Internet promotion redemption (10) for business cards (112), coupons (212), greeting cards (312) and phone books enabling a user to enter in a identification code which is specific to a vendor displaying promotion vendor name and promotion vendor discount.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Internet promotion redemption for business cards. More particularly, the present invention relates to Internet promotion redemption for business cards, coupons, greeting cards and phone books enabling a user to enter in a identification code which is specific to a vendor displaying promotion vendor name and promotion vendor discount.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for Internet promotion redemption have been provided in the prior art that are described as follows. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present invention as hereinafter contrasted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,651, titled, Commercial online software distribution systems and methods using encryption for security, invented by Crawford. A customer computer connects to an online service provider by phone, Internet, or other telecommunications link. The link gives the customer access to additional processing and storage resources such as virtual storage, processing power and/or additional software or data through interaction between the customer computer and an online service provider computer over the link. The additional resources made available to the customer computer enhance the customers' local needs through access to virtual storage, a more powerful processor of similar type for program execution, and/or online support services such as software rental, software sales, release update services, anti-viral services, data backup and recovery services, diagnostic services and/or repair services.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,070, titled, Microprocessor capable of executing condition execution instructions using encoded condition execution field in the instructions, invented by Yamada, et. al. 3-bit condition execution field in an condition execution instruction stores an encoded value obtained by encoding a condition stored in an general purpose flag indicating to execute the condition execution instruction. A microprocessor has an instruction decode unit 2 comprising a condition execution decode section 401 for decoding a value in the condition execution field and a condition execution judgement section 402 for judging whether or not the decoded result from the condition execution decode section 401 is equal to a condition stored in general purpose flags, and outputting the indication to execute the condition execution instruction when both are equal.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,137, titled, On-line shopping system and the method of payment settlement, invented by Koreeda. When performing on-line shopping using the Internet, and when performing payment settlement for a product by a credit card, user's card data runs over the Internet, leaving the possibility of card data leakage, thereby causing a security problem. The user decides the product he or she wants to buy via a computer network (Internet) from a user system. Then, a transmission unit calls up a service center to send order data including the credit card data via a settlement network. Service center invoices the sales price to an approval center based on the order data. Approval center pays the price to service center. Then, service center sends the order data to the shopping system. A delivery processing unit then delivers the product to the user based on the order data.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,141, titled, Computerized purchasing system and method for mediating purchase transactions over an interactive network, invented by Daly, et. al. A computerized, electronic purchase mediating system includes a purchaser database having a list of purchasers and a merchant database having a list of merchants. The purchaser database stores information about each purchaser including a set of personal payment methods that the purchaser could use to purchase goods and/or services. Similarly, the merchant database stores information about each merchant including a set of accepted payment methods that the merchant would accept for sale of the goods and/or services. The purchase system also includes a processor coupled to the purchaser and merchant databases. The processor receives a purchase request and accesses the merchant database according to a merchant identified in the purchase request to retrieve the set of accepted payment methods which corresponds to that merchant. The processor also accesses the purchaser database to retrieve the set of personal payment methods which corresponds to the identified purchaser. The processor then computes an intersection of these two sets to derive a common set of any available payment method that is both accepted by the merchant and can be used by the purchaser for purchase of the goods and/or services. The purchaser is presented with the purchase amount and the common set of available payment methods to choose a most preferred form of payment. Upon selection, the processor consummates the sale and signs a digital signature with the purchaser's permission via password verification to ensure for the merchant that a completed transaction has occurred.
The aforementioned patents differ from the present invention because the patented inventions lack the following features: Group companies doing business on the Internet; Promote discounts, and/or gifts for orders placed through web sites involved; Identification code on business cards, greeting cards, coupon books; Group companies not doing business on the Internet through the use of an identification code on business cards. However, upon review of a patent examiner, he/she may cite a combination of references which may prevent you from obtaining a patent.
Numerous innovations for Internet promotion redemption have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.


It is an object of the present invention to provide a flying object using a thin elongated nose cone with a small tip angle for reducing the air resistance during flying, wherein the maximum loading capacity can be increased without decreasing the volume efficiency of the flying object by limitations placed on the accommodation space, regardless of the structure thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for reducing the resistance of a flying object that is carried by an aircraft or the like and is separated therefrom in the air.
2. Description of the Related Art
Forming the tip portion of a flying object as a thin elongated nose cone with a small tip angle is effective for reducing the air resistance of the flying object. However, the problem associated with thin elongated nose cones was that under conditions of limited accommodation space, the length of the main body had to be reduced which resulted in a decreased volume efficiency of the flying object and placed a limitation on the maximum load capacity thereof. Attempts to obtain a compact structure in the accommodation state by using a partially folded structure of the flying object in order to make the shape of the flying object as small as possible due to limited space for accommodating the flying object have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-141399 "Wing Unfolding Device of Flying Object" (published by Japanese Patent Office on May 25, 2001) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H8-226798 "Guided Flying Object" (Published by Japanese Patent Office on Sep. 3, 1996). The technological idea disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-141399 was to reduce the size and weight of a wing unfolding device for unfolding the wings in a flying object that is carried by and launched from an aircraft. For this purpose, after the flying object 2 has been launched, the aerodynamic load acting upon a parachute 7, which was released and opened rearward of the flying object 2, is transmitted to main wings 3a and 3b through hanging wires 8, thereby creating a rotation force. As a result, a lever 9 slides over the curved surface of a concave surface 8a, the main wings 3a and 3b rotate and unfold to the prescribed positions, and then the lever 9 fits into the concave surface 8b, thereby fixing the main wings 3a and 3b in their unfolded positions. Moreover, the configuration of the parachute 7 is such that after the main wings 3a and 3b have been unfolded, the parachute 7 creating aerodynamic resistance in flight is separated from the flying object 2 by the actuation of a delay cutter 11 after the prescribed time elapses. However, though the common feature of the above-described invention and the present invention is in increasing compactness in the accommodated state, it does not include the idea of reducing the air resistance of the flying object, which is essential for the present invention.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H8-226798 discloses a "guided flying object" having foldable and spreading wings developed with the aim of eliminating the unfolding mechanism or reducing the size thereof and obtaining a flying object that can be accommodated in a launcher cylinder, without placing a restriction on the size of the main body of the flying object, by using a combustion gas pressure of a rocket motor or an aerodynamic force created during flying, and also with the aim of reducing the resistance during flying and obtaining good aerodynamic characteristics. In the structure of such a guided flying object, as shown in FIG. 8, a spreading link mechanism 8 of the foldable and spreading wings is connected to a piston 7, the piston 7 is disposed inside a combustion gas inflow apparatus 10, and the wings are expanded by the pressure of the combustion gas of the rocket motor. This configuration allows the inertia force created by the control of the fuselage and an aerodynamic force created during flying to be used instead of the combustion gas pressure. The aim of this invention is to reduce the resistance during flying and to obtain good aerodynamic characteristic, but it relates to a rudder wing and does not improve the tip of the flying object.

Method for reducing resistance of flying object using expandable nose cone

Abstract: In the flying object in accordance with the present invention, which comprises a nose cone in the tip portion, the nose cone portion has a compressed structure in the axial direction during accommodation and expands on the tip side in the axial direction during flying, due to an expandable nose cone structure such that a disk with a small diameter is disposed in the forward position and the disks with a successively increasing diameter are disposed in the axial direction. After separation, the nose cone expands in the axial direction, deep cavities are formed between the disks, and a fine elongated nose cone with a small tip angle is provided, whereby the air resistance is reduced.


The invention relates to coating compositions based on organic solvents and comprising at least one hydroxyl-containing compound (A), at least one crosslinking agent (B) having groups reactive toward hydroxyl groups, and at least one silica gel based matting agent (M), wherein    (i) the matting agent (M) is surface-modified with one or more waxes,    and    (ii) the coating composition further comprises at least one hydrophobic silica based rheological assistant (R).

