A carafe has a flask and a lid assembly. The flask has a vessel. The lid assembly has a plug lid with an outlet port, a limiting bracket with a guiding channel and at least one outlet, and a sealing ball mounted in the guiding channel. The limiting bracket is mounted in the outlet port of the plug lid and is connected to the plug lid. When an opening of the vessel faces upward, the sealing ball slides downward to seal the outlet port of the plug lid. When the vessel tilts and the opening of the vessel faces downward, the outlet port of the plug lid is open, so that liquid in the vessel can flow out of the vessel. A user does not have to press or turn the lid assembly. Therefore, it is convenient to pour liquid out of the vessel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carafe, especially to a carafe for containing liquid.
2. Description of the Prior Art(s)
A conventional carafe includes a flask and a lid assembly. The lid assembly is mounted in and seals an opening of the flask. Before pouring, a user should press or turn the lid assembly, so as to open the lid assembly to allow liquid, such as water, in the flask to flow out of the flask. Sometimes, it needs both of the user's hands to open the lid assembly. Moreover, the user has to press or turn the lid assembly again to close the lid assembly, which is inconvenient and troublesome.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a carafe to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


A method of disposal of biowaste material which comprises drilling a first section of an injection well from the ground into a porous layer, drilling a second section of the injection well from a lower terminus of the first section of the injection well into the porous layer while drilling the same using underbalanced drilling techniques, drilling a first section of a production well from the ground to and into the porous layer, drilling a second section of the production well from the lower end of the first section thereof into the porous layer using underbalanced drilling conditions, making a geological measurement of the pore throat size and/or fracture aperture in the porous layer and treating the biowaste material introduced into the second section of the injection well by comminuting the same in a device such as a shear pump to an average particle size of approximately one-tenth to one-half, preferably one-seventh, of the average pore throat size in the porous layer, the measurement of the pore throat size and/or fracture aperture of the porous layer and the comminuting of the biowaste material being completed prior to the introduction of the biowaste material into the injection well.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the disposal, by injection, of organic biowaste (such as raw municipal sewage, organic farm waste, and the like) into a suitable underground formation where the biowaste may degrade into methane and other gases. More particularly, the present invention involves the use of underbalanced drilling techniques and technology to drill the reservoir zone that is to be injected with the biowaste. The invention also includes pre-treatment of the biowaste material to insure that its particle size is smaller than the pore throat size and/or fracture aperture of the underground formation where it will be injected.
2. Prior Art
The prior art discloses methods of treatment of bio-waste wherein the biowaste is injected underground at a pressure sufficient to induce fracturing in the underground rock formation. The biowaste is injected into the rock fractures where any organic material degrades and any inorganic material is trapped within the rock matrix. Alternate methods described within the prior art include the following.
Hamilton U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,542 discloses a process of injecting biowaste in the form of "activated sludge" into existing wells in depleted hydrocarbon-bearing formations, such as oil shales or exhausted petroleum fields. This process requires the high-pressure fracturing of the shale in order to induce permeability for the sludge injection.
Bilak et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,063 discloses a method for creating a highly viscous slurry of biowaste or other disposables, then injecting the slurry into deeply buried strata, with the injection pressure being greater than or equal to the fracture or overburden pressure, i.e., far greater than the natural water pressure of the target strata.
Bruno et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,616 B2 discloses a method for creating a slurry of biosolids suitable for injecting, selecting an injection formation below a ground surface (preferably a natural gas formation in a gas accumulation zone), and injecting the biosolids slurry into the injection formation at a pressure sufficient to create and maintain fractures within the selected injection formation, to allow degradation of the injected biosolids slurry.
Chesner U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,365 discloses a process for injecting selected wastes (including organic biowaste) into the inherent void space found within municipal solid waste landfills. The process involves injecting the waste under high pressure to either permeate or compact the existing landfill components.
Alexander et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,988 discloses a method for disposal of oil field waste or any waste slurry stream by injection into underground formations that are preferably underpressured, highly permeable, highly porous, dipping in angle, and highly fractured. The injection slurry itself is overpressured compared to the formation, with the hydrostatic pressure head of the slurry column sufficient to induce injection.
The primary problem with these and other methods of drilling and biowaste injection is that overbalanced drilling procedures damage the structure of the receiving formation and reduces the formation's permeability during the drilling and completion process. For example, skin damage of the reservoir can occur when drilling overbalanced in a permeable reservoir, when the drilling mud which consists of very fine particles is pumped downhole to transport rock cuttings out of the hole being drilled actually filters into the formation as a filtrate (liquid) which leaves behind a filter cake, composed of the solids that were in the mud. (Skin damage is a measure of the reduction of a formation's permeability that is caused by drilling.) This filter cake plugs the formation and would inhibit future injectability of a biowaste slurry.
There are expensive and complicated completion methods generally understood and available to mitigate some of the challenges of drilling overbalanced, as listed above, but there is still much room for improvement in the field of drilling and injection of biowaste. The problem does not lie with the decomposition of biowaste into methane and other gasses, but rather with how the formation that is to receive the biowaste is drilled and how the biowaste is prepared.


A method of manufacturing a sealed-type storage battery using a hydrogen-occlusion electrode and an alloy for making the electrode is described. The sealed-type storage battery uses the hydrogen-occlusion electrode as a negative electrode. The battery is filled up with an alkaline electrolyte and is then allowed to stand for not more than 14 hours prior to the commencement of the initial charging of the battery. The initial charging is discontinued for at least one hour when the battery is in an incomplete charged state, i.e., when the battery is charged 5% or more but less than 100% of its rated capacity. Thereafter, the charging of the battery is continued until the battery is charged to its full capacity. The invention provides a sealed-type storage battery which has a low internal pressure during an overcharging operation, has a small capacity loss when operated whether at a high or low temperature, and has a longer cycle life as compared to conventional batteries.

A sealed-type alkaline storage battery is known in the art which includes a negative hydrogen-occlusion electrode made of a hydrogen-occlusion alloy capable of reversibly occluding and releasing hydrogen. The battery additionally includes a positive electrode made of nickel oxide or the like stacked in relation to the negative electrode in a laminate fashion with a separator interposed between the two electrodes. This electrode assembly is then placed in a container followed by the pouring of an alkaline electrolyte into the container and attachment of a cover to the container in a manner to hermetically seal the container. Since this type of sealed storage battery is pollution-free and has a high energy density, it has recently attracted attention as possibly replacing conventional nickel-cadmium storage batteries.
A hydrogen-occlusion electrode is considered advantageous in that, while allowing for the construction of a storage battery in the same manner as when a conventional cadmium electrode is used, a hydrogen occlusion electrode provides a greater energy density of actual usable discharge capacity. Hydrogen-occlusion alloys, such as LaNi.sub.4.5 Al.sub.0.5, LaNi.sub.4.0 Co.sub.0.5 Al.sub.0.5, or the like, are suitable for making a hydrogen-occlusion electrode.
However, when utilizing a conventional method of manufacturing a sealed-type storage battery using a hydrogen-occlusion electrode, it has been found that when an electrolyte is poured into the container holding the electrodes and charging is carried out, that the metal content present in the hydrogen-occlusion electrode becomes eluted in the electrolyte. This is especially the case when the hydrogen-occlusion electrode is made of a hydrogen-occlusion alloy containing cobalt (Co) as one of the metal elements The elution of the electrode by the electrolyte results in a change in the composition of the alloy and causes an oxide of the metal to form a film on the surface of the alloy. As a result, the internal pressure of the battery rises to the extent that the battery's safety valve is actuated to release the excess pressure of the gas whereupon the electrolyte is also partially released with the gas resulting in loss of the electrolyte and a shorter life for the battery. Additionally, following assembly of the battery, it is not possible to charge the battery uniformly since the electrodes are not uniformly impregnated with the electrolyte. A storage battery manufactured using a conventional manufacturing process, therefore, is subject to the disadvantages of having a comparatively smaller capacity, a shorter cycle life, a greater capacity loss under a high- or low-temperature condition, and a higher internal pressure at the time of an overcharge operation.

Method of manufacturing sealed-type storage batteries using hydrogen-occlusion electrodes


A new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant named ‘Sunphlorozu’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching and flowering habit; long flowering period; red purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant, botanically known as Phlox drummondii and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Sunphlorozu'.
The new Phlox plant is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of a proprietary selection of Phlox drummondii identified as code number 9Ph-17a, not patented. The new Phlox was discovered and selected by the Inventor from within a population of plants of the parent selection in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in August, 2006.
Asexual reproduction of the new Phlox plant by cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since September, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Phlox plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A diesel exhaust aftertreatment system and method are provided. The system includes a lean NOx trap for reducing NOx and a transition metal-exchanged zeolite booster catalyst positioned downstream from the lean NOx trap for further reducing NOx. The lean NOx trap includes a NOx adsorbent material and one or more platinum group metals, and has a platinum group metal loading of less than about 90 g/ft3. The aftertreatment system provides high NOx conversion over a broad temperature range without the use of ammonia as a major reductant.

