A process for fabricating a III-nitride power semiconductor device which includes forming a gate structure while providing a protective body over areas that are to receive power electrodes.

The large dielectric breakdown field (>2.2 MV/cm) and the high current density of the two dimensional electron gas (2-DEG) in III-nitride heterojunction semiconductor devices make them attractive for power applications.
One known III-nitride heterojunction power semiconductor device is a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). A desirable variation of a HEMT is a normally-off HEMT; i.e. a HEMT which does not allow for conduction of current (except for minute leakage current) in the absence of an appropriate voltage to its gate electrode.
FIG. 1 illustrates a normally-off III-nitride power semiconductor device, which includes a III-nitride semiconductor stack 1. Stack 1 includes N-polar GaN layer 2, N-polar AlGaN layer 3, N-polar GaN layer 4, and N-polar AlGaN layer 5, each usually grown using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).
To fabricate a device according to FIG. 1, stack 1 is grown first, and then AlGaN layer is etched away to define areas for power electrodes (e.g. source and drain electrodes) 6,7. Gate structure 8 which may include a gate insulation and gate electrode stack or a schottky gate electrode is then formed on the remainder of AlGaN layer 5.
AlGaN layer 5 under gate structure 8 pulls the conduction band above the Fermi energy and removes the 2DEG under gate structure 8. As a result the device is rendered normally-off.
While fabricating a device according to FIG. 1, N-polar GaN layer 4 is damaged during the etching of AlGaN layer 5. As a result, the quality of the ohmic contact between power electrodes 6,7 and GaN layer 4 is diminished, resulting in a lesser quality device.


A method and apparatus for processing data in a Controller Area Network (CAN) are discussed. In an embodiment of this invention, dummy data is added to data to be transmitted via a CAN message, and information indicating that the dummy data is added is transmitted via the CAN message. A length of the dummy data is determined such that data to be transmitted via the CAN message becomes a predetermined length, and data in which five or more successive bits do not have a same value is added as the dummy data. The information is included in a field indicating a length of data to be transmitted via the CAN message, and is indicated by a value within a reserved range of the field. Accordingly, data processing efficiency can be improved, and flexible CAN communication can be performed via the CAN message.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a controller area network and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for padding a data frame with data using the data length code of a controller area network message.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the case where automobile electronic components are managed using an existing analog control method, bundles of electrical wires used for optional vehicle components, such as an AV system and a navigation system, are disposed in a vehicle in a disorderly fashion. Such bundles of thick electrical wires are a main cause of an increase in the weight of the vehicle and trouble with the electronic system of the vehicle.
Currently, it is necessary to make on-board electronic control devices, such as an engine management Electronic Control Unit (ECU), a transmission ECU, a ABS system and an air-bag system, which are provided in an automobile, to be able to share information and an increasing number of vehicle sensors therebetween, to provide a communication method that is robust to a noisy vehicle environment, and to connect the ECUs, having independent characteristics via a network.
A Controller Area Network (CAN) is a vehicle network system developed by Bosch Co. in Germany in order to solve the problem with vehicle wiring, which is becoming more and more complicated as time goes by, and functions to exchange information between on-board electronic control devices, which are responsible for an engine management device, a transmission device, and vehicle body electronic devices related to a breaking system, an airbag, an instrument cluster, lamps, and an air conditioner, which are provided in the vehicle.
Peripheral devices provided in the vehicle are connected to a single network (CAN) and exchange data in a serial communication manner, so that they are robust to harsh environmental factors, such as heat and noise, can attain a fast data transmission rate of 1 Mbit/s at a maximum, and can improve data reliability through error processing.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a CAN message that is defined in the current CAN standard. As shown in FIG. 1, the CAN message includes an 11 or 29-bit CAN Identifier (ID)/priority, a 4-bit Data Length Code (DLC), and an 8-byte data frame.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data length code field in the CAN message that is defined in the current CAN standard, and shows the relationship between the length of data, which is included in the data frame of the CAN message, and data length code values. In FIG. 2, the data length code uses a 4-bit code value to represent the number of bytes of data that will be included in the data frame area of a maximum of 8 bytes.
The length of data transmitted via the CAN message depends on the value of the data length code field. In this case, the maximum number of bytes of data that can be included in the data frame of the CAN message is 8 bytes, so that values within the range from b0000(0) to b1000(8) are used for the data length code. For example, when the value of the data length code field is b0010(2), the length of data in the CAN message is 2 bytes.
However, the length of data in the CAN message can be represented by various numbers of bytes ranging from 0 to 8 bytes, so that consistent transmission time cannot be ensured at the time of transmission of data, and a reception side cannot predict the length of data to be transmitted. Therefore a problem occurs in that data processing efficiency is low at transmitting and receiving ends.

Method and apparatus for processing data in controller area network


Disclosed are processes and electrolytic cells that can be used to extract and thereby recover aluminum from aluminum-containing waste, including an aluminum dross that is suitable for disposal in a land-fill. The disclosed processes and cells use ionic liquids as an electrolyte.

Aluminum is the most abundant metal found on earth, the oxides and silicates of which comprise about 8% of the earth's crust. A total of about 29 million tons of aluminum is needed to meet worldwide demand each year. About 22 million tons of this total is new aluminum and 7 million tons is from aluminum scrap that is recycled for reuse. Thus, about 25% of the total amount of aluminum used worldwide is recycled. Of the 22 million tons of new aluminum produced every year only 50% is ever recycled.
New aluminum is made from bauxite by way of the Hall-Heroult process that involves electrolysis of alumina (Al2O3) to aluminum metal. The large electrolysis operations that produce aluminum metal typically run continuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A modern smelter typically costs on the order of $1.6 billion. It has been estimated that 1% of the energy generated in the United States and 3% of the world's energy is used in making aluminum metal.
Although the electrical voltage used in alumina ore smelters is typically only about 5.15 volts, the amount of current necessary is in the range of 100,000 to 150,000 amperes. In addition, the electrolytic smelting process in carried out at a temperature of about 900° C. The majority of aluminum produced has a purity of 99.7%, however, super pure aluminum having a purity of 99.99% is required for special applications wherein high ductility or conductivity is required. Although these purity differences appear marginal, the difference in properties between the two grades is significant.
In addition to the high energy cost to produce aluminum, the electrolyte used in the Hall-Heroult process, cryolite (sodium aluminum fluoride, Na3AlF6), is an uncommon mineral of very limited natural distribution; it is only found in large quantities on the west coast of Greenland. The cost of obtaining aluminum from the Hall-Heroult process is therefore increased because of the need to synthesize large quantities of cryolite.
The production of secondary aluminum from alloy requires only 5-20% of the energy that is need for the production of primary aluminum from bauxite. The conventional method for recycling either aluminum metal scrap, for example, shavings, or processed aluminum, for example, aluminum cans, involves sizing the scrap followed by compacting. However, the conventional process requires melting aluminum at high temperatures in addition to degreasing and other cleaning steps. High temperature processes result in the loss of aluminum metal from burning.
However, conventional aluminum production methods, as well as recycling processes, produce a large quantity of aluminum dross that is typically skimmed off the top of the aluminum melt and discarded. State of the art dross recycling processes select only the largest pieces of material for processing and therefore recover only from 3-10% of the aluminum. However, these dross recycling processes also involve a large consumption of energy per pound of purified aluminum obtained. In addition, conventional smelting process which recover aluminum metal from dross, also produce dross having a substantial amount, but a lower concentration, of aluminum metal.
There is therefore a long felt need for a process that is suitable for obtaining aluminum from the dross formed during both the primary smelting process, as well as during recycling processes.

Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama


A structural unit having a net member incorporated therein capable of preventing local application of undue force to the net member, to thereby increase reliability of the net member. An end section of a net member of a three-dimensional structure is treated so as to be reduced in cushioning characteristics and increased in hardness as compared with a portion of the net member positioned inside the end section. A frame constituting a part of the structural unit is provided with an end holding member so that an insertion port of an insertion gap of the end holding member is arranged in a particular direction or posture, resulting in the end section being readily held in the holding member by merely inserting the end section in the insertion gap. The end section is entirely inserted into the insertion gap, so that application of load to the end section may be carried out in a two-dimensional manner rather than a spot-like manner. This prevents local application of load to the net member, to thereby keep the net member from damage thereto.