For a number of years already there has been an increased desire for matt surfaces in the automotive finishing segment for example. The matt surfaces produce outstanding optical effects in the case, for example, of automobile finishes in matt silver tones, or where matt and glossy auto parts are combined. As described in the BASF Coatings GmbH News Release "BASF Coatings uses mat clearcoats in small series" of Aug. 24, 2010, matt surfaces are generally achieved through addition of matting agents to the clearcoats.
For the matting of coating compositions, use may be made, alongside organic matting agents, based for example on rubber and/or waxes, of various inorganic matting agents, more particularly based on silicates, based on fumed silica, based on precipitated silica or based on silica gel. The matting agents may optionally be surface-modified as well, with modification taking place using various organic components, such as, for example, hard, microcrystalline waxes, plastifying microcrystalline waxes and/or polyethylene waxes, and/or inorganic components, such as polysiloxanes, for example. The different matting agents and the matting agents modified with different components each have different properties and different pros and cons.
The processing of matted clearcoats, however, is a very demanding operation. Many matting agents tend to settle and to form a sediment which is difficult if not impossible to reagitate thereafter. In addition, the matted clearcoats often display inadequate resistance in the face of shearing loads, of the kind, for example, that occur in circuit lines when the paints are used in automotive OEM finishing. This inadequate resistance to shearing loads is then manifested in an unwanted increase in the glossiness of the resultant coatings. Matted clearcoats have therefore to date been used only in relatively small circuit lines for individual series. On account of the growing demand anticipated for matt surfaces, however, the desire exists to improve the matted clearcoats such that they can also be employed in standard OEM finishing.
From the article by M. L. Maule, J. M. Bogdanor in Surface Coatings Australia, 1994, Vol. 31, pages 6-10, it is now known that the sedimentation stability, for example, may be improved through surface treatment of the matting agents. Also described therein is the fact that, generally speaking, the higher the particle size of the matting agent used, the greater the matting effect. An increasing particle size on the part of the matting agents, however, is also accompanied by increased roughness of the surface and by an increased tendency toward bittiness.
EP-B-541 359 describes silica based matting agents and their use in coating compositions for producing coatings having a matt surface. According to that specification it is essential that these silica based matting agents are surface-treated with a mixture of a hard microcrystalline wax, a plasticizing microcrystalline wax, and a synthetic polyethylene wax, so that the matting agents—even after a high shearing load, as for example when incorporating the matting agents into the coating composition—exhibit a significantly improved sedimentation behavior in the coating composition. Details of how the increasing glossiness of the resultant coatings that is associated with a shearing load, particularly in circuit lines when the paints are used in automotive OEM finishing, can be avoided are absent here, as are details of how the operational window, as it is known, may be improved—that is, of how the glossiness of the resultant coating can be made to exhibit as little fluctuation as possible in response to changes in the conditions under which the coating compositions are applied and cured.
The only coating composition exemplified in EP-B-541 359 is a melamine-alkyd resin paint, while other coating compositions, based on polyurethane, for example, are not described, and nor is the combination of the silica based matting agent with rheological assistants based on hydrophilic or hydrophobic silica.
WO97/08250 likewise describes matting agents based on wax-coated silica, for which it is essential to the invention that the pore volume is at least 1.5 cm3/g, the wax content is between 6% and 15%, based on the matting agent, and the wax has a melting point of 85° C. at most. These matting agents are used exclusively in UV curing coating compositions, where they have the advantage that they exhibit a good matting effect and also, at the same time, neither adversely affect the rheology of the coating compositions nor detract from the optical properties of the resultant coating.
It is known, furthermore, from EP-B-922 671 that precipitated silica based matting agents ought to have a particular particle size distribution in order first to achieve a good matting effect but also, second, not adversely to affect the appearance of the resultant coating. In that specification, however, silica gel based matting agents are not used, and the surface modification of the matting agents is not described. Nor is there any description of the combination of the matting agents with rheological assistants based on hydrophobic silica. It is known, however, that unmodified silicas have a tendency toward severe sedimentation in paints, and can therefore no longer be reagitated thereafter at all, or can be reagitated thereafter only with difficulty, and that their stability in the face of shearing loads is inadequate as well.
As already stated, it is indeed known that matting agents based on precipitated silica and coated with wax, more particularly with polyethylene wax, exhibit a substantially improved sedimentation behavior as compared with the corresponding matting agents that have not been surface-modified. However, these wax-modified matting agents frequently cause clouding of the paint. According to EP-B-1 477 457, this is avoided by subjecting the precipitated silica based matting agents to hydrophobic surface modification not with wax but instead with a modified or unmodified polysiloxane. These special matting agents are used in clearcoats, although the only clearcoat exemplified is one based on a urea-formaldehyde resin. Other clearcoats, such as polyurethane paints based on hydroxyl-containing binders and isocyanate crosslinkers, for example, are not described therein. Lastly, there is once again a lack of details as to how it is possible to avoid the increase in the glossiness of the resultant coatings that is associated with a shearing load, and of details relating to improving the operational window.
EP-B-1 171 531 discloses radiation-curable coating compositions for producing matt coatings, comprising as their matting agents wax-modified silica gels in which the wax content is between 15% and 30%, based on the overall matting agent composition, the silica gel has a pore volume of 0.8 to 1.4 cm3/g, and the average particle size is between 2 and 12 μm. These matting agents are very efficient for radiation-curable coating compositions and do not adversely affect the rheology of the radiation-curable coating compositions. The combination of these special matting agents with hydrophobic silica based rheological assistants, however, is not described therein, and nor is the use of the matting agents in thermally curing coating compositions.
EP-B-1 591 492, lastly, describes two-component coating compositions comprising a polyol component, a polyisocyanate crosslinker, and at least one matting agent. Matting agents which can be used in the coating compositions are all known, surface-treated or untreated, organic or inorganic matting agents. The coating compositions are used for producing multicoat finishes having a very good, specific effect, such as a matt metallic, chromelike appearance, for example. Key to producing the multicoat finishes according to EP-B-1 591 492, therefore, is the use of two different basecoats, the first basecoat being a basecoat of the kind used customarily, and the second basecoat comprising special PVD (physical vapor deposition) aluminum pigments in order to obtain a metallic effect.
The problem on which the present invention is based was that of providing coating compositions which exhibit good circuit line stability, i.e., which suffer no increase in the glossiness of the cured coating as a consequence of the shearing load on the coating compositions that occurs in standard automotive OEM finishing when the coating compositions are applied on the line.
This shearing load is tested by pumping the coating compositions around a circuit line while exposing them to a shearing load, the conditions being as follows:
Pressure at the return check valve: 10 bar
Reciprocating strokes per minute: 18
Volume (reciprocating stroke): 0.6 l
Prior to the shearing load in the circuit line (TO=0) and after turnovers (TO) 500, 1250, 1500, and 2000 in the circuit line, the 60° gloss of the coatings is measured. The coating compositions possess sufficient circuit line stability when the gloss at an angle of 60° is increased by not more than 10 gloss units after shearing by pumped circulation in the circuit line.
Moreover, coating compositions are to be provided which exhibit good sedimentation stability, which means that, even after prolonged storage of the coating compositions for three months at ambient temperature, there is no formation of a sediment which is difficult to reagitate, or can no longer be reagitated, thereafter within not more than one hour using a customary laboratory mixer (more particularly Vollrath 370W, model "EWTHV 0.5" from Paul Vollrath GmbH & CO. KG, Hürth, speed 800 revolutions per minute, Lenart disk d=90 mm) with a speed of 800 revolutions per minute.
Furthermore, the coating compositions ought to be able to be processed with what is called an expanded operational window. This means that fluctuations in gloss or specky surfaces as a function of the application conditions of the OEM multicoat system ought to be avoided. More particularly, the gloss of the resultant coating ought to be approximately the same on pneumatic application and on ESTA application. Furthermore, the drying conditions of the basecoat and also the flash-off time of the clearcoat film ought to have little influence—if any at all—on the gloss of the multicoat finish.
Furthermore, the coatings and finishes, especially the clearcoat finishes, ought to exhibit a good appearance, depending on the intended application. This is a key requirement for the use of the coatings and finishes, more particularly the clearcoat finishes, in the particularly technologically and esthetically demanding segment of automotive OEM finishing.
In addition, the new coating compositions ought to be easy to produce with very good reproducibility, and ought not to cause any environmental problems during paint application.

Polyurethane coating composition, multilayer surface coatings having a matt surface produced therefrom and processes for producing the multilayer surface coatings

Abstract: The present invention further provides multistage coating methods using these coating compositions, and also the use of the coating compositions as clearcoat or application of the coating method for automotive OEM finishing, for the finishing of parts for installation in or on automobiles, and for automotive refinishing.


A trailer hitch (20) for attachment onto a motor vehicle for pulling a trailer. The hitch (20) consists of a pair of forward and aft mounting brackets (22 and 24) that are connected into existing holes in the vehicle's frame. Each mounting bracket has flanges (22′ and 24′) with the aft brackets (24) having thru-holes (26) arranged in a bolt circle array. The pair of forward mounting brackets (22) are connected to the aft mounting brackets (24) for length adjustment of the trailer hitch relative to the hitch position on the motor vehicle. The height of the trailer hitch (20) is regulated by the right side up or upside down position of the aft mounting brackets (24) properly orienting the thru-holes. A box hitch (44) is adjustably attached for width regulation onto the thru-holes of the aft mounting brackets (24) by inserting arms (30) into a tubular sleeve (50) of the box hitch at an appropriate distance. A receiver box (48) is connected on the bottom of the tubular sleeve for receiving a hitch ball mounted on a trailer ball mount.