While diesel and lean-burn gasoline engines are known to provide beneficial fuel economy, these engines also produce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulates during normal operation. Several methods are known for aftertreatment of the emission stream to reduce NOx to acceptable regulatory levels.
One such method utilizes a lean NOx trap (LNT), which typically includes a NOx adsorber combined with a catalyst for NOx reduction. The LNT operates in a cycle of lean and rich exhaust conditions, i.e., the LNT stores NOx under lean (i.e., excess oxygen) exhaust conditions followed by NOx reduction over the catalyst when the engine is running under rich conditions. The reduction occurring during the rich cycle purges the LNT so that it is regenerated for the next storage cycle. The LNT typically utilizes a platinum group metal catalyst (PGM) to aid in both NOx storage and reduction. However, high concentrations of platinum metal groups are required in LNTs in order to achieve high NOx conversion levels, and such metals are relatively expensive. In addition, the reaction temperature window can be limited, and the fuel penalty associated with the rich purges can cut significantly into the fuel economy benefits of lean operation. Another problem with the use of lean NOx traps is the generation of ammonia by the trap, which may be emitted into the atmosphere during rich pulses of the LNT.
Another exhaust aftertreatment system in use utilizes a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst, which selectively reduces NOx in the presence of excess oxygen. An SCR catalyst provides NOx conversion at minimal cost compared with the use of PGM catalysts as SCR catalysts are based on transition metal oxides. However, selective catalyst reduction requires the presence of a suitable reductant species in the exhaust that reacts with NOx rather than the excess oxygen. The reductant may comprise hydrocarbons which result from the incomplete or partial oxidation of fuel. However, in diesel applications, there are often insufficient hydrocarbons present to achieve conversion of NOx. In this instance, reducing agents such as urea or ammonia are carried on-board the vehicle and injected into the exhaust stream, typically upstream from the SCR catalyst. Urea-SCR technology eliminates the need for the rich purges and can potentially offer a broader operating temperature window. However, a disadvantage of liquid reductants is that freezing of the reductant may occur. Liquid reductant freezing is particularly a problem for the use of diesel vehicles in cold-weather climates when a liquid reductant is employed.
Another known exhaust aftertreatment system utilizes an LNT in combination with an NH3-SCR catalyst. The NH3-SCR catalyst is positioned downstream from the LNT and provides additional NOx conversion. In this configuration, the selective catalytic reduction of NOx over the SCR catalyst typically occurs via ammonia (NH3) generated over the upstream LNT and not via reductant injected into the exhaust. See, for example, commonly-assigned U.S. Publication No. US 2007/0144153. The mechanism for such a system is based on ammonia forming at the LNT under rich conditions, which then slips out and is adsorbed on the downstream SCR catalyst. During the lean portion of the lean-rich cycle, NOx passing through the LNT is then reduced at the SCR catalyst using the stored NH3 as a reductant. However, one drawback of this system is the need for excessively rich LNT purge conditions in order to generate NH3 breakthrough (slip) from the LNT, which results in a fuel economy penalty. In addition, NH3 may slip through the downstream SCR catalyst and be emitted into the atmosphere or may react on the SCR catalyst to re-form NOx under high temperature conditions.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved exhaust aftertreatment system which has high NOx conversion over a broad range of temperatures, which does not incur significant fuel penalties, and does not suffer from the drawbacks of the use of an ammonia or urea reductant.

Exhaust aftertreatment system and method of treating exhaust gas


This invention includes methods of forming openings into dielectric material. In one implementation, an opening is partially etched through dielectric material, with such opening comprising a lowest point and opposing sidewalls of the dielectric material. At least respective portions of the opposing sidewalls within the opening are lined with an electrically conductive material. With such electrically conductive material over said respective portions within the opening, plasma etching is conducted into and through the lowest point of the dielectric material of the opening to extend the opening deeper within the dielectric material. Other aspects and implementations are contemplated.

Integrated circuits are typically fabricated onto and within semiconductor substrates, with the continuing trend being towards manufacturing ever-smaller devices. Capacitors are one type of component which is commonly used in the fabrication of integrated circuitry, for example in DRAM circuitry. A typical capacitor is comprised of two conductive electrodes separated by a non-conducting dielectric region. As integrated circuitry density has increased, there is a continuing challenge to maintain sufficiently high storage capacitance despite typically decreasing capacitor area. The increase in density of integrated circuitry has typically resulted in a greater reduction in the horizontal dimension of capacitors as compared to the vertical dimension. In many instances, the vertical dimension of capacitors has increased.
One manner of forming capacitors is to initially form an insulative material within which a capacitor storage node electrode is formed. For example, an array of capacitor electrode openings for individual capacitors is typically fabricated in such insulative capacitor electrode-forming material, with a typical insulative electrode-forming material being silicon dioxide doped with one or both of phosphorus and boron. The capacitor electrode openings are typically formed by etching. However, it can be difficult to etch the capacitor electrode openings within the insulative material, particularly where the openings are deep.
One manner of etching openings within dielectric materials, whether capacitor openings, contact openings, or other openings, includes plasma etching. Here, the bombarding species typically comprises electrons which one or both of physically or chemically interact with the dielectric material, typically through mask openings to transfer the pattern of the mask openings into the dielectric material. However in some instances, particularly where the depth of the opening reaches and exceeds twenty times its narrowest width, continued plasma etching can be at a considerably reduced rate, or direct the etching action away from orthogonal to the substrate. Such phenomenon may, in part, be due to the collection of positive ions from the etching species within the lowest point of the openings being etched.
While the invention was motivated in addressing the above identified issues, it is in no way so limited. The invention is only limited by the accompanying claims as literally worded, without interpretative or other limiting reference to the specification, and in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.

Methods of forming openings into dielectric material


Electric field stress applied to memory cells is relieved in a semiconductor memory device. For this purpose, an X-decoder circuit applies a low level signal to a selected memory cell in a selected memory cell block of a selected memory cell matrix, and a high level signal to non-selected memory cells in the selected memory cell block, while the X-decoder circuit applies the low level signal to memory cells of non-selected memory cell blocks of the selected memory cell matrix and memory cells of non-selected memory cell matrices.

A conventional mask programmable read only memory comprises a plurality of memory cell matrices each having a plurality of memory cell blocks. Each of the memory cell blocks comprises a plurality of memory cells serially connected, and the serially connected memory cells are connected through a block selection transistor to a digit line on one side thereof, and are connected to ground on the other side thereof.
In this mask programmable read only memory, the memory cell unit is composed, for instance, in such a manner that N channel MOS enhancement transistor having a threshold voltage of 1.0 V and N channel MOS depletion transistor having a threshold voltage of -5.0 V are assigned to store binary signals in accordance with the difference of the threshold voltages which is resulted from the injection of impurity, for instance, P into the transistors.
In operation, one of the memory cell matrices is selected by a Y-decoder circuit, while one of the memory cell blocks is selected in the selected memory cell matrix by a block decoder circuit. In the selected memory cell block, one of the memory cells is accessed in accordance with the application of low level signal (0 V) by an X-decoder circuit, while non-accessed memory cells are applied with high level signal (5 V). As a result, if the accessed memory cell is the enhancement transistor, it is turned on even under the application of low level signal. On the other hand, the non-accessed memory cells are turned on regardless of the type of transistors. Thus, a potential of the digit line which is thereby connected through the turned-on memory cells including the accessed memory cell to ground is lowered, for instance, from 1.2 V to 1.1 V. This potential change is amplified in a sense amp circuit to provide information read from the accessed memory cell.
On the contrary, if the accessed memory cell is the depletion transistor, it is not turned on under the application of low level signal. Therefore, the potential change does not occur. In this manner, information stored in the memory cell unit is read upon the access of a predetermined one of the memory cells by applying a low level signal thereto, while a high level signal is applied to the non-accessed memory cells of the selected block, and to the remaining memory cells of the selected memory cell matrix and the non-selected memory cell matrices.
In this conventional mask programmable read only memory, however, there is a disadvantage in that electric field stress applied to the memory cells is large to shorten the life thereof, thereby lowering the reliability thereof, because a high level signal is applied to all word lines except for one word line which is selected at the access time by the X-decoder circuit. The same thing can be said at the stand-by time, because all the word lines are applied with a high level signal.

Semiconductor memory device having a decoding circuit for reducing electric field stress applied to memory cells


A method for producing a phospholipid using transphosphatidylation, which comprises homogenizing a mixture of a raw material phospholipid, a hydroxyl-containing acceptor, phospholipase D, and water in the absence of an organic solvent to obtain a homogenized mixture; and subjecting the homogenized mixture to a transphosphatidylation reaction at 15° C. to 65° C. The homogenized mixture has a lamellar lyotropic liquid crystal structure. An objective phospholipid can be obtained from the homogenized mixture through transphosphatidylation without using an organic solvent or calcium.

