A method for creating an atmosphere in an area which adjoins an outwardly open, inner portion of a body of a human being or an animal, where the portion is uncovered and has direct contact with a surrounding atmosphere, the method including the steps of supplying a gas to the area, wherein the gas forms a main component in the atmosphere and includes a substantial amount of carbon dioxide. The gas is supplied to the area in a substantially laminar, substantially continuous flow and in such manner that the gas forces air away from the open portion and prevents air from penetrating the area of the open portion. The atmosphere prevents growth of microorganisms including bacteria and viruses in the area.

The present invention refers to a method for creating an atmosphere in an area which adjoins an outwardly open, inner portion of the body of a human being or an animal, comprising the step of supplying a gas to the area which gas forms a main component in said atmosphere. The invention also refers to a device for creating an atmosphere in an area which adjoins an outwardly open, inner portion of the body of a human being or an animal, which device comprises a gas supply member which is connectable to a gas source.
When an outwardly open portion arises on the body of a human being or an animal, the risk for infections due to bacteria or any other micro-organisms increases, which micro-organisms may easily penetrate the body because the protective skin is removed. Such open portions arise in connection with operations and other surgery operations and in the case of open wounds, which may have been caused by different injuries, accidents or diseases. In order to reduce this risk of infection one attempts, at least at hospitals, to keep the surrounding atmosphere and the skin as sterile as possible by filtering and cleaning, respectively, and by the use of different types of disinfectant. Of course it is important to close as quick as possible such open portions to prevent the penetration of bacteria.
Furthermore, in connection with operations tissues and vessels are exposed to air, the main components of which, i.e. nitrogen and oxygen, hardly dissolve in tissue. This results in an activation of a plurality of so-called cascade systems, inter alia within coagulation. Within vessel and heart surgery, the situation is more complicated by the fact that due to the opening of the vessels and the heart one can both actively and passively introduce air into the cavities of the vessels and the heart. Thereafter, it is very difficult to remove completely the air from the vessels and the heart merely by blood filling without air bubbles being further transported with the bloodstream, due to the fact that air mixed with blood gives bubbles similar to a foam. When the bubbles of air are transported with the bloodstream to the capillaries, the bubbles remain in the capillaries during some minutes, whereafter they are slowly absorbed or slowly pass the capillaries. The inside of the vessels, including the inside of the capillaries, is covered with endothelial, which is very depending on oxygen, i.e. depending on the oxygen bond in the blood, and a remaining air bubble in a small vessel or capillary results in an endothelium injury. Also when the bubble has been absorbed or transported further this activates and results in the injured endothelium wall being covered by white blood cells which in turn already can be ready to attach to the injured endothelium due to the so called operation trauma and/or the exposing to foreign material through for example the use of a heart-lung-machine. The result is an embolisation, i.e. a blocking of the vessel and the capillary of firstly the air bubble, which remains in the vessel during in the range of minutes, and secondly of white blood cells, which remain during a long time because of the following reaction between the injured endothelium and active white blood cells. Thereby, the area which is supported by the vessel and the capillary gets no blood support, whereby in particular oxygen depending tissue, especially the brain, is injured.
The object of the present invention is to create a desired atmosphere in connection with outwardly open body portions, such as in connection with surgery operations. In particular, according to a first aspect of the invention, it is aimed at the prevention of bacteria growth in such portions and according to a second aspect of the invention, it is aimed at a reduction of the problem of embolisation in connection with surgery operations, in particular vessel and heart surgery.
This object is obtained by the device initially defined and characterized in that said gas comprises a substantial amount of carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide has bacteriostatic/bactericidal properties and by creating an atmosphere of carbon dioxide in an area, which surrounds an open portion of the body, one may effectively prevent a bacterial growth in the open portion, for example a wound or a surgical cut. Moreover, the supplied carbon dioxide may be substantially completely sterile, i.e. the supplied gas comprises no micro-organisms or bacteria, and in this way bacteria or micro-organisms which exist in the surrounding air are prevented from reaching said area. The bacteria or micro-organisms which exist in the area or which for some reason would manage to penetrate the area can however not propagate themselves. Furthermore, one may by the supply of the carbon dioxide gas prevent the entrance of the surrounding air to an open area of the body in connection with an operation or a surgery operation. Consequently, air may not penetrate the bloodstream and cause the above discussed air embolisation. Carbon dioxide, which in relation to the main components in air, i.e. oxygen and nitrogen, has a high solubility in tissue, may be permitted to penetrate the open body portion because carbon dioxide is not going to create bubbles but rapidly be resorbed in the tissue and in this way embolisation and thereby blocking of small vessels and capillaries, may be avoided. Consequently, the carbon dioxide does not remain as bubbles in the blood vessels and will therefore not prevent the bloodstream in the same way as common air. Moreover, carbon dioxide is more heavy than air and therefore one may in a simple way create an atmosphere free from air in said area, since the more heavy carbon dioxide will pass downwardly into the open body portion and force away the air which exists down in this open portion. Furthermore, the carbon dioxide is substantially inert with regard to living organisms at least when it appears in moderate quantities.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, said gas is supplied to the area in a substantially continuous flow. In this way, it is possible to guarantee an atmosphere which is free from air in said area although some of the supplied gas leaves the area.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, said gas is supplied to the area in a substantially laminar flow. By such a laminar flow, it is possible to supply said gas in a controlled way and thereby it is also possible to avoid or at least substantially reduce the presence of turbulence in the area, which otherwise might result in the suction of air from the surrounding atmosphere into the area.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the area is shielded off from the surrounding atmosphere in such a way that the supplied gas is kept within the area. By such a shielding off, the surrounding air is also prevented from penetrating the area, and consequently the maintaining of the atmosphere free from air is facilitated.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, a stream of said gas is supplied in a direction towards a part of said inner body portion. At least in some cases such a simple performing of the method, with only one or a few flow streams of said gas, is enough for keeping, within a limited area, the atmosphere substantially free from air.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, said gas is humidified before it is supplied to the area. In such a way, one may in an effective way reduce the evaporation from the open portion and consequently prevent dehydration.
The object is also obtained by the device initially defined and characterized by a gas source which comprises a gas with a substantial amount carbon dioxide and in that the gas supply member is arranged to supply said gas to said area in such a way that the carbon dioxide forms a main component in said atmosphere.
According to embodiments of the instant invention, the gas supply member may permit the supply of the gas to the area in a substantially continuous flow. The gas supply member may also comprise a nozzle which is arranged to supply the gas in a substantially laminar flow to the area. The gas supply member may further include a shield member, which is provided to be arranged around the area and to prevent the supplied gas from exiting the area. Further, the gas supply member may include several nozzle openings, which are arranged to direct a flow of the gas towards the center of the area. Also, the gas supply member may be configured so that nozzle openings are provided in a ring-shaped configuration, which is arranged to surround the area.
The object is also obtained by a use of carbon dioxide for the manufacture of a medicament to be supplied to an outwardly open inner portion of the body of a human being or an animal in order to create an atmosphere, which prevents growth of micro-organisms comprising bacteria and virus in said area. Furthermore, the object is obtained by a use of carbon dioxide for the manufacture of a medicament to be supplied to an outwardly open inner portion of the body of a human being or an animal in order to create an atmosphere, which prevents penetration of air into said area.

Method and a device for producing an atmosphere in a region, and use of carbon dioxide for the manufacture of a medicament