Previously, many types of receiver hitches have been used to provide an effective means for attaching a trailer using a ball mount and hitch ball onto a conventional pick up truck or other similar vehicle.
The prior art listed below did not disclose patents that possess any of the novelty of the instant invention; however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
U.S. Pat. NumberInventorIssue Date5,149,122HelberSep. 22, 19925,620,198BorchersApr. 15, 19975,873,594Mc Coy et al.Feb. 23, 19996,139,042TetrickOct. 31. 20006,173,984KayJan. 16, 20016,578,864Mc Coy et al.Jun. 17, 20036,601,868Mc Coy et al.Aug. 5, 2003
U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,122 discloses an adjustable hitch assembly with a receiver unit slideably engaged with connector arms. The connector arms are in turn slideably engaged with a vertical attachment post by means of a coupler that enables the hitch to be adjusted in three dimensions. Readjustment is accomplished with fasteners attaching the assembly together. Preformed hole patterns in a set of flanges and an arm of the connector accommodate standard hole patterns in the vehicle frame rails fitting most commercially available vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,198 discloses a protective collar for installation on a receiver box and a trailer hitch receiver for a vehicle. The trailer hitch receiver has a central frame member and vehicle mounting brackets. The receiver box is mounted to the frame member and includes a cavity adapted to receive a hitch bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,594 discloses is for a hitch bar for a trailer hitch assembly formed from an elongated bar with a notched proximal end and a mounting rack carried on the distal end. The notch reduces the stiffness of the elongated bar, thereby allowing the bar to deflect and absorb a portion of the reaction load and redistributes the load in the hitch box.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,042 discloses a carrier frame for a spring cushion truck hitch. The frame includes side mounting brackets and a transverse load-resisting bar connected between the mounting brackets. The carrier frame can be removed from the hitch and the hitch re-used in a truck having a different configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,984 discloses a hitch having a frame with transversely extending tubular structural members forming a dual tow bar receiver with mating dual towbar inserts.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,864 discloses a trailer hitch receiver which consists of a main frame member, a hitch receiver box carried on the main frame member, and a pair of opposed mounting brackets. Each of the brackets contains a series of apertures for securing the mounting brackets to the main frame that is defined in two separate positions that share a set common of holes. The mounting brackets may be mounted in an inboard or outboard position for a particular application.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,868 discloses a continuation of the above listed U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,864 which is basically the same with the addition of method claims including the same construction processes as the apparatus claims.


A powdery particle conveying system is provided in which electric power consumption can be saved when powdery particles are conveyed by use of a roots blower. In the case where the powdery particles are conveyed to a reservoir tank near the roots blower, the frequency of a power source of a roots blower driving motor is reduced, thereby reducing an output of the roots blower. In contrast, in the case where the powdery particles are conveyed to a remote reservoir tank, a voltage of a commercial frequency is applied to the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a powdery particle conveying system which conveys powdery particles such as flour or livestock feed to a reservoir tank and a roots blower operating method for use in the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An explanation will be made by way of conveyance of flour in a flour mill. In the flour mill, numerous kinds of flour are milled, and then they are reserved in different tanks according to the kinds of flour. The conveyance to a reservoir tank is carried out by using a roots blower. In the roots blower, a fan is rotated by a motor, so as to generate a compressed air current, which is press-fed into a conveying pipe, and thus the flour in the air current is conveyed to a predetermined reservoir tank.
One roots blower or a plurality of roots blowers are installed in the flour mill. The conveying pipe extends from the roots blower to the reservoir tank. Switch valves are disposed at branch points from the conveying pipe to the reservoir tanks. A conveying channel to each of the reservoir tanks is defined by switching the switch valves, and consequently, the flour is conveyed to a desired reservoir tank.
Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a rotary valve 42 having an air sealing function is disposed under a hopper 40 for holding the milled flour therein, and further is connected to a conveying pipe 46. A measuring unit 41 is disposed downstream of the hopper 40. In the meantime, there is provided a roots blower 44. Powdery particles are press-fed from the hopper 40 through the conveying pipe 46 by a compressed air current generated by the roots blower 44. A plurality of reservoir tanks 30 are installed at positions apart from the hopper 40. Switch valves 48 are disposed at branch points from the conveying pipe 46 to the reservoir tanks 30. The flour is conveyed to each of the reservoir tanks 30 by operating the switch valves 48.
The roots blower 44 is required to have a sufficient capacity to convey the flour to any of the reservoir tanks 30. Therefore, the roots blower 44 is designed to have such a capacity or volume as to convey the flour to a reservoir tank 30B located at a remotest or highest position among the reservoir tanks 30, that is, a reservoir tank requiring the largest conveying load.
In the above-described prior art powdery particle conveying system, the roots blower having such a capacity as to sufficiently convey the powdery particles even to the reservoir tank 30B located at the remotest position is operated with its rated output, and thus the powdery particles are conveyed to all of the reservoir tanks. That is to say, the powdery particle conveying system is operated with the roots blower driving motor at the same frequency of a power source even in the case where the flour is conveyed to a reservoir tank 30A located at a position nearest the roots blower 44 as a frequency of the power source at which the flour is conveyed to the reservoir tank 30B, and therefore energy is wastefully used. In this case, the conveying load. In contrast, the rotating output of the motor is reduced so as to convey the powdery particles while reducing an electric power consumption in the case of the small conveying load; thus reducing energy consumption.
Other methods for changing the output of the roots blower include a method in which a conveying state is observed while reducing the speed of the roots blower driving motor according to the conveying load, so as to change the speed to a lowest speed at which the conveyance can be maintained; and a method in which the output of the roots blower required for each of the conveying loads is previously calculated, and then it is stored in a memory device or the like, so that the output of the roots blower with respect to a conveying load according to powdery particles to be conveyed or conveying conditions is read out of the memory device or the like when the powdery particles to be conveyed or the conveying conditions are input, and thus the output of the roots blower is automatically changed.
A similar problem arises not only because of the difference in conveying distance but also the conveying quantity or kind of powdery particles to be conveyed (for example, flour, wheat bran, flour grains and the like) or the magnitude of a conveying load such as a pressure loss on a conveying channel (for example, the bend of the conveying channel, the number of switch valves, the property of the inner surface of the conveying pipe, i.e., a surface roughness, and the like).

Powdery particle conveying system and roots blower operating method


An electrical plug connector with a plug-connection member and with an angled cable outlet member is provided. The cable outlet member is able to be connected detachably to the plug-connection member in a plurality of orientations. In order to develop the electrical plug connector such that it is simple to manipulate even when using relatively thick cables, it is proposed that the cable outlet member be able to be connected detachably to the plug-connection member by a pivoting movement about a pivot axis arranged obliquely or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the plug-connection member or by a linear movement along the longitudinal axis of the plug-connection member.

The invention relates to an electrical plug connector with a plug-connection member which can be plug-connected with a complementarily configured plug-connection member in order to produce an electrical connection and which has a longitudinal axis, and with a cable outlet member which has a cable guidance channel with a front channel section facing the plug-connection member and oriented in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the plug-connection member and with a rear channel section remote from the plug-connection member and oriented at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the plug-connection member, the cable outlet member being able to be connected detachably to the plug-connection member in a plurality of orientations.
Electrical plug connectors of this type are used for example to produce an electrical connection between a first cable and a second cable, or alternatively to produce an electrical connection between a first cable and an electrical appliance. To this end, a plug-connection member of the plug connector can be plug-connected with a complementarily configured plug-connection member. The plug-connection member may for example be formed as a connecting plug which can be inserted into a connecting socket, or alternatively as a connecting socket into which a connecting plug can be inserted. A cable may be guided through to the plug-connection member through a cable guidance channel of the cable outlet member. The cable guidance channel has a front channel section facing the plug-connection member and a rear channel section remote from the plug-connection member. In order to keep the overall length of the electrical plug connector as low as possible, the rear channel section is oriented at an angle to the front channel section. The cable which is passed through the cable guidance channel thus undergoes curvature in the cable guidance channel in the region between the front channel section and the rear channel section.
The cable outlet member can be connected detachably to the plug-connection member, it being able to be connected detachably to the plug-connection member in a plurality of orientations, so that the rear channel section can assume different angular positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the plug-connection member and thus the cable can be guided in different directions.
An electrical plug connector with an insulating body and an angled strain relief element is known from publication EP 2 323 228 A2. The insulating body is provided with a square collar which has a circumambient recess with latching cut-outs. The angled strain relief element has a matching connection opening and also a U-shaped rail which surrounds the connection opening on three sides. The rail has latching noses and latching hooks, and may be inserted into the recess of the isolating body, transversely to the longitudinal axis of the insulating body in four different orientations, which are each arranged at an angle of 90° offset relative to each other.
Pushing on the rail of the strain relief element transversely to the longitudinal axis of the insulating body frequently proves quite difficult, in particular when using relatively thick cables.
It is an object of the present invention to improve an electrical plug connector of the generic type such that it is easy to manipulate even when using relatively thick cables.

