In a video conference system, participants are provided with a greater sense of presence. A pair of monitors are positioned at each location and provide a presence view image and a shared space image of the other location. With this system, participants can overlap their finger pointing at a shared image while maintaining eye-to-eye contact.

The present invention relates generally to video conferencing, and more particularly to a video conferencing system that provides a greater sense of presence between two or more people when communicating at a distance over a broadband network.
Video conferencing provides a system for users in remote locations to communicate both orally and visually. Typically, each location in a video conference includes a monitor and a camera. Each camera captures an image at its location and sends the image to the other location involved in the video conference. Each monitor receives the image from the camera of the other location and displays it to provide the users in each location with a video display of the other location. In addition, a voice communication link overlaps with the video images to transmit the voices of the participants simultaneously with the video image.
To provide a more intimate connection between participants in a video conference, some video conferencing systems have developed methods for providing participants with better eye-to-eye contact. Some of these systems use a camera placed behind a transparent/reflective panel. A video image projector projects the received image onto the mirrored or reflective side of the panel, which the participant then sees. At the same time, the camera captures the image of the participant at his eye-level through the non-mirrored or transparent side of the panel. The camera then sends this eye-level image of the participant to the video image projector of the similarly structured monitor at the other location. As a result, participants at both locations view each other at eye-level, thus providing eye-to-eye contact between the participants.
Although such video conferencing systems provide better eye-to-eye contact and an improved sense of presence between participants, these systems fail to provide participants with visual communication that is effective in all circumstances. For example, in a video conference between a medical specialist and a patient, current video conferencing systems do not take into account that the medical specialist needs to be aware of the patient's verbal and non-verbal feedback while looking at a general view and a close-up image of the patient at the same time. Further, current systems do not provide a mirror image of the participants to enable the specialist and the patient to focus on the same point of interest by overlapping their pointing and to verify the patient's complaint by pointing with a finger at different parts of the patient's body. In addition, these systems are not equipped to support a situation where the specialist needs to direct an assistant or cooperating physician by pointing at the patient's body.
Current video conference systems are ineffective in other circumstances as well, such as educational and training classes, which have requirements similar to the specialist/patient situation. For example, in a computer education class conducted by video conferencing, the instructor and student must be able to orient themselves with respect to points on either the instructor's or the student's computer screen.


An apparatus and system are disclosed for receiving a data set from a data-exchange server, generating methods for accessing and performing operations on data in the data set from metadata defining the data set, using the access methods to generate a method for transforming the bidirectional format of the text data between the format of the server and a format defined in the metadata of the data set, and automatically employing the transformation method to transform the bidirectional format of text data in the data set, prior to performing an operation on the data, to the format appropriate to the particular operation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to data exchange adapters for use in exchanging data between a server and a backend application and more particularly relates to automatically transforming bidirectional format values in a data set prior to an exchange between a server and a backend application.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ability to seamlessly integrate the various applications and technologies necessary to perform tasks essential to the running of a business is known as business integration. Data exchange adapters facilitate business integration by allowing sets of data to be exchanged, seamlessly, among various applications and technologies. The Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) standard defines a standard approach to building these data exchange adapters as outlined in the J2EE connector architecture (JCA) specification.
Advanced implementations of data exchange adapters include an application module with a Data Exchange Service Programming Interface (DESPI) running on a Data Exchange Service Module (DESM) that is metadata-driven. The DESM is not hard-coded to perform unique transforms based on a particular application, technology, or object type. Rather, the DESM discovers the structure of a data set from the representation of the data set in associated metadata. In one embodiment, at build time, the DESM constructs access methods for managing the data set from associated metadata. At runtime, a connector component uses the access methods generated by the DESM to access elements of the data set and execute, on those elements, instructions for operations carried by the data set with application or technology specific methods embedded in the connector component.
Metadata used to define data sets contains a string of five letters known as a bidirectional format. The bidirectional format drives the processing of text data within the associated data set, according to the values in each position of the five-letter string comprising the bidirectional format. For example, a letter in the second position of the five-position format string determines whether text is processed from left to right, as is the case with English, or right to left, as is the case with Hebrew.
In order to accomplish business integration, a server makes a data set available to various applications and technologies. However, the bidirectional format required by a backend application or technology may differ from the bidirectional format required by the server. For example, servers may operate on a single, common standard for bidirectional format, such as a Windows™ bidirectional format. Therefore, the bidirectional format required on a backend application or technology may differ from the bidirectional format employed by the server.
Consistency requires transforming the text data of a data set as the text data is passed between the differing bidirectional contexts of a server and that of backend applications and/or technologies. Previous solutions rely upon the building of an application or technology specific transform within a connector component specific to a single application or technology. With this approach, multiple applications and technologies require the writing of code for several bidirectional format transforms, one for each application and for each technology having a different bidirectional format. Generating several transforms creates complexity that can lead to integration problems, debugging problems, and difficulty in assigning development tasks.
DESPI, in some embodiments running on a DESM, simplifies the way in which text data may be transformed to a context appropriate bidirectional format. Because the access methods generated by the DESM are application and technology neutral, the access methods may be used to create a single transform that can automatically transform text in a data set to make the text bidirectionally appropriate to its context.

Apparatus and system for an automated bidirectional format transform

International Business Machines Corporation


A modular plug comprises an insulative housing having a plurality of contacts that have a mating portion and an insulation piercing portion similar to that of conventional modular plugs where the terminals are further provided with capacitor plate portions that are connected to the mating portions via linking portions which cross-over that of an adjacent contact, for at least some of the terminals, in order to provide capacitive coupling between certain contacts to reduce cross-talk.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to connectors provided with means for reducing cross-talk, to enable high speed data transmission.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
There is an increase in demand for cable and connection systems to transmit digital signals at high speeds. As frequency increases, emission of "noise" increases, and this is a particular problem for closely positioned conductors which are subject to what is called cross-talk. Beyond a certain transmission frequency, cross-talk becomes unacceptably intense and thus limits the speed of data transmission. In cables, one of the ways of reducing cross-talk is by twisting pairs of conductors, where one conductor of the pair is for transmitting a positive signal, and the other conductor for transmitting a negative signal of equal intensity and timing as the positive signal. This is called a differential pair due to the nature of the opposed signals in the pair. Due to the twisting about each other, magnetic and electrical fields emitted from each of the cables cancel each other out and thus noise emitted from the pair is very low. Such pairs can thus be placed within a cable and positioned closely together whilst nevertheless transmit high speed electrical signals.
One of the problems however occurs at the connection end, where the conductors are connected to terminals within the connector. Terminals of connectors are often positioned in juxtaposed parallel relationships, and exhibit more cross-talk than between conductors of the cable. One way of reducing cross-talk effects is shown in European Patent Publication No. 583 111 where conductor pairs of a connector are crossed-over, thus behaving in a similar manner to that of a twisted cable. Crossing-over of contacts in connectors is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,647. The latter shows cross-talk reduction in a modular jack, which is a standardized connector widely used in telecommunications and computer data interconnection systems. Standardized modular jacks and corresponding plugs for connection thereto, were initially designed and used for low speed data transmission systems, and are thus not necessarily the most effective connection systems for use with high speed data transmission. Due to their widespread use however, there is a need to improve the data transmission speed capabilities of modular plug and jack connectors whilst respecting the standardized interface requirements.
Another means of reducing cross-talk is by judicious capacitive or inductive coupling between conductors of the connector as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,284. In the latter, the connector (modular jack) is positioned on a printed circuit board (PCB) having circuit traces thereon that are arranged in such a manner to couple the conductors by means of inductances and capacitances. The purpose of the coupling is to neutralize cross-talk present in the line by further coupling of the conductors to an opposite signal of equal intensity (a differential signal). Furthermore, the capacitances and inductances can be adjusted to match the impedance of the connector with that of the cable to reduce reflection of signals. Provision of a PCB however requires an extra component and increases the cost of the connector assembly. Furthermore, the volume of the connector is also increased. The latter also means that some connectors cannot be provided with a PCB, for example provision of a PCB in a modular plug would not be feasible.
G.B.-A-2 271 678 shows a modular jack with terminal contacts having a mating portion, an IDC wire connection portion, and capacitance portions extending integrally via linking portions therebetween. The capacitance portions are laterally offset from their mating portions and are positioned over the capacitance plates or the other contacts, for the purpose of reducing crosstalk between conductor pairs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,835 shows a four conductor patch plug having terminals with a contact portion and an IDC wire connection portion, adjacent terminals being crossed over at a mid-portion between contact and connection portions thereby adding a controlled half-twist to conductor pairs to reduce crosstalk.
It would be desirable to have an interconnection system that is not only cost-effective, but also compact and that is for high speed data transmission, the connector thus having reduced cross-talk and controlled impedance. It would also be desirable to provide the latter aspects in a standardized modular plug connector.
It is an object of this invention to provide a compact and cost-effective connector for high speed signal transmission.
It is an object of this invention to provide a standardized modular plug capable of high speed data transmission.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a compact and cost-effective means for reducing cross-talk in a connector for differential signal transmission, and that can be impedance matched with a cable connection thereto.
Objects of this invention have been achieved by providing a connector comprising an insulative housing and a plurality of juxtaposed contacts mounted thereon, the contacts having a wire connection portion and a mating portion for contact with terminals of a complementary connector, the contacts further comprising plate portions for capacitive coupling between contacts. In an advantageous embodiment, the contacts are stamped and formed from sheet metal, and are mounted in a standardized modular plug connector. Some of the contacts of the connector may comprise thin extensions between the contact portions and plate portions, whereby the thin extensions allow a cross-over in the position of the plate portion with respect to the contact portion such that the corresponding contact can be capacitively coupled to another contact beyond the adjacent contact. The mating portion and connection portions of the contact could be substantially planar, whereby the connection portion comprises insulation piercing contacts for connection by means of piercing to conducting strands of insulated conducting wires, and the mating portion comprises an arcuate edge of the contact. In the latter disposition, the capacitance plate portion would extend rearwardly, away from the mating end of the connector, and positionable above wires of a cable for connection to the plug, such that a compact arrangement is achieved.

