A cooling arrangement for an offshore wind energy installation, having a heat-absorbing device for absorbing heat generated by the electronic devices and/or the mechanical devices of the offshore energy installation, which is to be removed, and a coupled heat-dissipating device for dissipating heat to the surrounding water. The heat-absorbing device has a first cooling circuit operated by a fluid coolant which, in a heat exchanger device, transfers the absorbed heat to the heat-dissipating device having an open second cooling circuit operated with the ambient water as the coolant. A plurality of electrodes are arranged on the inner walls of the conduits of the second cooling circuit, which are spaced apart from each other in its extension direction, each of which is connected with a voltage supply device for generating an alternating high voltage between at least two of the electrodes.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cooling arrangement for an offshore wind energy installation, having a heat-absorbing device for absorbing the heat generated by the electronic and/or mechanical devices of the offshore energy installation, to be removed, and a coupled heat-dissipating device for dissipating heat to the surrounding water. The heat-absorbing device has a first cooling circuit operated by a fluid coolant which, in a heat exchanger device, transfers the absorbed heat to the heat-dissipating device having an open second cooling circuit operated by ambient water as the coolant.
2. Discussion of Related Art
An offshore wind energy installation with a heat exchanger system is described by German Patent Reference DE 100 16 913 A1. The tower-shaped offshore wind energy installation has a rotor unit, a gear arrangement and a connected generator for current generation. The occurring losses of efficiency during the generation of current by the generator appear in the form of heat. This waste heat must be removed to prevent overheating and thus damages. Thus a heat-absorbing device is arranged in the area of the generator and the gear arrangement. With a conduit system containing a coolant, the heat-absorbing device is connected with a heat-dissipating device provided in the area of the tower. The conduit system includes a recirculating pump. The heat-dissipating device is arranged in the lower area of the tower, wherein a heat exchanger is provided inside the tower, and heat is removed via a secondary circuit conducting seawater.
Although the heat removal with the aid of the seawater, which is available in sufficient quantities, is very effective, it entails one disadvantage that maintenance of such cooling arrangements for offshore wind energy installation is very expensive, in particular because of heavy algae and mollusk infestation.
It is known in connection with cooling arrangements operated with seawater to employ filters intended to catch organic particles in particular. However, problems often arise because of blockage of these filters by biological material or other particles present in the ambient waters.

Cooling arrangement for an offshore wind energy installation


A conversion server and a plurality of clients are connected via a transmission line. The conversion server that receives image coded data from the clients converts the image coding system in accordance with the coding system available to each client, the coding setting, and the status of the transmission line, and transmits the converted image coded data. For a client where the number of images that can be displayed is limited, the conversion server decodes a selected plurality items of image coded data, re-encodes the selected pieces into one composite image, and transmits the re-encoded image. The conversion server also comprises decoding processing units, one for each connected client, for decoding image coded data from each client. In response to a display image switching request from a client, the conversion server intraframe-codes the decoded image data of an image that will be used after the switching and transmits the intraframe-coded data. This enables an image to be switched quickly independently of the intraframe time of received image coded data that will be used after the switching.

Recently, a bidirectional communication system and a conference system where image- and audio-coded data are communicated via packets over the Internet rapidly become popular. Those systems are built around the technology called VoIP (Voice over IP) and TVoIP (TV over IP). There are several types of coding systems used for those communication systems. For example, the method of transmitting coded data, compressed by a high-efficiency compression method based on inter-frame prediction coding, is used for the moving-image coding system in many cases. In those coding systems, prediction parameters and prediction residual image data, obtained by predicting coded images from temporally preceding and following frames, are encoded to reduce the information amount of time-correlated moving image data. In addition, prediction residual image data is compressed efficiently through transform coding or quantization to allow it to be transmitted at low transmission bandwidth.
Typical compression coding standards are MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group)-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4. In those compression coding standards, inter-frame prediction through motion compensation is performed for an input image frame in units of fixed-size rectangular areas called macro blocks. The signal data which is compressed by performing two-dimensional discrete cosine transform (DCT) and quantization for the resulting motion vector and prediction residual image data are encoded using variable length coding (VLC).
There are also audio (music) coding standards such as G.722, G.729, AMR-NB (Adaptive Multi Rate/Narrow Band), AMR-WB (Adaptive Multi Rate/Wide Band), MPEG-4 AAC (Advanced Audio Codec). Each of those standards can encode a predetermined amount of sampled data efficiently and transmit high-quality audio data at low transmission bandwidth.
There are many methods for delivering such image- or audio-coded data to a packet-switched IP (Internet Protocol) network. In addition, some third-generation (3GPP; 3rd Generation Partnership Project) mobile phones are used as terminals that support circuit-switched (CS) videophones. A gateway is also available for connecting those cellular phones to TVoIP clients connected to an IP network. In future, it is expected that packets will be transmitted via CS or both cellular phones and wireless base stations, to which cellular phones are connected via wireless channels, will be connected to all-IP networks with the result that IP networks and cellular phones will be connected more easily.
[Non-Patent Document 1]
Handley, M., Schulzrinne, H., Schooler, E., Rosenberg, J., "SIP: Session Initiation Protocol", RFC 2543, March 1999, Internet URL <http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2543.txt obtained at http://www.ietf.org/>
[Non-Patent Document 2]
Handley, M., Jacobson, V., "SDP: Session Description Protocol", RFC 2327, April 1998, Internet URL <http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2327.txt obtained at http://www.ietf.org/>
[Non-Patent Document 3]
Schulzrinne, H., Casner, S., Frederick, R., Jacobson, V., "RTP: A Transport Protocol for Real-Time Applications", RFC 1889, January 1996 Internet URL http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1889.txt obtained at http://www.ietf.org/

