A carbon material useful as an electrode in supercapacitors and a method for preparing the same. In one method, a phenolic resin powder, optionally combined with a carbon powder, is formed into a layer less than 0.01 inches thick; the temperature of the resin is increased at a rate of approximately 0.1 to 4.degree. C. per minute, thereby melting the resin into a porous network; the network is carbonized, hydrogenated in a hydrogen atmosphere and sulfonated.

This invention pertains generally to energy storage devices, particularly high specific power and high energy density electrochemical capacitors known as supercapacitors, and specifically to a method of making active materials or electrodes for the same. There is a need for a rechargeable energy source that can provide high power, can be recharged quickly, has a high cycle life and is environmetally benign for a myriad of applications including defense, consumer goods, and electric vehicles. Double layer capacitors are rechargeable charge storage devices that fufill this need.
A single-cell double layer capacitor consists of two electrodes which store charge (these are called the "active" materials), separated by a permeable membrane which permits ionic but not electronic conductivity. Each electrode is also in contact with a current collector which provides an electrical path to the external environment. The electrodes and the membrane are infused with an electrolyte, and the entire assembly is contained in inert packaging. Multiple cells may be connected in series or in parallel in the final packaged unit.
Applying an electric potential across the electrodes causes charge to build up in the double layer which exists at the electrode/electrolyte interface of each electrode. This process can continue until a condition of equilibrium has been reached, i.e., the current drops to zero. The capacitance, or amount of charge that a capacitor can store, is directly related to the surface area of the electrodes. Therefore, electrodes made from conductive materials that possess high surface area (>100 m.sup.2 /g) are desirable. By employing various materials and fabrication means, capacitors have been developed which are capable of delivering very high specific power and energy densities.
Because carbon is chemically inert, has a high electronic conductivity, is environmentally benign and is relatively inexpensive, it is a desirable material for fabricating electrodes for supercapacitors. High surface area carbon powders are presently preferred for use in fabricating supercapacitor electrodes. The internal resistance of carbon powder electrodes is dependent upon the extent and quality of particle-to-particle contact. As the quality and extent of these contacts decreases, the internal resistance of the electrode increases, which in turn reduces the usable stored charge in the capacitor. In some applications the electrodes are maintained under high compression in an attempt to make them more conductive. Binders are often used to fabricate freestanding electrodes from carbon powders. However, the binders, generally being of a higher resistance than the carbon particles they surround, may increase the particle-to-particle resistance thereby degrading the performance of the electrodes.
In addition to methods well known in the art for fabricating high surface area carbon electrodes such as employing a binder, the use of carbon paste electrodes, or high pressure, other methods of fabricating these electrodes to improve their conductivity have been developed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,150,283 and 4,327,400 disclose electrodes composed of electrically conducting substrates into which or upon which carbon powder in various forms is impressed. A method of fabricating electrodes which have high specific surface area is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,028. Here activated carbon fibers are woven into a fabric which is used to fabricate electrodes. Compounds which improve the conductivity of carbon powder electrodes have been also employed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,372. These methods suffer from the disadvantage that they require additional fabrication steps which may be expensive and complex. It has been recognized that one way to overcome the problems associated with carbon powder electrodes is to develop carbon in the form of a continuous, monolithic structure and prepared in such a way as to possess the desirable properties of high surface area and low electrical resistance. As illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,260,855; 5,021,462; 5,208,003; 4,832,881; 4,806,290; and 4,775,655, carbon foams, aerogels and microcellular carbons have been developed which are useful as electrode materials in high energy capacitor applications, because they possess high surface area, low electrical resistance and adequate mechanical strength. While these materials represent an improvement over conventional carbon powder electrodes for supercapacitors, they have several disadvantages. Methods used to prepare carbon foams, aerogels and microcellular carbons require elaborate processing steps to prepare the precursor materials; among other things, the solvents must be completely removed from the precursor prior to the carbonization step. In order not to disrupt the microstructure of the polymer precursor, the solvent removal step must be done under carefully controlled conditions, using, for example, freeze drying or supercritical extraction. Furthermore, the solvents must either be disposed of or purified prior to reuse. In contrast to these earlier approaches, the method disclosed in the present invention requires no elaborate processing and no solvents.
Some of the earlier art requires a post-carbonization step known as activation to produce a carbon with a high surface area (>100 m.sup.2 /g). The activation treatment generally involves exposing carbon to an oxidant which may be a gas or an oxidizing chemical. Activation is a disadvantage in that it constitutes an extra processing step, and in addition, it is a difficult process to do reproducibly--small amounts of impurities such as alkalai metals cause variations in the surface area obtained, and furthermore the activating agent can preferably react at the surface of a porous carbon, resulting in inhomogeneity. In contrast to this prior art, the method disclosed in the present invention produces a high surface area monolithic carbon in a process that requires no activation.

Carbon supercapacitor electrode materials


Torque pulsations generated in the torque of an engine are obtained from detection signals from a crankshaft angle detection sensor and an engine water temperature detection sensor at the time of an engine starting operation. A control unit controls an MG1 via a drive circuit so that a damping torque of the same phase as the torque pulsations is generated, and ensures that the torque pulsations of the engine are not transmitted to a ring gear from a planetary carrier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a torque transmission device and a method of reducing effects of torque pulsations, and in particular to a torque transmission device that transmits the torque of an internal combustion engine to a drive shaft and a method of reducing, using the torque of a motor generator, the effects, on a drive shaft, of torque pulsations generated in the torque from an internal combustion engine when the torque from the internal combustion engine is transmitted to the drive shaft.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a hybrid drive device has been known as a drive device having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. This kind of hybrid drive device has come to be used as a drive device in vehicles in order to reduce exhaust gas and improve fuel consumption.
The conventional hybrid drive device is equipped with an engine, such as an internal combustion engine, that operates by burning fuel, a spring-type damper device that absorbs the rotational movement of the engine, a planetary gear-type distribution mechanism that mechanically distributes, to a first motor generator and an output member, the output of the engine transmitted via the damper device, and a second motor generator that applies a rotational force to the output member (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 9-170533).
When the first motor generator is switched to an unloaded state and reversely rotated at the time a vehicle using only the second motor generator as a source of power is traveling, the hybrid drive device can rotatingly drive and start the engine via the distribution mechanism by causing the first motor generator to generate a predetermined braking torque or a predetermined torque in a positive rotational direction. In that case, because part of the output of the second motor generator is consumed by the rotation of the engine, the second motor is operated by an output equal to or greater than the power necessary for travel and the engine is rotatingly driven by the additional power equal to or greater than the necessary power—i.e., by a power in which the necessary power is subtracted from the output of the second motor generator. Thus, fluctuations in drive power resulting from the starting of the engine can be suppressed.

Torque transmission device and method of reducing effects of torque pulsations


An electronic potty training apparatus which visually and audibly amuses a child. The electronic potty training apparatus comprises a support frame removably attachable to a toilet, an audible rewarding system for audibly rewarding and amusing a child, and a rotatable target wherein the target provides visual amusement, an instructional focal point and a triggering mechanism for triggering the audible rewarding system.

Potty training children can be quite difficult especially when teaching a male child to urinate. The parent's biggest challenge is to persuade their child to use the toilet when they need to potty. The next biggest challenge is to teach the child, particularly boys, to sanitarily use the toilet. Therefore, a potty training apparatus should merge amusement and fun with instructional value into one simple to use device.
Several devices have been patented which are aimed at potty training.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,577, by Petrovich, entitled "COMMODE FLOAT TOY TRAINING DEVICE" discloses a toy float made of water soluble material having a plurality of rows of water soluble rods having various colorations to maintain the interest and focus of the child.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,515, by White, Jr. et al., entitled "TOILET TRAINING DEVICE AND METHOD OF USE" teaches the use of a thin paper stock element adapted to float in a planar configuration upon the water surface which has indicia printed on both sides thereof. Such indicia represent a target or other geometric shape normally familiar to children to thereby attract the attention of the child.
While each of the above potty training apparatuses functions as desired, none of them have an audible rewarding system activated when a child hits with a urine stream a rotatable target for enhancing the amusement of the child when learning to use the toilet.

Electronic potty trainer with audible rewarding system and visually amusing target


A display device includes a display panel, and an optical assembly on the display panel. The display panel includes a display area configured to display an image, and a peripheral area adjacent to the display area. The optical assembly overlaps the display area and the peripheral area. The optical assembly includes a supporting member overlapping the peripheral area, an optical member, a covering member covering the display panel, and a transparent member between the display panel, the optical member and the covering member. The optical member includes a first face contacting the display area, a second face opposite to the first face and tilted with respect to the first face, a third face contacting the supporting member, and a fourth face opposite to the third face.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a display device. More particularly, exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a display device capable of improving display quality at a peripheral region thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A flat display device such as a liquid crystal display device, a plasma display device, etc. may display a high-definition large display image by increasing a pixel resolution or a display area thereof. For example, a display panel of the liquid crystal display device may include an array substrate, an opposing substrate facing the array substrate, and a liquid crystal layer therebetween. The array substrate may include a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix shape. The liquid crystal display device may further include an image driving part configured to apply voltages to the pixel electrodes. The image driving part may include, e.g., a circuit part configured to control an image signal.


