The invention concerns a nozzle body for a liquid droplet spray device for atomising a high viscous liquid substance such as perfume. A first and second substrate enclose a space for containing the liquid substance. Outlet means are arranged in the second substrate and have at least one outlet nozzle and at least one output channel, said output channel having straight side walls. Each output channel has a stepped shape having a wider portion and a thinner portion, the wider portion being arranged adjacent the space. The thinner portion contains a protrusion section protruding beyond the top surface of the second substrate such that the exterior side wall of the protrusion section is at a substantially straight angle with respect to the top surface of the second substrate.

Various devices are known for atomising a liquid. For example, the documents EP-A-0 923 957 and EP-A-1 005 916, both in the name of the present Applicant describe a liquid droplet spray device. A brief description of the liquid droplet spray device known from these documents, which are hereby incorporated by reference, is given here while referring to FIG. 1.
In this particular embodiment spray device 1 consists of a housing formed of a superposition of a first, or a top substrate 5 and a second, or a bottom substrate 6 in-between which a chamber or a space 2 is formed for containing a liquid substance 3 and thus providing a capillary filling and compression chamber. Top substrate 5 contains outlet means consisting of cavity or cavities 7 which can partly constitute space 2, outlet nozzles 9 and output channels 10 connecting these nozzles to space 2.
Liquid substance 3 enters spray device 1 by way of, e.g., a very low pressure, e.g., around a few millibar or slightly negative pressure, or capillary action. This can be achieved for example by way of at least one input tube or needle 4 through which the liquid substance may be supplied from an external reservoir (not shown) into spray device 1. Spray device 1 further comprises a vibrating element 8, e.g. a piezoelectric element to cause vibration of liquid substance 3 in space 2.
The method of manufacturing this device is carried out by using technology known from the field of semiconductors. Thus, top and bottom substrates may be manufactured in a similar manner e.g. by etching a silicon wafer in a suitable manner, e.g. by wet or dry etching and by using one or more masks or by micro-machining Pyrex wafers. The substrates 5 and 6 are attached to each other, preferably by appropriate bonding technique, such as anodic bonding, so as to form and enclose space 2.
These prior art documents further describe techniques allowing for output channels with a straight, non-tapered profile. This provides for a precisely defined pressure drop, droplet size and flow behaviour across output channel 10 for aqueous solutions and suspensions whereas the relatively smooth surface is suited for medications carrying small solid particles, e.g. from less than 1 to approx 2 μm, in suspensions. But output channels with a straight, non-tapered profile are also suitable for more viscous liquids, such as ambient fragrances which depending on the fragrance concentration however would normally tend to wet the surface of top substrate 5 and therefore might inhibit effective dispensing of such liquids.
The same effect can be obtained proportionally with larger dimensions, e.g. with nozzles of 10 μm or larger for example for personal perfume or for functional liquid dispensing applications or in a practical variation of the cited prior art of the applicant by simply using the vertical plasma etching micro-machining method to produce an output channel whose cross-section is divided into two or more identical sub-channels to allow for an even finer control of pressure drop, droplet size and flow behaviour across said channel 10. The cross section of the vertical channel or channel section can be of a suitable geometrical form, e.g. circular, triangular or a suitable geometrical shape such as a cross when the channel consists of several identical sub-channels. The cross section of the cavities 7 can also be of suitable geometrical form or combination of forms.
FIG. 2a shows a schematic detailed view of the first, or top substrate of this prior art liquid droplet spray device. The top substrate is shown upside down with respect to FIG. 1 in a further practical variation of the cited prior art which has already been shown with an inversion of the bottom substrate, thus further reducing dead space. As can be seen, top substrate 5 comprises the cavities 7, output channels 10 and outlet nozzles 9. The top surface of the substrate-delimiting cavity 7 forms a membrane section in substrate 5.
The surface of this membrane section is much larger than the actual nozzle surface, so that it is possible to provide a very large number of outlet nozzles 9 on the membrane surface in order to eject more droplets simultaneously. As already mentioned in the cited prior art, it is obvious that cavities 7 are not necessarily tapered but can be straight according to the manufacturing process chosen. FIG. 2b shows a close-up view of a part of FIG. 2a in which it can be seen that the output channels 10 and outlet nozzles 9 may be readily placed according to the specific conditions.
The diameter of a droplet depends among other factors on the nozzle hole size "d" for a given frequency of the vibration of the liquid substance and the inlet pressure. In this prior art device where a frequency of around 250 kHz is used, the mean droplet diameter has been found to be around 5 μm, the diameter of the hole of nozzle 9 is around 7 μm and the inlet pressure is a few millibars. One such a droplet thus contains a quantity of around 67 femtolitres (10−15 l) so that the number of nozzles may be determined as a function of the amount to be ejected.
The document EP 1 149 602 shows an embodiment where the top substrate may be micromachined in such a way as to provide recessed areas around the output nozzles such as shown in FIG. 4 of this document. Thus, the actual nozzle outlet protrudes from the main surface of the top substrate and contributes to the monodispersive nature of the ejected spray by providing minimum stiction surface for the liquid around the output nozzles. Alternatively if the total area constituted by the membrane section in substrate 5, meaning the total top surface of the substrate-delimiting cavity 7 is recessed, all output nozzles will protrude.
A further liquid droplet spray device is known from the document WO-A-00/06388. This device also has a first substrate provided with a piezo-electric vibrating element, and a second substrate provided with outlet means.
Both substrates enclose a chamber for containing a liquid substance, in a manner similar to the above-described prior art. The outlet means are manufactured in such a way that here too recessed areas are created around the nozzle outlets so that the outlet nozzles protrude from the main surface of the second substrate so as to reduce stiction.
However, these devices use expensive manufacturing techniques such as DRIE (deep Reactive Ion Etching) or plasma etching) and many manufacturing steps on a very large surface of silicon, resulting in a comparatively expensive device.
Further, it is known that the droplet diameter varies with certain physico-chemical properties of the liquid such as surface tension and viscosity. It is therefore important as shown in the cited prior art to be able to adapt the physical and electrical device parameters (frequency and amplitude) according to the liquid to be expelled and the desired droplet characteristics.
The applicant has now found that although the prior art device generally functions satisfactorily, the construction of this device has limits if it needs to be manufactured in a cheap manner, such as when used as a personal or ambient perfume dispenser instead of a very precise medication dispenser, thereby still ensuring sufficient rigidity and precision when manufacturing the nozzle outlet means and therefore complying with formal, informal or introductory specifications required by environmental and health related institutions.
Furthermore, when such a device is used to expel liquid substances of high viscosity such as perfume or some functional liquids, there is a much larger problem of retention of the liquid when being expelled from the nozzle outlet means leading to wetting and an uncontrollable droplet size, because portions of the droplets to be expelled may stick to the outer surface of the nozzles and create a thin liquid film there which will interfere with following droplets trying to detach from the nozzles. A higher power is then needed to actually cause the droplet to detach from the nozzle outlet, and if the power were not high enough, small droplets would then be released as a part and stay behind as a satellite droplet due to the retention with the film on the top surface surrounding the nozzle outlets caused by the stiction of the expelled liquid. For some liquids surface wetting due to retention forces being higher than dispensing forces will go beyond creating satellites, it may simply prevent droplet generation. This problem will be compounded if nozzles are set closer to each other for reasons of cost hence size reduction. Surface capillary forces will tend to create a liquid film connecting all nozzles.
For liquids requiring to be expelled in larger droplets and consequently being dispensed by nozzle outlets with larger diameters, the effect of retention on the surface might turn into a straightforward leakage, even if the device is passive and especially if it is held upside down. Up to a certain point, the use of flexible foil airless bags might prevent leakage, but as of a certain diameter of the outlet nozzle, this also becomes ineffective.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a nozzle body for a liquid droplet spray device as well as a liquid droplet spray device that overcomes the above-mentioned inconveniences and that can be efficiently used for high viscous liquids such as perfumes or other non-aqueous solvent based liquids.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a nozzle body and device that is simple, reliable and inexpensive to manufacture, small in size and low in energy consumption and cost, and as such suitable as a personal or ambient fragrance and functional liquid dispenser.

Low-cost liquid droplet spray device and nozzle body


A technology is described for determining an intended movement from neuromuscular signals. An example method (800) includes receiving electromyography (EMG) data corresponding to single-ended channels of an electrode array (810), where EMG signals are detected by electrodes comprising the single-ended channels of the electrode array and the EMG signals are converted to the EMG data. Determining differential channel pairs for the single-ended channels of the electrode array (820) and extracting feature data from the EMG data of the differential channel pairs (830). Thereafter a feature data set is selected from the feature data of the differential channel pairs (840) and the feature data set is input to a decode model configured to correlate the feature data set to an intended movement (850). Decode output is received from the decode model indicating the intended movement (860) and the decode output is provided to a device (870).