Method, apparatus, system, and program for switching image coded data


A blade controls a layer thickness of the developer and/or triboelectrically charges the developer on a surface of the developing roller in an electrographic imaging device. The blade is a longitudinally extended member made by punching a thin resilient plate of metal in a press mold, and a tip portion thereof has a curved tail part having a smooth surface and a gradually reduced thickness formed as a shear drop upon punching.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrography, and more particularly an electrographic imaging or image formation device as well as a developer thickness-controlling blade used in combination with a developing roller in a developing station of the imaging device and a production process for the blade. The developer thickness-controlling blade can effectively control a layer thickness of the developer distributed over a surface of the developing roller and, at the same time, triboelectrically charge the distributed developer, and accordingly it can be advantageously used in electrographic imaging devices using a nonmagnetic one-component type developer. The term "electrography" used herein means that it includes any image formation processes wherein a latent image is first produced on an image-carrying element and it is then developed with a developer to form the corresponding visible image, for example, electrophotography, xerography and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with development of office automation, electrographic imaging devices such as laser printers have been used as, or in, copiers or copying machines, facsimile devices, output terminal devices for computers and others.
The conventional electrographic imaging device uses the series of process steps which include:
(a) image exposure; PA1 (b) development; PA1 (c) image transfer; PA1 (d) cleaning of the residual toners; and PA1 (e) pre-charging; PA1 providing a press mold comprising at least one pair of a punch and a die, PA1 adjusting a gap between the punch and die to have a size sufficient to give a curved tail part to a tip portion of the blade during the subsequent punching step, and PA1 punching a thin resilient plate of metal in said press mold to thereby form said blade, a tip portion of which has a curved tail part having a smooth surface and a gradually reduced thickness formed as a shear drop, said tail part being able to be pressed against and elastically contacted with a developer-carrying surface of the developing roller in an electrographic imaging process.
and these steps are repeated. In the image exposure step, an image-carrying element such as a photosensitive drum is exposed to image-forming light, i.e., a light image, in an optical unit such as a LED array, to form a charged latent image after it has been sensitized by electrical charging in a preceding pre-charging step. The latent image is formed as a function of a photoconductive discharge of the electrically charged surface of the photosensitive drum. The formed latent image is physically developed using a toner or toning agent as a developer in a developing device. A visible image of the toner is formed on the drum surface as a result of an electrical attraction of fine particles of the toner thereto. The developed image of the toner is then transferred to an image-receiving element such as paper, and the transferred toner image is fixed thereon by fusing. In this image transfer step, some small amount of the toner remains on the surface of the photosensitive drum without being transferred to the paper, and it can adversely affect on the results of the subsequent imaging process if it is not removed from the drum. It is therefore essential in the conventional imaging process to remove the residual toner from the drum in a cleaning step, prior to reusing the drum for the next imaging process. After cleaning thereof, the drum is again sensitized, by electrical charging, in a pre-charging step.
The conventional developers used in the developing device which is also referred hereinafter to as a "developing station" include a one-component type developer essentially consisting of a toner and a two-component type developer essentially consisting of a toner and a carrier. Since it does not contain a carrier which will be deteriorated with time and must be mixed with a toner with the exactly calculated mixing ratio, the one-component type developer can be advantageously used with additional advantage that the constitution of the device used can be simplified.
The one-component type developer, when used in the imaging device, requires essential steps to compulsively electrify the developer and then adhere it onto a surface of the developing roller after application of an electric charge to the roller, because it does not contain a carrier and therefore it cannot adhere to a magnet roller as in the imaging device designed to use a two-component type developer.
Due to the above reason, to assist in electrification of the developer, the toner used in the one-component type developer generally has a relatively high volume resistivity. Further, when the toner used has a volume resistivity in the range of, for example, 10.sup.10 .OMEGA..multidot.cm to 10.sup.13 .OMEGA..multidot.cm or more, since it is essential to compulsively electrify the toner to obtain a predetermined polarity, a triboelectrification element or means has been widely used in combination with a developing roller in the developing station to thereby apply the triboelectrific charge to the toner.
The conventional triboelectrification means include, for example, a blade for adjusting a thickness of the toner on the developing roller to a predetermined and uniform level, to which blade a triboelectrification function was additionally introduced, and a separate electrification means exclusively used for the triboelectrification of the toner. The former means, namely, the double function blade is particularly useful, because it can simultaneously satisfy the requirements for (1) control of the toner thickness and (2) triboelectrification of the toner, and accordingly can simplify the structure of the imaging device including the developing station, in addition to reduction of the production costs of the device. Note that, as will be apparent from the detailed description of this specification, the target of the present invention is to improve the double function blade for use in combination with a developing roller in the imaging device, however, if necessary, the blade of the present invention may be used in the imaging device for a sole purpose of controlling a toner thickness or triboelectrifying the toner.
Hitherto, many types of developer (toner) thickness-controlling blades have been widely used in an electrographic imaging device, and some typical examples of the conventional blades will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 which illustrate only a photosensitive drum 1 which is rotatable in the direction shown by an arrow "A", a developing roller 2 rotatable in the direction "B" and a blade 50 for the purpose of clarifying the function of the blade 50 in the illustrated device.
Referring to FIG. 1, a blade 50 is included in a blade holder 51 and a tip portion thereof can be elastically contacted with a surface of developing roller 2, because a predetermined pushing pressure is applied to the blade 50 from a coil spring 52 in the blade holder 51. The blade 50 is made from a relatively hard resin material or metal, and has a configuration of rectangular plate having a polished tip surface and a thickness of about 2 to 4 mm.
The blade 50 can be constantly contacted with the surface of the roller 2 at a pressure which can be modified depending upon the characteristics of the coil spring 52, however, some problems are generated. For example, due to contact of the roller 2 with the blade 50 under a high pressure and for a long time, creep and thus strain is produced in a surface of the roller 2, and an undesirably increased thickness of the toner is resulted in such strain-generated portion of the roller 2. The unevenness of the toner thickness means that laterally extending stripe-like defects may be produced in the resulting images.
Further, if the blade 50 used has an unexactly fabricated end contacting surface and edge portion, the resulting toner layer tends to have varied layer thickness in the axial direction of the roller 2, and at the same time, show insufficient triboelectrification of the toner.
Furthermore, as a result of the above-mentioned defects, further problems such as unevenness in the density of the resulting images and so-called "fogging" (partial stain) in the background of the resulting images can be generated. Moreover, since friction of the blade 50 against the roller 2 can also act against the rotational direction of the roller 2, the blade 50 can tilt slightly with regard to the blade holder 51 and thus it cannot freely move lengthwise depending upon the movement such as torsional movement of the roller 2. Such insufficient movement of the blade 50 results in the varied toner thickness and partial fogging in conformity with the rotative period of the roller 2, and in the deteriorated quality of the resulting images.
Another prior art blade is illustrated in FIG. 2. The blade 50, as is illustrated, comprises a blade holder 51 having fixed to an end portion thereof a L-shaped blade 50. The blade 50 is produced from a rigid material such as stainless steel, and due to its good elasticity, the corner portion of the blade 50 can be contacted with a surface of the developing roller 2 under a controlled and constant pressure.
However, small cracks or wrinkles can be produced in an edge of L-shaped corner portion during fabrication of the blade 50, and such small defects can adversely affect on the toner passed through a gap between the surface of the roller 2 and the corner portion of the blade 50. Namely, the toner particles are subjected to stress or a grinding action due to the cracks or wrinkles, and the thus finely pulverized. Since the toner particles are deteriorated due to the pulverization thereof, the level of the electrification of the toner particles is lowered with increase in the use time of the toner, and thus "fogging" (reduction of the quality) is caused in the images.
Another prior art blade is illustrated in FIG. 3. A blade 50 is made from an elastic material such as synthetic rubber, and is attached with an adhesive to a blade holder 51. A top end of the blade 50 is contacted with a surface of the developing roller 2 under moderate pressure.
Since it is made from the rubber or similar material, creep can be produced in the blade 50 with repeated use thereof, and thus the pressing power of the blade 5 against the roller 2 can become gradually lower, thereby resulting in reduction of the capability of triboelectrifying the toner which means the gradual formation of deteriorated images. Further, when a silicone rubber or fluoro rubber is used as the blade material in order to improve a release of the toner from the blade, a problem concerning insufficient adhesion of the blade 50 to the holder 51 is induced because of the composition of the rubber, particularly the presence of silicon or fluorine atoms. Further, since the properties such as dimensional stability of the rubber can be widely varied depending upon the environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity, the blade 50 cannot constantly show its desired properties such as durability and adhesion to the holder.
FIG. 4 illustrates one modification of the blade which was explained referring to FIG. 2. In this instance, a blade 50 is made from a rigid material such as stainless steel as in the instance of FIG. 2, however, a configuration of the blade 50 was changed from "L"-shaped cross section to "U"-shaped cross section.
Using the U-shaped blade 50, since it has a rounded corner problems observed with use of the L-shaped blade can be avoided or at least diminished. However, contrary to this advantage, there is a problem that the toner can easily adhere and fix to the blade 50, because a higher contacting pressure is applied to the blade 50 in order to compensate for the difficulty in providing a thin toner layer due to the constitution of the blade, thereby causing fusion of the toner. Fixation of the toner to the blade 50 will produce longitudinal stripe defects or other detects in the images. Further, it is difficult to ensure a constant contact of the blade 50 with the roller 2 under the predetermined pressure, because a spring coefficient of the blade 50 is increased as a function of the increase of the thickness thereof, and the increase of the blade thickness is unavoidable in the production of the blade 50, since if a relatively thin plate is used in the production of the blade 50, a smooth surface cannot be obtained in the resulting blade 50. Furthermore, the production itself of the U-shaped blade 50 from a straight plate is very difficult, and cannot be accomplished without any defect when using a simple machining process.
FIG. 5 illustrates a blade 50 which is constituted from a flat spring, and an end portion of which is fixedly mounted on a blade holder 51. A tip portion of the blade 50 has a round surface produced upon a round edge fabrication, and can be contacted with a developing roller 2 at a predetermined pressure. Since it was produced from a rolled plate having a relatively large thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm, the blade 50 suffers from an unevenness of the surface due to its rolled state, and therefore it is deformed when mounted to the blade holder 50. Deformation such as longitudinal waving or corrugation of the blade 50 results in varied thickness of the toner which means that undesirable differences in the density or partial "fogging" can be produced in the resulting images. Further, since its edge is subjected to a drawing process with cutting, the edge cannot be produced with a highly increased machining accuracy and reliability. This also results in "fogging", varied image density and other drawbacks, thereby deteriorating the quality of the images.
As is apparent from the above description, different toner thickness-controlling blades have been proposed for use in an electrographic imaging device in which a nonmagnetic one-component type toner is used as the developer, however, none of them could satisfy the requirements, i.e., constant contact of the blade with the developing roller under the predetermined pressure, control of the thickness of the toner layer at the predetermined level, and uniform electrification of the toner without any deterioration thereof.
Other types of toner thickness-controlling blades have been proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) Nos. 4-355777 and 6-130801. The blade disclosed in JP-A 4-355777 is directed to reduce a thickness of the toner layer in the dry developing device, and comprises a resilient member 53 and a blade 50 of the rubber material fixed to one end of the resilient member 53 as is illustrated in FIG. 6. The blade 50 has a length (l) of 2 to 15 mm and thickness (t) of 1 mm or more, and a curved edge thereof is contacted with a developing roller 2 under suitable pressure, thereby reducing a layer thickness of toner 4. In this instance, resilience of the resilient member 53 and elasticity of the rubber blade 50 can be effectively combined to obtain the above effects. However, since the triboelectrification of the toner 4 relies upon a silicone rubber or fluoro rubber constituting the blade 50, the toner 4 can be deteriorated due to large friction between the blade 50 and the roller 2 or discontinuous line images can be produced due to momentary stopping of the roller 2 caused because said large friction results in an increase of the load torque on the roller 2.
The blade disclosed in JP-A 6-130801 is directed to inhibit a stress applied to a developer in a developing device, thereby extending a duration of life of the developer. As illustrated in FIG. 7, a blade 31 is disposed substantially perpendicular to a surface of developing roller 2 in such manner that a gap is formed between a tip of the blade 31 and the surface of roller 2. The reference numeral 32 is a sensor for toner concentration. The blade 31 is produced by punching a metal plate, and diagonally cutting and polishing a back half portion of the tip of the resulting blade, while retaining an arch in a front half portion of the same tip. The thus produced blade 31, when disposed over the roller 2, can effectively control piling up of magnetic brushes of carriers over the roller surface, while diminishing the stress on the developer.
Apparently, JP-A 6-130801 has an object to solve a problem of the two-component type developer, i.e., undesirable piling up of magnetic brushes of carriers in said developer, and to solve this problem, it teaches how a tip of blade should be cut and polished to obtain a gap sufficient to control piling up of magnetic brushes.