An apparatus for sorting and rearranging mails in the sequence sorting is disclosed, in which a multiplicity of mails are loaded in a sorter controlled by a computer to cause the sorter to perform a plurality of sorting passes. A delivery information list has recorded therein the delivery information including the sequence sorting and addresses. A serial number list has stored therein two-digit serial numbers including first-order digit of serial numbers for the first sorting pass and second-order digits of the serial numbers for the second sorting pass set in the sequence sorting corresponding to the delivery information list. A recognition unit recognizes the address of each of the mails loaded in the sorter and sorted in the order of the first-order digit of the serial number. A number-of-mails matrix table records the number of mails by the address recognized in the recognition unit in the first sorting pass. Before the sorting operation by the second-order digit, the second-order digit of the serial number is reassigned based on the number-of-mails matrix table to prevent the overflow at any bins or stackers during the sorting operation by the second-order digit. Then, the mails sorted by the first-order digit are loaded in the sorter in the order of the particular serial number to perform the sorting operation in accordance with the reassigned second-order digit of the serial number.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for sorting mails by destination address and rearranging them in sequence sorting.
The mail processing is roughly divided into the dispatch sorting work and the delivery sorting work. The dispatch sorting work is the one in which mails received are sorted by the destination area in the post office. The delivery sorting work, on the other hand, is the one in which mails for delivery are sorted by the territory of each postman and rearranged by the postman in the sequence sorting in the particular territory.
A most portion of sequence sorting has conventionally been performed manually and represents a large proportion of the postmen's work time. Demand is now high for improving the efficiency of the delivery sorting work, i.e., for mechanization and automation of the entire delivery sorting work including sequence sorting.
With the aim of eliminating the conventional manual work, an information mechanization plan is going on for improving the mail process by introducing a new postal code (ZIP code) system. Specifically, address described on mails are read and corresponding address codes are printed on the mails. For delivery sorting and sequence sorting, the sorter reads the address code printed on each mail and thus automatically sorts the mails. As a result, more detailed sorting by machine than the current sorting system becomes possible for delivery. In this way, all the sorting work for delivery including sequence sorting can be mechanized theoretically.
The prior art related to the above-mentioned techniques are disclosed in JP-B2-3-18952 and JP-B2-61-14878.
In the technique disclosed in JP-B2-3-18952, each of paper items (mails) carries an indication representing a plurality of high and low hierarchical sorting levels. Mails in stages of high-level sorting are sorted by a radial sorting system, and mails in stages of low-level sorting are sorted by a rearrangement sorting system. Consequently, the mails are sorted a lesser number of times, and even in the case where the sorter goes out of order during the sorting operation, the result of sorting already completed remains unaffected and can be effectively utilized to continue subsequent sorting work.
The system disclosed in JP-B2-61-14878, on the other hand, concerns the technique in which mails are sorted according to an indication carried thereon representing a plurality of coarse and fine sorting levels. In the coarse sorting, the number of all the mails processed is stored by destination area in a memory. On the basis of this information, the mails addressed to given areas, which have been processed and are fewer than a predetermined number, are stacked in the same deposit section in the fine sorting stage. As a result, the number of mails in each deposit section can be averaged out thereby facilitating the mailing work.
As described with reference to the prior art above, several methods are available for rearranging data using the computer. Generally, however, the cardinal number sorting method is well known. The cardinal number sorting method accomplished in two levels will be described below. In this method, mails are rearranged by number based on the same principle as the conventional rearrangement sorting system.
Assume that mails carrying two-digit numbers are rearranged by the number. In the first pass, mails are sorted by the first-order digit. In other words, mails having the same least-significant digit are singled out. In the second pass, the mails rearranged in the first pass are applied in that order through the sorter. The mails are thus sorted and rearranged by the second-order digit of the number. In this way, all the mails to be sorted can be arranged according to the two-digit numbers.
In the cardinal number sorting method described above in which mails are rearranged in two sorting passes, however, some mails sorted in the second pass may overflow. In other words, mails may be stacked in some bin or stacker beyond their capacity. In such a case, extra mails that have overflown are stacked in a collective deposit section. These extra mails are disrupted in order, thereby making the first-pass sorting useless.

Method and apparatus for sorting and rearranging mails in sequence sorting


A nonvolatile semiconductor device which can be driven at low voltage is provided. A nonvolatile semiconductor device with low power consumption is provided. A Schmitt trigger NAND circuit and a Schmitt trigger inverter are included. Data is held in a period when the supply of power supply voltage is continued, and a potential corresponding to the data is stored at a node electrically connected to a capacitor before a period when the supply of power supply voltage is stopped. By utilizing a change in channel resistance of a transistor whose gate is connected to the node, the data is restored in response to the restart of the supply of power supply voltage.

A semiconductor device such as a programmable logic device (PLD) or a central processing unit (CPU) has a variety of configurations depending on its application. The semiconductor device generally includes a memory device; the PLD includes a register and a configuration memory, and the CPU includes a register and a cache memory.
These memory devices need to operate at higher speed in writing and reading data than a main memory for which a DRAM is generally used. Thus, in many cases, a flip-flop is used as a register, and a static random access memory (SRAM) is used as a configuration memory and a cache memory.
The SRAM achieves high-speed operation with miniaturization of a transistor; however, there is a problem in that as the transistor is miniaturized, an increase in leakage current becomes obvious and thus, power consumption is increased. In order to reduce power consumption, an attempt has been made to stop the supply of power supply voltage to a semiconductor device in a period when data is not input or output, for example.
However, a flip-flop used as a register and an SRAM used as a cache memory are volatile memory devices. Therefore, in the case where the supply of power supply voltage to a semiconductor device is stopped, data which has been lost in a volatile memory device such as a register or a cache memory need to be restored after the supply of power supply voltage is restarted.
In view of this, a semiconductor device in which a nonvolatile memory device is located on the periphery of a volatile memory device has been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which data held by a flip-flop or the like is stored in a ferroelectric memory before the supply of power supply voltage is stopped, and the data stored in the ferroelectric memory is restored to the flip-flop or the like after the supply of power supply voltage is restarted.
One effective method for reducing power consumption of a semiconductor device such as a PLD or a CPU is to decrease power supply voltage. Power consumption is proportional to power supply voltage; therefore, as power supply voltage decreases, power consumption can be reduced.
However, a low power supply voltage results in a low ratio of on-state current to off-state current of a transistor. This causes a logic circuit to have an unstable output voltage and the transistor to have an increased leakage current.
In view of this, a circuit for ensuring a sufficient ratio of on-state current to off-state current of a transistor has been proposed. For example, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a flip-flop for which a Schmitt trigger circuit is used and which can be driven at low voltage. With the use of a Schmitt trigger circuit for a flip-flop, a stable output voltage can be obtained even at a low power supply voltage, and power consumption can be reduced with a low flow-through current.

Semiconductor device having Schmitt trigger NAND circuit and Schmitt trigger inverter

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


There is provided a dry etching method which does not contribute to earth anathermal due to the green house effect and which has a good etching characteristics. According to the present invention, the flow rates of Ar, O.sub.2, and C.sub.3 F.sub.6 supplied from gas sources 152, 154 and 156 are regulated by a mass flow controller MFC 146, 148 and 150 and valves 140, 142 and 144, respectively, to be mixed. The mixed gas is introduced onto a wafer W via a gas introducing pipe 138, a gas inlet 134, a space 130 and through holes 124a while the flow ratio of O.sub.2 to C.sub.3 F.sub.6 is set to be 0.1.ltoreq.O.sub.2 /C.sub.3 F.sub.6 .ltoreq.1.0 and the partial pressure of C.sub.3 F.sub.6 is set to be in the range of from 0.5 mTorr to 2.0 mTorr.

