A method is provided for facilitating device-to-device communication. The method may include causing a message to be sent to a first device to trigger the first device to transmit a reference signal. The method may further include causing a request for a channel quality indication to be sent to a second device. The request may indicate that the channel quality indication is to be based on measurement of the reference signal. The method may additionally include receiving the channel quality indication in response to the request. The channel quality indication being indicative of a link quality between the first device and the second device. The method made also include determining based on the received channel quality indication whether to cause establishment of a device-to-device link between the first device. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

The modem communications era has brought about a tremendous expansion of wireless network technology, driven by consumer demands. This expansion of wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer and providing convenience to users.
Current and future networking technologies continue to facilitate ease of information transfer and convenience to users. In order to provide easier or faster information transfer and convenience, telecommunication industry service providers are developing improvements to existing networks. One ongoing area of development in networking and communication technology is the development of device-to-device (D2D) communication technologies. D2D communication technologies may use radio resources of a hosting cellular system, but allow two computing devices, such as mobile terminals (also referred to as user equipment (UE)), to communicate directly with each other without routing their communications through components of the cellular system.
Use of D2D communication may offer several advantages. For example, the direct communication link between mobile terminals engaged in D2D communication may result in reduced end-to-end delay time for data exchanged between the terminals as compared to indirect communication via cellular system components. Further, since communications may be offloaded from the cellular network to D2D communication links, network load may be reduced. Additional benefits of D2D communication may include improved local area coverage, improved serving network resource efficiency, and conservation of transmission power by both UEs and network access points. Additionally, D2D communication may support a variety of end user services, such as peer-to-peer applications, head-to-head gaming applications, collaborative applications, and/or the like that may be used by users of mobile terminals within close proximity of each other.

Method and apparatus for facilitating device-to-device communication


An inkjet printing apparatus includes an edge detecting unit adapted to detect an edge portion and a non-edge portion in the image data; a memory adapted to store a plurality of edge reducing masks used to reduce image data in the edge portion and a plurality of non-edge reducing masks used to reduce image data in the non-edge portion; a reduced data generating unit adapted to generate multiple sets of edge reduced data from image data in the edge portion using the plurality of edge reducing masks and to generate multiple sets of non-edge reduced data from image data in the non-edge portion using the plurality of non-edge reducing masks; and a printing data generating unit adapted to generate multiple sets of printing data by combining the multiple sets of edge reduced data and the multiple sets of non-edge reduced data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet printing apparatus and an inkjet printing method for discharging ink from nozzle arrays of printheads for printing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inkjet printing apparatuses which print on various recording media by discharging ink are capable of high-density, high-speed printing operation. Also, the inkjet printing scheme has many advantages including low running costs and low noise during printing operation. Consequently, inkjet printing apparatuses have been commercialized and used as stationary printers, portable printers, or other peripheral devices for various purposes.
Known printing schemes for inkjet printing apparatuses include the so-called serial printing scheme in which a carriage which carries a printhead and ink tank scans over a recording medium, discharges ink from nozzle arrays of the printhead, and thereby prints on the scanned area. In this scheme, the recording medium is fed by a predetermined amount in a direction (sub-scanning direction or transport direction) approximately orthogonal to the carriage scan direction (main scanning direction) between scans by the carriage. This scheme prints on the entire recording medium by repeating carriage scans and feeding the recording medium. Another known scheme is the so-called full-line printing scheme. This scheme performs printing by conveying a recording medium relative to a printhead in which discharge nozzles are arranged in a range which corresponds to the width of the recording medium.
Recently, a large number of inkjet printing apparatus with various advantages such as described above have been provided as products which perform color printing using multiple colors of ink. In such inkjet printing apparatuses, generally black ink is used frequently to print characters and the like. Consequently, sharpness, clearness, and high density of printed characters are required of the black ink. For that, there is a known technique which lowers permeation of black ink into printing media and thereby inhibiting coloring matter such as dyes and pigments in the black ink from permeating into the recording media. This increases the amount of coloring matter which remains fixed on the recording media and thereby increases the sharpness and density of printed images.
However, the use of black ink with reduced permeation into recording media may lead to problems such as those described below. Specifically, if the discharge amount of ink droplets is increased to increase the printing density of characters and the like printed in black ink, the ink can bleed in edge portions of the characters. Also, in an image in which black and color areas are placed adjacent to each other, black ink does not permeate the recording medium quickly because of its low permeation and may get mixed with color ink across borders between the areas. This can cause bleeding (deterioration of printing quality due to mixing of inks) on boundaries between the black and color areas.
Thus, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 05-278221 proposes a method which detects edge portions and non-edge portions in character data and the like to be printed in black ink, reduces the ink discharge amount in the non-edge portions, and thereby improves smear resistance and fixing characteristic while maintaining sharpness of printed characters and the like.

Inkjet printing apparatus and inkjet printing method


A conveyor system for an open pit mine may include one or more conveyor lines. The conveyor lines are used to transport material from one location in the mine to another location. The material transported may be a waste material, such as overburden material, or coal. The conveyor lines may move from a first end of the pit to a distal second end. When the conveyor lines reach the second end, they may reverse direction and return towards the first end. During this reversal in direction of travel, equipment may be selectively swapped between the conveyor lines. The conveyor lines may include at least one mobile bridge conveyor. Each mobile bridge conveyor may support one or more conveyors that transport the material.

In an open pit mine, soil, rocks and other material, referred to as overburden material, are excavated to uncover the material of interest (i.e., the mined material), such as coal. Once removed, the excavated material is generally transported to another area of the mine. Methods for transporting from the removal area to another location include using trucks, cross-pit conveyors and other various conveyor systems. Another transportation method involves excavating material with a dragline and dumping it away from the excavation area. While these transportation methods are widely used, they tend to be very costly or impractical as the amount of overburden material overlying the mined material increases. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an improved method and system for moving excavated material from its removal location to a desired location in an open pit mine.

Mining methods and systems using mobile conveyors

THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS (USA), INC.


A pressure monitoring device comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to receive an analog signal and to convert the analog signal to a digital signal. The pressure monitoring device is configured to apply in a first state a first set of calibration coefficients to the digital signal, the first set of calibration coefficients being associated with a first pressure range. The pressure monitoring device is further configured to apply in a second state a second set of calibration values to the digital signal, the second set of calibration coefficients being associated with a second pressure range different than the first pressure range.

Pressure monitoring systems are used in many applications. For example, a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) often measures tire pressure for a vehicle and notifies a vehicle's operator if the measured tire pressure falls outside of an ideal tire pressure range. Thus, a TPMS improves safety for the vehicle operator and for surrounding vehicle operators.
A TPMS for a vehicle often includes one tire pressure monitoring sensor per wheel, plus an electronic control unit (ECU). FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional tire pressure monitoring sensor 100, The sensor 100 includes a pressure sensor 102, an analog-to-digital-converter (ADC) 104, and a microcontroller 106. During operation, the pressure sensor 102 provides an analog signal 108, and the ADC 104 converts the analog signal 108 to a digital signal 110. The microcontroller 106 puts the digital signal into a formal suitable for transmission to the ECU. The ECU then evaluates the formatted digital signal to determine whether the measured pressure falls within an acceptable tire pressure range, and can alert the driver if the pressure falls outside this acceptable range.
Although conventional pressure monitoring systems are adequate in many respects, they suffer from a shortcoming in that they are unable to flexibly monitor different pressure ranges. For example, although one sensor is useful in measuring pressures for tires of passenger vehicles, which can have normal tire pressures in the range of about 100 kPa-450 kPa; the same sensor is unable to effectively measure pressures for tires of commercial vehicles, which can have normal tire pressures in the range of bout 100 kPa-850 kPa. Consequently, the present disclosure provided improved methods and systems for monitoring pressure.