Developer thickness-controlling blade and production process thereof as well as electrographic imaging device


A dish rack includes a base rack of a wire framework and at least one rack side element that is releasably connected to the base rack and, as seen by a user who is loading the dish rack with items which are to be washed, is fitted laterally thereto. A cutlery-accommodating device is integrated in the rack side element to produce an integral dish rack the allows, on one hand, the straightforward construction of the base rack—preferably in the form of a U—and, on the other hand, the releasable fastening of the rack side element to an integrated cutlery-accommodating device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a dishwasher with at least one pullout dish rack that is intended for accommodating items that are to be washed and has a base rack including a wire framework.
The prior art includes placing one or two pull-out dish racks for accommodating items that are to be washed—e.g., pieces of crockery such as plates, cups, glasses, cutlery, etc.—in a dishwashing compartment of a dishwasher.
European Patent Application EP 0 143 754 A1 discloses a dishwasher with two dish racks that are intended for accommodating items that are to be washed and each have a U-shaped base rack. Different additional elements may be coupled to the end side of the base rack through snap-connection closures to make possible for the dish rack, including the base rack and variable end element, to be adapted, regardless of its installation location, to the size and the construction of the dishwashing compartment.


Method for processing echoes received in an ultrasonic liquid gauging apparatus includes the steps of transmitting at time t.sub.1 ultrasonic energy from an ultrasonic transducer toward a fixed target and a liquid surface; producing a transmission pulse corresponding to the time t.sub.1 ; receiving during a predetermined cycle interval a number (i) of ultrasonic echoes after t.sub.1 and converting each echo into a corresponding echo pulse having an associated time of arrival t.sub.i+1 ; and calculating the liquid level based on an averaged time of arrival of the second echo relative to t.sub.1 when it is known that the liquid surface is low.

The invention is generally related to ultrasonic liquid gauging systems. More particularly, the invention is related to improving the detection of valid echoes under low liquid level and echo drop out conditions to thereby improve the accuracy of the measured liquid quantity.
Ultrasonic liquid gauging systems are well known in the art, and have been used, for example, in aircraft fuel gauging systems. Such systems typically operate based on echo ranging, by which the elapsed time between the transmission of ultrasonic energy from an ultrasonic transducer and the detection of ultrasonic echoes can be used to determine the distance of the reflecting surface to the ultrasonic transducer. Such reflections occur at boundaries that define impedance mismatches between the liquid and another surface or object. A velocity of sound (VOS) target can be used that is positioned a predetermined distance from the transducer to provide a reference value for the VOS through the liquid to improve the accuracy of the calculated distances of the liquid surface from the transducer.
For low liquid levels, a particular problem that can arise is the detection of secondary and tertiary echoes from multiple or harmonic reflections at the liquid surface of the transmitted ultrasonic energy. Echoes can also be lost or missed, including echoes from the surface as well as from the target.
The objectives exist, therefore, to provide improved processing of echo data in ultrasonic liquid gauging systems.

Processing echoes in ultrasonic liquid gauging systems


A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for restoring data. In some embodiments, this includes receiving a request from a requestor to recover an object, determining segments of the object, identifying any segments of the object residing in the requestor, and processing the recovery request based on the identified segments residing in the requestor. In some embodiments, segments of the object includes hash values of the object. In some embodiments, processing the recovery request based on the determined segments includes using the identified segments residing in the requestor to reconstitute the object.

Conventional data recovery technologies emphasize backup and storage. These include making a copy of data and storing the copy version at a different location from the original version. This creates an inefficient use of data since two copies of data are retained.
There have been several advancements in backup and storage technology. One such advancement is deduplication. Deduplication removes redundant data blocks so that only one instance of the data block is stored. This can save potentially massive amounts of storage space, as well as bandwidth when transferring data from a backup client to a backup server.
Though such advancements in backup and storage have led to some increased efficiency, much of the efficiency is lost when recovering the data. For example, when recovering from deduplicated data, the data is reconstituted first and then sent to the recovery target. The recovery process requires much more bandwidth resources than the backup process.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for recovering data in data systems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An automated nail polishing is provided. The device includes an arm having a plurality of linkages rotatably connected to each other. The end of the arm includes a port to removably receive a brush. The linkages are capable of controlled movement through an integrated circuit and motors. A hand platform is also provided with a groove and sensor for receiving a user finger. When the finger is placed in the groove, the integrated circuit can move the arm to dip the brush into a liquid receptacle and then move the arm to brush the liquid onto a user's fingernail.

Finger nail polish and polishing implements are well known within the art. Presently, nail polish used for manicures and pedicures is sold in predominantly glass containers with the applicator formed as an appendage to the bottle cap. The present invention seeks to improve upon the prior art by providing an automated nail polishing device.


A chemical resistant polymer composition for a center fascia includes a resin composition consisting of 10 to 20% by weight of a polyester copolymer containing a residue of a dicarboxylic acid component containing terephthalic acid and a residue of a diol component containing dianhydrohexitoll; 15 to 25% by weight of polytrimethyleneterephthalate; 10 to 20% by weight of one or more copolymers selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated nitrile-diene-based rubber-aromatic vinyl graft copolymer, an alkylmethacrylate-diene-based rubber-aromatic vinyl graft copolymer, and an alkylmethacrylate-silicone/alkylacrylate graft copolymer; and 50 to 65% by weight of polycarbonate based on the weight of the resin composition. The polymer composition further comprises 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a phosphite-based antioxidant, based on 100 parts by weight of the resin composition.

Polyester resins are widely used in reinforced plastics, paints, films, and resins for molding, and are also used as fabric materials to produce clothing due to characteristics of superior heat resistance, mechanical strength and elastic strength.
The use of polyester resins in the fields of interior building materials or molded sign panels is increasing because of the characteristic physical properties. However, polyester resins have lower heat resistance than other polymer materials, for example acrylic materials or polycarbonate materials, and thus there is a problem that polyester resins are not suitable for exterior building subject to large seasonal temperature changes.
Polycarbonate resins are used in a variety of building materials and housings for electronic products, packaging materials, cases, boxes, and interior/exterior building materials due to excellent properties of impact resistance and heat resistance. Demands for such polycarbonate resins are increasing because of these properties. However, problems with their use may include discoloration or cracking of polycarbonate products due to cleaners, cosmetics, hand sanitizers, or various household chemicals.
There have been many attempts to solve the problems of polyester resins and polycarbonate resins, and studies on blending of the polyester resins with the polycarbonate resins have been conducted.
Further, a technique of improving impact resistance and heat resistance by blending an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene-based graft copolymer (ABS) with a polycarbonate resin has been developed, but the product is not an environmentally friendly biomass product. Since the polyester resin and the polycarbonate resin are different in terms of melting point and molecular structure, it is difficult to improve heat resistance only by simple blending the two. Further, many methods have been used in order to improve chemical resistance while maintaining the mechanical properties of polycarbonate, particularly heat resistance, but the improvement of chemical resistance has not progressed enough to be industrially practical. Additionally, a method of further blending the two with other materials has been attempted in order to improve heat resistance and chemical resistance, but this did not obtain satisfactory chemical resistance.
Among automobile interior materials, PC/ABS (Polycarbonate/ABS) is an engineering plastic generally used for center fascias. By combining the excellent heat resistance, impact resistance, and self-extinguishing properties of PC and processability and economic advantages of ABS, PC/ABS has been developed for center fascias that require high heat resistance, impact resistance, and painting properties. In terms of chemical resistance, PC/ABS is susceptible to most chemicals, such as aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, and terpenes (limonene, etc.). When PC/ABS is directly exposed to these chemicals for a long period of time, discoloration, swelling, and cracking occur and deteriorate the value of the product. Further, the material has safety problems if used as a material in a head impact zone. Therefore, many studies have been conducted to prepare a polymer composition having superior chemical resistance to the conventional PC/ABS. For example, it was reported that polyolefin-based resins having excellent chemical resistance were mixed and used in order to improve chemical resistance of PC/ABS. However, there are problems such that a block copolymer must be used as a compatibilizer in order to improve compatibility of incompatible materials, and phase separation occurs when practically applied, leading to a rapid reduction in mechanical properties.
Accordingly, there is a need for a chemical resistant polymer composition for center fascia which is capable of providing a resin having excellent resistance to environmental stress cracking against car air fresheners, and improved heat resistance and/or impact resistance.

