In order to provide a high-image-quality display apparatus which can perform proper correction with respect to an abrupt luminance change at the time of lighting of a discharge lamp and a white balance change, a projection type display apparatus which projects irradiating light from a light source unit to a screen through a light valve includes a measurement unit which measures at least one of a voltage value and a current value supplied to the light source unit, and a control unit which controls the light valve based on a measurement result obtained by the measurement unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display control technique for a projection type display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of high-quality video sources including video sources such as high-definition television (HDTV) broadcasting are available. In addition, presentations and the like in meeting rooms are generally conducted with videos on computers. For this reason, increasing demands have arisen for improvement in the image quality of video apparatuses and increases in the screen sizes of the apparatuses used for such purposes. A rear-projection type display apparatus is available as a promising technique of implementing such a high-quality, large-screen display apparatus.
An apparatus designed to project videos by using a high-luminance CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) has initially been the mainstream of rear-projection type video apparatuses. Recently, however, a rear-projection type video apparatus using a light valve such as a transmissive liquid crystal, a reflective liquid crystal or a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) has become the mainstream. Such an apparatus is designed to apply light to the light valve and enlarge/project video light from an image surface of the light valve onto the screen by using the projection optical system. Many such apparatuses use, as light valves, LCOS (Liquid Crystal On Silicon) panels having characteristics that inter-pixel joints are inconspicuous and the optical control efficiency is high. Note that an LCOS panel is a reflective liquid crystal panel obtained by forming a liquid crystal layer on a semiconductor substrate. This apparatus uses, as a light source, a discharge lamp such as a superhigh-pressure mercury lamp or a metal halide lamp owing to its high luminous efficacy.
Note that a projector designed to project video light from the front surface of the screen is called a front projector, and a projector designed to project video light from the rear surface of the screen is called a rear projector. In this case, the "front surface" indicates the side where the observer is located, and the "rear surface" indicates the side opposite thereto.
Various kinds of discharge lamps used in these projection type display apparatuses have the following characteristics. A change in the temperature of a discharge lamp affects the state of mercury or the like in the lamp, resulting in a change in internal pressure. This will cause changes in luminance and white balance. In order to solve this problem, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3299058 discloses an arrangement which corrects a color temperature change caused by a rise in the temperature of a metal halide lamp in long-term continuous use, on the basis of the temperature detected by a temperature detection means provided near the lamp. In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-173107 discloses a technique of measuring the time of lighting of a lamp and correcting white balance in accordance with the time of lighting. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-232428 discloses a technique of directly detecting the balance between the respective colors, R, G, and B, by providing a light-receiving unit which receives illumination light, and detecting the variation amount of an emission spectrum distribution. This reference discloses an arrangement which corrects a temporal change in the color reproducibility of a video upon a change in emission spectrum distribution based on a total emission time.
Particularly from the start of lighting until a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the rate of change in the amount of mercury vapor inside is very high. Therefore, variations in the color of the discharge lamp are very large. FIG. 10 is a graph based on an actual measurement showing a temporal change in color difference ΔE at the start of lighting of the discharge lamp. Referring to FIG. 10, the color difference ΔE from illumination light at a rise time is plotted along the elapsed time with reference to a white spot of illumination light in a long-term continuous state (stable state). As is obvious from FIG. 10, the color difference ΔE changes greatly in a period of several minutes from the start of lighting, and the rate of change is high. Referring to FIG. 11, a change in the position of a white spot on an x-y plane in a Yxy coordinate system is plotted along the elapsed time. Obviously, the position of a white spot greatly changes along with an elapsed time t in the direction indicated by the arrow on the x-y plane. That is, it is obvious that the white balance greatly changes within the measurement period in FIG. 11.
The measurement speed of conventional temperature measurement near a lamp is too low to follow such a short-term change (fast change), resulting in an incapability of properly correcting the change. In addition, performing only time measurement leads to a high possibility of occurrence of errors in correction values due to the influences of variations in lamp bodies, ambient temperature, and the like. Furthermore, installing a color measurement sensor capable of handling fast color changes will cause an increase in cost and limit the degree of freedom in terms of the internal arrangement of the apparatus.

Control of a light valve that is dependent upon a voltage and a duration time of lighting measurement of a light source unit


An automatic fastener supplier includes a frame having a receiving section for receiving fasteners. A track is removably and partially mounted in the receiving section. The track includes a gap defined therein for receiving shanks of the fasteners and an upper open edge for retaining heads of the fasteners. A fastener feeding device is mounted in the receiving section and is vertically movable for feeding fasteners in the receiving section onto the track. A main driving device is provided for driving the fastener feeding device to move vertically. A stop is mounted to the front end of the track for preventing further forward movement of the fastener. A track supporting device has a supporting member for supporting the track yet allowing insertion and removal of the track. A position deciding device is mounted to the supporting member for adjusting a longitudinal position of the track.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automatic fastener supplier for aligning and supplying fasteners, e.g., screws, rivets, etc, and, more particularly, to a fastener supplier in which a track and associated parts thereof can be easily changed so as to be applied to fasteners of different diameters in the shanks thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Laid-Open Application No. 4-32183 discloses a automatic fastener supplier, which is shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2a and 2b of the drawings.
The automatic fastener supplier includes a frame 1 defining a receiving section 2; an inclined track 4 for guiding fasteners S to exit the receiving section 2, wherein the inclined track 4 includes a slot 3 extending outwardly from an interior of the receiving section 2 for receiving the shanks Sa of the fasteners S via a top thereof, while the heads Sb of the fasteners S are retained above the slot 3; and a vibratile feeding plate 6 which is mounted behind the inclined track 4 and which includes a slot 5 similar to that of the inclined track 4, wherein the slot 5 is connected to the slot 3 of the inclined track 4 at an upper end thereof.
The feeding plate 6, under vibrations of a vibration mechanism 7, lifts the fasteners S inside the receiving section 2 and makes the shanks Sa of the fasteners S (which have been inserted into the slot 5 of the feeding plate 6) slide along the slot 5 in the ejecting direction. When the fasteners S reach the connection point between the upper end of the slot 5 of the feeding plate 6 and the slot 3 of the inclined track 4, the fasteners S are transported to the slot 3 of the track 4 and thus slide downwardly and are outputted in an aligned, one-by-one manner. Under this condition, since the track 4 is inclined, the adjacent fastener heads Sb might be overlapped with one another and thus results in jamming during movements thereof as the fastener heads Sb presents a V-shaped wedge effect therebetween. Responsive to this, a constraining plate 8 is provided to prevent overlapping of the fastener heads Sb.
In addition, a stop 9 is provided to a side of a front end of the track 4 for preventing further movement of the fasteners S which have reached the front end of the track 4. Thus, the fasteners S may be removed at a guiding section 9a of the stop 9 by a head of a screw driver B.
Nevertheless, the above-mentioned automatic fastener supplier cannot be applied to fastener shanks of different diameters since the width of the slot 5 cannot be adjusted and that the track 4 cannot be replaced by the users as being fixedly mounted to the frame 1. Therefore, the prior art automatic fastener supplier has a limited application as it can be applied to only one size of the fasteners S. In addition, the users have to purchase different feeding devices for fasteners of different shank diameters which results in a considerable increase in the cost.
Therefore, the present invention is intended to provide an improved automatic fastener supplier which mitigates and/or obviates the above problems.


An emergency vehicle intersection preemption beacon/heading system and method that relies on the use of highly localized, low-power communication system. The system can be implemented in a “car-active” mode or a “car-passive” mode. In the “car-active” mode, the system includes a low-power transmitter providing a beacon channel for all emergency vehicles that allow them to separately communicate with each intersection for a very short period of time and within very close proximity. The localized low-power transmitter continuously transmits the emergency vehicle ID and heading every second. When within range, receivers at each intersection are able to lock the signal and begin receiving ID and heading data. In the “car-passive” system, each intersection will have a low-power, highly localized transmitter. In this embodiment, the intersection constantly sends out pulses of data. Thus when an emergency vehicle with a receiver encounters an intersection signal, it records the latitude/longitude location of that intersection and waits for the signal to disappear. Information regarding the emergency vehicle is transmitted to all surrounding intersections.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is a method and system for emergency vehicle intersection preemption using a beacon/heading technology for alerting civilian motorists to the approach of emergency vehicles and more particularly relates to an emergency vehicle intersection preemption system that uses a highly localized, low-power communication system.
2. Background Information
Numerous in-car distractions and/or technology innovations have reduced the effectiveness of emergency vehicle sirens. Specifically, in-car stereo systems and advances in "air-type, noise-reduction" vehicles have limited motorists' awareness of their outside environment. Even the loudest emergency vehicle sirens and horns have limited effect. For that reason, there is a need for in-vehicle alert systems or indicators that warn a civilian motorist of the approach of emergency vehicles that will warn them of approaching emergency vehicles in the area in addition to the audio alert of sirens.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an alert system to preempt traffic signals and alert civilian motorists to approaching emergency vehicles.
It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a beacon/heading emergency vehicle intersection preemption system and method that utilizes a highly localized, low-power communication system.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an emergency vehicle intersection preemption system that utilizes a highly localized, low-power communication system in each emergency vehicle for controlling the operation of traffic lights at intersections.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an emergency vehicle intersection preemption beacon/heading system utilizing highly localized, low-power communication system at each intersection to control the traffic lights.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an emergency vehicle intersection preemption system in which emergency vehicle has a transmitter that continuously transmits its identification (ID) and heading every second to a receiver at intersections.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an emergency vehicle intersection preemption system in which a low-power transmitter in emergency vehicles allow them to separately communicate with each intersection for a very short period of time, and within very close proximity.