A pet feeder having a base with a removable back splash and side walls adapted to abut an interior wall with a baseboard.

A wide variety of animal feeding devices has previously been proposed. Typically, the devices have aimed at stability, sanitation, accessibility to the animal and ease of cleaning. For instance, many devices have been developed for supporting food and/or water at an elevated position that is convenient for the animal. Other features often include the ability to mount the feeder to a wall. Still others focus on isolation of food to avoid infestation.


A polymeric composition in pellet form comprising a tacky hot melt composition, comprising a) from about 5% by weight to about 90% by weight of a thermoplastic polymer, b) from about 0% by weight to about 65% by weight of a tackifying resin, c) from about 0% to about 50% by weight of a plasticizer, d) up to about 2% by weight of an antioxidant, and a pelletizing aid, wherein the tacky hot melt composition has some minimum amount of tackifier or plasticizer and is a pressure sensitive adhesive having a storage modulus, G', at about 25.degree. C., of less than about 5.times.10.sup.6 dynes/cm.sup.2, and each pellet has a substantially tack-free surface.. This invention further discloses a polymeric composition in pellet form suitable for molding articles. The composition comprises a tacky hot melt composition comprising at least one high molecular weight triblock copolymer of the general configuration A-B-A and a plasticizer and a pelletizing aid. The pelletizing aid substantially surrounds the tacky composition such that the molded articles are substantially free from surface tack.. A method of forming the pellets is also disclosed.

Tacky hot melt compositions have been used widely in the adhesive industry for a wide range of applications such as for pressure sensitive adhesives due to their ability to adhere to a wide variety of substrates. A primary property of a hot melt pressure sensitive composition is that it remain tacky at room temperature so that it may be adhered to substrates when it has completely cooled from its molten state. Examples of applications which require this property are tape and label applications. Paper, polyethylene, polypropylene or other such substrates may be coated with the tacky hot melt composition, covered with release liner, and then shipped this way for later applications such as for labels used on various containers, books, magazines, or envelopes just to name a few.
The use of tacky hot melt compositions in other applications has been precluded by the fact that they remain tacky. Yet it may be desirable to use these soft and very flexible compositions for other applications. One such application is the formation of articles by injection molding. Some articles formed by injection molding include shoe soles, drum pads, therapeutic hand exercising grips, shock absorbers, acoustical insulators, chair pads and imitation skin for use in the entertainment industry but this list is not exhaustive.
The tackiness exhibited by these hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives also makes them difficult to handle. They may adhere to skin, clothing, application equipment, floors, or other places that are undesirable. Many packaging methods have been devised to avoid the problems encountered in the handling of these hot melt pressure sensitive compositions.
Hot melt adhesives are supplied as pellets, pillows as disclosed by German Pat. 22 48 046, slats or chicklets, blocks, and cakes.
A further problem encountered with hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives is that the tackiness may result in blocking individual pieces together resulting in a large mass in the shipping containers. This makes it difficult to get the adhesive into many different types of hot melt premelter tanks used in the industry.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,035 discloses a machine performing an improved method of packaging a hot melt adhesive. This produces an end product known as pillows to one of skill in the art. These pillows can be coextruded with a non-tacky polymer such as polyethylene for producing pressure sensitive adhesives that are tacky at room temperature. This coextrusion coating prevents the pillows from blocking together in a solid mass at room temperature. Using this method, once the coextruded pillows are melted for use on an application line, the hot melt composition again becomes tacky when it returns to room temperature.
French Pat. No. 2,544,654 published Oct. 26, 1984 discloses forming a tackless hot melt by adding the molten hot melt to a mold which contains a preformed support layer having a transfer film which is compatible with the hot melt.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,748,796 issued Jun. 7, 1988 and 4,755,245 issued Jul. 5, 1988 disclose forming a protective coating for an adhesive material by electrostatically coating a mold or cavity with a powder screen and then pouring hot melt into the mold.
French Pat. No. 2,601,616 published Oct. 22, 1988 discloses forming blocks of hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive by casting the adhesive into molds precoated by spraying with a film of non self-sticking hot melt material.
German Pat. Nos. DE 31 38 222, DE 32 34 065, and DE 36 25 358 teach coating or wrapping a formed hot melt block with various types of film.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,491 to Rouyer et al. teaches a method of packaging a hot melt adhesive composition wherein the adhesive composition is sufficiently solidified or when flowable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,455 to Hatfield et al. issued Mar. 28, 1995 teaches a method for packaging hot melt adhesive compositions comprising the use of a mold being in contact with a refrigerant gas or liquid heat sink. Hatfield teaches that when a hot melt adhesive is poured into a cavity lined with film in its molten state, the adhesive is fused to some extent with the film. According to Hatfield, this in turn allows some mixing and compatibilizing of the film, improving the opportunity for more complete mixing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,571 to Malcolm et al. discloses at column 8 line 59 to column 9 line 14 a method for pelletizing a preblend of a radial block copolymer and a tackifying resin. This preblend is then used to make hot melt adhesives for disposable article construction. The preblend is manufactured on an extruder. The pelletized preblend was then used to make an adhesive using conventional hot melt mixers. This is a two step process of making hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives, and it was never intended to teach making a finished product in a free-flowing pellet form.
The current inventors have found a polymeric composition in a free-flowing pellet form that can be either a hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive or a polymeric composition that has a surface that remains tack-free after melting and resolidification.


An image tuning system and method using a stored image signal, in which the image tuning system includes an image processing device and an external device. The image processing device outputs a third image signal by processing a first or second image signal according to a tuning parameter. The external device calculates the tuning parameter based on the third image signal. The image processing device receives the second image from the external device in a tuning mode and processes the second image. The image tuning system and the image tuning method using the stored raw image signal can prevent wasting time and extra efforts are not required for setting the tuning parameter adaptive to various weather conditions by repeatedly setting the tuning parameter with respect to a picture image.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an image tuning system and, more particularly, to an image tuning system and method using a stored raw image signal.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a camera is tuned for an image to be captured using a predetermined parameter. This parameter for tuning has to satisfy various weather conditions. To set the tuning parameter to be adaptive to various weather conditions, various pictures are taken and captured before launching a new product for image capture. The tuning parameter is adjusted repeatedly based on a captured image signal.
Thus, a large amount of images are needed for adjusting the tuning parameter. The images, however, are for temporary use and are subsequently discarded. Accordingly, it is time consuming and extra efforts are required for setting the tuning parameter to be adapted to various weather conditions.

Image tuning system and method using stored raw image signal


The invention relates to a device and system for preventing improper use of a car. The device uses an electronically controlled fuel shut off system located internally of the fuel tank. The system requires the operator of the car to enter a private identification number or PIN code in order to operate the vehicle. In addition, the electronically controlled fuel shut off system is remotely activated allowing law enforcement officials, upon encountering the car being used improperly, to shut off the fuel supply and disable the car. Upon entry of a security code by law enforcement officers, the circuit board stops the flow of current to the fuel shut off system, thereby halting the flow of fuel through the fuel line and shutting down the engine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for preventing auto theft, and more particularly to a disabling system including a remotely controlled electromagnetic valve for shutting off fuel flow to an automobile engine.
2. Description of Prior Art
The theft of cars is a well known problem. One skilled in car theft can easily forge keys or by-pass the ignition switch to start the engine. Also, certain anti-theft devices, such as steering wheel locks, brake locks, and/or transmission locks, are easily removed by a crafty thief. Even the more expensive electronic car alarm systems have been thwarted by the experienced car thief. Once stolen by a career car thief, cars are either sold in parts, or used to commit other criminal acts. There is a long felt need to provide a way of preventing a car from being stolen.
Many prior art devices have come about to combat this problem of car theft. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,495, issued to Thompkins, discloses a remote radio control system for activating an ignition kill switch in the event the car is operated without the consent of the owner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,641, issued to Durrell, discloses a system requiring a PIN code in order to keep a car running. That is, if the car is started improperly, after a certain time interval, the fuel system will be cut off unless the PIN code is properly entered. E.P.O. Patent Doc. 317,485, issued to Kimura et al., discloses a system for remotely starting and subsequently operating various features (e.g., heating the passenger compartment) of mobile equipment. U.K. Patent Doc. 2,079,837, issued to Soss, discloses a system for securing an automobile, dwelling house, or the like, using a remote transmitter for activating or deactivating the system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,683, issued to Garretto et al., discloses an anti-theft vehicle system that shuts off power to an engine coil, fuel pump, or fuel flow valve until a reset device, such as a switch or keyboard, is activated. U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,240, issued to Karkouti, discloses a system for operating selected functions of a vehicle remotely, including starting the engine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,511, issued to Hayakawa et al., discloses a keyboard for user input of a code in order to start the ignition of a car. U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,962, issued to MaKinnon, discloses a timing circuit in conjunction with a concealed switch, for providing an auto anti-theft device. U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,484, issued to Sangster discloses an anti-theft device for I.C. engines. U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,720, issued to Avdenko et al., discloses a remote system for starting and stopping an automobile engine by a pair of radio transceivers.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.

