A clock recovery circuit and demultiplexer circuit which operate at half the data rate of a received data stream. The half-speed clock recovery circuit generates a 0 and 90-degree clock at half the rate of the incoming data. These clocks are sampled by a pair of edge triggered flip-flops using the transitions of the received data as triggers. The outputs of these flip-flops are exclusive OR-ed to provide a signal indicating whether the generated clock leads or lags the received data. The half-speed 1:2 demultiplexer circuit uses the rising and falling edges of a half-speed 90-degree clock to latch the received data through a pair of flip-flops. The outputs of these flip-flops, each triggered by a different edge of the clock, make up two demultiplexed data streams. The clock recovery and demultiplexer circuits of the present invention can be extended to operate at lower clock rates and configured to provide wider demultiplexing.

In digital systems, digital data is typically handled with an associated clock signal. The clock signal is a square wave whose period is equal to the digital data bit period. The clock provides timing necessary to allow digital circuitry to operate on digital data. Basic clock functions include pacing and synchronizing the operations of a digital system, triggering registers and latches in digital circuits, and advancing counters.
When data are transmitted over a communications link, it is generally inefficient to also transmit the associated clock signal. This inefficiency has led to communications systems which transmit the data alone without the clock. Therefore, it is typical for fiber optic communication links to require that the clock signal at the receiving end of the link be extracted from the incoming data signal. To obtain the necessary clock at the receiving end, these systems employ clock recovery circuits. The clock recovery circuit derives the clock signal from the received digital data.
Conventional clock recovery circuits are often implemented using phase-locked loops. In phase-locked loops, a reference clock is generated at the frequency of the received data using a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). A phase comparator compares the phase angle between the reference clock and a received data signal. The phase comparator outputs a control voltage which is a function of the phase angle between the generated clock and the received data signal. As the phase angle changes, the control voltage changes. The control voltage is fed back to the VCO to adjust the frequency of the reference clock. In this manner, the reference clock may be synchronized with the received data.
The phase-locked loop is often integrated onto a single chip along with other link adapter functions. These functions are described in a publication by J. F. Ewen et al. titled "Gb/s fiber Optic Link Adapter Chip Set," 1988 IEEE GaAs IC Symposium, pp. 11-14. This publication is hereby incorporated in its entirety into this disclosure.
In addition to clock recovery circuits, communications links often utilize demultiplexers at the receiving end. Demultiplexers segregate the serial data stream transmitted over the communications link into its component segments. These segments are typically defined by bytes or words that make up the serial stream. With a demultiplexer at the receiving end, multiple sets of data destined for different parallel processes, addresses, or components can be sent serially over a single communications link.
Conventional clock recovery circuits and demultiplexers operate at the full data rate of the signal transmitted over the communications link. Because the clock recovery and demultiplexing functions are fairly complex, they are difficult to perform at high data rates. As a result, for a given technology, the bandwidth of the communications link that they serve may be limited by the maximum data rate at which the clock recovery and demultiplexer circuits can operate.
This invention makes it possible to increase the maximum data rate of a communications link for a given technology. The present invention provides a combined clock recovery and front-end demultiplexer circuit that can be operated at half the received data rate or less. This allows the maximum data rate of the communications link of the present invention to be at least twice that of a conventional communications link for a given technology.

Half-speed clock recovery and demultiplexer circuit

International Business Machines Corporation


A feedthrough ceramic capacitor having a grounding fitting provided in a part of a housing of the capacitor is mounted to a filter box by being forced into the latter through an insertion hole of the filter box. Since a corrugated edge is provided around the entire circumference of the insertion hole provided in the filter box, the feedthrough ceramic capacitor can be forced into the filter box easily. Further, because no gap is generated between the filter box and the grounding fitting, high-frequency noise in the inside of the filter box never leaks to the outside.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a feedthrough ceramic capacitor and a support for fixing the feedthrough ceramic capacitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Feedthrough ceramic capacitors are generally used in LC composite part devices used as filters.
High-voltage LC composite part devices uses feedthrough ceramic capacitors as line filters for oscillators using magnetrons used in high-frequency large-power apparatuses such as microwave ovens, or the like. Such high-voltage LC composite part devices are taken notice as a social problem because noise pollution is caused by electromagnetic wave leaked out of those devices. To prevent such noise pollution, various kinds of line filters have been heretofore proposed.
FIG. 4A shows the configuration of a conventional feedthrough ceramic capacitor used as the aforementioned line filter.
In the conventional feedthrough ceramic capacitor 59, two through-holes are formed at a certain interval therebetween in a piece of dielectric porcelain 52 constituting a capacitor. The dielectric porcelain 52 has individual electrodes 51b provided on its one surface independently of each other, and a common electrode 51a provided on its other surface. Feedthrough conductors 53a and 53b pass through the through-holes. The independent electrodes 51b are connected to the feedthrough conductors 53a and 53b, respectively, through connection fittings 61, or the like, by soldering, or the like. Further, the feedthrough conductors 53a and 53b are covered with electrically insulating tubes 54 so as to be kept electrically insulated from the common electrode 51a. These main portions constituting a feedthrough ceramic capacitor are put in housing parts 57 and 58 and fixed by resins 55 and 56.
Here, the common electrode 51a is connected to a grounding fitting 60 and the grounding fitting 60 is led to the outside directly so as to be exposed to the outside of the housing.
When the conventional feedthrough ceramic capacitor 59 having the aforementioned configuration is to be used as a high-voltage LC composite part device for preventing noise of a magnetron, or the like, as shown in FIG. 4B, the feedthrough ceramic capacitor 59 is inserted into an insertion hole 62 of a metal support 63 such as a filter box fixed to the magnetron so that the grounding fitting 60 of the feedthrough ceramic capacitor 59 and the metal support 63 are fixed to each other by screws 58, eyelet caulking, or the like, by using through-holes 64a formed in the four corners of the grounding fitting 60 and through-holes 64b formed in the support 63.
Then, the feedthrough ceramic capacitor 59 and an inductor are connected to each other in the inside of the metal support 63. Thus, the LC composite part device which is a line filter used for preventing noise of the magnetron, or the like, is formed.
A feedthrough ceramic capacitor is generally mounted to a filter box which is a metal support having the ground potential (hereinafter referred to as "filter box"). Here, the feedthrough ceramic capacitor used in a high-frequency large-power apparatus using a magnetron which is apt to cause a problem of high-frequency noise is fixed to the filter box by screws, eyelet caulking, or the like.
Such a fixing work, however, must be performed by hand thoroughly, so that the workability is poor.
Further, in the fixture method in which the feedthrough ceramic capacitor is fixed to the support by using four holes formed in the grounding fitting of the feedthrough ceramic capacitor, adhesion is poor so that high-frequency noise generated by the high-frequency apparatus may leak to the outside through a gap in the contact surface between the grounding fitting and a side plate of the filter box.

Feedthrough ceramic capacitor having a grounding fitting for frictionally fixing the capacitor to a capacitor support


A Hall Effect switching circuit and apparatus and method using the same are disclosed. The Hall Effect switching circuit comprises a power supply device, a Hall Effect detecting device and a buffer. The power supply device provides operation power to the Hall Effect detecting device. The Hall Effect detecting device provides a first triggering signal to a first output pin and a second triggering signal to a second output pin in accordance to a magnetic field through the Hall Effect detecting device. The buffer receives and buffers the voltage levels of the first/second triggering signals.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a Hall Effect switching circuit and apparatus using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a Hall Effect switching circuit adapted to both N and S magnetic polarities and apparatus and method using the same.
2. Description of Related Art
For recent years, Hall Effect switching circuits using Hall Effect sensors are widely implemented to detect position change or revolution of objects. For example, a Hall Effect switching circuit is embedded in top cover (or bottom cover) to detect the distance between the top and bottom covers such that the power supply is controlled in accordance to the detected result.
Refer to FIG. 1, a prior art Hall Effect switching circuit is shown therein. The Hall Effect switching circuit 10 comprises a Hall IC 100, amplifier 110, Schmitt trigger circuit 120 and transistor 130. Firstly, the Hall IC 100 determines output voltage levels in accordance to the magnetic flux thereon. The output voltage level is amplified by the amplifier 110 and the amplified output voltage level is determined whether or not it is bigger than a predetermined value by the Schmitt trigger circuit 120. The determined result is used for controlling whether to conduct the transistor 130.
However, this kind of Hall Effect switching circuit is designed for detecting only one magnetic polarity, either N or S. Those who want to implement the Hall Effect switching circuit suffer to select a specific magnetic field generator in order to make the whole system function correctly.

Hall effect switching circuit and apparatus and method using the same


Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for in-situ deposition and treatment of a thin film for improved step coverage. In one embodiment, the method for processing a substrate is provided. The method includes forming a dielectric layer on patterned features of the substrate by exposing the substrate to a gas mixture of a first precursor and a second precursor simultaneously with plasma present in a process chamber, wherein the plasma is formed by a first pulsed RF power, exposing the dielectric layer to a first plasma treatment using a gas mixture of nitrogen and helium in the process chamber, and performing a plasma etch process by exposing the dielectric layer to a plasma formed from a gas mixture of a fluorine-containing precursor and a carrier gas, wherein the plasma is formed in the process chamber by a second pulsed RF power.