Pressure monitoring circuits and methods


Embodiments of the present invention generally include an apparatus for plasma cleaning and a method for plasma cleaning. The apparatus can include a lid body having a first surface for facing a pedestal during cleaning and a second surface opposite the first surface and substantially parallel to the first surface, the second surface having a first indentation sized to receive a magnet assembly, one or more handles coupled to the second surface of the lid body, and the magnet assembly resting in the first indentation. The method can include removing a sputtering target from the processing chamber, sealing the processing chamber, introducing a gas into the processing chamber, applying an RF bias to a pedestal within the processing chamber, maintaining the pedestal at a substantially constant temperature, and removing material from the pedestal to clean the pedestal.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a plasma cleaning apparatus and method.
Description of the Related Art
Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is a method of depositing a material onto a substrate. A PVD apparatus may have a sputtering target disposed within a processing chamber and situated opposite a substrate. A sputtering gas, such as argon, is introduced into the chamber. The sputtering target, when metallic, may be electrically biased with a DC current to ignite the argon gas into a plasma. The substrate, on the other hand, may be grounded to act as an anode relative to the electrically biased sputtering target. Atoms from the sputtering target may eject or sputter from the sputtering target and deposit on the substrate.
While the atoms from the sputtering target may deposit onto the substrate, the atoms may also deposit on exposed surfaces within the chamber. For example, material may be deposited on the chamber walls. Over time, the material deposited onto the chamber walls may build up to a sufficient thickness that the chamber needs to be cleaned. Additionally, material deposited onto the walls may flake off and land on other areas of the chamber.
When a substrate is inserted or removed from the chamber, opening and closing of a slit valve may cause material to flake off and deposit on undesired surfaces such as the susceptor. When material accumulates onto the susceptor, the susceptor may not function effectively. Thus, the processing chamber may periodically need to be cleaned to remove undesired material deposits.
Additionally, dielectric material may be deposited onto the substrate in other chambers. Whenever the chamber is opened to permit a substrate to enter and/or exit the chamber, dielectric material may enter into the chamber. The dielectric material may be present in the other chamber and flow into the chamber where it may condense on the chamber surfaces, including the susceptor. If the susceptor is an electrostatic chuck and sufficient dielectric material builds up on the susceptor, the electrostatic charge of the susceptor, when biased, may be shielded by the dielectric material and prevent the substrate from being attracted to the susceptor. If there is sufficient dielectric material built up on the susceptor, the substrate may pop off of the susceptor due to insufficient electrostatic charge, possibly resulting in damage to the substrate and/or chamber components.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and a method to clean a processing chamber.


A method of forming a gas turbine engine component, the method including forming a plurality of cooling apertures in a preform structure of the component, the plurality of cooling apertures of the preform structure comprising a first cooling aperture and a second cooling aperture, wherein cross-sectional shapes of the first and second cooling apertures of the preform structure are different from one another, as measured in a same relative plane; and applying a coating to at least a portion of the preform structure to form the component, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first and second cooling apertures of the component are approximately the same as one another, as measured in the same relative plane.

Gas turbine engines include compressors in which engine air is pressurized. Gas turbine engines also include a combustor in which pressurized air is mixed with fuel to generate hot combustion gases. In typical designs (e.g., for aircraft engines or stationary power systems), energy is extracted from the gases in a high pressure turbine (HPT) which powers the compressor, and from a low pressure turbine (LTP). The low pressure turbine powers a fan in a turbofan aircraft engine application, or powers an external shaft for marine and industrial applications.
Many gas turbine engines utilize various cooling systems to accommodate relatively high temperatures therein. For example, certain engine components may be exposed to hot gases having temperatures up to about 3800° F. (2093° C.), for aircraft applications, and up to about 2700° F. (1482° C.), for the stationary power generation applications. To cool the components exposed to the hot gases, these "hot gas path" components may have both internal convection and external film cooling.
In the case of film cooling, a number of cooling holes may extend from a relatively cool surface of the component to a "hot" surface of the component. The cooling holes are usually cylindrical bores which are inclined at a shallow angle, through a wall of the component. Film cooling is an important mechanism for temperature control, since it decreases incident heat flux from hot gases to the surfaces of components. A number of techniques may be used to form the cooling holes; depending on various factors, e.g., the necessary depth and shape of the hole. Laser drilling, water jet cutting, and electro-discharge machining (EDM) are techniques frequently used for forming film cooling holes. The film cooling holes are typically arranged in rows of closely-spaced holes, which collectively may provide a large-area cooling blanket over the external surface.
The coolant air is typically compressed air that is bled off the compressor, which is then bypassed around the engine's combustion zone, and fed through the cooling holes to the hot surface. The coolant forms a protective "film" between the hot component surface and the hot gas flow, thereby helping protect the component from heating. Furthermore, protective coatings, such as for example, thermal barrier coatings (MCA may be employed on the hot surface to increase the operating temperature of the components.
Various considerations are important in designing the most appropriate film cooling system. For example, a certain volume of air is usually required to flow over the hot surface of the component, and it may be beneficial for a significant portion of that air to stay attached to the hot surface, for as long as possible. Moreover, since a large number of film cooling holes require a larger amount of air to be bled off the engine compressor, engine efficiency may suffer if too many cooling holes are present. Furthermore, since future turbine engine designs may involve even higher operating temperatures, Unproved film cooling systems may take on even greater importance.
With these considerations in mind, new methods and structures for improving film coating cooling capabilities in gas turbine engines would be welcome in the art.

Gas turbine engines and methods associated therewith


Apparatus for monitoring the alignment of marking lasers in a room for diagnosis and/or treatment in the radiation therapy, characterized by a housing, which is provided with holding means for the installation in the room and which has the following a linearly extending photosensor and an analyzing unit, which compares the position of the light generated by the laser on the photosensor with a reference position, and generates a corresponding signal upon a deviation of the measured position from the reference position.

The present invention is related to an apparatus for monitoring the alignment of marking lasers in rooms for diagnosis and/or treatment in the radiation therapy.
In the radiation therapy, different diagnostic imaging methods are used, which give information about a possible tumour disease as well as about size, shape and position of the tumour. In order to successfully relocate the position of the tumour on a therapeutic device at a later time of irradiation, it is necessary to transmit the spatial information of the diagnostic data to the therapeutic device. For the transmission of the data, it is a conventional method to indicate the isocentre, established in the diagnostic imaging and the subsequent irradiation planning and being the centre of the tumour at the same time, through the projection of laser lines and to mark it on the body of the patient. With the aid of these markings on the patient's body, the patient can be realigned anew at a later time. For example, when the marking has taken place in a diagnostic imaging process, the patient can be aligned anew in the therapy room with respect to fixedly installed lasers, which are aligned to the isocentre of the therapeutic machine and are fine-adjusted. In order to ensure high quality in the alignment, it is necessary to check the alignment, the fine alignment of the lasers in particular.


An inexpensive software copy protection arrangement prevents the unauthorized use of customized software for a private branch exchange switch. The arrangement employs a process which recognizes the signature of typical unauthorized activities and freezes the administration capability of the private branch exchange switch when such signature is detected. By freezing the administrative capabilities, the addition, removal or change of an administrative port, extension or routing pattern on the private branch exchange switch is prevented.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to copy protection of software and more particular to copy protection of software for use in a private branch exchange switch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Today's private branch exchange (PBX) switches are relatively complex systems that require extensive customized software to handle the many features available to users operating telecommunications equipment within these systems. This software is normally acquired by a purchaser from a vendor or manufacturer of the system through the purchase of a software license when the PBX switch is initially installed, or when subsequent upgrades to the software are acquired.
A secondary market has evolved for some PBX switches. In this market, a pirate purchases the switch from a legitimate owner, receives physical possession of the customized software for the switch and relocates the switch in a different central office serving area. The pirate next attempts to use the customized software for the switch in violation of the software licensing agreement between the vendor or manufacturer of the switch and the original purchaser of the switch. The impact of this secondary market can easily amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars in loss revenue to developers of customized software for PBX switches.
A number of software locking arrangements have emerged for guarding against software piracy of customized software for use with a PBX switch. A first well-known arrangement is the hardware key arrangement. The hardware key arrangement requires firmware that plugs into a processor that is associated with the switch software. The firmware is designed to be difficult to clone and to reverse engineer. The copy protection is provided by virtue of the difficulty in reproducing the firmware or hardware key.
A second well-known arrangement for the protection of customized software for use with a PBX switch is the license manager arrangement. The license manager arrangement is a software based arrangement wherein the vendor embeds encrypted registration information in the customized software. This registration information may be, for example, either the customer's licensed serial number or the customer's site location. Any attempt to operate without entering this encrypted registration information results in the protected program ceasing to operate.
Although both of these software locking arrangements provide reasonable protection against the unauthorized use of customized software for a PBX switch appearing on the secondary market, each of these arrangements have significant implementation costs as well as continuing administration costs. This is due mainly because of the requirement for maintaining and staffing databases for these arrangements at the PBX vendor's centralized locations.

Copy protection of software for use in a private branch exchange switch


A protective undergarment, such as trousers or a shirt intended for use under other clothing, employs seamless welding to permanently affix one or more protective pad segments to the main body of material. An ultra-sonic welding process may be employed. Thus, a welding material, such as a suitable polymeric film, may be used to fuse a small-area fabric member to the main body material of the undergarment, so as to form a pocket for a pad segment. To ensure that the pad segment does not fold or otherwise move within the pocket, at least one channel may be formed within the pad segment to allow welding within the interior of the pad segment.