The present invention relates generally to a dry etching method.
In conventionally proposed dry etching methods, an object to be processed is mounted in a sealed processing chamber, and a processing gas is introduced into the processing chamber. Then, the processing chamber is evacuated to a reduced pressure atmosphere. Thereafter, high-frequency power is applied to an electrode formed in the processing chamber to excite plasma, and the object to be processed is etched by etchant ions in the plasma.
In such dry etching methods, etching gases used for etching a silicon oxide layer, e.g., a silicon oxide film (which will be hereinafter referred to as a "SiO.sub.2 film"), formed on a surface to be processed, of an object to be processed, e.g., a semiconductor wafer (which will be hereinafter referred to as a "wafer"), include, e.g., CF.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, C.sub.3 F.sub.8, c-C.sub.4 F.sub.8 and CHF.sub.3. It is known that these gases are incombustible, low toxic and low reactive, so that these gases can be safely handled.
Recently CF.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, C.sub.3 F.sub.8, c-C.sub.4 F.sub.8 and CHF.sub.3, c-C.sub.4 F.sub.8 have been noted in order to fabricate a semiconductor device of a hyperfine structure. For example, it is reported in "ULSI Dry Etching Technology Forum '96 opened on May 21, 1996" that c-C.sub.4 F.sub.8, which is a gas having a high C/F ratio (a ratio of C atomicity to F atomicity), is effectively used as a processing gas having both of anisotropy and selectivity in a high-density plasma.
If a processing gas introduced into a processing chamber has not contributed to a process, the processing gas is directly emitted to the atmosphere. The CF.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, C.sub.3 F.sub.8, c-C.sub.4 F.sub.8 and CHF.sub.3 have infrared absorbing ability. It is also pointed out in "Climate Change 1995, IPCC, Cambridge Univ. Press" that these gases are very stable and are not easily decomposable if emitted to the atmosphere, and their lifetimes in the atmosphere are very long, 2,600 to 50,000 years, so that these gases cause the earth warming which maintains the green house effect for a long time.
As described in "Science, Vol. 259, Jan. 8, 1993", the reasons why the lifetimes of CF.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, C.sub.3 F.sub.8, c-C.sub.4 F.sub.8 and CHF.sub.3 in the atmosphere are long are that these compounds rarely cause reactions, which are caused by usual compounds in the atmosphere, such as hydrolysis, oxidative decomposition and photolysis, and that radicals existing locally in the atmosphere, e.g., OH, H and O radicals, have very low reactivity with these compounds. It is also reported in "Nikkei Sangyo Shinbun dated on Jul. 1, 1996" that although it is required to take measures to solve the earth anathermal problem due to CF.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, C.sub.3 F.sub.8, c-C.sub.4 F.sub.8 and CHF.sub.3, no measures have been taken.
As processing gases for SiO.sub.2 films in conventional sources of plasma of a low degree of dissociation, CHF.sub.3 is effective. However, in accordance with the recent miniaturization of semiconductor devices, the pressure of the plasma used for etching processes is decreased, and the density of the plasma is increased. Consequently, if CHF.sub.3, which produces a small number of F atoms by discharge dissociation using a source of plasma of a low degree of dissociation, is used for a high-density plasma source, a great number of F atoms are produced by a high gas decomposing efficiency. Moreover, it is pointed out in "ULSI Dry Etching Technology Forum '96 opened on May 21, 1996" that CHF.sub.3 is not suitable for etching processes of semiconductor devices, i.e., SiO.sub.2 films, which are required to be hyperfine-patterned, since the etch selectivity to Si and the etch selectivity to a resist are decreased if CHF.sub.3 is used for a high-density plasma source.
Therefore, in view of the prevention of the earth anathermal and the fine patterning of semiconductor devices, it is considered that as gases substituted for CF.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, C.sub.3 F.sub.8, c-C.sub.4 F.sub.8 and CHF.sub.3, e.g., the same CF type of perfluoro olefins are used. However, most of perfluoro olefins are difficult to handle. In particular, C.sub.2 F.sub.4 (perfluoroethylene), c-C.sub.4 F.sub.6 (perfluorocyclobutene) and C.sub.4 F.sub.8 (perfluoroisobutene or perfluorobutylene) are very difficult to handle. For example, it is described in "12394 Chemical Products by Kagaku Kogyo Nippo-sha" that C.sub.2 F.sub.4 is an inflammable gas, and very sensitive to moisture, temperature and iron, and causes an explosive reaction. It is also described in "Fluorine Compounds, Kodansha Scientific" that c-C.sub.4 F.sub.6 has an acute toxicity equal to that of phosgene known as a toxic gas (LC50 is 20 ppm after exposure for 1 hour). Moreover, it is described in the same book that the acute toxicity of C.sub.4 F.sub.8 is ten times as large as that of phosgene.
However, it is described in "Material Safety Data Sheets, Occupational Health Services Inc." that among perfluoro olefins, most of which are difficult to be handled, only C.sub.3 F.sub.6 (perfluoropropene) is incombustible and low reactive. It is also described in "Fluorine Compounds, Kodansha Scientific" that C.sub.3 F.sub.6 (perfluoropropene) has a far lower acute toxicity than those of c-C.sub.4 F.sub.6 and C.sub.4 F.sub.8 since LC50 exposed for 4 hours is 3,000 ppm. Moreover, it is considered that the toxicity of C.sub.3 F.sub.6 is not so high since the high-pressure gas law, which provides that a toxic gas should be controlled in a permissible concentration of below 200 ppm, does not apply to C.sub.3 F.sub.6 as the toxic gas.
In addition, since it is described in "Material Safety Data Sheets, Occupational Health Service Inc." that C.sub.3 F.sub.6 is gradually hydrolyzed in the atmosphere, it is difficult to consider that C.sub.3 F.sub.6 is a compound having a lifetime of thousands years in the atmosphere. Moreover, since it is predicted from the descriptions of "Science, Vol. 259, Jan. 8, 1993" that substances gradually hydrolyzed in the atmosphere have a lifetime of years or less in the atmosphere, it is considered that C.sub.3 F.sub.6 is not a long-lifetime gas causing the green house effect.
As described above, C.sub.3 F.sub.6 scarcely causes the green house effect, and can be excellently handled. However, the technology for etching a SiO.sub.2 film using C.sub.3 F.sub.6 has scarcely been reported. In addition, all of currently reported technologies can not effectively carry out etching processes. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-170026 discloses the technology for controlling the surface temperature of a substrate to be etched, so as to be below 50.degree. C. to etch the substrate using C.sub.3 F.sub.6. However, since the surface temperature of the substrate to be etched rises abruptly to about 100.degree. C. when the substrate is exposed to plasma during processing, it is required to provide a very large cooling facility in order to control the surface temperature of the substrate to be below 50.degree. C. Furthermore, since a resist is denatured if the surface temperature of the substrate to be etched is higher than 120.degree. C., it is required to control the surface temperature of the substrate to be below 120.degree. C.
In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-133630 discloses an etching method using a mixed gas of C.sub.3 F.sub.6 and CHF.sub.3. However, it is pointed out in "Climate Change 1995, IPCC, Cambridge Univ. Press" that CHF.sub.3 is a gas causing the green house effect, and it is not considered that CHF.sub.3 is a practical processing gas. Moreover, comparative data on the etching characteristics of CHF.sub.3 and C.sub.3 F.sub.6 are described in "J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A12(3), May/June 1994" and "J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A12(4), July/August 1994". It is reported therein that, in the reactive ion etching for forming a contact hole and so forth, the etching rate of C.sub.3 F.sub.6 decreases by a greater value than that of CHF.sub.3 as the aspect ratio increases, so that the etching characteristic of C.sub.3 F.sub.6 is inferior to that of CHF.sub.3.


The present invention relates to N-chloro-N-methyl glucamine and N-chloro-N-methyl glucamine esters, and their use as agents for water disinfection and as mild oxidizing agents for the radiolabeling of oxidation-sensitive biomolecules.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to N-chloro-N-methyl glucamine and N-chloro-N-methyl glucamine esters, and their use as agents for water disinfection and as mild oxidizing agents for the radiolabeling of oxidation-sensitive organic molecules.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chloramines are widely known as useful water disinfecting agents. Among the most popular chloramine water disinfecting agents is halazone (p-N,N-dichlorosulfamylbenzoic acid). While effective, halazone suffers from some important disadvantages, including its strong, unpleasant chlorine odor, its sensitivity to light, its relatively low solubility in water, and, perhaps most importantly, the formation of potentially carcinogenic chlorinated hydrocarbons which are generated as the result reaction with impurities commonly found in water supplies. In view of these disadvantages, it should be apparent that there still exists a need in the art for improved water disinfecting agents.
Chloramines, in particular chloramine-T (CAT) are frequently used in the radiolabeling of organic molecules by halogenation, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,402 ("the '402 patent"), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. According to the method of the '402 patent an organic molecule may be radiolabeled by reaction with .sup.125 I.sub.2. Normally, the .sup.125 I.sub.2 is released from its sodium salt by oxidation with chloramine-T. The disadvantage of this procedure is that residual CAT in the reaction mixture frequently causes oxidative decomposition of the organic molecule rendering the procedure useless. There exists a need for a mild oxidizing agent that is capable of releasing molecular halogens from their salts without oxidizing organic molecules to be labeled.
N-methyl glucamine is known in the prior art as a solubilizing agent in the formulation of intravenous pharmaceuticals, enabling high concentrations of pharmaceuticals to be administered. However, prior to the present invention the particular substituted glucamines of the present invention, and their use in the purification of water, was not known.

Derivatives of N-chloro-N-methyl glucamine and N-chloro-N-methyl glucamine esters

University of Kentucky Research Foundation


A graft copolymer containing one or more ethylenically-unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, nitrogen- and oxygen-containing graftable monomers grafted to a polyolefin is disclosed. Novel monomers, methods of making such monomers, and graft copolymers comprising such monomers are based on reacting an acylating agent with an amine to form a reaction product. The reaction product may include more than one chemical compound formed from the combination of the acylating agent and the amine. The monomer is the graftable, ethylenically unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, nitrogen- and oxygen-containing compound(s) of the reaction product. The monomer may, but need not, be recovered from the product mixture. The preferred monomer is the reaction product of maleic anhydride and 4-aminodiphenylamine. Also described is a method of making a dispersant viscosity index improver. The monomer of the present invention may be grafted to a polyolefin in solutions or melts. Also described is a lubricating oil comprising a base oil and a grafted polyolefin as described above.