Dielectric layers have been used for applications such as barrier layers or spacers in the fabrication of modern semiconductor devices. The dielectric layers can be deposited over features, e.g., trenches or vias used for vertical interconnects, using a deposition process, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). However, it has been challenging to deposit the dielectric layers over high aspect ratio features with adequate step coverage by the PECVD technique. The PECVD technique tends to deposit the dielectric layer more rapidly around the top than the bottom of the trenches due to the inability of the plasma to penetrate into the deep trenches. This results in pinching-off the narrow trenches from the top, forming a void in the trenches.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide an improved method for depositing dielectric layers in high aspect ratio trenches without forming voids or seams.

Pulsed plasma deposition etch step coverage improvement


Display apparatuses for displaying a sheet material, including a panel including a front face and a rear face opposite the front face, a protuberance projecting from the front face, and a cap mounted to the protuberance in a position spaced from the front face to define a gap between the cap and the front face on at least one lateral side of the protuberance, wherein the gap has a thickness substantially similar to the thickness of the sheet material to secure the sheet material within the gap when the sheet material is inserted into the gap.

The present disclosure relates generally to display apparatuses. Display apparatuses are used to display sheet material, such as pictures, greeting cards, recipes, and the like. Display apparatuses are used in homes, such as in kitchens, living rooms, and bedroom, in offices, and in college dormitories, among a wide variety of other places.
Conventional solutions for displaying sheet material are not entirely satisfactory. For example, refrigerators are a common place to display photos and children's artwork with magnets used to secure the photos in place. However, magnets have limited holding strength and can fail to hold thicker sheet materials or more than one or two items of sheet material. Further, some refrigerator surfaces are not magnetically attractable, which makes magnet holders unusable.
Other known display apparatuses are limited in the number of items of sheet material they can display. Some conventional display apparatuses are not sufficiently portable. Still other known display apparatuses can not attach to items such as windows or metal surfaces.
Thus, there exists a need for display apparatuses that improve upon and advances the design of known display apparatuses. Examples of new and useful display apparatuses relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below.


[Problem] To provide a photographing apparatus that reduces motion blur caused by camera rotation, provides high quality binocular parallax video, and suppresses visually induced motion sickness. [Solution] A photographing apparatus 1 is provided with a plurality of photographing units 10 that can form an entire peripheral image, and further provided with: a photographing unit installation unit 20 in which the photographing units 10 are installed; a rotary driving shaft 30 that rotatably supports the photographing unit installation unit 20; a driving unit (motor) 40 that applies rotational force to the rotary driving shaft 30; a photographing unit shaft 50 that is provided to the photographing unit installation unit 20 so as to rotatably fix the photographing units 10 at prescribed respective positions; and driving force transmission means 60 that are provided to both the rotary driving shaft 30 and the photographing unit shaft 50 so as to transmit the rotary driving force of the rotary driving shaft 30, wherein the photographing units 10 can hold a state of facing the prescribed positions without following the rotation of the photographing unit installation unit 20 when the photographing unit installation unit 20 rotates.

As inexpensive omnidirectional cameras have become commercially available, 360° videos (full-sphere videos) are in common use.
With the spread of head mounted displays (HMDs), there has been an increasing demand for full-sphere videos viewable in association with head movement. Various telepresence systems using HMDs have been developed (see for example NPL 1). Various telexistence systems have also been proposed (NPL 2).


A system and method including an algorithm that can use the linear time shift property of the subcarrier modulation to provide accurate frame synchronization for communications between nodes in a wireless network, where nodes employ orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modems. The subcarrier modulation is typically performed with a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) that includes a time shift between Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) and guard interval insertion at transmission, but due to the guard insertion, the system and method of the present invention corrects the time shifts allowing accurate TOF calculations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for providing accurate data for use in performing Time of Flight (TOF) measurements in communications between nodes in a wireless network, where nodes employ orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modems. Specifically, the system and method provides an algorithm for use with the linear time shift property of the data demodulation in OFDM implementations to correct the time shift and allow accurate calculation of synchronization points for TOF calculations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless communication networks, such as mobile wireless telephone networks, have become increasingly prevalent over the past decade. These wireless communications networks are commonly referred to as "cellular networks", because the network infrastructure is arranged to divide the service area into a plurality of regions called "cells". A terrestrial cellular network includes a plurality of interconnected base stations, or base nodes, that are distributed geographically at designated locations throughout the service area. Each base node includes one or more transceivers that are capable of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals, such as radio frequency (RF) communications signals, to and from mobile user nodes, such as wireless telephones, located within the coverage area. The communication signals include, for example, voice data that has been modulated according to a desired modulation technique and transmitted as data packets.
In recent years, a type of mobile communications network known as an "ad-hoc" network has been developed for use by the military. In this type of network, each mobile node is capable of operating as a base station or router for the other mobile nodes, thus eliminating the need for a fixed infrastructure of base stations. Details of an ad-hoc network are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,322 to Mayor, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
More sophisticated ad-hoc networks are also being developed which, in addition to enabling mobile nodes to communicate with each other as in a conventional ad-hoc network, further enable the mobile nodes to access a fixed network and thus communicate with other mobile nodes, such as those on the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and on other networks such as the Internet. Details of these advanced types of ad-hoc networks are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/897,790 entitled "Ad Hoc Peer-to-Peer Mobile Radio Access System Interfaced to the PSTN and Cellular Networks", filed on Jun. 29, 2001, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/815,157 entitled "Time Division Protocol for an Ad-Hoc, Peer-to-Peer Radio Network Having Coordinating Channel Access to Shared Parallel Data Channels with Separate Reservation Channel", filed on Mar. 22, 2001, and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/815,164 entitled "Prioritized-Routing for an Ad-Hoc, Peer-to-Peer, Mobile Radio Access System", filed on Mar. 22, 2001, the entire content of each being incorporated herein by reference.
As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, network nodes transmit and receive data packet communications in a multiplexed format, such as time-division multiple access (TDMA) format, code-division multiple access (CDMA) format, or frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) format, which enables a single transceiver at the base node to communicate simultaneously with several mobile nodes in its coverage area. Yet another multicarrier transmission technique includes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). This technique divides the available spectrum into many carriers, each one being modulated by a low rate data stream. OFDM is similar to FDMA in that the multiple user access is achieved by subdividing the available bandwidth into multiple channels that are then allocated to users. However, OFDM uses the spectrum much more efficiently by spacing the channels much closer together. This is achieved by making all the carriers orthogonal to one another, preventing interference between the closely spaced carriers.
In such multicarrier transmissions, there unfortunately exists a degree of multiuser interference. As discussed in an article by Victor Shtrom entitled "CDMA vs OFDM In Broadband Wireless Access", the entire content of which is being incorporated herein by reference, the use of synchronous CDMA can lower multiuser interference. Synchronization lowers interference by time-aligning the chip boundaries of all users, however, multipath destroys synchronicity due to reflections from buildings and other topographic obstacles. Signals travel different distances while in route to the receiver and thus arrive out of sync. As noted by Shtrom, it is also difficult to synchronize users because the differing time-of-flight (TOF) delays depend on user location.
Additionally, in OFDM implementations, the time frame synchronization requirements for data demodulation also may not be suitable for TOF measurements. For example, Time of Flight measurements in certain applications require accurate measurement of the round-trip delay from source to destination, and back to the source. The destination must receive the signal and transmit a signal back to the source with a high degree of timing accuracy. In other applications not requiring round trip delay measurements, timing accuracy for signal transmission and receipt is still crucial. However, in an OFDM modem transmission, the subcarrier modulation is performed with a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) that typically includes a time shift between Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) and guard interval insertion at transmission, affecting TOF measurements. This time shift could thus adversely affect timing accuracy.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method to provide accurate frame synchronization for communications between nodes in a wireless network, where nodes employ orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modems.

System and method for determining synchronization point in OFDM modems for accurate time of flight measurement


A polishing method which can prevent a contamination of a release nozzle for releasing a substrate, such as a wafer, from a polishing head, is disclosed. The polishing method includes: polishing a substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad on a polishing table by a polishing head while moving the polishing table and the polishing head relative to each other; moving the polishing head, holding the substrate, to a predetermined position above a substrate transfer device; cleaning the substrate by ejecting a cleaning fluid onto the substrate held by the polishing head located at the predetermined position; during cleaning of the substrate, discharging a fluid from a release nozzle located at the substrate transfer device; and after cleaning of the substrate, releasing the substrate from the polishing head by ejecting a releasing shower from the release nozzle into a gap between the polishing head and the substrate.