Car theft and high speed chase prevention device


Adapting wireless network coverage areas according to beam parameters corresponding to predetermined radio cluster models is disclosed. The disclosed subject matter can enable determining cluster models corresponding to historic use of a wireless network, e.g., based on historical KPIs, etc., from UEs, RAN devices, antennas, and other sources. The cluster models can correspond to beam parameters. The cluster model of the cluster models can be selected based on a current KPI value, e.g., a real-time or near real-time wireless network measurement, e.g., from a UE, RAN device, antenna, etc. Beam parameters corresponding to the selected cluster model can be communicated to a RAN device which can generate a corresponding radio beam. In an aspect, this can provide wireless connectivity to clusters of devices in the area of the radio beam, wherein the devices of the clusters can, in some embodiments, share same or similar wireless network demands.

The evolution of wireless networks is providing technologies that can provide highly directed beams of radio energy that can typically serve single devices. As an example, 5G wireless communication is expected to provide each user equipment (UE) or device with a beam of radio energy in contrast to previous technologies that generally provided broader coverage of multiple UEs/devices in a larger region, e.g., service provided to all devices in a 120-degree sector of a cell site. This maturation of wireless network technologies can result in many individual beams each serving a corresponding UE/device. This can lead to increased computation to determine the numerous beams, compensate for side-lobes to those numerous beams in order to reduce interference, etc., and can be associated with more complex instantiations of base station resources to support the numerous beams. As an example, where a region of a wireless network covers 1000 UEs, the base stations can provide 1000 distinct beams of radio energy, which can require computing timing delay, phase shifting, amplitude adjustments, etc., to many radiative elements of an antenna to provide the 1000 beams, and can further require altering these computations to reduce inference associated with the 1000 beams. Additionally, in this example, there can be further computations related to multiplexing, in time, frequency, etc., related to effectively providing communication for the 1000 devices via the 1000 beams. When performed properly, the 5G-type wireless network technology can provide fast and reliable wireless service. However, the computations can be so complex that proper performance can be highly demanding and performance can be sub-optimal. While even sub-optimal performance can still be fast and reliable, it can be desirable to provide wireless network service in a less complex and resource intensive manner.

Wireless network coverage based on a predetermined device cluster model selected according to a current key performance indicator


Disclosed is a toner comprising particles of a resin and an optional colorant, said toner particles having coated thereon a polypyrrole. Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a process which comprises (a) generating an electrostatic latent image on an imaging member, and (b) developing the latent, image by contacting the imaging member with charged toner particles comprising a resin and an optional colorant, said toner particles having coated thereon a polypyrrole.