Amputation of all or part of a limb, whether by trauma or by disease, is a particularly debilitating condition and greatly impacts the quality of life of the amputee. Although there are a variety of prosthetics that restore basic function, current prosthetic options lack the dexterity of control needed to replace full function. Commercially available myoelectric prosthetic arms utilize a simple, low degree of freedom (DOF) decode method that uses a limited number of precisely placed surface EMG (sEMG) electrodes whose signals are directly assigned to individual DOFs. As a result, the user can only control a few (e.g., 2-3) DOFs of control of the prosthetic. Additionally, graded movements are difficult for the user, and initiation of movement may require a high level of muscle contraction, which can be both frustrating and fatiguing for the user.

Signal processing for decoding intended movements from electromyographic signals


A cover structure for an electronic device comprises a protective cover and a touch element. The protective cover is connected with the electronic device, and the protective cover is capable of being rotated with respect to the electronic device to a front side or a rear side of the electronic device. The touch element is disposed at the protective cover and can be exerted by an external force to touch the electronic device and activate corresponding functions of the electronic device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic device and, more particularly, to an electronic device capable of being operated directly through a protective cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
As time progresses and busy life, mobile electronic devices have become the necessary products in the modern life. For example, mobile communicational devices not only can be used to communicate but also be a notebook or be operated program as the development and progressing of the human being.
In order to operate more directly, the size of the screen has been increased as the mobile phone development as well as the touch panel has been widely used. It is more convenient to operate while the size of the screen is increased; however, there are more chances to scratch the screen.
In order to effectively protect the screen from scratching, most users will buy an additional protective cover to cover on the touch panel for avoiding the mobile phone from the scratch due to the collision by other sharp things in the bags or other places when the mobile phone is placed therein. However, the method will be not convenient for the user even though it can be well avoid the damage of the touch panel. For example, when there is an incoming call, the user needs to open the protective cover and then touch the touch panel to operate the mobile phone.
Moreover, the user cannot read the information on the screen directly when the cover is covered on the touch panel. That is, the user needs to open the protective cover and then check the incoming call or other information. Thus, how to improve the design between the mobile phone and the protective cover thus to allow the mobile phone easier to be used and reduce the unnecessary operation is an issue for inventors of the present invention and persons who are engaged in the related art.

Cover structure and electronic device using the same


A method of increasing a density of carboxylic acids on a surface of a carbon nanoparticle is disclosed. The method includes contacting an oxygen-containing functional group on a surface of a carbon nanoparticle with a reducing agent to provide a hydroxyl group; reacting the hydroxyl group with a diazoacetate ester in the presence of a transition metal catalyst to provide an ester, the diazoacetate ester having the structure wherein R is a C1-8 hydrocarbyl, preferably tert-butyl, methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, allyl, benzyl, pentafluorophenyl, or N-succinimidyl; and cleaving the ester to provide a carboxylic acid group. Surface-functionalized carbon nanoparticles made by the method are also disclosed.

Carboxylic acids are one of the most commonly utilized functional groups for covalent surface conjugation of nanoparticles. For example, for biological or biomedical applications, carboxylic acids are one of the most useful functional groups as a result of their utility in coupling with biologically relevant molecules such as antibodies and other peptides.
Currently, the most common method to produce carboxylic acids on carbon nanoparticle surfaces is through treatment with an oxidizing acid mixture, for example nitric or sulfuric acid. Subjecting carbon nanoparticles to such oxidizing environments results in the formation of many oxygen-containing functional groups on the nanoparticle surface. The functional groups produced include epoxides, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and lactones. (See, Mochalin, V. N.; Shenderova, O.; Ho, D.; Gogotsi, Y., The Properties and Applications of Nanodiamonds. Nature Nanotechnology 2012, 7 (1), 11-23; Huang, J.; Deming, C. P.; Song, Y.; Kang, X.; Zhou, Z.-Y.; Chen, S., Chemical Analysis of Surface Oxygenated Moieties of Fluorescent Carbon Nanoparticles. Nanoscale 2012, 4 (3), 1010-1015.) Unfortunately, it is difficult to selectively produce carboxylic acids using this acid treatment technique. This presents several problems, one being that a product with a mixture of functional groups is less likely to be used for therapeutic purposes as a result of unintended reactions and poor characterization. Additionally, having the total oxygen content on the nanoparticle surface present in many different forms results in a lower total carboxylic acid content and subsequently lower loading of the molecules that later become coupled to the carboxylic acids.
During ongoing development of fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) as molecular imaging probes, the inventors have repeatedly encountered the problem of low carboxylic acid content, which prevents the functionalization of the FNDs essential for most applications. Other researchers and the manufacturers of the diamonds have reported low to no yield when using carboxylic acid-based coupling approaches for FNDs. The low abundance of carboxylic acid groups on the FNDs thus represents a significant barrier to efficient and biologically compatible functionalization, and more generally the functionalization of other carbon nanoparticles.
Thus, there is a need for improved methods of increasing the density of carboxylic acids on a carbon nanoparticle surface.

Method for functionalizing carbon nanoparticles and compositions

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


A computer-based method and system for detecting violation of intellectual property rights of a digital file, comprising, in a distribution channel, digitally sending or streaming the file from a sending party to a receiving party, adding a watermark to the digital file at the sending party prior to sending or streaming the file, wherein the watermark comprises an identifier of the sending and receiving party(s), as well as a unique file ID. In one embodiment, the party is informed about user and/or customer behavior, and can take precautions.

Digital files can comprise documents such as books, music, images or video recordings, games or parts thereof, data, or other works that are subject to intellectual property rights, such as copyrights. In terms of copyright property rights, such files are often referred to as "works". The digital format makes it easy to copy and distribute files, to send them via email, to distribute them via peer-to-peer networks, or to make them available for download on the Internet. In some cases, intellectual property royalties are paid to the owner of the file; but in many cases, such payments are not made. Files and the corresponding works are then distributed for free; and for the owner of the file, it is very difficult to find out where the work was initially "leaked". Once the file is made available to the public, it is almost impossible to stop further distribution of the file, and it is also impossible to trace its origin.
Attempts have been made to stop illegal distributing (in particular downloading) of files. Besides regulations that forbid copying and/or content downloading and/or sharing, encoding techniques have been used that allow only users who have paid for the rights to use the content of a specific digital file to make use of that file. Digital rights management (DRM) and watermarking techniques are examples thereof.
The existing techniques alone however have not proven to be effective. End-users appear to be very inventive in finding techniques to decode encrypted files or to break DRM protection. Moreover, some damage, like the leaking of unreleased material, like films, books or music albums, cannot be undone.
It is therefore a goal of the present invention to find a method and system for preventing violation of intellectual property rights of a digital file, that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art, and/or enables an effective detection and/or prevention of intellectual property abuse.

Method and system for detecting violation of intellectual property rights of a digital file


The present invention provides an apparatus, method and program for detecting abnormality in tire air-pressure which allow detecting abnormality in tire air-pressure even if pressure in a tire is completely zero. The apparatus for alarming abnormality in tire air-pressure includes means of (1) calculating the acceleration variations of respective tires from accelerations of the tires calculated by rotational wheel velocities; (2) comparing the calculated acceleration variations of the respective tires; and (3) detecting air-pressure in a tire is abnormal when the acceleration variation of the tire is larger than the acceleration variations of the remaining tires as a result of comparison.

The present invention relates to an apparatus, method and program for alarming abnormality in tire air-pressure.
It is difficult to detect decrease in tire air-pressure, in particular such as a run-flat tire which allows traveling even if air-pressure therein is zero. In the case a vehicle travels at high speed with a tire having decreased air-pressure, there has been a problem that the tire may blow out.
Various methods have been investigated to detect decrease in tire air-pressure. However, if tire air-pressure is completely zero, most of the methods cannot detect decrease in tire air-pressure since those methods conclude from acceleration variations that a road condition is bad and reject all data.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 305011/1988 discloses a method for detecting decrease in tire air-pressure from wheel velocities of four-wheel tires on a vehicle by using a tire deflation warning system (DWS). However, this method can not detect that tire air-pressure is zero.
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, method and program for detecting abnormality in tire air-pressure which allow detecting abnormality of a tire air-pressure even if a tire air-pressure is completely zero.

Apparatus, method and program for alarming abnormality in tire air-pressure


A machine tool has a saddle moving over a bed and a table moving over the saddle. A scattering prevention cover that receives chips generated and a cutting fluid supplied during machining of a workpiece placed on the table is fixed to the table. A first flow path fixed to the saddle receives the chips and cutting fluid discharged from the scattering prevention cover, and a second flow path fixed to the bed receives and discharges the chips and cutting fluid discharged from the first flow path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine tool having a scattering prevention cover that prevents scattering of chips and a cutting fluid throughout the inside of a splash guard when the machine tool is used.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, as a prevention against scattering of chips generated and a cutting fluid supplied to a workpiece (cutting portion) during machining of the workpiece, a machining area is covered with a splash guard or a covering component, screening component, shielding component, or the like is set around the workpiece to suppress scattering of the chips and cutting fluid (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-283180 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-236268, for example).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-283180 discloses a technique by which a shielding component for suppressing scattering of chips on a table is provided, in addition to a splash guard for covering a machining area. However, there is no description about where the non-scattering chips are stored and how these chips are treated.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-236268 discloses a technique by which receiving plates and chip trays are provided around a workpiece, chips and a cutting fluid are received and stored in the chip trays, and the chips are collected from the stored cutting fluid. However, this technique is applied to a machine tool that has only one movement axis, and there is no description about application of the technique to a machine tool that has three movement axes (X-, Y-, and Z-axes).