Electrical plug connector having a plug-connection member and a cable outlet member


A multiple-core, multithreaded processor including a flexible error steering mechanism. An integrated circuit may include processor cores. Each processor core is associated with a respective number of threads and is configured to issue a first instruction from one of the threads during one execution cycle and a second instruction from another one of the threads during a successive execution cycle. An error processing unit may be coupled to the processor cores and configured to detect an error condition corresponding to a data element external to the processor cores. In response to detecting the error condition, the error processing unit may convey an indication of the error to a selected processor core dependent upon an identifier of the selected core. The error indication may also include an identifier of a selected thread executable on the selected processor core. The identifiers of the selected core and the selected thread may be programmable.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to processors, and more particularly, to techniques for handling data errors within a processor.
2. Description of the Related Art
As semiconductor feature sizes shrink, processor data elements based on such features (e.g., random access memory (RAM) bit cells) become increasingly susceptible to transient or permanent errors. For example, environmental radiation such as cosmic rays or stray electromagnetic fields may couple sufficient energy to a data element to temporarily alter a value being stored or transmitted by the element. Further, electrostatic discharge or manufacturing flaws may cause a data element to permanently malfunction.
Although some such data errors may not impact operation of a system (for example, if they occur in a line of a data cache that is unallocated), in other instances, such errors may result in unstable or incorrect system operation, data loss, or other negative consequences. Consequently, critical data structures within a processor or processor core may be protected against undetected errors through the use of error detection and/or correction schemes. Detected errors may then be handled, e.g., by system software executing on the processor or processor core, in a programmatic way.
However, in a highly integrated processor including multiple processor cores configured to execute multiple threads as well as system components (e.g., peripherals, interfaces, etc.) external to the processor cores, there may exist data elements external to the processor cores for which error conditions may be detected. In a fine-grained multithreaded, multiple-core environment, it is ambiguous as to how errors occurring externally to processor cores may be efficiently and flexibly handled.

Multiple-core, multithreaded processor with flexible error steering mechanism


A piezoelectric transformer high-voltage power source apparatus, in which a driving voltage determined by a value of a driving frequency is applied to a piezoelectric transformer, and thereby an output voltage output by the piezoelectric transformer is provided to a load, includes: an output voltage detection unit to compare an output voltage with a reference voltage for controlling the output voltage, in order to maintain the output voltage at a predetermined value, and based on the comparison result, detecting the change of the output voltage as a digital value; and a driving control unit to perform driving control of the piezoelectric transformer according to the detected digital value. The high-voltage power source apparatus performs stable frequency control without falling into an abnormal oscillation or uncontrollable state, and a high-voltage can be output within a short rise time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power source apparatus using a piezoelectric transformer, and an image forming apparatus thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus which forms an image in an electronic photographing process, if a direct transfer method is employed to enable a transfer unit to be in contact with a photoreceptor to transfer an image, the transfer unit uses a conductive rubber in the form of a roller having a rotation axis as a conductive body. In this case, driving of the transfer unit is controlled according to a process speed of the photoreceptor. Also, a direct current (DC) bias voltage is used as a voltage to be applied to the transfer unit, and a polarity of the DC bias voltage is made the same as that of a transfer voltage via a corona discharge method.
Thus, in order to perform reliable transfer of the image by using the transfer roller, a voltage of approximately 3 kV (with required current of microamperes) should be applied in general. According to a typical technique, in order to generate a high voltage required for image formation, a coil-type electronic transformer has been used. However, the coil-type electronic transformer is formed with copper wires, bobbins, and magnetic cores. When the coil-type electronic transformer is used to apply a voltage of approximately 3 kV, an output current value thereof is very low (i.e., microamperes), and a leakage current in each part should be minimized. In order to minimize the leakage current, a method of making the coil of the coil-type electronic transformer with a mould made of an organic insulating material has been used. However, when this method is used, there are risks of overheating to produce smoke and fire, and a relatively larger electronic transformer compared to a supplied power is required. Accordingly, it is difficult to reduce the size and weight of the coil-type electronic transformer.
In order to solve the above problems associated with the coil-type electronic transformer, a method of generating a high output voltage using a slim, light-weight, and high-output piezoelectric transformer has been considered. That is, if a piezoelectric transformer using a ceramic material is employed, it is possible to generate a high output voltage with an efficiency equal to or higher than that of the coil-type electronic transformer. Furthermore, since the piezoelectric transformer is irrespective of combining of a primary side thereof and a secondary side, putting a distance between electrodes of the primary side and the secondary side is possible, mould processing is not necessary, and risks of producing smoke and fire disappear. As a result, a method of generating a high output voltage by using the piezoelectric transformer enables a small-size and light-weight high-voltage power source apparatus to be made.
However, in the high-voltage power source apparatus using a piezoelectric transformer, frequency control is performed by an analogue signal processing circuit, and therefore, a frequency control operation is unstable. That is, if a control voltage is rapidly changed in order to quickly raise (or drop) an output voltage of the high-voltage power source apparatus, a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transformer is exceeded and it is impossible to control the output voltage. Also, when power equal to or greater than a capacity of a piezoelectric transformer is required due to an unpredicted situation, a driving frequency of the piezoelectric transformer exceeds the resonant frequency, and it is impossible to control the output voltage of the piezoelectric transformer, to thereby cause bad image signals to be generated. Also, even as the output voltage from the piezoelectric transformer cannot be controlled, oscillation of a circuit operation in the high-voltage power source apparatus occurs.
In addition, a delay of a rise time occurs due to a spurious driving frequency from a time when a control signal to turn on the high-voltage power source apparatus is input to an operational amplifier to a time when a desired set output voltage value is reached.
Furthermore, as a plurality of resonant frequency points relative to the output voltages exists for a piezoelectric transformer, in order to increase a range of the output voltages that may be output by the piezoelectric transformer, frequencies in a range that result in low efficiency voltage output would be used, which decreases the overall efficiency of the high-voltage power source apparatus as a whole.
In addition, the driving frequency of the piezoelectric transformer is changed too much from a primary resonant frequency in order to reduce the output voltage, the driving frequency approaches a next resonant frequency, and as a result, the output voltage will start to increase after reaching a minimum voltage. For this reason, it is difficult to achieve a low voltage output of the high-voltage power source apparatus using the piezoelectric transformer.

Piezoelectric transformer type high-voltage power apparatus and image forming apparatus