The present invention is directed to toners suitable for use in electrostatic imaging processes. More specifically, the present invention is directed to toner compositions that can be used in processes such as electrography, electrophotography, ionography, or the like, including processes wherein the toner particles are triboelectrically charged and processes wherein the toner particles are charged by a nonmagnetic inductive charging process. One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a toner comprising particles of a resin and an optional colorant, said toner particles having coated thereon a polypyrrole. Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a process which comprises (a) generating an electrostatic latent image on an imaging member, and (b) developing the latent image by contacting the imaging member with charged toner particles comprising a resin and an optional colorant, said toner particles having coated thereon a polypyrrole.
The formation and development of images on the surface of photoconductive materials by electrostatic means is well known. The basic electrophotographic imaging process, as taught by C. F. Carlson in U.S. Pat. No. 2,297,691, entails placing a uniform electrostatic charge on a photoconductive insulating layer known as a photoconductor or photoreceptor, exposing the photoreceptor to a light and shadow image to dissipate the charge on the areas of the photoreceptor exposed to the light, and developing the resulting electrostatic latent image by depositing on the image a finely divided electroscopic material known as toner. Toner typically comprises a resin and a colorant. The toner will normally be attracted to those areas of the photoreceptor which retain a charge, thereby forming a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image. This developed image may then be transferred to a substrate such as paper. The transferred image may subsequently be permanently affixed to the substrate by heat, pressure, a combination of heat and pressure, or other suitable fixing means such as solvent or overcoating treatment.
Another known process for forming electrostatic images is ionography. In ionographic imaging processes, a latent image is formed on a dielectric image receptor or electroreceptor by ion or electron deposition, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,564,556, 3,611,419, 4,240,084, 4,569,584, 2,919,171, 4,524,371, 4,619,515, 4,463,363, 4,254,424, 4,538,163, 4,409,604, 4,408,214, 4,365,549, 4,267,556, 4,160,257, and 4,155,093, the disclosures of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference. Generally, the process entails application of charge in an image pattern with an ionographic or electron beam writing head to a dielectric receiver that retains the charged image. The image is subsequently developed with a developer capable of developing charge images.
Many methods are known for applying the electroscopic particles to the electrostatic latent image to be developed. One development method, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,618,552, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, is known as cascade development. Another technique for developing electrostatic images is the magnetic brush process, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,874,063. This method entails the carrying of a developer material containing toner and magnetic carrier particles by a magnet. The magnetic field of the magnet causes alignment of the magnetic carriers in a brushlike configuration, and this xe2x80x9cmagnetic brushxe2x80x9d is brought into contact with the electrostatic image bearing surface of the photoreceptor. The toner particles are drawn from the brush to the electrostatic image by electrostatic attraction to the undischarged areas of the photoreceptor, and development of the image results. Other techniques, such as touchdown development, powder cloud development, and jumping development are known to be suitable for developing electrostatic latent images.
Powder development systems normally fall into two classes: two component, in which the developer material comprises magnetic carrier granules having toner particles adhering triboelectrically thereto, and single component, which typically uses toner only. Toner particles are attracted to the latent image, forming a toner powder image. The operating latitude of a powder xerographic development system is determined to a great degree by the ease with which toner particles are supplied to an electrostatic image. Placing charge on the particles, to enable movement and imagewise development via electric fields, is most often accomplished with triboelectricity.
The electrostatic image in electrophotographic copying/printing systems is typically developed with a nonmagnetic, insulative toner that is charged by the phenomenon of triboelectricity. The triboelectric charging is obtained either by mixing the toner with larger carrier beads in a two component development system or by rubbing the toner between a blade and donor roll in a single component system.
Triboelectricity is often not well understood and is often unpredictable because of a strong materials sensitivity. For example, the materials sensitivity causes difficulties in identifying a triboelectrically compatible set of color toners that can be blended for custom colors. Furthermore, to enable xe2x80x9coffsetxe2x80x9d print quality with powder-based electrophotographic development systems, small toner particles (about 5 micron diameter) are desired. Although the functionality of small, triboelectrically charged toner has been demonstrated, concerns remain regarding the long-term stability and reliability of such systems.
In addition, development systems which use triboelectricity to charge toner, whether they be two component (toner and carrier) or single component (toner only), tend to exhibit nonuniform distribution of charges on the surfaces of the toner particles. This nonuniform charge distribution results in high electrostatic adhesion because of localized high surface charge densities on the particles. Toner adhesion, especially in the development step, can limit performance by hindering toner release. As the toner particle size is reduced to enable higher image quality, the charge Q on a triboelectrically charged particle, and thus the removal force (F=QE) acting on the particle due to the development electric field E, will drop roughly in proportion to the particle surface area. On the other hand, the electrostatic adhesion forces for tribo-charged toner, which are dominated by charged regions on the particle at or near its points of contact with a surface, do not decrease as rapidly with decreasing size. This so-called xe2x80x9ccharge patchxe2x80x9d effect makes smaller, triboelectric charged particles much more difficult to develop and control.
To circumvent limitations associated with development systems based on triboelectrically charged toner, a non-tribo toner charging system can be desirable to enable a more stable development system with greater toner materials latitude. Conventional single component development (SCD) systems based on induction charging employ a magnetic loaded toner to suppress background deposition. If with such SCD systems one attempts to suppress background deposition by using an electric field of polarity opposite to that of the image electric field (as practiced with electrophotographic systems that use a triboelectric toner charging development system), toner of opposite polarity to the image toner will be induction charged and deposited in the background regions. To circumvent this problem, the electric field in the background regions is generally set to near zero. To prevent deposition of uncharged toner in the background regions, a magnetic material is included in the toner so that a magnetic force can be applied by the incorporation of magnets inside the development roll. This type of SCD system is frequently employed in printing apparatus that also include a transfuse process, since conductive (black) toner may not be efficiently transferred to paper with an electrostatic force if the relative humidity is high. Some printing apparatus that use an electron beam to form an electrostatic image on an electroreceptor also use a SCD system with conductive, magnetic (black) toner. For these apparatus, the toner is fixed to the paper with a cold high-pressure system. Unfortunately, the magnetic material in the toner for these printing systems precludes bright colors.
Powder-based toning systems are desirable because they circumvent a need to manage and dispose of liquid vehicles used in several printing technologies including offset, thermal ink jet, liquid ink development, and the like. Although phase change inks do not have the liquid management and disposal issue, the preference that the ink have a sharp viscosity dependence on temperature can compromise the mechanical properties of the ink binder material when compared to heat/pressure fused powder toner images.
To achieve a document appearance comparable to that obtainable with offset printing, thin images are desired. Thin images can be achieved with a monolayer of small (about 5 micron) toner particles. With this toner particle size, images of desirable thinness can best be obtained with monolayer to sub-monolayer toner coverage. For low micro-noise images with sub-monolayer coverage, the toner preferably is in a nearly ordered array on a microscopic scale.
To date, no magnetic material has been formulated that does not have at least some unwanted light absorption. Consequently, a nonmagnetic toner is desirable to achieve the best color gamut in color imaging applications.
For a printing process using an induction toner charging mechanism, the toner should have a certain degree of conductivity. Induction charged conductive toner, however, can be difficult to transfer efficiently to paper by an electrostatic force if the relative humidity is high. Accordingly, it is generally preferred for the toner to be rheologically transferred to the (heated) paper.
A marking process that enables high-speed printing also has considerable value.
Electrically conductive toner particles are also useful in imaging processes such as those described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,639,245, 3,563,734, European Patent 0,441,426, French Patent 1,456,993, and United Kingdom Patent 1,406,983, the disclosures of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,080 (Mort et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses controllably conductive polymer compositions that may be used in electrophotographic imaging developing systems, such as scavengeless or hybrid scavengeless systems or liquid image development systems. The conductive polymer compositions includes a charge-transporting material (particularly a charge-transporting, thiophene-containing polymer or an inert elastomeric polymer, such as a butadiene- or isoprene-based copolymer or an aromatic polyether-based polyurethane elastomer, that additionally comprises charge transport molecules) and a dopant capable of accepting electrons from the charge-transporting material. The invention also relates to an electrophotographic printing machine, a developing apparatus, and a coated transport member, an intermediate transfer belt, and a hybrid compliant photoreceptor comprising a composition of the invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,906 (Hsieh), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a conductive coating comprising an oxidized oligomer salt, a charge transport component, and a polymer binder, for example, a conductive coating comprising an oxidized tetratolyidiamine salt of the formula
a charge transport component, and a polymer binder, wherein Xxe2x88x92 is a monovalent anion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,001 (Van Ritter), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an electrically conductive toner powder, the separate particles of which contain thermoplastic resin, additives conventional in toner powders, such as coloring constituents and possibly magnetically attractable material, and an electrically conductive protonized polyaniline complex, the protonized polyaniline complex preferably having an electrical conductivity of at least 1 S/cm, the conductive complex being distributed over the volume of the toner particles or present in a polymer-matrix at the surface of the toner particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,211 (Vercoulen et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a toner powder comprising toner particles which carry on their surface and/or in an edge zone close to the surface fine particles of electrically conductive material consisting of fluorine-doped tin oxide. The fluorine-doped tin oxide particles have a primary particle size of less than 0.2 micron and a specific electrical resistance of at most 50 ohms.meter. The fluorine content of the tin oxide is less than 10 percent by weight, and preferably is from 1 to 5 percent by weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,926 (Jonas et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses new polythiophenes containing structural units of the formula
in which A denotes an optionally substituted C1-C4 alkylene radical, their preparation by oxidative polymerization of the corresponding thiophenes, and the use of the polythiophenes for imparting antistatic properties on substrates which only conduct electrical current poorly or not at all, in particular on plastic mouldings, and as electrode material for rechargeable batteries.
While known compositions and processes are suitable for their intended purposes, a need remains for improved marking processes. In addition, a need remains for improved electrostatic imaging processes. Further, a need remains for toners that can be charged inductively and used to develop electrostatic latent images. Additionally, a need remains for toners that can be used to develop electrostatic latent images without the need for triboelectric charging of the toner with a carrier. There is also a need for toners that are sufficiently conductive to be employed in an inductive charging process without being magnetic. In addition, there is a need for conductive, nonmagnetic toners that enable controlled, stable, and predictable inductive charging. Further, there is a need for conductive, nonmagnetic, inductively chargeable toners that are available in a wide variety of colors. Additionally, there is a need for conductive, nonmagnetic, inductively chargeable toners that enable uniform development of electrostatic images. A need also remains for conductive, nonmagnetic, inductively chargeable toners that enable development of high quality full color and custom or highlight color images. In addition, a need remains for conductive, nonmagnetic, inductively chargeable toners that enable generation of transparent, light-transmissive color images. Further, a need remains for toners suitable for use in printing apparatus that employ electron beam imaging processes. Additionally, a need remains for toners suitable for use in printing apparatus that employ single component development imaging processes. There is also a need for conductive, nonmagnetic, inductively chargeable toners that can be prepared by relatively simple and inexpensive methods. In addition, there is a need for conductive, nonmagnetic, inductively chargeable toners wherein the toner comprises a resin particle encapsulated with a conductive polymer, wherein the conductive polymer is chemically bound to the particle surface. Further, there is a need for insulative, triboelectrically chargeable toners that are available in a wide variety of colors. Additionally, there is a need for insulative, triboelectrically chargeable toners that enable uniform development of electrostatic images. There is also a need for insulative, triboelectrically chargeable toners that enable development of high quality full color and custom or highlight color images. In addition, there is a need for insulative, triboelectrically chargeable toners that enable generation of transparent, light-transmissive color images. Further, there is a need for insulative, triboelectrically chargeable toners that can be prepared by relatively simple and inexpensive methods. Additionally, there is a need for insulative, triboelectrically chargeable toners wherein the toner comprises a resin particle encapsulated with a polymer, wherein the polymer is chemically bound to the particle surface. A need also remains for insulative, triboelectrically chargeable toners that can be made to charge either positively or negatively, as desired, without varying the resin or colorant comprising the toner particles. In addition, a need remains for insulative, triboelectrically chargeable toners that can be made to charge either positively or negatively, as desired, without the need to use or vary surface additives. Further, a need remains for both conductive, inductively chargeable toners and insulative, triboelectrically chargeable toners that enable production of toners of different colors that can reach the same equilibrium levels of charge, and that enable modification of toner color without affecting the charge of the toner; the sets of different colored toners thus prepared enable generation of high quality and uniform color images in color imaging processes.
The present invention is directed to a toner comprising particles of a resin and an optional colorant, said toner particles having coated thereon a polypyrrole. Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a process which comprises (a) generating an electrostatic latent image on an imaging member, and (b) developing the latent image by contacting the imaging member with charged toner particles comprising a resin and an optional colorant, said toner particles having coated thereon a polypyrrole.

Toner compositions comprising polypyrroles


A system for pressurizing at least one chamber for lubricating bearings of a turbine engine, including a circuit for supplying the chamber with pressurized air, and a circuit for recovering oil mist formed in the chamber and for returning the mist to an oil tank of the turbine engine. The supply circuit supplies the chamber with air taken upstream from the low-pressure compressor.

Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of aerospace turbomachines and, more particularly, that of pressurizing the internal chambers of such turbomachines.
Description of Related Art
Modern turbomachines generally take the form of an assembly of modules comprising either moving parts or stationary parts. Starting from the upstream end, they first of all comprise one or more compressor modules, arranged in series, which compress air sucked into an air intake. The air is then passed into a combustion chamber where it is mixed with fuel and burned. The combustion gases pass through one or more turbine modules which drive the one or more compressors. The gases are finally ejected either through a nozzle to provide a propulsive force or through a free turbine to provide power on a transmission shaft.
The rotating parts, such as the one or more rotating shafts, the one or more compressors and the one or more turbines, are carried by structural parts by means of bearings which are enclosed in chambers allowing the bearings to be lubricated and cooled. Turbomachines generally comprise two lubrication chambers, one located in the forward region which encloses the compressor-side bearings and one located in the rear region which encloses the turbine-side bearings. These chambers consist of a collection of moving and stationary walls, between which are arranged labyrinth-type devices in order to ensure the necessary sealing therebetween.
The stationary part of the forward chamber is made up of elements of a structural part termed the intermediate frame, while the rear chamber is made up of elements of a second structural part termed the exhaust frame. Examples of such chambers are represented in FIGS. 1 and 2. These structural parts support the bearings which in turn support the moving parts of the turbomachine.
In order to ensure that the oil is maintained inside the lubrication chambers, these are generally kept at a higher pressure than the surrounding spaces. To this end, pressurized air is injected into these chambers through orifices designed for this purpose. At the outlet of the chamber, an air/oil mixture is collected, the constituents of which are then separated by an oil separator-type device so that the oil can be sent to the ad hoc reservoir and the pressurization air can be vented to the outside.
In the prior art, the air for pressurizing the chambers is bled from downstream of a compressor stage, generally downstream of the low-pressure (LP) compressor. In existing engines, this pressure is sufficiently high to achieve the desired overpressure, without the air bled therefrom being at too high a temperature. In modern engines, where compression ratios in the compressors are ever higher, the temperature of the air leaving the LP compressor is relatively high. It follows that the temperature of the air entering the second chamber is too high, due to the heat energy imparted to it during its passage through the engine, this path taking it alongside the hot parts of the engine. It would then not be able to carry out its task of cooling the oil of the chamber, the temperature of which could then exceed 200° C. in certain working phases, which is not within acceptable limits.
One possible solution might be to bleed air further upstream than the exit from the LP compressor, but the pressure of the air bled would then not be high enough, especially at low engine speeds and when running on the ground, to adequately supply the chambers. There would then be the risk of inadequate air flow rate, or even of the air for cooling the chambers reversing its flow direction.
Another solution might be to fit an additional heat exchanger of the air/oil or air/fuel type and/or a return line for returning the fuel to the tank in order to increase the oil flow rate, and thus its cooling potential, at low engine speeds. However, such solutions are complicated to implement and give rise to additional weight.