Machine tool having scattering prevention cover


System and method for putting control of incoming telephone calls in the hands of subscribers with the aid of computer software and the Internet. In effect, a very efficient multiplexer is provided that does not require a change in the behavior of the called party or the calling party. This system permits the called party to hear a spoken message by the calling party in real time, and the content of the spoken message permits the called party to decide how to handle the call. The system adaptively learns and captures the rules of the called party for handling calls, and learns which callers the called party always wishes to talk to. The system uses special control software on the called party's computer which is connected to the Internet. The system employs a central server in which all of the required intelligence is resident. Audio signals are exchanged via non-data channels provided by the telephone companies and by the Internet. Either a very simple Internet busy pick-up is provided, or a very complex messaging system is provided, as desired. A feature is the monitoring and screening of incoming calls before deciding how to handle them. Another feature is the capturing and storage of the decision making profile.

Many telephone subscribers have a personal computer on their desk and frequently the personal computer is logged in to the same telephone line that would normally be used by the telephone. This is for use of the computer on the Internet. Frequently, incoming telephone calls receive a busy signal because the computer is logged on to the Internet. Thus there are many lost calls. Many individuals and small businesses are searching for ways to simplify and control their telecommunications systems. Many of them are reluctant to acquire additional telephone lines at current prices.
Most telecommunications systems today have limited intelligence. It is estimated that 75% of business calls end in voice mail, an often unsatisfactory conclusion. Calls not completed may result in irritated customers and lost sales. The present invention addresses this waste of human and business resources by using the Internet and Internet telephony to deliver control of a customers telecommunication for the individual or small business.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for providing expanded telecommunications service


A document processing method and apparatus are disclosed in embodiments of the present application. The method includes: obtaining a target geographic location where the first electronic device is currently located, when a predetermined operation for a document is detected; determining whether the target geographic location matches a target password that is used to encrypt the document in advance; and if so, allowing the predetermined operation to be performed on the document; and if not, preventing the predetermined operation from being performed on the document. The apparatus includes an obtaining module, a determining module, and a decision module. In the embodiment of the present application, the document is encrypted and decrypted by using a target password generated based on a geographic location, which ensures the security of password transmission, and improves the security of the use of the document and the convenience of authorization and decryption.

With the development of computers and networks, collaborative office is increasingly common. In the field of collaborative office, enterprises have a strong need for document confidentiality, and therefore there are various encryption methods.
In prior art, the most common approach for document confidentiality is to use an operation password to protect the document. In order to facilitate the operation of a document by a user, it is necessary to transmit the document and the password at the same time, which is complicated. Furthermore, the transmission of the password might not be safe (e.g., the password may be lost), thus there needs to be strict requirements on the security of password transmission. In view of above, this approach is inconvenient.

Document processing method and apparatus

Zhuhai Kingsoft Office Software Co., Ltd.

Guangzhou Kingsoft Mobile Technology Co., Ltd.


In one embodiment, the present invention contemplates a T-shaped stiffening device to prevent a trouser leg from becoming entangled between the foot and a shoe, particularly and open-back shoe, of a wearer. Accordingly, the device includes a stiffening device having a central stiffening member arranged between two opposing layers, one layer having an exterior face having an adhesive. One method of use includes locating an interior portion of a trouser leg, preferably near the hem-line, where stiffening is desired and arranging the device vertically starting at the hem-line at a rear portion of the interior portion of the trouser leg. Finally, adhering the device to the interior portion of the trouser leg using an adhesive provided on the device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clothing apparel and particularly a leg stiffening device that is particularly suited to attach to existing pant, trouser, or slack legs to enhance wear particularly when wearing an open-back shoe.
2. Description of the Prior art and Background of the Invention
A well-understood technique to appear taller and thinner includes using a shoe with a heel placing the wearer's foot at an angle so the heel of the foot is substantially higher than the ball, wearing a trouser that has a leg length that is longer than the wearer's inseam, and further allowing that trouser-leg to carry over the shoe in an unbroken line. This presents the appearance that the wearer has a relatively long and lean leg, which adds visual stature to the wearer and boosts their self-confidence. However, in so doing, the extended trouser leg can become entangled between the shoe and the wearer's foot, particularly when the wearer is sporting open-back shoes. This presents an unsightly gaff and detracts from the visual affect the wearer was attempting, resulting in embarrassing situations or serving as an impediment to mobility.
One attempt to avoid pant entanglement includes a device described by Lockwood in U.S. Patent Application No. US2006/0143768 published on 6 Jul. 2006. Lockwood describes a garment accessory consisting of a support portion, an adhesive strip and a covering. Although the Lockwood device is preferably rectangular and oriented horizontally, vertical strips, block-shaped strips, circular strips are contemplated. However, the Lockwood device has certain drawbacks and shortcomings. For example, although the Lockwood device can prevent some degree of pant or skirt entanglement at the rear of the garment (rear of heal) between a foot and a shoe, the Lockwood device cannot adequately protect against side entanglement. Further, although it is generally desirable to re-use the garment accessory, the Lockwood device includes only a cover, and no base layer, which would enhance its durability. Further, Lockwood teaches a stiffening device comprising cardboard or paper and remaining a light-weight product. However, such construction will not stand-up to multiple re-use, particularly if the garment accessory inadvertently goes through a wash and dry cycle while affixed.
Thus, there is a need for a device that can be integrated into slacks, trousers and the like that prevents this embarrassing tuck-under of the trouser leg under the foot and atop the shoe. The device, further should adapt to be integrated during the manufacture of the garment. Also, and perhaps more importantly, the device should further adapt to be retrofitted to existing garments so that a wearer can quickly and easily adapt their existing wardrobe. Additionally, such a device should be constructed of robust materials that stand up to multiple washings and include means and structures, and materials that provide a rigid, yet light-weight device that easily adapts to multiple uses on garments and can withstand water during washing and heat during drying, and further, can maintain its integrity and stiffness from such use.


The damper coating for shocks produced by a collision, or impacts produced by a shockwave, contains at least one layer of a crushing material (2) intended to cover a surface to be protected, the external layer of the crushing material (2) being, according to the present invention, covered by a skin (4) capable of providing a widening of the area affected by the shock or impact. The skin (4) contains, in particular, several layers (5.sub.1 ; 5.sub.2 ; 5.sub.3) of scales (6.sub.1 ; 6.sub.2 ; 6.sub.3), the scales of one layer being offset in staggered rows with respect to the scales of the following layer and being separated from the neighbouring scales of the same layer or capable of being separated from the latter on the application of the shock or impact. The structure of this damper coating is designed to dampen the impact under a reduced thickness.

The present invention concerns shock damping and involves shock damper coatings intended to be applied in contact with an area to be protected.
Such coatings can have numerous applications. The following will be cited by way of example, without this list being in any way restrictive: the protection of objects in packaging, the protection of static or mobile installations against various kinds of projectiles (for example shrapnel, missiles, etc.), the protection of oil tankers, off-shore oil rigs and port terminals, against related objects, the protection of sensitive installations (nuclear power stations, hazardous plants) against crashing aircraft, and the protection of cable cars, etc.
Apart from protection against shocks in those types of applications just indicated, protective coatings according to the invention may likewise find applications in protection against explosions. However, as will appear later, the structure of the coating according to the invention has been developed to enable the crushing area of the coating to be widened with respect to the impact zone the result of this is that this coating will be useful where the shockwave caused by the explosion produces a localized impact. It may thus be a matter of protecting a ship's hull against the effect of mines or charges which act on contact with the hull.
When two bodies moving in relation to each other collide, the shock produces stresses at the point of impact, and these stresses deform the two moving bodies. These deformations are more or less severe, depending on the toughness of the body under consideration; moreover, for the smallest stresses (below the elastic limit, which varies according to the body, and may even vary according to the velocity of the impact), the deformation is reversible: the energy of the impact is absorbed by the deformation, then restored by repelling the "aggressor" moving body. Above the elastic limit the body is "crushable" and the deformation is irreversible. The energy of the impact is thus absorbed in the form of work required to produce the deformation (crushing, internal displacement, fractures, etc.). This mechanism is currently used to protect a surface or a volume against impacts with the aid of a layer of damping material.
Damping materials therefore exist, such as foams made of plastic material, glass or others, or products that are highly porous, such as stacks of hollow beads which absorb energy in proportion to the crushed volume, as illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b. FIG. 1a shows a moving body 1 at the instant of its falling onto a damping material 2 or crushing material covering a surface 3 to be protected. The moving body 1 penetrates the crushing material 2, and goes deep of a volume W of the crushing material 2, which slows it down (FIG. 1b). The energy absorbed corresponds to that required to compress this volume W of the crushing material 2 into a volume W/a, a being the crush coefficient. This crushed volume W/a is made to move ahead of the moving body 1, increasing as the latter advances until it stops, if the thickness of the crushing material 2 is sufficient, that is to say when the energy used up by compression is equal to the initial energy of the moving body 1. Otherwise, the surface to be protected 3 itself has to absorb the residual energy.
In the case of a material 2 whose crushing stress is Y.sub.e, the advance X of the moving body 1 of mass M and velocity V, exerting the impact on a surface area S is approximately ##EQU1##
The crushing material 2 still not crushed transmits stresses to the surface to be protected 3, which it should be able to accept.
The thickness required to absorb the kinetic energy of the moving body (1/2 MV.sup.2) is inversely proportional to the surface area S (see formula I).
In the mechanism just explained with reference to FIGS. 1a and 1b, the cross section of material which is affected by the compression phenomenon is more or less equal to the cross section S of the moving body 1. It is obviously preferable to cover the crushing material 2 by a skin 4, deformable but more rigid than the material, as is shown in FIG. 2a. FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c illustrate the successive penetration of the moving body 1 into a crushing material 2 covered by skin 4. As can be seen in FIG. 2b, by accepting a certain deformation, the skin 4 widens the surface area of the absorbent zone. However, in the majority of cases this widening is extremely limited. In fact this skin 4 must have sufficient rigidity in order to crush the underlying material 2, but then the action of the moving body 1 on this rigid skin 4 creates, around the perimeter of the impact zone, a significant stress which produces tearing of the skin 4: the moving body 1 acts as a punch and the crushed zone is very slightly enlarged (FIG. 2c). It must therefore be very thick in order to absorb the incident energy.
The object of the present invention is to propose a damper coating, the structure of which is designed to dampen the impact under a reduced thickness.