This invention relates to a structural unit having a net member of a three-dimensional structure incorporated therein, a sheet constructed of such a structural unit and a method for treating an end section of the net member.
A seat which is required to exhibit increased cushioning characteristics such as a seat for an automobile or the like is generally constructed in such a manner that a spring member such as a coiled spring, an S-shaped spring or the like is arranged on a seat frame, a pad member made of urethane resin or the like is arranged on the spring member and then a vinyl leather material, a fabric or the like overlies a front surface of the pad member. However, the seat thus constructed is increased in thickness and weight due to incorporation of the spring member therein. Also, the conventional seat is generally deteriorated in air permeability or ventilation unless any specific means such as formation of ventilation holes through the pad member is applied thereto. Such specific means for realizing ventilation in the seat causes an increase in manufacturing cost of the seat.
In order to solve the above-described problem, a seat was proposed which includes a net member of a truss structure (three-dimensional structure) constructed of a front mesh layer, a rear mesh layer and a plurality of piles arranged between the front mesh layer and the rear mesh layer to connect both mesh layers to each other therethrough. The truss structure permits the net member to be constructed into a resilient or elastic structure which is resistant to setting, so that the net member may exhibit characteristics of sufficiently dispersing and absorbing a pressure of the body. Thus, it exhibits significant cushioning characteristics while being formed into a reduced thickness. Also, it is constructed into a network structure, to thereby be provided therein with a number of voids, resulting in exhibiting good air permeability without providing any specific ventilation means therein.
Although the net member thus constructed into a three-dimensional structure exhibits such characteristics as described above, it not only has a number of the voids formed therein but is formed into a substantially increased thickness because of including the piles formed into a height in addition to the front mesh layer and rear mesh layer each formed into a thickness, so that it is substantially difficult to securely fix the net member to the frame. Conventionally, such fixing is generally carried out in such a manner as shown in FIG. 12. More specifically, an element 102 made of synthetic resin or iron is welded to an end section 101 of a net member 100 by vibration welding which is a kind of heat welding and then the net member 100 is fixed to a frame 104 by means of a screw 103 through the end section 101 having the resin or iron element 102 welded thereto.
However, such fixing is carried out in the form of a spot fastening; therefore, when load is applied to the net member 100 acting as a cushioning member for a seat due to sitting-down of a person on the net member or the like, the resin or iron element 102 fastened to the net member 100 through the screw 103 is exposed to stress at an increased magnitude. This possibly causes deformation of the resin or iron element 102 and/or damage to the net member 100. Thus, it should be avoided to apply load at a large magnitude to the net member 100. Also, such fixing or fastening by means of the screw 103 causes assembling of the seat to be troublesome, leading to an increase in manufacturing cost of the seat.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing disadvantage of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a structural unit having a net member of a three-dimensional structure incorporated therein which is capable of preventing such application of local load or stress thereto as encountered in a net member using a fastening screw, to thereby enhance reliability of the net member.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a structural unit having a net member of a three-dimensional structure incorporated therein which is capable of facilitating assembling thereof and reducing a manufacturing cost thereof.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a structural unit having a net member of a three-dimensional structure incorporated therein which is suitable for use for a seat for a vehicle or the like.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a seat which is constructed of such a structural unit as described above.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for treating an end of a net member.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a structural unit having a net member incorporated therein is provided. The structural unit includes a net member of a three-dimensional structure constituted by a front mesh layer, a rear mesh layer and a plurality of piles arranged between the front mesh layer and the rear mesh layer so as to connect the front mesh layer and rear mesh layer to each other therethrough. The net member is formed on a periphery thereof with an end section. The structural unit also includes an end holding member for supporting the end section of the net member therein. The end holding member includes a holding element formed therein with an insertion gap into which the end section of the net member is inserted. The end section of the net member is treated so that at least a part thereof has a net structure increased in density and rigidity as compared with a portion of the net member positioned inside the end section, resulting in being held in the end holding member due to insertion thereof into the insertion gap of the end holding member.
Also, in accordance with this aspect of the present invention, a structural unit having a net member incorporated therein is provided. The structural unit includes a net member of a three-dimensional structure constituted by a front mesh layer, a rear mesh layer and a plurality of piles arranged between the front mesh layer and the rear mesh layer so as to connect the front mesh layer and rear mesh layer to each other therethrough. The net member is formed on a periphery thereof with an end section. The structural unit also includes an end holding member for supporting the end section of the net member therein. The end holding member includes a holding element formed therein with an insertion gap into which the end section of the net member is inserted. The end section of the net member is fixedly mounted on at least a part thereof with a synthetic resin element by heat welding, so that the part of the end section on which the synthetic resin element is mounted is inserted into the insertion gap of the end holding member, resulting in the end section being held in the end holding member.
Further, in accordance with this aspect of the present invention, a structural unit having a net member incorporated therein is provided. The structural unit includes a net member of a three-dimensional structure constituted by a front mesh layer, a rear mesh layer and a plurality of piles arranged between the front mesh layer and the rear mesh layer so as to connect the front mesh layer and rear mesh layer to each other therethrough. The net member is formed on a periphery thereof with an end section. The structural unit also includes an end holding member for supporting the end section of the net member therein. The end holding member includes a holding element formed therein with an insertion gap into which the end section of the net member is inserted. The end section of the net member is treated so that a part thereof has a net structure increased in density and rigidity as compared with a portion of the net member positioned inside the end section and the end section is fixedly mounted on another part thereof with a synthetic resin element by heat welding, so that the parts of the end section may be held in the end holding member due to insertion thereof into the insertion gap of the end holding member.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insertion gap of the end holding member has an insertion port arranged in a posture which permits the end section of the net member to be inserted into the insertion gap therethrough while keeping the end section inwardly folded when the net member is arranged in contact with an outer surface of the net member.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the end section treated so that the net structure is increased in density and rigidity is formed on at least one surface thereof with a projection. The holding element is provided thereon with a pawl in a manner to project into the insertion gap of the end holding member. The end section is inserted into the insertion gap so that the projection is positioned deeply beyond the pawl in the insertion gap, resulting in being held in the insertion gap.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the part of the end section treated so that the net structure is increased in density and rigidity is held in the end holding member positioned on a side on which stress occurring is reduced and the part of the end section mounted thereon with the synthetic resin element is held in the end holding member positioned on a side on which stress occurring is increased.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the end section is treated so as to be reduced in thickness by heat welding, so that the net structure is increased in density and rigidity.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the end section is subject to the heat welding after it is previously knitted so as to increase density of the net structure.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat welding is carried out by vibration welding.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a seat is provided. The seat is constituted by the structural unit constructed as described above.
In a preferred embodiment of the seat of the present invention, the end section treated so as to increase density and rigidity of the net structure is held in the end holding member connected to a frame forwardly arranged and the end section on which the synthetic resin element is mounted is held in the end holding member connected to a frame rearwardly arranged.
In a preferred embodiment of the seat of the present invention, the end section held in the end holding member connected to a frame laterally arranged is treated so that a net structure thereof is increased in density and rigidity, and is held in the end holding member after it is provided with the projection.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a method for treating an end section of a net member is provided. The method includes the step of reducing a thickness of an end section formed on a periphery of a net member of a three-dimensional structure by heat welding so as to hold the end section in an end holding member, resulting in a net structure of the end section being increased in density and rigidity as compared with a portion of the net member positioned inside the end section, wherein the net member is constituted by a front mesh layer, a rear mesh layer and a plurality of piles arranged between the front mesh layer and the rear mesh layer so as to connect the front mesh layer and rear mesh layer to each other therethrough.
In a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, the end section is subject to the heat welding after it is previously knitted so as to increase density of the net structure.
In a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, the end section is formed thereon with a projection in a manner to project in a thickness direction thereof during heat welding of the end section.
In a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, the heat welding is carried out by vibration welding.

Structural unit having net member incorporated therein, seat and method for treating end section of net member


According to the present invention, an enamine compound having a specific structure is used as an organic photoconductive material. This enamine compound is obtained based on asymmetrical secondary naphtylamine which is readily available at a lowest price, by introducing phenyl groups containing substituents, as constituents units of the enamine part and presents excellent compatibility with binder resins, will not present detrimental effects such as partial crystallization at film forming and have a high charge mobility. The compound is able to realize highly reliable electrophotographic photoreceptor and an image forming apparatus which present a high electrostatic potential, high sensitivity and high enough light response and are excellent in durability and will not degrade in these characteristics under a low-temperature environment or in a high-speed process and will not lower in these characteristics even due to exposure to light.