System for pressuring the bearing chambers of turbine engines machines using air taken from the intake duct


A method of creating an annotation to an email. The method includes: receiving an email; receiving a predefined user input; creating an annotation in response to the predefined user input, the annotation linked to the email; receiving a further user input; and defining a permission for the annotation according to the further user input, the permission defining user access to the annotation. When transmitting a second email as a response to the received email, the second email is linked to the annotation. The method further includes displaying at least a part of the annotation linked to the received email, for example when a user hovers over the email. The structure of the annotations allows the associating of the annotation with one or more further annotations.

In the desktop computing environment, the use of email is ubiquitous. Almost every single computer user has at least one email address, which is accessed through an email client. The email client has a graphical user interface which shows received emails in an inbox. An individual inbox can receive lots of emails and, in this case, it is difficult for the individual to hold the status of each email in mind, especially when there is a high volume and there are other interruptions (such as in a busy office or at home); people returning to emails after a period of time away from them; or various people all using one shared inbox.
People can lose track of the status of certain emails and may have to seek ways of keeping a record of what they have done regarding particular emails, which may require writing down on a separate note, adding text to the email itself and then resending/saving, or orally updating others in a shared inbox, none of which are the most effective way to directly manage and easily keep a clear status of the email.
Currently, users of email clients can flag and categorize emails in the inbox as important, read/unread, or file them away. Alternative electronic methods of keeping track of work, which has already been done on a given email, include: maintaining a separate text file somewhere on the computer's file system, containing notes about progress made; and using separate annotation software to keep notes. However, all of these methods involve keeping notes outside of the email client, which makes it difficult to link different notes to different emails and deal with each individual email directly. The "follow up" feature in some email applications allows for an email to be returned to the user for future handling, with the facility to add one action only per email, and only one email per action is allowed. The format of the actions is restricted, so actions cannot be linked with other follow-up items or resources. There is no workflow management in the follow up feature beyond that of marking one email for one action with a date. The follow-up feature also can only be used to associate an action with an entire email, not with sections of the email text.

International Business Machines Corporation


There is provided in connection with a semiconductor memory, such as of the pseudostatic RAM, a layout of the circuit components thereof including a method of testing the memory. There is provided an oscillation circuit which is capable of withstanding bumping of the power source voltage (varying) which effects stabilization regarding the operation of the circuits included therewith including a refresh timer circuit. There is also provided for testing a refresh timer circuit and a semiconductor memory which includes a refresh timer circuit. There is further provided for an output buffer which is capable of high speed operation with respect to memory data readout, a voltage generating circuit which is capable of stable operation and a fuse circuit, such as provided in connection with redundant circuitry in the memory and which is characterized as having a configuration of a fuse logic gate circuit employing complementary channel MOSFETs together with a fuse. With respect to the semiconductor memory, such as the pseudostatic RAM, the initial count of the refresh timer counter circuit of the refresh timer circuit can be set at an optional value by applying a signal to an address input terminal, and a test mode can be effected in which the refresh period can be set at an optional value by accordingly applying a test control signal to a predetermined external terminal. Therefore, the discharge current of the oscillation circuit capacitor associated with the refresh timer circuit becomes stabilized, noting the particular layout arrangement regarding the polycrystalline silicon layer forming the resistor of the oscillation circuit, and the fact that same parasitic capacitances are effectively connected between the polycrystalline silicon resistor and the supply voltage of the circuit and between the polycrystalline silicon resistor and the ground potential of the circuit thereby cancelling any variation of the output of the power source. Therefore, variation of the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit attributable to the bumping of the power source can be effectively suppressed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory and, more specifically, to techniques particularly effectively applied to pseudostatic RAMs (random access memories).
2. Description of the Related Art
A known pseudostatic RAM is designed on the basis of a dynamic RAM which can be constructed in a large scale of integration, and has an interface compatibility with an ordinary static RAM. The pseudostatic RAM has, in addition to an ordinary read/write mode, an address refresh mode and an autorefresh mode in which a refreshing action is executed once in response to an external control action, and a self-refresh mode in which a self-controlled refreshing action is executed periodically, for example, while the pseudostatic RAM is backed up by a battery. The pseudostatic RAM is provided internally with a refresh counter for sequentially specifying word lines for refreshing action in the autorefresh mode and the self-refresh mode, and a refresh timer circuit for periodically starting the refreshing action in the self-refresh mode.
The pseudostatic RAM having the autorefresh and self-refresh modes is described, for example, in "Hitachi IC Memory Data Book", Hitachi, Ltd., pp. 229-234, March, 1987.
The mean current consumption of the memory arrays of the pseudostatic RAM or the like in the self-refresh mode increases approximately in proportion to the reciprocal of the refresh period, i.e., the number of refresh cycles in a unit time. The refresh period in the self-refresh mode is dependent on the intrinsic information holding ability of the memory cells and the stability of the refresh timer circuit for setting the refresh period. Such conditions are restrictions on the reduction of the power consumption of the pseudostatic RAM or the like in operation backed up by batteries.
Prior to the present invention, the inventors of the present invention intended to stabilize the refresh period of the pseudostatic RAM and to increase the refresh period as near to the intrinsic information holding ability of the memory cells as possible by constructing the refresh timer circuit of an oscillation circuit, which is less dependent on the supply voltage, and a refresh timer counter circuit which counts the pulses of a pulse signal provided by the oscillation circuit and generates a predetermined refresh start signal, and by selectively opening corresponding fuse means to set an optional initial count for the refresh timer counter circuit.
However, the operating current of the oscillation circuit is limited, and the oscillation circuit needs a capacitor having a comparatively long charging or discharging period, and a comparatively large resistance, hence a comparatively long polycrystalline silicon resistor must necessarily be formed on a semiconductor substrate. Accordingly, the discharge current varies or the bumping (varying) of the supply voltage cannot be absorbed rapidly due to a large substrate capacitance, which is parasitic to the semiconductor substrate and the polycrystalline silicon resistor causing the variation of the frequency of oscillation of the oscillation circuit, for example, when the supply voltage applied to the oscillation circuit bumps (varies) during the discharge period of the capacitor. Therefore, the frequency of oscillation of the oscillation circuit must have a margin in relation with the information holding ability of the memory cells.
Although the oscillation circuit and refresh timer counter circuit of the pseudostatic RAM is capable of selectively changing the refresh period of the pseudostatic RAM, there is no means for testing and confirming the oscillation characteristics and variation characteristics. Accordingly, the refresh period is set inevitably by a trial-and-error method unless data of those characteristics is available. This fact, similarly, requires the frequency to be set with a margin in relation with the information holding ability of the memory cells, restricts the reduction of the power consumption of the pseudostatic RAM and increases the amount of work required for testing the pseudostatic RAM.

Semiconductor memory, components and layout arrangements thereof, and method of testing the memory


There is disclosed a synthetic cross-linker protein capable of binding a molecule or macromolecular species to a transcytosis receptor for transport of the molecule or macromolecule species across a mucous membrane, said cross-linker protein comprising a first binding region capable of binding selectively to a site on the said molecule or macromolecular species to be transported and a second binding region capable of binding selectively to a site on said receptor, wherein the first binding region is the antigen-binding site of a first antibody molecule having specificity for an antigenic site on said molecule or macromolecular species to be transported and the second binding region is the antigen-binding site of a second antibody molecule which has specificity for an antigenic site on the said transcytosis receptor.