An optical fiber continuous measurement system continually measures at least one optical property along a length of optical fiber. The system includes a rotatable body onto which a reflector is secured. The reflector is optically coupled to an end of the optical fiber, thereby allowing light propagating from the optical fiber to the reflector to be reflected back along the length of the optical fiber toward a measuring device. The property to be measured is acquired as the fiber is wound from one rotatable body to the other. The system is particularly suited for measuring attenuation, including macrobend loss in which case a localized bending mechanism is employed, along the length of the fiber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to continuous measurement of optical fiber, and particularly to continuous attenuation measurement of optical fiber, including continuous measurement of attenuation from bending ("macrobend loss").
2. Technical Background
Methods for measuring various properties of optical fiber often involve testing relatively short samples of stationary optical fiber. For example, methods for measuring light attenuation from bending ("macrobend loss") typically involve winding a short length of fiber a specified number of turns around a mandrel of a specific diameter or deploying the fiber through a series of guide grooves to hold the fiber at a specific bend radius. Bend sensitivity is determined by comparing spectral power of the fiber in the bend condition to spectral power through the fiber without a bend.
Such methods can be tedious and time consuming. Moreover, in the case of testing for resistance to macrobend loss, they can fail, as a practical matter, to simultaneously take into account multiple factors that can lead to an unacceptable level of macrobend loss. Such factors can include, for example, variations in manufacturing processes, variations as a result of optical fiber nonuniformity, variations in the manner in which optical fiber can be bent, and the unpredictability as to which sections of optical fiber may be ultimately bent in application. Such variations can lead to an unacceptable level of signal loss, even if only a very small percentage of an entire length of optical fiber is affected. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a method that can quickly and efficiently measure resistance to macrobend loss along an entire length of optical fiber.

Optical fiber continuous measurement system


A piston ring (22) is covered at least partially with a layered structure (30). The layered structure (30) comprises: —a first intermediate layer (32) comprising at least one element of group IVB, group VB or group VIB; —a second intermediate layer (34) deposited on top of the first intermediate layer (32) and comprising a diamond-like nanocomposite composition; —a diamond-like carbon layer (36) deposited on top of the second intermediate layer (34).

Piston rings are open-ended rings which fit into a groove on the outer diameter of a piston of an internal combustion motor.
Piston rings are expected to fulfill a lot of severe demands.
First of all piston rings must provide a seal between the piston and the cylinder wall.
Secondly piston rings must minimize the blow-by, i.e. the amount of combustion gas that seeps the piston rings.
Thirdly piston rings must harness the full power of the combustion stroke.
As a fourth requirement, piston rings must scrape off the oil from the cylinders in order to prevent contamination of the combustion process.
A fifth requirement is that the piston ring must regulate the heat transfer from the piston to the cylinder wall.
As a sixth requirement the piston ring must control the thermal changes in the engine.
A seventh requirement is that the piston ring must regulate the oil consumption of the internal combustion motor.
Having regards to these different requirements, the design of a piston ring is driven by several demands which may be often contradictory. Some of these demands are reduced oil consumption, lower friction, higher power output, longer life, decreased variability, reduced exhaust emissions and low cost.
Existing piston ring designs originate from standards developed by engine and ring manufacturers based on tests and data gathered over a very long period of time. Piston ring properties are chosen utilizing a particular combination of the piston ring material, the coating on the piston ring, and the geometry of the piston ring.
The present invention relates to the coating aspect on the piston ring.
Prior art documents U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,481, U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,913 and DE-U1-296 05 666 all disclose various diamond-like carbon coatings on piston rings.
The present invention provides an alternative coating giving an improvement over existing diamond-like carbon coatings on piston rings, more particularly with respect to reduction of friction and to surface coverage and corrosion protection.

Piston ring having hard multi-layer coating


A fishing apparatus having a fishing seat and a fishing rod holder. The fishing seat includes a base which positions a chair mounted on a pedestal relative to the fishing rod holder and a foot operated treadle. The chair includes a seat and a back rest which are connected by a pair of folding brackets. The foot operated treadle is attached to the base in front of the chair. The foot operated treadle is attached to a rear cradle of the fishing rod holder via a line. A resilient member which biases the fishing rod holder against a stop member is attached to a front cradle of the fishing rod holder and to a rod mounting member. The rod mounting member mounts the fishing rod holder to the base adjacent to the chair. The device is operated by the foot of a fisherman sitting in the chair. The fisherman actuates the treadle in response to a fish strike in order to set the hook into the fish.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holder for holding a fishing rod under the observation of a fisherman who, at the critical moment, must take charge of the rod and implant the hook in the mouth of a fish. The fishing rod holder increases the ease but not necessarily the productivity of fishing, as that still depends upon the skill of the fisherman.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It is common practice for a fisherman to put his fishing rod into a holder while he is waiting for a fish to strike as holding the pole over long periods of inactivity can be tiring. Some of the prior art fishing rod holders are spring-biased under control of a latch that is triggered when a fish bites, automatically jerking the fishing line and setting the hook. These devices take some of the sport out of fishing. Other of the prior art holders require that the fisherman maintain the rod under observation, so that, when a fish bites, he takes the rod out of the holder and into his hands, trying to land the fish in the usual way. Some of these latter devices are of the clamp type and all of them, insofar as known, are either cumbersome or difficult to use, failing in particular to give the fisherman quick access to his fishing rod.
While trolling, another problem with the prior art fishing rod holders is that the rod tends to bounce when the fishing tackle hits a temporary snag on the bottom. With spring-biased holders, a snag may apply sufficient force to trigger the latch, jerking the fishing line, frequently making the snag even worse or breaking the line. With clamp type rod holders, on the other hand, the force may cause the rod to open the clamp and bounce out of the holder, possibly falling into the water and being lost.
The period just as the fish starts to take the bait is critical and many fish have been lost because the fisherman was not quick enough to get his hands on the rod and jerk it in the necessary arc. None of the prior art fishing pole holders, insofar as known, provide a lever to assist the fisherman in the initial jerk and then free the rod so that the fisherman can land the fish in the normal manner.
Fishing is a sport that can be pursued throughout one's lifetime, however, sometimes it is difficult for a person who is physically challenged to jerk the pole with his hands as required to initially set the hook. None of the prior art devices address this need, either, with a holder that still requires the fisherman to act at the critical moment, setting the pole in motion with a lever which can be operated with a foot or the like.
In view of the above, there is a continuing need for a fishing rod holder for holding a rod while a fisherman is waiting for a strike, which holder is resistant to snags and allows for exceptionally quick release of the rod after setting the hook with a lever. There is also a need for a fishing rod holder with the above-mentioned attributes that can be rigged so that it is operable other than by hand.


Systems and methods for managing voice data in network-based instant connect communications. In an instant connect call, instead of immediately playing voice data when it is received, the voice data is buffered on the recipient's device and the recipient is notified of the incoming voice data. The recipient may then play the voice data at a later time before the instant connect call session times out. The recipient may also take the floor and delete the buffered voice data, reject the voice data, or ignore the voice data until the session times out and the buffered voice data is deleted. The recipient can also prevent voice data from being delivered by selecting an answer mode of operation of the recipient's device that enables the recipient to approve senders before voice data is transmitted.