Phospholipids such as phosphatidylserines (PSs) and phosphatidylglycerols (PGs) each have their useful physiological or biological functions and specific physical properties and are used in, for example, pharmaceutical preparations, food materials, and emulsifying agents. For example, phosphatidylserines are promising as drugs for prophylaxis and/or therapy of senile dementia and dysmnesia (memory disorder), phosphatidylglycerols are promising as emulsifying agents, and phosphatidylascorbic acids are promising as emulsifying agents and lipoperoxides inhibitors.
These phospholipids have been conventionally produced by chemical synthesis or by transphosphatidylation using phospholipase D. Among these production methods, enzymatic methods can relatively easily produce phospholipids at relatively low cost and are widely used.
Methods for producing objective phospholipids by transphosphatidylation (phospholipid base exchange reactions) have been known from a long time ago (Yang, S. F. et al., J. Biol. Chem., 242, p. 477, 1967). For example, Kokusho et al. disclose that a reaction product containing phosphatidylserine is obtained by a biphasic reaction in which phospholipase D is allowed to act upon a mixture of a solution of egg-yolk phosphatidylcholine in isopropyl ether with a L-serine aqueous solution containing calcium chloride (Agric. Biol. Chem., 51, p. 2515, 1987). It is generally believed that a reaction system in such a biphasic reaction comprises two phases of an oil phase containing a material phospholipid and an aqueous phase containing an acceptor and that transphosphatidylation occurs at the interface between the two phases.
Japanese Patent No. 2,942,302 describes a homogenous reaction in which a phospholipid preparation containing about 85% of phosphatidylcholine prepared by fractionating soybean lecithin is dissolved in ethyl acetate, the resulting solution is mixed with an ascorbic acid aqueous solution to yield a mixture, and the mixture is allowed to react with phospholipase D to thereby yield a reaction product containing phosphatidyl ascorbate.
However, the biphasic reaction must be carried out in the presence of solvents (an organic solvent and water) five times or more (volume/weight) as much as the phospholipid and thereby must use a reactor having a volume capacity six times as much as the amount of the phospholipid. In addition, calcium added to accelerate the reaction rapidly forms a salt with the phospholipid. The formed calcium salt is belonging to the category of chemically synthesized substances in Japan and Europe, and the product is thereby difficult to use in food.
In the homogenous reaction (monophasic reaction), the reaction system contains large amounts of water and yields a phosphatidic acid, as a by-product, due to hydrolytic activity of phospholipase D during a continuous reaction, thus the separation and purification of the objective phospholipid becoming difficult. In addition, the proportion of the acceptor to the phospholipids is limited in the homogenous reaction, and thereby the production amount of the objective reaction product (phospholipid) is limited.
A patent granted to Fujita et al. (JP-B-7-016426) describes that phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylglycerol, and others are produced by a reverse micelle reaction in which an aqueous phase containing calcium chloride, a hydroxyl-containing acceptor, and phospholipase D and being encapsulated in a reversed micelle is allowed to react with a solution of a raw material phospholipid in an organic solvent (diisopropyl ether, isooctane, cyclohexane, benzene, chloroform-isooctane, n-hexane, or dichloromethane-isooctane).
In the Japanese Patent Publication, Fujita et al. report that the reverse micelle reaction requires only a small amount of water and thereby suppresses the formation of phosphatidic acids, the problem of the above method. However, the method in question insufficiently yields the objective phospholipid in a yield of at most about 20%, requires complicated operations such as ultrasonic treatment and thus invites problems in operability and cost. The method also requires the organic solvent 10 times (volume/weight) as much as the phospholipid and must use a reactor having a capacity many times as much as the amount of the phospholipid.
These conventional transphosphatidylation reactions must be carried out in a reaction system containing an organic solvent. However, when product phospholipids are used in, for example, food and pharmaceutical preparations, the organic solvent must not remain in the products and must be completely removed. Accordingly, their production process steps require facilities for the removal of the organic solvent, thus inviting disadvantages in; for example, operability and cost. In particular, such organic solvents cannot be substantially used in the reactions based on the food sanitation law when the products are used in the production of food.
Demands have therefore been made on methods for producing phospholipids without using organic solvents and/or calcium salts. However, one skilled in the art generally believes that a reaction does not smoothly proceed without using organic solvents and thereby the yield of the objective phospholipid and operability should decrease, since the material phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholines are oil-soluble.


A lubricant supplying unit, which can be incorporated in a process unit for use in an image forming apparatus, includes a rotary lubricant supplying member to contact a surface of an image carrier to rotate with the image carrier, a lubricant having an opposed face disposed opposite the rotary lubricant supplying member and side faces, a lubricant holder to hold the lubricant, and a pressing member to press the lubricant toward the lubricant supplying member either directly or via an intermediate transfer member. The rotary lubricant supplying member rotating to scrape the lubricant to supply the scraped lubricant to the image carrier. The lubricant holder supporting at least the entire side face of the lubricant intersecting the opposed face of the lubricant in a cross-section of the lubricant and the lubricant holder in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the rotary lubricant supplying member.

1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a lubricant supplying unit, a process unit incorporating the lubricant supplying unit, an image forming apparatus incorporating the lubricant supplying unit, and a method of manufacturing the lubricant supplying unit.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Full-color image forming apparatuses for electrophotographic image forming, for example, copiers, printers, and facsimile machines, generally perform either a direct transfer operation or an indirect transfer operation. In the direct transfer operation, a toner image formed on an image carrier is transferred directly onto a recording medium that is conveyed along an outer circumferential surface of a sheet conveyance belt. By contrast, in the indirect transfer operation, a toner image is formed on an image carrier that contacts an intermediate transfer belt and is transferred onto an outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt by an electric field supplied by a transfer bias unit, and is then transferred onto a recording medium conveyed along the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt.
After image transfer, residual toner remains on the surface of the image carrier and/or the surface of the intermediate transfer belt. So as not to adversely affect a subsequent image forming operation, a cleaning unit removes the residual toner from the surfaces of the image carrier and the intermediate transfer belt. Known cleaning units typically include a cleaning blade formed by an elastic material such as a rubber material so that the cleaning blade slidably contacts the surface of the image carrier or the intermediate transfer belt to remove the residual toner therefrom.
However, a cleaning member such as the above-described known cleaning blade and a known cleaning brush can wear out with time as they slidably contact the surface of the image carrier or the intermediate transfer belt. The wear of the cleaning blade and the cleaning brush can cause cracks in or deformation thereof, resulting in reduced cleaning ability. In addition, the surface of the image carrier can be worn out as well as due to such contact, thus shortening the life of the image carrier.
To eliminate the above-described wear of the cleaning member and the image carrier, friction resistance between the image carrier and the cleaning member is reduced by supplying lubricant to the surface of the image carrier.
FIG. 1 shows a commonly known lubricant supplying unit that supplies lubricant to the surface of the image carrier.
The lubricant supplying unit shown in FIG. 1 includes a solid lubricant 100, an image carrier 200, a brush roller 300 disposed between the solid lubricant 100 and the image carrier 200, and a spring 400.
The solid lubricant 100 includes a lubricating material such as metal salt of fatty acid and is formed in a stick shape. The brush roller 300 is held in contact with a surface of the image carrier 200 as the spring 400 presses the solid lubricant 100 against the brush roller 300.
The above-described known lubricant supplying unit rotates the brush roller 300 that is pressed against the solid lubricant 100 so as to slidably scrape the solid lubricant 100 and turn the solid lubricant 100 into powder lubricant. The powder lubricant scraped from the solid lubricant 100 adheres to brush fibers of the brush roller 300 and is supplied to the surface of the image carrier 200 as the brush roller 300 rotates.
In a slightly different arrangement shown in FIG. 2, a different known lubricant supplying unit can include a lubricant roller 500. In contract to the stick-shaped solid lubricant of the lubricant supplying unit described below, this known lubricant supplying unit causes the brush roller 300 to rotate and contact the lubricant roller 500 while in rotation, so that the brush roller 300 scrapes the lubricant roller 500 to supply the scraped powder lubricant to the surface of the image carrier 200. Thus, this known lubricant supplying unit employs a roller-shaped lubricant to make the entire circumferential surface a lubricant supplying face, thereby effectively consuming the lubricant.
However, in the related-art lubricant supplying unit shown in FIG. 1, as the brush roller 300 scrapes the solid lubricant 100, as the solid lubricant is consumed it acquires an arc-shaped recess as shown in FIG. 3, forming edge portions E that project sharply from the cut face of the solid lubricant 100. The sharply projecting edge portions E are weak and thus prone to collapse, causing lack or breakage of the solid lubricant 100. Entry of broken-off pieces of solid lubricant into the image forming unit(s) can cause failures related to development, charging, and/or cleaning, resulting in defective images.
One way to counteract the above-described problem is to give the solid lubricant 100 a width B1 greater than an outer diameter "d" of the brush roller 300 as shown in FIG. 4A. By so doing, as shown in FIG. 4B, side portions of widths B2 and B3 at both ends on the cut face of the solid lubricant 100 remain, which can reduce chances of collapse of the solid lubricant 100. However, in this case, an amount of lubricant left unconsumed may increase, which is uneconomical. Further, with such an approach a large space to mount the solid lubricant is required.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, if lubricant can be formed in a roller shape, the lubricant can be consumed without breakage. However, it is difficult to form lubricant in a roller shape, and moreover, even after a roller-shaped lubricant is made, it is difficult to protect an entire circumferential surface of the roller-shaped lubricant from contamination. In addition, such a roller-shaped lubricant requires a driving mechanism to rotate the roller-shaped lubricant, which can lead to a complicated configuration and a concomitant cost increase.

