In an analog buffer and a method for driving the same, by providing a pair of switches at a last comparing unit, a voltage level of an output signal is precharged as high as a source voltage level during a first offset period in an Nth initializing period, the voltage level of the output signal is discharged as high as a voltage level of a desired data signal during a discharging period in an Nth signal-applied period, then, the discharged voltage of the output signal, which overshoots a desired data voltage is compensated during a second offset period in the Nth signal-applied period to thereby output an accurate data voltage. In addition, by providing the pair of switches at the last comparing unit, a voltage level of an output signal is discharged to a ground potential during a first offset period in an N+1th initializing period, the voltage level of the output signal is charged as high as a voltage level of the desired data signal during a charging period of an N+1th signal-applied period, then the charged voltage of the output signal, which overshoots a desired data voltage, is compensated during a second offset period to thereby output an accurate data voltage. Accordingly, by the analog buffer and the method for driving the same, a flat panel display device driven by an inversion method can correctly implement a desired color, and thus its image quality can be improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analog buffer and a method for driving the same, and more particularly, to an analog buffer and a method for driving the same capable of reducing power consumption and reliably supplying an output voltage in driving a signal line of a flat panel display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, thin film type flat panel display devices with screens displaying image information have been actively developed in recent years because they are light weight and can be easily used anywhere. Particularly, research into liquid crystal display (LCD) devices is actively ongoing because of their high resolution and a fast reaction speed in order to implement a dynamic image.
By artificially controlling an alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules having a directional characteristic to affect polarization, the liquid crystal display device can transmit or block light by optical anisotropy according to the alignment direction of a liquid crystal. By using this property, the liquid crystal display device may be used as a flat panel display device. Active matrix LCDs with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix display image information that is selectively provided to each pixel through a switching element such as a thin film transistor (TFT) provided at each pixel. Active matrix LCDs are being used most generally because they provide excellent image quality.
A substrate used for the liquid crystal display device is made of a transparent material which transmits light, such as a glass material which is low cost and easily processed.
If the transistor is made of a polycrystalline silicon material having high electron mobility, it has a fast switching speed, and it can be designed to be small. However, because polycrystalline silicon is typically formed using a high temperature process, it cannot be formed on a glass substrate of the liquid crystal display device.
In this, the thin film transistor applied on the glass substrate of the liquid crystal display device is made of an amorphous silicon material.
A driving unit of the liquid crystal display device is formed of a plurality of integrated circuits (IC) having fast switching speeds and small-sized transistors integrated at a high density because many switching elements are required in order to process a digital signal.
Accordingly, the transistors used in the driving unit of the liquid crystal display device should be made of a polycrystalline silicon material formed by a high temperature process.
As mentioned above, the thin film transistor applied to the substrate of the liquid crystal display device is made of an amorphous silicon material by a low temperature process, and the transistor applied to the driving unit of the liquid crystal display device is made of a polycrystalline silicon material formed by a high temperature process.
Accordingly, the driving unit of the liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of integrated circuits which are individually fabricated on a separate single crystal silicon substrate and a tape carrier package (TCP) on which the integrated circuits are mounted, and the driving unit is connected to a substrate of a liquid crystal display device by a tape automated bonding (TAB) method. Alternatively, the driving unit includes a plurality of integrated circuits which are individually fabricated on a separate single crystal silicon substrate and is mounted on the substrate of the liquid crystal display device by a chip-on-glass (COG) method to be coupled to the substrate.
However, in case where the driving unit of the liquid crystal display device is coupled to the substrate by the TAB method or the chip-on-glass method, the miniaturization and the simplification of the liquid crystal display device is limited because the space occupied by the driving unit of the liquid crystal display device is required. As lines for transmitting driving signals are increased in number and length, various noise, electromagnetic interference (EMI) or the like are generated, thereby degrading the reliability and increasing the fabrication cost of the liquid crystal display device.
Therefore, research into forming the polycrystalline silicon by a low temperature process have been recently developed so that it has become possible to make a thin film transistor fabricated on a substrate of the liquid crystal display device by using a polycrystalline silicon material. Accordingly, a driving circuit-integrated liquid crystal display device in which the driving unit is formed on a substrate of the liquid crystal display device has been proposed.
FIG. 1 is an exemplary view showing a schematic structure of the driving circuit-integrated liquid crystal display device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel 10 in which gate lines located at regular intervals and arranged horizontally and data lines 30 located at regular intervals and arranged vertically cross, and pixels 40 are formed in a square area formed as the gate lines 20 and the data lines 30 cross; a gate driving unit 50 mounted on the liquid crystal display panel 10, for applying a scan signal to the gate lines 20; and a data driving unit 60 mounted on the liquid crystal display panel 10, for applying a data signal to the data lines 30.
A pixel electrode and a thin film transistor are provided at each pixel 40. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode connected to the gate line 20; a source electrode connected to the data line 30; and a drain electrode connected to the pixel electrode.
A gate pad part and a data pad part are formed at one end of gate lines 20 and data lines 30.
The gate driving unit 50 sequentially applies a scan signal to the gate lines 20 through the gate pad part, and the data driving unit 60 applies a data signal to the data lines 30 through the data pad part, so that pixels 40 of the liquid crystal display panel 10 are individually driven, and thus a desired image is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 10.
The gate driving unit 50 and the data driving unit 60 mounted at the liquid crystal display panel 10 are simultaneously fabricated in a process for fabricating a thin film transistor array substrate of the liquid crystal display panel 10.
As liquid crystal display devices are developed with high resolution and large size, the data lines and the gate lines increase in number and length, thereby increasing a load on the driving circuit. The same is true with respect to the number of data signals which are processed in order to drive the liquid crystal display device. Therefore, the driving unit of the liquid crystal display device has to be driven at a faster speed. However, due to the increased load on the data lines and the gate lines, a desired signal cannot be applied within a short period of time.
Accordingly, large-sized and high resolution liquid crystal display devices necessarily require an analog buffer which can apply a desired signal within a short period of time, corresponding to the load of the data lines and the gate lines.
In general, because transistors with a single crystal silicon material have fine electrical property differences, an operational amplifier is designed and so can be applied as the analog buffer. On the contrary, because transistors with a polycrystalline silicon material have great electrical property differences, an operational amplifier designed with the polycrystalline silicon transistors has a great offset voltage and consumes a large amount of power due to a static current. For this reason, it is difficult to apply the operation amplifier of the polycrystalline silicon material as the analog buffer.
Accordingly, the driving circuit-integrated liquid crystal display device requires an analog buffer that is insensitive to electrical property differences of the transistors made of polycrystalline silicon material, has a simple structure so as to reduce an area occupied thereby and consumes a small amount of power.
The conventional analog buffer as mentioned above will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary view showing a conventional analog buffer. The analog buffer includes a comparing unit (COMP1) for calibrating a voltage change of an output signal (OUT_SIG) applied to a data line upon receiving an analog signal (ANALOG_SIG) through a first switch (SW1) and a first capacitor (C1); a second switch (SW2) connected between an input terminal and an output terminal of the comparing unit (COMP1); and a third switch (SW3) connected to the output terminal of the comparing unit (COMP1) and between the first switch (SW1) and the first capacitor (C1).
The first switch (SW1) and the second switch (SW2) are simultaneously turned on and off by a first control signal (CS1), and the third switch (SW3) is turned on and off by a second control signal.
FIG. 3 is a wave form view of an analog buffer illustrated in FIG. 2, and a drive of the conventional analog buffer will now be described in detail with reference thereto.
First, during an initializing period the first control signal (CS1) is applied with a high potential, the first switch (SW1) is turned on so that an analog signal (ANALOG_SIG) is charged at a first capacitor (C1), and the second (SW2) is also turned on so that an input terminal and an output terminal of the comparing unit (COMP1) are initialized. At this time, because the second control signal (CS2) is at a low potential, the third switch (SW3) is turned off.
Accordingly, a voltage (Vana−Vth) obtained by subtracting a threshold voltage (Vth) of the comparing unit (COMP1) from a voltage value (Vana) of the analog signal (ANALOG_SIG) is charged at the first capacitor (C1) during the initializing period.
The third switch (SW3) is turned on when the second control signal (CS2) is set to a high potential, so that a voltage (Vana) of the analog signal (ANALOG_SIG) is applied to a data line (D1) as an output signal (OUT_SIG) through the turned-on third switch (SW3). At this time, because the first control signal (CS1) is set to a low potential, the first switch (SW1) and the second switch (SW2) are turned off.
In order to calibrate an error due to electrical property differences of transistors in the comparing unit (COMP1), during the initializing period, the conventional analog buffer driven as above stores an offset voltage at the first capacitor (C1) and simultaneously initializes the input terminal and the output terminal of the comparing unit (COMP1).
A voltage value (Vana) of the analog signal (ANALOG_SIG) is applied to a data line (D1) as an output signal (OUT_SIG) through the turned-on third switch (SW3) during the signal-applied period.
When a voltage of an output signal (OUT_SIG) applied to the data line (D1) is changed, the comparing unit (COMP1) changes a voltage of the input terminal to pull up or pull down a voltage value (Vana) of the analog signal (ANALOG_SIG), together with the first capacitor (C1).
That is, when a voltage of an output signal (OUT_SIG) applied to the data line (D1) is raised, a voltage of the input terminal of the comparing unit (COMP1) is dropped, and the comparing unit (COMP1) pulls down a voltage value (Vana) of the analog signal (ANALOG_SIG), together with the first capacitor (C1). On the contrary, when a voltage of the output signal (OUT_SIG) applied to the data line (D1) is dropped, a voltage of the input terminal of the comparing unit (COMP1) is raised, and the comparing unit (COMP1) pulls up a voltage value (Vana) of the analog signal (ANALOG_SIG) together with the first capacitor (C1).
The voltage value (Vana) of the analog signal (ANALOG_SIG) pulled up or down as above is applied to the data line (D1) as an output signal (OUT_SIG) through the third switch (SW3). Thus, a voltage change of the output signal (OUT_SIG) is calibrated, and the calibrated voltage is applied to the data line (D1).
However, because the conventional analog buffer above is driven in a state that an offset voltage is applied to the input terminal of the comparing unit (COMP1), a leakage current flows from the comparing unit (COMP1). In the case of a high resolution, large-sized liquid crystal display device, in which a load of a data line (D1) connected to an output terminal of the comparing unit (COMP1) is large, the comparing unit (COMP1) has to be designed to be big, thereby increasing a leakage current and thus increasing power consumption.
In addition, by controlling the voltage at an input terminal of the comparing unit (COMP1) according to a voltage change of the output signal (OUT_SIG) applied to the data line (D1) and applying the voltage as an output signal (OUT_SIG), a voltage change of the output signal (OUT_SIG) is calibrated. Accordingly, an output signal, the voltage change of which has been calibrated, may overshoot a voltage value of the data signal, and thus a desired color image may not be displayed on a flat panel display device.