1. The Field of the Invention
The invention relates to network-based instant connect telecommunication. More particularly, the invention relates to managing incoming voice data by allowing the recipient to apply various answer modes in network-based instant connect communications.
2. The Relevant Technology
Mobile telephones are some of the most common communication devices in use today. As the popularity of mobile telephones and other telephony-enabled wireless devices such as personal digital assistants increases, the ways in which these devices are used also grows. One application of mobile telephone technology is to use mobile telephones as if they were two-way radio devices or "walkie-talkies." The ability to use mobile telephones as walkie-talkies is often referred to as "push-to-talk". Communication in a push-to-talk system can be one-to-one or one-to-many. One example of a push-to-talk system is Nextel's iDEN-based Push to Talk® (also known as Direct Connect™) service.
Push-to-talk systems are typically implemented using standard voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP) technologies or other telephony technologies, where voice data is sent in digital form over data networks. Such push-to-talk systems are hereinafter referred to as "network-based instant connect systems", and they can be deployed in various networks, including wireless and wireline networks.
Network-based instant connect communication allows a sender to speak to a recipient without the customary procedure of dialing a telephone number and waiting for the recipient to answer. Network-based instant connect communication services combine the convenience of near-instantaneous connection between users with the range and security afforded by a network. Once an instant connect session is established over the network, the voice data transmitted from a sender is played on the recipient's device without any action on the part of the recipient. This is in contrast to a regular telephone call where the recipient is required to manually respond to a ringing telephone.
Because network-based instant connect calls are designed to mimic walkie-talkie communication, the communication channel is used in a half-duplex manner, meaning that voice data can only flow in one direction at a time. The ability to transmit voice data is often referred to as "having the floor". In a network-based instant connect communication, the sender typically sends a floor request signal to a server in the network by pressing the talk button on a suitably enabled wireless device. Once the floor is granted, the sender may speak to the recipient until the talk button is released. The recipient of the voice data who does not have the floor can merely receive the voice data and cannot take the floor until the sender relinquishes the floor.
As noted above, one general feature of network-based instant connect communications is that, if the recipient's device is powered on and is in a mode to accept incoming calls, any incoming network-based instant connect calls result in the recipient's device automatically outputting voice data. While this can be desirable in some situations, there may be times when the recipient does not want to immediately hear incoming voice data or to otherwise be interrupted by an instant connect call. For example, while the recipient may not want to risk missing an important communication by powering off the device, at the same time the recipient may not want others to hear the incoming voice data from an instant connect communication or may be in a situation where the unexpected activation of the recipient's device in response to an incoming instant connect communication would be considered an interruption. Thus, automatically outputting the voice data associated with instant connect communications may sometimes be inconvenient or undesirable.

Buffering voice data in network-based instant connect communication


The organic light-emitting device of the present invention includes: a substrate; a plurality of organic light-emitting elements formed on the substrate; and an element isolation layer formed between the plurality of organic light-emitting elements, each of the elements having: on the substrate in mentioned order, a first electrode patterned for each of the organic light-emitting elements, an organic compound layer patterned for each of the organic light-emitting elements, and a second electrode; the element isolation layer formed across a space between the plurality of first electrodes to cover the ends of the first electrodes, and having an opening at a portion corresponding to the organic light-emitting elements, and at least a portion of the element isolation layer in contact with the organic compound layer is formed of an inorganic material.

In recent years, an organic light-emitting device provided with a plurality of organic light-emitting elements (organic EL elements) which are self-luminous type display elements has been attracting attention as a flat panel display.
An organic light-emitting element has such a structure that an organic light-emitting layer (organic compound layer) is interposed between two electrodes, and a transparent electrode made of, for example, indium tin oxide (ITO) is used for one of the electrodes in order that light emitted from the organic light-emitting layer may be extracted to the outside of a panel of the organic light-emitting device. The organic light-emitting element is typically formed on a substrate made of, for example, glass.
Further, the outer peripheral surface of the organic light-emitting element is sealed with a sealing material, and the element emits light as a result of the application of a voltage by an external driver circuit.
Since an organic light-emitting element is a self-luminous type display element, the element does not require any backlight, can be reduced in thickness, and has good visibility and a wide color reproduction range. In view of the foregoing, a plurality of corporations has been conducting research and development of organic light-emitting elements with a view to commercializing the elements.
At present, an organic light-emitting element has been already put into practical use as a display element for displays such as of an on-vehicle component and a mobile phone.
By the way, an organic light-emitting element which has the above characteristics is known to be extremely vulnerable to moisture in general.
For example, when moisture infiltrates into an organic light-emitting element, a non-light-emitting region referred to as a dark spot is generated, with the result that a problem concerning the lifetime of the element such as inability to maintain a light-emitting state occurs.
The following proposal has been conventionally made as a measure to solve the problem of the lifetime.
Flat glass is used as a sealing member for an organic light-emitting element substrate on which the organic light-emitting element is mounted, and a space between the organic light-emitting element substrate and the flat glass is filled with an inert gas. After that, the organic light-emitting element substrate is sealed with the flat glass by bonding the organic light-emitting element substrate and the flat glass with a UV curing resin of cation curing type (see Japanese Patent No. 3288242).
Another approach involving sealing the organic light-emitting element with a stacked structure having a barrier property has also been known (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-134271).
However, even when the organic light-emitting element substrate is sealed with the flat glass as a sealing member by using a UV curable adhesive of cation curing type as described in Japanese Patent No. 3288242, the infiltration of moisture from the resin portion as the adhesive or the infiltration of moisture from an interface at which the element is sealed with the flat glass cannot be completely prevented. As a result, considering the operating time of the element in practical use, the following problem exists: a dark spot is gradually generated, or a dark spot region gradually expands so that the element does not emit light.
Another approach involving interposing a moisture adsorbing member described in Japanese Patent No. 3288242 in order to adsorb moisture infiltrating into an organic light-emitting device in the above sealed structure is also known. However, when a sheet-shaped moisture adsorbing member is used, it is difficult to select flat glass as a sealing member because the sheet-shaped moisture adsorbing member has a thickness of, for example, about 250 μm.
Meanwhile, it is possible to adopt the so-called cap type glass which is dug down except the region where the organic light-emitting element substrate and flat glass are bonded to each other in order that a moisture absorbing member may be interposed, or a structure in which a spacer is provided between the organic light-emitting element substrate and the flat glass. However, such structures lead to cost increase or larger thickness of an organic light-emitting device.
The use of a stacked structure having barrier property is also considered as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-134271 as another sealing approach. In the approach, since a moisture barrier film is directly formed on an organic light-emitting element, the barrier film may have a defect owing to, for example, an influence of a contaminant (an impurity or foreign matter) or a pinhole. In that case, moisture infiltrates into the organic light-emitting element through the defect to inhibit the light emission of the organic light-emitting element, with the result that the element becomes a non-light-emitting element. Further, moisture propagates from the non-light-emitting element into an organic light-emitting element adjacent to the non-light-emitting element to turn the adjacent organic light-emitting elements into non-light-emitting elements one after another. As a result, a wide range of an organic light-emitting device deteriorates, and hence the yield of the device is remarkably reduced. The inventor of the present invention has discovered that layers which mainly propagate moisture in this case are an element isolation layer formed between two adjacent organic light-emitting elements, an organic compound layer forming an organic light-emitting element, or a planarizing layer for covering an upper portion of a thin-film transistor (TFT) to planarize the covered surface thereof.


An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a fixing device, an input portion, and a control portion. The fixing device includes a rotary member to be heated, a pressure-applying rotary member, a heat-applying portion, a pressure-applying mechanism, and a reference position detection mechanism. The control portion controls fixing processing, with the pressure-applying rotary member disposed at any of a plurality of pressure-applying positions and a pressure reduction position based on a type of the recording medium inputted through the input portion. The control portion performs control so that when a prescribed amount of time has elapsed or when a rotation amount of a shaft has reached a prescribed amount from timing at which a reference position detection sensor is brought to an on-state, the pressure-applying drive motor is stopped so as to dispose the pressure-applying rotary member at any of the plurality of pressure-applying positions.