With a recent trend toward higher integration and higher density in semiconductor devices, circuit interconnects become finer and finer and the number of levels in multilayer interconnect is increasing. In the process of achieving the multilayer interconnect structure with finer interconnects, film coverage of step geometry (or step coverage) is lowered through thin film formation as the number of interconnect levels increases, because surface steps grow while following surface irregularities on a lower layer. Therefore, in order to fabricate the multilayer interconnect structure, it is necessary to improve the step coverage and planarize the surface in an appropriate process. Further, since finer optical lithography entails shallower depth of focus, it is necessary to planarize surfaces of semiconductor device so that irregularity steps formed thereon fall within a depth of focus in optical lithography.
Accordingly, in a manufacturing process of the semiconductor devices, a planarization technique of a surface of the semiconductor device is becoming more important. The most important technique in this planarization technique is chemical mechanical polishing. This chemical mechanical polishing (which will be hereinafter called CMP) is a process of polishing a substrate, such as a wafer, by placing the substrate in sliding contact with a polishing pad while supplying a polishing liquid containing abrasive grains, such as silica (SiO2), onto the polishing pad.
A polishing apparatus for performing CMP includes a polishing table that supports a polishing pad having a polishing surface, and a substrate holder, which is referred to as a polishing head or a top ring, for holding a wafer. When the wafer is polished with such a polishing apparatus, the polishing table and the polishing head are moved relative to each other while supplying the polishing liquid (slurry) onto the polishing pad disposed on the polishing table, and the wafer is pressed against the polishing surface of the polishing pad at a predetermined pressure by the polishing head. The wafer is brought into sliding contact with the polishing surface in the presence of the polishing liquid, so that the surface of the wafer is polished to a flat and mirror finish.
In such polishing apparatus, if a relative pressing force applied between the wafer and the polishing surface of the polishing pad during polishing is not uniform over the entirety of the surface of the wafer, insufficient polishing or excessive polishing would occur depending on the pressing forces applied to respective portions of the wafer. Thus, in order to even the pressing force applied to the wafer, the polishing head has a pressure chamber formed by an elastic membrane (or a membrane) at a lower part thereof. This pressure chamber is supplied with a fluid, such as air, to press the wafer against the polishing surface of the polishing pad through the membrane under a fluid pressure, and to polish the wafer.
Since the polishing pad has elasticity, the pressing force applied to an peripheral edge of the wafer during polishing of the wafer, becomes non-uniform, and hence only the peripheral edge of the wafer may excessively be polished, which is referred to as "edge rounding". In order to prevent such edge rounding, a retainer ring for holding the peripheral edge of the wafer is provided so as to press the polishing surface of the polishing pad located at the outer circumferential edge side of the wafer.
A substrate transfer device, which is called a pusher, is disposed near the polishing table. This pusher has a function to elevate the wafer, which has been transported by a transporter, such as a transfer robot, and transfer the wafer to the polishing head that has been moved to a position above the pusher. The pusher further has a function to transfer the wafer, which has been received from the polishing head, to the transporter, such as a transfer robot.
In the polishing apparatus having the above-described structure, the wafer that has been polished on the polishing pad is moved to a position above the pusher by the polishing head. A wafer cleaning operation, a wafer releasing operation, and a polishing-head cleaning operation are then performed above the pusher.
In the wafer cleaning operation, a cleaning fluid, such as pure water, is ejected onto a polished surface of the wafer held by the polishing head, to thereby clean the polished surface of the wafer. After the wafer cleaning operation, the wafer releasing operation for releasing the wafer from the polishing head is performed. The wafer that has been released from the polishing head is received by the pusher and is then transported to a next process (e.g., cleaning of the wafer) by the transporter. After the wafer is released, the polishing-head cleaning operation is performed, in which a cleaning fluid, such as pure water, is ejected onto an outer surface of the polishing head to clean the polishing head, and further a cleaning fluid is ejected onto the membrane of the polishing head to clean a wafer holding surface of the membrane. According to this operation, the entirety of the polishing head including the membrane is cleaned.
Releasing of the wafer in the wafer releasing operation is performed by supplying a fluid into the pressure chamber to deform the wafer holding surface of the membrane. However, if the membrane is not deformed largely, the wafer may not be released from the membrane. Thus, in order to ensure releasing of the wafer from the polishing head, the pusher is provided with a release nozzle. This release nozzle is a device for delivering a jet of fluid (or releasing shower) into a gap between the wafer and the membrane to thereby assist the wafer release.
In the above-described wafer cleaning operation and polishing-head cleaning operation, the cleaning fluid is ejected onto the polishing head when the polishing head is located above the pusher. Therefore, the cleaning fluid, which has been brought into contact with the polishing head and the polished surface of the wafer, flows down onto the pusher. This cleaning fluid contains contaminants, such as abrasive grains and polishing debris which are attached to the polishing head and the wafer. Therefore, upon touching the release nozzle, the cleaning fluid may contaminate the release nozzle. In particular, the cleaning fluid containing the abrasive grains and the polishing debris may be sucked into the release nozzle from an opening thereof due to a capillary action, thus contaminating an interior of the release nozzle.
If the abrasive grains and the polishing debris are attached to the interior and a surface of the release nozzle, these abrasive grains and polishing debris may be attached to a next wafer together with the releasing shower, thus causing a contamination of the next wafer.
The releasing shower can assist the wafer release and can increase a throughput of polishing operation in the polishing apparatus. On the other hand, the releasing shower may hinder the wafer from being released if the releasing shower impinges on the surface (i.e., the polished surface) of the wafer, because the releasing shower is widened at a moment the releasing shower is expelled from a jet orifice of the release nozzle, thus pressing the wafer against the membrane.
In such a case, it has been a conventional solution to increase the pressure of fluid supplied into the pressure chamber of the membrane so as to inflate the membrane largely. When the membrane is largely inflated, the gap formed between the wafer and the membrane becomes larger, so that the releasing shower is less likely to impinge on the surface (the polished surface) of the wafer.
However, when the membrane is largely inflated while the wafer and the membrane are in an intimate contact, a large stress is generated in the wafer, causing a rupture of finer interconnects formed on the wafer or causing breakage of the wafer. Therefore, there is a demand for a technique which can properly eject the releasing shower into the gap between the wafer and the membrane even if the gap is small.
The releasing shower is widened while sucking surrounding particles. As a result, the releasing shower containing such particles is brought into contact with a front surface and a rear surface of the wafer, possibly causing the contamination of the wafer.


The present invention relates to a locking device design to act between a tire and its respective wheel rim for dynamically balancing a tired wheel. The locking device is arranged to be installed on a tired-wheel maintenance machine having a support frame and a rotatable support for a wheel rim of a deflated tired wheel and locking-unlocking means for locking-unlocking the wheel rim to and from the rotatable support. The locking device comprises holding belt anchorable to the support frame and an engaging group designed removably to engage the tire of the deflated tired wheel, while its respective wheel rim is controllably angularly shifted.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a locking device for a tire mounted on a wheel rim to optimize dynamic balancing of a tired wheel, particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for tire balancing machines, tire assembling-release machines and the like.
Balancing of a tired wheel is a delicate operation which in general has to be carried out with care by an operator as balancing could affect the road-holding of the vehicle and thus the safety of the passengers. As a matter of fact, a non-optimum balancing could result in vibrations and resonance phenomenons being caused owing to unbalanced forces or force resultants with respect during standard operation of the vehicle.
As it is known, the aforesaid forces are generated when a tired wheel is rotated about its axis of rotation owing to:                uneven distribution of the wheel rim and tire mass of the tired wheel with respect to its axis of rotation;        uneven distribution of the wheel rim mass due to misalignment between the inertial axis of rotation of the wheel rim and the axis of rotation of the tired wheel; and        uneven distribution of the tire mass due to misalignment between the inertial axis of rotation of the tire and the axis of rotation of the tired wheel, e.g. owing to bad mounting of the tire.
2. Description of Related Art
Tired wheel balancing is usually carried out by means of a balancing machine comprising a rotatable support which can rotate about an horizontal or vertical axis of rotation and is provided, e.g. with jaws for engaging the tired wheel rim or with a grip headstock comprising a number of expansion arms and being rotatable about the same axis of rotation, or with a fixing flange having a pneumatic threaded-hub system. When the tired wheel is rotated, by the rotatable support, any mass imbalance with respect to the axis of rotation is detected by suitable sensor means, e.g. magnetic, optical or pressure sensor means, suitably connected to an electronic computer unit adapted to store and process data forwarded thereto. At this point, the standard procedure adopted to re-balance a tired wheel provides, as known, trying to eliminate such unbalances by adding sufficient additional masse-balance weights at suitably chosen positions. For correct positioning of such masses in most recent balancing machines use is made of optical pointers (lasers) controlled by the electronic computer that had previously reckoned the precise positioning of the mass-balance weights along the wheel rim edge.
When the weight of such additional masse-balance weights, however, exceeds a predetermined value, e.g. about 50 g, it is usually preferable to cause the tire to rotate about the axis of rotation of the tired wheel with respect to the wheel rim (or viceversa), so as to compensate, at least to a large extent, mass unbalances due to the wheel rim for those caused by the tire.
Such a tire rotation about the axis of rotation of the tired wheel is carried out as follows:                the tired wheel is fixed on a rotatable support of a tire assembling-disassembling machine;        the wheel tire is deflated and its bead is released; and        the tire or the wheel rim is rotated, through an angle of about 180 degrees, with respect to the wheel rim or the tire, respectively.
To cause the tire to effect an angular rotation through about 180 degrees with respect to the wheel rim, no matter what tired-wheel maintenance machine is used, the operator usually acts on a suitable manually operated control, e.g. a pedal located on the base of the maintenance machine, thereby setting in rotation the rotatable support on which the wheel rim is secured. The wheel rim is thus set in rotation, and the tire is, in turn, caused to rotate owing to friction between the wheel rim edge and the tire bead.
The problem to be faced by the operator is to be able to lock or slow down any uncontrolled rotation of the tire that, due to friction, is dragged by the wheel rim secured to the rotatable support. Up to now, the operator has resorted to expedients, such as manually rotating the tire with respect to the wheel rim or manually slowing down the tire possibly by using a tool inserted between tire and wheel rim, while the maintenance machine causes the wheel rim to rotate. Such expedients are obviously troublesome and totally unsatisfactory.
This situation is even worse when a tire has a lowered bead or profile, as in this case the contact area between tire internal bead or edge and the wheel rim edge is much more extended than that provided in a standard tire, and thus the operator's task becomes much more difficult as higher strength is to be exerted in this operation in trying to stop or slow down tire rotation with respect to the wheel rim rotation. Moreover, with lowered profile tires use is made of alloy wheel rims that inevitably become damaged or at least scratched when tools are inserted between wheel rim and tire.
A further problem is faced when assembling and disassembling a special wheel tire. As a matter of fact, in order to mount a tire on a wheel rim the tire bead must get over and beyond the wheel rim edge, and thus the operator does force a portion of the tire bead by means of a suitable tool to exceed the wheel rim edge, after which care should be taken in gradually forcing the remaining tire bead to move beyond the wheel rim edge. Especially when dealing with wheels of large dimensions, e.g. truck or lorry wheels, the bead resistance to deformation is quite substantial, and thus it is quite difficult for the operator to accomplish the necessary steps to assembly or disassembly a tire.