Analog buffer and method for driving the same


A measuring system is disclosed for monitoring at least one phase of a system. A measuring module includes a signal acquisition module and a signal further processing module. The signal acquisition module is formed by an ASIC. A printed circuit board includes a voltage sensor and the signal acquisition module includes current sensors and a voltage sensor connection connected to the voltage sensor in an electrically conductive manner, for each phase to be monitored. The signal further processing module is connected to the signal acquisition module and can evaluate current and voltage values which have been determined. The signal further processing module includes, output devices which can be used to output serial data and digital signals for control purposes.

Increasing environmental awareness has led to demands to avoid wasting energy in industrial installations and also, in particular, to use electrical energy efficiently. The "energy management" necessary for this purpose requires as its input variable the detailed monitoring of how energy is distributed within the installation. The flows of energy to the individual loads are of particular interest in this case. Energy is usually fed to the individual loads over a single lead (one phase) or three leads (three phases) depending on whether the load is a single-phase or three-phase one.
Three-phase motors are the principal energy converters in machine installations having turning parts. Said three-phase motors are supplied with energy via control and protective gear usually over spur lines. The three-phase motor connected to the control and protective gear is moreover controlled and monitored by it. The term used for the combination of control and protective gear is "load feeder". Fuseless load feeders are for example device combinations consisting of a contactor for operational switching and a power circuit-breaker for overload and short-circuit protection.
A three-phase motor is usually supplied with electrical energy over three leads (phases). The leads (phases) are routed to the installation via the load feeder so that the desired control and monitoring of the installation can be performed by the load feeder.
In particular the following factors are of significance for optimizing the consumption values of an installation (e.g. a three-phase motor):                transparent measuring of the energy distribution (effective power, apparent power, reactive power) in the installation,        providing information about the respective load status of the individual load feeders,        initiating control measures (on a central/decentralized basis) for optimizing load feeder efficiency so that the energy efficiency of the installation will be increased.
Where the control measures are concerned a distinction must be made between (as a rule time-critical, decentralized) efficiency-optimizing closed-loop control processes in the individual feeder (torque control, for example) and energy management control processes conducted centrally by a higher-level control system, for example disconnecting and connecting individual load feeders as a function of the capacity utilization level.
However, fast acquisition of the respective load status in the individual load feeders is the foremost prerequisite for effective energy management.
The phase angle between current and voltage (Cos Phi/cos φ) has proved to be the best characteristic variable for the load status of a motor-driven load feeder. However, since said characteristic variable does not produce clear results across all operating ranges of a motor the respectively associated operating current must be additionally assessed at the same time.
Load feeders are furthermore expected to check the operating condition of the connected installation (condition monitoring) by monitoring how the electric characteristic variables change over time. A distinction has to be made here between long-term changes in behavior (due to wear and tear, for example) and short-term changes in behavior (for example dry-running of pumps, fan belt disengagement in transmission systems, airflow blocking in ventilators). Long-term changes in behavior can be detected using trend analyses (of current consumption, for example). The detection of short-term changes in behavior by contrast requires fast evaluation of measured values. Monitoring the cos φ in conjunction with assessment of the associated operating current has proved to be a useful characteristic variable for detecting short-term changes in behavior also in checking the operating condition (in condition monitoring).
Load feeders also have to be protected against overloading and short-circuits. Overload protection can be ensured by way of electronically simulating motor heating (motor model) using the time characteristic curve of the motor current. What, conversely, is required for the one "electronic" short-circuit protection is extremely fast threshold monitoring of the motor current (required reaction time=10 μs).
For acquisition and evaluation of the necessary measured values needed within the process of optimizing the consumption values of an installation, checking the operating condition, and protecting against overload and short-circuits, what have hitherto been required in a load feeder, particularly a three-phase load feeder, are expensive electronic circuits (analog technology+digital technology) consisting of a multiplicity of components.

Measuring system for monitoring at least one phase of a system


A zone-based behavior service is supported by a small area wireless transmitter to communicate behaviors, encoded as attribute-value pairs, to wireless devices within the service area of the small area transmitter. In response to entering the service area and discovering the zone-based behavior service, operation of a wireless communications device is automatically customized to conform to the specified behaviors according to corresponding user preferences. For example, audible ring tones are automatically disabled when proscribed by the zone-based behavior service and such proscription is accepted by the user in previously defined attribute options, but automatic re-routing of incoming calls suggested by the behavior service may be rejected by the user or require manual acceptance from the user. Upon leaving the service area of the small area transmitter, the wireless communications device automatically restores prior operational parameters.

Use of wireless communications devices such as mobile phones and wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs) has become prevalent for both business and personal purposes. However, operation of such wireless devices is restricted in some environments, either by official policy or by social convention. Use of wireless communications devices on aircraft during flight, for example, is prohibited by federal regulation. In addition, most courtrooms and other official government offices or hearing chambers require wireless communications devices to be turned off or set to an "inaudible" mode in which no audible ring tones or the like are generated by the wireless communications devices.
Even in situations when operation of wireless communications devices is not formally or officially proscribed or regulated, users or enterprises may wish to automatically customize or control operation of wireless communications devices in selected environments. Within a conference room, for instance, a user or enterprise may wish to automatically set all wireless communications devices to inaudible mode (including a silent "vibrate" mode, if available), and/or route all incoming calls or messages to voicemail or other temporary storage. As another example, a user may wish the wireless communications device to automatically switch to a "handsfree" mode when the user enters the user's automobile.
In other situations, security within a building may wish to transmit a material pass number to a wireless device when the user enters the building, to verify that the wireless communications device should be permitted to leave the building later. Alternatively, the user may wish to automatically obtain useful information when entering a building, such as a building map, schedule of events, public printer queue names, and the like, which may be automatically downloaded to the wireless communications device for ready access.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for automatic customization of the operation of wireless communications devices within small size geographic regions.

Method and apparatus for optional automatic configuration of wireless communications device behavior within small area transmitter service regions


An elevator door mechanism that has a rotating shaft, a reversible driving means to turn the shaft, a linear drive actuator riding on and moving along the shaft, a resilient isolated pillow block mounted on spacers at each end of the shaft to dampen the noise of operation, two elevator doors attached to the linear drive actuator, and a switching means attached adjacent to one end of the rotating shaft to indicate the doors are closed and a switching means attached adjacent to the other end of the rotating shaft to indicate the doors are open, wherein the actuator is attached to the shaft with pitched bearings and the closing force of the linear actuator is controlled by pressure springs on the linear actuator.

