In various embodiments, one or more methods and/or systems described may provide probing and/or data replication capabilities for monitoring a user's computing device and the data the user's computing device transmits and/or receives to and/or from one or more networks. In some embodiments, an authorization signal may be intercepted, where the authorization signal may convey information about the user and/or the user's computing device, and a probe to replicate data to and/or from the user's computing device may be initiated. In various embodiments, the replicated data may be communicated to a mediation computing device, where one or more analyses may be performed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of Internet access and, more specifically, the present invention pertains to the field of Internet access where network address translation is used in providing Internet access.
2. Description of the Related Art
The COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANCE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ACT (CALEA) presents many challenges for networking companies. One challenge to conformance with CALEA is that many networks utilize Internet protocol (IP) addresses with network address translation (NAT), e.g., using one or more private addresses such as those in accordance with RFC 1918 and/or one or more static IP address of respective one or more computing devices. Probes for detecting and duplicating the traffic stream are located in centralized network routers and only are aware of the wide area network (WAN) IP address, not IP address where NAT was used. CALEA states that there can be no mixed streams of information, meaning if two or more users are at a site with network address translated (NATed) IP addresses that get translated to the same WAN IP address, any probe looking at the WAN IP address will detect the traffic for all NATed users and cannot differentiate and/or isolate different user data streams to different users' computing devices. This problem can be seen in the example of a network architecture using NATed addressing in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, an exemplary prior art network communication system (NCS) 50 includes one or more portable computing devices (PCDS) 20A-20C coupled to a network 15 (e.g., a local area network) that is coupled to a routing computer 10, and routing computer 10 is coupled to an Internet 25. Various computing devices, such as portable computing device (PCD) 20D and servers 35A and 35B, are coupled to Internet 25, as well. A mediation computing device (MCD) 30 can be coupled to Internet 25 or can be coupled to other networks (mediation server 30 coupling not shown). A probe 40A can be disposed between routing computer 10 and Internet 25. Probe 40A can replicated data passing between routing computer 10 and Internet 25 and transmit the replicated data 45A to mediation server 30. However, if one or more of PCDs 20A-20C are communicating with Internet 25 (e.g., to another computing device coupled to Internet 25) using a NAT, then it may be difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish and/or isolate any data stream from and/or to a specific PCD of PCDs 20A-20C, since all the data streams involved with NAT would appear to be from and/or to routing computer 10. Moreover, a probe 40B placed somewhere in Internet 25 can replicate data passing between routing computer 10 and one or more computing devices coupled to Internet 25 and transmit the replicated data 45B to MCD 30. However, this configuration suffers from the same problems associated with probe 40A and replicated data 45A.
Accordingly, there is a need for one or more systems and/or methods to isolate data from and/or to one or more computing devices where NAT is used.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Probe insertion for one or more network address translated addresses


A high voltage switching circuit includes a buffer circuit for buffering an input signal, a high voltage pumping circuit for producing a desired voltage in response to an output signal of the buffer circuit, and a disconnecting circuit for disconnecting the buffer circuit and high voltage pumping circuit when the output voltage of the buffer circuit is the source voltage and that of the high voltage pumping circuit is a high voltage, wherein the disconnecting circuit includes an enhancement transistor and depletion transistor connected in series, gates of the transistors being commonly connected to the source voltage.

1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor memory devices, and more particularly to a high voltage switching circuit.
2. Background Art
For an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a destructive voltage across a transistor is a serious problem caused by a high voltage produced in a memory integrated circuit when programming or erasing data.
A conventional high voltage switching circuit shown in FIG. 1 includes: a NAND gate 10 for buffering input signals; a depletion type transistor 12 having a channel connected between an output terminal of NAND gate 10 and a first node 11 for disconnecting a source voltage from a high voltage; and, a high voltage pumping circuit 14 connected between the first node 11 and an output terminal for producing either a high voltage or a ground voltage in response to the input signals. The high voltage pumping circuit 14 further includes: a first NMOS transistor 16 having a channel connected between a high voltage supply V.sub.pp and a second node 22, and further having a gate connected to the first node 11; a second NMOS transistor 18 having a channel connected between the first and second nodes 11 and 22, and, further having a gate connected to the second node 22, and a third NMOS transistor 30 having a gate connected to the second node 22 and a channel having both terminals commonly connected to each other.
In a high voltage switching operation, the input terminal is supplied with a high voltage V.sub.pp, a first input .PHI.D of NAND gate 10 is maintained in a high state, a gate input .PHI.P of depletion transistor 12 is in a low state, and an input .PHI. of the third NMOS transistor 30 makes periodic oscillations. In this case, if a second input of NAND gate 10 receives a signal having a high level, the output of NAND gate 10 is in a ground level and, therefore, so is first node 11.
However, if the second input of NAND gate 10 receives a signal having a low level, the output of NAND gate 10 is a high level. Depletion transistor 12 is turned on to provide the first node 11 with a voltage obtained by subtracting the threshold voltage of transistor 12 from the high level of NAND gate 10, thereby driving the high voltage pumping circuit 14. Also, depletion transistor 12 disconnects the output voltage of NAND gate 10 from the high voltage of first node 11. In this case, the gate of transistor 12 is provided with a ground voltage. If the gate of depletion transistor 12 is provided with a source voltage V.sub.cc, a short circuit operation occurs between high voltage supply V.sub.pp and source voltage V.sub.cc, so as not to produce a high voltage on the output terminal.
In a high voltage switching operation, a break-down voltage across depletion transistor 12 occurs due to an electric field between the gate and drain of depletion transistor 12 when the output terminal is raised to a high voltage and the gate of depletion transistor 12 is grounded. Hence, a high voltage at the output terminal may not be produced above a given value in order to prevent this problem. The problem can be resolved through the manufacturing process, however, the size of the semiconductor integrated circuit is unavoidably increased making it difficult to achieve a highly integrated circuit.


A smear preparing apparatus for preparing a smear of a specimen on a glass slide by using a spreader based on a smearing condition, the apparatus includes a memory for storing smearing conditions in connection with pertinent information required for establishing the smearing condition; and a controller for retrieving one of the stored smearing conditions corresponding to the pertinent information of the specimen from the memory and for determining it as the smearing condition of the specimen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a smear preparing apparatus for preparing a smear of blood or bone marrow fluid collected. In further detail, the present invention relates to a smear preparing apparatus which allows easy preparation of a good-quality smear.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been used an apparatus for preparing a smear for observation purposes by dropping blood or the like onto a glass slide and spreading it with a spreader glass.
Since specimens are varied in properties such as particle density and viscosity, some of the specimens may result smears unsuitable for observation if the smearing conditions are fixed at any times.
For this reason, U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,903 discloses a smear preparing apparatus wherein the smearing conditions are established for each specimen based on the measurement results from a blood analyzer.
According to the prior art apparatus described above, the smearing conditions (the moving speed and the angle of the spreader glass) are changed automatically based on the analysis results of the blood analyzer. For example, it is commonly known that the smearing conditions are determined based on a hematocrit value. It is also considered that the smearing conditions are set on the basis of the number of leukocytes. Further, in consideration that the viscosity of blood generally increases in proportion to an increase in hemoglobin amount, it is also possible to establish the smearing conditions based on the measurement results of the hemoglobin amount by the blood analyzer.
However, in some cases, appropriate smearing conditions are not established by the method of automatically changing the smearing conditions depending on the hematocrit value. For example, the hematocrit value of a specimen collected from a leukemia patient is in the normal range or relatively small. However, since leukocytes of the leukemia patient are fragile and apt to be destroyed, the leukocytes may be broken under the smearing conditions established solely depending on the hematocrit value. Therefore, an appropriate smear cannot be prepared in some cases.
Upon preparing a blood smear of such a patient, it is necessary to reduce a force applied to the spreader glass which smears the blood on the glass slide such that the resulting blood smear has a relatively large thickness in which the leukocytes are not broken. However, in the prior art smear preparing apparatus, such adjustment has been difficult under the smearing conditions established depending on the measurement results of the analyzer.
In addition, persons who observe the smear with a microscope have various demands on the specimen. One observer wishes to observe a smear which is widely spread in a small thickness, while the other wishes to observe a smear which is concentrated in a small region with a large thickness. However, it has been difficult to meet such demands by the prior art smear preparing apparatus.


In voltage regulator with a power switch to alternately couple and decouple an input voltage source to an output terminal at a switching frequency, a current supply provides a current that is proportional to the input voltage, the capacitance of a ramp capacitor, and a switching frequency. To provide this current, a first capacitor is charged to a first voltage, the first capacitor is discharged to a second voltage through a variable current source at a rate which is controlled by a third voltage on a second capacitor, the first capacitor is connected to the second capacitor to bring the second capacitor to a fourth voltage to adjust the rate of flow of charge through the variable current source, and the first capacitor is recharged to the first voltage. The rate of flow of charge through the variable current source controls the supply of current to the application.