Modular plug for high speed data transmission


A vacuum valve is disclosed. The vacuum valve comprises a body and a cylinder, mounted at the upper end of the body having a cavity including a piston, the center of the piston provided a piston rod extended into the cavity and the two sides of the body and the bottom section of the body being air holes, characterized in that the end of the piston rod is connected with a rocking arm and a gate plate having a lug by means of a connection rod, and one side of the gate plate, positioned at the interior of the upper section of the air hole is a pivotal lug by means of a connection rod so that the valve plate is opened or closed at an arch angle at the air hole, and the exterior of the bottom section of the body is a bottom plate so that the vacuum valve is formed into a two-passages valve and is connectable to a 180 degree conduit.

(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vacuum valve, and in particular, a vacuum valve can be used as two-passages valve or three-passages valve.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show sectional view of a conventional vacuum valve comprising a body 11, a cylinder 12. As shown in the figures, a drawback of the conventional vacuum valve is that the number of the components of the valve are too many, and therefore the cost of fabrication is high, and two-passages cannot be connected in pair to form three-passages valve. A second drawback is that the connection rod 124 may not be easily calibrated. Thirdly, when the connection of the connection rod 124 and the gate 123 and the binding plate 125 is not appropriate, gaps will form when the valve is in use. This will directly affect the air seal of the vacuum valve 1. All these drawbacks are found in conventional vacuum valve, and it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above drawback by providing an improved structure of a vacuum value.


A regulated circuit having a number of metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOS FETs) and a method for using the same are provided to reduce Negative Bias Temperature Instability degradation of the MOS FETs on the circuit. In one embodiment, the method involves steps of: (i) detecting degradation in performance of at least one of the MOS FETs causing a shift in threshold voltage (VT) of the MOS FET; and (ii) if the shift in VT exceeds a predetermined value, forward biasing the MOS FETs, thereby reducing or reversing the shift in VT. Optionally, the method includes an initial step of determining if the circuit is in a non-dynamic operating mode before forward biasing the MOS FETs. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

P-channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor (PMOS) Field Effect Transistors (FETs) with p+ doped polysilicon gates and Nitrided Gate Oxides (NGOX) have been found to exhibit Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) after voltage and/or temperature aging. This instability gives rise to the problems that under negative gate bias voltage, the magnitude of threshold voltage (VT) of the FET increases and drain saturation current (IDS) decreases. This mechanism is known to cause degradation of performance of the PMOS FETs over time.
Prior technologies using single doped polysilicon gates and pure silicon dioxide (SiO2) gate oxides do not exhibit a NBTI problem. Thus, causes of and problems resulting from NBTI have not, up to now, been fully recognized or techniques to solve the problem been developed.
One mechanism proposed in the literature as giving rise to the NBTI problem, is illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1C. Briefly, interface traps (NIT) are generated at the NGOX interface 102 by hole-assisted rupture of Si—H bonds by a free holes 104. The holes 104 can be either supplied by a channel charge during operation of the PMOS FETs or by tunneling through the NGOX. FIG. IA illustrates hole-tunneling by a hole 104 through the NGOX interface 102. FIG. 1B illustrates hole-capture of the hole 104 by the Si—H bond at the NGOX interface 102. FIG. 1C illustrates a broken Si—H bond resulting from the hole-capture shown in FIG. 1B.
The reaction pathways illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1C may be summarized by the following equations:Si—H+h=Si++H0,H0+H0═H2; andSi—H+h+H0═Si++H2.where Si—H is the unbroken silicon-hydrogen bond, h is a free hole, Si+ is a silicon ion created by the breaking of the silicon-hydrogen bond, H0 is a hydrogen ion or atomic hydrogen created by the breaking of the silicon-hydrogen bond, and H2 is gaseous hydrogen formed and released by the ongoing reaction.
It will be appreciated that NIT generation is proportional to the hole density, and as NIT increases so does the tunneling probability and capture cross section.
The result of the above described reaction is the degradation of the PMOS transistor due to positive interface charge associated with broken Si—H bonds. The degradation is temperature, bias and process dependent. Moreover, the degradation caused by NBTI increases with the strength of the electric field applied across the NGOX. Thus, the NBTI problem becomes worse with each successive generation of PMOS FETs as the gate oxide thickness is aggressively reduced. In addition the incorporation of Nitrogen at the gate oxide interface to lower the susceptibility against boron penetration has deteriorated the gate oxide interface quality and hence amplified the NBTI related transistor degradation.
Heretofore efforts at addressing the NBTI problem have focused on processing techniques to getter or isolate hydrogen and water from the gate oxide layer. This approach has not proven wholly satisfactory for a number of reasons, including: (i) the cost associated with additional process steps; (ii) the incompatibility of the gettering and barrier materials with existing processes; and (iii) the limited effectiveness of these materials.
Accordingly, there is a need for a design solution or a regulator and method of operating the same to significantly reduce NBTI degradation in regulated circuits. It is further desirable that the regulator and method work to mitigate or reduce degradation in regulated circuits arising from causes other than NBTI.
The present invention provides a solution to these and other problems, and offers further advantages over conventional complementary (CMOS) circuits.

Method and circuit for reducing degradation in a regulated circuit


A process for the oxidative leaching of sulphide mineral species, the method characterized by the method steps of: leaching a slurry containing the mineral species in one or more reaction vessels; circulating a stream of leach liquor to a flash cooler; flashing the liquor in the flash cooler at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure so as to dissipate heat; and recirculating the liquor to the or each reaction vessel.

At present there are available a wide range of process options in the extraction and recovery of metal values from various mineral species, including sulphide minerals. In particular, methods of oxidative hydrometallurgy are often used, one of these such methods being oxidative leaching processes.
Conventional or traditional oxidative leaching processes typically utilise severe physico-chemical conditions in order to achieve acceptable rates of oxidation and/or final recoveries of metal values. The severe physico-chemical conditions of the conventional technology often involve leaching with temperatures in excess of 150° C. and total pressures in excess of 2000 kPa. These extreme conditions, typified by the so-called Sherritt process, place certain physical requirements upon the reaction vessels or autoclaves, and the oxygen supply requirements. In addition, retention times in the leach are long in order to ensure adequate extraction of the appropriate metal values, often involving retention times of greater than two to two and a half hours.
Some work has been conducted in an effort to provide a method of processing a mineral species which utilises an oxidative leach under what may be termed "relatively mild" conditions of pressure and temperature, relative to conventional oxidative hydrometallurgy technologies. In addition, the leach utilised in these processing methods consumes less oxygen than conventional processes. One obvious advantage of the ability to conduct an oxidative leach under these "mild conditions" is the substantial avoidance of the cost required to provide autoclaves built to withstand conditions of high pressure and temperature. Australian Patent Applications 27182/92 and 48867/00 describe methods for the processing of mineral species utilising an oxidative leach under mild conditions of temperature and pressure. These mild conditions are described as temperatures of less than about 120° C. and oxygen pressures of less than about 1000 kPa. The content of both these prior patent applications is incorporated herein by reference.
The reactions involved in the oxidative leaching of sulphide minerals are typically exothermic, thereby generating heat which is required to be dissipated in some manner if the advantages of running the oxidative leach at mild conditions are to be realised. The methods described in Applications 27182/92 and 48867/00 utilise, in pilot plant form, a number of autoclaves arranged in series, in which slurry passes from one autoclave to the next, at the end of which the slurry, if it is at this point above 100° C., may be flashed to effect a level of cooling. The primary cooling is achieved by injection of a cooling liquid into each autoclave as required to achieve the necessary cooling.
The above processing options progressively dilute the slurry during oxidative leaching and require energy be consumed in pumping of the cooling liquid.
In addition to typical flashing methods, in which slurry is discharged to a flash tank at the end of the autoclave train, conventional methods may also utilise jacketed autoclaves about which cooling liquid is circulated, and/or the use of other forms of heat exchange, including the use of common heat sinks.
Heat exchange surfaces can typically foul, requiring cost and time intensive maintenance. The large extent of the heat transfer surfaces required often makes their use impractical.
The design utilised above does not readily lend itself to up-scaling to commercial plants, largely as a result of each of the inefficiencies noted above in relation to the cooling methods employed. One available solution is to run the oxidative leach at a higher temperature, for example 150° C. This would allow a reduction in the size of the reaction vessels in any commercial plant. However, this does not avoid the typical problems of the prior art processes utilising temperatures greater than 120° C., which is preferably to be avoided. In addition, the decrease in size of the reaction vessels obtained through an increase in the reaction temperature from 100° C. to 150° C. is typically only as great as 40%. It is envisaged by the Applicant that greater efficiencies can be obtained through utilising the process of the present invention.
The improved leaching process of the present invention has as one object thereof to substantially overcome, or at least provide a useful alternative to, the processes of the prior art described hereinabove.
The preceding discussion of the background art is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge in Australia as at the priority date of the application.
Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.