Method and system for beacon/heading emergency vehicle intersection preemption


The present invention is directed to a catalyst composition, comprising: (1) a catalyst precursor having the general structure MSXn wherein M is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of iridium, molybdenum, and tungsten; S is a coordinating ligand; X is a counterion; and n is an integer from 0 to 5; and (2) a phosphoramidite ligand having the structure wherein O—Cn—O is an aliphatic or aromatic diolate and wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl groups, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic groups, and combinations thereof, with the proviso that at least one of R1, R2, R3, or R4 must be a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group. The present invention is also directed to activated catalysts made from the above catalyst composition, as well as methods of allylic amination and etherification using the above catalysts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to catalyzed enantioselective amination and etherification reactions and catalysts, and more specifically to iridium-catalyzed enantioselective amination and etherification of allylic esters with primary or secondary amines, phenoxides, or alkoxides, as well as catalyst complexes comprising iridium and a phosphoramidite ligand.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Transition metal-catalyzed allylic substitution is a powerful tool for the controlled formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds (Godleski, S. A.; Trost, B. M., Fleming, I., Eds.; Pergamon Press: New York, 1991; Vol. 4, pp 585-661). Most enantioselective versions of these reactions with carbon nucleophiles have been reported with Pd (Jacobsen, E. N. et al., Comprehensive Asymmetric Catalysis I-III; Springer-Verlag: Berlin, Germany, 1999), but enantioselective allylic alkylation has also been reported with Mo (Trost, B. M.; Hachiya, I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 1104; Trost, B. M.; Hildbrand, S.; Dogra, K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 10416; Malkov, A. V.; Baxendale, I. R.; Dvorak, D.; Mansfield, D. J.; Kocovsky, P. joc 1999, 64, 2737), W (Lloyd-Jones, G. C.; Pfaltz, A. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 1995, 34, 462; Malkov, A. V.; Baxendale, I. R.; Dvorak, D.; Mansfield, D. J.; Kocovsky, P. joc 1999, 64, 2737), and, most recently, Ir catalysts (Takeuchi, R. Synlett 2002, 1954; Takeuchi, R.; Ue, N.; Tanabe, K.; Yamashita, K.; Shiga, N. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 9525; Bartels, B.; Garcia-Yebra, C.; Rominger, F.; Helmchen, G. Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2002, 2569). However, despite the importance of optically active allylic amines and ethers, few enantioselective allylic aminations and etherifications by reactions of heteroatom nucleophiles have been described.
Enantioselective routes to optically active amines can provide valuable synthetic building blocks. The enantioselective preparation of chiral tertiary amines is particularly important because they cannot be generated directly by enantioselective hydrogenation of imines, and the enantioselective hydrogenation of enamines remains a challenge. In addition, methods for enantioselective coupling of two fragments by C—N bond-formation are limited.
Allylic substitution of acyclic allylic electrophiles catalyzed by W, Mo, Ru, Ir, and Rh complexes often generate the chiral branched substitution products. Enantioselective amination of symmetrical 1,3-diphenylallyl carbonates and unsymmetrical branched allylic acetates along with a few examples of palladium-catalyzed asymmetric amination of a terminal allylic ester or carbonate have been reported (Hayashi, T. et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1989, 111, 6301-6311; You, S. et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 7471; Hayashi, T. et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 1990, 31, 1743-1746; Johannsen, M.; Jørgensen, K. A. Chem. Rev. 1998, 98, 1689-1708). Takeuchi (Takeuchi, R.; et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 9525-9534) and Evans (Evans, P. A.; et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 6761-6762) have shown that iridium and rhodium complexes of achiral phosphites catalyze the formation of branched amines, in some cases with conservation of enantiomeric excess. Helmchen reported enantioselective alkylation of branched allylic acetates with modest levels of enantiomeric excess (ee) (Bartels, B.; Helmchen, G. Chem. Commun. 1999, 741-742) in the presence of an iridium-phosphoramidite catalyst. Analogous enantioselective aminations occurred with ee's below 15%. A general, enantioselective allylic amination from an achiral, terminal allylic electrophile has not been accomplished.
Aryl ethers are common subunits of biologically active molecules. Apart from their use as precursors for the Claisen rearrangement (Wipf, P.; Trost, B. M., Fleming, I., Paquette, L. A., Eds.; Pergamon press: Oxford, 1991; Vol. 5, pp 827-874; Larock, R. C. Comprehensive Organic Transformations: A Guide to Functional Group Preparations; VCH Publishers, Inc: New York, 1989), aryl allyl ethers have not been used extensively as building blocks for natural product synthesis because methods for their enantioselective construction are limited. Two reports of stereospecific allylic etherification of branched carbonates catalyzed by Ru (Trost, B. M.; Fraisse, P. L.; Ball, Z. T. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2002, 41, 1059) and Rh (Evans, P. A.; Leahy, D. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 5012; Evans, P. A.; Leahy, D. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 7882) were reported recently, and a few enantioselective palladium-catalyzed examples have been reported (Trost, B. M.; Toste, F. D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 121, 4545; Trost, B. M.; Toste, F. D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 815; Trost, B. M.; Tsui, H.-C.; Toste, F. D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 3534). Elegant applications of the palladium-catalyzed chemistry for the synthesis of natural products demonstrates the potential of these building blocks in organic synthesis (Trost, B. M.; Toste, F. D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 9074; Trost, B. M.; Toste, F. D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 11262; Trost, B. M.; Thiel, O. R.; Tsui, H.-C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 11616; Trost, B. M.; Tang, W. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 14542) Thus, new, more general, enantioselective methods for the construction of allylic ethers would be synthetically valuable.
International Patent Publication WO 02/04466 discloses catalysts for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation, including a transition metal selected from rhodium and ruthenium, and a phosphoramidite ligand. This publication also discloses processes for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of an olefinically unsaturated compound, ketone, imine or oxime derivative in the presence of a hydrogen donor and a catalyst, wherein the catalyst includes a transition metal selected from rhodium, ruthenium, and iridium, and a ligand.
International Patent Publication WO 01/23088 discloses catalysts for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation using a transition metal catalyst and a nitrogen-containing enantiomerically enriched ligand, as well as processes for the preparation of enantiomerically enriched compounds using such catalysts. According to the invention, the transition metal is iridium, ruthenium, rhodium or cobalt, and the enantiomerically enriched ligand contains sulfur in the form of a thioether or a sulfoxide.
Bartels et al., (Bartels, B.; Garcia-Yebra, C.; Rominger, F.; Helmchen, G. Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2002, 2569-2586) discloses Ir-catalysed allylic alkylations of enantiomerically enriched monosubstituted allylic acetates using P(OPh)3 as ligand. Lithium N-tosylbenzylamide was identified as a suitable nucleophile for allylic aminations.
What is needed in the art are catalysts and processes for enantioselective and regioselective reactions of terminal allylic electrophiles with compounds containing N—H or O—H bonds such as aliphatic amines, benzylamines, aromatic amines, phenoxides, or alkoxides, to produce optically active, branched allylic ethers or amines. The present invention is believed to be an answer to that need.