Locking device for a tire mounted on a wheel rim to optimize dynamic balancing of a tired wheel


The present invention provides an improved rocker arm system for actuating poppet valves in high performance internal combustion engines. The rocker arm provides trunnion journals extending from each side fitted to outboard bearing mounts to guide the motion of the rocker arm. An I-beam rocker arm having high stiffness and low mass is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of internal combustion engines, high performance and conventional manufactured engines in general use, pertaining to poppet valve operating systems, particularly rocker arm systems for valve actuation pivoting on a shaft, the rocker arm being actuated by push rods and a camshaft.
2. Description of Background Information
Internal combustion engines, including high performance engines and conventionally manufactured engines, having poppet valve systems actuated by rocker arms and push rods that operate at high engine speeds or having high dynamic forces within the valve system require specially designed rocker arm systems for stability and for use in high inertia force conditions. For example, a high performance engine speed may peak at approximately 9200 revolutions per minute. This engine speed corresponds to a valve system actuating at 77 cycles per second. These high engine speeds cause very high inertia forces and high amplitude vibration forces to react on rocker arms and valve system components.
Rocker arms manufactured for performance engines generally have a common design basis. The common design consists of a rocker arm beam body having a needle bearing pressed in the beam body. The rocker arm pivots on a shaft that is rigidly fastened by 2 bolts through the shaft located one on each side of the beam to a mounting base attached to the engine cylinder head. Alternatively, the rocker arm beam body and needle bearing assembly are fitted to pivot on a pedestal or central stud mount.
Engines using push rods to actuate valves often have the push rod skewed in an oblique movement direction offset from the plane of rotation of the pivoting rocker arm, opening and closing the valve. This condition results because engine block and cylinder head castings are complicated with structure in the path areas where push rods operate. The resulting skewed push rod path applies a torque to the rocker arm beam that tends to deform the rocker arm beam and the supporting pivot bearing and pivot shaft mounting. FIG. 1. is a rear elevation view of a conventional high performance rocker arm system. Illustrated is the skewed offset push rod 17 and rocker arm 10 arrangements often found in performance engines. The offset push rod force (OPF) is illustrated by arrows at an angle to rocker arm pivot path 22. There are two improvement areas discussed in following paragraphs that the present invention addresses. First: Improvements for a stabilized rocker arm pivot system suitable for use in pushrod actuated systems. Second: Rocker arm beam improvements for reduction of mass and rotational inertia affects and improved beam stiffness.
The first improvement area: A stabilized rocker arm pivot requires different concepts to correct conventional rocker arm deficiencies. Many conventional rocker arms have skewed offset push rods and have a force vector at an angle reacting with the rocker arm. This condition results in rocker arm problems of torsional distortion and increased friction forces. These problems are primarily due to conventional rocker arm beams having a narrow bearing pressed into the beam, which does not provide sufficient resistive reaction to torsional loads. Instability at the rocker arm fulcrum also occurs because bearings commonly are over-stressed by the dynamic angled forces causing severe edge loading of the narrow bearing elements. The bearings then become excessively loose fitting and unstable to the mounting shaft causing unwanted valve train motion, vibration, valve spring surge and increased friction, all adding to performance loss. The torsional deformation of the rocker arm increases stress within the rocker arm body. Indeed, crack failures are common in the beam area near the push rod connection. These described conditions require precautionary and costly rocker arm replacement after a short service time in performance engines. Providing stable rocker arms is a needed improvement provided by the present invention.
The second improvement area: Reducing rocker arm beam mass is practiced by engineers in order to control inertia effects on the valve system. The purpose is to (1) achieve high engine speeds and aggressive valve actuation and lift rates to increase cylinder filling with air and fuel mixtures for applications requiring increased performance and (2) achieve improved engine efficiency by reducing friction and engine component inertia. A mechanism is required to provide stable, low mass rocker arms having high stiffness that can operate at increasingly high loads. Providing stable low mass rocker arms with reduced polar moment of inertia about the beam pivot axis is a significant factor to improve performance levels accomplished by the present invention.


A coin throwing port restricting mechanism 10 enables substantial restriction of a configuration of a coin throwing port 4 by means of a simply handling thereof. Such a coin throwing port restricting mechanism 10 contributes to provide a coin throwing device which has only one coin throwing port 4 and which can receive many kinds of coins of different sizes. The coin throwing port restricting mechanism 10 comprises a ring 11 and an arm 12. The ring 11 which serves as a fixing member surrounds the coin throwing port 4. The arm 12 extends from the inner periphery of the ring 11 to the center thereof in a manner that it faces front to the coin throwing port 4. The extending length and the extending width of the arm 12 are selectable depending on the diameter and the thickness of the coin. Thus, the configuration of the coin throwing port 4 can be restricted without modifying the shape thereof.

This invention relates to a mechanism for restricting a configuration of a coin throwing port depending on a size of a coin. More particularly, this invention relates to a coin throwing port restricting mechanism for use in a coin throwing device such as a vending machine, a coin exchanger and a coin operated gaming machine.
A coin throwing port of a coin throwing device is typically required to receive a money coin, a nominal or imitation coin such as a coin for the gaming machine or a token, a metal disc plate, a washer or the like used in a device activated by coins of various sizes. More particularly, such a device is required to receive coins having different diameter and thickness. However, preparation of plural kinds of coin throwing ports for receiving coins which are different in size is troublesome in that such a coin throwing device can only be manufactured and assembled with higher costs. Further, handling of each component thereof will be complicated. Accordingly, it is preferable to form only one coin throwing port for the coin throwing machine. Thus, a coin throwing port restricting mechanism has thus been desired which substantially restricts the configuration of the coin throwing port so that it matches to coins in various sizes.
For example, a conventional coin throwing port restricting mechanism comprises, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Prepublication No. 118,474/1982, a chute for guiding a coin transported from the coin throwing port to a coin sorting device. This chute comprises a pair of side plates. The side plates are opposed to each other and are movable along a longitudinal direction of the coin throwing port crossing over the coin throwing port. A longitudinal length of the coin throwing port is restricted by means of securing the pair of side plates at or near the coin throwing port to the size of each coin.
However, in the above mentioned conventional coin throwing port restricting mechanism, it is necessary to position each of the pair of side plates by independently moving one by one. Thus, complex and bothersome adjustment should be required for receiving many kinds of coins of different sizes. Further, the conventional coin throwing port restricting mechanism restricts only the longitudinal length of the coin throwing port and there is a problem that it provides no restriction for the thickness or width thereof.
Therefore, with respect to the above mentioned problems, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a coin throwing port restricting mechanism applicable for different coins of various sizes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a coin throwing port restricting mechanism which enables substantial restriction of the configuration of the coin throwing port only by means of simply handling the coin throwing port restricting mechanism.
In addition, it is further object of the present invention to provide a coin throwing device having components which can be readily handled, manufactured and assembled with lower cost.

Coin throwing port restricting mechanism and coin throwing device


A semiconductor element includes a semiconductor layer having a first doping density, a metallization, and a contact area located between the semiconductor layer and the metallization. The contact area includes at least one first semiconductor area that has a second doping density higher than the first doping density, and at least one second semiconductor area in the semiconductor layer. The second semiconductor area is in contact with the metallization and provides lower ohmic resistance to the metallization than a direct contact between the semiconductor layer and the metallization provides or would provide.