Chemical resistant polymer composition for a center fascia


A compound of formula (I): (I) wherein Y is, Z is OR10, NR11R11 SR11, S(O)R11 SO2R11, R10 is H, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, CO—R11, or a protecting group, and R11 is optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, or alkoxyl; a process for making a compound of formula (I); and a process for making a prostaglandin or a prostaglandin analog using a compound of formula (I).

Prostaglandins are hormone-like chemical messengers that regulate a host of physiological activities essential to life, such as the contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle tissue, the dilation and constriction of blood vessels, control of blood pressure, and modulation of inflammation. In nature, prostaglandins are derived from arachidonic acid (AA) and transformed by prostaglandin synthetase into a number of structurally related carbocyclic molecules. These sensitive and labile molecules are not stored in the body but are synthesized in response to stimuli. They were first discovered in the early 1930s by von Euler and by the mid 1960s the structures of the first family of prostaglandins was uncovered by Bergström et al.
The breadth of biological activity, coupled with their challenging molecular architecture has made prostaglandins popular targets in synthesis for over 40 years. Furthermore, prostaglandin analogues are widely used as pharmaceuticals and some have become billion dollar drugs, such as latanoprost, an analogue of the prostaglandin PGF2α, which is used in the treatment of glaucoma.

However, the currently available ways of manufacturing prostaglandins still require lengthy syntheses. A synthesis strategy developed by E. J. Corey in 1969, as described in Corey et al., Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1969, 91, 5675, involves formation of a key intermediate, the Corey lactone, synthesised in 9 steps from cyclopentadiene. The other members of the family of prostaglandins can be assembled from this lactone; prostaglandin PGF2α, for example, can be assembled from the Corey lactone in 8 further steps, i.e. in 17 steps from cyclopentadiene.

The manufacture of latanoprost requires 20 steps and utilizes the original 1969 synthesis developed by E. J. Corey, including the use of the Corey lactone.
Both the naturally occurring prostaglandins and their synthetic analogues such as latanoprost contain a number of chiral centres. It is well known that enantiomerically pure drugs are usually more biologically active than their racemic counterparts. In some cases the redundant enantiomer even has undesired side effects. It is highly desirable, therefore, to synthesize prostaglandins in enantiomerically pure form.
Despite the enantioselective tools available to modern synthetic chemists, a more efficient synthesis for manufacturing prostaglandins has remained elusive. Most if not all of the currently available ways of manufacturing prostaglandins require lengthy syntheses where every step costs time and money, generates waste, and is invariably accompanied by material losses. A need remains for new methods of synthesizing prostaglandins which are more efficient and less expensive than the existing syntheses.
It is an aim of the invention to provide a significantly shorter synthesis for manufacturing prostaglandins, including both the naturally occurring prostaglandins, such as PGF2α, and their synthetic analogues, such as latanoprost.

Lactol and acetal intermediates for making prostaglandins

Abstract: wherein                    Y is


A management server includes a determination unit and a notification unit. The determination unit determines a communication network to which a mobile terminal connectable to a plurality of the communication networks by one telephone number is connecting. The notification unit issues a notice on the communication network connecting to the mobile terminal based on a result of the determination by the determination unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a management server for managing communication by a mobile terminal, and to the mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, different telephone numbers have been used for different communication networks to which a mobile terminal (terminal device) connects. In recent years, a "one number" service to give one telephone number to one user has been proposed (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication H09-130476 (published in 1997)). The one number service has an advantage in that the terminal device can originate and receive a call by using the same telephone number no matter which communication network the terminal device may connect to, thus making it possible to enhance convenience for the user.
However, a new problem to be described below has occurred when it has been attempted to apply the one number service to mobile communication in which the communication network to which the terminal device connects is changed owing to a movement and the like of the terminal device during the communication. For example, when the mobile terminal uses one telephone number in both of the case of connecting to a mobile communication network and the case of connecting to a wireless LAN, the communication network to which the mobile terminal is connecting to use the communication network concerned cannot be determined based on the telephone number.
Accordingly, for example, the user cannot grasp that a subject to be charged has been changed from the user him/herself to the other end of the communication or from the other end of the communication to the user him/herself based on the change of the communication network to which the mobile terminal connects owing to the movement and the like thereof. Hence, there is a possibility that the user does not know the subject to be charged, and cannot make the communication with peace in mind.
In this connection, in consideration of the above-described problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a management server and a mobile terminal, which make it possible for a user of a mobile terminal connectable to plural communication networks by using one telephone number to grasp a communication network to which the mobile terminal is connecting.


A data sensing timing modulating circuit, particularly for non-volatile memories. The circuit includes means for generating a first voltage (V=f(Icell)) that is a function of the conductivity of a memory cell and of a second substantially constant reference voltage (V=Vref), a first delay circuit, and a second delay circuit supplied by the first and second voltages. The first delay circuit modulates, as a function of the first voltage, the start time of the switching of an equalization signal that is normally present in the memory device. The switching of this signal indicates the beginning of a data sensing step. The second delay circuit modulates the slope of the switching of the equalization signal, as a function of the first voltage, so as to determine the instant when the equalization signal ends the switching to start the subsequent data sensing step.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data sensing timing modulating circuit, particularly for non-volatile memories.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is known that in memories which use dynamic sense amplifiers, and similarly with static amplifiers, i.e., amplifiers that do not read the data of the memory at particular times and therefore allow reading at any freely selectable time, it is very important to determine the moment of data sensing and the sensitivity of the amplifier, i.e., the timing of the control step meant to capture the data, so as to obtain the best possible result in any operating condition.
The sensing step generally follows a first precharge step that very quickly brings the bit lines to which the various memory cells are connected to the operating level and equalizes them. Indeed, because they are equalized, these lines must then have time enough to assume a difference, however small, allowing certain and correct data reading.
The time intervals that determine a timing for reading a non-volatile memory are not absolute but depend on a certain number of variables, such as:
the conductivity characteristics of the memory cells; PA1 the levels transmitted to the cells at the given instant; PA1 the capacitance of the associated lines; PA1 the minimum sensitivity of the sense amplifiers; PA1 the impedances of the memory access paths; PA1 the presence/absence of supply voltage boosting circuits; and PA1 the operating temperature.
It is thus evident that it is not possible to establish beforehand a given data sensing timing, with the purpose of optimizing the read times of a memory device. Even if one considerably expands the timing of the sensing step, with a consequent slowing of the data capture, the case may in fact occur in which the levels transmitted to the cells are still insufficient to determine their possible conductivity, and if one proceeded with the reading operation, the result would be unreliable. A memory device with scarcely conductive cells requires a longer settling time than a similar device with more conductive cells.
In any case, the sensing step must be followed by a data capture step that must be performed as quickly as possible. European patent application no. 95830336.4 filed on Jul. 28, 1995 in the name of the same Applicant disclosed a circuit for generating a signal with a slope capable of being modulated, which is a function of the conductivity of a memory cell. Slope modulation is therefore performed in close correlation with the conductivity of the memory cell. This application is incorporated herein by reference.
One object of the present invention is therefore to provide a data sensing timing modulating circuit, particularly for non-volatile memories, that is capable of modulating the data sensing and capture times as a function of the conductivity of the memory cells.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data sensing timing modulating circuit, particularly for non-volatile memories, that is capable of correlating the moment when the data sensing step starts to the conductivity of the memory cells.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data sensing timing modulating circuit, particularly for non-volatile memories, that allows optimization of the sensitivity of the sense amplifiers of the memory device, as a function of the conductivity of the memory cells of said device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data sensing timing modulating circuit for a memory device that allows suspension and delay of the timing of the extraction of the data item if the minimal conditions for correct and certain reading are not achieved.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data sensing timing modulating circuit for a memory device, which allows modulation of the data sensing timing according to the voltage applied to the memory device at a given instant.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data sensing timing modulating circuit that allows modulation of the timing of the data according to the operating temperature of the memory device at a given instant.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data sensing timing modulating circuit that allows modulation of data timing according to the intrinsic conductivity characteristics of the memory device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data sensing timing modulating circuit that allows modulation of the data timing according to the technological and process characteristics used in the memory device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sensing timing modulating circuit for the data of a memory device that is highly reliable and relatively easy to produce at competitive costs.

Data sensing timing modulating circuit, particularly for non-volatile memories


A pattern forming method includes forming a resist pattern for lift off of a first film disposed on a surface side of a base, patterning the first film by dry etching using the resist pattern as a mask, depositing a second film after patterning, removing the resist pattern to remove a portion of the second film on the resist pattern, and etching the surface side of the base after removing the resist pattern. The etching includes dry-etching the surface side of the base using etching particles with a main incident angle of the etching particles to the surface side of the base being set in a range of 60° to 90° relative to a normal direction of the one surface of the base. The dry etching is performed while rotating the base about an axis substantially parallel with the normal direction.