A multi-coil placement method of a wireless charging system is disclosed. The method may include obtaining a width parameter of an effective charging area a and a width parameter of a power transmitter coil b, calculating a ratio of the width parameters a/b, determining a shape, size and number of layers of mesh cells based on the ratio of a/b, determining a layout of the mesh cells, covering a required charging area using the mesh cells based on the determined shape, size, number of layers, and layout, and replacing the mesh cells with the power transmitter coils.

Wireless charging is an evolving technology that may bring a new level of convenience of charging electronic devices. In a wireless charging system, particularly an inductive wireless charging system, energy is transferred from one or more power transmitter (TX) coils to one or more power receiver (RX) coils through magnetic coupling.
A wireless charging system that contains only one TX coil is a single-coil system. The system's charging area only covers a limited area near the TX coil's center. To expand the charging area, one possible approach is to use multiple TX coils in a wireless charging system, which is called a multi-coil system.
There may be several disadvantages in a current multi-coil system. First, using more TX coils will increase overall cost. Second, stacking TX coils on multiple layers may introduce uniformity problems and increase the thickness of the system. In addition, a multi-coil design may result in charging dead zones. A placement pattern of a multi-coil system may be designed to minimize or even overcome these disadvantages. In addition, the placement design may be flexible and adaptive to different TX coil designs and different charging area requirements.
Therefore, a multi-coil placement method and design patterns that overcome the above shortcomings are desired for a multi-coil wireless charging system.

Multi-coil placement method for power transmitter in wireless charging system

SHENZHEN YICHONG WIRELESS POWER TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD


An image reading apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a reading unit, a carriage, a motor, a motor gear, a conveyance gear, a carriage gear, and a control device. The conveyance unit is configured to convey a document. The reading unit is configured to read an image on the document. The carriage is configured to support the reading unit and to be movable in a prescribed direction. The reading unit is selectively operable in a first mode in which the image on the document is read while conveying the document by the conveyance unit, and a second mode in which the image on the document is read by moving the reading unit in the prescribed direction. The switching gear is configured to be placed in a first position and a second position. The control device is configured to control the switching gear to move between the first position and the second position, acquire initialization data initializing the reading unit, and control the reading unit to read the image on the document. The control device acquires the initialization data while controlling the switching gear to move between the first position and the second position.

An image reading apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-86817 is well-known in the art. The conventional image reading apparatus includes a reading unit such as a CIS for reading a document, a conveyance unit for conveying a document to the reading unit, a carriage for moving the reading unit, a single motor for driving the moving unit and the conveyance unit, and a switching gear serving as a transmission unit for transmitting drive power of the motor. The switching gear switches its position between a conveyance position at which the transmission unit transmits the power to the conveyance unit and a carriage position at which the transmission unit transmits the power to the moving unit, whereby the conveyance unit and the moving unit can be driven by a single motor.

Image reading apparatus for reducing start-up time


A multi-layer printed circuit board comprises: a core comprising a core insulation layer and traces formed on two sides of the core insulation layer; a plurality of insulation layers sequentially formed at two sides of the core; and a plurality of trace layers respectively formed between two insulation layers and on the outmost insulation layers; wherein the core insulation layer contains a resin material different from that of the insulation layers, such that the core insulation layer has a dimensional stability superior to that of the insulation layers.

In order to meet the demands of compact, light-weight and conveniently portable electronic products, research and development of electronic product manufacturers are directed to and focused on miniaturization of electronic components.
Printed circuit boards are one of the essential components of many electronic products, such as smart phones, and served to provide electronic signal transmission among different electronic components. Several technical solutions have been proposed, such as high density interconnection (HDI), by printed circuit board manufacturers to reduce the size or thickness of printed circuit boards, so as to form denser trace connections within the same or even smaller size or thickness.
For example, the HDI technique employs several means to achieve high trace density, including laser blind hole drilling, small trace width and high performance thin type materials. The increase of density greatly improves the connections per unit area. In addition, the more advanced "any layer" HDI multi-layer printed circuit boards use micro-blind hole structures through plated hole filling and stacking to further achieve more sophisticated interlayer connections.
Generally, "any layer" HDI technique is different from the manufacturing processes of conventional printed circuit boards and primarily uses build-up methods to form the trace layers and insulation layers. Each build-up cycle involves lamination of prepregs and copper foils, laser drilling, hole metallization, and trace formation, including exposure, lithography, etching, etc. The aforesaid steps are carried out according to the number of layers, such as eight to fourteen layers for an ordinary mobile phone circuit board, needed to be formed to complete the multi-layer printed circuit boards.
Due to the high precision requirements of the HDI technique, positional change of interlayer electrical connections of buried holes and blind holes needs to be controlled during the process. If the lamination process causes severe deformation, the final products won't be able to meet the requirements and have to be discarded, which will increase the production costs.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide multi-layer printed circuit boards with high dimensional stability and excellent signal transmission property.

Multi-layer printed circuit boards with dimensional stability


The use of a styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer in self-dispersed black pigment inks provides a means of achieving black-to-color bleed control against color.

One of the issues confronting formulators of inkjet ink sets comprising black and color (e.g., cyan, yellow, magenta) is that of black-to-color bleed. This has been an issue earlier for dye-based colorants and, more recently, for pigment-based colorants.
The term "bleed" as used herein, is defined as follows: When inks of two different colors are printed next to each other, it is desired that the border between the two colors be dean and free from the invasion of one color into the other. When one color does invade into the other, the border between the two colors becomes ragged, and this is bleed. This is in contradistinction to uses of the term in the prior art, which often defines "bleed" in the context of ink of a single color following the fibers of the paper.
The term "halo" applies to the printing defect that occurs in black areas surrounded by color ink. In some cases, a distinct light-gray zone is seen where the black is adjacent to color. The defect is normally seen within 2 to 3 mm from the line dividing the black and color areas and occurs on the black side.
Finally, "mottle" is defined as a color or black non-uniformity on top of the paper, with some areas darker than others.
The present teachings specifically address the case where the color inks are dye-based and the black inks are pigment-based. This approach turns out to deliver the best performance for ink-jet printers overall, combining the good text quality and business graphics of the pigmented black inks with the bright colors of the dye-based color inks. Dye-based systems, in which the dye colorant is soluble in water, have different considerations than pigment-based systems, in which the pigment colorant is insoluble in water and must be rendered dispersible, such as by the use of polymeric dispersants or by self-dispersing the pigment.
Adding polymers to pigmented systems is well known in the art. Polymers tend to stabilize the dispersion, as well as improve such attributes as the black-to-color bleed, optical density of the black, halo, and mottle. For example, pigmented inks have been disclosed that contain AB and BAB block-copolymers, where the blocks are made out of various monomers of acrylic family. As another example, a relatively high molecular weight (>10,000) polysaccharide such as alginic acid or carrageenan has been used. As another example, the use of polymeric resins, in particular, styrene-acrylic copolymers in pigmented inks is known. Still further, inks containing a carboxylic salt polymer are known. Also, inks containing a copolymer of a hydrophobic α,β-unsaturated ethylene monomer, and a hydrophilic monomer having a plurality of COOM groups (where M is hydrogen, alkali metal, or an ammonium ion) are known. Specifically, the hydrophobic monomer can be styrene and hydrophilic monomer can be maleic anhydride. In addition, an ink-jet ink containing two dispersants: one containing a sulfonic acid salt/ester, and the other containing a carboxylic acid salt, within a specific range of molecular weights has been described. Finally, a number of polymers for the bleed and halo control are described, most of them being of the acrylic type.
It has been known in the art that introducing chemical reactivity between the color and black inks brings many positive features to ink-jet performance, such as color-to-black bleed control and decreasing the halo. Also, it has been discovered that if reactive color inks are used for underprinting under the black areas, the optical density of the black is improved. The interaction between the polymeric dispersant and polyvalent metal ions in the color inks has been described for controlling bleed/halo/mottle. Alternatively, the reaction with the polymer can be triggered by organic acids in the color inks.
Aside from polymeric dispersants, there is another approach for preparing colloidal pigment dispersions, called self-dispersion. It typically involves attaching solubilizing groups to the pigment. There are several methods known in the art that enable the attachment of a solubilizing ionic group to the surface of a pigment particle. For example, a method of attaching an ionic group to the carbon surface is based on the reactions of diazonium salts. On the other hand, a reaction by oxidation of the surface of the pigment particles may be performed using ozone.
Developing black-to-color bleed control mechanisms for self-dispersed black pigment inks, such as those available from Cabot Corp., is typically harder than for conventionally dispersed black inks (e.g., using polymeric pigment dispersants) because the self-dispersed pigments are highly electrostatically stabilized. In addition, there is no polymeric dispersant which, when reacted, rapidly builds viscosity and limits ink migration. As an example, a series of polymers of the acrylic type have been used to improve the color-to-bleed and halo of the black pigmented inks.
However, adding polymeric dispersants to the pigment-based black inks in many cases leads to nozzle clogging and other reliability issues. Therefore, a need remains in further improving the polymeric dispersants. Also, a need remains in finding the polymers that can provide the best reactivity with the reactive components in the dye-based color inks.