Power diodes as are used, for example, in motor vehicle electronics, or generally in circuits comprising bridge drivers, are optimized with regard to their varied device parameters. In this context, it is desirable to strike a balance between different criteria or diode parameters. On the one hand, diodes having very good switch-off properties wherein the current does not snap in the reverse direction, but comes to an end softly so as to avoid induced voltage peaks and oscillations, but also diodes comprising sufficient surge current-carrying capacity are in demand. In the event of a surge current, a current more than ten times the nominal current of the diode may flow. In addition, the power losses occurring during operation of the diode are kept to a minimum. Switching operations on the power diodes and the power losses associated therewith may give rise to temperatures which may lead to a degradation or destruction of the device and the associated circuits.
Frequently, possibilities of optimizing the above-mentioned diode parameters entail disadvantages with regard to other diode parameters. For example, a gentle switch-off behavior of a diode may be achieved by suitable doping measures within the diode, which, however, frequently entails reduced surge current-carrying capacity of the device.
Therefore, what would be desirable is a semiconductor element for a power diode which comprises a high surge current-carrying capacity without entailing major drawbacks with regard to other important diode parameters, such as the switch-off behavior, the power losses or the forward voltage.


Disclosed is a method of executing a handover in a system including a core network comprising two mobile services switching center. Both mobile services switching center can be accessed to by a cellular access as well as by a non-cellular access. The system further includes a terminal which can access to both mobile services switching center over the cellular access as well as over the non-cellular access. The method comprises the steps of handing over a call of the terminal to non-cellular access involving also a handover from a first one of said two mobile services switching center to a second one of said two mobile services switching center, and indicating in a message that the call of the terminal was handed over to non-cellular access, wherein said message is sent from the second mobile services switching center to the first mobile services switching center.

Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technology provides access to GSM and GPRS mobile services over unlicensed spectrum technologies, including Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 (WLAN—Wireless Local Area Network). UMA technology allows service providers to enable subscribers to roam and handover between cellular networks and public and private unlicensed wireless networks using dual-mode mobile handsets.
In the following, the basic architecture of UMA is described by referring to FIG. 1. As illustrated, a terminal, e.g. a mobile station MS 1, obtains access to a core mobile network 3 via an Unlicensed Mobile Access Network (UMAN) 2. In detail, the mobile station 1 is connected to an Access Point (AP) 21, for example via Bluetooth or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN, IEEE 802.11), as described above. A connection between the AP 21 and an UMA network controller (UNC) 23 is provided via a broadband Internet Protocol (IP) network 22. It is noted that the specific UMA features basically apply only for the MS 1 and the UNC 23 so that for the AP 21 any generic AP may be used.
The UNC provides functions which are basically equivalent to that of a Radio Access Network (RAN) Base Station Controller (BSC). The UNC interfaces into the mobile core network via existing A/Gb interfaces. The same mobile identity and cell identities (Cell ID) are used in both cellular RAN and in UMAN networks. A Security Gateway (SGW) 231 may be integrated in the UNC. The SGW terminates secure remote access tunnels from the MS, providing mutual authentication, encryption and data integrity for signaling, voice and data traffic.
Once a UMA capable dual mode terminal is registered to the UNC, from that point on all mobile voice and data traffic is routed to the terminal via the UMAN rather than the cellular radio access network (RAN). If the terminal has an active GSM voice call or GPRS data session when the terminal come within range (or out of range) of an unlicensed wireless network, that voice call or data session can automatically handover between access networks without interrupting the service.
As mentioned before, the UMAN network basically replaces the cellular RAN from the mobile core network point of view. A Mobile Services Switching Center (MSC) in the mobile core network sees a UNC as one of the BSCs and is able to use the same interface, i.e. the A interface, to communicate with UNCs and BSCs. Further, since the same GSM identity and GSM Cell ID are used in UMAN, the MSC is not able to distinguish, whether the current access technology is UMA or GSM, based on only the information exchanged over the A interface.
Handover between two access technologies are often called intersystem handover (ISHO). An example of a known intersystem handover is a handover between GSM and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Handover between GSM and UMA can also be seen as intersystem handover.
When a mobile terminal performs a handover from GSM to UMA, it may happen that the UNC that is controlling the target/entered UMAN is connected to a different MSC (MSC-B) than the BSC that controlled the cellular RAN. In this case, the handover is called intersystem inter-MSC handover, because also the serving element (MSC) to which the BSC/UNC is connected in the mobile core network is changing. FIG. 2 illustrates an intersystem inter-MSC handover from GSM to UMA. Even though MSC-A does not directly interface a new BSC/UNC after the handover, MSC-A still remains involved in the call control. For example, mobility management and charging are still performed in MSC-A, and the active call may be handed over back to MSC-A.
Relevant interfaces between the network elements are also shown in FIG. 2. Both BSC and UNC connect an MSC using the A-interface of the GSM standard. Between two MSCs, an E-interface of the GSM standard is provided.
For charging and statistics it would be beneficial if MSC-A could know the current access technology in use. However, when an (intersystem) inter-MSC handover occurs from MSC-A to MSC-B (see "handover 1" illustrated in FIG. 3), MSC-A has no means to detect the access technology to which the handover was made. It may also happen that after a normal inter-MSC handover (from GSM based access to GSM based access, see "handover 2" illustrated in FIG. 3) from MSC-A to MSC-B, an MSC-B internal handover from GSM based access to UMA is made (see "handover 3" illustrated in FIG. 3). It is apparent that also quite a number of MSC-B internal handover may take place, wherein the above problem occurs every time, a not recognized change in the access technology happens.
Regarding the above mentioned known intersystem handover between GSM and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), it is to be noted that no solution to the above problem can be learned therefrom, here.
In (inter-BSC and inter-MSC) handover procedures, a mobile terminal measures and periodically reports to a base station (BS) the signal quality of the current and neighboring cells. The BS forwards the information to the BSC. If the BSC determines that the signal quality of the current cell is not good enough and a neighboring cell offering better signal quality is available, the BSC requests a handover. The BSC sends to the MSC a handover message including a list of neighboring cells to which the handover is possible to perform. The MSC manages the handover and chooses the destination cell taking into account also capacity and other requirements which the BSC was not able to consider. In an inter-BSC handover the MSC contacts a new BSC, and, in an inter-MSC handover also the MSC changes and the MSC (MSC-A) must contact another MSC (MSC-B) to assist in the handover.
If a mobile terminal supports multiple radio access technologies, for example GSM and UMTS, also an intersystem handover is possible, as described above. The difference to above described handover procedures is that the mobile terminal has to measure and report the signal quality of cells belonging to different radio access technologies. The decision to request a handover is made in the RAN. If a handover is to be requested, a handover target cell is identified differently in GSM and UMTS technologies. In UMTS, the handover target cell is identified using Service Area Identity (SAI), which includes Service Area Code (SAC). SAC uniquely identifies a service area within a location area in UMTS networks. In GSM, the handover target cell is identified using GSM Cell ID. Therefore, an MSC is always able to conclude, based on the identity of the handover target cell, whether the handover is to be performed to GSM or UMTS.
However, as described before, in UMA the same GSM Cell ID is used for identification in UMA. Hence, an MSC cannot determine from the handover target cell identity whether the handover is to be performed to GSM or UMA.
As indicated in FIG. 2, with respect to the GSM handover on the protocol level, the Mobile Application Part (MAP) is used for signaling between the mobile services switching centers (MSC) and registers in the mobile core network. For example, the E-interface uses MAP for signaling (see FIG. 3). MAP is used for location updates, call control of incoming calls to a mobile station, and transmission of short messages. MAP is not a protocol by itself, but a set of non-call-related signaling protocols.
The Base Station System Application Part (BSSAP) is a protocol that supports message communication between the mobile services switching center (MSC) and base station system (BSS) in A-interface. BSSAP consists of a base station management application part (BSSMAP) and a direct transfer application part (DTAP). In inter-MSC handover, BSSAP messages are encapsulated in MAP messages for transmitting handover related information between the BSSs of MSC-A and MSC-B.
BSSMAP is an application part which supports all procedures between a mobile services switching center (MSC) and base station system (BSS) that require interpretation and processing of information related to single calls and resource management. DTAP is a user part which transmits messages transparent as regards the base station system (BSS) between a mobile station (MS) and MSC. DTAP information is not interpreted by the BSS.
Referring again to FIG. 3, when a mobile station (MS) is handed over between two MSCs, the establishment of a connection between the MSCs requires interworking between A-interface and E-interface. The handover procedure is normally triggered by BSS-A by sending a HANDOVER_REQUIRED BSSMAP message on A-interface to MSC-A. The invocation of the basic inter-MSC handover procedure is performed and controlled by MSC-A. The sending of the MAP_Prepare-Handover request to MSC-B is triggered in MSC-A upon receipt of the HANDOVER_REQUIRED BSSMAP message from BSS-A. For compatibility reason, the cell identity of the cell where the call is to be handed over in MSC-B area, provided in the HANDOVER_REQUIRED BSSMAP message, is mapped into targetCellId MAP parameter and the HANDOVER_REQUEST BSSMAP message is encapsulated in Access Network Application Protocol Data Unit (AN-APDU) MAP parameter of the MAP_Prepare-Handover request. MSC-B informs BSS-B about the requested handover by sending HANDOVER_REQUEST BSSMAP message. MSC-B, after receiving an acknowledgment from BSS-B, responds to MSC-A with a MAP_Prepare-Handover response after which MSC-A orders the handover to be performed by sending a HANDOVER_COMMAND BSSMAP message to BSS-A.
If an MSC-B internal handover is performed later, MSC-B sends MAP_PROCESS_ACCESS_SIGNALLING request to MSC-A to pass handover related information received on A-interface of MSC-B. MAP_PROCESS_ACCESS_SIGNALLING request includes HANDOVER_PERFORMED BSSMAP message.