Epithelial cells are cells which line a cavity, or cover a surface and can form a selective barrier to the exchange of molecules between the lumen of an organ and an underlying tissue. In many types of epithelia, the extracytoplasmic leaflet of apposing cells is fused together by tight junctions, which preclude the paracellular diffusion of macromolecules.
The principal mechanism of transport of macromolecules across cells with tight junctions is via vesicular carriers, in a process which is known as transcytosis. Normally, the molecule that is to be transcytosed first binds to a receptor. The receptor-ligand complex then enters the cell by endocytosis to form a vesicle. Transcytotic vesicles are subsequently formed which are delivered to the opposite cell surface where they fuse with the plasma membrane and release their contents into secretions. Transcytosis may occur in either direction, from the apical to basolateral surface or from the basolateral to apical cell surface.
IgA is an immunoglobulin which is found in a wide variety of mucosal secretions, including gastrointestinal and respiratory secretions, and also bile. After formation, secretory IgA (sIgA) is taken up by an overlying epithelial cell, transported across the cell and released into external secretions where the IgA forms the first specific immunologic defence against infections. The receptor that transports the sIgA (and also the IgM) is known as the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR). In the normal route of secretion, sIgA interacts with the pIgR on the surface of epithelial cells. The antibody is internalised and transported through the cell within a vesicle to the apical surface. On release from the cell the pIgR is proteolytically cleaved, releasing a polypeptide known as the secretory component (SC) which remains attached to the antibody. The receptor is specific for polymeric immunoglobulins, such as IgA and IgM, but IgG will not interact with the receptor.
Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is a distinct immunoglobulin from IgA and IgM. IgG immunoglobulins have a molecular weight of about 160,000 and constitute over 85% of the immunoglobulins in the sera of most normal and hyperimmune individuals. The molecule consists of two heavy chains having a molecular weight each of about 50,000 and two light chains having a molecular weight each of about 25,000. The proteins of the IgG class may be differentiated into four sub-classes, IgG-1 to IgG-4, each of which has a distinct heavy chain. IgG preparations from human blood products are used in the clinical management of a wide variety of diseases, and is used in particular for patients with immunodeficiency. The IgG preparation is normally delivered intravenously, but also may be delivered intramuscularly or by subcutaneous injection. Whilst IgG preparations are effective in many circumstances, because IgG is not capable of being secreted across mucosal membranes, it is therefore less able to function as part of the first immunologic defence against infection, in, for instance, the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.

Transepithelial transport of molecular species


A visual locating device comprises an elongate, inherently buoyant, flexible sheet for floating on the surface of a body of water that has a longitudinal axis. At least three buoyant support struts are secured to the sheet and disposed across the longitudinal axis of the sheet such that the sheet is divided into a plurality of sections defined between respective pairs of struts. A light source is disposed on the sheet to provide nighttime visibility to the sheet. A pouch, which receives the sheet when stowed, is configured to release the sheet when immersed in water. The sheet is at least z-folded inside the pouch.

During recent years, airline/maritime travel and recreational activities over water have increased in record numbers, both commercially and privately, as well as in the military. A direct consequence of increased travel and recreational activities over large bodies of water, such as oceans and lakes, has been a proportional increase in the number of maritime accidents that often result in persons stranded on the grand expanse of the water surface. Very few of these people are successfully rescued due to the difficulty in locating their bodies on the open ocean in daylight hours, let alone at night in which most rescue efforts are called off. A similar situation exists for persons lost over land from travel or recreational activities. More specifically on the military application level, fighter pilots are commonly injured during ejection seat extraction episodes, but nevertheless need to provide a visual distress signal to be located and recovered.
Up until now there have been three major features lacking in the "state of the art" emergency locating devices for persons lost at sea: (1) a device which is automatically deployed and sustained for an indefinite time; (2) a device which can be located from great altitudes and distances during both daylight and nighttime hours; and (3) an inexpensive simple device which can be supplied to all overseas travelers, enthusiasts, and military personnel.
The present invention increases the likelihood of locating individual persons, life rafts, or boats afloat at sea in an inexpensive, continuous manner, during both day and nighttime hours, thus making the common traveler, worker, water enthusiast, or military personnel more relaxed when separated from land (or when in desolate land areas).

Water-activated and light-assisted visual locating device


An apparatus for diverting sheet material, in particular bank notes (BN), includes a diverting plate (4) with a first diverting edge (7) disposed on a slant and preferably a second diverting edge (8) disposed on a slant. The sheet material is guided and transported from the rear side (6) of the diverting plate (4) around the first diverting edge (7) to the front side (5) and further around the second diverting edge (8) back to the rear side (6). If the diverting edges (7, 8) are aligned relative to the transport direction (1, 2, 3) of the sheet material e.g. in each case at a slant angle of 45°, this apparatus permits the sheet-material transport direction to be diverted by 180°, whereby the transport path is shifted parallel. Thus, a continuous bank-note stream can be diverted uninterruptedly while retaining the sheet-material orientation relative to the transport direction. By means of a gate (12) the sheet material can be guided to a downstream diverting edge (13) instead of to the second diverting edge (8).

A. Field
This invention relates to an apparatus for diverting flat, rectangular sheet material, in particular sheet-shaped value documents such as bank notes, from a first sheet-material transport path with a first transport direction to a sheet-material transport path with a transport direction different from the first transport direction, in particular for changing the transport direction by 90° or by 180°. The invention relates further to an apparatus for processing sheet-shaped value documents, in particular bank notes, with such a diverting apparatus between a first and a further transport path with different transport directions.
B. Related Art
Diverting apparatuses in which sheet material is diverted e.g. by 90° or 180° are used for example in bank-note processing apparatuses. Conventional diverting apparatuses, however, are either unsuitable for diverting an uninterrupted bank-note stream in such a way at high throughput speed, or are at least comparatively troublesome with regard to space requirements and/or their structural layout.
US-2005/0029168 A1 discloses for example a multimodular bank-note processing apparatus in which the diverting apparatus according to the invention described hereinafter can also be used advantageously. Said bank-note processing apparatus is configured as a tabletop device and serves to single the bank notes of a bank-note stack inserted into an input pocket by an operator, to check the singled bank notes with regard to characteristic features by means of suitable measuring and analysis devices, to sort the checked bank notes according to the particular check result, and to stack them in a predetermined output pocket by means of a spiral slot stacker depending on the sorting result. The output pockets are disposed partly side by side and partly one above the other such that all output pockets are optimally reachable by the operator. The bank notes are transported fundamentally in transverse orientation within the modules.
A disadvantage of said bank-note processing apparatus is that a very voluminous transport path formed from guide plates and twisted transport belts is provided for rotating the bank notes so that they can be transported further in transverse orientation laterally to the adjacent modules. The bank notes are thereby first rotated by 90° around their transport axis by means of the twisted transport belts, then the bank notes are diverted by 90° around an axis perpendicular to the transport direction and transferred in this orientation to the adjacent module. There the bank notes are returned to their original orientation by being first diverted by 90° again and then rotated around the transport axis by 90° by means of the twisted transport belts again. This method for transferring the bank notes from one module to an adjacent module while retaining the sheet-material orientation relative to the transport direction is very troublesome with regard to space requirements and structural layout, but does permit at least an uninterrupted bank-note stream to be diverted at high throughput speed.
WO97/33823 discloses an apparatus for changing the transport direction of single sheets as could presumably be used in the bank-note processing apparatus known from US-2005/0029168 A1 for diverting the bank notes by 90° to the adjacent modules. Bank notes transported in transverse orientation would then be passed on after the 90° diversion in longitudinal orientation to the adjacent module and could be diverted there by 90° accordingly again, so that they could then be processed further in transverse orientation again. However, this apparatus has the disadvantage that the diverting area must first be cleared before the next following bank note can run into the diverting area in order to avoid a collision of the leading bank note with the following one. It is therefore not possible with this apparatus to divert an uninterrupted bank-note stream at high throughput speed.
DE 196 32 224 A1 also describes an apparatus for diverting sheet material. It is proposed therein to do without diverting rollers in the diverting area and instead extend transport belts of the feeding and removing transport paths beyond the diverting zone in each case such that the bank note is removed from the diverting zone by means of the transport belt of the removing transport path. By means of a lever and roller system the transport belt of the removing transport path is pressed against the removal plane of the diverting area whenever a bank note has been fed to the removal plane. To increase the throughput while avoiding the previously described risk of collision of consecutive bank notes, a special embodiment provides for feeding the consecutive bank notes alternatingly to a first or a second removal plane by means of a gate, so that the next following sheet can already be fed to the second removal plane before the preceding sheet has been completely removed from the first removal plane and passed on. This accordingly requires two removal systems, one for each removal plane. This does permit an uninterrupted bank-note stream to be diverted at high throughput speed. However, providing a plurality of removal systems requires high constructional effort.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to propose an apparatus for diverting sheet material, such as bank notes or other sheet-shaped value documents, between a first and a further sheet-material transport path with different transport directions that permits an uninterrupted bank-note stream at high throughput speed while involving relatively little constructional effort.


A signal constellation is optimized for trellis coded modulation in fast fading channels, where the receiver does not have perfect knowledge of the channel parameters. Specifically, the signal constellation is partitioned into 2n mutually exclusive subsets, each preferably defining two points. Points within each subset are separated from one another by a distance between conditional distributions, preferably a Kullback-Leibler (KL) distance. For a block m=k1+k2 of information bits input into a trellis coder 30, the k1 bits are trellis encoded into n bits (n>k1) and used to select a subset of the constellation. The k2 bit(s) is/are used to select a particular point within the subset. Because the inter-subset distance between points is a KL distance that is effectively greater than a Euclidean distance, error at the receiver is substantially reduced, especially at higher SNR. Using a KL distance ensures statistics of channel fading are inherent within the signal constellation.