Grafted copolymers of nitrogenous, heterocyclic monomers with polyolefins having pendant ethylenically unsaturated moieties have previously been proposed for use in lubricating oils as viscosity index improving (VII) agents and as dispersants for keeping the insoluble materials in the crankcase of an internal combustion engine in suspension. Among many graftable polyolefins suggested for this use are ethylene-propylene polyolefins, grafted with 0.3% by weight of N-vinylimidazole. U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,255, column 10, lines 52-53. Other examples in the same patent are "statistic" copolymers, which are distinguished from grafted copolymers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,255, column 4, lines 5-13.
Another material for use as both a viscosity index improver and a dispersant is a polymer containing N-vinyl pyrrolidone and an alkyl methacrylate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,489, column 1, lines 51-62.
Grafted polyolefins for use as lubricating oil additives have been prepared by dissolving the selected polyolefin in a solvent (which may be a lubricating oil base stock), adding an organic peroxide as a free radical generator (also referred to herein as an initiator), holding the mixture at an elevated temperature to form active sites on the polyolefin, adding the graftable monomer, and allowing the mixture to react at an elevated temperature for long enough to form the desired grafted polyolefin. U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,255, column 4, line 54, to column 5, line 12.
The prior art also suggests that the grafting reaction to form a dispersant VII grafted polyolefin can be controlled to avoid by-products by combining the polyolefin, graftable monomer, and initiator at a temperature below the initiation (reaction) temperature of the initiator, then heating the mixture to above that initiation (reaction) temperature to begin the reaction. U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,489. Example 1 of the '489 patent suggests that the initiation (reaction) temperature of di-t-butyl peroxide is between 160° C. and 170° C. Addition of the initiator in two stages is suggested in Example 4 of the same patent. A grafted polyolefin containing 1-10% by weight, preferably 2-6% by weight, most preferably about 3% by weight of the grafted monomer is taught. '489 patent, column 3, lines 11-15.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,008 describes a grafted polyolefin containing at least about 13 moles of N-vinylimidazole or other ethylenically-unsaturated nitrogen-containing and/or oxygen-containing monomers per mole of a grafted polyolefin backbone. Also described is a lubricating oil comprising a lubricant base oil and a grafted polyolefin as described above. Also described is a method of making a dispersant-viscosity index improver. N-vinylimidazole or other ethylenically unsaturated nitrogen-containing and/or oxygen-containing monomers and a graftable polyolefin are reacted with enough of an initiator to graft at least about 13 moles of the monomer to each mole of the polyolefin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,126 describes a grafted polyolefin containing one or more of N-vinylimidazole, 4-vinylpyridine, and other ethylenically-unsaturated nitrogen-containing and/or oxygen-containing graftable monomers grafted to a polyolefin copolymer. Also described is a lubricating oil comprising a lubricant base oil and a grafted polyolefin as described above. Also described is a method of making a dispersant viscosity index improver. N-vinyl-imidazole or other ethylenically unsaturated nitrogen-containing and/or oxygen-containing graftable monomers and a graftable polyolefin are reacted with enough of an initiator to graft the monomer to the polyolefin. The initiator and/or graftable monomer is added to the other ingredients, maintained at the reaction temperature, over a period of time. The reaction temperature is maintained at a level high enough to give acceptable reaction times. The monomer and the initiator each can be added at a uniform, relatively slow rate during the reaction. Also described is a method of making a dispersant viscosity index improver using melt reaction conditions. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,814,586, 5,874,389, and 6,300,289 claim priority through one or more continuations of the application that issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,126 and accordingly have the same disclosure.
Other patents disclose the preparation of dispersant viscosity index improvers by reacting a polyolefin with an acylating agent, and thereafter reacting with an amine so as to form a copolymer having nitrogenous moieties. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,019 describes reaction products prepared by reacting (a) interpolymers of ethylene, one or more C3-C8 alpha-monoolefins, and one or more polyenes selected from non-conjugated dienes and trienes, with (b) one or more ethylenic carboxylic acid acylating agents to form an acylating reaction intermediate which is further reacted with (c) an amine. These reaction products are said to be useful as multi-functional additives to a variety of lubricating oils for enhancing their dispersancy as well as improving their viscosity-temperature relationship.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,367 describes a process for carrying out multiple sequential reactions in a single reactor. A polymer melt is reacted with a first set of reagents to form a grafted functional compound, and thereafter the polymer melt is reacted with a second and different set of reagents to include functionalities that are desired in the final product. The first set of reagents may be unsaturated mono- or poly-carboxylic acids and cyclic anhydrides, salts, esters, imides, amides, nitrites, and other substituted derivatives from said acids. A preferred grafted functional compound is maleic anhydride. The second set of reagents may include alcohols, thioalcohols, and amines, with amines being preferred. Suitable amines include primary amines, N-arylphenylenediamines, aminoperimidines, aminoindoles, aminoindazolinones, and aminomercaptotriazole.

Preparation of monomers for grafting to polyolefins, and lubricating oil compositions containing grafted copolymer


An exclusive VCC is maintained between each two communicating work stations (MT pair). The handoff method differs if the MT moves to a coverage area having a base station connected to the same switch as the previous coverage area (intra-switch mobility) or to a coverage area having a base station connected to a different switch than the previous coverage area (inter-switch mobility). In intra-switch mobility, the switch changes the path directly to the new base station and eliminates the path through the original base station. In inter-switch mobility, the switch performs the path set-up. The path may be elongated from the switch connected to the original BS, to the new BS, rather than from the original BS to the new BS. This eliminates the path through the original base station. The exclusive VCC between the MT pair permits path elongation to be minimized.

Wireless local area networks (WLANs) comprise a network of wireless work stations which communicate with each other and a central file server via wireless communication. Because no wire connects the work stations to the network, a WLAN network is easier to install than conventional wired local area networks (LAN) and allows the work stations to be mobile. WLANs may be used, for example, in retail stores and factories, using palmtop computers as work stations to track inventory and the like. Another use is in hospitals, where wireless work stations may be taken to each patient's bed to keep track of medications given, vital signs, etc. One limitation of WLANs is that they are limited to a total network area of only several hundred yards. In order to increase the coverage of a WLAN, one or more WVLANs may be connected via an interface to a conventional wired LAN. This connection allows WLANs to cover larger areas, such as several floors in a building.
FIG. 1 illustrates a network 50 comprising a WLAN connected to a wired LAN. In this illustration, the wired LAN 52 is preferably an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network. ATM networks are preferred because they provide sufficient network bandwidth and easily integrate with existing networks, such as telephone and database networks. A person skilled in the art understands, however, that wired LANS using other protocols are also suitable. The LAN 52 has one or more switches 54, 56, 58 physically connected to it. Each switch 54, 56, 58 is physically connected to a base station (BS) 60a-60f. The base stations 60 are the interfaces between the LAN and WLAN. Each base station 60 defines an area of wireless communication coverage called a coverage area (represented in FIG. 1 as a circle) 62a-62f. A wireless work station, also called a mobile terminal (MT) 64, may be in wireless communication with the base station 60 covering the coverage area 62 in which the MT 64 is located. If the MT 64 travels from one coverage area to another, the network must be able to reroute communications to that MT 64 at its new location. This rerouting, known as a handoff, is preferably seamless, e.g., not apparent to the network users. The following three rules should be met for seamless handoffs:
(1) the data continuity should not be interrupted; PA1 (2) the handoff should be transparent to other users; and PA1 (3) the handoff should add only minimum loading to the network.
One method satisfying the first two rules is proposed in Goodman, et al., "Network Control for Wireless Communications," IEEE Comm. Mag. 116-24 Dec. 1992. This paper proposes a "path elongation" method.
This path elongation method provides for designating a virtual channel connection (VCC) between each pair of base stations in the WLANs and/or LANs (e.g., both wireless and wired networks). In known methods, a VCC is a virtual connection between two end stations (e.g., base stations). In an ATM system, a VCC is established before data is transmitted. An example of this method is as follows. A first MT wants to transmit a communication to a second MT. The second MT is moving from one coverage area to another, thus a handoff should be made. At the time of a handoff, the first MT transmits a wireless transmission to its current BS. This transmission is in a frame format used in wireless communications. The first MT's base station translates the communication from the frame format into a cell format used in ATM communications. The BS in which the second MT was just previously located receives the communication and translates it from a cell to a frame format. The previous BS is aware that the second recipient MT has moved to a new location. The BS translates the communication from the frame to the cell format and transfers the communication to the second MT's new BS along a newly established VCC between the base stations. The second MT's new BS then reassembles the cell format communication into a frame format communication and transmits it to the second MT.
When the second MT enters a new coverage area, it changes the database inside itself to reflect the new BS as the one in which it is currently located. The second MT also notifies the new BS of the identity of the previous BS. The new BS acknowledges the MT and adds it to a database it has of MT's for which it is responsible and begins to route communications to the MT accordingly. The new BS also informs the old BS that the MT is now located within its coverage area and may be reached through the new BS. The old BS then adjusts its database to forward any communications it receives for the second MT to the new BS. The new BS acknowledges to the second MT that the handoff is complete.
With this method, the elongation of the data path increases with increased terminal mobility. This elongation of the data path is seen with reference to FIG. 2 which shows a more complicated WLAN and LAN network 50'. This network includes six switches 54 (switches A-F). Three base stations 60g, 60h, and 60i are shown connected to switch C. One base station 60k is shown connected to switch F. The communication path 66 between MT.sub.g, initially located in coverage area 62g and MT.sub.k located in coverage area 62k is from BS 60g.fwdarw.switch C.fwdarw.switch A.fwdarw.switch F.fwdarw.BS 60k. As MT 64g moves through different coverage areas, the path 66 becomes increasingly elongated. As seen in FIG. 2, MT 64g moves from coverage area 62g through 62h and 62i and ends in 62j. BS 60.sub.j, which covers coverage area 62j, is connected to switch D. The path 66 becomes increasingly large (e.g., elongated) with each move in FIG. 2. (Note that the path 66 enters and exits switch C four times). Each time the communication is received by a BS, the communication is translated from the ATM cell format to the wireless transmission frame format. When the BS determines that the communication is not to be transmitted into the coverage area, but rather forwarded to another BS, the BS translates the communication back to the cell format and forwards it. The increased communication path 66 of this elongation method violates the third rule above, because it leads to delay, bandwidth waste, and other disadvantages contrary to the needs of high speed network transmission.
At the January 1995 ATM Forum, a regulation for "LAN Emulation Over ATM: Version 1.0 Specification" was developed. The Goodman et al. path elongation method complies with this regulation. The basic principle of LAN emulation (LE) is establishing a VCC between each base station pair so that all of the work stations on the ATM LAN and WLAN can communicate with each other through a VCC. The recipient MT's base station first assembles the ATM cells into wireless data frames and then transmit the frames to the MTs according to the address.
The LE Version 1.0 Specification is based on wired LAN properties, which allows a conventional connection free (e.g., wireless) media-sharing network architecture to connect easily with a connection oriented (e.g., wired) ATM network.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a seamless handoff method for a mobile terminal in a WLAN.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a handoff method that reduces the delay caused by the VCC path elongation.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a WLAN emulation system for use in an existing LE environment to increase the LE environment's compatibility and real-time efficiency.