The present invention relates generally to voltage regulators, and more particularly to control systems for switching voltage regulators.
Voltage regulators, such as DC to DC converters, are used to provide stable voltage sources for electronic systems. Efficient DC to DC converters are particularly needed for battery management in low power devices, such as laptop notebooks and cellular phones. Switching voltage regulators (or simply "switching regulators") are known to be an efficient type of DC to DC converter. The switching regulator generates an output voltage by converting an input DC voltage into a high frequency voltage, and filtering the high frequency input voltage to generate the output DC voltage. Specifically, the switching regulator includes a switch for alternately coupling and de-coupling an unregulated input DC voltage source, such as a battery, to a load, such as an integrated circuit. An output filter, typically including an inductor and a capacitor, is coupled between the input voltage source and the load to filter the output of the switch and thus provide the output DC voltage. The switch is typically controlled by a pulse modulator, such as a pulse width modulator or a pulse frequency modulator. A feedback system generates a control signal which controls the duty cycle of the pulse modulator in order to maintain the output voltage at a substantially uniform level.
In many conventional switching regulators, the control signal generated by the feedback circuit is a control voltage. The control voltage is compared to a ramp voltage, such as a sawtooth voltage waveform generated by a ramp generator. When the control voltage exceeds the ramp voltage, the switch is closed to connect the voltage source to the load, whereas if the control voltage is lower than the ramp voltage, the switch is opened to disconnect the voltage source from the load.
The gain of a pulse modulator is the ratio between the control voltage and the average output voltage. Thus, the gain, A, is approximately equal to: ##EQU1## where V.sub.OUT is the average output voltage and V.sub.CONTROL is the control voltage. If this gain is not constant, the feedback system will not be stable, the gain of the pulse modulator will vary, and the output voltage will not be substantially uniform.

Switched capacitor current source for use in switching regulators


The present invention comprises of a first impedance constituted by the capacitive impedance and a second impedance constituted by the inductive impedance, wherein the first and second impedance after series connection appears in the series resonance status to generate a bi-directional divided power in series resonance to drive the bi-directional conducting light emitting diode parallel connected with the first or second impedance.

(a) Field of the Present Invention
The bi-directional light emitting diode (LED) drive circuit in pulsed power series resonance is disclosed by that a first impedance which is constituted by capacitive impedance components and a second impedance which is constituted by inductive impedance components, whereof the said two are mutually series connected and their inherent series resonance in series connection is the same as the pulse period of the pulsed power, whereby to appear series resonance status. The bi-directional divided power in series resonance is formed across the two ends of the mutually series connected capacitive and inductive impedance components, whereof it is characterized in that the bi-directional conducting light emitting diode set which is parallel connected with the first or second impedances is driven by the said divided power, or at least two bi-directional conducting light emitting diode sets which are respectively parallel connected across the two ends of either the first impedance or the second impedance are driven by the respective divided powers across the two ends of either the first impedance or the second impedance.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
In the conventional Light emitting diode drive circuit using AC or DC power source, light emitting diode current is usually limited by series connecting a current limit resistor as the impedance, whereby the voltage drop of the resistive impedance in series connection normally consumes a lot of electrical power and causes accumulated heat that are its imperfections.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Bi-directional light emitting diode drive circuit in pulsed power series resonance


The invention relates to a transmission system comprising a control circuit which circuit includes a comparator (18, 19, 20; 25 to 29; 46; 50 to 52, 57 to 60) for comparing a first input signal and a second input signal. For reducing the low-frequency phase error, the comparator (18, 19, 20; 25 to 29; 46; 50 to 52, 57 to 60) is provided for changing the state of a first comparing signal derived from the first input signal and/or the state of a second comparing signal derived from the second input signal, or the state of the output signal resulting from a combination of the two comparing signals at instants denoted by an auxiliary signal whose frequency deviates from the frequency of the signal to be changed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a transmission system comprising a control circuit which circuit includes a comparator for comparing a first input signal and a second input signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a transmission system may be used, for example, for transmitting signals of the Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH). For example, a multiplexer then combines various plesiochronous or also synchronous signals (for example STM-1 signal) to an STM16 signal (STM=Synchronous Transport Module). A synchronization circuit in the multiplexer then effects a clock alignment of an incoming signal and an outgoing signal. The justification actions necessary for the clock alignment are then carried out with pointer bytes. Such justification actions are also denoted as pointer actions in the Synchronous Digital Hierarchy.
In a demultiplexer of the transmission system, the plesiochronous or synchronous signals are then recovered by means of desynchronization circuits. Because of the frame structure and the pointer actions, phase errors occur between the input signal and the output signal of the transmission system.
Said transmission system is known from EP 0 507 385 A2 or from the article "Network synchronization--A Challenge for SDH/SONET?" by M. J. Klein and R. Urbansky, IEEE Communications Magazine, Sep. 1993, vol. 31, no. 9, pages 42 to 50. A synchronized signal (STM-1) signal of the Synchronous Digital Hierarchy is then adapted to a read clock signal. The read clock signal is generated by the first phase-locked loop (PLL) which includes at least a first comparator (phase detector), a controller and a controllable oscillator. The first comparator is supplied with the oscillator signal (read clock signal) and, for example, a control signal by a network management system of the transmission system.
For adapting the synchronized signal to the read clock signal, justification values are processed in pointers (pointer action). For the clock adaptation is used a buffer store which is controlled by a write and a read counter. The write counter is controlled by a data analyzer (pointer interpreter), which determines from the pointer values the justification values contained in the incoming synchronized signal. The read counter forms part of a control circuit which includes a subtracter, a low-pass filter, a justification decision circuit and a data generator (pointer generator). The low-pass filter is used for reducing the high-frequency phase error caused by pointer actions in the incoming signal and for reducing the frame structure-caused phase error between the input signal and output signal of the transmission system. In the justification decision circuit there is an integrator available which shifts the jitter spectrum to the high-frequency range (jitter is high-frequency phase error). A low-frequency phase error cannot be eliminated by said measures.
The justification decision circuit forms a positive justification value if the value produced by the integrator exceeds a positive threshold. If the value produced by the integrator falls short of a negative threshold, the justification decision circuit produces a negative justification value. The pointer generator generates pointer values for the outgoing signal and controls the read counter as a function of the justification values and the STM-1 frame. The read counter is stopped in the case of a positive justification decision. In the case of a negative justification decision, the read counter is enabled one data byte earlier for counting during a frame.

Transmission system control circuit including comparator apparatus


A folding machine folding a sheet P1 into a predetermined folding pattern to form a signature P3, a saddle stitching machine 3 arranged downstream of the folding machine to staple and fold the signature and a control unit 15 controlling the folding machine and saddle stitching machine are provided. The folding machine has parameters adjustable depending on a thickness of the sheet. The saddle stitching machine has parameters adjustable depending on a thickness of the signature P3, P4. The control unit sets the parameters of the folding machine based on the information about the thickness of the sheet and sets the parameters of the saddle stitching machine based on the information about the thickness of the signature calculated using the information about the thickness of the sheet and the information about the folding pattern of the folding machine.

An example of conventional saddle-stitch bookbinding systems is disclosed in Patent Document 1.
The saddle-stitch bookbinding system disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises a sheet supplying machine supplying sheets one by one from a stack of sheets, a folding machine folding the sheet supplied from the sheet supplying machine to form a signature, and a saddle stitching machine connected to an exit of the folding machine through a connection unit so as to staple and fold the signature.
The saddle stitching machine has a folding unit folding the signature supplied from the folding machine in two along a predetermined folding line.
The saddle stitching machine also has a stitching unit arranged downstream of the folding unit. The stitching unit is provided with a conveying mechanism conveying the two-folded signature in a saddle manner, and a stitcher arranged at a stitching position on a conveying path of the conveying mechanism to staple the two-folded signature at one or more predetermined positions on the folding line.
Thus the sheets are supplied one by one from the sheet supplying machine and folded by the folding machine to form a signature, thereafter the signature is folded in two, conveyed to the stitching position in a saddle manner and stapled by the saddle stitching machine. Next the stapled and two-folded signature is conveyed to a three side trimmer so as to be finished into a booklet.
In this saddle-stitch bookbinding system, the folding machine has one or more parameters adjustable depending on a thickness of the sheet and the saddle stitching machine has one or more parameters adjustable depending on a thickness of the signature.
Therefore, before the start of bookbinding, it is necessary to perform initial setting of the respective parameters of the folding machine and the saddle stitching machine according to the type of booklet to be bound.
However, in conventional saddle-stitch bookbinding systems, the initial setting of the respective parameters of the folding machine and the initial setting of the respective parameters of the saddle stitching machine are performed independently of each other, so that it takes time and effort to complete the initial setting of the parameters of the saddle-stitch bookbinding systems.


The disclosure provides high refractive index ceramic material nanoimprint lithography (NIL) gratings having a relatively lower amount of carbon compared to traditional NIL gratings, and methods of making and using thereof, and devices including such gratings. The ceramic material includes one or more of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, tungsten oxide, zinc tellurium, gallium phosphide, or any combination or derivative thereof.