Recently, organic photoconductive materials have been widely studied and developed so as to be used not only for electrophotographic photoreceptors (which will be also referred to merely as "photoreceptors") but also applied to organic electro luminescent (abbreviation: EL) devices etc. Further, the electrophotographic photoreceptors using organic photoconductive material are not limited to the field of copiers, but are also used in the fields of printing plates, slide film and microfilm in which photographic technology was previously employed. Further, they are also applied to high-speed printers which use laser, light emitting diode (abbreviation: LED), cathode ray tube (abbreviation: CRT) or the like as a light source. This means that there are high and wide demands for organic photoconductive material and electrophotographic photoreceptors using it.
Conventionally, inorganic photoreceptors having photosensitive layers mainly composed of inorganic photoconductive materials such selenium, zinc oxide, cadmium and the like have been widely used as electrophotographic photoreceptors. Though the inorganic photoreceptor has basic characteristics to some degree as a photoreceptor, it involves problems such as difficulties in forming a photosensitive layer, poor plasticity, high manufacturing cost and the like. Further, inorganic photoconductive materials generally have strong toxicity, hence a severe restriction is imposed when they are handled and used for manufacturing.
In contrast, the organic photoreceptor using organic photoconductive material exhibits good performance in film-forming of photosensitive layers, is excellent in flexibility, lightweight and highly transparent. Further, since the organic photoreceptor has advantages such as that it can be readily designed so as to present excellent sensitivity for a wide wavelength range by an appropriate sensitization process, it has gradually come to play the leading role in the development of electrophotographic photoreceptors. The initial organic photoreceptors had sensitivity and durability drawbacks, but these drawbacks have been markedly improved by the development of a function-separation type electrophotographic photoreceptor in which the function of charge generation and the function of charge transport are allotted to different substances. The function-separation type photoreceptor is advantageous in presenting a wide selection of materials for charge generation material providing the function of charge generation and for charge transport material providing the function of charge transport and in enabling relatively easy fabrication of electrophotographic photoreceptors having arbitrary characteristics.
As the charge generation material to be used for such a function-separation type photoreceptor, many kinds of substances such as phthalocyanine pigments, squarylium dyes, azo pigments, perylene pigments, polycyclic quinone pigments, cyanine dyes, squaric acid dyes, pyrylium salt dyes, etc., have been investigated, and various kinds of substances having strong light resistance and high charge generation capability have been proposed.
On the other hand, as the charge transport material, various compounds such as pyrazoline compounds (c.f. Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 52-4188), hydrazone compounds (c.f. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Sho 54-150128, Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 55-42380 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Sho 55-52063), triphenyl amine compounds (c.f. Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 58-32372 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 02-190862), and stilbene compounds (c.f. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Sho 54-151955 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Sho 58-198043), are known. In recent years, pyrene derivatives, naphthalene derivatives, terphenyl derivatives (c.f. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 07-48324) and the like, having condensed polycyclic hydrocarbons as a central parent nucleus, have been developed.
The charge transport material is required:    (1) to be stable to light and heat;    (2) to be stable to ozone, nitrogen oxides (NOX) and nitric acid etc., which arise during corona discharge for charging the photoreceptor surface;    (3) to have a high charge transport capability;    (4) to have a high compatibility with organic solvents and binders; and    (5) to be easy to produce and inexpensive.However, the aforementioned charge transport materials satisfy part of these requirements but have yet to meet all these requirements to high levels.
Further, of the above requirements, the charge transport material is particularly required to have a high charge transport capability. For example, when a charge transport layer of the charge transport material dispersed with the binder resin forms the surface layer of the photoreceptor, the charge transport material is required to have a high charge transport capability in order to secure a high enough light response. When the photoreceptor is provided and used for a copier, laser beam printer or the like, the photoreceptor surface layer is forced to be partially scraped off by contact members such as a cleaning blade, charging roller etc. Therefore, in order to enhance the durability of the copier or laser beam printer, a robust surface layer against these contact members, that is, a high wear-resistant surface layer which is less scraped off by the contact members is demanded. If, for this purpose, the binder resin content in the surface layer or charge transport layer is made higher in order to make the surface layer strong and durable, the light response lowers. This occurs because the charge transport capability of the charge transport material is low and the charge transport material in the charge transport layer is diluted with increase of the binder resin content. As a result, the charge transport capability of the charge transport layer is further lowered resulting in poor light response. Since degradation of the light response will cause increase in the residual surface potential and the photoreceptor will be repeatedly used without its surface potential sufficiently attenuated, the surface charge in the areas to be removed by exposure to light cannot be adequately eliminated, causing degradation of image quality and other defects at an early stage. This is why a high charge transport capability is wanted for the charge transport material in order to secure high enough light response.
Further, with the recent development of electrophotographic apparatus such as digital copiers and printers into miniaturization and high-speed configuration, high-sensitive photoreceptor characteristics are demanded to deal with a high-speed configuration. Therefore, a further increased charge transport capability is demanded for the charge transport material. Further, since the time taken from exposure to development is short in a high-speed process, photoreceptors of good light response are demanded. As stated above, since the light response depends on the charge transport capability of the charge transport material, charge transport material having a high charge transport capability is wanted from this viewpoint.
As the charge transport material that meets the above requirements, enamine compounds having a higher charge mobility than the aforementioned charge transport materials have been proposed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 02-51162, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 06-43674, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 10-69107 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 10-239875).
However, the photoreceptors formed with the enamine compounds disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 02-51162, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 06-43674 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 10-69107 are not effective enough. On the other hand, since the enamine compound disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 10-239875 presents a highly symmetric configuration when a bis-butadiene substructure is introduced, the compound will exhibit markedly bad compatibility with the binder resin, hence will present detrimental effects such as partial crystallization at film forming, etc. As a countermeasure against this problem, it is possible to make improvement to some degree by replacing the substituents of the enamine structure, from a large structural unit such as an aryl group etc., to a methyl group, the minimum structural unit. However, from a viewpoint of electric characteristics (particularly, in view of hall drift mobility), an aryl group is preferred as the substituents of the enamine structure to an alkyl group; this is the problem to overcome.
Also, the photoreceptor is wanted to have reliable characteristics, presenting little variation in characteristics under various environments without lowering its sensitivity even in a low-temperature environment. However, no charge transport material which can also realize such characteristics has been obtained so far.

Organic photoconductive material electrophotographic photoreceptor and image forming apparatus using the same


An object is to prevent of display of display of candidates unlikely to be selected. An information processing device a target date associated with an input value to be input. The information processing device displays candidates for an input value on a screen. At this time, the information processing device displays a first number of candidates when the target date is included in a first period during which the information changes in a first range. The information processing device displays a second number of candidates that is smaller than the first number when the target date is included in a second period during which the information changes in a second range that is narrower than the first range. The first period and the second period is included in a cycle in which the information changes.

There is a known system that provides an interface for inputting numerical values of information that changes in a cyclic manner. An example of such information that changes in a cyclic manner is body temperature. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an information management server device that identifies candidate inputs of vital information based on the past inputs of vital information, and a mobile terminal that displays the candidate inputs on a display unit that in turn accepts an input of vital information selected from among the candidate inputs.

Terminal device, information processing method, and information processing program


A terminal modified polycarbonate having a high content of biogenic matter, excellent heat resistance, heat stability, moldability and moist absorption resistance and high surface energy and a manufacturing process thereof are provided. The terminal modified polycarbonate has a main chain essentially composed of a recurring unit represented by the following formula (1):

Polycarbonates are polymers obtained by combining aromatic or aliphatic dioxy compounds by means of a carbonate. Out of these, a polycarbonate obtained from 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (commonly called "bisphenol A") (may be referred to as "PC-A" hereinafter) is used in many fields because it has excellent transparency, heat resistance and impact resistance.
Polycarbonates are generally manufactured from raw materials obtained from oil resources. The depletion of oil resources is now apprehended, and a polycarbonate manufactured from a raw material obtained from biogenic matter such as plants is desired. Therefore, a polycarbonate resin obtained from an ether diol which can be manufactured from a sugar is now under study.
For example, an ether diol represented by the following formula (5) is easily formed from biogenic matter such as a sugar or starch.
It is known that this ether diol has three stereoisomers. They are 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-D-sorbitol (to be referred to as "isosorbide" hereinafter) represented by the following formula (9), 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-D-mannitol (to be referred to as "isomannide" hereinafter) represented by the following formula (10), and 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-L-iditol (to be referred to as "isoidide" hereinafter) represented by the following formula (11).