Lubricant supplying unit, process unit incorporating same, image forming apparatus incorporating same, and method of manufacturing same


A sensor and method for determining the optical properties of a sample material is disclosed. The sensor comprises a light source that generates a linearly polarized light beam having a predetermined polarization orientation with respect to the plane of incidence. The linearly polarized light beam is reflected off the sample and is split into second and third light beams where the second and third light beam consist of the combined projections of mutually orthogonal components of the first light beam. A signal processor measures the intensity difference between the second and third light beams to calculate the phase difference induced by the sample material.

Scientists and industry alike are continually seeking methods to evaluate molecular interactions and eliminate the uncertainty associated with utilizing labels to detect the location of molecules of interest. Label-free technologies represent a holy grail in terms of addressing this issue, as these techniques allow researchers to look at molecular systems without perturbing them with extraneous chemistries that fundamentally change the dynamics of interaction. The sensitivity of instruments designed to analyze these molecular interactions is of paramount concern because often molecules of interest are difficult and expensive to produce and/or isolate, or are present in biological samples only at very low concentrations. Compounding the issue of miniscule quantities are the numerous variations of analytes, such as in drug development's combinatorial chemistry libraries of which binding characteristics are desired, which means that viable technologies applied to this field must provide array capabilities that can be integrated with high throughput screening methods. It must also be sensitive enough to detect precious amounts of interesting molecules, quickly and specifically.
The optical sensors based on the detection of analyte binding to thin receptor films at the sensor surface have been studied intensively. The use of an optical Total Internal Reflection (TIR) configuration for measurement of index of refraction changes in the evanescent field is common to interferometers, elipsometers and polariscopes. All these techniques can be applied to the measurements of chemical or biological layered media, with the goal of label free detection.
Internal reflection ellipsometry (IRE) has been used in earlier studies on orientation of liquid crystals and absorption of solutes onto substrate surfaces and for measurements of the refractive index of liquids. In these studies, however, measurements were conducted in the total internal reflection region of the incident angle that is not favorable for thickness measurements owing to low sensitivity. Therefore, in an effort to enhance the sensitivity of such thickness measurements, many groups successfully pursued the implementation of the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) effect, a method falling under the more general Frustrated Total Internal Reflection (FTR) approach. However, there remains a need for highly sensitive devices for measurements of both thickness and index of refraction changes in bio- and chemical sensing devices.
Several methods have been employed to measure the spatial reflection coefficients and overall intensity from the sensor interface. These intensity-based techniques suffer from the fluctuation of intensity in light sources and the relatively small-reflected coefficient from the sensor surface. Higher detection sensitivity is always desirable for improving sensing performance. It has been found that a lightwave's phase can change much more abruptly than the intensity when the refractive index or thickness of a binding layer on the surface has been changed. Several methods have been employed in sensors by measuring the phase change from the sensor interface during SPR, even with the capability of sensor array imaging. Recently, a sensor based on the combination of SPR and heterodyne interferometry with extremely high sensitivity and low-noise was proposed.
It is commonly known that during both TIR and FTR conditions the phase difference between p- and s-polarized components of reflected beam experiences a rapid shift whenever the optical properties of an adjacent medium change, such as refractive index or thickness of the affinity sensitive layer. It was also shown that measurement of the phase shift of the p-polarized component of the incident beam yields significantly higher sensitivity than SPR techniques that measure intensity associated with incident angle change. Furthermore, the phase-change method allows using both metal coated and optically transparent transducers without a special metallic coating.
Although the proposed method is the same for both TIR and FTR conditions in terms of measured parameters and general configuration of the system, there are some additional considerations and effects that take place when using the FTR approach. Utilizing the SPR phenomena in sensing applications has been demonstrated in several different configurations. A common approach uses the Kretschman configuration. A coherent p-polarized optical wave is reflected under TIR conditions on an interface between an optically dense material, such as a glass prism, and a rarefied medium, which in this case is the sample medium, whose index of refraction is lower than the dense medium. The interface between the two media is coated with a thin conductive metal film, which acts as an absorber for the optical wave. When specific conditions dependent on the light wave's angle of incidence, wavelength and the media's refractive indices are met, the optical wave causes the metal's surface plasmon electrons to oscillate at resonance, absorbing the wave's energy in the metal film. During these resonance conditions, variations in the sample's index of refraction will produce sharp changes to the optical phase of the p-polarized component, while the s-polarization phase remains relatively constant. At the resonant conditions, most of the p-polarization light component in contrast to TIR condition is absorbed in the metal film via the SPR effect. This fact is exploited by intensity based SPR sensors and elipsometers, relating the conditions of the intensity minimum of the reflected light to the optical configuration to thereby deduce the sample's index of refraction or layer thickness.

Polarization based interferometric detector


A labeling member is disclosed which attaches to the coil used for the coil binding of documents. The member may be affixed as an aftermarket upgrade to existing coil binding products. In embodiments, the member serves at least two functions. First, the member presents a face along the edge of a coil which may be marked or labeled to allow identification of the coil bound document when shelved or stacked. Second, the member adds structural rigidity to the bound document when placed vertically on a shelf by making the coil more rigid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a labeling system for coil binders, and in particular to an attachment which affixes to a coil binding of a coil binder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Coil binding is a popular means of binding a number of pages together to create reports, studies, and other documents. A coil bound document is formed by initially punching holes along an edge of the document. Then, a flexible coil is spun, or threaded, helically into the document through the punched holes. Most coils are made from a variety of flexible materials, such as PVC plastic or metal, and are available in wide range of diameters, pitches, and lengths to fit different binding needs.
While an effective and efficient method for securely binding documents, coil binding has a disadvantage in that, when shelved or stacked side-by-side with other bound documents, only the coil bound edge of the document is visible. Where other binding methods present a spine which can be printed on, coil bound documents do not. Accordingly, it is difficult to identify coil bound documents which are shelved or stacked.
Co-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,902,659 and 6,447,863, each entitled "Flexible Labeling System," disclose a label, which in embodiments may be applied along an edge of coil bound documents. The disclosed labeling system is comprised of a flexible plastic member incorporating two hinges created by a pair of parallel V-shaped grooves, either continuous or segmented, or perforations which are either die-cut or stamped into the flexible plastic member. The plastic member permits users to provide labeling for coil bound documents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,406, entitled "Method Of Mounting Index Tabs Upon Stenographic Notebooks," discloses an embodiment in FIG. 5 of that reference, where an elongated indexing indicia support base member may be affixed to a coil bound document by a pair of catch members on opposite ends of the base member.


A method and apparatus for automatically classifying files on a mobile communication terminal are provided. The inventive method and apparatus enable the files to be automatically classified and copied into a desired storage folder on the mobile communication terminal. An exemplary method for automatically classifying files on a mobile communication terminal includes receiving a command to copy a selected file, determining an attribute of the selected file, determining a storage folder in which to store the file according to the attribute of the file and copying and storing the file in the determined storage folder. The method and apparatus enable files that a user desires to copy from an external device to the user's mobile communication terminal to be automatically classified according to their attributes and be stored in storage folders corresponding to the attributes, thus minimizing the inconvenience of individually designating a storage folder for each file whenever the files are copied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically classifying files on a mobile communication terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for automatically classifying files on a mobile communication terminal that enables files to be automatically classified and copied into a desired storage folder on the mobile communication terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a mobile communication terminal refers to a terminal that is carried by an individual user and that supports various functions using application programs including wireless communication services. Examples of a mobile communication terminal include a personal mobile communication services terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, an international mobile telecommunication 2000 (IMT-2000) terminal, and a wireless local area network (LAN) terminal.
Conventional mobile communication terminals generally have voice call and short message service (SMS) functions. Recent rapid developments in mobile communication technology enabled a mobile communication terminal to support diverse and sophisticated functions including video calls, electronic-note functions, audio/image storage, Internet access, entertainment features, music playing functions, and camera functions to satisfy the changing needs of mobile consumers. Thus, a mobile user can use a mobile communication terminal to perform various tasks, including placing a voice call, taking a picture, and accessing the Internet.
The frequent use of a mobile communication terminal for these various tasks has increased the need for moving or copying data files used to perform each function (hereinafter representatively called "copying") into a mobile communication terminal. A user of a conventional mobile communication terminal has typically copied such files, selected from a personal computer (PC) or other external source, into a single folder on the mobile communication terminal. However, this makes it difficult to systematically manage all data files stored in the single folder.
One approach to solving the drawbacks noted above is to classify data files by type and copy each file into an appropriate folder. However, the conventional approach has a drawback that a mobile terminal user needs to inconveniently designate a folder in which to store a file each time they copy a file.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method and apparatus for automatically classifying files on a mobile communication terminal to provide enhanced convenience for a user.