Most of the elevators installed for handicapped accessibility in private residences have swing doors and a collapsible gate on the elevator cab. Some handicapped accessibility elevators have a power operated swing door at each floor, that is a standard passage door that is swung outward to permit access to the elevator. The problem with automatic swing doors is that a handicapped individual who is entering the elevator in a wheel chair has to position himself far enough away from the door to permit it to swing to its fully open position.
Another problem with the power activated swing door is that once it is open, the passenger still has to manually open the horizontally sliding collapsible gate of the elevator cab to gain entrance. The present invention will permit the automatic opening of the car and the hall doors the full width of the elevator cab by activation of a door open button that is adjacent to each landing entrance.
The commercial passenger elevator has horizontal sliding doors in the car and the hall. The commercial door operators, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,484, require a DC motor that through a series of pulleys and arm linkage are attached to the elevator cab doors to open and close horizontally. This device is not practical on private residence installations, because a sophisticated electrical control is required to operate the direct current motor and the complicated mechanical drive mechanism is too large to be installed on a 3 foot (91.44 cm) by 4 foot (121.92 cm) handicapped residential elevator. The present invention utilizes normal private residence 120 V AC single phase power to operate the doors horizontally.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,678 discloses a linear drive actuator that is designed to apply a variable pressure by use of a spring carriage mounted to the actuator block. The spring carriage passes over a system of cams that are used to vary the pressure of the linear drive rollers as they rotate on the shaft. This reference fails to disclose the mechanism of the present invention, which sets the linear actuator for constant pressure along the full travel of the shaft with pitched bearings and adjusts the pressure springs on the linear actuator to provide a kinetic energy of the moving doors of under 2.5 ft-lbs (3.39 newton-meters). This kinetic energy setting is a requirement of Rule 112.4 and 112.5 of the American National Standards Safety Codes for Elevators and Escalators, ANSI A17.1, 1990 edition.
Neither of the above references discloses the conveniently activated and accessible elevator door mechanism of the present invention.


A semiconductor device including a plurality of power modules each of which includes a power semiconductor switching element that has a temperature detection diode, and a drive circuit that has an output circuit for switching on and off the power semiconductor switching element, and that outputs a warning signal for calling attention if the value of the forward voltage of the temperature detection diode becomes equal to or smaller than a first reference voltage value, and that outputs a protection operation signal for stopping the on/off operation of the power semiconductor switching element if the value of the forward voltage becomes equal to or smaller than a second reference voltage value smaller than the first reference voltage value. The semiconductor device outputs the logical sum of the warning signals of the individual power modules as an external warning signal.

In general, devices which operate using power semiconductor switching elements such as IGBTs have an overheat protection function. This function is a function of detecting the temperature of a power semiconductor switching element and performing a protection operation such as outputting an alarm or stopping the operation of the device when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature.
In the related art, technologies for collectively detecting the temperatures of a plurality of power semiconductor switching elements have been proposed. For example, a semiconductor module including a three-phase bridge circuit, disclosed in JP2000-134074A, amplifies voltages output from temperature detection diodes provided on individual semiconductor elements (IGBT) by analog isolated amplifiers and uses the amplified voltages as temperature information items. Further, the semiconductor module selects the temperature information item of an element having the highest temperature from the temperature information items of the individual semiconductor elements, and performs a protection operation when the corresponding temperature information item is equal to or higher than a threshold.
However, since the output voltages of the temperature detection diodes and the temperatures vary, it is not always true that the method of comparing values obtained by amplifying the output voltages of temperature detection diodes as disclosed in JP2000-134074A can precisely select an IGBT having the highest temperature. Further, there is a possibility that a deviation may occur between the actual temperature of the selected IGBT and a temperature estimated on the basis of the output voltage value of the temperature detection diode.


An injection molding apparatus has a die having a fixed mold and a moveable mold disposed to face with each other. A frame structure is detachably provided on the outer surfaces of the fixed mold and the moveable mold, that is, opposite to the surface of the cavity defined by the fixed mold and the moveable mold. Each frame that constitutes the frame structure has a shape that can be combined together. One of frames provided on the fixed mold or the moveable mold is fixed thereto in a die clamping direction or a direction perpendicular thereto. The frame is fixed to the fixed mold of the die, leaving a predetermined gap in the direction perpendicular to that for fixing the frame structure to the die. The pressurizing mechanism that applies a pressing force in the direction other than for fixing the frame structure to the die. The hydraulic control mechanism is employed as the pressurizing mechanism.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an injection molding technique for injecting a resin material into a cavity to form an injection molded product. More particularly, the invention relates to a technique that pressurizes a die so as to restrain generation of burr in the molded product formed through the injection molding method.
2. Description of Related Art
A generally employed injection molding apparatus is provided with a clamp mechanism including a hydraulic stuffer or a toggle mechanism for the purpose of maintaining the resin pressure within the cavity constant and restraining deformation of the die. The clamp mechanism serves to clamp a fixed mold and a moveable mold.
There is a known mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-B-6-67582, which pressurizes a die in the direction perpendicular to a die clamping direction in conjunction with a die clamp mechanism so as to restrain deformation of the die caused under the resin pressure without requiring enhancement of rigidity of the die and forming a molded product with high accuracy through an injection molding method at a low cost.
There is also a known apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-B-6-28886, which employs a hydraulic cylinder as the mechanism that pressurizes a die in the direction perpendicular to a die clamping direction.
The generally employed mechanism that pressurizes the die in the direction perpendicular to the die clamping direction requires a pressing unit to be provided for the injection molding apparatus, resulting in increase in both the cost and the system size. The aforementioned mechanism fails to completely prevent generation of burr in the injection molded product.
The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-B-6-67582 cannot be realized by a simple structure, and it is difficult to control the pressing force applied to the die in the direction perpendicular to the die clamping direction in accordance with the resin pressure.
The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-B-6-28886 may increase the size of the system and elongate the time required for the molding method. Accordingly the control of the injection molding apparatus becomes complicated.