Method for inter-system inter-MSC handover to UMA


An information recording medium includes: record information pieces logically independent of each other and constituting a hierarchical structure of hierarchical layers; layer information pieces for specifying one of the hierarchical layer; kind information pieces for indicating kinds of information relating to the record information pieces; a text group including layer related texts and record information related texts successively arranged in a mixed manner; text arrangement information pieces corresponding to the text group and arranged in pair with one of the layer information piece and the kind information piece corresponding to the text, the text arrangement information piece indicating a position of the text within the text group. The layer information pieces are arranged in an order in accordance with the hierarchical structure, and the kind information pieces are arranged in pair with the layer information pieces indicating the layer of the corresponding record information piece so as to specify the logical position of the corresponding record information piece within the hierarchical structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information recording medium such as an optical disk of a high recording density type, which is capable of recording information such as video information, audio information and the like at a high density, and which is represented by a DVD (Digital Video or Versatile Disk). The present invention also relates to a recording apparatus for recording the information onto the information recording medium, and a reproducing apparatus for reproducing the information from the information recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a so-called LD (Laser Disk) and a so-called CD (Compact Disk) are generalized as optical disks, on which information such as video information, audio information and the like is recorded.
On the LD or the like, the video information and the audio information are recorded together with time information indicating a time at which each information is to be reproduced with respect to a reproduction start position, which each LD or the like has, as a standard position. Thus, other than a general normal reproduction to reproduce the recorded information in the order of recording, various special reproductions are possible, such as a reproduction to extract and listen to an only desirable music out of a plurality of recorded musics, a reproduction to listen to the recorded musics in a random order and so on, in case of the CD, for example.
In the application of video CD to a karaoke device, the text information (character information) relating to the recorded video information is recorded on the video CD, and the text information is displayed on a monitor to notify a user of the contents of the recorded video information and/or related information. In the case of the video CD, a portion on the disc is allotted to text information recording area in which the text information is recorded. The text information to be recorded is comprised of plural independent files each corresponding to a country for which the text is described (i.e., the files are prepared for each language), and each file includes a text relating to the whole contents of the disc and a plurality of texts relating to respective pieces of the recorded video information. Each text is applied with an identification number of itself.
However, according to the recording method of the text information described above, since the text information are simply recorded successively, it is difficult to rapidly recognize the recording position of a certain text information which is desired to be displayed. Therefore, it is required to check the contents of every text information one after another to find out the target text in a time-consuming manner.
In addition, since the text itself can be described only for the largest unit of the video information recorded on the disc, it is impossible to describe the text for further departmentalized information units. For example, in the case of the video CD on which plural stories are recorded, it is not possible to describe a text for each chapter and/or scene of each story, although it is possible to describe a text for each story.

Information recording medium, apparatus for recording the same and apparatus for reproducing the same


To provide a packaging bag that eliminates need to house plural types of contents in separate packaging bags and which can be used easily, wherein plural types of contents are separately housed in each partitioning space of a single packaging bag so as to be mixed together upon being used. Thus, there is provided a packaging bag made of a synthetic resin film, wherein a layer constituting an inner surface is formed of a blend of straight-chain low-density polyethylene resin and polybutene-1 resin, and an internal space of the packaging bag is partitioned by a partitioning heat sealed portion that is parallel with opposite heat sealed portions perpendicular to a film flowing direction and which is narrower than the opposite heat sealed portions, thereby forming a plurality of housing spaces.

The present invention relates to a packaging bag made of a synthetic resin film and configured to have its interior partitioned into a plurality of portions so that contents can be housed in each of partitioned spaces.
Conventionally, when a two-liquid-mixed adhesive, for example, is to be used, two types of liquids are mixed together to cause adhesion, but must be separated from each other so as not to contact with each other until the use of the two-liquid-mixed adhesive. In this case, the two types of liquids are housed in separate containers and are taken out therefrom and mixed together when the two-liquid-mixed adhesive is to be used.
Disadvantageously, however, the two containers for housing the two types of liquids must be stored until the use of the two-liquid-mixed adhesive, and it will be impossible to use the two-liquid-mixed adhesive if any one of the containers is lost.
The present invention solves such a problem, and it is an object thereof to provide a packaging bag that eliminates need to house plural types of contents in separate packaging bags and which can be used easily, wherein plural types of contents are separately housed in each partitioned space of a single packaging bag so as to be mixed together inside the packaging bag upon being used.
The subject matters of the present invention for attaining this object are as follows.
1. A packaging bag made of a synthetic resin film as a material, wherein a layer constituting an inner surface is formed of a blend of straight-chain low-density polyethylene resin and polybutene-1 resin, and an internal space of the packaging bag is partitioned by partitioning heat sealed portions that are parallel with opposite heat sealed portions extending perpendicularly to a flowing direction of the film and which are narrower than the opposite heat sealed portions, so as to form a plurality of housing spaces.
2. The packaging bag according to claim 1, wherein a blend ratio between the straight-chain low-density polyethylene resin and the polybutene-1 resin is between 70:30 and 98:2.
3. A packaging bag made of a synthetic resin film as a material, wherein a layer constituting an inner surface is formed of a blend of straight-chain low-density polyethylene resin and polybutene-1 resin, and an internal space of the packaging bag is partitioned by partitioning heat sealed portions having a heat sealed portion that is parallel with opposite heat sealed portions extending perpendicularly to a flowing direction of the film and which is narrower than the opposite heat sealed portions, so as to form a plurality of housing spaces.
4. The packaging bag according to claim 3, wherein a blend ratio between the straight-chain low-density polyethylene resin and the polybutene-1 resin is between 70:30 and 98:2.
5. A packaging bag made using a synthetic resin film as a material, wherein a layer constituting an inner surface is formed of a blend of straight-chain low-density polyethylene resin and polybutene-1 resin, and an internal space of the packaging bag is partitioned by partitioning heat sealed portions that are formed obliquely with respect to opposite heat sealed portions extending perpendicularly to a flowing direction of the film and which are narrower than the opposite heat sealed portions, so as to form a plurality of housing spaces.
6. The packaging bag according to claim 5, wherein a blend ratio between the straight-chain low-density polyethylene resin and the polybutene-1 resin is between 70:30 and 98:2.
7. A packaging bag made using a synthetic resin film as a material, wherein a layer constituting an inner surface is formed of a blend of straight-chain low-density polyethylene resin and polybutene-1 resin, and an internal space of the packaging bag is partitioned by partitioning heat sealed portions having a heat sealed portion that is formed obliquely with respect to opposite heat sealed portions extending perpendicularly to a flowing direction of the film and which is narrower than the opposite heat sealed portions, so as to form a plurality of housing spaces.
8. The packaging bag according to claim 7, wherein a blend ratio between the straight-chain low-density polyethylene resin and the polybutene-1 resin is between 70:30 and 98:2.
This configuration provides a packaging bag that eliminates the need to house plural types of contents in separate packaging bags and which can be used easily, in which plural types of contents such as those to be mixed together upon being used are separately housed in each partitioned housing space of the packaging bag so that before the contents are used, the partitioned housing spaces are externally pressed to increase the internal pressure of the partitioned housing spaces to break the partitioning heat sealed portions in order to mix together the contents housed in the housing spaces.


A printing method uses a reaction liquid containing an aggregating agent capable of causing the aggregation of a color material. This printing method includes: applying a first reaction liquid to a recording medium; applying a background color ink that contains a color material for a background color to a region of the recording medium which is coated with the first reaction liquid; drying the recording medium coated with the background color ink by heating the recording medium; applying a second reaction liquid to a region of the dried recording medium which is coated with the background color ink; and applying an image forming ink that contains a color material having a color different from that of the background color ink to a region of the recording medium which is coated with the second reaction liquid.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing method and a printing apparatus for use in printing images on recording media.
2. Related Art
In one known printing technology, a reaction liquid is applied to a recording medium and then color-material-containing inks are applied to the reaction liquid. The reaction liquid causes the aggregation of the color materials, helping the fixing of these color materials to the recording medium. In another known printing technology, called a "background color precoat printing method," a white ink for use in creating a background is applied to a recording medium and then color inks or other image forming inks are applied to areas of the recording medium which are coated with the white ink. If these technologies are combined, a reaction liquid is applied to a recording medium, then a white ink to the reaction liquid, and image forming inks to the white ink. In this case, a large quantity of white ink is applied to the entire surface of the recording medium in order to create the background of the image. Also, a large quantity of reaction liquid is applied in order to aggregate the white ink. Therefore, just before the image forming inks are applied, large quantities of liquids are present over the recording medium. If the image forming inks are applied to this recording medium, the image forming inks may bleed.
For example JP-A-2014-83789 describes a printing technology in which a reaction liquid is applied separately to a recording medium before a white ink is applied and before image forming inks are applied.
The technology described in JP-A-2014-83789 can decrease the quantity of the reaction liquid applied before the application of the image forming inks. However, a large quantity of reaction liquid is still needed, because the white ink is applied to the entire surface of the recording medium, in which case the image forming inks may also bleed.
The disadvantage described above commonly lies in printing technologies that use a background color ink containing a color material for a background, image forming inks for an image, and a reaction liquid. For example even if a printing method called a "background color postcoat printing method," in which image forming inks are applied to a recording medium and then a background color ink is applied to areas of the recording medium which are coated with the image forming inks is employed, a similar disadvantage may also arise. More specifically, when almost an entire surface of the recording medium is coated with image forming inks or when image forming inks that involve using a large quantity of reaction liquid for aggregation is used, for example, the background color ink may bleed.