Use of styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer to control black-to-color bleed

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


When an access point notifies a user equipment of a communications network supported by the access point, the access point also notifies the user equipment of priority information of the access point, so that the user equipment can select an access point that an operator expects the UE to select, to be connected to the communications network, thereby avoiding inconsistency between an access point, which is randomly selected by the user equipment to be connected to a communications network, and an access point that a communications network operator expects the UE to select.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project, "3GPP" for short) is a leading 3G technical specification organization with the purpose of studying, formulating, and promoting 3G standards that is based on an evolved GSM core network.
An access network discovery and selection function (Access Network Discovery and Selection Function, "ANDSF" for short) is a functional entity formulated by 3GPP in an evolved packet core network (Evolved Packet Core, "EPC" for short), and the ANDSF is used to assist a user terminal (User Equipment, "UE" for short) in discovering and choosing to be connected to a non-3GPP network such as Wi-Fi or WiMAX. A structural diagram of a deployment of the ANDSF is shown in FIG. 1: A UE exchanges information with an ANDSF server through an S14 interface by using IP layer communication. When the UE is in a home public land mobile network (Home Public Land Mobile Network, "HPLMN" for short), the UE only needs to acquire an operator policy from a home ANDSF ("H-ANDSF" for short). When the UE is in a visited public land mobile network (Visited Public Land Mobile Network, "VPLMN" for short), the UE may establish a connection to the H-ANDSF or a visited ANDSF server ("V-ANDSF" for short) or both, to acquire an operator policy. Acquiring an operator policy by a UE includes the following three steps: discovery of an ANDSF server, establishment of an ANDSF security link, and acquiring of an operator policy.
There are three main manners for the discovery of an ANDSF server (that is, acquiring of an IP address of the ANDSF server): 1. Home operator configuration, which may be used for an H-ANDSF; 2. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, "DHCP" for short) query, which may be used for an H-ANDSF; 3. Domain name system (Domain Name System, "DNS" for short) query, which may be used for both an H-ANDSF and a V-ANDSF.
The establishment of an ANDSF security link is mainly as follows: The UE and the ANDSF server perform two-way authentication (GBA-based) of a pre-shared key (Pre-Shared Key, "PSK" for short) and a Transport Layer Security protocol (Transport Layer Security, "TLS" for short), to establish a security link connection between the UE and the ANDSF. If the UE does not support the security mechanism, a security mechanism stipulated in Open Mobile Alliance-Device Management (Open Mobile Alliance-Device Management, "OMA-DM" for short) needs to be used to ensure link security.
The acquiring of an operator policy mainly includes two modes: a Pull mode and a Push mode. The Pull mode means that the user terminal actively initiates a query to the ANDSF server, to acquire a related operator policy; the Push mode means that the ANDSF server sends prompt information (such as SMS) to the user terminal, the user terminal establishes a connection to an ANDSF according to the prompt information and initiates an information query, and the UE initiates an information query request to the ANDSF by using Generic Alert information of OMA DM. The UE and the ANDSF use an ANDSF management object (Management Object, "MO" for short, which is an OMA-DM MO) to carry operator policy information, so as to exchange information.
An ANDSF mainly provides the following three kinds of information for a UE: 1. An inter-system mobility policy (Inter-system mobility policy, "ISMP" for short), where the policy mainly provides a network selection policy for a user terminal that cannot simultaneously support multimode transmission (such as LTE and Wi-Fi); 2. An inter-system routing policy (Inter-system routing policy, "ISRP" for short), where the policy mainly provides a network selection policy for a user terminal that can simultaneously support multimode transmission (such as LTE and Wi-Fi); 3. Network discovery information (Discovery Information), where the information provides a list of available networks, which is based on a user terminal location, for the user terminal, and the list includes access information of each network, so as to assist the user terminal in being connected to the network. Each ISMP and ISRP have a corresponding valid restriction, which includes a user terminal location (including a physical location, a cell location, or the like) and time. A user terminal selects an operator policy with a highest priority from all valid operator policies (when priorities of all valid operator policies are the same, a visited operator policy is prior to a home operator policy; if all valid operator policies belong to a same priority and a same operator, a decision is made based on implementation).
Wi-Fi Alliance (Wi-Fi Alliance) was founded in 1999, aiming at improving interoperability between wireless network products that are based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications. A Subscription MO mechanism is a management mechanism proposed by the alliance for managing Wi-Fi users' account information and an operator policy (a network access policy). A deployment structure of the Subscription MO is shown in FIG. 2: A UE is connected to a service operator network by using a Wi-Fi access network (a Hotspot network), exchanges account information on an OSU server, and exchanges operator policy information on a policy server. Before a user exchanges with these servers, a mutual authentication message needs to be forwarded by an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (Authentication Authorization Accounting, "AAA" for short) server of the Hotspot network to an AAA server of the service operator, so as to perform two-way authentication, and then the UE can exchange information with the OSU server or the policy server by using a Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer (Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer, "HTTPs" for short) technology. The UE and the OSU server or the policy server use a Subscription MO to carry user account information and operator policy information, so as to exchange information. The operator policy mainly includes a list of visited service providers (with priorities) that are recommended by an operator for access and a list of visited service operators that are prohibited by the operator.
The following scenario may occur in the prior art: A UE roams to a remote area and enters an operation scope of an operator, but the UE is not a subscriber of the operator. For some reason (for example, expensive 3GPP tariff), the UE is not connected to a 3GPP network of the operator (therefore, the UE cannot establish a connection to an ANDSF server of the operator to acquire a policy of the operator), but the UE determines to be connected to a network of the operator by using Wi-Fi, and finds, by means of scanning, that the operator leases multiple Wi-Fi access points provided by multiple Wi-Fi service providers. In this case, the UE randomly selects an access point of the multiple Wi-Fi access points because the UE does not know a network access policy of the operator. As a result, the selection may be inconsistent with the network access policy of the operator (that is, the access point selected by the UE is not an access point that the operator expects the UE to select). The UE acquires the network access policy of the operator after the UE visits the network of the operator by using the access point. In this case, if the access point selected by the UE is not the access point that the operator expects the UE to select, the UE exits the access point that is selected previously, and reselects an access point according to the acquired policy.
The foregoing network access process is low in efficiency.


An image forming apparatus according to the present invention irradiates a polygon mirror with laser beams from different directions, allows the polygon mirror to reflect the laser beams toward different optical axis directions to perform main scanning operation for the laser beams at a predetermined deflection angle. First and second beam detectors are disposed at the beam incident ends in the scanning direction of first and second light scanning sections to detect the start of light beam scanning operation such that the second beam detector detects it at an earlier timing than the first beam detector does. The detection result of the first beam detector is used to set sampling start timing in common between first and second image data. Based on the detection results of the first and second beam detectors, first and second image data are written into a memory, and the first and second laser source sections are controlled based on the image data read out from the memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copy machine, printer, or fax machine and, more particularly, to a multibeam image forming apparatus that exposes a photoconductor with a plurality of laser beams to form an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of an apparatus that exposes a photoconductor with a plurality of laser beams to form an image, a multibeam image forming apparatus using a polygon mirror is known. The image forming apparatus generates a plurality of laser beams at a time using the polygon mirror to exposure-scan a photoconductor drum. In forming a color image, the image forming apparatus exposes a plurality of photoconductors spaced apart from one another with a given interval with laser beams and, after development, transfers the color image onto a paper fed by a feeding belt.
In the case where a plurality of laser beams are used to form a color image as described above, exposure scanning operations for respective colors must be synchronized. If the operations are out of synchronization, image distortion, color misalignment, or line misalignment occurs. To cope with this problem, a light sensor (also referred to as BD sensor) that detects a laser beam is disposed at a start position of scanning operation of the polygon mirror for the laser beam to obtain a synchronization signal (Beam Detect signal, also referred to as BD signal) serving as a criterion for starting the scanning operation and writing start timing of laser beam is determined for each color based on the synchronization signal.
Actually, however, displacement of optical elements constituting an optical system, a change in rotation balance resulting from micro vibration of rotator components due to increase in temperature of the polygon mirror, and the like cause the timing detected by the BD sensor to fluctuate, making it difficult to perform an accurate detection. Considering BD signal obtained from a first laser beam as a reference, if the phase of BD signal obtained from a second laser beam is shifted back and forth, the writing start timing of laser beams corresponding to respective colors becomes out of synchronization, causing color misalignment. In some cases, starting positions of scanning operation for photoconductors corresponding to respective colors are shifted by one line each.
An image forming apparatus using a plurality of laser beams that prevents misalignment in the start timing of image exposure is disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-98449.
The image forming apparatus disclosed in the publication detects reference points of line scans of a plurality of laser beams with a light sensor, generates synchronization signals corresponding to respective laser beams, and determines the start timing of image exposure based on the synchronization signals. After that, the image forming apparatus determines one reference synchronization signal from among the synchronization signals and uses a delay means to delay another synchronization signal whose generation timing is close to the reference synchronization signal to make a timing difference between synchronization signals large, thereby determining the start timing of image exposure.
In this example, it is necessary to determine a synchronization signal that is different from the reference synchronization signal and whose generation timing is close to the reference synchronization signal. Further, a delay means is used to make a timing difference large, causing color misalignment in some cases.
Further, Jpn. Pat. Appln. Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-98299 discloses an image forming apparatus using a plurality of laser beams that determines BD signal obtained from a first laser beam as a reference at the time of generation of a horizontal synchronization signal (BD signal), previously measures a phase difference between the reference BD signal and BD signal obtained from another laser beam, and determines the write timing of an image according to the measured phase difference.
In this example, it is necessary to previously measure the phase difference. Further, the phase difference is varied in some cases due to displacement of optical elements constituting an optical system, temperature change, or mechanical micro vibration of a polygon mirror. Thus, the measured phase difference does not always correspond to the estimated value, causing color misalignment in some cases.