A circuit and method which enables storage of more than two logic states in a memory cell by selectively setting threshold voltages of transistors in a memory array according to the present invention. In one embodiment, a memory circuit includes an array of storage transistors. Each storage transistor has a gate connected to an associated read line. When a read line is asserted, the current which flows through a selected storage transistor is indicative of the stored logic state. The current through each transistor is individually selected by setting the threshold voltage of each storage transistor during manufacture. Different transistors in the array are configured with differing threshold voltages to thereby represent different storage states. An analog-to-digital (A/D) converter is coupled to the selected storage transistor so as to sense the current and determine the state represented. Since each cell may represent one of more than two storage states, the memory circuit may advantageously allow an increased number of bits to be stored in each memory cell, thereby increasing the storage density and reducing the cost per bit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of solid state devices for information storage, and in particular to a method and structure for storing multilevel logic values in a read-only memory (ROM).
2. Description of the Related Art
Memory devices store and retrieve large quantities of digital data at electronic speeds. Early digital computers used magnetic cores as the devices in fast-access memories. With the introduction of semiconductor memory chips in the late 1960s, magnetic cores began to be replaced by integrated circuits which implement a much higher-density memory function. This not only increased the performance capabilities of the memory, but also drastically decreased its cost. By the end of the 1970s, magnetic core memories had been completely displaced as high-speed memory devices.
Memory capacities in digital systems are commonly expressed in terms of bits (binary digits), since a separate device or circuit is used to store each bit of data. Each storage element is referred to as a cell. Memory capacities are also sometimes stated in terms of bytes (8 or 9 bits) or words (arbitrarily defined, but commonly 16-80 bits). Every bit, byte, or word is stored in a particular location, identified by a unique numeric address. Only a single bit, byte, or word is stored or retrieved during each cycle of memory operation.
The units of memory storage capacity are typically kilobits and megabits (or kilobytes and megabytes). Since memory addressing is based on binary codes, capacities that are integral powers of 2 are typically used. As a result, a memory device with a 1-kbit capacity can actually store 1024 bits, and a 64-kbyte device can store65,536 bytes.
In digital computers, the number of memory bits is usually 100 to 1000 times greater than the number of logic gates, which implies that the memory cost per bit must be kept very low. In addition, it is desirable for the memory devices to be as small as possible (since this will allow the highest density of cells on a chip), to operate at a high speed, to have a small power consumption, and to operate reliably. To achieve this end, memory cells are designed to be as simple and compact as possible. Typically, the cell itself is not capable of outputting digital data in an electrical form compatible with the requirements of the remainder of the system. To restore the electrical characteristics of the cell's outputted data to adequate values, properly designed peripheral circuits (e.g. sense amplifiers, memory registers, and output drivers) are necessary. These circuits are designed to be shared by many memory cells. The trade-off thus made is that of a less robust output signal from the cell, in exchange for a simple, compact memory cell design.
The most flexible digital memories are those that allow for data storage (hereafter, writing) as well as data retrieval (hereafter, reading). Memories in which both of these functions can be rapidly and easily performed, and whose cells can be accessed in random order (independent of their physical locations), are referred to as random-access memories (RAMs). Read-only memories (ROMs) are those in which only the read operation can be performed rapidly. Entering data into a ROM is referred to as programming the ROM. This operation is much slower than the writing operation used in RAMs.
The storage cells in a typical semiconductor memory are arranged in an array consisting of horizontal rows and vertical columns. Each cell shares electrical connections with all the other cells in its row, and column. The horizontal lines connected to all the cells in the row are called word lines, and the vertical lines (along which data flows into and out of the cells) are referred to as data lines. Each cell therefore has a unique memory location, or address, which can be accessed at random through the selection of the appropriate word and data line. Some memories are designed so that all The cells in a row are accessed simultaneously. This array configuration of semiconductor memories lends itself well to the regular structured designs which are favored in VLSI.
There are a number of important circuits on the periphery of the array. One such peripheral circuit is the address decoder. This circuit allows a large number of word and data lines to be accessed with the fewest number of address lines. Address decoders for this purpose have 2.sup.n output lines, with a different one selected for each different n-bit input code. In later generations of memory circuits, address multiplexing was integrated on some memory chips to reduce the number of address pins by half.
Another peripheral circuit is the read/write control circuitry. This circuitry determines whether data is to be written into or read from the memory. Because such circuits also amplify and buffer the data signals retrieved from the cells, one of the important circuits in this subsystem is the sense amplifier. In dynamic memories that need periodic data refreshing, refresh circuitry may also be provided.
Recently, additional peripheral circuits have been added to the basic memory organization structure. These circuits serve mainly to improve the manufacturability and testability of the chips. Those designed to increase manufacturability include redundancy circuits and error-correction circuits. Redundancy circuits allow some defective chips to be salvaged, while self-testing circuits reduce testing time. Error-detection and correction techniques involve the addition of parity bits to allow the system to detect bad data, accomplish parity checking, and in some cases provide correction of the data errors.
Most RAMs have only one input-data lead and one output-data lead (or a single combined input/output lead). Writing into and reading from such RAMs is done one bit at a time. Other RAMs have a number of input- and output-data leads, with the number determined by the word length of the system's data bus. ROMs, on the other hand, are typically organized so that the number of output-data leads is the same as the number of lines on the data bus. ROMs are programmed word by word and are read from in the same manner.
In semiconductor RAMs, information is stored on each cell either through the charging of a capacitor or the setting of the state of a bi-stable flip-flop circuit. With either method, the information on the cell is destroyed if the power is interrupted. Such memories are therefore referred to as volatile memories. When the charge on a capacitor is used to store data in a semiconductor-RAM cell, the charge needs to be periodically refreshed, since leakage currents will remove it in a few milliseconds. Hence, volatile memories based on this storage mechanism are known as dynamic RAMs, or DRAMs.
If the data is stored (written) by setting the state of a flip-flop, it will be retained as long as power is connected to the cell (and flip-flop is not reset by another write signal). RAMs fabricated with such cells are known as static RAMs, or SRAMs. Volatile RAMs can be treated as non-volatile if they are provided with a battery backup. Some DRAM and SRAM chips are even packaged together with a battery to facilitate implementation of this approach.
It is often desirable to use memory devices that will retain information even when the power is interrupted. Magnetic media offer such nonvolatile-memory storage. In addition, a variety of semiconductor memories have been developed with this characteristic. At present, virtually all such nonvolatile memories are ROMs. While data can be entered into these memories, the programming procedure varies from one type of ROM to the other.
The first group of nonvolatile memories consists of those ROMs in which data is entered during manufacturing, and cannot be subsequently altered by the user. These devices are known as masked ROMs (or simply ROMs). The next category consists of memories whose data can be entered by the user (user-programmable ROMs). In the first example of this type, known as a programmable ROM, or PROM, data can be entered into the device only once. In the remaining ROM types, data can be erased as well as entered. In one class of erasable ROMs, the cells must be exposed to a strong ultraviolet light in order for the data to be erased. These ROMs are called erasable-programmable ROMs, or EPROMs. In the final type, data can be electrically erased as well as entered into the device; these are referred to as EEPROMs. The time needed to enter data into both EPROMs and EEPROMs is much longer than the time required for the write operation in a RAM. As a result, none of the ROM types can at present be classified as fully functional RAM devices.
Many variations on the basic memory organization architecture have been developed, including video RAMs and multiport RAMs. Architectures which combine memory and logic circuits on the same chip are becoming increasingly popular. But the primary trends in semiconductor memory development are to increase the storage density and to reduce the cost per bit. It would therefore be desirable to have a method and structure for further increasing the bit storage density and reducing the cost per bit.

Memory circuit and method for multivalued logic storage by process variations


In one embodiment a cartridge holder includes: a body having a plurality of bays therein for holding a cartridge and each bay having an electrical connector associated therewith for connecting to a chip; an adapter removably attachable to the body at a bay, the adapter having a site for a chip at a location where a chip installed at the chip site is connected to a connector in the bay when the adapter is attached to the body; and each bay configured to hold: without an adapter attached to the body at the bay, a first cartridge having a first shape and a chip thereon, and, with the adapter attached to the body at the bay, a second cartridge having a second shape different from the first shape and the second cartridge not having a chip thereon.

Many types of printers use cartridges to hold marking material such as ink or toner. These cartridges are known by a variety of names including ink cartridges, inkjet cartridges, print cartridges, pens, or toner cartridges. Multiple cartridges of various colors or marking material type may exist in a single printer. So called "chipped" cartridges carry an integrated circuit chip which connects to the printer controller through connections in the carriage. The chip may identify various features of the cartridge to the printer in which the cartridge is installed. It may be a disadvantage when a printer designed for using chipped cartridges cannot also use non-chipped cartridges.
Part number lead lines with arrows are sometimes used in the drawings to designate an assembly or another part for which multiple features or elements are described.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The brushhead attachment system includes a hub member which is secured to a drive shaft of a personal care appliance for oscillating action. The hub member includes a number of spaced locking elements in the form of protrusions around the periphery thereof. An annular outer brushhead portion with a first group of bristles includes a plurality of spaced grooves in the outer surface thereof which mate with extending pins in the body of the appliance for insertion and removal of the outer brushhead portion. An inner brushhead portion is configured to fit within the annular opening of the outer brushhead portion and includes a plurality of depending legs which mate with the protrusions on the drive member for resulting oscillating action of the inner brushhead portion when the drive member oscillates, at least some of the legs having latch elements which fit onto an interior lip of the outer brushhead portion in such a manner that the inner and outer brushhead portions may be installed and removed as a unit, while permitting the inner brushhead portion to be freely rotatable relative to the outer brushhead portion.

In personal care appliances, including those having a relatively large brushhead assembly, such as those used for cleaning skin, the brushhead must be readily removable and installable by a user, because of regular replacement requirements, and when installed, must have a solid, positive connection with a drive member for the appliance, such as a rotating shaft, with no or little loss of motion between the drive member and the brushhead. With conventional brushheads, these objectives are accomplished with a variety of attaching structures, including screw-on connections, or snap connections which have tabs to mate with matching openings in the body of the appliance.
However, with complicated brushhead designs, reliable and convenient attachment becomes more problematic. For instance, in a brushhead having two or more parts, with each operating differently, such as different motions, there is difficulty in maintaining the two parts in the required relationship to produce the different actions, while also permitting installation of the complete brushhead into the appliance body with a convenient, single easy action. In the embodiment disclosed herein, one portion of the brushhead is movable in operation of the appliance, while the other portion remains stationary. In this particular arrangement, the movable part must engage the drive member, while the other part is positioned and held such that it does not move with the drive member, yet the two separate parts must be removable and installable as a single unit.