Seamless handoff for a wireless lan/wired lan internetworking


A solar energy system for collecting and converting solar energy to electricity using photovoltaic devices. The system further includes reflective panels to concentrate incident solar energy onto an array of solar panels, as well as an automated sun tracking system to rotate the solar and reflective panels to follow the sun.

Photovoltaic (PV) devices, such as solar panels, are used to collect convert incident radiation from the sun (sunlight) into electricity. Such solar panels generate electricity directly from sunlight semiconductor materials in which electrons are freed by solar energy and can be induced to travel through an electrical circuit. In use, an array of one or more solar panels is typically installed on a roof, or on one or more carriers affixed to the ground or another substrate, to catch as much sunlight as possible.
Maximizing the amount of sunlight impinging on the solar panels maximizes the amount of energy collected and converted to electricity by solar panels. The amount of sunlight that can be collected by solar panels is limited by a number of factors. Generally, each solar panel has a planar sunlight-collecting surface. The total area of the sunlight-collecting surface of a single solar panel, or of the collective sunlight-collecting surfaces of two or more solar panels in an array, is one factor affecting the amount of sunlight which can be collected. Thus, multiple solar panels are often used together to enlarge the total sunlight-collecting surface area, because there are practical limits to how large each panel can be manufactured. When more than one solar panel is used, three solar panels may be positioned with their sunlight-collecting surfaces lying generally in the same plane, facing the same direction.
Another way to increase the amount of sunlight collected by the solar panels is to attach one or more reflector panels at the outer periphery of the sunlight-collecting surfaces of the solar panels to reflect and concentrate incident sunlight on to the sunlight-collecting surfaces. The sunlight thus reflected would otherwise fall outside the periphery of the sunlight-collecting surface area and be lost. Thus, use of one or more reflective panels in addition to the solar panels increases the efficiency of solar energy collection systems.
Maximizing the amount of direct sunlight impinging on the solar panels also maximizes the total amount of energy collected for conversion. "Direct" sunlight means sunlight that impinges on the panel surfaces at a right angle, or as close to a right angle as possible. Direct sunlight carries more energy than indirect sunlight. Thus, other ways of increasing the amount of direct sunlight collected involve properly positioning the solar panels relative to the position of the sun in the sky to maximize the direct sunlight impinging on the solar panels.
For example, the sun appears in the sky at different altitudes (i.e., vertical angle from the horizon or the horizontal plane), rather than always directly overhead, depending on one's latitudinal location on the earth. This means that positioning solar panels flat on the ground would be inefficient in most places on earth. When located in the northern hemisphere such as Europe, North America, Japan, and northern Asia, or in the southern hemisphere such as South Africa, Australia, and southern South America, solar panels are tilted at an appropriate altitude. The altitude is selected based on the location to maximize the amount of direct sunlight that impinges on the sunlight-collecting surfaces of the solar panels throughout the day. In locations closer to the equator such as northern Brazil, Columbia, sub-Saharan Africa. Indonesia, and Singapore, where the sun's daily path across the sky remains at or close to directly overhead, significant tilting is less important and solar panels are typically installed with their surfaces at or nearly parallel with the horizontal plane of the earth. Selecting the altitude at which to orient solar panel arrays addresses differences in the sun's altitude from place to place on earth.
Throughout each day, at any given location on earth, the sun's position will also vary from east to west as it crosses the sky between sunrise and sunset. The position of the sun as it moves across the sky is measured as an angle on the horizontal plane known as azimuth. More specifically, the azimuth of the sun may be defined as the angle, drawn on the horizontal plane, between a fixed reference vector (e.g., a vector pointing due north) and a vector projecting from a given location (e.g., location of the solar panels) and a point of interest (e.g., the sun). In other words, the azimuth of the sun is the horizontal angle measured clockwise from a fixed base direction line such as north.
Historically, solar panel arrays remained in the same position with respect to the azimuth position of the sun, all day and all year round. These "static" arrays are limited in the amount of energy that can be produced in a given day because the arrays are not oriented to directly face the sun as it travels across the sky from sunrise to sunset.
It is an object of the invention to increase the effective amount of area of sunlight impinging on a given array by reflecting sunlight onto the array from areas where sunlight impinges outside of the array. It is another object of the invention to increase the amount of energy produced by a solar array by providing a system that automatically rotates a panel or an array of panels to face the sun as the sun travels from sunrise to sunset, thus increasing the amount of solar energy collected in a solar day.

Solar energy collection system employing reflectors and sun tracking


Tube forming methods can be used for efficient transition in the production of tubes having varying thickness. Material used to form consecutive tubes may have the same thickness along a separation plane separating a first discrete section from a second discrete section of the material, and the first discrete section and the second discrete section may each have varying thickness in a feed direction of the material. With such a thickness profile, the first discrete section of the material may be formed into a first cylinder having varying thickness and separated from the second discrete portion as the second discrete section is formed into a second cylinder having varying thickness. In particular, the transition between the first cylinder and the second cylinder may be achieved without scrap and/or interruption, resulting in cost-savings and improvements in production throughput associated with forming tubes having varying thickness.

Tubes are ubiquitous in industrial applications, with some common uses including supporting wind turbines (or other machinery) and transporting fluid. It is often desirable to vary thickness of one or more tubes formed for a particular application. For example, in large-scale industrial applications, such as formation of wind turbine towers, tubes used to form such towers are built in a factory setting and are limited to a maximum diameter constrained by transportation restrictions. With diameter of the tube constrained in this way, it is often desirable to vary wall thickness of the tube along the length of the tube to form the tube with desired structural performance characteristics. In particular, it is often desirable for the wall thickness to gradually increase along one direction in the tube (e.g., to accommodate the increasing moment loading along the axis of the tube, so that the thickness at one end of the tube is substantially greater than the thickness at the other end of the tube).
Variation of thickness of tubes, however, creates certain challenges with respect to efficient use of material and throughput in production processes used to form these tubes. As an example, transitions in thickness from one tube to the next may produce scrap, for example, when the change in thickness is too large to be accommodated by a continuous production process. This may occur, for example, at the transition between two instances of the same tube with gradually increasing wall thickness, with the first end having a substantially greater thickness than the second end. Further, if the tube is being formed using a continuous production process, the process may need to pause for the thickness change to be accommodated. For example, before the next tube can be formed, the scrap must be removed and additional steps taken to re-start the process. Production of scrap and slowing or pausing the continuous production process can both add significantly to the cost of a tube. Thus, there remains a need for improved methods of producing tubes having longitudinal variations in thickness.


A selective device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a switch device, and a non-linear resistive device. The second electrode is disposed to face the first electrode. The switch device is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode. The non-linear resistive device contains one or more of boron (B), silicon (Si), and carbon (C). The non-linear resistive device is coupled to the switch device in series.

In recent years, it has been requested to achieve a large-capacity non-volatile memory for data storage that is represented by a resistance-change memory such as a resistive random access memory (ReRAM) and a phase-change random access memory (PRAM). However, a resistance-change memory using a currently-available access transistor may have a large floor area per unit cell. As a result, for example, even when such a memory is further miniaturized using a same design rule in comparison with a flash memory such as a NAND type, it has been difficult to achieve large amounts of storage capacity. In contrast, the use of a so-called crosspoint array structure in which a memory device is disposed at an intersection (crosspoint) between intersecting wiring lines reduces the floor area per unit cell, making it possible to achieve large amounts of storage capacity.
A crosspoint-type memory cell is provided with selective devices for cell selection in addition to the memory devices. Examples of the selective device may include a selective device that is made using metal oxide (for example, see NPTLs 1 and 2). However, such a selective device is insufficient in a magnitude of a switching threshold voltage, and tends to suffer dielectric breakdown in a case where a high voltage is applied. Another example may be a selective device in which a resistance is switched at a certain voltage to increase (snap back) a current drastically (for example, see NPTLs 3 and 4). In such a selective device, setting a selective/non-selective voltage value by stepping across the switching threshold voltage makes it possible to allow a selective current value to be greater than that of the selective device made of a non-linear resistive material such as the metal oxide. It is necessary, however, for the switching threshold voltage of the above-described selective device to be greater than a writing threshold voltage of a memory device used in combination with each other; although the switching threshold voltage has never been considered to be sufficiently greater. Further, in a case where such a selective device is combined with a memory device having the large writing threshold voltage, the selective device is requested to assure a sufficiently large selection ratio (ON/OFF ratio) of a selective (on) state to a semi-selective (off) state; although such a selection ratio has never been considered to be sufficiently greater, either.
Other than the above-described selective devices, another example may be a selective device using a chalcogenide material, i.e., an ovonic threshold switch (OTS) (for example, see PTLs 1 and 2). The ovonic threshold switch makes it possible to achieve a relatively greater ON/OFF ratio because such a switch ensures a small leakage current in OFF state, and has a capability of increasing the current in ON state, as well as switching characteristics of being switched at a certain threshold voltage to increase the current drastically.