The disclosure relates to a method, device and system for detecting a crack in a display of an electronic device. The method comprises: locating the electronic device in front of a reflective surface; aligning the electronic device to an alignment position relative to the reflective surface; generating an image on the display through instructions executed on a processor operating on the device; capturing a reflected image shown in the reflective surface of the image with a camera; processing the reflected image to identify a line in the image through instructions executed on the processor; and determining whether the line represents a crack in the display through instructions executed on the processor.

There is a marketplace for reselling (used) electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, GPS devices, activity tracking devices, cameras, etc. For devices sold in this marketplace, it is necessary to determine a condition and functionality of the device to be resold, to assist in grading an appropriate condition for the device (e.g. near-mint condition, new condition, good condition, well-used condition, damaged, etc.) from which an offer price to purchase the device can be established.
One resale marketplace occurs online. It will be appreciated that a potential purchaser must evaluate the condition of the target device being offered for sale remotely. While some diagnostics and test can be conducted remotely (e.g. by connecting the target device to a network and remotely accessing same for diagnostic tests), the physical condition of the device (e.g. condition of its case and display) must also be evaluated.
There are issues with current remote evaluation techniques for screens. U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,334 discloses a method and apparatus for detecting irregularities on a surface of an object, which utilizes additional equipment to evaluate the object.
There is a need to address deficiencies in the prior art.

System and method for evaluating displays of electronic devices


An embedded subsystem is coupled to a shared database is synchronized with the notebook and has access to the hard drive. The subsystem is in operation when the notebook is in low power mode.

The modern trend in electrical appliances is mobility. People want to be able to use an electrical device from where they are at that instant. They want to be able to call people from anyplace they happen to be, hence the cell phone. They want to be able to listen to their own music no matter where they are, hence the portable compact disc player. They also want to be able to use their computer from almost anywhere, hence the notebook computer. The current design of the notebook computer has made this difficult. Specifically, using a computer while the subject is moving is currently exceedingly awkward.
The difficulty is related to the current design of notebook computers. The limited life of notebook computer batteries only allows for the computer to be on for a limited time. Battery conservation techniques include running the notebook in a state in which the central processing unit (CPU) is not active to conserve energy. Full access and control of a notebook's functionality often requires it to be in the open position, where the display screen and keyboard are at a right angle from each other. This L-shaped position is more difficult to carry around than the closed position. These difficulties become even more apparent in efforts to use notebooks as a method to electronically purchase items in a store. A further difficulty is created when attempting to either listen to or view multimedia entertainment data while either moving about or in a confined area, such as an airplane.

Low power subsystem for portable computers


A remote isolator interface uses a vehicle's OEM remote (or aftermarket remote door lock) entry signal to interface between the battery and aftermarket electrical equipment, electronically separating the OEM systems/battery from aftermarket systems such that a short or power spike in the aftermarket system does not damage the OEM system. The invention also shuts off power to the aftermarket systems when the vehicle doors are locked by OEM remote entry or electric door locks, and can be combined with a magnetic battery disconnect to allow electrical current to reach the aftermarket systems when the doors are unlocked. The invention can also be combined with a fused distribution panel to become a single source of power for any aftermarket equipment, thereby eliminating the need for an installer to cut into the OEM systems for a power source and thereby void the manufacturer's warranty.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the general field of electronic signal disruption devices, and more specifically, to a remote isolator interface which uses a vehicle's OEM remote (or aftermarket remote door lock) entry signal to interface between the vehicle's battery/OEM electrical system and aftermarket electrical equipment in a variety of ways. In combination with a magnetic battery disconnect the invention electronically separates the OEM electrical systems—including the vehicle's battery—from aftermarket systems such that if the aftermarket system has a short or power spike, it does not damage the OEM system. It also shuts off power to the aftermarket systems when the OEM remote entry locks the doors of the vehicle, or if the vehicle's electric door locks are used to lock the vehicle doors, such that the battery is not drained by the aftermarket systems once the car is shut off. The invention allows electrical current to reach the aftermarket systems when the OEM remote entry unlocks the vehicle doors or if the vehicles' electric door locks are used to unlock the vehicle. A final aspect of the invention is it can be combined with a fused distribution panel to become a single source of power for any aftermarket equipment, thereby eliminating the need for an installer to cut into the OEM systems for a power source.
2. History of the Invention
Vehicle batteries are designed to retain adequate charge to start a car even after supporting the OEM systems for several weeks. Thus, when a businessperson leaves his or her car in an airport parking lot for a month, he or she expects it to start right upon turning the ignition key. Starting with the first installation of aftermarket electrical accessories, such as stereos with memory, mobility lifts and equipment, GPS systems, and many other current drawing items, there has been a need to separate the additional aftermarket equipment from the OEM electrical system when not in use.
While some of these aftermarket accessories drew little current, some, like mobility lifts with interlocks, draw a considerable amount of current. Under normal conditions, this presents few problems as the vehicle's alternator recharges the battery as the car is driven. When the car is turned off, theoretically only the original OEM equipment should draw power from the battery, but realistically, some of the aftermarket accessories also draw power after the car is turned off, thereby decreasing the amount of time before the battery loses enough power so that it fails to start the vehicle. Many vehicles today lock the doors through a remote control device, normally one attached to the keys and small enough to put in a pocket. With these vehicles, the OEM electrical system is designed to draw only a miniscule amount of current once the remote control device has locked the doors, however, aftermarket accessories can draw on the battery in these vehicles as well.
As the number of aftermarket systems began to multiply, it became common for a vehicle to contain more than one, and many times multiple systems that require a constant current draw, there was a concurrent rise in the rate at which a vehicle's battery was drained. Indeed, the attachment of several significantly drawing electrical aftermarket accessories can drain a normal battery in a matter of days. Since many vehicle owners leave their cars and trucks parked for more than several days at a time without running them, there has been an undesirable rise in the numbers of dead batteries for such users.
Thus, human technology and innovation in the creation of attractive aftermarket accessories created a problem—the shortened time span before a battery in a vehicle will lose so much charge that it can not start a vehicle—which this invention addresses. To solve this problem, a device had to be invented which could serve as a switch, or interface, between a vehicle's battery, the OEM electrical systems which needed to continue drawing a minimal amount of current to continue functioning while the car was "off", and the aftermarket accessories which were draining the battery while the vehicle was "off".
3. Prior Art
The prior art has several examples of attempts to use an electrical signal or device to protect one set of electrical devices from another, but none of the prior art addresses the problem of how to protect a vehicle's OEM electrical system, including the battery, from electrical spikes, shorts, and general drainage due to aftermarket accessories, nor does the prior art teach the use of a remote control device to automatically activate and inactivate such a system.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,697 to Blitz, et. al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,915 to Behrens, U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,717 to Shuster, U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,001 to Sheldrake, U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,956 to Sloan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,385 to Jurgens, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,332 to Komuro, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,551 to Clokie, U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,230 to Gayler, U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,538 to Tremblay, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,389 to Meister provide vehicle-related electrical protection or safety devices, but none address the issue of protecting a vehicle's battery from being damaged by spikes or shorts in aftermarket systems, or being drained by the aftermarket systems. Others, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,887 to Nickerson, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,088,940 and 4,137,557 to Ciarniello, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,385 to Jurgens, et. al., teach various approaches to providing protection circuits in general electrical applications, but fail to answer the question of how to protect a vehicle's battery and OEM electrical system from spikes and shorts, as well as how to prevent a vehicle's battery from being drained during the time a car is turned off. Finally, there are non-vehicle machines, such as that illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,275 to Czech, et. al., which utilize lockout switches, but do no teach the electrical circuitry features as illustrated by the current patent.
A patent which addresses disconnecting a vehicle's battery is U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,511 to Levinas. This invention automatically disconnects the battery when certain conditions exist, for example and in particular, when the battery voltage reaches a specified low level. Thus, when a battery has been drained to a certain point where there is likelihood that further drainage will endanger the ability of the battery to start the vehicle, the battery is automatically disconnected. While this invention serves as a solid "band aid" measure to prevent a vehicle's battery which has already been drained to a dangerously low lever from being drained further, it does not prevent the exact situation from occurring which this invention will prevent nor can it separate the aftermarket systems' drainage from the regular OEM systems' drain on the battery. Thus, after starting the engine, a user will have to reset all of the OEM equipment (such as clocks and digital odometer readings) which have been inactivated by the disconnection of the battery.
Another issue which has not been addressed by the prior art is how to disconnect a battery from one or more systems without cutting into the factory-installed wiring systems. A major reason to avoid such actions are that with most systems "crashing the dash" or cutting into the existing wiring system as it voids the manufacture's warranty.