Isosorbide, isomannide and isoidide are obtained from D-glucose, D-mannose and L-idose, respectively. For example, isosorbide can be obtained by hydrogenating D-glucose and then dehydrating it with an acid catalyst.
Out of the above ether diols represented by the formula (5), the introduction of isosorbide into a polycarbonate has been studied. JP-A 56-55425 (patent document 1) discloses a homopolycarbonate containing isosorbide. This homopolycarbonate has high specific viscosity and extremely high melt viscosity due to the rigid structure of its isosorbide skeleton, thereby making it difficult to mold it.
To overcome the above defect of the homopolycarbonate, copolymerization with various bishydroxy compounds is proposed. JP-A 56-110723 (patent document 2) proposes a copolycarbonate of isosorbide and an aromatic bisphenol. When the aromatic bisphenol is copolymerized, heat stability is improved but melt viscosity is not improved, whereby moldability becomes unsatisfactory. The aromatic bisphenol has a problem that it is derived from petroleum.
JP-A 2003-292603, WO2004/111106 and JP-A 2006-232897 (patent documents 3 to 5) propose a copolycarbonate of isosorbide and an aliphatic diol. When the aliphatic diol is copolymerized, melt viscosity lowers and moldability improves. However, most aliphatic diols are derived from petroleum, and diols which can be biogenic matter are limited to those having a relatively small number of carbon atoms, such as propanediol and butanediol. Since the boiling points of these aliphatic diols are lower than that of isosorbide, when they are polymerized by a melt ester interchange method, unreacted aliphatic diols are distilled off from a reaction system and the composition ratios of the obtained polymers become different from the charge ratios. When an aliphatic diol is copolymerized, heat stability tends to lower as well.
An isosorbide-containing polycarbonate contains a large number of oxygen atoms and has higher polarity than a polycarbonate obtained from a diol having no ether moiety, such as PC-A. Therefore, the isosorbide-containing polycarbonate has higher hygroscopic nature than PC-A, whereby it readily causes the deterioration of the dimensional stability of its molded product by moisture absorption and the deterioration of the heat resistance of the molded product at the time of wet heating. Further, as the isosorbide-containing polycarbonate has low surface energy, its molded product is easily stained and has low abrasion resistance. This surface energy can be evaluated by the contact angle with water.
The isosorbide-containing polycarbonate has still room for the improvement of heat stability and moldability as described above. The isosorbide-containing polycarbonate also has room for the improvement of some defects caused by low surface energy including low moisture absorption resistance.
(patent document 1) JP-A 56-55425
(patent document 2) JP-A 56-110723
(patent document 3) JP-A 2003-292603
(patent document 4) WO2004/111106
(patent document 5) JP-A 2006-232897

Terminal modified polycarbonate and manufacturing process thereof

Abstract: has a specific viscosity at 20° C. of a solution obtained by dissolving 0.7 g of the polycarbonate in 100 ml of methylene chloride of 0.2 to 0.5, and contains a terminal group represented by the following formula (2) or (3) in an amount of 0.3 to 9 wt % based on the main chain:


A system for creating a container having a bottom and four lateral walls comprises a bottom member (1), four walls (2) and an arrangement (3) for interlocking said walls with respect to said bottom member so as to create a container. The arrangement comprises for each wall a first section (4) and the bottom has for each outer border thereof a second section (10). The second section allows introduction of the first section therein with a corresponding wall tilted outwards from a center of a container to be created and has a part (12) forming a stop to the first section preventing lifting of the wall with respect to the bottom member in a vertical position of the former.

The present invention relates to a system for creating a container having a bottom and four lateral walls, said system comprising                a first plate-like member, hereinafter bottom member, configured to form a bottom of a container,        four second plate-like members, hereinafter walls, configured to form lateral walls of a container, and        an arrangement for interlocking said walls with respect to said bottom member so as to create a container in an assembled state,as well as a container made from such a system.
Thus, such a system is used for creating a container having a parallelepipedic shape, and such a container may include other elements than said bottom, lateral walls and interlocking arrangement for example a lid.
The material of the members for forming said bottom and the lateral walls may be of any suitable type, such as plywood, plastic and metal.
A system of this type having a said arrangement in combination with said members can be used for creating a container for transport of objects therein and after that by operating said arrangement releasing said members with respect to each other for getting disposed of said members or sending them back as a substantial flat package.
It is then important to be able to easily obtain an assembled state of a container created by use of such a system while reliably define that state and allow disassembly of the container in a simple manner with a minimum of damage of the different elements (including said members) of said system.

System for creating a container and a container


This invention is related to the use of ionic liquids of general formula C+A−, where C+ represents a cation of organic or inorganic type, specifically of the type imidazolium, pyridinium or ammonium salts, while the anion A− are derivatives which are halides, salts of iron (III), aluminum salts (III), acetate and benzoate, though not exclusively. These agents act as ionic liquid extractants of nitrogenous compounds present in hydrocarbon streams through a process of liquid-liquid extraction thereby can be reduced by more than 60% the content of these contaminants in hydrocarbon streams.

In Mexico, according to NOM-086-SENER-SEMARNAT SCFI-2005, the content of total sulphur in Diesel should be reduced up to 15 ppm in weight, this implies the production of ultra low sulphur diesel, for which PEMEX has carried out significant modifications in the HDS process and all of the catalysts used to produce Diesel Ultra low sulphur (DUBA) are currently imported.
The elimination of sulphur and nitrogen compounds from fossil fuels is a priority in recent years. Sulfur and nitrogen compounds present in hydrocarbons when subjected to the combustion process, gas emissions like SOx and NOx are produced which are highly toxic and are the main promoters of acid rain.
The alternative used in the oil industry to remove these contaminants is the process of hydrodesulfurization (HDS), consisting in a reduction reaction at high pressures and temperatures of the sulfur and nitrogen components in the presence of hydrogen using catalysts. This process is extremely expensive, and although aliphatic sulfur and nitrogen compounds are reduced, it is inefficient in the reduction of aromatic compounds.
Different non-conventional alternatives to remove sulphur and nitrogen compounds have been studied. An alternative is the use of ionic liquids for the selective removal of these compounds through a process of liquid-liquid extraction.
Mexican heavy crudes are characterized by a high content of nitrogen compounds, which in addition to generate toxic gases, they are important inhibitors of the HDS reaction, so the prior removal of nitrogenous compounds contributes to achieve the sulphur levels required in less severe operating conditions and increase the life time of the catalysts.
In some countries new technological lines for the solution of this problem have been developed such as the use of absorbent materials such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,935,248, U.S. Pat. No. 7,094,333 and the references Denitrogenation of Transportation Fuels by Zeolites at Ambient Temperature and Pressure, Hernandez-Maldonado et al., Angewandte Chemie, 2004, pp. 1004-1006; Ultra-deep desulfurization and denitrogenation of diesel fuel by selective adsorption over three different adsorbents: A study on adsorptive selectivity and mechanism, Kim et al., Elsevier B.V., 2005, pp. 74-83; or through a process of oxidative denitrogenation (U.S. Pat. No. 7,666,297, U.S. Pat. No. 7,276,152).
Ionic liquids have been intensively studied in recent years due to its physico-chemical properties, such as: very low vapor pressure, they are not flammable, non-corrosive and low toxicity, they are excellent substitutes for common organic solvents (Wasserscheid, P.) Keim, W. (Eds.) Ionic Liquids in Synthesis, Wiley-VCH, Wenheim, 2004; Welton, T. Chem. Rev. 1999, 99, 2071-2084; Zhao, H.; Malhotra, S. V. Aldrichimica Acta 2002, 35, 75-83), which has promoted the rapid development of a wide variety of industrial applications for these compounds (Rogers, R. D.); Seddon, K. R. (Eds.) Ionic Liquids: Industrial Applications of Green Chemistry. ACS, Boston, 2002; Rogers, R. D.; Seddon, K. R. (Eds.) Ionic Liquids as Green Solvent: Progress and Prospects. (ACS Symposium Series), Boston, 2003; Rogers, R. D.; Seddon, K. R. (Eds.) Ionic Liquids IIIB: Fundamentals, Progress, Challenges and Opportunities: Transformations and Processes (ACS Symposium Series), Boston, 2005; Roger, R. D.; Seddon, K. R.; Volkov, S (Eds.). Green Industrial Applications of Ionic Liquids. (NATO Science Series), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 2002.).
Ionic liquids are known for more than 30 years. Its heyday in different industrial applications started approximately 10 years ago (Rogers, R. D.;) Seddon, K. R. (Eds.), Ionic Liquids Industrial Applications of Green Chemistry, ACS, Boston, 2002). They are applied as solvents, as catalysts in alkylation, polymerization and Diels-Alder reactions, in electrochemical processes and as solvents for the extraction of CO2, sulphur and aromatic compounds from mixtures of hydrocarbons, among others. One of the first publications that mention the use of ionic liquids for removal of mercaptans in oils is WO 0234863, dated 2002 May 2. The patented method, is based on the use of sodium hydroxide in combination with Ionic liquids, to improve the conversion of mercaptans into mercaptides. Peter Wassercheid and collaborators, published from 2001 to 2005 several patents and articles on the topic of the use of ionic liquids, to the process of desulphurization in hydrocarbons (Chem. Comun. 2001, 2494, Green Chem. 2004 6, 316); WO 03037835, date of publication 2003 May 8; US 20050010076 A1, date of publication 2005 Jan. 13). In this work, the authors used liquids of the type C+A− where C+ is 1,3-dialkylimidazolium or tetra-alkylammonium, and A− are tetra-chloroaluminates or methanesulfonates. Through a process of repeated extractions (up to 8 successive extractions), high removal of sulfur compounds from gasoline model efficiencies were achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,749,377, 2010, treats acidic ionic liquids containing the anion HSO4− for the selective removal of nitrogen compounds. However, no other patent has described the use of ionic liquids as proposed in the present invention for this application. Some authors have described this application in scientific papers using loads models, for example Eβer and collaborators found a good extraction efficiency of nitrogen compounds, using the Ionic [BMIM][OcSO4], for a sample model containing 1000 ppm of nitrogen as n-dodecane indole (Eβer, J., et. al.) Green Chem. 2004, 6, 316-322). Meanwhile Zhang and colleagues assessed the capacity of removal of nitrogen compounds with the Ionic Liquid [BMIM] BF4 using a model gasoline. Zhang, S. G., et al. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2004, 43, 614-622. In the article by Li-Li Xie and collaborators (Green Chem., 2008, 10, 524-531) describes the selective extraction of neutral nitrogen compounds in diesel such as 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride using a model gasoline.