Selective device, memory cell, and storage unit


A video signal processing apparatus includes an equalizer for delaying an input color signal by an adjustable phase retardation. A low pass filter is operative for delaying the input color signal by an adjustable phase retardation. A phase detector is operative for detecting a difference between a phase of an output signal of the equalizer and a phase of an output signal of the low pass filter, and outputting a signal representative of the detected phase difference. The phase retardation provided by the equalizer and the phase retardation provided by the low pass filter are adjusted in response to the output signal of the phase detector to maintain the difference between the phase of the output signal of the equalizer and the phase of the output signal of the low pass filter at a predetermined value, for example, 90 degrees.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for processing a color video signal or a color television signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese published examined patent application 6-083464 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,206) discloses a picture-quality improving circuit including a chroma difference extractor. The chroma difference extractor has a cascade combination of first, second, and third equalizers. The chroma difference extractor also has first and second subtractors connected to the cascade combination of the equalizers.
In the chroma difference extractor of Japanese application 6-083464, the signal delays offered by the second and third equalizers are set smaller than the signal delay offered by the first equalizer. This setting is based on the following reason. The second and third equalizers and the second subtractor compose a device generating a signal which is used to enhance the color signal. On the other hand, the first and second equalizers and the first subtractor compose a chroma edge detector. In order to attain a high sensitivity of the chroma edge detector, the delay quantity provided by the first equalizer is set great and the signal difference is determined at points adequately distant from each other.
In the chroma difference extractor of Japanese application 6-083464, the equalizers are adjusted by an operator.
Generally, a portion of such a prior-art picture-quality improving circuit is formed as an integrated circuit chip to which an external filter block having adjustable equalizers is connected. This design allows an operator to access the filter block to adjust the equalizers. Since the filter block is not built in the integrated circuit chip, the prior-art picture-quality improving circuit tends to be large in size.


An exemplary components integrating structure (10) includes a metallic member (12) defining a locking groove (126) and a plastic member (14) integrally formed with the metallic member. A portion of the plastic member is received in the locking groove of the metallic member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to components integrating structures, and more particularly to a components integrating structure used in a small and thin component of an electric device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Most electric device components are made of metal or plastic. When compared to metal, plastic has many advantages such as a lower melting point, better fluidness, and can be easily molded into various components by injection molding. In addition, raw materials for making plastic components are cheaper and the mass production of plastic components by the method of injection molding is cheaper. However, a surface hardness of the injection molded plastic components are generally inferior to that of metal, thus the components made of plastic are easier to deform and/or scratched as compared to components made of metal.
To reduce production cost, and improve scratch resistance, some components may be assembled by an exterior metallic member and an inner plastic member. The exterior metallic member and inner plastic member are firmly fixed together with a fastening and a latching member engaged together. The fastening and the latching member are formed on the metal and plastic, respectively, or vice versa.
Forming and connecting the fastening member and the latching member together may be appropriate for components, of a relative large size, appropriate for devices such as shelf or car stereos. However, forming and connecting the fastening member and the latching member will complicate design configuration of smaller and thinner components for small size devices like mobile phones.
Therefore, what is needed is a new components integrating structure that can overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings, for use in small and thin components.

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


The invention relates to a bicyclic oligopeptide or ester thereof having the capability to inhibit the glucagon receptor, comprised of:    (a) a first cyclic group, which comprises at least one cysteine group and is formed by an amide bonding of the N-terminal amino acid with the second carboxylate group of a diacid amino acid, and    (b) a second cyclic group which is formed by an amide bonding of an amino acid with the α-carboxylate group of said diacid amino acid, and by a disulfide bonding of the C-terminal cysteine and a cysteine group within the first cyclic group (a); andto the use of such bicyclic oligopeptides for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment or prevention of diseases, in which glucagon receptors are involved.

The U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,926 discloses bicyclic depsipeptides which are produced by fermentation of a specific marine actinomycete (CNB-091) in saltwater-based media. These bicyclic depsipeptides are taught to be useful as anti-biotic and anti-inflammatory agents.
Glucagon is a 29-amino acid peptide hormone produced by the A-cells in the pancreas and is a major counterregulatory hormone to insulin in the maintenance of glucose homeostasis. Insulin promotes the uptake of glucose by cells, especially muscle cells and prevents an excessive breakdown of glycogen stored in liver and muscle. As an antidiabetic hormone essential for lowering blood sugar, insulin is a powerful hypoglycemic agent. In most instances, the actions of glucagon are contrary to those of insulin. Its main function is to stimulate hepatic glucose production. The activated glucagon receptor signals via the cAMP-PKA signalling cascade and increases the rate of glucose de novo synthesis via gluconeogenesis and the liberation of glucose from glycogen stores via glycogenolysis.
Diabetes is a complex disease characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defect insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The metabolic complications of diabetes—hyperglycemia and ketosis—are associated with a relative or absolute increase in the ratio of glucagon to insulin. Thus, glucagon is a hyperglycemic factor which causes blood sugar to increase.
Accordingly, a means of treating diabetes is to block the glucagon receptor with a suitable antagonist, thereby inhibiting glucose production by the liver and reducing glucose levels in the patient.
Several publications disclose peptidic and non-peptidic glucagon receptor antagonists (McCormick et al., Curr. Pharm. Des. 7, 1451 (2001) for review). Inhibition of glucagon-stimulated glucose production in humans has been reported for Bay 27-9955 (Petersen et al., Diabetologia 44, 2018 (2001).
It has now been surprisingly discovered that certain bicyclic oligopeptides are highly efficient inhibitors of the glucagon receptor and are therefore of potential use in the treatment or prophylaxis of hyperglycaemia and in particular in the treatment of diabetes mellitus (TypeI and TypeII).
These bicyclic oligopeptides are also indicated to be of potential use for the treatment or prophylaxis of other diseases including IGT (impaired glucose tolerance), insulin resistance syndromes, hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia, dyslipidemia, arteriosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, increased renal albumin clearance, glucagonomas, pancreatitis, obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, certain eating disorders and as a therapy to increase gastric acid secretion.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG


The top label is equipped with an inscription in the form of a barcode and a model number. A recess, which continues in two channels also implemented in the bottom label, is provided in the bottom label where the gas exchange opening is located when the label is used as intended. The top label covers the channel system. The channels discharge into the surroundings at the label edge, so that two gas passage openings are defined by the intersection region between label contour and the contours of the channel system. Liquid may drain out of the channel system in many different spatial orientations of the housing which the label is stuck onto as intended. A gas permeable membrane may advantageously be positioned in the region of the recess and extending somewhat over it. The membrane may also extend over the entire bottom of the label. If the membrane is implemented as self-adhesive on the bottom, it must then be largely free of adhesive in the region of the gas exchange opening in order to ensure its gas permeability.

Electronic control units are frequently used in dusty, damp, or corrosive surroundings, for example, in automobile construction or in industrial apparatus and machines. In addition, they may sometimes be subjected to mechanical strains, such as impact or shock strains. In order to ensure the function of the included electronic components, the control units are therefore installed in closed housings. The latter must be sealed against the cited damaging influences, however, it is typically necessary to provide pressure equalization openings which permit a gas exchange with the surroundings. In particular, in the event of falling ambient temperature, it must be ensured that water molecules from the air contained in the housing interior may diffuse to the outside in order to avoid harmful condensation in the device.
In order to nonetheless avoid the penetration of liquid water and dust, the gas exchange openings, which are used for pressure equalization and/or vapor pressure equalization, are sometimes closed by gas-permeable membranes. Corresponding membranes may also be provided as self-adhesive labels or parts thereof in order to allow easy attachment. A label of this type is known, for example, from German Published Application DE 196 53 890 A1.
Frequently, however, it is not sufficient to merely cover a gas exchange opening with a membrane, because typical membranes only offer limited protection against the passage of liquids. Thus, for example, water passes through most commercially available membranes if the jet of a high-pressure cleaner is directed thereon. This is not unusual in practice, for example, in control units of construction machinery or electronic devices in industrial technology. Furthermore, exposed membranes may become leaky due to mechanical wear.
Attaching a gas exchange opening, which has a gas membrane stuck over it, in a depression of a housing wall and sticking a protective sticker over the depression is known from WO 99/29150 A 1. The gas exchange remains ensured because recesses are provided in the housing wall, originating from the depression, which are only partially covered by the sticker. However, an arrangement of this type is relatively complex since the depression and recesses must be produced through appropriate shaping and/or machining of the housing wall. In addition, if self-adhesive membranes are used, the problem arises that they may be dispensed into the depression by machines only with difficulty or not at all, so that typically they must be stuck on by hand.

Label for covering gas exchange openings


An air cylinder includes a cylinder, a piston rod, a piston, and a controller. The piston rod has one end disposed in the cylinder and the other end protruding from the cylinder. The piston is provided at the one end of the piston rod and moves the piston rod by moving in the cylinder. The controller supplies gas into one of a space, which is a space in the cylinder directed on the piston rod side with respect to the piston, and a space, which is a space in the cylinder opposite to the space with respect to the piston, and sucks gas from an interior of the other of the spaces.

An air cylinder, which uses air pressure as a power source, is used to provide power to various devices such as a robot arm. The air cylinder is also used for a semiconductor manufacturing device or a semiconductor transport device in order to provide power to various points. See, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-322109.


A pressure balancer system 10 having a pressure balancer 20 and a temperature controller 24 on one side of the system and a volume controller 14 on the other side of the system. The pressure balancer 20 receives hot and cold water which it discharges into the temperature controller 24 at substantially constant preselected pressure. The temperature controller 24 is adjustable to set the temperature of the flow to keep the temperature of the anti-scald below the maximum temperature of between 115.degree. F. and 120.degree. F. The volume controller received the temperature adjusted flow from the temperature controller and will set the volume of the flow at the desired volume for discharge therefrom.

