter members 305, 305 are slid in the direction of Y until they come into contact with doctor blades 306, 306, and then kept stationary there for a predetermined length of time. These series of operation are repeated in cycles.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 307 designates guide members, numeral 308 a dryer, numeral 309 a take-up unit and numeral 310 a turn roller.
With the shutter members 305 slid along the direction of X, the shutter members 305 and the doctor blades 306 are separated from each other, and the coating material 302 from the storage section 302 is coated simultaneously on the two sides of the base material sheet 304. Further, the coating material 302 is scraped off by the doctor blades 306, so that the coating material 302 is coated in a predetermined thickness on each of the two sides of the base material sheet 304.
With the shutter members 305 slid along the direction of Y, on the other hand, the shutter members 305 come into contact with the doctor blades 306, and the coating material 302 is prevented from being supplied from the storage section 301 to the base material sheet 304. Therefore, the coating material 302 is not coated on the base material sheet 304.
As a consequence, in the coating die 300, the base material 304 is moved while the shutter members 305 repeatedly slide along the directions X and Y. It is thus possible to form an intermittent coating layer of the coating material 302 simultaneously and continuously on the two sides of the base material.
Another method of forming an intermittent coating layer is shown FIG. 3.
In this method of forming an intermittent coating layer, an intermittent coating layer of the coating material 302 is coated on the base material sheet 304, one side at a time.
More specifically, a coating die 400 coupled through a transport pipe 321 to a storage section 301 of a coating material 302 is controlled to come into and out of contact with a running base material sheet 304 in accordance with a coating pattern of an intermittent coating layer to be formed. With the approach of the coating die 400 to the base material sheet 304, a coating layer 320 is formed on one side of the base material sheet 304 (FIG. 3A), while a non-coated portion 322 is formed as the coating die 400 comes away from the base material sheet 304 (FIG. 3B). The repetitive cycles of the coating die 400 coming into and out of contact with the base material sheet 304 causes an intermittent coating layer of a desired pattern to be formed on one side of the base material sheet 304. In the process, the coating die 400 supplies the coating material 302 with the approach thereof to the base material sheet 304, while the supply of the coating material 302 is stopped as the coating die 400 comes away from the base material sheet 304. The intermittent coating layer is formed, one side of the base material sheet 304 at a time, by the coating die 400, and hence an intermittent coating layer of the desired coating pattern can be formed on the two sides after all.
Nevertheless, the conventional coating dies 300, 400 have the disadvantages described below.
First, in the coating die 300, with the storage section 301 in open structure, the coating material 302 is liable to degenerate due to oxidization or the like phenomenon before coming into contact with the base material sheet 304. Also, since the coating pressure is zero, the bonding strength of the coating layer cannot be improved, resulting in a deteriorated quality of the coating layer.
With the coating die 300, the shutter members 305 are required to be opened and closed frequently depending on the coating pattern of the intermittent coating layer. The resulting liquid level variations of the coating material 302 is liable to change the thickness of the coating layer. Employing an immersion process allowing the coating material 302 to attach to the base material sheet 304 in natural way, this conventional method has the problem of a deteriorated uniformity and a low surface smoothness of the coating layer, resulting in a film thickness accuracy.
The coating die 400, on the other hand, is used to form an intermittent coating layer on the base material sheet 304, one side at a time. It is difficult, after completing the process of applying a first coating layer 320 on one side, to set a second coating layer 320 on the other side in an accurate relative position with the first coating layer 320. An attempt to accomplish a highly accurate relative positioning increases the cost of the mold.
Another problem of the coating die 400 lies in that when the coating material 302 is stopped from being supplied as the coating die 400 comes away from the base material sheet 304, the coating material 302 causes drips 400a (FIG. 3B), which in turn causes a bulge 320a at the starting end on the occasion of resuming the coating job (FIG. 3C). As a consequence, the thickness of the coating layer 320 undergoes a variation, thereby leading to a deteriorated thickness accuracy.

Apparatus and method for applying a coating to a base material


A method and printing system for printing a three-dimensional structure, in particular an optical component, by depositing droplets of printing ink side by side and one above the other in several consecutive depositing steps by means of a print head. In each depositing step a plurality of droplets is ejected simultaneously by a plurality of ejection nozzles of the print head. The print head is moved relative to the deposited droplets in a moving step performed between at least two consecutive depositing steps in such a manner that the droplets deposited in the same position in the at least two consecutive depositing steps are ejected at least partly from two different ejection nozzles.