Injection molding apparatus and injection molding method


A monitor-driven intracranial catheter assembly including dual lumen catheter for monitoring intracranial pressure via a pressure sensor located in one lumen while simultaneously draining cerebrospinal fluid through another lumen. A third lumen can also be provided with a side port for receiving a stylet. The stylet is used as a stiffening agent to aid in advancing the catheter into the patient's brain. The pressure sensor is preferably a spectral modulation sensor that communicates with a photodetector apparatus by means of a single optical fiber, thus minimizing the diameter of the catheter. The photodetector is self-correcting for signal errors caused by temperature change, changes in intensity of the input light, and transmission losses within the optical apparatus. Moreover, the photodetector operates off the output voltage of the standard hospital monitor by “scaling” the signal from the monitor to provide a pressure measurement signal that emulates the output of a piezoresistive strain gauge sensor or Wheatstone bridge. Therefore, the entire catheter assembly is designed to be used with any of the common types of hospital monitors. The pressure monitoring catheter assembly can be used in any situation requiring very sensitive pressure measurements and can be zeroed and calibrated in situ.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intracranial catheter that is insertable by a scalp tunnel insertion technique and a related catheter assembly for monitoring fluid pressure while simultaneously removing a part of the fluid or infusing thereinto a second fluid. More particularly, the invention relates to a monitor-driven intracranial catheter assembly including a dual lumen catheter having an in situ pressure monitoring device at the distal tip for continuously monitoring intracranial pressure via one lumen while optionally conducting simultaneous drainage or sampling of cerebrospinal fluid through the other lumen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The skull is a bony housing of fixed volume containing three types of matter—blood, brain and cerebrospinal fluid—each of which occupies a portion of that volume. If the portion of the volume of one of the three increases without a concomitant fall in the portions of the other two, the intracranial pressure increases. Because the brain has a limited capacity to adapt to increases in intracranial volume, once the limit has been met, small increases in volume cause significant increases in intracranial pressure.
Maintaining cerebral blood flow to provide adequate oxygen and glucose to the brain is critical. However, an increase in the volume of the brain or of cerebral spinal fluid as the result of trauma, and the like, correspondingly constricts the flow of blood and can stop it completely if the increase in fluid is large enough to herniate the brain at the base of the skull. In such cases, death results.
Because it is not practical to monitor cerebral blood flow at the bedside, an algorithm based upon the relationship between mean arterial pressure, intracranial pressure and the cerebral perfusion pressure is used to calculate blood flow in the brain (CPP=MAP−ICP). Thus, a satisfactory means for monitoring intracranial pressure by placement of a pressure transducer into the intraventricular, subarachnoid or intraparentchymal spaces is of utmost importance to the management of head injury cases and has long been sought.
Assemblies for monitoring pressure at various locations within the body are known. The earliest pressure monitoring devices utilize a pressure sensitive diaphragm in contact with a column of sterile fluid contained within a catheter inserted into the blood vessel, the brain, or other area containing a fluid pressure of interest.
Pressure exerted by the fluid, for instance the cerebrospinal or cephalorachitic liquid, is transmitted through the fluid column within the catheter to an external pressure transducer that transforms the pressure signal into an analog or digital form suitable for readout on a monitoring device, such as that commonly used to monitor blood pressure. However, pressure monitoring devices that utilize a column of fluid are easily contaminated with bacteria or air bubbles. Air bubbles in the line distort the pressure readings and bacterial contamination of the fluid may inadvertently expose the patient to sepsis.
The fluid coupled systems used to monitor intracranial pressure access the compartments of the brain by means of a ventricular catheter or bolts placed through the skull. Since the pressures to be monitored are relatively low (0-50 mm Hg), the hydrostatic effects of the fluid column can compromise the readings. Additionally, the fluid column can affect the frequency response of the system.
To eliminate the risks and disadvantages inherent in catheters employing a fluid column for transmitting the pressure reading, improved pressure monitoring devices have been developed that couple the pressure sensitive diaphragm located at the distal end of the catheter with an electrical or optical means for generating a pressure signal and transmitting it to the proximal end of the catheter, and thence to the pressure transducer and monitor. The electrical pressure monitoring diaphragms are typically fitted with a miniaturized Wheatstone bridge strain gauge comprising a series of resistors whose resistance is modified in proportion to the distance from the zero position the diaphragm of the pressure sensor is displaced by the applied pressure. Electrical pressure sensors are commonly employed in hospitals for continuous monitoring of blood pressure and the like. For this reason, hospitals employ monitors adapted to receiving an electrical output from the Wheatstone bridge pressure sensor and transforming it into a pressure reading using well known technology. Thus, an intracranial pressure monitoring catheter employing an electrical pressure sensor could be plugged directly into the pressure monitor found in most hospital rooms without the need for an expensive intervening transducer to modify the signal into a format compatible with the monitor.
However, in designing a pressure monitoring assembly for monitoring intracranial pressure, special considerations are required. Inherent in all electrical pressure monitoring sensors is a risk of electrical shock that may render them unsuitable for insertion into the interior of the brain. Introducing electrical currents into the brain risks permanent damage.
Optical pressure monitoring transducers avoid this risk. Optical pressure sensors generally employ a light reflective diaphragm placed at the distal tip of an optical fiber. Displacement of the reflective diaphragm by applied pressure changes the intensity and/or other spectral characteristics of the reflected light signal, depending upon the type of reflective sensor used. For instance, European Patent Application 0 127 476 owned by Camino Laboratories, Inc., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses an optical pressure catheter having a set of optical fibers for transmitting a light beam to and from a transducer which modulates the intensity of the reflected light in accordance with the sensed pressure. A photosensor comprising a bellows compressible by pressure is located at the distal end of the catheter and a photodetector located at the proximal end of the catheter measures the modulated intensity of the returned beam and produces a corresponding measurement signal. However, optical transducers operating upon the principles of intensity modulation suffer from the drawback that any curvature of the fiber optic extraneously reduces the intensity of the reflected light.
To overcome this source of error the Camino catheter preferably also contains a second set of, optical fibers for transmitting a reference light beam to and from the location of the sensor. The reference light beam is sent to a second photosensor that measures the intensity of the returned reference light beam and produces a correction signal that compensates for variations in transmittance caused by bending of the catheter.
One of the disadvantages of the Camino system for monitoring intracranial pressure is that a dedicated stand alone interface module, such as that manufactured by Camino Laboratories, is required to display the pressure and communicate with various commercial patient monitors. Zeroing is also dependent upon the interface module, which "reads" the characteristics of the individual sensor and provides for zeroing by means of a screw type adjustment. Additionally, to reduce the error caused by bending the optical fibers, intracranial pressure catheters that rely upon modulated intensity of the reflected beam must be very rigid in construction and are therefore inserted into the skull via a bolt. The most reliable intensity modulation catheters, since they require four optical fibers, are larger, more invasive, and therefore inherently more dangerous, than is desirable.
Optical pressure transducers that modulate the wavelength of the reflected light in accordance with the variable to be measured are also known. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,329,058 and 4,678,904, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, describe an optical transducer having an optically resonant sensor by which the wavelength of the reflected light is modified if the reflective diaphragm is deflected by applied pressure from its zero position. This kind of pressure transducer incorporates a Fabry-Perot interferometer in the reflective sensor.
The Fabry-Perot interferometer operates according to well-known principles whereby the gap between two reflective surfaces causes a plurality of reflections and splittings of a single beam of incident light, such that constructive and destructive interference of the components of the incident light beam may occur numerous times. Inasmuch as an inherent phase reversal occurs when light is reflected from a more dense medium to a less dense medium (for example, when it passes through the diaphragm of the optical sensor to the air or other medium in the Fabry-Perot gap), it is possible for the main reflected light beams to cancel in a gap having a width equal to a multiple of half wavelengths of the incident light. Light beams transmitted through the Fabry-Perot gap and the surface of the sensor (those not having half wavelengths in multiples of the gap width) undergo an even number of reflections, so that, in the event of the phase reversal above described, the even number of phase reversals produces no net phase reversal. These light beams transmitted through the gap are in constructive interference with each other and are therefore transmitted through the gap and returned to the photosensor assembly for processing. Under conditions of high reflectivity, even a small variation in the frequency of light caused by passage through the Fabry-Perot interferometer dramatically reduces transmission of the frequency-altered light beams.
Based upon these principles (See Handbook of Physics, 2d, published by McGraw-Hill Section 7, Chapter 5, Part 6 for further information), a Fabry-Perot sensor having a displaceable diaphragm can be used to monitor a physical variable such as applied pressure, temperature, gas density or pH value. In operation, the gap width varies as a function of the physical parameter to be measured. Therefore, the width in the gap corresponding to an applied pressure can be used to measure the pressure. As is described in full detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,474, photodetector circuits can readily compare the incident and reflected light beams to determine the width of the Fabry-Perot gap and compute the magnitude of the sensed variable therefrom. For example, the Model 1400 multisensor system manufactured by Metricor (Woodenville, Wash.) can be used with a Fabry-Perot sensor to detect pressure readings generated by as little as a single Angstrom of change in the gap width.
The changes in intensity or in wavelength in reflected light beams can be converted to a signal compatible with conventional monitors for display as a digital readout or printout by a suitable pressure transducer. However, known pressure transducers having this capability, such as those useful for monitoring intracranial pressure arg expensive and cumbersome. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,611,600, 4,703,174, and 4,705,047 disclose various types of transducer circuits suitable for receiving reflected light beams and processing them to yield signals to the monitor that indicate the value of the parameter of interest. However, there is great need for an inexpensive optical pressure transducer, preferably one employing modern techniques of microcircuitry, that operates off the output voltage of the common hospital pressure monitor and produces a modified electrical signal (such as that supplied by the output from a Wheatstone bridge electrical strain gauge) suitable for input to the same bedside monitor.
Intracranial pressure monitoring devices are needed to monitor dangerously high intracranial pressures. One means of reducing elevated intracranial pressure is to drain off cerebrospinal fluid. Thus, a need exists, not only for intracranial pressure monitors, but also for devices for draining fluid from the brain, without inflicting unnecessary damage.
The pressure monitoring device must be inserted into the interior of the skull through a drillhole. If a second hole is drilled to insert a drain, the risk of trauma is obviously doubled. Thus, the need exists for a single device capable of simultaneously monitoring intracranial pressure and draining cerebrospinal fluid.
Simultaneous optical pressure monitoring and drainage assemblies are known. For instance, the Camino intensity modulation sensor can be used with an auxiliary drain inserted into the skull through a bolt. However, the assembly is subject to breakage, requires a large drillhole to accommodate the bolt, and is assembled out of standard connectors that are subject to leakage and, therefore, provide sources of infection. However, an optical pressure monitoring and drainage assembly is highly desirable because the accuracy of fluid column intracranial sensors is destroyed by simultaneous drainage of cerebrospinal fluids. What is needed is an integral fiber optic pressure transducer and simultaneous drainage system that interfaces with conventional monitors via a low cost processor.
All pressure monitoring systems require calibration. In pressure monitoring systems utilizing two fluid reservoirs separated by a diaphragm, such as the fluid column pressure sensor, one reservoir is usually in pressure communication with the local atmosphere, while the other, the applied pressure, is connected to the pressure source to be measured. If the atmospheric pressure is also placed momentarily on the applied pressure input, then the diaphragm moves to the zero point location, and the zero pressure offset error can be measured. However, an implanted catheter, such as an intracranial catheter, cannot be removed for calibration and replaced without introducing the risk of infection. Thus, calibration must be accomplished in situ within the brain.
One means of calibrating a pressure sensor is to provide a substitute pressure transducer system for generating a known test pressure that is displayed on the monitoring device as a calibrated output indicating the level of the known pressure. Another method is that employed by the Model CT/6FB catheter tip pressure transducer manufactured by Medical Measurements Incorporated. In this system the sensor, which includes a mechanical stop to indicate the zero pressure location of the transducer, is depressurized in vivo and calibrated using a micromanometer to provide known test pressures. Thus the zero pressure error and calibration error can be determined. For pressure sensors used in monitoring intracranial pressure, it is particularly desirable to calibrate the sensor in situ so that the sensor can be left in place for up to five days, thereby minimizing the risks of infection and the like. Therefore, the need exists for new and improved pressure monitoring systems such as a dual lumen catheter for monitoring fluid pressure via a first lumen while simultaneously withdrawing an amount of the fluid being measured or infusing a second fluid through a second lumen. And for monitoring intracranial pressure, what is particularly needed is an integrated intracranial pressure monitor and drain assembly, preferably one employing a Fabry-Perot sensor and providing an output signal to standard hospital monitors that "looks like" the signal generated by Wheatstone bridge strain gauge sensors.