The present invention relates to a pattern forming method using a lift-off method, a method of manufacturing a magneto-resistive device and a magnetic head using the pattern forming method, and a head suspension assembly and a magnetic disk apparatus.
With the trend to a larger capacity and a smaller size of hard disk drives (HDD), heads are required to have a higher sensitivity and a larger output. To meet these requirements, strenuous efforts have been made to improve the characteristics of GMR heads (Giant Magneto-Resistive Head) currently available on the market. On the other hand, intense development is under way for a tunnel magneto-resistive head (TMR head) which can be expected to have a resistance changing ratio twice or more higher than the GMR head.
Generally, the GMR head differs from the TMR head in the head structure due to a difference in a direction in which a sense current is fed. A head structure adapted to feed a sense current in parallel with a film surface, as in a general GMR head, is referred to as a CIP (Current In Plane) structure, while a head structure adapted to feed a sense current perpendicularly to a film surface, as in the TMR head, is referred to as a CPP (Current Perpendicular to Plane) structure. Since the CPP structure can use a magnetic shield itself as an electrode, it is essentially free from short-circuiting between the magnetic shield and a device (defective insulation) which is a serious problem in reducing a lead gap in the CIP structure. For this reason, the CPP structure is significantly advantageous in providing a higher recording density.
Other than the TMR head, also known as a head in CPP structure is, for example, a CPP-GMR head which has the CPP structure, though a spin valve film (including a specular type and dual spin valve type magnetic multilayer films) is used for a magneto-resistive device.
Any type of CPP-based heads has an upper electrode and a lower electrode for supplying a current to a magneto-resistive layer formed on a base, formed on the top (opposite to the base) and on the bottom (close to the base) of the magneto-resistive layer, respectively. The CPP-based head comprises an insulating layer for limiting a current path between the upper electrode and lower electrode is arranged around a main layer (for example, a tunnel barrier layer in a TMR head) of the magneto-resistive layer. The limited current path substantially matches an effective region for detecting a magnetic field from a magnetic recording medium. A TMR head is disclosed as an example of the CPP-based head in JP-A-2001-23131 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,473,257. Generally, Al2O3 or SiO2 is used as a material for the insulating layer. Also, it is often the case that a magnetic head is generally provided with magnetic domain control layers on both sides of a magneto-resistive layer in the track width direction, irrespective of whether the magnetic head is in CPP structure or in CIP structure (including an LOL structure, later described). The magnetic domain control layers apply a biasing magnetic field (a so-called vertical bias) to a free layer, which forms part of the magneto-resistive layer, for controlling magnetic domains.
For manufacturing a conventional CPP-based head as disclosed in JP-A-2001-23131, a lift-off method is typically used. Specifically, a resist pattern for lift-off is formed on constituent layers, which make up a magneto-resistive layer, formed on a substrate, and the constituent layers are patterned by dry etching such as ion milling or the like using the resist pattern as a mask. Then, with the presence of the resist pattern, an insulating layer (or a laminate of an insulating layer and a metal layer (magnetic domain control layer)) is deposited, followed by removal of the resist pattern and the overlying insulating layer (or the laminate of the insulating layer and metal layer (magnetic domain control layer)), thereby forming the insulating layer around the constituent layers as well as forming the magnetic domain control layers on both sides of the constituent layers in the track width direction.
Subsequently, the upper electrode is formed. Generally, for reasons of the manufacturing process, the base formed with the magneto-resistive layer is placed in the atmosphere after the magneto-resistive layer is formed and before the upper electrode is formed. In this event, for preventing the top surface of the magneto-resistive layer from being oxidized in the air to damage the characteristics of the magneto-resistive layer such as an MR ratio, a non-magnetic metal layer, referred to as a cap layer, is previously formed as a protection film on the top surface of the magneto-resistive layer. For example, Ta, Ru, Rh, Au, Pt, Ag, Pd, Ir, Cu or the like is used for the non-magnetic metal layer. In the CPP-based head, the upper electrode is electrically connected to the magneto-resistive layer through the non-magnetic metal layer. The non-magnetic metal layer is formed on the top of the constituent layers, and is patterned by the ion milling or the like together with the other constituent layers.
In the CPP-based head, since a current is applied to the magneto-resistive layer through the upper electrode and non-magnetic metal layer, it is necessary to maintain a good electrical contact between the upper electrode and non-magnetic metal layer to provide a lower resistance. However, since Ta, Ru, Rh, Au, Pt, Ag, Pd, Ir, Cu, or the like may be used for the non-magnetic metal layer, the surface of the non-magnetic metal layer is oxidized in the air, or O2, H2O and the like adsorb on the surface of the non-magnetic metal layer when the base, formed with the magneto-resistive layer and non-magnetic metal layer, is placed in the atmosphere. Thus, if another layer such as the upper electrode is formed on the non-magnetic metal layer as it is, a good electrical contact cannot be maintained between the upper electrode and the non-magnetic metal layer. To address this problem, the surface oxide film is removed from the non-magnetic metal layer by dry etching (including general dry processes such as sputter etching, ion beam etching or the like) within the same vacuum chamber in which the upper electrode and the like are deposited, prior to the formation of another layer such as the upper electrode on the non-magnetic metal layer. Conventionally, the dry etching has been performed using etching particles which do not form clusters, with an incident angle of the etching particles being set in a direction normal to the surface of the base.
Another known CIP-based head has an LOL (lead overlay) structure (for example, see JP-A-2000-99926). The LOL structure comprises a magneto-resistive layer such as a spin valve film, and two upper electrodes formed on the side of the top surface of the magneto-resistive layer for applying a current to the magneto-resistive layer, wherein one of the upper electrodes has a portion overlapping with a portion of the magneto-resistive layer on one side in a plane direction, while the other of the upper electrodes has a portion overlapping with a portion of the magneto-resistive layer on the other side in the plane direction, so that the two electrodes are spaced away from each other in the plane direction. In other words, the LOL structure comprises a pair of lead layers for applying a current to an effective region of the magneto-resistive layer in a direction substantially parallel with a film surface thereof, wherein the pair of lead layers include an overlay which extends onto a portion of the magneto-resistive layer on the top surface side (opposite to the base) of the magneto-resistive layer.
A lift-off method is typically used as well for manufacturing such an LOL-based head, as is the case with the CPP-based head. Specifically, a resist pattern for lift-off is formed on constituent layers, which make up a magneto-resistive layer, formed on a substrate, and the constituent layers are patterned by dry etching such as ion milling or the like using the resist pattern as a mask. Then, with the presence of the resist pattern, an insulating layer (or a metal layer (magnetic domain control layer)) is deposited, followed by removal of the resist pattern and the overlying insulating layer (or the metal layer (magnetic domain control layer)), thereby forming the insulating layer around the constituent layers (in the LOL structure, around an end opposite to the rear end (end opposite to ABS (air baring surface) in the height direction) as well as forming the magnetic domain control layers on both sides of the constituent layers in the track width direction.
Subsequently, the lead layers are formed. Generally, for reasons of the manufacturing process, the base formed with the magneto-resistive layer is placed in the atmosphere after the magneto-resistive layer is formed and before the lead layers are formed. In this event, for preventing the top surface of the magneto-resistive layer from being oxidized in the air to damage the characteristics of the magneto-resistive layer such as an MR ratio, a non-magnetic metal layer, referred to as a cap layer, is previously formed as a protection film on the top surface of the magneto-resistive layer, as is the case with the CPP-based head. For example, Ta, Ru, Rh, Au, Pt, Ag, Pd, Ir, Cu or the like is used for the non-magnetic metal layer. In the LOL-based head, the lead layers are electrically connected to the magneto-resistive layer through the non-magnetic metal layer. The non-magnetic metal layer is formed on the top of the constituent layers, and is patterned by the ion milling or the like together with the other constituent layers.
In the LOL-based head, since a current is applied to the magneto-resistive layer through the lead layers and non-magnetic metal layer, it is necessary to maintain a good electrical contact between the lead layers and non-magnetic metal layer to provide a lower resistance. However, since Ta, Ru, Rh, Au, Pt, Ag, Pd, Ir, Cu, or the like may be used for the non-magnetic metal layer, the surface of the non-magnetic metal layer is oxidized in the air, or O2, H2O and the like adsorb on the surface of the non-magnetic metal layer when the base, formed with the magneto-resistive layer and non-magnetic metal layer, is placed in the atmosphere. Thus, if other layers such as the lead layers are formed on the non-magnetic metal layer as it is, a good electrical contact cannot be maintained between the lead layers and the non-magnetic metal layer. To address this problem, the surface oxide film is removed from the non-magnetic metal layer by dry etching (including general dry processes such as sputter etching, ion beam etching or the like) within the same vacuum chamber in which the lead layers and the like are deposited, prior to forming other layers such as the lead layers on the non-magnetic metal layer. Conventionally, the dry etching has been performed using etching particles which do not form clusters, with an incident angle of the etching particles being set in a direction normal to the surface of the base, as is the case with the CPP-based head.
In a variety of applications other than the manufacturing of magnetic heads, a lift-off based pattern forming method is used.
However, in the conventional manufacturing method for manufacturing the aforementioned CPP-based head and LOL-based head, the surface oxide film on the non-magnetic metal layer, redeposits produced during the dry etching such as ion milling, and the insulating layer (or the laminate of the insulating layer and metal layer (magnetic domain control layer)) remain on a peripheral region and the like of the non-magnetic metal layer due to the resist pattern for lift-off which has a shape at cross section including an undercut or an inverse tapered shape at cross section, thereby limiting a path for a current which flows into the magneto-resistive layer to reduce an area which has a good electrical contact. As a result, the magnetic head manufactured by the conventional manufacturing method experiences an increase in a series resistance component of the magneto-resistive device, degraded MR characteristics, degraded frequency characteristics due to a higher resistance of the head, and the like. It is difficult to reduce the dimensions of the undercut or the like of the resist pattern for lift-off to predetermined dimensions or less in order to avoid producing burrs and the like during the lift-off. Thus, when a magneto-resistive device is reduced in size for increasing a recording density, the resulting magneto-resistive device has a significantly reduced area which makes an electrically good contact to strictly limit a path for a current which flows into a magneto-resistive layer, thereby notably affecting the magneto-resistive device due to the degraded MR characteristics, degraded frequency characteristics associated with a higher resistance of a head, and the like. These aspects will be described later in greater detail in the description of a comparative example which is compared with the present invention.
Also, as mentioned above, the magnetic domain control layer remains as well on peripheral regions (here, peripheral regions on both sides in the track width direction) of the non-magnetic metal layer due to the undercut or the like of the resist pattern for lift-off. This causes a portion of the magnetic domain control layer to also be piled on the magneto-resistive layer. Consequently, part of a biasing magnetic field from the magnetic domain control layer passes through the piled portions of the magnetic control layers on both sides to bypass the free layer without entering the free layer. This results in a lower vertical biasing effect to the free layer by the magnetic domain control layer, thereby failing to sufficiently control the magnetic domains of the free layer. Since it is difficult to reduce the dimensions of the undercut or the like of the resist pattern for lift-off to predetermined dimensions or less as mentioned above, a reduction in the dimensions of the magneto-resistive device for a higher recording density would significantly narrow down the distance between the piled portions of the magnetic domain control layers on both sides, thereby notably affecting the control for the magnetic domains of the free layer. This aspect will also be described later in greater detail in the description on a comparative example which is compared with the present invention.
While a magnetic head manufacturing method has been given as an example for purposes of description, troubles can be also caused by the resist pattern for lift-off having the undercut or the like in a lift-off based pattern forming method which is used in a variety of applications other than the manufacturing of magnetic heads. Specifically, troubles may be caused by unwanted products, which can be redeposits during ion milling, a second film formed around a first film, and the like, remaining on a peripheral region an the like of the first film patterned by ion milling or the like using the resist pattern for lift-off as a mask.