A device anchors a tubing string within a stationary well casing against rotation in a predetermined angular direction. A housing is installed in-line in the tubing string. Anchoring mechanisms are spaced circumferentially about the housing. Each anchoring mechanism includes a recess and an anchoring member free-floating within the recess. The anchoring member has a fulcrum portion and a bite portion external to the recess. Retaining rings partially overlaying the recess prevent the anchoring member from escaping. A spring urges the anchoring member against the retaining rings and urges the bite portion to contact the well casing such that rotation of the tubing string displaces the anchoring member. Rotation of the tubing string in the predetermined direction seats the fulcrum portion in a seating structure within the recess and causes the bite portion to bite into the well casing, locking against further rotation. Rotation of the tubing string in an opposite direction displaces the anchoring member to a non-locking orientation in which the bite portion slides relative to the well casing.

A tubing string is commonly used to collect oil from a below-surface reservoir. The tubing string is conventionally constructed in threaded sections. With low-pressure reservoirs, a pump will be installed in-line in the tubing string to force the oil upwardly to the surface. A common pump configuration has a stator threaded into the tubing string and an internal spiral-like rotor oriented with the direction of the tubing string. The forces required to rotate the rotor in one angular direction to pump oil to the surface are reacted in an opposite direction through the stator into the tubing string. This tends to rotate the tubing string, which is undesirable.
An anchoring device for preventing such rotation of a tubing string is commercially available and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,793 to Weber. The device has an outer cylindrical housing and an inner mandrel, which rotate relative to one another. Upper and lower ends of the mandrel are threaded in a standard manner into the tubing string. Four spring-biased drags extend from the housing to anchor it to the stationary well casing. Displaceable slips are located within the housing. A mechanical linkage internal to the housing displaces the slips to and from the well casing in response to rotation of the mandrel. To engage the slips with the well casing, the entire tubing string may be appropriately rotated in a particular angular direction from the surface. To disengage the slips, the tubing string is rotated in an opposite direction. The slips lock to the well casing when the tubing string rotates in the same direction that the associated pump. The prior device has on at least one occasion failed to disengage from the well casing. To release the device, components in the mechanical linkage apparently had to be sheared, and a drag was apparently lost.
The present invention provides a simple and reliable device for anchoring a tubing string to a well casing. At least in preferred form, the anchoring device can readily disengage from the well casing and is less subject to damage.


A wall framing system accommodates deflections and frame shortening in building structures to avoid applying structural loads to veneer walls. The system includes a ceiling rail and vertical studs connected to the rail with a vertical slip joint between each stud and the rail. The slip joint is formed with a connector plate integral with the ceiling rail web and vertical slots in the connector plate. The slots accommodate screws threaded into a stud.

Deflection and frame shortening of building structures may be caused by creep, elastic deflections or thermal movement. These conditions, and others, cause a transfer of vertical loads to the framing systems of non-load bearing veneer walls. This is undesirable since the walls are not designed to carry such loads. At the same time, the wall framing system must carry the usual lateral loads.
The present invention is concerned with the provision of a novel wall framing system that accommodates these structural movements and with the mode of load transfer from the framing to the supporting element.


An interconnected set of two or more stages of reactors to form a bio-reforming reactor that generates syngas for a number of different liquid fuel or chemical processes is discussed. A first stage includes a circulating fluidized bed reactor that is configured to cause a chemical devolatilization of the biomass into its reaction products of constituent gases, tars, chars, and other components, which exit through a reactor output from the first stage. A second stage of the bio-reforming reactor has an input configured to receive a stream of some of the reaction products that includes the constituent gases and at least some of the tars as raw syngas, and then chemically reacts the raw syngas within a vessel of the second stage to make the raw syngas from the first stage into a chemical grade syngas by further cracking the tars, excess methane, or both.

To achieve high conversion and selectivity, some biomass gasification requires temperatures in excess of 1000° C. These temperatures are difficult to achieve in some standard fluidized bed gasifiers, because higher temperatures require combustion of an ever larger portion of the biomass itself or the need for excessive supplemental fuel. As a result, indirect and fluidized bed gasification is typically limited to temperatures of 800° C. At these temperatures, production of unwanted higher hydrocarbons (tars) is significant without the addition of additional catalyst to crack these tars. These tars clog up downstream equipment and foul/deactivate catalyst surfaces, requiring significant capital investment (10-30% of total plant cost) in tar removal equipment.

Integrated process plant having a biomass reforming reactor using a fluidized bed


A fluid collection and disposal device for a transfer cart used for transporting wet articles is comprised of a tray disposed below articles to be transported on a transfer cart. The tray has a drain opening. A conduit extends from the drain opening to an exterior side of the transfer cart. A valve assembly is connected to the conduit for controlling fluid flow through the conduit. The valve assembly is comprised of a valve element moveable between a closed, first position restricting flow of fluid through the conduit and an opened, second position allowing flow of fluid through the conduit. An actuator is provided for moving the valve element from the closed position to the open position. The actuator is moveable by physical engagement with an external stop.

Numerous types of articles, such as medical instruments, apparatus and devices, are used in hospitals and medical facilities for care of patients. Following such use, it is necessary to clean, i.e., wash and decontaminate such articles prior to subsequent use. The washer/decontamination unit is typically preformed in large washers/decontamination units located in medical service areas within the hospital medical facility. The articles to be cleaned are typically placed in large racks that are then placed within the washers/decontamination units. Following washing/decontamination of the articles, the racks containing the clean articles are typically moved by carts to "cool down areas" or "prep stations" where the articles are separated and packaged for subsequent use.
Articles removed from the washers/decontamination units are often wet and liquid drips from the cleaned articles. To avoid creating slipping hazards on the floors of these service areas, the transfer carts typically include pans or trays beneath the racks to collect liquid dripping from the racks or articles therein. The trays or pans may include a drain opening having a stopper or plug therein, wherein the pan or tray may be drained once it is filled with liquid by moving the transfer cart over a floor drain or fluid collection basin. A service technician can then physically remove the stopper or plug in the drain opening to allow the collected fluid to flow out.
It is also known to collect fluid from the trays in a receptacle or container (reservoir) located beneath the tray. These receptacles (reservoirs) are typically formed of translucent plastic materials which allow the service technician to monitor the amount of fluid collected therein. Once a container becomes full, the service technician removes the container (reservoir) from the cart and dumps its contents into a drain or collection basin.
As will be appreciated, both of the foregoing arrangements requires monitoring by the service technician of the fluid level in the tray or receptacle (reservoir) and participation of the service technician to remove physically a receptacle (reservoir) from the transfer cart or to remove a plug or stopper in a drain in a tray or pan to allow fluid to be removed from the transfer cart.
Further, recent developments in technology have contemplated the use of robots to physically move the transfer carts between washers and workstations which would eliminate human involvement in monitoring the collected fluid levels and dumping of the fluids.
The present invention provides a fluid collection and disposal system that does not require human monitoring and active participation in disposing of fluids collected in medical transfer carts.

Liquid disposal apparatus for transfer carts


Technologies and implementations for providing high-speed wireless communication are generally disclosed.

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.
Electronic devices are increasingly connected via wireless signals. For example, a smart phone may wirelessly connect to a cellular network to facilitate making voice calls as well as accessing data services. However, maintaining an adequate wireless signal while moving at relatively high speeds may be difficult. For example, it may be difficult to maintain an adequate wireless signal with a cellular network while traveling on a high-speed train. As will be appreciated, high-speed trains may be able to travel at speeds exceeding 200 KM/h. As such, various effects (e.g., Doppler frequency shift, scattering, or the like) may cause the wireless signal to deteriorate when the train is moving at such high speeds.
Although some systems may be adapted to wireless communications at high speed, they may not be suitable for all types of wireless communication or for all settings in which wireless communication may be desired. For example, wireless optical systems (e.g., laser-based systems, or the like) may not be suitable for data transmission services (e.g., accessing data over a cellular network or other type of wireless data access). Such optical systems may also be affected by various external factors (e.g., weather, terrain, or the like) and further it may not be economically efficient to deploy such systems in large scale.