A range of factors must be considered in the construction of protective padded undergarments worn during participation in physical activities, such as contact sports. In particular, the factors include the comfort, the flexibility and the evaporative cooling enabled by the protective padded undergarments.
The conventional protective padded undergarment is an assembly composed of a fabric undergarment with one or more padded foam assemblies in which soft pad components are permanently attached to the fabric undergarment by sewing and/or adhesives.
A padded foam assembly of the conventional protective padded undergarment is typically a lamination comprised of a pad component, such as foam, and a fabric overlayer component. Typically, the foam component is affixed to the fabric overlayer using an adhesive. However, by fixing the fabric overlayer component to the pad component of the assembly using adhesive, the flexibility of the assembly is limited to the properties of the least flexible portion of the assembly.
Moreover, by laminating the fabric overlayer of the padded foam assembly to the foam component of the assembly by means of adhesive, there are limitations on the ability of the assembly to allow the flow of body heat and moisture generated by the wearer. These limitations are significant if "webbing type" film adhesive is used, but are even more objectionable if non "webbing type" adhesive is applied to at least one of the components.
In the conventional protective padded undergarment, the padded foam assembly is permanently attached to the fabric undergarment by stitching the perimeter of the assembly to the adjacent surface of the fabric undergarment. The flexibility properties of the thread-and-stitch design limits the stretching properties of the conventional protective padded undergarment, since the flexibility of the fabric area encompassed by the stitching is limited to the combined flexibility properties of the thread material and the particular stitch pattern.
Another concern with stitching the padding subassembly to the adjacent surface of the fabric undergarment is that it creates an abrasive raised thread surface on which the seam is exposed. This abrasive seam acts as a potential irritant to the skin of the wearer.


A portable remote support device comprises a processing unit, a network communication unit configured to communicate with a cloud service, a video capturing unit, at least one video input port and at least one output port. The processing unit is configured to communicate video signals received via the video input port to the cloud service via the network communication unit, and to emulate pointing device signals and/or keyboard signals received via the network communication unit on said at least one output port. The portable remote support device is configured to obtain unique secure tokens.

Most computer equipment, such as Personal Computers (PCs), servers, routers, switches, IoT devices, robots, household appliances, etc., will at some point during its lifetime require support for, e.g., setup, connection and hardware failures, malfunction, software updates, restarts after a power loss, or the like.
Computer equipment, such as servers and/or PCs, often contains information which is critical to operations, and the physical and virtual access to them is therefore often restricted. Virtual access is often restricted by layers of antivirus/anti-spyware/anti-malware software, secure network setups, and security policies preventing virtual and/or physical access to the computer equipment by prohibiting unknown hardware, such as USB-devices, to be connected to the servers. Furthermore, network problems may occur with respect to a communication network which the equipment is connected to. Similarly, physical access is typically restricted e.g. by the server room being securely locked with only a few IT-competent, trusted employees being granted access. These trusted employees have a basic understanding of computer equipment, but may not have the necessary skillset to handle more complex situations.
Thus, a specialised technician is typically required to set up and support the computer equipment. In order to do so, the specialised technician will typically need access to an input device, such as a mouse and/or a keyboard, as well as a display showing e.g. the screen output of a PC/server. The specialised technician might additionally or instead need a supporting device, such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a PC, to communicate with and/or sending commands to the computer equipment over e.g. a serial connection. Hence, the input devices, display and/or the supporting device will need to be connected to the computer equipment.
A need for higher efficiency and reduced downtime has made "remote access" solutions increasingly popular in recent years. However, existing solutions have some critical limitations as they need 1) Internet connection or 2) "fully working computer". Downtime is often caused by these two factors, resulting in a need of a physical presence by a specialised technician.
The support of computer equipment, therefore, typically requires a specialised technician to be physically present whilst supporting the computer equipment. Thus, a specialised technician may either be located on-site or travel to the equipment every time support is needed.
Many companies have centralised specialised technicians, and having them travel to various locations will be very expensive and the response time will be too long. Reducing downtime is critical as a company may be completely or partially prohibited from operations, thus leading to high costs for the companies including losses in goodwill and reputation.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,595,321 discloses a remote control support system providing a simple way to allow remote users to access a computer in a variety of circumstances, even when no software is installed on the computer. In some cases, the system includes a hardware device to simulate most USB mice, keyboards, storage devices, camera sensors (to capture a screen display), etc. The hardware device can communicate with a remote computer (via a network connection) to allow a user, such as a remote technician, to work on the remote computer as if the user was sitting at the remote computer. Information technology professionals and other users can use the described systems to communicate with a user at a remote computer in a natural way to communicate via voice, video or chat with online messaging.
Thereby, a technician may be located remotely and through a network connection connect a supporting device, i.e. a remote computer, to a remote support device, which is powered and connected to a piece of computer equipment to be supported. Through this network connection, the technician can send, e.g., mouse commands, keystrokes or other communication to the piece of computer equipment to be supported.
This, however, requires the remote support device to be set up in place and powered, before the technician can connect to the remote support device. Thus, the remote support device must be installed permanently, which allows a remote support device to support only one piece of computer equipment. Consequently, this may require a large initial installation time of the remote support device as well as high costs by having one remote support device per computer equipment.
Alternatively, the remote support device may be moved and connected to another piece of computer equipment by a trusted person by disconnecting, moving and reconnecting the remote support device to the other piece of computer equipment. The technician will then have to reconnect to the remote support device upon every movement of the computer equipment. Moreover, in an environment, e.g. a server room, with power outages, the technician will lose the connection to the remote support device and needs to reconnect with every power loss. Furthermore, the technician may have to remain in contact with the trusted person during the movement of the remote support device, e.g. over the phone, to provide information regarding whether the device has been connected correctly or not.
WO 2013/023195 discloses a network device and a method for remote computer operation. The network device comprises a processor, an interface for emulating a human interface device, a video input, and a data storage for storing data from a target device or transferring data to the target device. The network device further comprises a first network interface, and is configured to provide control of a target device, through the interface for emulating a human interface device.


A transportable basketball system having components which are arrangeable in a play configuration during which a basketball-related game can be played, and also in a transport configuration during which said transportable basketball system can be easily transported between a sand covered outdoor environment and a remote location. Preferably, the transportable basketball system comprises a wind-transmissive backboard structure having a backboard surface disposed substantially within a first plane, bounded by a frame structure, and characterized by a high degree of air permeability (i.e. transmissivity) across said backboard surface so that air currents, expected on said covered environment, can pass therethrough with minimal resistance, yet deflect a lightweight basketball when tossed thereagainst during basketball-related games. A basketball hoop structure, defining an opening through which a basketball can be passed during basketball-related games, is operably connected to the wind-transmissive backboard structure. The basketball hoop structure is generally disposed within a second plane substantially perpendicular to the first plane when the transportable basketball system is arranged in its play configuration. A pole assembly, including a plurality of arrangeable pole sections, is provided for supporting the wind-transmissive backboard structure at a height above the surface of a sand bed located in the sand covered outdoor environment. A pole anchoring device, driveable beneath the sand bed, is also provided for supporting the pole assembly in a substantially plumb orientation during the play configuration.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a novel transportable basketball system for enabling the safe playing of basketball-related games on beaches, shorelines and other sand covered outdoor environments where the forces of wind and turbulent airstreams can be strong and unpredictable.
2. Brief Description of the Invention
Annually, millions of people, both young and old, travel to beaches, lakes and shorelines to enjoy the sand, surf and sun. To pas the time and have fun, these beach goers toss Frisbee® discs and balls, and play various types of games including volleyball, badminton, and horseshoes. About a decade and a half ago, a modified version of basketball, called "beach basketball" was invented by Philip Bryant on the physical education fields of Gulf Shores School. This game is played on a circular court formed on the beach, and uses a hoop goal without a backboard structure, enabling a basketball to be passed through the hoop from any direction on the circular court. In accordance with game regulations published on the World Beach Basketball® WWW site at http://www.beachbasketball.com, there are no out of bounds conditions, and no time clocks, thus providing for non-stop action and play. Ball movement is carried out by passing or taking 2½ steps and then passing the ball. Dribbling the ball is not allowed.
While the game of beach basketball described above has evolved from a tremendously effective skill improvement game, to a very popular, widespread competitive beach sport, it nevertheless suffers from a number of shortcomings and drawbacks.
In particular, it involves equipment which is bulky and difficult to install in the sand. In particular, the associated pole structure requires permanent or semi-permanent installation involving the excavation of deep holes of at least 3-4 feet deep, and possibly the adding of a cementous mixture to secure the pole structure with the ground in order to safely support the hoop structure of this prior art basketball system. Consequently, this prior art design basketball system design is not suitable for simple and convenient installation and use by parents and grandparents supervising several young children who want to play a basketball-related game on the beach for an afternoon, and thereafter want to dissemble and transport the system back home with the ease of installing and using a beach umbrella.
Moreover, this prior art basketball system does not have a backboard structure for making bank-type shots, and visually-tracking the location of the hoop structure through which players seek to pass a ball during game play.
Efforts to add a conventional backboard structure to prior art beach basketball systems, as described above, will require even more massive basketball pole subsystems, and pole anchoring measures, to support the weight of the backboard structure against gravitational forces, and prevent the resulting structure from being blown down by forceful air currents and sand streams produced by gusts of winds typically expected along beaches, oceanfronts, lakes and shorelines. Such resulting structures will necessarily require careful planning in designated areas and involve permanent installation methods practiced only by highly trained recreational engineers and construction workers.
Thus, there is a great need in the art for an improved way of and means for enabling parents, grandparents and others to safely play basketball-related games on beaches, ocean-fronts, lake-fronts, shorelines and other sand covered outdoor environments, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art systems and methodologies.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Transportable basketball system having wind-transmissive backboard structure and sand-anchorable post assembly for safely playing basketball-related games on beaches, shorelines and other sand-covered outdoor environments


A concrete mix casting equipment that can be dismountably attached to a crane, and method for controlling the same, by controlling motion of the casting equipment in the horizontal plane by moving the crane, and by controlling a substantially vertical motion of the casting equipment during the operation of the casting equipment by vertically moving the lifting element of the crane such that this engages the upper part of a lower frame of the casting equipment, thereby moving the lower frame of the casting equipment vertically relative to an upper frame of the casting equipment.