Denitrogenation of hydrocarbons by liquid-liquid extraction using ionic liquids


A game system provides a virtual game space in which plural players play a game. In the virtual game space, if a player object performs a first action on an item appearance area, the game system determines whether a right state of the player object is a first state or a second state. If the right state of the player object is the first state, the game system determines that an item appearance condition is satisfied. If the right state of the player object is the second state, the game system determines that the item appearance condition is not satisfied. If it is determined that the item appearance condition is satisfied, the game system causes a game item to appear in the virtual game space, and changes the right state of the player object to the second state.

There is known in the art a game in which a player can create and play a game course.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program to be executable by one or more computer processors of an information processing apparatus, wherein the information processing program causes the one or more computer processors to execute: running a game played by players; arranging an item appearance area in a virtual game space of the game; upon detecting that a first player object performs a first action on the item appearance area, determining whether a right state of the first player object concerning appearance of a game item in the item appearance area is a first state or a second state; upon determining that the right state is the first state, determining that an item appearance condition is satisfied; upon determining that the right state is the second state, determining that the item appearance condition is not satisfied; upon determining that the item appearance condition is satisfied, causing the game item to appear in the virtual game space; upon detecting that the game item is caused to appear in the virtual game space, changing the right state of the first player object for the item appearance area to the second state; and upon detecting that a second player object different from the first player object performs a second action on the game item, exchanging the right state of the first player object for the item appearance area with a right state of the second player object for the item appearance area.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Storage medium, information-processing device, information-processing system, and information processing method


A graph structure analysis apparatus 10 is an apparatus for analyzing a graph structure. The graph structure analysis apparatus 10 includes a range selection unit 11 that selects an analysis target range in the graph structure and a comparison target range to be compared with the analysis target range, and a feature representation extraction unit 12 that extracts a feature representation from data related to the analysis target range and the comparison target range, for each of the ranges.

Commonly, machine learning is performed by constructing a learning model for performing discrimination, regression analysis, and the like using an analyzer. Heterogeneous mixture learning, a neural network (NN), etc. are known as examples of such an analyzer.
Of these, in heterogeneous mixture learning, a decision tree that has a tree structure is constructed as a learning model (for example, see Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2). In addition, in a decision tree constructed through heterogeneous mixture learning, discriminant criteria are set for branches of nodes that are higher than terminal nodes, and a discriminant equation or a regression equation is output from (each of) the terminal nodes. Also, in heterogeneous mixed learning, such discriminant criteria represent the entire learning model, and clarifying the discriminant criteria improves the interpretability of the learning model.
In addition, a neural network (for example, see Non-Patent Document 3) is an analyzer whose practicability has rapidly increased through deep learning and the like. In a neural network, a network structure constituted by multiple layers is constructed by training a model using a large amount of data. Discrimination is then performed at the lowermost end of the network structure.

Graph structure analysis apparatus, graph structure analysis method, and computer-readable recording medium


Techniques are provided for controlling access message flow. The techniques include receiving one or more access messages; determining one or more sets of features, one for each access message; receiving a particular access message; determining a particular set of one or more features for the particular access message; determining whether the particular access message satisfies a particular condition based on the particular set of one or more features and the one or more sets of features; and if the particular access message satisfies the particular condition, performing a responsive action based on the particular condition.

The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Access control is a crucial component to networked systems. An approach to providing access control for services on a network is to provide access control servers, which authenticate and authorize supplicants, and network devices, which broker communication between supplicants and the access control servers as well as between supplicants and the other servers or services in the network. One type of access control server is provided using an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server. An AAA server may implement any number of protocols including Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS), Diameter, Terminal Access Controller Access Control System (TACACS+), Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP), Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol (PEAP), Extensible Authentication Protocol/Transport Level Security Protocol (EAP-TLS), Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol (LEAP), and Extensible Authentication Protocol-Subscriber Identity Module Protocol (EAP-SIM).
For each of these protocols, one or more "access messages" must be sent between the supplicant and the access control server in order to authenticate and authorize the supplicant. If a supplicant sends a message that is incorrectly formatted ("poorly formed"), the access control server may simply reject the message, possibly sending a response to inform the supplicant that the message is poorly formed. If the supplicant sends a well-formed message, that is, a message that conforms to the format of the appropriate protocol(s), then the access control server acts on the content of the message.
In some cases, however, and particularly when a supplicant is misconfigured, the supplicant may send a well-formed message, the content of which is inappropriate. Processing these inappropriate messages can cause undue load on the access control server, especially if the message is repeatedly sent from the supplicant to the access control server. This can result in legitimate, but improperly configured, devices generating substantial erroneous traffic that can downgrade or suspend the ability of the access control server to service appropriate requests.
These considerations are particularly important with the introduction of EAP over RADIUS as EAP provides an EAP communication "channel", from the server to the supplicants, "bridged" over the RADIUS client. In such an instance, the EAP/RADIUS supplicants (end clients attempting access such as laptops (EAP-TLS), cellular phones (EAP-SIM), or personal data assistants (LEAP)) have a direct logical communication channel to the access control server for the authentication process. The use of the EAP protocols increases the risks for both deliberate denial-of-service ("DOS") attacks by rogue EAP supplicants as well as unintended server request flooding by legitimate users with misconfigured supplicant software.
Consider, for example, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) scenario in which a misconfigured supplicant attempts to make several network connections to several adjacent WLAN access points within the same second. Each of these connections will generate a new access message to the access control server, causing unnecessary load on the access control server. Even a relatively small number of such misconfigured supplicants can degrade AAA server performance and a larger number can generate enough traffic to significantly impair the performance of the AAA server. The degradation of server performance caused by such misconfigured devices or malicious attacks reduces the load of legitimate access control messages that a particular access control server is able to service, and thereby reduces the scalability and increases the cost of the system as a whole.
Based on the foregoing, there is clearly a need for an approach to reduce the impact of erroneous messages from misconfigured supplicants and purposefully malicious entities.


According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a memory including a memory cell array, and an input/output pin configured to transfer data, a command, and an address from an external to the memory. The memory includes a termination circuit provided between the input/output pin and the memory cell array, and configured to supply a first voltage having a first amplitude in a first transfer mode and supply a second voltage having a second amplitude in a second transfer mode, a first intermediate value of the first amplitude being different from a second intermediate value of the second amplitude.

The I/O interface of a NAND memory includes a common input/output pin for transferring data, commands, and addresses. When transferring data, commands, and addresses via the input/output pin, a POD (Pseudo Open Drain) system or CTT (Center Tapped Termination) system is used as a termination circuit to increase the operating speed. In the POD system, an output signal (output voltage) from the input/output pin is terminated to one of a power supply voltage VCCq and a ground voltage VSSq. On the other hand, in the CTT system, an output signal from the input/output pin is terminated to both the power supply voltage VCCq and the ground voltage VSSq.