Digital communications entail transmitting a bit sequence by modulating a carrier signal onto a carrier wave to assume discrete signal values, or constellation points. While increasing the number of available constellation points allows increased data rates over a given bandwidth, the increase necessarily increases error frequency at the decoder because adjacent constellation points are closer in proximity to one another as compared to a constellation with fewer points. Considering that the decoder uses a maximum likelihood or other probability algorithm to determine exactly which constellation point it has received, the increased error rate is inherent. Trellis coded modulation (TCM) is a coding technique wherein modulation and coding are combined in a manner that reduces error rate by restricting transitions between adjacent constellation points. TCM as referred to herein includes any system that combines a multilevel/phase modulation signaling set with a trellis-coding scheme, or any code system that uses memory (e.g., a convolutional code). A multilevel/phase modulation signaling set is represented by a constellation (other than binary) involving multiple amplitudes, multiple phases, or multiple combinations thereof. A planar example is shown at FIG. 1A, a 16-ary QAM signal constellation.
In an uncoded system, the minimum distance between adjacent constellation points is merely the Euclidean distance. A fundamental concept of TCM systems is that transitions between adjacent constellation points are not allowed. TCM systems allow transitions only between non-adjacent points, so that the minimum Euclidean distance between points in an allowed transition, termed the free Euclidean distance, is greater than the Euclidean distance between two nearest adjacent points. TCM systems can thus increase coding gain without increasing bandwidth, power, or error rate.
The prior art diagrams of FIGS. 1A–1D are instructive. A 16-ary QAM signal constellation 12 of FIG. 1A is divided into mutually exclusive subsets by a series of set partitions, preferably until each subset includes only two points. Assuming that adjacent points of FIG. 1A are separated by the distance d, a first set partition in FIG. 1B yields two subsets 14 and 16 wherein adjacent points are separated by a distance √{square root over (2d2)}. Transitions between the first subset 14 and the second subset 16 are not allowed, so the free Euclidean distance is increased with set partitioning as compared to the uncoded constellation of FIG. 1B. A second set partition is shown in FIG. 1C, wherein each of the subsets 14, 16 of FIG. 1B are divided into two mutually exclusive sets wherein the minimum free Euclidean distance between points is increased to 2d. A third set partition illustrated in FIG. 1D further divides the constellation points among eight subsets wherein the minimum free Euclidean distance between points is increased to √{square root over (8d2)}. Assuming d=1, partitioning into subsets with only two members each yields a free Euclidean distance of 2.828. It is this increase in distance between allowable transitions that enables TCM to increase coding gain (or reduce error rates) without increasing channel bandwidth or power.
Additionally, it is usually assumed that the receiver has perfect knowledge of the channel state for code and constellation design, especially for wireless systems. In a slowly fading channel, where the fading coefficients remain approximately constant for many symbol intervals, the transmitter can send training signals that allow the receiver to accurately estimate the fading coefficients. In this case, one can safely assume perfect channel state information at the receiver, and use codes and constellations that are designed with this assumption. This is termed a coherent communication system. In many practical scenarios, there are some errors in the channel estimates due to the finite length of the training sequence. To maintain a given data rate with errors in the channel estimates, shorter training sequences were required for more rapidly fading channels, resulting in even less reliable channel estimates. Having multiple transmit antennas compounds this problem by requiring longer training sequences for the same estimation performance. Therefore, the usual assumption of known channel parameters at the receiver in designing optimal codes/constellations is not always valid in practice. In the presence of channel estimation errors (partially coherent systems), codes and constellations that are designed using the statistics of the estimation error are more desirable than the ones designed for perfect channel state information at the receiver.

Coded modulation for partially coherent systems


A process for forming a patterned thin film structure on a substrate is disclosed. A pattern is printed with a material, such as a masking coating or an ink, on the substrate, the pattern being such that, in one embodiment, the desired thin film structures will be formed in the areas where the printed material is not present, i.e., a negative image of thin film structure to be formed is printed. In another embodiment, the pattern is printed with a material that is difficult to strip from the substrate, and the desired thin film structures will be formed in the areas where the printed material is present, i.e., a positive image of the thin film structure is printed. The thin film material is deposited on the patterned substrate, and the undesired area is stripped, leaving behind the patterned thin film structures.

A plastic display, such as an electrophoretic display, typically comprises two electrodes, at least one of which is patterned, and a display medium layer. Biasing voltages typically are applied selectively to the electrodes to control the state of the portion(s) of the display medium associated with the electrodes being biased. For example, a typical passive matrix electrophoretic display may comprise an array of electrophoretic cells arranged in rows and columns and sandwiched between a top and bottom electrode layer. The top electrode layer may comprise, for example, a series of transparent column electrodes positioned over the columns of electrophoretic cells and the bottom electrode layer may comprise a series of row electrodes positioned beneath the rows of electrophoretic cells. Several types of passive matrix electrophoretic displays are described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/322,635 entitled "An Improved Electrophoretic Display with Gating Electrodes," filed Sep. 12, 2001, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/313,146 entitled "An Improved Electrophoretic Display with Dual mode Switching," filed on Jul. 17, 2001, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/306,312 entitled "An Improved Electrophoretic Display with In-Plane Switching," filed on Aug. 17, 2001, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
One typical prior art approach to fabricating the patterned electrode layer(s) for such a plastic display typically involves the use of photolithographic techniques and chemical etching. Conductor films useful for plastic display applications may be formed by a process such as laminating, electroplating, sputtering, vacuum deposition, or combinations of more than one process for forming a conductor film onto a plastic substrate. Useful thin film conductors include metal conductors such as, for example, aluminum, copper, zinc, tin, molybdenum, nickel, chromium, silver, gold, iron, indium, thallium, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, rhodium, palladium, platinum and/or cobalt, etc., and metal oxide conductors such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and indium zinc oxide (IZO), as well as alloys or multilayer composite films derived from the aforementioned metals and/or metal oxides, e.g., aluminum zinc oxide, gadolinium indium oxide, tin oxide, or fluorine-doped indium oxide. Further, the thin film structures described herein may comprise either a single layer thin film or a multilayer thin film. ITO films are of particularly interest in many applications because of their high degree of transmission in the visible light region. Useful plastic substrates include epoxy resins, polyimide, polysulfone, polyarylether, polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene terenaphthalate (PEN), poly(cyclic olefin), and their composites. The conductor-on-plastics films are typically patterned by a photolithographic process which comprises several time consuming and high cost steps including (1) coating the conductor film with photoresist; (2) patterning the photoresist by image-wise exposing it through a photomask to, for example, ultraviolet light; (3) "developing" the patterned image by removing the photoresist from either the exposed or the unexposed areas, depending on the type of photoresist used, to uncover the conductor film in areas from which it is to be removed (i.e., areas where no electrode or other conductive structures is to be located); (4) using a chemical etching process to remove the conductor film from the areas from which the photoresist has been removed; and (5) stripping the remaining photoresist to uncover the electrodes and/or other patterned conductive structures.
For mass fabrication of a plastic display, such as an electrophoretic display, it may be advantageous to employ a continuous roll-to-roll process. However, the photolithographic approach described above is not well suited to such a roll-to-roll process, as certain of the processing steps, such as the image-wise exposure, are time consuming and require careful registration and alignment of the mask and the moving target area. In addition, development and stripping of photoresist and treatment of waste from the chemical etching process may be time consuming and expensive, in addition to potentially posing an environmental hazard.
Therefore, there is a need for a process for forming patterned conductive structures on a plastic substrate, for use in a plastic display such as an electrophoretic display, that does not require the use of photolithography or chemical etching and that is suitable for use in a continuous roll-to-roll process.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process for forming a patterned thin film structure on a substrate