Intracranial pressure monitor and drainage catheter assembly


A hot-rolled sheet steel for deep drawing, characterized in that it has the following composition:. ______________________________________ carbon >0.010 wt. % and <0.080 wt. % manganese >0.1 wt. % and <0.5 wt. % aluminum >0.02 wt. % and <0.08 wt. % silicon <0.1 wt. % phosphorus <0.04 wt. % sulfur <0.025 wt. % titanium <0.05 wt. % nitrogen <0.009 wt. % boron >0.001 wt. % and <0.01 wt. % copper >0.1 wt. % and <0.8 wt. % nickel >0.05 wt. % and <0.6 wt. %. ______________________________________

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hot-rolled sheet steel especially useful for deep drawing, said sheet preferably being produced on a strip mill.
2. Discussion of the Background
The forming properties of steels are important in the production of deep-drawn articles having complex shapes. Among the available types of hot-rolled sheets or plates with mechanical properties obtained by controlled rolling on a wide strip rolling mill, the steels having the best deep-drawing properties are those designated as "3C" and "3C Ti".
These steels have in their compositions carbon, manganese, titanium, and certain trace elements which contribute to the desired mechanical properties. Their content of gamma-genic elements (e.g. carbon and manganese) is so high that their ferritic transformation temperature is relatively low; e.g. the AR3 transformation temperature is 840.degree. C. at a thickness of 4.5 mm. In order to avoid rolling in the biphase austenitic-ferritic domain, which would result in markedly inferior forming properties, the rolling temperature must be above 840.degree. C., i.e. must be in the austenitic domain.
In practice, a sheet comprised of these steels may be subjected to continuous coating on a galvanization line, to provide corrosion protection. This coating method tends to subject the sheet to a thermal cycle which results in an increase in the elastic limit of the steel and a reduction in its elongation at fracture.


A simulation device and simulation program are provided that can be suitably applied to a manufacturing process including a plurality of processing steps. The simulation device is provided for simulating the manufacturing process including a first processing step using a first mask, and a second processing step using a second mask. The simulation device includes first obtaining means for obtaining a first intensity distribution generated over a substrate of interest for processing by the first mask, second obtaining means for obtaining a second intensity distribution generated over the substrate by the second mask, and revising means for revising an intensity of a region in the first intensity distribution to be processed by the second mask, to a value regarded as a region not to be processed, based on the second intensity distribution.

The present invention relates to simulation devices and simulation programs associated with the manufacturing of semiconductor devices, and more particularly, a simulation device and program which can be suitably used for a manufacturing process including a plurality of processing steps.
A lithography process is known as one of general semiconductor manufacturing techniques. The lithography process involves optically transferring a predetermined mask pattern to a wafer using an exposure device. The shape of the pattern (mask pattern) formed over the wafer using a predetermined photomask (hereinafter referred to as a simply "mask") through the lithography process in this way is estimated using a lithography simulation (hereinafter referred to as a simply "simulation") taking into consideration optical properties. The use of such simulation can also verify various types of lithography.
Related art techniques relating to the above lithography simulation are as follows.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-192811 (Patent Document 1) discloses a lithography simulation method that can achieve the estimation of a pattern with high accuracy, while suppressing increase in amount of calculation.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-186152 (Patent Document 2) discloses an exposure simulation method which can calculate exposure simulation at high speed in a lithography step performed by a semiconductor manufacturing device.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-094109 discloses a calculation method for calculating a light intensity distribution (partial coherent imaging calculation) formed on the wafer surface in a short time.

Simulation device and simulation program for simulating process using first and second masks


A method for providing network access to a plurality of user entities through an access point, said access point comprising a LAN interface and a broadband network interface, the method comprising the following steps at a gateway device: establishing a second secure communication link with said access point; receiving an IP address allocation request from one of said plurality of user entities via said second secure communication link; accessing a AAA server to verify whether a successful authentication of said one of said plurality of user entities on the basis of data related to a mobile subscription associated with said one of said plurality of user entities has already taken place; and upon successful verification, completing an IP address allocation scheme with said one of said plurality of user entities and enabling relaying of data between said one of said plurality of user entities and a PDN; wherein said gateway device is adapted to aggregate a plurality of instances of second secure communication links from different access points towards said PDN.

Certain modern handheld electronic devices (further referred to as "User Entities" or "UE") comprise the necessary components to connect to a cellular network, such as a 2G, 2.5G, 3G, and/or LTE network, and the necessary components to connect to a non-cellular IP Connectivity Access Network (IP CAN) such as a wireless LAN network (e.g. IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n) or a wired LAN network (e.g. IEEE 802.3).
So far, a satisfactory protocol architecture is lacking that would enable operators to provide broadband services (connectivity and value-added services) to mobile customers when they are communicating via the non-cellular network.
For example, architectures specified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) require a secure connection ("thin pipe") to be set up between the UE and either an evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG) or a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN Gateway), if the IP CAN is untrusted from the Mobile Network Operator (MNO) perspective.

Method and apparatus for providing network access to a user entity


A process for the manufacture of d,l-.alpha.-tocopherol by condensing trimethylhydroquinone with isophytol comprises carrying out the condensation in the presence of a polyperfluoroalkylenesulphonic acid as the catalyst and in a solvent, especially an aprotic solvent. The catalyst is preferably a polyperfluoroalkylenesulphonic acid from the Nafion.RTM. series, e.g., Nafion NR 50.RTM. or Nafion 117.RTM..

The present invention is concerned with a novel process for the manufacture of d,l-.alpha.-tocopherol by condensing trimethyl-hydroquinone with isophytol. d,l-.alpha.-Tocopherol is a diastereomer mixture of a derivative of the vitamin E group.
Various processes for the manufacture of d,l-.alpha.-tocopherol by condensing trimethylhydroquinone with isophytol have already been described.
Thus, for example, according to Chem. Abstracts (C.A.) 103, 104799 (1985), C.A. 103, 123731 (1985) and C.A. 110, 39221 (1989) the condensation is carried out in the presence of zinc and zinc chloride (ZnCl.sub.2) and a protonic acid such as a hydrohalic acid, e.g., hydrochloric acid (HCl), trichloroacetic acid, acetic acid and the like, especially ZnCl.sub.2 /HCl, as the catalyst.
The manufacture of d,l-.alpha.-tocopherol by reacting trimethylhydroquinone with phytyl chloride or isophytol in the presence of boron trifluoride (BF.sub.3) or its etherate (BF.sub.3 .multidot.Et.sub.2 O) as the catalyst is described in German Offenlegungsschriften 960720 and 1015446 as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,781.
The condensation of trimethylhydroquinone with isophytol or phytol, which has been treated with ammonia or amines, in the presence of ZnCl.sub.2 /HCl or a Lewis acid/HCl, such as, e.g., BF.sub.3 or aluminium trichloride (AlCl.sub.3), as the catalyst is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,781.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,086 the condensation is carried out in the presence of a FeCl.sub.2 /Fe/HCl catalyst, while according to EP-A 12824 the condensation is effected using trifluoroacetic acid.
All of these previously known processes have serious disadvantages: thus, corrosion problems occur in all processes, when boron trifluoride is used there are additionally toxicity problems with the boron trifluoride adducts, and when iron or zinc is used there is a contamination of the waste water with iron or zinc ions which today is no longer acceptable.
The use of ion exchangers, e.g., Amberlyst 15.RTM., as the catalyst is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3 459 773. However, according to this process the d,l-.alpha.-tocopherol could not be obtained in the requisite purity.