A lithium battery binder includes polyvinylidenefluoride(PVDF) having an IR absorption peak ratio of Iγ in a range from 0.35 to 1.00, wherein Iγ is equal to I820-850/I860-880 where I820-850 is a peak height resulting from a CH2 rocking band in γ-phase PVDF and I860-880 is a peak height resulting from backbones in α- and γ-phase PVDF. The lithium battery containing the cathode and/or the anode which incorporates the binder improves the charge/discharge characteristics and the lifespan characteristics of a lithium battery.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a binder and an electrode for lithium batteries, and a lithium battery using the same, and more particularly, to a lithium battery binder and a lithium battery electrode with enhanced charge/discharge characteristics and lifespan characteristics, and a lithium battery containing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the increasing supply of portable electronic devices, such as PDAs, mobile phones and laptop computers, their use range has been widened. Accordingly, the requirement for more compact, thinner, and lightweight batteries with high performance as power sources has been increasing, and much research on batteries has been conducted.
Since lithium batteries are lightweight and have higher energy density, they have been used as major power sources for such potable devices.
Cathode active materials for lithium batteries may include Li-containing transition metal oxides, such as LiCoO2 and LiNiO2, and chalcogen compounds, such as MoS2. Since these compounds have layer-crystalline structures, Li ions can be reversibly intercalated or deintercalated. Accordingly, these compounds have been widely utilized as cathode active materials for lithium batteries.
Metal lithium can be used as an anode active material. However, lithium ions of lithium are intercalated and deintercalated. Then, needle-shaped lithium dendrites grow on the surface of lithium because the lithium repeatedly dissolves and precipitates during charging/discharging of the battery. The needle-shaped dendrites have lower charge/discharge efficiency and cause an internal short-circuit by contacting a cathode.
To solve these problems, use of lithium alloy, metal powder, graphitic or carbonaceous materials, metal oxides, or metal sulfides, which can reversibly intercalates and deintercalates Li ions, as an anode material is under consideration. However, when a sheet-type anode made of a lithium alloy is used in a battery, the sheet-type alloy becomes thinner during charging/discharging, thereby degrading a current collecting property. Thus, the charge/discharge characteristics deteriorate.
When a sheet-type electrode is made of metal powder, a carbonaceous material, metal oxide, or metal sulfide powder, a binder is further used because these materials alone in powder form cannot form electrodes. For example, when manufacturing an anode using a carbonaceous material, it is common to add an elastic rubber-based polymer material as a binder.
When manufacturing an anode using metal oxides or metal sulfides, a conducting agent, in addition to the binder, is added to improve the charge/discharge characteristics. In general, when manufacturing an anode using a carbonaceous material, the carbonaceous material is pulverized into powder and a binder is added. However, if a conventional rubber-based polymer material is utilized as a binder, graphite particles may be coated depending on the amount of the binder, thereby hindering intercalation and deintercalation of lithium ions and deteriorating the high efficiency discharge characteristics.
If a conventional binder is used alone, regardless of the kind and form of a carbonaceous material, a large amount of binder should be added because a binding force between a metallic core material and the conventional binder is weak. However, when a large amount of binder is added to enhance the binding force, the surface of a carbonaceous material is coated by the binder. Therefore, the high efficiency discharge characteristics deteriorate. On the contrary, if a small amount of binder is used to maintain the discharge characteristics, the sheet-type electrode cannot be easily manufactured because a material for an electrode plate separates from the core material. Furthermore, the failure ratio increases in the manufacture of electrode plates.
Meanwhile, much research into polyvinylidenefluoride (hereinafter referred to as PVDF), which is commonly used as a lithium battery binder, has been carried out to improve its properties. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,165 discloses that the compounds with higher melting points have superior charge/discharge characteristics, wherein the melting points of PVDF polymers were measured using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). In this case, however, an anode surface and a cathode surface are separated from a PVDF binder layer. A mixture of PVDF, an anode material and a cathode material is not used to manufacture a battery. Therefore, the composition of the crystalline phases of PVDF, the anode active material, and the cathode active material in the battery, and how the composition varies depending on processing conditions are unknown.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,796, the ratios of specific peaks in an X-ray pattern and charge/discharge maintenance rates are measured when a PVDF binder is dried at different temperatures. However, this patent simply shows that a higher drying temperature leads to lower charge/discharge efficiency. In addition, in this patent, the charge/discharge efficiency is low so that the charge/discharge maintenance rate is relatively low.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,446, specific conditions in which α- and β-phases-containing films can be formed are defined. However, the relationship between the composition of a PVDF binder, the lifespan of a battery, and the battery efficiency is not disclosed in the patent.

Binder and electrode for lithium battery, and lithium battery containing the same


The present invention provides modulators of serotonin receptors, pharmaceutical compositions containing such modulators and methods for treating various diseases, conditions and disorders associated with modulation of serotonin receptors such as, for example: metabolic diseases, which includes but is not limited to obesity, diabetes, diabetic complications, atherosclerosis, impared glucose tolerance and dyslipidemia; central nervous system diseases which includes but is not limited to, anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, sleep disorder, sexual disorder and social phobias; cephalic pain; migraine; and gastrointestinal disorders using such compounds and compositions.

The neurotransmitter/hormone serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) regulates many physiological processes via a group of at least 14 distinct receptors that are organized into 7 subfamilies (Hoyer, D., et al., Pharmacol. Rev., 46, 1994). The 5-HT2 subfamily is composed of the 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, and 5-HT2C receptors as determined by gene homology and pharmacological properties. There exists a substantial correlation for the relationship between 5-HT2 receptor modulation and a variety of diseases and therapies. Prior to the early 1990's the 5-HT2C and 5-HT2A receptors were referred to as 5-HT1C and 5-HT2, respectively.
The direct or indirect agonism or antagonism of 5-HT2 receptors, either selectively or non-selectively, has been associated with the treatment of various central nervous system (CNS) disorders including obesity, depression, schizophrenia and bi-polar disorders. In the recent past the contribution of serotonergic activity to the mode of action of anti-obesity drugs has been well documented. Compounds that increase the overall basal tone of serotonin in the CNS have been developed as anorectic drugs. The serotonin releasing agents, such as fenfluramine, function by increasing the amount of serotonin present in the nerve synapse. These breakthrough treatments, however, are not without side effects. Due to the mechanism of action of serotonin releasing agents, they affect the activity of a number of serotonin receptor subtypes in a wide variety of organs including those not associated with the desired mechanism of action. This non-specific modulation of the serotonin family of receptors most likely plays a significant role in the side effect profile. In addition, these compounds or their metabolites often have a high affinity for a number of the serotonin receptors as well as a multitude of other monoamine neurotransmitters and nuisance receptors. Removing some of the receptor cross reactivity would allow for the examination and possible development of potent therapeutic ligands with an improved side effect profile.
The 5-HT2C receptor is a G-protein coupled receptor. It is almost exclusively expressed in the central nervous system including the hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus of the solitary tract, spinal cord, cortex, olfactory bulb, ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens and choroid plexus (Hoffman, B. and Mezey, E., FEBS Lett., 247, 1989). There is ample evidence to support the role of selective 5-HT2C receptor ligands in a number of disease therapies. 5-HT2C knockout mice develop a late stage obesity syndrome that is not reversed by fenfluramine or other direct acting 5-HT2C agonists such as mCPP (Nonogaki, K., et al., Nature Med., 4, 1998; Vickers, S., et. al., Psychopharmacology, 143, 1999). Administration of selective 5-HT2C agonists to rats causes a reduction in food intake and corresponding reduction in body weight (Vickers, S., et al., Br. J. Pharmacol., 130, 2000) and these responses can be blocked by administration of selective 5-HT2C antagonists (Vicker, S., et al., Neuropharmacol., 41, 2001). 5-HT2C receptor modulation in the hypothalamus can also influence thermoregulation (Mazzola-Pomietto, P, et al., Psychopharmacology, 123, 1996), sleep (Sharpley, A., et al., Neuropharmacology, 33, 1994), sexual behavior and neuroendocrine function (Rittenhouse, P. et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 271, 1994). Activation of 5-HT2C receptors in the VTA modulates the activity of dopaminergic neurons that are involved in aspects of depression (Di Matteo, V. et al., Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 22, 2001) and 5-HT2C receptor agonists such as WAY 161503, RO 60-0175 and RO 60-0332 are active in rodent models of depression (Cryan, J. and Lucki, I., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 295, 2000). 5-HT2C agonists have been reported to reduce the rewarding effects of nicotine administration in rats (Grottick, A., et al., Psychopharmacology, 157, 2001) and influences rodent responses to cocaine administration (Grottick, A., et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 295, 2000). Modulation of 5-HT2C receptors in the spinal cord can influence pain perception (Chojnacka-Wojcik, E., et al., Pol. J. Pharmacol., 46, 1994). There is also data indicating that the 5-HT2C receptor agonists mCPP and RO 60-0175 mediate penile erections in rats (Millan, M., et al., Eur J. Pharmacol. 325, 1997).