An artificial reality system, such as a head-mounted display (HMD) or heads-up display (HUD) system, generally includes a near-eye display (e.g., a headset or a pair of glasses) configured to present content to a user via an electronic or optic display within, for example, about 10-20 mm in front of the user's eyes. The near-eye display may display virtual objects or combine images of real objects with virtual objects, as in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), or mixed reality (MR) applications. For example, in an AR system, a user may view both images of virtual objects (e.g., computer-generated images (CGIs)) and the surrounding environment by, for example, seeing through transparent display glasses or lenses (often referred to as optical see-through).
One example optical see-through AR system may use a waveguide-based optical display, where light of projected images may be coupled into a waveguide (e.g., a substrate), propagate within the waveguide, and be coupled out of the waveguide at different locations. In some implementations, the light of the projected images may be coupled into or out of the waveguide using a diffractive optical element, such as a slanted surface-relief grating. To achieve desired performance, such as high efficiency, low artifact, and angular selectivity, deep surface-relief gratings with large slanted angles and wide ranges of grating duty cycles may be used. However, fabricating the slanted surface-relief grating with the desired profile at a high fabrication speed and high yield remains a challenging task.

Inorganic matrix nanoimprint lithographs and methods of making thereof with reduced carbon


A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate; a second substrate cohered to the first substrate with a separation from the first substrate; a first orientation film formed on an inner surface of the first substrate; a second orientation film formed on an inner surface of the second substrate; and a liquid crystal injected between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the first orientation film and the second orientation film are formed to face each other, and the thickness of the first orientation film or the second orientation film is formed differently in different portions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a color liquid crystal display in which the thickness of orientation films in the LCD is adjusted to compensate for the color properties of the LCD.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Typically, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) includes an upper substrate and a lower substrate placed opposite to the upper substrate. The two substrates maintain a designated cell gap between them, and a liquid crystal is injected between the upper substrate and the lower substrate and sealed there-between.
FIG. 1 illustrates a structure of a TFT-LCD.
The lower substrate is formed with a polarizing plate 1, a transparent substrate 2, a TFT array 3 and an orientation film 4.
On the transparent substrate 2, a plurality of TFTs and a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix formation, with each pixel having a pixel electrode connected to a TFT as a basic unit. Also, a plurality of gate buslines and data buslines that are electrically connected to one another are formed at each TFT.
A gate electrode of the TFT formed around the intersecting point of the gate busline and the data busline diverges from the gate busline, and a source electrode diverges from the data busline.
The upper substrate includes a polarizing plate 5, a transparent substrate 6, a color filter 7, a common electrode 8, and an orientation film 9.
The color filter 7 has at least one of red, green and blue dyes and comprises a plurality of pixels. The common electrode 8 and the orientation film 9 are formed sequentially on the transparent substrate 6.
A sealed liquid crystal 10 is injected between the upper and lower substrates, and a spacer 11 is placed between the two substrates to maintain a constant cell gap.
In order to exhibit an intended image, the liquid crystal display having the above construction permits a voltage to be applied to the pixel and generates a voltage difference between the pixel electrode located in the pixel and the common electrode of the color filter substrate, rearranging a corresponding part of the liquid crystal.
In other words, if a voltage is applied to a gate busline and a data busline, respectively, then only the TFT where the gate voltage is applied is turned on. And the voltage of the data busline causes electric charges to be accumulated in the pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of the TFT which has been turned on. Consequently, the voltage is applied to the liquid crystal between the pixel electrode and the common electrode only. As a result, the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules is changed and light is transmitted or blocked according to the specific arrangement. In this way, the intended image is displayed by selectively controlling the transmission or blocking the light to each pixel.
The liquid crystal display uses color filters corresponding to three primary colors of light, i.e., Red (R), Green (G) and Blue (B) in order to display a color. The RGB color filters are arrayed close to one another, and an appropriate color signal is applied to a corresponding color filter to control the luminance of light.
Once again, the procedure for displaying a color involves a number of steps. That is, the luminance of each light is controlled by changing the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules, and the voltage necessary to drive the liquid crystal is outputted from a source driver integrated circuit (IC) and supplied through the pixel TFT.
The data voltage supplied to each pixel in this way changes the arrangement of the liquid crystal layer, which consequently affects light transmittance due to the rearranged liquid crystal layer between the upper and lower polarizing plates. Here, the number of colors that is possible to be displayed depends on the number of steps taken to control the liquid crystal. For example, in the case of NW (Normally) ECB mode, when no voltage is applied, it becomes a white state, whereas when the highest voltage is applied, it becomes a black state. Assuming that there is a color filter per pixel, if a medium voltage is applied to the color filter of the pixel, it is possible to display a medium tone according to the voltage applied, and to control the brightness and the chroma of light.
The color screen of the TFT-LCD displays a white light emitted by a back light (B/L), and a mixture of three primary colors transmitted from the R, G and B color filters through each pixel. A TFT is used to drive the liquid crystal cell of each pixel, thereby determining the amount of light transmitted by the liquid crystal cell.
The color filter is made from organic materials such as dyes or pigments. The manufacturing methods include a dye method, a dispersion method, an electro-deposition method, and a print method. The most common method among them is the pigment dispersion method, which is widely used for manufacturing the color filter of the TFT-LCD.
Normally, pigment particles are opaque because they disperse light. However, if the size of the particles is smaller than the wavelength of the light, the particles transmit light and become transparent. Thus, it is better to have smaller particles in order to obtain a high degree of transparency and an excellent dispersion property.
As explained before, the liquid crystal display is an electro-optic element driven by the voltage applied to liquid crystal molecules that are injected to the constant cell gap between the upper substrate and the lower substrate.
Therefore, it is very important to maintain a constant gap between the two substrates.
If the gap between the two substrates is not constant, the transmittance of light passing through the part is also changed, so a uniformity in the brightness in different portions of the device is not obtained.
On the other hand, even if the cell gap is maintained constant, there still could be a color balance problem.
Hereinafter, the aforementioned problem is described in more detail.
AFLC mode, ECB mode and IPS mode are sometimes called a birefringence mode because all of them take advantage of the birefringence property of light in principle. The light transmittance (T) in such a mode can be generally calculated by the following equation: T=Sin2(2θ)*Sin2(δ/2) (wherein, θ is an angle between a transmission axis of a polarizing plate to the side of an incident light and the liquid crystal direction; δ (phase contrast)=2πd*Δneff/λ; d is a cell gap; Δneff is an effective refractive index; and λ is a wavelength of light).
From the equation, it is apparent that the transmittance (T) is related to the cell gap (d), the wavelength of light (λ) and a structure of the liquid crystal layer. Looking at the transmittance properties at each color pixel according to the applied voltage and assuming that the cell gap (d) stays constant, it is found from the light transmittance T=Sin2(2θ)*Sin2(δ/2) that the phase difference is different for each color even with the same arrangement of the liquid crystal layer. Consequently, the transmittance in gray levels are different for each color. Therefore, the color balance in gray levels is destroyed. In addition, the voltage required for generating the maximum transmittance is differently applied to each R, G and B pixel, making it more difficult to achieve the optimum white light in general. One of the attempts made to solve this problem is to apply different cell gaps to the R, G and B pixels, respectively.
As shown in the equation described above, i.e., δ=2πd*Δneff/λ, in order to make the phase difference (δ) equal, the cell gap of each color pixel should be optimized respectively, that is, as the wavelength gets longer, the value of d*Δneff should be larger also. However, since Δneff depends on the medium properties, the cell gap (d) is a variable that can be changed. Thus, the cell gap (d) should be larger to maintain the phase difference at the same value even when the wavelength becomes longer. In other words, if the cell gap (d) is different for each color, the transmittance difference in gray levels during applying the voltage and the color balance problem thereof can be solved together.
FIG. 2 shows the main parts of the liquid crystal display in the related art where the cell gap (d) is different for each R, G or B color. Here, the liquid crystal display includes two transparent substrates 201 and 202 that oppose each other, two orientation films 208 and 209 between the substrates, a spacer 205 between the orientation films to maintain a designated gap where liquid crystal 206 is injected and sealed, and a color filter 207 (R, G, B) with different thicknesses, respectively, in compensation for color balance.
Namely, when applying the voltage to the liquid crystal, the color balance in the middle gray is sometimes lost because of the slope of transmittance of each color (TR, TG, TB) is different from one another. The problem is overcome by varying the cell gap of each color (dR, dG, dB).
Unfortunately, since the technology of the related art differentiates the thicknesses of each color filter from one another as a way of reinforcing color properties, it is not appropriate to obtain the gap uniformity and the orientation stability because of a big step in the R, G and B pixels, respectively. When the orientation is unstable for the reason stated above, any unnecessary small domain can be generated, and the orientation itself during rubbing is not easily done when compared with the flat substrate. Moreover, the orientation around the borders having the above-mentioned step is relatively unstable compared with other surrounding areas, generating a disclination between the domains and consequently decreasing C/R.