Method and apparatus for automatically classifying files on mobile communication terminal


A test controller operable to test a video access device can include a first port coupled to particular test equipment and a second port coupled to video access devices. Each video access device can include a wideband link and a test port. The particular test equipment and each of the video access devices can be remotely located as compared to one another. The test controller can include a processor that is operable to send a command to connect the test port of a first particular video access device of the video access devices to its corresponding wideband link, and establish connectivity between the test equipment and a second particular video access device of the video access devices. The test controller can be part of a system that includes methods used to test video access devices.

Delivery of services provided to customers of a network is becoming more competitive as the number of service offerings increases. Many service providers provide telephone services, Internet access, video services, other appropriate services, or any combination thereof to customers. These services may be provided to the customer's premises via a packet-switched network.
Currently, networks of the service providers are expanding, thus, requiring video access devices, such as digital subscriber line access multiplexers, to be installed at locations remote to a service provider's offices, such as a central office. The video access devices can be located within neighborhoods that support a set of customers. As each video access device is installed or has problems, a technician typically needs to be dispatched to test the video access device.
When a technician is dispatched, the service provider incurs significant costs related travel time to and from the remote location where a particular video access device is located. Issues with test equipment can also arise. Each video access device or each technician may have their own test equipment, resulting in many sets of the same test equipment. Many video access devices are located within housings that are exposed to outdoor ambients. The test equipment may be sensitive to some environments (temperature, moisture, etc.). Also, technicians need to be trained to use the test equipment. The various issues with dispatching technicians and test equipment can significantly impact a service provider's ability to expand an existing network, promptly address a problem or service call, or the like. Such issues can result in increased costs to the service provider, inability to add new customers as quickly as desired, loss of existing customers due to problems taking significant time to address, or the like.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

Method and system of testing video access devices


A touch panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a wiring substrate provided with a plurality of wiring patterns formed thereon, and an anisotropic conductive adhesive layer. The first substrate has a first conductive layer and first electrodes extending from two opposite sides of the first conductive layer. The second substrate has a second conductive layer confronting the first surface with a space, and second electrodes extending from two opposite sides of the second conductive layer. The anisotropic conductive adhesive layer connects a terminal portion of the wiring patterns to at least one of the first electrodes and the second electrodes. The wiring substrate has a slit or an aperture between the wiring patterns at one end thereof. The touch panel of this structure is easy to produce, and provides reliable operation and electrical connection and separation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a touch panel used to operate a variety of electronic apparatuses.
2. Background Art
Following the advancement in recent years of various electronic apparatuses such as mobile phones, car navigation systems and the like toward high performance and diversification, there is a continuous growth in number of the electronic apparatuses equipped with optically transparent touch panels in front of their display devices such as liquid crystal panels. A user of any such electronic apparatus operates it by pressing a touch panel with a finger, a pen, or the like tool while visually observing through the touch panel a screen on the display device provided behind the touch panel. Operation of the electronic apparatus is switched in this manner from one function to another. A demand thus exists for such touch panels that are superior in visibility and reliable in operation.
With reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, description is provided of a conventional touch panel.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of a conventional touch panel, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a main portion of the conventional touch panel. In FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, there are film-like upper substrate 101 having optical transparency, and lower substrate 102 also having optical transparency placed under upper substrate 101. Upper substrate 101 is provided with upper conductive layer 103 having optical transparency made from a material such as indium tin oxide, and formed on a back surface thereof. Lower substrate 102 is also provided with lower conductive layer 104 having optical transparency made from the material such as indium tin oxide, and formed in the same manner on a front surface thereof.
A plurality of dot spacers (not shown in the figures) is formed of an insulation resin at predetermined intervals on a front surface of lower conductive layer 104. There is a pair of upper electrodes 105 formed at two opposite sides of upper conductive layer 103. There is also a pair of lower electrodes 106 formed at two opposite sides of lower conductive layer 104 in a direction orthogonal to upper electrodes 105. Both upper electrodes 105 and lower electrodes 106 are made of an electrically conductive material such as silver.
In addition, spacer 107 of generally a frame-like shape is formed on either a lower peripheral surface of upper substrate 101 or an upper peripheral surface of lower substrate 102. Spacer 107 is provided with adhesive layers (not shown) coated on both a front surface and a back surface. Upper substrate 101 and lower substrate 102 are bonded at their peripheries with these adhesive layers, so that they face each other at a given space between them. Upper electrodes 105 and lower electrodes 106 are so formed that their terminal portions extend to one side of upper substrate 101 and lower substrate 102.
Wiring substrate 108 of a film-like form has a plurality of upper wiring patterns 109 (hereinafter referred to as patterns 109) formed on its front surface and a plurality of lower wiring patterns 110 (referred to as patterns 110) formed on its back surface. All of patterns 109 and 110 are made of an electrically conductive material such as silver, and constitute a plurality of wiring patterns. Both the front and the back surfaces of wiring substrate 108 is coated additionally with an insulation layer (not shown) to cover patterns 109 and 110. The insulating layer is not provided, however, on a terminal portion of wiring substrate 108, where connection is made to touch panel 100 and an electronic circuit (not shown) of an electronic apparatus. The terminal portion of wiring substrate 108 is placed and held in a position between upper substrate 101 and lower substrate 102.
Anisotropic conductive adhesive layer 111 (referred to as adhesive layer 111) contain a large number of electrically conductive particles 111b distributed in synthetic resin 111a. Adhesive layer 111 is used to bond and secures the terminal portion of wiring substrate 108 to upper substrate 101 and lower substrate 102. Upper electrodes 105 and terminal portion of patterns 109 are thus connected electrically through conductive particles 111b. Likewise, lower electrodes 106 and terminal portion of patterns 110 are connected electrically through conductive particles 111b. Touch panel 100 is thus constructed as described above.
Touch panel 100 constructed in this manner is placed in front of a liquid crystal display device or the like (not shown), and mounted to an electronic apparatus. In addition, the terminal portions of patterns 109 and 110 on wiring substrate 108 are connected to an electronic circuit of the electronic apparatus by such means as a connector and soldering.
In the structure discussed above, a front surface of upper substrate 101 is pressed to operate with a finger, a pen or the like tool while allowing visual observation of a screen on the liquid crystal display device provided on a back side of touch panel 100. This causes upper substrate 101 to deform, and upper conductive layer 103 to come in contact with lower conductive layer 104 at a position being pressed.
Voltages are applied successively from the electronic circuit to upper electrodes 105 through patterns 109 and to lower electrodes 106 through patterns 110 respectively. The electronic circuit detects the pressed position large number of conductive particles 111b link up across these electrodes. Such a phenomenon of short-circuiting, if occurs, may impair the electrical insulation between the electrodes or the wiring patterns, thereby resulting in instability of electrical connection and separation or operation of touch panel 100.
It is conceivable to reduce an amount of conductive particles 111b distributed in synthetic resin 111a in order to prevent short-circuiting between the electrodes or the wiring patterns attributable to development of aggregated portion 111C. When the added amount of conductive particles 111b is reduced, however, it becomes inevitable to lead instability in the electrical connections between upper electrodes 105 and patterns 109 as well as the electrical connections between lower electrodes 106 and patterns 110 through conductive particles 111b.
It is for this reason to make adjustment of a size and amount of conductive particles 111b mixed in synthetic resin 111a, or conditions of the heating temperature and pressure used for thermal compression of adhesive layer 111. It may also become necessary that the anisotropic conductive adhesive is stirred thoroughly before it is applied to form adhesive layer 111, or adhesive layer 111 are inspected for presence of aggregated portion 111C. Any of the above makes the process of manufacturing touch panels 100 complicated.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication, No. 2003-58319, for instance, discloses conventional touch panel 100 of the kind discussed above.


Managing a log stream of a computer system. An entry of a log stream, desired to be removed from the log stream, but not eligible for removal, is logically deleted. Logical deletion keeps the entry on the log stream and indicates that the entry can be removed from the log stream when it is eligible. When the entry is eligible, it is removed. If a desired entry remains at the tail of the log stream for a given period of time, thus not allowing the removal of one or more undesired entries, the desired entry is rewritten to the head of the log stream and deleted from the tail. Thereafter, other logically deleted entries eligible for deletion are removed from the log stream.