Enantioselective amination and etherification


Provided are a surface emitting laser device having an optical sensor, and an optical waveguide device employing the same. The surface emitting laser device having an optical sensor includes a surface emitting laser formed on a substrate and generating a laser beam to output it to outside, and an optical sensor formed adjacent to the surface emitting laser on the substrate and receiving external light. In the surface emitting laser device having the optical sensor, and the optical waveguide device employing the same, the surface emitting laser and the optical sensor are simultaneously integrated, however, the performance of the surface emitting laser is unaffected by the optical sensor and the optical sensor operates separately, exhibits high performance, and can respond within a wide wavelength band.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface emitting laser device including an optical sensor and optical waveguide device employing the same, and more specifically, to a surface emitting laser device in which a surface emitting laser and an optical sensor are simultaneously integrated and the optical sensor is capable of responding within a wide wavelength band without affecting the optical output performance of the surface emitting laser, and optical waveguide device employing the same.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Recently, a surface emitting laser applicable in the field of optical communications has been the focus of considerable attention due to its ease of high-density integration, low power consumption, and low cost. In addition, since there is often need to transmit a signal from one point to another point at a remote site, and also receive back a signal from the point at the remote site through the same line, there is increasing need for a module having a light source and an optical sensor integrated therein.
In particular, there have been various suggestions for integrating a surface emitting laser with an optical sensor using structural characteristics of the surface emitting laser.
Generally, forms in which a surface emitting laser is integrated with an optical sensor include an integrated structure having a PIN photodetector disposed above a surface emitting laser along an optical output path thereof, an integrated structure having an absorbent layer disposed inside a resonator of a surface emitting laser, a structure having an absorbent layer disposed on a surface emitting laser and an optical sensor disposed adjacent thereto, a structure having a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector disposed on a surface emitting laser and at a location adjacent thereto, a structure having a surface emitting laser and an optical sensor disposed adjacent to each other, and so on. Such integrated structures have applications in optical coupling and two-way communication of surface emitting lasers and for monitoring and controlling optical output power of a surface emitting laser.
These methods for integrating a surface emitting laser with an optical sensor have the characteristics as described below.
First, the integrated structure having a PIN photodetector disposed above the surface emitting laser along the optical output path has the benefit of directly sensing output light by absorbing a part of the output light.
However, this structure has the drawback of a loss in output light and affects on the operation of the laser caused by the reflectance change of output light.
The integrated structure having an absorbent layer disposed inside a resonator of a surface emitting laser shows very good characteristics. However, its characteristics are sensitive to an absorption band of the absorbent layer and change in the location of the absorbent layer within the resonator. And in particular, it has a weakness with regard to environmental changes such as a temperature change.
The structure having absorbent layers disposed on a surface emitting laser and an optical sensor disposed adjacent thereto, and the structure having a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector disposed on a surface emitting laser and at a location adjacent thereto have a disadvantage in that an optical sensor or MSM photodetector grown on a thickly grown structure is hardly suitable for high-speed and high-sensitivity operation.
The structure having a surface emitting laser and an optical sensor disposed adjacent to each other has the advantage of a large optical sensor response. However, due to a narrow response bandwidth, it cannot be used for applications like two-way communication using considerably different wavelength bands for transmitting signals in either direction.
Accordingly, there is need for an integrated surface emitting laser and optical sensor, and method for their integration, that overcome the drawbacks of the conventional technology so that the performance of the surface emitting laser is unaffected by the optical sensor and the optical sensor independently exhibits high performance and can respond within a wide wavelength band.

Surface emitting laser device including optical sensor and optical waveguide device employing the same