Oscillating brushhead attachment system for a personal care appliance


The present invention is to carry out stable doping and to prevent the drastic pressure change in a treatment chamber by reducing degasification of resist during adding impurities. In the present invention, the stability of the impurity ion injection can be ensured by reducing degasification of resist by reducing the area (resist area proportion, that is, the ratio of the area of resist to the whole area of a substrate) of resist pattern which is used depending on the conditions such as acceleration voltage or current density of a doping process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus. More specifically the present invention relates to technique for adding conductive impurities to a semiconductor over a substrate.
2. Related Art
In case of forming an impurity region such as a source or a drain region that is a component of a thin film transistor (TFT), various methods for adding impurities are adopted.
As a method for adding impurities, for example, ion implantation, ion doping, or the like is utilized. The ion implantation is the technique, that is, elements such as boron (B), phosphorus (P), or the like is ionized and mass-separated, then, only necessary ions are accelerated by an electric field, and then, doped to a semiconductor such as silicon. The ion doping is the technique, that is, ions are accelerated by an electric field and doped without mass separation.
In case of utilizing such technique, only desired regions can be added with impurities by means of masking the region where doping is not wanted to be carried out.
However, there are problems that resist which is generally used as a mask is degassed by ion beam irradiation, due to this, pressure in a treatment chamber is increased, and so ion beam becomes impossible to be irradiated, an injection amount of impurities has a margin of error, or the like.
As technique for reducing degasification of resist, it is known that heating resist previously to remove degasification during doping (See Reference 1: Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-55159).

Semiconductor apparatus and method for manufacturing the same

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd


A memory card connector has an interior cavity into which a memory card is inserted to a temporary retained position and then to a fully inserted position. The connector includes an insulating housing having a rear terminal-mounting section at a rear of the cavity. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the terminal-mounting section and have contact portions for engaging contacts on the memory card. A slider is movably mounted on the housing and is engageable with the memory card for movement therewith. The slider is slidable along a side wall of the housing. The slider has a projection engageable in a recess in a side of the memory card. A sheet metal shell covers at least a portion of the insulating housing and includes a cover plate overlying at least a portion of the cavity. A side wall plate depends from the cover plate and overlies at least a portion of the side wall of the housing. A spring structure is stamped and formed out of an opening in the side wall plate and is engageable with the slider to bias the projection of the slider into the recess in the memory card. The spring structure is integral with the side wall plate at opposite edges of the opening.

Memory cards are known in the art and contain intelligence in the form of a memory circuit or other electronic program. Some form of card reader reads the information or memory stored on the card. Such cards are used in many applications in today's electronic society, including video cameras, digital still cameras, smartphones, music players, ATMs, cable television decoders, toys, games, PC adapters, multi-media cards and other electronic applications. Typically, a memory card includes a contact or terminal array for connection through a card connector to a card reader system and then to external equipment. The connector readily accommodates insertion and removal of the card to provide quick access to the information and program on the card. The card connector includes terminals for yieldingly engaging the contact array of the memory card. Ejecting devices often are provided for facilitating inserting and ejecting the memory card to and from the card connector.
A typical memory card connector includes an insulating housing structure usually having a lateral terminal-mounting section across the rear of the connector. The contacts or terminals of the connector are mounted on this lateral section. An overlying shell substantially covers the insulating housing and includes a cover plate defining a top of a cavity for receiving a memory card. The housing may have one or two legs projecting at right angles forwardly from one or both sides of the lateral section to define opposite sides of the cavity. The shell has a pair of side walls overlying the side legs of the housing. As stated above, an ejecting device may be provided for facilitating inserting and ejecting the memory card. The ejecting device may include a slider movably mounted on the housing and engageable with the memory card for movement therewith.
When a user inserts a memory card into the connector, it would be highly desirable if the user could get a tactile indication or "feel" that the card is at least temporarily contained in the connector. A temporary retention also can prevent the card from coming loose and falling out of the connector, resulting in possible loss of the card or at least breakage of the card on which important data is recorded. It has been known to use the slider of the ejecting device as a means for temporarily retaining the memory card in the connector.
For instance, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2001-291552, a lock spring 76 is projected into a slider 51 so that a projection 76a of the lock spring is resiliently mated with a side edge surface of a memory card 56 as seen in FIG. 2 thereof.
Another example of a connector for a memory card is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-83650. In that publication, a slider 5 includes a movable body 6 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof. In order to reduce parts in the prior art and to reduce the size of the connector, the movable body is backed up by a cantilever spring piece 26 formed on a side plate portion 23 of a steel case 1 (a metal shell). A tip end surface 61 of the movable body can evacuate a card from the connector. The tip end surface is engaged with a concave portion 120 formed in a side edge of a memory card 100 to temporarily retain the card in the connector.
A further example is shown in FIG. 15 herein. As shown, a spring plate 16 is stamped and formed out of an opening 17 in a side wall plate 18 of a metal shell of a connector. Again, the spring plate is of a cantilever structure and is joined to the side wall plate of the metal shell by a connecting section 19 at one end of spring plate 16. The spring plate is effective to engage a slider and bias a projection on the slider into engagement with a recess in a side edge of a memory card to temporarily retain the card. Unfortunately, such a cantilevered structure of spring plate 16 results in considerable weakening of side wall plate 18 of the metal shell.
The present invention is directed to solving the various problems of the prior art as described above.


A device for adapting a liquid container to enable separation and selective dispensation of two or more immiscible liquids of different densities from the container. The device comprises (a) a first liquid conduit adapted at one end for detachable attachment to the container, whereby the first conduit and the interior of the container may be placed in fluid communication with one another, (b) at least one wall forming a liquid reservoir, the other end of the first conduit opening into the reservoir at a first liquid passage to place the interior of the container in liquid communication with the reservoir, and (c) a second liquid conduit which at one end opens into the reservoir at a second liquid passage and at the other free end opens to an exterior of the container, thereby placing the reservoir in liquid communication with the exterior, wherein the first and second liquid passages are spaced apart from one another and disposed relative to the reservoir such that liquids from the container can form separate phases in the reservoir when dispensed from the container and through the first conduit and the liquid(s) of lesser density or densities can be dispensed from the reservoir through the second liquid passage while the liquid(s) of greater density or densities remain in the reservoir. Methods of separating and selectively dispensing two or more immiscible liquids of different densities from a container, as well as methods for adapting a container to enable separation and selective dispensation of two or more immiscible liquids of different densities from the container are also disclosed.

Gasoline and other liquid materials are often stored in cans, jugs, tanks and other containers which are sized and configured to enable a user to dispense the liquid from the container when desired. Often, the desired liquid stored in these containers becomes contaminated with undesirable liquids as, for example, when gasoline in a container becomes contaminated with water from condensation or other sources. In other circumstances, a multitude of desired liquids in the same container may be immiscible or may become immiscible over time, and the user may wish to dispense the different liquids separately. In either case, when the liquids are immiscible with respect to one another and have different densities (also commonly referred to as specific gravities), they exist in separate liquid phases. Yet, heretofore containers of such liquids have required the user to dispense at least some of the immiscible liquids of different densities at the same time, or have required substantial dispensation of one phase of liquid before another phase of liquid could be dispensed.
Thus, a need exists for a way to adapt a conventional liquid container to enable separation and selective dispensation from the container of two or more immiscible liquids having different densities, without requiring substantial dispensation of one phase of liquid before another phase of liquid may be dispensed.

Container adapter for separating and dispensing liquids


A power converter apparatus is provided with a lead-in board in which alternating-current power received from power converting units is connected in parallel, and a connection base including frames for installing the power converting units therein. The frames are provided with connection sections for connecting the main circuits of the power converting units. The lead-in board is provided with breakers for cut off alternating-current power from the power converting units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection apparatus for connecting single-unit power converters.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, in the field of, for example, solar energy generation, a plurality of single-unit power converters are connected in parallel to provide a power converter of a large capacity.
However, the operation of connecting a plurality of single-unit power converters in parallel requires lots of time and labor in installation and wiring.

Connection apparatus for power converter

Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation


A method and system for medical image display comprising means for acquiring two-dimensional images; means for displaying images; means for managing the display of a three-dimensional representation on the means display and for automatically orienting the three-dimensional representation according to at least one operating parameter of the means for acquisition means so that the three-dimensional representation is viewed on the means for display from a viewpoint corresponding to that from which the means for image acquisition acquire or have acquired a two-dimensional image.