The present invention provides a lithographic printing plate precursor and a lithographic printing method using the lithographic printing plate precursor, which is capable of an image recording by infrared laser scanning and an on-press development and excellent in fine line reproducibility and press life while maintaining good on-press developing properties, the lithographic printing plate precursor comprising: a support; and an image recording layer capable of being removed by a printing ink and/or a fountain solution, in which the image recording layer comprises an infrared absorber and a graft polymer having a specific graft chain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithographic printing plate precursor and a lithographic printing method using the same. Specifically, the invention relates to a lithographic printing plate precursor capable of direct plate-making by scanning with infrared laser beams on the basis of digital signals of, e.g., a computer, i.e., a so-called direct plate-making lithographic printing plate precursor, and also relates to a lithographic printing method of directly developing the lithographic printing plate precursor on a printing press and performing printing without going through development process.
2. Background Art
A lithographic printing plate generally comprises a lipophilic image area that receives ink and a hydrophilic non-image area that receives a fountain solution in printing. Lithographic printing is a printing method of making difference in ink-adhering property on the surface of a lithographic printing plate with the lipophilic image area of the lithographic printing plate as the ink-receptive area and the hydrophilic non-image area as the fountain solution-receptive area (ink-repellent area) by making use of the natures of water and oil ink of repelling to each other, adhering ink only on the image area, and transferring the ink to the material to be printed, e.g., paper.
For manufacturing this lithographic printing plate, a lithographic printing plate precursor (a PS plate) comprising a hydrophilic support having provided thereon a lipophilic photosensitive resin layer (an image-recording layer) has so far been widely used. The lithographic printing plate is generally obtained by a plate-making method of exposing a lithographic printing plate precursor through an original image of a lith film and the like, and then, for leaving the image-recording layer of the image area behind, dissolving and removing the image-recording layer of the non-image area with an alkali developing solution or an organic solvent, to thereby bare a hydrophilic support surface.
In a conventional plate-making process of a lithographic printing plate precursor, a process of dissolving and removing a non-image area with a developing solution and the like corresponding to the image-recording layer after exposure is necessary, but the exclusion or simplification of such an additional wet process is one of the objects in the industry. Since the discard of waste solutions discharged with wet processes is a particularly great interest in the industry at large in recent years from the consideration of the global environment, the solution of the above problem is increasingly desired.
Concerning this requirement, as a simple plate-making method, a method that is called on-press development is proposed, which is a method of using an image-recording layer capable of being removed a non-image area of a lithographic printing plate precursor in an ordinary printing process, and removing a non-image area after exposure on a printing press to obtain a lithographic printing plate.
As the specific examples of on-press development, e.g., a method of using a lithographic printing plate precursor having an image-recording layer soluble or dispersible with, e.g., a fountain solution, an ink solvent, or an emulsified product of a fountain solution and ink, a method of mechanically removing an image-recording layer by the contact with the rollers and the blanket of a press, and a method of mechanically removing an image-recording layer by the contact with the rollers and the blanket after weakening the cohesive strength of the image-recording layer or the adhesive strength of the image-recording layer and a support by the permeation of a fountain solution and an ink solvent are exemplified.
In the present invention, unless otherwise indicated, "development process" means a process of removing the area of an image-recording layer of a lithographic printing plate precursor not irradiated with an infrared laser by being brought into contact with a liquid (generally an alkali developing solution) to thereby bare the hydrophilic support surface with an apparatus other than a printing press (an automatic processor, in general), and "on-press development" means a method and a process of removing the area of an image-recording layer of a lithographic printing plate precursor not irradiated with an infrared laser by being brought into contact with a liquid (generally printing ink and/or a fountain solution) to thereby bare the hydrophilic support surface with a printing press.
However, when a conventional image-recording layer of an image-recording system utilizing ultraviolet rays and visible rays is used, it is necessary to take methods requiring much labor, such that the exposed lithographic printing plate precursor must be stored under a completely light-shielding condition or a constant temperature condition until it is mounted on a printing press, since the image-recording layer is not fixed after exposure.
On the other hand, in recent years, digitized techniques of electronically processing, accumulating and outputting image data using a computer have prevailed, and various image output systems corresponding to these digitized techniques have been put to practical use. Under such circumstances, a computer-to-plate technique of directly making a printing plate is attracting public attention, which comprises scanning exposing a lithographic printing plate precursor with high convergent radiant rays such as laser beams carrying digitized image data without using a lith film, With such a tendency, it is an important technical subject to obtain a lithographic printing plate precursor well adapted to this purpose.
Accordingly, in recent years, the simplification of plate-making operation, and the realization of dry system and non-processing system have been more and more strongly required from both aspects of the above-described global environmental protection and the adaptation for digitization.
Since high output lasers such as semiconductor lasers and YAG lasers radiating infrared rays of the wavelength of from 760 to 1,200 nm are inexpensively available nowadays, methods of using these high output lasers as the image recording means are now promising as the manufacturing method of a lithographic printing plate by scanning exposure that is easy to be integrated in digitized techniques.
In conventional plate-making methods, a photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor is imagewise exposed by low to middle intensity of illumination, and image recording is performed by the imagewise changes of physical properties by photochemical reaction in the image-recording layer. While in the above method of using high output lasers, an exposure area is irradiated with a great quantity of light energy in an extremely short period of time to efficiently convert the light energy to heat energy, the heat energy is used to cause heat changes such as chemical changes, phase changes and morphological or structural changes in the image-recording layer, and these changes are utilized in image recording. Accordingly, image data are inputted by light energy, e.g., laser beams, but image recording is performed in the state including the reaction by heat energy in addition to light energy. A recording system making use of beat generation by such high power density exposure is generally called heat mode recording, and converting light energy to heat energy is called light/heat conversion.
Great advantages of the plate-mating method using beat mode recording are that image-recording layers are photo-insensitive to the lights of ordinary levels of illuminance such as room illumination, and that the fixation of images recorded by high illuminance exposure is not necessary. That is, lithographic printing plate precursors for use in heat mode recording are free of sensitization by room illumination before exposure and the fixation of images is not essential after exposure. Accordingly, a printing system that an image is not influenced even if exposed to room light after exposure becomes possible by using, e.g., an image-recording layer which is solubilized or insolubilized by exposure with high output laser beams and performing plate-making process by on-press development to make an exposed image-recording layer to an imagewise lithographic printing plate. Therefore, it is expected that a lithographic printing plate precursor preferably used for on-press development will be possible to be obtained if heat mode recording is used.
As one example concerning this mode, a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a hydrophilic support having provided thereon an image-forming layer containing hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles dispersed in a hydrophilic binder is disclosed in patent literature 1 (Japanese Patent 2938397). The patent literature 1 discloses that it is possible to perform on-press development with a fountain solution and/or ink by subjecting the lithographic printing plate precursor to exposure with infrared laser beams to coalesce the hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles by beat to thereby form an image, and then mounting the lithographic printing plate precursor on the cylinder of a printing press.
However, although a method of forming an image by coalescence of fine particles by mere heat fusion as above certainly shows good on-press developing properties, there are problems that image strength (the adhesion of an image-forming layer and a support) is extremely weak and press life is insufficient.
Further, lithographic printing plate precursors having an image-recording layer (a heat-sensitive layer) containing microcapsules encapsulating a polymerizable compound on a hydrophilic support are disclosed in patent literature 2 (JP-A-2001-277740 (The term "JP-A" as used herein refers to an "unexamined published Japanese patent application".)) and patent literature 3 (JP-A-2001-277742).
Further, patent literature 4 (JP-A-2002-287334) discloses a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a support having provided thereon an image-recording layer (a heat-sensitive layer) containing an infrared absorber, a radical polymerization initiator and a polymerizable compound.
These methods of using a polymerization reaction are characterized in that relatively high image strength can be obtained, since chemical bonding density of an image area is high as compared with an image area formed by coalescence of polymer fine particles. However, from the practical point of view, any of on-press developing properties, fine line reproducibility and press life is insufficient and these systems have not been put to practical use yet.
Further, a lithographic printing plate precursor capable of on-press development comprising a support having thereon an image-recording layer containing a polymerizable compound, a graft polymer having polyethylene oxide chains on the side chain or a block polymer having a polyethylene oxide block is disclosed in patent literature 5 (U.S. patent application publication 2003/0,064,318).
However, according to this technique, good on-press developing properties can be obtained but fine line reproducibility and press life are still insufficient.

Lithographic printing plate precursor and lithographic printing method


An integral and internal matrix getter structure for capturing residual gas in a vacuum sealed container is disclosed. The vacuum sealed container may be a flat panel display having a small vacuum gap between two closely spaced panels. The getter structure may be provided on the inside of the walls of the display. In particular, the getter structure may be provided between phosphor groups and/or between field emitter groups on the display panels. The getter structure may be sealed to avoid exposure of the getter material until after a vacuum condition is reached within the display. Activation of the getter structure may be provided by selectively heating the getter structure with a laser or with resistive heating elements underlying the getter structure. Methods of making the getter structure are also disclosed.