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A liquid crystal display device, including: a first substrate; a second substrate; opposing the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a reflection film formed on one side of the second substrate that is closer to the liquid crystal layer; and a color filter formed on the reflection film, wherein: a plurality of pixel regions are arranged in a matrix pattern, each of the pixel regions including a reflection region where light coming from the first substrate side is reflected by the reflection film back to the first substrate side, and a transmission region where light coming from the second substrate side is transmitted to the first substrate side; and the color filter includes an opening in the reflection region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission/reflection type (hereinafter xe2x80x9ctransflectivexe2x80x9d) color liquid crystal display device having both reflection and transmission functions. A transflective color liquid crystal display device operates in a reflection display mode using ambient light from around the device under bright environments and in a transmission display mode using light from the backlight under dark environments. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention is suitable for use in various applications, including OA equipment such as word processors and personal computers, personal digital assistants such as electronic organizers, and camcorders with a liquid crystal monitor.
2. Description of the Background Art
A transflective color liquid crystal display device in portable equipment, etc., has a reduced power consumption and is capable of operating in a transmission display mode using a backlight, whereby it is suitable for use under various environments, and the use thereof as a display device in portable equipment, etc., is becoming widespread.
A conventional transflective color liquid crystal display device includes a color filter layered on a reflection film that is formed on a reverse-side substrate for producing a color display, and the reflection film is a transflective reflection film including light-transmitting openings in some portions thereof.
The color filter and the reflection film are formed within the liquid crystal panel so as to prevent the display color saturation from lowering due to the parallax caused by the substrate thickness, and a color filter with a high transmittance is employed in order to gain brightness in a reflection mode.
Other semi-transmissive reflection films include half mirror films obtained by thinning a metal such as aluminum or silver, those obtained by patterning a metal through an etching process so that portions thereof where the metal is left unetched are used in a reflection mode while other portions where the metal is removed are used in a transmission mode, and those utilizing interference which are obtained by layering dielectric layers of different refractive indices on one another.
One such liquid crystal display device is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-052366, where a color filter is layered on a reflection film that is formed on a reverse-side substrate, and the reflection film includes light-transmitting openings in some portions thereof that are opposing pixels of the color filter.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-183892 proposes a liquid crystal display device in which openings are provided in a color filter on a front-side substrate, a reflection film is provided on the inner surface of a backside substrate in positions corresponding to the openings of the color filter, and a semi-transmissive reflector is provided on the reverse surface of the back-side substrate. It is stated that with this arrangement, it is possible to display an image through color pixels with a high brightness in a reflection display mode by using colored light that passes through portions of the color filter other than the openings and is reflected by the semi-transmissive reflector and non-colored light of a high brightness that passes through the openings of the color filter and is reflected by the reflection film, while it is possible to display an image through color pixels with a high contrast in a transmission display mode by outputting, to the front side of the device, only the colored light that has passed through the portions of the color filter other than the openings.
However, if a color filter with a high transmittance for gaining brightness in a reflection mode is employed in the liquid crystal display device described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-052366, although the display color saturation is high in a reflection display mode since light passes through the color filter twice, the display color saturation decreases considerably in a transmission display mode since light passes through the color filter only once. Moreover, if a color filter with a high saturation (low transmittance) is employed in an attempt to increase the display color saturation in a transmission display mode, the brightness in a reflection display mode decreases considerably, thereby lowering the visibility significantly.
The liquid crystal display device described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-183892 requires two reflection films. Moreover, reflected light from the reflection film on the inner surface of the back-side substrate and reflected light from the transflective reflector on the reverse surface of the back-side substrate are both used, thereby causing problems such as a decrease in the color purity due to the parallax caused by the presence of the back-side substrate.
The present inventors have found that when any of the layers of a transflective color liquid crystal display device provided on the viewer side with respect to the reflection film (e.g., a viewer-side substrate, an overcoat film, a liquid crystal layer, an alignment film, etc.) is colored in a particular color, a color displayed image as a whole is colored in the particular color not only in a reflection display mode but also in a transmission display mode, thereby causing a decrease in the color reproducibility, which has not been significant in a black and white display.
Moreover, in recent years, there is an increasing demand for reducing the thickness/weight of a transflective color liquid crystal display device. Accordingly, there has been an active research for commercializing a display device using a plastic substrate instead of using a glass substrate as in the prior art.
However, when a transflective color liquid crystal display device is produced by using a plastic substrate instead of using a glass substrate as in the prior art, a colorless and transparent plastic substrate gets yellowish in some cases through a production process such as heating during a color filter deposition, a transparent electrode film deposition or an alignment film deposition. In such a case, the color displayed image as a whole gets yellowish not only in a reflection display mode but also in a transmission display mode, thereby causing a decrease in the color reproducibility.
A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: a first substrate; a second substrate opposing the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a reflection film formed on one side of the second substrate that is closer to the liquid crystal layer; and a color filter formed on the reflection film, wherein: a plurality of pixel regions are arranged in a matrix pattern, each of the pixel regions including a reflection region where light coming from the first substrate side is reflected by the reflection film back to the first substrate side, and a transmission region where light coming from the second substrate side is transmitted to the first substrate side; and the color filter includes an opening in the reflection region.
Thus, in the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, the opening of the color filter is provided in the reflection region of each pixel so that the opening does not overlap with the transmission region.
With the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, in a transmission display mode where a light source provided on the back side of the liquid crystal display device is used, light that is transmitted through the transmission region passes through the color filter to the outside, thereby obtaining a bright display with a satisfactory display color saturation. Desired characteristics can be obtained by adjusting the luminance of the light source, the area and shape of the transmission region on the second substrate, and the saturation, transmittance and thickness of the color filter.
The transmission region is usually a region where the reflection film is not formed. However, the term xe2x80x9ctransmission regionxe2x80x9d may include a region of the reflection film where the thickness thereof is reduced so that light from the light source provided on the back side of the liquid crystal display device is transmitted through the region with a transmittance of 90% or more, and preferably 95% or more. The term xe2x80x9creflection regionxe2x80x9d includes not only a region where light from the first substrate side (viewer side) is reflected in total reflection (reflectance: 100%), but also a region where the light from the first substrate side is reflected with a reflectance of 90% or more, and preferably 95% or more, with a portion of the light being transmitted.
In a reflection display mode where ambient light is used, light entering the liquid crystal display device from the front side (viewer side) passes through the color filter or the color filter openings, is reflected by the reflection regions of the reflection film, and passes again through the color filter or the color filter openings to the outside, whereby combined output light of non-colored output light and colored output light is obtained, thus realizing a bright display. The brightness and saturation of the output light can be adjusted by adjusting, as necessary, the characteristics of the color filter and the area and shape of the color filter openings. By enlarging the color filter openings, a color filter having a high color purity can be employed.
In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, it is preferred that the color filter includes a plurality of openings in the reflection region. In this way, non-colored output light is output to the first substrate side while being dispersed across each pixel in a reflection display mode, whereby bright regions are dispersed across each pixel, thus improving the visibility.
In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, it is preferred that the reflection film is a diffused reflection film whose surface on the liquid crystal layer side has irregularities. In this way, in a reflection display mode, reflected light from the reflection film passes through the color filter to the first substrate side while being diffused, whereby the brightness and the saturation of the combined output light are made uniform across each pixel, thus improving the visibility.
In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, it is preferred that an area proportion of the transmission region with respect to the pixel region is equal to or greater than 10% and less than or equal to 50%, and an area proportion of the opening with respect to the reflection region is equal to or greater than 5% and less than or equal to 30%. In this way, it is possible to realize a transflective color liquid crystal display device that is satisfactory for practical use in a reflection display mode and in a transmission display mode. Specifically, a sufficient brightness can be ensured in a transmission display mode by setting the area proportion of the region where the reflection film is not formed (i.e., the transmission region) to be 10% or more, and a sufficient brightness can be ensured in a reflection display mode by setting it to be 50% or less. On the other hand, a sufficient brightness can be ensured in a reflection display mode by setting the color filter opening proportion to be 5% or more, and a sufficient color area can be ensured in a reflection display mode, whereby different colors can be distinguished from one another, by setting it to be 30% or less. In order to perform an evaluation in a reflection display mode, the color filter opening proportion is herein represented in relation to the area of the reflection region. This is because the size of the opening of the color filter significantly influences a reflection display.
In the present specification, a region of a liquid crystal display device corresponding to a xe2x80x9cpixelxe2x80x9d, which is the minimum unit of display, will be referred to as a xe2x80x9cpixel regionxe2x80x9d. In a color liquid crystal display device, for example, R, G and B xe2x80x9cpixel regionsxe2x80x9d correspond to one xe2x80x9cpicture element regionxe2x80x9d. In a passive matrix type liquid crystal display device, a pixel region is defined as a region where one of column electrodes which are arranged in a stripe pattern crosses one of row electrodes which are also arranged in a stripe pattern perpendicular to the column electrodes. In an active matrix type liquid crystal display device, a pixel region is defined by a pixel electrode and a counter electrode which opposes the pixel electrode. In an arrangement with a black matrix, strictly speaking, a pixel region is a portion of each region through which a voltage is applied according to the intended display state that corresponds to an opening of the black matrix.
In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, it is preferred that the openings of the color filter are filled with a transparent resin whose transmittance is 90% or more. In this way, the step around each color filter opening is eliminated, whereby the liquid crystal molecules rise in a uniform manner in the vicinity of each color filter opening, thus improving the contrast (particularly the contrast in a reflection mode). A flattening film made of an acrylic resin is layered on the surface of the color filer for flattening the surface irregularities of the color filter. Thus, when the color filter openings are shallow, the openings are filled with the flattening film. However, when the color filter openings are deep, unless the openings are filled with a transparent resin, the step around each opening cannot be eliminated by the flattening film, thus leaving a step. Particularly when an STN liquid crystal material is used, the liquid crystal molecules rise in a non-uniform manner in each pixel due to the presence of such a step around each color filter opening, thereby causing significant problems such as a reduction in the contrast in a reflection display mode.
A transparent resin may be of any type as long as the transmittance thereof is higher than that of the color filter. However, in order to ensure a sufficient brightness in a transmission display mode, a high transmittance is preferred. Even if a pigment for tint correction is mixed in the transparent resin, it is desirable to ensure a transmittance of 90% or more, and preferably 95% or more.
In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, it is preferred that: a plurality of picture element regions are defined, each including a number of the pixel regions of different colors; and in each of the plurality of picture element regions, an area of the opening of the color filter in at least one of the pixel regions of different colors is smaller than an area of the opening of the color filter in each of the other pixel region(s).
With such a liquid crystal display device, if reflected light is colored in a particular color by a layer provided on the viewer side with respect to the reflection film (e.g., the first substrate, the overcoat film, the liquid crystal layer, the alignment film, etc.), the area proportion of a color filter of a hue that is approximately the complementary color to that particular color can be increased relative to those of the color filters of other hues. Therefore, it is possible to realize a reflection color display with a desirable color reproducibility in a reflection display mode.
The liquid crystal display device of the present invention may be such that: the first substrate is a plastic substrate; a plurality of picture element regions are defined, each including three of the pixel regions of red, green and blue; and in each of the plurality of picture element regions, an area of the opening of the color filter in the blue pixel region is smaller than an area of the opening of the color filter in each of the red and green pixel regions.
With such a liquid crystal display device, if a transparent plastic substrate (the first substrate) provided on the viewer side with respect to the reflection film gets yellowish through a production process, the area proportion of the color filter of blue, which is approximately the complementary color to yellow, can be increased relative to those of the red and green color filters. Therefore, in a reflection display mode, the reflected light can be approximately white light in a white display, thereby realizing a reflection color display with a desirable color reproducibility.
In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, it is preferred that: a plurality of picture element regions are defined, each including a number of the pixel regions of different colors; and in each of the plurality of picture element regions, an area of the transmission region in at least one of the pixel regions of different colors is greater than an area of the transmission region in each of the other pixel region(s).
With such a liquid crystal display device, if transmitted light is colored in a particular color by a light source such as a backlight, or a layer present in the path along which light from the light source travels (e.g., the light guide plate, the first substrate, the second substrate, the liquid crystal layer, etc.), the area proportion of the color filter of a color that is approximately the complementary color to that particular color can be increased relative to those of the color filters of other hues. Therefore, it is possible to realize a transmission color display with a desirable color reproducibility in a transmission display mode.
In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, it is preferred that: at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is a plastic substrate; a plurality of pixel regions are defined, each including three of the pixel regions of red, green and blue; and in each of the plurality of pixel regions, an area of the transmission region in the blue pixel region is greater than an area of the transmission region in each of the red and green pixel regions.
With such a liquid crystal display device, if a transparent plastic substrate present in the path along which light from a light source such as a backlight travels gets yellowish through a production process, the area proportion of the color filter of blue, which is approximately the complementary color to yellow, can be increased relative to those of the red and green color filters. Therefore, in a transmission display mode, the transmitted light can be approximately white light in a white display, thereby realizing a transmission color display with a desirable color reproducibility.
In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, it is preferred that: a plurality of picture element regions are defined, each including a number of the pixel regions of different colors; and in each of the plurality of picture element regions, an area of the opening of the color filter in at least one of the pixel regions of different colors is smaller than an area of the opening of the color filter in each of the other pixel region(s), and an area of the transmission region in at least one of the pixel regions of different colors is greater than an area of the transmission region in each of the other pixel region(s).
With such a liquid crystal display device, if reflected light or transmitted light is colored in a particular color by a layer provided on the viewer side with respect to the reflection film, a light source such as a backlight, a layer present in the path along which light from the light source travels, etc., the area proportion of the color filter of a hue that is approximately the complementary color to that particular color can be increased relative to those of the color filters of other hues. Therefore, it is possible to realize a reflection color display with a desirable color reproducibility in a reflection display mode and in a transmission display mode.
In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, it is preferred that: at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is a plastic substrate; a plurality of pixel regions are defined, each including three of the pixel regions of red, green and blue; and in each of the plurality of pixel regions, an area of the opening of the color filter in the blue pixel region is smaller than an area of the opening of the color filter in each of the red and green pixel regions, and an area of the transmission region in the blue pixel region is greater than an area of the transmission region in each of the red and green pixel regions.
With such a liquid crystal display device, if a transparent plastic substrate provided on the viewer side with respect to the reflection film or in the path along which light from a light source such as a backlight travels gets yellowish through a production process, the area proportion of the color filter of blue, which is approximately the complementary color to yellow, can be increased relative to those of the red and green color filters. Therefore, in a reflection display mode and in a transmission display mode, the reflected light and the transmitted light can be approximately white light in a white display, thereby realizing a transmission color display with a desirable color reproducibility.