Method for forming a resist pattern of magnetic device


A female condom has a pouch that includes a pre-formed small diameter end for shaping a retention sponge to have a pull-out resistant rim thereon.

With the widespread prevalence of venereal disease and the growing occurrence of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), there is an increasing need for effective means to prevent the transmission of such diseases through sexual contact and resultant exchange of bodily fluids between a user and the user's partner.
Heretofore, conventional means for preventing the transmission of such bodily fluids and exposure to such diseases because of bodily contact have included the use of condoms, jells, creams and the like.
Additionally, there have been proposals to provide female prophylactic devices which can be worn by a female prior to use and disposed of following use. It is desirable that such devices include an arrangment for securing a pouch in place to prevent withdrawal during use.
While such conventional and proposed devices are suitable for their intended purpose, it has been found that they are not totally effective for various reasons.
U.S. Pat. No.4,735,621 likewise shows a thin walled, condom-like, tubular protective device for insertion into a vaginal canal. It includes a resilient ring on one end thereof to anchor the device in the vaginal canal.
The retention ring of the '621 patent is an integral part of the condom which requires special manufacturing tooling. Furthermore, the retention ring is configured to have a diameter corresponding to that of the pouch and a cross-sectional diameter that is small compared to the diameter of the ring. As a consequence the ring requires careful placement within the vagina so as to assure that it will fit in an interference relationship therewith to prevent the pouch from being withdrawn during coitus. Furthermore, the '621 retention ring may be oriented in a direction that will produce undesirable contact with an erected penis, i.e., causing pain during intercourse. Furthermore, the outer ring goes into the vagina during intercourse causing undesirable exposure of the users to bodily fluids.
Other female condoms have been proposed that include an internally located resilient insert element for holding the pouch portion of the female condom in place. One example is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,871 that discloses the use of an insertable retention member that can be compressed during insertion and that will, following deployment of the female condom into its deployed position, serve both as a radially outwardly directed retention pressure device as well as a device for dispensing spermicides, fungicides or the like. U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,555, as shown in FIG. 1, requires use of an insertion tool 15. Another female condom requiring an insertion tool is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,930. In the '555 patent retention is provided by a multi-fingered insert with a central portion and a radially outwardly directed portion that springs out following tool insertion for holding the condom pouch in place. In the '930 patent retention is provided by a series of flexible protrusions that are on the outside of the pouch and that are inclined in a direction to prevent pull-out of the pouch.
While suitable for their intended purposes, such aforesaid devices have been found to lack an ease of application that will make the female condom acceptable and convenient to most users.


An electrophotographic image-receiving film is disclosed which comprises an transparent support having on one side thereof an image-receiving layer, said support having on the other side thereof a back layer comprising an electro-conductive undercoat layer and an antifriction layer having a reduced coefficient of friction. The electrophotographic image-receiving film has excellent running properties and excellent antiblocking properties.

The technique of using an electrophotographic image-receiving film (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "transparent film") in place of plain paper to form a toner image with an indirect dry electrophotographic plain-paper copier and projecting the toner image with an OHP (overhead projector) to give a projected image (transmitted image) is extensively used as a method for easily obtaining a projected image. In particular, with the recent spread of indirect dry full-color electrophotographic copiers and various printers, the technique of forming a color image on a transparent film and projecting the image with an OHP to obtain a projected image has also come to be used extensively. Because of this, there is a demand for an electrophotographic image-receiving film which not only is capable of giving a projected image with excellent color tones but also has satisfactory handleability with excellent film traveling properties (running properties).
However, the conventionally used electrophotographic image-receiving films for monochromic (black-and-white) indirect dry electrophotographic copiers still have many problems in film traveling properties (running properties), although improved in toner fixability, etc. For example, in the case where electrophotographic image-receiving films (OHP films) are fed to an indirect dry full-color electrophotographic copier through a tray for manual paper feed, multiple feeding (the phenomenon in which two or more OHP films are fed simultaneously) and miss feeding (the phenomenon in which no OHP film is fed) occur frequently. OHP films are usually fed through a manual-feed tray because each original is rarely copied onto two or more OHP films. In the case of color copying, the transfer drum makes four revolutions to transfer toners of four colors to an OHP film, and the OHP film is passed on a transport plate disposed between the transfer drum and fixing rolls and then inserted between the fixing rolls in order to fix the transferred toners. In this operation, the OHP film frequently adheres to the transport plate and bends, making the insertion thereof impossible. Although the transport plate is usually a resin-coated metal plate having excellent slip properties so as to enable smooth insertion between the fixing rolls, the OHP film which has undergone the transfer step described above is apt to arouse the above-described trouble concerning insertion between the fixing rolls.
The conventionally used electrophotographic image-receiving films for monochromic (black-and-white) indirect dry electrophotographic copiers have an image-receiving layer (usually on each side of the support) which contains any of various matting agents and an antistatic agent so as to improve the traveling properties (running properties) of the films (JP-A-58-112735, JP-A-1-315768, and JP-A-6-19179). (The term "JP-A" as used herein means as "unexamined published Japanese patent application.") Used as the matting agents are beads of poly(methyl methacrylate), polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, and the like and fine particles of SiO.sub.2 and other inorganic substances.
In JP-A-48-75240 is disclosed an electrophotographic image-receiving film comprising a support, an image-receiving layer formed on the front side of the support, and an antistatic layer formed on the back side thereof which contains an antistatic agent (e.g., an alkylbenzimidazolesulfonic acid salt).
Even though electrophotographic image-receiving films designed to have improved slip and antistatic properties like the electrophotographic image-receiving film described in the above-cited reference are used, it is difficult to eliminate troubles in indirect dry full-color electrophotographic copiers, such as the multiple feeding and miss feeding which can occur when electrophotographic image-receiving films are fed through a manual-feed tray and the failure of insertion between fixing rolls due to film adhesion to a transport plate disposed before the fixing rolls and due to the resulting film bending.


Methods and apparatus for digital jammer detection. In an aspect, a method is provided for detecting a jammer in a received waveform. The method includes filtering the received waveform to produce a filtered waveform and subtracting the filtered waveform from the received waveform to produce a difference waveform. The method also includes determining a power differential associated with the difference waveform, and detecting the jammer if the power differential exceeds a selected threshold. In an aspect, an apparatus is provided that includes a filter configured to filter the received waveform to produce a filtered waveform and combining logic configured to subtract the filtered waveform from the received waveform to produce a difference waveform. The apparatus also includes power determination logic configured to determine a power differential associated with the difference waveform, and decision logic configured to detect the jammer if the power differential exceeds a selected threshold.