1. Field
The disclosure relates to concrete mix casting equipment to be dismountably attached to a crane. More precisely, the disclosure relates to a method for controlling casting equipment to be dismountably attached to a crane particularly in the vertical direction, and to casting equipment to be dismountably attached to a crane and provided with said control system.
2. Description of Related Art
Casting equipment to be dismountably attached to a crane is known from the prior art. Such casting equipment is used for pouring concrete mix to various different molds, such as to horizontal table molds or vertical battery molds. Generally such casting equipment to be attached to a crane is used in element factories which are not provided with separate casting equipment arranged in connection with the molds for conveying the concrete mix to the casting mold.
When necessary, such casting equipment to be attached to a crane can also be used for temporarily raising the production capacity of an element factory.
Nearly all facilities used in element production are provided with at least one crane moving above the manufacturing space, the type of said crane often being a bridge crane, for moving cast elements from molds to storage. Thus the casting equipment to be attached to a crane can be used within a fairly wide area in the element factory.
In the art, casting equipment to be dismountably attached to a crane is set in place by attaching the casting equipment to a bridge crane by intermediation of the hook of the crane, and by lifting the casting equipment up, to the crane carriage, so that the casting equipment is at the top edge set against suitable surfaces of the crane carriage, and thus firmly supported against the crane carriage. By means of said supporting against the crane carriage, there is obtained a stable, non-swinging and firm fastening of the casting equipment to the crane, which keeps the casting equipment in the right position, also when the equipment is moved by intermediation of the crane.
The casting equipment attached to the crane is on the horizontal plane moved by moving the bridge crane along its rails, and by moving the bridge crane carriage. The vertical motion required in the casting equipment for the mix container thereof and for the pouring gate provided therein is created by specific means provided in the casting equipment, said means comprising a vertically sliding fastening of the mix container to the casting equipment, and a motor for vertically moving the mix container.
Because a regular casting machine fastened to a crane is attached to the crane through the crane hook, the vertical lifting capacity of the crane cannot be used for anything else while the casting machine is in operation. In addition, regular casting machines fastened to a crane are heavy in structure and need a considerable amount of energy while the casting machine is in operation. Moreover, a casting machine fastened to a crane is separated from all other possible automatics of the factory, and it is controlled manually, which hinders the controlling of other processes in the factory and causes potential problems, for example in the form of collisions both with other moving process equipment, such as concrete mix transport devices, and with stationary elements in the factory, such as columns and walls in the factory hall.

Method for controlling a concrete mix casting equipment dismountably attached to a crane and a concrete mix casting equipment dismountably attached to a crane


A liquid developer includes a carrier liquid having insulation property, colored particles, and an organic high molecular compound. The organic high molecular compound is dissolved in the carrier liquid. The organic high molecular compound includes elastomer A that is a styrene-butadiene-based elastomer not having an acid group or a basic group and elastomer B that is a styrene-based elastomer having an acid group or a basic group. A content of the elastomer A in the liquid developer is 6% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less, and a content of the elastomer B in the liquid developer is 0.4% by mass or more and 0.8% by mass or less. The colored particles include aniline black.

The present disclosure relates to liquid developers and image forming methods using liquid developers.
Generally, development methods for visualizing an electrostatic latent image using charged colored particles are largely divided into dry-type development methods and wet-type development methods. Of these, used in the wet-type development method is a liquid developer obtained by dispersing colored particles in a carrier liquid having electrical insulation property. The charged colored particles in the liquid developer move from the surface of the development roller to the surface of the photosensitive drum according to the principle of electrophoresis, and visualize the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum. The image thus obtained is transferred from the photosensitive drum onto the recording medium. Since the liquid developer has little possibility of causing scattering of colored particles in the air, it is possible to use fine colored particles having an average particle diameter in submicron size. As a result, it is possible to obtain a high-resolution and high-quality image having excellent tones.
Among image forming methods using the wet-type development methods, a thermal fixing method and an optical fixing method are known as methods for fixing onto a recording medium, an image formed with colored particles. The thermal fixing method is a method for fixing toner onto the recording medium by thermally melting the binder resin, in the case of using the toner in which the colored particles are obtained by dispersing a pigment in the binder resin. The optical fixing method is a method for fixing toner onto the recording medium by using a binder resin having a photoreactive functional group as the binder resin and polymerizing the binder resin by light, in the case of using the toner in which the colored particles are obtained by dispersing a pigment in the binder resin.
However, the thermal fixing method and the optical fixing method require a large amount of thermal energy or light energy for fixing the colored particles onto the recording medium. Thus, in order to reduce the energy consumption in the wet-type development method, there suggested is a liquid developer that includes: a carrier liquid having electrical insulation property, colored particles dispersed in the carrier liquid, and an organic high molecular compound for fixing the colored particles onto the recording medium. This liquid developer characteristically shows that an organic high molecular compound is dissolved in the carrier liquid, and the pigment is used for the colored particles.

Liquid developer and image forming method


A locking device for use in retaining rotationally interengaged components in engagement with one another, the device comprising a body member (16) adapted to be located between adjacent interengaging formations (13, 14) on the components to prevent relative rotation of the components, and a wire retaining member (17) adapted to locate the body member in position, the retaining member comprising at least two hook-like members (18) engaged in spaced apertures (20) in the body member, each hook-like member having first and second portions (18B, 18C) extending beyond the body member into engagement with inner and outer surfaces of one of the components.

This invention relates to means for interlocking adjacent components of rotating assemblies to prevent relative rotation between them. The invention is especially, but not exclusively, applicable to devices for interlocking rotary components of gas turbine engines.
In the construction of turbines for gas turbine engines, a circumferential array of radially-extending turbine blades are mounted on the periphery of a turbine disc by engagement of fir tree or other formations at the blade roots with complementary formations formed around the periphery of the disc. Axial movement of the blades relative to the disc is prevented by annular end or seal plates which locate over the interengaged formations and also act as a seal between cooling air flowing through the fir tree formations to the interior of the turbine blades and combustion gases flowing around the turbine blades.
Typically such seal plates are secured in place by means of cooperating radially extending projections and lugs spaced apart around the respective components and arranged such that during assembly the seal plate may be moved axially into engagement with the rotor disc and then rotated to bring the projections and lugs into positions in which they interfere with one another and retain the seal plate in engagement with the disc. Components interconnected in this manner are referred to herein and in the appended claims as xe2x80x9crotationally interengaged componentsxe2x80x9d.
Once engaged, the rotor disc and seal plate are locked against relative rotation by means of at least one locking device adapted to be inserted into one of the gaps between adjacent interengaged projections and lugs, the locking device being operable to prevent relative rotation of the disc and seal plate and thus retain the projections and lugs in their interengaged positions. The or each locking device is retained in position by a retaining member adapted to be deformed around a portion of the seal plate.
Previously proposed locking devices for this purpose have suffered from a number of disadvantages. In particular they have required complex machining operations during production and are prone to fretting corrosion and cracking resulting from stresses generated during engine operation.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a locking device for use in retaining rotationally interengaged components in engagement with one another, the device comprising a body member adapted to be located between adjacent interengaging formations on the components in a manner to prevent relative rotation of the components, and a retaining member adapted to locate the body member in position, the retaining member being formed from wire and comprising at least two hook-like members engaged in spaced apertures in said body member, each hook-like member having first and second portions thereof extending beyond said body member into engagement with inner and outer surfaces of one of said components.
Preferably the components comprise a rotor disc and seal plate of a turbine assembly, said portions of said retaining member extending radially outwardly of said body member into engagement with adjacent inner and outer surfaces of said seal plate.
Thus the invention also provides a locking device for retaining a rotationally interengaged seal plate and rotor disc of a gas turbine engine in engagement with one another, the device comprising a body member shaped and dimensioned to form a close fit within a gap between adjacent interengaged lugs and projections on the seal plate and rotor disc, and a retaining member formed from wire and comprising at least two hook-like members engaged in spaced apertures in said body member, each hook-like member having first and second portions extending beyond said body member into engagement with inner and outer surfaces of said seal plate.
Preferably the spacing between said hook-like members differs slightly from the spacing between said apertures in the body member, whereby the retaining member is maintained under tension or compression.
Preferably the retaining member is formed by bending from a single length of wire. Preferably said wire and said apertures are of circular cross-section and of substantially the same diameter, whereby the hook-like members are a close fit in the associated apertures.
Preferably also the opposite ends of the apertures in said body member are of tapered, chamfered or other outwardly increasing cross-section whereby to maximise surface contact between the walls of the aperture and the wire.
The invention also comprises a turbine rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine incorporating a locking device according to the preceding paragraphs.
Thus the invention further provides a turbine rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising a rotor disc having a plurality of blades secured at the periphery thereof, an annular seal plate engageable with said disc to retain said blades against axial movement relative to the disc, means for releasably securing the seal plate to the disc in abutting relationship, said means including circumferentially spaced cooperating formations in the form of projections and recesses on the seal plate and the disc adapted for axial engagement and relative circumferential movement to secure the seal plate to the disc, and a locking device to lock the seal plate and disc against relative rotational movement, the locking device comprising a body member engageable in a gap between adjacent interengaged formations and a retaining member formed by bending from a single length of wire to form a pair of side-by-side hook-like elements each adapted to pass through an associated aperture in said body member and having inner and outer portions thereof extending beyond said body member into engagement with inner and outer surfaces of said seal plate to retain the body member in position in said gap.