Transmission/reflection type color liquid crystal display device


A medical device may include an insertion device having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending therethrough. The medical device may further include a snare device configured to transition between a contracted state within the lumen of the insertion device, and an expanded state extending distally of the insertion device. The snare device may include a loop including a pair of legs and a distal tip. The distal tip may include a plurality of stabilizers between the pair of legs.

Medical devices, such as endoscopes or other suitable introduction devices, are employed for a variety of diagnostic and surgical procedures, such as endoscopy, laparoscopy, arthroscopy, gynoscopy, thoracoscopy, and cystoscopy, etc. Many of these procedures are carried out for purposes of tissue resection, which generally includes removal of tissue of an organ or a gland to treat tumors, infestations, and the like. In particular, such procedures may be carried out by inserting an insertion device into a patient's body through a surgical incision, or via a natural anatomical orifice (e.g., mouth, vagina, or rectum), and performing the procedure or operation.
Snare devices, in particular, have been used in many medical procedures, including Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) and Endoscopic Sub-mucosal Resection (ESR), polypectomy, mucosectomy, etc., for resecting tissue from a target site. A snare device generally includes a snare loop formed by snare wire(s), which engages the tissue intended to be resected. The snare loop may include teeth or similar structures configured to cut and or grasp tissue. The snare loop is controlled and operated at a proximal end of the device through a suitable actuating mechanism. However, in many conventional snare devices and snares with thin atraumatic tips, the snare loop may have a tendency to twist about itself (for example, about a longitudinal axis of the device), away from a plane of a layer of tissue, which may reduce the snare's ability to ensnare the desired tissue.

Devices for manipulating tissue and related methods


This invention provides a printing apparatus and an information processing apparatus which can process precise information on the number of pixels printed by nozzles of the print head without degrading throughput and properly manage the service life of the print head. To this end, a plurality of nozzles of the print head are divided into a plurality of blocks and a nozzle in each of the blocks which prints a maximum number of pixels in a predetermined unit print volume is taken to be a representative nozzle. In each of the blocks, the numbers of pixels printed by the representative nozzle for every unit print volume are accumulated and managed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that prints an image on a print medium by using a print head capable of ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles and also to an image processing apparatus that sends print data to the printing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a printing apparatus using an ink ejecting print head may not be able to perform the normal printing operation when the number of ink ejections from the nozzles of the print head exceeds a predetermined value.
Among the ink jet print heads there is a thermal ink jet print head which has electrothermal transducers (heaters) as a means to generate ink ejection energy. This type of print head quickly heats ink by the electrothermal transducer to create a bubble in the ink and expels an ink droplet from the nozzle by a pressure of the expanding bubble. Such a thermal ink jet print head is subjected to stresses, such as heat, pressure and chemical reactions with ink, over a long period of use in the ink jet printing apparatus. These stresses increase the resistance of the heater, causing an excess heating of the heater and therefore a burning of the ink. This in turn will lead to a reduced volume of ink ejected, resulting in the print head failing to eject ink properly, degrading a quality of printed image.
A conventional practice to prevent this from happening, for example, involves counting the number of ink ejections from the print head and, when the count value reaches a predetermined value, notifying the user that the print head has reached the end of its life. More specifically, a plurality of nozzles of the print head is divided into nozzle blocks and, each time one page is printed, the total number of ink ejections in every block is monitored. The total number of ejections in each block is the total number of ink droplets ejected from the nozzles in that block and equals the total number of dots (printed dots) formed by the ejected ink droplets. The total number of dots in each block is counted by a host computer (or host device) and the count value is sent to the printing apparatus as dot count data. The printing apparatus totals the dot count data for each nozzle block of the print head as the number of printed pages increases. In this manner, the total ink droplets ejected from each nozzle block of the print head is managed and, when the total count value reaches a specified value, it is decided that the print head has reached the end of its longevity.
The above conventional method, however, has the following problems.
(1) The dot count data needs to be processed for each printed page. Thus, the host computer has a heavy burden of counting the dots to make the dot count data and the printing apparatus is burdened heavily by the processing of adding up the dot count data. As a result, throughput inevitably degrades.
(2) In addition to the print data the host computer must send the dot count data for each print page to the printing apparatus. This lowers the print data transfer rate.
(3) The dot count data is preferably managed for each nozzle. But in reality the dot count data is managed for each group of multiple nozzles (for each nozzle block) as described in (1) and (2), so the accuracy of the dot count data as management data on the print head serviceable life degrades. For example, when the dot count data is managed for each 10 nozzles, a distinction cannot be made between a case where ink is ejected uniformly from all 10 nozzles and a case where a frequency of ink ejection from a particular nozzle is extremely high. In this situation, an error of up to 10 times can occur. Particularly, in a printing apparatus using an elongate print head extending over the entire printing width of a print medium (line head), if a line which is one dot thick is to be printed, the number of ink ejections from a particular nozzle becomes extremely large, making the above problem conspicuous.

Printing apparatus and image processing apparatus


A hot or cold beverage container with an integral stirring device and two separated shells to form a hollow space between them for better insulation. The outer shell of the stirring container comprises contiguous upper and lower sidewalls demarcated by a neck wherein the lower sidewall can fit into the beverage container orifice located in the passenger compartment of most, if not all, motor vehicles. The beverage container also has a handle and a power switch located on the handle for operating the stirring device, and provides an excellent vehicle for advertising whereby graphical or advertising material may be imprinted on its surfaces.

The present invention relates to a hot or cold beverage container with an integral stirring device. More specifically, the present invention relates to the design of the stirring container being of a shape and size whereby it readily fits into the beverage container orifice located in the passenger compartment of most, if not all motor vehicles. The beverage container also provides an excellent advertising means as graphical or advertising material may be imprinted on its surfaces.
Insulated travel beverage mugs have existed for some time. These mugs are made in a generally cylindrical shape. More recently, a tapered cylindrical shape has been introduced such that the closed end of the container is of a reduced diameter in comparison to the open end. Examples of typical insulated mugs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,703 to Karp and U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,761 to Wissinger. A problem with these containers is they have no means by which the liquid may be stirred while in the container so as to maintain a desired temperature and/or desired consistency of the liquid.
Stirring mechanisms mounted in the bases of beverage holders or cups have also been existence, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,084 to Calhoun, U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,552 to Schindleggeer and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2001/0036124A1 of Rubenstein. A problem with these mechanisms is that they are designed such that the diameter of the closed end of the cup in which the mechanism is located is of the same large diameter as the open end of the cup.
What is lacking in the prior art is an integral stirring mechanism comprised of components and a power supply of sufficiently small size such that the outside diameter of the container housing in which the stirring mechanism is located may be reduced to a smaller diameter than that of the open end of the container. With a reduced diameter closed end and a larger diameter open end, the beverage container is designed to maximize the volume of contained liquid while providing a closed end sized such that it will readily fit into the standard cup holder orifice in typical vehicle passenger compartments, some of which currently do not accommodate a beverage container of cylindrical shape having a large outside diameter.

Automatic stirring travel beverage container


Calibration of an X-Y shifter is accomplished under the control of a microcomputer which is programmed to perform a calibration routine each time the vehicle is shutdown. The routine causes the shifter's shift finger to be moved into touching contact with the various inner wall surfaces of the shift blocks of the respective transmission shift rails from which a calibrated shift rail and neutral position are calculated.