The present invention relates to a method for printing a three-dimensional structure, in particular an optical component, by depositing droplets of printing ink side by side and one above the other in several consecutive depositing steps by means of a print head, wherein in each depositing step a plurality of droplets is ejected simultaneously by a plurality of ejection nozzles of the print head.
Manufacturing three-dimensional optical structures by inkjet printing, in particular droplet-on-demand (DOD) printing is well known from several prior documents, e.g. EP 2 631 686 A1, EP 2 636 531 A1, EP 2 846 982 A1, EP 2 846 983 A1 and EP 2 846 984 A1.
The print head comprising the plurality of ejection nozzles and is moved relative to a substrate on which the droplets are deposited step by step. The movement of the print head as well as the ejection of droplets from certain ejection nozzles have to be controlled in such a manner that the three-dimensional structure is built up.
Prior art document EP 2 846 982 A1 describes in detail how the print head is controlled and how the movement/ejecting can be realized by using so-called intensity image determining the shape of the three-dimensional structure.
The intensity image comprises a two-dimensional pattern of different color intensities. The pattern consists of different pixels, wherein each pixel represents a certain position in the three-dimensional structure to be printed. In particular, each pixel represents a certain position of a two-dimensional projection of the three-dimensional structure onto a flat base plane. On the one hand, the distribution of the intensity in the intensity image represents the shape of the three-dimensional structure as the intensity in each pixel is a value for the height of the three-dimensional structure at the corresponding position. On the other hand, the height of the later printed real three-dimensional structure in a certain position depends on the number of droplets of printing ink and accordingly to the amount of printing material deposited in this position.
The intensity image is transferred to an inkjet printer. The print head of the inkjet printer processes the intensity image in such a manner that the print head moves in several subsequent steps in such a manner that ejection nozzles of the print head are respectively positioned accordingly to pixels in the intensity image and deposit in parallel certain amounts of printing material in the individual positions in each single step. The three-dimensional structure is thereby built up step by step until the amount of printing material deposited in each position correspond to the color intensity in the pixels of the intensity image. The droplets are deposited side by side and one above the other in order to generate the desired three-dimensional shape. After deposition of the droplets, adjacent deposited droplets merge which each other and are subsequently cured by UV-light.
Practice has shown that there are always some deviations between the different ejection nozzles in one print head as they do not precisely eject the same amount of printing ink. In particular, there is always at least one inaccurately working nozzle ejecting significantly less amount of printing ink with each droplet due to clogging of the nozzle by cured printing ink or by contamination with e.g. foreign particles and impurities. The resulting deviations sum up with every new layer of printing ink (usually there are thousands of layers stacked above each other) to inequalities and non-uniformities in the printed three-dimensional structures. Usually, these inequalities and non-uniformities are so small that no visible and disturbing influences occur. However, when printing three-dimensional structure serving as optical components, like lenses and in particular ophthalmic lenses, even the finest small inequalities and non-uniformities lead to serious optical defects disturbing the optical beam path. In particular, these inequalities and non-uniformities generate unwanted diffractive phenomena. The problem is that the locations of inaccurate working nozzles in the print head are usually not known and additionally change over time due to clogging.

Method and printing system for printing a three-dimensional structure, in particular an optical component