Distributed antenna for wireless communication at high speed


A centrifuge separation device is disclosed and includes a rotor configured to be connected to a centrifuge motor for rotation about an axis of rotation. A retainer is associated with the rotor and defines a passageway for a separation channel. A protrusion formed in one of the passageway walls extends towards and is spaced from the other of the passageway walls. The protrusion is sized to substantially block passage of materials in a predetermined density range and to substantially permit passage of materials outside of the predetermined density range. An indentation formed adjacent the protrusion in a wall of the passageway opposite the protrusion is configured to trap fluid during rotation of the rotor and to cooperate with the trapped fluid to maintain a substantially Coriolis-free pathway in a region of the passageway adjacent the protrusion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for reducing turbulence during centrifugal separation of substances. The invention has particular advantages when used in connection with separating blood components using a centrifugal separation channel.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,112 to Ito, U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,712 to Mulzet, U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/423,578, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,173 and 08/423,583, abandoned filed Apr. 18, 1995, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. unknown! (entitled Particles Separation Method And Apparatus), filed Apr. 18, 1996, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose a centrifuge used in connection with a tubular blood separation channel. In addition, the following U.S. patent applications identified by Ser. No., all filed on Jun. 7, 1995, are incorporated herein by reference: 08/480,617, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,457; 08/482,285, U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,025; 08/483,574, U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,644; 08/484,209, U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,150; 08/486,012, U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,946; and 08/504,049. As the channel is spun by the centrifuge, blood flowing through the channel is stratified into components, and ideally each component is then separately withdrawn from the channel through one of a number of outlets in the channel.
In addition to centrifugal forces, other mechanisms may aid in separating blood components in the channel. For example, a groove or passageway in the centrifuge rotor which holds and defines the shape of the channel during rotation, may be formed with sections of varying radii. These changes in radii control flow of particles having varying densities. Components with higher densities will tend to migrate to areas of greater radius.
Another mechanism that may be used to aid in separating components is a dam in the channel. If the dam radially extends from an outer wall of the channel towards the inner wall, it will prevent particles with higher densities from migrating past the dam while permitting lower density particles and liquid to pass between a peak of the dam and the inner wall of the channel. The opposite effect can be achieved by extending a dam from the inner wall of the channel toward the outer wall.
Dams are preferably formed by a protrusion in the channel-holding groove of a centrifuge rotor. When the tubular channel is placed in the groove, the channel conforms to the shape of the groove, and any protrusions in the groove will cause a corresponding dam in the channel.
In one configuration used in connection with separating components of whole blood, the dam may be dimensioned along the entire depth of an outer wall of the channel to prevent red blood cells and white blood cells from flowing past the peak of the dam, while permitting lower density platelets and plasma to pass. A platelet outlet may be arranged in the outer wall of the channel downstream of the dam to collect and separate the platelets from the plasma. This platelet separation occurs because platelets, which have a higher density than plasma, are forced radially outward in the rotating channel, relative to the plasma.
One inefficiency with such an arrangement is that fluid flow over the peak of the dam causes the radial position of platelets and plasma to abruptly change. As the plasma and platelets encounter the dam, their flow is suddenly diverted towards the inner wall of the channel. Once they pass the dam, they sediment outwardly. Such flow condition changes result in "Coriolis" accelerations and decelerations, which in turn cause fairly aggressive mixing of the platelets and plasma to take place. This mixing is counterproductive in a system whose goal is to separate components of flow, and therefore mixing reduces the efficiency of the system.
By mixing platelets and plasma at the outer wall dam, Coriolis effects within the separation channel disadvantageously increase the length of a blood component separation procedure. Reducing blood component separation time is most desirable not only from an economic perspective, but also from a convenience perspective to the donors, who are typically volunteers. The longer the duration of a platelet collection session, the greater the inconvenience to the donor. In addition, when an immediate transfusion is necessary, time may be of the essence.

Apparatus for reducing turbulence in fluid flow


A bicycle wheel spinner which is quickly and easily released from a hub and has an inner ring formed segments, with blades protruding from each segment. The segments each mount a roller wheel riding in a groove in a supporting hub. The segments are releasably fixed together in the groove. The spinner can be quickly removed by disassembling the inner ring segments. A locking mechanism allows the spinner to be locked to the hub or released to rotate independently.

This invention concerns so called "spinners" for bicycle wheels. Such spinners are ornamental propeller like blades projecting from an inner ring attached to a spinner hub mounted on an existing hub of a bicycle wheel. The spinner may be mounted to rotate with the bicycle wheel or to rotate independently thereof.
It is advantageous to be able to quickly install a spinner without disassembling the bicycle hub as to be able to conveniently install spinners of different appearances.
It has heretofore been proposed to segment the spinner hub so as to allow assembly onto the bicycle hub, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,628,417 and 7,086,706. The '417 patent shows a complex hub configuration involving end caps and radial bearings which must be installed to retain the spinner, and are time consuming to install.
If a series of spinners are to be installed and changed over at short intervals, there is a need to allow a quick change thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,706 features a loose fitting spinner hub which is driven by a connection to a wheel spoke. Such loose fit causes impacts with the spokes and could damage or destroy the spinner and spokes. Free spinning would be problematic.
Another feature which would be desirable in such spinner installation is to quickly and easily change the drive to the spinner, i.e. from a fixed relationship with the bicycle wheel hub to one in which relative rotation is possible to create different visual effects produced by spinner rotation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spinner mounting which allows ready removal of a spinner and replacement with another of the spinner.
It is a further object of the invention to enable a ready varying relationship of the movement of the spinner with that of the bicycle hub.


Targeted binding agents directed to the antigen uPAR and uses of such antibodies are described. In particular, fully human monoclonal antibodies directed to the antigen uPAR. Nucleotide sequences encoding, and amino acid sequences comprising, heavy and light chain immunoglobulin molecules, particularly sequences corresponding to contiguous heavy and light chain sequences spanning the framework regions and/or complementarity determining regions (CDR's), specifically from FR1 through FR4 or CDR1 through CDR3. Hybridomas or other cell lines expressing such immunoglobulin molecules and monoclonal antibodies.

The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR, CD87), GenBank Accession Number NP—002650, is a 55-60 kDa highly glycosylated 313 residue polypeptide that is linked to the outer leaflet of the cell membrane by a glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor. The protein is folded into three highly homologous domains, DI, DII and DIII (Huai et al, Science 311: 656-659 2006). The N-terminal end of uPAR provides a urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA)-binding site (DI) (Gardsvoll et al, J Biol Chem 274: 37995-38003 1999). Evidence suggests that residues in domain 3 participate in the assembly of the ligand-binding site, and that domains 2 and 3 increase the affinity of uPA binding to domain 1 (Liang et al, J Biol Chem 276: 28946-28953 2001). The C-terminal domain (DIII) is processed to add a glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor involving residues ser282, gly283, ala284. Proteolytic cleavage in the linker region between DI and DII (Hoyer-Hansen et al, Eur J Biochem 243: 21-26 1997; Andolfo et al, Thromb Hemost 88: 298-306 2002) and at residues within the C-terminal domain (Beaufort et al, J Immunol 172: 5450-549 2004) result in the presence of both a membrane anchored form comprising DII and DIII and a soluble forms of uPAR (suPAR) that comprise DI-DIII or DII-DIII. Cleavage of the glycolipid anchor may also release uPAR from the cell surface (Wilhelm et al, J Cell Physiol 180: 225-235 1999). Soluble uPAR incorporating DI retains the ability to bind urokinase (Higazi et al, J Biol Chem 270: 17375-17380 1995).
uPAR is expressed on the surface of many types of cells, including circulating leukocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells, angiogenic endothelial cells, bone marrow cells, and fibroblasts. Upregulation of uPAR expression at the cell surface, and plasminogen activation, has been linked to a number of conditions including inflammation, wound repair, arthritis (Szekanecz et al, J Clin Pathol 50: 314-319 1997), atherosclerosis (Carmeliet et al, Nature Genetics, 17: 439-444 1997), angiogenesis and tumor invasion and metastasis. The presence of elevated levels of soluble uPAR in plasma has been shown to be a prognostic marker in colorectal cancer (Stephens et al, J Natl Cancer Inst 91: 869-874 1999).
Activation of the inactive zymogen plasminogen to the serine protease plasmin is a key event regulating fibrinolysis. There are two plasminogen activators, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). Whereas tPA appears to be the key plasminogen activator in plasma, uPA is associated with cell surface plasminogen activation as a result of binding to uPAR. Urokinase is secreted as a single chain zymogen (scuPA) that exhibits very low or no intrinsic enzymatic activity. After enzymatic cleavage by plasmin, the scuPA is converted into an active, disulfide bond-linked, two-chain high molecular weight (HMW)-uPA. This HMW-uPA, is comprised of an A-chain (aa 1-158) and a B-chain, or LMW-uPA (aa 159-411). The primary interaction of uPA with uPAR is mediated through the growth factor domain (GFD) aa 1-48 of uPA in the A-chain, located in the amino-terminal fragment (ATF). A second site in uPA that interacts with uPAR (connecting peptide, aa 136-143) has been identified.
Binding affinity of uPA for uPAR is about 1 nM (Kd). Comparing the primary structure of uPAR among different species, human uPAR is 95% identical to that of Cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis), and only 60% identical to that of mouse (Mus musculus). Furthermore, the high affinity binding of uPA and uPAR is species specific. The affinities of the uPA for uPAR across species (e.g. human uPA to rat uPAR) differ by at least two orders of magnitude.
Cell surface recruitment of uPA to uPAR regulates cell surface plasminogen activation: scuPA is activated more efficiently when receptor bound (Ellis et al, J Biol Chem 264: 2185-2188 1989); the catalytic efficiency of receptor bound uPA is increased relative to uPA in solution phase (Higazi et al, J Biol Chem 270: 17375-17380 1995); PAI-1 is less efficient as an inhibitor of receptor bound uPA (Ellis et al, J Biol Chem 265: 9904-9908 1990). Plasminogen in turn is recruited to the cell surface through low and high affinity interactions and plasmin generation proceeds more effectively at the cell surface and is also less susceptible to its physiological inhibitors. At the tumor cell surface, plasminogen activation facilitates a number of processes that contribute to tumor progression including, activation of matrix-metalloproteases, degradation of extracellular matrix proteins, release and activation of growth factors that drive tumor growth and invasion (Andreasen et al, Int J Cancer 72: 1-22 1997).
In addition to the well established role in plasminogen activation, more recently evidence has established the role of uPAR as an adhesion receptor for vitronectin, a complex interaction that involves uPAR, uPA and PAI-1 (Waltz and Chapman, J Biol Chem 269: 14746-14750 1994; Czekay et al, J Cell Biol 160: 781-791 2003; Li et al, J Biol Chem 278: 29925-29932 2003). Cleavage of cell surface uPAR exposes an epitope on the DII domain that has been shown to be chemotactic in vitro (Degryse et al, J Biol Chem 280: 24792-24803 2005). Interactions with integrin receptors have been reported (e.g. Wei et al, J Cell Biol 168: 501-511 2005; Wei et al, Mol Biol Cell 12: 2975-2986 2001), and activation of cellular signaling pathways as a result of uPA binding have been demonstrated (reviewed in Blasi and Carmeliet, Nature Rev Mol Cell Biol 3: 932-943 2002)
Increased expression of uPAR and urokinase have been correlated with tumor progression in a range of human cancers including, breast, urinary bladder, gastric cancer, endometrial cancer, colorectal cancer (Edo de Bock and Wang, Med Res Reviews 24: 13-39 2004). uPAR gene expression is increased by tumor promoters, growth factors, cytokines and hormones as well as by atherogenic lipoproteins or hypoxia. Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization studies have shown the uPA/uPAR complex to be localized to the invasive edge of a tumor, (Pyke et al, Am J Pathol 138: 1059-1067 1991) and correlated with tumor invasion. High expression levels of each uPA, uPAR or PAI-1 is linked to poor prognosis in different types of tumors (Duffy and Duggan, Clin Biochem 37: 541-548 2004).
Others have shown that a polyclonal urokinase receptor antibody can reduce tumor volume and detect the presence of occult tumor metastases in vivo (Rabbani and Gladu, Cancer Res. 62:2390-7 2002). Adenovirus mediated delivery of the uPA—ATF (Li et al, Gene Therapy 5 1105-1113 1998; Human Gene Therapy 16: 1157-1167 2005), stable transfection of uPA-ATF (Zhu et al, DNA Cell Biol 20: 297-305 2001), anti-sense uPAR (Mohan et al, Cancer Res 59: 3369-3373 1999) or combined antisense uPAR/uPA (Gondi et al, Oncogene 22: 5967-5975 2003) resulted in blockade or loss of uPAR activity and inhibition of invasion in vitro and tumor growth and invasion in vivo. In addition, a peptide derived from the non-receptor binding region of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) inhibited tumor progression and angiogenesis and induced tumor cell death in vivo (Guo et al, FASEB J. 14:1400-1410 2000).