Liquid crystal display with varying orientation film thickness and method for manufacturing the same


An improved system for separating gas from a process stream by providing a stripping unit at the overhead stream of a fractionation column to selectively and effectively remove the gas using a stripping fluid without providing a dedicated light-ends separations unit. The stripper unit may be connected to the reflux drum at the overhead stream. The system for separating gas further achieves greater thermodynamic efficiency by means of a split column design using mechanical vapor recompression with the reboiler and condenser integrated in a falling-film evaporator- or thermosiphon-type vapo-condenser.

Global climate change has been deemed to be the "most pressing environmental challenge of our time." The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) cites that "scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal." Climate change results from the warming effects of greenhouse gases such as water vapor, nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide. Of these, carbon dioxide emissions are a key culprit, as global atmospheric concentration of CO2 has increased by a third since the Industrial Revolution began. CO2 emissions largely stem from human activities, such as the consumption of fossil fuels, the byproducts of which are emitted into the atmosphere.
One of the ways that nations have attempted to address climate change is by discussing and implementing carbon cap-and-trade policies, which cap total carbon emissions and allow companies to trade for allowances to create emissions. Such policies create strong needs for net carbon emitters such as utility and chemical companies to reduce carbon emissions for both the purpose of trading credits to other net carbon emitters and to avoid paying for additional allowances.
In further response to climate change concerns, solar and wind energy production has increased significantly in recent years, but still suffers from a number of fundamental engineering limitations: most solar and wind energy is primarily available and is therefore produced in areas far removed from population and industrial areas that consume the power; for example, most wind power potential in the U.S. is in the Great Plains region, and most solar power potential is in the southwest, whereas population centers are largely concentrated along the coasts. The result of renewable electricity being produced in these remote locations is high costs and substantial loss of power as the solar and wind power is transmitted over long distances. Additionally, most of the energy delivered to consumers is not in the form of electricity, but rather in the form of transportation fuel, heating gases, or otherwise. Only a small percentage of transportation energy is provided by renewable electricity.
Renewable electricity also cannot be stored in industrially significant quantities or at economically feasible costs, which leads to much of solar and wind electricity being wasted or grounded during times when solar and wind production is high but grid capacity is already maxed out, or when demand for electricity is low. As such, solar and wind power are normally underwritten by fossil-fuel sources, such as coal and natural gas power plants, which may provide baseline or backup power when solar and wind power are not sufficient to meet demand. There is therefore a need for a renewable form of energy that overcomes the deficiencies of renewable electricity to meet energy demands by storing energy and facilitating more efficient transportation of the energy to markets.
Converting CO2 into methanol, which is a vital precursor for transportation fuels, industrial chemicals such as formaldehyde, as well as plastics, paints, textiles, and other dispositions, is an effective alternative disposition for CO2, and an improved method for storing energy such as from renewable sources as methanol can store the renewable energy in its chemical bonds and overcomes numerous transportation-related problems of renewable electricity. For instance, the favorable energy density and liquid state of methanol, its compatibility with transportation fuels, and lower losses during transportation render methanol an advantaged energy-storage medium.
Further, given the massive global scale of methanol demand—200,000 tons per day and growing—diverting CO2 from the atmosphere and into methanol has the potential to recycle a large quantity of the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change. Methanol also has significant potential for growth as a transportation fuel. Another increasing disposition for methanol includes methanol-to-olefins processes that convert methanol into the building blocks of polyolefins, the most common plastic product for which there is an ever-growing global demand.
Methanol is typically produced in industrial settings from synthesis gas ("syngas"), a combination of varying amounts of H2, CO, and CO2 frequently derived from gasified coal. Processes for synthesizing methanol from syngas typically entrain CO and CO2 coproducts along with the methanol product. These coproducts must be separated from the methanol product prior to the final disposition of the product.
Typical processes for removing gases such as CO and CO2 involve a dedicated light-ends separation process, which usually entails separate and capital-intensive fractionation column(s) and associated separations equipment as well as energy consumption in addition to the primary distillation column. Energy is consumed in both a reboiler and a condenser for said fractionation operation. The light-ends fractionation process is necessary because of the high solubility of CO2 in methanol which cannot therefore be adequately separated by a simple flash operation. The separation of entrained CO and CO2 byproducts from the desired methanol product is, as a result, highly expensive and inefficient.
Reactors used in methanol synthesis from syngas are typically limited to boiling water reactors due to the high heat profile of typical reaction suites, which include substantial amounts of CO. BWRs are complex and expensive equipment but are typically necessary in order to mitigate the heat generated from the exothermic production of methanol from syngas in order to protect the reaction product, the reactor, and the catalyst.
Other processes for separating gases such as CO and CO2 from a product stream may involve flash separation prior to distillation, but this is not sufficient or desirable because of its inherently incomplete one-stage equilibrium separation, which sacrifices product to the waste gas stream and does not remove all of the dissolved coproducts.
Other separation processes include membrane separation and solvent separation (such as amine scrubbing), but these processes are costly, inefficient, and ill-suited to methanol production. Consequently, distillation remains the primary method for purifying many chemical products and is one of the most extensively used operations in chemical process industries.
Column distillation or fractionation is a highly energy-intensive operation (as distillation uses heat as the separating medium), accounting for 40-60% of the energy used by the chemical process industry, equivalent to at least 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day. Distillation alone accounts for 6% of total U.S. energy use and 3% of global energy use. The massive energy consumption of distillation operations is at least partly due to the inefficiency of existing distillation processes (5%-10% is normal). An improved separations process therefore has potential to reduce energy-related emissions significantly.
From the foregoing, there is a need for an improved system for separating gases, in particular CO2, from a product stream, in particular a methanol product.


A measurement tool for determining a position of a pinion gear in a differential assembly includes a mounting member configured to contact an end face of the pinion gear and an elongated arm member extending outwardly from the mounting member. The arm member has an arm portion configured to overlie one of the bearing seats of the differential assembly and an aperture formed in the arm member configured to receive a measurement gage therethrough. The measurement gage is used to measure a distance between a surface of the bearing seat and a reference surface of the arm member from which the position or “pinion depth” of pinion gear can be determined.

In many gear trains, the position of each gear in the gear train must be set to ensure proper mating of the gear teeth. This is of particular importance in differential assemblies of power driven vehicles, which play a key role in transferring power from the vehicle engine to the wheels of the vehicle by means of a pinion gear and a ring gear. Both the pinion and ring gears are typically enclosed within a differential housing with several other components of the differential assembly. The ring gear has an axis of rotation which is perpendicular to that of the pinion gear and is operatively connected to a pair of shafts mounted within carrier bearings that are secured on opposite sides of the differential housing within respective semi-circular bearing seats. The pinion gear is mounted upon the end of a drive shaft, and its position relative to the ring gear is typically adjusted by the use of shims or other suitable adjustment devices mounted between a bearing which supports the shaft of the pinion gear and a head thereof.
Oftentimes some of the parts within the differential housing need to be replaced because of wear or breakage. This process usually involves removing the ring gear from the differential housing so that the position of the pinion gear must be measured and adjusted before the ring gear is replaced to ensure proper mating of the gears. Manufacturers customarily provide a specification for setting the proper mating points of the pinion and ring gears. Many times this is specified in the form of a "pinion depth," which is the distance from an end face of the pinion gear to an axis of rotation of the ring gear. Therefore, an accurate measurement tool is needed to determine the depth of the pinion gear to ensure that the gears are mounted according to specification.
Measurement tools known in the art for determining the depth of a pinion gear in a differential assembly involve the use of a shaft or crossbar member that is secured in the bearing seats provided on the opposite sides of the differential housing so as to extend along the rotational axis of the ring gear. A measuring gage is mounted to slide along the shaft until it is positioned over an end face of the pinion gear. In this position, the measurement gage is adjusted until it contacts the end face of the pinion gear. The pinion depth is determined from the measurement obtained by the measurement gage.
Many of the measurement tools known in the art require additional parts that must be interchanged when different sizes of differential assemblies are encountered. These additional parts not only increase the cost of such tools, but also make the measurement process more cumbersome and time consuming. Tools that can be adapted to variations in differential assembly sizes still involve numerous parts that must be properly adjusted before taking any measurement. Such tools are difficult to use and may lead to inaccurate measurements.
Accordingly, a measurement tool is needed for determining the depth of a pinion gear in a differential assembly that involves a minimum number of parts, is relatively inexpensive to make, and can be easily operated to obtain accurate measurement results.


To permit axial shifting of a camshaft dependent on its angle of rotation, a shifting device is used which includes a shifting profile made up of two guide grooves which are configured as oppositely oriented helixes and end in ring-shaped idling grooves, and further includes an engaging element which may be introduced into the guide grooves by an activating element.

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine with at least one camshaft which can be shifted axially by means of a shifting device and has several switchable cams for each valve, with different axial positions relative to each other.
For variation of the valve lift curve during engine operation in order to ensure optimum valve opening and closing times for each particular operating state of the engine, it is desirable to switch between several cam types per valve during operation. This may be achieved with the use of an axially shiftable camshaft with different cams for each valve.