In the present invention, a solution containing a target substance is atomized into a mist by ultrasonic oscillation in an ultrasonic atomization chamber, and the target substance is collected by aggregating the atomized mist in a collection chamber, whereby the target substance is separated from the solution. Further, in the present invention, the gas phase pressure in the collection chamber is maintained to be higher than an atmospheric pressure, whereby the saturation vapor pressure of the target substance in the gas phase is made lower than the saturation vapor pressure under atmospheric pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for concentrating a solution that separate and concentrate a higher concentration of alcohol mainly from an alcohol solution such as sake (Japanese rice wine) or sake raw materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
The inventor of the present invention has developed an apparatus for separating alcohol which is a target material exhibiting a physical property of surface excess (See Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication TOKUKAI No. 2001-314724).
With this type of separating apparatus, an ultrasonic atomization chamber with a closed structure is filled with an alcohol solution, and the alcohol solution in the ultrasonic atomization chamber is atomized into a mist by means of ultrasonic oscillation with an ultrasonic oscillator. The alcohol separating apparatus aggregates and collects the atomized mist, and separates a higher concentration of alcohol solution. More specially, the alcohol separating apparatus separates a higher concentration of alcohol solution as a target material as follows.
With an alcohol, which quickly moves to the surface and exhibits a physical property of surface excess, the concentration of alcohol is high at its surface. When the solution is oscillated in this state by ultrasonic oscillation, fine liquid droplets of are ejected into air as a mist from the surface of the solution by ultrasonic oscillation energy. The mist ejected into air has a higher concentration of alcohol. The reason is that the solution at its surface with a higher concentration of alcohol is ejected as the mist. Therefore, a solution with a higher concentration of alcohol can be separated by aggregating and collecting the mist. With this method, a high concentration of alcohol solution can be separated without heating the solution. Thus, a target material can be separated at a high concentration with a less energy consumption. Furthermore, since heating is not necessary, the separating apparatus has an advantage in that the target material can be separated without deterioration of the quality.
It is important in this apparatus that the mist obtained by ultrasonic oscillation is collected with a good efficiency. The mist volatilized into air by ultrasonic oscillation has a higher concentration of the target material than the solution. Part of the mist made of fine liquid droplets is vaporized into gas. When the target material that has become gas is not collected, the collection efficiency will be poor. For this reason, the target material that has become gas is cooled and collected. The reason is as follows. When the gas is cooled, the saturation vapor pressure decreases. Therefore, the target material that has become gas can be liquefied in a supersaturated state. The lower the cooling temperature is, the lower the saturation vapor pressure of the target material will be. For this reason, the amount by which the target material becomes supersaturated increases to enhance the collection efficiency. However, the saturation vapor pressure does not decrease in proportion to the temperature. The lower the temperature is, the lower the ratio of decrease in the saturation vapor pressure will be, even if the temperature is lowered. For this reason, it is difficult in the method of lowering the temperature to collect all of the target material with a high efficiency.
The present invention has been developed in order to collect a target material with a higher efficiency, and an important object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for concentrating a solution that collect a target material with a high efficiency by increasing the pressure in the collection chamber.

Method and apparatus for concentrating a solution


An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a transcriptional enhancer of cytochrome P450 (P450) CYP3A4 production or expression is disclosed, as are uses of the nucleic acid molecule for screening compounds for xenobiotic induction of CYP3A4 expression in cells and animals.

The flagellum of many bacteria appears to be made up of a single protein known as flagellin. The serotyping schemes of E. coli and Salmonella enterica are based on highly variable antigenic surface structures which include the lipopolysaccharide which carries the O antigen and flagellin which is now known to be the carrier of the classical H antigen. In many strains of S. enterica there are two loci (fliC and fljB) which encode flagellin, and a regulatory system which allows one only to be expressed at any time; and which also provides for expression to rapidly alternate between the two forms first identified as two phases (H1 and H2) for the H antigen of most strains. In E. coli there are 54 forms of H antigen recognised and until recently they were all thought to be encoded at the fliC locus, as has been shown for E. coli K-12. However in the 1980s Ratiner [Ratiner Y A "Phase variation of the H antigen in Escherichia coli strain Bi327-41, the standard strain for Escherichia coli flagellin antigen H3" FEMS Microbiol. Lett 15 (1982) 33–36; Ratiner Y A "Presence of two structural genes determining antigenically different phase-specific flagellins in some Escherichia coli strains" FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 19 (1983) 37–41; Ratiner Y A "Two genetic arrangements determining flagellin antigen specificities in two diphasic Escherichia coli strains" FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 29 (1985) 317–323; Ratiner Y A "Different alleles of the flagellin gene hagB in Escherichia coli standard H test strains" FEMS Microbiol Lett. 48 (1987) 97–104] showed that in some cases there are two loci and that expression can alternate. The matter was further complicated by a recent paper by Ratiner [Ratiner Y A (1998) "New flagellin-specifying genes in some Escherichia coli strains" J. Bacteriol. 180 979–984] showing three loci (flk, fll and flm) for flagellin in addition to fliC although the fljB locus has not been found in E. coli. However E. coli strains are normally identified by the combination of one O antigen and one H antigen [and K antigen when present as a capsule (K) antigen], with no problems reported for the vast majority of cases with alternate phases, while S. enterica strains are normally identified by the combination of O, H1 and H2 antigens. It is still not clear how widespread in E. coli H antigens determined by flagellin genes other than fliC are.
Typing is typically carried out using specific antisera. The incidence of pathogenic E. coli in association with human and animal disease supports the need for suitable and rapid typing techniques.


A stackable dolly includes a platform having upper and lower surfaces and a peripheral edge. A plurality of legs are generally coextensive with the platform and extend from the platform beyond the peripheral edge and extend radially outwardly from the platform beyond the platform periphery. Each leg includes an upper surface generally coextensive with the upper surface of the platform a lower surface serving as a mounting surface. The legs are equally angularly spaced from each other about the axis along the periphery of the platform. Casters are secured to each mounting surface of each leg. Engaging members are provided below the platform lower surface each engaging member being arranged approximate to the peripheral edge to abut against the peripheral edge of a cooperating dolly placed below the platform when the platform is supported on the cooperating dolly. The engaging members are restricting lateral movements of the engaged dollies relative to each other. In this manner, a plurality of dollies can be stacked one on top of the other while the engaging members maintain vertical stability of a stack of dollies by preventing adjacent dollies from shifting laterally from each other in relation to the axis.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to general purpose dollies and, more specifically, to a dolly suitable for stacking a plurality of like dollies to minimize space requirements when the dollies are not in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many dolly designs have been proposed for use in moving generally heavy objects. Many of the known dollies can be stacked. However, because they are not generally designed to optimize stacking, when many such dollies are stacked they do not generally stay aligned along a vertical direction but the column of dollies tends to incline or lean from the vertical and become unstable, possibly creating a dangerous condition since the stack may topple and cause injury. Examples of some prior art dollies are disclosed in the following patents:    U.K. Patent No. GB2229151;    U.K. Patent No. GB727568; and    U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,396.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,549 a stacking dolly is disclosed that is specifically designed to render the dolly stackable while rendering a stack of such dollies stable even when a relatively large number of dollies stacked one on top of the other. However, the design disclosed in this patent relies on the use of depressions or apertures in the upper surfaces of the dollies and projections or protuberances projecting downwardly from the dollies intended to be received within the recesses or depressions of adjoining dollies on which they are supported. The problem with this design is that the projections or protuberances need to be precisely aligned with the recesses in a next lower dolly and proper stacking cannot take place unless the projections are received within the cooperating recesses or apertures. However, this may be somewhat inconvenient and time consuming and professionals, such as movers, may not have or wish to take the time out to carefully stack the dollies to make sure that they are properly aligned to optimize the design feature of the dolly.


The Organizational Display for Compact Disc Jewel Boxes (ODCDJB) is designed to organize the cases of Compact Discs (CD) in a manner that is compact yet allows viewing of a large portion of the front face of the CD case and easy access to any of the cases displayed without disturbing adjacent cases. The ODCDJB is useful for organizing the cases of the CD's in a CD Changer.