This invention is directed to a method and system for medical image display, and particularly a method and system for use in a surgical procedure theater.
In radiology, a radiologist must be able to understand the exact anatomy of that part of the patient on which surgical procedure is to be performed. Generally, before the procedure, the radiologist acquires a number of two-dimensional images of the region in which the procedure is performed, for example by X-ray imaging, or by tomodensitometry (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In some cases, these images may be used to reconstruct a 3D model of the region. The 3D model enables viewing the region from different angles and to familiarize the radiologist with the anatomy thereof. During the procedure, the radiologist normally uses two-dimensional images obtained in real time by X-ray fluoroscopy. The radiologist may also use previously stored two-dimensional images which will act as reference images. However, these images obtained by fluoroscopy or prerecorded images may lack clarity and therefore may not allow highly accurate viewing of the anatomy on which the procedure is to be carried out.
Reconstructed three-dimensional representations generally show the anatomy much clearer than is possible with images obtained by fluoroscopy. However, at present, three-dimensional models are not used in the operating theater. Three-dimensional models are used independently of the two-dimensional images, generally before the operation, in order for the surgeon to gain a good understanding of the part of the anatomy that must be treated.

Method and system for medical image display of a three-dimensional representation

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC


A calculation server estimates a position of a mobile terminal that communicates with a base station incorporated with received global positioning system satellite signals. The calculation server includes a positioning information analyzer configured to select one of the positioning modes to be used out of a cell/sector positioning mode and a hybrid positioning mode on the basis of a distance between a cellular base station and the mobile terminal, and a position detector configured to calculate the position of the mobile terminal in the positioning mode selected by the positioning information analyzer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a server device, a mobile terminal, and a positioning mode selecting method configured to select one positioning mode out of multiple positioning modes.
2. Description of the Related Art
A positioning method has heretofore been disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2005-20216. In this example, the positioning method is configured to incorporate a global positioning system (GPS) receiver in a mobile terminal and to specify a position of the terminal by use of only signals from GPS satellites or both of the signals from the GPS satellites and a signal from a cellular base station. In an outdoor environment where there are no obstructing objects, the mobile terminal can receive sufficient signals from GPS satellites. Accordingly, the mobile terminal can receive the signals from four or more GPS satellites in many places.
In the positioning method using the GPS satellites, values of X, Y, and Z as three-dimensional coordinates and time of reception by the terminal are unknown. For this reason, it is essential to receive the signals from at least four GPS satellites. That is, it is possible to specify the position only by use of the GPS when the terminal can receive the signals from four or more GPS satellites.
In the meantime, the mobile terminal is also used in various places such as on a street canyon surrounded by large buildings or in an indoor place. In these environments, the mobile terminal is often unable to receive the signals from four or more of GPS satellites because the mobile terminal cannot catch weak signals from the GPS satellites. When the mobile terminal can only receive the signals from less than four GPS satellites, it becomes impossible to measure the position of the terminal only by use of the GPS satellites.
As a countermeasure for such a circumstance, a hybrid positioning mode is disclosed so as to achieve measurement of the position of the mobile terminal even when the terminal can receive the signals from less than four GPS satellites. The hybrid positioning mode is configured to treat a cellular base station as one of a signal emission source instead of the unreceivable GPS satellites.
Cellular base stations are treated as equivalent to the GPS satellites by measuring timing of signals transmitted from the cellular base stations so that four or more signal sources are obtained. In this way, it is possible to calculate the position of the mobile terminal in various places. In a special case, it is possible to calculate the position of the mobile terminal by receiving four or more signals that are transmitted from the base stations even when there are no receivable signals from the GPS satellites.
The above-described mode requires at least four receivable signal sources including the GPS satellites and the cellular base stations. The number of signal sources receivable by the mobile terminal varies depending on the surrounding condition of the mobile terminal, and in some places, the number of the receivable signals is less than four.
There is disclosed a cell/sector positioning mode as a countermeasure in this case. Specifically, the position of the cellular base station that covers a location of the mobile terminal is calculated as the position of the mobile terminal. When the cellular base station is sectorized itself, the center of each sector is applicable to the position. Meanwhile, it is possible to calculate a distance between the cellular base station and the mobile terminal when round trip time (RTT) is measurable. In this case, it is also possible to measure the position of the mobile terminal by use of this distance and sector information. The method of measuring the position of the mobile terminal by use of the cell/sector positioning mode is utilized as a fallback mode for a place where the GPS positioning or the hybrid positioning is inapplicable. This method can measure the position of the mobile terminal in anywhere of the service area for the mobile terminal.
As described above, there are several positioning modes for the mobile terminal. For example, there is a method which has been disclosed in: Text of a symposium "Applications and service development of a high-precision positioning system," held on Mar. 3, 2006 pp. 43-45. In this method, the positioning modes are selected among the GPS positioning, the hybrid positioning, and the cell/sector positioning in accordance with the location measurement results of the mobile terminal.
According to this document, the positioning mode is changed based on the number of receivable signal sources. Specifically, either the GPS positioning or the hybrid positioning is selected when there are four or more signal sources, and the cell/sector positioning is selected when there are less than four signal sources.

Server device, mobile terminal and positioning mode selecting method


A plasma display panel includes a first substrate, and a second substrate provided opposing the first substrate and defining a plurality of discharge cells between the first and second substrates. Phosphor layers are respectively formed in the discharge cells. Address electrodes are formed along a first direction on the first substrate, and first and second electrodes are formed adjacent to the first substrate and separated from the address electrodes. The first and second electrodes extend along a second direction that intersects the first direction, and the first and second electrodes are provided corresponding to each of the discharge cells. The first and second electrodes are formed extended in a direction away from the first substrate and toward the second substrate, and opposing each other with a spacing provided therebetween. The first and second electrodes include protrusions that extend toward centers of the discharge cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel (PDP), and more particularly to a PDP that enhances illumination efficiency while reducing a discharge firing voltage.
2. Description of Related Art
One type of PDP is the triode surface-discharge PDP. The triode surface-discharge PDP includes a first substrate having an inner surface on which there are formed sustain electrodes and scan electrodes, and a second substrate opposing the first substrate with a predetermined gap therebetween and having an inner surface on which there are formed address electrodes. The first and second substrates are sealed together in a state where discharge gas is provided therebetween. Discharge of the PDP is affected by operation of the scan electrodes and the address electrodes, which are connected to each line and independently controlled. Sustain discharge is realized by the sustain electrodes and the scan electrodes.
The PDP utilizes glow discharge to generate visible light. Subsequent to the generation of glow discharge, the PDP undergoes a predetermined process before users can view images formed by the PDP. In particular, with the generation of glow discharge, gas plasma is generated that is excited by the collision of atoms with the gas, after which ultraviolet (UV) rays are emitted from the gas. The UV rays collide with phosphors in discharge cells such that the phosphors emit visible light. This visible light passes through the first substrate for users to view. During this process, however, significant loss of input power applied to the sustain electrodes and scan electrodes occurs.
This glow discharge occurs by applying between two electrodes a high voltage that exceeds the discharge firing voltage. Hence, a relatively high voltage is needed to initiate discharge. If discharge occurs, voltage distribution is distorted between cathodes and anodes as a result of a space charge effect, which is generated on the dielectric layer in the vicinity of cathodes and anodes. Formed between two electrodes are a cathode sheath region, which is located in the periphery of cathodes and wherein most of the voltage applied to two electrodes to effect discharge is consumed, an anode sheath region, which is located in the periphery of anodes and wherein part of the voltage is consumed, and a positive column region, which is located between the other two regions and wherein almost no voltage is consumed. In the cathode sheath region, electron heating efficiency is present in a secondary electron coefficient of an MgO protection layer formed on a surface of a dielectric layer, and in the positive column region, most of the input energy is consumed in electron heating.
Vacuum UV rays that emit visible light by colliding with phosphors are generated as xenon (Xe) gas changes from an excitation state to a ground state. The excitation state of xenon (Xe) occurs by collision between xenon (Xe) gas and electrons. Accordingly, to increase the amount of visible light generated relative to the input energy (i.e., illumination efficiency), electron heating efficiency must be raised to thereby increase collisions between xenon (Xe) gas and electrons.
In the cathode sheath region, although most of the input energy is consumed, the electron heating efficiency is low. In the positive column region, the electron heating efficiency is very high, even though the consumption of input energy is low. Accordingly, a high illumination efficiency is possible by increasing the positive column region (discharge gap).
Further, with respect to a ratio of electrons consumed among all electrons according to variations in a ratio (E/n) between an electric field (E) formed in the discharge gap (positive column region) and a gas density (n), in the same ratio (E/n), the electron consumption ratio increases in the sequence of xenon excitation (Xe*), xenon ions (Xe+), neon excitation (Ne*), and neon ions (Ne+). In addition, in the same ratio (E/n), the greater the increase in a partial pressure of xenon (Xe), the more the electron energy decreases. That is, if the electron energy decreases, the partial pressure of xenon (Xe) increases, and if the partial pressure of xenon (Xe) increases, among the electrons consumed in xenon excitation (Xe*), xenon ions (Xe+), neon excitation (Ne*), and neon ions (Ne+), the ratio of electrons consumed in the excitation of xenon (Xe) compared to other areas is increased. As a result, illumination efficiency is increased.
As described above, an increase in the positive column region results in an increase in electron heating efficiency. Further, an increase in xenon (Xe) partial pressure results in increasing a heating ratio of electrons consumed for xenon excitation (Xe*). Accordingly, increasing both of these factors results in enhancing electron heating efficiency such that illumination efficiency is improved.
However, increases in the positive column region and xenon (Xe) partial pressure result in an increase in a discharge firing voltage, as well as in manufacturing costs of the PDP.
Therefore, in order to enhance illumination efficiency, it is necessary that increases in the positive column region and xenon (Xe) partial pressure be realized while maintaining a low discharge firing voltage.
As is well known, when a length and pressure of the discharge gap are identical, the discharge firing voltage required when utilizing a surface discharge structure is less than that required when using an opposing discharge structure.