Electrically actuated X-Y shifting mechanisms for effecting change gear shifts in an automated mechanical transmissions are well known in the art. Such mechanisms typically include a plurality of substantially parallel, spaced-apart, axially movable shift rails each of which carry a shift fork which is associated with a positive clutch mechanism for selectively engaging or disengaging a first or second gear to a shaft. Typically shifting of the transmission is accomplished by selecting a shift rail by moving a shift finger axially or pivotally along an X--X axis into alignment with a shift block carried by the selected shift rail. Then the selected shift rail is axially moved to shift gears by axially moving or pivoting the shift finger to apply a force to the shift block in the direction of an axis Y--Y transverse to axis X--X. The shift finger is driven by electric motors, under the control of suitable electrical circuitry. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,881 assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and hereby incorporated herein by reference. Such devices require calibration in order to insure that operation of the mechanism under software control produces accurate shifts. The calibration generally includes precise location of at least three rail positions and a neutral position. These positions are usually determined through a manual calibration procedure at the factory at the time of assembly which requires special equipment and detailed knowledge of the device. Moreover, temperature, component wear, and installation tolerances may cause the original calibration values to change over time. It is therefore desirable that these calibration values be updated periodically to insure optimal operation of the shifter.

Computer controlled method of calibrating an x-y shifter


A container includes a plurality of walls extending upward from a base. At least one support is movable between a retracted position and a support position. The base includes projections downwardly from each corner of the base for interlocking with a larger container stacked thereunder.

The present invention relates generally to crates and more particularly to a collapsible crate with interlocking members for stacking on another container.
Collapsible crates are well known. Four walls each connected via a hinge to a base are selectively movable about the hinge between a use position, in which the wall is generally perpendicular to the base, and a collapsed position onto the base. Various latch mechanisms have been provided to connect adjacent walls at the corner to selectively lock the crate in the use position.
Some collapsible crates also include retractable supports so that another, non-collapsible, nestable container can be supported thereon. One such collapsible crate includes end walls each having a support that is partially supported on the adjacent walls when in the support position. The nestable containers can be supported on the supports when the supports are in the support position.
The nestable containers are sometimes stacked on larger containers with approximately twice the footprint, such that two such nestable containers are stacked on each larger container. One side wall of each container is supported by pegs adjacent an end wall of the larger container, while corners adjacent the opposite side wall of each container are supported on a platform protruding into the center of the larger container. The platform includes ribs that space the two containers away from one another to keep them in place. However, the collapsible crates have a larger footprint than the nestable containers and therefore do not interact with the pegs adjacent the end walls of the larger containers. Therefore, the collapsible crates cannot be stacked reliably on the larger containers.


A load floor latch for securing a first closure member to a second closure member panel such that when the first and second closure members are fastened, the latch is opened by actuating the handle and the pawl is retracted into the latch. A biasing device such as a torsion spring acts on a locking arm so as to pivot the locking arm such that it engages a slot on the pawl. This maintains the pawl in the retracted position. When the first closure member to which the latch is attached is closed so as to bring the first closure member into a closed position with respect to the second closure member, a projection on the locking arm contacts a contact member such that the locking arm is pivoted and the locking arm no longer remains in the slot in the pawl. The pawl is then free to extend out of the latch to a latched position by the action of a compression spring and engage a keeper on the second closure member to thus fasten the first and second closure members.

The present invention relates to the field of latches and more particularly to load floor latches in which a handle is lifted to release the latch from engagement with a keeper.
Load floor latches are known in the art and are employed in a number of applications. Generally, latches in this category operate by forcing a pawl into engagement with a keeper. For example, where a first closure member has a pawl and a second closure member has a keeper thereon closing first closure member against the second closure member secures the closure members. The latch can be repeatedly latched and unlatched by a user who desires to fasten and unfasten the first closure member to the second closure member.
One drawback with the previous load floor latches was that the pawl of the latch needed to slide into position and engage a keeper. Sliding type pawls in load floor latches did not positively engage keepers on the vehicles to the degree desired by a user.
A need exists for a latch which positively engages a keeper by the rotation of a pawl towards the keeper.
In addition, load floor latches, which is one application for the latches of the present invention, are commonly used in the automotive industry. Often, these latches are employed to secure the contents of a compartment in a cargo area. The latch of the present invention can be used in compartments and bins in various locations such as glove compartments and storage areas in vehicles. For example, load floor latches find use for securing a floor panel, such as the panel which regulates access to vehicle items, such as spare tires, tools, jacks, batteries, and the like. In many cases, the floor panel is provided on the floor of a passenger vehicle or cargo compartment. The latch therefore must be durable, and it is desirable that the latch be able to withstand substantial force loads, such as those of the type generally encountered by bumps, rough terrain, and especially vehicular accidents, such as crashes, or rollover situations. It is important that compartment contents remain secured in the event of a vehicle crash or rollover. This is especially more important where the cargo compartment is located in the same general area as the vehicle operator, or other passengers. For example, in station wagon type vehicles, the cargo space for passengers and items of cargo is the same. Thus, in this type of vehicle, there is great danger to be encountered should a rollover of the vehicle occur and the latch becomes unsecured. If this were to happen, the compartment contents would spill out into the passenger compartment, thereby placing the vehicle operator in danger. A need exists for a load floor latch which has improved abilities to withstand a rollover, and facilitate latching of a panel, even under high stress conditions. It is also important that the latch, in addition to being durable, be easy to construct and install.


A method for authenticating a target item with a security code is provided. The method includes the steps of determining a first content of security information to be coded, determining a second content of security information to be coded, printing a plurality of color tiles on a target item where the plurality of color tiles define the first content of security information, and printing one or more micro-markings on one or more of the color tiles located on the target item. The one or more micro-markings define the second content of security information.

Product counterfeiting is a problem of enormous proportions throughout most of the industrialized world. In many cases, products that appear to be branded by a particular company are in fact counterfeited imitations. Brands that appear on products serve to provide consumers with information regarding the source of the goods in question. Subsequently, consumers develop preferences for particular brands, which often may include a level of trust in the source of the products. Counterfeiters take advantage of this preference and trust to pass off what are often inferior goods, causing harm to both the manufacturer and the consumer. Manufacturers lose revenue from lost sales and any goodwill harm that occurs, and they often must repair and replace counterfeited items. In some cases, manufacturers may even be legally responsible for such goods. Consumers lose value due to inferior products that may potentially cause harm through defects. For example, counterfeited parts for planes and cars have been known to contain defects that have caused serious injury or death.
As another example, the pharmaceutical industry generates many billions of dollars in the United States each year. Given such a lucrative market, it is not surprising that counterfeiting of pharmaceuticals has become a widespread and rapidly growing problem. Several factors appear to contribute to this alarming growth of criminal activity, including the increased involvement of under-regulated wholesalers and repackagers in the drug supply chain; the recent growth of internet pharmacies; and the increased international importation of pharmaceuticals. As such, consumers of pharmaceuticals may be unaware that the drugs they are taking may not have been manufactured and packaged as indicated on the pharmaceutical packaging.
Such counterfeiting practices not only reduce income to pharmaceutical companies, but they also introduce potential health risks to the consumers of the drugs in question. The strict regulation process imposed on pharmaceutical companies by the FDA helps to ensure the quality and safety of a drug. Consumers purchasing imported counterfeit drugs may believe they are taking a pharmaceutical medicine that has been manufactured and distributed according to these strict FDA guidelines and thus be effective and safe, when in fact the drug may be ineffective or may cause potentially dangerous side-effects. Also, when health risks come to fruition in these cases, consumers have no recourse or remedy due to the illicit nature of parties providing the counterfeits.
One significant technological development that has contributed significantly to the rapid spread of most forms of product counterfeiting is the widespread availability of high quality, relatively inexpensive scanners, photo printers, and image editing software. It takes little skill for a counterfeiter to scan a product label, edit the resulting image to suit a particular need, and print a supply of counterfeit labels.
Numerous factors may help to reduce product counterfeiting. Efficient methods of tracking and tracing a product from its source of origin to its destination are helpful. In such a system, counterfeit items can easily be spotted and removed from the distribution chain. Also, efficient methods of authentication by the end user or distributor of the product would assist in the elimination of counterfeit products.
As such, it would be beneficial to provide a method for increasing the difficulty of producing counterfeited products, especially for those criminals that lack a high level of technological expertise. Additionally, by increasing the level of counterfeiting difficulty, it is hoped that even highly skilled criminals will lack the resources to create illicit merchandise.