A differential pinion shaft is coupled to the input shaft. A crown is coupled to the output shaft. The mechanical resistance of a compensated sub-assembly, multiplied by a gear, is transmitted to a planet wheel. The speed of rotation of the planet stabilizes and, as a result, the transmission ratio between the input shaft and the output shaft stabilizes when the two forces acting on the periphery of the pinion are equal, although they then correspond to a torque much larger on the output shaft than on the planet wheel, the couple on the planet wheel being greater than that on the shaft of the compensator sub-assembly. The sub-assembly comprises an inertial load and a consuming load the joint behavior of which, depending on the speed of rotation and on the acceleration, resembles, on a smaller scale, that of the vehicle.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a continuously variable gear transmission adapted for land vehicles such as automobiles, motorcycles, and the like.
2. Background Art
There are known, from German laid-open patent application DE-A-30 11 833 and French Patent No. FR-A-692,079, automatic transmissions for vehicles, comprising a planetary gear train interconnecting an input shaft and an output shaft, this gear train comprising at least one gear which is arranged to distribute power, delivered to the input shaft, between the output shaft of the transmission and a balancing subassembly turning at a speed generally different from that of the output shaft.
The balancing subassembly comprises a flywheel of constant or variable inertia. According to these references, the inertia of the flywheel will impose on the planet gears a reaction force which will balance the resistance of the vehicle against movement. In other words, each planet gear will be subjected about its axis to two torques which balance each other, one originating from the inertia of the flywheel, and the other originating from the resistance of the vehicle against movement.
An inertia type of device, such as a flywheel, can generate a reaction force in the desired direction only in response to an accelerating force, assuming negligible mechanical friction and windage losses. However, it is impractical to increase the speed of rotation of the flywheel in order to maintain vehicle movement, because this speed will become prohibitive. Moreover, the engine speeds needed to produce increasingly higher flywheel speeds will also become excessive.
This difficulty was apparently recognized in FR-A-692 079, which proposes, in addition, a centrifugal friction device which, above a certain speed of rotation of the output shaft, ensures a connection (direct coupling) between the inertial flywheel and the output shaft. This direct coupling device does not permit automatic adaptation of the transmission ratio between the input and the output shaft above a given vehicle speed. Moreover, if it is necessary to effect coupling while the flywheel has acquired a substantial speed of rotation, a friction lining provided to ensure coupling with the flywheel will be subjected to considerable wear and heating. There is also the problem of travel at a vehicle speed slightly below the condition causing direct coupling. It would apparently be difficult in this case to operate without slippage between the friction lining and the flywheel.
German laid-open patent application DE-A-27 42 305 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,751 of POORE et al.) discloses a planetary gear transmission for a construction machinery vehicle which distributes the power produced by a free turbine type gas turbine between a first power path connected directly to the drive wheels of the vehicle and a second power path connected to a hydraulic pump for driving power-consuming auxiliary equipment.
A power transfer assembly selectively couples the drive shaft of the hydraulic pump to the first power path so that the rotational speed of the pump cannot exceed a preselected value. The power transfer assembly includes a friction clutch and a clutch control system that is responsive to the rotational speed of the hydraulic pump shaft to modulatingly regulate the clutch engagement for transferring power from the second power path to the first power path. This transmission system does not include, however, an inertia device, such as a flywheel, in the second power path.

Gear box with continuously variable gear


A connecting link type rubber crawler mounted to the traveling unit of a mobile construction machine, wherein fallout of the crawler and sinking of turning wheels hardly occur. In the endless rubber crawler, in which core bars (1) are embedded at a predetermined interval, right and left wing portions (1a) and (1a) of the core bar (1) are embedded in a rubber material of a crawler body (2) and connecting portions (m) and (m) of the core bar (1) are exposed at least on the inner peripheral side of the crawler body (2), or are covered by a thin rubber layer, while connecting portions (m') and (m') are provided at positions of the lower surface between pin holes (6) and (6) in a track link (5), an interval between the two pin holes (6) and (6) is made equal to the center-to-center interval between the adjoining core bars (1) and (1), and the track link (5) is secured to the core bars (1) from the inner peripheral side of the crawler in such a manner that the respective connecting portions (m, m) and (m', m') are superposed so as to coincide with each other vertically. On the other hand, the track links (5) and (5) disposed at a forward position and a rearward position are connected to each other by inserting pins (9) into the pin holes (6) and (6), and a pair of continuous tracks are formed by the track links at both sides of the central portion of the crawler body (2).

Conventionally, a steel crawler has been mainly applied to the traveling unit of a mobile construction machine, and a rubber shoe has been partially applied thereto. Recently, however, a rubber crawler is preferably used.
FIG. 22 is an explanatory view to describe an example of a conventional steel crawler: 101 is an outer flanged rolling wheel, 102 is a crawler shoe, 102a is a shoe plate, 102b is a track link, 102c is a linkage pin, and 102d is a lug (steel made). FIG. 23 is an explanatory view to describe an example of a rubber shoe: 103 is a rubber shoe, 103a is a shoe plate, 103b is a track link, 103c is a linkage pin, 103d is a rubber lug. FIG. 24 is an explanatory view to describe a conventional rubber crawler: 104 is a rubber crawler, 104c is a lug, 105 is a core metal, and 106 is a steel cord. In FIGS. 22-24, the same outer flanged rolling wheel can be used.
A steel crawler, wherein the upper surface of track links serves as a continuous track for a rolling wheel, effects small vibrations during traveling. Besides, it scarcely deviates from the wheel because of no elongation nor side displacement of the crawler in a circumferential or width direction. Moreover, it is excellent in durability because of strong mechanical connection between the links. However, it causes big noise and gives heavy fatigue to a driver because of its poor cushioning ability. In addition, it damages roads.
On the contrary, a rubber crawler effects small noise and has good cushioning ability without damaging roads. Besides, it is relatively lightweight so as to drive at high speed. However, it causes somewhat strong driving vibrations because an upper face of a projection of each core metal serves as a wheel track. In addition, when it receives big outer pressure in its circumferential or width direction, which causes elongation and side displacement, it deviates from the wheel. Moreover, it is inferior to the steel crawler in mechanical strength and durability.
A rubber shoe, wherein a rubber lug is provided on the ground side of a shoe plate of a steel crawler, has such structural problems that the shoe plat is apt to come off the rubber lug, and that the rubber lug is easily damaged or worn down because it is pressed between the shoe plate and the ground without any space for escape. Besides, a method of vulcanizing and fixing a rubber lug to each shoe plate highers the cost considerably. Accordingly, it can not be superior to a rubber crawler.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to overcome the above demerits of the rubber crawler by adapting a structure of a steel crawler with its merits.


A hybrid power drive system, including a power battery device, a range extender system, and a motor drive system. The power battery device is configured to supply power to the motor drive system. The range extender system includes an engine and a generator. The generator is able to generate power under the driving of the engine to supply the power to the motor drive system and/or charge the power battery device. The hybrid power drive system further includes a vehicle control unit configured to control the engine and/or generator of the range extender system to generate a driving force. The range extender system is mechanically connected to a main coupling mechanism to transmit the generated driving force to a main drive axle of a vehicle by means of the main coupling mechanism to drive wheels on both sides of the axle to rotate. Also provided is a vehicle having the hybrid power drive system. According to the hybrid power drive system and the vehicle having same, the vehicle control unit is utilized to control the engine and/or generator of the range extender system to generate the driving force for different application operating conditions, and thus the economy of the vehicle can be effectively improved.

In recent years, with development of productivity and increase of automobile demand, people's demand for energy, especially vehicle energy, is increasing. Meanwhile, environmental problems are becoming increasingly prominent. Energy and environment are becoming important factors affecting the development of the automobile industry.
Electric vehicles are considered to be the most potential new energy vehicles to solve energy crisis and environmental pollution. As the ultimate goal of the new energy vehicle industry, pure electric vehicles or fuel cell vehicles still need to solve many technical problems and break through a number of technical bottlenecks, and charging or refueling supporting facilities need to be further improved. In addition, the pure electric vehicles also have range anxiety problems, such as short driving range, long charging time, and the like.
At present, with respect to the defects of range anxiety of the pure electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles effectively overcome the defects. Therefore, the hybrid electric vehicles have become an industry consensus as an intermediate transition state in the present stage. However, the hybrid power architecture of the traditional hybrid electric vehicles is a hybrid power architecture with a single engine. The conversion efficiency of the vehicles is low under high-speed working conditions. Furthermore, the mechanical structure of a hybrid electric vehicle system is too complex, and the control difficulty is high.

Series-parallel hybrid power system and vehicle working mode decision-making method

ZHEJIANG GEELY NEW ENERGY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES CO., LTD


Techniques are described for providing fast reroute for BUM traffic in EVPN. For example, a first provider edge (PE) device, elected as a designated forwarder (DF) of an Ethernet segment, configures a backup path using a label received from a second PE device of the Ethernet segment (e.g., backup DF) that identifies the second PE device as a “protector” of the Ethernet segment. For example, a routing component of the DF configures within a forwarding component a backup path to the second PE device, e.g., installing the label and operation(s) within the forwarding component to cause the forwarding component to add the label to BUM packets received from a core network. Therefore, when an access link to the local CE device has failed, the DF reroutes BUM packets from the core network via the backup path to the second PE device, which sends the BUM packets to the CE device.