The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus including a fixing device, such as a copy machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a multi-functional peripheral equipped therewith, and particularly to a method for achieving both of fixability and sheet conveyance capability.
In image forming apparatuses, a fixing device including a fixing member composed of a fixing roller or a fixing belt (a rotary member to be heated) and a pressure-applying roller (a pressure-applying rotary member) that are in pressure contact with each other is widely used to fix a toner image to a sheet. In the fixing device, a recording material such as a sheet is passed through a fixing nip formed by a heat-applying roller and the pressure-applying roller so that heat and pressure are applied to a toner image to fuse and fix the toner image to the recording material.
In the fixing device as described above, a temperature of the fixing roller or the fixing belt and a nip pressure at the fixing nip are set in consideration of toner fixability to a recording material. However, in a case of fixing a toner image to a special sheet different in type from a plain sheet under heat-applying and pressure-applying conditions set in consideration of toner fixability to, for example, the plain sheet, wrinkles are likely to form in the recording material.
To address this issue, there has been proposed a fixing device that suppresses formation of wrinkles without impairing fixability of a toner image to a special sheet such as an envelope. For example, there is known a fixing device including a recognition unit that recognizes a thickness of a member to be subjected to fixing and a pressure contact force switching unit that switches a pressure contact force of a pressure contact member to a smaller value than in a case of fixing with respect to a plain sheet when the thickness of the member to be subjected to fixing recognized by the recognition unit is larger than that of the plain sheet.
Furthermore, there is also known an image forming apparatus including a heat-applying portion that heats a recording sheet on which a toner image has been transferred, a pressure-applying portion that presses the heat-applying portion so as to form a prescribed nip, a conveyance drive unit that drives at least one of the heat-applying portion and the pressure-applying portion so as to convey the recording sheet in a prescribed direction via the nip at a prescribed conveyance speed, and a pressure application amount control unit that controls an amount of pressure applied by the pressure-applying portion. In the image forming apparatus, the pressure application amount control unit controls the amount of pressure applied by the pressure-applying portion correspondingly to a type of the recording sheet.
There is known a fixing device that has a pressure release mode in which a fixing nip is set to provide a first pressure and a pressure-applying mode in which the fixing nip is set to provide a second pressure larger than the first pressure. In the pressure release mode, the fixing device enters into a fixing operation standby state, and the fixing device performs sheet feeding and fixing of a recording medium of a particular type in the pressure release mode, while performing sheet feeding and fixing of a recording medium of a type other than the particular type in the pressure-applying mode.


Visual elements can be arbitrarily rendered in a code editor. Visual elements can be rendered at any location on a display. Visual elements can include text, images, graphics, video, and/or multi-media. Rendering of visual elements will not obstruct a view of rendered text. Nor will rendering of the visual element obstruct a view of the visual element. Visual elements can be rendered between lines of text and/or in-line with text. If a selected location will obstruct a view or either rendered text or another visual element, the rendered text and/or the other visual element is reconfigured to allow space for rendering the visual element.

Typical code editors, such as source code editors and text editors, display visual elements other than text on top of or behind text that is currently being displayed, thus obstructing the view of the text being displayed or of the visual element. Some code editors display visual elements in predetermined margins at the edge of a display screen. To display visual elements, current code editors require prior knowledge about which visual elements are to be displayed. Current code editors also need to know the allowable locations on the display screen for displaying visual elements. Further, current code editors do not provide the ability to arbitrarily place a visual element on a display screen without obstructing text. This lack of flexibility can be cumbersome, tedious, and impede code development.

Arbitrary rendering of visual elements on a code editor


A method includes binding, using a plurality of processors, a process to a wildcard address and a port on each of a plurality of nodes. The process receives, on a redirector node, a first request for a first address of a first volume located on the cluster from a first client. The first request is sent to the port and a first address associated with a first virtual local area network (VLAN) that is not the wildcard address. The process determines the first address from the first request and a name of the first VLAN based on the first address. The process determines a first node that contains information regarding the first volume and an address of the first node that is part of the first VLAN. The process determines that a volume identifier associated with the first volume of the first request is present on a volume list.

Virtual local area networks (VLANs) allow various remote-computing systems to communicate as if they resided on a common local area network. Accordingly, network security measures can ensure secure communication occurs between the various remote-computing systems, even if the communication occurs over an otherwise unsecured network. Combined with a VLAN, internet small computer system interface (iSCSI) allows volumes on a storage system to be accessed in a secure way. iSCSI provides an abstraction of where a volume of data is stored on the storage system. To create a connection, a device issues a discovery request for a particular volume to an iSCSI target. In response to this discovery request, the iSCSI target determines where the volume is located and provides the IP address of where the volume is located. This allows an end user to access a volume of data without having to know, prior to accessing the data, where the data is actually located. This process is called iSCSI redirection.


A method of producing a printer head wherein a substrate including at least one piezoelectric member polarized in its thickness direction is formed. A plurality of grooves and a plurality of posts are alternately defined in the substrate. A pre-processing solution is allowed to flow along the grooves at the following relative velocity so as to effect pre-processing when the velocity of the pre-processing solution for electroless plating relative to an object to be plated is V, the height of each of electrodes formed on the internal surfaces of the grooves is H, the width of each groove is W and a contact angle at which the pre-processing solution is brought into contact with the internal surfaces of the grooves is .theta.. EQU VW.sup.2 (1+cos.theta. )/H.sup.2 >0.6 mm/s. Thereafter, the substrate is immersed in an electroless plating solution to form the electrodes. A roof is joined to the surface of the substrate so as to close the top opening surfaces of the grooves, thereby defining a plurality of pressure chambers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing a printer head of an on-demand type, which is suitable for use in a so-called ink-jet type printer for printing liquid ink onto a sheet of paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
As printer heads of so-called on-demand types for jetting ink drops in accordance with painting instructions, there are known one of a type for bubbling ink with heat and jetting it as has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-59913, for example, and one of a type for applying an electric field to a piezoelectric element and jetting ink owing to the deformation of the piezoelectric element as has been described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 55-11811.
According to the former (the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-59913 or the like), respective jetting units are reduced in size. Therefore, a number of nozzles can be arranged at high density. However, this disclosure is accompanied by drawbacks that bubbling an optical density of the ink cannot be increased because of the bubbling and the ink is burned in a heating plate for heating the ink, thereby impairing durability of the jetting units. According to the latter (the invention disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent (Kokai) No. 55-11811 or the like), problems concerning to the optical density of the ink and the durability of the jetting units do not arise. Since, however, the width of a piezoelectric element increases, a number of nozzles cannot be arranged at high density.
FIG. 8 shows the printer head using the piezoelectric element, which has been disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent (Kokai) No. 55-11811, for example. As shown in FIG. 8(a), a liquid reservoir 21, a plurality of pressure chambers 22 connected to the liquid reservoir 21 and having a diameter of about 2 mm, and a plurality of channels 23 coupled to the pressure chambers 22 are formed in a substrate 20 by etching. The channels 23 are gradually narrowed toward the tips of nozzles 24. As shown in FIG. 8(b), other substrate 25 has a plurality of piezoelectric elements 26 arranged in corresponding relationship to the pressure chambers 22. A desired printer head is formed by stacking the substrates 20 and 25 on each other and joining them. In this printer head, the voltage is applied to a desired piezoelectric element 26. Ink drops are jetted from the nozzle 24 owing to a variation in the capacity of each pressure chamber 22 based on the deformation of the piezoelectric element 26.
However, the printer head shown in FIG. 8 causes pressure losses when the pressure developed in each pressure chamber 22 is transmitted to each channel 23. The pressure losses differ in magnitude or level according to the size of each channel 23 and thus jetting characteristics of ink from a plurality of nozzles 24 also differ from one another. This tendency often appears with an increase in the number of the nozzles 24 and hence the number of the nozzles 24 cannot be increased.
There are also known printer heads wherein piezoelectric elements are used and a number of nozzles are provided as has been disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent (Kokai) No. 63-252750 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent (Kokai) No. 2-150355. A description will now be made of the invention disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent (Kokai) No. 2-150355 with reference to FIG. 9. The bottom sheet 30 is polarized in the direction indicated by the arrow, and includes a number of parallel grooves 31 defined by side walls 32 and a bottom surface 33. Further, the top opening surfaces of the respective grooves 31 are closed by joining a top sheet 35 to the top 34 of each side wall 32. Metal electrodes 37 are formed under evaporation on the internal surfaces, corresponding to both internal surfaces of the respective grooves 31, of the side walls 32 so as to fall within a range of about one-half the entire height of each groove as seen on the top sheet 35 side.
That is, the bottom sheet 30 is held by a jig in a vacuum deposition device. Then, a parallel beam of deposition metallic atoms is induced toward the bottom sheet 30 with an angle of .delta. formed with respect to each side wall 32 as shown in FIG. 10. Thus, a metallic film is deposited on a portion of one surface of each side wall 32. Then, the parallel beam of deposition metallic atoms is introduced into the bottom sheet 30 in the same manner as described above in a state in which the bottom sheet 30 has been turned 180.degree. with respect to the horizontal direction in FIG. 10. Thus, the metallic electrodes 37 are deposited on a range equal to about one-half the upper portion of both side surface of each side wall 32. At this time, the metallic film deposited on the top 34 of each side wall 32 is removed in the successive step.
Further, each of the pressure chambers is defined by closing each groove 31 with the top sheet 35. Thereafter, supply ports, which are in communication with an ink supply unit, are defined in one ends of the pressure chambers and jetting ports for jetting ink are defined in the other ends of the pressure chambers, thereby completing a printer head.
In this type of printer head, when voltages opposite in polarity to each other are applied to the electrodes 37 of the adjacent two side walls 32, the side walls 32 are subjected to the potential in the direction orthogonal to the polarity indicated by the arrow, of the bottom sheet 30, thereby producing shearing strain as indicated by the dot lines in FIG. 9. As a consequence, the capacity of the pressure chamber (groove 31) between the side walls 32 which has produced the shearing strain is abruptly reduced to increase pressure in the pressure chamber, thereby jetting ink from the jetting ports.
In the printer head disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent (Kokai) No. 2-150355, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, about eight nozzles (jetting ports) can be arranged at high density within a range of width of 1 mm. Further, a pressure loss is not produced between each pressure chamber and each nozzle. Thus, an increase in the number of the nozzles can be effected. However, the printer head has the following problems.
A first problem is that the manufacturing cost becomes high because a method of forming electrodes is cumbersome and the electrodes 37 are formed by using an expensive vacuum deposition device.
A second problem is that an uniform electric field cannot be applied across the bottom sheet 30 formed of a piezoelectric material. That is, since the piezoelectric material is normally of a calcined member formed of crystalline particles, grinding surfaces produced by forming each groove 31 are of grinding surfaces having irregularities developed as the crystalline particles are. On the other hand, the metallic deposition using the vacuum deposition device for forming the electrodes 37 is not effected for portions not opposite to a deposition metallic atoms emitting source. Accordingly, the metal is deposited only on each convex portion on the surface of the grinding surfaces of the grooves 31 and is not deposited on the concave portion. Each concave portion serves as a pinhole. Therefore, the uniform electric field cannot be applied to the bottom sheet 30.
A third problem is that it is necessary to form protection films because the grinding surfaces of the grooves 31 are corroded by being in contact with the ink and the protection films is hard to form. Since the bottom sheet 30 is formed of the piezoelectric material, it has concave-convex surfaces. It is therefore so difficult to form protection films comprised of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 or SiON so as to avoid the pinholes. Further, since the above-described electrodes 37 also have pinholes, they cannot be functionally anticipated as being the protection films.