Secure printing method to thwart counterfeiting

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A new and distinct cultivar of Alstroemeria plant named ‘Zalsatha’, characterized by its erect and strong flowering stems; vigorous growth habit; large white and light green-colored flowers; and excellent postproduction longevity.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Alstroemeria plant, botanically known as Alstroemeria hybrida, commercially used as a cut flower Alstroemeria, and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Zalsatha'.
The new Alstroemeria plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new cut flower Alstroemeria plants with desirable flower and plant qualities, attractive and unique flower coloration and excellent postproduction longevity.
The new Alstroemeria plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in May, 2007 of a proprietary Alstroemeria hybrida selection identified as code number 43143-3, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Alstroemeria hybrida selection identified as code number 39001-1, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Alstroemeria plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in June, 2008.
Asexual reproduction of the new Alstroemeria plant by rhizome divisions in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands since September, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Alstroemeria plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


An air supply apparatus (A) includes an air pump capable of supplying compressed air to an air chamber (a tire air chamber (Ra) of a wheel (B)) on the basis of rotation of the wheel (B); a change valve provided outside a pump chamber (Ro) of the air pump and adapted to restrict the supply of compressed air from the pump chamber (Ro) to the air chamber when the pressure of compressed air supplied from the pump chamber (Ro) to the air chamber reaches a first set value; and an adjustor capable of adjusting the first set value.

An air supply apparatus of such a type is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2003-341320. The air supply apparatus described in this publication includes an air pump capable of supplying compressed air to a tire air chamber of a wheel by making use of rotation of the wheel, and an adjustment screw for adjusting the maximum air pressure (target air pressure) of the tire air chamber.


Semiconductor devices with reduced substrate defects and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming at least one gate structure over a plurality of fin structures. The method further includes removing dielectric material adjacent to the at least one gate structure using a maskless process, thereby exposing an underlying epitaxial layer formed adjacent to the at least one gate structure. The method further includes depositing metal material on the exposed underlying epitaxial layer to form contact metal in electrical contact with source and drain regions, adjacent to the at least one gate structure. The method further includes forming active areas and device isolation after the formation of the contact metal, including the at least one gate structure. The active areas and the contact metal are self-aligned with each other in a direction parallel to the at least one gate structure.

Semiconductor manufacturing consists of a complex set of processes. These processes include three main building blocks: (i) deposition of thin films of material on a substrate, (ii) applying a patterned mask on top of the films by photolithographic imaging, and (iii) etching the films selectively to the mask. These three main building blocks must be rigorously calibrated and monitored to maintain device yield.
The manufacture of semiconductor devices can vary depending on the devices or structures being manufactured. Some of these manufacturing processes can be very time consuming and expensive. For example, conventional semiconductor fabrication processes can include the need for multiple masking steps, which leads to manufacturing complexity and costs. These masking steps can be used to manufacture transistors, as well as other devices and structures. Even in alternative methods, such as maskless self-aligned processes, masks are still required to remove contacts, etc. These self-aligned processes also suffer significant density loss, which will considerably impact device yield.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described hereinabove.

Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture


This nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided with a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The non-aqueous electrolyte contains: a non-aqueous solvent that contains a fluorine-containing cyclic carbonate; an isocyanuric acid derivative such as triallyl isocyanurate; and a cyclic carboxylic acid anhydride such as diglycolic acid anhydride.

For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte including a fluorine-containing cyclic carbonate. Patent Literature 1 also discloses that cyclic characteristics at room temperature can be improved by using the electrolyte including a fluorine-containing cyclic carbonate.
For example, Patent Literature 2 discloses that when an isocyanate compound such as triallyl isocyanurate is added to an electrolyte including a fluorine-containing cyclic carbonate, an improving effect on the battery properties is provided.
For example, Patent Literature 3 also discloses that an isocyanate compound is added to an electrolyte including a fluorine-containing cyclic carbonate.

Nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


An apparatus for marking a page in a predetermined book. The apparatus comprises a substrate having a predetermined size and a predetermined configuration and selected words disposed adjacent definitions of the selected words on at least one side of the substrate, the selected words being words that are used in such predetermined book which are likely to be unfamiliar to an average reader of such book for which the apparatus is to be used.

Many times when a person reads a book there are at least several words in the book that the reader is unfamiliar with. Sometimes the meaning of these words can be gleaned by how the words are used in sentences. However, more often the reader needs to consult outside references, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. to gain an understanding of these words. Often these sources are not readily available and, thus, the reader may elect to forego such interruptions because they are time consuming and disruptive to the readers concentration.
Instead the reader may guess at the meaning of the word by its context in the sentence or paragraph. Incorrect guesses may lead to erroneous conclusions as to the meaning of the text that is being read. The frequency of misunderstanding by a reader increases with the complexity of the vocabulary used by the writer. Thus, it would be advantageous to a reader if the meaning of difficult or unusual words were made conveniently and easily accessible.


A method for determining (250) a change required in a selected base point in an input colorant space of a digital-image rendering system to obtain from the digital-image rendering system a desired reference output color to within a predetermined color tolerance comprises determining the required change based on a local approximation of the colorant/color relationship at the selected base point. Gradient points are automatically generated (210) that are proximate or coincident with the selected base point and that are different from any other base point than the selected base point. A linear approximation to the colorant/color relationship at the selected base point is computed (240) from the gradient points and the measured (230) output colors at the gradient points as rendered (220) by the digital-image rendering system and. The required change is determined from the local gradient of the colorant/color relationship at the selected base point.

It is common to provide a sample of an image to a customer for approval prior to printing a large number of copies of an image using a high volume output device such as a printing press. The sample image is known as a "proof." The proof is used to ensure that the consumer is satisfied with, among other things, a color of the image.
It is not, however, cost effective to print the proof using high volume output devices of the type used to print large quantities of the image. This is because it is expensive to set up high volume output devices to print the image. Accordingly, it has become a practice in the printing industry to use digital color printers to print proofs. Digital color printers render color prints of images that have been encoded in the form of digital data. This data includes code values indicating the colors to be printed in the image. When the color printer generates a printed output of an image, it is intended that the image recorded on the printed output will contain the exact colors called for by the code values in the digitally encoded data.
In practice, it has been found that colors printed by digital color printers do not always match colors printed by high volume output devices. One reason for this is that variations in ink, paper and printing conditions can cause the digital color printer to generate images with colors that do not match the colors produced by the high volume output device using the same values. Therefore, a proof printed by the digital color printer may not have colors that match the colors printed by the high volume output device.
Accordingly, digital color printers have been developed that can be color adjusted so that they can mimic the performance of high volume output devices. Such adjustable color printers are known in the industry as "proofers."
Color calibration adjustments are used to modify the operation of the proofer so that the proofer prints the colors called for in the code values of the images to be printed by the proofer. These adjustments are necessary to compensate for the variations in ink, paper, and printing conditions that can cause the colors printed by the proofer to vary from the colors called for in the code values.
To determine what color calibration adjustments must be made, it is necessary to determine how the proofer translates code values into colors on the printed image. This is done by instructing the proofer to print a calibration test image or so-called "color chart." The calibration test image includes a number of colorant-combination patches. Each colorant-combination patch contains the color printed by the proofer in response to a particular code value.
Typically, a manual stand-alone calibration device is used to measure the colors in the test image. The measured color of each colorant-combination patch is converted into a color code value and is compared against the original "color chart" code value associated with that patch. Thereafter, comparisons are used to determine what adjustments must be made to the proofer to cause the proofer to print the desired colors in response to the particular color code values.
Color management adjustments are used to modify the operation of the proofer so that the image printed by the proofer will have an appearance that matches the appearance of the same image as printed by the high volume output device. The first step in color management is to determine how the high volume output device converts color code values into printed colors. This is known as "characterization." The result of such a characterization process is a "color profile."
It is recognized that calibration adjustments are based upon objective measurements of the color and tone characteristics of test images printed by the proofer and high volume output device. The most accurate device for measuring color for calibration and confirmation purposes is a spectrophotometer. A spectrophotometer measures the reflectance and/or transmittance of an object at a number of wavelengths throughout the visible spectrum. More specifically, a spectrophotometer exposes a test image to a known light source and then analyzes the light that is reflected by the test image to determine the spectral intensity. A typical spectrophotometer is capable of measuring a group of pixels in an image. It includes an apparatus that measures the light that is reflected by a portion of an image at a number of wavelengths throughout the visible spectrum to obtain data that represents the true spectral content of the reflected light.
Currently most proofing systems that utilize wide format inkjet printers, employ calibration technologies to ensure that a given inkjet printer produces output colors that closely match defined goal colors. It is thereby ensured that a plurality of printers of the same type will reproduce the goal colors quite closely. Many commercial proofing calibration implementations use the common approach of calibrating at certain times, e.g. Monday mornings or upon failure. Some software packages offer automated execution based on scheduling. This approach has the fundamental disadvantage that color can drift or change significantly between calibrations. Furthermore, if an unrepresentative print is used as the input for calibration routine, it may result in skewing the color output to undesired values. This undesirable shift could only be identified by verifying the output of a calibrated printer against the goal colors.
In general inkjet printers do not produce perfect proof-to-proof color consistency. In addition to short term noisy behavior, slow drifting and step color shifts also occur due to environmental changes such as temperature or humidity, ink variations due to, for example lot variation, media changes due to, for example, lot-to-lot variability, and hardware changes such as printhead replacement.
The performance variation of inkjet printers is also typically not tracked. The absence of such data makes it difficult to establish routines for adjusting the printer, or the data sent to the printer, so as to render colors more consistently.
Furthermore the current calibration embodiments from software vendors still require ongoing manual interventions to perform and monitor the state of the printing system and identify when the calibration should be redone.
Recently an increasing number of wide-format inkjet printers offer built-in spectrophotometers, which provide sufficiently accurate color measurements to allow the printers to be used as proofing systems. Examples of such systems include the B2 printer from Dupont-Nemours, the Veris system from Kodak, and the Z2100 and Z3100 systems from Hewlett-Packard. These devices lend themselves to better automation and reduced user intervention. In addition, different vendors now offer software packages supporting calibration of the printer with the built-in spectrophotometer as well as verification of color output and support for the measurement of color profiling charts.
Despite all the advantageous technological developments described in the foregoing, the actual adjustment of printers at present in the market place to ensure that an inking provides a desired goal color is still based on a simple point by point comparison of rendered colors with goal colors. In the prior art, extensive color models, based on previously stored data or on data collected during the calibration process, have been used to predict adjustments needed to be made to give consistent color rendering on the proofer. Unfortunately the coarse sampling of the color space leads to inaccurate color adjustments as it does not adequately reflect actual local color behavior. Against this background there remains a clear need for a method to automatically and accurately calibrate a proofing printer which allows for more rapid local variation in the color space.