1. Field
The present application for patent relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for digital jammer detection for use in a communication system.
2. Background
Data networks, such as wireless communication networks, have to trade off between services customized for a single terminal and services provided to a large number of terminals. For example, the distribution of multimedia content to a large number of resource limited portable devices (subscribers) is a complicated problem. Therefore, it is very important for network administrators, content retailers, and service providers to have a way to distribute content and/or other network services in a fast and efficient manner and in such a way as to increase bandwidth utilization and power efficiency.
In current content delivery/media distribution systems, real time and non real time services are packed and delivered to devices on a network. For example, a communication network may utilize Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) to provide communications between a network server and one or more mobile devices. In this technology, a stream of OFDM symbols forming a transmit signal are packed with services to be delivered over the distribution network. Each symbol comprises a number of sub-carriers that are modulated by the data to be transmitted.
Unfortunately, a receiving device may receive a waveform that comprises the transmit signal in addition to one or more interfering signals. For example, an interfering signal (or jammer) may be caused by a nearby transmitter that is transmitting on an adjacent frequency band. In this case, the receiving device needs to have excellent linearity performance to distinguish between the desired transmit signal and the jammer. However, operating with increased linearity performance requires additional power consumption. Conversely, if a jammer is not present in the received waveform, it may be inefficient to operate with increased linearity performance.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a system that operates to detect the presence of a jammer in a received waveform. The system should also provide a power conserving mechanism that adjusts linearity performance based on whether or not a jammer is detected.


A hosted private branch exchange (PBX) platform includes associated application programming interfaces (APIs) that provide a range of integration points with the PBX platform that, in turn, enables the development of a broad range of applications that can customize and/or enhance the basic functionality of the underlying PBX platform.

Telephony services (e.g., voice and fax services) continue to evolve at a rapid pace with telephony platforms and application service providers proliferating on the Internet. The spectrum of service offerings includes hosted private branch exchange (PBX) platforms that provide enterprise-level telephony services, to hosted voice XML services that provide script-based call handing and/or voice mail functionality. Existing platforms provide some level of customization but such options do not always keep pace with available options from third-party providers. However, making use of the options available from such providers can be difficult or inefficient to integrate with the provider of an enterprise's basic telephony service.


A flow battery system and methods are provided for eliminating crossover issues of active materials in redox flow batteries. A solid adsorbent with large specific surface area is disposed in an electrolyte of at least one half-cell, in contact with the electrolyte. During a charging process, the active material in a charged state is captured and stored on surfaces of the adsorbent, so that concentrations of the active material in the electrolyte in the charged state is reduced and the crossover is inhibited. During a discharging process, the active material is desorbed from the adsorbent to the electrolyte and pumped into the stack for reaction. The flow battery stack can have a microporous membrane separator. The electrolyte of the flow battery includes zinc iodide as active material and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as an additive.

The increasing concern on climate changes and air pollution accelerates the transformation of energy systems to be renewable. Compared to coal plants, nature clean power (solar or wind) has disadvantages of intermittent supply and uncontrollable instant power. Moreover, the supply period of nature power may not satisfy the requirements of users. As a result, energy storage plays a critical role in the renewable energy systems. As one of the most competitive candidates for large-scale energy storage, flow batteries (FBs) offer unique advantages of high efficiency, low cost, scalability and rapid response for grid energy storage. A flow battery comprises two electrolytes tanks—an anolyte tank and a catholyte tank for energy storage, a stack for power conversion, and two pumps to circulate the two electrolytes between the tanks and the stack. The stack includes an anode in contact with the anolyte, a cathode in contact with the catholyte, and a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode.
One major challenge for flow battery is the issue of crossover. Separators used in flow battery generally include an ion-exchange membrane, conducting charge-carrier ions and preventing crossover of active species. However, active species in anolyte/catholyte may still slowly diffuse through the separators to the opposite side, causing self-discharge and reducing the coulombic efficiency of the battery. In some flow battery systems, the active materials may have side reactions with the opposite electrode or the electrolyte, so that the crossover issues of active materials leads to irreversible capacity loss and eventually battery failure. Previously, many researchers investigated in solving the crossover issue by improving designs of the separators, including functionalization of membrane surfaces, pore-size control of nanoporous membranes, and coating on membrane surfaces. However, there is a dilemma between conductivity of the membrane and selectivity of the membrane. Solving crossover issue with high selectivity separator may lead to high polarization of flow battery, which reduces energy efficiency. Moreover, high cost of high-performance ion-exchange membranes may work against the economic feasibility of the flow batteries.
Zinc-iodine (Zn—I) flow batteries offer an advantage of symmetric electrolyte by utilizing both anion and cation of active materials to avoid crossover contamination. As a result, the Zn—I flow batteries may potentially use microporous membranes for separating anolyte and catholyte. Compared to the conventional cation-exchange membranes used in the flow batteries such as Nafion, the porous membranes provide benefits including significantly lower cost (about ⅕- 1/20 of the cost of the Nafion), higher ionic conductivities, higher mechanical strength and robustness against Zn dendrite penetrations. However, due to lack of selectivity, crossover of triiodide (I3—) or iodine-bromide (I2Br—) reduces coulombic efficiency of the Zn—I flow batteries and aggravates the dendrite problem. Suppression of iodine-crossover is a great challenge for the utilization of low-cost porous membrane separators in the Zn—I flow batteries.
The first Zn-ion (ZIB) battery proposed by B. Li et al[1]. had a high energy density of 167 Wh L−1 for catholyte, which was achieved by a 5M ZnI2 electrolyte and a Nafion cation exchange membrane1. During the charging processes of the ZIB battery, the iodide (I—) was first charged to form iodine molecule (I2) and the I2 was then coupled with a I— to form soluble triiodide I3—, as indicated by Equations (1)-(2). Therefore, the utilization of iodine was limited to ⅔ of the full capacity, and the current density was limited to a range of 5-20 mA cm−2 due to ohmic resistance of the Nafion separator.
                            2                      I        -                   +             2                      e        -                                    ⇒                     charge                                        I      2                        Equation                        (      1      )                                    I      2          +                  I       -                           ⟺                          complex                                              I       3       -                              Equation                        (      2      )
C. Xie et al proposed a flow battery using a carbon-coated porous separator instead of the Nafion[2], improving the operation current density to a range of 80-180 mA cm−2. However, the crossover of I3— reduced coulombic efficiency (CE) at a low current density (90% CE at 60 mA cm−2).2
To fully utilize the capacity of iodine, a low-cost complex agent was reported to be added to form soluble complex with iodine. GM. Weng and coworkers used bromide additive to form iodine-bromide (I2Br—) instead of I3— as indicated by Equation (3), achieving a system energy density of 101 Wh L−1 by fully utilizing the iodine element[3].
                     I      2          +                          Br                 -                                         ⟺                            complex                                                   I        2                                Br       -                              Equation                        (      3      )
Another way explored to improve the iodine utilization was by using precipitation reactions of I—/I2. X. Li et al. applied activated carbon (AC) as electrodes of the iodine-based batteries for adsorbing free iodine in the electrolyte, thereby improving reaction kinetics and inhibiting the crossover problem[4]. However, this method had a limited current density (˜2 mA cm−2) and areal capacity (<3 mAh cm−2), making the method more suitable for mobile electronics rather than for large-scale energy storage applications.
The formation of I3— in the catholyte is a reversible process. At high state-of-charge (SOC), the concentration of I— is low and the reaction tends to happen in the reversed direction, which may cause iodine precipitation that blocks the pipeline and leads to capacity loss. One possible way to solve the blocking problem is by adoption of single-flow battery architecture demonstrated by C. Xie and coworkers[5]. This architecture used non-flowing catholyte and iodine deposited on surfaces of the carbon electrode, achieving a high energy density of 200 Wh/L−1. However, the benefit came with a cost of sacrificing the advantage of decoupled energy and power in the flow battery, limiting the discharging time (<1 h). Moreover, the crossover issue was very serious when a porous polyolefin separator (CE 74% at 20 mA cm−2) was used, which may be improved by using a Nafion-coated separator (CE 92% at 20 mA cm−2).

High efficiency zinc-iodine adsorption-aided flow battery with a low cost membrane


Food products can be stored and sold in packaging. For example, a perishable food product can be stored in a first compartment of a packaging, and a second food product can be stored in a second compartment. The first compartment can include a modified atmosphere to increase the shelf life of the food product in the first compartment. The second compartment can be under normal atmosphere. This allows a more perishable food product to be stored in the first compartment, and a prepackaged, or otherwise less perishable food product to be separately stored in the second compartment, while extending the shelf life of the food products. The first product could be a sandwich, and the second product be one or more condiments for the sandwich.