A wired board comprises a plurality of bonding pads for connection to connecting terminals of an electronic part, and a plurality of external connection terminals for connection to connecting terminals of an external circuit board such as a motherboard. Each of the bonding pads has a metallized layer, and further has a Nixe2x80x94B-plated layer, a Nixe2x80x94P-plated layer and a Au-plated layer which are formed in this order on the metallized layer. The Au-plated layer has the thickness ranging from 1.2 to 3.5 xcexcm. Each of the external connection terminals has a metallized layer, and further has a Nixe2x80x94B-plated layer and a Au-plated layer which are formed in this order on the metallized layer of each of the external connection terminals. The Au-plated layer of each of the external connection terminals has the thickness ranging from 0.01 to 1 xcexcm. A method of producing the wired board is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wired board such as a base for an IC (integrated circuit) package for hermetically sealing an electronic part such as an IC chip, and more particularly to a wired ceramic board of the type for bonding thereto an electronic part by the wire bonding technique. The present invention further relates to a method of producing a wired ceramic board of the above described type.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wired ceramic board (hereinafter will be referred to as wired board) constituting an IC package base or the like includes a plurality of bonding pads for bonding thereto an electronic part and a plurality of external connection terminals for connection to an external circuit board such as a motherboard or printed circuit board. The bonding pads and the external connection terminals include metallized layers which are formed from a high melting point metal paste which is printed onto ceramic green sheets and sintered together with the laminated green sheets. Such metallized layers constituting the bonding pads and the external connection terminals are usually coated with a non-electrolytic Ni-plated layer and further with a non-electrolytic Au-plated layer for the purpose of preventing their oxidation. The non-electrolytic plating technique is used for the reason that the metallized layers in this kind of wired board are electrically independent or separated. This kind of wired board has a die-attach surface to which an electronic part is attached by the wire bonding technique. More specifically, by such a wire bonding technique, a number of connecting terminals (i.e., electrodes) of the electronic part and a number of bonding pads (i.e., electrodes) of the wired board are bonded to each other by means of wires (i.e., metallic thin wires made of gold or aluminum and sometimes called bonding wires). One method of connecting such a wired board having mounted thereon an electronic part to a motherboard or the like circuit board is a so-called PGA (Pin Grid Array) joint. In the PGA joint, a number of connecting terminals arranged in a grid-pattern on the rear surface of the wired board are connected with pins, respectively. The pins are inserted into sockets provided to the motherboard to be received thereby. Another is a so-called LGA (Land Grid Array) joint. In the LGA joint, a number of connecting terminals (hereinafter will be referred to as LGA pads) on the rear surface of the wired board are mechanically pressed against the respective connecting terminals of the motherboard by way of fixing devices such as clips.
A disadvantage of the PGA or LGA type wired board is that it requires sockets or the like fixing means and therefore a complicated joint structure, thus increasing the cost of its connection to the motherboard. Another disadvantage is that it is large in size and requires a relatively large wire length for its connection, so it is disadvantageous from the point of view of inductance.
In place of such PGA or LGA joint, it has been proposed to utilize a BGA (Ball Grid Array) solder joint for soldering the wired board to the motherboard even if the wired board is of the type for connecting thereto an electronic part by the wire bonding technique.
In this type of wired board, the bonding pads for connection to an electronic part by the wire bonding technique needs to have a relatively thick Au-plated layer for attaining a desired bonding or solder joint between the pads and the wires. However, if the bonding pads are Au-plated so as to have a sufficiently thick Au-plated layer together with the external connection terminals for connection to an external circuit board, there arises a problem in that a thick Au-plated layer on the external connection terminals is causative of a considerable amount of intermetallic compound at the time of soldering of the external connection terminals to the external circuit board such as a motherboard, thus lowering the strength of the solder joint and therefore the reliability of same. On the contrary, if the external connection terminals are Au-plated so as to have properly thin Au-plated layers together with the bonding pads, there arises a problem in that the bonding pads with such thin Au-plated layers cannot attain desired wire bonding.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved wired board of the type adapted for connection to an electronic part by wire bonding and for connection to an external circuit board such as a motherboard by soldering (BGA bonding), which can attain a highly reliable electrical connection by both of the wire bonding and the BGA bonding.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of producing a wired board of the foregoing character.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention provides a wired board which comprises a substrate, a plurality of bonding pads formed on the substrate for connection to connecting terminals of an electronic part, a plurality of external connection terminals formed on the substrate for connection to connecting terminals of an external circuit board. Each of the bonding pads has a metallized layer formed on the substrate, and further has a Nixe2x80x94B-plated layer, a Nixe2x80x94P-plated layer and a Au-plated layer which are formed in this order on the metallized layer. The Au-plated layer has the thickness ranging from 1.2 to 3.5 xcexcm. Each of the external connection terminals has a metallized layer formed on the substrate, and further has a Nixe2x80x94B-plated layer and a Au-plated layer which are formed in this order on the metallized layer of each of the external connection terminals. The Au-plated layer of each of the external connection terminals has the thickness ranging from 0.01 to 1 xcexcm.
The present invention further provides a method of producing a wired board having a substrate, a plurality of bonding pads formed on the substrate for connection to connecting terminals of an electronic part, and a plurality of external connection terminals formed on the substrate for connection to connecting terminals of an external circuit board, each of the bonding pads having a metallized layer formed on the substrate and each of the external connection terminals having a metallized layer formed on the substrate. The method comprises the steps of Nixe2x80x94B-plating the metallized layer of each of the bonding pads and the metallized layer of each of the external connection terminals so as to form Nixe2x80x94B-plated layers thereon, respectively, Au-plating the Nixe2x80x94B-plated layers so as to form thereon Au-plated layers of the thickness ranging from 0.01 to 1 xcexcm, masking, after the step of the Au-plating, the external connection terminals so as to protect the external connection terminals from plating, removing the Au-plated layer formed on the Nixe2x80x94B-plated layer of each of the bonding pads, Nixe2x80x94P-plating the Nixe2x80x94B-plated layer of each of the bonding pads so as to form thereon a Nixe2x80x94P-plated layer, and Au-plating the Nixe2x80x94P-plated layer of each of the bonding pads so as to form thereon a Au-plated layer having the thickness ranging from 1.2 to 3.5 xcexcm.

Wired board and method of producing the same


Molded plastic yo-yo halves are connectible to each other by an axial having threaded ends that are adapted to threadably engage threaded inserts press fitted into a specially designed socket. The inserts are polygonal as are the sockets with the insertion end of the socket being provided with a shallow registration socket adapted to orient the threaded insert with respect to the socket. The yo-yo halves are molded separately and the inserts are press fitted into the sockets into a subsequent operation, resulting in manufacturing efficiencies as well as a strong properly aligned yo-yo construction.

This invention relates to improvements in yo-yos and methods for their manufacture.
This invention relates to yo-yos, including, but not limited to high performance yo-yos as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,547 entitled Superior Performance Yo-Yo. Such high performance yo-yos are adapted to spin or xe2x80x9csleepxe2x80x9d for extended periods of time, to permit lengthy and extended tricks to be performed before the yo-yo is wound up on its string.
Although the yo-yo construction described in my ""547 patent achieves its intended objects, it would be desirable to make further improvements in its construction as well as to achieve further assembly and manufacturing efficiencies. The yo-yo is formed from a pair of injection molded plastic yo-yo halves in a conventional insert molding process in which a HeliCoil internally threaded insert, to which the yo-yo axle will attach, is placed in the mold. The mold then is closed and the plastic is injected into the mold to form the yo-yo half with the threaded insert embedded within the yo-yo half. Such conventional insert molding techniques include the use of core pins within the mold on which the inserts can be placed so that they will be located properly and in registry within the mold during the injection process. The inserts are selected from materials that are softer than those of the mold to avoid the possibility of the mold becoming damaged should an insert be improperly loaded or misaligned and the mold closed under such circumstances. Yo-yos that have been manufactured incorporating the invention described in my ""547 patent are commercially available from Yomega Corporation typically have used relatively soft inserts such as those formed from brass. Another inefficient result of making such yo-yos with conventional insert molding techniques is that in the event that a molded plastic yo-yo half is not properly formed it cannot, as a practical matter, be recycled and remolded because of presence of the embedded brass insert. The rejected yo-yo half must be discarded together with the insert. Even with a moderate rejection rate, when such yo-yos are manufactured in very large quantities, the aggregate cost of the lost plastic and insert can become a significant cost factor.
Also among the difficulties that may be encountered with the prior yo-yos is that where the threaded inserts are relatively soft as compared to the steel from which the axle of the yo-yo is formed, there may be some tendency for the threads between the axle and the insert to become stripped should the yo-yo be overtightened by the user. Should the threads become stripped, the yo-yo is no longer usable.
The yo-yo construction described in my ""547 patent, made with insert molding techniques, typically requires that the mold be operated manually by an operator. The inserts are loaded manually onto the core pins. The mold then is closed and locked. The injection step then is performed and monitored. The mold then is opened to remove the molded products, at which time the process is repeated. The procedure necessarily is subject to human error and, also necessarily results in substantial unused mold time when the mold is opened, re-loaded with inserts and closed during the insert loading process.
It would be desirable to provide a yo-yo construction and technique for its manufacture that avoids the above difficulties.
In the present invention, the yo-yo halves are molded without placing inserts in a mold cavity. The use of insert molding is made unnecessary. Consequently, the yo-yo halves can be made on continuous automated injection molding machinery with substantial higher production capability and operator efficiency than with insert molding. The yo-yo halves are molded to include a socket aligned with the central axis of the yo-yo half. The socket is open at a face of the yo-yo half, defining an insertion end, and is polygonal in cross section. The socket is relatively deep and is adapted to receive, in an interference fit, a similarly shaped threaded insert, by press fitting the insert into the socket. The socket is formed with a shallow registration socket adjacent its insertion end that is slightly larger in cross-section than the socket but having a shape to facilitate orientation and alignment of the nut with the polygonal socket. With the nut being properly aligned with the socket, the nut then can be press fitted into the socket. The polygonal configuration of the socket and nut assure that the nut cannot become loosened within the plastic. Additionally, by attaching the nut to the yo-yo half in a separate procedure, after the yo-yo half has been molded, the nut can be formed from the same material as the yo-yo axle, e.g., steel, so that there is less risk of the connecting threads being stripped.
It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved yo-yo construction that avoids the limitations of insert molding techniques; to provide a yo-yo construction in which the axle of the yo-yo is threaded into an insert in each of the yo-yo halves where the inserts are formed from the same or like materials, and to provide an improved process for manufacturing such yo-yos.