Microminiature field emitters are well known in the microelectronics art. These microminiature field emitters are finding widespread use as electron sources in microelectronic devices. For example, field emitters may be used as a source of electrons in electron guns employed in flat panel displays for use in aviation, automobiles, workstations, laptop computers, head mounted displays, head-up displays, outdoor signage, or practically any application for a screen which conveys information through light emission.
When used in a display, the electrons emitted by a field emitter are directed to a cathodoluminescent material. These display devices are commonly called Field Emission Displays (FEDs). A field emitter used in a display may include a microelectronic emission surface, also referred to as a "tip" or "microtip". An extraction electrode or "gate" may be provided adjacent, but not touching, the field emission tip, to provide a field emission gap therebetween. Upon application of an appropriate voltage between the emitting electrode and the gate, quantum mechanical tunneling, or other known phenomena, cause the tip to emit electrons. The emitted electrons are then accelerated towards the anode. In microelectronic applications, an array of field emission tips may be formed on the horizontal face of a substrate such as a silicon semiconductor substrate. Emitting electrodes, gates and other electrodes may also be provided on or in the substrate as necessary. Support circuitry may also be fabricated on or in the substrate.
The electrical theory underlying the operation of an FED is similar to that for a conventional CRT. Electrons emitted from the tips are accelerated by the gate and anode in the direction of the display surface. These high energy electrons strike phosphors on the inside of the display and excite them to luminesce. The phosphor targets may be arranged in pixels to facilitate the formation of an image. An image is produced by the pattern of luminescing phosphor pixels as viewed by an observer on the display screen. This process is a very efficient way of generating a lighted image.
In a CRT, one electron gun for monochrome or three electron guns for color are provided to generate all of the electrons which impinge on the display screen. A complicated deflection device, usually comprising high power electromagnets, is required in a CRT to direct the electron stream towards the desired screen pixels. The combination of the electron gun and deflection device behind the screen necessarily make a CRT display prohibitively bulky.
FEDs, on the other hand, are relatively thin. Each pixel of an FED has its own electron source, typically an array or group of emitting microtips. The high electric field between the cathode and the gate causes electrons to be emitted from the microtips. FEDs are thin because the microtips, and gates, which are the equivalent of an electron gun in a CRT, are extremely small. Further, an FED does not require a deflection device, because each pixel has its own electron gun (i.e. gate and emitters) positioned directly behind it. The emitters need only be capable of emitting electrons in a direction generally normal to the FED substrate and towards the anode.
With reference to FIG. 1, a cross-section of the edge of a typical FED 10 is illustrated. The FED may include a lower field emitter panel 100, and an upper display panel 200. The field emitter panel 100 may include a glass substrate 110 on which field emitter groups 120 are formed. Each field emitter group 120 may include tens, hundreds, or even thousands of individual emitter tips 122.
The upper display panel 200 may include a glass substrate 210 on which a multiplicity of phosphor groups 220 are formed. Each phosphor group may include many individual phosphor grains 222 which luminesce when electrons from the emitter groups 120 strike them. Each phosphor group 220 may correspond to a pixel in the FED 10. The emitter groups 120 and the gate 130 constitute the "electron guns" which shoot streams of electrons towards the pixels, causing them to fluoresce. The electrons may be made to bombard the phosphor groups 220 by providing the upper display panel 200 with a highly positively charged anode 230. Typically the anode 230 may be provided by a thin layer of metal over (or optionally by a transparent conductor layer 235 under) the phosphor particle groups 220. The anode 230 may be maintained at a potential hundreds or thousands of volts above that of the field emitter groups 120.
The lower field emitter panel 100 and the upper display panel 200 may be connected to each other around their respective perimeters by a side spacer 300 through a glass frit 310 which is adhered to the lower panel 100 and the upper panel 200. The inner side of the glass frit 310 may be coated with a getter layer 320. The getter layer 320 may be used to capture gas molecules which may be present within the FED. The getter layer 320, and its relevance to the present invention are explained in greater detail below.
With reference to FIG. 2a, a plan view of several emitter groups 120 are shown as arranged on the lower field emitter panel 100. The cross section A--A identified in FIG. 2a can be viewed in detail in FIG. 1. Each emitter group 120 includes a multiplicity of individual emitter tips 122. Each group 120 may contain hundreds or even thousands of individual emitter tips 122. Only nine emitters are shown per group in FIG. 2a for ease of illustration. The field emitter groups 120 may be arranged in parallel rows, with one gate line 130 serving each row of emitter groups. In between the gate lines 130 there is a gap 140. The getter layer 320 is present only along the inside wall of the glass frit 310.
With reference to FIG. 2b, a plan view of several phosphor groups 220 formed on the inner surface of the upper display panel 200 is shown. The anode which lies over or under the phosphor groups 220 is not shown in this Figure. Each of the phosphor groups 220 may correspond to one of the field emitter groups 120 shown in FIG. 2a. The area between the phosphor groups 220 may comprise glass substrate 210 (shown) or the anode (not shown). The area between the phosphor groups 220 may form a grid or matrix 240 depending on the arrangement of the phosphor groups 220 on the glass substrate 210. The getter layer 320 is present only along the inside wall of the glass frit 310.
With renewed reference to FIG. 1, in order to operate a display, the space between the lower field emitter panel 100 and the upper display panel 200 should be evacuated. Typically, this space may be of the order of a 1 millimeter separation. As noted above, the glass substrate 110 underlying the field emitter groups 120 and the glass substrate 210 supporting the phosphor groups 220 may be sealed to one another along their respective edges with the glass frit 310, encompassing a spacer 300. After being sealed, the space between the two glass substrates, 110 and 210, may be evacuated of gas and sealed off from the outside atmosphere.
Residual gas on, in, or above the surfaces of two glass substrates, 110 and 210, can increase the probability of electric flash-overs. It is very common for residual gas to be absorbed into the metal or other interior surfaces of an FED during processing. Once the interior of the FED is evacuated, these absorbed gases tend to outgas into the interior of the FED. A residual gas molecule may typically adhere to an interior surface of the FED, float away until it strikes another surface, adhere to the new surface for a while, etc. Because the interior space of an FED is a relatively long narrow space, the gas molecules, depending on the mean free path, collide with the walls and between themselves with a maxwellian distribution of velocities. During this random movement, some of the molecules may arrive at the perimeter of the FED panel and strike the surface of the getter. As the getter acts as a chemical pump, the local pressure in the vicinity of the getter surface may fall. This may set up a pressure gradient between the bulk of the space in the FED and the space close to the getter surface. Thus a directed flow of gas molecules towards the getter takes place.
If the getter capacity is limited, there may arise a situation of net increase in the population of residual gas molecules in the panel space and the gas population may further increase due to the desorption of gas molecules from the surfaces of interior structures.
The accumulated gas molecules in the FED may become easily ionized due to the high energy electrons within the FED. With continued reference to FIG. 1, the ionized gas molecules may provide an electrical path for flash-overs between adjacent gate lines 130, between emitter tips 122 and gates lines 130, and even between gate lines 130 and the anode 230. Flash-overs can damage or destroy an FED. In FEDs in which the potential between the anode 230 and the gate lines 130 is in the range of thousands of volts, flash-over may be catastrophic to the device 10. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce the amount of residual gases within the FED as much as possible. Even if a flash-over is not initially catastrophic, it may result in overheating of the materials within the FED, resulting in the release of additional gas molecules thereby enhancing the probability of future flash-over.
One method of addressing the residual gas problem in displays has been to capture the gas in a getter located within the display. CRTs typically include a getter consisting of a wire or ring of chemically reactive metals covered with a passivation layer of a material than can be thermally disrupted to expose the chemically reactive material after the display has been assembled and evacuated.
Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,743 (Jul. 9, 1996) for Field Emission Display Devices, and Field Emission Electron Beam Source and Isolation Structure Components Therefor, herein incorporated by reference, discloses a getter arrangement for use in an FED. The '743 patent discloses a flat panel display assembly having an extension portion defining an extension volume in which a getter capsule containing an active getter may be disposed. The getter may be chemisorptively effective for removal of gases in the interior volume of the display.
Previous attempts to control flash-over by capturing gas within an FED have consisted of placing a layer of getter material along the inside of the outer perimeter wall joining the two flat panels of the display. With continued reference to FIG. 1, a getter 320 may be provided along the outer perimeters of the glass substrates, 110 and 210, and/or along the inside of the glass frit 310. A resistive heating element 330 may be provided under the getter 320, and a protective coating 340 provided over the getter. An example of a known getter is described in an article entitled "An updated review of getters and gettering" by T. A. Girogi et al., published in J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 3(2). (March/April, 1985).
Space requirements have largely dictated the location of the getter material. With reference to FIG. 3a, a resistive heating element 330 may be provided along the upper or lower substrate 110 or 210. The getter 320 may be provided over the resistive heating element 330, and a protective coating 340 is provided over the getter. The getter and the protective coating may be applied under vacuum, so that the getter does not come into contact with any gas before being sealed by the protective coating. After the FED has been evacuated and sealed, the resistive heating element 330 is heated. With reference to FIG. 3b, the heat from the resistive heating element causes the protective coating 340 to melt (and not the getter 320) and at least partially exposes the getter 320 to the vacuum within the FED. As gas molecules are released from the internal surfaces of the FED over time, the getter 320 may be able to absorb the gas and prevent flash-overs.
As noted above, released gas molecules may spend the majority of their time in the FED and may adhere to an inner surface of the FED. The probability of flash-over may be greatly reduced by reducing the residual gas molecules on the inner FED surfaces. Residual gas can support pre-ionization under high voltages and eventually lead to arc discharge (flash-over). Minimizing the residual gas molecules, and thus preventing flash-overs (arcs), is difficult in a FED because of the high fields existing at the sharp tips and the gates.
The gases desorbed from the interior FED surfaces wander about at random with speeds characterized by the temperature of the gas. As stated previously, the gas molecules collide among themselves and with the walls in which they are contained. If a getter is located at the perimeter of the display, the chemi-sorption of gases at the getter site results in a directed flow of gases from the center of the panel space to the getter site.
The number of collisions the gas molecules make with the walls of the interior FED surfaces will be characterized by the magnitude of the mean free path in relation to the dimensions of the structures. Every time a gas molecule collides with a wall, the chances of its retention at the wall (physi-sorption) depends on the sticking coefficient. The sticking coefficient may vary with the nature of the gas species and the nature of the material with which the gas molecule collides. Obviously the sticking coefficient will vary for the surfaces of a microtip, gate metal, phosphor, etc. Before the gas molecules find their way to the getter, a number of complex collision mechanisms occur. These mechanisms dictate the time spent by the gas molecules in the panel space before they arrive at the getter site. Obviously, the larger the panel size, the longer the transit time of the gas molecules to the getter site. It may take a week to establish the equilibrium pressure at which the residual gas is drawn to the perimeter getter. If the panel is operated before this equilibrium is reached, flash-overs may become imminent. To reduce this long transit time, Applicants have developed "on-site gettering" inside the panel. This getter for the gas molecules is provided in the region that the gas molecules are desorbed instead of being provided at the perimeter of the panel where the gas must drift to the getter. This leads to an improved apparatus and method of "on-site gettering" of residual gases inside an FED which may reduce the occurrence of flash-overs.