Modified atmosphere is the practice of modifying the composition of the internal atmosphere of a package (commonly food packages, drugs, etc.) in order to improve the shelf life. The need for this technology for food arises from the short shelf life of food products such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy in the presence of oxygen. In food, oxygen is readily available for lipid oxidation reactions. Oxygen also helps maintain high respiration rates of fresh produce, which contribute to shortened shelf life. From a microbiological aspect, oxygen encourages the growth of aerobic spoilage microorganisms. Therefore, the reduction of oxygen and its replacement with other gases can reduce or delay oxidation reactions and microbiological spoilage. Oxygen scavengers may also be used to reduce browning due to lipid oxidation by halting the auto-oxidative chemical process.
The modification process generally lowers the amount of oxygen in the headspace of the package. Oxygen can be replaced with nitrogen, a comparatively inert gas, or carbon dioxide.
Problems can arise when food product packaging that includes modified atmosphere also includes additional, separate, pre-packaged food product. This can be in the form of condiments that are packaged with a perishable food product. For example, sandwiches include perishable components, and the modified atmosphere increases the shelf life of the product for shipping, storing, and longer times until use. However, for convenience, condiments (e.g., mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, butter or margarine, or the like) are added and sold with the sandwich for the consumer to selectively use. The condiments are generally stored in packets, and exposing the packets to the modified atmosphere process can affect the packets, and even cause them to open or burst.
Another way to combine a perishable food product and one or more condiments is to package the products together in a non-modified atmosphere packaging. This could be a bag, a wrap, a foil, film, or the like, which covers or otherwise houses the food product and any condiments. Because this is not fully sealed, the shelf life for the food product is reduced, and there is a higher risk of spoilage and waste.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved food product packaging for perishable food products that allows for the use of modified atmosphere packaging, while also including one or more condiment packets or packages included with the food product that has a high shelf life.


A method and apparatus is provided for installing an optical cable link between first and second communication access points is provided. The method begins by securing a first end of an optical cable to the first communication access point to establish optical connectivity therebetween. A second end of the optical cable is secured to the second communication access point to establish optical connectivity therebetween. Prior to securing the second end of the optical cable, an optical probe signal is launched into the first or second end of the optical cable. A portion of the optical probe signal is received which has traversed at least a part of the cable and in which information concerning optical characteristics of the optical cable is embodied. An alert indicative of cable tampering is generated if the received portion of the optical probe signal changes beyond a threshold limit.

Optical fiber has acquired an increasingly important role in the field of telecommunications, frequently replacing existing copper wires. This trend has had a significant impact in all areas of telecommunications, which has seen a vast increase in the usage of fiber. Further increases in the use of optical fiber is at least foreseen in local loop telephone and cable TV service, as local, wide area and other fiber networks are established to deliver ever greater volumes of information in the form of data, audio, and video signals to residential and commercial users. In addition, use of fiber in home and commercial business environments for internal data, voice, and video communications has begun and is expected to increase.
Optical cables are thus now used for many long-distance and local communication links, and in the nature of such links they may pass through areas where they may be accessible to those who might wish to eavesdrop on the transmitted data for the purpose of governmental or "industrial" espionage or to facilitate criminal acts of various kinds. A long optical cable link, if accessible, may not be too difficult to tap without detection; for example, if the signal level is high, a sufficient signal may sometimes be extracted by "microbending" the fiber carrying the data without the reduction in intensity at the receiving end of the fiber becoming obvious; or a more sophisticated eavesdropper might induce a cable breakdown and install a tap (possibly incorporating an optical amplifier to compensate losses) downstream of the fault before it can be repaired by the operator of the installation. Another possibility is that the cable may be tapped during deployment when a fiber link is being installed.
Certain applications require a very high degree of security to ensure that sensitive information cannot be accessed by unauthorized parties. For instance, government agencies, financial institutions and other organizations require assurances that their confidential information transmitted over a communications link will not be compromised. Such security is particularly vulnerable at the time a link is first installed. During installation, there is a possibility that the fiber could be deliberately tapped or hacked for illegal purposes. For instance, a splice could be added to the fiber as it is payed out from the fiber reel. While such illegal acts may be readily detected once a link is installed and operational, there is generally no assurance that security will not be breached during the installation period.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for ensuring the security of a fiber link as it is being installed.

Method and apparatus for monitoring the security of an optical cable link during installation


A roof top snow removing apparatus includes a plowing unit configure to plow snow disposed upon a roof top, a motor unit coupled to and providing a motive force for the plowing unit, a track system to guide the motor unit about the roof top, and a controller to control the motor unit based on received input from a user.

1. Field of the Disclosure
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a roof top snow removing apparatus, method, and computer program product. More particularly, the embodiments described herein relate generally to a plowing unit, a motor unit, and a track system for pushing snow disposed on a roof top to an area below the roof top along with a controller unit for controlling the roof top snow removing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The "background" description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventor, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.
During winter months in many locations, significant snow accumulation on a roof top can occur over time. While small amounts of snow typically do not present any danger or threat to the roof top, the accumulation of snow over time can produce a significant mass and generate a large downward force upon the roof top as well as the underlying structural support of the roof top. Over an extended period of time, accumulated snow can have severe and even catastrophic repercussions to a roof top structure, leading to structural damage and even a collapse of the entire structure.
Currently, the main method of removing snow from a roof top is by an individual manually removing the snow with a hand held tool, such as a rake. This is typically done from the ground using the hand held tool with an extension apparatus or directly from the roof. Both of these scenarios create very dangerous situations. From the ground, snow can fall on the individual, injuring or crushing them. From the roof, the individual may slip and fall from the roof top and become seriously injured.
Further, if the snow is not consistently removed from the roof top, significant amounts of snow may accumulate over time and overwhelm the current methods of snow removal, leading to inefficient or impossible snow removal. Constantly removing snow from a roof top, especially in blizzard conditions, can be burdensome and dangerous due to constant exposure to severe elements.

Roof top snow removing apparatus, method, and computer program product


A fluid jet apparatus includes a housing defining a propellant cavity, a fluid cavity, and a passage through the housing in fluid communication with the fluid cavity. The apparatus further includes a membrane separating the propellant cavity and the fluid cavity, a propellant disposed in the propellant cavity, and a fluid retained in the fluid cavity. The propellant urges the fluid from the fluid cavity through the passage upon initiation of the propellant. A munition system includes a munition and at least one fluid jet apparatus adapted to vent the munition. A method includes initiating a propellant to produce a rapidly expanding gas and urging a fluid through a passageway with the gas to produce a fluid jet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating a fluid jet and a system for venting a container incorporating the apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for generating a pulsed jet of fluid upon initiation of a propellant and a venting system incorporating the apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Energetic materials, such as explosives and propellants, are often found in confined spaces, for example, within munitions. Under normal conditions, these materials are unlikely to explode or burn spontaneously; however, many are sensitive to heat and mechanical shock. For example, when exposed to extreme heat (as from a fire) or when impacted by bullets or fragments from other munitions, the energetic materials may be initiated, causing the munitions, in which the energetic materials are disposed, to inadvertently explode prematurely. Conventionally, armor is used to protect munitions and other energetic material-containing devices from being impacted by bullets, fragments, or other such projectiles. Armor is, however, heavy by nature and may not be suitable for some implementations, such as in mobile containers for munitions.
Efforts have been made to develop "insensitive munitions," which are munitions that are generally incapable of detonation except in their intended missions to destroy a target. In other words, if fragments from an explosion strike an insensitive munition, if a bullet impacts the munition, or if the munition is in close proximity to a target that is hit, it is less likely that the munition will detonate. Similarly, if the munition is exposed to extreme temperatures, as from a fire, the munition will likely only burn, rather than explode.
One way that munitions have been made more insensitive is by developing new explosives and propellants that are less likely to be initiated by heating and/or inadvertent impact. Such materials, however, are typically less energetic and, thus, may be less capable of performing their intended task. For example, a less energetic explosive may be less capable of destroying a desired target than a more energetic explosive. As another example, a less energetic propellant may produce less thrust than a more energetic propellant, thus reducing the speed and/or the range of the munition. Additionally, the cost to verify and/or qualify new explosives and/or propellants, from inception through arena and system-level testing, can be substantial when compared to improving the insensitive munition compliance of existing explosives and/or propellants.
Another way to make a munition more insensitive is to rapidly vent the container in which the explosive or propellant is stored, so that pressure cannot build up when the munition is exposed to an unplanned external stimulant, such as a fire, a bullet impact or a fragment impact. If pressure is not allowed to build up, the energetic material will burn rather than detonate. Accordingly, a system has been developed that uses a cutting charge, such as a linear shaped charge, to selectively vent a container in which an energetic material is disposed. Such systems, however, may not be suitable for use with highly energetic materials because temperatures associated with the cutting charges may be sufficient to detonate the energetic material disposed in the container.
While there are many ways known in the art to render munitions more insensitive, considerable room for improvement remains. The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing, the effects of one or more of the problems set forth above.

Pulsed fluid jet apparatus and munition system incorporating same