A washing machine having a detergent supply device which is easily installed in a cabinet of the washing machine, and is not exposed to the outside of the cabinet. The detergent supply device includes a detergent container and a handle, and is seated in a reception chamber defined at an upper portion of the cabinet. Locking slots are formed on side mounting parts of the handle, and locking projections are provided on opposite sidewalls of the reception chamber, so as to have the locking projections be inserted into the locking slots where the handle is downwardly rotated. A cover is hinged to an upper portion of the reception chamber so as not to expose the detergent supply device to the outside. At least one hook is provided on a front end of the cover, and at least one hook hole is formed on a front portion of the reception chamber to engage with the hook, so as to have the cover openably cover the upper portion of the reception chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to washing machines, and more particularly, to a washing machine having a detergent supply device which is easily and removably installed in an upper portion of a cabinet of the washing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, washing machines are apparatuses which wash laundry by rotating a cylindrical rotary tub thereof, containing the laundry and wash water. Such washing machines have been typically classified into drum type washing machines and vertical shaft type washing machines. In drum type washing machines, a rotary tub is horizontally set in a cabinet. The rotary tub is rotated around a horizontal axis of the cabinet in alternating directions to repeatedly move laundry upward and allow the laundry to be dropped from a top to a bottom inside the rotary tub, due to gravity, thus washing the laundry. In the vertical shaft type washing machines, a rotary tube having a pulsator is vertically set in a cabinet and is rotated around a vertical axis of the cabinet in alternating directions. Accordingly, laundry inside the rotary tub is washed by forced water currents generated by the pulsator.
FIG. 1 shows a partial perspective view of a conventional vertical shaft type washing machine having a conventional detergent supply device 10 installed to the washing machine. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional vertical shaft type washing machine includes a cabinet 1 which defines an appearance of the washing machine. A cylindrical washing tub 2 is vertically set in the cabinet 1, and a spin-drying tub 3 is rotatably and concentrically set in the washing tub 2. A pulsator (not shown) is interiorly installed on a bottom of the spin-drying tub 3, and is rotated in alternating directions to generate wash water currents inside the spin-drying tub 3 to wash laundry. The cabinet 1 is open at its top to allow a user to place or remove the laundry from the spin-drying tub 3. A door (not shown) is hinged to the open top of the cabinet 1 to selectively open and close the cabinet 1.
The conventional detergent supply device 10 is installed at a rear position on an upper portion of the cabinet 1 to supply powdered detergent to the washing tub 2. The detergent supply device 10 includes a box-shaped detergent container 11 and a cover 12 which functions to open and close an open top of the detergent container 11. A detergent feeding unit 13 is provided on a lower end of the detergent container 11 to feed the powdered detergent from the detergent container 11 into the washing tub 2.
Two hooks 14 are provided on the lower portions of opposite sidewalls of the detergent container 11 to removably install the detergent supply device 10 to the upper portion of the cabinet 1. A push button 15 is installed at a position above either of the two hooks 14, and functions to push the corresponding hook 14 inward to release the detergent supply device 10 from the cabinet 1.
A reception chamber 4 is defined at a rear position on the upper portion of the cabinet 1 to receive the detergent supply device 10. Hook holes 5 are formed on inside surfaces of corresponding opposite sidewalls of the reception chamber 4 so as to engage with the hooks 14. Since the push button 15 and the two hooks 14 are provided on the lower portion of the detergent container 11, the reception chamber 4 has a depth suitable to receive only the detergent feeding unit 13, which downwardly extends from the lower end of the detergent container 11.
The conventional washing machine having the detergent supply device 10 is difficult to operate, and it takes a long time to lock or release the detergent supply device 10 to or from the reception chamber 4 of the cabinet 1. That is, where a user desires to release the detergent supply device 10 from the reception chamber 4, the user necessarily holds the detergent container 11 with one hand and presses the push button 15 with the other hand. In such a state, the user lifts up the detergent container 11 such that the hook 14 operated in conjunction with the push button 15 disengages from the corresponding hook hole 5 of the reception chamber 4. Next, the user lifts up the detergent container 11 again after pulling the detergent container 11 to a side, which is provided with the push button 15, thus disengaging the other hook 14 from the respective hook hole 5.
To lock the detergent supply device 10 back into the cabinet 1, the detergent container 11 is slightly inclined in a direction to engage the hook 14, provided on a sidewall which is not provided with the push button 15, with the respective hook hole 5 which is provided on the reception chamber 4. Next, the user presses the detergent container 11 down while pushing the push button 15 such that the hook 14 operated in conjunction with the push button 15 engages with the corresponding hook hole 5.
As such, where the conventional detergent supply device 10 is locked to or released from the cabinet 1, a user necessarily uses both of his/her hands, and a sufficient force must be applied to the detergent supply device 10 to engage or disengage the hooks 14 with or from the hook holes 5. Accordingly, it is very inconvenient and time consuming to lock or release the detergent supply device 10 to or from the cabinet 1.
In the case of installing a conventional detergent supply device 10 to a large-capacity washing machine, it is even more difficult to lock or release the detergent supply device 10 to or from a cabinet 1 thereof, making it impossible for a user of small stature, in some instances, to lock or release the detergent supply device 10 to or from the cabinet 1.
Additionally, in the conventional washing machine, the push button 15 and the two hooks 14, which are provided to lock or release the detergent supply device 10 to or from the cabinet 1, are installed on the lower portion of the detergent container 11. As such, the detergent container 11 of the detergent supply device 10 is inevitably and upwardly projected from the cabinet 1. Therefore, the appearance of the conventional washing machine is poor. The detergent container 11 containing the powdered detergent is also made of a crystalline resin which does not contain moisture. However, the detergent container 11 made of the crystalline resin is poor in color and surface treatment, and does not aesthetically match with the cabinet 1, which is made of a non-crystalline resin to provide a good appearance to the washing machine, thus further spoiling the appearance of the washing machine.
Furthermore, since the detergent container 11 of the detergent supply device 10 is upwardly projected from the cabinet 1 and exposed to the outside of the cabinet 1, water may splash into the detergent supply device 10. In this case, the water flows into the detergent container 11 through the detergent feeding unit 13, which downwardly extends from the lower end of the detergent container 11, and undesirably solidifies the powdered detergent. In such a case, the detergent does not smoothly feed into the washing tub 2, thereby lowering the reliability of the washing machine.
The conventional detergent supply device 10 is also designed to manually feed the powdered detergent into the washing tub 2 using gravity. Therefore, a detergent outlet port of the detergent supply device 10 may clog where the powdered detergent is solidified, making it more difficult to feed the powdered detergent into the washing tub 2.