Combustion engine with at least one camshaft which can be shifted axially

Avl Gesellschaft fur Verbrennungskraftmaschinen und Messtechnik mbH. Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hans List


An attachment for a power tool to facilitate the insertion and removal of fasteners in otherwise inaccessible locations including an adapter having a bolting insert, the bolting insert including a drive gear configured to engage a rotating drive mechanism of the power tool such that rotation of the drive mechanism rotates the drive gear, which in turn rotates a bolting gear engaged with a fastener.

The position and placement of a fastener, such as a bolt, screw, or nut, does not always permit the use of conventional tools to facilitate the installation and removal of the fastener. This is particularly true when there is only minimal clearance in the area surrounding the fastener such that it is impossible to engage the fastener with a conventional tool (e.g., as in the attachment of vehicle doors to the vehicle body during assembly). Particularly, the relative position and proximity of a vehicle body to a vehicle door (e.g., the hinge portion of the door) does not permit the use of a conventional impact gun where the drive mechanism is located directly behind the socket that engages the fastener.
To overcome this problem, tool attachments have been produced that facilitate the use of conventional power tools to engage a fastener located in an otherwise inaccessible position. These attachments, also known as crow's foot attachments, can be affixed to the power tool and engaged with the drive mechanism of the power tool. FIG. 1 shows an example of a prior art crow's foot tool attachment. The attachment 2 comprises a shaft 4 having a socket 6 fixed thereon. The socket 6 is connected to the shaft 4 with a swivel joint (not shown), such as a ball and socket joint, that permits the socket 6 to be adjustably positioned on the end of the shaft 4. The opposite end 10 of the shaft is configured to attach to the drive mechanism 12 of a power tool 14 having an axis of rotation 18 and a plane of rotation 20. When engaged with a fastener 16, the socket rotates about a second, different axis of rotation 38 and in a second, different rotation plane 30.
While generally suitable for the purpose of engaging otherwise inaccessible fasteners, the existing tool attachments have several drawbacks including tool slippage and stripping of the fastener 16. This is because the force F applied to the power tool 14 to keep the socket 6 engaged with the fastener 16 has both a perpendicular component 44 and a parallel component 45 relative to the socket 6. The perpendicular component 44 of the force F causes the operator to have poor control over both the fastener 16 and the power tool 14 at the interface of the fastener 16 with the socket 6 resulting in slippage of the socket 6 on the fastener 16. Slippage of the socket 6 on the fastener 16 may cause the fastener 16 to become stripped necessitating removal and replacement of the fastener 16. If the socket 6 becomes fully disengaged from the head of the fastener 16 during installation or removal of the fastener 16, damage may occur to the workpiece 50 as the rotating attachment 2 comes in contact with portions of the workpiece 50.
Other embodiments of prior tool attachments include those that are configured to be affixed to specialized power tools and engaged with the drive mechanism of the power tool such that the rotational motion of the drive mechanism is translated to a different rotational axis and plane. Such attachments use gears, shafts, and spline gears to translate the rotational motion of the power tool. However, these tools suffer from the same slippage problems as the apparatus shown in FIG. 1. Further, such attachments are expensive (as are the specialized power tools required for operation), the translation mechanism is often intricate, heavy, and susceptible to breakage, and repair of the mechanism can be difficult and time consuming.
Accordingly, a need exists for an inexpensive, ergonomically correct, versatile, and easily operated tool attachment for facilitating the insertion and removal of fasteners in otherwise inaccessible locations.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A display module and a display device. The display module includes: a display panel including a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrate; and a backlight panel on a side of the first or second substrate away from the liquid crystal layer. The display panel further includes a color filter layer on a side of the liquid crystal layer away from the backlight panel. The color filter layer includes at least two portions having different transparency. The backlight panel is configured to emit a plurality of directional light beams to the color filter layer. The display panel is configured to change a propagation direction of each of the directional light beams by means of the liquid crystal layer, to adjust an irradiation position of the directional light beam on the color filter layer.

With the rapid development of liquid crystal display technology, a variety of liquid crystal display devices have emerged. In order to meet people's requirements for liquid crystal display quality, the technology regarding the liquid crystal display device is continuously improving.
The liquid crystal display device generally includes an upper polarizer, a color filter, a liquid crystal layer, a TFT substrate, a lower polarizer, and a backlight source, which are successively arranged in stack. The display device is configured to adjust a polarization direction of light rays by deflection of liquid crystals, then the light rays are blocked by different degrees when passing through the polarizer, so that a preset color in a sub-pixel is displayed with different brightness, thereby realizing an image display.


A surveillance system is provided for surveillance of objects within a secure area. A surveillance sensor transmits surveillance signals to all objects within the secure area, the reflections of which are received back by the surveillance sensor to determine the locations of objects, and communicates the determined locations to a pressing facility. Objects authorized to be in the secure area are equipped with an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) unit that includes a GPS receiver and a data communication transmitter. In response to predetermined conditions, the IFF units broadcast their position and identification to the processing facility for correlation with locations defined by the reflection signals. The reflection signals from other objects are compared with a list of the locations of objects, such as terrain features and man-made facilities, that are known to be in the secure area If no broadcast information is received from an object and the location of that object determined by the reflection signal cannot be correlated with the known object list; than the object has no proper authorization to be within the secure area, and an alarm is generated.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to surveillance systems, and in particular to a surveillance system used in conjunction with a device to provide location and identification of friendly personnel or vehicle targets.
(2) Description of Related Art
Surveillance systems for the detection of personnel and vehicles within sensitive or secured areas are being deployed in significant numbers due to increased concern for security and also due to the availability of effective, affordable sensors. These sensors may use detection methods, and may operate over distances and in environmental conditions that make it impossible for the surveillance system to achieve a detailed identification of each detected target. A "friendly" target is defined as an entity that is authorized to conduct activities within the area. "Unfriendly" targets are not authorized to be in the area and thus are assumed to be hostile. A way must be provided for target Identification—Friend or Foe (IFF) to differentiate between these two classes of targets.
One prior art method of determining the identity of friendly airborne targets is to couple to the surveillance radar antenna a separate antenna that transmits an interrogation signal into the same volume being searched by the radar. A cooperating, friendly aircraft carries on board a transponder that receives the interrogation signal and, after a small delay, responds with a coded reply. The reply may contain specific aircraft identification and altitude or other information. The time delay between sending the interrogation signal and receipt of the reply is used to determine the range to the friendly target. The target identification is then correlated with the skin return detected by the radar, if such detection has occurred. The interrogation signal and transponder reply are typically generated at frequencies that are much different from the radar operating frequency. An aircraft detected by the surveillance radar that does not respond to the interrogation with a proper reply can be labeled a "foe" target. Other prior art IFF techniques have used the surveillance radar signal as the interrogation signal with an appropriate transponder reply on a different frequency. In each of these cases the interrogation and reply signals are typically produced in the microwave region of the radio frequency spectrum, and the transponder must be capable of generating a reply of sufficient microwave power to be received at the radar site. These prior art methods are not practical for use in a surveillance system designed to detect personnel and vehicles within sensitive areas having typical dimensions of no more than a few kilometers.
A prior art example of a data communication network used to provide location information of a multiplicity of friendly entities as well as an IFF function is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,272 to Kirk. This patent describes a method using a central control station that transmits position requests to one or more field agents. Each of the field agents determine their position by use of a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and reply to the position request with a message that may include location, identification and a code. The central control station includes a receiver to collect the incoming data, a computer and a display to provide a graphical indication of the locations of all participating agents. When it is desired to confirm the "friendly" status of any replying agent, a laser designator is directed to the location of the agent. Each agent carries a laser detector that causes an encrypted response to be sent back to the central control station. This data communication network can determine the GPS coordinates of all participating agents, but the location accuracy of the replying agent is limited to the accuracy of a GPS receiver operating autonomously.
These prior art examples have several limitations if an attempt is made to apply them for both detection of unauthorized intruders and identification of authorized entities within a secured area having dimensions of no more than a few kilometers. The radar and IFF system for airborne applications usually requires a separate interrogation transmitter and microwave receiver at the radar site to stimulate and receive responses from IFF equipped aircraft. The IFF units are not easily reconfigured as man carried, low power consumption devices that typically operate at a range in the order of a kilometer from the surveillance radar. The method taught by the Kirk patent requires a laser interrogator for positive identification of participating agents. It is capable of determining the location of participating agents only, and has no capability to detect hostile intruders. Further, it does not present a display of the relative position of the responding agents with respect to various physical structures, etc. within the area unless a map overlay is added to the display. For these and other reasons, a method or a means of target Identification—Friend or Foe (IFF) is needed that is compatible with surveillance sensors and systems used for security purposes.