This invention relates to a 2/3 handle pressure balancer system and relates, particularly, to a 2/3 handle pressure balancer having anti-scald protection and two control valves; one for temperature and one for volume, which may be disposed in the conventional location of the hot water and cold water control valves. The 2/3 handle pressure balancer system may be used in multi-station installation, wherein it may be desirable to close single station installations.
With the addition of the anti-scald feature, tub and shower valve controllers have typically used a single handle anti-scald device which loses the classic look and feel of the 2/3 handle faucets. Other prior art methods have not proved any more successful, in that, if the pressure balancer is placed in-line and upstream of the control valves, there is a risk that opening of the hot water valve alone will produce excessive hot water temperature or, if mechanical linkage is used to control the 2/3 handle faucets, that such linkage is complex, costly and subject to mechanical breakdowns. Additionally, in multi-station installation, rather than close the whole system, use of individual station check/stop valves will permit closing of individual stations.


The present invention provides a honeycomb structure 1 comprising partition walls 2 so as to form a plurality of cells 3 extending from one end face 42 to the other end face 44, and a plug portion 4 plugging the cell 3 at the end face 42 and/or 44. In the honeycomb structure 1, the plug portion 4 has a hollow and convex shape, and at least a part of the plug portion 4 is protruding from the end face.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a honeycomb structure having a plug portion suitably used as a filter, especially to a honeycomb structure suitable for a filter removing particulate matter (hereinafter referred to as PM) emitted from a diesel engine (hereinafter the filter is referred to as DPF).
2. Description of the Related Art
The need to remove harmful substance in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, a boiler and the like is increasing in consideration of environmental problem. Especially, regulations for removing PM has become stricter in Europe, the United States and Japan. Thus use of a honeycomb structure as a DPF is broadening.
For the honeycomb structure used as such a filter, as shown in, for example FIGS. 6(a) to 6(c), it is known that a honeycomb structure 1 having porous partition walls 2 disposed so as to form cells 3 extending from one end face to the other end face, and a plug portion 4 disposed so as to plug the cell 3 at either end face. By such a configuration, fluid to be treated which flows into the cells from one end face 42 passes through the porous partition walls, and is discharged from the other end face 44 via other cells 3. At this time, the partition walls 2 trap PM functioning as filters.
When the above-mentioned honeycomb structure is used as a DPF, substance such as PM is heavily deposited on the end face of the cell to reduce an inflow area at an opening of the cell or to clog the opening. As a result, a pressure loss increases to cause deterioration of power and fuel efficiency of a diesel engine.
In particular, diesel engine emissions contain soluble organic fraction (hereinafter referred to as SOF) that is viscous substance. As the SOF adheres to the end face having openings, followed by the adhesion and deposition of other components on the SOF, the openings are reduced or clogged in inflow area, and this results in an increased pressure loss.
In using a honeycomb structure with plug portions as a DPF, the following plugged honeycomb structure is proposed. That is, the honeycomb structure, wherein the plug portion has a protruding portion protruding from the end face such that the portion tapers off toward the upstream side in order to prevent increased pressure loss due to the deposition of PM (see, e.g., JP-A-63-24731 and US2003/0093982). Although such a structure is effective in suppressing the deposition of non-viscous substances on the end face, the honeycomb structure having the plug portion as described above fails to sufficiently suppress the deposition of substances on the end face if viscous substances are contained in the gas.
Another structure proposed has partition walls deformed and bent so that the partition walls are joined together at the end of square cell passages to block the outlets of the cell passages (see, e.g., JP-B-3012167). Although such a structure is effective in suppressing the clogging, the deformed and bent portions are difficult to form. Further, a structure that could offer a further enhanced strength in the deformed and bent portions is desired.


There are provided a coating composition that can satisfactorily form a film even at a low temperature by chemical means in a simple and stable manner, has excellent film strength, adhesion, protective effect and other properties in the form of a functional film and can form a functional film at a low cost, a process for producing the coating composition, a functional film, and a process for producing the functional films.. A hydrolyzable reaction site is partially hydrolyzed to prepare a sol of a partial hydrolyzate which is then coated on a substrate. The coating is then baked to prepare a corresponding metal oxide film, thereby forming a thin protective layer. Since no hydrolyzate is precipitated in the sol of the partial hydrolyzate, excellent film strength, adhesion, protective effect and other properties are offered. The metallic compound having a hydrolyzable reaction site is selected from an organometal compound, such as a metal alkoxide, an organometal complex, and an organometal acid salt, and an inorganic metal compound, such as an inorganic metal salt. The functional film of the present invention can be utilized in a protective layer formed of, for example, magnesium oxide in a plasma display.

Layers having various functions have hitherto been formed in optical articles, electronic and electric articles, and articles made of magnetic materials. Further, various protective films are optionally provided for protecting these layers. High film strength and high adhesion to the layers having various functions are generally required of the protective film.
For example, the so-called "plasma displays" which utilize a luminescent phenomenon accompanying discharge is classified, according to the structure of an electrode (composed mainly of ITO) used, roughly into a direct current type plasma display wherein a metallic electrode is exposed on a discharge space and an alternating current type plasma display wherein a metallic electrode is covered with a dielectric layer. In the case of application of the plasma display to color televisions which are thin and have a large image plane, the alternating current type plasma display which has a memory function and can cope with an increase in size is suitable, and, in this case, a protective layer (a film composed mainly of magnesium oxide) is formed on the surface of the dielectric layer.
On the other hand, an antireflection layer (formed of, e.g., silicon dioxide or titanium dioxide) is formed on the surface of displays used in computers, image display equipment and the like from the viewpoint of preventing the reflection of external light to improve the visibility of the image on the display.
The so-called "functional films" are mainly formed of a metal oxide. Specifically, magnesium oxide or the like is used in a protective layer or the like for electrode members composed of ITO, tin oxide is used for various electronic and electric articles, iron oxide is used for articles made of magnetic materials, and silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide and the like are used for optical members. When these functional films are thin, they have hitherto been formed by EB vapor deposition, sputtering, CVD or the like, while when they are thick, a method has been used which comprises spray-coating a precursor of a metal oxide on a substrate to form a thick coating and baking the coating to convert the precursor to a metallic oxide (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 42579/1985, 59221/1988, and 13983/1982). Further, regarding the coating method, there is a method wherein a fine powder of a metal oxide is dispersed in a liquid binder which is converted to an oxide upon baking to form a functional film (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 283020/1994).
In the above coating methods, for example, regarding a MgO paste for use in the formation of a MgO film, by printing, as a protective layer for an alternating current type plasma display panel, it is known that the protective layer is poor in sputtering resistance unless uniform fine particles of MgO having a diameter of 0.03 to 0.3 .mu.m are contained and the fine particles of MgO are homogeneously dispersed in a binder.
Among the above methods, EB vapor deposition and methods using a vacuum process, such as sputtering and CVD, have low productivity and, hence, lead to a high cost. In addition, it is very difficult to house a large deposited product, such as a plasma display, in a vacuum chamber. Therefore, when the size of an image plane should be increased, the above methods are disadvantageous in cost of equipment and productivity.
The coating method has been extensively and intensively studied in the art because it is simple. The studies, however, provided no satisfactory results. The reason for this is as follows. For pastes with functional particles incorporated therein, which have been commercially available, the functional particles agglomerate, making it difficult for the functional particles to exist in a homogeneously dispersed state in the paste. This in turn makes it difficult to form a highly uniform protective layer, posing problems including that the conventional heat treatment process offers no satisfactory film strength, adhesion and other properties and cracking occurs in the film during heat decomposition. Therefore, the use of the above paste with functional particles incorporated therein in the coating on the surface of a display imparts no necessary properties to the resultant panel.
In addition, the diameter of magnesium oxide particles incorporated into the paste is large, and, the viscosity of the paste per se is also large, making it difficult to reduce the thickness of the protective layer. Therefore, even though the discharge initiation voltage and the driving voltage are minimized, problems of large thickness and poor transparency remain unsolved.
In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors have already proposed the use of a sol-gel process wherein a metallic compound having a hydrolyzable reaction site is hydrolyzed to prepare a metal hydroxide sol, the sol is coated on a substrate, and the coating is baked to form a film of a corresponding metal oxide film as a protective layer, thus enabling the thickness of the protective layer to be reduced (Japanese Patent Application No. 271827/1994).
In this process, however, some metal hydroxides formed upon hydrolysis are likely to precipitate. In particular, for example, in the case of a magnesium compound, magnesium hydroxide formed by hydrolysis instantaneously precipitates as particles and settles. When a coating composition with the magnesium hydroxide particles precipitated therein is coated on a substrate to form a coating which is then gelled by the conventional baking process (a baking process wherein no high temperature is used) to form a functional film, the film is formed on the substrate with the magnesium oxide particles stacked on top of one another. Therefore, the density of the film is so low that, in some cases, no satisfactory film strength can be provided. Further, the formation of a thin film using such a coating composition cannot provide a dense film, resulting in no satisfactory function as a protective layer.
For example, magnesium dimethoxide, Mg(OCH.sub.3).sub.2, frequently used as an alkoxide of magnesium in the sol-gel reaction is a powdery substance wherein methoxy groups have associated with one another. This substance, when used alone, is very difficult to be dissolved or dispersed in an organic solvent, making it difficult to prepare a stable sol solution.
On the other hand, a method wherein a solution of an organomagnesium in an organic solvent is coated on a substrate to form a coating which is then heat-decomposed to form a colorless, transparent magnesium oxide film is known from Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 123657/1980. In this method for forming a magnesium oxide film, however, after the coating of the solution containing an organomagnesium on a substrate, hydrolysis proceeds from around the surface of the coating, resulting in successive precipitation of magnesium hydroxide particles. Therefore, the resultant magnesium oxide film has poor adhesion to the substrate.
Further, in the method, for forming a magnesium oxide film, described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 123657/1980, the hydrolysis occurs mainly after coating of the solution containing an organomagnesium on a substrate. Therefore, there is a high possibility that organic materials produced as by-products in the hydrolysis, that is, impurities, are present within the magnesium hydroxide particles. In the course of the production of a magnesium oxide film, it is difficult to remove the impurities by scattering from the coating.
Further, due to the nature of the method, for forming a magnesium oxide film, described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 123657/1980 wherein the hydrolysis occurs mainly after coating of the solution containing an organomagnesium on a substrate, it is difficult to control the particle diameter of precipitated magnesium hydroxide as desired. Consequently, the formed magnesium oxide film is likely to be opaque and, hence, unsatisfactory in transparency.