A device for detecting a digital bit in an optical disc reproducing apparatus, where the optical disc reproducing apparatus has an optical pick-up for picking up an RF signal from information pits formed in the optical disc, and where the device includes first bit detecting means for detecting bit data from the RF signal, compensating value generating means for selectively generating a certain compensating value according to the state of arrangement of the bit data detected in the first bit detecting means, and amplitude adjusting means for adjusting an amplitude of the RF signal within a certain section thereof according to the certain compensating value generated in the compensating value generating means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc reproducing apparatus, and more particularly, to a device for detecting a digital bit in an optical disc reproducing apparatus, which can minimize occurrence of errors in reproducing a digital bit from a radio frequency(RF) signal received at the optical disc reproducing apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A general optical disc, such as a compact disc, digital audio disc and digital video disc, stores digital bit data of "1" or "0" in forms of pits which vary a reflection ratio or a refractive index of a light beam. These pits, formed by a light beam of relatively high energy, compose tracks on an information recording surface of the optical disc. In order to prevent the light beam from being off the track due to excessive direct current component generated during a reproduction, the digital bit data is formatted such that logical values of "1" or "0" are not in succession more than a certain times, for example, in the case of 8-14 modulated data, no more than 3 to 11 times so that the RF signal picked up from the optical disc by an optical pick-up is always within a specified range of width. The specified range of width herein is 3T to 11T.
In the meantime, the optical disc can not be formed to have a uniform plane, but is formed to have a slight asymmetrical plane due to a mechanical tolerance. And, spots of a light beam directed onto a surface of the optical disc can not be made always to have a fixed size and form due to a mechanical tolerance of the optical pick-up, too. Because of these reasons, the width of the RF signal picked up from the optical disc by the optical pick-up either exceeds or falls short of the specified range to occur an error in a digital bit.
However, it is a current trend to form the pits as closer as possible on the optical disc for recording a larger amount of data. But this high concentration of pits causes interferences between the pits, accelerating the problem of noise component occurrence in the RF signal and acting as a cause increasing an error occurrence rate in a digital bit data. In order to minimize such error occurrence in the digital bit data, a digital bit data reproducing device employs a method in which the RF signals are adaptively interpolated according to a transmission rate of the RF signal. However, because of the asymmetry of the optical disc and the focusing errors of the light beam, this adaptive interpolation method could not have been possible to correct distortions of the RF signals coming from the interference, though it could have been possible to remove relatively small noise components. Because of this, the digital bit reproducing device for an optical disc has a problem in that an amount of error in the digital bit data can not be reduced below a certain limit.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the same applicant has applied the Korean Patent No.95-55629 related to a device for reproducing a digital bit in an optical disc reproducing apparatus, which will be explained briefly, hereinafter.
In the device for reproducing a digital bit in an optical disc reproducing apparatus by the applicant, a RF signal reproduced from an optical pick-up is converted into a digital RF data, subjected to adaptive interpolation according to a transmission rate, and corrected of an asymmetry error of the optical disc. The RF data having corrected of the asymmetry error is taken of its absolute value to restore the digital bit. In this RF data adaptive interpolation method, a clock signal corresponding to the transmission rate of the RF data is generated using a digital synchronous loop, and a logical value of the RF signal is adjusted at fixed phases of the clock signal. This adaptive interpolation method makes interpolation of the RF data bit by bit, allowing removal of a momentary excessive noise, i.e., a noise component coming from a focusing error of the light beam, but not allowing the correction of a RF data distortion coming from interferences between pits; a width of the RF signal that falls short of the specified range can not be corrected to be within the specified range and the asymmetry correction to be within the specified range is also not possible though removal of the momentary noise component coming from a tilting of the optical disc is possible. Because of this, the conventional digital bit reproducing device in an optical disc reproducing apparatus has a problem in that occurrence of errors in a digital bit data can not be reduced below a certain limit because the correction of the distortion of the RF signal coming from interferences between pits in the optical disc is not possible.

Device for detecting digital bit in optical disc reproducing apparatus


In accordance with the objectives of the invention a new water soluble negative photoresist is provided for packing-and-unpacking (PAU) processing steps.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the fabrication of integrated circuit devices, and more particularly, to particular chemistries for negative photoresist.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Integrated semiconductor devices comprise electronic circuits of sub-micron and deep sub-micron dimensions and are typically created in or on the surface of a silicon substrate. The creation of semiconductor devices is supported by sophisticated and interacting, mutually supporting disciplines.
Device features are transposed from a mask onto a semiconductor surface using photolithographic imaging processes. Since this exposure depends on the transfer of photo energy from a source to a target surface, it is to be expected that, for target features that are created in very close proximity to each other, the transfer of photo energy interacts for very closely spaced device features, most commonly interconnect lines or contact holes having sub-micron spacing between adjacent lines.
A common measure for the occurrence of such interaction are applications where the Critical Dimensions (CD) of the layout of the Integrated Circuit (IC) approach the resolution limit of the lithography equipment. For such applications, proximity effects begin to influence the manner in which mask images are transferred to target surfaces. This interaction imposes limitations on the proximity of adjacent device features, these limitations are referred to as Critical Dimensions (CD) of a design and device layout.
Related application (TS01-376), filed on Nov. 30, 2001, Ser. No. 10/002,986, addresses problems and limitations that are encountered when creating openings on a semiconductor surface such as the surface of a layer of photoresist or the surface of a semiconductor substrate. This application provides two masks. The first mask, referred to as the packed mask, comprises the desired contact holes, which are part of the creation of a semiconductor device. To the packed mask are added padding holes in order to increase and condense the hole density of the packed mask. The second mask, referred to as the unpacking mask, comprises openings at the same locations as the locations of the padding holes of the first mask, the openings provided in the second mask have slightly larger dimensions than the padding holes of the first mask. A first exposure is made using the packed mask, a second exposure of the same surface area is made using the unpacking mask. The unpacking mask is used to selectively cover the padding contact holes, resulting in the final image. Two types of unpacking masks can be used, a first type having unpacking holes that surround the desired hole pattern, a second type having unpacking holes that align with the desired hole pattern.
Related application (TS01-463), filed on Dec. 5, 2001, Ser. No. 10/005,806 provides a method of creating contact holes using a packing and unpacking procedure, further applying a phase-shift mask. The Depth Of Focus (DOF) and Mask Error Factor (MEF) of closely packed holes can be improved using Alternating Phase Shifting Mask (Alt PSM) for the exposure of the holes. However, the Alt PSM is dependent on hole density or hole separation and is less effective where holes are relatively further separated from each other. In order to improve DOF and MEF performance for the creation of holes, the application adds extra holes to a given pattern of contact holes on the surface of a first mask, thus densifying the pattern of holes on the first mask and therefore reducing the range of the hole-diameter to hole separation ratio. The pattern of added holes is alternating in phase with the pattern of desired holes. The added holes will be filled up using a second mask.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,634 (Ham) shows a contact hole process using a double exposure photoresist process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,741 (Kemp) shows a double exposure process with mask shifting and phase shifting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,b44 (Shimizu) shows a double exposure process with a phase shift masks (PSM).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,461 (Abe), U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,092 (McCulloch et al.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,196 (Frechet et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,113 (Frechet et al.) are related patents.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


Provides high vinyl, radial multi-block styrene-butadiene-styrene-containing hot melt adhesive compositions that are radiation-curable to yield pressure-sensitive adhesive films with improved peel adhesion and cohesive strength, especially at elevated temperatures. These pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes are ideally suited for tape and label applications requiring good cohesive strength at elevated temperatures and yet are readily removed from painted or other surfaces leaving no adhesive residue.

Hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives are very popular for use in tapes and labels primarily because the inherent tackiness at room temperature allows them to adhere to substrates even after they have cooled from their molten state. Labels and tapes may be coated with hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives and laminated with release liner allowing end users to adhere or seal them at a later time.
Multi-block copolymers known for use in hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive formulations include, for example, poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene) and poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene). These multi-block copolymers are usually formulated with tackifiers and oils to form hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesives.
The use of block copolymers in adhesive applications has grown in recent years. Their advantage over homopolymers or random copolymers such as natural rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber relates to their shear and high temperature performance. This derives from the persistence of polystyrene phase structure in the tackified adhesive formulations. These high glass transition temperature (Tg) domains function as physical cross-links, or fillers, which enhance modulus at high temperature and/or creep resistance over long periods of time.
The use of high vinyl styrene-butadiene-styrene polymers in radiation curable adhesives is known and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,039 (De Crane et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,582 (Debier et al).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,039 describes block copolymers for use in hot melt adhesive compositions. These block copolymers comprise poly(vinylaromatic) and poly(butadiene) blocks and have a vinyl content in the range of 25 to 75% by weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,582 describes block copolymers for user in radiation curable adhesive compositions. These comprise a block of polymerized styrene and a block of polybutadiene having a vinyl content in the range 35 to 70% by weight.
Despite the prior art relating to adhesive compositions containing radiation curable block copolymers, it would be an advantage to provide block copolymers which demonstrate improved UV or EB radiation sensitivity in hot melt compositions whilst showing a superior balance of peel and tack over the known compositions.
This invention relates to superior adhesive compositions comprising styrenic multi-block copolymers having good heat resistance properties. These compositions may be used in pressure sensitive tape and label applications.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an adhesive composition suitable as a radiation-curable hot melt adhesive or radiation-curable hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive, which composition has excellent flexibility at low temperature, good compatibility with a variety of the additives used in various hot melt adhesive compositions, a comparatively low melt viscosity to permit easy coating work at low temperature, small change of the melt viscosity at different temperatures, excellent process stability, and excellent adhesion, peel, tack and cohesion.
Briefly, this object and other objects of the present invention as hereinafter will become more readily apparent can be attained by the use of at least one block copolymer comprising a high vinyl radial multi-block styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer.
The present invention provides high vinyl, radial multi-block styrene-butadiene-styrene-containing hot melt adhesive compositions that are radiation-curable to yield pressure-sensitive adhesive films with improved peel adhesion and cohesive strength, especially at elevated temperatures. The pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes of the invention are ideally suited for tape and label applications requiring good cohesive strength at elevated temperatures and yet are readily removed from painted or other surfaces leaving no adhesive residue.
The present invention provides a radiation-curable hot-melt adhesive composition which comprises:
(a) from about 5% to about 40% by weight of at least one high vinyl, radial multi-block styrene-butadiene copolymer;
(b) from about 30% to about 80% by weight of at least one solid tackifier;
(c) from about 0.05% to about 5% by weight of at least one photoinitiator;
(d) from about 0% to about 15% by weight of at least one high vinyl, linear styrene-butadiene-styrene or multi-block styrene-butadiene copolymer;
(e) from about 0% to about 15% by weight of at least one high diblock conventional low vinyl styrene-butadiene-styrene or styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer;
(f) from about 0% to about 40% by weight of at least one oil or liquid tackifier; and
(g) from about 0% to about 3% by weight of at least one antioxidant.
The term xe2x80x9cadhesivexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cadhesive compositionxe2x80x9d, as used hereinafter means an adhesive or adhesive composition including a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition, respectively.
The term xe2x80x9chot melt adhesivexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chot melt adhesive compositionxe2x80x9d, as used hereinafter, means an adhesive or adhesive composition which is used for adhesion which is effected by melting an adhesive or adhesive composition by heating, applying it to an adherend in a molten state and then solidifying it at low temperature. The term xe2x80x9cpressure-sensitive adhesivexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cpressure-sensitive adhesive compositionxe2x80x9d, as used hereinafter, means an adhesive or adhesive composition which carries out pressure sensitive adhesion with tack. The term xe2x80x9chot melt pressure-sensitive adhesivexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive compositionxe2x80x9d as used hereinafter means an adhesive or adhesive composition which, upon production of adhesive goods such as adhesive tapes and adhesive sheets by applying an adhesive or adhesive composition to a base material such as paper, cloth or plastic film, is capable of forming a layer of the pressure-sensitive adhesive or pressure-sensitive adhesive composition on the base material by applying it to the base material as a hot-melt.
The term xe2x80x9chigh vinylxe2x80x9d as used herein is intended to mean having a vinyl content of 20% or higher, preferably 40% to 70%.
The term xe2x80x9chigh diblockxe2x80x9d as used herein is intended to mean having a diblock content of 30% or higher, preferably greater than 50%.
The term xe2x80x9ctackifierxe2x80x9d as used herein means any composition which is useful to impart tack to the hot melt adhesive composition. ASTM D-1878-1T defines tack as xe2x80x9cthe property of a material which enables it to form a bond of measurable strength immediately on contact with another surfacexe2x80x9d.
The term xe2x80x9cradiation-curable adhesivexe2x80x9d as used herein means an adhesive composition which is curable upon exposure to actinic and/or ionizing radiation. The term xe2x80x9ccurablexe2x80x9d is used herein in its conventional sense as meaning capable of forming covalent cross-links.
The term xe2x80x9cradiationxe2x80x9d is used herein to include actinic radiation such as ultraviolet radiation and ionizing radiation created by the emission of electrons or highly accelerated nuclear particles such as neutrons, alpha-particles etc.
The radiation curable adhesive compositions of the present invention are particularly useful for hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive applications such as tapes, labels, and a wide variety of self-adhesive products. The inventive compositions are particularly useful for more demanding pressure sensitive adhesive applications requiring high heat resistance and/or plasticizer resistance and/or chemical resistance such as printer labels, tapes and labels for under the hood of automobiles and medical tapes, devices and bandages which are adhered to skin. The uncured composition is applied to a substrate such as films including polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polyolefins, polymeric foams, foil or paper and then cured by exposure to a radiant energy source.
Multi-block copolymers have greater structural heterogeneity and a broader molecular weight distribution compared to the materials as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,582 (Debier et al) such as KX-222C as used in the comparative examples herein. It is believed this heterogeneity provides the improved properties observed with the inventive compositions.
Preferred uses of the present formulation are in the preparation of pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes and in the manufacture of labels. The pressure-sensitive adhesive tape comprises a flexible backing sheet and a layer of the adhesive composition of the instant invention coated on one major surface of the backing sheet. The backing sheet may be a plastic film, paper, or any other suitable material and the tape may include various other layers or coatings, such as primers, release coatings, and the like, which are used in the manufacture of pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes.
The present invention provides a radiation-curable hot-melt adhesive composition which comprises:
(a) from about 5% to about 40% by weight of at least one high vinyl, radial multi-block styrene-butadiene copolymer;
(b) from about 30% to about 80% by weight of at least one solid tackifier;
(c) from about 0.05% to about 5% by weight of at least one photoinitiator;
(d) from about 0% to about 15% by weight of at least one high vinyl, linear styrene-butadiene-styrene or multi-block styrene-butadiene copolymer;
(e) from about 0% to about 15% by weight of at least one high diblock conventional low vinyl styrene-butadiene-styrene or styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer;
(f) from about 0% to about 40% by weight of at least one oil or at least one liquid tackifier; and
(g) from about 0% to about 3% by weight of at least one antioxidant.
Suitable high vinyl, radial multi-block styrene-butadiene block copolymers include, but are not limited to, four arm radial multi-block styrene-butadiene copolymers comprising 60% vinyl, 26% styrene and a relatively broad molecular weight distribution (Mn=94,200 and Mw=276,100). Such block copolymers include SR8296 available from Firestone.
Suitable high vinyl linear styrene-butadiene multi-block copolymers include, but are not limited to, linear multi-block styrene-butadiene copolymers having 57% vinyl, 44% styrene, melt index=13 (cond. G), (Mw=85,000 and Mn=54,000). Such copolymers include STEREON 857 available from Firestone.
Suitable high diblock conventional low vinyl styrene-butadiene-styrene, or SIS, block copolymers include Asaprene JT38; Kraton D1119; Quintac SL117; SR8219.
Multi-block copolymers may be prepared by a variety of methods. One such method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,760 (The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company). A typical multi-block copolymer is SR8296. This is a four arm radial multi-block styrene-butadiene copolymer comprising 60% vinyl, 26% styrene and a relatively broad molecular weight distribution (Mn=94,200 and Mw=276,100) and is available from Firestone.
Radial polymers provide lower viscosity for a given molecular weight (see J. M. Tancrede and C. F. Diehl, Adhesives Age, 11/96, p. 36).