A method and system for communicating at least two data transfers on a common bus. Data is communicated between a simple device and a system processor or system connector via the common bus at a low data rate, and data is communicated between a more complex device and the system processor or system connector via the common bus at a high data rate. Low data rate communications are conducted by selectively varying the voltage level on the common bus at least between a low voltage range and a high voltage range, wherein the low voltage range represents a first data value and the high voltage range represents a second data value. High data rate communications can be conducted, simultaneous with the low data rate communications, by selectively varying the voltage level on the common bus at least between two voltage sub-levels within the low voltage range and between two voltage sub-levels within the high voltage range.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a system and method for communicating data, and in particular for simultaneously communicating data between multiple devices on a shared data bus.
2. Description of Related Art
Different electronics devices communicate data at different rates. Generally, the data rate for a particular device is dependent upon how advanced the device is and upon the rate of data exchange that is required for proper operation of the device. For example, low-cost electronics accessories typically operate at a low data rate and use a simple electrical interface. More advanced accessories, on the other hand, frequently require the use of electrical data buses that can support high data rates.
Many products and systems that incorporate electronic accessories, such as cellular telephones, include a number of interconnected devices, which can have varying levels of complexity. Some of the more complex devices must operate at high data rates while many of the simpler devices are incapable of operating at a high data rate. As a result, such systems or products typically require two or more electrical data buses to support communications with the various devices of the particular system or product, increasing space requirements and cost. The use of multiple data buses also requires a greater number of connector pins on system connectors and processors that control the system or product, which also takes up more space and adds expense.
There is a need, therefore, for a system and method for communicating data to and from both high-speed devices and low-speed devices using a common electrical bus. Such a system and method would reduce the space and the number of connector pins required to interconnect multiple devices having the same or differing data rates. In addition, such a system and method would preferably permit the simultaneous use of the common electrical data bus for both high-speed and low-speed data transfers.
The present invention comprises a method and system for communicating at least two data transfers on a shared data bus. The system includes a simple electronic device that communicates via the shared data bus at a low data rate and a high-speed electronic device that communicates via the shared data bus at a high data rate. Alternatively, two devices can transmit data via the data bus at the same time using the same data rate. Generally, the shared data bus is also connected to a system processor, system connector, and/or other high-speed or low-speed devices.
Communications at the low data rate are conducted by varying a voltage level on the shared data bus within the full voltage swing of the shared data bus. The full voltage swing is divided into at least a low voltage range and a separate high voltage range. A voltage level on the shared data bus that is within the low voltage range represents a first data value, such as a binary value of zero, and a voltage level on the shared data bus that is within the high voltage range represents a second data value, such as a binary value of one. Thus, devices can communicate via the shared data bus at the low data rate by selectively varying the voltage level between at least the low voltage range and the high voltage range.
At the same time as communications at the low data rate are ongoing, communications at the high data rate can also be conducted by varying the voltage level within either the low voltage range or the high voltage range, depending on which data value is currently being transmitted at the low data rate. Accordingly, the low voltage range and the high voltage range are each divided into sub-levels or sub-ranges. Thus, when a device communicating at the low data rate is transmitting the first data value (i.e., within the low voltage range), a high-speed device can simultaneously transmit data at the high data rate by varying the voltage level between sub-levels within the low voltage range. Similarly, when a device communicating at the low data rate is transmitting the second data value (i.e., within the high voltage range), a high-speed device can simultaneously transmit data at the high data rate by varying the voltage level between sub-levels within the high voltage range.