A cathode active material capable of increasing a capacity and improving high temperature characteristics or cycle characteristics, a method of manufacturing it, a cathode using the cathode active material, and a battery using the cathode active material are provided. In a cathode active material contained in a cathode, a coating layer is provided on at least part of complex oxide particle containing at least lithium (Li) and cobalt (Co). The coating layer is an oxide which contains lithium (Li) and at least one of nickel (Ni) and manganese (Mn).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cathode active material which contains a complex oxide containing lithium (Li) and cobalt (Co), a method of manufacturing it, a cathode using the cathode active material, and a battery using the cathode active material.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, portable devices such as a combination camera and a notebook personal computer have become widely used. Accordingly, small-sized secondary batteries with a high capacity have been increasingly demanded. The secondary batteries currently in use include nickel-cadmium batteries using an alkali electrolytic solution. However, the battery voltage thereof is 1.2V, which is low, and therefore it is difficult to improve the energy density. Therefore, it has been considered to develop so-called lithium metal secondary batteries using lithium metal. Such lithium metal has a specific gravity of 0.534, which is the lightest simple substance among solid simple substances. Further, the lithium metal has significantly poor electric potential and has the highest current capacity per unit weight among metal anode materials. However, in the lithium metal secondary batteries, there have been disadvantages as follows. That is, along with charge and discharge, lithium is grown on the anode dendritically, leading to lowered cycle characteristics. Otherwise, such grown lithium breaks the separator, causing internal short circuit. Therefore, secondary batteries in which a carbon material such as coke is used for an anode, alkali metal ions are inserted and extracted and thereby charge and discharge are repeated have been developed. In the result, deterioration of anodes due to charge and discharge has been reduced (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H10-333573).
In the lithium secondary batteries currently used generally, lithium cobaltate is used for the cathode, a carbon material is used for an anode, and the operating voltage is in the range from 4.2 V to 2.5 V. Regarding the cathode active material such as lithium cobaltate used for the cathode in such lithium secondary batteries operating at 4.2 V at maximum, only about 60% of the capacity is utilized to the theoretical capacity. Therefore, it is theoretically possible to utilize the remaining capacity by further increasing the charging voltage. In practice, it is known that a high energy density is realized by increasing the voltage in charging to 4.25 V or more (refer to International Publication No. WO03/197131). In particular, as a cathode active material, there are lithium nickelate, lithium manganate having a spinel structure and the like in addition to lithium cobaltate. Specially, lithium cobaltate is preferably used since lithium cobaltate can increase the electric potential most.
However, when the charging voltage is increased, there have been disadvantages as follows. That is, the oxidizing atmosphere in the vicinity of the cathode becomes strong. In the result, the electrolyte is easily deteriorated by oxidation decomposition, or cobalt is easily eluted from the cathode. Consequently, the charge and discharge efficiency is lowered, the cycle characteristics are lowered, and therefore it has been difficult to increase the charging voltage.
In the past, as a method for improving stability of cathode active materials, the following methods and the like have been reported. One method is that different elements such as aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), zirconium (Zr), and titanium (Ti) are dissolved (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-303459). Another method is that a small amount of a lithium-nickel-manganese complex oxide and the like is mixed (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-100357). Still another method is that the surface of lithium cobaltate is coated with lithium manganate having a spinel structure or nickel-cobalt complex oxide (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. H10-333573 and H10-372470).

Cathode active material, method of manufacturing it, cathode, and battery


A system and method for authenticating users of a digital device includes an authentication device attached to an authorized user. The authentication device includes one or more motion sensors and acts as a user identity token. To authenticate with a digital device, the user performs one or more interactions with the digital device using the hand associated with the authentication device. The digital device correlates the inputs received due to the interactions with the user's hand and/or wrist movement, as measured by the authentication device. Access to the digital device is allowed if the inputs and movements are correlated.

Authentication has become an integral part of computer usage. To authenticate to a computer, users must typically exert mental effort (e.g., recall their password) and/or physical effort (e.g., type their password). These factors increase the cost of context switch for users—cost of switching attention from a primary task to the authentication step and back to the task—disrupting users' workflow. The disruption due to a single authentication instance may be negligible, but in some shared-desktop workplaces where authentication must be performed multiple times a day, the disruption quickly becomes time consuming and frustrating. For example, hospital settings typically require employees to log-in close to a hundred times daily at different workstations, often for just a few moments; according to an industry report, hospital staff spend about 30 to 45 minutes a day authenticating to computers and web applications. As a result, frustrated users devise workarounds to make the authentication process more convenient; however, this leaves computers and data vulnerable.
Proximity-based authentication methods may provide a usable, zero-effort, secure authentication solution, but they have two drawbacks: they do not work well in multi-user shared settings and they may cause unintended authentications. Typically, in a proximity-based authentication method, a user carries a wireless authentication token that authenticates the user to a target computer. Whenever the user is within a certain distance of the target computer—as determined by radio signal strength from the token—the user is automatically authenticated to the computer. Some implementations require an additional condition that there should be some input to the target computer (presumably from the user) before the user is logged in, but there is no verification that the input was indeed provided by the user being authenticated. Multi-user shared settings are problematic for proximity-based methods because when there are multiple authorized users near a computer, all within the authentication distance threshold, these methods cannot determine which user (if any) should be authenticated. The second problem with proximity-based authentication methods is that a user may accidentally get authenticated without her consent, e.g., when she may just be passing by or present in the next room (or cubicle). Furthermore, adversaries can circumvent the distance threshold by using relay attacks and can cause a user to be authenticated even if the user is far outside the set authentication distance threshold.

Effortless authentication for desktop computers using wrist wearable tokens


A signal processing apparatus includes a signal processing section applying a spatial frequency filter to a pixel signal to perform a signal processing of noise reduction and/or edge enhancement, and a coefficient correcting section setting a coefficient group of the spatial frequency filter to a correct coefficient group. The coefficient correcting section includes an analyzing section, a correspondence section and a coefficient determining section. The analyzing section sets a local area to include an object pixel of the signal processing, and obtains average color information. A correspondence relation between the average color information and the correct coefficient group is set beforehand in the correspondence setting section. The coefficient determining section checks the correspondence relation of the correspondence setting section on the basis of the average color information obtained by the analyzing section, and adjusts the correct coefficient group used for the pixel of the processing object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processing technology applied to an imaging apparatus such as an electronic camera, a video camera, a scanner and a printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an imaging apparatus has something that applies a spatial frequency filter to a pixel signal in order to perform edge enhancement and noise reduction.
For example, as a spatial frequency filter for noise reduction, there is known a method in which a 3×3 pixel block around the pixels of the processing object is cut out, having the pixels of the processing object in the center, the pixel block is multiplied by a coefficient group of    1 1 1    1 2 1    1 1 1,and a weighted average is taken.
Besides, for example, as a spatial frequency filter for edge enhancement, there is known a method in which a 3×3 pixel block around the pixels of the processing object is cut out, having the pixels of the processing object in the center, the pixel block is multiplied by a coefficient group of    −1 −1 −1    −1 9 −1    −1 −1 −1,and addition is done.
It is also publicly known that the intensity of the noise reduction and edge enhancement can be adjusted by performing adjustments (including size adjustment of the pixel blocks) of these coefficient groups.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei. 5-174142 discloses a technique in which a pixel signal of a processing object is decomposed into signals of lightness, color saturation and hue, and edge enhancement and edge relaxation are performed for the signals of lightness and color saturation.
In the foregoing related arts, edge enhancements and the noise reductions are uniformly performed for all pixels. Thus, it had been necessary to perform edge enhancement and noise reduction moderately so that failures do not occur in processing results of images of various patterns. Thus, sufficient signal processing could not be performed for places where edge enhancement is desired to be actively performed or places where noise reduction is desired to be performed more intensely, and so it had been difficult to obtain optimum processing results.

Signal processing apparatus, signal processing program and electronic camera