Method of producing printer head using piezoelectric member


A plurality of unpackaged substrates connected to one another is disclosed. The stepped structures on and/or in a first main area of a first substrate include a plurality of integrated circuits. The stepped structures run between the integrated circuits. The first conductor tracks extend from at least some contact connections of the respective integrated circuits as far as the stepped structures. The first substrate is connected on the side of the first main area to a further substrate. The first substrate is severed from a second main area opposite to the first main area such that the first substrate is divided into a plurality of substrate pieces. Each substrate piece has one of the integrated circuits. The first conductor tracks are accessible in interspaces between the substrate pieces. The second conductor tracks are formed from the second main area. At least some of the second conductor tracks lead from the second main area over side walls of the substrate pieces as far as the first conductor tracks.

In order that substrates stacked one above another are interconnected with one another, contact connections of the wiring planes of the integrated circuits can be contact-connected by soldering or bonding. Such connections can be wire bonding connections, for example, but the latter are not very space-saving. In the case of substrates (in particular, wafers) composed of semiconductor material, via contacts can also be produced through the substrate. In the case of substrates composed of lithium tantalate (LiTaO3), lithium niobate (LiNbO3), or other non-etchable materials, however, via through-plating is very labor and cost intensive.
There is a need for a cost-effective and diverse method for interconnecting the contact connections of a plurality of substrates and chips that are to be stacked one above another in a space-saving manner. Such a method should as far as possible also enable the formation of cavity housings and be suitable for the production of microelectromechanical structures (MEMS) and also components in which surface acoustic waves (SAW) and bulk acoustic waves (BAW) can be formed.

Method for connecting a plurality of unpackaged substrates


An apparatus includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be fabricated in a substrate and generally includes a first diode and a second diode (i) connected as anti-parallel diodes and (ii) physically adjacent to each other in the substrate. The second circuit may be fabricated in the substrate and generally includes a third diode and a fourth diode (i) connected as anti-parallel diodes and (ii) physically adjacent to each other in the substrate. The first circuit and the second circuit may be (a) connected in parallel, (b) physically adjacent to each other in the substrate and (c) configured to mix two input signals to generate an output signal.

Reduction of radiated spurious signals is a criterion of modern communication receivers and transmitters, particularly in low and zero intermediate frequency architectures that facilitate decreased equipment costs. In such radios, a local oscillator leakage cannot be removed by radio frequency filters. A local oscillator to radio frequency isolation of a mixer used to shift the radio frequency to or from an intermediate frequency becomes important.
Regulatory bodies specify tight criteria for spurious radiation. A general specification for receivers by the European Committee for Standardization and Communications (ETSI) limits the leakage of local oscillator radiation to −55 decibel-milliwatts (dBm) to avoid interference to nearby receivers. The performance criterion of low and zero intermediate frequency receivers dictates even lower levels of spurious radiation. Radiated spectral mask specifications also impose a high local oscillator to radio frequency isolation in low and zero intermediate frequency transmitters.
Conventional mixers use a fundamental local oscillator signal to heterodyne the radio frequency to or from the intermediate frequency. The specified isolation of the high-level local oscillator is difficult to achieve due to a dependency on a balance of transformers. An alternative architecture is a sub-harmonic mixer that uses antiparallel diodes to implement a mixer where the high level local oscillator signal is an even sub-harmonic of the radio frequency.
It would be desirable to implement an alternating anti-parallel diode mixer structure.

Alternating anti-parallel diode mixer structure

MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.


A cystoscopy splash shield for use during surgery in which a large volume of human liquid is involved. The splash shield includes a rectangular shaped transparent plastic sheet with a strip of adhesive along its short edge and a hole present in the approximate middle of the sheet. The short edge of the plastic sheet is affixed to the torso of the patient by the adhesive strip. The remaining portion of the shield is draped over the groin area of the patient with overlap over and between the patient's legs. The shield is positioned so its hole is over the groin area to undergo surgery. A medical optical instrument may be inserted into the hole which is sealed around its circumference. As a result, a physician conducting surgery in the groin area is protected from any splashing fluids from the patient.

This invention relates generally to a splash shield for use by surgeons during high-fluid surgical procedures and more particularly to a cystoscopy splash shield designed to accommodate an eyepiece of an endoscope or any other similar optical-medical device.
The prior art has concentrated on protecting sterile, prepared areas of the patient from contamination by non-sterile areas (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,414,968 (Amin); 4,462,396 (Wickman); 4,378,794 (Collins); 4,489,720 (Morris, et al.); 4,890,628 (Jackson); 4,974,604 (Morris)). But efforts to protect the physician from contaminated body fluids have been unsatisfactory. Such protection is desirable because the fluids may contain disease-causing agents such as the HIV virus.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,068, for example, Gottesman discloses a disc-shaped, rigid plastic splash shield that attaches to the eyepiece of an endoscope or similar instrument, providing some protection for the physician's face. Splashing blood or irrigation fluid simply rebounds from the rear face of the splash shield and drips onto the floor, or runs down the surface of a conventional surgical drape, or off of the physician's clothing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,322 (Dash, et al.) discloses a similar rigid face shield, which is rectangular and curved slightly to wrap around the physician's face. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,481 (Ruth-Larson, et al.) discloses a protective gown with a broad skirt and fluid-impermeable areas that can be worn by the physician for protection during high-fluid procedures.
Aside from these prior art devices, the only protection afforded the physician by prior art devices consists of channelling blood and irrigation fluids, and sometimes feces, into disposal bags, or into a trough and drain arrangement sometimes provided on operating tables used for procedures such as cystoscopies (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,794 (Collins)). U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,710 (Jessamine, et al.) discloses such a device that channels or irrigates the bodily fluids away from the physician. Jessamine et al. describes a fluid protection drape arrangement suitable for attachment to the elevated legs and feet of a patient who has been placed in the lithotomy position on his or her back in the stirrups used for gynecological or proctological procedures.
A surgical drape providing a lesser degree of protection is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,769 (Lockhart). That patent discloses a multi-section drape suitable for use on patients in the lithotomy position. Lockhart's drape comprises a hammock-shaped member 8 attached at one end to the drape covering the patient at the position near the patient's buttocks, and at the other end to the physician's chest by means of elastic strips 40. One or more fenestrations (34, 36) are provided in the distal end of the hammock-shaped member, allowing access to the patient's genitals. Blood and irrigation fluid run out the holes and down the hammock-shaped member, to a drain 38 at its bottom. The physician's hands and face remain exposed to the blood and irrigation fluid running down the hammock-shaped member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,882 (Lawrence) discloses a clear plastic bag intended to protect a physician conducting an autopsy from body fluids, blood, and bone fragments dispersed in the air by an oscillating bone saw. It would be unsuitable for use on live patients.
In short, the prior art intended for use with live patients teaches only the masks disclosed in Gottesman, which offer only limited protection to the physician's face; and the complex drapes described by Jessamine and Lockhart, which are usable only for procedures in which the patient is placed in the lithotomy position, and which allow only partially-protected access to the patient, and then only from a position directly behind the patient's buttocks. My invention is directed to overcoming the aforementioned limitations and problems in prior art devices.