In various computer systems, historical log data is maintained (for example, in log files) for use in system recovery, problem determination and/or system maintenance. Typically, these log files have a limited amount of capacity to retain the historical data. After the capacity is met, at least some of the data records are moved from the log files to external storage devices, such as direct access storage devices (DASD), thereby providing additional space in the log file for more data.
At some point, data within the log file and/or on the external storage devices are no longer needed. For example, there is no need to keep the data once it passes its retention requirements. The saving of data past its usefulness adversely affects system performance in a number of ways. For example, when unnecessary data is retained and the log file needs to be browsed to recover logged data during recovery of a failure, the browser may have to deal with potentially large amounts of unnecessary data, thereby slowing down the recovery process. Additionally, when the saving of unwanted data records requires the use of external storage devices, which typically provide slower access to the data, the reading of the data takes longer, thus, affecting system performance.
Therefore, it is beneficial to delete any unnecessary data from the log files. However, generally, there are a number of restrictions placed on what data can be deleted. In one example, data may only be deleted from the tail of the log file. Thus, if the data record at the tail is still necessary, then no data can be deleted from the log file. This forces the saving of many unnecessary or unwanted data records.
The above problem is exacerbated when a log file is shared by multiple systems and the data record at the tail is owned by a system that has failed. In that case, the data record may not be deleted for a very long time, if at all, causing the saving of an increasing number of unwanted data records.
Thus, a need exists for a technique that allows the removal of unnecessary data records from a log file, even when the data record at the tail is still wanted. A further need exists for a technique that allows the removal of data records by the non-owner of the data records. A yet further need exists for a log management capability that can compress a log file in an efficient manner.

Tail compression of a log stream using a scratch pad of logically deleted entries


A method and an apparatus for detecting an envelope using a difference between sampling signals are provided. The method includes generating sampling sets based on sampling signals of a modulated signal, and determining a sampling set from the sampling sets. The method further includes determining an envelope component value associated with a sampling signal among sampling signals included in the determined sampling set, based on a difference between the sampling signals included in the determined sampling set, and a difference between sampling signals included in each of the sampling sets other than the determined sampling set. The method further includes detecting an envelope of the modulated signal based on the envelope component value.

1. Field
The following description relates to a method and an apparatus for detecting an envelope using a difference between sampling signals.
2. Description of Related Art
Envelope detection has been used to process signals in a speech processing field, an image processing field, a data communication field, and the like, in which a modulated signal is received and demodulated. The envelope detection has also been used in a field such as transmission of energy or data.
In an envelope detection method, signal processing is used, for example, a scheme of using a band-pass filter or a low-pass filter in a frequency band, a scheme of using a peak hold in an analytic signal obtained by the Hilbert transform, and the like. However, the signal processing may require a considerable circuit complexity for circuit implementation. Additionally, in a scheme of using an analog circuit, such as a diode, a capacitor, and the like, a circuit complexity is low, but it is difficult to detect a sophisticated envelope. Furthermore, an accuracy of envelope detection by biasing may be reduced, except for a scheme of using a filter in a frequency band.

Method and apparatus for detecting envelope using difference between sampling signals


A photomask comprises a substrate, a translucent film selectively formed on the substrate, and a shading film selectively formed on the translucent film, wherein when the substrate, the translucent film and the shading film have Young's moduli (MPa) E0 E1 and E2, and film thickness (m) d0, d1 and d2 respectively, internal stresses (MPa) of the translucent film and the shading film at room temperature are s1 and s2 respectively, a covering rate by the translucent film defined by an area in which the shading film is not formed is expressed as h, and coefficients are expressed as k1=1.3×10−8, k2=−9.5×10−2, k3=6.0×10−7, and k4=−5.2×10−2 respectively, the substrate, the translucent film and the shading film satisfy a condition given by the following expression:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photomask having a desired flatness, a method of manufacturing such a photomask, and a method of manufacturing an electronic product.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various problems are becoming apparent in lithographic steps used in semiconductor manufacturing processes. As the dimensions of semiconductor devices have been scaled down, the demand has increased for finer pattern lithography. The device design rules have already scaled down to 0.13 μm. As a result of this, the pattern dimensions must be controlled with a very strict accuracy of the order of 10 nm.
Under such a circumstance, one factor preventing higher accuracy in pattern formation steps is the degrees of flatness of photomasks used in lithographic steps. With further shrinking of dimensions, the margin for the depth of focus in lithographic steps decreases. Under this circumstance, the degrees of flatness of photomasks has become non-negligible.
In general, the photomask is formed by depositing a translucent film and a shading film on a substrate of quartz. The translucent film has a large internal stress in excess of 1 GPa. This internal stress deforms the quartz substrate, deteriorating the flatness of the photomask. The deterioration of the flatness has constituted the prime cause of poor yield.
The translucent film and the shading film deposited on the substrate of quartz are etched into a desired mask pattern, whereby the photomask manufacturing process is completed. It is difficult to predict the deformation of the substrate after mask pattern formation from the internal stresses that the translucent and shading films have at the time of deposition; therefore, the flatness of the photomask cannot be controlled.

Photomask, method of manufacturing a photomask, and method of manufacturing an electronic product

Abstract:                   1                              E            0                    ·                      d            0                              ·              {                              h            ·                          (                                                                    k                    1                                    ·                                                            S                      1                                                                                E                        1                                            ·                                              d                        1                                                                                +                                  k                  2                                            )                                +                      (                                                            k                  3                                ·                                                      S                    2                                                                              E                      2                                        ·                                          d                      2                                                                                +                              k                4                                      )                          }                  ≦      1.4    ×          10              -        4                                (                  m                      -            1                          )            .


A transparent ceramic composite armor is made of a crystalline transparent ceramic material and an amorphous glass phase material. The armor includes a first portion containing 100 per cent ceramic material; a second portion contiguous and integral with the first portion and containing a combination of the ceramic material and the glass phase material; and a third portion contiguous and integral with the second portion and containing 100 per cent glass phase material. Relative volumetric amounts of the ceramic material and the glass phase material in the second portion are inversely related and a greatest volume percentage of the ceramic material is adjacent the first portion. The volume percentage of the ceramic material in the second portion decreases a direction away from the strike face of the armor, while the volume percentage of the glass phase material increases in the same direction.

The invention relates in general to ceramic composites and in particular to transparent ceramic armor.
Transparent armor is a material or system of materials designed to be optically transparent, yet protect from fragmentation or ballistic impacts. This class of materials is used in diverse applications such as, for example, protective visors for non-combat usage such as riot control or explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) actions. These materials may also be used as vehicle windows in ground, sea, and air vehicles to protect vehicle occupants or equipment (for example, sensors) from terrorist actions or other hostile conflicts. Each of these systems are designed to defeat specific threats, however, there are general requirements common to most.
Composites of ceramic and other materials such as glass and polycarbonate have been suggested as impact resistant transparent armor. For example, United States Statutory Invention Registration No. H1567 describes a transparent composite armor having a hard frangible face plate backed by a more resilient plate. United States Statutory Invention Registration No. HI519 describes the bonding of transparent aluminum oxide or magnesium oxide to a backup plate of transparent plastic. U.S. Pat. No. 7,584,689 issued on Sep. 8, 2009 to Jones et al. discloses a transparent ceramic armor with a laminate design and is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
As shown in FIG. 1, a known laminate 10 may include an outer strike layer 12 made of ceramic material, one or more internal layers 14 of glass, and a polycarbonate backing layer 16. Polycarbonate backing layer 16 functions as a spall catch for bullet or armor fragments. Adhesive layers 18 may be used between the other layers 12, 14, 16 to provide some crack mitigation during impact and to reduce stress from differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion.
Survivability of transparent ceramic armor, in terms of multi-hit capability, is a parameter of prime importance. However, the reflection of stress intensity waves is maximized in existing ceramic-glass "laminate" designs such as laminate 10. This is an undesirable feature and can lead to accelerated self-defeat of the transparent ceramic. A need exists for transparent ceramic armor that is better able to withstand and survive multiple hits.

Compositionally graded transparent ceramic armor

The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Army


There is provided an information processing apparatus including a display unit for arranging and displaying the plurality of items in a guide region, the display unit enlarging a series of items included in a specified range specified in the guide region to a size larger than a size of the items displayed in the guide region and displaying the series of items in one line in a selection region in the predetermined arrangement, a display control unit when a scroll gesture is given to scroll the series of items in the selection region, the display control unit controls the display unit to update display of the guide region so that the series of items displayed in the scrolled selection region is included in the specified range, and a control unit for determining selection of an item in accordance with a selection gesture given in the selection region.

The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program.
An information processing apparatus having a small touch panel display such as a portable information terminal and an electronic apparatus allows a user to select characters, images, and the like on a panel surface. For example, when a user inputs characters on the panel surface, the user selects desired characters using a software keyboard displayed on the panel surface in a QWERTY layout and the like.
However, the software keyboard displayed on the small touch panel display has small indications of keys. This makes it difficult for a user to find and type the keys.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-182487 discloses a character input device which allows a user to easily input characters with a small virtual keyboard. For example, when a position of a Japanese letter "hi" is tapped on the virtual keyboard including Japanese Hiragana letters arranged in the order of the 50-character Hiragana syllabary, the character input device displays an enlarged key showing "hi" on the panel surface. Around the enlarged key "hi", Japanese letters "chi", "na", "ni", "nu", "ha", "hi", "hu", and the like located within a certain range from the key "hi" on the virtual keyboard are displayed as adjacent enlarged keys.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program


The present technology relates to a data processing apparatus, a data processing method, and a program capable of achieving reduction in costs of a reception device that receives a GSE packet. A GSE-Lite packet construction section constructs GSE-Lite packet including GSE-Lite signaling, which is signaling for identifying whether data is the GSE-Lite packet in a data link layer of an open systems interconnection (OSI) reference model, by using, as a target, only a protocol data unit (PDU) whose maximum size is limited to a predetermined limit size of 4096 bytes or less, where the GSE-Lite packet is a generic stream encapsulation (GSE) packet having the PDU placed in a data field. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a case of transmitting the GSE packet and a case of receiving the GSE packet.