Matrix getter for residual gas in vacuum sealed panels


One embodiment of the present invention provides a semiconductor light-emitting device. The semiconductor light-emitting device includes a substrate, a p-type doped InGaAIN layer, an n-type doped InGaAIN layer, and an active layer situated between the p-type doped and n-type doped InGaAIN layers. The semiconductor light-emitting device further includes an n-side Ohmic-contact layer coupled to an N-polar surface of the n-type doped InGaAIN layer. The Ohmic-contact layer comprises at least one of Au, Ni, and Pt, and at least one of group IV elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the design of semiconductor light-emitting devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a semiconductor light-emitting device with an electrode that can form a low-resistance conductive path to an N-polar surface of an InGaAlN layer.
2. Related Art
Solid-state lighting is expected to be the illumination wave of the future. High-brightness light-emitting diodes (HB-LEDs) are beginning to penetrate an increasing number of applications, especially as light source for display devices and as light-bulb replacement for conventional lighting. Operation voltage, along with brightness and efficiency, are essential performance metrics for LEDs.
An LED typically produces light from an active region, which is situated between a positively-doped layer (p-type doped layer) and negatively-doped layer (n-type doped layer). When the LED is forward-biased, the carriers, which include holes from the p-type cladding layer and electrons from the n-type cladding layer, recombine in the active region. For direct band-gap materials, this recombination process releases energy in the form of photons, or light, the wavelength of which corresponds to the band-gap energy of the material in the active region.
The recently developed group III nitride (InxGayAl1-x-yN, 0<=x<=1, 0<=y<=1)-based LEDs not only extend the LED emission spectrum to the green, blue, and ultraviolet region, but also can achieve high light emission efficiency. InGaAlN-based LEDs thus have significantly expanded the application field of LEDs. In the following description, "InGaAlN" or "GaN" material generally refers to the Wurtzite InxGayAl1-x-yN (0<=x<=1, 0<=y<=1) materials, which can be a binary, ternary, or quaternary compound, such as GaN, GaAlN, InGaN, and InGaAlN.
A key property of the Wurtzite group III nitrides is their large spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization, which can significantly influence a device's electrical characteristics. The two polarities exhibited by an InGaAlN layer are the Ga-face polarity and N-face polarity, which are also referred to as the (0001) surface and (0001) surface, respectively. Generally, the InGaAlN epitaxial layers are formed using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. During the CVD process, the growth surface facing away from the substrate typically exhibits a Ga-face polarity, regardless of the substrate material. Hence, the Ohmic-contact electrodes are mostly based on materials which can form a low-resistance conductive path to the Ga-polar surface of an InGaAlN layer.
In recent years, researchers have been experimenting with wafer-bonding techniques to construct vertical-electrode LEDs. During wafer bonding, a second support wafer is bonded to the top of the LED multilayer structure, and the initial growth substrate on which the device is epitaxially formed is removed. The entire device is then "flipped" upside-down. As a result, the GaN layer which is previously at the "bottom" of the device is now at the "top." An Ohmic-contact electrode is then deposited on the GaN layer on the top. However, the surface of the flipped GaN layer which is exposed after the initial growth layer is removed typically exhibits an N-face polarity and has drastically different Ohmic-contact characteristics than a Ga-polar surface. For example, Al, a common electrode material used for a Ga-polar surface, can actually form an AlN layer and consequently a depletion region when in contact with an N-polar surface. This depletion layer can increase the potential barrier at the metal-semiconductor interface and raise the turn-on voltage threshold of the LED.
Hence, what is needed is an electrode capable of forming a low-resistance conductive path to the N-polar surface of an InGaAlN layer to produce a desirable Ohmic-contact which does not significantly increase the LED's turn-on voltage.

Semiconductor light-emitting device with electrode for N-polar InGaAIN surface


Provided are a method and system for tracking access to application data and preventing data exploitation by malicious programs. In one example, the method includes shimming into a running process of the system to create at least one monitoring hook to monitor a program, building an execution path of the monitored program, and monitoring a behavior of the execution path for malicious behavior using the monitoring hook.

Malicious software ("malware") refers to software programs that perform unwanted functions on a system. Examples of malware include computer viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, keyloggers, and the like. Currently, the detection of malware is primarily performed using two known methods. One method is a signature-based approach, which detects binary digital bit streams or patterns in the binary object code of malware based on a list of binary strings that are found in known malware programs. Another method is a rule-based or heuristic approach, which detects malware programs based on behaviors that are shared by malware programs of a given class. These methods, however, have their downsides. If the behavior patterns are too narrowly defined, some malware programs may not be detected, which results in compromising the system. If the rules are too broadly defined, non-harmful programs may be mistaken for malware programs, which results in false alarms and potentially corrective action that is mistakenly applied.

Method and system for tracking access to application data and preventing data exploitation by malicious programs


A method and apparatus for detecting a predetermined condition of a panel by transmitting a cyclically-repeating energy wave through the material (41) of the panel from first location (43a) to a second location (43b); measuring the transit time of the cyclically-repeating energy wave from the first location to the second location; and utilizing the measured transit time to detect the predetermined condition including the force on, the temperature of, a deformation in, the fatigue condition of, or a fracture in, structural panel, the presence of a force applied to, water on, or breakage in of the panel.

The present application relates to a method and to an apparatus for detecting various panel conditions. Examples of such panel conditions described below includes various physical conditions of a structural panel such as an aircraft wing; various conditions of a window panel; the presence or absence of an object on a floor panel (e.g., in a space monitor); and the presence and location of pressure applied (e.g., by a stylus) to a touch panel.
The present application is related to: International Application PCT/IL00/00241 published Nov. 9, 2000 as International Publication No. WO 00/67013; International Application PCT/IL02/00854 filed Oct. 24, 2002, Published May 1, 2003 as International Publication No. WO 03/036321; International Application PCT/IL02/00983, filed Dec. 5, 2002, published Jun. 12, 2003 as International Publication No. WO 03/048668; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,278 issued Sep. 16, 2003, the contents of which applications and patent are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The above-cited applications and patent relate to methods and apparatus for measuring, with extremely high sensitivity, various parameters having a known or determinable relationship with respect to the transit time of an energy wave (electromagnet or sonic) through a medium (solid, liquid or gas). Briefly, this is done by transmitting through the medium a cyclically-repeating energy wave; receiving the energy wave transmitted through the medium; detecting a predetermined fiducial point in the received energy wave; continuously changing the frequency of the transmission of the energy wave in accordance with the detected fiducial point of each received energy wave such that the number of waves received is a whole integer; and measuring the changes in frequency to produce a measurement of changes in transit time of the energy wave from the transmitter to the receiver, and thereby a measurement of the predetermined parameter.
The above-cited applications and patent described many implementations of such method and apparatus in many fields, both medical and non-medical, for detecting or measuring various conditions with an extremely high degree of sensitivity.

Method and apparatus for detecting panel conditions


A special method is provided for more uniformly and quickly curing products with a scratch-resistant UV curable coating or UV curable printing thereon with high intensity UV light, such as for wires, cables, tubes, tubing, hoses, pipes, CDs, DVDs, golf balls, golf tees, eye glass lenses, contact lenses, string instruments, decorative labels, peelable labels, peelable stamps, doors, countertops, etc. The method can also be operated with one or more special UV curing apparatus equipped with a controller and one or more super high power UV-LED modules.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for ultraviolet (UV) curing of inks, coatings and adhesives having UV photo initiators therein which, when exposed to UV light, convert monomers in the inks, coatings and adhesives to linking polymers to solidify the monomer material and which are placed on a variety of products using one or more super high power ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV-LED) modules. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for UV curing of inks, coatings or adhesives on optical fibers, wires, cables, tubes, tubing, hoses, pipes, compact discs (discs) (CDs), digital video discs (discs) (DVDs), golf balls, golf tees, string instruments, eye glass lenses, contact lenses, decorative labels, peelable labels, stamps, doors, countertops, and other products using one or more high power UV-LED modules.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and UV lamps have been proposed for supplying UV light for curing UV curable inks, coatings and adhesives on various products. Many of the prior art techniques are time-consuming and inefficient and can cause uneven curing of the products.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide an improved UV curing method and apparatus which overcomes most, if not all, of the preceding problems.

UV curing system and process with increased light intensity