The present invention relates to a water-based fluorine-containing emulsion. This emulsion contains a fluorine-containing copolymer in a disperse phase thereof This copolymer is prepared by copolymerizing: (A) a fluoroolefin, (B) an organosilicon compound containing an olefinic unsaturated bond and an alkoxysilyl group, (C) an unsaturated carboxylic acid represented by a general formula of CH.sub.2 .dbd.CH--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --COOH where n is an integer of from 3 to 15, and (D) at least one other copolymerizable monomer. A paint prepared from the emulsion is superior in storage stability and mechanical stability, although this paint belongs to a one-package paint. A coated film formed by applying the paint is superior in water resistance in its early stages, stain resistance, and weather resistance.

This invention relates to a water-based fluorine-containing emulsion used for a water-based paint.
Hitherto, fluoropolymers prepared from a monomers' composition containing a fluoroolefin have widely been used for paints, because these polymers are superior in weather resistance. For example, there is known a copolymer prepared by copolymerizing a fluoroolefin, an aliphatic vinyl ester such as vinyl acetate, and another monomer (see JP-B-4-40865). This copolymer is soluble in various solvents, and is used for preparing paints that are curable at ambient temperature and are used in the fields of architecture and the like. These paints, however, each contain a relatively large amount of organic solvent. Therefore, there are risks of fire, a hazard to human body, air pollution, and the like. In view of this, there has been a demand for non-organic-solvent paints, particularly for water-based paints. To meet this demand, there have been a lot of researches into water-based fluorine-containing paints that are curable at ambient temperature. An emulsion used for these paints is generally produced by emulsion polymerization, using a large amount of emulsifying agent. This emulsifying agent remains even in a film prepared by applying a water-based paint to a substrate, thereby increasing coefficient of water absorption of this film. Thus, this film is inferior to those prepared by applying organic solvent type paints, in water resistance and stain resistance. In view of this inferiority, there have been other researches into water-based fluorine-containing paints each prepared by using a monomer containing an alkoxysilyl group which is a cross-linking group (see JP-A-4-202484 and JP-A-5-25421). It is, however, difficult to obtain both of a satisfactory stability of this alkoxysilyl group (cross-linking site) in emulsion and a satisfactory degree of cross-linking of a paint's polymer after formation of the coated film, because these characteristics conflict with each other. In other words, if such water-based paint is made satisfactory in the cross-linking degree, this paint becomes unsatisfactory in emulsion stability during storage. In contrast, if such water-based paint is made satisfactory in emulsion stability during storage, this paint becomes unsatisfactory in the cross-linking rate, thereby making the coated film inferior in water resistance in its early stages. In view of this, it has been proposed to add a catalyst for increasing the cross-linking rate of this paint, immediately before the application of this paint. With this, however, this paint becomes a two-package paint that is inferior to a one-package paint in workability.


An ON resistance of a trench gate type transistor and a withstand voltage of a planar type transistor are optimized at the same time. Each of first and second regions of a semiconductor layer is formed by epitaxial growth on each of first and second regions of a semiconductor substrate, respectively. A first buried layer is formed between the first region of the semiconductor substrate and the first region of the semiconductor layer, while a second buried layer is formed between the second region of the semiconductor substrate and the second region of the semiconductor layer. The first buried layer is formed of an N+ type first impurity-doped layer and an N type second impurity-doped layer that extends beyond the fist impurity-doped layer. The second buried layer is formed of an N+ type impurity-doped layer only. In the first region of the semiconductor layer, an impurity is diffused from a surface of the semiconductor layer deep into the semiconductor layer to form an N type third impurity-doped layer. The trench gate type transistor is formed in the first region of the semiconductor layer and the planar type transistor is formed in the second region of the semiconductor layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transistor in which an electric current flows in a direction perpendicular to a surface of a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor device having a first transistor in which an electric current flows in a direction perpendicular to a surface of a semiconductor substrate and a second transistor in which an electric current flows in a direction parallel to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a method of manufacturing the devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
A DMOS transistor is a double-diffused MOS field effect transistor, and is used as a power semiconductor device for a power supply circuit, a driver circuit or the like. A trench gate type transistor (that is, a transistor in which an electric current flows in a direction perpendicular to a surface of a semiconductor substrate) having a gate electrode buried in a trench has been known as a kind of the DMOS transistor.
In recent years, a technology to form the trench gate type transistor and a planar type transistor (that is, a transistor in which an electric current flows in a direction parallel to the surface of the semiconductor substrate) on a common semiconductor substrate has been developed. In this case, a semiconductor layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate by epitaxial growth and divided into a plurality of island regions by device isolation layers. The trench gate type transistor is formed in one of the island regions isolated by the device isolation layers, while the planar type transistor is formed in another of the island regions isolated by the device isolation layers.
The trench gate type transistor is required to reduce its ON resistance (a resistance of the transistor when it is turned on) and its parasitic capacitance at a junction in it.
Also, when the trench gate type transistor and the planar type transistor are formed on the common semiconductor substrate, there is a requirement that the ON resistance of the trench gate type transistor and a withstand voltage of the planar type transistor are optimized at the same time.
With conventional technologies, however, optimizing both the characteristics that are the ON resistance and the withstand voltage has been difficult. For example, when an impurity concentration in the semiconductor layer is set to be low in order to secure the withstand voltage of the planar type transistor, the ON resistance of the trench gate type transistor is increased. On the other hand, when the impurity concentration in the semiconductor layer is set to be high in order to reduce the ON resistance of the trench gate type transistor, the withstand voltage of the planar type transistor is reduced.

Semiconductor device optimized to increase withstand voltage and reduce on resistance

Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC


A message handling computing system that provides security across even transport-independent communication mechanisms, and which allows for convenient extension of security to different security token types, and may provide end-to-end security across different transport protocols. The message handling computing system includes a message handling component configured to send and receive network messages having security tokens. The message handling component interfaces with an expandable and contractible set of security token managers through a standardized application program interface. Each security manager is capable of providing security services for messages that correspond to security tokens of a particular type. A security token plug-in component registers new security token managers with the message handling component.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to network technology; and more specifically, to an architecture for managing security tokens that is extensible to different token types, and to associated secure message handling methods.
2. Background and Related Art
Computing technology has transformed the way we work and play. Computing systems now take a wide variety of forms including desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet PCs, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), household devices and the like. In its most basic form, a computing system includes system memory and one or more processors. Software in the system memory may be executed by the processor to direct the other hardware of the computing system to perform desired functions.
Networking technologies enable computing systems to communicate even over vast distances, thereby expanding on computer functionality. For example, networking technologies enable such applications as e-mail, web browsing, file transfer, instant messaging, electronic whiteboarding, network collaboration, and the like. Accordingly, computer networks enable widespread communication and information access.
Unfortunately, computer networks also can potentially open up connected computing systems to security breaches. One type of security breach is for one computing system or user to make false claims about who they are to thereby access network resources they should not have access to. Another security breach is referred to as "eavesdropping" by which an eavesdropper computing system accesses the content of a network communication even though the eavesdropper is an unintended and unwanted party in the communication. In addition, an eavesdropper or other entity might alter the network communication on its way to its intended destination. Any of these security breaches can be quite harmful.
In order to guard against these security breaches, a variety of security technologies have been developed. These technologies are based upon the use of security tokens. Security tokens may be used to authenticate a provider of the security token. In this manner, the security token is comparable in the electronic domain to a passport or driver's license in the physical domain. Proper authentication provides some level of security that each party to the network communication is indeed who they purport to be. Security tokens may also be used to encrypt all or portions of a network message, thereby preventing eavesdropping by those who do not have access to the security token. Furthermore, security tokens may be used to sign portions of an electronic message to thereby allow those validating this signed portion to determine if the electronic message has been changed since the time it was signed. Authentication, encryption, and electronic signing thus provide some protection against security breaches in network communications.
Network communications increasingly extend beyond transport-level barriers. For example, a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) envelope may be transmitted from one computing system to even while traveling through several transport domains. This is referred to as SOAP tunneling. A HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) computing system may transmit a SOAP envelope within an HTTP message to another HTTP computing system. Along the way, however, the SOAP envelope may be placed in other messages that follow different transport protocols, such as, for example, Message Queues (MQ), Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP), CORBA/IIOP, or the like.
While transport-independent network messaging allows for great flexibility in communication, conventional security mechanisms are transport-dependent. End-to-end message level security across multiple transports requires additional technology. Conventional end-to-end security across multiple transport domains has been provided in the form of the Web Services (WS)-Security specification.
The WS-Security Specification only expressly addresses the use of specific security tokens such as, for example, user name token with user name and password, X.509 certificates, Kerberos tokens and others. However, the number of types of security tokens available for use in authentication, encryption, and electronic signing is rapidly expanding. Accordingly, what would be advantageous is a mechanism for managing security tokens that is extensible to a variety of different security token types, and which is compatible with transport-independent networking technologies such as SOAP.

Extendible security token management architecture and secure message handling methods