Identification and location system for personnel and vehicles


A method and an apparatus for planting runners enabling efficient and economical plantation of runners of summer lawngrass in a lawn of winter lawngrass. A plurality of longitudinal and parallel grooves having small width are formed in a ground surface and a runner net tape, prepared by dispersing runners between a pair of nets, is supplied to each groove. The net tape is forced into the ground from its central portion so that the net tape is buried in the grooves in twofold form. The net tape may also be dipped in water or a liquid for post-planting care before it is supplied to the groove.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for efficiently and economically planting rootstocks or runners of lawngrass or grass into grooves made in a ground surface. The rootstocks or runners are laid in turf or in a grass field in order to envigorate grass growth and improve the appearance of the turf or grass field.
2. Description of Prior Art
It has recently become strongly desirable to maintain a green surface for a lawn (especially for a golf course lawn) and to maintain the green surface in both summer and winter to allow enjoyment of the lawn (especially the golf course lawn) throughout the year. Therefore, it is customary to plant lawngrass growing in the summer (summer lawngrass) and lawngrass growing in the winter (winter lawngrass) in an overlying manner. This practice is called overseeding. More specifically, summer lawngrass is planted as a base in a portion of ground, and the seeds of winter lawngrass are sown over the summer lawngrass.
Summer lawngrass is employed as the base since it is of the vegetative-propagation type and has no seed. Propogation of summer lawngrass can only be achieved by planting its rootstocks or runners. However, the planting of its rootstocks or runners in a lawn is a very difficult job which could only be done successfully through mannual labor. By contrast, winter lawngrass propagates from seeds, and can easily be planted in a lawn by simply sowing its seeds.
Overseeding makes it possible for a lawn to maintain its green surface even in the summer since the summer lawngrass in the base will grow when the winter lawngrass dies from summer heat. Winter lawngrass is "dead", or in a dormant state, for only about 70 days in a year and maintains green leaves for the remainder of the year continuing for as long as nearly 300 days. Therefore, the summer lawngrass base has to grow under suppression of the winter lawngrass for a long period of growing time. As a result, the summer lawngrass is often defeated by the winter lawngrass and disappears. Thus, it is necessary to plant runners (turf seedlings) of summer lawngrass into ground that has a base of winter lawngrass. This process has been considered difficult to carry out mechanically, and has only been able to be done through use of manual labor.

Method and apparatus for planting net tape runners


An electrophotographic toner is made up of toner particles composed of irregularly-shaped core particles made chiefly of binder resin, and surface-modifying fine particles which are first dispersed over and attached to the surface of the core particles, and then affixed or formed into a film thereon. The BET specific surface area, based on N.sub.2 adsorption, of the toner particles is less than 0.64 times the BET specific surface area of the core particles and surface-modifying fine particles combined together. Further, this value is 1.07 times the BET specific surface area of hypothetical toner particles which are perfect spheres. Consequently, the toner is not prone to problems such as filming, toner scattering, and fogging which are caused by peeling, separation, etc. of the surface-modifying fine particles, nor to poor cleaning due to spherical toner particles. Further, since the toner is manufactured with a quantitative grasp of the state of modification of the surface of the core particles by the surface-modifying fine particles, it is a toner in a stable state.