The DVB-GSE prescribes, for example, a protocol of a data link layer which transmits a protocol data unit (PDU) such as a so-called Ethernet frame (media access control (MAC) frame) (Ethernet is a registered trademark) prescribed by institute of electrical and electronic engineers (IEEE) 802.3 or an IP packet (for example, refer to Non Patent Literature 1).
In the DVB-GSE, the PDU is encapsulated in a single packet or a plurality of packets called GSE packets as necessary.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Data processing apparatus, data processing method, and program


A method of setting up a flow cytometer using microbeads fluorescing at a plurality of wavelengths, control cells for each of said wavelengths, certified blank microbeads. The blank microbeads are run and the PMT voltages are adjusted so that the blank microbeads are on scale on the flow cytometer. The control cells are run and the photomultiplier tube voltages are adjusted so that the single population falls in selected channels. The fluorescent microbeads are run on the flow cytometer and the Target Channels for the flow cytometer are determined.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to flow cytometers, and in particular, relates to a method of standardization of flow cytometers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Standardization of flow cytometers is critical and it is important that instrument performance be reproducible and that results obtained on a particular instrument be comparable from day to day and with results obtained on other instruments.
Previous inventions have utilized a variety of flow cytometer standardization methods. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,234 discloses a kit containing microbead populations, each of which has the same dye but different fluorescence levels, and on which the microbeads have the same underlying fluorescence characteristics as the sample to be run on the flow cytometer. This kit allows aligning, compensating and/or calibration of a flow cytometer using microbead standards so that data is reproducible from instrument to instrument and from one time to another time on the same instrument but microbead standards do not approach the accuracy of cell standards. The disclosure of this patent and all other patents and patent applications referred to herein is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,497 discloses microbead reference standards, called QC3.TM. beads, for adjustment of a flow cytometer for subsequent measurement of a selected cell or particle sample labeled with two or more dyes. The microbeads are labeled with the same dyes and have substantially the same size which is about the size of the sample. These standards allow adjustment of a flow cytometer for analysis of selected samples which may have multiple fluorescence labels.
In co-pending patent application U.S. Ser. No. 07/671,198, an automated system, QUICK-CAL.RTM., is provided for calibrating and determining performance of a flow cytometer. In this method, statistical data is generated, including the fluorescence threshold and the MESF-slope of the regression line of the plot of histogram channel vs. MESF of standard microbead populations as a function of peak channel number. MESF units are measures of fluorescence intensity expressed as molecules of equivalent soluble fluorochromes. As presented in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/671,198, the following formula expresses the relationship between MESF value and the slope of the plot of histogram channel vs. MESF as follows: MESF=exp((channel+a constant)/slope). The values obtained are used to show instrument stability. A CLEANSWEEP.TM. gating function sets a numerical threshold and eliminates populations and events which fall below that level. This invention allows rapid, automatic determination of the slopes, fluorescence thresholds (noise levels), linearities, and Target Channels.
The noise level of a flow cytometer, which is the sum of the optical and electronic noise of the instrument, is important in instrument performance. This noise level varies between flow cytometers. On a particular flow cytometer, the noise level varies with changing ambient conditions, with the type of sample being analyzed, with electrical supply and with stability of flow cytometer fluidics. It is an object of this invention to provide a method which allows flow cytometers to be compared over time and with other flow cytometers regardless of noise level. It is another object of this invention to provide a method for setting up a flow cytometer for determination and qualitative evaluation of the noise level of a flow cytometer.
Prior methods of setting and standardizing compensation of flow cytometers usually place unstained cells in the corner of what is discussed herein as the Window of Analysis, resulting in non-uniform compensation across the intensity ranges being used. It is an object of this invention to provide a method resulting in uniform compensation at any intensity range used.
Non-fluorescent microbeads or "blank" microbeads are used to determine fluorescence threshold of a flow cytometer. The blank microbeads are run on the flow cytometer at the same flow cytometer setting where a selected auto fluorescent sample has observable auto fluorescence, and the peak channel position is used as a fluorescence threshold (U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,416).
Utilizing blank microbeads to set up flow cytometers, it has been found by the inventor herein that with a substantial percentage of flow cytometers with compensation circuits as originally set up by the manufacturers, there is a difference in the relative fluorescence of the blank microbeads and unstained cells depending on whether the compensation circuits are turned on or off. When the compensation circuits are not set up correctly, blank microbeads have a lower fluorescence than unstained cells when the compensation circuits are off, but a higher fluorescence than unstained cells when the compensation circuits are on. Flow cytometer operators thus risk losing data on low fluorescence samples on these flow cytometers. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method of setting up a flow cytometer which allows determination of whether the compensation circuits have been set up correctly.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method for setting up a flow cytometer which allows fluorescence compensation to be set and to be uniform across the range of fluorescence intensity used.
It is a further object of this invention a method for setting up a flow cytometer to provide verification of sample preparation and reagent stability.
It is a further object of this invention a method for setting up a flow cytometer to ensure comparability of instrument performance from day to day and from instrument to instrument.
Other objects and advantages will be more fully apparent from the following disclosure and appended claims.


A method to prevent deposits on a ceramic surface comprising: (1) pretreating the surface by applying an aqueous solution containing from about 200 ppm to about 1000 ppm by weight of an amphoteric fluorosurfactant, and (2) periodically applying an aqueous maintenance solution comprising from about 1 ppm to about 200 ppm of at least one of an amphoteric or cationic fluorosurfactant or a mixture thereof, from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm of a sequestering acid, and from about 2.5 ppm to about 200 ppm of a quaternary ammonium biocide compound, wherein all concentrations are by weight of aqueous solution is disclosed.

Toilet bowls, shower stalls, sinks and bathtubs accumulate a steady buildup of organic and inorganic deposits on their surfaces as a result of repeated use. There are various causes for this buildup. Deposits are primarily the result of iron, hard water minerals, biological films (biofilms), insoluble soap residues and washed-off debris from the body. All of these deposits create an unsightly and unhealthy environment that is unacceptable from the standpoint of cleanliness and good hygiene, as well as aesthetics. In public rest rooms at commercial establishments, customer reaction to these unsightly deposits can result in direct financial loss as well.
Conventionally, such deposits are cleaned by vigorous scrubbing with a brush or harsh cleanser. Numerous patents claim the use of solutions to make the task easier. The products now marketed for this purpose, in addition to generally providing fragrance, are sold to do one of two things: (1) help control hard water and iron scale deposits, or (2) inhibit bacterial growth and/or minimize biofilm formation, but not both.
Many ingredients recommended for preventing formation of hard-water scales undesirably reduce the effectiveness of ingredients recommended for biofilm prevention, and vice versa. For example, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, commonly recommended for removal of hard-water deposits, interferes with the effectiveness of the quaternary biocides by chemically reacting to form a precipitate.
US patent application No. 2002/0002125 discloses an acidic cleaning and disinfecting composition for hard surfaces comprising a film-forming organosilicone quaternary ammonium compound, a zwitterionic amine oxide surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, an organic solvent and water. It optionally contains sulfamic acid, glycolic acid or citric acid.
There is a need for an improved method of preventing both biofilm and hard water scale deposits on ceramic surfaces, preferably one which will prevent deposits for an extended period of time. This invention solves the problem of frequent manual cleaning of ceramic surfaces using a brush or other agent by preventing deposition onto the surface of the primary stains (hard water/iron scale and biofilm). This invention is useful in achieving scale or residue prevention and biofilm prevention at the same time, and for an extended period of time.


A portable radio apparatus has a radio circuit (9) provided on a printed circuit board (5), a speaker (8) provided on a rear cover (2), and a shield case (10) provided to cover the radio circuit (9). In the shield case (10), ventilation holes (10A) having a size that does not affect the shielding performance are provided in close proximity of the rear of the speaker (8).