A computer network is a collection of interconnected computing devices that can exchange data and share resources. Example network devices include switches or other layer two ("L2") devices that operate within the second layer of the Open Systems Interconnection ("OSI") reference model, i.e., the data link layer, and routers or other layer three ("L3") devices that operate within the third layer of the OSI reference model, i.e., the network layer. Network devices within computer networks often include a control unit that provides control plane functionality for the network device and forwarding units for routing or switching data units.
An Ethernet Virtual Private Network ("EVPN") may be used to extend two or more remote L2 customer networks through an intermediate L3 network (usually referred to as a "provider network" or "core network"), in a transparent manner, i.e., as if the intermediate L3 network does not exist. In particular, the EVPN transports L2 communications, such as Ethernet packets or "frames," between customer networks via traffic engineered label switched paths ("LSP") through the intermediate network in accordance with one or more multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) protocols. In a typical configuration, provider edge ("PE") devices (e.g., routers and/or switches) coupled to the customer edge ("CE") devices of the customer networks define label switched paths within the provider network to carry encapsulated L2 communications as if these customer networks were directly attached to the same local area network ("LAN"). In some configurations, the PE devices may also be connected by an IP infrastructure in which case IP/GRE tunneling or other IP tunneling can be used between the network devices.
In an EVPN configuration, a CE device is said to be multi-homed when it is coupled to two or more physically different PE devices on the same EVPN instance when the PE devices are resident on the same physical Ethernet segment. The PE devices on the Ethernet segment provide transport services through the intermediate network to a remote PE device, and each of the PE devices on the Ethernet segment may forward Ethernet frames in the Ethernet segment for the CE device. One of the PE devices on the Ethernet segment is elected as the designated forwarder ("DF") for so called broadcast, unknown unicast, and multicast ("BUM") traffic that is to be flooded within the EVPN based on the MAC addressing information received from the other PE devices. A backup designated forwarder ("BDF" or "backup DF") may also be elected from among the remaining PE device on the Ethernet segment. When a network failure occurs with respect to the current designated forwarder, the other PE devices may execute a designated forwarder election algorithm to determine which of the other PE devices (e.g., backup DF) will become the new designated forwarder and, as a result, assume responsibility for forwarding L2 communications for the CE device. This process is referred to as "global repair."

Fast reroute for BUM traffic in ethernet virtual private networks


A method of manufacturing an octane-boosting fuel additive, the method comprises reacting n-butyraldehyde, iso-butyraldehyde, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing with glycerol in the presence of an acidic catalyst to obtain an octane-boosting product mixture comprising 2-propyl-5-hydroxy-1,3-dioxane, 2-isopropyl-5-hydroxy-1,3-dioxane, 2-propyl-5-hydroxymethyl-1,3-dioxolane, 2-isopropyl-5-hydroxymethyl-1,3-dioxolane, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

This disclosure is directed to improved octane boosters for gasoline, a process for making the octane boosters, and gasolines containing the octane boosters.
Commercial gasoline, which is fuel for internal combustion engines, is a refined petroleum product that is typically a mixture of hydrocarbons (base gasoline), additives, and blending agents. Additives and blending agents are added to the base gasoline to enhance the performance and the stability of gasoline, and can include anti-knock agents, anti-oxidants, metal deactivators, lead scavengers, anti-rust agents, anti-icing agents, upper-cylinder lubricants, detergents, and dyes.
When used in high compression internal combustion engines, gasoline has the tendency to "knock." Knocking occurs when combustion of the air/fuel mixture in the cylinder does not start off correctly in response to ignition because one or more pockets of air/fuel mixture pre-ignite outside the envelope of the normal combustion front. Anti-knocking agents, also known as octane boosters, reduce the engine knocking phenomenon, and increase the octane rating of the gasoline. Prior octane boosters such as tetraethyl lead and methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) have been or are being phased out for environmental, health, or other reasons.
Preferred compounds in present use for formulating octane boosters include C4 oxygenate compounds such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), and n-butanol and its isomers. However, the production and storage of the large quantities of these materials at oil refineries can be costly. In addition, limitations on the use of high concentrations of additives by regulatory mandate increase the difficulty and expense of refining operations that produce high-octane fuels.
In view of the foregoing, there remains a need to provide cost-effective methods for producing octane-boosting fuel additives and for gasoline compositions including the octane-boosting fuel additives.

Octane-boosting fuel additives, method of manufacture, and uses thereof


A plasma display device having a panel main body in which a pair of transparent substrates is arranged in opposition so as to form a discharge space between the substrates on at least a front side, barrier ribs are arranged on at least one of the substrates to divide the discharge space into a plurality of spaces, a group of electrodes is arranged on the substrates so as to generate discharge in the discharge space divided with the barrier ribs, and phosphor layers that emit by discharge are provided, in which the phosphor layers are equipped with a green phosphor layer including at least Zn2SiO4:Mn, a surface of Zn2SiO4:Mn is coated with magnesium oxide, and a ratio of an Mg element to a Si element on the surface measured with an XPS apparatus is 0.7 to 4.0.

I. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a plasma display device and a method of manufacturing a phosphor material constituting a phosphor layer thereof.
II. Description of Related Art
A plasma display device (below, written as "a PDP device") has attracted attention as an image display device capable of realizing high definition and a large screen in recent years.
A plasma display panel (below, written as "PDP") is a part where the images of the PDP device are displayed, and is configured with a front substrate and a rear substrate. The front substrate is configured with display electrodes consisting of a striped transparent electrode and a metal bus electrode formed on a glass substrate, a dielectric layer covering the display electrodes, and a protective layer. On the other hand, the rear substrate is configured with a striped address electrode formed on the glass substrate, a ground dielectric layer covering the address electrode, barrier ribs formed on the ground dielectric layer, and a phosphor layer formed between each barrier rib.
The front substrate and the rear substrate are sealed by a sealing material formed around their circumference. Then, a discharge gas consisting of neon, xenon, etc. is sealed into a space between the front substrate and the rear substrate created by the sealing.
A PDP with such a configuration performs image display by discharging the discharge gas through a voltage applied to a group of electrodes consisting of the display electrode, a sustain electrode, and a scan electrode, to thus excite the phosphor layers in response to ultraviolet rays generated by discharge.
The PDP performs a full-color display by performing additive color mixture of so-called three primary colors (red, green, and blue). In order to perform this full-color display, the PDP is equipped with phosphor layers that emit in red, green, and blue. The phosphor layer of each color is configured by layering the phosphor material of each color.
A surface of Zn2SiO4:Mn, which is one of typical green phosphor materials, is charged negatively. Therefore, positive ions of neon and xenon generated in the discharged gas upon the PDP displaying easily cause an ion collision to the negatively charged Zn2SiO4:Mn. The surface of Zn2SiO4:Mn deteriorates by this collision. Therefore, when the PDP device is used for a long time, green luminance decreases due to the deterioration of the Zn2SiO4:Mn.
In order to solve this problem, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. H11-86735, for example, discloses layering a film that can make a positive polarity on the surface of Zn2SiO4:Mn with a vapor deposition method and a firing method.
However, because the surface of Zn2SiO4:Mn is coated with a film substance that does not emit in layering films with the vapor deposition method and the firing method, there is a problem that the luminance of Zn2SiO4:Mn decreases.
Further, a PDP is proposed in which phosphor particles for PDP coated with a coating film of metal oxide by attaching metal alkoxide on the surface of the phosphor material such as Zn2SiO4:Mn and firing this are used (for example, refer to Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. H10-195428).
However, because the metal alkoxide is a compound containing organic substances, a carbon-based compound remains on the phosphor surface if the firing is not performed sufficiently. This carbon-based compound decomposes by discharge. In particular, the carbon-based compound decomposed with long hours of use is released in the discharge space, and the discharge becomes unstable.

Plasma display device and method of manufacturing green phosphor material for plasma display device


Using an imaging system in relation to a plurality of material layers is described, the material layers being separated by a distance greater than a depth of field of the imaging system. A focal plane of the imaging system and a first of the plurality of material layers are brought into correspondence. A first image including at least a portion of the first material layer having a first feature of interest thereon is stored. The focal plane of the imaging system and a second of the plurality of material layers are brought into correspondence. A second image including at least a portion of the second material layer having a second feature of interest thereon is acquired. The first and second images are processed for automatic computation of an alignment measurement between the first and second features of interest.

The generation of small devices often involves an alignment of multiple material layers, e.g., two or more material layers, with the assistance of an imaging system. Alignment requirements generally become more exacting as feature sizes on the devices shrink, requiring imaging systems with increased lateral resolving power. Some degree of spacing between the material layers is generally required during the alignment process. In some contexts this spacing is temporary, as in the case of mask and substrate alignment in semiconductor device fabrication using proximity lithography. In other cases this spacing may be more permanent, as in the generation of micro-electromechanical machine (MEMS) devices, nanostructures, or the like.
Because there is often an inverse relationship between the resolving power and the depth of field of an imaging system, one issue brought about by shrinking feature sizes is that the spacing between material layers may begin to exceed the depth of field of the imaging system used in the alignment process. This can bring about difficulties in proper alignment sensing. This issue can be compounded in the context of more advanced device fabrication techniques or more complex MEMS or nanostructural devices that may require concurrent aligning of more than two material layers. Another issue arising out of these concerns or other aspects of shrinking feature sizes is that it may be frustrating, tiresome, or otherwise undesirable for a human to be involved in the alignment sensing or control process.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.