Solid hydrogenated tackifying resins are useful in the radiation curable composition of the invention in concentrations ranging from about 30% by weight to about 80% by weight, preferably in amounts ranging from about 45% by weight to about 70%, more preferably from about 50% by weight to about 65% by weight.
Representative tackifying resins include the C5/C9 hydrocarbon resins, synthetic polyterpenes, rosin, rosin esters, natural terpenes, and the like. More particularly, the useful tackifying resins include any compatible resins or mixtures thereof such as (1) natural and modified rosins including gum rosin, wood rosin, tall oil rosin, distilled rosin, hydrogenated rosin, dimerized rosin, and polymerized rosin; (2) glycerol and pentaerythritol esters of natural and modified rosins, including the glycerol ester of pale, wood rosin, the glycerol ester of hydrogenated rosin, the glycerol ester of polymerized rosin, the pentaerythritol ester of hydrogenated rosin, and the phenolic-modified pentaerythritol ester of rosin; (3) copolymers and terpolymers of natural terpenes, such as styrene/terpene and alpha methyl styrene/terpene; (4) polyterpene resins generally resulting from the polymerization of terpene hydrocarbons, such as the bicyclic monoterpene known as pinene, in the presence of Friedel-Crafts catalysts at moderately low temperatures; also included are the hydrogenated polyterpene resins; (5) phenolic modified terpene resins and hydrogenated derivatives thereof such, for example, as the resin product resulting from the condensation, in an acidic medium, of a bicyclic terpene and a phenol; (6) aliphatic petroleum hydrocarbon resins resulting from the polymerization of monomers consisting primarily of olefins and diolefins; also included are the hydrogenated aliphatic petroleum hydrocarbon resins; and (7) cyclic petroleum hydrocarbon resins and the hydrogenated derivatives thereof. Also included are the cyclic or acyclic C5 resins and aromatic modified acyclic or cyclic resins. Preferred are hydrogenated, cyclic or C5 resins, such as Escorez 5400 (Exxon), hydrogenated aromatic modified cyclic resin ECR179EX (Exxon). Mixtures of two or more of the above described tackifying resins may be required for some formulations.
The photoinitiators are typically employed in concentrations ranging from about 0.05% by weight to about 5% by weight, preferably in amounts ranging from about 0.2% by weight to about 3% by weight, more preferably from about 0.5% by weight to about 1.5% by weight. The concentration is chosen based on the thickness of the application of the uncured radiation curable composition. Commercial examples include Irgacure 651, 184 and 1700 and Darocur 1173, available from Ciba-Geigy as well as Genocure LBP available from Rahn, and Esacure KIP150 available from Sartomer.
Other examples of photoinitiators which may be used include one or more of the following:
Benzophenone
Benzyldimethyl ketal
Isopropylthioxanthone
bis(2,6-dimethoxybenzoyl)(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphineoxide
2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanone
Diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethybenzoyl)phosphine oxides
1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone
2-benzyl-2-(dimethylamino)-1-)4-(4-morpholinyl)phenyl-1-butanone
alpha.,.alpha.-dimethoxy-.alpha.-phenylacetophenone
2,2-diethoxyacetophenone
2-methyl-1-)4-(methylthio)phenyl-2-(4-morpholinyl)-1-propanone
2-hydroxy-1-4-(hydroxyethoxy)phenyl-2-methyl-1-propanone
Combinations of photoinitiators may be used to achieve the best possible cure of adhesive compositions. Photoinitiators are preferably used in the least amount necessary to get initiation of cure at the line speed of the process. The cure process is generally more efficient in the absence of oxygen, for example, in the presence of nitrogen, so a greater amount of photoinitiator is generally required in the presence of oxygen.
The hot melt adhesive of the present invention may also comprise about 0% by weight to about 40% by weight of an oil diluent. Suitable plasticizing or extending oils include olefin oligomers and low molecular weight polymers as well as vegetable and animal oil and their derivatives. The petroleum derived oils which may be employed are relatively high boiling materials containing only a minor proportion of aromatic hydrocarbons (preferably less than 30% and, more particularly, less than 15% by weight of the oil). Alternatively, the oil may be totally non-aromatic. Suitable oligomers include polypropylenes, polybutenes, hydrogenated polyisoprene, hydrogenated polybutadiene, or the like having average molecular weights between about 350 and about 10,000. Preferred are LUMINOL T350, a mineral oil available from Petrocanada and KAYDOL OIL available from Witco Corporation.
Antioxidants are typically added to the commercially available compounds in order to protect the ingredients against degradation during preparation and use of the adhesive compositions, however without interfering with the irradiation curing of the polymer. Combinations of antioxidants are often more effective due to the different mechanisms of degradation to which various polymers are subject. Certain hindered phenols, organo-metallic compounds, aromatic amines, aromatic phosphites, and sulphur compounds are useful for this purpose. Examples of effective types of these materials include phenolic antioxidants, thio compounds, and tris(nonylated phenyl) phosphites.
Examples of commercially available antioxidants are:
IRGANOX 1010xe2x80x94(pentaetythrityl-tetrakis[3-(3,5-di-tertbutyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate;
IONOLxe2x80x942,6-di-tertiary-butyl-4-methyl phenol;
IONOX330xe2x80x943,4,6-tris (3,5-di-tertiary-butyl-phydroxybenzyl)-1,3,5-trimethylbenzene;
POLYGARD HRxe2x80x94tris-(2,4-di-tertiary-butyl-phenyl) phosphite.
To ensure long-term thermal stability, in general from about 0.1% to about 3% by weight of one or more antioxidants is included in the adhesive compositions, preferably from about 0.4% by weight to about 1.5% by weight.
Additional materials may be added optionally to the adhesive composition at up to about 15% by weight, preferably from about 5% by weight to about 10% by weight, dependent on the intended end-use of the adhesive. Such additional materials include, without limitation, block copolymers of monovinyl aromatic hydrocarbons and conjugated dienes such as polystyrene-polybutadiene-polystyrene, polystyrene-polyisoprene-polystyrene, poly(alpha-methyl-styrene)-polybutadiene-poly(alpha-methylstyrene), poly(alpha-methyl-styrene)-polyisoprene-poly(alpha-methylstyrene), as well as the hydrogenated modifications thereof, e.g. polystyrenepoly(ethylene-butylene)-polystyrene and polystyrene-poly(ethylenepropylene)-polystyrene. These copolymers may be prepared by methods taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,239,478; 3,247,269; 3,700,633; 3,753,936; and 3,932,327, and are available from several manufacturers, including Shell Chemical Co. under the trade name KRATON.
Other, non-limiting examples of additional materials include the following:
SBR random copolymers with low ( less than 20%) or high ( greater than 20%) vinyl contents, available under the tradename DURADENE from Firestone (these high vinyl copolymers are reactive and contribute to the crosslinking of the system);
EPDM copolymers which can react into the polymer network via unsaturated sites, and saturated analogs (e.g. EP rubber) that can modify the peel and tack of the adhesive. These are available from Exxon under the trade name VISTALON;
Butyl rubber, which is a copolymer of isoprene and isobutylene and is available from Exxon Chemical Company under the trade name SB BUTYL;
Polyisobutylene, available from Exxon Chemical Company under the trade name VISTANEX; and
Liquid polyisopropylene such as is available from Kuraray Inc. under the trade name LIR.
In addition to the above-described additional materials, the various compositions of the present invention may include other additives known to those skilled in the art. These additives may include, but are not limited to, pigments, fillers, fluorescent additives, flow and leveling additives, wetting agents, surfactants, antifoaming agents, rheology modifiers, stabilizers, and antioxidants. Preferred additives are those which do not have appreciable absorption in the wavelengths of interest.
Examples of pigments and filler materials include, but are not limited to, titanium dioxide, hydrophobic amorphous fumed silica, amorphous precipitated silica, carbon black, and polymer powders. Examples of flow and leveling additives, wetting agents, and antifoaming agents include silicones, hydrocarbons, fluorine-containing compounds, and non-silicone polymers and copolymers such as copolyacrylates.
Other materials which may be added optionally to the adhesive composition include endblock resins which are substantially aromatic. Examples of such endblock resins can be prepared from any substantially aromatic monomers having a polymerizable unsaturated group. Typical examples of such aromatic monomers include the styrenic monomers, styrene, alpha-methyl styrene, vinyl toluene, methoxy styrene, tertiary butyl styrene, chloro styrene, etc., indene monomers including indene, and methyl indene. The aromatic endblock resin is preferably present in amounts of 5 to 20 weight percent. Preferred is HERCOLITE 240 or KRISTALEX 5140, both of which are alpha methyl styrene resins available from Hercules, Inc.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the adhesive composition comprises:
(a) about 20% to about 30% by weight radial multi-block styrenebutadiene block copolymer having about 60% by weight vinyl and about 26% by weight styrene;
(b) about 45% to about 60% by weight of a hydrogenated tackifier resin;
(c) about 0.5% to about 1.5% by weight of a photoinitiator;
(d) about 10% to about 20% by weight of a white mineral oil;
(e) about 0% to about 0.5% by weight of an acrylic antioxidant;
(f) about 0% to about 0.5% by weight of a thioester antioxidant; and
(g) about 0% to about 0.5% by weight of a hindered phenol antioxidant; and
(h) about 0% to about 10% by weight of a diblock copolymer.
The following composition is an example of an adhesive according to the present invention:
(a) about 24% by weight radial multi-block styrene-butadiene copolymer having about 60% by weight vinyl and about 26% by weight styrene;
(b) about 49.5% by weight of a DCPD tackifier resin;
(c) about 0.8% by weight of a photoinitiator;
(d) about 18% by weight of a white mineral oil;
(e) about 0.3% by weight of an acrylic antioxidant;
(f) about 0.3% by weight of a thioester antioxidant;
(g) about 0.2% by weight of a hindered phenol antioxidant; and
(h) about 6% by weight of an SB diblock copolymer.
The adhesive compositions of the invention are prepared by conventional methods. As an example, the block copolymers, the tackifying resin and other desired components may be blended at an elevated temperature, (e.g. temperature of about 300xc2x0 F.) using an extruder, a Z-blade mixer or other conventional mixing device. A preferred method employs the process as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,760, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The resultant adhesives provide a superior balance of peel and tack and are particularly useful as radiation curable adhesives in the preparation of pressure-sensitive tapes or in the manufacture of labels.