Targeted binding agents directed to uPAR and uses thereof


In a predetermined mask pattern, recording permitted pixels are disposed such that the average of the numbers of the recording permitted pixels in a unit in a first area is smaller than the number of the recording permitted pixels in a unit in a second area that is located toward an end side as compared to the first area in a direction corresponding to an array direction of nozzles.

1. Field
The present invention relates to image recording apparatuses, image recording methods, and storage media.
2. Description of Related Art
Image recording apparatuses that record an image by repeating a recording scan and a sub-scan are known. In the recording scan, ink is ejected while a recording head having a plurality of recording nozzles for ejecting ink arrayed therein is moved in a scanning direction relative to a unit area of a recording medium. In the sub-scan, the recording medium is conveyed in a conveying direction that intersects with the scanning direction. In such image recording apparatuses, a so-called multipass recording method is employed, through which an image is formed by carrying out the recording scan a plurality of times on a unit area on the basis of divided image data formed by mask patterns in which recording permitted pixels, for which recording is permitted to be carried out through respective scans, are disposed.
In addition, in recent years, print materials of a variety of uses have been produced through ink jet recording, and various types of inks and recording media have been used accordingly. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-113249 discloses a method in which, with the use of ink containing a resin emulsion and a recording medium having poor water absorbency, the ink is heated when the ink lands on the recording medium so as to cause the resin emulsion to form a film and coloring materials contained in the ink is fixed to the recording medium.
However, if an image is recorded with the use of the ink and the recording medium as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 1-113249, stripe-like unevenness (hereinafter, referred to as bond stripes) may occur in the recorded image at a boundary portion between recording scans, and the image quality may thus deteriorates.
Hereinafter, this problem will be described in detail.
FIGS. 1A to 1C are diagrams for describing the process of recording an image through a multipass recording method by using ink containing a resin emulsion and a recording medium having poor water absorbency. Here, a mode in which the image is completed through four instances of the recording scan will be described as an example.
FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of an image surface obtained when the ink is ejected through the recording scan onto an area A of the recording medium. Dots 700 are formed in the area A upon the ink being ejected. Since the recording medium has poor water absorbency, the dots 700 are fixed so as to cover the surface of the recording medium.
FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the image surface obtained when the recording medium is conveyed in a Y direction after the recording scan illustrated in FIG. 1A and the ink is ejected onto an area B adjacent to the area A at a downstream side thereof in the Y direction. Here, films of the resin emulsion forming surface layers of the dots 700 are generally known to have high critical surface tension. The critical surface tension refers to a value unique to a solid surface, and indicates how wettable a liquid droplet is when the liquid droplet is applied onto the solid surface. It should be noted that a solid surface having high critical surface tension corresponds to a solid surface with which the applied liquid droplet is highly wettable. Therefore, if ink is ejected to a position that makes contact with the dot 700, the ink easily wets to spread over the dot 700 having high critical surface tension and is thus pulled in directions indicated by arrows in FIG. 1B. Meanwhile, dots 701 of the ink ejected to positions that do not make contact with the previously formed dots 700 are fixed without being pulled toward any particular direction.
FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of an image surface obtained when the ink droplets ejected through the recording scan illustrated in FIG. 1B are fixed on the recording medium. As described above, force that pulls to a particular direction does not act on the dots 701 when the dots 701 are to be fixed, and thus the dots 701 are fixed at positions at which the ink droplets have been applied. Meanwhile, dots 702 are subjected to the force acting in the directions indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1B when the dots 702 are to be fixed, and thus the dots 702 are fixed at positions that are offset toward a side 1000 of the area A from the positions at which the ink droplets have been applied. As a result, a black stripe appears at the side 1000 of the area A and a white stripe appears at a side 1001 of the area B in a boundary portion between the area A and the area B on the recording medium, which corresponds to the boundary portion between the recording scans, and the image quality thus deteriorates.
It should be noted that the above problem occurs more notably when ink containing a resin emulsion is used.

Image recording apparatus, image recording method, and storage medium


A method for manufacturing metal nanoparticles, the method including forming a mixture by dissociating a metallic salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of Ag, Pd, Pt, Au and an alloy thereof as a metal precursor in fatty acid; and adding a metallic salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of Sn(NO3)2, Sn(CH3CO2)2, and Sn(acac)2 as a metallic catalyst into the mixture and mixing the mixture and the metallic salt. According to the method, metal nanoparticles have a uniform particle size distribution and a high yield by performing in a non-aqueous environment without using any organic solvent, and are environmentally friendly due to no use of a reducing agent.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing metal nanoparticles, more particularly, to a method for manufacturing which may synthesize highly concentrated nanoparticles having a small size and a uniform size distribution at low temperature without using an additional organic solvent or a reducing agent.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are two major methods for chemically synthesizing metal nanoparticles, namely a vapor phase process and a colloidal process. The colloidal process capable to synthesize uniform nanoparticles with low cost has been generally used because the vapor phase process using plasma and mechanical gas vaporization requires highly expensive equipments.
The method for manufacturing metal nanoparticles by the colloidal process includes a method for manufacturing hydrosol-formed metal nanoparticles by additional use of a reducing agent or a surfactant after dissociating a metallic compound in an aqueous system. As another method, a phase transfer method is the method for manufacturing metal nanoparticles which can be dispersed in a non-aqueous phase by transferring from an aqueous phase to a non-aqueous phase.
This method, however, provides a very low yield because it is limited by the concentration of the metal compound solution when the nanoparticles are synthesized. In other words, the metal nanoparticles having a uniform size distribution may be formed only when the concentration of the metal compound is 0.05 M or less. Therefore, it is not suitable for the mass production, because there is a limit on the yield of metal nanoparticles and more than 1 liter of a reactor is required to obtain metal nanoparticles having a uniform size distribution of several grams. Also, the use of the phase transfer agent is not desirable in the aspect of the cost.

Method for manufacturing metal nanoparticles