Combined low speed and high speed data bus


A Peltier control circuit detects a temperature of a device combined with a Peltier device and controls a current flowing through the Peltier device so as to keep the temperature of the device at a predetermined value. The circuit has a temperature sensing section for detecting the temperature of a device, a comparing section for comparing a temperature detection value with a predetermined temperature reference value, a limiting section for providing a comparison output with the limitation of a current flowing through the Peltier device and providing the limitation with a predetermined temperature characteristics, and a driving section for providing the Peltier device with an input or output driving current in accordance with the comparison output via the limiting section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Peltier device and a control circuit thereof, and more particularly to the structure of a Peltier device for fixing an operating temperature of a semiconductor laser and a temperature control of the Peltier device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently, in order to fix a temperature of a laser diode (LD) device, a Peltier device is used in a laser diode module for high speed optical communication, e.g., 2.4 G bit/sec, etc.
For example, a laser diode that emits a light beam is mounted on the top of a Peltier device, and the Peltier device performs a heating or cooling operation so as to fix the operating temperature of the laser diode.
A Peltier device has a plurality of P-type semiconductor devices and N-type semiconductor devices that are alternately arranged in relation to each other. The top portions of the P-type and N-type semiconductor devices are combined with a ceramic cooling plane, and the bottom portions thereof are combined with a ceramic radiating plane.
In the cooling plane, a current output from a DC (direct current) power supply flows from the N-type semiconductor devices to the P-type semiconductor devices. Considering the above current flow as a flow of electrons, electrons flow from a P-type lower energy level to a N-type higher energy level.
Consequently, the temperature at places combining the top portions of the P-type and N-type semiconductor devices with the cooling plane decreases by absorbing the surrounding thermal energy and thereby a temperature of the cooling plane decreases.
Conversely, in the radiating plane, the current flows from the P-type semiconductor devices to the N-type semiconductor devices. Thus, the radiating plane is heated up by effects opposed to the above-mentioned.
As described above, a heating operation or cooling operation by a Peltier device can be controlled by varying a quantity of current flowing therethrough or altering the direction of the current. A Peltier control circuit controls a quantity or the direction of a current flowing through a Peltier device by detecting the temperature of a device, for example a laser diode in this example, combined with the Peltier device so that the temperature of the device is kept constant.
A conventional Peltier control circuit has a push-pull type driving circuit consisting of two pairs of transistors, arranged in a Darlington configuration. The driving circuit heats a Peltier device by outputting a current thereto. Conversely, the driving circuit cools a Peltier device by inputting current. Also, in order to prevent an over-current that could destroy a Peltier device or cause thermal runaway, the driving circuit has a current limiting circuit that limits a quantity of a current flowing through a Peltier device by limiting a base current applied to the output transistors. Conventionally, a resistor is used for the current limiting circuit. In order to prevent such thermal runaway, etc., the driving circuit has a dead zone in which the output transistors are turned OFF close to an alternating point between heating and cooling operations.
The control of alternation between heating and cooling operations is performed by comparing a voltage detected by a temperature sensor, which measures the operating temperature of a Peltier device, with a reference voltage a value of which is set within the dead zone. Therefore, in this case, it is impossible to control a temperature of a Peltier device when the voltage detected by the temperature sensor is within the dead zone.
The range of a dead zone is determined by the characteristics of a transistor (V.sub.BE). Therefore, in the prior art there is a problem in that the difference in temperature between a sensing temperature and a control temperature occurs within a dead zone. Further, there is another problem in that the circuit loop stability for feedback control of the temperature of a Peltier device decreases in the dead zone due to the repetition between heating and cooling operations so that a loop oscillation may be caused.
Also, there is a problem in that when narrowing the dead zone by making the value of the current limiting resistor small, a loop oscillation alternately repeating between heating and cooling operations is more likely, and further, an over-current flows when supplying power.
Further, there is a problem in that an oscillation phenomena that is different from the above circuit loop oscillation occurs due to a structural factor of a conventional Peltier device. Namely, the combination of inductive elements of lead wires connected to an input and output of a laser diode and a capacitive element due to the structure of a Peltier device as described above, produces a resonant frequency point.
Therefore, conventionally, when using a laser diode module for high-speed optical communication, e.g., 2.4 G bit/sec, etc., there is a problem in that the prescribed oscillation phenomena occurs in the frequency range of optical communication.

Peltier control circuit and a peltier device structure


A system and method for displaying an image of an object of interest located at an incident scene. The method includes receiving, from the image capture device, a first video stream of the incident scene, and displaying the video stream. The method includes receiving an input indicating a pixel location in the video stream, and detecting the object of interest in the video stream based on the pixel location. The method includes determining an object class, an object identifier, and metadata for the object of interest. The metadata includes the object class, an object location, an incident identifier corresponding to the incident scene, and a time stamp. The method includes receiving an annotation input for the object of interest, and associating the annotation input and the metadata with the object identifier. The method includes storing, in a memory, the object of interest, the annotation input, and the metadata.

Public safety personnel responding to an incident scene (for example, a crime scene, a traffic accident, and the like) may document the incident scene for later use as evidence in criminal trials or other official investigations or proceedings. Personnel document the scene itself (for example, an intersection, an outdoor area, a space within a building, and the like) as well as objects of interest located at the incident scene. An object of interest is any object present at the incident scene and related to the incident (for example, involved in or relevant to an investigation of the incident). Objects of interest may include, for example, automobiles (for example, in the case of a traffic accident) and weapons (for example, in the case of a crime scene). Public safety personnel may document the incident scene and objects of interest by using portable electronic devices (for example, body-worn cameras, smart telephones, portable radios, and the like) to record still images and video of the object of interest, or to record audio or text describing the object of interest.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

System and method for displaying objects of interest at an incident scene