National Starch and Chemical Investment Holding Corporation


A transmission device (1) having a switching element, which is actuated by at least one electric component (5, 17) which is part of an actuator (4). The electric actuator component is linked to a countershaft (3) of the transmission and rotates at the speed of countershaft (3) during operation, and is functionally connected through an electric transformer rotary transformer device (15) with further enclosure mounted components of the transmission device (1). Via the transformer device (15), electric energy and/or data can be exchanged, through collector ring contacts, using inductive or capacitive coupling between the enclosure mounted components of transmission device (1) and at least one electric actuator component (5, 17) which is linked with the countershaft (3).

Known in the art is an intermediate gear transmission such as a double clutch transmission, automatic shift transmissions, manual shift transmissions, or the like. These are generally configured and built by mounting rotating gear wheels on a shaft which are interconnecting with fixed gear wheels on an additional shaft, forming the so called gear wheel pairing. Through the interchangeable, fixed connections with the wheels which rotate on the shaft, the pairing of different gear shift positions in the intermediate transmission and its related flow of force in the intermediate transmission can be achieved by adding switching elements such synchronization devices or claw or friction elements.
The activation of the switching elements, needed to shift the required gear pair configurations, takes place on the related shaft where the gear wheels, such as idle gears, are loosely positioned in the intermediate gear transmission, either mechanically, hydraulically, pneumatically, or magnetically, from either the outside or the inside.
The documents of DE 102 06 584 A1, DE 43 25 964 A1, and DE 103 02 502 A1 present the general state of the art, in view of operating the switching elements, in regard to operating the switching elements, from the inner section of the shaft to enable or disable the idle gear wheels or gear wheel pairing, respectively.
The external activation of the switching elements, in an intermediate transmission, is usually achieved via a shift fork or a similar device, whereby the activation of the switching elements from the inner part of the shaft, which carries the idle gear wheels, require less space when compared to activation of idle gear wheels and required shaft surface from the outside, because the switching configuration is located in the inside of the shaft, requiring also less space in the radial direction. To the contrary, intermediate transmissions with an inner activation mechanism of the idle gear wheels require more space in comparison to intermediate transmissions with an external activation of the switching elements in the axial direction.
This is based on the application of an activation force and directing it to the switching elements located in between the idle gear wheels, in order to activate the idle gear wheels and switching elements in the inner part of the shaft which also carries the idle gear wheels. Since neither the width of the bearings of the idle gear wheels located on the shaft nor the switching elements space requirements can be altered, and the directional guidance of the activating force through the shaft is very limited, the internal activation of the switching elements of the shaft has to be achieved in areas which are not functionally utilized by the idle gear wheels or the switching elements. As a result, available unused areas of the shaft are needed which can only be made available by extending the length of the shaft.

Transmission device having at least one shift element which can be actuated by means of an actuator arrangement which has at least one electrical component


According to one embodiment, a stand for an electronic device, includes a first housing and a connector. The connector is configured to detachably connect to the electronic device and to be rotatably supported by the first housing. The electronic device includes a display face and a second housing. The second housing includes a first opening formed at an end thereof. The connector includes a support, a protrusion, and a base member. The support is configured to support the second housing from outside. The protrusion is spaced from the support and inserted into the first opening. The base member includes a first part configuring at least a portion of the support and a second part integrated with the first part and configuring at least a portion of the protrusion.

Conventionally, there is known an electronic device comprising a first housing, a connector, and a second housing. Here, the second housing is detachably connected to the connector that is rotatably supported on the first housing.
In an electronic device such as that mentioned above, preferably, for example, the second housing is connected to the connector even more steadily.

Stand for electronic device and electronic device


A method and apparatus for a CMOS inverter is provided for incrementing a first number by a one, three, or multiple of two. The incrementing unit includes an extract/restore unit for extracting a number of least significant bits from the first number, thereby producing a second number. The number of least significant bits extracted is determined by the incrementing value. The incrementing unit further includes an adjusting unit for adding an adjusting value to the least significant bits extracted from the first number, thereby producing an adjusted least significant bits. The incrementing unit further includes an incrementor block for receiving the second number and incrementing the second number, thereby producing a fourth number. The the extract/restore unit further for restoring the adjusted least significant bits to the fourth number, thereby producing a final result.

Fundamental to the operation of any computer is the microprocessor. The microprocessor performs a number of arithmetic or logical "bitwise" calculations on its various inputs. One necessary arithmetic operation inherent in most advanced integrated circuit components, particularly microprocessors, is the ability to increment numbers in order to monitor the occurrence of events during each clock cycle.
Throughout the development of integrated circuit components, a constant emphasis has been placed on increasing their speed of operation. Typically, this is accomplished by reducing signal propagation delays encountered by the integrated circuit component in completing a particular arithmetic operation.
FIG. 1 shows one prior art method of incrementing, using an n-bit ripple-carry incrementor. The n-bit ripple-carry incrementor 100 includes n identical cells 100a-100n, where n is an arbitrary integer. The n identical cells 100a-100n are connected in series. Each of these cells receives the carry output of the previous cell. The first cell 100a has as an input the carry input co!, while each of the other cells receives the carry output of the previous cell. Thus, cell 100k receives ck-1! from cell 100k-1!. Each cell also has as an input an input operand An!, Ao! through An-1! respectively.
Each cell 105a-105i of the ripple-carry incrementor 100 comprises a XOR gate 110a-110n and an AND gate 115a-115n, which collectively enable each cell 100a-100n to perform two logical operations. Using the K<th> cell for illustrative purposes, its XOR gate 110k receives a ripple carry propagate "Ck-1!" bit from the K-1<th> cell (not shown) via a first input line 120 and an Ak-1! input bit via a second input line 125. Based on these inputs, the XOR gate 100k produces a real bit sum Sk-1! which is output from the incrementor 100 through a first output line 130. The K<th> cell also produces a ripple carry propagate "Ck!" bit via a second output line 135. The Ck! bit is a product of the Ck-1! bit logically AND'ed with the Ak-1! input bit.
Although the conventional ripple-carry incrementor 100 is simple and requires little area and device count being the overall number of transistors required by the incrementor, its total signal propagation delay to calculate the real bit sum "Sn!" is large due to serial propagation of each ripple carry propagate. For example, for an n-bit ripple-carry incrementor, the total signal propagation delay is approximately equal to n gate delays. Thus, the ripple carry incrementor is slow.
Generally, it is desirable to decrease the total signal propagation delay in order to increase the operational speed of the incrementor. This may be accomplished by sacrificing some area and device count. For example, incrementors using carry lookahead or Kogge-Stone techniques are specifically designed to reduce signal propagation delay. Unfortunately, these incrementors require significantly larger area and device count than conventional ripple carry incrementors.
Therefore what is needed is an incrementor that is faster than the ripple carry while requiring less area and fewer devices.


A video signal of a still image is written into a still image area SIA in a video memory 310, whereas a video signal of a moving picture is written into a moving picture area MIA in the video memory 310. A video signal is read out from the video memory 310 while scaling up or down the video image, and the scaled video signal is then supplied to a display device. This enables a scaled moving picture and a scaled still image to be displayed on the display device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for displaying a moving picture and a still image simultaneously on a display device of a computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 12 shows a still image and a moving picture, simultaneously displayed in one window on a display device. A conventional procedure for realizing such a display includes the steps of storing a still image and a moving picture into separate video memories and combining the still image with the moving picture on the display by a known overlaying technique.
In multiple windows systems, such as MS-WINDOWS (trade mark of Microsoft Corporation), the size of each window is changeable. The change of the window size will accompany either: extending the range of the video image to be displayed in the window while keeping a magnification of the video image; or scaling the video image while keeping the range of the video image to be displayed.
The conventional overlaying technique is, however, not suitable for simultaneously scaling up or down a still image and a moving picture in changing the window size and displaying the images.

Apparatus for varying scale of a video still and moving image signal with key data before superimposing it onto a display signal