In recent years the Vinyl Record Album (LP) has been replaced with a new, more reliable, more convenient format known as the Compact Disc (CD). Initially the devices for playing the music on CD's held only one disc at a time. These particular devices leave no question as to what disc is currently in the player. The listener would simply leave that CD's case somewhere, perhaps on top of the CD player, thereby easily allowing the listener to know which CD is in the player. A CD case is analogous to the LP's carboard sleeve. A CD case is typically a plastic box which is a container for the CD and artwork or brochure that describes the contents of the CD. For the purposes of this document a "Jewel Box" is defined to be a CD case and/or the artwork or brochure describing the CD.
More recently CD players have been advanced to hold more than one CD. These advanced machines are known as CD Changers. These CD Changers hold a plurality of CD's and allow the listener to play one of the CD's loaded in the machine thus allowing the listener to change the CD being listened to at the press of a button. This button could be on the machine itself or on a remote control keypad. These new CD Changers, having an internal organization for the CD's loaded within them, make it necessary for the listener to know this organization in order to select a specific CD for play. Most of the CD Changers on the market today have no way of making this organization available to the user without physically opening the changer and visually inspecting its contents. The alternative to this is to organize the Jewel Boxes in a manor that is similar to the internal organization of the CD's in the changer.
The prior art solution to this problem is to simply stack the Jewel Boxes in the same order that the CD's are stored in the CD Changer. There are several problems inherent in this solution. The organization of the CD's in the changer cannot be visually determined from a distance by the listener. Most of the currently available CD Changers have remote controls that allow the listener to control the changer from across a room. This prior art solution does not allow the user to do this because the contents of the CD written on the edge of the Jewel Box is un-readable from a distance. Another inherent problem with the prior art solution is that to access a Jewel box in the center of the stack, Jewel Boxes on either side of it must be handled. This handling makes it possible to get the Jewel Boxes out of order with respect to the order inside the CD Changer. Finally, stacking the Jewel Boxes on top of one another will eventually scratch the Jewel Boxes making them unattractive.
Displays can be found in the prior art that address the problem of displaying flat objects in general and Jewel Boxes in particular. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,940,147 by Douglas J. Hunt, 4,951,826 by Rodney R. Tompkins, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,786 by Otto C. Brown are such items in the prior art. None of these items solve the problems addressed by the Organizational Display for Compact Disc Jewel Boxes (ODCDJB). The prior art typically deals with displaying Jewel Boxes with an artistic intent. A specific organization is not outlined, and other below mentioned objectives of the current invention are not met.

Organizational display for compact disc jewel boxes


Methods and systems for processing and/or superimposing a medical image of an anatomical body (e.g., a heart) with graphical information are provided. Reference elements and/or reference catheter are placed in contact with the anatomical body. A physical structure within a navigational coordinate system is located using the reference elements and/or reference catheter. An image reference within an image coordinate corresponding to the physical structure is located. Location of the image reference can be accomplished, e.g., by displaying the medical image and electronically marking the displayed image reference, or by automatically locating image data corresponding to the image reference. The navigational and image coordinate systems are then registered based on the location of the physical structure within the navigational coordinate system and the location of the image reference within the image coordinate system, which allows graphical information to be accurately merged with the medical image data.

It is often necessary or desirable to determine the location of a medical probe relative to a location of interest within three-dimensional space. In many procedures, such as interventional cardiac electrophysiology therapy, it is important for the physician to know the location of a probe, such as a catheter, (especially, a therapeutic catheter) relative to the patient's internal anatomy. During these procedures, a physician, e.g., steers an electrophysiology mapping catheter through a main vein or artery into the interior region of the heart that is to be treated. The physician then determines the source of the cardiac rhythm disturbance (i.e., the targeted cardiac tissue) by placing mapping elements carried by the catheter into contact with the heart tissue, and operating the mapping catheter to generate an electrophysiology map of the interior region of the heart. Having identified the targeted cardiac tissue, the physician then steers an ablation catheter (which may or may not be the same catheter as the mapping catheter above) into the heart and places an ablating element carried by the catheter tip near the targeted cardiac tissue, and directs energy from the ablating element to ablate the tissue and form a lesion, thereby treating the cardiac disturbance.
Traditionally, navigation of catheters relative to points of interest has been accomplished using fluoroscopy. In this case, radiopaque elements are located on the distal end of the catheter and fluoroscopically imaged as the catheter is routed through the body. As a result, a two-dimensional image of the catheter, as represented by the illuminated radiopaque elements, is generated, thereby allowing the physician to roughly determine the location of the catheter. The use of fluoroscopy in locating catheters is somewhat limited, however, in that the physician is only able to visualize the catheter and surrounding tissues in two dimensions. In addition, fluoroscopy does not image soft tissues, making it difficult for the physician to visualize features of the anatomy as a reference for the navigation. Thus, fluoroscopy is sub-optimal for the purpose of navigating a catheter relative to anatomical structure composed primarily of soft tissues, e.g., within the heart.
Various types of three-dimensional medical systems (e.g., the Realtime Position Management™ (RPM) tracking system, developed commercially by Boston Scientific Corporation and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,027 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/128,304, entitled "A Dynamically Alterable Three-Dimensional Graphical Model of a Body Region," and the CARTO EP Medical system, developed commercially by Biosense Webster and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,199), have been developed, or at least conceived, to address this issue. In these medical systems, a graphical representation of the catheter or a portion thereof is displayed in a three-dimensional computer-generated representation of a body tissue, e.g., a heart chamber. The three-dimensional representation of the body tissue is produced by mapping the geometry of the inner surface of the body tissue in a three-dimensional coordinate system, e.g., by moving a mapping device to multiple points on the body tissue. The position of the device to be guided within the body tissue is determined by placing one or more location elements on the device and tracking the position of these elements within the three-dimensional coordinate system. An electrophysiological map generated from information acquired by the mapping device can also be graphically displayed.
The main difference between the RPM tracking system and the CARTO EP system is that the latter establishes an external coordinate system using magnetic transmitters located outside of the patient's body, whereas the former establishes an internal coordinate system using ultrasound transceivers mounted on reference catheters that are located within the heart itself. Because the measurements taken by the CARTO EP system are performed in an external coordinate system, magnetic sensors must be attached to the patient or within the patient, such as on a reference catheter placed within the heart, so that inadvertent movement of the patient (e.g., movement caused by respiration and/or patient shifting (heart pumping is compensated by gating)) may be compensated for when measuring the location of the mapping device and other devices to be tracked. In contrast, because the measurements taken by the RPM tracking system are performed in an internal coordinate system, which self-compensates as the patient moves (i.e., the internal coordinate system moves as the patient moves), no additional sensors are needed.
Although the uses of the RPM tracking system and CARTO EP system have, to a large extent, been successful in facilitating the navigation of catheters within the cavities of the heart, the graphical representations of the heart chambers lack the resolution produced by conventional imaging systems, such as Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems. This lack of resolution especially impacts the navigation of catheters within and around the complex anatomy of the left atrium and pulmonary veins. In order to more accurately localize catheters, enhance the efficacy of ablative lesions, and reduce procedure time, it has been suggested that high resolution preoperative images, such as those generated by CT and MRI systems, could be merged with three-dimensional graphical information, such as electrophysiological maps and catheter representations.
For example, Biosense Webster has developed a software package, referred to as Cartomerge™, which provides the CARTO EP system with the capability of merging three-dimensional CT images with electrophysiological mapping data. This integrated system requires the user to merge the CT image with the electrophysiological map by matching corresponding anatomical reference points on the image and map. Besides requiring an additional step to be performed by the user, the image integration is only as accurate as that of the anatomical envelope of the electrophysiological map, which as discussed above, lacks the resolution typically seen in a CT image. As such, catheter localization relative to the CT image may be inaccurate to a certain extent. Also, this system requires some type of graphical representation of the heart to be displayed prior to the image merging step, so that the anatomical reference points can be matched. Thus, the CT image cannot be used when initially navigating the catheter within the heart. In addition, integration of the CT image is accomplished within an external coordinate system, thereby requiring additional sensors and/or catheters to compensate for patient movement.
There thus remains a need for a self-compensating system and method that automatically integrates a medical image, such as a CT or MRI image, with a graphical information, such as an electrophysiological map and/or catheter representations.

Method and system for registering an image with a navigation reference catheter


The present invention provides a process for the purification of 2,3-pyridine and quinolinedicarboxylic acid diester compounds via extraction with a mineral acid.

The discovery, development and commercialization of the 2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)pyridine and quinoline compounds as herbicidal agents has given new meaning to the term "weed control"; for within this series of compounds it has been found that some are broad-spectrum or total vegetation herbicides with activity in both herbaceous and woody plants. Others are highly selective weed control agents useful as weed control agents in the presence of crops.
Several processes for the preparation of the herbicidal 2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)pyridines involve the preparation of 2,3-pyridinedicarboxylic acids from 2,3-pyridinedicarboxylic acid diesters, but methods for the preparation of 2,3-pyridinedicarboxylic acid diesters produce impure products. Current methods of production of 2.3-pyridinedicarboxylic acid diesters by various condensation routes provide very impure products (20% to 50% purity). Arduous or time-consuming purification methods are required to provide purified 2.3-pyridinedicarboxylic acid diesters. Distillation has been used to improve the purity initially to as high as about 65% to 70%. However, the distillation is done at high temperatures and at high vacuum and the distillation product is further purified by a second distillation to obtain purified 2,3-pyridinedicarboxylic acid diesters.
Since the purity of the 2,3-pyridinedicarboxylic acid diesters impact directly on the purity of the 2,3-pyridinedicarboxylic acids, a process that would improve the purity of the 2.3-pyridinedicarboxylic acid diesters without requiring the use of time-consuming distillation procedures would provide a great improvement in the processes used to prepare the herbicidal 2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)pyridine and quinoline compounds.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for the purification of 2,3-pyridine and quinolinedicarboxylic acid diester compounds which avoids the use of the arduous or time-consuming purification methods of the prior art.

Process for the purification of 2,3-pyridine and quinolinedicarboxylic acid diester compounds