In image-forming devices, such as copy machines and printers, which use the electrophotographic method, images are generally formed as follows. First, toner having a positive or negative charge is electrostatically affixed to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductive member (photoreceptor), so as to form a toner image. Then, this toner image is transferred to and fixed on a transfer material such as transfer paper.
Toners used for this kind of image formation generally have an average particle diameter of 5 .mu.m to 20 .mu.m, and generally include at least a colorant and a binder resin for fixing the colorant, etc. to the transfer material (transfer paper etc.).
In the past, various toners have been used as developing agents for developing latent images formed on photoreceptors in electrophotographic image-forming devices. One conventional method of manufacturing toner is, for example, grinding. This is a manufacturing method in which materials such as colorant, charge control agent, and anti-offset agent (mold release agent) are melted and kneaded together with a thermoplastic resin.
This mixture is then cooled and hardened, and then ground and separated to produce toner particles.
Another method is suspension polymerization, in which materials such as charge control agent are mixed and dispersed with polymerizable monomers, polymerization initiator, colorant, etc. This mixture is then polymerized in water. Again, there are wet methods such as the suspension granulation method, in which a colorant and a charge control agent are added to a synthetic resin. This mixture is then melted, suspended in a non-solvent medium, and granulated.
However, with toner produced by these manufacturing methods, the charge control agent, anti-offset agent, etc. exists within the toner particles. Further, only a small amount of these additives exists on the surface of the toner particles. For this reason, the charging quantity of the toner shows a wide distribution, and accordingly there are problems with toner scattering and image fogging. There are also cases when sufficient anti-offset effect cannot be obtained.
Further, the charging quantity of the toner is generally controlled by a friction charging member such as a carrier or a charging blade. If the charging quantity is more than the optimum quantity, image density is too low, but if it is less than the optimum quantity, fogging, toner scattering, etc. occur, leading to deterioration of image quality.
In order to prevent these kinds of problems, a charge control agent is generally internally added to the toner. For example, charge control agents added to positive-charging toners include nigrosine-based dyes, pyridinium salt, ammonium salt, and lake compounds of these.
However, although these charge control agents internally added to the toner are fine particles, they have a wide particle size distribution, and have no set shape. Accordingly, control of the state of their dispersal within the particles of binder resin is difficult. For example, if the particles of charge control agent dispersed within the binder resin particles are too large in diameter, the charge control agent is likely to separate out during successive copying, dirtying the charging member (carrier etc.). Again, if the particles of charge control agent dispersed within the binder resin particles are too small in diameter, their charge controlling effect is weakened. This has the drawback that the supplied toner has a slow charging response, giving rise to image fogging, toner scattering, etc.
Further, the proportion of internally added charge control agent which is exposed on the surface of the toner particles differs according to the dispersal conditions at the time of production. Accordingly, another drawback is that the charging quantity of the toner is difficult to stabilize. In addition, it is even more difficult to control the dispersal of the charge control agent with toners formed by polymerization.
As discussed above, it is difficult to take full advantage of the effects of charge control agents, anti-offset agents, etc. if they are merely internally added to the toner.
An alternative method of controlling toner charging is a technique for applying mechanical impact force, using a particle surface modification device, to attach to the surface of the toner particles chargeable inorganic particles made of a material such as silica, alumina, or titanium oxide, which have been surface processed with a material such as silane coupler or silicon oil.
However, in order to give the toner sufficient chargeability using these chargeable inorganic fine particles, they must be used in great quantity. Again, in order to fully attach the chargeable inorganic fine particles to the surface of the toner particles by means of mechanical impact force, attachment processing must be continued until surface unevenness of the toner particles is eliminated, even when non-spherical toner particles are used. As a result, toner particles which have undergone attachment processing become perfect spheres without points, which impairs blade cleaning and leads to poor cleaning.
In recent years, the development of high-speed copy machines, environment-responsive copy machines, etc., has created a need for development of toner capable of low-energy fixing low-temperature fixing). Accordingly, as a means of attaining low-temperature fixing, methods using toners including binder resins with low glass transition points or softening points have been investigated.
One example of a technique for attaining low-temperature fixing is Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 36586/1982 (Tokukosho 57-36586), which discloses a toner which uses as binder resin a crystalline polymer having a melting point of 50.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. and an activation energy of 35 kcal/mol or less.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 87032/1975 (Tokukaisho 50-87032) (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,962) discloses a toner which uses a polymer formed by chemical bonding of a crystalline polymer with a melting point of 45.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. and a non-crystalline polymer with a glass transition point of 0.degree. C. or lower.
Again, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3446/1984 (Tokukaisho 59-3446) (U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,857) discloses a toner which uses a block co-polymer, in which a crystalline block, with a melting point of 50.degree. C. to 70.degree. C., is included in a non-crystalline block molecule with a glass transition point 10.degree. C. higher than the melting point of the crystalline block.
However, use of these conventional low-temperature-fixing toners was difficult because of such problems as toner filming phenomenon caused by the soft portion of polymers, deterioration of toner chargeability, photoreceptor characteristics, etc. in, for example, successive copying, and blocking phenomenon. In other words, attaining low-temperature fixing by using toners with low glass transition points or softening points had serious problems such as deterioration of the toner's resistance to blocking, not to mention filming phenomenon and offset phenomenon.
For this reason, in the past, a method of adding an external additive to prevent deterioration of the toner's resistance to blocking has been adopted.
However, if this external additive is not attached to the toner particles but can move freely, it moves from the toner to the carrier when the carrier and toner are mixed, thus changing the quantity of charging, etc. As a result, the toner's stability over time (toner life during successive copying) deteriorates, which leads to impairment of image quality.
In recent years, the electrophotographic process has been adopted in various fields such as printers, facsimiles, color copy machines, and high-speed copy machines, and thus toners are needed which combine various characteristics (such as control of charge polarity) corresponding to these various fields and functions.
In response to this need, numerous electrophotographic toners of a type called "surface-modified toner," which gives the electrophotographic toner various characteristics, are being investigated. Some examples of surface-modified toners are a toner to which are added fine particles having various functions, such as charge control agent; an electrophotographic toner in which durability, fixing characteristics, etc. are improved by using fine particles of hardened resin to cover the surface of core particles having a low softening point; and a toner which improves charging characteristics, fluidity characteristics, etc. by means of processing to make the toner particles spherical.
In particular, many surface-modified toners have been proposed in which surface-modifying fine particles of, for example, charge control agent are dispersed over and attached to the surface of core particles of colorant, and then affixed or formed into a film thereon. For example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 17576/1989 (Tokukohei 1-17576) discloses an electrophotographic graphic toner in which particles of colored resin powder are covered with a layer of a fine powder of resin or polymeric material having a particle diameter of not more than 1/10 of that of the colored resin powder. This toner is formed by coverage processing until the particles of fine powder are embedded over part of the surface of each particle of colored resin, and then heating to fuse the particles of fine powder together, forming a covering on each particle of colored resin.
Again, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3171/1992 (Tokukaihei 4-3171) (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,109) discloses a manufacturing method in which surface-modifying fine particles are attached to the surface of core particles, uniformly affixed thereto by application of mechanical impact force, and then uniformly fixed or turned into a film thereon by heating in a hot air flow at 200.degree. C. to 600.degree. C.
Again, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 56502/1993 (Tokukohei 5-56502) proposes a surface-modified toner in which mechanical impact force is applied to attach fine powder having various functions, 2 .mu.m or less in average particle diameter, to the surface of particles of a binder resin powder made chiefly of binder resin. In this toner, attachment is performed by imbedding the particles of fine powder in the surface of each particle of binder resin powder, so that the thickness of the surface layer produced will be 2 .mu.m or less, while heating at a temperature of at least 48.degree. C., but below the melting point of the binder resin.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 34971/1993 (Tokukaihei 5-34971) discloses the following method of manufacturing electrophotographic toner. First, in a processing room, a rotating member is rotated, mixing toner core particles (chiefly made of at least resin) with surface-processing fine particles in a high-speed air flow. By means of this mixing, the fine particles can be uniformly dispersed and attached over the surface of each toner core particle. Then, by intensifying the mixing conditions, the fine particles attached to the surface of the toner core particles are fixed and/or turned into a film thereon.
However, electrophotographic toners produced by the grinding or wet methods discussed above, which are not surface-modified toners, have the following problems.
Generally, electrophotographic toners have charging characteristics (including polarity) which vary according to the needs of the object for which and the environment in which they are to be used. In other words, different types of electrophotographic toner include different quantities of charge control agent, etc. Accordingly, when a single electrophotographic toner manufacturing device is to be used to manufacture different types of electrophotographic toner, any previously manufactured toner remaining in the manufacturing device will cause problems such as increase of the quantity of toner with reverse polarity in the subsequently manufactured toner, decrease of the toner's charging stability, etc. In order to avoid these problems, different production lines are usually provided for toners with different polarity, or thorough maintenance cleaning of the manufacturing device is performed.
Again, even with electrophotographic toners of the same polarity, according to the required characteristics, different types of charge control agents are used. The composition of toners also varies. Accordingly, even when manufacturing electrophotographic toners of the same polarity, if the same manufacturing device is to be used, thorough maintenance cleaning of the manufacturing device must be carried out, as above, in order to avoid contamination from different charge control agents or toner materials.
In this way, when manufacturing electrophotographic toners of this type, maintenance cleaning of the manufacturing device must be performed whenever the type of toner is changed. This accordingly has drawbacks such as increase in the cost of manufacturing the toner arising from the costs of cleaning and of materials discarded and wasted at the time of cleaning.
In addition, the foregoing conventional methods of manufacturing surface-modified toners merely propose methods of affixing/forming a film of surface-modifying fine particles on the surface of core particles by mechanical or heat processing, or toners produced by such methods.
These conventional manufacturing methods perform mechanical impact or heat processing to obtain a toner with long life, in which the surface-modifying fine particles on the surface of the core particles will withstand the stress of use without peeling or separation. Accordingly, the toner particles produced are made spherical, which reduces friction with the cleaning device, leading to problems such as poor cleaning.
Further, the actual state of the toner obtained by surface modification is determined only by visual means such as observing the surface of particles of surface-modified toner through an SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope). In other words, the state of the toner is not grasped quantitatively, either during or after manufacturing. Accordingly, with the conventional manufacturing methods, it is difficult to determine whether the surface-modified toner which has been manufactured sufficiently realizes desired functions. As a result, there is a great possibility that a toner will be manufactured which is not uniform and which lacks stability.
In addition, none of the conventional art gives any consideration to the weight-average molecular weight of the polymer particles (surface-modifying particles) to be affixed or made into a film on the surface of the core particles.
Incidentally, there is a method of evaluating the state of surface-modified toner produced which uses the BET specific surface area, based on N.sub.2 adsorption. The BET specific surface area of surface-modifying particles to be affixed to the surface of core particles is specified in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 335357/1992 (Tokukaihei 4-335357). However, the BET specific surface area of the surface-modified toner produced is not discussed. Further, this disclosure does not hit upon the idea of quantitatively grasping the state of surface modification.
If the core particles for surface-modified toner are to be manufactured by polymerization, facilities for control of dangerous substances such as monomers and initiators, processing of waste water, etc. are necessary, which requires large investments in facilities and increases the expenses of repayment of these investments. Further, washing and drying processes take a long time, thus reducing productivity. In addition, since the fine powder cannot be reused, manufacturing costs are increased in comparison with grinding.
In addition, since in this case the electrophotographic toner particles obtained are nearly spherical, their reduced friction results in reduced attaching force. Spherical toner particles also have a negative effect on the cleaning process. This cleaning process is the removal, using a cleaning brush, etc., of untransferred toner remaining on the photoreceptor after transfer of the toner image. When the untransferred toner is spherical, it has insufficient attaching force with respect to the cleaning brush, and its removal is made difficult.
Further, in actual use of electrophotographic toner in, for example, a high-speed copy machine (copy speed of 60 sheets/minute or more), there are cases when high stress may be applied within the developer, etc. At this time, this stress may cause peeling or separation of the fine particles of charge control agent from the surface of the core particles, leading to so-called image fogging. Accordingly, in such cases, stronger affixing/film film formation of the fine particles of charge control agent on the surface of the core particles is needed.
However, this kind of stronger affixing/film formation cannot be realized with manufacturing methods in which all processing is carried out in a surface modification device such as a Henschel-type mixer. For this reason, electrophotographic toner which is to be used in a device which applies high stress thereto should preferably be manufactured using a high-energy-applying surface modification device capable of affixing/film formation by applying high shearing force, high impact force, or high energy.
However, if a high-energy-applying device is used from the stage of manufacturing at which the core particles and the fine particles of charge control agent are combined, affixing/film formation of the fine particles proceeds before the fine particles have been uniformly dispersed. As a result, the charge control particles may become affixed to the core particles in a non-uniform state, or a film of non-uniform thickness may be formed. This may lead to manufacturing of electrophotographic toner which lacks charging stability.
Conventional art has also been proposed in which functional fine particles such as charge control agent are dispersed over and attached directly to colored core particles, and then affixed and/or formed into a film thereon. However, no electrophotographic toner has been proposed in which polarity can be controlled even when using the same core particles. Further, no proposal has noted the advantages and effects which could be obtained, in manufacturing electrophotographic toner, by providing a step after production of the core particles, in which they are given a charge of the required polarity.

Electrophotographic toner and method of manufacturing same


A dental stone casting mold device (10) for use with a hardenable stone material (21) includes associated first and second side walls (11, 12) first and second end walls (13, 14) and a floor (15), forming an open top cavity (16). Each first and second side walls (11, 12) and first and second end walls (13, 14) extend from the floor (15) in a lateral direction, such that each has a portion (17) proximate to the floor (15) and a portion (18) distal thereto. There is also at least one slot (22) in the floor (15) removably receiving a stone retaining spine (20). In a preferred embodiment, each of first and second side wall (11, 12) carries a plurality of spaced indexing ribs (60). In another embodiment, each distal end 18 of the first and second side walls (11, 12) have integrally associated lateral extensions or webs (80) therefrom. Device (10) may also be provided with indexing bar or articulator attachment structures (101, 110).