A salesperson counseling a customer at a shop can adequately and quickly select a mascara that gives satisfaction to the customer. A method for selecting a mascara includes a first measurement step of measuring an eyelash state of a customer, and a selection step of selecting a mascara based on the result of the measurement made in the first measurement step. Further, between the first measurement step and the selection step, an ascertaining step of ascertaining a desire of the customer for eyelashes is provided, and in the selection step, a mascara is selected based on the measurement result obtained from the first measurement step and the desire of the customer obtained from the ascertaining step.

In purchasing a mascara, a customer may, for example, receive counseling from a salesperson at a shop in deciding which mascara to purchase (the so-called face-to-face selection). In this case, the salesperson makes inquires into an eyelash state the customer wishes to realize, and selects a suitable mascara in accordance with the desire of the customer.
It is noted that usage of a mascara is greatly influenced by the original state of eyelashes (e.g., thick lashes, thin lashes, long lashes, short lashes, etc.). Thus, the salesperson may not be able to accurately select a mascara that brings satisfaction to the customer if the salesperson cannot accurately determine the original eyelash state of the customer. It is particularly noted that prioritizing the preference of the customer in selecting a mascara does not necessarily lead to an effective selection of a mascara that can bring satisfaction to the customer.
However, the act of examining the eyelash state of a customer has not conventionally been practiced, and thus, selection of a mascara with due consideration for the eyelash state of the customer has not been performed. Therefore, an accurate selection of a mascara could not be performed and it has not always been possible to successfully select a mascara that can bring satisfaction to the customer.
Also, in selecting a mascara for a customer based on the original eyelash state of the customer and the preference of the customer, it may be difficult for the salesperson to memorize the characteristic features of all of the mascaras. Further, although a manual indicating the characteristic features of the mascaras exists, selecting a mascara by referring to the manual may be troublesome and the selection cannot be performed swiftly.

Mascara selecting method, mascara selecting system, and mascara counseling tool


The present invention relates to rifling of a gun barrel to provide grooves and bores in the gun barrel separated by a single edge area and a polygonal area.

Rifling of gun barrels is well known in the art. Gun barrels are rifled using three known techniques namely cut rifling, button rifling and hammer forge rifling. The cross-section of the rifling may generally be described as conventional rifling providing for a cross-sectional gear shaped configuration or polygonal rifling providing for a polygonal configuration. The present invention relates to rifling having a combination of standard rifling and polygonal rifling as described hereafter.
The prior art rifling while useful has various shortcomings, including deformation of the bullet which causes the center of gravity of the bullet to move off center and the bullet may not travel as straight as a bullet with a center of gravity more on center. Accordingly, improvement to barrel rifling is desirable to provide for more accurate tracking of bullets. The rifling techniques of the present invention provide such improvement.


A security feature has a luminescent component and a component camouflaging the luminescent component. A security feature has a luminescent component with at least one luminophore consisting of a doped host lattice, and a component camouflaging the luminescent component, wherein for camouflaging the luminescent component, relevant properties required for identifying the luminescent component are camouflaged by the camouflaging component by the relevant properties of the luminescent component. The relevant properties being camouflaged by the camouflaging component in at least two of the relevant properties by the camouflaging component having relevant properties that correspond to the respective relevant properties of the luminescent component, thereby impeding or preventing a recognition of the luminescent component.

This invention relates to a security feature having a luminescent component and a component camouflaging the luminescent component.
The designation "value document" is to be understood within the framework of the invention to refer to bank notes, checks, shares, tokens, identity cards, credit cards, passports and also other documents as well as labels, seals, packages or other elements for product authentication.
Securing value documents against forgery by means of security features having a luminescent component has been known for a long time. The luminescent component is formed here by substances which will hereinafter also be designated luminophores and are formed by host lattices doped with transition metals or rare earth metals as luminescent ions. Such ions have the advantage that, after being suitably excited, they show one or more characteristic narrow-band luminescences which facilitate a reliable detection and the delimitation over other spectra. For doping, combinations of transition metals and/or rare earth metals have also been discussed. Such substances have the advantage that, in addition to the above-mentioned luminescences, one observes so-called energy transfer processes, which can lead to more complicated emission spectra. In such energy transfer processes, one ion can transfer its energy to another ion and the spectra can then consist of several narrow-band lines which are characteristic of both ions.
The stated security features for securing value documents have as a luminescent component individual luminophores whose emissions differ with regard to their spectral and/or temporal properties. The security features are incorporated into and/or applied to value documents in different forms of use. There can also be employed for the luminescent component a combination of luminophores. The emission bands of the employed luminophores constitute a spectral coding. Several different luminophores can be combined into systems, with the individual systems being independent of each other. The emission of the employed luminophores is also designated luminescence, whereby this may involve fluorescence and/or phosphorescence.
It is also known that the described security features are not formed solely by the luminescent component. As a further component, some security elements have a component that is used for camouflaging the luminescent component. For example, DE 30 48 734 A1 describes a security paper having camouflage substances protecting the authentication features. The camouflage substances of the camouflaging components correspond here substantially to the luminescent components, i.e. very similar or like-kind host lattices and dopants are employed for both the luminescent component and the camouflaging component. However, when manufacturing the camouflage substances for the camouflaging component it is made sure that the camouflage substances have no luminescent properties. For this purpose, parameters in the annealing or grinding process are for example changed for the camouflaging component in contrast to the manufacture of the luminescent component. Alternatively, so-called luminescence killers are employed. This prevents the luminescent component from being distinguished from the camouflaging component using conventional methods of analysis technology. By this means, primarily the position of the luminescent component is concealed, since it cannot be distinguished from the camouflaging component using conventional methods.
Since the luminescent component and camouflaging component involve very similar or even the same substances, no camouflage of the substance-based identity of the luminescent component is obtained, since the employment of the camouflaging component increases the total examinable quantity of material of the security feature in the value document to be secured, thereby tending to facilitate rather than impede the analyzability of the security feature or the luminescent component.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Security feature having several components


One or more elements in a telecommunications network (10, 10′ and 10″) receive a call hold-initiating message when a first party places a second party to the call on hold, and in doing so, triggers a call hold event in the network. In response to the call hold-initiating message, the network element may take one or more actions, including releasing one or more network resources and/or providing a service to the second party during the period the call remains on hold. Upon resumption of the call, the network will re-acquire the resources that had been previously released.

Technical advances in the development of telecommunications networks allow telephone subscribers to enjoy a variety of telecommunications services. For example, subscribers may now subscribe to a call hold feature whereby one party to a call can temporarily place that call on hold to accept another call. To activate this service, the party seeking to place the call on hold (hereinafter, the "holding party") does so by signaling an Ingress network switch, typically by actuating the switch hook on the telephone set.
Many business and other entities that receive large volumes of calls via one or more local or a toll-free numbers employ a private branch exchange (PBX) often in concert with an automatic call director to enable queuing of incoming calls for answer by an available agent. Upon answering the call, the attendant may need to place the calling party on hold to access a record or consult with a supervisor. After performing the required task, the attendant will then return to the call.
Currently, no mechanism exists for alerting network element(s) of a call being placed on hold. Thus, telecommunications carriers lack the ability to offer the party on hold (hereinafter, the "held party") a service of interest during the hold period. The absence of any mechanism for alerting network elements of the call being placed on hold incurs another disadvantage. Typically, a telecommunications carrier will typically commit certain resources within its network in order to complete a call between the calling and called party. Usually, such resources remain committed for the duration of the call and only upon call completion do such resources become available for other calls. Thus, such resources remain committed even during the interval in which a call remains on hold. Unfortunately, there currently exists no mechanism for enabling such network resources to know when a call has been placed on hold to allow their release and re-use during the hold period.
Thus, there is a need for a technique for propagating a signal among elements within a telecommunications network to alert each element when a call is placed on hold.