In portable radio apparatus such as a portable telephone set, the casing is getting more and more compact and low-profile in order to enhance portability. Thus, efforts have been made to install in high density a radio circuit, a speaker, a receiver, and an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) module in a limited space within the casing.
In general, a speaker is easier to vibrate when the volume of a space present at the rear of the speaker is larger. In the portable telephone set, it is difficult to reserve a sufficient space at the rear of the speaker because of the high-density install; as a result, full performance of a speaker cannot be obtained.
It is requested to prevent an electromagnetic wave from generating a noise in the speaker.
The inventions has been proposed to solve such problems and aims at providing a portable radio apparatus that prevents propagation of an electromagnetic wave from a radio circuit to a speaker and improves sound quality of a speaker.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide an improved sample-rate converter that overcomes the limitations of conventional sample-rate converters. The improved system comprises a simple asynchronous sample-rate converter and synchronous sample-rate converter. The output of the simple asynchronous sample-rate converter is connected to the input of the synchronous sample-rate converter. In an alternative embodiment, the output of the synchronous sample-rate converter is connected to the input of the simple asynchronous sample-rate converter.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to data transmission systems, and more particularly, to a system of propagating data in a signal stream over plural sample-rate domains.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many systems that process signals (audio, radio, video), it is necessary to pass signal streams from one sample-rate domain to another, i.e., where the sample clock time bases of the two domains are independent. The audio samples in the source domain stream should be converted to create new samples suitable for the destination domain. The algorithm that is used to do this is a sample-rate converter (SRC). There are essentially two approaches to the problems associated with propagation of data between domains that have independent sampling time bases, which generally can be designated as "simple" and "full."
It is to be noted that in the practice of the invention, asynchronous conversion is addressed. Asynchronous conversion is needed when the source and destination sample-rates are not locked together, and synchronous conversion can be used when they are locked. The sample-rates are "locked" when both are derived from the same clock time base.
In a "simple" asynchronous sample-rate converter, samples in the stream are adaptively repeated or deleted as needed to match the sample production rate from the source to the sample consumption rate at the destination. This approach has the problem that significant distortion is caused as a result of instantaneous phase jumps in the asynchronous sample-rate converter output. Unless the source and destination sampling rates are very close, the distortion will be very high. The "full" asynchronous sample-rate converter re-calculates all samples using various methods of interpolation. This approach can provide low distortion, but requires a high computational load.
There is, therefore, a need for a sample-rate converter that exhibits reduced distortion, without requiring a high computational load.
In many systems, e.g., any streamed source such as Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), which is a Bluetooth profile that allows for the wireless transmission of stereo audio from an A2DP source (typically a phone or computer) to an A2DP receiver (e.g., a set of Bluetooth headphones or stereo system), or in the realm of internet audio, complexity is increased by the fact that there is not present a physical source and/or destination clock signal. Designs for full asynchronous sample-rate converters require an instantaneous calculation of the ratio of the input sample-rate and the output sample-rate, or they require the addition of a mechanism to estimate a near-instantaneous ratio. Such mechanisms introduce the additional problems of diminished accuracy and an unacceptable settling time of the computed estimate.
There are known practical situations (e.g., Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), Bluetooth advanced audio distribution profile audio paths, and any Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile path) where distortion performance is somewhere between that of the two aforementioned approaches, and therefore the use of a simple asynchronous sample-rate converter would be inadequate and a full asynchronous sample-rate converter would waste computational resources.
Particularly for hands-free telephone programs, there is a need for advanced audio distribution profile audio performance that has been ignored in the prior art. Such advanced audio distribution profile systems for automotive applications usually simply drop frames or add mutes to cover sample-rate differences, instead of using an asynchronous sample-rate converter. This approach causes undesired user-discernible audio artifacts, such as audio gaps, pops, and glitches.
There is, therefore, a need for a computationally efficient sample-rate converter that reduces undesired user-discernible audio artifacts. There is also a need for a sample-rate converter that can be used in systems where the source and/or destination sample clocks are not available.

Efficient two-stage asynchronous sample-rate converter


A technique for manufacturing a piezoresistive sensing structure includes a number of process steps. Initially, a piezoresistive element is implanted into a first side of an assembly that includes a semiconductor material. A passivation layer is then formed on the first side of the assembly over the element. The passivation layer is then removed from selected areas on the first side of the assembly. A first mask is then provided on the passivation layer in a desired pattern. A beam, which includes the element, is then formed in the assembly over at least a portion of the assembly that is to provide a cavity. The passivation layer provides a second mask, in the formation of the beam, that determines a width of the formed beam.

Traditionally, piezoresistive sensing structures, such as micro-electro-mechanical (MEM) based piezoresistive accelerometers, have been manufactured with a bond/etch-back process. In this process, a cavity is formed in a handling wafer, which is then bonded to an epitaxial wafer using, for example, a direct silicon bond. Next, desired circuitry is formed in/on the epitaxial wafer. A desired structure is then formed in the epitaxial wafer over the cavity.
With reference to FIG. 1, a relevant portion of an exemplary prior art piezoresistive accelerometer (sensor) 10, formed with the traditional bond/etch-back process, is depicted. As is shown in FIG. 1, a flexible beam 14 couples an inertial mass 16 to a frame 12. It should be appreciated that, while not shown in FIG. 1, multiple beams couple the mass 16 to the frame 12. In general, the frame 12, the mass 16 and the beams 14 are formed from the same plate of material, e.g., an epitaxial silicon wafer. Near the top of and integral to the beam 14 is an implanted piezoresistive layer 18, whose individual piezoresistive elements are connected to appropriate conductors formed in a conductive layer 20. The conductors are arranged to form, in conjunction with the piezoresistive elements, a useful circuit.
With reference to FIGS. 2A-2G, components of a prior art sensor 160 are depicted, during various stages of manufacture. With reference to FIG. 2A, the initial steps in the manufacturing process produce a silicon-on insulator (SOI) wafer with a sealed buried cavity 103. As is shown, the SOI wafer includes a handling wafer 102, which is bonded to an epitaxial wafer 104 with an oxide layer 106. As is depicted in FIG. 2B, a piezoresistive layer 108, e.g., a P-type layer, is implanted into the epitaxial wafer 104, e.g., an N-type epitaxial wafer, through windows in an insulator layer 110. It should be appreciated that the implant type and the epitaxial wafer type may be reversed, if desired, providing the implanted piezoresistive elements are junction-isolated in a lightly doped epitaxial layer.
Next, as shown in FIG. 2C, windows are opened in the insulator layer 110 and a metal layer 112 is formed on the insulator layer 110. The metal layer 112 extends through windows in the insulator layer 110 to contact the piezoresistive elements, formed in the piezoresistive layer 108. The insulator layer 110 may be, for example, a field passivation that includes a layer of thermal oxide and a layer of silicon nitride. It should be appreciated that other passivation layers may also be utilized. Next, selected areas of the insulator layer 110 are etched open. Then, as shown in FIG. 2E, a photoresist layer 114 is applied and patterned.
Next, as is shown in FIG. 2F, a deep reactive ion etch (DRIE) is utilized to free a central mass and define beams of the sensor. As is shown in FIGS. 2F and 2G, a beam 150 has a width that is dictated by the minimum resistive implant width 'A', a space 'B' (required for isolation between the implant 108 and an edge of the passivation layer 110) and a space 'C' (required between the edge of the passivation 110 and the trench cut by the DRIE). Using the prior art approach, the minimum width of the beam is equal to the width 'A' plus two times the space 'B' plus two times the space 'C'. It should be appreciated that this minimum beam width limits the minimum size of the sensor 160 and, as such, prevents further size reduction of the sensor and limits the sensitivity of the sensor. In general, smaller sensors are more economical to produce as they require less silicon area. Further, smaller sensors are frequently more sensitive.
What is needed is a technique that allows the beam width of a sensor to be further reduced, such that the sensor can be made smaller and more sensitive and, in turn, more economical.


Systems and techniques by which content and presentation players can communicate are described. In one aspect, presentation system for rendering a presentation for a user includes one or more output devices, a presentation including machine-readable descriptions of content and a service request triggering mechanism to trigger a service request, and a presentation player configured to generate a rendition of the presentation at one or more output devices and to respond to the service request with a service response to populate the rendition of the presentation. The service response includes at least one of information characterizing an arrangement of content in the presentation and information characterizing prior navigation of the user through the content of the presentation. The presentation further includes extraction logic to extract relevant information from a response to the service request for addition to the rendition of the presentation.

This disclosure relates to communications between content and presentation players in a data processing environment.
Content is the matter treated in a work. In the context of digital works such as a web page or other digital document, content can include text, sound, images, and video components, as well as interactive components such as scroll bars, buttons, and other widgets that allow a human user to navigate through the content. Content can also include interactive and dynamic elements, such as animations provided by the ADOBE FLASH format (Adobe Systems Incorporated, San Jose, Calif.)
A presentation player is a set of data processing activities performed in accordance with the logic of a set of machine-readable instructions to render content for a human user. The rendition can include, e.g., visual, audio, and/or mechanical aspects. Content thus can be rendered using any of a variety of output devices including visual displays (such as monitors, display screens, and the like), audio devices (such as speakers and the like), and/or mechanical devices (such as Braille outputs and the like).
One example of the use of presentation players is in a Learning Management System. A Learning Management System is a set of data processing activities performed in accordance with the logic of a set of machine-readable instructions to implement and/or assess learning or other educational processes. In general, a learning management system can facilitate delivery of educational content, the monitoring of student participation, and the assessment of student performance. In some implementations, a learning management system can provide features by which instructors can develop content and students can interact with each other and/or with an instructor. Such interactive features can include threaded discussions, video conferencing, discussion forums, and the like. The Advanced Distance Learning (ADL) group has created a set of specifications called Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) to encourage the standardization of learning management systems.

Communications between content and presentation players