In the field of dental care, replacement teeth are typically retained in place by means of bridge work or the like extending from the replacement tooth and anchored to adjacent healthy teeth. The manufacture of such replacement teeth and their mechanical bridge structure requires careful work to insure proper fitting thereof with respect to adjacent teeth. Also, restoration procedures such as the capping of decayed or broken teeth likewise requires precise positioning with respect to approximate teeth.
To accurately form and position the replacement tooth or cap, a dentist usually makes a dental go negative or impression of the relevant tooth or gap typically including at least the adjacent teeth. This impression may be partial, unilateral or bilateral, depending upon the extent of the work to be done, and serves as a mold for eventual developing of a die of the patient's tooth to be replaced or restored.
For example, when a tooth is to be crowned or otherwise rebuilt, it is conventional to make a negative, casting or impression of the tooth using a rubber-like impression material. The impression then used as a mold for preparing a positive replica of the tooth to be restored. The replica is then used to assist in forming a crown model of the tooth which in turn provides a form or die for making the crown. If needed, a full-bite positive replica of the teeth will be prepared for use in insuring that the upper and lower teeth sets will be closed together properly.
During preparation of the replica tooth or cap, it is usually necessary to remove the casting of its precusor or mock-up from the complete casting, often several times. To do this, the casting, such as for example, a jaw-shaped positive or replica of the gum and upper or lower teeth set is cut through and a slice of replica gum and teeth set removed from the set. In this regard, in order to provide a template on which to reassemble the pieces of the set, a removable base is typically affixed, such as for example, by casting onto the replica teeth set and gum before it is cut into sections. In order that the individual pieces may be accurately reassembled in the initial mold, and in accordance with heretofore conventional practices, each piece is provided with a locating pin or the like which fits into a hole in the base. The pins are set into the replica pieces during the molding operation.
This technique for preparing the replica such that it can be reassembled in a mold or on a base in proper relation to adjacent teeth in the set requires that the pins be very accurately positioned in the fluid dental stone in which the replica tooth or teeth are to be formed. This procedure is difficult because the mold is filled with the molding material thus obscuring the pins. Further, the outline of the teeth is not visible from the outside of the mold.
One solution to these drawbacks is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,145. This patent describes a molding device having an open-top cavity for containing dental stone material, and a spine removably insertable into the floor of the cavity. While this device overcame many of the heretofore known drawbacks to modeling devices, a need still exists for a modeling device which will allow very precise control over the placement of the tooth model into and out of the cavity repeatedly.
Furthermore, a need also exists for a tray with improved set stone removable capability, without detrimentally effecting the accuracy of the replacement of the stone into the tray. The tray should also be capable of efficiently cooperating with an articulator device.


Indirect persistent storage of data in a file that is associated with an application program and is capable of having an embedded OLEObject includes creating the OLEObject by way of a Component Object Model add-in that supplements the application program, and using the OLEObject to store the data in the file. The OLEObject is marked so that it is hidden from a user of the application program. After loading a file that was previously saved and closed, the OLEObject is initialized, and the stored data is retrieved. The add-in may be a reporting add-in that queries a database, such as an OLAP database.

Microsoft® Excel is a spreadsheet system that enables a user to create reports for the manipulation and analysis of data. The Excel container has a number of plugin models. One such model is the Component Object Model (COM) Add-In interface, _IDTExtensibility2. Another is the OLEObject interface. Add-ins are supplemental programs that provide enhanced, optional or customized features. As one example, an appropriate add-in can effectively transform Excel into a frontend for an OLAP (on-line analytical processing) database application. By way of a reporting add-in, the Excel user can query the database server and populate Excel with data returned as the query result. The user can analyze and create reports based on this information. An Excel report of this sort is typically associated with a large quantity of meaningful data and metadata, such as information relating to the queries that have been used in the generation of the report. It is of course highly desirable for such information to be easily and conveniently saved and retrieved by the user. A user can save data in a file separate from the Excel .xls file, but it then becomes difficult to keep the two files consistent, and it cannot be guaranteed that the data will be available whenever the .xls file is available. It is preferable to save such data in the .xls file itself, and to retrieve it in the course of loading the .xls file. It is possible to save data in a hidden sheet in Excel, but the hidden sheet can be made visible and its data tampered with.

Indirect persistent storage for plugin in container


A filler automatically expands a soft bag from a collapsed to an expanded condition. An elastic band urges a pair of panels apart. The band is mounted on a flap which is integrally hinged, and initially co-planar with, one of the panels.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a filler for automatically expanding a soft bag in all shapes and sizes, such as a purse, a suitcase, a tote bag, a backpack, a sports bag and like bags, for display purposes at a point-of-sale site.
2. Description of the Related Art
Soft bags are typically shipped from a manufacturer to a point-of-sale site in a generally collapsed condition to minimize shipping space and freight costs. At or near the point-of-sale site, the collapsed bags are stuffed, typically manually with crumpled wads of paper, inflated inserts, or corrugated board, rigid inserts of the type exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,077,451; 4,141,399; 4,142,564; 4,969,751; 4,993,846; and 5,030,014.
Stuffing bags with paper wads is labor- and cost-intensive. Inflating inserts requires a source of a pressurized gas, and constant vigilance to resist gas leaks. The known rigid inserts disclosed in the above patents are assembled from multiple sheet members, thereby increasing manufacturing and labor costs, and sometimes such rigid inserts do not uniformly expand the soft bags.


The process system of the present invention has a cooling process portion, a siding portion, and transfer means. The cooling process portion is responsible for applying cooling process to a heated substrate. The siding portion is positioned in an upper side of the cooling process portion and used for temporarily storing the substrate before being subjected to the cooling process. The transfer means loads/unloads the substrate into/from the cooling process portion and the siding portion.

The present invention relates to a process system for transferring and processing a substrate such as a semiconductor substrate or an LCD substrate.
In the photolithographic step of a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a resist coating process and a developing process are performed. In the resist coating process, a resist film is formed on a surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as "wafer"). In the development process, the wafer is developed after the resist-coated wafer is exposed to light. Hitherto, the resist coating process and the developing process have been performed at the corresponding process units assembled in one process system, namely, a complex process system, in accordance with a predetermined sequence, as known in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKOKU publication No. 2-30194.
One example of such a complex process system is shown in FIG. 1. In the resist coating/developing process system 101, the following units are incorporated together: a cassette station 102 for loading/unloading a wafer W into/from a cassette, a brush washing unit 103 for washing the wafer W with a brush, a jet-water washing unit 104 for washing the wafer W with high-pressure jet water 104, an adhesion unit 105 for rendering the surface of the wafer W hydrophobic in order to increase resist-deposition, a cooling unit 106 for cooling the wafer W to a predetermined temperature, a resist coating unit 107 for coating a resist solution on the surface of the wafer W. a heating unit 108 for heating the wafer W before and after the resist coating, a periphery light-exposure unit 109 for removing the resist from the periphery of the wafer W, a wafer-transferring stage 110 for transferring the wafer W to an adjacent light-exposure unit (not shown), and a developing unit 111 for immersing the light-exposed wafer W in a developing solution to dissolve an irradiated potion or a non-irradiated portion, selectively.
In the center of the resist coating/developing process system 101, a corridor-form wafer transfer path 112 is provided in the longitudinal direction (Y-direction). Individual process units are provided with a front face (having a load/unload port) directed to the wafer transfer path 112. The wafer W to be processed is held by a holding member 114 of the wafer transfer apparatus 113, which is movable along the wafer transfer path 112, and then transferred and delivered between the individual units.
The wafer W heated by the heating unit 108 is transferred from the heating unit 108 to the cooling unit 106 by means of the wafer transfer apparatus 113. At the cooling unit 106, the wafer W is cooled to a predetermined temperature and then transferred to the periphery light-exposure unit 109 and the cassette station 102. To describe more specifically, the wafer W applied with a resist solution in the resist coating unit 107 is held by the holding member 114 of the wafer transfer apparatus 113 and unloaded from the unit 107, and then, transferred to the heating unit 108. The wafer W is heated to, for example, 100.degree. C. and unloaded from the unit 108 by the holding member 114 of the wafer transfer apparatus 113, and then, transferred again to the cooling unit 106. In the cooling unit 106, the wafer W is cooled to, for example, 23.degree. C. and transferred to the periphery light-exposure unit 109 by means of the wafer transfer apparatus 113. After development of the wafer W is completed at the developing unit 111, the wafer W is unloaded from the unit 111 by the holding member 114 of the wafer transfer apparatus 113 and transferred to the heating unit 108. The wafer W is heated to, for example, 100.degree. C. The wafer W is then unloaded therefrom by the holding member 114 of the wafer transfer apparatus 113 and transferred to the cooling unit 106. After the wafer W is cooled to, for example, 23.degree. C., the wafer W is transferred to the cassette station 102 by means of the wafer transfer apparatus 113.
However, particularly in a complex process system incorporating various process units together in one place, the wafers W requiring the cooling process assemble at the cooling unit 106 and wait for subjection to the process. In an attempt to avoid this waiting, it is considered possible that the wafers W waiting for the cooling process remain held by the holding member 114 of the wafer transfer apparatus 113. However, since the wafer transfer apparatus 113 must transfer a number of wafers one by one, if the wafer transfer apparatus 113 keeps holding the wafer W as mentioned above, the movement of the apparatus 113 will stop. As a result, the throughput will decrease. Another possibility is that the wafer W waiting for the cooling process is kept in the heating unit 108. However, the excessively long heating time produces adverse effects on the thickness and hardness of the resist film and increases the cooling time.
There is a further possibility that the problem of the number of wafers W waiting for the cooling process is overcome by increasing the number of cooling units 106. However, space is required for those units. Since such a system is usually disposed in a clean room, the increase of space results in a cost increase, producing a significant problem.